Magical Moment 504, "Take it and Be Blessed"

A priceless and necessary summer memory for all to possess, is a dusky, humid evening spent chasing lightning bugs. The chiggers nibbling on your ankles as you race through the freshly mowed grass, eyes fixed on the luminescent spec that fades in and out before your eyes, while arms flail haphazardly through the invisible air to snatch it in your palms.

Imagine my shock and sorrow, when my husband commented that he had never done so. A crime which I felt must immediately be remedied.

I don't own brilliant diamonds, or the luxurious glitter of gold. But once, my grandpa made me a ring to adorn my childishly small fingers, of a lightning bug and twist tie. Twas a piece of jewelry that lasted for only a moment on my hand, but has remained in my beloved thoughts for a lifetime.

And so, Eddie, you must accept this specially created piece. A lighting fixture, fit for all styles of decor, made of a glass jar, paper towel, and rubber band. The designer is God Himself, with only me as the assembler. I hope it lights a small corner of a room for a moment or two. And then, the rubber band will come off. The paper towel will flutter to the ground. And the the magical specimens will venture out to illuminate their own corner of the great, black sky. Then we will sit back and watch with wonder. We may confuse them with a star for a moment, but who is to say they're not just as lovely?

A lightning bug does not think what they do is extraordinary. It's just how they are. It's just how God made them. But when others see lightning bugs do what comes natural, they are blessed.

That is my prayer.

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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