Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
E.Y. Harburg (lyrics)

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.

Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?"

This Song was sent to me by a friend, I was moved to tears by the words this morning, the same words that I have heard for over 40 years, but today they took on a more profound meaning....

Having just seen blue birds on a beautiful road trip in West Virginia and knowing I've dared to have dreams come true, I've wished upon a star, and watched my trouble melt like lemon drops and today I was reminded if blue birds can fly over the rainbow, then why can't I !!!

I've seen many rainbows in my life, they represent Gods Promise to me that everything will be alright as " I wake up and know the clouds are far behind me...."
I am forever grateful my friend!

Always in Wonder...
In Awe of this double rainbow ....

Love Forward...

Sometimes I get it right and Sometimes I get it backwards!

Enough said!

Always in Awe of Love...

One Fish Two Fish

"Oh, The Place You'll Go...."

“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!”

“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.”

“And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)"
Dr Seuss

A children's author who has inspired me... All those green eggs and ham, and as I watched the go dog go after the cat in the hat watching one fish two fish red fish blue fish ... who knew the words of Dr. Seuss would be an inspiration for my desire to travel and write!

All the wonderful places to go; all the wonderful sites to see...
Thank you Dr. Seuss....

In awe of wonder

Day Dream Doers ...

Day Dream ERs vs
Day Dream Doers

We all dream, some more during the day... Which is referred to as a
"day dreamer" which I believe can be a very good thing!

I woke up wondering what my dreams were last night. I seem to be in a place where I can't remember my dreams much lately. Not sure why, since I've always been a big dreamer remembering my nightly dreams.

It got me wondering about my purpose in life and where I see myself in the future... Having a dream and a passion for writing, I often wonder when it will happen...

They call that being a day dreamer...

But since my daughter called me a "doer and not a talker" when she was only 8 years old , I couldn't help but wonder about being a

Day DreamDoer ...

Have a dream
Have a goal
Following your hearts passion,

Be a Doer and watch all your Day Dreams manifest before your eyes!

What do you day dream about?
Are you a day dream doer?

Just wondering...
(mother daughter Day Dreaming on Vacation)

Across The Bridge...

Across The Bridge

There's a rainbow across the Bridge
On the other side
It comes and goes
And no one knows
Exactly where it may show
I've seen it first hand
At a time when I took a stand
I Left my side and took a ride
And ended up on the other side...
I read a sign
At the time
I didn't know where I would go
I ended up
across a Bridge called Rainbow...
A day in my life, I will never forget
A day in my life, I will never regret
It was time to leave
And what I got to see
Was a sight I will remember
From now till Eternity
The Rainbow across the bridge
Not one, but two
Not half, but whole
A sign at the time
That brought me peace
Allowed me comfort
Filled my heart with Joy
The day was all mine
I saw a beautiful rainbow
Across the Bridge....

6.24.12 amyw

Loved And Not Perfect!

The Liberty Bell

I was moved to tears by seeing the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia knowing its history and what it has represented to many over the years ...
Liberty and freedom!

I couldn't help but "wonder" about the the Liberty Bell and it's imperfection because of its crack... It was repaired several times, only to crack again. And although it was never perfect it was admired and loved by many ...

So the Bell had me thinking about "us" and all our imperfections, yet we too are accepted, embraced and loved by many ...

I know it all may sound silly, but the history of this country, and seeing it first hand has opened my eyes to see more with my heart than ever before...

Let your Bell ring, let others hear you, be free and know you too are loved!

Wondering about love!

City Of Love...

It was quite a day, our first impression of Philadelphia wasn't great... From the sleazy hotel to the crazy narrow one way streets we thought OMG!!! We needed to regroup so we saw a Starbucks and stopped.. A familiar place, a place of comfort badly needed...

Once we realized the first hotel wasn't going to cut it, we got on Hotwire and booked a hotel blind... What a blessing, we got a great price and a perfect hotel in a great location!

Philadelphia was starting to look like the city of brotherly love after all...
The sites, the sounds, the food, the people, all making this road trip a fun experience...

I realized we had a choice...
"When Shit happens, its up to you whether or not you decide to roll it"
We decided to step over the initial experience here in Philadelphia and what a wonderful time we have had!

Traveling with my daughter has been a blessing ... Philadelphia is a wonderful city after all!
There's Love all around...

In awe of Love...

The Gift of Memories....

Memories

One of the greatest gifts to receive, I believe, is the gift of wonderful memories..

Whether it's time spent, words shared, moments touched, a silent connection made..
A beautiful memory is priceless. It never rusts, you can't loose it, it doesn't get old or go out of style it's yours forever to keep close to your heart!

Thank you to all my friends old and new for all my precious gifts of all my memories with each and everyone of you...

In love of memories
In awe of friends
In wonder of connections

Delaware Who Knew!!!

"You may be in the house but you're always in the garden "
H. Dupont

An estate I stumbled upon in of all states, Delaware .... As I dropped my daughter off for her morning meeting, I was looking for a Starbucks to sit and write.... Well Starbucks was no where to be found but a saw a sign that said " Welcome to Delaware "
Delaware? I thought OMG another adventure!!!

I knew there was history to be experienced so at a red light I rolled down my window and asked where the nearest Starbucks was ... The two men said they didn't drink Starbucks, because it was too expensive : ) I thought, OK then, where's some history around here ... They said you must see Winterhur Estates, they pointed to the right as the light turned green and they were off and so was I!

I found the incredible gardens and estate of the Dupont Family, who knew... And that's exactly why I am on the road.. There is so much to see in this country and I love exploring every step of the way!

DuPont was the largest collector of American made furniture and his collection stems from mid 1600-1860. He stopped collecting at that point due to the industrial revolution... He didn't like the quality after that.

Well the gardens, estate, and museum are an incredible site... An historical experience I am so thankful for today!

Had it not been for Starbucks I may have never found this priceless memory... A visit I highly recommend if you're ever near Delaware.
It's no "small wonder" ....

In awe of being in awe!

And What A Trooper He Was ...

The Trooper

It happened, the dreaded flashing lights and and that wave to pull over...

It was a state trooper in Syracuse pulling us over... As he approached my window, thankfully I was the passenger, I asked what did we do officer ( being the protective mother) of course he played the part and firmly stated " it's what she did" I just smiled knowing he had an image and job to do.... He explained what my daughter did and as only two controlled women could do we smiled and explained we were from out of town...

I wanted so badly to break the ice but I behaved... ( at that moment) when he went to write up the " reduced " ticket which we were thankful for, I couldn't help but want to take a picture knowing I wanted to write about the experience.

My daughter was mad and then became frustrated with me, but I was in a playful mood and knew the ticket was just another hiccup on our journey... I thought " who cares, I'm on the road again enjoying life and all it has to offer!" I just kept smiling...

Well, Mr State Trooper came back with the ticket, I smiled and at that point asked for permission to speak... Let me just say .... He was a sweetheart and even felt bad for issuing the ticket after all...

Mr State Trooper if you did find this blog site after all, you were adorable!!! Thanks for the memories....

In Awe of turning a stressful moment into a memorable one!!!

Life's All good, it's just a matter of how you choose to embrace it....

They say " when life gives you lemons make lemonade"

I say "when life happens and it seems bitter, keep smiling it always makes it better!"

In love awe and wonder...

Road Trip With A Chauffeur....

Road Trip With My Daughter !

We are on our way to Philadelphia another road trip for me, a business meeting for my daughter! I feel blessed to be able to spend 4 days with my sweet daughter ...

She's been living with me for the past two months while her husband has been waiting to officially move to his fellowship here in Rochester at Strong Hospital ...

It's been a blessing having her home, and I am thankful she is back in Rochester....

So although she may cramp my independent type style of traveling alone it's nice to tag along for the ride...

More History !!! Philadelphia PA...

In awe of history and our beautiful country!!

Stop And Listen

The Connection of Connecting...

One of my favorite things to do is to connect with people...

I am a lover of people and am intrigued by their life stories.

I heard a saying last night
"To be interesting you must be interested"

There are not many who are truly interested in listening to others and yet most people want to talk about themselves.

Try listening today to someone's story, "Be interested" others will find you Interesting!

Look around you, there are stories everywhere you look! Even with this sock and shoe!

In awe of life stories....

The Makings Of A Girls Weekend!

The Makings Of A Girls Weekend!

All I can say is I am so thankful for girlfriends !

A weekend filled with smiles, laughter, sunshine, girls bonding, friendship and booze ( just enough and not too much!)

Being at a cottage by the water makes a bonding experience all the more memorable!!

It was my first dip into Lake Ontario, I believe ever! Kayaking on the lake, floating on the water, hanging on the beach brought me back to years of being at Keuka Lake...

I've never spent much time in my own back yard enjoying Lake Ontario and I must say it was quite enjoyable! And to top it off we found a gem of a town in Sodus Point

If you haven't there in awhile, it's well worth a Sunday drive .... It was like being on the Cape ..

So many treasures to be found..
So many blessings in having wonderful girlfriends!!!

Enjoying life, enjoying friends, enjoying the sites....

I awe of life

Fabulous Funny Fathers

Fathers

I am blessed to have a wonderful loving dad, with Fathers Day on Sunday I am reminded of my blessings.

To all of you who hold the memories of your father close to your heart I smile and cry with you, knowing how much you must miss your dads.

My dad being 88 seems to make me laugh more often. Like his " 30 miles to nowhere" comment and him joining the "do nothing club", his humor just makes me smile...

I took my parents down to the beach concert the other day, we were ready to leave and my mother was in the back seat needing help with her seatbelt, as my dad got out of the car to help her, she was able to buckle it, I tried calling and stopping him but he walked around the car and opened her door... When my mom said " Bill, what are you doing?" he smiled at her and said " I thought I'd stop by for a visit!" I just laughed...
I'm not sure who has dementia anymore, I think I'm in the running now! Lol

Life's grand, enjoy, embrace, LIVE and LOVE!!!

In awe

What Makes You Smile?

When You're Smiling....

I was on a tour on Monday in Hershey Park ... It's a fun place to visit and the history of Hershey is fascinating!
What a wonderful man and although Hersey is not my favorite chocolate, after hearing the life story of the Hershey company for some reason it certainly taste a lot better to me!

Well on the tour they had us singing old songs... One of the last songs was
" When You're Smiling"
The words;
When you`re smilin`
When you`re smilin`
The whole world smiles with you.
And when you`re laughin`
When you`re laughin`
The sun comes shinin` through.

Come on!!!
Doesn't that just make you
SMILE?
I'm smiling thinking about my last road trip and looking forward to Philadelphia PA next week!
More history

In awe of wonder!
(This makes me smile it was my lunch at Hershey Park : ) )

Looking For Purpose?

What's Your Purpose?

There has been a buzz word in the last several years...it's called "Purpose"

What's your purpose
Purpose driven life
Finding your purpose in life...

A Purpose is something I think we all strive to find.
We look
We search
We think
We contemplate
We wonder
Trying to discover....
What our Purpose in life is

Someone recently shared this with me:

"Sometimes a Purpose will find you "

I have to admit being "still" in life is a wonderful place to have a purpose find you!

So if you've been searching for your purpose and haven't found it yet,
Be still and your purpose just may find you!

In awe of wonder

A Kiss For You!

Simply put,

Spread the Love....

In awe of Love

Finding The Gift

A Season For Everything...

"For every setback, disappointment and heartbreak, ask yourself,
What does this create the opportunity for?"
And therein you will find its gift. "
Everything has a reason,
The Universe (M. Dooley)

Whether there is disappoint, joy or the unknown in your life today, there's a reason and a season for everything...
Looking for and finding the Gift in it is growth ....

Each day is a gift and today I saw this sunrise from my hotel window and thought ...

"It's the start of a brand new day,
There's love all around " <3

Start your day by opening your gift!

Love Awe and Wonder

Dare to Live

Dare To Live
Shepard Town WV

" Dare to live" were the words playing from a car radio as I drove through the country side in West Virginia... This time I was the passenger for a brief moment in time... Enjoying the peace and tranquility of the wind, sun and music.

I was in a place of complete peace within my spirit... The day had a fork in the road there was a choice to make, the decision was mine...
Which road do I take, I knew there was only one choice...
So I took the high road

I was living a new experience I didn't see coming ... Yet another life lesson, another life experience, another life challenge... All, that keep me wondering.

Someone shared with me recently to put a period after our whys in life and forgo the question marks ...

I've dare to live this past week, yet again on another road trip, I am thankful for all my experiences and blessed to continue to cross the paths of some incredible human beings !

Chocolate anyone? I'm in Heresy PA today : )

In Awe of life ...

Just Around The Bend...

What's Around Your Bend?

I was enthralled this morning as I went for my walk I saw this wonderful railroad track....

I crossed a major intersection, walk through a dew filled field to catch a glimpse of this view...I saw the
" bend " I know I had to get a picture !

Then I wondered " what's around the bend?"
Knowing some of the history here in Gettysburg, my mind wandered thinking about the supplies that were brought to this area and the prisoners that were taken out of town on these very same train tracks ...

It got me thinking about life and
as we live each day it had me wondering about my life and
" what's around my bend! "

Ever wonder what's around your bend?

Just wondering...

Independence and Freedom

The Freedom Of Ordinary People

The sense of freedom I am feeling while on this road trip to Gettysburg started on 390S, ten minutes into this road trip.

As I left Rochester yesterday morning an emotion came over me...
I knew I was driving in the right direction, south again!
Something keeps calling me south, maybe the sun, it's warmth and the people.

I know I am blessed to be in a position to travel... It's in my blood!
My grandmother was traveler for years... She would travel all over the world to places like Italy , Egypt, Guatemala... Which someday I would love to visit with a partner...

For now I love my road trips, seeing this country and our history ...The independence of traveling alone is very empowering. There's a feeling of freedom being independent. As a friend once said ...
"We need to be independent enough to be dependent!!"

I believe a healthy relationship starts with our own independence...

Wondering what tomorrow will bring...

Ordinary People

Ordinary People

The title comes from a song I heard at church last week. "We're all just ordinary people"

It has made me think about my experience here in Gettysburg.
All the ordinary people that fought for the cause of freedom and that all men are created equal.

I can't help but be moved by the injustice of how people were and still are treated in this country today.

The concept of slavery is beyond anything that my mind can possibly imagine. And yet, look at the people that are still in bondage to some type of slavery today.

I'm not comparing the civil war to what I'm about to write just making a point to think about....

The Civil War was necessary for the freedom of all people... Thank God for Abraham Lincoln!

Some people still live in bondage and in slavery to their own life including their past....

This Country has grown through the experience of the Civil War...
You can't help but think about the lost lives, 620,000 men were sacrificed for our freedom...

My connection to this experience here at Gettysburg is this...

"If you're not free living your life, I believe you should fight for own your freedom." Many ordinary people are unhappy because of their situations.

Don't give up, fight for what you believe in...
What does that look like for you?

A job, a new career, downsizing, letting go of the past, living life to its fullest, fulfilling a dream?

This country took a path it believed in.... And fought for liberty and justice for all !

Don't give up on your own freedom, we are given one precious life to live...

To All the ordinary people who have fought in any war for our freedom, a thank you doesn't even come close to the gratitude I feel for all who have served this country... You are one of the ordinary people that is Extraordinary !!!

In Awe of our History !

Our History...

The Road To Gettysburg ...

Heading on another road trip this morning... Looking forward to several parts of my trip.

Today I'm looking forward to experiencing history, visiting Gettysburg Pa!

I love history, and the aweness of imagining what life was like, and the wonder of how people really lived.

The civil war, it's history, what we all take for granted, I can only imagine the next few days will be filled with many emotions .... I look forward to my road trip experience and all the wonder I will encounter .....
Starting with Gettysburg...

Train On The Track!

It's not often I have to wait for a train anymore ... But apparently the train schedule rarely changes. I've waited for this same train nearly 40 years ago on many occasions.

It has always been on a noon schedule and it's one of those long trains that you wait at least 20 minutes for as it decides which direction it wants to travel in ....

Kind of like people and life ....
Wondering which track to take and whether or not to travel with our caboose forward!!!

No matter what, hop on and enjoy the ride!!

In Awe of so much life!

My Kind of Movie!!!

I saw a wonderful movie last night that took place in India.

It was called
"The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel"

It had many wonderful lines in it, unfortunately the only one I can remember this morning is this one..

"Everything will be alright in the end, if it's not alright it's not the end!

If its not alright, It's not the end...
I love that!!!

It was a wonderful movie, funny, deep and thought provoking... My kind of movie.... Thought provoking!

In awe of wondering ...

What Do You Hope For?

To Hope For...

HOPE
It's meaning:
"The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out well.. to believe, desire, or trust"

We all Hope for things and situations daily to turn out the way we Hope they will...

Sometime they do and other times they don't ... But that never means you give up on Hope....

I saw a sign on my travels recently that I loved

"Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, achieves the impossible"

Words I Hope to live by!!!

I Hope all my Dreams come true....

What are you Hoping for?

In wonder of Hope...