Change, Changed & Changing

May 28th, 2011
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Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
— Author James Baldwin

Isn’t it tiresome being a one-person team?  Don’t you wish that sometimes you could delegate all of your errands and responsibilities to someone else?  Please, please don’t make me…….

I would love to be irresponsible; not permanently, but just for a short amount of time.  I would love to take a break from the constant decision making and problem solving; to get in the car and drive somewhere and escape for a bit.

red convertible

Please join me if you feel, … Read More

Discovering Kris Carr

May 22nd, 2011
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A relative who is also a close friend was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and while visiting her she introduced me to the awesome books written by The New York Times best-selling author Kris Carr. I don’t know how I missed her but I am now totally taken with her philosophy of assessing your personal priorities in order to successfully battle cancer and become a “wellness warrior.” Carr’s blueprint for self-examination helps you to take stock of how much you actually exercise (not enough), what you actually eat (room for improvement) and what you should eat (more veggies) to how… Read More

Mom is “WOW” Upside Down

May 8th, 2011
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Happy Mother’s Day to my Mom and all the incredible Moms, GrandMoms and other women around the globe who do the most important job in the world!! Some of you out there may disagree, but I challenge you to find another job that comes close to being as rewarding. If your Mom is no longer with you, I hope the loving memories you have of her make you smile today. Being a Mom is the journey of a lifetime.  From the bottom of my heart, I have cherished every minute of being a mother to my son who is now… Read More

Connecting The Grief Dots

May 7th, 2011
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Grief is a lot of work.  I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true. And some days I just don’t want to deal with it.  Or be reminded of it. Those days would especially include when I have to fill out a government or school form for my son or myself and instead of writing his father’s name, I have to write in “deceased.”  That hurts. Or I get to pick from the selections of my status: single, married, divorced or widowed.  After eight years, you would think I would be used to answering these questions but it still pulls… Read More

To Party Or Not

April 10th, 2011
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This year I have had two large parties at my house…and to my surprise, I have enjoyed myself.  One was for a family member who was celebrating a BIG birthday and the other was on New Year’s Day for my son and my best friends.  This may not sound like a big deal — but it is. With the exception of family events that happened after my husband’s death, I haven’t been ready to celebrate anything or plan for a party that would take place just to have fun.  In order to give a party, you have to be ready… Read More

A Pocket of Surprising Memories

March 26th, 2011
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The whole world is watching as the Japanese rebuild their lives with quiet diligence. News reports show incredible pictures of houses ripped from the earth, cars piled on top of each other and even the concrete tsunami walls built for protection have been broken up and easily tossed aside.  And then there is the nuclear issue…The enormity of the human and physical devastation in Japan as a result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami is difficult to comprehend and just seems endless. But one man in particular stands out for me.  I recently read an interview with this Japanese… Read More

Carrickfergus

March 17th, 2011
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In honor of St. Patrick’s Day. a day when everyone likes to think they are Irish, I thought it appropriate to share the lyrics to a gentle Irish song called, “Carrickfergus.” When my husband and I traveled there many, many years ago we were having dinner in the lovely town of Listowel and he was mistaken for a native Irishman a number of times.  Men would walk up to him and start speaking Gaelic.  They were surprised and then sometimes frustrated that he could only speak English.  It still makes me laugh when I think of the expression on both… Read More

George Carlin’s !0 Life Tips

February 26th, 2011
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The late comedian George Carlin was famous for pushing the entertainment envelope and broke new ground by using a great deal of profanity in his stand-up routines.  Whether you agreed with his style of comedy or not, Carlin truly understood the power of laughter. Laughter releases stress and boosts your immune system.  Finding humor in a situation can also make you feel more in control because you are the one poking fun at something and not the other way around.  Moreover, doctors are reporting that laughter can be a powerful distraction from pain and illness.  If you saw the movie,… Read More

Liam Neeson

February 20th, 2011
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I am always on the look-out for stories where people open up and reveal how they handle their feelings of grief.  As you know, the subject of grief is not considered a mainstream topic of conversation because it is such an emotional minefield.  To do so means revealing deep pain and vulnerability; which is hard for anyone to do; but especially hard if you are a celebrity or a public official. It can be almost impossible to get men to talk about how they feel about most things — unless it’s a sports team or a political party — so… Read More