9 Years Ago. 9 years ago today I posted that I was feeling lucky. In Tuscany. And I was lucky, am lucky. I was with Peter, my parents, my godfather and his wife. We were taking a wine tour in Italy, in some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere, drinking amazing wine, laughing, eating great Italian bread and overall having a beautiful time. What I didn’t know then is that I was extra lucky because I was spending my dad’s last few days on earth with him, and while I know I was more than lucky to have had him for just about the first 45 years of my life,…

“Well, maybe it is true,” Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it’s to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?” “I do,” Dunbar told him. “Why?” Clevinger asked. “What else is there?” ~Joseph Heller, Catch-22 2022. Another amazing year for which to be thankful. More specific? See below. (Note: this was to be published in November 2022.) As of today, I am thankful for the following: *Being bold, taking chances. Living life is a true catch-22. As it should be. *Strength. Of mind, of body, of spirit. It always pays off, and it’s…

Note: I started this draft in 2022 and while the news at the time is what made me write it, all my words still hold true. “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.” ~Quote from the movie Shawshank Redemption Rant coming in 3, 2, 1… As I have said before I try really hard to limit my time on social media and limit my posts to food, travel and staying in touch with friends + family (oh, and tagging my best friend in memes) but truly, I’m as pissed as most people. But the fact is, I’ve been pissed for…

So, a little context? Yeah, I’ll give you some. Whatever happens, don’t change your amazing + epic plans for the year. Don’t settle. People will do all they can to stop you, mock you, belittle things that you love or do. Don’t let them, and don’t let them waste space in your head. Let them be and do your thing where you kick ass and live your best life. No matter how close to perfection you play, you still gotta finish strong. While this is such a great metaphor for so much in life and I’d love to expound on some philosophical lesson I learned in 2023 but what this…

“…when I’m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad…” ~From My Favorite Things Best Dog to Ever Dog We lost our Liberty girl last week. Boy, that sentence was hard to type, especially through tears. She had to undergo emergency surgery on Tuesday morning that was scheduled the night before and she didn’t make it. While we’re so sad that she’s gone, we’re oh, so happy and grateful that she lived. Many of you have loved Liberty too and so I’ll share a handful of probably the thousand or so photos I have of her. It also makes me feel better to…