After 6 hours of playing piano for ballet rehearsals today, I began to grow weary of my usual song selection. I've spent the last few months building my ballet repertoire and no matter how much I practice, my song list seems to barely increase.  For an Adagio exercise, I flipped through one of my song books that I rarely use for ballet, The Big Broadway Fake Book. I stopped at the first 3/4 song I saw, "Try to Remember." All I knew about this song, was that it's a corny Tom Jones song, but rather than repeat an old song, I decided to just wing this one. As I played the music though, I got caught up in the lyrics written beneath the notes. Maybe it's because we just celebrated Memorial Day. Maybe it's because I saw a photograph recently that triggered a memory. Whatever it was, I was flooded with thoughts of my friend Kevin, an Army Lieutenant who was killed in Iraq 4 years ago. Of course I thought about him on Memorial Day. I remember him on 9/11, the Fourth...

Sitting on the top of the world (Rockefeller Center), you can see many things... The countless remarkable structures that reach towards the sky and make us wonder, "How did they ever  build  those?" "Heights by great men, reached and kept, were not obtained by sudden flight, but while their companions slept, they were toiling upward in the night." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ~~ A picture perfect, lush green park, becomes all the more remarkable when you consider it's surroundings... "Surround yourself with people who believe in you."  -Brian Koslow ~~ A symbol for the Party of the Year, Decade, Century, Millennium (or whatever seems to fit that particular December 31st evening). “But I always say one’s company two’s a crowd, and three’s a party.”  -Andy Warhol  (I wonder what a millions is!) ~~ When you look down, you may just get a little disoriented.  (Those are  regular  sized cars down there, not doll cars). "Never look dow...

I met Fauna  a few days ago  in the National Park where my husband is a Park Ranger. I haven't gone back to see her yet, but I asked Eddie to keep a look out for her. I want to follow her progress, and since the Park is surrounded by an urban area, I want to make sure she stays safe from passing cars.  During one of his late security checks, he was near the parking lot and was shocked to find that he literally almost stepped on her. He was so close he could reach his arm out and touch her if he wanted. Instead, he snapped this picture for me, then carried on. He called me from work to tell me what he saw, but that he hadn't seen the mother.  I was a little worried. It may be hard to tell from this picture, but she is  tiny . Really the size of a dog, and her fur is still fuzzy. So why wasn't her mother with her late at night when the predators are out?! Google, or as I refer to it, my smart best friend, came to the rescue. It turns out that fawns who are less ...

A few years ago, I took my nephew, Ethan, to a beach in North Carolina. He was only 3 at the time and it was his first visit to the shore. He was  terrified  in awe of the ocean, and the endless sand was new and fascinating. But above all, he was  most  amazed at the seagulls.  They were  everywhere , and so close too! Why, he could almost reach out and grab one! Well, this became a novel idea and it's exactly what he tried to do. Over and over. It didn't take long for him to learn that they fly away awfully fast, and so he had to be ready to run. He would get close, they would get ready for take off, and then just like that, Ethan would be toddling down the shore at full speed trying to catch that tricky bird. When it flew away, another was right there,  so  near his grasp. He ran up and down the beach all day long and it never occurred to him that he might not catch a seagull after all. And I never told him that it was unlikely. I ho...

My husband is a Park Ranger at a National Park in New Jersey. Though it's a small park, whose historical significance boasts Thomas Edison's former residence, he still sees his dose of wildlife. And since I love little critters, he took me on a mission to hunt and shoot - my camera. Our main objective was deer, but on our mission, we found some less-illusive critters to shoot.  More chipmunks that I could possibly count I find them irresistibly adorable  More groundhogs than I could possibly count See baby groundhog on the left, and lazy mamma on the right? My own pretty little critter, Joy. (She did more scaring away, than helping us find). Finally, the deer came out. But the best find, and shots of the day, were of this little baby. I named her Fauna.  Fauna was brave, but we didn't want to get too close. I'll continue to check on her. One of the best things about the return of good weather, is that critter season is open. I must remember to keep my camera...

I've said before that my  Grandma  is the most patriotic person I know. Her family, from Mexico, consisted of her mother raising 10 children alone. And though she is full blooded Mexican, her heart completely belongs to the United States. She is the most appreciative supporter of the military I have ever met. And so for today's post, I turned to one of her many writings to share. She wrote this for her Writer's Group with Betsy Ross and the first hand-stitched flag as her inspiration. "Red White and Blue"  by Mary M. Valencia 10/13/2009 Ripples high Red, White, and Blue Sounds of freedom alerts us to A Nation's fighting battle cry Amongst the density she flies high. Forward rushing 3,000 men Grimace boldly to defend. Battles fought on common soil Where once'st with brother they did toil. The promise of a new tomorrow Bodies buried lessen the sorrow. Atrocious battle has been fought Unmeasured calmness now is sought. Forward proudly in the lead Fife and d...

I watched a young girl of about 5 years old board the subway with her father. It was a warm day and the father seemed exhausted as he scanned the car for an empty seat for him and his daughter. The young girl pushed her way through the crowd to find a vacant metal pole that she could use to steady herself on her feet as the train bounced around. She didn't seem to mind that there were no available seats. At the next stop, a swarm of people left the train and before a new swarm could board and fill the empty seats, the little girl moved quickly to take a seat and save one for her dad.  Commuters always sit in silence on the subway. There could be a singing musician passing through the car, a homeless man making a scene, or a mouse scurrying across the floor, and most New Yorkers wouldn't flinch or even look up. But something about this little girl enchanted those near her and they smiled at her. She smiled back and told her heroic tale of getting a seat for her and her dad....