First, I have to say, I'm a terrible correspondent. My camera wasn't charged when my family and I traveled down to The Shores Park for Saturday's Easter Eggstravaganza. I have no pictures to share, but I plan to get my hands on some, soon. I saw a lot of people snapping digital memories.
And what an event it was! Families of The Shores were treated to a great day, filled with music, sno-cones, popcorn, a Bunny Lady performer, bounce houses and of course, egg hunts for various age groups.
Hats off to the "Desperately Social" committee for pulling off such a First Class event! And it was well supported. There were hundreds of people who crowded into The Shores Park with colorful baskets in-hand. It looked like everyone had a great time, and no one went away empty-handed. A special shout out to Social Chair Tonya Fenoglio who organized this year's event.
The weather certainly cooperated, too! We couldn't have custom-orderd a better day. I was reminded, though, that it's time to start carrying sunscreen and keeping it handy. I wore a fleur-de-lis necklace, and when I took it off, I still had an outline of it thanks to my light sunburn.
What I loved most about today was that no one seemed to get ruffled... even when the sno-cone line seemed endless. (My hand is still a little numb from spooning out dozens of those! But weren't they gooo-oood!)
One of the reasons we chose to make The Shores our home was its family-friendly feeling. Today certainly lived up to that.

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There's something new for Moms of little ones in The Shores. It's a new playgroup that is looking for members. If you or someone you know is a Mom with children ranging from newborn to 5 years old, this just might be a perfect fit.
"Moms of The Shores in Rockwall" provides the perfect opportunity to create a support system for Moms in addition to developing friendships - for grownups AND kids!
The playgroup activities will be held on weekdays, and moms and kids will get to visit local playgrounds, spray parks, bounce houses, indoor play places and much more. And it's all child-focused. If you're interested, check out the following site: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/momstheshores
Sounds like fun!

 

 

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The City of Rockwall and members of The Shores Country Club are planning an event to salute the troops and their families, and everyone in Rockwall is invited to participate.
The Stars and Stripes Military Fundraiser starts with a parade at 9:30 a.m., April 5th, at The Shores Country Club.  At 10:15 a.m., a ceremony will honor military members, veterans and their families.  The country club is hosting a golf tournament that will begin at 11:30 a.m., and the day rounds out with an awards dinner that starts at 5:00 p.m.
The event will also raise money for military members and their families and to provide furnishings and operations funding for The Fisher House.  The Fisher House is the military version of the Ronald McDonald house.  It's located next to the VA hospital in Dallas.  The Fisher House provides a place to stay for family members of servicemen and women getting treatment at the VA Hospital.
To make a contribution and to find out more about participating in the parade or golf tournament, visit the event's Web site at www.sas2008.com. 
Wal-Mart is the title sponsor for the event, but more sponsors are needed.  The event will also include many activities for children, including a bounce house and face painting.
If you or someone you know is a military retiree or veteran, you may submit information for the Military Honor Roll to cgstars2008@aol.com.

I wish I'd had my cell phone camera handy the other day.  I'm driving down Lakeshore towards Highway 66, and what do I see?  Major heavy construction going on.  Workers weren't building... they were tearing down... a building.  A big (what was that?) back hoe taking gigantic bites out of an eyesore, ripping through metal and concrete.  An abandoned building - a bank possibily at one time - was being chewed apart.  I wish I had a picture!
It's amazing how big machinery like that can make short order of structures once considered sound.  By the time I made my way back across the lake from my daily trek to Dallas, there was a clean corner.  No trace of the ugliness that once stood.  I had a clear view of the nice shopping center with my favorite Starbuck's and the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Grocery Store.  Wow! What a difference.  Other than the freshly churned dirt and construction barricades blocking an old entrance, you never would have known what was there before - marring our view.  But don't get used to the nice, neat appearance.  Something new is in the works.
Right across from the relatively new Bank of America branch, a Chase bank will rise from the ground.  How convenient for those Chase banking customers in The Shores and other parts nearby.  How inconvenient for Bank of America.  I thought it was pretty funny, myself.  Nothing like a little (friendly-or-not) competition.  But more than that - I like what it says about our fair city.  Rockwall on the grow.  With so many places cutting back and paring down, we're growing up! 
I gotta say I am going to miss the nice, clean view we have now on that corner.  We can enjoy it for a little while longer as we watch the new building go up.  And we won't drive by a building with weeds growing out of its walls anymore.  That'll be an improvement, at least.

Residents of The Shores... start your spring cleaning and set aside stuff you want to sell!  The Spring Garage Sale will be April 19th.  So mark your calendar.  More details to come.

Families who live in The Shores are in for a hopping good time Saturday,
March 15th, at The Shores park. The annual Easter Egg Hunt will be at 3:00 p.m.  There will be plenty to do! Kids will get to hop until their hearts' are content in a bounce house.  An Easter Bunny performer will entertain, and if Easter candy isn't enough to fill you up, there will be sno-cones and popcorn.  Shores residents should be sure to bring a blanket and baskets for their children's eggs.

I may be a 'newschick' but I am also a coach's wife.

This is the time of year when the coaches go to work bright and early and get home long after most of the rest of us have turned in for the night. 

It's Football Season. 

In our house, that means giving up a key person in our household for (at least) six days a week for (at least) thirteen weeks. 

It's a hard job... being a coach.  It's certainly not one pursued for financial reward.  I think their hourly rate would come out to pennies if we really did the math. 

Those guys lead long workouts in the punishing heat, sweating 'til they are soaked through, yelling until they are hoarse and simultaneously teaching young men to be leaders not only on the field... but in life.

To me it’s remarkable what coaches do.  The example they set.  The sacrifices they make.  They do get gratification, but it’s not just from pursuing and hopefully getting a "win"... it's from seeing the respect their players have for them, for themselves, for the game, for their school.
 
I've learned over the years, those X's and O's are sometimes very complicated plays young men must learn by heart.  They have to be able to "read" an offense or a defense and dig out a worthy response from their trained bag of tricks.  The coaches teach those plays.  During game prep and game night, they have to anticipate their opponent’s next move.  They have to calculate what risks are worth taking. They have to execute split-second decisions that can sometimes set the tone for the rest of the game.

Coaches teach skills the players need to be able to be warriors on the field.  And what many people don't realize is that those same coaches also teach players how to be gentlemen off the field.  They teach those players to cherish self-respect, to protect their integrity and to chase their goals with everything they have.  Sometimes they do it with tough love.  But it is… love.  It’s a love of the sport.  It’s a love of leadership. It’s love for the player who is giving all he’s got.

No one denies that everyone cares who is in the Win column at the end of that Friday night when it comes to chasing a championship.   But I have learned along the way that a winning score doesn’t necessarily mean the team was successful.  I’ve learned a losing score doesn’t necessarily mean failure.   

Next time you are in the stands, remember this:  There is so going on in a coach’s mind and in a coach’s heart.  That Friday night on the sidelines is the product of a lot of early mornings, late afternoons and sometimes sleepless nights. 

Yes.  There are plenty of X’s and O’s in football. But there’s another formula for success:  Planning, practice… and passion.

And if you ask me, that’s what really makes a winner.