Unmerited Favor

Some experiences leave indelible memories; moments in time that explode into our lives with color, vibrancy and rich tones that leave us forever changed.

This week I’ve been reminiscing about the awesomeness of singing the Hallelujah chorus with a 350 voice choir in Vienna’s Musikverein. It was these lyrics that started my memory channel…

“The kingdom of this world
Is become the kingdom of our Lord,
And of His Christ, and of His Christ;
And He shall reign for ever and ever”

It was by the grace of God that I got to be in such an amazing, life-changing, unforgettable place.

Grace. Unmerited favor – from another kingdom - of another time and another place – a gift that transforms and is freely given. It cost our Father everything and costs us nothing. The kingdom of this world is not the kingdom of our Lord. Yet we can live under the new government; enjoying a freedom, hope and joy that is totally unnatural – because it’s supernatural.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit.” I want to KNOW NOW about these fantastic things that are yet unexplored and untapped, don’t you?! These things are not just for the “sweet by and by” but for the present, here and now. These things are meant to bring light and clarity to your business, your relationships, your finances and your emotions.

I've been soaking in the truths of unmerited favor in preparation for a Tele-Seminar I'm doing next week and as a result feel refreshed and energized. That thought made me realize I haven't invited YOU to attend. Weds. July 21 at 1 PM Eastern Time, 12 Central and it's free! You do need to register and the details are HERE.

Ciao! Get Packed for Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites, hosted by Hillary at The Other Mama was so much fun last week, I’m jumping in again.

One of my favorite things to do is travel. I’ve always loved it, ever since I was a child in the back of the station wagon riding through strange towns and imagining what living there would be like. This week, our son came over to see us (his lovely wife was working) and showed us photos of a recent surf trip he took to Costa Rica with one of his fire station buddies that used to be a pro surfer. His travelogue spiked my travel fever. All our children caught the travel bug too. (Cupcake is in Blowing Rock skiing on her Spring Break this week!)

Its really hard to pick a FAVORITE destination to tell you about… it’s a bit like asking about my favorite song or my favorite book. HOW do you choose? However, I will say that the day I spent on the Amalfi Coast in Italy is at the top of my list of perfect days.

My mom wanted to give me a cruise of my choice for my 50th birthday and I’ve always wanted to go to Greece. So I picked a Mediterranean Cruise. The one I wanted to go on started in Barcelona, Spain and actually didn’t go to Greece, but we liked the route better. What a great choice!

Because we only had ONE day on the Amalfi Coast, we hired a private guide and it was so perfect. Roberto picked us up at our ship and off we went to see some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on. And the food… Oh. My. Gosh. No more talking… let’s start the tour!

Cupcake is holding the biggest lemons I've seen in my life. They were preparing for olive harvest - that was interesting to see.

The vistas were breathtaking.

I think the lunch we enjoyed perched on a mountside in a tiny Italian village was the single best meal I’ve ever eaten. This was just the main course. Pizza was one of the appetizers! I thought New York City's pizza was phenomenal but this was star-gazing amazing!

We celebrated my mom's birthday that day- this was our guide, Roberto. He was from the town of Amalfi and loved his job!

Our walking tour of Pompeii was absolutely fascinating. This ancient town was buried under volcanic ash from the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., so it is amazingly well-preserved.
It was so hot and we were totally exhausted at the end of the hike. Thankfully, my Mom had stayed with Roberto. I literally threw my shoes in the trash at the end of the day as they were utterly ruined.
We cleaned up for another lovely dinner on the ship. My husband had not wanted to go (can't imagine!) so it was a girl trip with my two daughters, my sister and my mom.


This was just ONE day of a 7 day cruise! Have I mentioned one of my favorite things to do is travel? Thanks for stopping by. Ciao!

The Sea to Sky Highway

Victory and defeat. Triumph and tragedy. Diversity and unity. I love watching the Olympics. Looking at the beautiful scenery last night in British Columbia brought back a flood of memories.

Our family has travelled the sea to sky highway in British Columbia twice. The first time was when our children were 5, 10 and 15 years old. We had a grand adventure which culminated when we returned our rented van; unrecognizable from the sparkling van we drove off in. We had been many miles into the deep woods and up and down mountains on unpaved roads. We hoped that the thick layer of dust would cover the scratches we'd picked up in the forest. I don't have the pictures handy on my computer from that trip, so thought I'd share some from our adventures just a few years ago. Though we travelled in style on a cruise ship, Builderman managed to take us on some of the legendary outings he is known for. Believe, me, I can tell you some stories!

I just have to share a P.S. photo to my post earlier this week about high school memories. I had pulled out this photo of me and Builderman taken in my junior year in high school. He laughed and said "I still have that shirt!" and proceeded to pull it out of the closet to prove it. He defended it by saying. "it's a good corduroy shirt." Then he thanked me for marrying a guy who will wear the same shirt for 35 years. You make me smile. We've known victory and defeat. Triumph and tragedy. Diversity and unity.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

I decided there was no better way to start the New Year's posts than with Mary Poppins. I never finished the tale of our trip to New York so here it goes.

The Broadway version of Mary Poppins was breathtaking and enchanting. I sat on the edge of my seat in the beautiful and historical Amsterdam theater and loved every single minute of the show.
There's a song that is not in the move that captivated me called "Anything Can Happen if You Let It". I've decided that's my theme this year. Afterward, we went to Carnegie Deli for their legendary cheesecake and it did not disappoint. Yum.

Here are some of the events of our last 24 hours in the Big Apple...
We went to the top of the Empire State Building and it was clear and beautiful (and cold!)
We picked out jewelry in Tiffany's. ; ) I bought baby clothes in Bloomingdales and a sweet book in FAO Schwarz. Cupcake wanted to take a walk in Central Park and my feet were screaming, "noooooo" so we took the carriage instead.

I think you can tell we had SO MUCH FUN! New York at Christmastime made for a wild and crazy month but we want to make it an annual girl's trip. I need to get to work to save money for all the fun I like to have. Just remember....

Anything can happen if you let it!

The Forecast was for Fun - Never Mind the Rain

I'm thankful that the only moisture we experienced in New York last week was a bit of rain. This week it’s ice and snow… a little harder to maneuver in, I daresay. (That is theoretical and speculative as I have very little actual experience in the matter.)

When we hit the streets on Day 2, we realized the rain forecast was accurate. Our Broadway Show tickets were for the evening of Day 3, but we knew about the Ticket Booth in Times Square where you could stand in line to buy half price tickets to shows for that day. I had really wanted to take in 2 shows on our trip so here was the opportunity. We got matinee tickets to see Chicago - way to multiply our travel dollars.
The girls were excited to learn that Ashlee Simpson (Jessica’s sister) is starring in the show. She did a great job. I loved the jazz music and the dancing - it was well done theater. Quite different from the show we saw the next day and I love variety.

We met up with one of the girls’ friends who’s a model in New York. It was fun going to her apartment – a walk-up – and seeing how New Yorkers live. When we walked out of the Mexican restaurant after a fun and delicious meal, the rain had stopped, making it a perfect time to go to Rockefeller Plaza. We did a little window shopping along the way. No problem that these stores were closed. I think a necklace cost more than my car.

Empire State Building at Night

Across from Rockefeller Square, I was captivated by Saks Fifth Avenue’s “singing building”. Every 15 minutes, the building came to life with flashing snowflakes, dancing to a brilliant arrangement of “Ring Christmas Bells” that resonated in the crisp, freshly washed air. I had to watch it three times!!
I’ve always heard about the energy in New York and it was so much fun experiencing the city that never sleeps. I’ll wrap up the trip on my next post with some of my very favorite photos from the trip.

4 Fabulous Days

My face hurts from smiling. My feet hurt from walking miles and miles of city streets in boots. My heart is warm from treasured moments travelling with 2 of my beautiful daughters.

The sounds of a lonely sax playing Christmas carols from a doorway, the rush of holiday crowds, the ice skaters at Rockefeller Plaza, the amazing window displays at Macy’s and Saks and the love of family have contributed to submerging me in Christmas happiness.

I’ve been asked, “what was the best thing?” I can’t answer that, as it was ALL good. Planes even ran early – is that not a miracle??

My plan is to give you 4 Fabulous Days in 4 installments.… did I say 4 days in a row? no promises. : )

Day 1. Checked in to the Affinia Manhattan at noon. Hop on the subway and head to the southern point of Manhattan to work our way North.

Memorial wreaths placed at Baattery Park in memory of those who died in 9/11 and soldiers who've given thier lives for our country in the war against terrorism.

The fraternity of the Fire Department. We visited New York's finest and got t-shirts for our guys.

Ice Skaters at Bryant Park. We ate at a wonderful spot overlooking the ice rink & wandered through the boutiques.

TIMES SQUARE!
The ads in Times Square are BIG!
I had wanted to see these my first day (windows at Macy's) and we walked right by them on the way back to the hotel. Location was a key in choosing the hotel we did. It worked out well for us. And this was just the first day!! We made every moment count.

Baby, It's Cold Up There

I haven't packed and leave in 2 hours but wanted to say, "See Ya Next Week!" I'm off to New York.
I'll be seeing all the sights that are in the funniest Christmas movie ever made, "Elf".
I'll take lots of pictures!

Sugarplums in the Big Apple

Once again, parental duty has catapulted me into an exciting place. (Oh the tales I could tell!) Cupcake had set aside money last year when she graduated from high school for a trip to New York City. She’s wanted to go for years and I advised her to do something significant and memorable with her gift money. She has talked about it constantly since then and decided the ideal time to go is during December to see the Christmas displays while experiencing the city. She desperately needed someone to go with her and I got elected! WooHoo!! Daughter-in-love is coming too - we’ve been planning this for months and we’re going next week!

I bought a new coat this week and am making final preparations. We’re going to see Mary Poppins on Broadway and have an itinerary sketched out. We’re discussing the hop on hop off double-decker bus ticket for 2 days, 1 day or not at all. Let me know if you have any thoughts on that or anything else.

Life is a grand adventure!

Pretty Close to Paradise

I've been pretty crazy about Sarasota ever since I moved away from there. And that's meant in a nice way, as human nature being what it is, you sometimes don't know what you've got 'til it's gone. (Name that line from a song if you can - it's a Joni Mitchell classic.) I have so much I want to write but I need to dive into a busy week so this is just a quick hello. I have blog posts galore in my head and got a new software program that is supposed to help me get them typed by talking (!) called Dagon Naturally Speaking. I'll let you know how that goes.

Most of you know that Sarasota is the city of my birth... I was born in the same hospital as Addison! These photos were taken in my mom's backyard.
We instructed builderman to smile and his response was "I am!". I smile enough (and talk enough!) for both us. : )

We had such a wonderful weekend. I've decided that 420 miles is closer than you think when paradise is calling. I haven't changed my mind about bliss being holding this little bundle of sweetness. Even if she's crying and upset, it doesn't bother me a bit. She loves her bath and no doubt we enjoyed it as much as she did.

While I'm sharing photos, I finally have one from my mom's 80th birthday party last month. Doesn't she look terrific?! She doesn't even color her hair - it's still naturally brown.

As a serial entrepreneur, there's one last thing I have to share - we ordered dinner one night from a new businesswoman in Sarasota that makes the best Barbecue I've ever had and delivers it. She doesn't have a restaurant but caters at this point. I love creative people. You can read more about Nancy's Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Q in this clip from Sarasota magazine.

Happy Monday from rainy Florida. I'm sharing one more photo because it makes me happy - this was taken 2 weeks ago of our children with Rosebud. I feel so rich, and I'm not talking about money.

Lift Up Your Heads!

I have been captivated with studying “gates” since my return from Central America last month. I’ve seen locks before; I’ve been on a ship that cruised the St. Lawrence Seaway and we had to go through locks on our way to the Atlantic ocean. But observing this engineering feat at the Panama Canal made a bigger impression on me than I was even aware of at the time. The Panama Canal is 50 miles long, extending from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea.

I visited the MiraFlores Locks and the vision of those giant gates has been on my mind continually. I’m sure it’s because of prayer. To clarify, I was praying for provision for a couple that is planting a church in Miami and I immediately pictured the gates at the Panama Canal opening with an amazing outpouring of water. We’re talking ginormous gates and millions of gallons of water. This picture captures a photo of the water just “leaking’ in.Lift up your heads, O you gates;
Lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory.
Psalm 24: 9,10The first photo and this last photo were taken at a point about midway through the canal. There's only a 45 minute segment every day when ships are going both directions as they change the traffic flow each day. I happened to see it.

Finishing Well

Today is my Dad’s birthday. As I reflected on that this morning, I began to think on our last summer together. As he realized he was losing his 5 year battle with cancer, He squeezed every drop of life he could from his remaining days. We had so much fun it makes me grin.

In the summer of 1990, I earned an expense-paid trip to Vienna, Austria as a reward for exceptional sales performance with the company I was with. (I’ve mentioned I love to travel and every time they offered a trip, I made sure to be there.) Dad was a musician of the highest degree; he could play any and every instrument, as he had taught orchestra and band for many years. His two favorite genres were big band and classical. Vienna was his dream trip. Cupcake was just 6 weeks old and Dad was in pain and using a cain, but off we went to Europe. I remember standing in elevators and riding in taxis with the strains of classical music accompanying our adventures. To my delight, without fail he could name composer and movement (Okay, I have to say it since I know you are: "What Was I Wearing?!")

I had so much fun pulling out photos this morning with Dad’s handwritten notes on the back. We danced together at a grand ball at the Hofburg palace. How’s that for finishing well?

Live well, my friend. Make every moment count.

Hospitality in the Rainforest

Today I’m taking you back to the Rainforest in Panama for a day like no other. I left off in my narrative after we had a refreshing break in this swimming pool and hiked back to the canoes. That’s when the rains began. (The average annual rainfall is 100 inches). That’s our Emberan Indian guides in the waterfall. We were taken to their village for lunch. We climbed a ladder to enter their gathering hut which was built entirely from a palm tree. The floor was very springy and looked as if it wouldn’t hold all of us. Thankfully it did. They build up off the ground for three main reasons: snakes, insects and rain. Our first course for lunch was large platters of watermelon, pineapple and papaya.

The main course was fried plantains and fish (Talapia fresh from the Chagres river)Served in beautiful disposable leaves. : )
After lunch, we went to a covered hut with a dirt floor for the dancing.
We all got in the act before it was said and done. For your information, the women now wear tops, but it has not always been so. A few older women were a la natural. The men have always worn one long loin cloth. As a concession to visitors, they now wear a beaded, decorative piece that covers their buns.
I was cold at this point because I was wet and the wind was blowing hard. So I asked through our interpreter what they do when they get cold. They have a blanket made of plant fiber for night time. They showed it to me and it was nothing like what I'd call a blanket.
I was ready for a hammock by this time too.
What a memorable day! Have I mentioned I love adventure?