Week 2: What Should YOU do when Tishspiration happens?

Week 2: What Should YOU do when Tishspiration happens?

by | Sep 5, 2018 | #Tishspiration

#Tishspiration is the word I finally created to describe what has been going on in my life for the last two years or maybe even longer. I have been aware of it for the last two years, this I am sure of. I have been telling my husband for years that I am full of surprises. It went from being a saying to becoming what my superpower is. The best part of all of this is that I am using my powers for good. I am constantly surprising people around me with what I am doing. The best part is when I surprise myself. That is the true meaning of Tishspration, the part I want to share with the world. It can happen to you. I am going to try to explain it, and then give advice for what YOU should do when Tishspiration happens to you!

I have been on a journey for the last 2 years. It started when I watched that inspirational video, where I took away the message that I need to live while I am alive so that when I die and I think back on the life I lived, not filled with regrets and what ifs. I want to live life to the best of my ability. That includes trying things and doing my best. It means not dwelling on what might or might not happen, because I have done something to make a change. I am pushing my limits. I am trying new things. I am chasing my passions. I am surprising myself.

#Tishspiration.

Where do you start? Well, asking me is one way to find out more. Waiting for my book about Tishspiration is another option. It will be a few months from now before it is ready. What do you do in the meantime?

Think about what you want to do with your life. What is something that you are really good at, something that you get so involved with that before you know it, several hours have gone by. It should be something that comes really easy for you, even if you don’t think it is your passion. If it isn’t it might be a clue to where you are supposed to be going on your journey.

People are starting to pay attention to what I am up to. Some of them are curious. Some of them want to say they knew me before I started my journey, to be a cheering squad from the sidelines. There is nothing wrong with either of those reactions.

There is a small group of people that are watching me, and thinking about their own lives. They have seen me change and start to grow into the person I am now, and they wonder what if it happened to them? To me, the answer is simple. I would simply ask them, why not? Why not take one step in the direction you want to go in? Why not prepare yourself for what could be, instead of hating the way things are and doing nothing?

What is stopping you?

Fear.

Fear of failure.

Fear of not being accepted for being the unique and wonderful being that you are, from the inside out, the one you have buried inside for safe keeping.

Want to know a secret?

I am scared of failure too. When I try something and it falls flat, I let myself lay there for a while. In the melodrama of despair.

I cannot do that for very long, anymore. I have a drive in me, fueled by passion, bursting at the seams with stories to tell.

I am a Lyricist, with songs I cannot sing.

I am a Blogger, because I need to write.

I am an author, with some small published works, who is writing her first novel, and planning 5 more.

I need to let my stories out. If I keep them inside, they hurt me because I am selfishly not sharing the gift I was born with. By writing my books, I will be accomplishing my lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Surprising myself and others with how good I am at this writing thing. Most importantly, I will be sharing this gift with the world.

Because deep down inside, all of us know what our purpose is. We just have to be listening to our hearts whispering the answers to us. Then we need to make a plan and act upon it. One step at a time, on this journey of life. If you smother a spark, it will extinguish in time. Don’t smother your passion. Let it trickle out until you feel like opening the dam and letting it flow free.

Friends, I am standing in front of a lever, preparing to open the floodgates. The next step for me is getting my book published. I hope that you are 1% as excited as I am about it. I can assure you, I am the other 99% on the excitement scale, and then some! I cannot wait to be able to share this book with the world. I sincerely hope that you all will agree that it is worth the wait.

So what do you do if #Tishspiration strikes? Congratulate yourself on a job well done, then move on to the next goal. That is what I do, and I am an expert at #Tishspiration. It has gotten me this far…

#TishspirationTuesday Week 1 What is Tishspiration Tuesday?

#TishspirationTuesday Week 1 What is Tishspiration Tuesday?

by | Aug 22, 2018 | #Tishspiration

In an effort to get back on track with my blogging, I have decided to change up the Tuesday category. I love Treasure Seeker Tuesdays, and I am hoping that I was not alone in that sentiment. The time has come to try something new. #TishspirationTuesday Week 1 What is Tishspiration Tuesday? I might not even know yet.

I am going places.

I am going places.

Yes, I am writing my first book. Yes, I just took on a new project at work. Yes, I am planning a limited jewellery collection to be launched with my first (and every) book. Yes, draft 2 is in progress, in preparation for editing. Yes, I am all over social media, and I even got Instagram before I got a cell phone so that I can contribute there. I can follow I just can’t share there. Yes, I do talk to my husband when I am awake, and maybe in my sleep too.

No, I have not managed to hire a maid to keep up with the housekeeping. No, I have not hired a chef to keep me on track with my meal plans. No, I do not sleep very much when I am in a high creativity & productivity cycle. No, I haven’t been to Zumba regularly this summer. I will be changing that as soon as possible.

I drink my coffee black (which I review alternately with wine reviews on my Facebook live videos) and I take really good multivitamins. I try to eat healthily, and although I still have pop for a treat, I have basically given it up as an everyday beverage. I am making changes.

I ended the Birthday Bling Club. It did not get the number of subscribers I had hoped for. I have replaced it with a closed secret group to help people like me stay motivated and accountable with weight issues. It is going well. Now if only I could get back on track with my own weight loss goals…

What on Earth am I doing now?

I’ll bet some of you are wondering. There are days when even I am wondering…

I am shaking things up. I am using the momentum created by the positivity I have surrounded myself with to try and give you all a glimpse into the possibilities into what your own potential is.

That was a mouthful, wasn’t it?

Tishspiration. The Art of Surprising Yourself. Once upon a time, these two concepts were not linked. Until I thought about it. Someone I spoke with encouraged me to somehow find a way to meld these two things together. Now, it is as if they were never separate concepts. I made the term. I defined it. And now, I am going to run with it!

Tishspiration has been hovering around in my mind since April 2018, but it has had a much longer history than when I put a name to it. I will be writing a book to describe it in more detail. That will be book 2. I have to get book 1 written, published, and shared from my heart with the world before I can shift gears and get to work on book 2.  I can’t wait to explore what all of this means for me, and what it could mean for you.

As it grows and develops, there will be opportunities. Some will help me to fine tune this concept I have created into something that will change over time. I have been working on this in the background while doing all of the above. I have to keep going. You can witness all of it. I am hoping that when the time is right for you, you will take the leap with me. It all starts here. Now.

Are you with me?

tishspirationstation@gmail.com

Let’s start a conversation about this little thing I call #Tishspiration!

Salt Water Therapy

Salt Water Therapy

by | Aug 2, 2018 | Vacations

Salt Water Therapy is what is known to other people as beach time. It does involve the Atlantic Ocean and the coastline of Cape Breton Island, for me. This year, I was able to take a camera with me that I have on a long-term loan from a friend. I am grateful that I have been trusted to take care of the camera, and have been learning the craft of amateur photography since borrowing it. It is fun to take nice pictures. I can’t wait to share some with you all!

The featured photo at the top is of Margaree Island. I went out one afternoon to take pictures for the blog. It was the best of the bunch and my mom helped me decide which one to choose. I love taking pictures, but I do not always know which ones are the best, and which ones are not. I ask different people for help with different projects. This one was perfect for Mom.

We went back to Chez Edmond Vacation Home. I wrote about visiting my family there last year, and this year we all were able to stay in the same location. As much fun as it was last year to be staying with my friend, it was equally fun to be staying with my whole family under the same roof.

You can read about last year’s family vacation trip in a guest post on another blogger’s website. Homesick for the Home of my Heart was written to be shared on Mohamad Al Karbi’s blog specifically for his Around the World category. I encourage you to check out other stories and categories on his website, as there are many other authors who write as guest bloggers there. You can see more pictures from last year’s vacation that blog and also in the introduction blog post I wrote for my own blog, Sun Kissed and Salt Licked. Both posts were a little different and they both have stunning photography, contributed by myself, friends and family. I am blessed to have such a beautiful location to call my home.

We did enjoy wonderful weather all week long. I did venture into the host’s home to check out another business on the property. K Rugs LeBlanc creates her own custom designed,  unique traditional rag rugs. Located in the same driveway as the vacation home, it was a stop I was glad to have made. If you would like more information about the rugs or other art in the pictures of the next group, please send an email to giggleskleblanc@yahoo.ca

She uses the traditional rug hooking known in that part of Cape Breton. It is a French Acadian hobby. She also recycles t-shirts into her work. It was very interesting to talk to her and to see the project she was working on while we were there. She was using a picture to create the design. I hope to see the finished rug next year.

 

 

We did have some plans to go to The Dancing Goat. We made it a ladies day out, and also went to a gift shop after. The Dancing Goat Cafe & Bakery has a very good reputation for being an upscale cafe in Margaree, not far from Margaree Forks. I may not remember exactly what we all ate, but I did snap pics of everyone’s meal. There were 7 ladies there, and we all chose something different to eat!

Other food was prepared by different family members all week long. Here are a few of the highlights. I made the deviled eggs for a potluck barbeque birthday party. Same 3 people as last year, not as surprising for me to be included this year. My Dad and cousin share the same birthday, and mine is a few days earlier.  They tricked me into asking my Aunt to make the cake last year. I didn’t know that it would be for me too.

Most of us love lobster, and it is a real treat to have it cooked fresh. My dad and uncle set up a propane burner to cook them in a large pot outside at the farmhouse. If you go there for your vacation, you will not find this outdoor lobster cooking assembly. It was brought over by my uncle, who took it home after the lobsters were all cooked. As we have friends that share pics of their lobster all cooked and ready to eat, I wanted to take a picture to share of our fresh cooked lobster too. You will find this and the deviled eggs in the next slideshow.

I know. You are looking at these pictures, and reading my words, and wondering where the beauty of Cape Breton is. Wonder no more. I will share some pictures of some birds and flowers in the next group. It is a hint of what is to come. I am an amateur photographer, but having a really nice camera makes me feel like I know what I am doing! I love taking random pictures of things that I think are beautiful, or things other people might not think to take a picture of. With so many pictures to share, I thought it made sense to separate them into groups.

I spent a few hours at Chimney Corner Beach. With so many things planned within the week, it was the only day I was able to get to the beach and dip my feet in the ocean. Some of my nieces and nephews braved the chilly ocean waters, but it was not as warm as it had been the year before. I did not go in past my knees. It was literally bone-chilling, as the water had not had enough time to warm up for the swimming season yet. I decided to go for a walk with the camera. I made a video which has yet to be edited and subtitled for my YouTube channel, Tishspiration Station. I will get it worked on soon, but this blog post kind of took priority. Here are some pictures of my afternoon at the beach.

I was sitting on a towel, after my walk, when I heard people hollering for Daisy. When I finally turned to look, there was this lovely dog heading in my direction. She promptly laid herself down beside me and snuggled right up to my leg. I gave her a little attention before her family collected her. She was on a leash but made a beeline for me. Her owners apologized and explained that they think she is losing her hearing. Maybe it is selective. Unbeknownst to them, they were at a gift shop at the same time as me a few days later. She escaped from the family vehicle, and I heard the shouts for Daisy again, pleading with her to get in the car. The heat wave had not hit yet, at that point, and people don’t spend hours at the gift shops, so Daisy was not in any danger if she was waiting in the car for a few minutes.  This just confirms to me that it is definitely time for me to get a dog. Daisy seemed to like me, that’s for sure!

Finally, we have arrived at the space for the scenery of Cape Breton Island. I will not have to explain most of the pictures here, as they focus on the Cape Breton Coastline. There are a few other pictures mixed in here, but I feel that they are also worth sharing, a bit of the everyday mixed amongst the raw beauty. Enjoy. I enjoyed learning how to take better pictures, and I am really proud to share them with you all.

There you have it! I am really glad that I went. I am really happy for the memories we made on our family vacation. I hope that you enjoy the story, but even more, I hope you can see the beauty I tried to capture with my amateur photography skills. Someone with more training will likely see flaws and would edit or touch up some, I am sure. I have not taken any courses in photography, it is just another hobby which I love to do. Just like my writing and web page design; it is something else I am learning to do as I go. Since I am having fun, I hope that you can see this when you take a look at the results of my efforts.

Part 2 from the overnight visit to the other end of Nova Scotia will be ready soon. It will be a shorter story, but I felt it was worth a separate blog post of its own.

How is your summer going?

 

Weekend Warrior #62 A Facelift!

Weekend Warrior #62 A Facelift!

by | Jul 15, 2018 | Weekend Warrior

In Weekend Warrior #62, a facelift is being revealed. A friend commented a few weeks ago that it would be fun to see my face on the angry tomato. I asked another friend if she could help. Ta-da! Neither Tish nor the angry tomato was harmed in any part of the process. 😀

I do still have a large amount of writing to do to catch up here. I have been slacking off, but I had a good reason. I had a family vacation trip. We went back to Cape Breton. I took the camera my friend let me borrow, and I will share some of the pictures I was able to take. I haven’t given myself a deadline for the vacation blog stories. I may actually separate it into more than one story.

This upcoming Tuesday, I plan to share a special Treasure Seekers story. Keep an eye out for it. I think it is going to be fantastic!

Okay, housekeeping is out of the way, and I am back! This weekend, I have been working a bit extra at work. I am actually thinking of doing a few hours every Saturday morning, on the days where it is possible. Vacations are expensive, and we need to buckle down and get the budget back under control. It is nice to save up for vacation, and we managed to do okay, but now we have to get a little extra cash flowing in, after spending while we travelled. We had an unexpected trip right after returning home. We got the message that my husband’s grandfather passed away while we were on the road, going home on the last travel day of the vacation. He was 92, almost 93 years old. We did get in a last visit before going home from our vacation. We were able to take a day to catch up on errands and laundry before hitting the road for Pubnico a second time in a week. We took the ferry across from Saint John to Digby both ways. It is half of the travel time to take the ferry, but twice the cost. So we are home again. It is good to be home, even though I love taking vacations with my family. The vacation itself was nice.

I have been feeling the effects of two weeks of travel, combined with a new schedule for work. I am tired. It is totally understandable. I need to keep active today, though, as I do not want to give in to a nap and mess up the new schedule before the week even starts. That is challenge number one today. I was catching up on TV after work last night, and that with a new wine review on my Facebook wall sums up my Saturday in a nutshell. Today is going to be more productive.

I cat sit for a few different people. I like cats, so I don’t mind. Sometimes I get paid in cash. Other times it is a gift. I also like to do it as it helps to know who to ask when we have pets to pet sit at our place too. We had someone to come and feed our fish while we were away. It all works out.

Today is the last day for cat sitting this time. It took 3 days for the shy cat to emerge to see me. She peeked on the first day. I didn’t see her at all on the second day. Yesterday she was out, was timid in her movements, so I waited until she seemed a little more comfortable, then I got out the cat toy. I played with her, and I think I made a friend. Today I hope to see her again. I even had a few kitty kisses yesterday. I figure she smelled cat food, but it was still cute.

The other cat has been there for a while and has memories of previous times of me cat sitting. She is not shy at all and loves to be brushed. I was brushing her when the other one started checking things out. Before I left, both cats had some brushing done. They like it, so if I have time, I spend a little extra time with them to let them know I understand that they are a little lonely without their owners around. I think they like the little extra attention. I like getting to visit with cats since we don’t have any pets other than our fish right now. It is going to be a wonderful change when we get our cat and dog. I am really looking forward to having new fur babies to love!

I have a project that has taken me WAY TOO LONG to finish. I have asked some friends to help, and I am expecting one of them to drop in later on. I can’t get into too much detail, as it is a gift and a surprise. I may not have it finished on time, but I am going to do some serious work to see if I can get it finished and sent out to the recipient soon. I do love making gifts for people. I will take a picture before sending it in the mail. I think it will be a nice surprise for this person if I ever get it finished!

Not if, when. I need to work on this. I need to finish the projects I start. I have to get some things accomplished so that I can move on to other things. Don’t get me wrong, I do finish some things, I just need to work on finishing all of the things. Then I can feel better about taking on new projects.

Which brings me to my first book. People are encouraging me to drop it for now, and write the second book instead. That may work for some people. Book 1 is in my heart, and I need to release it into the world. In my mind, if I put it aside, it may never get finished. This is why I am not into book 2, even though I know it will also be an important book, maybe with more impact and reach than the first one. But I made a promise to myself that book 1 will be written first, and I am sticking to that promise. I don’t think it is being indulgent, as it is its own story, with its own purpose. I worked on the second draft over the vacation, and plan to schedule it in wherever it fits in the next month to get it ready for editing and launching on September 30th. I gave myself time to finish, and I am planning to do just that. My second book is going to be ready before the end of the year. I know what I have planned for it, I just need to finish book 1, then move into book 2 and write it as fast as I can! With the excitement I have for both books, this will not be a problem at all.

Well, Weekend Warriors, what do you think of the new Weekend Warrior angry tomato? I think my friend did an amazing job of turning me into the angry tomato. How is your summer going? Did you do anything exciting this weekend? Let me know in the comments. I love to read about what other people are doing!

 

 

 

Weekend Warrior #61 It is time to Catch Up!

Weekend Warrior #61 It is time to Catch Up!

by | Jun 18, 2018 | Weekend Warrior

Hello, Weekend Warrior fans! It is time to catch up. It seems like I blinked and a month went by. I have been busy. I will go over some highlights from the last month. This way it will be organized, and it will be like we are catching up after a break. 😉

Four weeks ago I was invited to a Jack & Jill bridal shower. It was for a couple that I met at work. They no longer work with me, but the friendship has continued. My husband & I introduced them to the world of Dungeons & Dragons. We taught them the basics, and they formed their own gaming group. Every once in a while we get together, and it is always fun to hang out.

My friend and I were both invited, so we planned to go together. We planned some Bachelorette style gifts, as neither of us really knew what to get, and we wanted to bring fun presents. The bride to be had told me once she wanted to host a passion party. If you know what that is 😉 then you know the gifts were couple related. I will say that I did get them some dice, but they are not for D&D.

Off we went way out to the Boonies to a place I had never been before. The bride to be wanted to know if I needed directions. I googled it. I knew what highway and what house number. It was about 40 minutes outside of the city, at her parents’ place.

It was a potluck. I brought cheese and crackers. I also brought a “deconstructed” which means build your own taco salad. My friend is a vegetarian. This way he could have the salad without the meat. We ate, and then they opened the gifts. There were a lot of nice gifts. The gifts my friend and I brought definitely stood out, and were memorable. 😉

We then took pics with the couple and headed home. I found in the last 3 weeks with so much social activity on Saturdays, I was really tired on Sundays. Other than Happy Writing Chat on Twitter & Facebook, I did very little and rested up.

The second weekend was a lot of fun. The Bride to be extended an invitation to go to the Bachelorette party. I have not had a lot of invitations of this sort, which made me decide that I really should go. I asked my friend if he was going to join us, and he agreed it would be fun. So we met at the gaming venue downtown. It is called Unplugged, and it is a place to go play board games. There is a $5 cover, and they have a limited snack/light meal menu. As it was the first stop of the evening, I opted in for Mozza sticks. I will vouch for them having the second best Mozza sticks in the city, right after Houlie’s Pub. The Mozza sticks there are amazing.

We played a game called red flag. The idea of it was to take 2 white cards to make a dream date description for whoever’s turn it was. The second round was to place a “Red Flag” card, which was something that was not a desirable trait. Things like he rescued an animal on tv, owns a unicorn or looks like Ryan Reynolds were examples of white cards. The only two red cards I remember involved swiping through tinder amidst intimate relations, to put it politely and the other one I remember was a hoot. Compulsively licks doorknobs. Hilarious. We had enough people there that once we all had a turn, it was time to go to the second stop of the night.

I really wanted to try Unicorn Lemonade at Boston Pizza. That ended up being where we went. I had the regular, non-spiked version, as I was driving until I went and picked up the hubby after work. I ordered the salmon dinner, and some people had food, some just drinks. When I had finished eating and had 2 Unicorn Lemonades, I snuck off to get to get Roy from work, so I could pass off the keys and have a few drinks with the ladies. I do not drink and drive. Ever.

I had some draft at the start. I really liked it. Black Horse Premium Lager is a good glass of draft. I had 2. It is brewed in Newfoundland. I then got my favourite cocktail. I like to have a Long Island Iced Tea when I am out having some social drinks. I had 2 of those, as well. I got invited to have some shooters with the ladies, and I was game. I kept up pretty good for being a decade older than most of the gang. We went to Dooly’s. It is a pool hall. It was close to Boston Pizza, so that also worked in our favour for the floating party.

We played a few theme games, had novelty straws and pins. We even got tattoos. LOL, the temporary kind. I got the one that said, “Bride Tribe”. It was gold and stayed on for almost a week. One of the bar staff joined us and got a tattoo. I then fist bumped with him for the rest of the evening. The next day I “confessed” to my husband about the tattoo. I got a look until I revealed it was a temporary one. I am full of surprises, and I think he might actually believe it by now.

We did more dancing than playing pool. There was a jukebox that someone picked really awesome music on before someone else changed it to hip hop. Different genres & generations happen everywhere. Another thing I noticed that set me apart from the generation of the rest of the party was the dancing. I didn’t grow up with access to music videos like the generation behind me. I was very entertained when they got together and they all knew the moves for the songs. I couldn’t match it, but it is fun to watch people dancing like they are in the music video.

My husband didn’t stay at the party, he had to work the next day. I was able to hitch a ride with one of the designated drivers and actually helped her navigate from the passenger seat when I could. I am not from the city originally, but I have learned quite a few street names and areas. I felt useful, and that was good.

Last weekend was the wrap up of the three-weeks of wedding activities. They did it! They tied the knot! I was surprised at how quick the ceremony actually was. I got a little lost on the way there, but it was okay. The bride looked beautiful. The Groom looked happy. They marched down the aisle to “The Imperial March,” in keeping with their Star Wars theme. The save the date card & invitation hinted it would be a part of their day. They served Breakfast for dinner at the reception. They entered the reception hall to Weird Al singing “Wrecking Ball” I knew as soon as I hear the accordion that it was a Weird Al song. It made me smile.

After the first dance, I had to run out to get my husband, again. He needed to eat, and I desperately wanted to change clothes. The shoes I had on were cute but awful. I also was having trouble with the compression pantyhose. One pair I have is really uncomfortable. The other seems better, but I didn’t need that colour that day. I tolerated them for as long as I had to.

I did have some wine at home. I wasn’t driving any more at that point. Roy drove us back, and we signed the card in the parking lot. We went in. I had a rum and coke and hit the dance floor. I requested a few songs and mingled. It is what I do at parties. 😀 Roy got to meet some of the guests. The bride and groom were both happy that we both made it there for the dance. I had a shot of tequila with the groom and switched to water. I know it is important to hydrate when I am drinking, so I make a point of making sure I have water. The week before I refilled the Long Island Iced Tea glasses with water and had it in the middle. I like to drink socially, but I don’t like to go too far. It isn’t good for me to be not in control, I just like to have a few now and then. Other than my once a week wine, that happens almost every week for review purposes, to expand my own wine tasting skills, I actually don’t drink as often as I used to. I have to think about my health, and I have to be smart about it. Sometimes I will skip wine week, and go for 2 or 3 weeks without any alcohol. It depends on what is happening, and what the budget is. It might seem like I had a lot in the last few weeks, but it was out of the ordinary.

I did leave a wedding present when I found out where they were. As I was saying goodbye to the bride and groom, I told him I hoped he liked the gift. He thought I meant the gift from two weeks earlier, and his reaction was priceless! The laugh was worth it. I got them a Star Wars themed present, and lovebirds themed ornament. Since their guestbook was a painting of a tree with lovebirds, I thought it was a fitting combo.   I hope they liked it, and also that they have opened it by now. Otherwise, I may have spoiled a surprise, but it was a week ago, so it isn’t like they haven’t had a chance to open the gifts.

Finally, I can recap this weekend. I started to get serious about cleaning. I hosted a small BBQ potluck for a few authors. We happened to time it so they could watch the write your book draft in an hour webinar, and while I cooked on the BBQ, they watched the presentation on my laptop on the patio. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, perfect for an outdoor BBQ.

We talked about the Kit Sora Flash Fiction contest, as 2 of the 3 Author Amigos, one being me, have already entered some of the contests. The current pic for the contest is of a woman sleeping in a nest, with eggshell pieces around her and pink feathers around her shoulders. We talked about story concepts. I then drove the other two authors home and started back at the cleaning. I have company coming soon, and it cannot be put off any longer.

I ended the day by calling my father to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. We had a nice chat. I know that I am lucky to still have both of my parents still married and alive. We don’t always see eye to eye on everything, but we are family, and that is what matters.

Well, I think that catches us up. It is a long one this week, but I had to fit in a lot of fun adventures. I hope to get back on track with these being weekly entries again, now that I am up to date.

How was your weekend? Have you attended any weddings where something memorable stuck with you? I’d love to read about it! People have so many ways of personalizing their weddings now that it is really neat to find out what others did. One of the most memorable things other than getting married during Hurricane Earl for our guests was that we had a candy bar as well as an alcohol bar at our reception. It was very popular with our guests.