Yessiree....

“I know a magical place, to get a taste of a little heaven on earth. It’s just a watering hole – but many a soul will go there to quench their thirst. If my whistles dry there’s no where that I can think of I’d rather be. It’s called the Blue Moon Tap Room . Yessiree, yessiree….” Allison Moorer

Ok, so it’s not the “Blue Moon Tap Room” – more like Taco Mac or Front Page News….a couple of my favorite places to hang and drink. Yessiree, I partake of an alcoholic beverage from time to time. My taste varies with the seasons.

At the early signs of spring and the coming of Summer – I prefer an ice cold beer. Of which, I like all kinds, lights, darks, ales, imports, etc. I’m not prejudice! Truly I’m not!!

As the weather starts to turn cooler, I find myself leaning more toward the red wines. I rather enjoy them served at room temperature during the cold winter days. Besides - isn't a glass a day said to be good for you - guess that makes the entire bottle even better?

And, of course, there is the ever present shot of tequila – tastes great year round and always manages to cure what ails me!!

So – I raise my glass of red in a toast to you and yours for a Happy Holiday season! Eat, more importantly DRINK and most importantly - be merry! Yessiree.....

Beautifully Lived....

“…Beautifully lived, beautifully loved. Look at my life and say well done. Every day, a beautiful gift and hoping something that I did, makes somebody’s day, makes somebody say – she had a life beautifully lived.” Marcia Ramirez

I was driving in to work this morning listening to this song. It reminded me of the wonderful weekend I had just experienced. I could easily say it was “beautifully lived”. There are a lot of things going on in the world today to think about – upcoming election, economy in the dumps, and where can I find gas to fill up my tank.

Yes –there is plenty to be down about, to get worried about. However, there is always time to stop along the way and realize there are plenty of things to be thankful for, to be happy about, to be beautifully lived and loved.

For me, it’s great friendships. I consider myself very lucky in that category. I feel like I am surrounded by some of the most kind, caring and considerate people in the world. My friends are tried and true and I’m so thankful for each and every one of them. You won’t often find words like “blessed” in my vocabulary. But, looking that word up in the dictionary, you’ll find many meanings, one of which is: “bringing happiness, pleasure or contentment.” I’d say “blessed” is exactly how I feel when describing these wonderful people in my life.

These friends are scattered throughout the United States, from California to Nashville to Rhode Island – so to have them all together in one place is a rare occurrence. However, I was lucky enough to have this take place over this past weekend.

I spent the weekend in Nashville – where some of the most special people I’ve ever counted among my friends reside. Joining me there were friends from Rhode Island and California, making this a very special trip. We all had the chance to relax, laugh and spend some quality time together – it made for an experience I won’t soon forget.

Each friend brings something special into my life and I do my best to soak up their “gifts” to the fullest extent! Jackie comes from California and brings her easy going, laid back, giving and very witty personality. Bob & Barbara fly in from Rhode Island and bring so much appreciation for every little thing given to them, shown to them.

My Nashville friends are up next. Ramirez has the kindest, most gentle spirit of any person I’ve ever met. Marco always has a big wide smile on his face – you can count on him to be the life of the party…never knowing what he’s going to come up with next. He’s a good soul. Finally, there is Kips, who will cause me to (once again) use vocabulary I don’t often use – the term "best friend". She is, without a doubt, the best friend I’ve ever had. What a beautiful person she is – so thoughtful, caring, considerate and funny. I love them all – I am thankful for them and the gifts they bring to my life which help me live it beautifully! I only hope I can be half the friend to each of them that they are to me!

Just testing the waters....

I guess I can jump on the band wagon and give this blogging thing a shot. I should warn anyone reading this now - my life is rather dull and uneventful. In addition, I have a very short attention span when it comes to things like this....so I doubt it will last long!