interesting

http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/11/a-new-way-to-look-at-alzheimers/248650/


Like the cure for cancer I so in my lifetime want to see a cure for alzheimer's....COME ON WE GOT TO FIND CURES FOR THESE AWFUL DISEASES

Singing Hearts!

~every single day do something that makes your heart sing~

THE Santa!

so ya he HAS to be the real one hey!

Famous Quote...oh so well wrote!

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher

I so believe this with all my heart <3....I can't say enough about the deep deep love in my heart for my sons. They make my heart beam when I think of them. Just to get an unexpected hug or a text out of the blue make my heart happy! I love you guys oh so very much....my big one and little one....ok not so little any more!

LOOKIN FORWARD TO IT!

Gettin ready to do a shot 6 miler with the Pink Angels this morn. It is already in the 50's so how can we let perfectly good weather go to waste. After that off to fuel up on a WG shot. YUM!!!!!!!!!!!! Get my gulp on, lookin forward to the 4 of us setting up Christmas decorations and puttin the ornaments on the tree. I still get teary eyed when I see the homemade ornaments from years past as well as the special ones that mean so much through the years. We have a tradition of playing the Grinch (Jim C version) while we put up the tree, that or Polar Express. Michael loves to keep saying HOLIDAY WHOBBIE WHATIE...lol Yes he can be a funny guy,,,lol Off to semi bundle up...Not really needing lots of layers this morn. Need some Biofreeze for the left knee, it has not been the same since coming back from Tampa. It has like a numbness to it. I think I may of OVER FROZE it up....lol Yup addicts can do that! Have a wonderful Saturday all. Hope you day is warm with love from the heart <3 and sky! x o

even a grown up has a heart of a child!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNXl1NEb5Y&feature=related

All grown up now, not a child but my heart still can dream.......I love those words...
When being a grown up reality hits close to home but never ever loose sight of the childlike desire to feel that things could be "that right would always win"......and love will never end...this is my grown up Christmas wish!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! We here at the Raf house did. :D
off to the bears at 330am for some pawsome gingerbread people adventures. Also Alvin and his crew we will also see you. Get to wear a Hawaiian style shirt today..YAY..now if only we lived in Hawaii! lol Made all the sangwiches for my fellow bears so their tummies will be full on the sales floor. Have a great weekend all xoxoxo

Time for the 4!

Celebratin the loves b-day this weekend....Raf's ova last night and then since Stephen slept ovah we went to breakfast for Michael's B-day! Love having the 4 of us together. For ya b-day here at the River St Raf house you get to pick what place ya want to go to for your b-day meal. Well M loves loves loves the Outback and I am very surprised he picked a b-day breakfast meal instead. He loves Fredies in Middleton for breakfast so off we went. Stephen was happy b/c quote unquote that place is "da shit" yup that's right folks I let the kid use fowl words. LOL Da shit being good A+...yup once again one would think it would be crappy but no da shit means good. OK well alrighty then! So many local faces there good thing I am with the other 3 who look similar to what they always looked like b/c I give my great BOG Stephie Smile :D and I sear peeps just don't know me. They then look at who I am with and hten get IT! lol Oh Well I don't take offence b/c hey I do look different. The food was great as a matter of fact da shit to be exact lol JK! also got to walk a lil then get the paper to read and send S on his way. He has 3 hockey games this week and needs he car for them. He is also off to a WIT hockey game this afternoon. I picked him up some of the above pic. I do not endorse or really approve of it but he said they really help him keep his energy up playin. He said he is older now! LMAO! oh ok...."I will be fine Ma" as he puts it. So he has 4 of these things and hey .....it is mega vit B but I do not liek the Turaine stuff in it. BLECK! so anyway .....this was a happy mama who had the 4 of us together. He is on his way back to WIT. We will get to have him Wed to Sun eve YAY! off to get food for Thanksgiving Day meal and some baking items too! Happy Beautiful Sunday to you! Enjoy this nice weather! xo

Happy Thanksgiving

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRua_Jpy79U&feature=relmfu

The Dash...something that mattters

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard;
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

I had to Blog about this, for it was my kindhearted, handsome, loving brother-in-law Rob who brought up THE DASH in our lives yesterday at Nana T's service. I pointed out how Michael put the collage of pictures together and one of the pics was of me right after having Ryan and I did not look all that appealing. So jokingly I said "ya I can thank Michael for putting that up there, funny how huge and bloated I am looking, like I want that on the board", Well Rob pointed out it is all apart of the DASH....that time in-between your birthdate and your passing date that MATTERS the most. It is that very DASH that makes up the times of our lives. I have tried to pride myself on making that DASH have deep meaning. Not just to me but for all the others I come in contact with through my years here on earth. It may be for the closest of people in my life or it may even be to a stranger who I may never meet again, Though I truly want, regardless if I know them or not to have MY DASH matter. I NEED to thank Rob for pointing that out because every moment we live makes up our DASH! Go through life making sure that your DASH is well spent. That you make your mark....This particular song makes me think of just that....I WAS HERE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XZ12nrz47U that a moment to listen..this was my first 3 day walks anthem....I live by the moto....."I wanna do something that matters" ...."do something better with the time I was given"/////something that says I was here.......ou will notice me
I'll be leaving my mark like initials carved
In an old oak tree, you wait and see

Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold, I don't know
But I'm ready start 'cause I know in my heart

I wanna do something that matters, say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time I've been given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?

I will prove you wrong
If you think I'm all talk, you're in for a shock
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/l/lady-antebellum-lyrics/i-was-here-lyrics.html]
'Cause this dream's too strong and before too long

Maybe I'll compose symphonies
Maybe I'll fight for world peace
'Cause I know it's my destiny
To leave more than a trace of myself in this place!

I wanna do something that matters, say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better with the time I've been given
I wanna try to touch a few hearts in this life
And leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?

And I know that I, I will do more than just pass through this life
I'll leave nothing less than something that says ?I was here?
I was here

As I look back in the treasure chest of memories of Nana Theresa I can say she did something that matters....She had a huge hand in molding me into the person I have become. Thanks to you Nana T for making YOUR dash matter. xo

It hurts but there is some comfort there

Knowing that Nana T is out of the body that broke her down mentally and physically makes the blow a little more easy. It is never easy to loose a loved and cherished one. Though I find comfort and relish in the fact that she lived her live fully. It is a testament to say she was never really sick in her live until the dementia, muscular degeneration , and ALZ set in big time. That women ate rappi greens with hunks of garlic.....she loved cooking with hunks of garlic...the stuffed chockies as she would say had white slices that were very visible. I would never eat them stuffed just steamed. Now I too LOVE garlic. I guess it does ward off the bad. She loved her many many cups of tea, black of course.
I lay in bed or daydream of the many things we did through the years. It helps knowing there are many events in the treasure chest of life that can be looked back on. That is worth any amount of money out there. I so do treasure that. Yesterday at the bear barn there were two "God winks" as they are called with Nanas involved. I guess that was her telling me everything is ok. : ) I love you Nana T and you will always be with me.

11-11-11 Veterans Day

Sending out THANKS to all those who served and still serve for our country to be a FREE place to live. Freedom is not Free since they give of their lives while serving. I am proud to be an American. Equally proud of the sacrifices that these men and women take on and choose to be soldiers. Also lets not forget the families that wait stateside for them when fighting over seas or even on the home front. I say a prayer for their safety and bow my head with humility for the blessings that they will all stay safe. MUCH THANKS ARMY, NAVY, AIRFORCE, MARINES, COASTGAURDS, RESERVISTS ect!

way to much to blog about

So basically I am just letting it go for a while. Don't have it in me to say all that I want to say about the weekends walk ...so much to write about. Got word that Nana T has stopped eating pretty much and now it is a matter of just a small amount of time that she can be at peace. SIGH!