Happy Birthday to Me

My life as I mark the half century mark is both miraculous and tragic. I'm not sure where I expected to be as I flew passed this mile marker, but it's certainly not where I am.

Today is Thanksgiving Day, as it was on the day my Mother left the Feast to go to the hospital for my birth. My nearly 7 year old sister remaining at my Grandmother (Mamoo's) home to await the news as to whether she would have a sister or brother. She was fiercely protective of me through the years, and would not let anyone bully me...except her. My parents had suffered through years of infertility and were thrilled to finally have another child. I grew up knowing how cherished and wanted I was. My parents worked hard to provide a safe home for my sister and me. We didn't have a lot of the things my peers could afford, and I learned valuable lessons from that, though I didn't realize it at the time.

I had great friends in school, some of which are confidants to this day. I can't say enough about the relationships that were forged during my youth and how they have endured and been there for me during good times and bad. You know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I spent my time away from school with my horse and riding in Rodeo's. I learned though those competitions, that miliseconds matter, in the rodeo arena as in life. Everything can change and it only takes a moment. Be mindful of the words you say, how fast you drive, the actions you take, the consequences can last a lifetime; try to ensure that they are positive rather than negative.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."  ~ Albus Dumbledore

My Parents taught me great lessons. My favorite parenting lesson that my Father shared with me is "try to say 'yes' when you can." It's too easy to default to "no" when raising kids, (unless there's a safety concern involved, of course). My dad also taught me how to be a handyman, a good thing too, since my Husband isn't very good around the house! We shared a love of music and music theater and saw some great shows. My Father was taken from us in 1991 at the age of 66, much too young. There are so many things I wish he could have known, and that I could have shared with him. Most notably, his grandson, Luke. He always wanted a boy, and his grandson has some of his qualities. I learned after his death that he had always provided coats and blankets to the homeless of Dallas among other charitable acts which he had kept to himself. Truly gifts from the heart from which we can all learn.

My Mother was always very generous with me. We shared a great friendship talking about life, love and family. I loved going to visit my Grandparents with her, the old house they lived in was comforting and Granny and Grandad shared great wisdom with me. She taught me to sew and cook, and of course, shop! We traveled all over the United States and Europe together. My Mother is now 81 and suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. The great joy of her life is her grandson, and I am thankful that both of them have had a close relationship as he has grown up.

My Sister was an amazing woman who, as previously mentioned, was very protective of me both in childhood into adulthood. She is responsible for me meeting my husband, but she also lectured him on what she would "do to him if he broke my heart". We will be celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary next month. When we began trying to have a child, she was thrilled at the idea of becoming an Aunt. Linde was a world traveler, cyclist, snow/water skier, land conservationist, multi-lingual very intense person who was tragically taken from us at age 39, in 1993. She did not live to see her Nephew born.

My Husband came into my life at a time when I was at a crossroads, as was he. We have learned a lot about love in its many shapes and forms through the years, but I cannot say enough how much and how deeply I love him. He has stood by me, through all of the challenges and joys of the long and winding road. I am thankful for his love and company along this journey and wouldn't trade a minute of it. 

"Always remember, your focus determines your reality."

Qui-Gon-Ginn, Star Wars-The Phantom Menace

The double blessing of marring my husband is that I also gained a Daughter. Katie has been a great joy in my life. We've shared late night talks, a trip through the South, a love of college and professional football, and of course her little brother. Most recently she has blessed our family with two lovely grandchildren.

My Son is a miracle that came into our world after eight years of infertility, the loss of one baby and a year of chemotherapy. He was a light after years of darkness and continues to bring joy into our lives. As it is with children, he is a unique individual with ideas of his own and we hope to encourage him to find his own place in the future where he can find satisfaction and happiness with a firm family, faith and educational foundation on which to build. Until then, his lego's remain scattered throughout the house for him to practice with.

I've had the good fortune of family and friends in my life so far even though there has been great loss.  And the journey through Mom's Alzheimer's is challenging and has taught me new levels of patience and compassion.   I am blessed with a supportive and loving Husband and Son and the prospect of a bright future. I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this life, and that the greatest pleasures most often come in the smallest of moments.

"Some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I've had a good life all the way."

~Jimmy Buffett, He Went to Paris

I Said A Mother's Prayer For You

I said a Mother's Day prayer for you
to thank the Lord above
for blessing me with a lifetime
of your tenderhearted love.
I thanked God for the caring
you've shown me through the years,
for the closeness we've enjoyed
in time of laughter and of tears.
And so, I thank you from the heart
for all you've done for me
and I bless the Lord for giving me
the best mother there could be!
- Author - Unknown

The Way To A Happy New Year

To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast;
To the vain regrets of the year that’s past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not worthwhile of the days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that’s new;
To help your brother along the road,
To assist with his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world’s good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year.

~Robert Brewster Beattie

Merry CHRISTmas!

One of our family traditions during the Christmas Season has been to visit Santa Claus.
MJM writes his letter to Santa when we visit "Santa's Village", then we visit Santa and have a photograph taken. With the 10th photograph taken this year, we decided to take a look back. MJM has come a long way in his understanding of Santa and the Christmas Story. He's proud that there really was "another" Luke before that Skywalker character...and he told a pretty inspiring story too. ;)

The story of Christmas comes from the Bible. Here is the way it is told by Saint Luke:

And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone around about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them,

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

The Pathway Home...

This Texas Thanksgiving Day was beautiful; clear skies and warm breezes teased us with memories of the summer past and colder days to come.

....except that my Aunt fell and broke her hip this morning. With ~30 people gathering from all corners of the country to reconnect, one of the cornerstones of the family spent the first day of what will likely be a long journey in the hospital. But lest we forget our priorites, Aunt Ruth, in her pain an agony, brought us all back to reality when she asked from her hospital bed, "what time is the Cowboy game? ...and be sure the TV is turned to that station before you leave!!!"

That said, the rest of us proceeded to feast on food, football and semi-true stories that had gone untold over the years. As with many families, we have allowed time and miles to separate us; but sharing stories, looking at old pictures and watching the youngest of the family embrace life anew reminded me of days long past when we were the youngest...listening to tales told around the Thanksgiving table by our forefathers. I can only pray that the next generation can look back as fondly as I do with love and compassion in their heart for the family they are a part of.

Nothing in life is permanent, and we remember on this day of Thanksgiving as we transition from one generation to another. Every door is open for new opportunity, yet we should hold our past close in our hearts...for it is in the traditions passed down through the generations that the heart and soul of a family lives on.

I saw hope on this day that the stories that I heard around those Thanksgiving tables as a child will be passed on to future generations...and that warms my heart and gives me hope for the future.

Gratitude …

goes beyond the “mine” and “thine” and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift. In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.

~Henri J. M. Nouwen

Honoring ALL Who Serve

Including my father, who was a World War II Veteran.

Thank you for your service. It mattered then, it matters now.







(Click for full size cartoon)

Confused? Don't be. Visit BNCRITTERS.COM and CRITTERVILLECOVE.COM to learn more and find even more bonus "BN Critters" material.

Thanks to SurfPirate for the amazing work he does on BNCritters, and for his permission to re-publish todays strip on this blog.

Top 10 Most Famous Ghosts

Since it's Halloween, I thought it would be appropriate to review some famous ghosts as compiled by Live Science.

Ghosts are both everywhere and nowhere. They are famously elusive when it comes to proving they exist, yet ghosts feature prominently in our culture. They are in television and film, from "Medium" to "The Sixth Sense." Ghost stories are found around campfires and on bookstore shelves, in both fiction and nonfiction sections. Around Halloween, pop culture images of ghosts haunt nearly every store, and hang as decoration in homes across the country. Ghosts even influence some of our everyday customs, in ways we may not recognize (for example, the "bless you" heard after someone sneezes comes from an ancient belief that ghosts can enter the body during a sneeze). In the spirit of the season, here are some of the most famous ghosts of all time. - Benjamin Radford

10. Slimer
Slimer is the grotesque green ghost featured in the "Ghostbuster" films and cartoons. He's green, he's obnoxious, and he can spew slime... what's not to love? In fact, Slimer proved to be so popular with kids that he got a starring role in the spin-off series "The Real Ghostbusters." A reformed evil ghost that joined the Ghostbusters team, Slimer's voracious appetite and guttural burps make him among the most memorable cartoon ghosts.

9. The Murdered Peddler
One day, in the early 1840s in Hydesville, New York, a young peddler arrived at the home of a Mr. and Mrs. Bell to sell his housewares. He was invited into the home by the Bells' housekeeper and in fact stayed for some days. The maid was shortly dismissed from service but abruptly rehired a week later. The peddler was gone, but many of his items were now in use in the Bells' kitchen. The maid thought little of it until she began experiencing strange, ghostly phenomenon, only to find out from the peddler's ghost that he had in fact been murdered in her absence. At least that was the story told by two sisters named Maggie and Katie Fox, who claimed to communicate with the ghost. Years later, the sisters admitted it had all been a hoax; there was no murdered peddler, and the spirit communications had been faked. Still, the sisters had inadvertently founded a religion called Spiritualism, which is still practiced today. The Murdered Peddler is the only fake ghost whose presence started a real religion.

8. The Ghost of Christmas Past
In Charles Dickens's famous novel "A Christmas Carol," cold-hearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge has a change of heart after being visited by several ghosts representing different eras of his life's Christmases (Past, Present, and Yet to Come). Ghosts are often associated with life lessons and morality tales, and these spooks are no exception. The ghosts aren't wasting time rattling chains or scaring kids; instead the Ghost of Christmas Past rehabilitates Scrooge by showing him visions of his past Christmases. Scrooge comes to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas-no, not holiday commercialism but friendship and goodwill.

7. The Vanishing Hitchhiker
"This didn't happen to me, but my friend, she heard it from her hairdresser, it happened to her parents. It seems that they were driving along a lonely country road one night'¦ it was really cold, maybe up in Minnesota, or Montana. Anyway, it was snowing and as they turned a corner they saw a barefoot young girl wearing a dress and a green shawl. Of course they stopped to help her, and she got in the back seat. She didn't say much, and when they asked her where she lived, she pointed to a farmhouse in the distance. A few minutes later, when they pulled into the driveway, she was gone! The couple were puzzled but got out of the car and knocked on the farmhouse door. A somber, grey-haired woman answered, and the couple explained that their mysterious passenger had said this was her house. 'That's impossible,' the woman replied. 'My daughter died near here twenty years ago, on this very night.' Just inside the door, on an old wooden peg, hung her daughter's green shawl!"

6. The Drury Lane Ghost
There are many theaters in the Covent Gardens district in London's West End. Plays have been produced in that area for over 300 years, and some of the world's greatest actors have appeared there. Yet one theater is better known more for its ghost than its productions. There is actually more than one ghost said to haunt Drury Lane's halls and wings, including those of several actors. The most famous, however, is a "Man in Grey" seen as a nobleman carrying a sword. Any theater worth its salt (and many that aren't) reputedly have a resident ghost treading the boards, and the Drury Lane ghosts carry on their part of theater tradition.

5. Bloody Mary
"Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary...Bloody Mary..." With those words, many schoolchildren had their first experience with a ghost. According to folklore, Bloody Mary is a ghost of a woman who murdered her children long ago. If you want to see her, go into a bathroom (usually at school), turn the lights off, stand in front of a mirror, and repeat her name three times. While countless children (and surely more than a few adults) have tried to summon Bloody Mary using the prescribed method, to date few if any have actually succeeded. Most either stare at their scared reflection in the dark mirror or lose their nerve after saying the second "Bloody Mary" and run screaming from the bathroom in girlish giggles. An updated version of the Bloody Mary legend was made into a horror film series "Candyman."

4. Casper
While Bloody Mary spends her time in the ghostly realms waiting to be summoned to dark bathrooms so she can scare kids, Casper (whose legal last name is "The Friendly Ghost") is the white-outlined, smiling ghost who tries not to scare people. In the Harvey comic book series, Casper was often joined by friends such as Wendy the Good Little Witch and Hot Stuff the Little Devil. While some found the idea of a dead child's ghost hanging around with a witch and a devil a bit creepy, the characters were made benign and kid-friendly with the addition of "good," "friendly," and "little" to their names. Casper had a revival of sorts with a self-titled 1995 film, a modest success that managed to avoid the direct-to-video graveyard.

3. The Bell Witch
The events that allegedly happened at John Bell's Tennessee farm between 1817 and 1821 are said to be one of the classic American ghost tales. Bell shot at a strange animal on his farm, but the creature disappeared before it could be harmed. Several weeks later, the Bell family was tormented by a ghost that made terrifying sounds, shook the house, and physically attacked Bell's daughter Betsy. The spectral assaults continued for several years, and at one point Andrew Jackson is said to have dabbled in ghost hunting and did his own investigation. Though some authors recount the Bell Witch tale as a true account, there is little evidence that it is anything other than a ghost story. Jackson, for example, never mentioned the Bell Witch case at all; it seems that the future president's role was created from thin air, possibly to lend verisimilitude (the appearance of reality) to the fictional tale.

2. The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman, the world's best-known non-human ghost, is a seventeenth-century merchant ship said to haunt the high seas. According to sea lore, the ship, which often appears as a hazy image or a strange light, is said to be a portent of bad luck and doom. The ship and its crew became eternally cursed when its Dutch captain refused to take safe harbor during a storm despite pleas from the crew and passengers. Instead the impudent Dutchman challenged God to take them down. The "ghost ship" has been reported on the ocean from time to time, including appearing off the coast of South Africa in 1923. Though never seen on land, The Flying Dutchman most recently appeared in movie theaters across the country in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films.

1. King Hamlet
Though ghosts appear in several of Shakespeare's plays (such as "MacBeth" and "Julius Caesar"), King Hamlet is among the better known of the Bard's ghosts and plays an integral part in "Hamlet." Hamlet may be the central character in the play named after him, but without his father's ghost, there would be no story. King Hamlet appears three times in the play, each time during the night (apparently ghosts, like vampires, prefer darkness). The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his treacherous brother Claudius, and asks Hamlet to avenge his death.

Ahoy! It's Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Today is the 13th annual International Talk Like A Pirate Day. As any Parrothead worth her salt knows, pirating is in the blood. So in the spirit of the day, lets pillage and plunder and hoist some fine ale. Arrrgh.

If you'd like to impress your friends and co-workers with your knowledge of pirate stuff, you can find a bucket o' links here that'll keep yo knickers on for hours! You'll find everything from translators, to Pirate Performers, Sea Shanties, and "Real" Pirate History (& more) linked.

Here are some fun facts about this peculiar yet wonderful holiday:

It was invented in 1995 by John Baur ("Ol' Chumbucket") and Mark Summers ("Cap'n Slappy"), who proclaimed September 19 each year as the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate.--It was first an inside joke between the founders but it gained exposure when Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to syndicated columnist Dave Barry in 2002.--September 19 was chosen because it was the birthday of Summers' ex-wife and consequently would be easy for him to remember. There is a list of the top ten pirate pick-up lines on the Official National Talk Like A Pirate Day website. You can read them here.

Oh, and no "Talk Like A Pirate Day" would be complete without an offering by the Head Pirate (Jimmy Buffett, of course) himself...

Here's "A Pirate Looks At Forty", recorded live at the Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve, Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla, British West Indies in March 2007.

Peeps

What is your favorite Easter Candy?
Cadbury Eggs, Chocolate Bunnies ...or Peeps?
Well, at our house it’s Peeps.

Yup…those marshmallow confections garnished with colored sugar. Eat enough of them and you will find yourself bouncing around the house like a bunny rabbit. That’s exactly why my son loooves them

(I think). Perhaps it’s a childhood rite of passage, but even as an adult, I always eat at least one and watch Peep Jousting on YouTube. This year we found a Star Wars oriented one that made us laugh. I fear that many Peeps meet this sad fate of torture through microwaves at a time when we should be celebrating new life. Heartbreaking….

There are a lot of adults that won’t admit to eating the tasty treats, but I suspect that they secretly snag at least one from their kids every year. Maybe just to share a special moment with their offspring or to have a flashback to their own youth…it really doesn’t matter. Millions of the marshmallow confections are sold every year but in the infamous words of my 8 y/o son it’s that sugary sweet aroma that makes me feel soooo good. The only thing better than a Peep itself is a Peep inside a chocolate egg…because it has chocolate, too!
So buy yourself a pack of Peeps…whether to torture them in your microwave or to enjoy their sugary decadence all Spring long…it’s tradition.