Family

You know the old adage "You don't know what you have until you lose it?" I have found that to be true again and again.

Only today, I became acutely aware.

Today was a celebration of my aunt's 86th birthday (PHOTO, in striped dress) . She is the only sibling to my father (PHOTO: far right), who, at the age of 63, died in 1989. My grandmother-their mother- passed on shortly after. I somehow think the pain was too unbearable. The loss to great. I think she simply decided to stop. Feeling, living and breathing.

As I sat in the room with some wonderful women, enjoying our mutual love and respect for this woman; mother, aunt, grandmother and friend. I began to cry.

Not only for the wonderful things she has meant to me and done for me throughout my life, but also for the painful reminder that she is all I have that somehow links me to that hardy oak of a family tree.

Her hands are that of my grandmother, her stories are that of people who are no longer with us, and of the memories that no one thought to write down.

Until now.

Castaways

We had never been on a cruise before.



I am glad this was our first, however, I think it has tainted any cruise we could possibly take in the future.



I remember a good friend of mine talking about her many cruises, "the good thing about cruising is that you only unpack once, and you go to many places." She was sooooooooooo right.



We did a combination land and sea cruise that was so much fun. 7 days at Disney World and 3 days aboard the Disney Wonder.

The ship was incredible, and had so much to do. While my son was in the Oceaneer's Club, my husband was in the theater watching a first run Disney Movie, which at the time was The Haunted Mansion!

Every night was a different restaurant, every turn was a different character. Even Captain Hook showed up to show the kids how to talk like a pirate!

The highlight of every Disney cruise is a stop at Castaway Cay (pronounced key), Disney's private island. The island was known throughout the Caribbean as Gordo Cay, a place where drug-runners would operate. After zillions of dollars, beaches were made, buildings were fabricated and Mickey fans now come by the thousands.

They even have a real post office, which used Bahamian stamps.

My favorite part of the cruise was enjoying a Mickey shaped ice cream bar each night for dessert.

My men, on the other hand, enjoyed the pools and the idea of being 'lost at sea.'

Can't wait to go back...........

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

Every time I think of the World,
I get this kinda fuzzy, warm feeling inside.

It's like I will soon be somewhere
that is so far-removed from my day-to-day life.

A place to be alone with my husband and son, where we can each enjoy the other and enjoy being ourselves.

When I say the World, I of course, mean Walt Disney World. I am a huge fan. Not only of the costumed characters, and the Mickey-shaped ice cream bars, but a huge fan of the sheer genius that goes into the magic that is created every day.

The machination, the animation, the imagineering, the brilliance that goes in to each and every facet. From the letter sent in the mail to welcome you for an upcoming visit, to the final send off at check-out. I find it all so intriguing, and amazing.

Animal Kingdom is by far my favorite to visit. The landscaping and geography they built on a former swamp is truly unbelievable. I love the characters dressed up as safari guides and scouts. Even the gift shops have Mickey Ears with a zebra or cheetah pattern. My favorite animal featured at the park are the lowland gorillas. They seem almost human in both facial expressions and mannerisms. I am not an evolutionist by any means, but they are very intense to watch.

My son loves the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, where you are feet away from some of the most endangered animals on the earth. Nile crocs, elephants, lions and zebras also enjoy this wonderful habitat. The zoologists that work with the animals have trained each species to a different cue, or sound. When the sound is played, that specific animal knows to return to the corrals where they are kept overnight. Every day each animal is weighed and examined to make sure they are in perfect health. If not, they are kept in the corral and cared for.

Invisible 'fencing' is used to keep the animals segregated, this way the lions do not eat the zebras in front of the guests! This is done with a variety of deep troughs, moats and other tactics that have worked very well.

The Jammin' Jungle parade is one of my favorites, the characters are dressed in their safari best and are atop safari vehicles and jeeps, each one decorated to match its respected rider. In the summer they are equipped with water cannons, to help cool off the audience, in the holiday season, each character is adorned with a colorful scarf or hat.

One of the exhibits features HUGE fruit bats. Ordinarily I am not bothered by bats, but these are really big, and they have an extra set of 'hands' in the middle of their wings, to help them crawl across the vines in their habitat. The windows to this exhibit are open, and these bats roam freely in the sunlight. Very, VERY creepy.

Bella

We call her Bella-wella-hella-della. She is 16 pounds of fluff and stuff! A beautiful chocolate brown cocker spaniel, with the softest coat.

Her favorite things are chew toys that have a squeaker inside. She loves these because her greatest joy is to tear the poor toy apart to find the plastic treasure inside. Once the squeaker is discovered and chomped, it no longer squeaks, and then she is growling and whining, and looking at us as if to say "Fix it!"

Bella brings much joy into our household. She eagerly awaits our return. Many times sitting at attention in the bay window, watching the world go by, and our cars drive up. From this roost she is able to see all of the dog walkers, all of the delivery men and, if she is really lucky, a stray cat.

Each morning she awakes to go outside, so she can follow any new scent that has wafted across the back lawn. Cockers are known for their hunting skills and for centuries were used as flushing dogs, meaning that they were used to chase birds out of thicket and brush. Our modern Bella is no exception. She lives for chasing the birds in the backyard. We have feeders to help lure them into her territory. As you go to the door, she is already on-point and ready for the chase.

Every morning she jumps in our bed and helps to wake us up to begin the day, then she heads over to her 'brother's' room to make sure he is up.

Amazing how in 12 short months she has taken over our lives and our love.

Sing

I have always been a singer.

When I became a mother, I sang to my son, by far the most important audience of my life, but when I was quite young I sang in choir, as I got older I continued to sing in high school, church and college choirs. I have sung on stages, in choir robes and in costumes.

I have sung for money. I have sung for free. Mostly, I have sung for me.

When I see others singing in a band, by themselves or in ensemble, I feel so much pride and respect.

My good friend Ken Slavin is that way. He, by trade, is a brilliant pr strategist and media relations expert. His passion, his moment of rapture, begins when he puts on one of his designer suits, with handkerchief in breast pocket, and begins to sing.

He calls himself a 'jazzer,' someone who loves and breathes jazz music. I call him brave and amazing. He has seen his love and is out courting it weekend after weekend.

I love it that some people live their dreams, and that some of us sing ours.

you can hear Ken for yourself: www.kenslavin.com

Remembering Hawaii

Although it has been 1. 5 years since we visited the Hawaiian Islands, I still feel the power and passion of Aloha.

Aloha is more that a greeting or a farewell, it is a spirit of the people, the land and the ocean.

We happened upon this incredible location while visiting the island of Oahu, near the Blow Hole, a miraculous place where the waves crash into an underground cave and are thrusted through a small hole in the volcanic rock. The sight is magnificent, and the sound is amazing. Many come here and stay for hours, just watching.

When we were headed back to the car, the boys saw this beautiful spot, and the trail leading down to the beach. We all followed and were soon enjoying this Divine treasure. All alone. As if we were the only people on the island.

The water was so clear and beautiful, it was as if it were crashing upon the rocks just for us.

Our next stop on the tour was the stunning island of Kauai, home to the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." You might have seen some of the incredible beauty of the island while watching Jurassic Park. The island is a veritable rain forest, and everything is green. Every lawn is adorned with plumeria and trees laden with mangoes or papayas. Pineapples, which grow for 2 years before they hit the supermarkets, erupt through the soil. Poipu Beach is consistently selected as one of the top beaches in the world, and rightly so. The island is the most uninhabited of the larger islands, and surfing is an extreme sport here. We love this island, and think it was our favorite.

The last island we visited, before heading back for 4 more days in Oahu, was Maui. Our favorite place here was Lahaina, sleepy whaling village turned tourist spot. We took a catamaran tour of Molokini Bay, and snorkeled. I was amazed at how cold the water was, and how you have almost no peripheral vision when wearing goggles. Several times rather large fish would sneak up on me, causing me to immediately think SHARK! And panic, which for me meant a mouth full of saltwater. Several in our group saw sea turtles, morray eels and lots of fish found in the movie Nemo.

I think this must be one of the most beautiful places on earth, certainly in the USA. 12 hours, by plane, and a million miles from everyone.

Mahalo for reading my little piece of the world.