For the first 50 years of my life, my perfectionist self mistakenly believed it was all about knowing more, getting it right, planning, attempting to prevent bad things from happening, and keeping all of my chicks in a row. It took me this long to discover that the JOURNEY is all that matters. This quote from Gilda Radner sums it all up:

"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
"


Tuesday, February 25, 2014

A Glimpse at My Camera Roll



"Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness."

                                                             ~Khalil Gibran

These are pictures from my camera roll on my iPhone.
I'd like to share them with you.

They depict my everyday life.
They show what truly makes me happy.


 Annie demonstrates how she can plank on the ottoman.

Rescuing Annie after she experienced her first car crash.

 Mel happily eats a frozen banana at the mall.

 Life IS good at the Four Town Fair, sharing our yearly fried dough!

 Dr. Steve looks at Annie's poison ivy problem.

 Annie is accepted to Eastman School of Music.

 Walking to the car with Adam after dinner in Lake George.

 Halle's proud face as she gets attention from Adam.


 The heavenly sky on our way to Rochester to see Annie.

 Kodak Theater seen through a rain splattered windshield.

 Content to bring a smile to Annie's face during a tough first semester.

 My three dogs waiting to be let into the house.

 Kerry lets Ravi walk all over her.

 Halle snuggles with Kerry on the couch.

 Sami "sit's pretty" for turkey at Thanksgiving.

 Kerry smokes a piece of paper!

 Cousins crash together on the couch.

 Maddie looks out at the snowy day from the kitchen window.

 Maddie hid in the shoe cubby when I got mad at her.

 Pug love at a store in Burlington.

 Good fortune - a double yolk!

 Having fun at the Museum of Play!

 Kerry - just being Kerry.

 Beer tasting with our close neighbors.

 Fun with Alaskan cousins.

 NOT so much fun when Alaskan cousins say good-bye.

 Fluoride treatment at the dentist.

 Annie with Jafar.

 Getting some sleep on the train to NYC - Vance or Adam?

 Happiness!

 My cousin Kevin's collection of Aunt Jemimas.

 My dapper Uncle.

 How I pictured Annie during her senior year of high school.

 My friend's granddaughter plays with my phone.

 Bird-sitting for our neighbors.

 Sami waits patiently for a bite of ice cream.


 Kerry humanizes her recycling bin.

 
 Halle waits in the truck while I go into the post office.

 Vacation!

 What can I do with this?

 Halle's yearly vet exam.

 Kerry - being Kerry.

 With my hubby.

Annie's quartet.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Elvis Was a Smart Man

"I believe the key to happiness is: 

someone to love, 

something to do, 

and 

something to look forward to."  

Elvis Presley



Yesterday was Valentine's Day.
It has been our tradition to go out for a romantic dinner at a restaurant.

It started before we had kids -
when we didn't have a lot of money and dressing up for a romantic dinner at a restaurant was not something we did much.
It was special.

We continued the tradition when we had children because,
well,
it was nice to get away and be alone for a few hours.

This year, Vance made a dinner reservation
but I told him to cancel it.
We were going to stay home this year.

After all, we eat out all the time, probably more than we should.
And there are no kids in the house.

So I planned a different Valentine's dinner this year.


I made Vance's favorite dessert
in the shape of a heart.


Whoopie pies!


Continuing with the theme,


I sliced up some potatoes (with my happy polka dot knife)



and cut out some hearts with a cookie cutter.




And finally, 


I made heart-shaped hamburgers.


A simple menu.


yet something you can't get in a restaurant.


and something we haven't done in, well, at least 23 years!


What Elvis said is true.

I had something to do.
I had something to look forward to.
 I had someone to love.

Hence,  I was happy.
WE were happy.