Sunset Beach

Back in May Mom, my Grandmother, and I took a trip to Sunset Beach, N.C. My grandmother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and wanted to take a trip one last time to her favorite place. Guess I get that love honest, because there is no other place on earth I would rather be than at the beach.

Mom and I rented bikes and rode them everyday back and forth from the beach to get in some exercise. We had to ride them across a wooden "swing" bridge that was one lane. It was an adventure to go bump, bump, bump and dodge cars.

We read books, baked in the sun and ate great food. Our view from our bed was amazing. We looked over a boat dock and onto "Goat Island". Goats really did live there...there activity was dependent on the tide.

During one of my beach rides I found the "Kindred Spirit" mailbox, where people wrote about life, their families, their faith and their trips to the beach. It was a really neat and of course I left "our story" too.

The sunsets were amazing and so was the rainbow that started and stopped on the beach. It was a great reminder of God's promise.

Here's to three generations of Sandlappers who love to bake in the sun and wiggle our toes in the sand!

FFA members why are we here?

"To practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities, and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess."

Founded in 1928, the Future Farmers of America brought together students, teachers and agribusiness to solidify support for agricultural education. In Kansas City's Baltimore Hotel, 33 young farmboys charted a course for the future. They could not have foreseen how the organization would grow and thrive.

Since 1928, millions of agriculture students - no one knows exactly how many - have donned the official FFA jacket and championed the FFA creed. FFA has opened its doors and its arms women in 1968, ensuring that all students could reap the benefits of agricultural education. Today, the National FFA Organization remains committed to the individual student, providing a path to achievement in premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Now, the organization is expanding the nation's view of "traditional" agriculture and finding new ways to infuse agriculture into the classroom.

My FFA career begin in 1994 when I registered for my first agriculture education class. At this time I had no idea where that blue jacket would take me. I competed in a couple SAE (supervised agriculture experience) and won the State Dairy Proficiency. I also enjoyed competing in several CDE (career development events). I was proud to earn my State and American Degrees. In 1998-1999 I severed as the S.C. State FFA Secretary and had the honor of dedicating the national head quarters in Indiana. All 50 states brought samples of their soil and poured them around the flag pool in alphabetical order. Needless to say South Dakota was not impressed with our red clay!

On June 9 I was invited back to the S.C. State Convention as a past state female FFA officer to honor 40 years of women in FFA. It was such a joy to sit and the seats of the Brooks Center on the campus of Clemson University and slip back in time. Though technology and the world around us has changed; I'm proud to say the jackets and the time honored traditions of this organization stay the same!