Day 12, 30 day writing challenge

Today is a day of reflection, for many reasons. Good reflection, sad reflection, victorious reflection. Today is the 71st anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy, also known as D-Day. WWII, ugliness, power struggle. When I think of this day, I often find myself referring back to Saving Private Ryan. I had the opportunity to sit near two gentlemen, strangers, who were at Normandy that day. I was just behind them and in the opening scenes I could see them wiping their eyes and remembering. Then one of them just nodded and said "yep". It was a clear sign that this was as close as the rest of us were going to get to seeing the horror of that day. I'm not a fan of war. I could never be in the military, I wouldn't survive, but I appreciate those who are and were, and the sacrifices they make to keep this world safe. Not just Americans, but our Allies as well. Britain, Canada, etal. No matter how one feels about this, it is fair to give a moment of silence for those in WWII who gave their lives, to save us from the clutches of maniacal evil.

Onto a brighter note...we have good reflection. Tonight is my cousin's graduation dinner. He is the son of my older cousin, but still, I can remember back to the day he was born, now, he is out of High School and ready to begin his life. Where does the time go? When I ask this, Sis Laura always snaps a finger, a gesture that says, *in a flash, it's gone*. Tonight we will celebrate my little cousin, and send him into life with our best wishes and intentions for his future.

Of course there is victorious reflection, well sort of. Will we have victorious reflection? Will American Pharaoh be the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown? Affirmed was the last, but that was his greatest claim to fame, since everyone always seems to go back even further to Secretariat, 1973's (YAY! Great year!) Triple Crown winner. I am not a big horse racing fan, but I do follow these races, provided there is a reason to follow it. I do find it funny that the songs played before the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness are songs steeped in tradition, then you get to Belmont and you get to hear Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York. I love it, but it does crack me up and at least I know the words to that song.

My sis used to be a horse trainer and competitor in horse shows, you know the ones where they jump gates and man made ponds. I apologize, I have no idea what the Equestrian event is called...or was that it? Anyway, it's fun to watch her get so nervous before these races. Deep breaths, exhales, hand wringing...the whole shebang. When you think about it, you can't blame her, this is after all the only sport where a champion is not guaranteed every year.

So will there be a Triple Crown winner today? I guess we'll see...and they're off! OMG! OMG! OMG!!! WE HAVE A TRIPLE CROWN WINNER! THE 37 YEAR WAIT IS OVER!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! SOOOO AWESOME!!!! :D

Until tomorrow...thank you for sitting through another day of complete random, all over the board, thoughts. *thumbs up* You deserve a high five.

Sissy Jo....

Well, it goes without saying that the days leading up to Comic Con were anything but non-emotional. Is that even a word? Seriously, my mind lately. Sissy Jo, one of the three girls I call my soul sister, passed away on June 29th, her funeral was held two days before we left for Comic Con. Admittedly, this reminded me, as well, of mama being sick last year during Comic Con, so of course our 8th trip to the 'Con', was a little bluer than I think we had hoped, but we did manage to have a good time, because we know that is what Jo would have wanted. As we all know you can't make the pain just disappear, or the sadness that comes with losing someone so important and special to your life. As anyone could tell you, JoAnn was a force to be reckoned with, a little whirlwind of organization, love and smiles. She loved many who were in her path and she taught us lessons of survival, never giving up and fighting the good fight. I me...

From a personal journey to...

I have blogged off and on about a personal journey I have been on for about a year or so. It's nothing earth shattering for anyone but me. I hate to say it, but I kind of became a cliché. Indeed, I had become that person who needed to find themselves. One of my favorite quotes along the way came from Tolkien, "Not all those who wander are lost". It kind of contradicts my previous statement, well not kind of, it does, because I talk about finding myself, but truly, I knew where I was all the time. Are you confused yet? Think of it as standing outside of your body inside a hall of mirrors. Like a carnival there are images of you everywhere, but only one of those images are you. So you go about seeking the solid figure and along the way you hit dead ends, walls, other mirrors with images of yourself and so on, until you finally stop, breathe and realize if you look at the mirror in front of you, there you are. You stop trying so hard...

Day 8 of 30 days of gratitude.

Today I dedicate this blog to Sissy Jo. Today would have been JoJobean's 47th birthday and she lived every moment the best that she could. I am forever grateful that I spent her last night on earth with her. It was like old times when we had a lot of Sissy sleep-over's, watching "ghosty" shows, chatting, being sisters. That night she told me her dreams for me and what she was sure would be my reality for the future. What people didn't see was JoAnn's fight. When it was posted on Facebook that she had passed away, so many of my own family and friend's commented that they didn't even know she was still sick. In fact, she was on her way to do payroll when she collapsed, the afternoon she passed away. She had set-up a makeshift office at home, because her dedication to the work and people she cared about, never stopped. JoAnn was re-diagnosed in December 2008. She had been in remission for almost four years when breast cancer came ba...

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