Then There Were Two...

A very wise woman, Reba McEntire-to be exact, once proclaimed, "to succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone."

Well, I think 'ol Reba nailed that one as did the two dolls behind the meat counter at Nino Salvaggios!
I love a man with a sense of humor as well as the confidence to sport a turkey on his head while working at a store with say...200 women wandering about.  Backbone, funny bone and certainly wish bone are all wrapped up with these two hot turkey's!

Hit up Nino's on Hall to get yourself a giggle plus whatever else you need, poultry, pastry or just to check out the Turkey(s!)

 Happy Thanksgiving!  Be grateful, laugh a little and good luck with the wishbone.  XO

La Vie En Rose...

A family wedding this weekend found us exposed to some traditions that were totally new experiences for us.  My cousin Carli and her handsome groom, Lupce were joined in matrimony at the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Macedonian Orthodox Chapel.  The Chapel itself is among the most gorgeous I have ever seen with detailed gilded paintings of the saints on the walls and ceilings.  There was a cantor that sang all the prayers and verses.  The bride and groom were crowned with grand crowns in a ceremony that involved blessings and kissing of the crowns.  It was unusual, foreign, exotic and very steeped in tradition.   But when it was announced 'You may kiss your bride,'  we knew that it was official.

Downtown at the Masonic Temple, we were greeted with a sumptuous table laden with any type of hors d'oeuvres that you could imagine.  After dinner we were treated to another Macedonian custom that involved the Godfather of the groom, a roasted baby pig, and a parade.  Oh, and money thrown about in hopes of some type of feast payment. A Macedonian Junkanoo-if you will!  I'm not sure, but it was highly entertaining!

Dancing and sharing bottles were the order of the night and the revelry was in full force when we slipped off.

Among the new things we learned, was the commonality that in any language, marriage is about love, family, spirituality and food-in any language.

Congrats to Carli and Lupce!  The best is yet to come!  XOXO

P.S.-how cute is my Mom?

Say it Again...

I love what I am seeing this Veteran's Day.

Recently I noticed that Lowe's has 'Veteran's Parking Only' spots.  How cool is that?  I also saw a barber shop offering free haircuts today.  In Alpena, a local restaurateur gave free meals to customers that served our country.  And in my hometown of Ossineke, my elementary school hosted an 'American hero's on Veteran's Day' program.  This event has been honoring Veteran's for 10 year and includes the children reading poems, singing songs and doling out special gifts- to 30 Vet's!  God bless you all for your thoughtful efforts.

Every year I struggle to write something that expresses my gratitude and respect.  For all of you that did what I never had the guts to do- I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  XO

7th. Heaven...

On Saturday I had the wonderful experience of spending time with some old friends.  As hard as it is to make time to get together-this was a very special event.  Held in a beautiful venue, we were treated to some very angelic vocals.  The food was local and homemade and the desserts were decadent. (As all desserts SHOULD be!)  Warm hugs and reminiscent stories were the order of the day.  Emotions ran high and there were tears as well as much laughter.

Can you guess where I was?  Yep, at a funeral.  Family and friends gathered to celebrate the life of a very loved man and give him the send off he deserved.  It also provides a gathering to share stories, as well as facing our own mortality.  Efforts are made to keep the mood light, but the inevitablitly of death is the commonality that joins us.  The great equalizer.

We all have the time between our birth and death to live a life we can be proud of.  The famous 'Dash' poem reminds us the importance of what we do in the middle that is what we will be remembered for.

I think that funerals are really just parties that celebrate, evaluate, and refocus on how we are doing so far.  Are we kind?  Respectful? Considerate?  Patient?(a hard one for me!)  Compassionate?  I am going to make an effort to use funeral celebrations a time to reset goals for my 'Dash.'  Isn't that the best way to honor someone?  OXOX