The one with Mother's Day

As fate would have it, my mother's birthday is also Mother's day -- talk about a double-dose-holiday! This year my siblings & I are treating her to an especially fun day-long experience in NYC with the assistance of my father. We are tickled with anticipation to see her so happy.  Also, I've made her this card, which has a special place in our memories & for anyone who has read the book "I'll love you forever"....it'll bring a tear or a fuzzy feeling to the most emotionally tough of individuals. It was published the year I was born, so it has always had a special place with  my Mom & I.

To all mothers out there, a most sincere wish for a wonderful day with your child(ren). They're your greatest gift, & you have the power to be their greatest inspiration.

The one where I'm 25

In the days leading up to my birthday which has now been nick-named "The Quarter", I've experienced degrees of motivation, excitement, utter fear, & even gratitude. Out of all of that, I present what I have extracted: The 25 things I've learned before turning 25

• You can be happy, you can be successful -- life is what YOU make it!
• We all have the ability to make people smile
• You choose how to allocate your time -- & with whom
• Family IS worth making time for -- it's not a given that they'll always be there
• There is nothing more worthwhile nor which brings more joy than laughter
• It doesn't matter what you believe in -- so long as you find something to believe in
• You'll never know the true impact you have upon another person
• You must be careful not to be too harsh, yet likewise to not be too soft -- this is a difficult balance which i have not yet mastered
• Love is worth the effort & the risk
• A façade is never the full story -- this is true both in architecture & people "Everything we hear is opinion not fact, everything we see is perspective not truth" Marcus Aurelius
• Age dictates neither wisdom nor maturity
• Make healthy lifestyle choices
• Invest in quality wardrobe pieces
• Never apologize for something which brings you sincere delight
• Take time to be disconnected -- to breath in fresh cut grass, crisp picked apples, the sea breeze, & rain in the air
• You cannot be part of a coherent couple if you cannot be healthy & content as yourself
• The little things are not as important as you think they are
• Impossible is only a word
• Never stop learning
• Make time to kiss passionately & hug slowly
• Don't rush through life, it will go by too fast as it is
• Submerse yourself in a culture entirely apart from your own -- it will remind you that although some people may seem strange to you, you seem strange to some people
• You're not alone, even when you think you are
• Exercise & take care of your body
• Gratitude is the greatest lesson I have learnt to date

The one with my Godmother

As much as I thrive in celebrating the joys of life, inevitably, with joy comes sorrow. It's the feeling as though you're standing beneath a dam & it suddenly begin collapsing over you: you stand there aghast because you know that nothing you do or say can stop what just happened. Yesterday, my Aunt died. She was only 39, but she lived a beautiful and joy-filled life, here are a few things I know for certain about her:

1. She loved making people smile


2. She had an infallible ability to make people laugh; simply being in the room added levity & humor, because she wanted to see everyone happy


3. She thoroughly enjoyed the act of "mooning" & laughed whole-heartily when she got one of us


4. She would do whatever she could or had to in order to help others - a very big heart


5. She taught me how to roll my jeans in order to look "cool"


6. She was the 1st person to call me a b*tch (in a playful manner when I beat her at UNO) she was also the 1st person to let me say the word without reprimanding me


7. I visited her when she was in college; her & her friends taught me to play SPUD (having now gone through college, I cannot imagine having the selflessness to entertain a child on a college campus for a week!)


8. She taught my cousins & I how to "hover" in order to avoid touching public restrooms


9. When she was around I laughed so hard it hurt


10. Her favorite term of endearment was "Freak-a-zoid"


11. She was the coolest adult I knew when I was 10


12. I & so many others loved her deeply & will mourn her absence daily

The one with a puppy!

It's so funny that most terrible of days (read: severe frustration at work) can suddenly turn to utter joy & excitement when you return home to find this:

Meet Freddie! The newest member of the family! He is a Shiba Inu, as with the other dogs in the house, which is an ancient breed from Japan dating back to the 3rd century BC! They are very similar to the Akita but much, MUCH smaller, around 17-23 pounds on average.

We played with him & the other dogs for a long while until he go tired out (as shown below). It absolutely amazed me how intrinsically happy a puppy can make you. They're spunky & fully of life, clumsy as they trip over their own big paws, cuddly & so soft! They give you unconditional love & excitement every time they see you, & they're cute!

But how could I forget to introduce the other puppies! The first picture above is Freddie meeting Daphne (6), below is a picture of Scrappy (8) who is my favorite, he's so Handsome, & Scooby (10) who sleeps in a manner which often scares me that he's passed.... Can you guess the theme of their names?!?

Now I ask you, what better end to the day can you ask for than a puppy?