Deb_Inside

~* Bring On the Sunshine of a Laugh *~

Yesterday afternoon I was at the local CVS pharmacy.  

I checked out at the back of the store and proceeded to

walk to the front to exit the store.

 

Did you ever come to that awkward moment when

2 people are exiting at the same time?   

 

Well, that happened to me yesterday. 

 

The younger woman I encountered let me go first.

 

At the CVS exit there are 2 doors that slide open

automatically..... by sensors.

 

As I came to the first door .... I turned around

just slightly to the younger gal and said........

 

'HERE, LET ME GET THE DOOR FOR YOU'

 

~~~ SHE BUSTED UP LAUGHING ~~~

 

AND so did I.     :)))))))    

Just a goofy moment that gave both of us a warm laugh. 

 

 

JUST SOME CVS .... Someplace   :)))

~ Merry Christmas ~

I was glancing through a book this morning and came to this quote.....

‘Christmas is more than a date on a calendar,
it’s a state of heart’.
The Guideposts Christmas Treasury - 1972


You know that time, come the end of December, when everyone
nearly runs themselves ragged.  The true meaning and ~JOY~ of
the season sometimes gets  lost in the hustle and bustle. 

Join me and ~*CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS*~ everyday. 

I'm not talking about leaving up the holiday decorations, or
passing out gifts ....   JUST hold the ~SPIRIT~ in your heart.

Show love and kindness, even to the most unloveable. 

Try and live these words ................

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
Ebenezer Scrooge -
 Charles Dickens's 1843 novel - A Christmas Carol.




 
          Christmas Eve ~ Grammy and Pa's House - 2008

 

 

'George Harrison & the Art of Dying'

George Harrison & the Art of Dying

How a lifetime of spiritual search led to a beautiful death

BY: Murray Littlejohn and Edward Tingley

"In the "Art of Dying," Harrison reminds us that death is life's greatest opportunity. There comes a time when each of us must leave this material world, and no amount of prayer and science can keep us here-but what we truly are does not cease to be."

 

 

Art Of Dying  - George Harrison

 

There'll come a time when all of us must leave here
Then nothing Sister Mary can do
Will keep me here with you
As nothing in this life that I've been trying
Could equal or surpass the art of dying
Do you believe me?

There'll come a time when all your hopes are fading
When things that seemed so very plain
Become an awful pain
Searching for the truth among the lying
And answered when you've learned the art of dying

But you're still with me
But if you want it
Then you must find it
But when you have it
There'll be no need for it

There'll come a time when most of us return here
Brought back by our desire to be
A perfect entity
Living through a million years of crying
Until you've realized the art of dying
Do you believe me?

 ~     ~     ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~      ~

"Our physical self is only mistaken for our true self,
and we have accepted this temporary condition to be final
and it is only by thinking in that misled way that death
and dying seem to be the ultimate calamity."
George Harrison

Dad's Peace Rose ~ June 2011

~ Heart Print ~ Betty Frye ~

Oprah ended her show yesterday by saying ...........................

 

'We've had many stories leaving a special heart print that we will never forget.'



As SOON as I heard her words, I thought of my friend, Betty Frye. 

Betty and Russell's son James entered the Air Force in February
of 2007.  James was Betty's only child.   She looked around the
internet and found a home at a Yahoo group of other Air Force
Mom and Dads.  
She joined while James was still in basic training.  

Betty was ONE of a kind and she certainly left a great big
ole HEART PRINT on my heart.

I once joked to her that she must buy her stamps in rolls for the
many cards
and letters she mailed out.     SHE admitted to me that she DID.   

BETTY was the QUEEN of SNAIL MAIL.  It was a letter to a kid
down at BMT, a get well card for someone's Mom or Dad. Or
even mail to friends of AF Mom
and Dad buddies, Betty was on it with a card or note.

I did not come to learn of the many many care support boxes
she mailed out to military kids until after her passing.    Russ
shared with me their many trips to Wally mart where Betty
loaded the cart with supplies to ship.  

Betty and I corresponded only via email and messages over
the net.   
The very first time we spoke on the phone was when she phoned
me to say that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and she only had months to live.  
It was a gut wrenching call to say the least.  I assured Betty
that we would be there for James and Russell.

Oprah's show yesterday  featured a Mom, Erin Kramp, who was
dying of cancer.  
The Erin chronicled herself in videos and audio recordings for
her young daughter who was 6 when she passed.  The final
audio message she taped was played yesterday.  
In that message Erin asked people not to forget about her. 

My friend Betty never did any of those special tapes like Erin
did, but I had an overwhelming feeling that Betty would have
said the same thing. 

I will never forget you Betty.....  You left an eternal 
~ HEART PRINT ~

Love you girl !!!!

 

Betty Anne Frye    2-7-1953 ~ 7-12-2009

 

Betty Anne Frye  of Petersburg, Va., formerly of Morattico, Va.,
passed away on Sunday, July 12, 2009. She was a member of
Norwood Baptist Church, Morattico, Va. and a member of
Air Force Moms and Dads.

My wife Betty, besides being the best wife and friend was
my soul mate. I will surely miss and be lost without her.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents Francis and
Mary Anthony.

 

She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Russell Frye,
one son; James A. Frye (was) stationed at Sheppard Air Force
Base, Texas, and two fur babies; her dogs; Sofie and Buddy.

 

The family will receive friends at Jones-Ash Funeral Home,
Rainswood, Va., on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 from 7:00 to 8:30PM.
Funeral services will be held at Norwood Baptist Church,
Morattico, Va. on Wednesday, July 15th at 11:00AM.
Burial to follow in the church cemetery.

♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥   Family isn't always blood. It's the people in
your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you
for who you are. The ones who would do anything to
see you smile, and who love you no matter what.   ♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥

~ Our 'sister' Betty ~

My Magic Green Hat

The other day I needed to go to the emergency room.  Not wanting
to sit there for 4 hours, I put on my MAGIC GREEN HAT.  
When I went into the E.R., I noticed that 3/4 of the people got up and left. 

I guess they decided that they weren't that sick after all.  
Cut at least 3 hours off my waiting time. 

Here's the hat   ............

 

It also worked at the DMV.   It saved me 5 hours.
At the laundromat, three minutes after entering, I had my choice
of any machine, most still running.


If you live in Texas, it might cut your wait time at the grocery store.


BUT .........   Don't try it at McDonalds .....

The whole crew took off and left out the back door....
I never got my order !!!!



(Some days ya just need a good laugh - THANKS Phil S. for the email) 

Decorah Eagles

Please Show Your Support For Our US Military

Blue Star Mother and Soldiers Angel Melissa made this
Facebook post today : 


Melissa Sanken: Many fallen heroes, many wounded, we are needed...
please do something for a hero today!!   Thank you very much!

 

Here are some ways that you can get involved and support for our US Military.

 

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors -

    http://www.taps.org/Give


A Thousand Thanks - Through TAPS -
From this link, just enter your info.  
You will receive an email where you can mail a post card.
EVERYONE can send a postcard.   1 postcard - 1 stamp !!!!

http://www.giveathousandthanks.org/send-a-postcard

 

 Wounded Warrior Project -

    http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

 

 Soldiers Angels -

    http://soldiersangels.org/

 

 Blue Star Families -

    http://www.bluestarfam.org/

 

 A Million Thanks -

    http://www.amillionthanks.org/

 

 Operation Gratitude -

    http://www.opgratitude.com/

Let's Say Thanks -   Send a FREE postcard right fromt his site

http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html

And if you are not moved to some action, would you please pray
for our men and women who are serving and their families .......
They are away from home protecting your freedoms.   


♥♥♥ THANK YOU ♥♥♥

Deb -   Proud Air Force Mom -  SSgt Vinny

Firefox 4 AND PDF Files

  I was quite frustrated when I downloaded Firefox 4 and found I could not
open or save a PDF files from a web page.

I found that I needed to update my Adobe Reader. 

STOP NOW and bookmark my page here.  
You might have to close the Firefox windows to download the newest reader.  

You can get an update at this link:   SEE BELOW.

First you will need to know what your computer's operating system is.
To locate that information, Go to the START key in the lower left corner of your
computer screen.   Left mouse click.
A window will open up.   Right mouse click on the word - COMPUTER.
Then left click on the word - PROPERTIES.

A window will open up telling you the Windows operating system.   (Mine is Vista)

Now you can go to this Adobe link and download a reader.    I downloaded the
Adobe Reader 9.4.   I had read some things about the Adobe X and they were not so good. 
I believe the X is the latest, but the 9.4 worked for me.

From the Adobe site, it will tell you step by step how to download. 

Link to download - Adobe Reader

 

AFTER you download the Adobe Reader, you will need to make sure your
Application settings are correct.    The following widows will show you how to get
to the Application settings.

JUST --- LEFT MOUSE CLICK on the orange FIREFOX button in the upper
right of your computer page.....   Then go to the areas highlighted in the graphics.

This should solve the problem for you.    If I can be of any help, just leave a comment.
I'm certainly NO expert, but thought this info might be useful for others.

 

When you click options....  this window will open up.     Click on Applications
and make sure all the Adobe tabs are set this way........   Click OK .

  

My Grandmother was a Genius

My Grandmother Laura Rothacker passed when I was 4 years, old back in 1962.  

She lives ON.   She was a genius in that she dated and added her name to EVERYTHING !!!

These were the days before Sharpies, so Grandma wrote on items with a pencil and covered it with clear nail polish to preserve the name and date.

I have carried on that tradition.  

Below is a photo of a Christmas ornament that my Dad gave to Vinny in 1987.
Vin would have been 3 that Christmas.    I took a small piece of paper,
wrote out the tag, and covered it with Scotch tape.  :)    23 years ago !!!

Once the ornament is on the tree, you don't see that little tag.

I've tried to do this with all ornaments that were given to my kids, and I've
tried to do this with all ornaments I've given to others.

At the end of this Christmas season when I take down our tree,
it's past time to put the kids ornaments aside for each of them.  

Please consider doing this, and you can be assured to send a bit of yourself
into the future. 
I know I have spoken of this before, but it's such a treasure to know the dates
of items and who they belonged to or who the gifts came from.   :)

  

 

Keeping His Mother's Memory Alive

 

Back when I was a child, I thought everyone's Dad baked.   I can't exactly recall
my age when it dawned on me that my Dad was an exception when it came to a
guy baking,  I would have to guess I was in my teen years before I figured that out.

I knew from an early age what Dad was a baker in the Air Force.
He used to speak of recipes that called for massive amounts of ingredients. 
40 some eggs, pounds of flour per recipe.   He even had a hard bound book of
those recipes.  

Dad could NEVER have baked alone without the assistance of my Mom.  
The credit seemed to fall to Dad, but without Mom at his side it would have
never worked.
They baked for every holiday and I can say for certain that I never ever had
a store bought Birthday cake.  

Christmas was HIS time of the year and to say baking at that time was an
obsession would be an understatement. !!!

The baking started the day after Thanksgiving. 
The first thing was his ~ Fruitcake ~.  

In a recipe book that my Uncle Rollin and Auntie Anne Rothacker compiled in 
2005, Dad added his ‘Williamsburg Style White Fruitcake’ recipe.  
Dad footnoted it saying….
“This recipe came from the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1964. 
I have made it every year the weekend after Thanksgiving to be able
to use on Christmas eve”.

Margaret Rothacker Posted on our Family Web Site - November 30, 2003

Gil made his annual Fruit Cake yesterday,   He has been making it for 41 yrs.
He makes it on the Sat. following Thanksgiving. It usually weighs about 18 lbs.  
He wraps it in cheese cloth soaked in Harvey Bristol Cream (sherry) until Christmas.  
It costs just about $25.00 to make.  
When he first started making it in 1962 it cost about $14.00 to make.  
Prices have really gone up!!!!!,   Once we get the fruit cake done we start
on cookies. We make 15 different kinds of cookies and 2 different kinds of fudge.  
Gil mixes them all and I bake them.

I guess as long as Gil can stand up, we'll make the cookies.  

The only thing I do to make the fruit cake is I cut a lining out for the Angel Food
cake pan.   Cut it from a brown grocery bag and grease it on both sides.
We line the whole pan, tube and all.   We make up about 15 plates of cookies
and give away.   Everyone looks forward to getting them each year.  
We only give the fruit cake to   special people. The Holidays are almost here.

I don't do Christmas shopping anymore, give the our kids money and they buy
for themselves and then they go out shopping for the Grandchildren,
except the 3 older ones, they shop for themselves.
They wrap everything for the Grandkids and bring it all here for Christmas Eve.
It will be here before we know it  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We don't know what we'll do for Vinny, we don't have an address for him
and it is too late to send a care package for him to have it by Christmas.  
Guess we'll just send a package whenever we get an address.  
I really feel bad for him.   A heck of a Christmas he'll have....
Being away from home, and not getting anything.......  
He knows our love and prayers are with him.....

(Vincent had arrived in Iraq just a few days before Mom wrote this)
In her note, Mom said 1962 and Dad wrote he got the recipe out of the paper in 1964.
I’m not certain, but maybe he made a different fruitcake in 1962 – 63. 

Dad kept yearly hand written lists of the Christmas holiday cookies they made. In 2007 when Dad was 77 and Mom 75 they baked 97.3 dozen – 1168 total cookies. The season of 2008 was the last year Dad would bake.    In that year they did make the choice to cut back.    They baked 80.9 dozen – 971 cookies.

 Mother and I talked often about his holiday baking mania.   In their later years it really took a huge physical toll on both of them.   STILL they baked. !!!

 With Dad’s passing in early November of 2009 he did not have to live knowing he had failed his baking traditions.   For as long as he could HE DID IT. !!!!

I had warned my Dad many years in advance that I would not be carrying on his Fruitcake tradition.    It was only in later years that I even ate a bite of it.    My hubby Michael and children are not huge fans of fruitcake.   My sister in law BethAnn had gotten Dad’s fruitcake recipe from him in advance of his passing.    HE KNEW it would LIVE ON !!!!   Last Christmas eve, Dad would have been bursting with pride at BethAnn’s fruitcake !!!

 Mom and I decided last year that neither of us felt like doing any Christmas cookies. We agreed for the Christmas of 2010 we would work together and make some of the family favorites.   God had other plans, and Mom joined Dad when she passed on February 20, 2010.

In the afternoon of November 30^th, I had been at Mom and Dad’s house with Brian
and Nicole.   The kids had come over with me to help me set up some furniture to
stage the home.   It’s surreal for me to be in their house.   I can hear the laughter
of family gatherings, and as I turn corners I expect to see or hear them.
While driving away, I was thinking to myself … ‘WHY was Dad so driven about
his Christmas baking’ ?      THEN it came to me ….. 

You see it was not the Air Force that gave my Father his love of baking.   It was
his Mother – Laura Cowles Rothacker.    I was 4 years old that June of 1962
when my  Grandmother died.  Grandma was 58.   My Dad was 32 that June.  
Sometime before that Christmas season in 1962 Mom transcribed
Grandma Laura’s recipes and typed them out on large index cards.  

WHY IT NEVER HIT ME SO FULLY UNTIL THIS YEAR I DON’T KNOW !

It was my Dad keeping his Mother’s memory alive !!!!!   

That's the reason he was so driven about the baking.  

That next day, I scanned over 30 pages of holiday recipes to share with the family.

On that afternoon of the 30^th I also decided that I was going to CELEBRATE these
coming holidays.    It’s what Mom and Dad would both want.  !!!

Dad's last Fruitcake - Photo taken Christmas eve 2008.

~ Happiness ~

 

(author unknown)

~ Watch Your Thoughts ~

I have my friend Drew to thank for the inspiration for this piece.   
Drew sent out this message on his Facebook page this morning....

Is going to have one of "those" weeks and is in need of prayers and smiles!

My comment response to Drew .....

I will gladly send prayers and smiles, but ~YOU~ must put out some
positive vibes and not attempt to define your entire week
on Monday before you have even LIVED IT. ;)

He replied.....

Yes Ma'am...

Drew..... Bless your heart for the MANY years we've known one another. 
It's a darn good thing you will be trying to take this advice.  
Spoken like a BIG SIS...   Huh  ?

~ LOVE YA ~  !!!!!

~ Maturity ~

Maturity is many things.

It is the ability to base a judgment on the big picture, the long haul.

It means being able to resist the urge for immediate gratification and opt for the courseof action that will pay off later.

One of the characteristics of the young is "I want it now. "Grown-up people can wait.

Maturity is perseverance -- the ability to sweat out a project or a situation in spite

of heavy opposition and discouraging setbacks, and stuck with it until it is finished.

The adult who is constantly changing jobs, changing friends and changing mates is immature.

He cannot stick it out because he has not grown up.

Maturity is the ability to control anger and settle the differences without violence or destruction.

The mature person can face unpleasantness, frustration, discomfort and defeat without collapsing or complaining.
He knows he can't have everything his own way every time. He is able to defer to circumstances, to other people -- and to time. He knows when to compromise and is not too proud to do it.

Maturity is humility.  It is being big enough to say, "I was wrong." And when he is right, the mature person need not experience the satisfaction of saying, "I told you so."

Maturity is the ability to live up to your responsibilities, and this means being dependable.

It means keeping your word.

Dependability is the hallmark of integrity.

Do you mean what you say -- and do you say what you mean?

Unfortunately, the world is filled with people who can't be counted on.
When you need them most, they are among the missing. They never seem to come through in the clutches. They break promises and substitute alibis for performance.
They show up late or not at all. They are confused and disorganized.
Their lives are a chaotic maze of broken promises, former friends, unfinished business and good intentions that somehow never materialize. They are always a day late and a dollar short.

Maturity is the ability to make a decision and stand by it.

Immature people spend their lives exploring endless possibilities and then do nothing.

Action requires courage.  Without courage, little is accomplished.

Maturity is the ability to harness your abilities and your energies and do more than is expected.

The mature person refuses to settle for mediocrity. He would rather aim high and miss the mark than aim low -- and make it.

Maturity is the art of living in peace with that which we cannot change, the courage to change that which should be changed, no matter what it takes, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Ann Landers

June Ohio Sunrise

Ohio Sunrise ~ 5:39 A.M.

 

Ohio Sunrise ~ 5:54 A.M.

 

~ Sliver of Moon ~

 

~ Zoomed in  Sliver of Moon ~

Sending Love and Light

Some of you reading this post do know Hallie and family personally.   If you are like me, you 'know' Hallie and her family through the World Wide Web. 

I first 'met' Hallie back in 2007 when she joined the Air Force Parents online support group.
  Others reading this have come to know her through her blog, The Wonderful World of Wieners.

Back in 2007 Hallie shared with the AF group that she 'started her blog before CJ left to keep him updated on us and everyone else updated on him'.

Certainly that she did !!  Her open sharing of her family life with John, CJ, Connor, Danielle (CJ's fiancee) and the Wieners has endeared hundreds of followers.

On April 15th, with CJ's suicide, their world went dark.   Word started to spead that CJ had died.  On the AF support group, on Face Book.    It would be 3 weeks after that Hallie publicly stated on her Face Book page......        "The song was wrong, suicide is not painless".

Hallie has shared the raw and agonizing emotions of a Mothers loss of her son.   People who know her in person, and hundreds of online friends have been there with words of support.   Messages posted to her personal blog, messages shared on her Face Book page, messages posted on the Air Force group, private emails, candle sites, several memorial sites.

Speaking as an online friend, I would like to describe how CJ's passing has affected me.    My heart has felt like a huge hand went right through my chest and grabbed a hold of my heart.   I have pictured any of my children in the same place.   I know I am not alone with this gut wrenching helpless feeling.   

Every person who knows of CJ's death has felt it too.


Thursday night, I had a HUGE REVELATION.        I was watching TV, got up from the couch, grabbed a pen and paper and started to write . . . . . .



"We're draining Hallie"     -----    We need to empower her.   

The horror and dread is being re-lived and sent back to Hallie.   We are using our imagination to put ourselves in her place, and by doing so, instead of sending Hallie and family OUR LOVE AND GOOD ENERGY, we are unintentionally sending them our pain.

"What we need to do is find a positive affirmation that can be repeated by everyone when a thought of CJ, Hallie, John, Connor, Danielle and their family comes into our mind."

I located a blog post by Mark Anthony .....    The Circle of Light.

From the post...   The Circle of Light ~

A Circle of Light occurs when spiritual people gather together to pray and meditate to achieve a positive result. This is a means of raising your vibrational energy in harmony with like minded individuals in order to create a whole greater than the sum of the parts.....

From the beginning of time people have utilized the power of a Circle of Light. A Circle of Light occurs whenever people join to pray for peace, healing or devotional purposes. Hindus collectively chant the names of God. Buddhists meditate as a group. Catholics pray the rosary in unison. Christian prayer rings. Muslims praying together five times a day. All of these form a Circle of Light.

Every one of us who cares about Hallie and her family has the ability
to BE a..............


  * POINT OF HEALING LIGHT IN THIS CIRCLE *

PLEASE do grab this graphic.    Print it out and find some place you can
display it as a reminder.........   Share it on your blog, share it on Face Book. 

*  A very special THANK YOU to Mark Anthony for his permission to share his words. 

On Mother’s Day, Hallie, John and Connor, as a family, made the decision to participate in the “Out of the Darkness Overnight.” This is a walk sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention that they learned about through Hallie’s brother, David. After hearing about this walk, they made the decision to take this journey, together, as a family. Over the course of the last week, with the Twomey family’s blessing, the team has grown to include some of Hallie and John’s family as well as some of their closest friends.
They are NEAR their team goal of $20,000. 

OUT OF THE DARKNESS

UPDATE - Tuesday May 11th.    

Hallie, John, Connor and Grandma Gayle have met their fund raising goal.  !!!!

Other teams members:    Uncle David Keene -   Aunt Shelly Kobrenski -  & Friend Kim Marcotte
STILL need financial support to meet their goals.   


LINK to TEAM CJ - OUT OF THE DARKNESS OVERNIGHT - WALK

~*~   CJ Twomey   ~*~

I 'met'  (online) Hallie back in the summer of 2007 through her WONDERFUL blog,

Wonderful World of Weiners

Hallie's 20 year old son C.J. took his own life in April.   
On May 5th on her Facebook page, Hallie posted this message:

'Three weeks ago today...three weeks.
The song was wrong. Suicide is NOT painless. Shmoops, I miss you.'

Yesterday, on Mother's Day - Hallie shared that their family, would be
participating in the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions, Boston
Out of The Darkness Walk. 

Since knowing of CJ's death, I have prayed for his Mother Hallie,
his Father John, and his little brother, Connor, his fiancee, Danielle
and everyone who has been affected by his passing. 

My distinct prayer for Hallie has been.... "Dear Lord, may Hallie find some
way to build a bridge over this gut wrenching pain".


THIS WALK .... OUT OF THE DARKNESS ... IS THAT BRIDGE !!!

They need to raise a certain monetary amount to participate.


I know many folks don't like to do the online donation, this is a link to a PDF form.
Print it out and mail to the address listed.

You will need this info for the top of the form. USE only ONE name
and number per form.


Name of Participant    Hallie Twomey - Supporter ID - 10016565

Name of Participant    John Twomey - Supporter ID - 10016567

Name of Participant    Connor Twomey - Supporter ID - 10016572

EVENT ID -  #  603

Donation Form to Print and mail in - The Over Night



If you would care to donate directly online here is the link:

TEAM CJ Link to donate online

Christopher John Twomey

Christopher John Twomey, known to his loved ones as C.J.
passed away unexpectedly on April 15.

He was the beloved first born son of John and Hallie Twomey arriving on July 3, 1989 in Stoneham, MA. Following his graduation from Edward Little High School in 2007, C.J. spent time proudly serving as an enlisted aircrew member in the United States Air Force, successfully earning his enlisted aircrew wings.

C. J. was known as a friend to all, a natural comedian and the life of the party. His smile brought joy to his friends and his family alike. He was charismatic, extremely charming and always willing to lend a hand to a friend in need. He loved unconditionally and made sure those people he cared about always felt special. His zest for life and his ability to see the good in all will never be forgotten.

He was and always will be the world’s greatest big brother to Connor. Their relationship was something to behold. They adored one another from day one and were the best of friends.

C. J. is survived by his loving parents, John and Hallie Twomey of Auburn, his younger brother Connor of Auburn, his grandfather Bill Keene of Haverhill, MA, his grandmother and husband, Gayle and Paul Nigro of Haverhill, MA, his grandparents Mike and Jerri Twomey of Hampton, NH, his uncle and aunt David Keene and Shelley Kobrenski and their daughter Sarah of Acton, MA, his uncle Brian Twomey of Amesbury, MA, his aunt Jennifer Twomey and her three children, Ethan, Gabby and Matias of New York City, NY, and his loving fiancé Danielle Dubois of Auburn. C.J. will also be missed by countless friends who loved him as much as he loved them.

C.J. will be forever in our hearts.

.    .    .    .    .     .    .    .    .    .

With my unending prayers and LOVE to you all

XO XO

Deb

~ I am in the Light ~

~ I am in the Light ~

A shadow of joy flickered; it is me.
I told you I wouldn't leave.
My memories, my thoughts are imbedded deep in your heart.
I still love you.
Do not for one moment think that you have been abandoned.
I am in the Light.
In the corner, in the hall, the car, the yard ...
these are the places I stay with you.
My spirit rises every time you pray for me,
but my energy comes closer to you.
Love does not diminish; it grows stronger.
I am the feather that finds you in the yard,
the dimmed light that grows brighter in your mind,
I place our memories for you to see.
We lived in our special way,
a way that now has its focus changed.
I still crave your understanding
and long for the many words of prayer
and good fortune for my soul.
I am in the Light.
As you struggle to adjust without me,
I watch silently.
Sometimes I summon up all the strength of my new world
to make you notice me.
Impressed by your grief,
I try to impress my love deeper into your consciousness.
As you should, I call out to the Heavens for help.
You should know that the fountain of youth does exist.
My soul is now healthy.
Your love sends me new found energy.
I am adjusting to this new world.
I am with you and I am in the Light.
Please don't feel bad that you can't see me.
I am with you wherever you go.
I protect you, just as you protected me so many times.
Talk to me and somehow I will find a way to answer you.
Mother, Father, son or daughter, it makes no difference.
Brother, sister, lover, husband or wife, it makes no difference.
Whatever our connection, friend or even foe ...
I see you with my new eyes.
I am learning to help wherever you are, wherever I am needed.
This can be done because I am in the Light.
When you feel despair, reach out to me ... I will come.
My love for you truly does transcend from Heaven to Earth.
Finish your life with the enthusiasm and zest that you had
when we were together in the physical sense.
You owe this to me, but more importantly,
you owe it to yourself.
Life continues for both of us.
I am with you because I love you
and I am in the Light.

~ Author Unknown ~

These beautiful words came to me first when shared by
my friend Gabrielle. 

In Loving memory of her son - Jeremy K. Lehmann 12-10-1982 ~ 8-18-2006

I'm sharing them in memory of another young man also gone from this earth
all too soon.

Hallie, John, Connor, Danielle and family..... 

In Loving memory of Christopher J. Twomey - 7-3-1989 ~ 4-15-2010

I'm editing my message from last May to include..... Max.  (1-13-2011)
Holding his family and friends in prayer.

In Loving memory of Maxwell Thomas Hyre - 6-24-1994 - 12-23-2010

 

 

(Photo - My Dad's Angel taken ~ May 1, 2010 ~ Dad would have been 80 today)

On Eagles' Wings

Mom passed on Saturday February 20, 2010.   On Monday February 22nd, I was
driving from my house to Mom's place.   My brother David was staying at Mom's.

On the back road to Mom's it is not unusual to encounter semi-trucks.   There is a
food storage warehouse, so semis are quite common.   
The weather was overcast and a light snow was falling.   I come upon a truck
that is just about crawling in front of me.
I started to mumble and bitch to myself about it, when I looked up as saw a bible
quotation on the back of the truck.    I knew I did not have time, nor the ability to
write down the whole verse, so I grabbed my cell phone and took this photo.

I explained to David what had just happened.   I said to David...   "It's pretty
RARE to see a bible verse on the back of a truck.   Whatever that verse was,
I need to find out.  I think it's going to be of some importance." 

Upon looking up the verse......

‘They that hope in the Lord will renew
their strengths, they will soar as with
eagles wings.   They will run and not
grow weary, walk and will not grow faint’.

Isaiah 40:31

I knew exactly how important.   Mom had been discharged from the hospital
on 2-17.   On the evening of 2-18, she collapsed.  (fainted)   She was revived,
but on 2-20 following her wishes, she was removed from life support.

It was Mom letting US know she was soaring with those eagles.  
For those of you who don't know....   MOM LOVED BIRDS !!!!!

My sister in law, Rose created the program for Mom's funeral mass.
The closing song of her funeral mass was....

On Eagles' Wings 


Dedicated today to Christopher J. Twomey as he is laid to rest.
May God be with your family and friends now, and for a long
time to come.   Comforted by an Army of Angels and friends.  
CJ Twomey - July 3, 1989 ~ April 15, 2010

 

Giving in Mom's Name

There was an American Red Cross blood drive today at my son Kevin's school
today and I went to donate.

I have been a blood donor since I was 17.    This donation was meaningful for me.

When Mom Margaret fell back in January, she was given 3 units of plasma. 

Even though technically, I was not donating for Mom, I was in my mind
donating in her memory. 

I was checked in and then led to the donation area.   I slid up on the table
and the nurse said.......

Hi my name is Margaret. !!!!!!!



I miss you so much Mom, but it's these little "God Winks" that keep reminding me that you're not that far away. 

Love ya Ma !!!

Promise Yourself

 

Promise yourself .........

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.      

To talk health, happiness   
and prosperity                  
to every person you meet.          

To make all your friends                    
feel that there is something in them.             

To look at the sunny side of everything                     
and make your optimism come true.                                

To think only of the best, to work only for the best                
and expect only the best.                                   

To be enthusiastic about the success of others                     
as you are about your own.                                           

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to   
greater achievements of the future.                   

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times       
and give every living creature you meet a smile. 

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself 
that you have no time to criticize others.              

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger,   
too strong for fear and too happy                     
to permit the presence of trouble.                                

 

Christian D Larson
"Your Forces and How to Use Them" 1912

Your Forces and How to Use Them -(online complete text)

http://www.sacred-texts.com/nth/yfhu/index.htm



 

Angels Around Us

My Dad passed back in November of last year.   My ex husband Mark asked me what he
could do for my Mom.    Mark, his wife Pam and I have quite the unusual relationship
considering he's my ex and she's his current wife.  

I said to Mark... why don't you send Mom an angel.   That would be a nice remembrance.
Mark and Pam picked out an angel and decided they would get together with Mom
and bring the angel over personally.    The holidays got in the way,
and then everything happened with Mom in early January.  (Her fall and brain injury)

After Mom's passing, Mark phoned me and said.......
"We have the angel, what should we do with it" ?    Instantly and without
hesitation I asked him to give it to our daughter Nicole.

After Mom's viewing - wake on the night of February 25th, we came home
to find a package by our front door.

The package was from a dear military Mom friend, Melanie.    I 'met' Melanie
online a few weeks before the 1st anniversary of her Marine son LCPL Lance M. Thompson's passing.    Lance was KIA in Iraq on November 15, 2004.

In November of 2005, I was putting together a condolence book for the
family of Fallen Marine LCPL Daniel M. McVicker.     Danny was from Ohio and I knew
that I could personally deliver the condolence book.   I was collecting email
messages to include in Danny's book.   Danny was KIA in Iraq on October 6, 2005.

Melanie sent me the most beautiful message.   I came to the bottom and
it was there I learned she was a Gold Star Mom.   Her note listed the date
of her son Lance's passing.

I saw that it was just almost 2 weeks until the 1st anniversary of his death.
The day stuck with me, as November 15th is my hubby Michael and my
wedding anniversary.

I had some poems that I thought I would like to email back to Melanie.
Something stopped me....   I was fearful that I might upset her.

Then out of the BLUE.... in a booming sort of voice to my thought.....

'Should I send these' ?      I heard .........  "YES - YES - YES".

Never before had something come to me so plainly. !!!!!!    I really did not have
a clue, at that time, that it was LANCE communicating to me. 
Later on I realized it.   :)))

Melanie emailed me back rather quickly asking......'Who are you, and
how do I know you' ????      I responded that we were on the same Marine
Family Condolence group, and that she had sent me messages for a book
I was putting together.
Mel told me that the messages were such a gift to her.    She was
contemplating a weekend trip that she was not looking forward to,
and the messages uplifted her ~Spirit~.     JUST as LANCE KNEW IT WOULD !!!!!

Melanie had sent me a gorgeous memorial bell after my Dad passed.
I knew the package was not heavy enough to be a similar bell. 

I opened it up to find this amazing angel.....



 


I phoned Melanie to thank her.   She had no clue at all that my Mom
LOVED birds.     In talking to Mel she said that she was at a store and
had purchased something different.    After it was all paid for she asked
the clerk to please credit her the purchase, because she changed her
mind.    She proceeded to tell me that she was drawn to this angel.
The clerk came out with it and said....'You are lucky, it's our last one'. !!!!

I phone my daughter Nicole to tell her all about the angel and how
Melanie followed her intuition in returning the first item and picking
out this angel.

After Mom's funeral the next day, we gathered at their church for
a luncheon.    All the immediate family was going to gather at Mom and Dad's
house for the afternoon.    Michael and I had to run home to let the dog out.
I happened to glance and see Nicole's Dad hand her a gift bag. 
Since her birthday had just passed, I thought it must have been a
birthday gift. 

Michael and I went home, let Drake out and we were about to leave our
house to head back to Mom and Dad's.    At the last minute, I thought I would
take the Angel to show everyone.   I had the box on the table and I went to
pick up the angel.    Michael saw me do this as he was attempting to HURRY
me out the door.    I reached up and had my hand around the base of the
angel.......    Just then I heard a voice.....


"You don't have to bring that."     


It was not big and booming but it was very direct.    I pulled my hand
back and said to Michael.     "Ohhh I changed my mind".
I did not question the message....  I just thought okay, another time.

When we arrived at Mom's house, Nicole met me in the garage.
She said........... OMG --- you have to come in here and see something. !!!!

As soon as I saw the square Styrofoam packing, I knew INSTANTLY,
that her Dad and Pam had picked out the very same angel that Melanie
had sent me.

AND.... for all that I thought I was okay with my ex Mark....
at first I kept thinking.......   WHY MARK ??????
Why him to have this special moment. 

Then it came to me...  LET IT GO !!!   It's ALL GOOD !!!
It's been over 15 years since my divorce,
I needed that moment to have full closure.

I related the story to Mark.    I think it helped him with his upset
at himself for not getting the angel to Mom sooner. 

THANKS Melanie, Mark and Pam.   

With Love Always,
Deb

"NO DOUBT" .... 'the universe is unfolding as it should.'   
Desiderata - Max Ehrmann


Marine Corporal Lance M. Thompson

Marine Lance Corporal Daniel M. McVicker

After Mom's Passing - An Encounter at the Same Store

Mom passed February 20, 2010.   She was 77 years old.   Three and a half months after Dad died.  So many folks said to me.........   It happens like that, one goes and then the other goes quickly.  
Let me be VERY clear on this, Mom had no intention of joining Dad this quickly.   She purchased a brand new car in early January.   She had a bus trip booked with some of her bingo lady friends to a casino for sometime here in March.    She was grieving Dad's passing in her own way, but she also felt a new found freedom being a widow.  She had even ordered some new furniture for her living room.

The hardest part about Mom's passing was that the day she fell back in January, she was at
the VA taking care of the last of Dad's paper work from his death.   The sidewalk was clear, no ice or snow, but it was raised and she caught her foot on a crack.   The law in Ohio is such that a raised sidewalk has to be I believe the lawyer said 3 inches before you have any case.  
Her fall caused a brain injury and then in Feb she had 2 brain surgeries.    She was home for a little over 24 hours and she had a cardiac event.   Then it was 3 days later we removed her from the life support when we knew the extent of her brain damage.

Mom was buried on February 26th.     On Monday March 1st I called my friend Tanya and said.......                  
'I need some Tanya time, are you available' ?     She was and said ....  'What do you want to do' ?

I said.....  'I'm not sure, I'll just be by to pick you up at such and such a time'. 

On the drive to Tanya's I had an ..... URGE to go to that same religious store that I had visited after Dad's passing in November.
Let me give you just a little background before I get on to the story. 
Tanya is my close dear friend who I have known for well over 11 years.   We met when she started watching our youngest Kevin.    Tanya's oldest granddaughter Abbey is coming on 5 years old next month.  
Ever since I was a very small child our parents took us to a Catholic Shrine in Carey Ohio.   The shrine is called ....   Our Lady of Consolation.    My last visit there was in the summer of 2008 when I took Mom and Dad there.    Google Maps says it's 128 miles from my house, but just to give you an idea that it's not a place that is in our neighborhood.   :)

So after I picked up Tanya, I said....  I would really like to stop at this store and it's not all that far from your place here. 

We pulled up to the store and parked.   As we started towards the door, we could see a very tiny black dog inside waiting at the door to greet us.    I said.... OMG, look it's a tiny dog.We walked in the door and just to our left was the owner Patrick.    He was sitting at a table
and he appeared to be doing some sort of paper work.     The dog followed us over to Patrick and I said to him..... 'OMG, I have never seen this little dog here before'.    I guess I asked him where did you get him.   

Patrick proceeded to say..........'She came from Carey Ohio'.    I stopped him and said....'The Shrine there in Carey" ?     He said yes.    'I have a friend there named 'DEB'.
She had bought the dog as a gift for her friend Tanya.     Tanya did not realize exactly how much work a tiny puppy was going to be.    With her work schedule it was just too much to keep the little dog.    Patrick proceeded to say that he and his wife adopted her from Tanya, over 2 years ago.    Patrick said that Tanya's young daughter was SO VERY upset at having to lose the dog, they decided to name the puppy after the daughter.....  'Her name is Abbey'.  

WOW........... WOW.......................   All the connections were just WAY too much to be some sort of a coincidence.      I explained to Patrick how very special the shrine at Carey was to my family.     We told him of the name connections.    He said he was definitely going to related the story to DEB, the next time he visited there.  AND.............. the morning I headed out with Tanya, I had a NUDGE to grab my camera and take it with me.    Now, I do frequently take my camera, but it's not like I grab it every time I walk out my door. 

Here is a photo of Tanya and Abbey from that morning:

Sometime after our visit there on March 1st.     I came across this photo of my Dad, my older bro David and myself.    It was taken in September of 1959.     David was almost 3 and I would have been about 18 months old.    Dad would have been 29.   Obviously Mom was taking the photo.
Our youngest bro, Mike was born in June of 1960.   
HE MIGHT have been there too depending on the exact time of conception.   LOL

Our Lady of Consolation Shrine - LINK


My bro David was hugging me THEN.... As he has been now after Mom's death.  ;)
 

For me.............   Just a few more of the GOD WINKS from the other side.

So VERY comforting indeed. 

They Do Speak, Just Be Open to Listen

Dad passed November 5, 2009.    Up until the Spring of last year, at 78 years old, Dad had been working as a WalMart greeter.   A position he held for 14 years since his retirement from grocery store retail management. He worked approximately 35-38 hours a week.    In April Dad had some ischemic strokes, other wise referred to as mini strokes.    He was hospitalized, but released.    He was doing out patient therapy.   He was not majorly impaired from the strokes.    In July he fell and broke 5 ribs.    He never returned home after that fall.The day after Dad's burial on November 11th, I just felt the need to go to the cemetery.    I don't particularly have an attachment to cemeteries, as I feel the soul-spirit does not reside there, still something drew me to plan to go there that day.    My drive to the cemetery is under 20 minutes.   On the way there, I had intended to stop at a local religious store.    The morning had gotten away from me and time was running short for Kevin to be home from school.    I knew he had not taken his house key that morning, so I had  a specific time to be home.    As I back out of my drive, I decided to nix the religious store and just go on to his grave site.While driving down the street where I would pass by the religious store I had a BOOMING message.....

'YOU NEED TO STOP THERE' !!!!!!!

Not being one to ignore biggie messages like that, I figured ... OKAY, I better stop.   :)I walked into the store intending to walk back to the area where some pocket coins are kept.   As soon as I walked in the door, from my peripheral vision on my right side, I saw a woman at the cashier's desk.    I did not actually turn to view her, but instantly I heard her voice and then stopped.     As I stopped to look her way, she also looked towards me.    It was Lynn, a RN who had taken care of Dad at a local hospital during one of his many stays that past year.    Lynn was no ordinary RN.   She really bonded with Dad.    Even so much as coming to the nursing home to visit him there.    In the last few weeks of Dad's life, the frustration of his bodily limitations had taken a great toll on him.    He was not really up for some visitors.   Lynn had sensed that on her last trip to see Dad, and she had decided it was best not to drop in on him.   
Still, Mom had kept in touch with her by phone.    After Dad's passing we had not gotten Lynn notified.    She walked up to me with a huge smile and arms extended for a hug.  

She then said........  'How's your Dad doing' ?     I informed her that we had just buried him the day before.   She was visibly shaken and upset to tears at the news.   Lynn and Dad had shared their faith with one another, and after his months of suffering, I explained we were at peace with his passing.      

These pocket coins that I was there to pick up that day are ones that I keep giving away to folks I meet who seem to be in need of something to uplift them. 

I knew exactly WHY I was led to the store that day.     The timing is out of this world.  

The key is listening and acting on the messages that come to you.   :)

NOW.......... I have a story about the same religious store after Mom passed in February.  
I'm going to make a second post about that one.  

'Christmas Remembrance'

I'm sharing this with permission from my friend... Charles Quick ;)


A very strange thing happened the other day. I was doing a
Google search attempting to look up the words to a sermon that I
thought I shared on my site. The results brought me to an online
friend's blog.
Turns out I had shared the sermon in a comment to Charles under a post he
made called:

Christmas Remembrance - December 14, 2007

I just now went and searched through Charles AKA - Ceeque's blog
to see when it was I first met him. That was back in June of 2007.
I landed at his site from a link I had found on someone else's blog. :)

As with so many of my online friends, I will most likely never meet them
in person.
You see Charles lives across the POND over in the UK. Still, he's become like
a back yard neighbor and a special part of my life.

In his post of Christmas Remembrance Ceeque was facing his 6th
Christmas holiday without his son James. Charles shares his thoughts
of the upcoming holiday
along with 'an inspiring piece' that his son James wrote.

James was born the same year as my Vinny, he would have
turned 25 this year. If I were reading someone's message like this,
I'm certain I would wonder what happened that this young man
passed at the age of 17.
Let me say that Charles has a post on his site right up on plain view......
'Memo to Suicidal Young People'.


I would like to share James' words with you............



” Prose No.1 version 1

comment: This is inspired by several people, writers and someone I think is a writer! Its not very good …..

“STOP, yes, STOP! I`d just like you to take a moment and reflect. Right now you`re sat somewhere reading this. Are you eating or drinking something you normally eat or drink? If so, have some slowly, feel the textures,smell the aromas, let your taste buds get a good taste. Something you don`t normally do … you eat and run. I think its about time we all sat back and realised what we have.

We`re cruising along in life not realising the potential we all have, each day. We fear whats to come tomorrow, we regret what was yesterday but we ignore today. And today you`ll go through what you felt yesterday and tomorrow.

Appreciate whats today, the potential you have. Make a change, stand up, and shout. Shout anything you like. Express yourself, tell people you love them, like friends and family. Step back from that computer, turn the tv off. Talk and appreciate people.

We take SO MUCH for granted, the air we breathe, food we eat, bus drivers, that sexy blonde at the local shop .. and family and friends. Over this Christmas spend as much time as possible with the things you love (or should love) as you just don`t know when its gonna get taken away from you….

And remember what the great John and Paul said …

“ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE”

in remembrance of George Harrison. “

..........................................................................................................................................

LINK TO CEEQUE'S BLOG ARTICLE - CHRISTMAS REMEMBRANCE

PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYER FOR CHARLES AND ALL WHO HAVE BURIED A CHILD.


Christmas Remembrance

James Wallace Quick
September 29, 1984 ~ March 21, 2002

Midnight Mass Sermon

They come……. often uninvited but not wholly unwelcome…..
But they will surely come…..
As soon as the Christmas tree is lit this evening….
As soon as the Christmas dinner is served tomorrow….
As soon as the presents are unwrapped…. They will come….

Who are they? They are the ghosts of our Christmases past.
Not some scary spooks from out of a Steven King movie,
nor some dour figment of Charles Dickens imagination….
No…. these ghosts are neighbors, who have moved away,
grandchildren, too busy to come home,
childhood friends, long since lost touch with,
and all our beloved dead.

These ghosts come to us at the holy time, tinged with
sadness, but so much a part of our Christmas memories
we could not banish them if we would want to….
but who could wish something so dreadful!

Our memories, and the ghosts they conjure, are as much
a part of today’s celebration as the packages sitting under
the tree this very minute or as the lights that beautify our
church this very night.
They are a part of us and they are holy.!

They come back to us….. served up in special Christmas
recipes they hand down….. unique Christmas ornaments that
were theirs, and those special songs of the season that they
loved to sing. They are our special holiday friends.
Aunts smelling like lavender, Grandmother’s who baked the
best bread in the world, small friends who shared their newly
arrived red wagons, and brothers and sisters who wrapped their
Santa’s workshop gifts with all the love their small hands could muster.
They are our special holiday friends,
these ghosts of Christmas.

For you see…. they are part of our history, and our history
is holy. For if this Christmas celebration means anything at all, it
means that when God became a part of our human story, our lives
took on a part of the divine story.
The moments of our lives, each one of them, bears the mark
of the divine life. And therefore, the people of our lives,
all of them, are holy images of God among us.
These ghosts who visit us, trimmed in evergreen and glowing in
Christmas lights, these ghosts remind us that our story is a
part of God’s story…. For God touched our lives on this holy night.

We need not fear them, these ghosts of love and laughter,
these ghosts of family and friendship……
We need not fear them, for they are our own history,
coming back to reminisce in this holy season.

Our history, made holy, by God becoming one of us.

And so, as I drive down the turnpike tomorrow to celebrate
with my family, they will come back to me,
the ghosts of my own Christmases.
My Grandfather fussing to make sure the house is spotless,
my Grandmother standing in her apron in front of the stove
cooking macaroni.

I hope yours visit you, and when they do, when those
memories of people not with us this day come to reminisce,
remember, they are signs to us of how holy our history is….
Our own history that is made holy by God who took on
our history when he came to Earth this very night.

Greet those ghosts with love for they are signs of God’s love….
Greet them with love…. welcome them home…..
and Merry Christmas to you and to all who are with you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By Father Patrick Ferraro

St Joan of Arc – Streetsboro Ohio
December 2003

This sermon was given at
my parent’s Church.

I thought it was so touching I had my Dad ask
Fr. Patrick for a copy to send to my son Vinny who was
serving in Iraq at that time.

Droid Eris Cell Phone Manual PDF

 

This message is for anyone searching for
manual for the NEW Droid Eris Cell Phone from Verizon.

Click on this PDF link and you can then save the manual to your
desktop for future reference. 

I'm getting the hang of mine .... THANKS to the manual.   

http://vzw.com/multimedia/mim/htc_droid_eris/eris.pdf

*  January 16, 2010 -  A SPECIAL THANKS to Rick for correcting my link !

~ * ~ GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO ~ * ~

My posting this message was inspired by Deb Call over at

Spirit in Gear.  

She wrote a post yesterday........  Early Christmas Visitor Brings Joy

Unlike any Christmas season preceding this one, I face my first holiday celebration without either of my parents.  We lost Mom less than 2 years ago, and Dad passed away 3 months ago.  My siblings and I attempt to put on a brave face, while feeling trepidation at facing Christmas with the empty spaces left by our parents.      Jump over to Deb's site to read the rest............

   Early Christmas Visitor Brings Joy

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

~ * ~     GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO    ~ * ~

Dad always knew that Mother was the ROCK and she continues
to be a source of inspiration to all of us.    Mom made the transition to being alone
in their home when Dad fell on July 9th and broke those 5 ribs.  

Dad suffered so greatly in the last months of his life, his passing was a blessing for him and us.    I know, one does not often think of a death as a blessing, but considering how limited his life was, it really was a comfort to us knowing he is …….. AT PEACE.

On Thursday November 5th he passed at 2:10pm.     He was at Anna Maria
nursing home in Aurora.   All the family gathered there on the 4th.   
Grandchildren too.
My Mom and brother Mike spent Wednesday night there.   

On November 5th my Mother and  bro Michael and his wife BethAnn were there.  
Along with my Dad’s brother, Rollin… and myself were there when he passed.

Above Dad’s bed, I had hung a picture of an Angel.    This was a photograph of an
angel that hangs on the wall in my parent’s home.  
The angel is about 24 inches tall.   It was a gift many years ago from my Dad’s brother,
Wayne who died in 1971 at the age of 37.   
 
Above the angel on the banner it reads…   Gloria in Excelsis Deo

It was about 10 or 15 minutes after Dad had died when I looked up at the angel.
I HEARD…………. 

GLORIA in EXCELSIS DEO     …….

  I not only heard it once, but I heard it at least
4 times.    Each time the words just boomed in my mind louder and louder and so totally
FULL OF JOY. 

~ * ~     GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO    ~ * ~


~ * ~     GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO    ~ * ~


~ * ~     GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO    ~ * ~

I can hardly begin to describe the joy.     I know it was a message from my Dad.
His SPIRIT SINGING as he met with Jesus and his dearest family and his dearest angels. 

The peace that this brought me then, and throughout the wake and funeral and  even now I can only explain as a great blessing. !!!

As this holiday season approaches to all of you who have lost dear loved ones…..


Although we grieve because they are not with us, we must
remember their JOY  at being in total peace.

~ * ~     GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEO    ~ * ~

(Glory to God in the Highest)

 

A Quote and a Prayer

A Quote and a Prayer....

----------------------------------------------------------

"In order to be irreplaceable one
must always be different."

- Coco Chanel -


-------------------------------------------------------------

A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRAYER

Heavenly Father,

Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic
last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that
day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework,
do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with
her children.

Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed,
disinterested young man who can't make change correctly
is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing
his apprehension over final exams with his fear of
not getting his student loans for next semester.

Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging
for money in the same spot every day
(who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to
mental illness or addictions that we can only
imagine in our worst nightmares.

Help us to remember that the old couple walking
annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking
our shopping progress are savoring this moment,
knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got
back last week, this will be the last year that
they go shopping together.

Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all
the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love.
It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear.
Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us,
but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick
to forgive, show patience, empathy and love.

If you send this to 5 people then you have a chance to
make 5 people smile. You won't get any wish for
material things however you might just find a piece
of serenity and the warmth of God's touch.

(author not known)

"Love Is The New Religion"

This past week, I was able to offer some help to a friend. 
This friend and I are joined by our son's service in the U.S. Air Force. 
I'm planning on traveling to her home, to stay with her Mom while she
attends her son's homecoming from 'The Sand'. 

Other friends have learned about this help, and they've called me an Angel.
My response to them was..... I'm not an angel.....  I try and live these words...


"We must become the change we want to see in the world."
Mohandas Gandhi - 10/2/1869 - 1/30/1948.


In all honesty, I would rather not even mention of my helping,
but for our military parents support group, it was a great lift for everyone
to know that AF Mom 'M' was going to get the help she needs.  

This morning, I was searching on the net for some words
to assist me in explaining that I'm not an angel, it's
extending myself in a loving way, because I CAN, and
because I care.   I came across these words...


~ LOVE IS THE NEW RELIGION ~



Ohhhhhhhh my what a welcome home Brian's words
are for me....  I've come to know what I am....

I am an embedded agent of an secret, undercover
Clandestine Global operation....

Ohhhhhhhh man, I guess I just blew it because
this is 'undercover'.   Well, I'm not undercover anymore.

JOIN IN ----  Please join in.    :)))))

LOVE
Deb

Love Is The New Religion

On the surface of the world right now there is war and
violence and things seem dark
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else
is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals
are being called to a higher light
It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up

It is time for me to reveal myself
I am an embedded agent of an secret, undercover
Clandestine Global operation
A spiritual conspiracy
We have sleeper cells in every nation on the planet

You won't see us on the T.V.
You won't read about us in the newspaper
You won't hear about us on the radio

We don't seek any glory
We don't wear any uniform
We come in all shapes and sizes
Colors and styles

Most of us work anonymously
We are quietly working behind the scenes in every country
and culture of the world
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys, in farms
and villages, tribes and remote islands

You could pass by one of us on the street and not even notice
We go undercover
We remain behind the scenes
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit
But simply that the work gets done

Occasionally we spot each other in the street
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way so no one will notice

During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs
But behind the false storefront at night is where the real work takes place

Some call us the "Conscious Army"
We are slowly creating a new world with the power of our minds and hearts
We follow, with passion and joy
Our orders from the Central Command
The Spiritual Intelligence Agency

We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no ones is looking
Poems
Hugs
Music
Photography
Movies
Kind words
Smiles
Meditation and prayer
Dance
Social activism
Websites
Blogs
Random acts of kindness

We each express ourselves in our own unique ways with our
own unique gifts and talents

"Be the change you want to see in the world"
That is the motto that fills our hearts
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the oceans
combined

Our work is slow and meticulous
Like the formation of mountains
It is not even visible at first glance
And yet with it entire tectonic plates shall be moved in the centuries to
come

Love is the new religion of the 21st century

You don't have to be a highly educated person
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it

It comes from the intelligence of the heart
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings

Be the change you want to see in the world
Nobody else can do it for you

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have....
All are welcome...
The door is open

-Brian Piergrossi
(From the book "The Big Glow")    link to Brian's web site

HTML Testing

 

This is test post.   Testing an HTML link. 

Go to Google   

Go to Google   

Charla Nash - Woman Mauled by Chimpanzee

Steve Nash and Michael Nash, the twin brother of a woman
mauled by a 200-pound chimpanzee in Stamford Connecticut in
mid February appeared on the Today show, today.     Charla is 55.

The brothers said she is making progress.     They said that she has
been told she had an accident, but they don't know if she is aware
of exactly what happened to her.  

She is being treated at the Cleveland Clinic here in Ohio.  

She lost her hands, nose, lips and eyelids in the attack, and it was released
that she will be permanently blind in both eyes.
Police said the attack lasted for 12 minutes and that
responding officers, who could not discern whether Nash was
a man or woman, said, "He has no face."

Steve Nash commented today how very important the cards and notes
she has received from total strangers mean to their sister, and their family.

Charla has a 17 year old daughter, Brianna.     Steve said that Brianna
is heading to Cleveland on Spring break next week.     Could you imagine
how uplifting it would be for her daughter to see LOTS of cards sent
to her Mom ?  


I went and located the mailing address.   Email is nice, but
please consider dropping a SNAIL MAIL card to Charla.  



Charla Nash - C/O
The Cleveland Clinic
9500 Euclid Avenue,
Cleveland, Ohio 44195



This info is from the Friends of Charlie Web site.......

"She is really looking forward to your kind words."
"Send an email to Charla!"

Charla@FriendsofCharlieNash.com


http://www.friendsofcharlienash.com/

'Rock and Roll Discovery'

Space Shuttle Discovery NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

 

Lift Off March 15, 2009  7:43 p.m. EDT

Commander Lee Archambault leads Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata on mission STS-119 to the International Space Station.

Discovery 55 seconds into launch

(photos NASA TV)

Video of March 15, 2009 Discovery Lift Off

 

NASA - Shuttle Mission Main Page

The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock

It's coming......................   2012      

The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock

There are links to video's of David's presentation on you tube.
10 individual links   OR     one link at the bottom that is all the
videos in one.  

IF you have time, this is quite interesting.  

ALSO............. here is a link to David's main web site:

http://divinecosmos.com/



David Wilcock is a professional lecturer, filmmaker and researcher of ancient civilizations, consciousness science, and new paradigms of matter and energy. His upcoming Hollywood film CONVERGENCE unveils the proof that all life on Earth is united in a field of consciousness, which affects our minds in fascinating ways.

David is also the subject and co-author of the international bestseller, The Reincarnation of Edgar Cayce?, which explores the remarkable similarities between David and Edgar, features many of David's most inspiring psychic readings, and reveals documented NASA scientific proof of interplanetary climate change… and how it directly impacts our DNA.




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 01

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5b-kLvppdg




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 02

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNj9UrZLzA




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 03

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmVaOYDQAiY




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slUhK1RHJOk




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 05

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdcNpcLX8kw



The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 06

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E1GXnfAq7A




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 07

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yp6YdoZ9d8




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 08

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eER-s7Ris5s




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omfHAR_q-Zo




The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock Pt. 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5d5AT3OehU

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The 2012 Enigma by David Wilcock - Entire     96 minute video

  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4951448613711060908

" I'm Lonely and I Miss You " !!!

Does the title of my post make you think that ~ I ~ miss you ?

Well..... it's not me, but SOMEBODY DOES !!!     

Every person reading this post knows someone, an Aunt or Uncle, or Grandparent
who is NOT online.    They don't have email..........    

        THEY are LONELY AND MISS YOU !!!

Sure, you could call them, but I assure you... a good old fashioned letter
will THRILL them to pieces.   

I am a military Mom, as my son Vince is in the Air Force.   There is a group of
Air Force Moms who send cards and notes to family and friends of one another.
My folks neighbor Larry was ill last year.    He was flooded with snail mail.  :)
My Dad said to me a few weeks ago....

"Debra, you will NEVER know what that mail did for Larry, it was better than
any medicine a doctor could give him."

So PLEASE....... would you consider sending a snail mail letter or card this week.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIL will DO for the person you send it to ?   ......


IT will make their day........ AND WEEK !!!!

This is my Aunt Irene.   She is turning 86 in April. 
~ She is a DOLL ~
She writes me often..... and I write her back.    :)

What A Wonderful World ~ Louis Armstrong ~ 'Satchmo'

~ 'Beauty is not in the face - beauty is a light in the heart' ~
(Saks61)

CLICK THESE WORDS...... not the picture.  :)
Link to beautiful youtube video.......

 

Louis Daniel Armstrong  (August 4, 1901– July 6, 1971),

nicknamed Satchmo


-     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -     -


From YouTube ~ Saks61

Name: Nermin Country: Germany
Occupation: peacemaker
Schools: life

http://www.youtube.com/user/saks61

Help Others.Org ~ Smile Card Project

HelpOthers.org -- kindness is contagious.

How did the SmileCard project start?

One college student was talking to another slightly older twenty-something guy about pranks that students do for rival football teams. The older guy says, "Isn't it interesting that students are motivated to do such incredible acts without getting any credit?" Such acts are fun, collective, creative, and incredibly challenging. But typically, they're not all that constructive nor do they leave anyone with a lasting "wow" feeling either. So the question followed -- why not do the same with kind acts? More friends joined in the conversation. Right then, we thought up a game of doing anonymous acts of kindness and leaving behind a "smile card" to keep the ripple going. Over the next three months, we tested out the concept. And then, we setup this anonymous website and got started.

What resources did you start with?
Not too many. One of our friends designed the card, another wrote up the content on the card, and another gathered 15 bucks to go to a local Kinkos. The guy at Kinko's, well, he found out about this and did it for free. That was September 2003 and our first box of 100 cards. We never anticipated that this concept would extend all over the world!

Is there a business plan behind any of this?
Nope. Everything here is (and always will be) a labor of love. We run this commerical-free portal with dedicated volunteers, we send weekly kindness newsletters without any agendas, we ship smile cards all over the world for free, we allow people to download, print and republish everything without any restrictions. Some people order free cards to do kind acts, some share creative ideas of compassion, some contribute stories of inspiration, some sponosor cards for others, and kindness keeps spreading.

What is the future of the project?
We just launched a new site -- our third revamp of the year -- to keep up with the increasing demand. More recently, we launched Smile Groups based on the requests we heard from smile-carders around the globe. Quite honestly, we don't really know the future; our attempt is keep doing "small acts with great love" in the present.

Is this a religious effort?
Not really. All the anonymous folks behind the scenes have their own reasons for practicing compassion; for some it might be their religious beliefs, for some it might be their spiritual cultivation, for some it might just be common sense.

How can I help?
Do something kind in your community. Join Smile Groups and make it a weekly habit. Comment on the many stories to encourage the carriers of kindness. And if you're still pumped-up to give more, drop us a note.

Kindness is contagious! Keep it going.

Jump over to the site and read some kindness stories....

........ like this one....................

Smile Stones, Mile Stones 

--posted by singlestep on Jun 9, 2008

Here's an idea that brings lots of smiles-- go to your neighborhood crafts store (I went to Michael's), pick up some polished colored stones, hand-draw some smiles, and leave those smile-stones with the following poem at coffee shop tables or just about any public venue.

Look a Smile Stone straight in the eye and you'll smile back not knowing why

It's something about their lopsided grins, their lack of noses and of chins

A twinkling something that's not-quite-art touches your heart

Like snowflakes and fingerprints no two are the same

But why? You ask- What's the point of this game?

Somebody's hand drew those smiles for you

To find and to keep and to give away too

For when the smile fades from the stone

Then you'll find it within

And this is where you get to begin

To share that smile where there's a lack

All you'll need is a pen

(Permanent. Black)

To draw a new smile in place of the old

And send it off on its way

to places untold

Smilestone milestones

Marking the way

We each can reach out

to

Make Someone's Day.

Spiritual Drifts from The River of Karma

ROK had a slow down of posts for 2008, but in January of this year
he has returned with this post................

Return to essence

 I invite you to check out his blog.........


River of Karma ~ (Quote from ROK's front page)

A blog that captures the thoughts of a Pranic Healer-in-training on his Spiritual path as he figures his place in the world, finds more time for his sleep and yoga all whilst doing his beloved religion justice. Life's a journey, and I'm on one. Cheers.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

"But I think I also get what this blog may mean – As I post stuff to help others on their journey, it’s a guide point of my own. Where I am, and where I’ve come from. The prospect thrills me.

If only I could figure out what “here” means, and where I stand in it.

Well, I suppose its part of the process."

Spiritual Drifts from The River of Karma

http://driftings.blogspot.com/

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Inspirational Movies From - Simple Truths

 

 

Simple Truths is the brain-child of Mac Anderson, the founder of
Successories.   

If you have ever walked in an office and seen a beautifully framed
photograph along with one word or an inspirational quotation, I bet
it came from Successories.  

After selling Successories in 2004, Anderson published three
successful gift books – The Nature of Success,
The Power of Attitude and The Essence of Leadership.

He went on to create this company ~ Simple Truths.  

Anderson says……….

‘There is one thing in life that took me a long time to learn, and
that's... less is almost always more. This "simple truth" is the
foundation on which our company was built. I wanted to create
beautiful gift books that anyone can read in less than
thirty minutes.’

Simple Truths has created mini inspirational movies based
upon many of their gift books.

Each movie is around 3 minutes in length.  

The link to these movies can be found after the list of
movie titles below.   
For an inspirational,  beautiful get away check out these movies…….

 

 

 

Inspiration 365 Days A Year – Zig Ziglar

 

Dreams are Whispers From the Soul – Marcia Wieder

 

The Essence of Leadership – Mac Anderson

 

You Can't Send a Duck to Eagle School – Mac Anderson

 

The Simple Truths of Service –  Ken Blanchard & Barbara Glanz
Inspired by Johnny the Bagger

 

The Race – Dee Groberg

 

Eat that Frog! – Brian Tracy

 

Finding Joy - Mac Anderson

 

May You Be Blessed – Kate Nowak

 

The Power of Teamwork -  Scott Beare & Michael McMillan

 

The Dash – Linda Ellis & Mac Anderson

 

Rock Solid Leadership – Robin Crow

 

Nature's Inspiration - Ken Jenkings & Peggy Anderson

 

Change is Good... You Go First - Mac Anderson & Tom Feltenstein

 

Sales Motivation – Todd Duncan

 

Paper Airplane -  Michael McMillan

 

212 The Extra Degree – Sam Parker & Mac Anderson

 

One Solitary Life - James A. Francis

 

A Peacock in the Land of Penguins - BJ Gallagher and Warren H. Schmidt

 

The Richest Man in Town – V.J. Smith

 

Great Quotes from Great Leaders – Peggy Anderson

 

The Simple Truths of Appreciation – Barbara A. Glanz

 

No Glass Ceiling, Just Blue Sky - Marcy Blochowiak

 

What it Takes to Be #1 - Vince Lombardi

 

Finish Strong –  Dan Green

 

Walk The Talk – Eric Harvey & Steve Ventura

 
The Strangest Secret – Earl Nightengale

 

The Power of Attitude - Mac Anderson

To a Child, Love is Spelled T-I-M-E - Mac Anderson and Lance Wubbels

 

The Nature of Success – Mac Anderson

 

http://www.simpletruths.com/movies.asp

 

 

Main Page of Simple Truths

http://www.simpletruths.com

Beyond "Normal" - The Liquid Level Of Consciousness - By Wayne Wirs

Beyond "Normal" - The Liquid Level Of Consciousness

I am not enlightened, and yet, I am no longer "normal." Since you are reading this, I suspect you probably feel the same. Somewhere between the normal, Solid level of consciousness and the transparent, Ethereal level of enlightenment, lies a very fluid, Liquid level of awareness.

Just ahead lies a beautiful glen, a large clearing in the forests of the Soul. This glen is with you wherever you are, it lies just behind your mind, just behind your thoughts, just behind your emotions. This is sacred ground, the source of your true nature. Before proceeding, you must leave your beliefs, your opinions and your Solid ideals behind, for those are the traits of the Ego and the Ego has no business here. In the center of this glen lies a still, mirror lake, a lake where all your thoughts, emotions and dreams arise. Gaze down into this lake, into the image that stares back in fascination. See the reflection of your true face in all its natural brilliance....

Are you a "Liquid?" Do you experience the following symptoms?
   - When you see a tree, do you see living, breathing life, an integral part of something so much more?
   - When you feel the breeze, do you experience it as a lover, caressing your skin in a show of intimacy?
   - Do you see thoughts arise in your mind, glisten for a moment, then splash silently back into nothingness?

And the most important question of all...
   - Always?

Solid people rarely see the subtle. Ethereal people always do. And the Liquids? Liquids constantly flow back and forth between the two extremes. Like the tides of the ocean, they rise and fall according to their own nature. Sometimes experiencing the Solid, sometimes experiencing the Ethereal.

At times we'll see It. At times we won't. Back and forth we go. Sometimes caught up in our minds, our little story. At other times it's almost as if we didn’t exist, a "transparent eyeball" (as Emerson so aptly described), that looks out upon a world where boundaries fade and the words of Man are nothing more than moving air.

See this still and lonely lake. Its waters reflect the sky. Below the surface, nothing can be seen, and yet from its depths the entire Universe arises. Can you see this lake that lies behind your thoughts? Can you see the peaceful glen that lies behind your mind? Where do your emotions begin? What is the source of all your thoughts? Watch them arise and you'll soon find what you have never lost.

Many people, when they first start to experience the Liquid state, think that they are Enlightened. They think that they have achieved the realm of the Ethereals. They tell the world they are Awake - They teach, they write, they get a distant "I see God" look in their eyes. They mislead. It isn't intentional; they just don't understand. There is a simple test though, the test of Constant Consciousness....

Sleep. The night closes in around me. Thoughts arise from the stillness; I watch them, and the simple act of seeing them causes them to fade. Dreams arise, and I watch these. Sometimes I'll play with them, flying through the trees, walking on the rings of Saturn, chatting with the Buddha. Like the thoughts, the dreams gently fade back into the Stillness, the Emptiness. All is silent - no thoughts, no dreams, no ego story - but an aliveness just the same. I watch this Emptiness, too. I am this Emptiness. Without thoughts, there is no time here, only this moment, only this Awareness. Gradually, the world starts to form again, my chest softly rises as my body solidifies out of the Nothingness. I hear the sparrows outside my window and feel the warmth of the sun on my skin....

Constant Consciousness. The sign of the Ethereals. They are aware even in the depths of deep dreamless sleep. They are always aware. They are not fooled by the mind, they do not "forget" their True Face as we Liquids are so apt to do. They don't get caught up in a world of meaning and beliefs and ideals. Awareness during deep, dreamless sleep. I have only experienced it once. But then, I am not enlightened.

The awareness of the Liquid is always in flux, always shifting between two viewpoints, between that of the Solid and that of the Ethereal. Seeing the homeless man approach, his eyes fixed steadily upon you, you feel your body cringe, not wanting to be bothered, not wanting to hear a tale of woe. But suddenly a shift occurs, the compassion arises, and the feeling of oneness envelops you. Though you can't afford it, your hand reaches into your pocket for some change....

There is nothing wrong with being Liquid. Once you become comfortable with its dynamic nature, it can be almost magical. Everything has its normal, solid perspective, and at the same time everything is imbued with a spark of the Divine: Awareness becomes clear and filled with intuition; music takes on a movement and life of its own, and the rain dances happily to the symphony of the Gods.

The Solid "You" melts. The story gradually fades, and the Awareness that sees out your eyes, that sees out everyone's eyes, crystallizes. The drives, goals, and motivations of Man seem at once both silly and necessary. All Life acts in accordance to its nature. All is as it should be. All is well. On the lips of your True Face, a smile radiates.

---

Wayne Wirs is the photographer and author of Fading Toward Enlightenment - Life between the Ego and the Ethereal. A preview to FTE can be found at http://Fade2e.com. Wayne can be contacted at wayne@waynewirs.com or through his website: http://waynewirs.com.

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~  

Also a MUST see by Wayne.............

What if you KNEW You Come Back After Death

Download the free ebook - The Implications of the Soul 

Free Audio Track - Past Life Recall

~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~  

I have been a FAN of Wirs since I ordered his book back in 2005.  
His spiritual journey is captivating without the - mumbo -jumbo.   

The outstanding photography invites you to.............
come live in the moment of each picture.  !!!!

XO XO XO

Deb 

Mantra-Tasking

Mantra-Tasking

Sometime around the first of the year, I was washing my hands for about
the millionth time and I started thinking.....   There are certain mantras that I
wish to hold in my mind.    What a better time to repeat the mantra than when
I am washing my hands.   I also thought... heck I am even multi-tasking.    

Taking what is normally a mindless sort of event and giving it added purpose.

Just today when I thought of writing this post, I thought to myself...
'Hmmmm it's not multi-tasking........  IT'S Mantra-Tasking.

So if there is some thought you wish to hold near and dear in the day,
consider incorporating the thought as you go about this simple task.

This would also be another way to incorporate an
affirmation in your daily life.

My thoughts have been....

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.


So....... are there any mantras or affirmations that you might be
trying to hold near and dear in a day ?   




Daily Mantras Can Reduce Stress



* Not my bathroom - just a photo I found  :)

Inauguration Day Poem

Praise song for the day

By Elizabeth Alexander

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.

http://www.elizabethalexander.net/home.html

I've read some criticism of this poem and I have read some praise.    I personally
loved the entire poem.    If you might not have been so taken, perhaps there is just
a line that will speak to you.    

To anyone who follows blogs, these words might speak to your heart ....

"We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider."

There is a New Blog in the Neighborhood.

Welcome the White House to the Blogging World

The first WHITE HOUSE blog post was made today:  

Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm EST


Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House opens with a
first post.     Well in all there are 4 entries for today. 

 YIKS,
4 in one day....  Someone better set Mr. Phillips straight here,
he could be making the rest of us look bad.  LOL
Seriously, how exciting are these times....

www.whitehouse.gov/blog

Stop Shooting Arrows - Words

 My friend, Patricia Singleton over at   Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker
wrote a wonderful piece last week......... 


Kindness.... Why Is It Easier to Be Kind to Strangers ?

Patricia's has written this is such a way where you are stopped
right in your tracks and it gets you thinking.     Everyone can answer
this in their own way.    It's personal.   

If you are not familiar with Patricia's blog, she always shares
every bit of her authentic self .... the good and not so good.
The lessons learned from reading her writing is always powerful. 

Link to Patricia's Post

The words we speak can be like arrows.   

Here is a visual reminder.........





I have explored the kindness aspect in a previous post
titled ..... Tone.  

Gratitude ~ Day by Day

My blog friend, Deb Call over at Spirit in Gear wrote a wonderful New Year's Day post -

Try This in Lieu of Resolutions

Deb says this......

"Phil Gerbyshak's What's Your Word of the Year for 2009? caught me at a time when I most need it.  He suggests building your year around one word that resonates for you.  He gives credit to this idea to Christine Kane's Resolution Revolution post.  She supplies a lot of help if you need inspiration around words to select.  Both are excellent posts about creating something more powerful and lasting than a New Year's resolution."

Deb's 2 words are ...  "ease" and "savor."     Check out her post to see how she
has started and plans to blend these words into the fabric of her life.

My word ~  *Gratitude*        

HEY.... it's nothing new, and I even have a category already in place.  :)

 

I had tried to hold the word in my thoughts and really live
it, but there were times last year I did not accomplish that.

 

The day it SMACKED me over the head was a day in December.
I was removing 4 empty ice cube trays from my freezer. 

 

We had rearranged our kitchen early on in 2008.  Moving
the refrigerator, meant disconnecting the water line to
the ice maker.   The frig was in the house 8 years ago,
and although it's working fine, there will no doubt be a
time soon, when it will need replaced.
Rather than run a new water line, we opted to go with
ice cube trays.  I bought 4 of them.  I tried to remind
myself of the aluminum trays of my youth.  Be thankful for
these plastic ones where the cubes just pop out. 
I tried that MANY times.   But still every time I went to
empty and fill a tray, I bitched at how I missed my ice
maker, and what a pain these trays were....

 

Well...  in my mind, the rant of no
ice maker started up while I was filling the trays....

 

I was stopped RIGHT in my bitching tracks ....

 

I heard.....

 

BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER !!!
BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE ICE !!!
BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE A REFRIGERATOR !!!
BE GRATEFUL YOU HAVE A HOME !!!

 

Not only with the ice cube trays, but everything
else ...........  ~*~ Gratitude ~*~  Day by Day !!!


THANKS Deb, for the idea to HOLD the word all year through. 





My 4 trays.  

 

Graffiti Interviews

Graffiti Interviews

 

Joe Powers has this on the opening page of his site..........

 

Soul Graffiti™ LLC was created with the single mission of building a community
aimed at shifting consciousness away from "material graffiti" to that of "soul graffiti."

Soul graffiti is not about inspiration or philosophy, but rather about action.

We believe that through soul graffiti - conscious acts of kindness -
we can leave a permanent mark on this world and upon the lives of others.

 

 

I've listed the names of those interviewed and also have a link

to his page here......

 

'kindness, love and compassion'.......   Let's KEEP it going.

Graffiti Interviews

http://soulgraffiti.com/cms/content/category/3/15/35/

'There are so many people around the world spreading the message of kindness, love and compassion. In our Graffiti Interview section, we speak with some of these people who share their ideas, thoughts and experiences.'

Judith Orloff, M.D. -World Renowned Medical Intuitive

Mark Victor Hansen - International Best Selling Author

Doreen Virtue, Ph.D. - Author & Spiritual Clairvoyant

Mira Kirshenbaum - Psychotherapist & Award-Winning Author

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev - Realized Master, Yogi, & Mystic

Frederic Luskin, Ph.D. - Dir., Stanford Forgiveness Project

Ron Scolastico, Ph.D. - Psychologist, Author, Artist

David Friedman - Kabbalist, Artist, & Teacher

Julie Salamon - Best-Selling Author & Journalist

Echo Bodine - Renowned Spiritual Healer

Julie Exline, Ph.D. - Professor & Kindness Researcher

Elizabeth Sar'h Petrinovich, Ph.D. - Doctor of Metaphysics

Calvin Standing Bear - Native American Musician & Healer Venerable

Tenzin Yignyen - Buddhist Scholar & Teacher

James Van Praagh - World Renowned Medium

Michael Nagler, Ph.D. - Award Winning Author & Peace Scholar

"Abraham" - Evolved Spirit Teachers channeled by Esther Hicks

Gary R. Renard - Christian Teacher & Acclaimed Author

Nancy Nester, Ph.D. - Spiritual Healer & Teacher

Ken Page - Internationally Renowned Spiritual Healer

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My blog post from October of 2006

 

"Soul Graffiti" Artist

Sharing a Get-Away For Your Mind

~ Calm Sanctuary ~

 Just for a moment, take a few deep relaxing breaths  


Picture yourself sitting in one of these chairs.....

toes wiggling in the sand..... the sound of the water.   

Ahhhhh I am so there...Calm Sanctuary indeed.   


This morning, I had the Today show playing in the
background while I was at my computer. 
A segment of the show was talking about travel
destinations.    One that was talked about was Stephanie's Inn
located on the Pacific coast of Oregon.   

http://www.stephanie-inn.com/default.asp

http://www.stephanie-inn.com/images/video/video.asp

~ Of Dreams and Spirit ~

The story of Lopez Lomong is an absolute must read. !




I dedicate this post not only to Lomong and his ~ Spirit ~, but the

~ Spirit ~ that LIVES in each and every one of us.   

‘True Olympic spirit is often found away from gold medalists
with their agents and sponsorship deals -- it is found
in its purest sense in those that come last.’
(Agence -Presse- French News Agency)

 

Presumed dead in Sudan, Lopez Lomong lives American dream

             

By WAYNE COFFEY    
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

      Wednesday, July 30th 2008, 10:15 PM    

       

       

                        

Lopez Lomong, now the pride of Tully, N.Y., goes from war-torn homeland to representing U.S.A. in Beijing.

Twenty miles south of  Syracuse and 6,000 miles west of East Africa, a freshly hung flag flies over the tiny town of Tully. It is on the pole in front of the high school, just beneath the American flag, a big white rectangle with five Olympic rings, a salute not so much to the Beijing Games that will commence next week, but to the Lost Boy who found a home and a life and an athletic calling, and who has made virtually everyone in his central New York state village proud.

The village of Tully has 924 residents and one traffic light, and one remarkable 1,500-meter runner, Joseph Lopepe (Lopez) Lomong, child prisoner turned feted Olympian. He will begin competing in Beijing on Aug.15.

"We've never had someone in the Olympics before, and we probably will never have another," says Eileen Baldassarre, a Tully resident whose sons are friends with Lomong. "This is huge, because...those of us who know Lopez know what a nice and generous kid he is."

Says Lomong, "I came a long way, for sure, from running through the wilderness to save my life, and now I am doing this for fun."

At 23, Lopez Lomong is a sinewy 5-11, 148-pounder and one third of perhaps the most intriguing team of 1,500 runners the U.S. has ever assembled, a melting pot on the move. The favorite for gold is Bernard Lagat, the defending world champion, who captured bronze and silver in the two previous Games, running for his native Kenya before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. The runner-up in the trials earlier this month was Leonel Manzano, a Mexican-American and two-time NCAA champion for Texas, whose father reportedly crossed the border 16 times before becoming a legal U.S. resident.

And then there is Lomong, a man whose journey has taken him from the southern Sudan village of Kimotong to a Kenyan refugee camp in Kakuma, to the lakeside home of Rob and Barb Rogers in Tully. He has seen kids in the next bed die, and has visited his own grave. Why wouldn't he savor his Olympic achievement?
"This is America, this is the land of everybody," Lomong says.

Lomong's story has been well chronicled, a fact that makes it no less chilling. At age 6, while attending Mass with his family in Kimotong, he and some 50 other children were taken at gunpoint by a government-backed militia in Sudan's long-running Civil War, hauled off in a tarp-covered truck to a work camp. After several weeks, three older boys found a hole in a fence, escaped the camp and brought Lopez with them, walking for three harrowing days through woods and wilderness, before stumbling into Kenyan border guards.

For the next 10 years, home for Lopez - one of the so-called Lost Boys of Sudan - was a a sprawling Kenyan refugee camp, where meals consisted of U.N.-provided corn and came once a day. Soccer provided about the only respite from the bleakness and boredom. The notion of anything better scarcely occurred to him until late summer of 2000.

Lomong earned five Kenyan shillings (about seven cents) for moving some dirt. He didn't spend it until he heard it could buy him a chance to see the 2000 Olympics on a black-and-white TV.

Lomong and a few friends walked five miles to see the Games. He came away mesmerized by Michael Johnson, running the 400 meters.

He prayed that God would give him a chance to do something similar. "I saw him run so fast and I said, 'I want to run just like that,'" Lopez says.

A year later, shortly after 9/11, an international relief effort began to place the Lost Boys in American homes. Lomong wrote an essay describing his ordeals. Rob and Barb Rogers, devout Christians, saw a notice in their church bulletin one Sunday that Catholic Charities was looking for foster parents for the boys.

Before long, 16-year-old Lopez Lomong was on his way to Hancock Airport outside Syracuse. He was shocked when the Rogerses met him in their car.
"He walked to the airport (in Kenya), and assumed he'd walk from the airport (here)," Rob Rogers says.

Lopez was awed by the breadth and asphalt splendor of Interstate 81, by electricity and running water. He enrolled at Tully High, became a cross-country and track star, before moving on to Northern Arizona, where he grew into an NCAA champion. Lomong's American adventure was just beginning, and it was for the Rogerses, too; they have since taken in five more Sudanese boys.

Rob Rogers buys and sells heavy equipment, while Barb manages the 27 apartments they own, and runs their laundromat, Suds and Bubbles. Uncertain about how a virtually all-white community would receive their adopted Sudanese sons, the Rogers have been heartened by the whole experience. Apart from a single nasty epithet written by two high school kids - an incident that aroused the ire of almost the entire school - the embrace has been universal.

"We thought we'd be in the 'out' crowd, and now we're in the 'in' crowd," Rob Rogers says, laughing. He pauses and talks about how life has changed since Lopez made the Olympic team on the night of July 6 - exactly a year after he gained his U.S. citizenship. He did it with a bell-lap charge that carried him from sixth to third, balky ankle be damned.

"The highlight of my life is telling CNN I couldn't talk because HBO was here," Rogers says.

At Christmas time last year, Lomong went back to Kenya and Sudan for HBO's "Real Sports" program, which was doing a segment on him. He reunited with his birth mother, Rita, and his younger brothers. He even visited the grave his family made for him, certain that he was dead. It was a small pile of stones that contained a necklace and childhood keepsakes. They happily took the pile apart.

"They brought me to life again," Lomong says.

 

Thanks to a Tully-wide fundraising effort spearheaded by Eileen Baldassarre, more than $13,000 has been collected to send Rob and Barb Rogers to Beijing, along with Jim Paccia - Tully High's track coach - and his wife, Cheryl. Rob Rogers got in the Olympic spirit almost immediately after watching Lopez make the team, ordering an Olympic flag and banner on the Internet for $68. The banner is on the front door, the flag flying in the front yard.
His foster son, Lopez Lomong, a Lost Boy no longer, will soon be surrounded by the best runners in the world. He will race hard, and whatever happens, he will be powered by gratitude, and unencumbered by fear.

"This is payback for the people who helped me through my childhood," Lomong says.
"Now I am running for America. I'm an American citizen and I can go out and compete.
I'm so thankful."

Former 'Lost Boy' leads U.S. team as

Beijing welcomes the world to China

 

(Photo - Pretty/Getty)

Lopez Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan,
leads Team USA into Beijing's national stadium.

 

----------------------------------------------------------

http://lopezlomong.org/

 

Lopez Lomong's web site

" When we were in Africa, we didn't know what was there for us as kids--we just ran.
God was planning all of this stuff for me, and I didn't know.
Now I'm using running to get the word out about how horrible things
were back in Sudan during the war. Sometimes these things are not on CNN,
so if I put out the word, I hope people can get the information.
Right now, similar terrible things are going on in Darfur; people are
running out of Darfur, and I put myself in their shoes."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Save Darfur

www.savedarfur.org

The Save Darfur Coalition's mission is to raise public awareness about
the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response
to the atrocities that threaten the lives of two million people in the Darfur region.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olympic Spirit


http://www.olympicspirit.org

Inspire the Youth of the World

'Our vision and purpose is clear -
To be an icon of Olympic values and ideals, to inspire and motivate
the youth of the world to be the best they can be'

Mark R. Dzenick
Chairman - Olympic Spirit Group

'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

My dear friend Patricia, from Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker,
wrote a post yesterday....

You Had It All The Time

Patricia shares about a book she is reading,
I Had It All the Time written by Alan Cohen....

In Patricia's words....

'What it took me years to realize and what this book says is, 'I had it all the time.'

'I spent years running here and there, reading this book, watching that video on self-improvement. According to Alan Cohen's book, I didn't have to do any of that searching. I already had it; I just didn't know it. All I had to do is remember who I really am.'

Patricia's post started me thinking about the many online articles I have read by Alan Cohen.    Cohen has an easy, endearing style to his writing.

THANK YOU Patricia AND Alan !!!  I have no complaint whatsoever.


I found this article of his to share..........

Thank You
for Everything

by Alan Cohen

The story is told about a woman Zen master named Sono who taught one very simple method of enlightenment. She advised everyone who came to her to adopt an affirmation to be said many times a day, under all conditions. The affirmation was, 'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

Many people from all arenas of life came to Sono for healing. Some were in physical pain; others were emotionally distraught; others had financial troubles; some were seeking soul liberation. No matter what their distress or what question they asked her, her response was the same: 'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.' Some people went away disappointed; others grew angry; others tried to argue with her. Yet some people took her suggestion to heart and began to practice it. Tradition tells that everyone who practiced Sono?s mantra found peace and healing. 'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

My friend Lisa, an attractive woman in her late 30?s, came to one of my seminars after I had not seen her for a number of years. She informed the group that a year earlier she had been diagnosed with a brain disorder that required immediate surgery. The surgery was done, a steel plate was inserted in her head, and her doctor keeps her under close observation. Lisa reported that now she lives from day to day. Privately I told Lisa that I was sorry she had gone through this whole ordeal. "Oh, don?t be sorry," she told me emphatically. "I?m not sorry at all. This was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It really got me to appreciate my life and relationships. I married a wonderful guy and we are thinking about having children. I wouldn?t trade the experience if I could.' 'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you simply dropped your complaints? It's a radical proposal, since most of us have been trained to question, analyze, and criticize everything we see. But then we end up questioning, analyzing, and criticizing ourselves. Then we miss out on joy, the only true measure of success.

The ecstatic mystic poet Hafiz proclaimed, 'All a sane man can ever think about is giving love.'  One evening I received a phone call from my friend Cliff, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn who discovered A Course in Miracles and became a world-class love exuder. Cliff just went around finding good and beauty in everyone he met. On the phone, Cliff told me, 'I just called to tell you how much I love and appreciate you.'

'Well, thank you Cliff,' I answered, delighted. 'I really appreciate that . . . What prompted you to call me at this moment?'

'My knee was hurting me, and I knew that the only way I could feel better would be to give more love. So I began to think of the people in my life who I care about, and you came to mind.'    'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

As we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, many of us will be getting together with our families. Perhaps family issues may come to the fore and we might be tempted to fall into a pattern of rehashing old resentments and arguments. Wouldn?t it be fabulous if, as we sat with our relatives, we held in mind, 'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.' Imagine what this Thanksgiving would be like if we decided that no matter how much mom complained about dad; how much dad bugged us about getting a real job; or how unspiritual our ex is, we chose to be an unstoppable appreciation machine and found the good in our loved ones. Indeed this would be a triumphant Thanksgiving to remember!

Yes, I know, there is a voice inside you objecting, 'But if I did not complain, people would walk all over me and selfish opportunists would genetically manipulate my food and terrorists would keep crashing airplanes into buildings and . . ., . . ., and. . . . Got it. Now if you went to Sono, her response would be,'Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.'

 I am simply suggesting that we practice the mantra for an entire Thanksgiving day. And then maybe one day a week. Then we might start to feel so good and our lives will become so effective that we want to turn every day into Thanksgiving.

In my book Handle with Prayer I state that the highest form of prayer is gratitude. Instead of asking God for stuff, start thanking God for stuff, and you will find that God has already given you everything you could want or need, including the adventure of discovering more riches every day.

Life is a big treasure hunt. Eventually we grow weary of seeking treasures outside ourselves, and we begin to look within. There we discover that the gold we sought, we already are. The beauty we overlooked because we were focusing on what was missing, still lives and awaits us like an anxious lover. As T.S. Eliot nobly noted, 'The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.'

Thank you for everything. I have no complaint whatsoever.
Have a great Thanksgiving.

*Water* ~ Magical Connectivity

 

Photographs I took yesterday in my yard.

Don't miss the tiny fly having a sip of water
in the second picture.   

 

Yesterday, after an overnight rain, I started thinking about water.

Water is a thing that absolutely connects each and

everyone of us.  :)   

There can be a magic to it if we hold ourselves mindful
each time we come in contact with water. 

Please know that I will say a prayer of blessing for YOU,
when I am in touch with water.   Would you do the same ?  :)



http://tinyurl.com/Shower-Praying 

xo xo
Debs-E

Illusions ~ The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah - Quote 3

Richard Bach, author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull  came out in 1977 with
Illusions ~ The Adventures Of A Reluctant Messiah.

Snipped the following from an Amazon.com editorial...

"Richard Bach takes to the air to discover the ageless truths that give our souls wings: that people don't need airplanes to soar...that even the darkest clouds have meaning once we lift ourselves above them... and that messiahs can be found in the unlikeliest places--like hay fields, one-traffic-light midwestern towns, and most of all, deep within ourselves."

The 192 page paper back edition opens with this line...

"There was a Master come unto the earth, born in the holy land of Indiana,
raised in the mystical hills east of Fort Wayne...."

What I am planning on doing is blogging, in no particular order,
a few quotes every now and then from the book ....

'Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.

  Being true to anyone else, or anything else is not

only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah.'

Lining The Streets of Your Future

Would you drive down a road if you knew a truck

just dumped a load of these ?

HARDLY !!!

When you hold a negative thought,

you are lining the streets of your future. 

Thoughts are ~ things ~ just be aware of yours.