It’s a Grand Life Grand Moving On

by SUSAN WOODALL

Irecently reviewed some of my past articles and realized that my bio at the end had not been updated in quite some time. Neither has my picture. I think the picture was taken about 10 years ago. I despise having my photograph taken, but I will try to update the current one in the near future.

It is interesting to look back and realize all of the changes that have taken place throughout those years. Ten years ago, I had three grandchildren who are now 15, 12 and 10. Today that number has grown to seven, ages 9, almost 8, 7, and almost 5. They are the most precious children and they make my heart burst with pride, happiness, and love. Their parents have raised them with the right attributes you hope to see in children. They are respectful, kind, caring, generous, appreciative, helpful, thoughtful, smart, and loving. They can also occasionally talk back, not get along with their sibling(s), argue, and forget or ignore a request to help. In other words – be children. It is a joy to watch them grow and mature and wonder what life holds for them.

My husband and I moved to Winston-Salem before the birth of our first daughter. Even after all three of our daughters were grown and married, we knew we needed to stay there to look after his aging parents and make sure they were receiving proper care. A couple years after both of my in-laws had passed away, we decided it was time to move closer to our daughters’ families. I had long wanted a home with a water view, and as two of our girls lived in Wilmington, it seemed like the perfect choice. Of course, it wasn’t easy after only being 90 minutes from our Charlotte daughter’s family to move three plus hours away, but we make time to see them as often as possible.

We found a great spot to build our new home. It is in the perfect location with water that flows to the intracoastal waterway and enough property for our daughters to build homes there as well. Yes, a wonderful family compound. To say it was the right decision to move would be an understatement. Now, instead of traveling each time we wanted to see and be with our grandchildren, we have two, soon to be four, right across the street. The Charlotte grands love to come to the beach, go boating, fishing, spend time with their cousins and even the “old” folks, so, even though the drive is longer, they don’t mind. Being able to interact with my Wilmington grandchildren almost daily has given me more insight on things to write about.

Leaving a place you have lived for so many years is never easy. It isn’t just your home, it’s friends, church, volunteer organizations, clubs, favorite places to dine and shop and many other things. It was definitely time for us to downsize but difficult to decide on what items we no longer had need or use for. We are still going through boxes wondering why we thought we had to move most of the items in them.

One thing my bio mentions is my love of travel. That hasn’t changed. I did get to climb part of the Great Wall of China, something I will never forget. Since then, I have traveled to Iceland, Scotland, Ireland, Montreal, Ottawa, and places closer by. My husband and I are trying to decide where we should go next – a lot of choices out there!

Sean Lane won the 2023 Carolyn Jones Summerlin Class I NC state title for hymn playing for the National Federation of Music Clubs. The event was held on the campus of UNCG; Sean was also the winner of the local festival event held at Wake Forest University. He is a rising junior and is the son of John and Jackie Lane.

Giulianna Steuart won the NCFMC Class II Junior Composers State Title for the National Federation of Music Clubs 2023 for her composition entitled “Snowy Night.” She is a home-schooled rising 8th grader and the daughter of Michael and Kristen Steuart. Giulianna received a cash award and earned a Superior+ on her original composition.

Mallory Andrews won the National Music Week Essay contest for the National Federation of Music Clubs 2023 award year along with a cash award. Her essay was entitled “Music...A Worldwide Adventure.” She was featured in the NFMC national magazine, Junior Keynotes and is the daughter of Adam and Allison Andrews. Mallory is a rising 8th grade student.

Olivia Rareshide won the NFMC State finals event for Sacred Music Piano Solo. She captured the state title in this event and also won a scholarship for her winning performances. She is a rising 8th grade student and the daughter of Steve and Melissa Rareshide.

Katelynn Beadle is the winner of the 2023 NFMC Peggy Robinson Matthews Class III hymn playing state title for NC. She is the daughter of David and Jeanette Beadle of Clemmons and is a rising 10th grade homeschool student. This is Katelynn’s second consecutive win in the state finals for NFMC in the hymn playing event.

Elijah Beadle captured the state title of the Sara Copley Moore Folk Singing event at this year’s NFMC state finals, held at UNCG. He was also the local Wake Forest University event winner with a perfect score of 100. He is a rising homeschooled junior and is the son of David and Jeanette Beadle.