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Downtown….

“When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, You can always go…Downtown” – Downtown by Petula Clark

They were small in stature but lived a big life. For my uncle and aunt, size did not matter! Both stood five-feet or less yet they enjoyed life to the fullest!

I had the honor and privilege of attending one of the more memorable services in my lifetime. What a blessing to live with your best friend, forever lover, mother of your children, and the most beautiful woman you have ever laid eyes on.

This was the love story of two people who overcame many obstacles and chose to see life as a joyous occasion no matter the circumstances.

So what is with the old pop song Downtown?

Here is my tribute to my aunt and uncle…. Continue reading “Downtown….”

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Surprise Rendezvous… (edited)

Bzzzz…. Bzzzz…

Someone was texting me. Casually I lifted the phone from my pocket to glance at the incoming text.

“I’m here. Where are you?”

Replying discreetly – “At the Red Panda.”

Slipped the phone back into my pocket before she sees me. We walked a little bit further when my phone buzzed again. I wandered away to read the message – “Where are you now?”

Replied – “Prairie Dog. Will return to the Red Panda.”

We walked back to the first exhibit. Stalling, I took a few more pictures.

She should be here any minute now – I whispered to myself.

“Well, hello!”

Continue reading “Surprise Rendezvous… (edited)”

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A Lesson From The Storm

BOOM!!!

The windows and walls reverberated from the sound of thunder from our quiet cul-de-sac. Less than two seconds earlier, the flash of lightning warned me that a storm was coming.

Aside from the cold air seeping into the house (no matter how hard I tried to block all entry points), the ferocity of the weather pattern caught many people off-guard.

Then a strange sound caught my attention!

Continue reading “A Lesson From The Storm”

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Crouching Decorations, Hidden Power

Ah, it is that time of year again!

The Christmas decorations are unpacked from their cardboard tombs in attics, garage spaces, and storage units. The annual ritual of carefully unrolling the bundled outdoor lights accompanied by hours of troubleshooting the dead bulbs can only be soothed with happy holiday music playing in the background (or a few shots of your favorite beverages).

Every year, we swear that we will pack up the lights and decorations carefully so that NEXT year, we will not have to deal with these holiday headaches. However, eleven months later, we always mumble those words – “Why did I pack away these lights and decorations in this lousy way???”

But alas, after the long hours of labor and love, we stand back to admire the hard work of decorating the outside of our homes (I have visions of Chevy Chase plugging and unplugging his electrical cords).

The nightfall revives these illuminated decorations and the child in us comes alive!

The next morning, lawn ornaments fall and the facade returns to normal (except for the wreaths or other non-electrical ornaments). There is a lesson I see in the day time of the holiday season….

Continue reading “Crouching Decorations, Hidden Power”

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Special Life Saving Award

Here is a feel-good story of how police officers sacrifice daily for the public whether they (the public) deserve it or not.

I was at a recent public safety award ceremony and was very honored to be in the presence of many who serve the general public – often a thankless job I might add. These men and women sacrifice themselves for the general community regardless of race, religion, or beliefs. Their sworn duty is to protect the citizens and uphold the law.

There needs to be more stories about these positive activities rather than dwelling on the negativity that the social media exploits but I will not go there in this post – this negativity does not deserve my attention.

So if you are of the mindset that absolutely NO peace officer is good, I pity your thinking. For the majority of us regular citizens however, this story is for you!

Continue reading “Special Life Saving Award”

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E.R. Visit – Part Two (Sight for Sore Eye)

During my hospital stay, my right eye was nearly swollen shut. It was a challenge relying on only one eye to see everything around me. The doctors continued to prescribe different antibiotics into my IV line to determine the most effective solution.

Trypanophobia, the fear of needles, is something I have always struggled with. Little known fact – I almost did not get married the first time due to a silly requirement to have a blood test – seriously!

Now I simply look away but in the case of my recent hospital stay, I could not see the needle anyway!!! I would not recommend getting a swollen eye as a remedy to cure Trypanophobia.

Why?

Eventually you will see again and those needles will not go away! Hel-lo!!!!

Here were the challenges I faced with my one functioning eye, the IV port stuck into my left arm, and wearing those wonderful non-skid hospital socks…

Continue reading “E.R. Visit – Part Two (Sight for Sore Eye)”

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Lost and Found

This world of technology creates a new level of self-imposed anxiety.

Have you noticed that in your life?

Try leaving your cell phone at home the next time you go out for a day. Many would be hard-pressed to separate from their electronic devices even for an hour. It is a mini-computer for that perfect solution to a portable office. For others, it is merely a communication device when, and only if, they want to be conversing with the outside world.

We learn to synchronize our personal calendars with family members so everyone is aware of the whereabouts of their loved ones. Gone are the days of – “Let me check my social calendar (i.e., their spouse or partner).”  We use it for relaxation, quick-fix camera shots, stream data, personal hot spot, etc. There are many applications to download and the usefulness is limited only by our imagination. All of this is generally within our control and our preferences dictate the functional use of our little electronic anchors.

But what if we LOSE control of our devices?

I am not talking about the forced updates or the occasional drop in the toilet. No, I am talking about actually losing your cell phone.

Such was the anxiety I experienced recently during an afternoon movie outing… Continue reading “Lost and Found”