Love is All Around You

Three hundred sixty-five days ago I set out on writing mission. Inspired by my friend Helen who was completing a 2015 daily blog, I decided it was a good way to commit myself to daily writing. I had been writing on several different blogs each with varied focus, but this was a chance to capture an entire year, one day at a time. I also resolved to look at life through a more positive lens, and thus the theme of love, and finding as much of it as possible, became part of my mission. Looking back on the year, I am convinced more than ever that love is truly all around us. We just need to look for it, and be open to receiving it. Love, peace, health and happiness to all in 2017.

Love is all around us

in the laughter of a child

in the comfort of a parent

in the warm touch of a lover

it is in the sunny blue sky

and the chirping birds

kindness from a stranger

learning something new

it is in the joy of a good book

and the lyrics of a new song

sweetness of fresh fruit

writing a poem

Love is all around us

in the birth of a child

in the holidays with family

in the blessing of true friendship

it is in the nuzzle of a pup

and the rustle of the leaves

yoga and meditation

crashing waves on the shore

it is the overcoming of fear

and the acceptance of great loss

change when it's for the best

letting go because you know you have to

Love is all around us

Love is all around us

2017- Haikus

This will be my year

my perspective is in check

I'm where I should be

trust, internal voice 

breathing in and breathing out

faith, higher power

creativity

writing, reading, exploring

true inspiration

Image retrieved from UNC School of Medicine

This is the New Year

I haven't been a fan of pop music since I was a teenager, but every now and then a song catches my attention. Usually, if it does, it's because the sound is unique like Paralyzer by Finger Eleven a few years ago. Or, it could be something about the lyrics that has me singing in my head. I am a sucker for a positive message song. A Great Big World gave us one back in 2014, with This is the New Year, and coincidentally it popped up in the shuffle on my iPod today. I was driving down the road, jeep all open, and a chill in the air. The day before New Year's Eve, I found myself reflecting. I just know 2017 is going to be a great year. I can feel it.

Another year you made a promise

I did. I made a promise to make writing an everyday part of my life, and I did. I wrote on this blog nearly everyday, looking for love and finding it in many ways all around me.

Another chance to turn it all around

Every new year is a chance to turn things around. Sometimes it's a small thing, sometimes it's everything. For me it's something small, a personal change. It's not a resolution, just a more keen awareness about something.

And do not save this for tomorrow
Embrace the past and you can live for now

I have not yet mastered the control of staying in the present. I'm working on it. But I have certainly learned to let go of a lot, to learn from the past and leave it there. For this year, I need to work on trying harder not to live too much for the future. Have you ever heard someone say if you wait for the perfect time, it will never come. So part of this is seizing the day when appropriate.

Speak louder than the words before you

And give them meaning no one else has found

My writing circle, cheers to us. I am so proud of how much we've grown as writers, as friends, as a collective voice. I can feel our power. Our voices are getting stronger. Each year we have added another devotion. The group. The blog. The retreats. The Sanibel Island Writers Conference. Sounds like at least one of us will produce a big piece of writing this year. Maybe more than one of us!

The role we play is so important

We are the voices of the underground

This year, I made a huge realization about the work we do at PACE. Our organization is speaking loudly, and we are bringing the needs of women and girls to a bigger audience. There is so much more to be done, but it is important work. Right here, right now, I feel I am right where I should be.

Say everything you've always wanted
Be not afraid of who you really are

In the end we have each other
And that's at least one thing worth living for

I maybe the freest I have ever been to say what I need to say. My husband and my family have always afforded me a safe place to be who I need to be and speak freely from my heart. The amazing women of my writing group have created the safest circle of trust for writing and sharing. And I can even say, my boss and co-workers empower each other to be the most authentic and genuine best we can be. It's given me the confidence and security to make some important decisions this year.

Let's tear the walls down that divide us

Our country has a lot of work to do this year. We have to navigate some rough waters, but I believe we will find a way. We have to.

This is the new year
A new beginning

Here's to a healthy and happy and prosperous New Year. Here's to a more peaceful nation and global community. Here's to respect for our earth, and our people. Happy New Year.

Final Days

It's hard to believe another year is coming to an end. That means this blog project is winding down as well. I have been feeling guilty lately because I've been struggling to keep up. I got quite a bit behind, several times over the past month or two, and I've been looking forward to the final days of this project.

So I took a look back, revisited the first few months and kept going from the start all the way to current day. Now, I'm prepared to cut myself some slack. From January 1st, all the way through August, I never skipped a day. For eight months straight I wrote every single day. Even since then I kept up most of the time. I have decided, instead of kicking myself about the slip-ups, I'm going to celebrate the accomplishment.

Though my creative inspiration wasn't always there, though the writing sometimes felt like a burden, I have completed a piece of writing for every day of the year. I have written tons of poems, reflected on my son's eighteenth birthday and senior year. I have explored nature and processed my experience teaching college. I have celebrate girls, written about love and friendship.

I have found, even though we have had so much tragedy in 2016, love truly was all around me.

This Photo

Earlier in the year, I did a post about reading photographs. I always planned to get back to doing more if it, but you move on and you forget. Tonight I was flipping through photos and came across this one. I stop and stare at it every time it surfaces. It says so much to me as a mom, as a writer.

It is of course, a photo of my son, and there are some immediate things that strike me about it. Then, there are some things you won't see without my guidance. Things I see when I look a little deeper...

The photo was taken on a family vacation to St. Augustine. We traveled with another family we are friends with, both the kids and adults. The weather was uncharacteristically cold for the time of year. We went to the beach and ate lunch and walked, but it was too cold to wear swimsuits or go in the water. Jacob rolled up his jeans so he could walk on the shoreline without getting his pants wet.

Jacob has deep and beautiful blue eyes, so we often buy him shirts in the color he's wearing. The bright blue of his shirt, the faded blue jeans, and the color of the sky and water, all make this photo so blue. Even the metal railing he's leaning on takes on a blueish-gray hue.  He has my curls, and here his hair was grown out and a bit unruly. It has an I don't care kind of feel to it. He's looking at me so seriously. If you don't know him, you might interpret the look as a disgust about my attempt to take his photo. As his mom, I can tell you it's an unassuming vanity. He'll look my way, but he's not going to smile with approval. He's sort of posing.

Notice the way he is sitting. He appears to be relaxed. Both shoulders back, and his leg dropped. I'm not so sure how relaxed he was. As a high school freshman, approaching the end of the year (this was spring break), he was just starting to figure things out. He struggled all through middle school, and he was gaining some confidence as he found high school to be a place he felt more like himself. His face is fuller than it is today. He was definitely starting to look older, but he did not yet have the definition in his face, he does today. His skin hadn't cleared up yet, and his shoulders hadn't squared off.

And his hand. The way his hand is hanging forward, the way he's holding his fingers looks just like his dad. It's funny how you notice things like that, things no one else would see.

This photo represents a pivotal time for Jacob, at least in my eyes. It was the last time I'd see him more as a teenager than a young man. I'll cherish this photo forever. It's one of my favorites. It may say more about me as a mom, than it does about him as my son. That's ok.

Quickie

Dig deep, and believe in yourself.

Food, Friends, and Conversation

Never underestimate the joy you get from spending the day with some friends you love, eating good food, and talking.... especially when there is a spectacular view. As this year is coming to an end, I am excited about the prospect of moving forward in our work as a writing circle. I cherish the group, our writing, our talking about writing, our camaraderie.

Happiness is having friends...

to write with
to laugh with
to eat with
to drink with
to enjoy life with
to share with

Buttoning Up and Cleaning Out

It's that time of year. We are getting ready to say goodbye to a year past, and getting ready to start anew. Whereas springtime seems to bring the physical cleaning house, the New Year offers opportunity for reflection- an emotional and spiritual "cleaning." People start to think about changes they want to make in their lives, relationships they want to repair or let go. Of course there is the cliche New Year's resolution still alive and superficially making its way into guilty minds.

While some are conjuring up ways to lose weight, or cleaning out their Facebook friends list, I've begun a small cleaning project of my own. For months, maybe even over a year, I've been wanting to clean out my email subscriptions. I know this sounds minuscule and inconsequential, but it's something I've been meaning to do for some time, and I finally got started this morning. There's more than just the obvious reason of being sick of the ridiculous number of emails on a daily basis. It's the bombardment of commercialism and distraction. Do I need to know every item on sale in every store? Do I need more e-zines and newsletters than I can read in a week's time? I get emails from stores I haven't shopped in for over a year, and updates from websites I once ordered one item from, once, a long long time ago.

So you see, by cleaning house, I'm not just reducing the number of emails in my email box, I'm reducing the clutter of senseless distraction I encounter each day. It's just one more step in my long-standing goal to continue to simplify. If I really need something, it's not going to matter to me if it is on sale or not. I'm going to buy it. If I happen to catch a sale, great! I don't need to know every sale at every store and website. All it does is entice you to spend money when you don't need to, or that you need something you really don't. To tell you the truth, all you need is a calendar and a list of holidays and you'll know every time there is a sale.

Also being cut, Linkedin. Sorry folks, don't be insulted when I don't accept your request to connect. I rarely even use Linkedin. If I happen to go on and I see I've received a request, I'll accept it if I know you. But months could go by before I even see it. Doesn't mean I don't like you or I'm ignoring you. I'm also eliminating the Garrison Institute and the National Parks emails. Both of these really interest me, but rarely is there something I can capitalize on, as both require extensive travel. If I'm planning a relevant trip, I can certainly visit their websites. I've eliminated a bunch of others related to swim, as my son has officially completed his senior swim season and I likely won't have any use for those anymore.

There are others, I know they'll show up in the next few days, and I'll continue to eliminate. Maybe in 2017, instead of opening my email and deleting half of what's there, I'll actually be interested in reading what pops in!

Celebrity Love

I find it fascinating the way people develop such personal attachments to celebrities... of all kinds. We become so engrossed in their stories, in their characters, in their achievements. Of course, if they produce something we love like music or unbeatable characters, we feel a loss of their art. If they were athletes, we lose the adrenalin and excitement of watching them compete.

There are memes going all around the internet, and videos and social media posts about how much 2016 sucks. There's so much craziness that has happened this year. See the John Oliver video below- it's hilarious. But it seems we've lost so many of our favorite celebrities this year, and just a week before the end of the year, we've lost our favorite princess.

The emotion over the loss of Mohammad Ali, and Prince, and David Bowie, and Carrie Fischer, George Michael and Glen Frey, and so many others (I wrote a post about Harry Morgan from MASH) are all totally understandable. What fascinates me is the RIP posts on Facebook, the memorials, and the stickers on the back of cars. Please don't misunderstand my comments as judgmental or critical. I just find it extraordinary that people feel strongly enough about people they don't even know, to change their profile pics, create living memorials on their vehicles, and post personal messages. I've never felt the urge to do anything like that. What I have felt like, is writing about the loss, or listening to music by a singer or musician we've lost, to celebrate their art and be reminded of what they've left us.

I guess everyone has their way of processing loss. We find such connection in the characters our favorite actors have created and the music made by our favorite performing artists.  We take pride in the fight of our favorite athletes' rise to the top. This year did suck in a lot of ways. We've lost a lot of greats. The tear-jerking videos during all the awards shows are going to be tough to watch this year. So long 2016. Let's hope 2017 is healthy and prosperous for all of us.

Creekside Observations

crackle and spark of a freshly ignited campfire

dribble and trickle of creek water 

in small rippling, graduating circles

a large tree, split into two separate trunks

reaching out in opposite directions 

one arching over the creek like a serpent's head

I wish I took a photo 

the kerplunk of a fish, or maybe a turtle

an A-shaped gateway for kayakers

formed by two tall and skinny trees

leaning into each other at a point

the perfect triangular vertex

the golfball-like domes barely peeking

above the surface of the creek, watching

canoers, kayakers, and perhaps most courageous

exposed, stand-up paddle boarders 

children laughing, running, bicycle riding

families, large and small

some celebrating with festive music

others talking quietly around the fire

a father and his two sons try their luck

with poles and bait and lure

while another man tosses a primitive line

with a hook and piece of bread

the former, hard on his luck

the latter dragging in his dinner

the day comes to an end slowly out here

every minute of lasting light, a chance

to take one more walk

to catch one more fish

to paddle one more time

and the night falls, and the fires burn

the aroma of dinners of all kinds 

are carried down creek with smoke

out here, dinner is served 

under the moon and the stars and the trees

calmness spreads with the departure of the mosquitos

the coolness in the air brings everyone close to the fire

chatter and marshmallow, cocoa and cake

long stretches of silence accompany the children

who have retired to their tents

while the grown-ups stare into the flames instead of screens

until the chatter is replaced with yawns 

deep inhalation of fresh air and heavy eyelids

send everyone off to bed

in a tent, on the dirt, under the stars

The Hard Truth

It's hard to be a kid sometimes, even an 18-year-old one.

Over the weekend my son made a mistake. A pretty big one. Not life threatening or hurtful, just a pretty big mistake. Let's leave it at that. I took him out for a little while yesterday, and he was dropping hints for me to ask about it. You know what that's like, don't you? When you want to tell someone something, but you don't know how or what to say, so you bait them into asking you. I think it's a protective strategy our brain uses,without conscious awareness. I wasn't picking up on it until we got in the car to come home, and he told me he didn't "feel right." I was starting to feel the vibe. I knew he was a little off. So I asked him if he was feeling well physically, if he was ok. He said he was. So I asked him if there was something on his mind, something emotional bothering him. That's when he finally let it out. Welled-up eyes, and increased heart beat visible through his shirt, he told me. I asked if he felt better having let it out. He said no, but I knew why. He still had to tell his dad. Ugh, telling your dad the truth about something you're not so proud of is often worse than the consequences that naturally come along with the mistake in and of itself. Take it from me. I know.

Never mind what he did, it's not important. What followed was an additional 24 hours' anticipation of his dad's reaction, because we had company and there was no time alone. I was feeling sick to my stomach in anticipation too. I don't know if it was just mom sympathy, or if it was actual empathy because the fear of having to tell my dad something I knew would disappoint him, was all too familiar. But this morning, I insisted my son go talk to his dad before leaving for work. My husband and I would be home together and I couldn't harbor the secret, nor did I feel good about it weighing on my son's mind all day at work. And he told him. And my husband got angry. He went on a rant, and my son took it bravely and with humility. Then, as I tried to pull my heart back down from up in my throat, my husband surprised me. "Jacob, wait. Come here," he said. And he pulled him in and hugged him. "I know you didn't mean for any of this to happen. It's ok." The consequences will be what they will be, but my son will always know his mom and dad love him and we've always got his back.

Come Camping

Come camping
where the blue herons tiptoe along the banks of the creek
exposed by the retreated water in the dry winter season
and the ganglion roots of the old cypress who stand above
drip down from the majestic trunks into the water
like dangling spaghetti strings
where the puffy white clouds in the powder blue sky
reflect down onto the water, a mirror image of the heavens
where the birds soar high above the shady canopy
and the nature lovers bask below in communion
to enjoy the gentle breezes around a toasty campfire
where campers delight in hot dogs, better than any at home
or in a ballpark, cooked outside over an open fire ring
where the glory of the sunrise and sunset
are gazed at through treetops instead of windows
where the living room floor is made of dirt
and the dining room always has a view

Wrapper, Not Rapper

I'm not sure why, but I really enjoy wrapping presents. My husband theorizes it's because I didn't grow up in a big family. He, on the other hand, grew up in a house of five kids. It was a lot of wrapping at Christmastime, especially as the second oldest. Anyhow, he was happy to let me take on all the wrapping duties since we moved in together, back in the 90's.

A little bit like when you get compliments on cooking a delicious meal, I enjoyed the oohs and ahs about how beautifully wrapped our gifts were. I learned to tie a beautiful bow on traditional squared box when I worked one holiday season at Godiva Chocolates. And for years I enjoyed picking up wrapping paper and gift trimmings at the after Christmas sales. It didn't even matter whether or not I needed any. A few years ago I quit doing that, and I'm finally working down my supply. Now that I have four nieces and three nephews all under the age of 15, there's lots to wrap!

For a while, things were slowing down with the growing popularity of gift cards and the use of gift bags, and the lack of young children around. This year all the rolls came out for the little ones. (I even finished two of them.) My husband insists the young kids get gift wrap, not bags. "The whole fun of it when your a kid," he says, "is tearing open the packages." So a wrapping I have been.

When I got to the last gift, which just happened to be for my (almost) three-year-old niece, Natalie, I was particularly proud of my wrapping job. I don't think I have ever had a box wrap with such perfection- the angles, the creases. It was so satisfying. It was just like the ones you see in photos and on TV. Lucky Natalie!

And lucky me, for being so blessed this holiday season with a loving and growing family. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate this joyous season!

Christmas

They came, they camped. They got new bicycles from their grandparents, and they went fishing with their dad. The two young boys even caught a couple, a tilapia and a catfish. Like so many kids, they enjoyed the day before Christmas with one part of their family and planned to be with another part on Christmas Day. The adults always have the whole thing figured out in a way they think is fair, or right, or what they want, or what's most convenient. There was laughter and running, playing and tree-climbing. And dirt. Lots of dirt!

Eventually, everyone washed up and put on clean clothes, and they all went out for dinner. Camping doesn't always mean roughing it all day, each day. Snuggled close in the booth, the youngest rested his head on his aunt's shoulder. He was tired, but he also seemed despondent. His aunt asked him if he was okay, if something was wrong. "I just miss my mom," he responded with innocence. It didn't matter what his aunt thought if his mom, what anyone in his dad's family thought of her. He was a little boy who wanted his mommy. It didn't matter to him she was a mess. He probably didn't even understand. He leaned in close to his aunt, and she held him in tight, kissing him on the head. She understood his sadness, maybe more than anyone else at the table. He shook it off and ate his dinner, wiping every last bit of ketchup off the plate with his final french fry. On the way back to camp, he fell asleep in the car and was sent right to his tent without argument when they got there.

The next morning, after opening presents, the boys and their dad went home so they could get ready to spend Christmas with the mom they were missing. Their time together was now reduced to an eight hour visit on Sundays. Lucky for her, Christmas was on a Sunday this year. They were reluctant to leave camp, but took their gifts and hugged everyone goodbye, perhaps excited to see their mom the following day. Grandma and Grandpa, and the aunt and uncle said goodbye with sadness. They wondered how the boys would be spending Christmas while the rest of the family was sitting around a cozy dinner table at their dad's sister's house. But everyone said goodbye again, and they were off.

Early the next morning, there were only two tents left. The aunt woke to the sound of a cell phone ringing in the next tent. She could hear her mother-in-law hollering, "Turn it off! Turn it off!" It was too late. The aunt and uncle had risen to the sound of the phone and the birds chirping and squawking high in the trees. The phone was silenced, and so were the campers. Then the aunt was startled by the sound of her husband's voice.

"Oh my..." She responded to him before he could finish.

"What? What?" And he turned his cell phone in her direction. He was sharing a text from his brother. The boys' mother had been arrested in the middle of the night and was in jail with no bond. That's why her father-in-law's phone was ringing so early in the morning. And while they all celebrated, because the boys would be able to stay with them for Christmas, and not be forced to spend the day with their emotionally unstable mom, the aunt felt sick. They all knew this would be coming eventually. She agreed the boys were better off with their dad. But she also knew they weren't being forced to spend time with their mom at all.

Rhyme

Why doesn't nature rhyme with mature or with stature
but mature rhymes with manure, and stature with catcher
why are there two l's in vanilla but only one in manila

this language is totally crazy

Why does muscle rhyme with hustle and tussle
and hassle rhyme with castle and facile
why are there d's in ladder but t's in flatter

try mastering this language as your second

Why doesn't waddle rhyme with saddle
but saddle rhymes with cattle and rattle
why are there so many words with multiple meanings

have I lost you yet, just wait

Why does bow rhyme with so and also with now
and fly rhymes with lie, and buy, and high
why are there three ways to say two (or to, or too)

I could go on and on, but I won't
I'm done (that rhymes with nun, not cone)

Getting Ready for Break

We ended a high-energy, crazy work week with a nice low key holiday party today. The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break is quite possibly the most challenging time in a school. The kids are hyped up, the staff is tired, and the semester draws to a close (at least this year it does). We celebrated today with an everyone bring some food party and a Secret Santa reveal. It was totally laid back, and a nice time for us to chat and enjoy each other's company over good eats.

The food was yummy, and the gifts were fun, but more importantly it was a reminder that I work with great people. Secret Santa is a blast because we all know and love each other- we're a complete staff of about 21. There's something about working with all women that's different and pretty terrific. Even all the leaders in the organization are women. There is true camaraderie and care amongst all of us. Saying goodbye at the end of the night felt like leaving your family to go away. Some of us will likely see each other over break, but it would be totally okay if we don't. In a likely-to-be-very-quick ten days, we'll all be back again to continue doing what we do.

In the meantime, a restful break and peace to all of my extended work family.

Mind Over Matters of the Heart

Sometimes. Sometimes it's really hard being an educator, an administrator, someone who has the power to make decisions that impact young people's lives. It is a huge responsibility, one often taken for granted and left unconsidered by those who criticize people in the teaching profession. It can be very difficult balancing the needs of one student with the needs of the entire school community. Today we had to make some of these heavy decisions, and it's all still weighing on my mind.

Despite the misunderstanding by many that we are a school for "bad girls," we really don't have much in the way of violence in our school. We work with girls who have experienced trauma in their lives, and the behaviors common in people who have sustained trauma. We rarely have fights, no more than, or probably less than typical middle or high schools. I have been working there for almost three years, and there had only been two fights during that time. This week we had two.

I won't get into the details of the incidences, as we have lots of rules about confidentiality. The point I'm trying to make is that following disciplinary hearings, we had to make the determination about whether the four students involved would return to school or be expelled. There are so many factors that go into the decision. Of course there is the event itself, but then there is the well-being of each of the participants and then what's best for the safety and well-being of the rest of the students in the school. Finally, there needs to be consideration for the safety and wellness of the faculty and staff, as well.

No matter how you slice it, someone always loses out. Often when girls are being expelled, it's with the knowledge that we still are the best place for them but we can no longer serve them and the others safely with their presence. Other times, they remain with really good intentions and things don't work out as everyone hoped, and we find ourselves right back where we were with another incident. On occasion, we make the decision that the student really is best remaining with us, and there is no expected harm or danger to others, and it all works out in the end. But it's rarely win-win.

My heart is heavy over the dismissal of some students. I know we could help, but the timing and the mix of students just isn't right. Sometimes, we just need to acknowledge that we see something in our students they don't yet see in themselves, and that means they're not ready to make a change. We have to be okay with the decision to let them go, and we hope they will remain engaged with our outreach counseling and services. We never completely cut ties, that decision is up to the student. We can only hope everything we have accomplished with them so far, plants a seed that will eventually grow when the time is right.

Sometimes we make decisions we know in our minds are the right ones to make, but they break our hearts anyway.

Micro Memoir

I can't believe I never wrote about this one before...

I was new to Lehigh Acres. My husband, my son, and I moved into our brand new house during Labor Day weekend that year. Jacob was just seven and in the 2nd grade. My husband hadn't quite closed shop on his business on the east coast, so he was gone a lot. This happened to be one of those evenings I waited for him to pull in the driveway late night. I was watching TV and talking on the phone to Jacob's teacher while he was taking a shower. Mrs. Schmidt was concerned about some of Jacob's behaviors popping up in the classroom, due to what she was starting to realize was boredom. I barely knew Kim at the time, but we would later become friends. We were trouble shooting when suddenly, "smack! ahhhh!" came from the bathroom and I went running. When I got there, it looked like a horror film scene. Jacob was crying at the top of his lungs, breathless and unable to tell me what happened. There was blood across the bath tub, and splattered on the wall and the shower curtain. It was also dripping down his naked little body and turning the puddled water in the tub a runny water-colored red. After further investigation, I determined Jacob had slipped in the tub and clocked his chin on the tub, splitting it open. The blood was dripping from his chin. Meanwhile, I'm trying to ask his teacher where to go and what to do and Jacob was wailing in the background. I had no idea how to get to the hospital, and she wasn't sure what to tell me because she didn't have any children of her own. I politely hung up with her and ran back to Jacob. I was able to get him calm enough so the wailing dialed down to sobbing, and eventually whimpering, as I tried to dry him off and get him dressed. We hopped in the car and went over to the local ER where they glued his chin together with liquid stitches and sent us on our way. Everyone in my family has a scar on their chin from an accident, and Jacob was branded into the family on the scary night alone in our new house.

RIP Harry Morgan

Attention all personnel!

I just love the TV show M*A*S*H. I've made mention of my love of Hawkeye before. He is my favorite TV character of all time. Last night I was saddened by the news Harry Morgan, the actor who played Colonel Potter, past away. He was 96 -years-old, so one could hardly be surprised at the news. But I find myself feeling more and more saddened by the loss of the actors who played the TV characters I most loved as a kid.

My dad always loved M*A*S*H, and my sister and I took a liking to it, probably because my dad watched it. I also remember watching episode after episode of M*A*S*H, early in my marriage. That was long before DVR and Netflix binge watching. This was back when the analog TV and (now) basic cable channels would play the syndicated shows in marathons on late night TV. The characters from the 4077th were some of the best ever, and the show has been unmatched since. Each character can be a post in his/her own. But in memory of Harry Morgan, enjoy this MASH-up of some of Colonel Potter's colloquialisms. And if you're interested in reading more about Morgan's extensive career before and beyond M*A*S*H, read this NY Times article. Rest in peace, sweet man.

Friends of Friends

I have to admit, reading this post reminds me of Deep Thoughts With Jack Handey, the old Saturday Night Live sketch. So be it. It still makes me wonder.

It's weird isn't it, when you meet your friend's other friends? It makes you wonder if you'd ever have become friendly with those people if your mutual friend wasn't in the middle. I've felt this way about a couple of different friends. I just adore them and considered them among my closest, even best friends. Then, I meet some of their friends and wonder, are those friends I would choose for myself?

*I tried to embed a Deep Thoughts video for those who never saw them, or wanted a funny flashback. I wasn't able to, but you can click here for an nbc.com page that has lots of them!