Magical Moment 500, "Fathers"

My dad comes up quite a bit in this blog. In fact, he was in the very first of these 500 (wow, time flies) consecutive posts. I suppose it's a testament to the good father he's been throughout my life, supporting every crazy thing I've done from jumping out of airplanes to moving to New York. As much as he may hate that I've been away from home for so long chasing my ambitions, he knows that he has only himself to blame. For he taught me to always follow my passion. And I learned that by his example.

I always remember my grandpa today as well. We lost him when I was 16, but thankfully have a lifetime of memories to carry with me. I remember him standing at the grill as the family gathered outside, enjoying a summer afternoon. I remember his collection of Energizer Bunnies, and the way he sat side by side with my grandma in their rockers with his dog, Sam on his lap. When I think of him, I think of a man who survived more obstacles in his life than probably anyone else I know.

There are few occasions more important to a woman, than her wedding day. Mine was beautiful and everything I could have wanted for such an event. I wasn't nervous about seeing Eddie for the first time, or vowing to be with him forever. I knew that would be fine. I didn't need a ceremony to tell me that. But I was nervous about my dad walking me down the aisle and "giving me away." I knew that would put a lump in my throat. And our father/daughter dance later on, did even more than that. But nearly 4 years later, I am still my father's daughter. And one of the most wonderful things about getting married, is gaining a new family. I have two wonderful grandpas now and a father-in-law, all who I know I can depend on for anything. So today, I am thinking about all the fathers in my life and how blessed of a daughter, granddaughter and daughter-in-law I am!

"A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life."

~Irish Saying

"I may have found my Prince Charming, but dad will always be King!"

~Author Unknown

"What was silent in the father speaks in the son, and often I found in the son the

unveiled secret of the father."

~Friedrich Nietzsche

"Don't wait to make your son a great man - make him a great boy."

~Author Unknown

Little Eddie and his dad (Awwww!)

**Top 2 photos by Frank Ekeler**

~~~

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-

Search This Blog