Save a Swing for Me~

      Pink, fuchsia and silver ribbons adorn our neighborhood…

...our entrance ways

...our mailboxes



...our stop signs



...our fence posts

...our street signs

...our trees in abundance

They signify the life of Meg Wasley, a third grade student at Holly Grove Elementary; my school. When I spoke of her death on Monday to persons not living in this area they were saddened and distressed, and immediately inquired how well I knew her. Does that make a difference in my sorrow? Should it matter? I floated in and out of her classroom so I was captivated by her swift smile. I passed her in the hallway and her eyes sparkled with recognition. I encountered her at car pool where she bid me a good night.

I’ve not been able to write since Tuesday as a result of lingering thoughts in my head and in my heart of sweet Meg. No matter was more noteworthy than the death of an eight year old child; however words eluded me. The passing away of any child brings scores of questions but a petite number of answers. We want to know the ‘why’s’, the ‘how’s’ and the purpose of such a devastating occurrence; conversely it remains one of life’s countless mysteries.

I strolled through the neighborhood taking photographs to capture the images of pale crimson and gray sparkly ribbons accompanied by goose bumps on my arms and tears on my cheeks as I reminisced. Furthermore, I silently acknowledged copious parents including myself who would be whispering extra words that were more gentle and kind and embracing their children more tightly.

I recognize parents like me would be murmuring prayers of thanks to God that it wasn’t their child while in the same breath appealing for comfort for the family of Meg. I pray for solace and consolation of Meg’s family that they be armed with strength to grapple with the monumental devastation at the loss of a child; their child. May they be enveloped in a blanket of memories to soothe their heartache and ease their pain.

Rest in peace Dear Sweet Meg and save a swing for me~

Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy. ~Author Unknown



How do you Speak?

I subscribe to a daily Bible verse through my school mail (main@aBibleVerse.org). There are some days as a result of time, or lack thereof I don’t always get to read it, or I gloss over it quickly to appease myself that one more ‘thing’ is checked off my To-Do list.


Hold that thought for a moment and let me put in the picture for you although my husband does all the grocery shopping and most household tasks, I don’t place on him the added responsibility of selecting my make-up or other such toiletry items; I begrudgingly save all my errands to achieve at one time and preferably early in the morning. Though truthfully, my idea of shopping is to get on-line, place an order and have it delivered to my door, however this time I had to step foot in stores UGH; I despise shopping! (Read here).

So on Sunday, I meandered casually through Target focused on placing a strike-through with my sparkly pink pen priding myself in fulfilling accomplishments on the document. I turned the corner with my cart and halted before I rammed into a young teenage girl and her father seeking an item of necessity, chattering and wondering aloud the place it might be located. I swiftly offered a smile and apologized to the pair when a woman approached the duo with the ruthless expressions, ‘I told you two that it was in aisle 5. Can’t you do anything right? You’re just so stupid!’

My heart broke for the victims as she whisked off toward her destination. The words were offensive to MY ears so I couldn’t envision how the sufferers felt. I presumed it hadn’t been the first time they were her intended sufferers.

While I didn’t dwell on the incident, I did reflect on it frequently throughout my day with sadness and melancholy speculating on the long-term effects those thorns had on their being; what cuts, scratches and scars would persist?

So imagine my surprise the subsequent day upon opening the Verse of the Day to find the following words from Ephesians 4:29-

Do not use harmful words in talking. Use only helpful

words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so

that what you say will do good to those who hear you.

I pray I bear in mind this expression with each and every encounter I have moment to moment, and in the meantime, I certainly hope this verse finds its way to her door.



Pages of my Life...

“Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility. "

A lot of you share yourself with your lovely photography and I feel like I look into your soul by seeing the world through your eyes. I had a desire to do the same; share a piece of myself with my scrapbooking pages. These are some recent creations of my favorite subjects; my family and friends~



This is the most recent one I finished; our July trip to Emerald Isle....




This is Susan, my best friend from college and of course, Nicholas; they became fast friends!




Antoher glimpse of our golf outing...the blank is for text I haven't gotten around to yet!




My boy, who loves to be outside...this was last year ~




He loves Ohio State being that he was born a Buckeye and often emulates the game. This particular day it was pouring down rain!




Carolina and Ohio State on the same page? Well, both deserve equal time :)




My husband and Nicholas are both runners and they compete in local 5K races~




The love of my life...



This Too Shall Pass...follow up~

I am thrilled to inform you of a revision on one of my previous blog entries I’d written awhile ago when school/work, holidays and life was overwhelming. (read here) To those who haven’t known me long, I take great pride in obtaining and maintaining inner peace. I like to transmit a sense of calm and tranquility throughout my day and am infrequently rattled by the ways of everyday life. It doesn’t insinuate a lack of caring, quite the opposite, although deep breathing and the ‘Serenity Prayer’ are my frequent companions.

However, prior to the holidays it felt as if life was out of control with a multitude of demands and expectations placed upon me by my perfectionist self and others. I felt as if I was suffocating beneath the weight of the boulders labeled ‘stress.’ Therefore, to endure until holiday break, I relied on a previous tried and true mantra; THIS TOO SHALL PASS~

Fast forward to this week; it’s been a typical transition back to school; the kids were excited to tell of their Christmas tales and gifts and share their snow stories while actually settling into their class routine. I possessed great energy at the beginning of the week but by Friday I was welcoming the upcoming weekend; a break from endless meetings, paperwork and a shortened ‘to do’ list.

I had an early morning conference with many participants and of course, Murphy’s Law rapped on the door with technology and the computer program involved which turned an hour meeting into two hours. I was late with my kids, blah, blah, blah….I needed to take deep breaths and regain my composure.

So, at lunch I walked to my mailbox and inside was a gift bag. My first thought was Christmas is over and it wasn’t my birthday. I opened the bag when I returned to my room and needless to say was surprised and touched by what lay inside. There was a beautiful handmade card and tucked inside the tissue paper was a box that contained a Precious Moments guy; MY little guy that conveys the message THIS TOO SHALL PASS~

Tears sprang to my eyes and I sat in amazement clutching my figurine that my dear friend Di made the effort to find and present to me; such a treasured gift. Along with the statue she granted me permission to keep Him if needed or to pass him along to others that needed His guidance and strength.

I’ve been blessed; thanks Di~

Sometimes you put up walls

not to keep people out

but to see who cares enough

to break them down.



The children...



Hurricane as an only child; didn't he look happy?

"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats."

-- English Proverb

Given the antics performed by both Hurricane and Angel-Kitty since we brought our new little one home on Dec. 23, this is proving to be truer than we could imagine.

First off, Hurricane was not exactly thrilled we brought a cat into his territory and let us know by chewing the foliage on the plants and leaving them in strategic locations of the house; namely in the entry ways and stair landings. So, no matter where you walk throughout our humble abode, AH, gosh, wonder who munched on this leaf?

What's more, he spies the cat and fires up to begin the chase; up one set of steps, down another stair, around the island throughout the dining room and what was once a puzzle on our feasting board, well let’s just say it’s not only on the counter, but on the hardwoods, in the heating grates and God knows where all the pieces are. I presume it’s no longer a 1,000 piece puzzle!

Heavens to Betsy, then when I sit at the computer to write, they both make an effort to claim space on my lap; yes, imagine a 75 pound golden retriever attempting to climb up on one’s lap…well Hurricane does undertake the task! All the while Angel-Kitty is positioned on the desktop looking down on him having a hissy fit pawing at his nose. Lovely, certainly writing will be accomplished while this bedlam is occurring.

The best of all, dinner time! I don’t know where she acquired her courage but she parks herself at the side of Hurricane’s bowl and proceeds to muscle her way to his meal. And yes, we even have pictures to prove it! Imagine that; a two pound kitty influencing Hurricane to move aside and allowing her to help herself to the juices on his food. Then she saunters off with her tail high in the air and gets underway to devour her own chow.

This pandemonium takes place in the midst of our presence. Can you imagine what happens during the times we are at work and school? Geez Louise, get me that surveillance camera!

No, never mind; ignorance is bliss!



For your listening pleasure...

Yesterday while trying to avoid preparing obligatory lesson plans to begin the new year I began purging old documents and came across this video I'd saved by Declan Galbraith.  This particular song is extremely powerful as sung by a young lad and I wanted to share it with you. If you click on the link there are more songs and it's hearing an angel.

So for your listening pleasure this day as you head back to work or begin your day; may you be blessed...

new beginnings....

Photo from aol.com

While my first thought is to say ‘Happy New Year!’ the rational true part says, ‘Have a year that is full of whatever you desire it to be!’


Any day we rise and greet the moment could be the first day of a New Year; the beginning of 365 consecutive days and counting rather than the result of the page turning on the calendar and adding a one to the designated year.

Those are my thoughts but in having a discussion with my husband he brought a varying idea to the table, which I had to consider and actually agree. He indicated that people need to grasp onto the idea that beginning a new year such as 2010 to 2011 also brings with it renewed hopes, dreams and optimism especially for those who are suffering, down-trodden and/or lost. They need to hold on to something tangible that brings with it transformed faith or altered assurance that the next year will be an improved spirit and more gentle on the soul.

So if this is your outlook for a new beginning, bless you and may you achieve all you hope for and desire.

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. ~   Carl Bard