(Sweet) Seattle Shamrock

Soon to be joining her sisters, Golden Mary and Sweet Juju...
(almost) two year old Seattle Shamrock!
I love this sweet girl...

(I like Shamrock Shakes too...)

Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.

~Aristotle

This blood's for you...

Ten facts about giving blood:

1. Someone needs blood every two seconds.
2. About 1 in 5 people who enter a hospital will need blood.
   
3. There is no substitute for human blood.
   
4. A healthy adult can give blood every 56 days.
5. Giving blood does not decrease your strength.
   
6. The actual blood donation takes less than 10 minutes.
   
7. The fluid in your body is replaced within hours.
   
8. Thirteen tests are performed on each pint of donated blood.
   
9. 4.5 million people will need a blood transfusion this year.
10. One pint of blood can save up to THREE lives!
    
    
    

Together, the three of us saved NINE lives today!
Hooray!

There will come a time when you think everything is finished.

That will be the beginning.

Be all that you can be...

Just like the Army, we do more before 10am than most people do all day...

A dream is a wish your heart makes...

"My wish isn't to mean everything to everyone but something to someone."

"Quit hanging on to the handrails. Let go. Surrender.
Go for the ride of your life...every single day!"

One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats. And, let me tell you, I do believe that I packed more small treats into this last few days than most people do in their lifetime.
I am SO grateful! I am such a lucky girl. Life, really is, so good.
What kind of special treats you ask? Well, in the last four days I have been to a reggae concert (dressed in a tam with dreadlocks), attended a reunion of high school friends (where I 'owled' on a wall in my friend's kitchen) spent a little time at an Indian casino (and thoroughly enjoyed gambling), delighted in bananas foster, margaritas, a taco bar, fresh bread with real butter, chocolate brownies with sprinkles, bacon and sausage, chicken fried steak with gravy, sliders, paella, and (too many glasses of) Chardonnay....I spent time at a seaside resort, the race track at Santa Anita and have the amazing pleasure of being able to tell you that I have now been to a cock fighting farm. (What? You haven't?)
And, I experienced GREAT joy in the company of work friends, old school friends, my family, sweet horses and giant chickens.
To top it ALL off, EVERY single minute of the weekend was FILLED to the brim with LOVE and LAUGHTER and CONVERSATION and HAPPINESS and ADVENTURE!

There's a whole lot of lost time to make up for.
And it's happening...one small treat at a time.

HAPPY Valentine's Day!

OH what a HAPPY Valentine's Day!