It's a Raggedy Life

Sunday January 18, 2009

2009-01-18T00:42:00.006-06:00

“Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful; for beauty is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every fair flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T17:57:00.003-06:00

New Year's Day:
Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.
Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.
~Mark Twain

2996

2008-09-11T00:00:00.013-05:00

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
~Kahlil Gibran

Michael Benjamin Packer

World Trade Center

Michael Benjamin Packer

He Had Technical Talent, Love for Classical Music

May 3, 2002

Michael Benjamin Packer was among a relatively small but significant number of people who didn't usually work in the Twin Towers yet became one of terrorism's victims there.

Packer, 45, was scheduled to present the keynote address at the Waters 2001 Financial Technology Congress at Windows on the World in Tower One.

"He shouldn't have been in the building, except he was going to give the speech," recalled his wife, Rekha. Packer, a mechanical engineer, worked nearby for Merrill Lynch at the World Financial Center where he was managing director of an electronic-commerce group for the bond firm.

"He was an incredible man," his wife said. "Above all, he liked learning about new innovations and that included highly technical things." But as technically gifted as he was, she said that her husband also had a deeply innate talent for artistic pursuits.

"His life included many things in the humanities, art and drama. He was an excellent pianist. In college, he performed concerts," she said.

One of Packer's avocations was building kit replicas of 18th century harpsichords, which he thoroughly enjoyed playing -- especially classical music of the masters.

"He would perform works by Bach, Liszt and Chopin," said his wife. He also enjoyed listening to jazz. At one point, the family, who lived in Hartsdale in Westchester County, found themselves with six harpsichords. "We gave away five and had one left," she said.

Packer possessed an enviable academic background. After attending Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire, he earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and went on to get a master's degree and a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His wife, an attorney, also graduated from Harvard. They celebrated their 25th Harvard class reunion in June.

Married for 22 years, the couple had two children, Sarita, 11, and Jonathan, 8. "He was an extremely good father and very dedicated to his children," Rekha Packer said. She said his children's birthday parties were "phenomenal." There was the time their son was fascinated by bulldozers. So through a friend's help, one arrived at their home for the boy to explore. And the time their son became intrigued with airplanes, Packer arranged for one to fly into Westchester County Airport so the child could examine it.

In addition to his wife and children, Packer is also survived by his parents, Leo and Dorothy Packer of Cambridge, Mass.; a sister, Janet Packer of Groton, Mass., and a brother, Alex, of Somerville, Mass.

--Bill Kaufman (Newsday)

The following letters are from Michael’s guest book:

Michael,
I will always remember you as a man filled with so much enthusiasm for life. I'm thankful I had the privilege of working in your home for one year. Your dedication to Rekha, Sarita, and Jonathan was evident every day - when you spent your evenings and your weekends with them, they lit up with excess excitement. That will stay imprinted upon their lives forever. They thought the world of you and they will miss you the most.
For your optimism, joy, strength, laughter, intelligence, kindness, and devotion to your family: you will never be forgotten.
To Rekha, Sarita, and Jonathan: I wish you the best of all good things. May Michael's enthusiasm for life, live on in yours.
God Bless,
Love,
Janelle L. Anderson
(Former Nanny, 1999-2000)

Michael,
On 9/11/01 I emailed you with an "are you OK" message. I never received a reply. Fearing the worst and hoping for the best I held my breath. Well, I was notified of the worst just two weeks ago and have since been contemplating my message and words below.

Although I worked with and for you in my role as a consultant, I always thought of you as a friend. You were always kind, good humored and considerate, enthusiastic and receptive. In my view, you were always a force for good, and an agent of positive change.

It goes without saying that you will be greatly missed by your family, friends, colleagues, company and country. We just lost a vital and capable human being who contributed much and gave everything to all those around him.

To your wife and family I extend my personal heartfelt condolences and those of my family and colleagues in the UK and USA. We can only imagine the intimate sense of loss they must feel, but it might help to know that we remember too, and our thoughts and prayers go with you all.

Michael, we are all going to miss you.

Prof Peter Cochrane

Below is the link to MIchael's Guest Book

Michael's Guest Book

Several months before the WTC attacks, Michael Packer offered to assist, pro-bono, the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center -- a non-profit, consortium of schools in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties -- in achieving our goal of being an organization synonymous with excellence. He was a world class business executive with a successful track record as a strategist, team builder and manager. When he first met Michael in August, we were impressed by his expertise and humor, as well as his genuine wish to help us. In one meeting, he established a bond of trust. We decided to get together again on September 14th, and we all had the highest hopes. We at the LHRIC were but a small part of Michael Packer's world but his kindness and sincerity were evident in each of our encounters.
~Peter Reilly, acquaintance

Musical and Mechanical

Michael B. Packer had a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which came in very handy at his children's science fairs and birthday parties.

"When you walked into the house, you usually walked into a scientific experiment," said Ronald Soiefer, a close friend who had met Mr. Packer when they were Harvard undergraduates. One contraption had a microphone hooked up to a laptop computer, which recorded human voices and showed them as sound waves on a colored screen.

Mr. Packer, 45, of Hartsdale, N.Y., had many other sides. He played the piano and, in his spare time, made harpsichords, a trade he had learned as a student at Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard. He made sure that his children — Sarita, 11, and Jonathan, 7 — were steeped in the classics. In June, he and his wife, Rekha, took the children on a tour of the Aegean Islands, following in the footsteps of Homer's Ulysses.

Mr. Packer, who was to be the keynote speaker at a technology conference at Windows on the World on Sept. 11, joined Merrill Lynch in 1999 as a leader of a major e-commerce initiative. "He was very good at managing things," said Mrs. Packer, who remembers most vividly how he coped with the family, the house, his job and her convalescence when she suffered a brain injury in 1990. "Nothing really got him down. We really miss him for that now."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 12, 2001.

Short video, Please take the time to view...

September 11th Tribute

I am honored to participate in 2996.

Sarita is 18 this year and Jonathan is 14. My thoughts and prayers are with Michael’s family. I hope they are all doing well. I am honored to post this tribute for Michael.
I think it is beautiful that the blogging community has taken on and supported this wonderful way to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost their friends and loved ones in this tragedy.

Sunday March 2, 2008

2008-03-02T19:15:00.006-06:00

An angel can illuminate the thought and mind of man by strengthening the power of vision.
~ St.Thomas Aquinas

Dear God,
Please Forgive
All that I ought to have thought and have thought not.
All that I ought to have said and have said not.
All that I ought to have done and have done not.
All that I ought not to have thought and yet have thought.
All that I ought not to have spoken and yet have spoken.
All that I ought not to have done and yet have done.
For thoughts, words and works, I pray, for forgiveness.
Amen

Sunday January 27, 2008

2008-01-27T04:00:00.001-06:00

“Every evening I turn my worries over to God.
He's going to be up all night anyway.”
~Mary C. Crowley

Sunday January 13, 2008

2008-01-13T22:54:00.002-06:00

"God enters by a private door into every individual."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Shlomo Artzi

2008-01-07T02:42:00.004-06:00

Music is the universal language of mankind.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Shlomo Artzi
From Wikipedia

Shlomo Artzi (Hebrew: שלמה ארצי‎) is a popular Israeli folk rock singer-songwriter and a composer.

He was born on November 26, 1949 and spent his childhood in Ramat Israel.

During his career, he has sold more than 1.5 million records in Israel.

His parents were survivors of the Shoa (Jewish Holocaust) in Europe/Germany and their memories deeply influenced him and his sister.

When Artzi was 8 years old, his family moved to northern Tel Aviv.

After enjoying success in the Israeli Naval Corps Entertainment Group (Lahakat Kheil Ha'Yam) and winning the 1970 Israeli Song Festival, Artzi's singing career had some ups and downs, which culminated in a string of records that failed to sell well in the late 70's.
In 1977, almost ready to give up on singing, he wished to make one last record "the way a record should be made", and was allowed to do so by the record company.
The success of this album, "A Man Losing His Way" (Gever Holekh Le'ibud), persuaded Artzi to continue with his singing career, which rose throughout the 1980's and reached unprecedented peaks for a musical artist in Israel with the release of the albums "Dance" (Tirkod) and "Restless Night" (Layla Lo Shaket) which sold tens of thousands, and with the live shows that accompanied these albums, which would sell out the largest parks and theatres in Israel.
His later album sales, in excess of a hundred-thousand per album, and the immensely popular live shows that followed each album, made him the most popular artist in Israel; Based on album sales and gross income from live shows, he is the most successful singer in Israel.
Artzi has sold a total of over a million and a half albums, an unprecedented achievement in the Israeli music industry.
He is well known for his marathon live shows, some of which last over two or even three hours.

Early life

Artzi's schoolmates thought he would become an actor, not a musician, as he was known for his acting skills at primary school.
However, at the age of 12 he started playing the guitar and singing in a boy scouts group and at friends' parties.
At age 16, he began writing and composing songs.

During his military service, he was first recruited to the Artillery Corps, and after serving for a year and a half, he joined a successful army entertainment group, Lehakat Kheil Hayam (Naval Corps Entertainment Group).
During his service in the group, he took part in the programs "And On The Third Day" and "Rhapsody in Blue", alongside other soon-to-be Israeli celebrities, such as Rivka Zohar, Dov Glikman, Avi Uriah, Riki Gal, and more.
He was yet to stand out during the first program, but by the second program he became the lead singer and one of the main stars.
He sang lead vocals on several songs on the Group's LPs.

In 1970 Artzi had the opportunity to take part in the Israeli Song Festival, a prestigous song contest held every year.
Still in military service and wearing a military uniform, he sang Pitom Achshav, Pitom Hayom (Suddenly Now, Suddenly Today), also known as Ahavtiha (I loved her).
The song was written by Tirza Atar, and composed by Ya'akov Holander.
Surprisingly, he won the first prize.
The song was included in his first album that came out in 1970, simply titled "Shlomo Artzi".
The song won first place in the annual Kol-Israel chart-toppers countdown, and Artzi was awarded the title of Best Singer of the Year.

After the Army, he worked hard to become a well-known musician and sang wherever he could.

Musical career

In 1975 he was selected to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The selected song was At Va'Ani (You and Me), written by the legendary Israeli songwriter Ehud Manor, and composed by Artzi himself.
To seize the moment, Artzi's record label preassured him to record a completely new record in less than 2 weeks.
However, At Va'Ani didn't win the contest, and the album was a big disappointment.
This marked the beginning of the worst era of Artzi's carreer.
During the next several years, Artzi released several records that failed to sell well, and produced very little hit singles.
Later, most of these albums would become rare collectibles, as they were never released again. These include, among others, Miskhakey 26, Shlomo Artzi Shar Ve'Mesaper Al Ian HaGamad, Yesh Li Isha Yalda Ve'Lambreta Ve'Ani Gar Be'Tel-Aviv, Romansa U'Piyut, and a selection of his best songs from the period 1970-1973 which was released in 1976.

In 1977, almost ready to give up on a singing career, Artzi wished to record one last album "the way a record should be made", and was allowed to do so by the record company.

He recorded He Lost His Way, a sort of last good-bye to the business.
Nevertheless, the album was a big success and revived Artzi's career, which from this moment on would rise, and keep rising, to unprecedented heights in the Israeli music industry.

In 1979 he recorded Drachim (Ways), with a fresher style.
His 1981 LP Chatzot (Midnight) was the second part of Drachim.

In 1980 Artzi started his own radio show on Israel's Army Radio, Galey Tsahal.
In this show, he talked about the week's headlines and tells interesting stories he has heard or seen during the week.
Od Lo Shabat (It isn't Saturday yet) is still broadcasted every Friday at 13:10 local time.

His records Tirkod (Dance, 1984), "Layla Lo Shaket" (Restless Night, 1986), and Chom Yuli August (July August Heat, 1988), are milestones of Israeli 80's songwriting.
The albums sold in excess of a hundred thousand copies, an unprecedented achievement in the Israeli music industry, and the live shows that accompanied the albums would sell out even the largest parks and theaters in Israel.

1992
Shlomo Artzi - Moon שלמה ארצי - ירח

In 1995 the best Israeli musicians recorded together a CD in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, named Shalom Chaver.
Shlomo Artzi played two songs during the memorial service, which later became anthems of those days --Haish Ha'hu (That Man)

Shlomo Artzi - That Man שלה ארצי - האיש ההוא

Uf Gozal (Fly Little One) ,which is written by Arik Einstein and Miki Gavrielov.

Shlomo is singing this song with Gidi Gov.

Gidi Gov(Hebrew: גידי גוב, born Gideon Gov: גדעון גוב) (born in August 4th, 1950) is an influential Israeli singer, entertainer and actor of Israeli cinema and television.

Uf Gozal Shlomo Artzi and Gidi Gov

In 1996 he released an album called Shnayim (Two), which has sold 160,000 copies (4x platinum).
The most notable songs in this CD were the title track, sung with Israeli singer Rita, "Menagev Lach Et Hadmaot" (Wiping Your Tears) and "Ze Ma Shenish'ar" (That's All That Is Left).

Shlomo Artzi - Ze Ma Shenish'ar

Containing his best love songs, Artzi released Ahavtihem (I Have Loved Them) four years later. His album Tzima'on (Thirst), which was released in 2002, sold 150,000 and is one of Israel's bestsellers.

At the end of 2006 Shlomo Artzi announced his new album Shfuim, to be released in the spring of 2007.
A new single from this album, "HaAmiti", became available during the first days of January, 2007.

Shlomo Artzi-Island (Iceland) שלמה ארצי-איסלנד-שפויים

Sunday January 6, 2008

2008-01-06T18:22:00.000-06:00

May you live a long life

Full of gladness and health,

With a pocket full of gold

As the least of you wealth.

May the dreams you hold dearest,

Be those which come true,

The kindness you spread,

Keep returning to you.

~Irish

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T23:10:00.000-06:00

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2007-12-24T03:11:00.000-06:00

Sunday December 9, 2007

2007-12-09T03:16:00.001-06:00

"Going to church no more makes you a Christian than standing in a garage makes you a car."
~Garrison Keillor

Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-05T17:27:00.000-06:00

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Sunday December 2, 2007

2007-12-02T21:35:00.000-06:00

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.
Source unknown (found in Pynson’s Horae, 1514)

I Survived NaBloPoMo!

2007-12-01T14:17:00.001-06:00

Feast One Hundred & Seventy

2007-11-30T14:36:00.001-06:00

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

I do not enjoy carnivals or amusement parks.

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

With a smile.
When fired upon I return fire.
Sarcasm is good tool.

“If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: "He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned""
~Epictetus

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

It depends on who the conversation is with.
It could be a 1 or a 10 depending on the company or the topic.

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
~Robert McCloskey

"Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious."
~Brendan Gill

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

I did not get one yet.
I am undecided at this time.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

I do not watch ANY television.

To visit the rest of the Friday Feasts

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Thursday Thirteen (27th)

2007-11-29T20:48:00.000-06:00

Buttons and Stickers

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Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-28T20:35:00.000-06:00

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Departure

2007-11-27T08:18:00.000-06:00

Oh the nerves, the nerves; the mysteries of this machine called man! Oh the little that unhinges it, poor creatures that we are!
~Charles Dickens

I don’t know what was wrong with us.
Mother and I couldn’t sleep last night.
We stayed up until the clock nearly struck 3AM!
We had slept well all of the other the nights here.
The weather turned bitter cold for the first time here.
I woke her up at 5:30AM
The outside temperature was 11 below zero (-23C) with a 23 below zero (-30C) wind chill.
Kkkkkkkcold!!!!

I had planned to take her to the airport with Jaycee but with the extreme cold and weather Hubby’s sensible mind prevailed.

She packed all of her things.
I packed up the smoked turkey breast that I bought for her dinner party next week.
(She really liked the smoked turkey from our butcher here that we had for Thanksgiving)
I also packed some salt pork, bacon, dried beef, and beef sticks.
North Dakota food is flying to Philadelphia.
Maryland crab cakes flew here and we enjoyed them when she arrived here on the 15^th.
I could not get over how scrumptious those crab cakes were!

We had a wonderful visit.
I did not get many pictures this time because we were too busy having fun.

Hubby and mother left in the cold at 6:30AM to make the drive to the airport.
He just called to let me know they made it to the airport without any problems.
We were worried about the fuel gelling in the truck.
Extreme cold temperatures were not expected this early so the stations have not started mixing fuels yet.
The plane is on schedule.
She is due to depart at 8:00AM.
She will fly to Minneapolis and from there catch her flight to Philadelphia.

Safe journey mother!

Update:
Her journey went well.
She arrived home to sunny skies and fifty degrees (10c).

Peace

2007-11-26T20:29:00.001-06:00

I wonder if my mother is thinking this quote? *giggles

“No matter how old a mother is she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.”
~Florida Scott Maxwell

This music post is dedicated to my mother, Rachel.

Rachel is an activist.
For as long as I can remember she has worked with devotion and passion to bring about social and political change.
My mother is still hopping on the buses and heading to Washington for the rallies and peace marches wearing her buttons and carrying her signs.
She is a leader in her community for the democratic cause and works at the polls for minor as well as major voting issues.
She still campaigns door to door.
I remember when we could not eat grapes or lettuce because of the boycotts.
The civil rights movement was a cause she worked very hard for.
Currently she is involved with Beyond War
and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

From Wikipedia

This conception of peace as a mere absence of overt violence is still challenged by some as incomplete.

Mahatma Gandhi suggested that if an oppressive society lacks violence, the society is nonetheless not peaceful, because of the injustice of the oppression. Gandhi articulated a vision of peace in which justice is an inherent and necessary aspect; that peace requires not only the absence of violence but also the presence of justice.

During the 1950s and 60s, when Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement carried out various non-violent activities aimed at ending segregation and racial persecution in America, they understood peace as more than just the absence of violence. They observed that while there was not open combat between blacks and whites, there was an unjust system in place in which the government deprived African Americans of equal rights. While some opponents criticized the activists for "disturbing the peace", Martin Luther King observed that "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice."

“ Peace is what happens when all peoples are free to develop themselves in the way they want, without having to fight for their rights. ”~Bruno Picozzi

John Denver “The Strangest Dream”

Bob Dylan & Joan Baez "Blowing in the Wind"

This Land Is Your Land

Bobby Darin "Simple Song of Freedom"

Joan Baez "Where have All The Flowers Gone"

"Whether I'm Wrong" Allison Crowe

I was having internet trouble so this post is up very late.
4 more days and I will have made NaBloPoMo!

Sunday November 25, 2007

2007-11-25T22:03:00.000-06:00

May the friendships you make,
Be those which endure,
And all of your grey clouds
Be small ones for sure.
And trusting in Him
To Whom we all pray,
May a song fill your heart,
Every step of the way.
~Irish

Award for my Blogging Buddies

2007-11-24T11:09:00.000-06:00

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgivingfor my friends,
the old and the new.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Please take the award above and post it on your blog!

I, Raggedy hereby bequeath this award to the following recipients:

Snowman, Karen, Monica, Walker, Merle,
Jamie Dawn, Cara, Judy, Naomi , Deb, Moogie, Kelly, Cascokat , Rachel, Windfall Woman, Mr Haney, Skunkfeathers , Hoss ,Cliff, Cube , Lz Blogger, Lightning Bug's Butt, Jerry, Chief, Ralph, Mike, Peter, Ed, SophMom, Hula, Leann, Jan , Little Jen, Monty, Teresa, Phoenix , Lois Lane, Aunt Josefina, Meow, Tammi, Muzikdude,Trucker Bob, Joe, Warren, Jen, Andrew , Dan, Sloop, Mia, Cat, Miss Cellania, Jude, Gattina, Poopie, Jules , Mamma K , Lee-ann, Bossy , Jim, Abby,Dakota Lifestyle, Writings on My Wall, and Dallas Meow.

I miss you….

Miss Vickie, SteelCowboy, exscientia, and Pea Patch !

If I missed anyone let me know and I will add you!
This award is for everyone.
Give it to everyone in your blog circle of friends too!
Share the love and appreciation of friendship!

“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked”
~ Bernard Meltzer

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

2007-11-23T22:30:00.000-06:00

“A line is a dot that went for a walk.”
~ Paul Klee

Raggedy is Mashed Potatoes

Ordinary, comforting, and more than a little predictable. I am the glue that holds everyone together.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

So Cute Washing Dishes!
(less than half a minute long)

Thursday Thirteen (26th)

2007-11-22T23:32:00.000-06:00

Why my Birthday was Special:

A charter bus took our son away on Thursday morning on the 15th of November.
Destination- Minneapolis!

Joe would arrive back at 4:30AM on Sunday just in time for my birthday!
He went to the FCCLA cluster meeting in Minneapolis.
It was a wonderful experience for him.
He stayed at the Hilton!

What is the FCCLA?

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America is a dynamic and effective student organization that empowers young men and women to become leaders by addressing personal, family, work and societal issues through family and consumer science education.

FCCLA Quote of the Day

There is no cause half so sacred as the cause of a people. There is no idea so uplifting as the idea of the service of humanity. - Woodrow Wilson

Onward to my Thirteen….

1. A big bird

brought my mother

here from the east coast on Thursday afternoon on the 15th.

2. I called a friend to watch Jaycee and we went to a very early birthday dinner celebration on Friday the 16th in the evening at a place called Sanders. Hubby and mother had the prime rib and I had the seafood grill. My mother gave me a beautiful birthday card. Sanders is not open on Sunday's or Monday's.

There was a band!

The band that was there played a jazzed up version of Happy Birthday and it was very nice.

The meal was fantastic!

We went Friday because Saturday was the Community Thanksgiving celebration dinner here in our town with a singer, comedian/magician, and free flu shots.

The National Guard and 200 volunteers were in town over the weekend helping with roofing and shingling.
We are still dealing with the aftermath of the big
Tomato!
The children thoroughly enjoyed the magician.

Saturday night after the community center dinner and festivities my mother and I went to the local bar with Shelly and Karen for karaoke night. I was thrilled that Judy was there. I used to work with her. It was wonderful to see her again. The entire bar sang a karaoke Happy Birthday to Shelly and me because her birthday is the 21^st.

Sunday the 18^th the real DAY!

Joe came home!
He had a great time.
He was tired.
I enjoyed hearing about his trip.
Birthday wishes from family are treasured the most.
He gave me a beautiful silver bracelet.

The card he gave me was beautiful!

Jaycee was making up songs and singing them.
Love songs!
She was singing with feeling.
She was singing about how much she loves me.
Some songs were about finding me roses!
It was adorable!
She made this wonderful picture.
It was a big secret.
She made it at Miss Tara’s.
That is where she stays when we are working.

My sister Laura called twice!!!
Woooooooohooooooo!
I lOVE YOU SWEETIE!
Give Nichole a big hug from her Aunt and tell her I Love her!

6. My brother Mark called and left a Happy Birthday message on our phone!
I am sorry I missed your call.

When we were kids.....

Yaha Yaha....we grew up...sorta...

I LOVE YOU!!!!!
I Miss you!!!

7. My Mom and Dad called from Maryland with Happy Birthday wishes!
I had a wonderful visit with you over the phone.
I miss you both so much!

The cards you sent were beautiful!

They were the kind of cards that made me cry because they meant so much!

8. My Mom sent these breathtaking earrings.

9. My dad sent a box from

The box contained 2 bags of raw peanuts in the shell so I can roast my own peanuts.
I also got some chocolate covered peanuts and salted peanuts as well.
Yummmm.....

Thank you!
I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!

10.

Hubby gave me a beautiful card!

Hubby gave me flowers!

Hubby gave me this!

And so that will play in my car.....he got me this!

Yippee!!

11. My mother cooked dinner& of course there was cake!

12. My blogger friends stopped by and left Happy Birthday wishes.

13. I feel blessed, I had a glorious day, life is grand!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Wordless Wednesday

2007-11-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

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Circle of Prayer & Thank You

2007-11-20T22:21:00.000-06:00

“Even though we've changed and we're all finding our own place in the world, we all know that when the tears fall or the smile spreads across our face, we'll come to each other because no matter where this crazy world takes us, nothing will ever change so much to the point where we're not all still friends.”
~ Unknown

Thank you Merle and Karen for the Birthday Posts.
You touched my heart.
You are both dear and precious to me.
I love you!

Dear Commenter’s,

Deb~ one of my long time bloggirlfriends. I treasure you!

Miss Cellania~ I was thrilled to see you dropped in! Your blog can always pick me up when I am down.

Kenju ~ a bloggirlfriend I have been reading for a long time. I truly enjoy your blog!

Walker~ you made my day babe!

Monty~ smooches, I heart you!

Jim~ your comments have brought me joy!

Meow~ my Sister Kitty whom I adore! Psst...You were right on time…. (Time difference)

Naomi~ you are special to me in many ways. I love you!

Jamie Dawn~ delightful, creator of the word Hitonous, the one who got me hooked on truffles, bloggirlfriend of mine, I adore you!

Jude~ a bloggirlfriend I enjoy reading.

Gattina~ a bloggirlfriend I delight in visiting!

Peter~ me mate from Aussie land, a true friend indeed. When I was ill you jumped in and helped me out with my blog. I owe you more than one. You are a wonderful man! Thanks mate!

Audrey, Nikki-ann, Granny, Kimberly, Tracey, Joared, and Autumn Storm I will get by to visit as soon as I can.

Your birthday comments meant more than you can know.

I cherish them.

You helped make my day even more special!

Thank you!

Dear bloggerfriends,

Yes you! Links!

Over there on my sidebar.

The quote is for you as well.

I know we can’t keep up with each other all the time.

Huggles and Love~ Raggedy

I got my first gift from a blogger.
It was not a birthday present but that didn’t make it any less special!
I was thrilled to receive it.
I am the proud owner of a Duck!
Thanks Hoss!
I look just ducky now!
I lubbs ya babe!

Circle of Prayer

"Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted."
~Matthew 5:4

Visit Jamie Dawn

From Jamie Dawn’s Blog:
“Our week ends with great sadness because the precious little girl from our church in CA lost her battle with leukemia.”

Visit Hoss

November 14th

“Shucks. I have been in the hospital for two days. Miss me?”

OF COURSE WE MISSED YOU!

“Some people don't favor the way I am not breathing. Almost not breathing. They haven't got rid of me yet, but I am giving more thought to my reincarnation plan.”

BREATHE! BREATHE! BREATHE!
Raggedy says: BREATHE!

November 18th

“More sick-nik news: I am able to visit your b**g, but commenting wears me out. I visited everybody on my b**groll Saturday. I can write a post, although it takes a long time. Very long.... “

GET BETTER BABE!

Visit Sugarfused

Deb is stressed out right now. She is going in for surgery on February the 8^th.

Keep thoughts and prayers for Miss Vickie as well. We all miss her so much!