Magical Moment 379, "Nothing"

Eddie and I like to make a big deal out of each other's birthday's. For example, on my birthday I get to pick what I want to eat, where I want to go, and what I want to do. The other person has to make that wish come true, no questions asked and no complaining. Eddie has sat through karaoke night, eaten sushi, and spent the day at the mall for me. Well, today, we celebrated Eddie's birthday (his real birthday is on Sunday, but he has to work).

I asked Eddie, "What do you want to do on your birthday?" The answer was simple. Nothing. I thought maybe he just needed some suggestions: Play a game of racket ball? Go to the park? Go out to eat? Go see a movie? Nothing. He wanted to do nothing. He didn't want to leave the house, or the couch for that matter. And so, in keeping with our birthday tradition, I respected his wish.

We spent most of the day watching movies and eating junk food in between naps. At the end of the day I asked Eddie, "Did you have a good birthday?"
He exclaimed, "It was amazing. The best birthday I ever had."

His response reminded me of that movie, Office Space. The main character skips work, and when his friend asked him what he did instead, he replied, "I did nothing. I did absolutely nothing, and it was everything that I thought it could be."

So happy birthday, Eddie. I'm glad your dream of doing nothing came true for a day. As for me, polish up your cowboy boots for a night of 2-stepping and karaoke come April!

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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