Roots Of My Raising

I'm ready for my close up...

2009-01-24T20:53:00.001-08:00

I love this kid! She's pretty much one of my favorite two people ever...the other being her sister.

Kaylee came to visit this past weekend and this is how I found her when I came back upstairs from loading some laundry. I guess she thought it would be fun to wear sunglasses while brushing her teeth...Why not??

From Baby To Big Girl...

2009-01-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

I realized over the Christmas holiday that my sweet little niece has moved right on past the baby/toddler stage of life. She is pretty much three going on about twenty-six. She really is growing up too fast for my taste. I'm not sure I'm a fan of this...It makes me feel old.

The Station Inn never lets me down...

2008-11-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

So...I heard Shawn Camp for the first time at the Station Inn last Wednesday night. He is absolutely amazing!! Check him out at www.shawncamp.com. You won't be disappointed.

What the heck?!?

2008-11-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

I just found out that Jason Varitek will not be gracing the pages of the 2009 Boston Red Sox Team Calendar! I'm furious...to say the least. I'm thinking about boycotting my annual "buying of the Red Sox calendar" day.

Pickin' & Grinnin'

2008-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Robin and I went to see the Grascals last night at the Station Inn. Our table had been reserved using a paper plate with my name written on the back. Fabulous! It was a great time! I do believe that the Station Inn is one of the absolute best places to catch a show in Nashville...Well, it follows a close second to the Ryman Auditorium.

Kind Of, But Not Quite...

2008-11-06T08:01:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking about moving to Georgia...where Jason Varitek makes his off season home. I could just hang out at some of the local hot spots in hopes of one day having that "chance" meeting. I’m sure he would be my friend if we ever met. Oh how I love him so. The picture above shows me with an autographed Jason Varitek baseball. That is kind of like meeting him, right?? Charlie, the morning show producer at the station where I work, brought it in for me to see (and have my picture made with) last week. His brother-in-law got it for him a few months ago. I think I asked about it like 50 times while the ball was in route to Nashville. It took a while to get here...Charlie's brother-in-law was displaced for a while by a hurricane. Luckily, the ball remained safe and unharmed, as did Charlie’s family. The other picture is of me and Charlie, the owner of the baseball. We were both pretty stoked about the ball.

It's about that time...

2008-11-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

I bought a new winter coat this past weekend. I've attached a picture above. That's a model in the picture...not me...just in case any of you readers might be confused as to who exactly is pictured with my new coat. I'm quite happy with my purchase...although the weather has been in the 70's everyday since I made said purchase and I haven't really been able to get much use out of it just yet. One of the main reasons I like it so much is because the sleeves don't come down past the ends of my hands. I've had that problem my entire life. I'll buy a coat and it will fit in all places...except for the arms. For those of you who have not had much experience with having things altered...it is NOT that easy to have the sleeves of a wool coat shortened. The alterations just never turn out quite right. I'm really stoked that I don't have to have this coat altered.

Bring on the cold weather...I'm totally ready!

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

2008-08-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

On October 16th, I will be walking in the Light the Night Walk at LP Field to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I will join thousands of other people in finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancers. The walk is a nationwide evening walk to celebrate and commemorate lives touched by cancer. Did you know that…

- Leukemia is the number one cause of disease related deaths of young adults under age 20.
- More than 823,000 Americans live with blood cancer.
- Every ten minutes, someone dies from a blood cancer.
- Ten times as many adults as children are stricken with leukemia.
- More than half of all cases occur in persons over 60.

I am writing to each of you to ask for your support. The money will go to LLS for research, patient services, advocacy and education! NO DONATION IS TOO GREAT OR SMALL…every little bit helps.

Please copy and paste the link below in your web browser to donate online quickly and securely. You will receive a confirmation by email of your donation and I will be notified as soon as your donation is made.

http://www.active.com/donate/ltnNashvi/2471_nicoleajudd

I thank you in advance for supporting me in my efforts and for supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!! Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions.

Kindly,

Nicole

Love it!!!

2008-07-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

There is a Cosby Show marathon on tonight! I love this show!!!

Wrong Side of the Bed...

2008-06-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Have you ever just woken up in a bad mood? That's me this morning. The jury is still out on what the afternoon will bring as far as my mood goes.

Sometimes...

2008-02-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

I seriously wonder where folks get the nerve. That is all.

This is for your enjoyment!

2008-02-18T08:52:00.000-08:00

Please see the email letter below. This is the kind of stuff that folks at my office receive on a daily basis from people who want to become famous by performing on the Opry stage or having their music played on WSM. What in the world?!? Names have been altered for privacy purposes. Also, I have not corrected any of the spelling or grammer mistakes. I feel the mistakes only add to the letter. Enjoy the read!

This Is B**** B**** In Hohenwald, Tennessee. I am going to be coming out with a albulm here really soon. i am going to try to get my recording in at the Ryman. i recently talked to Kelly at the Opry and she told me to record a cd and send it to her via Email but i want copyright laws against it where no one can use my music..what i am looking into is that if i do get in i want to donate alot of my (money) to People that needs it. alot of people are selfish, and nicole that won't get us nowhere. it's good in making it big, but the question is, is the money there for people that really needs it...i would like to have wsm as a sponsor and some of them i have here locally...my father played with several of people like Lester Flatt and Earle Scruggs..... I recently visited The Ryman and wandered what it was like to be able to stand on the one stage like my father and several others...i tried to learn how to play guitar when my father was living but i couldn't cause he was too fast for me, he also said it would come to me later all i had to do is watch him and stay on it....i have a website i am working on now so i will have one when i get started. it is under construction.. it is www.***.com. My home Phone is 1-9*1-*9*-3*8* my cell 1-9*1-*2*-8*3*.. my father passed away when i was 13 he had Tumor Cancer of the brain and i never knew my mother, my dad raised me from when i was 3 mnths old till 1991....plz feel free to contact me for more info...

Dance it like you mean it...

2008-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

It is at the request of my best-good friend that I write this blog. Erin Whitney Burnett, I salute you.

What words can I type that would properly pay tribute to my friend? What stories can I tell to accurately portray the impact that EB has had on my life. I’m…just…not… sure…

I start here. Picture it…2001…Georgetown College…cold rainy May (what?) day…auditorium basement classroom. The events of this evening led me to know that Erin and I would be friends forever. My camp team and I had just entered the gray and dingy classroom to spend yet another countless hour developing features for this crazy camp we had all just given our summer to called Centri-kid. I was out of place, nervous, uncomfortable, and sick to my stomach. Basically, I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and what kind of excuse I could make up to get myself out of this whole camp thing. My dear soon-to-be-friend Erin came in the room and sat down right next to me in the circle. Well, to make a long story even longer, Erin taps on the sleeve of her jacket and says, “I love this little guy!” Well, I thought that was a creative, not mention hilarious, way to pay tribute to her jacket and the appreciated warmth that it gave her! I knew we were going to be friends. I made a big fool of myself because I cracked up laughing right in her face after the comment. I couldn’t help it…I thought it was funny. I find humor in the small things.

I could stop right there with that story, but I won’t. What fun would that be? Here are just a few more reasons why I love that Erin Whitney is, as Forrest would say, my best-good friend.

- She has a grandpa named Wayne Leroy who loves to carry his camera and take/be in pictures. Also, when he goes to have the pictures printed out…only triple prints will due for him!

- Erin’s mom, Pegs, makes the best chocolate peanut butter snack treats in the world. Erin makes sure that she brings us some each time she comes to visit the Maples.

- In my former non-tech savvy days, Erin taught me how to use an iPod.

- Erin loves to watch her clothes “sud” up in the washing machine. She actually checks to make sure her clothes are “sudding” properly with the detergent. She also likes to smell her clean laundry as she folds it.

- Erin likes the slice…especially the flying slice.

- Erin can remember what outfit she wore to school on the 54th day of second grade or how long her hair was on the 16th day of her sophomore year of high school or what her sister said right before their 17th trip to Disney World or what year I got the new yellow comforter for my bed or what the father’s day card said that she got for her dad when she was 22 years old. It’s insane how she remembers details.

- Erin loves Cinderella…well, really anything that has to do with Disney World. When I say the word love, I am NOT understating her feelings for Disney World. I think she’s been there more times than I’ve been to the dentist and I follow the twice a year cleaning rule.

- Erin listens to me when I vent. She will also vent along with me sometimes. We love how smart we are about certain areas of life. We just don’t understand why other people aren’t as smart as us sometimes.

- Erin is going to write a book one day. It’s going to be called “He doesn’t want to date you unless he says, “I like you! Do you want to date?” I can’t wait!

Well, I guess that’ll due for now. I do hope that I have adequately expressed to my many readers how much I love and appreciate my dear friend, EB.

Erin, did I write a proper tribute blog? Alicia, your blog will be next. I can only do one per day. That’s my limit.

What the heck?!?

2008-02-13T18:39:00.001-08:00

I got the flu last Tuesday, February 5th. This medicine became my friend on Thursday morning, February 7th. Today is February 11th and I still have symptoms of the flu. I think I've served my time being sick, don't you? I'm ready for this crazy illness to go away...and stay away.

Finally!!!

2007-12-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

I got to meet my very favorite artist of all time! I'm not gonna lie...it was one of the most exciting meetings that I've ever experienced!

The Greatest Team In Baseball!

2007-10-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love this baseball team! I can't wait until tomorrow night when I watch the Red Sox try and make their way past game 1 of the World Series with a win! This picture is actually from the October 27th 2004 World Series game...I hope to see another celebration like this real soon!

Mr. BIG Stuff

2007-10-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Two...Four...Six...Eight...Who do we appreciate? Beckett! Beckett! Go Beckett! What a great pitcher we have!!!

A Little GQ Support...

2007-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

This guy is SO under appreciated in Hollywood! That just really stinks because I think he's one amazing actor. Did anyone happen to see the episode of Ellen that Ryan Gosling was on?? He told Ellen that he had a dream that he and his mom (wearing a beehive hairdo) were at a party thrown by Prince (or the artist formerly known as Prince...not sure what he's going by these days) and Prince made up a dance move that consisted of everyone at the party pointing to his mom's beehive! How funny is that!?! Random...I know...That's just what is going through my mind right now.

Look What We Found!

2007-10-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight Leslie and I were shopping in Barnes & Noble and we came across this book. Interesting...very interesting.

The reason why...

2007-10-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

the Red Sox are where they are right now! I love this guy! I mean...seriously l-o-v-e him!!

Pumpkin Patch!

2007-10-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had to opportunity to take my niece, Kaylee, on her very first visit to pumpkin patch. It was an exciting time for both of us! I absolutely love to be with her when she experiences things for the first time. I found her to be a very picky pumpkin chooser. It took her a good 30 minutes to wonder around and finally pick out the perfect pumpkin. She carefully walked around and surveyed the pumpkins while trying to make her choice. Some she picked up...others she immediately passed, knowing that they most definitely would not work for her pumpkin needs. She was truly a hoot! A great time was had by all! Attached is a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Pickin...

2007-09-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

I bought a mandolin today! This isn't a picture of the exact one that I bought, but it's pretty close. I couldn't find a picture of mine. I'm super stoked because I'm starting lessons really soon. I can't wait until I can actually play a real song! Don't worry...all you faithful readers will definitely be invited to my first bluegrass show! Fun!

2007-09-21T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love The Whites. I think they are probably one of my most favorite musical acts ever! Buck, Cheryl and Sharon are precious and that is why I decided to write a post about them on my blog. If you ever get a chance to catch a show...you should. FYI - the lady on the far right (Sharon) is married to the one and only Ricky Skaggs.

Seriously...

2007-06-05T14:02:00.001-07:00

How in the world do people climb the corporate ladder and not know how to send an email with an attachment?!?!?! I'm dumbfounded... if that is even a word?!? I'm not sure how some of the folks that work in my office got to where they are today! We're talking B-A-S-I-C computer skills here...not rocket science! Sorry, just had to vent for a minute.

Where has the time gone??

2007-05-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

As I was skimming through pictures earlier on my computer I came across two different pictures of my niece. I know that I might sound like an oldie when I say this, but I can't believe how fast she's grown! It seems like just yesterday she was a baby and now she's walking and talking and just growing like a weed! She's even putting words together to form sentences...unbelievable! I can actually have somewhat of a conversation with her...amazing!

Anyhow, I came across these two pictures of us on a carousel...at different times. The first was taken at about this time last year and the second one was taken last weekend while I was home visiting. See for yourself!

Loretta!!!

2007-05-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is what I saw when I walked out of my office building one day last week. If you claim to know me at all, you will have no problem understanding how much excitement this site brought me.

Sad Times...

2007-05-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

This past April the house that Johnny Cash lived in for the last 35 or so years of his life burned down. This house is located about 1 mile away from where I live. Amber and I went over to grab some pictures.

I am a HUGE Johnny Cash fan and seeing this house basically burnt to ground is really sad. So many amazing songs were written in this house. Many great artists got their start just sitting around jamming with Johnny Cash...possibly in this house. I know it might sound corny, but I feel like some kind of historic monument just burnt down. Judge me if you want...

Chuck E. Cheese...Here we come!

2007-05-11T06:44:00.000-07:00

I get to hang out with my amazing niece all weekend! Now, that's fun!! I'll be sure and snap some new shots while I'm home this weekend. I'm sure that all three of my faithful blog readers want to see updated pics! I'm telling you...she's as cool as they come!!

Woman Thou Art Loosed...

2007-04-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

I was definitely stuck in traffic right beside Bishop T.D. Jakes today. Funny, huh?!? It was so totally random. I kind of wanted to ask him about his inspiration for "Woman Thou Art Loosed"...

Just Let Your Love Flow...

2007-03-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, I definitely get to see the Bellamy Brothers in concert tonight. That should be fun! Faith is going to the concert with me...I'm pretty sure she has a crush on one of the brothers. I sure hope she doesn't rush the stage when they come out!!

Random...

2007-03-13T16:44:00.000-07:00

I just found out yesterday that John Mayer is coming to play a show in Nashville!! What the heck?!? I love him...I really hope that he comes to town when I'm back home from camp. I'm so excited! Has anyone caught him on tour this go round?? One word...AMAZING!! That kid is a musical genius!!!

My mom, dad, aunt, uncle and brother are coming to Nashville this weekend to celebrate my birthday!!! My birthday isn't actually until the 21st...we're celebrating early. We're all going to see George together on Sunday night...family bonding with Mr. Jones...could it really get any better?!?!

My roommate Jenna is moving back to Chicago next week. It's pretty sad...we're gonna miss her. I don't think we're going to get another roommate. I think we'll just stay 3-deep for a while. That should be fun.

That's it for now.

Big George & The Ryman...Only 19 More Days

2007-02-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

YES!! I get to see this Rock Star in concert in 19 days!!! I can't wait!! What a great birthday gift!

"Roots Of My Raising" Guest Series - Take 2

2007-02-07T17:17:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends! Time for a post! This one is from Erin Whitney Burnett! She's the greatest! I hope you enjoy her story! Random fact about Erin Whitney...She has a grandpa named Wayne Leroy. He L-O-V-E-S to take pictures with his camera and when he gets his film developed he always gets triple prints! How cute is that?? I heart him! Now, on with the show...

Nicole Judd and I have been friends for about 6 years now. My first distinct memory of her was in the lobby of a dorm at Georgetown College. We were training for Centri-kid, and I had my gray hooded sweatshirt on. I said something like, "I love this little guy." (because I did love that sweatshirt. It kept me warm and it was cold that week!) Well, Nicole laughed and laughed at that statement, and from that moment on, I knew we would be friends.

Years later, Nicole moved to Nashville and we became roommates in the 401 with Amber Hill. One thing that I knew about Nicole but now got to experience daily was her love for practical jokes. She LOVES to pull pranks on people. I mean, she LOVES it. One of her favorite pranks would be to call people's cell phones while she was in the room with them. Often, I would keep my phone in my bedroom, which was right next to our living room. We would be watching TV and I would hear my phone ring. Well, I would sprint to get it (because I love phone calls), only to find out it was Nicole. She would be dying laughing. After several, several times of this, I finally gave her number its own ring so I would know she was pulling pranks. Little did I know that jokester starting using Amber's phone or sometimes Emily's phone (those months she lived with us) to call me. So I gave all the roommates the same phone ring so I would not be pulled into these pranks any longer. I even changed Nicole's name in my phone to Stege, aka pest. The Stege part is in honor of our maintenance man, Steve. The pest part is because she was a pest with that phone calling! I think I eventually fool proofed that prank. It took awhile, though. And I am reminded of it every time Nicole calls me now because it still comes up, Stege aka pest. :-)

Everyone should become friends with Nicole because she is so much fun, and I miss her. Be aware, though, that she WILL pull pranks on you. I just wanted the blogging world to know. :-)

"Roots Of My Raising" Guest Series - Take 1

2007-02-01T18:15:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! I’m so excited! It’s guest blogger time here on “Roots Of My Raising”! I know that you all have probably been anxiously awaiting the blog entry from my very first guest…Alicia Christie! From time to time I thought that it might be fun to have random people post on my blog. I think that you will really enjoy hearing from Alicia. She is a sweet friend who knows me well and is thus allowed to poke fun at my family. Bless my mother’s heart…She just tried to equip us with the proper skills to react properly in an emergency situation and I love her for it! So, without further ado, I present to you the first installment of the “Roots Of My Raising” Guest Series! Enjoy the read!!

“My name is Alicia Christie. I have known Nicole since Centri-kid 2001, and throughout the years, I have heard many stories about her life growing up. Some of these make me laugh so hard I cry. We used to get a kick out of talking about things we or our families did when we were little. On the night I heard this particular story, I’m sure we had just finished eating steamed broccoli, some chicken, and maybe some corn. We had probably just finished watching an episode of Friends, Roseanne, or The Cosby Show, and Nicole was probably drinking a Mountain Dew… (Our lives were pretty predictable.)

This one night, Nicole started telling me about something her mom made them do growing up…Earthquake Drills. No, they weren’t home-schooled, and no it wasn’t government mandated. This isn’t like one of those planned drills at school where you know and don’t take it seriously. No way. This drill seems to be the most realistic portrayal of what life would be like the moment an earthquake happens. Nicole’s mom would (after everyone was asleep) come running through the halls, pounding on the doors, shouting, “EARTHQUAKE!” Can you imagine being woken up this way?? To see Nicole reenact it is something else. I am laughing right now even thinking about it. Thankfully, this family will know exactly what to do when “the big one” comes.”

Did someone order a wake-up call?!?

2007-01-30T18:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally caved! Really, I did! A couple of days ago, at the urging of my dear friend, I created a blog for myself. I have put off becoming a blogger for some time because I really don’t ever have anything that exciting to write about. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life! I really do! It’s just that when I read blogs that belong to my friends, I feel a bit inadequate, especially when it comes to measuring up with the “excitement” factor. However, I feel that my first blog might just have the makings of an exciting read!

Last night at around 10:45 pm my phone started ringing. I glanced over and saw that my mom was calling. I immediately began to worry and let me explain why. My parents are both very early risers and when I say early, I mean like at 4:30 am they are up and raring to go to set out on the day’s adventures. Their early rising means that they are often in bed and fast asleep at around 8 pm. Seriously, if you don’t catch them before 8:00 pm, you are just out of luck until the morning. Now you can see why receiving a call from my mother at almost 11:00 pm might worry me a bit. Well, I picked up the phone to find my mother screaming frantically on the other end. As you can tell, she handles emergencies quite well. (Note the sarcasm in that sentence) Eventually, I was able to calm my mother down and finally made out that she was trying to tell me that someone had just driven their car through my parent’s house!! “I’m sorry can you repeat that, Mom???” Yes, someone drove their car through my parent’s house!!! Apparently, a teenager had been showing off while driving his girlfriend home. As he explained later that evening, he lost control of the car, drove through my parent’s yard, crashed through the end of their house and finally ended in their driveway, where both of my parent’s cars were parked. Needless to say, the cars were totaled. Actually, the car that caused the accident was stuck in the side of my mom’s car and had to be pried out. Crazy stuff!

I say ALL of that to say that I am so completely thankful for God’s protection of my family!! Looking back on the evening, there are so many instances where my family and I see God’s hand over our the evening! Amazingly enough, no one was injured during the course of the evening’s events. Aside from being “all shook up”, my family was safe, secure and overall very well. Also, my niece usually spends the night with my parents on Monday nights and because of cold weather and not wanting to bring her out because she’s been sick, she stayed home. I’m sure that if she would have been at the house during the accident she would have been terrified and scared and most likely traumatized to a small degree. Thank you Lord for your protection of my family in every way!

I ask that you please pray for my parents as they tackle the job of securing contractors and repair people to restore their home, driveway and both of their vehicles. It is going to be a very trying time…dealing with insurance companies and contractors, especially in the winter. I’m sure that they would appreciate your prayers!

I apologize for the length of this, my very first blog entry! I hope that you have found it to be both an entertaining and encouraging read…reminding us of God’s faithfulness! Look for pictures of this “freak” accident to come in the future, as soon as my mom figures out how to upload and email pictures from her digital camera!