Connection...

(First of all, let me apologize once again for a lack of posts...if you still read this blog - Thank you!)

For the past two weeks I have wanted to share this and haven't been able to crank it out to the blog world.

Mid-March: I was out on assignment for the newspaper interviewing a women who runs a local non-profit. The women told me it was best to drop by her truck-parts business and interview her during the day. However, if she had a customer she would have to help them and than come back to the interview. Fair enough.

Six minutes into interview: A man walks in and ask to make a custom order for something on his pick-up truck. I casual listened in as the interviewee took down the man's information and quoted him on the price. He had brought his dog into the store and I patted the dogs head. The man asked when the order would be received because he would like to have it before his trip to Topeka. She said she would contact him. He left with his dog thanking the interviewee for help. The man's name was J.B.

End of March (busy deadline day in the newsroom): Police scanner screeches a semi and pick-up truck collide on north U.S. highway 54. Scanner calls for all medic units, local police, ambulance and more. The newsroom beings to busy with should we send some one (we often arrive on the scene of accidents, write a story and take photos.) The publisher and managing editor conclude no - accident is way out of town, the paper has to be finished at 5 p.m. and we can't spare anyone.

The following day: I hear a report on the radio. The man driving the pick-up was taken to the local hospital and didn't make it. One of the other reporters rights up a small story and it appears in the newspaper.

Maybe two or three days later, morning in the newsroom: Local funeral home worker comes in with a photo to be scanned for the Obituaries page. I glance at the photo - a man, about fifty, with a boy-scout about 8-years-old. The two are smiling and happy. The boy hold a trophy. The funeral worker asks me to crop the photo so only the man's neck-up is used for the notice. The name he gives me to save it is J.B. Esser. At least it is not the boy-scout I think to myself. Nothing else has clicked.

Later that day: Editing the Obituaries page - reading over the obit of J.B. Esser. Died in an automobile accident. Originally from Topeka. A father and a grandfather. Leaves behind his trusty dog. It clicked.

I had met this man about 10 days before he died. The rest of the day, my mind couldn't escape having seen this man and his dog. He was perfectly healthy, happy and seemed like a genuine guy. How fast can life be over?

I re-read the article the newspaper printed on the accident. J.B. missed a stop-sign. His pick-up collided with a semi-truck. The driver of the semi was unhurt.

While this little connection, little coincident, ironic event has made me realize more than ever how we should really live each day to the fullest - I can't help but hope J.B. made that trip to Topeka. According to the obituary his parents, sisters and brothers all resided up there. Maybe he got to have a nice time with family. Maybe he got to tell his family he loved them. I hope he did. For that boy-scout, I hope he remembers the good times with his grandfather and how happy and proud his grandfather was on the day of that photo.

{Stay Tuned}

Mistakes we try to avoid in the newsroom

Yup, we try to avoid these "simple" mistakes.

(These clippings are not from The Southwest Times)

{Stay Tuned}

Give and Get: Family & Friends Coupon

I grinned last week when I opened up my Gap credit card bill.

Usually, this is not the case.

Typically, I dwell over the amount owed and think "how?" Once I review the charges, I think "oh, right."

Anyways, Give and Get (also known as the Family & Friends coupon) was nestled beside my bill.

"Yes!" I thought.

"No!" I thought four days later after furthering examining the coupon details. Not for online purchases!

"What's the matter?" the cowboy asked.

"The coupon I told you about a few days ago excludes online purchases!" I cried. (We live about 2 1/2 hours from the closes Mall in Amarillo, Texas.)

"Boo hoo." He said with no compassion.

Oh how I had already planned to purchase some spring fashions from Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy.

I can't use the coupon but there is some valuable information I can pass along to fellow blog readers that would like to save at Gap, Inc. stores March 18 - March 21. Post your email address ( I recommend spelling it out ex..lauraeastes at gmail dot com to avoid spam) and I will email you an invite coupon to take into the stores for savings.

Happy Shopping!

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. This is what I planned to purchase with incredible savings!

News in Liberal?

Questions concerning my job while home for the Christmas holiday was "Is there any news in Liberal?", "What do you find to write about?", "What kind of news comes out of small towns?"

The answer is: there is always news in Liberal and I would imagin it is the same as anywhere else.

I admit there are some slow days in the newsroom. However, Liberal, Kansas is like anywhere else. We have car crashes, we have fires, we have a city and a county government, we have a court system, we have criminals, we have locals doing good, we have visits from politicians, we have festivals, we have (occasionally) new businesses coming to town. I could keep going.

I meant to blog about this awhile ago but a sales associate in Wichita said the same thing to me. While paying I said I was from out-of-town, Liberal area. The individual asked me, why live there? I responded a job brought me out there. A reporter position, I said.

"Is there any news in Liberal?" He asked.

Yes and here is some news from Liberal I think anyone might enjoy.

{Her First Novel} Local author publishes her first novel after years of working and raising children. She finally found time to write a novel and inspiration for a story.

{Baker Art Center is deep 'Inperspective'} An art center that is working with at-risk juveniles.

{Liberal's 94 year old fire bell rings again }

{Stay Tuned}

How to freak out your boyfriend

It might be hard to see but this is my desk top at any given time.

Sure Twitter, Facebook, Stuff Under 20, The Southwest Times might also be opened but generally speaking if I have an hour to relax online, I am looking at wedding blogs.

If you follow the blog than you know I use to work in the industry. Despite begin out, I am still very much interested in what wedding photographers latest weddings or engagement sessions photos look like, what the trends are by wedding planners, and how engaged brides are planning their day.

Harmless interest.

However, I left my laptop open on the coffee table and walked away. My cowboy boyfriend glanced over to see what I was looking at.

"Weddings, huh?" he said.

"Yea, I use to work for a wedding magazine. I've told you that," I said.

"I know," he said.

As he does know that, I still think it caught him off guard. Maybe a little, "What is she thinking about in that head of hers?"

The cowboy and I have been dating for a little over 4 months. (but hey, who's counting?) The future is on my mind but wedding/engagement is still far off.

I can't help but remember that within our first week of dating, the cowboy came over to my apartment and sitting there on the coffee table was {Get Married TV's wedding magazine}. I scrambled to throw an InStyle over it before he would see.

I don't think he ever did notice the magazine that evening. My point of hiding the magazine was for the cowboy to not determine within first week of meeting me, I was crazy. (One of those crazy, single girls that have their whole wedding planned out and are purely dating to find a guy they can simply 'insert here'. Well, maybe...no, not one of those girls.)

May it be within the first week of dating or going into the fifth month of dating I am still cautious of freaking out the cowboy. However, now I am pretty sure he doesn't think I am one of those crazy girls.

{Stay Tuned}

Interested in some great wedding blogs?

{Completely Unveiled by Weddings Unveiled}, {Ray and Wes Leytham Wedding Photographers}, {Our Labor of Love Wedding Photographers}, {Lucky Me!}, {Opulent Couturier} and recently engaged blogger {According to Nina}.

An emotional roller coaster of a day

I realize I haven't blogged a "decent" post since January. I also realize that it is March. I also gave considerable thought on what to blog about for when I finally took it up again.

An emotional roller coaster of a day was not it.

However, that is where I found myself on Tuesday, March 9. I was looking back on a day of ups and downs. Silent accomplishments made by me.

(I had a great interview with a lawyer in which I sounded confident and asked all the questions I need to. I signed up for my first online course. The course cost $55 and promises to make me a better writer. I thought the inspiration of an online instructor and exercises might help me out. I got a very sweet thank you note in the mail from a local author I interviewed last week. "I was impressed by the article," she wrote. I want to write her back and say I was impressed with you. As she told me last week, she had to retiree in order to follow her dream. At 65 she published her first novel.)

But like I said Tuesday was a day of ups and downs. There were some downs.

(My editor tore apart my lead to the article I wrote for Wednesday's newspaper. Granted the sentence did need some re-writing. I was told I needed to work on my page design skills and was asked if 'I rush through things?')

I could dwell on the negative. I could block it out and only concentrate on the positive but that is not how lessons are learned. That is not how we improve.

While a bit on the mentally drained side, I found myself inspired more than ever. Weird, right? I want to do better. I know I can do better. When I get better I know those ups will only get higher. The uneasiness look on the cartoon character will go to a smile.

{Stay Tuned}

I am happy to report Wednesday was one of the most productive days I've had in awhile. I really truly believe a bad day on Tuesday encouraged me to work harder than ever Wednesday.

Life lesson of March 9: The best inspiration can come from a bad day.

P.S. The cartoon is from a menopause website.

For the love of sheets

For the love of sheets...

I am not sure when it happened or how but there has been a shift in my shopping wants and needs.

Going shopping in college meant going clothing shopping. However, it wasn't limited to just clothes but included shoes, handbags, necklaces, earrings, scarfs, and well, anything body oriented.

Going shopping now means shopping for things for the home. Maybe the shift happened as for the first time in my life I live alone. I am renting an apartment with white, bare walls. I have the ability to decorate my apartment. Decorate it the way I want to.

What is stopping me?

Money. Home decorating is expensive. In lovely, Liberal we have a Wal-Mart but our Wal-Mart doesn't carry the trendy, cool looking Home Trends collection. And before you throw out the suggestions of Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, Home Goods, T.J. Maxx...let me tell you, they are no where close to me.

Last weekend, the Cowboy and I went to Wichita. We went for the weekend which involved meeting more of his family (Mom and half-brother). Sunday was designated for shopping. I said Target. The cowboy said "Really?" Apparently, he imagined shopping meant mall only.

"What are you going to get at Target?" asked the cowboy.

Everything.

Well, I couldn't quite possibly buy everything because as earlier pointed out home goods cost money. However, I by-passed buying a cute side table, armless chair for my living room, the large art prints for my walls and went for purchasing new sheets.

The {Home Organic Sheet Set} was not a disappointment. The sheets feel almost like silk with a super soft feel. They remind me of the modal fabric Gap Body uses for their panties and p.j.'s.

I am in love with these sheets. Perhaps, they have been out for awhile and I finally just discovered them as I become more of an adult focused shopper.

{Stay Tuned}

P.S. We hit up the mall after Target. I limited myself to 1 hour which included Old Navy, Coach, a Kansas gift shop and than the stores the Cowboy wanted to go in. I am a good girlfriend to take to the mall.