What Happened the Year You Were Born?

"In 1963, A Stamp Cost 4 Cents"

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!

What Kind of Garden Am I?

"You Are a Wildflower Garden"

What Kind of Garden Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!

Restaurant Review: Venable Rotisserie Bistro

One of my goals for this year is to visit at least one new-to-me restaurant each month. On April 1, Easter Sunday, we visited Venable Rotisserie Bistro for brunch. Venable is located in Carr Mill Mall, at 200 N. Greensboro Street in Carrboro. I made reservations on OpenTable, and we were seated promptly.

Even though I'm nuts about breakfast food, I was in the mood for vegetables, so I ordered the Cobb Salad, plus a side of cheese grits for my breakfast good fix. The salad was well portioned with goodies to mix together, including bacon, egg, grilled chicken, diced tomatoes, and blue cheese. It's just what I was craving! G. ordered the English Breakfast, and was able to get fruit in place of the baked beans. He enjoyed his breakfast.

We finished our meal with a pot of French press, just right!

I'm glad we made Venable our Easter Brunch restaurant this year. I'd love to return for another meal sometime.

Spring Snow

Springtime Snow Behind Our Apartment

Yesterday was the first FULL day of spring, and we had SNOW yesterday morning! Big, fluffy flakes stuck to the grass and trees in my area, but didn't cause a problem for me getting to work. I've come to love snow (especially when I can stay safe and the power's on!), so I enjoyed yesterday's snow fling.

It's a clear day today, but still a little chilly.

In Case I Ever Visit Italy...

I would love to visit Italy one day, and BlogThings tells me I am the history! Ha! That makes sense, since I was a history major in college. "You Are the History"

What Part of Italy Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!

10 On Tuesday: Things I've Learned Since My Dad Passed Away

So, this post may be grim, but it's part of life. I've learned many  things about life and death since Dad died. Here are ten of them:

1. Grief isn't linear. Some days are better, and some days are harder than others.

2. Dad's favorite flower was the pink azalea. My sister knew that, but I didn't.

3. Losing a parent is different in so many ways from losing a grandparent or more distant relative.

4. Even though Dad was sick when he died, I do not feel like he's "in a better place" now. I miss him, and I wish he were still here.

5. Having a sibling helps when planning things related to his death, but we don't always agree. That can be hard at times.

6. Reading books Dad would've enjoyed helps sometimes, but other times they make me sadder. It's part of the grieving process.

7. It helps to hear others' memories of Dad, especially the funny ones.

8. It's hard to explain this grief to someone who hasn't lost a parent.

9. Paper notes and cards received in the mail have been surprisingly meaningful and appreciated. It's inspired me to order some cards to send via mail on my own.

10. My relationship with food is a strange one during the grieving period, especially since I'd like to lose weight. Sometimes I don't feel like eating, sometimes I'm all into the comfort food.

Favorite YouTube Videos: 12-year-old Singing Ventriloquist

I love a good YouTube video! So I've decided to start sharing some of my favorites on this blog. Here's a video from last year's "America's Got Talent," a 12-year-old singing ventriloquist! She ended up winning the contest! This was her initial audition. It makes me smile every time I watch it.

Taking On Shakespeare

I've decided to read all of Shakespeare's plays. That's 37 in all. Actually, I already read Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet some time ago, so that's 35 left. I finished Macbeth a few days ago, and now I'm reading The Tempest.

Why, you ask? Well, my dad passed away last month. He was an English major in college, and he and my mom met in a Shakespeare class. I wish I'd read more Shakespeare while Dad was still living so we could discuss them, but better late than never, is what I figure. I think he'd like this project.

Would you like to join me in my Shakespearean journey? If so, comment below! Better yet, join me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1674575-lesley-looper

Writing a Family History

I've been involved in genealogy research since the early 1990s. Lately I've been thinking about picking one of my lines to concentrate on putting together a book. So, I decided to pick one line from my dad's side (Burdine) and one line from my mom's side (McCauley) to focus on. I've discovered that, especially with my AncestryDNA and 23andMe test results in, it's easy to get distracted with other family lines, but it's all good, really.Sometimes it's good to "go with the flow," especially when it includes getting in contact with a "new" cousin!

In Memory of My Dad

My dad made Duke Alumni Twitter feed today, and it made me smile. I sure do miss him.

Blue Devil Fun Fact: Former Duke football player Charles Looper helped take American Candy Co. from a regional business to an international one and was inducted into the Candy Hall of Fame in 2001. pic.twitter.com/tV8CBASDqh

— Duke Alumni (@DukeAlumni) February 16, 2018

Joining the DAR?

Since recovering from ankle and knee injuries, I've been thinking about ways to get involved in the community. One of my favorite hobbies is genealogy, so I decided to look into joining the Daughters of the American Revolution, also known as the DAR. No one else in my immediate family is a member, and I'm not aware of any more distant relatives who are members either. So, it's going to be a bit of a stretch to prove my lineage, but I think it'll be worth it! I also think it'll be a nice way to meet more people in the area.

I'm not sure which of my possible Revolutionary War ancestors I should use for my membership lineage. Someone from the local chapter will help me decide. It's pretty exciting to think about!

Outer Banks Vacation: Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wright Brothers Monument

George and I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina for a long weekend to celebrate our recent anniversary (14 years!). One of our favorite activities was visiting the Wright Brothers National Memorial, a national park in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina.

We visited on a beautiful, unseasonably warm afternoon. We were looking forward to the park ranger's talk in the air-conditioned auditorium, but learned when we arrived that the auditorium was being cleared out for the upcoming 2-year renovation of the visitor center. We decided to take advantage of the park ranger's talk outdoors instead, and we were glad we did! We learned a lot about Wilbur and Orville Wright, and the history of their plane building and many flying attempts. Now I want to read David McCullough's book, The Wright Brothers!

If you ever have the chance to visit the Outer Banks, the Wright Brothers National Memorial is definitely worth a stop! You'll be glad you did!

The Gift of Spit

Earlier this month, I visited my parents in Alabama. It was a long drive for a short visit, but I'm glad I did it. They're getting older, and it's much more challenging for them to travel.

A few weeks before I left home for Alabama, I ordered two extra AncestryDNA kits, one for each of my parents, in hopes that I could get spit samples from both of them. My mom wasn't able to do it, but my dad was willing to do it. I was so excited, that I mailed the test out on my way back from Alabama to North Carolina! AncestryDNA estimates 6-8 weeks for processing, but I'm still checking practically every day!


I'm so thankful that my dad was willing and able to spit into the little plastic tube for me. I can't wait to see how his results compare to mine and tell me more about our family tree!

Are You Playing Pokemon Go?

Early last week, I downloaded the app for Pokémon Go, to see what the latest craze is all about. I didn't get into the original Pokémon craze, but I was intrigued by the augmented reality and GPS components of Pokémon Go.


My play started pretty slowly, but I've picked up the pace, as much as full-time work and other responsibilities will allow, and am up to level 13 now. Like others, this game has gotten me outside a bit more during the heat of summer, when I'm usually running from one air-conditioned place to another air-conditioned place. I've picked a team (Go Team Mystic!), and am catching the occasional new Pokémon. Mostly, the ones I catch are repeats these days, but part of the fun of the game is the anticipation of catching or evolving a different Pokémon to add to my PokeDex.


Will the gamehold my interest, long term? Good question! For now, though, I think it's pretty fun. I've joined a Pokémon Go Meetup group in my area, so it might be a way of meeting new people. I missed a recent event at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, where they opened it up for Pokémon Go players ("trainers") for a few hours on a weekend afternoon. I hope they do that again!

Stocking Up on Makeup

Over the past few months, I've been working on upgrading my makeup collection and techniques. It started when I noticed more wrinkles, but slowed down when I realized that nice makeup seems to be pretty pricey! While I still have some Mary Kay and Clinique products, my latest acquisitions have been Bobbi Brown.While money is definitely a factor, I've also found that customer service is a big issue for me too. I look for a salesperson who's patient, knowledgeable, efficient, and responsive. I've seen a pretty wide range of these characteristics over the past few months.

What are your favorite skincare and makeup products? What do you look for in a skincare/makeup line?


Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Outer Banks Daycation

George on the Beach at Kitty Hawk

George and I had a fun daycation at the Outer Banks of North Carolina last Saturday. George decided Flying Pirate Half Marathon, but wanted to pick up his race packet anyway, so we decided to make a day trip out of it!
not to run the

We started at the race expo, where we got chair massages which felt awesome! At the recommendation of one of the massage therapists, we went to lunch at the Black Pelican, which was a cute place with yummy food and a nice view. As luck would happen, there was public access to the beach, plus a bathhouse with bathrooms and outdoor showers, very close to the restaurant, so we did that next. The beach area was a little foggy at first, but cleared up before we left. It was so relaxing to hang out on the beach for a while and listen to the waves. All in all, a lovely day!

I've uploaded my photos onto Flickr, and they're available here.

Life After Graduate School

Spring Semester has started, and for the first time in three and a half years, I'm no longer a student! It still feels different, not thinking about assignments and homework, but it's a good feeling! I've started to think about other things, both professionally and personally, that I can develop.

One thing I did recently was buy a Yamaha alto recorder. I don't know how to play the recorder, but like to learn! Fortunately, decent recorders come fairly cheaply, and I got mine with a gift certificate. :-) The recorder is so portable, there's a recorder playing group in my area, to boot. I'm really wanting to plug back into my musical side. So stay tuned!

On the work end, one thing I'm doing is shadowing a colleague at the library's  Help Desk  once a week for a couple of hours. I enjoy working with KJ, who has a lot of energy and is eager to take advantage of teachable moments.

I'm also planning on attending three professional conferences this year, and am presenting at one of them. Busy, busy!

Grad School Complete!

I finished my last assignments of my grad school career a week ago today, and gave my final presentation (of library school) last Monday (December 1) in class. So hard to believe! I've spent much of the last week (beyond my full-time job) resting, catching up on errands and cleaning, and thinking about how I want to spend my newly re-found free time!

One of the things I want to do is cook more healthy foods at home. So recently, I picked out an easy, yummy looking chicken curry recipe, and went grocery shopping yesterday. A few minutes ago, I decided to go ahead and make the recipe for an early lunch, and learned that I have TWO bottles of expired olive oil (called for in the recipe) in the pantry! (On the flip side, I have three bottles of lemon juice in the refrigerator, all within the expiration date. Sigh.) I have a feeling I'll find a few more extras and expired items before it's all over, but I'm looking forward to giving our kitchen and pantry the reboot.


Graduation is next weekend! I'll post all about it later.

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Almost Done!

It's hard to believe I'm almost done with graduate school! All my assignments are due on December 1, when I have my last class period (and a presentation due that night). Graduation is December 13. These days, I'm tired and pretty stressed, but it's almost over. I'm looking forward to taking a big nap, then starting to catch up on things I've missed, like exercise, reading for pleasure, and learning how to cook more dishes. I'm also looking into taking up some new hobbies, like learning a musical instrument or new foreign language. Stay tuned!

The Year was 1963 (When I Was Born)

In 1963, A Stamp Cost 4 Cents

Lyndon B. Johnson becomes president of the US The atomic powered submarine, Thresher, sinks in the North Atlantic killing 129 A civil rights rally held by 200,000 blacks and whites, features Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech President John F. Kennedy is assassinated as he rides in a motorcade through downtown Dallas Betty Friedan publishes The Feminine Mystique, launching a middle-class feminist movement Michael Jordan, Quentin Tarantino, Conan O'Brien, Johnny Depp, and Brad Pitt are born Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series Chicago Bears win the NFL championship Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup The Beatles receive their first #1 hit single, when "Please Please Me" tops the charts in the UK Astroboy (known as Mighty Atom in Japanese) Japan's first ever anime was launched NBC expands its evening network news program to 30 minutes The television remote control is authorized by the FCC

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes!