DNA.... it's all relative....

Man...

I have been saying this for a long time... I think we'd like to think we are self made......

Originals..

But the reality is... we ARE the combined efforts of many many people..

(and not just in our DNA...)
People who we loveand have loved us..

Even those who well ......

Don't love us...So much

Some we have had life long relationships with... and we know personally...

Some mere minutes...

or seconds..

Some.....

We will never meet.

Regardless.....

They have left their mark on us.

The truth of the matter is...

Every person you meet... You will teach...

Every person you meet...Will teach YOU.

It's inevitable... We rub off on each other whether we like it... or not... We are all interwoven in this tapestry we call life..

Had we been born.. in another time.. another place ... to different parents.. Under different circumstances.... It/We would all be different.

I guess in the end..... we are all just doing the best we can...

The OCTO mom of the Dog world.

Ariel, a Leonberger dog owned by Paul and Mary Ann Smith of Powell, Wyo., lies happily surrounded by her brood of 18 puppies, 9 males and 9 females. Ariel's litter, born in late October, set a new worldwide record for the number of surviving Leonberger puppies in one litter

Grace in Small Things Day 10 of 365

Grace in Small Things

Waging a battle against Embitterment

Day 10/365

1.

Basking in that Thanksgiving Afterglow...

2.

Not having to do ANYTHING !! all Day !!!

3.

My Husband and his friends going out to see a Ninja Movie

4.

Books ... Books... Wonderful Books !!!

5.

Having Good Friends that help you Practice believing it's all gonna work out...

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Happy Thanksgiving !!!!!

Best Wishes for....

A Good Thanksgiving.....

My wish for you is that you have wonderful food to eat... Family or friends surrounding you.. and an open heart of gratitude...

In spite of being an extremely difficult year for many of us.. I think if we look hard enough.. we can all find things to be thankful for.

I'd like to wish all the best to all of you my Internet friends.. Some I know.. Some I do not

I wish you a happy happy day...

To all my wonderful family and friends that I will see in person...I treasure you each in so many ways.. even if I don't always remember to show my gratitude

To my family and friends that are far away and I will NOT be able to see in person.. I treasure you even more.. because distance has made me even more aware of how much you mean to me.

To those who will be with us if only in the spirit... You are not forgotten and I am grateful for the time we had together... even if it was not long enough...


Yes.. I know I have so much to be grateful for.. and on this day made especially for remembering it all ... I say Thank You... I am blessed.

So....... Happy Happy Thanksgiving...To each and everyone of you !!!!Don't eat TOO much !!!

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Now THAT'S something to be Thankful for.

Hey all..
I just wanted to share some GREAT Thanksgiving news !!!!
As I worked away at making my stuffing....
My Friend Ruth called saying
she is in remission !!!


How wonderful is THAT to hear from your doctor.... just before this special holiday!!!?? !!

Sometimes there really IS good news out there...

Thank you to those of you who have kept her in your thoughts and prayers ....
( You know who you are) ... and while we are being Thankful.. I would ask that you keep those prayers.. Vibes... Good Ju Ju going for some of my other friends..
Erin.. Her Dad..Susan's Dad.. and for all those countless other people facing the holiday season in heartache... sickness.... or just alone.
All I know is....Ruth asked me to Thank all of you...
I thank all of you...
and remember...
It really doesn't matter what you call it....

Whether you believe in God.. A higher power... A Holy spirit... or just
The Majestic Spirit monkey of the trees..
I believe there is something greater then ourselves out there..and HE/SHE/ IT loves us...


For this... I am thankful.

Thanks...Giving... Don't assume I cook !!!

Well the "Big Day".... is just around the corner... You know..

THANKSGIVING!!!

The day that gets the Holiday Ball rolling..
I used to have Thanksgiving every year... and some years the numbers could get as high as 26!!

But thanks to my Nephew being born ON Thanksgiving... My sister in law has now taken over this holiday... opting to have not only the Bird... but .. also the Birthday...

Literally killing two birds .. with one stone..( Sorry I couldn't help it)

So every year for the past few ... we have a wonderful semi traditional Thanksgiving Feast

( I mean somehow I don't think the pilgrims had lasagna or gnocchi on the table)

Just when you think you couldn't eat another bite....

Birthday Cake for one and all !!!! BURP !

It's actually really nice to gather together and make time for the people you love..

The kids have all grown so much..that it kind of scares me a little how quickly it is all happening...

I never used to let change bother me.. in fact I kind of thrived on it... As I get older ... I don't like it so much.. maybe because the changes I see aren't always so happy...

Perhaps it's all in ones perspective...

It would be very very easy for me to focus on the sad.. to think about who will NOT be at this table... either by Death .. or .. Distance.

Instead I will try really hard to be grateful for the wonderful faces that will be at the table..

Young and Old(er) ...

I'll think about how much each one has shaped my life...
I'll think about the happy times we have shared

I'll think about the heart wrenching times we have shared.

I'll be thinking of how much I miss those who are away from me and how much they miss us.
I'll be praying for their happiness and hoping the know how much they mean to me.

I'll think about how fortunate we are to have each other.

OK.....

So... before I get all EMO on you.... I will take this opportunity to Say Happy Thanksgiving... and Give you the BIRD.

Grace in Small Things Day 9 of 365

Grace in small Things..

Waging a battle against Embitterment
Day 9/365

1.

The warmth and taste of steel cut oats with a tiny bit of butter and honey

2.

A cart full of food.. and the money to pay for it

3.

Friends who call .... Just to check in.. : )

4.

The birth of my very first Nephew 9 years ago today !!!

(He was born On Thanksgiving... How appropriate !)

5.

Knowing I'm not perfect.. Praying for the energy to keep trying..... Grateful for the ones who are patient with me in spite of this.

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A Moment of Clairity....

Hello.....
(All three of you)...

Just wanted to do some catching up...Some of you may remember back in April.... I went to North Carolina to visit my son and my (now)...... future daughter in law.
While there....I got a lot accomplished...

I got to visit them both ( Obviously)
I Stood as Sponsor for Melissa's Confirmation
AND
Shared in their engagement !!!


To say that it was an incredible weekend would be a huge understatement...

During this visit.. If all of this wasn't enough...
They also took me out to see some of the highlights of the city....

One of the sight seeing stops was ... Duke Gardens ( An absolutely gorgeous place)....
While there... we met a couple of fellows making a Documentary...

If you missed this post...or need to refresh your memory about this you can find out all about it Here:

The producer ( Kevin Cullen) has kept me informed via e-mail of the film's progress.. and some changes..
For one... the film's original title was "Chasing Shadows"


It is nowA Moment of Clairity . This link will take you directly to the website...

Kevin hopes to have the documentary trailer up by Christmas.. and when I hear from him again I will let you know how to access it..

Our exchange that day was only a few moments... where I half jokingly asked if he ( Isti) was famous... and that if he was ... I should take his picture..

Which I did... I told Kevin I would put the information up on the blog...


I mean who knows who lands on this thing right???
(Oprah can you hear me??? )

* Sung to Barbara Streisand's .....Poppa can you year me? From the movie Yental.




It's funny......
I don't know if Isti ....Kevin .... or this documentary will ever become famous...


What I DO KNOW... is that there are no accidents in this life...

We meet the people we meet ... for a reason..
Most often it is to learn something..
Either they from us.. or .. us from them.. ( Or both).

I don't know Isti's full story yet..... but in those brief moments spent talking with him and Kevin..
I could tell there was a special air about them both.. One for his story.. and one for being the one to tell it..

I wish both these fellows the very best ...
For this film.. Which by the by.. I hope becomes not only a huge success...monetarily... and acknowledged by the industry...

But also for the potential it may have to give a glimpse into another human being's struggle to just get through this life...( made especially difficult with this disorder.)

After all... isn't that the name of the game for all of us?...
Everyone has a story...
Everyone has a struggle...
Everyone just wants to feel like their lives have meaning.
Everyone just wants to leave our mark.

If you were not been able to get the link from above.. Please try here.
A Moment of Clairity

If you aren't Nifty... You might be Snorty Dine....

I do hear by swear .... I will not divulge how old a certain friend of mine is... even if it kinda sounds like
"Snorty Dine"...

At least she is not the other number which rhymes with "Nifty" !!!!!!

So Lori... You go out there and have some fun...

But...

Not Too much fun... You know how you get if you've had a few....

It's not always pretty...

Happy Birthday Girly... Hope you have a great day!!!

And get all kinds of nice Gifts!!!

Kiss Kiss

Oprah... Say it ain't so !!!!!

OH.... MY.... GOSH !!!!!!
Oprah......Say it ain't so !!!!!!!
I was just cruelly informed that Oprah as of September of 2011 will be ending her show !!!!
I mean I can't believe it !!!!

This is NOT how it's supposed to go...

I have been "Putting it Out There"... For a long time now... I mean HELLLLOOOO .... I read The Secret ......

I visualized myself up on the stage chatting with O....

Sharing funny little tidbits about life....

I have constantly put out positive reinforcements and discarded the negatives....

I have mentally aligned myself with Oprah's Chi or whatever..

How can it be that I will never be able to go to Harpo Studio's and Meet one of my all time faves???

I mean it's just not fair!!!!

This...... is how it's supposed to go...

One of her producers whilst sitting at his/her computer eating a scrumptious heart healthy Tuna sandwich

( Recipe Via Dr OZ ).....happens upon my wild and witty blog...

This person virtually laughs them selves silly at funny quips and blog titles ...

So much so that he/she almost chokes on his/her..... Dr Oz Tuna sandwich.... other staff members are forced to run over apply the Heimlich Maneuver ( Again an important lesson they learned from a previous Dr OZ show) ...when everyone finally returns to some semblance of normal they ask him/ her how did this happen?

They inquire as to what could be so darn humorous.....

It is then the producer shares my blog with the intrigued co workers..

Their pasta sauces virtually boils over with longing while reading my "That's My Mamma" entries...each secretly wishing THEY too were Italian...

Just when the laughter and smiles begin to fade from all the Italianisms and Rip Roaring laughs...

They happen upon one of my more serious posts..

Realizing that even though this girl has a wicked sense of humor.... she actually has a few brain cells that bang together now and again..... and every now and again... a heart warming post about life touches them deep deep inside....

As they wipe a tiny tear of gratitude from their eyes... They are happy that I shared such profound insight into the average woman's life..

A vote is taken... and all agree...

We have to have this girl on the show to meet Oprah...

Ahhhh... Cruel Cruel life how unfair you can be...

( Shaking fist to the heavens)

Is it really to end this way???... with my dreams never reaching fruition????

I just can't believe it will not happen.. I mean come on..

My parents and I came to this country because it is the land of opportunity...

Where anyone can dream big dreams...

So what if my "Big Dream " is to meet and Befriend the most powerful woman on T.V... perhaps in the world...

I will not give up hope... I mean it's there the whole six degrees of separation thing out there...

*TAP

*TAP

Is anyone out there????

Does anyone know Maya Angelou personally?.. or Ekhart Tolle?...

Anyone.. Anyone.. Bueller...

Who knows.. maybe someone out there ....does know someone ...

Someone...who's cousin's Aunt's best friend ..house sat for Oprah's Housekeeper's hamster...and could maybe hook me up????

Hey...
It could happen...

In the mean time.... I am just too upset with this news... and have to find a way to process it...

You know... there has been A LOT of talk AND movies lately about how supposedly the world was going to end in 2012....

I used to scoff at these dooms day prophets...

However.....With this recent development....

Now that the axis of the universe has shifted

I'm not so sure.

Until then... my new theme is

Oprah Oprah... No No... say it ain't so and Please don't go!!!