Sunsets for Amanda

Have you ever seen a story unfold and it just feels surreal? That's how I feel about Amanda. She isn't one of my best friends, but I've known her for four years.  There have been laughs over birthday parties, shopping, mexican food and wine expos; comments on Facebook statuses and pictures.  She was, I believe, the soul sister to someone I hold near and dear.

Amanda was a nurse. A mom. A daughter. A sister. A friend to many. A lover of sunrises, Disney and running.  Amanda was chosen to represent her prominent Boston hospital in April's Boston Marathon.

By now, you've noticed that I'm speaking of Amanda in the past tense.

Two days before Christmas, Amanda was out for a run and was hit by a car. Despite the news stories online with fuzzy details - I won't speculate as what precipitated someone hitting Amanda and then striking a telephone pole so hard that it broke.

It goes without saying that she fought to stay...she would never choose to leave her little boy. But her injuries were just too much to overcome.

Five days after getting hit, Amanda passed away.  But not before making one last gift to humanity; she was an organ donor. While I will miss hearing of her adventures; seeing her beautiful sunrise pictures from the vantage point of her hospital; seeing her name pass across my Facebook or Instagram feed, I know that she will live on through those organ donations.

One of Amanda's very best friends captioned this image. Amanda would understand the sad joy so many of us feel in her being the Oprah of organ donation.

The sun has set on the life of a woman who loved sunrises so very much.  Hug your friends and family.  Tell them exactly how much they mean to you.  And maybe, watch a few sunrises and think of Amanda.



P.S. I've had a few people ask...so you can donate to Amanda's Boston Marathon fundraiser HERE or the GoFundMe account for her son and assorted needs HERE.

Oops...

So sorry for the unintentional break everyone!  With a dozen dates at Barnes & Noble - it almost felt like I lived there.

I hope everyone had an AMAZING Christmas!  Back to our regularly scheduled program...  I promise!

Thirty Days of Thankful - Hope

As this month draws to a close, I have hope.  Sometimes it's easy to feel cynical and occasionally even a bit helpless to the way life seems to be going. It's been a trying year, that has brought tears of sadness and frustration. But I have hope!

Hope that:

• I am enough.  A good enough sister, dog-mom, daughter, friend, co-worker and rescuer.
• Some day, my Prince will come...
• Sooner or later, I'll figure out what I want to be "when I grow up"!
• I find the courage to write a book some day.
• I keep loving blogging as much as I do now.  Views and comments aren't particularly high right now, but I love it nonetheless.
• All the trials and tribulations of this year mean that 2016 will be much easier.
• My rescue continues to grow and flourish.
• That a new blog design and moving to Wordpress are in my near-ish future.  :-)

What are you all hoping for?

Thirty Days of Thankful - Challenges

I have given a lot of thought to this particular one...  It's easy to see challenges as a reason to give up, or to hide and hope it just goes away.  I can't imagine that any of us have gotten this far in life without making it through at least a few challenges.

The past few years have been particularly challenging for me.  Life has taken a few turns I never quite expected. I could detail the hurdles the past few years have thrown in my path, but that's not the point... I'm thankful for them.  They have taught me perseverance, determination, to take more joy in the simple things and I appreciate the people that have had my back even more than ever.

Thirty Days of Thankful - Music

I have always loved music.  I grew up with parents who LOVE music...and they both passed their music preferences down to my brother and I.  So I guess they're to blame for our eclectic (read: random) musical choices. Ha!

I was a road trip kid who learned quickly that being in the car (especially during the summer) meant wind in my hair and lots of singing! Some songs have a deep emotional impact to me.  There are just some songs that anchor me to moments in time, places or memories.  I'm not the only one, right?!

Here are a few of my favorite songs lately:

What songs have made an impact on you?

Beckett and the Groundhog

Does this look like the face of a killer?

Those of you that have read my blog for a while know that my furkids are hunters.  Sweet, precious, cuddly 99% of the time...then we have what I call "the killing season" every year.  Typically, it's a bird who is just learning to fly that falls prey.  (For the record, before this story - the herd record was 11 birds, 2 chipmunks, 1 squirrel, 1 bunny and a baby skunk.)

Before I tell you the story, I should note that Beckett is typically not the leader of these little adventures.  However, it seems he decided he needed to defend his younger siblings.  Or teach them how it's done.  I'm going with defend them....

About two weeks ago, I noticed that the back grass was moving and did a quick count of my pups - all accounted for!  I proceeded to watch out the window and what pops up, sits on its haunches and starts eating my flowers/grass but a groundhog!  I watch it leave the yard (fenced, by the way and I then reinforced where I believed it entered the yard) and everything was fun for almost two weeks.

I got home and was greeted with "you'll never guess what happened today". It turns out that two groundhogs got into the yard, the pups were ushered into the house and kept inside for about an hour.  Here's where I should note that groundhogs are apparently stupid.  They stayed in the freaking yard!  The entire herd went out and pack hunting ensued.  One groundhog managed to escape unscathed, but Beckett managed to corner and kill the second one.  I'm told that Carmella, my parent's cocker spaniel was his "wing man".

The new "prize" had to be taken from Beckett as he wanted to bring it into the house...GROSS!  Thankfully, no one took pictures of Beckett with the groundhog and he doesn't have a single scratch on him.  Groundhogs are mean!

Do you have a dog that has a strong hunting instinct too?




P.S. Don't forget to enter my Jamberry giveaway.  It ends Friday at midnight.  :-)

The One Where I Contemplate Doing Something Totally Crazy...

I play things safe, at least, I think I do.  I still get to do some really cool stuff...like traveling cross-country, starting a rescue, and enjoying day to day life with my family and friends, which is an adventure all unto itself.  However, there are times I stand on the sidelines of life thinking "I'd love to take a chance and do this or that."  I can't tell you for sure what stops me most of the time.  Sometimes, it's because I'm shy, sometimes I'm too afraid of failure, or I care too much what other people think of my choices...and sometimes, I'm just afraid. Period.

Most of the time, the thing I'm contemplating and stop myself from doing is minute.  Go make friends with someone new at a party. Pull the trigger and get tattoo #3. Finally write a book (OK...so that one is kinda big.).

Today, I came across an article in the Boston Globe.  A local bakery is being given away by its current owner! All I need to do to enter is write a brief essay for consideration and send in a certified check for the entry fee.  I'm seriously considering it.  I love to bake!  Despite being shy - I love people!  Owning a local bakery is something I think I could actually be good at.

I'm not rushing into making the decision to enter...or not.  But my heart races when I think about it.  What do you all think?  Am I crazy for considering it?

Pictures from bakery's website

I Remember...

Like many of you, I want to share where I was on 9/11.

Even ten years later, I remember the day like it was yesterday.  I was the Office Coordinator in the financial district of Boston.  That morning, I got in early, turned on the TV to the "Today Show", and called the O.C. in the NYC office.  You see...that morning I was having second thoughts about being there instead of her.  I had been given the opportunity to be temporarily placed in our Manhattan office, and had turned it down in favor of staying close to my family.  The timing just didn't feel right.

So, I called her to chat while we both waited for staff to roll into both of our offices.  We said our "good-byes" just past 8 AM.  I should have turned the TV off at that point.  But I didn't. 

When news flashed that a plane had flown into the North Tower, programming went live to the World Trade Center.  I watched live while a second plane flew into the South Tower.  In a matter of minutes, the world as I knew it was shattered.

We quickly learned that both of those planes came from Boston.  MY airport.  The place where I felt SAFE to travel.  I was horrified.  And, as fighter jets flew overhead, our office was evacuated & we were all sent with the masses to go home and be with our families. 

I will never forget the feeling of being packed into the subway that day.  You just couldn't help but hug the people that surrounded you.  It didn't matter that they were strangers.  It didn't matter that you may never see that person again.  You gave comfort and received comfort from those around you.

I was one of the last people that my friend ever spoke to.  That frightened me for a long time.  I felt guilty that it was her, not me. Now, I just hope that our joking gave her a little peace.


I also want to share with you how that day changed me.  And how it didn't.

In most ways, I'm still the same person I always was.  I learned to trust my gut more.  Something told me not to take that job; told me not to turn off the TV that day.

I tell people that I love them more.  I used to be better about it...but I still will randomly tell people that matter to me that I love them.  You never want people to wonder how you feel about them.  :-)

Like the majority of Americans, I feel so much more patriotic than I did before that day. There a renewed dedication to God and country that swept over so many of us.  Life became so much more about us instead of it being about me.

I didn't shy away from flying.  Three weeks after that fateful day, I got on a plane at Logan and flew to a family reunion in San Antonio.  I was in England when we formally declared war.  When it's my time...it's my time.  I refuse to stop living my life because someone else doesn't agree with the freedoms that Americans are afforded.

Over the years, I've known quite a few people who have practiced the Muslim religion.  Even that day, I knew it had absolutely nothing to do with them, and everything to do with a handful of absolute lunatics.



I'm linking my post with Andrea over at My Chihuahua Bites.  If you feel like sharing your story, I'd love to read it.

(((HUGS)))

You Asked; I Answered - Part I

There aren't tons of questions (If you have something ask - there's still time!!), but I could write a novel about absolutely nothing and I don't want to bore you all to tears.

I'm starting with Jane's questions.  She was, by far, the most prolific source of questions.

1. What is the name of the fabulous place with the amazing chocolate covered apples and chocolate covered oreos?
Thinking about those apples, are ya?!?!  Last year I sent Jane chocolate covered apples and oreos from Sticky Fingers Gourmet Apples.  They do some sinful things with apples! Forget your diet, an apple as your meal, what do you mean this apple weighs two pounds sinful! 

Darn you, Jane!  I'm now feel the need to calculate how long I can go without ordering from them!  :-)  Their Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and their Double chocolate apples are my favorites.

2. How is the house coming ... do we stay or do we go now?
Oh, we stay!  Thursday was an amazingly busy day...and I'm-a stayin'!  Funny story actually.  I called my Realtor Wednesday morning when I got to work, just to let her know I felt like something wasn't quite right and I was considering not signing another house extension.  An hour later she calls and says that my short sale was approved.  An hour later she calls again and lets me know that in the next 24 hours I need to sign a new P&S, a few legal documents and oh...wire $2,000 to an escrow account.  To make my day uber productive, I also spent some quality time with my insurance agent to discuss a home owner's policy & had lunch with Kirstren, Heather and her sister!

The money was a shocker.  My Realtor wasn't expecting it either! I've already done my mandatory deposit - months ago.  As it turns out, a large-federally-bailed-out mortgage company decided to use a 3rd party vendor to determine whether to agree to my short sale or not.  And, I get to foot the bill for this vendor.  The rest of the bill is due at closing... in addition to all my other closing costs. 

But it will all be worth it when it's over!  All this crud at least earns me my real estate license, right!?!?!

3. What is your ALL TIME favorite book?
My favorite ever book is a children's book -  Dr. Suess' Sleep Book.  Oh, the irony!  I'm an insomniac and my favorite book is about sleep!!

4. What is the worst book you've ever read?
I'm a reader...and once I get started on a book, I finish - NO MATTER WHAT!  Because of that, I've read some really cruddy ones, which I'm a little hesitant to say by name because during my December book post, a few authors actually sent me emails thanking me for reading their books.

But...I will say that Nicci French has had some major suckage in their past few books.  Despite being married - I think that writing team need to break up and write their own books.  I'd bet good money that they'd be immensely more readable!  And, thus concludes my turn at being a meanie.

5. Do you ever sleep?
I sleep.  Just not well.  It's highly unusual that I sleep for more than two hours at a time... or more than 4 hours a night.  Because of this, I don't do many trips with people who are light sleepers or don't understand insomnia.  I feel like I'm such a disruption to their lives!  However, I've developed the life skill of staying extremely still in the event that overnight travel with others occurs.

This one comes from Jennifer...

6. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Can I tell you how hard it is to answer this question?  I've been so many places that I could envision living! A few of those places are Myrtle Beach, SC; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; Virginia Beach, VA & Washington, DC.  I'm a very adaptable person - but one of the big parts of my life is water.  I absolutely, positively can NOT live more than an hour from the beach.  It sounds utterly ridiculous - but I wouldn't be able to stay in a land-locked state for more than a year.  The beach is my happy place.  I need the sand beneath my feet, the smell of salt air, the activity of seagulls swooping around and the sound of the tide rolling in and out.

And the last question of this post comes from Julie!

7. Have you always lived on the east coast? If not where else have you lived?
I have always lived on the east coast - in fact I've spent my life living in only two different cities/towns south of Boston.  (And even after buying the new house - that fact will still be true!) 

With that said, I've gotten to spend big blocks of time in lots of other places.  My dad's family all settled in the west after my grandpa retired from the Coast Guard.  Because of that, I got to spent countless summers and holidays in San Diego (CA), Albuquerque, Roswell, Taos (NM), El Paso (TX), Las Vegas & Laughlin (NV). I've gotten to be a California beach bum, pick pecans on a big farm and sit on a mountainside & be able to visually distinguish what street lights are American and which are Mexican. (In case you were wondering - the streetlight in Mexico give a green hue.)

And that speaks nothing of all the cool stuff I've gotten to do on the East Coast!!


Round two of your questions are coming soon!