Magical Moment 297, "A Beautiful Picture"

I've written this blog 297 days consecutively. It has become a part of my daily routine and a source of thoughtfulness, reflection, and pride when I craft a thought into words and relay it in a way that is meaningful to myself and others. I feel uplifted and fulfilled when it hits me suddenly and spontaneously, a joyful moment in my day when I think, "That's going to be my blog today."

The holidays are exciting and happy as well as stressful. Eddie and I drove 10 1/2 hours to our nearest family in the mountains of North Carolina for Thanksgiving. I knew we would be busy with the trip and festivities so I pre-planned some of my blogs. However, on our trip back home (that turned into 12 hours with holiday traffic), I grew restless in the car as the sun dipped below the hills of the country side. I needed to post my blog by midnight, and I hadn't pre-planned this one.

In the beautiful, vast landscape of Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania (our route), one of the most beautiful pictures of scenery is that of grazing cattle on a steep, green hill surrounded by trees and painted with the endless colors of a setting sun. It reminds me of the old hymn, "He Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills." And that's when I dubbed that my "magical moment of the day." I only needed to get home in time to post it. And of course, I needed a picture.

As I drove, I frantically threw the camera at Eddie who was sound asleep in the passenger seat and demanded, "Get a shot of those cows for my blog!" Although dazed, he sensed my urgency and did his best to capture the fleeting shot. It was a struggle from a moving car going 65 miles per hour. Okay, 70. Okay Okay! 80.

But we passed hill after hill, one just as beautiful as the last and Eddie diligently tended to his assigned task with his whole heart. He rolled down the window so the photo would be clear, suffering through the bitter cold and powerful wind in his face. With a less than superior camera, exhausted from the trip, and dealing with ridiculous conditions, he made it his priority to satisfy my urgent request without question or complaint.

Again I'm reminded how blessed I am to have such a husband. And as he stuck his head out the window of a moving vehicle on I-81 among 18-wheelers and crazy drivers, shivering cold, and zooming in on a cow a half mile away, I thought, "That's my blog for today."

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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