It’s with great excitement at I can announce the newest member of our family: Miss Lucy Rapp.
Posted by: ckrapp | January 10, 2012
Welcome
Posted by: ckrapp | December 15, 2011
Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath
That’s where I am right now. Just breathe. Right?
Posted in Life
Posted by: ckrapp | November 1, 2011
The Jayhawks – Live at the Bijou Theatre – Knoxville, TN 10/27/11
I hadn’t seen The Jayhawks before and they hold a particularly special place in my heart (B and I slow danced to them on our first date). I have to admit, it’s not that I wasn’t expecting to like it, I just wasn’t expecting to be so blown away. It was definitely one of the best shows I’ve seen in years. I hope you enjoy!
Posted in Knoxville, Life, Love, Music | Tags: Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, live music, love, Music, The Jayhawks
Posted by: ckrapp | October 8, 2011
Fat girl running
I have recently rededicated myself to living a healthier life. Of course I’m focusing on my eating habits, I’m exercising more, and I’ve even added some activities that should help me be healthier both mentally and spiritually. Let’s hope it sticks.
Becoming more active is both invigorating and terrifying. I hate how I picture my chubby self running (the wide angle picture of me that was just published on Facebook doesn’t help), but alas, if I don’t look silly for a little while, I will never look better.
I have discovered a solution to my upper body dilemma with a Nike sports bra that is both corset, harness, savior, and torture device. In short, I love it. My latest trouble area, clothing-wise, is, well, to be honest, my pants keep falling off. In some cases this might be a good thing, if my rapid weight loss is what was causing it, but I’m afraid it’s more likely my pear-shape.
Does anyone have a top-secret suspenders like device I’ve never heard of? Because if they exist, I’m on my way to the suspender store (locals, we call that Morelock Music, haw!) but I’m inclined to think that’s not a viable solution.
I went and purchase several different pairs of full-length and capri length exercise pants and they all do it. Looking back, I swear I didn’t pass over drawstring ones, I’d remember seeing them.
Lastly, I’m cheap. I’d really love some suggestions that aren’t $70 workout pants because I’ll never spend that kind of money, well not u till they actually look good on me.
Does anyone have any suggestions? It’d be much appreciated.
Posted in Knoxville, Life | Tags: exercise, exercise clothes, lifestyle, running, weight loss
Posted by: ckrapp | October 2, 2011
Found photos
My family has always loved photos. They were everywhere and we were always taking more. I would thumb through old albums or stacks of pictures staring at much younger versions of my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. This week, someone I don’t know was posting old photos he’d found in a Facebook group to see if anyone recognized the faces. Luckily, I did. There, staring back at me was a twenty-something looking Granny and Poppy. It is just delightful to see them and so surprising because I just assumed I’d seen every picture of them that existed.
Posted by: ckrapp | September 11, 2011
Remembering
Ten years ago was my brother’s 30th birthday.
I woke up at a friend’s house when she frantically yelled into the answering machine. I watched alone in horror when the second plane hit. Back at home in my apartment, my friends and I stared blankly at the TV screen all day and into night. My friend said something like, “I left Ireland to get away from terrorism, I never thought there would be terrorism like this here.”
I thought we were going to war. Would my brother have to go to war? (He didn’t but my then-boyfriend did. He reenlisted less than two weeks later. )
My best friend lived in NYC. And since I don’t know geography of the city well enough, I didn’t know how close she was to the World Trade Center and I couldn’t get through the phone lines to talk to her. Late that night I got a short, simple email I will never forget.
“The bridge was closed so I had to walk. I am home, tired, but safe.”
I sat there with the realization that there were so many people who would never get that email and I cried.
Posted by: ckrapp | July 28, 2011
No good deed goes unpunished
A close friend had surgery today and I decided to take my lunch break to check on him. My office is right beside a Food City so I thought I’d stop in and get him a get-well plant and some snacks.
As I was pulling out of the rear entrance of our office parking lot, I see a red pickup truck loaded down with pallets, stranded and a guy walking away from it (in the direction of the Food City) with a small gas can. Now, many people would never pick up someone in this situation, but I am my mother’s daughter and she taught me that if the good Lord decides to take me in an instance of doing good, then he had a good reason for it. I was actually talking to my mom on my cell phone when it happened and she didn’t miss a beat when I told her what I was doing. I stopped the car and opened the door for the guy saying, “It’s too hot to run out of gas” to which he replied “And I’m too old to walk!”. I laughed.
I dropped him off at the pump and when he said thanks, I told him it’d be even hotter walking back up the hill so I’d wait for him to fill the tiny gas can; it obviously didn’t take long. I drove him back up the hill to his truck and said good luck. It was all seemingly uneventful.
I went back to Food City with a spring in my step. It feels good to do good things. While I was looking for a nice, guy-friendly, plant, the florist complimented my shoes. “See good karma for doing good, “ I said to myself. As I was checking out with a stack of Lunchables and a self-water plant (really), the guys at the checkout were equally nice and complimentary. Still benefitting from that good deed, I thought. And as I walked out, I was walking on sunshine.
Until I realized that waiting for me outside were some police cars and the frantic, gas station attendant. It would seem that the seemingly nice, out-of-gas guy hadn’t paid for his gas and since I was driving the car, I had just stolen gas. And was on video doing it.
If you’re familiar with Tennessee gas stations, each pump has a menacing picture of a state trooper alerting us that they WILL prosecute any instance of gas stealing. They even take your license. I’ve stared at that image so much while pumping gas.
Today, the finger was pointing directly at me. The attendant kept saying, in broken English, “I kept telling them I couldn’t understand why you came right back to the same place!” I just laughed and said, “Because I didn’t KNOW I was stealing gas!”
Thankfully, the police were nice enough to let me, with the attendant escorting me, go back inside to get money. They didn’t have an ATM, so I had to make another purchase and get cash back. It was $2.01 and the nice lady said not to worry about the penny. I told her, “At this point, I’m AM worried about it and gave her exact change”.
While it wasn’t funny while it was happening, it is now.
And my sick buddy did end up getting a magazine out of the deal.
Posted in Life
Posted by: ckrapp | March 5, 2011
Learning to quilt
I’ve decided that I want to learn to quilt. Both of my grandmothers were really skilled quilters, and I used to sew a lot when I was a kid. I can hand stitch pretty well and could use my grandmother’s sewing machine. I have a sewing machine but to be honest, I don’t even remember how to use one. It dawned on me that the last time my grandmother came to Knoxville was to help me set the machine up. I never even used it. I miss her so much.
Posted by: ckrapp | January 6, 2011
Naomi Fine Kelly 1915 – 2011
July 18, 1915 - January 3, 2011
KELLY, NAOMI FINE – went home to be with her Lord on January 3rd at Life Care Center of Rhea County. She was preceded in death by her husband Charlie Kelly; parents Grover and Myrtle Cox Fine; granddaughter Kelly Martin Streets; brother, Jewell and Ross Fine and sisters Reba Holland and Willie Arnold; and sons-in-law David Wisthoff, Sr. and Freddie Martin.
Naomi retired in 1977 after forty years with Robinson Manufacturing Company. She was a multi-termed past president of the American Legion Auxiliary unit 100, the Dayton City School PTA, and the Rhea Central High School Band Boosters. As loving as she was loved, Naomi was special to everyone who knew her. She had a tender, caring heart for animals as well as people, and fed wild animals like she did her pets – even the crows, much to the chagrin of her friends at her favorite garden center. She was a genius at gardening and her yard looked like a painting, a landscape of flowers, shrubs, trees, ponds, and wildlife. Something bloomed there year-round. Over the years, she supplied flowers, for many church, school, and garden club events. She was also appreciated for the vegetables and fruit she and her husband shared with many. She was known as an excellent cook, from her Sunday dinners to her pimento cheese and ham salad sandwich picnics and her renowned German chocolate, pineapple upside-down and coconut cakes, but she was most famous for her chocolate gravy breakfasts.
She will be sorely missed by her survivors; daughters Katie Wisthoff (Les)Wiedrick of North Dakota and Pug Martin and Brenda Marler of Dayton; grandchildren David (Tam) and Jonathan Wisthoff, Ruth (Brian) Skar of North Dakota, the Reverend Dr. Stephen (Grace) Wisthoff of Nebraska, Charlotte Churchill of Florida, Andrew (Karissa) Marler and Catherine Marler (Brenden) Rapp of Knoxville; thirteen great grandchildren and eight great-great grandchildren, and her beloved brother Jake Fine, Dayton.
The family is most appreciative of Dr. Chetan Shah and his employees and the staff of Rhea Medical and Life Care Centers from whom Mrs. Kelly received outstanding, loving care. The funeral will be Saturday, January 8th at 2 PM following visitation from 11am. Coulter-Garrison Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Posted by: ckrapp | December 2, 2010
Stuff that works – Christmas edition
Ok. I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a Scrooge about Christmas music. I think it’s because people start playing it in November these days and I just get sick of it. It’s probably more than that, because I don’t really remember ever liking any Christmas songs. Dolly’s Hard Candy Christmas is good; I’ve always liked it, but overall, not much else.
This year, my friend, and uber talented musician, Scott Miller put out a Christmas CD. I coulnd’t believe it. I took him for even more of a Scrooge than me! As it turns out, it’s a beautiful record. Maybe I never liked Christmas music because all you ever hear are Rascall Flatts and Mariah Carey’s versions.
The opening track on Christmas Gift, features poet and musician R.B. Morris joining him with a reading from TS Elliott’s Journey of the Magi. It’s the perfect marriage of spoken work and music. Truly a gift. Scott also gives us his take on Neil Young’s Star of Bethlehem. It’s an old favorite of mine, one that I’d only heard at a December show years ago, I felt lucky to have heard it then, knowing now I can play it at anytime makes me so happy. I catch myself starting the song over again before it even finishes. It’s that good. He also covers a John Prine song and a Roger Miller song, both of which work perfectly.
So that’s my recommendation, go get this album. You can purchase them on his website or, even better, go catch him live. He travels all over the country just about all of the time. Go enjoy some good music, and right now, some holiday cheer.
Posted by: ckrapp | November 24, 2010
Stuff that works – Mineral Power!
Most people who know me would be surprised to learn, I love makeup. Well, not really nice makeup or anything (I’m cheap), but there’s not much I love more than spending 15-20 minutes perusing the beauty aisles of my local drugstore. When a new “revolutionary” lip gloss comes out, I. Must. Have. It. My makeup obsession has led me to discover a product, that actually WORKS! Obviously, I don’t get paid to comment on the things I like or don’t like but I know everyone loves to get compliments, right? So I’m passing it on!
The DAY I switched to Maybelline Mineral Power Blush & Bronzer, I was complimented on my complexion. Instant gratification, I tell you. I’ve bought three different Mineral Power products, the blush, the bronzer, and a product they call an Illuminator.
Usually, I put on the blush as I normally would, then dust the Illuminator over my face (this before the bronzer so the bronzer glides more lightly and doesn’t over-saturate), and then lightly add a bit of the bronzer to my cheeks and nose. I always brush the Illuminator brush back over my face to even it all out on my face.
I’ve been lucky to have an easy complexion most of my adult life, but let me tell you, for a 35 year old to get frequent compliments on her skin, you know there’s a good product behind it!
So someone out there go try these products and tell me what you think. Am I the only one loving these?
Posted in Fashion, Shopping | Tags: fashion, shopping, Stuff that works
Posted by: ckrapp | November 24, 2010
Weekly Money Check-Up
I’m pleased as punch to be participating once again in My Pretty Pennies Weekly Money Check-Up. Here’s my latest installment:
1. The most I’ve spent this last week was $263 for groceries for my mother and grandmother. I was supposed to take my mother’s credit card with me, but forgot. She has been sick and on top of that is responsible for the care of my 95 year old grandmother. She’s been worrying about money a bit lately, so I just paid for the groceries and wouldn’t take her money when she offered to pay me back. It felt good to be able to do that.
2. Today I feel like I am becoming more responsible towards money.
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was find a new social navigation app for the iPhone that users can update with traffic details or speed traps. Did I mention it was a FREE app?
4. I will consider this week a success if I don’t succumb to all of the emails I’m getting about Thanksgiving deals. For the first time, we’ve actually started shopping early and getting the right gifts at the right prices. I hope I don’t take the surplus caused by preparing early and just spending it on more gifts!
5. My favorite food at Thanksgiving is, well, all of it. I’m counting my calories even closer than my pennies these days. I’ll have to say the turkey and dressing are in the forefront with deviled eggs and corn souffle being in a close race for the title..
Posted by: ckrapp | November 23, 2010
Tumblr
So I’m trying out Tumblr, but it’s making it more difficult for me to keep up with, what I consider the three most important places for my social media presence. I love Facebook and Twitter, and enjoy blogging when I have the time. My problem is consistently making time for blog posts. I wish there was a way to stream line my contributions to Facebook and Tumblr into my WordPress blog. I’m just not find an easy way.
I prefer the way a post looks when it is originated on Facebook, so I don’t want to just feed my blog to Facebook and have all my links come in that way. I do like that whatever I link in Tumblr comes directly into my Facebook feed, but what I’d really prefer is a way to link those accounts to my posts here. Does anyone have any suggestions for me?
Posted in Life
Posted by: ckrapp | October 22, 2010
Weekly Money Check Up
1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on make up. I had run out of a few of the must-haves but was proud of myself for actually waiting until payday to buy them AND for only buying those things!
2. Today I feel reconciled towards money.
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was go running alone, well just me and my dog.
4. I will consider this week a success if I don’t reward myself for a job well done and only splurge on Bs birthday gift(s).
5. My favorite cereal is Golden Grahams! It’s by far, the greatest cereal ever made.
Posted by: ckrapp | October 15, 2010
Weekly Money Check-up
1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on my boss’s gift for Boss’s Day. My team was supposed to be paying me back, but there are a couple of people that I know won’t.
2. Today I feel disheartened towards money. I’ve been putting more money into my savings and 401K which I know is a good thing but it means not having anything in my checking account so I naturally freak about that.
3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free/inexpensive thing I did last week that made me happy was sit alone and listen to all my favorite songs from my iTunes library.
4. I will consider this week a success if I don’t make a transfer of funds from my savings back into my checking!
5. If I could quit my job for a month and travel throughout one country, I would choose Australia. How could you not!? An old friend from Australia did a month long road trip before he moved to the states. He documented everything and essentially sent me his trip journal as correspondence. If I didn’t love it already, it certainly caused me to fall in love.
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