It’s Independence Day. Did you remember? July 4th is more than picnics and fireworks. Today is the 234th anniversary of when the Continental Congress of the thirteen united States of America unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence from the monarchy of Great Britain. Here is the text (minus the specific list of grievances); a reminder of what [...]
Posted tagged ‘Gratitude’
Why we celebrate
July 4, 2010When I think of freedom…
July 3, 2010…I think of my son, who fought to protect our freedoms in search of Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, the rights of the people in Iraq to self-determine their form of government, and then the rights of the Afghan people to hold free and fair elections in their country. …I think of the still-smoldering rubble of the [...]
Welcome to Valerie’s happy restroom!
June 27, 2010“Welcome to Valerie’s happy restroom! We’re gonna have a good time today. (singing) You are my sunshine, my only sunshine… Come on ladies, I got a special seat for you right here. You make me happy when skies are gray… No need to wait in line for a sink, there’s more on the other side… [...]
Hey, it’s my 30th anniversary…as a Mom!
June 25, 2010My daughter, Heather, doesn’t particularly think it’s a great thing that today is her 30th birthday. So, we’re not going to talk about that…too much. Instead, let’s celebrate the wonderful fact that today is my 30th anniversary of being her Mom! With that in mind, please indulge me some space to talk about her. With the start of her life, [...]
Happy Anniversary, Ken!
June 2, 2010This is my wedding picture. Very 70s, don’t you think? I’m not quite as thin as I was then and my husband, Ken, shaves his head and just shaved the mustache last year. Appearances and wisdom aside, we are still the happy couple you see here. Today is our 31st wedding anniversary. As we’ve approached this date, we’ve [...]
It’s simple. It’s powerful. It’s life.
April 27, 2010In the back of our house, we have a three-sided, covered porch. It’s a great place to sit, relax, and enjoy the yard, sheltered from the sun and rain. We can listen to music out there, or sit and read, or just enjoy each other’s company – or, even some solitude. There are wicker chairs with big [...]
One very smart little boy
March 14, 2010Imagine if all of us saw the world through the eyes of a child. Especially the very smart seven year old little boy I sat next to yesterday. I attended an Ohio High School Division I District Championship game on Saturday. Westerville Central High School was playing Northland High School out of Columbus. Northland is the #1 team [...]
Beauty in the dead of winter
February 4, 2010Have you seen beauty today? Have you felt beauty today? I hear many people grumbling about how cold it is, or why it’s snowing again, or how tired they are of gray skies. It seems they’ve had enough of winter and they are hoping for spring to arrive early. Even in the dead of winter, there is beauty to be [...]
Reflections on finding peace
January 15, 2010Once in a while, I love to channel surf for old movies. When I find a favorite, I’ll stop and watch it, no matter what point it is at. I do the same thing with books – I’ll just pick them up and start re-reading on any page. I always seem to find something that impacts me in a [...]
Happy new day everyday
December 31, 2009New Year’s Eve. A day when many people anxiously look forward. A new beginning. A fresh start. A clean slate. New goals set or unmet goals reset. New habits started, at least for a few days. Out with the old and in with the new. Many other people ponder with sadness what is gone. They reminisce. [...]
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