The power of sound

I sat in the technology lab attempting to start my laptop. I was between classes, so it was very quiet aside from the gentle hum of the computers. Then, my laptop experienced a moment of confusion. It clicked and hummed and clicked some more, shutting down then turning itself back on as it cycled through the start-up procedure. I could feel myself growing frustration, but even more than that, I was starting to worry. This is, of course, my work laptop and I am the technology teacher. It sort of means that I should be able to handle this. I hit F2 on the startup. Nothing changed. I finally just shut it back off completely and took a deep breath.

And I sat.
In the quiet.
With a gentle, hum of the other computers.
I looked at the laptop.
And then...it replayed in my mind. All the sounds of the laptop attempting to startup. Suddenly, it hit me. It was not starting as normal. It was confused and trying to do something weird. It was trying to boot from the CD-ROM. But why? As I replayed the sounds in my head once more, I realized one of the sounds was the CD drive attempting to play a disc. It actually had a disc in it! I opened up the the drive and there was one of my COSMOS CDs in the drive. It has probably been in there for months. I had long forgotten it was in there and the case for my COSMOS set is at home. Surprise!

What led me to it was the amazing power of certain sounds. I followed the sounds and replayed them in my head. That helped me find the fix. Once I pulled the CD out of the drive and attempted again to restart the computer, it worked! All was well.

Music can transport me to other times and other places.
I know there are others like me.
Let the sounds take you on a journey. Maybe you'll find a solution in sound, too.

Sights and scents have a power of their own, but today it was the power of sound that made a huge impact n my day. What sounds make a difference in your world?

Keeping up appearances and more

"You know...I've been looking forward to this for a long time..."

I am sitting here watching Sideways and thinking of how it is the perfect watch for right here, right now. Writing and friendship are involved. Both are important to me. I will come back to this later. But first, I shall take a look at how keeping up appearances is a rather huge deal...

So, now, let me take a moment and share with you some of the most amazing parts of my life. They are far from the most beautiful, but they are what make life amazing.

On Monday, I shared this picture of CD. This kid amazes me. He shines at every moment. Except, for when he struggles. Now, for me (to me), he still shines, but he has his struggles. As you look at this picture of amazingness, you don't see what happened a few short minutes earlier. At the start of our Putt-Putt game, I realized I had forgotten the score card. CD insisted I grab one. So...I obliged. We kept score, We cheered each other on and then...he had a terrible hole. Not a bad hole, a TERRIBLE hole. He was frustrated beyond anything you could ever imagine. It was awful. He cried. And so, I replied, "Shall we stop keeping score?" He agreed we should. And then...he cried. I hugged him. I snuggled him. I loved him. He is my boy. I am his mom. This was the moment that meant more than anything any picture could ever capture. He tore up the score card. We went on to play and have fun. Life was awesome. And then....only then....did I capture this moment.

This...this is my girl. We have our struggles. I will never show in a Facebook or other social media post what our struggles are like. I will not divulge them in detail here. But, I can tell you this,,,these pictures are the ones I capture because these are the moments worth capturing. I need to remember when her eyes sparkle. I need to remember when she smiles. Because when she lashes out at me in the evenings it is not because she is mean. It is not because she is something other than loving. It is because she feels safe. She is my girl. I am her mama. We need to tear up the score card. We need to look beyond the hurtful, difficult moments and love each other through the most difficult of times. Miss Hollywood makes my life complete. If only she knew it.

As they spend Thanksgiving away, I give thanks for them. On Friday, I will hug them and love them and hold them close.

See...here's the thing. It's easy to get wrapped up in the crazy, It's easy to respond in kind. The part that takes work is stepping back and loving them through the difficult times. And so,  I do my best. I am far from perfect, but I am getting better. We must take it step by step and remember perfection is a myth. Love begins with me. And then so, too, can it begin with them.

So...here I am. Writing. Remembering. Thinking of friendship. And yet...also giving thanks for these two wonders who complete my world. I will watch things such as Sideways when they are visiting other family while appreciating what they give and bring to me. What they make me. How they complete me. Tomorrow, I shall spend the day with friends, but I look forward to Friday and loving these two amazing kids, I may choose to show the images that keep up appearances while knowing what is happening "behind the scenes" but is it really keeping up appearances? Or, perhaps...those appearances are made possible by the difficult times. The times we struggle. The times we hug. The times that the camera cannot capture. Still, those appearances capture the overall greatness that is life. Without the sad, difficult, frustrating times, we cannot fully appreciate the smile, the love, the sparkly eyes. Life is good. I am blessed.

Even for a moment..."let peace begin with me"

I sat down with the PE teacher just before the final bell would ring for the day. He said something and at the time I heard every word he spoke, but all I remembered as I walked away was Paris, attacks, dead. My heart immediately sank into my stomach. Paris is not "my city" the way San Francisco is. It is not a place I've ever lived. And yet, it may as well have been San Francisco, Los Angeles, or even the town in which I live. A part of me has always connected with Paris, with France. And, I have passed that along to my children. Paris, my beloved city was under attack. As I kept the technology lab open after school, I alternated between completing some work that needed doing and checking news sources. I tried to hold back tears, but I sat and wept quietly as students worked on nearby computers. As they left near the closing of the lab, I spoke softly. "Pray for Paris tonight. You'll surely see the news when you arrive home, but for now know that something bad happened there tonight and the people need our prayers." My students left, I gathered my things, and I headed out to my car. I skipped all music and went straight to NPR. I heard a combination of previously recorded interviews and unfolding news. I sobbed on the drive home. My heart felt broken. I wondered about people I once knew. I felt an overwhelming empathy for those I never knew, but heard only on these radio reports. Thoughts flooded my mind in French and English both. I called my parents. Thankfully, my kids were home and watching cartoons. The news broadcasts and "regular" channels would not come across our television set that night. In fact, we've watched no television news broadcasts at all throughout the weekend. Yes, I am strategically sheltering my children, even if only for a moment.

I changed my Facebook profile picture multiple times throughout the weekend. With whatever felt right in the moment. Others changed their profile pictures as well. It was an attempt at acting in solidarity with other humans. I am far from the only one with a strong connection in my heart to the beautiful city. It has been 20 years since I visited there. It has been over 15 years since I last spoke to one of my dear friends from my teen years. And yet, my connection feels strong even still, at least in my heart. And, that's ok. I have friends who have visited the city within recent years, family who was there in recent months, and a friend who was there just two weeks ago. Sometimes, I dream in French. Sometimes, I start counting in Spanish and suddenly it turns to French. My brain gets confused and somehow finds its way back to the language I love and have loved much of my life.

I took my first French class in seventh grade. I took my last French class in college. It was the high school French classes that impacted me. My aunt made a deal with me that if I got good grades throughout my high school career in my French classes, then she would send me to France after graduation. As it turned out, I traveled to France by myself after graduation thanks to her gift to me that was the result of my hard work. It is a country I love and long to one day return to and visit again. This is the love I mentioned above that I have passed along to my children. My daughter dreams of visiting Paris. She has a poster hanging in her room of the Eiffel Tower with Le Petit Parisien across the top. She is my little Parisien. Months ago, we started making real plans for this trip that we will take. Yes, we will take it. It will happen. I look into her eyes and I know that it can, it will, it must happen.

Throughout social media, people came together even if only for a moment Friday night. For a moment, it seemed we were one. We were human. We were loving. And then posts crept in shattering that moment.

Some used the terrorist attacks in Paris to proclaim the need to build a wall along the border between the United States and Mexico. Some attacked Muslims without regard for the fact that not all Muslims are radical and affiliated with ISIS anymore than all Christians being associate with hate groups identifying themselves as Christians. And then some started passing judgment on how others expressed themselves in the wake of these attacks. Comments about profile pictures, using French, feeling "more" for what happened in France than other places in the world. We "should" do more. We "should" do it differently. We "should" this, that, and the other thing. And yet, really, all we should do is be who we are, feel what we feel, and love. One post said that prayer won't do anything so we need to bomb people into oblivion.

I turn to Martin Luther King, Jr.
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral,
begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy.
Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it.
Through violence you may murder the liar,
but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth.
Through violence you may murder the hater,
but you do not murder hate.
In fact, violence merely increases hate.
So it goes.
Returning violence for violence multiplies violence,
adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness:
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.

Those are the words that rang through my head all weekend.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

I may not agree with some of the people posting who are angry. I know that there are people who believe that that bombs are the answer. I don't agree with them, but I recognize that they need to express themselves and what they are feeling. I would hope that we can find more love in the world. We are all feeling versions of brokenness and fear right now. It would be wonderful if we could come together and grab back that brief moment of solidarity. Christians, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists....Americans, Japanese, French, Germans, Syrians, British...

I will continue to teach my children kindness, love, light. And, one day we will visit La Ville Lumiere, the City of Light. And we will let our light shine.

This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.


I sobbed as I heard accounts of the little boy's lifeless body with his typical toddler velcro shoes, Syrian refugee who died escaping with his family. I cry for the hundreds and thousands around the world who are living in fear, losing their lives, risking their lives both by fleeing countries and by going about their day-to-day business. The one American confirmed killed in Paris on Friday night was a alumna of the high school I attended. I just attended my 20-year high school reunion. She will never have such an opportunity. She was following her dreams, living her dream. There is a lot of pain the world. And tonight, I looked into my daughter's eyes and it melted away. For a moment.

I read a poem for the first time ever today. And it has turned up multiple places. Written by Warsan Shire:

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?

it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.

From "Let There be Peace on Earth"

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
With peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

And finally, a promise. The terrorists will not win. I promise to take my young daughter to see her beloved city. I promise to look into her eyes more and allow peace into our hearts more. I promise to do my very best to let peace begin with me, with her, with my son...in our home. Let there be peace, and love, and joy.

Whooo....arrrrre.....yoooou....

My favorite line from Alice in Wonderland is when the Caterpillar asks "Whooo...arrrre.....yooou...?" And yet...I must ask:
Or rather, who am I?

To kick off the new school year, our staff had a one day retreat led by a priest. He focuses on a reading from Matthew 16.
"Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
"But who do you say that I am?"

After reading the scripture and discussing it some, the priest turned it to us. He had us take some time and reflect on who people say we are and who we are. I grabbed paper and pen and found a quiet place to sit, reflect and write. This is what I wrote:

Who do people say Bekah is?
But -- who am I?

People say I am Rebekah. They know me as Rebekah. Most everyone knows that I am educator, a mom, and an almost 40-year-old who lives with her parents. Some feel I am too dependent on my parents while other feel they are too dependent on me. Neither is true. But, I'll get to that. People tend to see my surface level and certainly many would be able to tell you that I am, at least at times socially awkward. I am an educator who constantly strives not only to do my best, but to be the best. It is what I expect of myself. I want to instill in my children and in my students the importance of being a life-long learner and I lead by example. I believe that there is a world of opportunities for learning and I go, I seek, I find, I experience, I share. I communicated with students and families throughout the summer because they are a part of who I am and why I do what I do. and it carries into who I am to my children. We adventure. We learn. We explore.

I am a mom, mommy, mama, and I am a mother. People see that I am a mother of two amazing children. I am actually a mother of three. Turns out, God needed him (my middle child) more than I did. I healed differently than others. Instead of asking Why me? -- I asked why not me? Anyone who has met me in the last three or four years has no idea that I spent close to 15 years hardly being myself. I am finally back to me. I am dramatic and creative and outgoing. Sometimes, yes that makes me socially awkward but I am true to myself and my aart -- whatever my art is on any given day. I will put my kids first but will take time out and regroup. I need a break. That's how I keep myself healthy. By being my best me, I can help them be their best. And yes, I am a daughter who helps and is helped by her parents. We work together! We're family. I am scared every day of losing one or both of them, especially my dad. I will stay by their side as long as is necessary. I asked my brother for help. He's closer to home now. I will ask for help when I need it. I am fearless but guarded. I cry. I am social but can enjoy being quietly alone. I have a lot of awesome things to say and grow easily frustrated when people don't listen. I struggle with my faith but talk to God constantly. Each day is a gift and as fearless as I try to be, I am still working to overcome fear. I am EduAwesome! I am a learn. I am a facilitator of learning. I am an educator. I am a mom. I am a daughter. I am a writer. I am a friend and a sister. I am a little hippie and a little punk and a little rock. I eclectic. I am Bekah. I am me. I am -- the real me. I am my best me and still getting better. I laugh. I love. I sometimes feel lonely, but I am never alone.

When frustration turns to fun, magic happens and JOY wins!

For our last full day of our big vacation, we spent a day in San Francisco. The plan was to get up, have breakfast, go to Muir Woods, return to the City for an early dinner, and go to the Giants game. Simple enough, right?

Waking up.
The kids needed to sleep in some, so I gave them time to do so. Still, they weren't quite ready to really get moving. So Miss Hollywood and I had a moment about her bath. I threatened to call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. We moved on cheerfully to breakfast after bathing and dressing.

Breakfast.
We sat down together pleasantly after being welcomed by one of our favorite waitresses. CD was disappointed that we were too late for the buffet while I was thankful we made it in time for breakfast at all. And then...huge disappointment happened. Huge. Miss Hollywood had to use the restroom. So, off we went. CD wanted to stick with us, so he informed the waitress. I reiterated what he said. When we returned, our plates were gone. Our beverages were still there. CD immediately flipped. I was about there myself in fact. The waitress rushed over very apologetically. She explained what happened. I tried to understand. CD walked away. Miss Hollywood followed him. Here's the thing, no amount of compensation could help with what I needed to do as a mom. That moment set the tone for the start of our day. I was the one who had to help him navigate through the disappointment so we could move on. It took some doing, but we got through it. Finally that evening, he enjoyed his hot cocoa which was essentially complimentary. And then, and only then, some 10 hours later was he able to appreciate the way they tried to compensate for the breakfast mishap.

Muir Woods?
We finally set off on our planned adventure. I tried repeatedly saying, "even if we only get to do this drive, isn't it wonderful?!" The kids loved the drive. It was wonderful. And then...there was no parking. None. Roadside parking was jammed. Parking lots were super full with multiple cars waiting for single spots. By the time we found an area that may have worked, it was going to be almost a two mile hike back to the area we had set out to visit. I called it. Said it was time to go find something else. I was bummed out but positive and upbeat. Miss Hollywood was incredibly disappointed and shouted from the backseat, "this is the worst trip ever! You planned the worst trip, mommy!" I remained quiet. Almost silent as tears filled my eyes. Told myself to just hold on. I knew this was going to be ok, but I had to get to ok. And then...a sign. Muir Beach. I told the kids to hang tight. Reminded them it was all ok. And then it was. As I looked for parking, Miss Hollywood still didn't know where we were or what we were doing but she retracted her harsh words with an apology.
We had a blast! Plan B was a success. JOY was the word of the afternoon. As we left later, both kids declared it the best day ever. Seriously, from worst to best in about an hour.
A lovely San Francisco drive later, and...

We ate dinner at a restaurant with a bowling alley but couldn't bowl. A revolving door adventure helped. Then CD gave his leftover dinner to a couple of homeless men on our way across the street. It was a good amount of food and these two guys were incredibly appreciative.

We got to our seats at the game just in time for the first pitch, but cotton candy was a few rows away. Devastating for a moment. But all ended well.

A trip down the slide, some cotton candy, a couple of runs, singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame together, two small souvenirs, and a Giants win...perfect ending to a long but worthwhile day. Topped off with beignets and hot cocoa/coffee upon returning to the hotel. As we talked about the best parts of our day, CD said his was giving food to the homeless guys. That in itself tells me we're doing it right.

This day could have been a total disaster at any one point. It was a matter of managing reactions, moving on, moving forward, teaming up, and trying really hard to find the best each step of the way. Some moments were easier than others, but at the end of the day, it really was the best day ever. And now, we're ready to make more memories and create the next best day ever!

The adventure hat

I have this hat. It's a fairly simple hat that I paid about  $10 for three years ago. It has become my adventure hat. Now, I'm not typically a hat wearer, but this is a special hat.

There are some of our smaller adventures that require something else, but our special summer adventures require this hat.

I originally bought it for my 35th birthday. That was a huge year for me. I threw myself a fun birthday party after running a half marathon. My first (and so far only) half marathon. It was an exciting time and new adventures were just beginning. Since then, the hat has traveled lots of places with me. Often, Miss Hollywood takes a turn with it too. She loves the hat almost as much as I do.

My St. Christopher chain broke, so I keep it in my wallet now so it still travels with me wherever I go. It is my must-have travel item. But the hat is a pretty good indicator that it's adventure time.

This year alone, the hat has been hiking and camping locally, to a Garth Brooks concert, to Lassen, to Tahoe, and is getting ready to set out on our biggest summer adventure yet.

What's your must-have travel item? Do you have an adventure item?

Share in the comments below or on social media with #wheresmsrnow #adventure

Having just returned from one adventure, it is now time to finish preparing for the next. Three big, fun adventures in 10 days makes for lots of hat wearing!

Farmer's Market finds

One of my favorite parts of summer is getting to the farmer's market. There are a few around and I do try to get to more than one. CD and I headed to our most local of farmer's markets and set out to get just a few items. I am thankful that my kids appreciate fruits and vegetables. CD especially! He's usually willing to try new things too. Knowing he makes good decisions, I knew he was the perfect assistant shopper to have along and, in fact, I let him make most of the selections.

We returned home with a great selection. CD chose two bell peppers, one green and one purple. We also had a zucchini, two eggplants, four tomatoes, a bunch of purple carrots, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries.

The purple carrots accompanied our Bacon-wrapped chicken on our Lassen trip, we enjoyed the berries as dessert and breakfast, I cut up the zucchini and baked it with olive oil and seasonings then we served it with a roast my dad did on his outside rotisserie. But the best was yet to come.

We had the four heirloom tomatoes that needed to be eaten or we were going to lose them. A brainstorm turned into a fabulous idea.

I cut up the four tomatoes and two peppers. I challenged myself to keep onion out of this one and succeeded. I cooked the peppers in a little olive oil then added the tomatoes. Simmered them, took off the lid and cooked off some of the water, then added some of the leftover roast that I had cut into nice pieces. My final step was my "secret" ingredient. I grated some pepper jack cheese into the sauce. It made the sauce a little creamy and added just the right flavor. I think other cheeses would work well, too, but this was perfect.

I served it over penne pasta with parmesan on top. It was a huge hit! "I could eat this for, like, two days," said CD. Then he proceeded to clear his plate. Best compliment there is.

Wine pairing: Malbec
For the kids: Milk

Summer love: Summer eats kick off

Fall is my most favorite time of year, but summer is my favorite time to try new recipes and cooking adventures. While I love baking in the winter  (and exploring new soup ideas), there is just something about summer that brings out my inner chef. Having more time is certainly a large part of it. However, perhaps my devotion to adventure in general that is explored more fully in the summer manifests in the kitchen as well. I am more relaxed, to be sure, so that, too, aids in my kitchen exploration.

If you can cook it inside, surely you can cook it outside. I've done squash on the grill, and broccoli. This week, I did carrots...with a KISS. Keep it simple silly.

I took fresh (organic) carrots. The chickens thoroughly enjoyed the tops while I continued to cut up the carrots themselves. I placed the cut up carrots in foil. Then I cut up some small (also organic) sweet peppers and a portion of a red onion. Added them to the carrots. Ground a couple of shakes of sea salt and sprinkled some dry herbs over the top, sprayed with olive oil and sealed the foil. 15-20 minutes on the grill and...voila! Vegetable medley success! It was a hit all around the table.

For the Fourth of July, things were again about preparing with KISS. First up was breakfast. I had seen a Nutella posting and we considered waffles to recreate it, but we're short on time. So, I made a slice of toast for each person, then after spreading Nutella, added berries to look like the American flag. Miss Hollywood skipped the berries but breakfast was a huge hit and took just a few minutes to prepare. For dinner, I teamed up with my dad to do ribs with a KC barbecue rub, corn on the cob, and salad. For the salad, I took a bag of 50/50 mix, added crumbled Bleu cheese, a little bacon, and some broken up walnuts. Served with Newman's Own dressing, my mom's favorite. I will include this salad in a menu later this summer. We paired one of our favorite Santa Maria wines with the meal. We finished off with a patriotic cookie.

I'm now already menu planning for later this summer. It's a significant birthday year for my mom. On her birthday, I am doing a small dinner party. We will do planked salmon, couscous or quinoa, and a vegetable. For the party I am doing a few days later, I will have hors d'oeuvres, quiches, salads, and a grilled roast. More details to come as I am really excited about both events, but I even have a cool theme for the party. We will pair great wines, too. The party will be especially interesting as I will have at least two experienced chefs present so I look forward to their input, despite the added pressure. Talk about pressure cooking! Ha!

Summer is a great time to go exploring in the kitchen. When is your favorite time to do kitchen adventures? What are some of your favorite recipes?

Where is the love? It begins with you.

Ah, February...a month of love. Valentine's Day falls directly in the middle of the month. And, while there are various days off from work or school (ranging from one day to ten days) for Presidents' Day and such, when people think of February, they tend to think of LOVE.

There are many people in the world who have never known love of any kind. There are people who claim to know how to love, but they miss a huge step. There are people who have fond the true love of their lives. There are people on an eternal quest to find love. Then there are people who love everyone. They share love. They live love. so, what's the secret?

Ready for this?

It begins with you.

It also begins with me.

It begins with each and every one of us.

I am co-founder of a small Facebook group, Project 60. In January, I announced a new self-love challenge beginning February 1. And then, I fell ill.

I got up. I went to work. I returned home. I ate a little when I could and I was in bed early. My first two weeks of February were spent doing this. Yet, I kept my focus on self-love. For me, self-love meant taking care of me and getting back to being healthy. If you've had this flu going around this year, you know the aches, pains, and fatigue are really rough. Now, put that into the body of someone with Fibromyalgia who deals with aches, pains, and fatigue on a regular basis. One morning I woke up ad could hardly walk. It took all I could muster out of myself to get to the kitchen to take some Aspirin. And then, I got ready and went to work. I repeated this the next day. I then spent most of the weekend in bed and woke up Monday morning and it hit me just how sick I was. It still took my dad saying something to me about it before I realized that I needed to stay home. I wanted to put my students first but it finally all caught up to me and I had to put myself first...I was number one. And thanks to that, I was able to return to work the next day and work through the rest of the illness that seems to have included bronchitis and laryngitis. Still, I took care of me and allowed myself to be my best under the circumstances for my students and my two children at home. I had to put me first. And I did that just in time to start the month of love.

Self-love. It all begins with self-love.

We have to love ourselves in order to more fully and completely love others. I am able to love my children because I love myself. I am able to love my students because I love myself. I am able to love my friends and family as fully as I do because I love myself. I have to remember to show myself that love. And you do too.

We need more love in the world.

And it starts at home...in our own hearts...with ourselves.

I immersed myself in some work this weekend out of love for myself. "How" you may ask, "do you love yourself by working on the weekend?" I alleviated stress and I got significantly caught up on the things I had fallen behind on while I was sick. I took a break to have my haircut more to what I wanted and to find someone to do my nails (more on this in a moment). Later, I went to visit a friend. This friend is also my nail tech. We were friends first. But she started doing my nails seven years ago and she's the only person I've gone to for my nail needs. She was diagnosed with cancer recently and this visit was important to both of us. #wegotthis but we needed this visit and we will need others. (Your prayers are appreciated.) Her love for life and her readiness to fight are inspiring. I wish all could love life so fully. We all really should.

How much do you love yourself? How do you show it?

Sometimes I wear make-up to show it. Sometimes I skip make-up to show it. Sometimes I take myself out for coffee. Sometimes I take myself out for dinner. Sometimes I take time out for me. Sometimes I take time out with my kids. Sometimes I find a conference or workshop to attend that will make me even better at what I do. Whatever I do, wherever I go...I invest in me. I invest in me because I am worthy. I am worthy.

There are people who underestimate how much they are loved. My heart breaks for them. If you're reading this, please allow me to say...YOU ARE WORTHY.

Where is the love?

It starts with each and every one of us. Take a moment and tell yourself, "I love you." The rest will come.

Be. Live. Believe. 2015.

And with that and a "Mommy, I want to do important stuff like you," from Miss Hollywood...I am off for now.

Peace and love be with you. I am awesome. And so are you. <3