Smiling When No One Else Is Around

If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it.  ~Andy Rooney

I'm still on that crazy, twisty, up and down rollercoaster ride of life, going at breakneck speed, but want to assure you followers that while I may not have been able to take the time to blog every day (or even every week, sadly), I am definitely still taking the time to smile! Or, actually, smiling during the moments of these busy days. And, yes, I'm often smiling when no one else is around.

Some of the things that have made me happy since my last post: the smell of confederate jasmine, the blooming of the azaleas, and the pure, unadulterated beauty of spring. The feel of my toes in the sand. The breathtaking view of the full moon shining brightly in a clear night sky. The love of a community that rallys around one of its own. The joy of answered prayers. The ability of an impromptu dinner picnic at the beach to calm the turbulence in my mind. Nutella cake pops . . . and red velvet ones too (and I'm not talking about the ones at Starbucks either)! The pride I have in my son when I see how happy he is to read a book of his own choosing from start to finish without help. The daily discovery of more new music to suit . . . or alter . . . my mood. Unexpected compliments and compliments from unexpected sources. New and delicious flavors of Moo Cow Ice Cream. The strength of old friendships and the pleasure of building new ones. The ability and opportunity to laugh out loud every single day. The fact that there are more tears of laughter in my life than tears of sadness or pain.


Over the past few weeks a dear friend of mine, a vivacious woman who is a loving wife and mother of two young boys, has been enduring a struggle with a very serious medical condition. She discovered that she would require a type of brain surgery that many surgeons consider too risky to perform. Despite her fear, she faced this obstacle with determination and grace, and came through the procedure with near miraculous results. Her post-surgery progress has been nothing short of amazing. That is what a positive attitude, strong will, and abundant faith and love can do. It is truly a sight to behold. 

It also reminds me to greet each day with a smile because every day is a gift. Whatever the day might bring, I am determined to embrace the joy and challenge it brings and continue to smile . . . even when no one else is looking. 

More of the Unexpected

It seems like I keep coming back to the same themes in this blog, but today was another one of those perfect island days that just makes me happy to be alive and well and living in this paradise I call home. I've had a wonderful weekend enjoying time with my son and my friends and made some of those amazing unexpected discoveries along the way.

Friday night, Declan and I joined some friends to see the movie "Hop" -- a family-friendly tale about the adventures of a deadbeat human and E.B., the reluctant son of the Easter Bunny. Though the trailers on TV looked pretty cute I wasn't expecting much after some of the recent kids movies we've seen in the theater. I was very pleasantly surprised! The movie was filled with great music, from the "I Want Candy" cover to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and I found myself hoping that there would be a soundtrack CD.

The best part of the movie for me did not come from the "main" characters thought, but from the voice talent of the incredibly funny Hank Azaria. He voiced two characters (Carlos and Phil) in the movie and had me laughing uncontrollably.

(One of my favorite recent family movies was "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" because Hank Azaria as Kahmunrah, the undead pharaoh with the speech impediment was hysterical.) I love when a movie surpasses my expectations and it was a nice night out with friends.

 On Saturday night, at the coaxing of my friend, Britt, an amazing dynamo of a woman who is an entrepreneur, marketing whiz and recent breast cancer (and divorce) survivor, I took Declan to the Relay for Life Kick Off Concert. Britt had organized the concert to benefit the American Cancer Society and had put a lot of effort into bringing in a country duo from Nashville called Bomshel. Though the event sounded great and I love supporting anything Britt does, I hadn't planned on attending because I had the boy and didn't think kids would be welcome at the concert. Britt allayed my fears and told me that I should definitely bring Declan, her own kids would be there, and there wouldn't be any problem. Another big draw was that a 12 year old girl named Sydney Rhame from Atlanta would be performing. I've heard of Sydney because she plays on the island every now and again and is friends with some of the local musicians I know, but I've never seen her sing. A totally unexpected perk of the night was that my friend, Joe, and his friend, Danielle, showed up for the concert because Danielle had won some tickets the night before. We got to hang out with them - such a pleasant surprise!

The Bomshel girls were beautiful and funny. They loved Declan's freckles and chatted with him at the Meet-and-Greet before the concert. When we asked for a photo with them, Kristy planted a big kiss on his cheek, leaving lipstick marks. He was embarrassed, thrilled and proud all at the same time. It was absolutely priceless! They were fantastic in concert too. They were funny and charismatic on stage and had beautiful voices. They are talented songwriters with a range that included "Fight Like a Girl" that touches so deeply it makes you cry and the cute and witty "Karma is a Female Dog." I'd see these girls again any day!

Sydney Rhame was an absolute revelation! This child was amazing! It is so hard to believe that someone so talented both musically and lyrically could be only 12 years old. She is so mature in her songwriting skills and so poised on stage that I'm sure she is going to have a bright future in music. I can't wait to see where her talent takes her and will be happy to say we were lucky enough to see her perform when she was just starting out!

Today was pure sunshine! It was day spent with friends in the Village, at the park, and down on the beach. A perfect day made even better by yet another unexpected treat courtesy of Chef Jayson Ridinger and Moo Cow Cream, the genius behind the avocado ice cream I mentioned in my last entry. We visited Moo Cow for the first time this afternoon and I tried new flavors. My choices: cinnamon buttermilk and chocolate pinot noir. Absolutely divine! Declan stuck with traditional flavors of Oreo and peppermint, but they were no less tasty! I'm already planning another visit to try green tea or lemongrass, or both, or maybe just to indulge in that wonderful avocado once again! Coming from a family of ice cream junkies, I will admit I am not one, but Moo Cow might change that! What was that I was saying about all the healthy fruits and veggies I just put in my fridge? Well, anyway . . . welcome to St. Simons Island, Moo Cow, thanks for bringing us a little bit of heaven -- one scoop at a time!