Remembrance

food fun & fireworks

With the upcoming 4th of July, I was thinking about our family traditions and how they shape us.  And truth be told, I was thinking about how this summer is so different than last summer.  With the devastation that Hurricane Sandy left in her wake, our Jersey Shore just isn’t the same and it makes me sad.  Not to mention that my Dad isn’t here again this year ~ so this summer heralds with her a new type of summer that’s permanently changed.

I guess I’m ‘waxing poetic’ these days about what’s gone, but not forgotten.

But like the fireworks of July 4th, we are all here to pop ~ to shine ~ to sparkle and to dazzle!  We are in the public’s eye, sometimes only for a few moments of fame and then we fizzle out.  But we can remain in the memories of our loved ones for our specialness, our dazzling display of light ~ our firecracker selves!

And, I hope that one day perhaps when I’m gone, someone will remember me in a fond way ~ that I will have left my mark on a heart or two ~ made this world a better place by being here, by stretching out of my comfort zone and by sending out love.  Perhaps the ocean breezes, the feeling of sand between toes, the smell of the briny sea will remind them of me.

As I am reminded now.

Big hugs to all!

Shine On!

xo

Daily Prompt ~ Summer’s Day

Sunbeams dance sprightly on the water,

leaving sparkly footprints for all to enjoy.

Blue skies grow cloud mountains,

the air is fresh and clean.

Peace fills my soul with every breath,

as troubles gently float away.

Teardrops cease their journey,

exchanged for a smile,

by a calm summer’s day.

~ The Presents of Presence.

Today’s post is dedicated to the 6 Month Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy and all who were affected.

Daily Prompt: Unleash Your Inner Dickinson by michelle w.

National Poetry Writing Month is nearly at at end. To celebrate it, try your hand at some verse.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/daily-prompt-dickinson/

A View of the Beach by a Jersey Girl

So as you may remember, I’m a Jersey Girl through and through.  Not the Jersey Shore type of gal, but a Jersey Girl which means that I grew up by the beach.  The ocean beckoned me every summer’s day and even when the weather wasn’t delightful, she beckoned and I answered, surrendering to her call.

To me, the beach is my only drug.  It soothes my soul.  No matter whether the weather is sunny, bright and warm or blustery, cold and cloudy!  The tranquility of the waves, the beauty of the sky as it meets the ocean, the way the waves draw on the sand, soothes my heart, my mind and me.  Even when the storms come and the waves thrash against the shoreline, rising up with their powerful swells, the beach is still my favorite place to be.

Because to me, the beach and the ocean are like life.  Some days are filled with sunshine and with rhythmic waves that we ride along with ease!  Some days are blustery, cloudy and the uncontrollable swells sweep across our lives and take with them everything that we know.  Even when tragedy strikes, it is to the beach that I return, finding my compass again to build another sandcastle baby step by baby step in my life.

With Hurricane Sandy, so many were devastated by her wrath.   Familiar buildings nearby were demolished, swept away by the sea.  The landscape changing completely by the power of the storm.  Destruction that will take years to rebuild has changed so many lives and it is with a tear-stained face that I witnessed so much.  However, months later, we are a part of Restore the Shore, starting over again, rebuilding and changing and making stronger.  It is to the sea that we all are drawn here.

We acknowledge her power, her beauty and her will ~ we bend to her, but we never break completely for we are Jersey Strong.  Time heals us and it takes time to heal, but with strength, love and will, we can rebuild her and enjoy her once again!

Mountains and forests are beautiful but simply don’t hold that magical, powerful draw that the beach has for me.  Perhaps if I weren’t born a Jersey Girl it would be different.

I am forever a Jersey Girl.

I simply can’t be far away from the sea ~

her beauty, her power, and her saltwater flow forever in my veins.

What about you?  Are you a beach, a mountain, a forest or another type of nature admirer?

Shine On!

xo

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/daily-prompt-places/

Daily Prompt: Places

Beach, mountain, forest, or somewhere else entirely?

Hurricane Sandy Help from Faraway!

So many people have helped those affected by Hurricane Sandy!  Recently I saw that a friend who moved to Ocala, Florida, inspired her children’s school and community to donate items to help those in New Jersey ~ her childhood home.  On FB, I watched as she asked and got help and donations and even got a truck to bring them to N.J.!  The power of one person ~ multiplied by hundreds of other like-minded hearts ~ can change lives!

I was inspired by them and so in just a few minutes, I made the following 3 panel card to thank them!  I thought I’d share to show you that sometimes I simply send one of our cards from our catalog and other times, I make the card myself.  It doesn’t take talent, or skill…it just takes a few photos or logo and a few minutes of your time.  There’s no limit to what your imagination can do with SendOutCards! (Green dotted lines that you see are not on the cards, they are just to show you the edges of your card ~ whatever is outside the green dotted box is not printed.  Because these are pictures of what I did, you will sometimes see the lines, but I can assure you, they are not on the cards received through the mail! 🙂

I chose a 3 panel card (see above) as I had a bunch of pictures and I wanted to send a video so I wanted a bunch of panels to fill up.  The 3 panel card cost $.93, all of the pictures cost $.31 (I could have had 100 pictures or just one ~ the price was still the same) and to add the video to the card cost $.31, postage is $.45 for a stamp so…

it costs exactly $2 with postage included

This is why I love what I do!  I just uploaded their pictures from Facebook and their website to my free SendOutCards (SOC) account, then I decided what backgrounds, fonts and colors I wanted, I then wrote a note from my heart and finally I found their address, filled in the blanks in the virtual envelope provided by SOC and voila!  I clicked send ~ within 24 hours, my card was printed, stuffed into the envelope, licked, addressed, stamped and mailed for me!

There is nothing easier, nor more fun, nor less expensive and yet priceless!

I had to share…so please indulge me!

Do you need to thank someone?

Click below…you’ll be glad you did!

Got Gratitude?

xo

Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Nor’Easters ~ Help!

I feel like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz…truly…it’s been one thing after another here for this Jersey Gal.  Hurricane Sandy last week gave us downed trees, power outages, loss of food, loss of life ~ not to mention destruction of property in overwhelming proportions.  Sandy devastated the surrounding areas and many, including my sister and Mom are still without power.  Now I know that we can’t compare Sandy to Andrew or Katrina…but still…and she arrived on Monday October 29th.

One week later, on Monday November 5th, we had an earthquake in Ringwood, NJ  ~ just one week after Sandy hit…which personally I didn’t feel where I live.  A 2.0 magnitude which was reportedly heard as a loud boom for those awake at 1am in the morning.  For an area which is still power deprived, still cleaning up after Hurricane Sandy, I just can’t imagine the fright that the earthquake gave those who felt it.

And then, last night…just two days later, a Nor’Easter hit us.  A Nor’Easter is defined as a macro storm blowing in from the northeast.  Weathermen had been telling us that we would experience heavy rains and high winds in my area…instead, we received a heavy mantle of white snow to the tune of 5 inches at my home which was pretty to watch as it came down, but only if you were happily bundled in a warm home with heat and food.  Luckily for us, we have power, I had made homemade chicken soup and we had heat and each other.

It’s the simple things in life my friends.

Shelter, food and love and not necessarily in that order…but for now, yes, in that order.

So I’m asking for help here…not for myself but for those who need it…for those who’ve lost everything.  The Red Cross is a charitable, well-known, hard-working group who are here, providing water, shelter, clothing, blood for hospitals and funds for those who need it.  Perhaps you would like to help but don’t know what you can do…below please find some links ~ you can donate from your cell phone by texting ~ you can donate blood for those who need it ~ you can donate online if you choose.

If you can’t do any of the above, then I simply ask that you take a moment to give…

Thanks for the littlest to the biggest blessings that you have in your life. 

From shelter and food, to love and family…to health, to wealth and to an abundance of clean, fresh air that we breathe…to water, to blankets, to smiles and to heartfelt hugs which are abundant when you choose.

Click below to…

Donate to the Red Cross!

Be thankful, be generous…be blessed.

Thank you from my heart.

xo

Falling Back in Time with Gratitude to Sandy

Yesterday was an awesome day….after 6 days of no power and daylight savings time heralding the early morn, I am happy to report I am back online today…I have power back at our house and I feel reborn.  Silly though it may sound to you, this past week has been very difficult for me.  We had a few trees down on our property, but within the neighborhood, we had many huge trees down, some completely blocking the road, many taking down power lines as they fell during Hurricane Sandy.

Surely, I am not alone in my trials and tribulations with Hurricane Sandy.  In fact, I am in better shape than most having only lost power and thus two refrigerators and freezers of food.  Our family has our health, our home and our pets with no damage to our home.  We are blessed.  I know we are and I am grateful for everything.

Unable to leave our home, our family settled in and bonded.  We played Monopoly and Rummikub.  We had my mom with us so we had lots of good chats, some tears for the loss of my dad and we bonded over memories.  We snuggled under blankets, read books by the light of the sun (when we could) and we walked around with battery operated candles which made life safer with 2 cats who have no understanding of open flames.

We visited neighbors, bonded together while we helped eachother cut up and haul to the curb fallen trees.  We shared news, we walked the neighborhood to expend nervous energy and we were just thankful for all of the little blessings.

Now that the power is back in our little alcove, we are looking to others to help them as they endure Hurricane Sandy’s wrath.  The devastation is mind-blowing now that we have the ability to see on tv and on the internet what is happening locally.  The sadness is truly heart-wrenching…

So please take this opportunity to count your blessings today…and always.  Look around and help others when you can…be kind, reach out and give a helping hand to someone who needs it…and you will find that your life force, your blessings and your vibrations increase!

And in case you don’t know what Rummikub is…you’re missing out! It’s a family fun game!

click on the picture…

Blessings to all of you!
Happy Monday!
xo

Trick or Treat

Hurricane Sandy aka Frankenstorm is threatening to land nearby like Dorothy’s house on the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, so I may not be online for a few days.  So…I thought I’d just have a bit of fun until I can return with the iPhone app for SendOutCards…

Trick or Treat.

Reblogged with a huge smile on my face.  Thanks to Ramblings of a Hedge Witch…

Happy Halloween to All of YOU!

xo