* DREW WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU *

Drew Larimer, a memorial was held in your honor tonight at Piedmont Park because the people that love you have not forgotten the important part you were in their lives.

You may be gone, Drew, but the love that people have for you still remains as evidenced by the many beautiful lit candles in this picture. Your parents, your Uncle Steve, and your multitude of friends continue to miss and love you..........

For anyone that would like to add a word of prayer or their thoughts about Drew, please follow this blog entry to show that we all still care.

THOUSAND MOMENTS

I still remember the day the world took you back & there was never time to thank you for the thousand scattered moments you left behind to watch us while we slept......

I miss and love you, Leslie Susan

*THOUGHTS ON AGEING*

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend.. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore..I've even earned the right to be wrong.So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever,but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

*Anonymous

*PLACE BY THE SEA*

He kept a piece of algae behind his ear to remind him of his roots.

A million years ago every place was a little place by the sea,

He would say

And my mind would go blank

And I would swim through the day

Without a care in the world

And it all seemed so familiar that I knew

I would go back someday to my own little place by the sea

*CLOSET ANGEL*

There are angels everywhere you can imagine.

I saw one hiding in the closet in my bedroom once

I invited her out, but she said she was waiting for a friend

Thank you just the same

The next time I looked she was gone.

*HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LESLIE SUSAN*

Thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, with which I'll never part. God has you in His keeping, I have you in my heart. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLIE SUSAN, Love Mom (Leslie Susan 1963-2002)

*WORDS OF COMFORT*

There are days I drop

words of comfort on myself

like falling rain

and remember

it is enough

to be taken care of

by myself.

*MAGICAL BEAST*

THERE IS A MAGICAL BEAST THAT HOLDS

THE SECRET OF LIFE AND SHADOW

IN A SAFE PLACE IN HER HEART...........

AND WHEN IT HAS BEEN TOO LONG AND GRAY

SHE STARTS TO DANCE AND LAUGH

AND CRY AND SING

AND THE SUNLIGHT FILLS HER UP

AND SPILLS IN WILD ABANDON

INTO THE WORLD AGAIN..........

*OUR INTERNET RELATIONSHIPS*

Over the past 10 years or so, I have had the occasion to meet people, both men and women, through the click of the mouse. Cyber-space has opened an entire universe to me, transecting both time, place and space. Some connections have been through chat rooms, various subjects including music, politics, fragrances, and books.But, who are these people who I meet in this impers0nal forum and what, if any true meaning and relationship do they have and give to our lives?

Do some of us feel more comfortable behind a compuer screen where we can be who we want, say whatever we feel (uncensored at times) and allow others to think about us in a way that may not be accurate in the real world? How often do we hear others say that they are there for us, and within a few weeks, maybe even days, their words dissolve like alka seltzer in water, and we do not even hear from them again? Are others reactors (i.e. people who only say, I am sending you thoughts and prayers), does this mean that they really care about us, would take the time to be there if necessary, or just want to look good on the computer screen for others to see?


Sometimes it seems as if we give those individuals whom we meet on the internet more value and excuse them more often if they do not meet our expectations, than those individuals who are a part of our real, non-cyber lives. Sitting behind the veil of a screen reminds me, in a way, of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz. We imagine grandiosely, when in reality, there may sit someone who, like everyone else, is timid, shy and maybe a cut below average.


I remember back in 2002 when I found that my oldest daughter had passed away. I came home with my then husband and was at a loss for what to do with myself. My then husband, of course, had no difficulty just going to bed and sleeping. I couldn't do that, I couldn't function, I couldn't move, I didn't know what to do. I turned on my computer and began journaling my thoughts, my anguish and my pain on one of my nursing message boards. It was the middle of the night and I thought no one would even notice. The next morning my email was flooded with my cyber nurse friends love and concern. It literally made me sob. This wasn't just published on the nursing board, this flood of email was sent to me personally and the thoughts were so kind and caring. My cyber friends overwhelmed me with their kindness and yes, their love.


Pain and loss are the great equalizers, and it is often the case that during these times, we know truly who our friends are, and who are those who say the are, but are not. That being said, there have been individuals whom I have met through the internet who have been genuinely concerned, caring and even loving in so many ways. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Every human being with whom we interact is created in God's image, and therefore, is as valuable as we are ourselves.

I have belonged to a board called The Perfume of Life for over 8 years now. It is a board with thousands of members who discuss their love of fragrance, all of the industry news, as well as various topics such as life issues, art and music, a Swap and trade section. Recently a very loved member of our little community had not been on the board for over a month. I personally had sent her several personal messages wondering if she was okay. I didn't know if she was ill, was on vacation, or what was going on. Through the search function of Google, one of our members discovered her obituary! This was immediately after her death, less that a week or so. We were all so sad and so upset, she was beloved to us. One of our members from Leeds, England knew that her youngest son posted on Facebook. That member, our Prince Barry, messaged how much we all loved and missed her and were sorry to hear of her demise. I woke up early this morning to see a message posted on the Perfume of Life board from her husband and it made me cry. He came to our board and contacted me personally to thank all of our members for the numerous messages posted when we found out she had died. One of our moderators personally copied and sent her husband all of the loving memories we posted about her. This is the power of the internet, these are people that I love and that I care for.....


What have I learned from this experience, and where does it leave me in terms of the conclusions that are reached about relationships on the internet vs. those outside of cyber-space? For one thing, I am much more appreciative of the real friends that I have. Flaws and all, you are grand, and when you say you care, you mean it. When you say you pray, you do it, and when you say you are there for me, I can literally feel your hearts beat......

*YOU MIGHT AS WELL DANCE*

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television? I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , 'How about going to lunch in a half hour?' She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because people cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord. My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to...not something on your SHOULD DO list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask 'How are you?' Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, not see her sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi'? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away..... Life is not a race.

Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.. 'Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!'

Anonymous

*NATORI* One gorgeous fragrance

A floral oriental chypre, this fragrance opens with an effervescent bouquet of fresh rose petals enriched by deep, dark plum notes. The heart is an exotic and alluring hybrid of Ylang Ylang, Purple Peony and Night Blooming Jasmine. Slipping languidly over pulse points, Black Patchouli, Amber and a hint of Satin Musk complete this mysterious and tantalizing fragrance.

Natori is one classy, elegant oriental that literally defines class and elegance. I have not smelled anything like this gorgeous fragrance.

This is not a fragrance that will be loved by the general masses that like generic, department store fragrances. This is not for teeny boppers who like all of the Calvin Kleins, or the Britneys or the Paris Hilton fragrances!

Oh no, this fragrance is for women of class, elegance and a refined taste! Even the bottle is beautiful. It is such a dark, eggplant purple that it looks black. It is a heavy bottle with a heavy stopper. It is one of a kind in fragrance and I shall cherish it!

*HAPPY HALLOWEEN* to all my blogger friends!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all of my blogger, fragrance lover friends...............BOOOOOOO!!!

*LEGACY* (from Story People)

I promise you not a moment will be lost
As long as I have heart & voice to speak
And we will walk again together
With a thousand others
And a thousand more and on and on
Until there is no one among us
Who does not know the truth:
There is no future without love.

* The Nobel Peace Prize *

Mahatma Ghandi is the man who stated "You must be the change you wish to see in the World".
Today our President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for initiating change, for opening the doors of communication with the other nations of the world, for diplomacy and tact in negotiating peaceful solutions, and he deserves it.

Over the past 8 years, we as a nation were hated and our place in the world deteriorated because our former president would not negotiate with other countries, would not discuss anything with some nations for that matter. We, as a result, have lost close to 5000 of our finest to a unprovoked war with a nation that did not have 'weapons of mass destruction' and will probably lose more. That is not acceptable.

Our flag was burned in other countries and our people disrespected. It was unsafe to travel in some countries because of all of the anger against our country. Al Qaeda appears on our airwaves frequently mocking us for being 'so stupid' while they hide in the mountains of Afghanistan. We could always fight another war in Afghanistan but this would only push them further into Pakistan, where we could fight another war and lose thousands more. In the meantime, our economy is trying to recover from the damage done during the last 8 years with no regulations being put on Wall Street. Hopefully, we won't continue sending troops to Afghanistan to be slaughtered. If President Obama decides not to send more troops, he will be criticized for hurting the defense industry.

It has been stated that he 'has not been in office long enough' to win the Nobel Peace Prize, yet he is also criticized for not doing everything he promised, has he been in office long enough for that, I ask?

His presidency has already displayed diplomacy, class and tact where our former president displayed only arrogance, no accountability and no apology for any wrongdoing by his administration. President Obama could develop a cure for all cancers, and the GOP would criticize that as well.

I just want to state, however, that I could not be more proud of my country and my President. We are on the right track, peace in the world is possible..... We should be proud as a nation of this prestigious award being given to our President, yet many Americans are not, and I don't for the life of me understand that. Whether you approve of his administration or not, he won the most honored award in the world. That is something to be proud of, as Americans, not the political party you ascribe to.

*BITTERSWEET*

She said she usually cried at least once each day,

not because she was sad,

but because the world was so beautiful

and life was so short..............

*You Can Go Home Again!*

I have always heard that you can 'never go home again' relating to the fact that the past is not what you remembered. Well, I did go home again! My son Steve and I were recently traveling from Michigan back to Atlanta where he lives and decided to stop in the city of my birth, Troy, Ohio. What a surprise! The town square that I remembered as a little girl was exactly as I remembered it. Yes, the stores were different but the buildings were the original ones and the fountain was still there. I had not been here since 1967 when my Grandmother, Frances Minerva, passed away. I never thought it would be the same.........

It brought tears to my eyes remembering all the happy times and all of my relatives in this small town. We stopped in to eat at a small restaurant that had a sign saying EAT which made my son laugh. The 'youngest' waitress was 62 years old and she knew of all of my relatives. You placed your order for the best home-cooked food at the counter and your name was called when it was ready for pick up. The food was excellent and at a cost of $12 for both of us.

It was a step back in times long ago when my cousins and I used to go to the town square, go to the one movie theatre and have fun watching movies for .25 cents. It was the location of the Bar owned by my Uncle Andy, who has since passed. It had also contained the dry goods store with the attic containing my beloved paper dolls that I used to purchase when my Grandma took me there. My Grandma also had an upper apartment in one of those old buildings when she could no longer maintain her boarding house.

Those memories surrounded me as we had lunch, looked around the town square and got on with our journey. I will be forever grateful to my son Steve for allowing me this wonderful chance to go home again.....

*THE WORLD AS IT COULD BE*

FIVE A.M. IN THE PINE WOODS

I’d seen their hoof prints in the deep needles

and knew they ended the long night
under the pines,

walking like two mute and beautiful women

toward the deeper woods,

so I got up in the dark and went there.

They came slowly down the hill

and looked at me sitting under the blue trees,

shyly they stepped closer and stared

from under their thick lashes and even
nibbled some damp tassels of weeds.

This is not a poem about a dream, though it could be.
This is a poem about the world that is ours, or could be.

Finally one of them— I swear it!—
would have come to my arms

But the other stamped sharp hoof in the pine needles

like the tap of sanity,and they went off together

through the trees.

When I woke I was alone,

I was thinking:

So this is how you swim inward,

So this is how you flow outward

So this is how you pray.

Mary Oliver, House of LightBeacon Press, Boston (1962)

*Today is International Peace Day declared so by the United Nations

If we could only achieve this and make it be.

*A MEMORIAL TO DREW LARIMER*

Dear sweet Drew! When I heard about your sudden passing, it broke my heart. So young with your whole life ahead of you......and what a wonderful life that would have been.

I remember the last time that I saw you...........I was getting my haircut by your Dad, Dale, at the home he shares with Richard. I remember my last visual memory of you, standing in the driveway smiling from ear to ear. I remember thinking how proud Dale and your mother must be of you. Your face glowed and your smile was so genuinely warm, I will never forget that. I am sorry that it was the last time I saw you and I will always treasure that memory.

I would also like to remember your life, Drew, as being one where you fought to be 'who you really were' and were so close to becoming the person you wanted to be.

In today's world of intolerance and ignorance, you fought the battle and YOU WON. It was truly a pleasure to have known you the short time that I did and I feel honored to have done so.

You will be missed Drew, the world is a better place because you were once a part of it..............

*TIME FOR DEMOCRATS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE*

This weekend I watched Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral service with sadness knowing that he did not live long enough to see his dream of universal health care passed.

Then I began to get somewhat angry at all of the delays in the progress of healthcare reform. I voted for Barack Obama, now I want him and his administration to do their job.

I have seen all the nastiness, the gun-toting, the name calling and shouting at public town halls and I am sick and tired of it! Progressive Democrats like myself, the outspoken champions of health care reform, have literally not been doing their job. They need to be more vocal, to stand in Congress and yell "no public insurance option, no healthcare reform".

They have become, over the years, like the Republican party, deeply influenced by corporate money. Are they afraid that if they turn off the powerful interests of the health industry, the drug industry and Wall Street, they will influence Obama's re-election efforts in 2012?

President Obama, we elected you because you promised healthcare reform, to end the war in Iraq, not continue funding Afghanistan and tend to our own country's needs. You need to be less conservative and more progressive. I know you can, you need to fight more and finesse less. You need to stand up the Republicans, who lost the election by the way, and say "we need this because we are a decent country". The conservatives have dominated the debate over health care lately and the right wing has been winning the debate. We are a country of people who are hurting. The Republicans are the party that lost and the conservative movement that was deeply discredited over the last 8 years are setting the agenda for a Democratic Party that controls the White House, the Senate and the House. What's wrong with this picture???

*Leslie, Gone But Not Forgotten*

I think of you in silence,

I remember how you looked.

Now all I have are memories

And your pictures in my scrapbook.

Your memory is my keepsake

With which I'll NEVER part.

God has you in His keeping.

I have you in my heart.............