Memorial Day May 30th, 2010

Memorial Day weekend is always one of deep mixed emotions for that is what is intended. If our beloved country was fortunate enough to be at a time of peace, it would still be a weekend of deep emotions--

Our history of war goes back hundreds of years, the Revolutionary War, Spanish American War, Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean War, Viet Nam War, War on Terror in Iraq & Afghanistan. These tragic wars, have forever been topic of current news media, history classes & topical books & film. Never ending, or at a loss for new chapters to be included.

We respect & honor all that our Military men & women have given, & continue to give--

War does have a face & a name, for the citizens of Connecticut we have the name of Edwin Rivera Infantry Sgt., resident of Waterford, & with the Ct. National Guard Unit based in New Haven. Sgt. Rivera leaves behind his wife, two young children & his parents, he died this past Tuesday 5/25/10 at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. from wounds he received in a fire fight in Afghanistan, on May 20th.

This is a true reality of war.

As we share in the tragic loss of Sgt. Rivera, & feel what we know is earth wrenching pain for his family, we pray for an end to this, & all wars.

*Amen*

{The photos included in this posting are of Arlington National Cemetery. Every American is encouraged to make a trip to our National Cemetery which is so beautiful, sad, yet awe inspiring, painting a very serious picture of our past & present, the true cost of war.}

On Birthdays Ideas Continue To Bloom*

Birthdays come

& birthdays go

& with it all

we sow

we grow....

Here it is the day when so many years ago, was the original, "first day of the rest of my life". I think I realized some time ago, that I am definitely not a dramatic person, but definitely a dramatic thinker. Coming from the family that originally sowed me, I had no other choice. I was told the grandmother I was named for who passed on before I was born was involved in the Yiddish Theatre, & my mother, the woman who bore me, sat in the audience of that theatre since early childhood, blooming to become the drama queen we all, know & love today.

Me, well we all definitely take bits of our parents with us for the rest of our live. I'm no drama queen by any measure, but the short story, essay writer & poet, that's me. For this Birthday year in response & respect for all who have come before me, & to those who have supported me with love & acceptance-- I dedicate this future play to "yaz all", from the young gal who used to throw notes across the classroom [& who got caught], to the blogger I am now. I pray for determination & discipline to guide me & my muse.

& A Happy & Healthy Birthday, to all the wonderful Geminis in my life, Happy Birthday "Yaz" !

*Amen*

On The Eve Of My Birthday, Chapters Old & New Come To Mind--

Today my new chapter has begun. After enjoying a few cups of java this morning, & allowing Dolly a bit more time to pup around, it was definitely time for me to begin "My Training".

My goals are as they have been these past few years-- to get our childrens book published, with our book series on it's way, to write the play of which will tell a drama, of what I'm meant to express, & in the meantime, to continue my cycling prep program, continuing these personal goals of body, mind & spirit.

Yes, "these times, they are a changing", & in order to cope & stay well, one must keep the commitment to take care, & to honor what has been bestowed.

*Amen*

Some Post Scripted Thoughts; This past weekend we made the long sojourn up to Syracuse N.Y., as our son graduated with two degrees from Syracuse University, one from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, & the other from the College of Law. For my husband & I, these past three years have zoomed by, & for our son, it probably seemed quite the opposite. Most of the core family was able to attend his Graduation, with celebration festivities happening from the time we arrived, up to a few hours before we all departed. As parents, all I can say is, it is all, quite amazing, nothing more, & nothing less.

On yet another note, yesterday was my final day working as a nurse at Hyde School, in Woodstock, Ct. My life is zooming, as those ten years seem to have happened in a flash. I began my job on the beautiful campus of Hyde, when our son "Z", who just graduated, was beginning his senior year in high school, & our fam* needed the additional income to fund travel activities for his involvement in Model UN, & to also fund extra curricular activities for our son "M". Working, in order to help raise a family has been the best of the best. Nursing & it's nurturing field of health care, has kept me involved medically, these past ten years & intermittently for over forty years. I have been fortunately blessed to have chosen a profession where we not only take care of others, but take care of one another too. Society can never put a price on kindness or compassion, for that comes from a place where nary the faint of heart can go, & only the heart can rule.

For the past ten years I have been most privileged to have worked with the most amazing team of professionals. In a sense we too have become an extended family & have shared with one another & supported one another in many ways, for better & for worse. I have learned so very much, & am certainly a wiser individual because of it, but ultimately in the very core being, of who I am, I know the friends I have made over this past decade will always ring true.

So many chapters are now complete, & new ones written, as we speak....

"Life a circle, love the soul",

It's all a mystery, life unfolds.

*Ahava*

{Ahava is a Hebrew word, it means love.}

A New Chapter, & New Beginnings--

The 27th of this month, I will be leaving a job that I worked at for nearly ten years. I've been working approximately 22 hours a week, at a college preparatory school that specializes in developing character in high risk youth. This job has been very interesting, rewarding & a very important part of my life for nearly a decade, but it is now time, to allow myself the opportunity to complete & develop important projects that have been on the back burner of my life for some time now. Change is never easy, & I will miss seeing my coworker friends I have made, the students & their families, that I have enjoyed helping, & the challenges & problem solving skills that have been necessary to draw upon in order to do a job, that was never, ever touched upon some 40+ years ago when I was in Nursing School, as the families & the youth of today are being faced with challenges that were only touched upon when my generation was growing up:

As the waters & the creatures of the Gulf Coast must adapt & hopefully evolve, we too as human beings, need to be certain to allow our voices, to be heard, no matter the tide, or the rush of the waves, which can become quite loud & murky, & have been known to drown out-- reason, & common sense. To think before we speak, & act, & to care, not only about ourselves, but for the innocents who cannot speak for themselves.

It does take courage, but we've made this mess, drop, by drop, leak by leak, spill by spill. Our poor, belaboured Mother Earth, where she goes, we go....

{The above photo was taken off the cost of Rhode Island, this winged friend of Jonathon Livingston, of whom we each had an eye on one another, so enjoyed the sea, blue skies & all we were fortunate to take in on that beautiful summer's day.}

Time Will Tell...

It's early AM of a new day, we just got in not too long ago from what is now a yearly event for us-- "The Albano Auction", which takes place every spring at the Albano Ballet School. Mr. A is a colorful character, he & my mother go way back, decades now, as she taught drama for one of his classes some forty years ago. It's a rather amusing evening as the real entertainment for the evening is Mr. A himself, the very animated auctioneer, working so hard at raising money for his nonprofit school, which is located in the same building where Katherine Hepburn learned to dance numerous decades ago on Farmington Avenue in Hartford.

Well just a few hours ago I purchased our very first genuine signed & numbered Chagall print. Yes, the arts, my true, true passion of living a life! Now just where to hang it in our small quaint abode? Time will tell.

And speaking of time, it's not like we have all the time in the world like the clocks on a wall, for as living creatures, time on this earth is limited, & no matter the obstacles we hurdle, it is good to remind ourselves that our enjoyments, pleasures & passions are oh so worth it.