In Memory Of...

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing.

 "We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led, 

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies."

  (photos courtesy of: google)

Rabbit Hole (Friday Evening Movie)

"RABBIT HOLE is a vivid, hopeful, honest and unexpectedly beautiful portrait of a couple searching for a life that still holds the potential for beauty, laughter and happiness in the wake of a sudden loss that turned their world upside down." 

I saw this movie this past week and thought it was beautiful. It was a drama that didn't leave me feeling empty or hopeless in the end but instead hopeful for the future of the characters. A great story for me is one I can't quite forget and where I mentally look at it from different angles. The angles that I found so compelling were: The story of loss that was portrayed so honestly, the acting that made the story real, the simple music that would drift into certain scenes and make them more fragile, 

and the ending that was hope filled.  

*PG-13 for drug use and language 

(photos courtesy of:google

quote courtesy of:rotten tomatoes) 

Women Are Like Spaghetti

"Women are like spaghetti...everything in her life touches everything else."

Last night my sister, a friend and I, talked and laughed over platefuls of

spaghetti and meatballs. It was fun...pure and simple fun. 

Ingredients

HERB MEATBALLS

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup fresh or dried bread crumbs

2 cloves garlic minced 

1/4 cup fresh basil minced 

1/4 cup onion minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt 

1 egg, beaten

*1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese 

(optional if you are serving anyone who has dairy allergies) 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, basil, onion, garlic, 

1/4 teaspoon black pepper, salt and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. 

Bake meatballs in the oven @ 400 for 30 minutes until firm to the touch. 

Scoop and place in sauce and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

Photo Shoot

This afternoon, my sister and I went to Camel's Back Park to take pictures. This is what our photo shoot looked like: We found a location, we got our cameras out, we would tell each other where to stand, how to look and then...someone would come around the corner and we would get shy and pretend like we weren't taking pictures of each other ("oh look at the sky" "quick hide in that tall grass!").

We did this for about 30 minutes and then our shyness (and cold legs) won over and we called it quits. BUT I did get some pictures of my beautiful sister. 

I hope you enjoy.

(photos courtesy of: me)

Shop Girls

This morning my sister and I went shopping. 

We talked about politics in the food court, laughed while she was trying to dust sparkly bronzer all over my face (I think some got up my nose), oohed and aahed over clothes and dishes.

I loved it. 

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

Coco Chanel
"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."
Coco Chanel

(photos courtesy of: weheartit)

Sailing

I love the water.

  On my Dream List is: One day help build a wooden sailboat.

"I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark.

But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full."

Arthur Ashe 

"If you live a life of make-believe, your life isn't worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge, because it's life or death."
Morgan Freeman

"My goal in sailing isn't to be brilliant or flashy in individual races, just to be consistent 

over the long run."

Dennis Conner

Sunday

Nothing can tear us from

The grip of His mighty love

We've only glimpsed, His vast affection

heard whispers of, His heart and passion

It's pouring down...

His love is deep,

His love is wide

And it covers us

His love is fierce,

His love is strong

It is furious

His love is sweet,

His love is wild

And its waking hearts to life

The Father loves and sends His Son

The Son lays down His life for all

He calls us now, His sons and daughters

He's reaching out...

 and its waking hearts to life

He is waking hearts to life

He is waking hearts to life

(song: Furious by Jeremy Riddle

photos courtesy of: weheartit)

Friendship

“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

This is a story about friendship. The lady who told me this 

story is now in her 90's. After World  War 2, there was much

 mistrust and prejudice towards the Japanese Americans. This 

woman told me that she and her husband (who had been away 

for 3 years in the military because of the war) became friends

 with a Japanese American couple. It started out with their daughters

 becoming friends, then dinner, playing cards every week,

and eventually into a life-long friendship.

She told me that people were angry and would ask them "Why are 

you friends with them?" And this is what she  said to me, "They 

were humans too. They were our friends." These two couples 

stayed friends through, sickness, distance, up until death.

I am so lucky to have heard this story. 

I hope that I will be a friend like that.

(photos courtesy of: google image) 

Brown Eyed Susan

I cannot resist, because I feel like a little girl on the night before Christmas. 

One week from today my sister Susan is coming to see me! 

I already have a list of things we will do together, restaurants 

where we will have delicious food, laughing, talking, laughing 

some more, movies, stories...the list goes on and on. 

I'm so lucky. I love her. Yep, that's it. 

(photos courtesy of: natalie garret, susan brak)

Freckles

It has been beautifully sunny for the past few days. 

This morning I only put on a light coat and by noon, I had shed it, 

rolled down my windows and let the breeze dance across my face. 

When the sun makes its appearance, so does something else...freckles. 

Yes, freckles. Across my cheeks, on my nose and up and down my arms. 

 I remember at one time being self-conscience of these 

little polka dots on my face until one day, someone said, 

"I love your freckles!"

It's funny how the things we often want to change about our faces, 

are the very things that someone else finds endearing. 

Who knows of why or what use freckles are; yet, 

I kind of like mine and would miss them very much if they were gone.”

~Owen J. McClain

Girls' Night

I am a romantic at heart. A love story on film

can make me laugh and cry but...

 I am also a girl who loves action movies. 

Last night my friend and I went to the movie

theater and did not get tickets for the newest 

romantic comedy but instead watched

the god of Thunder-Thor. Yes, Thor. 

It was the best of two worlds. It had an arrogant
man who changes to become a humble hero,
and a woman who was beautiful on the inside
as much as on the outside.

 Action and romance...

 it was a wonderful

girls' night out. 

Thank you Pristine for liking action movies too:)

(photos courtesy of:google image) 

Mother

Dedicated to my Mom. I love you.

"My mother never gave up on me. I messed up in school so much they were sending me home, but my mother sent me right back." ~Denzel Washington

"There is no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one." 

~Jill Churchill

"There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness". 

~Andrew Jackson

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me.  They have clung to me all my life.  ~Abraham Lincoln

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

Happy Mother's Day

(photos courtesy of:weheartit) 

Celebrating Age

 This past Thursday (May 5th) was my birthday.

From the moment I woke up and received phone calls from my loved ones, walking into the classroom that was decorated with streamers, "Happy Birthday" being sung to me in Spanish, and to birthday wishes from friends around the world...I was a blessed woman.

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday 

but never remembers her age."

~Robert Frost

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

Abraham Lincoln

"Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."  ~Mark Twain

"Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many."  ~Author Unknown

(photos courtesy of: weheartit.com) 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The other night I was home studying. I noticed that it was beginning to

become dusk (the light was fading) and started to turn on the lights

in my apartment.

 I looked out the window and do you know what I saw? 

A brilliant hued, double rainbow.

 It caught me by such surprise that I stopped what 

I was doing and just stood by the window and looked at 

it. I was so glad I wasn't in the car, in a rush to 

be somewhere, that instead I actually

had that moment to simply take in 

a beautiful rainbow...

it made an ordinary

night, special. 

(photos courtesy of:weheartit) 

What is Love?

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of four to eight-year-olds: 

“What does love mean?”

“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That’s love."~Rebecca, age 8

 “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” ~Terri, age 4 

“Love is what’s in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.” ~Bobby, age 5

“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."~ Noelle, age 7 

“Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.” ~Mary Ann, age 4 

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.” ~Billy, age 4

“Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.” ~ Tommy, age 6 

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." ~Chrissy, age 6 

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.” ~Jessica, age 8

*Dedicated to my Dad and Mom

(photos courtesy of: weheartit

http://powertochange.com)

Sunday

For some reason I was thinking of this excerpt from "Blue Like Jazz" this morning.

It has become one of my most favorite parts of this book. 

"A guy I know named Alan went around the country asking ministry leaders questions. One visit he made to a man named Bill Bright, the president of a big ministry. Alan said he was a big man, full of life, who listened without shifting his eyes. A final question, he asked Dr. Bright what Jesus meant to him. Alan said Dr. Bright could not answer the question. He said Dr. Bright just started to cry. He sat there in his big chair behind his big desk and wept. 

When Alan told that story I wondered what it was like to love Jesus that way. I wondered, quite honestly, if Bill Bright was just nuts or if he really knew Jesus in a personal way, so well that he would cry at the very mention of His name. I knew then that I would like to know Jesus like that, with my heart, not just my head. "

(photos courtesy of:weheartit. 

excerpt:"Blue Like Jazz" by Donald Miller)