Thursday, April 25, 2013

I love Savannah


I love living in Savannah.  I love being from here.  I am one of those who came “back” after college (I read somewhere about how locals always make that comment).  I love living in a town where the tallest structure is a steeple.  That is, until one of those big ships rolls down the river.  I love knowing that when I go to the Publix at Twelve Oaks that I will know someone.  I always look forward to talking to that person, whomever that may be.  I love that when I drive my children to nursery school that we get to talk about the flowers blooming and the horses driving the carriages.  My children are sure that all those horses are named “Lucky” and that they live at their farm.  When I tell people that I work for my family business, TideWater Landscape Management, Inc., the reply I hear most is, “Oh that’s your family’s business?  I see your trucks everywhere!”  I love to hear that.  Savannah is wonderful.
Just look at all the activities coming up in the next few days! 


This Saturday we have the SCAD Sidewalk Arts Festival.  How incredible are those creations made from chalk?  Do you think they use the same Crayola Container that we use at our house? Surely not...
Or, how about Savannah Fashion Week!  The fashion show is tonight!  I will tell you my friends, Heather Kaney Burge and Jennifer Miller Paige know how to make girl feel like she is in Paris or Milan!  How awesome that our little city is hosting such beautiful design and creativity!  Thanks to the many fashion folks who make this event such a success.

For all you golfers, The 2013 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf is being played right now across the river on Hutchinson Island.  Golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are wowing the crowd as I type.

Lastly, on the music scene, we welcome Betsy Kingston and The Crowns who will be playing at Mojos Juke Joint located on River Street this Friday night.  We have a Savannah girl coming back for a Savannah show. Good music. Good vibes.

So, this weekend our city of Savannah is going to be a happening place.  Enjoy!

Friday, April 19, 2013

Thank You, Helpers.


What a tragic week it has been for Americans across the country.  After hearing the news of the horrific bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line followed by the earth-shattering fertilizer blast in West, Texas, Mr. Rogers’ quote has been quite moving:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’"
There are countless helpers surrounding these tragedies.  From the race volunteers and runners to the fire fighters and citizens of West, Texas, ordinary people became heroes in seconds.  They helped those in need without question and without pause.  As a runner, as an American, and as a human, it strikes my core to see triumph of the human spirit.  Despite terror, despite fright, we continue to care for each other.  We show love.  We show compassion.  Thank you to all the helpers in these tragedies and in our daily life.  We appreciate all of you, we appreciate your unselfishness, and we appreciate your random acts of kindness towards perfect strangers.   Though we are heart-broken over the devastation and loss, we can be thankful and rest soundly knowing that love prevails. 

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Each Day is Unique


Working in a family business is unique.  It is unique to walk through the door each day and say “Good Morning” to your co-workers and get a “Good Morning hug” from your 60 year old Dad.  As you sit in your uncle’s desk while he is working in the conference room, your 80 year old grandfather walks in to chat for a while about the weather and what the customers are saying before he leaves for his daily route as the Customer Service Manager.  On the phone your little brother calls from six states over to ask, “Whatcha doin’?” just like he has most every day since you moved out of the house to go to college 15 years ago.   Just now after the small talk he moves to, “Let’s talk about the sales program and the projected growth over the next 5 years.”  He owns the branch of the company in Oklahoma.  Your cousins work in these halls as their roots are here also.  You all went from fishing at the pond as children to fishing for business as adults.  Then, your mind wanders to your own children.  You wonder how their day is going, are they having fun with their friends, did they take their nap, are they happy?  Then you think, “Hmm…they might like to work here one day.”  As you look up a face as familiar as family pops through the door asking about the part for the truck that needs repair.  You know this face as he has worked with your family business for 25 of the 32 years of your life.  This person knew you when you were running the halls and playing pretend on the equipment.  This person took your brother to the hospital when he was bitten by that snake while picking up hedge clippings that really hot summer.  This person saw you go to college, to return, to marry, and to come back to the business to work alongside each other.

This is a glimpse of my morning.   It is a morning of warmth, familiarity, and the feeling of utmost responsibility to maintain the reputation that the generation before me created.  I love TideWater.  I love being the Director of Marketing, the boss’ daughter, and that girl that comes and goes all the time.  For me, I love these people.  I love the three generations of our family that have the opportunity to work and create something new each day with generations of other families within these walls and across the country.  Thank you, family.  What a great way to start the day.
Come and see us at www.tidewaterusa.com.

(A view from our annual conference this year.  My dad (bottom left) and my brother (next to him) are both sitting with their hands on their chins.)

Monday, November 28, 2011

I'd like to buy the world a Coke...

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year.  Each Christmas Coca-Cola comes out with their Santa Claus themed cans of Coke.  I am always excited to see these hit the shelves.  Coca-Cola is one of the largest, most sought after, brands in the world.  The secret recipe lends mystery to the All American Red and White that people from all countries recognize.  Did you know that Santa Claus traditionally wore green until Coca-Cola began to promote him heavily in the 1950s?  Now in every mall across the western world, Santa wears the colors of Coke.1

This Christmas across the world families will buy Coca-Cola.  In doing so, they are sharing in a little piece of the magic of Christmas, in American history, and in a century old mystery.  How amazing that all of this can be found in a little red and white can of Coke!

1. Brand Sense by Martin Lindstrom

Thanksgiving Proclamation

Friends,
During this Thanksgiving Season, please read below the Thanksgiving Proclamation signed by George Washington in 1789 during his first year of Presidency.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.
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G. Washington (his actual signature)

Monday, November 14, 2011

Attitude is Everything

Recently, Alfonso Thomas, a supervisor at TideWater in Savannah, brought back a vivid memory from my childhood.  A couple of weeks ago, he handed me a printout of the quote “Attitude is Everything.”  As I read it, I remembered that our family had this taped to our refrigerator door when I was a teenager.  I can still see my Dad pointing to this quote when I started to complain to him about the woes of adolescence.  How am I going to pass this test?  Why doesn’t anyone like me?  Why are you so strict?  He would smile and say, “Read this!  A positive attitude is what you need.”  I would shrug my shoulders and proceed to argue that a quote would not fix anything.  He would laugh while shaking his head and replying, “Everything will be okay.”

Well, he was right. 

Thank you, Alfonso, for the reminder. 

Enjoy this quote and share it with your family. 

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

-        Charles Swindoll

Monday, November 7, 2011

Taking the First Step


“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao-tzu 
This weekend I, along with 20,000 other runners, embarked on the inaugural Savannah Rock N’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon in Savannah, Georgia.   What an incredible event!  The weather was crisp and cool, the music was loud, and the energy contagious.  While running, I thought to myself, “What makes 20,000 runners think that this race is an attainable and worthwhile goal?”  As I winded through the streets of Savannah, I encountered a few runners who gave me a little insight into this question.  I met a man who was a cancer survivor and was running to raise awareness for finding a cure.  I met a Marine running with his full pack while carrying the Marine Corps and the American flags wearing a sign “In Memory of my Dad, In Honor of my Mother.”  I met a lady who had lost 160 pounds and was celebrating her success by running in this race.  Everyone running had a reason.  What was mine?  I decided that deep down I wanted to answer the question, “As a wife and mother of a one year old and a two year old, do I still have what it takes to finish a half marathon?”  The good news is I found out that being a wife and a mother makes these kinds of challenges even easier than they used to be.  I finished 13.1 miles in 2:22:37 - my personal best.   So, we all have our reasons to take the first step.  Maybe next year I will test my endurance at the marathon?  See you at the start line in 2012.