Magical Moment 23, "A Childlike Moment"

I woke up to nearly 2 feet of fresh, white snow on the ground and more still falling. It was still early and the snow plows, shovelers, and snow blowers still hadn’t bothered with our small side street, giving priority to main roads and parking lots. I bundled myself up with boots, coat, and hood to take my puppy, Joy, outside for her morning walk. I soon learned that I couldn’t walk far though. With the snow nearly up to my knees and not wanting to soak myself at 7 in the morning, I let Joy off her leash and watched as she enjoyed the deep snow.

She went nuts. Desperately wanting to run through the yard as if it were normal grass, she pushed and jumped with all her might but barely covered any ground at all. She buried her head under the snow and when she popped back out, she curiously stared at me with her big black eyes and ears straight up, face completely covered in snow. Soon she learned how to maneuver. She looked like a fish in a sea of snow, hopping in and out of the water and struggling as if she were moving up stream against the current. Once she hopped right into a snowdrift that was too deep and could not escape. I had to risk wet socks, feet, and pants to go in and rescue her. It was clear that Joy was having too much fun and we weren’t going inside anytime soon.

I noticed how even the thinnest limbs on each tree carried inches of perfectly contoured snow piles. Birds fluttered from branch to branch looking for a dry place to sit, but having little luck. Some branches under the weight of the snow hung low to the ground, nearly breaking off.

The snowflakes falling were the largest I’ve ever seen. So numerous, the air and sky looked completely white. The flakes were formed and clumped together so big, they looked like popcorn falling from the sky. And as they fell in slow motion, I looked up and watched them float down. My eye landed on one snowflake that was headed right towards me and in a moment of mindless instinct, I opened my mouth and stuck out my tongue, where it landed perfectly.

Just then, my childlike moment was interrupted by laughter. My neighbor had been watching from behind his screen door, holding a hot cup of coffee. I looked at him, startled and embarrassed but managed a sheepish grin. I soon collected Joy and headed back inside, my neighbor still laughing. Oh well, I thought. At least he got a kick out of it.

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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