Magical Moment 399, "Manners"

There is a joke in Nebraska that a traffic jam is getting stuck behind a tractor driving on the highway. A traffic jam in the metro area of New York however, is NO joke! This is why when my friends and family back in the heartland make a remark about bad traffic, I throw them a dagger stare and mutter under my breath, "You have no idea."

Today I drove from New Jersey to Long Island to spend a day at the Law School I'm considering. I drove through toll after toll. I merged from 20 lanes of traffic down to 2. And I tried not to get run over by the semi trucks zooming by. I wondered, "When did people stop having manners?" Don't we learn common courtesy as kids? Please, thank you, take turns, share? When someone needs to get in my lane, shouldn't I just let them in, rather than holding up traffic in their lane because I'm too cranky or proud to slow down a teensy bit? Maybe I could turn my blinker on before I switch lanes, just to let the other person know I'm comin over. I don't know. I began to lose faith in the human race this morning after hours of being honked at, flipped off, and cut off.

But just as I began to lose all hope, and started to join the ranks of impatient, stereotypical, rude New York drivers, someone changed my mind. In a surprising act of courtesy, another driver flashed his lights to let me know I was clear to come over into his lane. As I merged, I put my hand up to thank him. And he put his hand up back. I don't know. Just a simple act of politeness and I was in a better mood immediately. I suppose if that man could remember his manners from kindergarten, so could I.

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 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 606, "Thank You Canada!"

After an intense week as a participant in the Musician's Mentorship Program with Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto, I am back in the good ol' US of A. The trip was a success, not only did I learn a TON in the program, but I got to see Canada for the first time, increasing my number of countries visited to 3! (Mexico and South Korea, if you're wondering about the other 2). I was surrounded by incredibly talented musicians who didn't hesitate to dish out their best advice, tips, and secrets to me. In addition, I was surrounded by some beautiful scenery and amazing sights. The trip got even better when Eddie flew out to meet me half way through the week, and even BETTER when I was able to meet up with a friend, known only through the blogosphere until now. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Hilary of The Smitten Image herself happens to live only minutes from where I resided in Toronto. I admit, it was a little like meeting a celebrity. I first "met" Hi

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