Friday, March 15, 2013

Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival


Another great time downtown for crafts people and to be also entertained.  Lots of things to do, many different vendors to purchase things from, and just a lot of fun the entire weekend... MAY  18-19, 2013.

Come stay with us at the Oakwood Inn for the weekend, we are just a 15-20 minute walk away.  Park your car in our FREE privately well-lighted parking lot, and just leave it there.  You won't have to fight downtown traffic or try to find a place to park..... difficult even with the PAID parking!

WWW.OAKWOODINNBB.COM   OR CALL  919-832-9712



Artsplosure - The Raleigh Arts Festival 2013

May 18 – 19, 2013 (Recurring daily)

Artsplosure's mission is to produce high quality annual festivals that celebrate excellence in the performing and visual arts; to promote and bring recognition to national, regional, and local artists; and to bring artists and the larger community together to improve the quality of life and cultural environment. For complete festival details including music schedules for Saturday and Sunday and info on art exhibitions, go to http://www.artsplosure.org/

WORLD BEER FESTIVAL APRIL 13

Beer...Beer....Beer... and more Beer!!
It's a HUGE event for all you suds drinkin' crazies!  People from all over come to this event and enjoy the tastings.  Buy your tickets NOW while they still have some.  You can also volunteer.  May have some great benefits!!


Stay the entire weekend at the Oakwood Inn Bed & Breakfast for this event.  Park you car in our FREE, private, well-lighted parking lot and just leave it there.  That's right.  No need to drive, because you will only be about a 15-20 minute walk away.

www.oakwoodinnbb.com       or call  919-832-9712



For the fourth year, Artsplosure is pleased to partner with All About Beer Magazine as the charity partner of the 2013 World Beer Festival in Raleigh!  Partial proceeds from the festival benefit Artsplosure.
The World Beer Festival will be held Saturday, April 13 in downtown Raleigh's historic Moore Square. A limited number of tickets ($45) are still available.  Click here for festival and ticket information!
Approximately 300 volunteers are needed to make the festival run smoothly. Will you volunteer to help Artsplosure and the World Beer Festival on April 13? Click here for more info.
Volunteers, in addition to supporting Artsplosure, will receive:
  • A Festival T-shirt
  • A half-year subscription (3 issues) to All About Beer Magazine
  • An invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation party, including food and beer, following the festival



USE THESE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://allaboutbeer.com/gather-for-beer/world-beer-festival/raleigh-nc/

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Tax Time And Regrets

This posting is not about regrets of pay taxes, although, I wish we didn't have to pay so many or so much.
No, this posting is about my father.... late father.  If you read the previous posting, about two back, it explains about my father passing away in October of 2012.

I am the sole executor of my father's estate and finally got some time to gather all of his tax stuff for the accountant.  I began going through all of his notes, and things about 3 weeks ago.  I've been very, very busy at work at Duke and bring some work home which many times keeps me busy in the evenings, but I finally made some time to gather his stuff together.

Sitting in the same room that he occupied while living with us at the Inn, I slowly went through the files of stock stuff, and other 1099s he got.  He didn't have much in terms of an estate, so it is fairly easy.  However, it slowed me down, just thinking about him.  I would come across a note hand written by him and I would just stare at it looking at the handwriting.  A simple note reminding him when to take his pain pill or what bill needed to be paid or a note to remind him to talk to me about an article he read in the newspaper about healthcare.  His handwriting..... an extension of him.... his mind.... his thoughts...... put down on paper by his hand.  I miss him.  Regrets begin to surface.

Maybe I should have talked more with him instead of coming home, saying Hi, asking him how things were, and then go eat dinner, then work on some stuff for Duke.  Maybe I should have sat just for 30 minutes every week and watched TV with him.  He never asked me to, he never said that he was lonely or needed someone to talk to.  Actually, Doris did talk to him almost everyday while I was at work.  I would always say Hello and have a short conversation with him, but nothing really in length or of meaning.

However, usually once every two weeks, him and I would take a ride to our storage garage in Cary.  That 20 minute ride there and back provided us with some time to talk and bond.  However, I feel I just did not do enough. Now it's too late.

I sit in his room and look at old photos of him, my mother, and numerous others in my family from recent times to almost back 80 years.  People having fun, laughing, smiling, relaxed, and just enjoying life.  I look at some of the old photos and wished I would have asked my dad questions about who some of the people were, what was the occasion, or anything that I should know.  I would have learned more about my father, and what made him Louis.  I have regrets.

People tell me I did the right thing, having both of my parents live with me until they passed away.  Everyone says what a nice person I am to do that.  Yeah.... I liked doing it.  It was wonderful having them around, especially my father who I became closer to in my later years, whereas I was closer to my mother in my youth.  I still have regrets.  I wished I would have done a better job at getting to know him.

Though he had a very sour view on life and always looked for the negative in things (he had a hard life growing up), he was a very kind, gentle, and sentimental man.  He would easily cry over thinks like my birthday, his birthday, my anniversary, missing my mother, etc.  He many times was tough, sometimes angry, sometimes seemingly unforgiving; but I do know he had a heart of gold.... all those things I do know.

As as I touch all the things he touch, I feel a little of him come alive within me.  I do miss him as well as my mother; I just hope they both spiritually watch over me, just like their photos keep a constant vigilance while I'm sitting at my desk.

Someday, the regrets will pass.

Gary