Grateful....

Marcello, Best Cat in the World, November 2010

We head home tomorrow. Leaving Nonna and Jerry again. Days full of laughing, playing cards, working on crafts and delicious food. The good news is we will see them again in less than a month. So grateful to spend time with my family; I miss them.

I hope that everyone had a happy, safe Thanksgiving.  I am grateful that I did.

Expect good things....

On the Road Again...

Ned @ The Delaware Water Gap, November 2010

Nothing much that I like better than getting in the car for a road trip. My favorite trip is to Central PA. Ned and I left Jim's @ 5:15 a.m. on Tuesday. There is always a sense of adventure @ the beginning of a drive. The anticipation of getting to Nonna's is full of this excitement. We left as early as we did so that we could get through the city before the real traffic insanity started. Even with this, there are a couple of spots that are so congested, that I don't even like the radio on when I am trying to maneuver through them!

We stopped @ the Delaware Water Gap rest area. The day was foggy, grey and damp. When you stand on the strip of beach @ the water's edge, the cars are loudly hissing by on the highway behind you. They all have a destination in mind and are heading toward it @ great speed. On this strangely warm November day however, the sound of the traffic was somehow muted by the sight of this silent, steady stream of water. Wide, shallow and peaceful from where I stood, it crept along with a purpose known only to itself.  It was mesmerizing. I thought of the centuries of people who had come before me and who had stood where I was standing.  I wondered about what they had thought when looking at this gorgeous gift called river.

Expect good things....

@ 17....

How did it happen that Ned turned 17? Where did the years go? I know where the days went: diapers and nursing, reading aloud, learning to walk and talk, building extravagant Lego structures, train tracks that filled up the entire first floor of the house, Harry Potter, hours and hours of drumming practice, listening to and discussing all genres of music, working on farms and in gardens, practicing driving and discussing what the future holds. 

Those were the days, but the years...what happened to the years? 

My pride and greatest joy....happy birthday Ned.

Ned & Nonna, 1994

Ned, 1996

Ned, 2004

Ned, 2007

Ned, 2010

Expect good things.... 

Veteran's Day....

PeaceOnEarth

I think the thing that I most admire about Veteran's Day, is that it was originally called Armistice Day. From the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs I found the following information on the history of Veteran's Day: ".... approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day."" In 1954, the word "Armistice" was replaced with the word "Veterans". 


So, this is a day to commemorate, work toward, talk and think about and put into practice the idea of world peace. I am extremely grateful to all veteran's who have made enormous sacrifices for us. Today, I pay honor to all who have served in this capacity. But I also wanted to remember the original purpose of this day; it is important for me to remember.


And, please take a look @ the Arms for Peace website. Arms for Peace was conceived by my best teacher--my mother--as a memorial for families of soldiers killed in wars who lived in Central Pennsylvania. This memorial will list the soldier's name as well as the family members who have been left behind to rebuild their lives. The memorial is designed in the shape of arms in a warm embrace. 


My PeaceOnEarth image is available @ my Storefront as a small print or greeting card.


Expect good things....