Kindness

Friday at work, I had the nicest surprise! I gave a 30 minute lesson to a member on Tuesday and he was very pleased. I saw him Wednesday and Thursday after he had practiced and he was very pleased with how he was hitting the ball and excited about his golf game. Friday later in the afternoon he came into the golf shop with a bouquet of flowers and said, "Thank you for changing my game". I was almost brought to tears at the gesture of bringing me flowers and how appreciative he was.
Just having students be excited about the changes they are making and seeing improvements in their game is validation for me that I am a good instructor and doing what I am suppose to do. This however was above and beyond! I am realizing that I really do love what I do and I am so happy to be back teaching again! I am where I am meant to be!

PRO AM JAM

Last night was SO much fun, I am still on cloud 9!!!!! The Nationwide tour is in town and is hosting their tour championship at Daniel Island Golf Club. They had a PRO-AM Jam on the croquet court in front of the club house and what a line up! Mark Bryan - from hootie and the blowfish, Branford Marsalis - Saxaphonist, Pat Green - Country singer (AND MY FAVORITE!!, My sister calls me a groupie!! :) ), Darius Rucker - from hootie and the blowfish, Patrick Davis - Country singer and song write, Colt Ford - Country Band adn then someone from REM was there too! We were right up front and so close I could practically reach out and touch them! When Pat Green came on, I was like a child at Christmas!! :) It was a fun night hanging out with my sister, brother in law and friend Meredith!

Mark Bryan

Branford Marsalis

Darius Rucker

Pat Green

Pat Green

ME AND MY MAN....PAT GREEN!!!!!

Palmetto Intercollegiate

Monday I was lucky enough that it was my day off and my friend Emily was down in Kiawah so I drove down to see her. Kiawah is only about 45minutes to an hour away so not a bad drive. She coaches the University of North Carolina-Greensboro women's golf team and they were there playing in the Palmetto Intercollegiate tournament. Emily and I worked together at Grayhawk YEARS ago and have kept in good touch since. We have seen each other a few times over the years but now that we live so close I have had the opportunity to see her a few times already. This time was especially exciting because her team placed 1st!! This was Emily's second win as a golf coach but the first official win since the first one was a tie and then they won in a score card playoff. I was so excited to be there for her first win! Her number one player is amazing and won the tournament as an individual as well so it was a good day in many ways for their team. Definitely fun to watch good golf and extra fun to watch my friend coach her girls to a win!! WAY TO GO UNCG!

Big alligator on hole #1

The UNCG Scores

Coach Marron with her team's trophy!

UNCG Women's golf team and coaches with their team trophy

October visitors

The month of October has been great because I had two special friends come visit. Carrie came to stay with me Oct. 4th-10th. We had a great time and I was able to be a tourist myself in my new city. We took a carriage ride in downtown Charleston, Toured Fort Sumter, Had BBQ, Ate on the water and saw dolphins, Shopped downtown, Toured Middleton Plantation and stayed a night at Middleton Place. It was so fun having her here and I was sad to see her go.
However 6 days later my friend Heidi came to stay with me. She was in Charleston the 16th-18th. She and I also had a great time and got a lot packed in to a few days. We had dinner on the water and again got to see dolphins. We got up early Monday morning and took the dogs for a walk on the beach. Then went down town to have lunch a Husk. (Husk was voted the best new resteraunt for 2011 by Bon Appetite magazine.) We shopped downtown, went for a bike ride around Daniel Island, then went on the boat to dinner with my sister, bro in law and the kids and my mom. We had a nice lunch downtown on Tuesday and stopped at place called Sugar for a cupcake before I had to take her to the airport. (Sugar was one of the top places for cupcakes in a food magzine as well!)

It was a great month with two great visits from two great friends!!

Prayers for Bogey

As you all know, my dogs are a very important part of my life!! Since I don't have children of my own yet, they are my children! (Only they have fur!) The hardest part of having dogs is that they don't live forever and are not with us nearly long enough!!
A few weeks ago I noticed weakness in his Bogey's back legs. He would go down the stairs but not back up! When picked up, he cried. Took him to the vet on Monday and he has intervertebral disc syndrome. Basically narrow disc space between 3 vertebrae that are effecting the nerve. Options are steroids or back surgery! I am starting with steroids and going from there. Just don't know that I want to put a 12 1/2 yr old dog through back surgery. Praying steroids work!
Now no more sleeping on bed because he can't jump on or off furniture and isn't allowed to do stairs so I have to carry him up and down. Even if he starts to feel better, he was always have this in his back and therefore can never do stairs again or jump again or he can do permanent damage. So needless to say things are a little more stressful in my house and a little more work. I have to put gates up so he can't go up or down without me grabbing him and carrying him down. Definitely worth it to keep him healthy but I feel like I am always on guard.
Thanks for continued prayers, so hard to watch him struggle to hold himself up and struggle to walk! I love that boy with all my heart and pray he has years left in him!

SEC football!

Last Saturday I went to Columbia, SC for my first Gamecocks game and SEC football experience. My friend Meredith went to graduate school there and hee husband played baseball there. Columbia is only about and hour and a half from Charleston. One of the best parts was experiencing tailgating there. The stadium is right by the old railroad and they have what they call a cockaboos which is a train caboos. They are each individually owned and decorated. They are so fun. Meredith and Mark own a cockaboos so I really got to experience a first class tailgate! The game was fun all though the gamecocks lost to Auburn. It was a really fun day with great weather and friends doing what I love.....watching college football!

some of the cockaboos

the cockaboos at night

Meredith and I with the sun right in our face. (not the best picture)

Here come the gamecocks.....

Go USC! (I am getting used to the fact that on the East coast, USC is Univeristy of South Carolina and not Southern California! )