A Daisy Date

Dog Paddling

It's Like Money In The Bank!

Grace had plenty on her agenda today HOWEVER sometimes her teenage agenda is all about her...like most teenagers. When I stopped her from spouting out her list of "needs" and "have to's" in order to hear my list of things to do.... she was bothered when my agenda included work. Parents always ruin everything. I hate when that happens.

After some further "discussion" I "suggested" she come with me to walk Daisy....just Daisy. I took Grace hostage so we could take time to get things sorted out...plans...needs...wants...demands. Hostage negotiations...sort of!

I'd like to say we went skipping down the lane together
but no. She pouted a bit. I ignored that and talked to Daisy, our great mediator. I decided to show Grace one of my favorite walks, with the beach as our destination.

It worked! We walked and talked and life got better...for both of us. One thing for sure, Grace is fun to be with...even if I'm not her first choice to pal around with. I'm happy for that...at least, I'm happy it's normal! I'd also be happy if it was more like the Cleaver's...I keep trying to remind myself that real life isn't The Brady Bunch, The Walton's or Father Knows Best! The Adam's Family, maybe!

We arrived at the beach and saw someone from sailing...the little sister of a friend. We all chatted, through sticks for Daisy, they walked the beach and collected sea glass....it was delightful. We all left the beach together.

As my mom always said, it's so good to get up and out in your town, seeing people you know...it's like money in the bank! Time spent with our kids at the beach is like money in the bank too. I remember a little old woman stopped Biff and I after church to tell us how beautiful our babies were....she said,"oh my what a beautiful family! You have a boy and a girl! You have it all...you're millionnares!" Ain't that'd the truth! My time spent with Grace...priceless.

One More For The Road

So Sweet!

More. You see, I was distracted. I took out a bunch of the candy I had hidden ...in a hefty bag...put it down...went back into the house.....and who even knows what she ate... I'm sure Daisy joined in the festivities. I think Daisy has figured out, while the cat's away, the dogs will play....and if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Fitzy Goes Frat Party

It looked like the day after. Containers strewn everywhere, wrappers, chunks of plastic....hangover.

Dum Dums

Mmmmhmmmm. Fitzy's got a sweet tooth. Or a sweet nose. I'll admit it's my fault. In the midst of tossing out hidden candy...from Easter and Grace's birthday (o.k. I know sometimes I forget that I hide things...until I've found them! In my world, everyday is Christmas morning!)
I hid the candy from us...the people in our family. We had way too much. I also have to hide food/candy way up high....you guessed it...because of Fitz.

We act like it's normal. Friends see us grab a kitchen chair, slide it over to the pantry and tuck food/candy/gum up high. We don't even notice anymore.

Don't tell Grace or T.J. ....shhhh...yesterday, Grace and I bought some cider donuts at the farm along with lots of other groceries....we got home, lugged in most of the groceries but somehow the donuts got left behind. Later,Biff had Daisy and Fitz jump in the car.....Fitzy lunged for the plastic donut container, somehow gulped down a bite or 2, Biff threw himself into the rear of the car and squished between the 2nd row passenger seats!(*please take a moment to get the visual...imagine gutteral sounds coming out of my husband while foisting his whole body after our 4 legged beast, who had a mouthful...Biff clamped his handsome her snoot, shook out the robbed, slobbery wet chunks of donut while barking out orders, NO%#@ DROP IT #*+NO**# NO@%+) As Biff worked his angle, I swung ooen the door, swooped into the back seat and grabbed the donut magnet. Phew!

At first, I admit I panicked. These farm donuts are coveted in our home...I knew word would be out that donuts were in the house. Thinking on my feet...maybe a bit of sweat on my brow...after taming the beast who had made quite a donut dent, I placed them back in their plastic container...after cutting off the chunks that our four legged friend had eaten....I cut them all into halves.

Fact1. Kids would blame me if Fitz ate their share of donuts
Fact 2. Kids would blame Fitzy
Fact 3. kids would tell me it's because I didn't train her well

Grace came into the kitchen for milk and a donut. She opened up the container and said in a rather cheery tone,"oh! I like that you cut them like this!" phew! Take credit where credit is due! Shhhhhhh. Some things are better left unsaid.

Animal Farm

Outdoors...sitting on a rock....in the yard...in the sun...petting Fitz...Jinx jumped up onto my shoulders! His padded paws...his velvety soft black fur...his motor purring loudly....he stayed quite awhile...and *poof* he jumped down, circled and weaved through Fitz's legs...and trotted off! Fitz barely blinked...she was just happy that she was still getting pet. Life is good.

Fitz...Like A Lion In The Jungle

Dreams Do Come True

Make a list. Write down your hopes and dreams. Be specific. Who you dream to be...not career(save that for another day. too many folks think of themselves as their work title...who cares? its a title-a job...not who you are!) just you as a person...you're the only one who matters for this list!

1. Who do you want to be? What kind of person do you want to be?

2. Where do you want to be living? house? condo? beach? lake? neighborhood? country? city?

3. What is your style that you envision? a. Personal style details. b. decorating

4. Imagine the people in your life...who will be there? how close will you be to family?

5. Dogs? Cats?

6. Friends? New love? More children?

7. Health...imagine good health. Happy. Taking good care of yourself. Healthy, inside and out. Write down details.

8. Lifestyle? Interests? Going back to school? Art class. Cooking class? Volunteering? Teaching?

9. Money? Big bank accounts? Real estate? How will you handle your money. Will you have extra earnings coming in? Will you have your own business, sell your art or talent at craft fairs, country farmers markets? Will you be in an office, at home? Traveling?

10. You...overall picture of you? How you live. Draw it...all of it..in color! Or cut out pictures from magazines..tape them on a posterboard.

Sound crazy? Nope. I'm living in the house I imagined ...almost everything here was on my list. Really! I'm married to the guy I imagined...all of the qualities I dreamed to find in a guy....swear! I only wrote the positive qualities that I wanted. Not a creepy list...just a list of what I knew I needed in a guy....a good guy for me! my kind of guy! I'd share my list but you need your very own!

Oh...did I mention we had a dream list of kids? We never could have imagined the love we feel for our children...but we could make a list of what we want to be as parents and what is important to/for our family. We have it on a list...the list keeps growing and changing. Guess what? Much of our list has come to be. I'm grateful. Write your list!

By dating, I learned what I liked and what was totally unacceptable. Simply the good....that I realized over time... good that mattered. Some things I learned by seeing the good in other relationships or what I loved in my own relationships..however fleeting or deep! Basically, positives. Negatived turned around into positives.

It's simple. Simply, this spells out what matters. Only to you. Do it. Try it. It's amazing. Biff and I still have our list of what we wanted in a house ...it's amazing!


Oh! Did I mention that I told my oldest friend about my "Biff list" ...she was amazed...and single. A couple of years later she called to tell me she was getting married. Her fiancé had everything on her list! Yup. She wrote her list. She's still happily married!

Write your list. Tuck it away. You will find your list again someday ...and it's likely you'll be living the life you imagined!

Memories Matter

I like this. Isn't it good to let things go sometimes? Have a day just doing what pleasures you. Maybe making your bed pleasures you. Maybe the thrill is gone!

Mother's Day is upon us. Maybe this is the time to let things go ...if only for a day. If you are a mom, take a moment to enjoy something you love. Treat yourself.

Visit an art museum. Go to a public garden or a nursery. How about a fabric store? Shop in an upscale grocery store. Maybe you're like me and the beach and the ocean are your heaven.

Give something like this to yourself this weekend. Give a day like this to your mom...take time together. Spend some time like this with your grown children...time together. With little kids, take some time doing something that's easy and fun...not stressful for you.

One of my favorite Mother's Days, we all took my mom to our favorite carousel...Biff, Grace, T.J. and me got mom to ride with us...it WAS a mother's day we all remember! My mom....about 75 years young...I'm pretty sure she did it for her grandchildren. Maybe she took the ride just because she was asked! Sometimes all it takes is an invite!

Another dream mother's day, I was served breakfast in bed by T.J. and Grace...with an envelope. It was family membership to our favorite CT. art museum! We all went that day...we all painted en plen air...buckets of water, brushes, paints canvas' and oversized button down shirts.
Magical. Fun for all of us.

It's a gift when we let go of routines and "have" to-do lists.Pencil yourself in for your time. Click on your iphone app...for you and your very own schedule! Take time. Make time to make memories.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

PUT ON YOUR PARTY PEARLS AND DANCE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!

Mother Theresa's Words….The Same Things My Mother Taught Me By Example

"Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it."
— Mother Teresa

1924..A Very Good Year

It's Been 3 Years

I miss her everyday. Do something special for your mom today. Call her.... Say thank you...Surprise her....Hug her.... Ask her something about her mother.....Take her to lunch.... Buy her flowers..... Send her a funny card.....Post a funny yutube video on her facebook page....just do it.

I wish I could. Really.

Waves

News stories are like waves in the ocean...there's always another one that follows..and another and another. Sometimes the ocean is calm and quiet...even serene. At times, the water sparkles like glass. The calm before the storm. Tumultuous waters, crashing waves, pounding surf churning.

Depending on the weather it can change in moments. Everything comes and goes like waves.

Life. News. Local. World. Family. Change. Moments. Blink. Time. Think.

That's how it feels...

Life Is A Gift

Hope

Just as we were beginning to overdose on Friday's royal wedding excitement, Saturday's headline news of outrageous U.S. tornados blew across the television and internet into our family room showing the devastation of lives and communities rattled to their core. Prayer has made the difference. Their world has been rocked yet prayer gives them hope.

Sunday night, our heads were still spinning from accounts of royal kisses in London to mothers in Alabama ....on the ground, instinctively throwing themselves over their children to protect their sweet lives. A news bulletin interrupted the silly Trump boardroom on the Apprentice to wait for breaking news and word from our president that Osama Bin laden had been killed. Shock. Relief. Terror. Safety. Family. Life. Military. Prayer gives us hope.

What a whirlwind of information to process.....love and marriage, royal or otherwise. Disasters, natural or unnatural. Death, killing or dying. Prayer gives us hope.

another red

News Alert Interrupts Trump's Apprentice

President Obama is about to make an announcement about Osama Bin Laden. NBC interrupted The Apprentice TV show for the news bulletin.

Trump has been working hard to create doubt in people's minds about Obama's birth certificate. As Biff and I sat in the family room, we wondered if Obama purposely came out with this newsflash....to have some fun with Trump! Just wondering?

"Never Give Up"

"Never give up. Never give up. Never ever give up" Words of Winston Churchill.

The words of Donald Trump,"Never give up" during a very heated night in the boardroom.

T.J. has some decisions to make. He's got so many good things going at school and after school. He's thoughtful about the choices he makes. He's weighing things. He's giving thought to pros and cons.

He's talked with Biff. He's talked with me. He goes back and forth. Quit. Go forward. Why quit? Why not? Change. Keep doing the right thing. Do your best. Keep trying. Give it your all!

We all have the moments in life. Tough decisions. We can all give our opinions and hear the opinions or suggestions of people we trust but at the end of the day, we have to trust ourselves. It's quite a big deal for a fourteen year old
and starting to make his own choices...not simply cherry vs. lemon ice choice.

That's big stuff whether you're in Trump's boardroom, a mom, a dad or the American Military fighting and searching for Osama Bin Laden!

Never Give Up!

Queen For A Day Or A Lifetime?

This is going wild in Queen Elizabeth's style handbook! I was happy that she made such a bold choice of ensembles for her grandson's wedding day. It would seem, wearing a color so bright, she is one very happy grandma. Style may not be her strong point but I give her credit for her tailored consistency over the years ...even with the handbags.

I may have some fun with her Highness's wardrobe but she is truly a woman who has aged well! All of her little hats have certainly kept her skin from aging. Her eyes and her smile are so warm. She's been blessed to age with a distinguished head of white hair, so distinguished. Her understated 3 strands of pearls were perfect as she certainly could have pulled out the stops to wear something grand and sparkly. She is surely a lady.

A friend and I were discussing the big day..she and I had seen the last royal wedding together. We laughed about the hats and welaughed that we both questioned the same people.

1. we thought Camilla looked ok.....perhaps matronly
2. Tasteful Mrs. Middleton
3. Fergie's daughters looked like Cinderella's stepsisters.
4. During the ceremony, we could see their hats poking out from behind the queen. Beatrice and Eugenia's hats stood like hotels in the backround!
5. Primeminister Cameron's wife wore no hat... instead she work clips. Really? if royal wedding isn't worthy of a new dress and hat...what is?
6. Wife of Dianna's brother had a pretty pink hat with the widest brim we've ever seen! We couldn't see her face...we both acknowledged that if we were at a royal wedding, we wouldn't want to be hidden under the hat...or want to miss a thing because of it.
7. Crazy Princess Margaret with crazy purple hat and suit was worse
8. Some of the royal family relatives had to ride in motor coaches! imagine being true royals, but not important enough for the Rolls? Ooh family drama begins!
9. We. both miss my mom at times like this because we'd have. so much fun discussing. the clothes and people with her!
10. Loved seeing Elton john singing church hymn. That would have been great to sit near him and hear him. belt it out!

*** 1 more comment came to me via text during one of the hymns..."I. don't mean to be irreverent but isn't this reminiscent of Monte python?"


OK...maybe I wouldn't make it as Queen for a day or a lifetime...I could barely make it through the wedding ceremony!

Royal Entry

TV Time!

What a great gathering to celebrate the wedding excitement. The hostess is from Scotland and shared so many stories of time living in London while Diana was there. Great to see so many friends at the early hour...some popped in before work, after the kids were on the bus or out walking the dogs.

So many laughs. We all. were wondering why we needed a royal wedding to take time for local friends. We decided it was like our old playgroup days minus our kids! Why can't moms have "playgroups"???????

Early Morning Royal Wedding Breakfast

Wedding Bells!

Alarm bells. Wedding bells.I hope I wake up when the alarm goes off. When i announced the hour of my early morning wake-up plans, my children rolled their eyes. Although Grace said she would join me IF she could take the day off from school. Tempting as it may have been, I knew her heart wasn't in it and she was just using me and taking advantage of royalty. Nope. This early morning wedding is a solo invite...better for me. I wont be distracted!

Biff defended my temporary insanity as I pulled out my sparkly wedding headband for the occasion. After all, I should dress up just a little, don't you think? It wouldn't seem right to spend the day with royalty and not do something a bit special...I'll skip my wedding shoes. They're for our anniversary. I might try those sweet curlers during the guest arrivals. Ooh! My pearls! What's a wedding without pearls? I do have something white to wear with my tiara...no, I mean headband! I loved our wedding day...how could I be anything but enthusiastic for this couple? Sure, they have a few more tiaras and castles and butlers and ladies in waiting (mine are Daisy and Fitzy) and a horse drawn carriage....but I wish them only goodness and love and babies and fun and family and happiness together...deeply in love as best, best friends. We are blessed. I hope, at the end of their days...no matter what their stress or chaos or life may be....I hope they laugh like we do!

Sorry. Wait. Tonight that's not happening for me and Biff. Sadly, we won't be laughing as we fade off to dreamland tonight. I'm sleeping on the couch. In the family room. He kissed me good night and walked upstairs....I've got to be here for the wedding warm-up at 3:00 or 4:00 a.m....then to a little royal coffee at 6! I hope I can sleep with all of the excitement!

Royal Wedding Frenzy!!!

So much hype about the royals, Williamson and Kate, London, Balmoral, THE wedding dress, Diana....it's all such fun! Really, no matter how high-fillutin the royal family is, why oh why can't we get that queen a nicer handbag? All we keep hearing about os Kate's dress..what on earth will the queen carry as a handbag? She has diamonds and an awesome collection of tiaras...why wont anyone give her a nice handbag. May I see something in a really royal style please? I'm begging! Won't someone poke at the pink elephant handbag in Buckingham Palace? Please sir, I want some more...handbags!

Getting Married In The Morning

Ding Don't the bells are gonna chime! So exciting to see another royal wedding! Having oodles of fun with friends...on facebook, with friends and TV!

Rough Stuff

Daisy loving it!

April Downpour

Wild!

Wind! Waves! And dogs! Fitz ran off like the wind today...well, more like...escaped, broke loose, hit the road.One minute Daisy was surfing in with a retrieved stick, Fitz would swim to Daisy...and they swam back to shore together. In an instant, I saw that look in her eye! Poof! She was gone!

Thankfully, a town worker with a giant lawn mower had his airplane like motor running...which stopped Fitzy in her tracks. Daisy had her under control when I caught up. The lawn mower fella looked a bit befuddled by the scene! He may never know that he saved the day!

Green!

Green! Finally green! Walking the dogs with wind and a fine mist was delightful since I was dressed for the elements. I love when that happens!

Yawn

Did Boo fall asleep while reading my blog? Oh no! Could my life be that boring? Really? Maybe this blog needs to be more fun. Really...if the cat can't stop himself from nodding off...couldn't keep himself awake....a cat sleeps most of the day...and he couldn't even make it through my blog post. WAKE UP! Are you asleep too?

Yawn

Did Boo fall asleep while reading my blog? Oh no! Could my life be that boring? Really? Maybe this blog needs to be more fun. Really...if the cat can't stop himself from nodding off...couldn't keep himself awake....a cat sleeps most of the day...and he couldn't even make it through my blog post. WAKE UP! Are you asleep too?

These Just In!

Daily Daffodils

Forsythia Forever

Rhododendrons Popped Today!

Tulips Today!

Out To Lunch

And out for lunch! 3 girlfriends. We go out to celebrate each of our birthdays. The birthday girl gets to pick the place. Somewhere fun, casual and always different and a teeny bit more upscale than a yogurt or PBJ on the run. We are hardly the ladies who lunch!

It always makes us laugh when the bill arrives. 2 of us treat the birthday girl. Believe me, it isn't calculator worthy... although we have no beverage stronger than lemonade, when the 2 treaters start calculating the split plus tip and who owes who how much... since one of us had exact change for the tip while the other had no more change ...only a debit card.....we look like AND the birthday girl patiently fiddles with her wedding rings and reviews her manicure, nail by nail....by nail, we find ourselves giddy with a slight hysteria over the confusion...well aware that we look terrifically tipsy...which makes us create a bigger scene. Basically, its the irreverent nervous church laughter....magnified

Sometimes the birthday girl offers up her wallet just to get the whole painful process overwith....perhaps hoping to be home by dinnertime.

Once the bill has been paid, the treaters begin the silly debate of which treater owes the other the simple sum, what bills we put on the waiter's little brown plastic tray, how much change came back on the tray, amount to tip the server... sometimes we have distractedly dismissed the birthday girl with pained looks on our faces, an air kiss and a quick wave to free her from the birthday hostage situation.....and the birthday girl, having aged over the process....runs off into the distance like a frightened cartoon character!

Ironically, one of the "girls" is a doctor, one a nurse and one was a mortgage broker in another life!

Ironically, of all the ""birthday girl" lunches we've shared, some of our greatest memories are of the bill being tallied!

Ironically, we have become "those women" who will continue to call themselves "the girls" well beyond the "certain age" years. We spend far too much time hunched over the table with eyes squinted, glasses perched at the tip of our noses, whispering nervously, nodding our heads, leafing through our wallets while truly believing we are not, will not, could not ever become "one of those women who quibble over a bill!"

After all these years watching "those women," I realize they haven't been arguing about who ate the steak and who had the grilled cheese...it's a luncheon ritual that has been going on since women carried a coin purse...it's not the money...it's time well spent with friends!

When was the last time that you had lunch with the girls? Call a friend ....do lunch! You go girl!

Waiting

It's midnight. Do you know where your animals are?

WAITING for Daisy, who's WAITING for Jinx. Daisy let out the bark...the "let me out to get Jinx" bark. One woof. One abbreviated woof. That's it. She's out.

It's a lovely mild night. That's why we're still WAITING for Jinx.

Daisy's sitting quietly outside. WAITING. WAITING. WAITING.

Then I hear the call of the wild. One abbreviated woof. That's when it's time for me to jump. They're WAITING. Looking. LOOKING! I can see Jinx's white teeth in the dark. Now they're ready. Phew! I'm tired. I opened the door and they trotted in side by side. Jinx got his midnight snack. Daisy is looking at me. LOOKING at me. She's WAITING for me.

WAIT a minute. She's tiptoe(paw)ing up the stairs. Hey! WAIT a minute. WAIT for me! Now Fitzy is snoring.

I'm finally going upstairs too. It's taken so long to round up the critters that Biff will probably be snoring too.

"Mom, Where's My Jersey?"

All moms know that tone....the tone of voice used by our children when they call out our name. That name may be THE most important job title in the world, "MOM" but when it precedes the word/s "where are my..." or "have you seen..", it's usually an indication that we have our work cut out for us.

It all started last night just as I settled into my favorite comfy chair with my cup of tea. Ahhhhhh.

In an instant, my ahhhh was interrupted by that tone with my title. It was as if I heard the siren of the emergency broadcast system on television.

That's when the mania began! After an exhausting search with much re-tracing T.J.'s steps and sidesteps, we turned up with nothing. NO lacrosse jersey for today's game. Clean laundry stacks. No.
Washing machine. No.
Dryer. No.
Lacrosse Duffle. No.
Car. No.
Under bed. No.
Closet. No.
on and on and not kidding...on.

Nothing. Every. Single. Place. We. Checked. Nothing. Nowhere. No how.

Before T.J. left for school this morning, I heard that tone with my title. If T.J. didn't have his Jersey by this afternoon's game, the coach wouldn't let him play. Talk about pressure.

I hunted some more. Biff too. I hunted and raced against the clock. Nothing. Zero. Zip. I got a phone call. Later, a text. Urgent. From T.J. Where is it?

I talked to another team player's mom. We brainstormed. She gave me more intuitive mom suggestions. Nothing. I kept looking as we spoke. Then, I screamed...I FOUND IT! HERE IT IS! I scared my friend. We hung up our phones. I called T.J. , left a message on his cell and texted him with the news.

I flew out the door with his jersey and drove off to the game, miles away. My phone rang. I kept driving. It rang again. I drove on. My curiosity made me pull over. There was a text from T.J....Don't bring my jersey. What? WHAT?

Just then, Biff called. He told me that T.J.didn't want me to bring the shirt. T.J. told Biff that moms shouldn't be bringing kids' equipment etc. for them . It's high school. Kids have to take responsibility for their own stuff!

Ironic. I met. Biff at the away game. Our son had to sit out on the sidelines today...while his jersey sat in the car.

Love Is In The Air

or in the woods...at the beach...by the side of the road...in the driveway ...we have love to give and we're blessed to have people who love us....it's always a good thing to have little reminders.

Just A Moment

Sometimes it's all we need...a mom moment. I had to take a few minutes to rest...it wasn't passing out, I swear! I just had a little sugar crash.

Maybe it was after the Hershey's kisses...someone must have added some to the candy dish when i wasn't looking..really. I was really trying to control.it. A sugar hangover? No way...not me....I don't have a problem.

Sure I had a little too much. OK..maybe it's true. Maybe I just had too much. Maybe I just had one too many...I wasn't even sloppy. My words weren't slurring. No stumbling. No one told me I made a fool of myself. Phew! They didn't notice the strings from the wrappers or the foil. I didn't even consider driving.

I don't do it during the day. I don't sneak around. It's all out for everyone to share. I can't help it if no one else dipped into the stash. It all happened so fast...

Thats it....that was my last one. I'm never doing that again...I never want to feel like this again. I never want to feel out of control. Oh no! The kids noticed all of the tin foil wrappers in the garbage. They know. Kids always know. That's the worst...now they'll be rolling their eyes behind my back...not the regular teenage eye rolling...the kind they do because they're ashamed to see their mom like that...especially in front of friends or some family...again.

That's it. No more sugar hangovers. Maybe I hit bottom. maybe I just got tired of being sick and tired. I've been living in denial. I have to change.....if I can't do it for myself...I have to do it for them.

A new day. I can begin today. Just say no. Maybe I'll be a good example! Maybe they'll see that I can still have lots of fun without a candy dish in my hand! I'm doing it...one day at a time!

They have meetings everywhere.There must be one listed in the phonebook. What if people recognize me at a meeting...wait...if they're at a meeting too, that must mean they understand how hard it is to stop. oh thank goodness I'm not alone! It's all good!

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference. AMEN!

One Day at a Time....

There's hope for all...one day at a time!

One Hershey's kiss at a time!
One....cigarette....
one...glass of wine...
one beer....
one .......anything.....

To thine own self be true!

Dedicated to so many family and friends who have shared so honestly about their challenges and gifts and joys...in recovery...sobriety...and showing others, by example, how much better life is today.

Also dedicated to my friends and family ....who have not yet realized how much pain, shame and sadness they've caused their families and friends or coworkers. To those who are struggling with their own truth ... we love them and pray for them always...to be freed from the anguish they live with each day.

And to the many friends and family who just couldn't do it...one day at a time. We love them so much...and they loved us...

Another Red

Buds

Yes. It's true. Buds and bits of greens are just beginning to pop. Spring has been teasing us...