Cheers to A New Year From Piedmont Triad Living

By Jessica Thomas Lewis
     
I, for one, am very excited about the New Year.  

2014 is the year I turned 40.  It is also my first full year of being single since the age of twenty-two.  This year brought several mini-vacations for my girls and myself.  It brought self growth.  It was, to be honest, one of the best years of my life thus far.  It also brought, here towards the end, a discovery of truth and betrayels that rocked me to the core and nearly brought me to a halt.

2014 brought a new energy to Piedmont Triad Living.  I'm excited to see growth in my labor of love, as it gives me a voice to share all that I love about the Piedmont Triad.  I live laugh love play shop local and I'm thankful that as a brand we have thousands of fans across our area.  

I am thrilled to have contributing writers to Piedmont Triad Living, each picked for their brilliant writing skills and interesting perspective of our area.  

I am proud that we're not afraid to talk about subjects that matter.  While we'll always be a family publication with fun and lighthearted topics, we're also ready to talk about the harder, more controversial topics.  The best conversations and the most significant changes have stemmed from controversy.  

Our goal for 2015 is to go to quarterly print; I'm proud that Piedmont Triad Living is a known, relevant name and that you allow us to be a part of your day.   In addition to the website and this blog, we are also on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  Thank you for being a follower and a reader.  

I am so excited to see what 2015 brings us all.  

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.

Joy Cometh

By Carly Pete

So, it’s about forgiveness?

After submitting my first blog to this publication, I checked in on Facebook where I read a post from a friend about a St. Louis, Missouri police officer, so happens he’s black, saying he witnessed racism firsthand while on that city’s police force which caused him to resign after five years…an eyewitness account from a police officer regarding the Ferguson grand jury decision.  I paused. The friend who shared the post is a white male human being, the husband of a friend from church. We three share a mostly virtual acquaintance: we share information we care about on Facebook; we read.

And now, I write; I’ve begun a conversation with you.

Before signing out of Facebook that night, I saw a photo shared by another friend, someone I hadn’t seen in a while who hadn’t posted anything on Facebook for months. She looked fantastic! We distanced ourselves from each other last year. I clicked “like” on the post.

Instantly, I was overcome with emotion, ready to let bygones be bygones.

Ten days later, before she and I could reconcile, I learned through a Facebook post on her page that Carolyn passed away from complications with a medical procedure, ending her life abruptly.  Her family was devastated, and I, inconsolable. Reaching out to my adult sons in a private Facebook chat, I asked where they believed the energy and life force of a loved one goes when the body dies so suddenly. Michael and Lawrence, oldest and middle sons, allowed their younger brother Christopher to respond. Mike, my second husband, Christopher’s dad, passed away four years ago. Christopher wrote: “The energy goes through us and still lives through.  That inspired thought, or coming inspired actions, that “spirit” is what inspires because it has been implanted in you and everyone she’s touched.”

Everyone she’s touched…he was empathizing with me by gently reminding me he knows the pain of a sudden loss, too, their dad. Instantly, I’m reminded of the sacredness of my sojourn, of the amazing people whose lives have touched mine. I remember the joy, bask in it, and let it flow.

About Carly Pete: Carly, a 2013 graduate of Salem College, earned B.A. degrees in Communication and Creative Writing. She resides in Winston-Salem, where she works as a communication consultant, lyricist and writer.

New Year's Party at Quiet Corner's Sports Bar

Bring in the New Year with our friend Mr. J  

at Quiet Corner's Sports Bar in Winston-Salem.

2805 Indiana Avenue

Doors Open at 9pm

$10 before 10pm

$20 after 10pm

Call for Advance Tickets

Gwen 336-655-5520

J 336-479-5007

Where the Grown and Sexy Socialize

Angelina's Teas

By Denton Gerow

Are you looking for something different?   Tired of meeting for coffee?  Need a great gift for someone?   This is a place you have to check out.

This is not your grandmother's tea shop.  With hundreds of teas, tea sets from delicate to manly and a wide range of gifts, this shop stands out.

Nothing commercial like that place in the mall.  True loose teas in so many flavors.  From classic black to chocolate strawberry saffron and everything in the middle.  Enjoy a cup as you browse the myriad of books that range from coffee table photo books to old leather bound tomes.  Play an a old board game as you sip a mellow blend or talk with your dear ones while drinking a supercharged Go Juice. (More on that in a moment).

Don't know much about loose teas and how to select and brew?  No problem.  Wade will gladly coach you and assist you.  They have everything you need to get started in this fine tradition of teas.

Gifts galore are available.  Some of my favorites are the elegant cup, saucer and spoon sets to light up the imagination of any special lady of any age.  Loking for that Japanese tea set?  They have them all shapes and colors.  Something for your office?  They have tea and coffee presses travel mugs and more.

A varied selection of gourmet chocolate bars, with and without liquor, including locally made bars make great gifts to accompany the teas. 

One very unique offering is the line of Salt Of The Earth.   These are packs of sea salt with rare spices infused like saffron, truffle and more.  A line of salt sprays with flavors infused is also available for those times you just want a dash of flavor.

Usually, there is a special baked good available also to accompany your beverage.  Today it was bourbon pecan cake.  Be sure to ask what the day's treat is. 

Now about that Go Juice, which is my favorite drink.   This drink is better than almost any mocha, latte or coffee concoction you have ever had.  You pick the chocolate infused tea of your choice.   Wade, the owner, mixes it with a blend of tea that has more caffeine than a cup of coffee.  He adds cream and sweetener (sugar free is available). This drink rocks!   Only two per visit allowed.  It's just that strong.  As a caffeine fiend I can tell you, this one packs it in.


I strongly suggest a visit here.  

Find Angelina's Teas on Facebook and visit their website.

About Denton Gerow:  Denton was born in Charlotte, but has lived all over the eastern seaboard and in California.  An avid Foodie, he prefers to eat at local joints, hole in the walls and the oft missed.  Denton loves to cook and share his passions for food, cigars, beer and more.

Christmas Carolyn

By Carly Pete

A dear friend, Carolyn, passed away a few days ago; I learned about it on Facebook. We lost touch last year after she and I had a couple of spats. Now, I feel she intentionally created that distance, but maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

Carolyn and I met in 2003 at Martin Luther King Jr. rec center here in town. We took aerobics classes together twice a week until I began classes at Salem College in the fall of 2009. We were among the more highly motivated women in our class who attended religiously; I’d been diagnosed with diabetes in 2001, Carolyn was a breast cancer survivor.

Carolyn’s my best new friend since childhood. Her constant encouragement reminded me of how my life might have been had my mother lived to raise me, although Carolyn was only a year older and didn’t look her age. She complimented everything about me: my hair, the way I thought, talked, dressed, my cooking, singing…on and on; it was almost embarrassing. She loved me. I can’t remember ever in my life being so unabashedly celebrated by another human being (not related to me) as by Carolyn. Her acceptance was validating, personal, and startlingly real. Whenever I sang somewhere, or hosted a jam session at my home…and spectacularly when I graduated from college in 2013; Carolyn was there, cheering wildly as I crossed the stage.

Best of all, Carolyn is the keepsake of our birth name; I relinquished Carolyn to her safekeeping when I became the singer and college student Carly to newer friends, plus it reduced confusion when she and I were in the same spaces, which we often were, until last year.

I’m certain she knew how much I loved her and how hard losing her would be on me. I only pray that she passed peacefully away without much physical pain.

Touch the sky, fly girl. Say hi to our mamas. Always know I love ya!

God rest your souls, easy, dear family of our loved one. Take comfort in beautiful Carolyn memories and let your hearts be strengthened by the everlasting joy of Christmas. We send condolences and our love.

Treasury: Carolina Calling

Carolina Calling

A treasury filled with NC sellers!  We always support shopping locally.  Buy local, stay local!

Petite GOLD-Filled North Carolina Necklace--Solid ginnae $52.00	Home Sweet Home NC unisex tshirt S M L XL holdfastoutfitters $22.00	Floral North Carolina Decal - Colorful Flower NC Bumper Sticker Red Heart Cute State Laptop Decal Pink Green Yellow Blue MeganJDesigns $8.00	The Town Clock at Statesville North Carolina Print from the Original Watercolor by Michael Joe Moore MJMH2O $40.00
NC Home Car Decal KatesKustomCreations $8.00	Wrightsville Beach Wilmington NC Summer Rest Road watercolor painting commission local artist on location or from photographs acrylic pen JudiNiemannArtworks $350.00	North Carolina Roots State T-Shirt - Unisex Adult Short Sleeved NC Tee Shirt - 100% Cotton - Hometown Roots Apparel HometownRoots $28.00	Carolina Theater at night - Durham, NC 4x6 postcard guimon $2.00
Asheville, NC Urban Photography Warehouses in the River Arts District, Urban Decay, Asheville Wall Art, Asheville RAD Old Broken Down Places MelaLuna $24.00	Lake Lure NC postcard - Blue Ridge Mountains, Chimney Rock, North Carolina high cliff, mountain scenery, patriotic flag DustyDiggerLise $4.00	Ca. 1970s "Great Smokey Mountains" in NC Topographical Picture Postcard - 1314 pecanhillpostcards $4.99	Currituck Lighthouse - Outer Banks Lighthouse - Duck, NC - Outer Banks Photography - Landscape - 8x10 Photo SouthernGracePhoto $20.00
NC State Memorial Bell Tower - NCSU, North Carolina State University Photography - College Home Decor Fine Art Print or Note Card Set orangecatart $3.50	NORTH CAROLINA (NC) Shaped Magnet - Regular Blue Pepsi Soda Can SodaCanBuddies $4.00	First In Flight License Plates on NC JohnGoodyear $175.00	Wilmington, NC, Art print called "Night On The Town" - Cafe scene, horse and carriage, horse and buggy, Riverboat Landing Restaurant davinstudios $20.00

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7 Tips for Your Holiday Travel

By Raymond Fleckles

Documents 
Keep all of your travel documents together.  ID, passport, boarding passes should all be kept together in a place that you can easily access.

Clothing
Keep it simple!  Wear slip on shoes if possible and carry as little metal and electronic gadgetry as possible on your person.  This will help speed your way through security.  Not only will you appreciate it, but so will your fellow passengers.

What Can I Take?
Always check http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items before you travel.  This site is updated regularly with any changes and will let you know what can be carried on and what must be checked.

When Do I Need to be at the Airport?
For a domestic flight I recommend a minimum of two hours before your flight.  On heavy travel days (Thanksgiving and the 23rd of December through January 3rd) I recommend at least 3 hours before take-off.  For any international flights I always recommend at least 3 hours before departure.

Do I Need a Passport?
This is a question I hear quite often.  The answer is, if you are leaving the US then generally yes.  The only exception to this rule is if a) you are a US citizen b) you can provide a copy of your birth certificate (issued within the US or by the State Department) AND a state or federal issued photo ID c) you are taking a cruise from a US port that will be returning to a US port.  Only if you meet ALL three of these criteria can you travel outside the US without a passport.  That said, I highly recommend a passport as it will simplify your boarding procedure as well as your return through US Customs.  Also, should anything happen while you are on vacation at any port of call outside the US that requires hospitalization or a medical evacuation you will have to have a passport in order to return to the US. If you should have any questions regarding this please contact your travel agent!

What About Holiday Travel Bargains?
Anywhere warm is going be at a premium price during the holidays so plan accordingly.  Caribbean, Florida, Hawai’i, Australia are all going to cost as much as double what they might in the summer months.  The best deals for any kind of winter travel are typically going to be Europe.  Yes, it will be cold, expect similar weather to here in the US.  Prices for Europe in the winter time can be as much as 1/3 the price you would pay in the summer months.  If you’re someone who just gets really into the Christmas spirit and loves the idea of the decorations, the food and are looking for something really special over the holidays I’d highly recommend Germany or Austria.  The majority of the towns and cities in these two countries turn their town squares in to huge open air holiday markets from the beginning of December through Christmas with lights, food, gifts and live music.

Relax!
This is the time of year that sees the highest number of flight delays and cancellations due to the weather.  Relax!  Getting upset with the gate attendants at the terminal will not help.  Quite the opposite it may get you bounced from the flight or even arrested.  Take a deep breath, realize you’re all in the same situation.  It’s probably the hardest thing to do when things start to go wrong, but you truly will have a better chance of being moved to the next available flight or of receiving some kind of compensation from the airlines if you just remain calm and civil.

About Ray Fleckles: As co-owner of Raymond Fleckles & Karla O’Maille – CruiseOne, Ray strives to bring his extensive experience of world travel to the aid of his clients.

Over the course of almost forty years, Ray has lived in Europe, Australia as well as several cities and states within the US before settling in Kernersville in 2002.  Ray has also travelled to both Canada and the Caribbean. For the past 23 years Ray has worked almost exclusively in customer facing positions including sales, sales management and customer service.  This wealth of experience enables Ray to assist his clients in making the most informed travel decision possible.

Ray is an avid follower of several motorsports including Formula One, Le Mans style endurance racing, MotoGP and World Superbikes.  His other interests include his children, music and movies.

For any travel related questions or to submit a topic for this blog please email Ray at rfleckles@cruiseone.com

Kernersville, NC
T: (336)992-0167
E: rfleckles@cruiseone.com  

Website: www.CruiseOne..com/rfleckles
Family Cruises:www.family-cruises.net/rfleckles

Luxury Cruises: www.SeaLuxe.com/rfleckles