B STRONG - A Hope For Mankind

Sometimes in the darkest hours, I am encouraged when I see

mankind lift themselves above evil and hatred.

When I see my fellow man join together in solidarity of optimism.

Of goodness.

Of selflessness.

When what's truly important in this life comes into focus, into perspective.

I am hopeful.

The Tale of the Princess and the Louboutin

Boys 3. Girls 0.

I have 3 wonderful sons. No daughters. I've been asked if I wished I'd ever had a girl. "Nope," I say. "I grew up with 5 sisters and I don't need that kind of drama in my house." I welcomed boys. It was kind of new territory for me. (I have 2 brothers but they're 10 years older than me so there wasn't too much interaction.)

 

With boys there's always an adventure. They're little tornados. There's a magnet on my fridge that perfectly describes them:  "A boy is a noise with dirt on it". Little bundles of energy churning up the dust wherever they go. My boys kept me on the move. And I loved it!

However...confession...there were a few times I secretly wondered what life would have been like if I had a daughter. Maybe I wouldn't have felt so outnumbered around the house. Maybe I would have had a shopping partner to share my love of designer fashion. I thought if I ever had a granddaughter I'd get to find out.

16830360 Minutes

♥♥♥

11,688 days

280,506 hours

16,830,360 minutes

32 years

Yesterday was my 32nd wedding anniversary. Yikes! How'd that happen? Where'd the time go? Seems like only yesterday I donned an inexpensive mall prom gown and sauntered down the aisle of my childhood church towards a handsome smiling young man attired in the uniform of a U.S. Navy seaman.

In this time of high divorce rates, hubby and I appear to be bucking the trend. After all this time, we're still married. First and only marriage for both of us.  Even I have a hard time believing we've been married this long (never mind the few years we were together before we tied the knot).

My Backyard - Waterfire; Providence, RI

Friday night. Date night with hubby. Nice to be out, just enjoying ourselves and not worrying or agonizing over our unemployment situation. The road of romance led to Providence. The downtown Providence Place Mall to be exact. We arrived thankfully before the evening onslaught of holiday shoppers.

First stop: Macy's. Always reliable store to purchase gifts for the family party yankee swap this weekend. Hubby and I found 2 perfect gifts in our price point and moved on. Next up: Bed Bath and Beyond. We've gone back and forth about trading in our old dependable Tassimo for the popular Keurig coffee maker. (I've been inconsolable ever since Starbucks jumped ship and joined forces with the K-cup.) We hemmed and hawed and finally gave in. Luckily, I had some of those pretty blue 20% off coupons and handed them to the cashier to save some $. Our Christmas gift to each other this year was now in hand.

Requiem for the Angels of Newtown, CT

Newtown, CT. December 14, 2012.

I heard the news today. It shattered the quiet. My heart is heavy. It aches. It weeps for the loss of innocent beautiful lives. Children. Educators. As a mom and grandmother, I am in shock and beyond horrified by what happened. I can not comprehend the senselessness. Hug your little ones and loved ones today. Hold them tight. Tell them you love them. How much they mean to you. Never take them or their love for granted.

Photo Credit - Anslatadams (Flickr)

FLY 

Sung by Celine Dion

Written by Phil Galdston and Jean-Jacques Goldman

 

Fly, fly little wing, Fly beyond imagining
The softest cloud, the whitest dove, Upon the wind of heaven's love
Past the planets and the stars, Leave this lonely world of ours
Escape the sorrow and the pain, And fly again

Fly, fly precious one, Your endless journey has begun
Take your gentle happiness, Far too beautiful for this
Cross over to the other shore, There is peace forevermore
But hold this mem'ry bittersweet, til we meet

Fly, fly do not fear, Don't waste a breath, don't shed a tear
Your heart is pure, your soul is free, Be on your way, don't wait for me
Above the universe you'll climb, On beyond the hands of time
The moon will rise, the sun will set, But I won't forget

Fly, fly little wing
Fly where only angels sing
Fly away, the time is right
Go now, find the light