The Topic for Today? I suppose it should be Death.

The topic of Death has found its way to me three times in three days, in three very different ways. It must be discussed.

One ...
I am studying the book of Esther in a Bible Study by Beth Moore.
Two days ago, Beth talked about Esther choosing between the possibility of her own death or the probability of her death along with all of her fellow Jews. Esther faced her fear and said, "If I perish, I perish." Beth concluded her discourse on the fear of dying by telling us all to have the courage, and the trust of faith, to die well ... to leave behind an potent example of how to leave behind life on this planet. 

Two ...
Gary and I went on the Auto Tour of the Gettyburg battlefields yesterday. Of course, the topic of death was evident in Gettyburg ... over 50,000 casualties in three days. As we walked through the cemetery where many more recent vets have also been buried, we noticed a grave marker indicating that the young man buried there had received the Medal of Honor, the highest military honor given for "personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty." Despite whatever amazing act this man did, he still ended up in this cemetery. Gary poignantly reminded me that this man's act of valor more than likely saved other men from suffering the same fate ... at least for a while. 

All this made me ponder the impact of a life. Esther's life, unlike most of ours, saved millions of Jews and still touches billions more with every reading of the Bible. The men who died in Gettyburg, as a whole, touched the lives of millions as well ... by the freedom they bought with their lives and the example they remain today to the 3 million or so visitors who travel to Gettyburg each year and the countless others who study the war in history class. 

And here I sit, in Lititz, PA, well aware of the fact that I will not save millions of people or change the course of history. And that's okay. Is it okay to just leave a small footprint on this planet? One life. One chance. 

Three ...
On Facebook today, one of my neighbors posted this quote:
       "God reveals himself in the mundane events of every day life.
       What if He didn't call you to be extraordinary, but to be ordinary and obedient?"
I am okay with being both ordinary and obedient. But, I think God did call me to be extraordinary. I can say "hello." I can smile. I can make sweet cards for others to send to the people they love. I can wave to the neighbor. I can let the other car go in front of me. I can not honk the horn. I can donate money to help others. I can write this. 

This place. This time. This personality. This talent. This patience. This money. This message.
To quote Mordecai in Esther's story, "Who knows but that you have come ... for such a time as this?"

Yep. It's been a while. A long while.

I've been busy. And tired. And lazy.
But, it is time to get this blog up and running again.
I've missed it.

And so, I shall begin anew.

And I shall start with my sign!
Never had a sign before.

With this new sign comes a new marketing campaign to introduce Bookman Graphics and YMLY Cards & Gifts to the folks living here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, our new home.

Like the Whos in Whoville, I need to shout out "I am here, I am here, I am here!"

I am not very good at this whole marketing myself thing.
It is a leap of faith that will help me get new customers.
And make new friends.
And, with hope, spread the love of the Lord through my work.

I have created an ad for the local Lititz Express newspaper.
I have completed my page for the Wedding Wire website.
I am preparing packets to give to local churches for brides.
I will pay to have Bookman Graphics listed with other wedding vendors in the Lancaster newspaper.
I will sign-up for a table at the January Wedding Show at the Lancaster Convention Center.
And, I suppose it is about time for me to finish the website I have been working on for several years now.

It's a while new world for me.
Literally.

And, while I have no idea what the Lord has in store for me, or Bookman Graphics, I trust Him.
And so, here goes ....

Not a "Regular Person"

This evening, as the trusty mutt Kilmer and I were taking our daily walk, we went by my friend Jean's house. Her car was in the driveway, so I headed up to the front door to ring the bell.

Two sweet neighbor kids of Jean's came around the corner from the house next door and greeted Kilmer and me ... patting the dog and telling me all about their cousins who were coming to visit for the next four days. As we talked, I rang the doorbell and got no answer ... Jean was not home.

I chatted with the little girl for a few more minutes and I was getting ready to leave, I said to her, "Next time you see Mrs. A, tell her Lisa and Kilmer came by to say hi!"

She said, "I know someone named Lisa." And then she thought for a minute and added, "Well, actually, she's on TV. But she's a regular person, not a grandma like you."

Really? Ah, c'mon. Really?!?

Who knew "Mom" was a swear word?

"____________, Mom."

Who knew that the sweet nickname for the woman who gave birth to you could become a swear word? Typically uttered by a teen or young adult at the end of a response, this particular usage of the name "Mom," when added with a certain tone of voice and great inflection thereby giving it more than one syllable, can be a replacement for a myriad of colorful phrases. Around here it most often replaces the phrase "I know already, shut up now." (Isn't it my responsibility to remind my kids to watch for crazy teenage drivers when they ride their bikes to school or to bring up their dirty dishes so they don't attract rats in the basement?) "Okay, Mom." "Gotta go now, Mom." "Yes, Mom." And off they go, pedaling away with their headphones on or taking a full meal down to the basement on my plates with my forks and cups. Really?

It is then that I close my eyes and fantasize about getting all new dishes that go into the dishwasher after they've been used, tweezers without bent ends, scissors in the kitchen drawer, laundry baskets with clothes in them, carpet that you can actually see, and everyone home safe and tucked in around me.

All too soon my fantasies will come true ... except for the last one. And then it will be quite lonely and I will miss hearing my name "Mom," no matter how it is used.

Yep, I'd much rather have the kids around. And their slang. And no clean dishes in the kitchen.

So, get over it, Mom.
You've got laundry to do.

On that Proverbial Limb

I'm going out on a limb. Low these many years I have helped other businesses find an identity, communicate their business to the world, and attract attention from would-be customers. After 23 years of being Bookman Graphics, I figure it is about time to begin marketing my business ... a little.

I have created a post card I can send or hand out that shows most of the things I love to do. This may sound like an easy thing for a graphic designer to do, but for me, it was not easy. Did I pick the right photos? The right fonts? The right colors? Should I put my photography skills out there? Will anyone call me? Yikes ... what if they do?

I decided to step out and I have even been brave enough to send it to the printer. And who knows, I might even set them out in public places to be seen by other humans.

Here it is ... revealed to the world ... well, to my 8 Blog Friends:

Scripture Unwrapped -- Bookman Graphics

I have a new project. 

(That will come as no surprise to people who know me ... 

     I have Artistic A.D.D.)

I have started a new series of drawings called "Scripture Unwrapped." 

Below is my first one from Paul's letter to the Philippians. 

These three sentences have had a huge impact on my life.

Thank you, Lord, for the inspiration.

Next up, Romans 12:1-2. 

Have any verses you would recommend? Let me know!

What in the world would make you wanna get up in the morning and do that?

It is a Monday morning.

To set the scene, currently living in this house with me, the 51 year old wife/mom, there are three men ages 52, almost 23 and 21, and one 18-year old daughter. As far as non-humans are concerned, we have the big black shedding machine that somehow manages to scarf down an entire bowl of little crunchy pieces of dog food and still avoid the one little dog-food-sized pill in the bowl. Impressive.

If you live here, on any given weekend day there will be sports playing on the television in the family room. If you get tired of that and want a nap, you can go lay on your parents' bed and watch a movie up there. If you have homework to do while you watch a movie, you can spread out your stuff all over the basement couch. You can come and go at all hours and drive here and there and who knows where. You can be tired of work. You can plan a trip abroad. You can borrow the big car to drive all the guys around. You can even leave at 11:00pm after begging for a later curfew.

If you attend grad school, college or high school classes, you can have lots of books, notebooks, paper and writing utensils. You can own shoes for sports, work, running and mowing. You can wear a variety of coats throughout the day and night. It is November, after all. You can get a new glass or cup for every drink and enjoy several cans of soda or bottles of water each day. And of course, you can eat.

Got the picture?
Then you will understand why I was cleaning out the spice cabinet at 9:00 this morning when Andy came downstairs and said, "What in the world would make you wanna get up in the morning and do that?"

Stone Harbor, Part 2

I promised more Stone Harbor pictures and here are the fun, memorable ones that the whole world needs to see, even though 99.9% of the people on the planet have no clue or care that this blog exists. For those of you who are tuned in, enjoy!

I shall begin with a few pictures of gorgeous girls.
First, my Katie ...

And my sweet niece Caitlin ...

We began the vacation by celebrating August birthdays and our traditional "Christmas in July."

Here's my big brother Scott reading his 55th birthday cards ...

Caitlin and Mom brought gifts for all the girls from Kate Spade, where Caitlin works, in Philly. Not to be one-upped, Scott brought gifts for all the guys ...

Every summer for as long as we've been going to Stone Harbor, we have played games for prizes. Check out Gary's new glasses and Willie's tattoo sleeve!

This wonderful place brings back floods of memories for all of us, but mostly for my Mom, who takes time every day to say "hi to the ocean" and takes long, thoughtful walks along the water's edge.

Thanks for a ton of new memories, Mom & Dad (and Aunt Kay and Uncle Jim and Gramps and Grandma and Gran). I love you! xox

Like Starting a Diet...

Every morning when I get up, I am bound and determined to start my diet. To write a new blog post. To pull those weeds. To call my friends and catch up. To cook a meal. To clean out the basement. To sort all those pictures. Ah, great expectations for 16 waking hours and all that they may bring!

And so, today, after months and months of nothing, I am back! I just can't let my 6 readers think nothing has happened here in Sterling since May. And so, if you all agree, I will pretend it is still summer for a while and catch you up on some fun summer adventures worthy of the written word.

Today's topic is our Annual Trip to Stone Harbor, Part 1: The Fancy Photos. 

These are my favorites of the artsy photos that I just love to take but have no idea what to do with them after that. So what the heck. I'll make you look at them. Enjoy them, or speed through them until my next post (which I promise won't take 3 months) which will feature the pictures I took of my family and the fun we had.

We'll start with the sunrise over the ocean ...

Add some fun flowers ...

And a few great bird shots for Betty ...

And finish strong with the sunset over the back bay ...

The beauty of Stone Harbor. It warms my soul.

Cards Keep Flying Through my Head

I just finished uploading some new cards onto my YMLYGifts.com website. I could create new ones everyday, except that printing them out, making them into 2 different jpg sizes, uploading them onto the website, attaching all the details (size, weight, inside text, etc.) takes such a long time for this 50-year old brain to handle on a daily basis.

Thought you might like to see my new favorite line of cards. I have LOVED my photo notecards for a long time, but other than my mom, my mother-in-law and my second mom Ann across the street, no one seems very interested in blank notecards with pretty pictures on them. So, I added some amazing Bible verses onto 5 of them (more to come if folks like them) and here's what they look like:

Andy's a UM Alumni!

Today, Andrew Scott Mears graduated from the University of Maryland with a BS in Accounting from the Robert H. Smith School of Business. We are so proud of our son!

Andy with his Poppo, Mom, Dad and Mammaw.

Andy and his sis, Kayti.

(Brother Willie is camping on the Appalachian Trail.)

Buddies: Chris, Andy, Mitch and Mikey

Andy and Katie

I found him! There's my boy!

Congratulations, Andy. We love you so much!

NYC 2011 ... Kayti's Best-Ever Spring Break!

Kayti & I went to New York City for spring break again this year.

We did some old favorites ... rode the ferris wheel in Toys R Us, ate oatmeal at Jamba Juice, shopped at the NBC Store, ate a delicious dinner at the Brooklyn Diner (sat where Dermot Mulroney, Neil Patrick Harris and Al Roker sat), and spent hours in the Strand Bookstore.

BUT THIS YEAR, we saw the "Addams Family" on Broadway (great music, loved Wednesday). We also went up to the Top of the Rock.

And ate soft pretzels on the street corner (our favorite lunch!).

And bought some very cool boots at Urban Outfitters.

And on Monday, we met cousin Steven for dinner at Serendipity for great conversation and Frozen Hot Chocolate. Steven attends Columbia and is Kayti's movie mentor. He brought Kayti an advertisement for a new play, "The Normal Heart," opening on Broadway Tuesday night, starring none other than Kayti's favorite actor, LEE PACE, along with Jim Parsons from "The Big Bang Theory" and Ellen Barkin.

To make an amazing long story short, Tuesday morning Kayti and I got last minute, just-releasaed tickets for the opening night of "The Normal Heart" ... seats typically saved for producers ... in the second row! The show was the best we've ever seen. It was the true, moving, profound and awe-inspiring story of the brave men and their doctor who first experienced the outbreak of AIDS in New York City and it was something we will never forget.

Of course, we will also never forget the opportunity to get autographs after the show...

AND PHOTOGRAPHS with LEE PACE (Oh. My. Goodness. Kayti could barely breathe after this ... and rightfully so!)

On our last day, we saw "La Cage Aux Folles" (fun, fun!) and ended our trip with a stop at one of our favorite NY retreats, Bryant Park, where we were moved by the Empire State Building shrouded in fog.

It was our best trip to date. We've got the hang of it now ... how to get around, how to schedule (or not) our nights and days, and where to stay, eat, and shop. And, most importantly, how to find the stars after the show!

A Reasonable Excuse

I have always told Andy, Willie & Kayti that skipping school on days when they are not sick is a privilege earned by being good students, great kids and by meeting several key criteria:

(1) There may be no tests during the class(es) that will be missed.

(2) There may be no prep for tests during the class(es) that will be missed.

(3) I will not lie when I phone-in their absence, and

(4) The justification for the truancy must be reasonable.

Yesterday was an A-Day at Potomac Falls High School. Kayti's second class on A-Days is Latin 4, a class in which she has over 100%.

(1) No test.

(2) No test prep.

(3) "Kayti will be leaving at 10:45 today. She should be back by noon."

(4) Blockbuster Video was closing. All the movies were on sale.

Kayti bought 10 movies.

More than reasonable.

Crisp or Cozy?

Among life's important decisions comes the choice of bedding ... sheets, blanket and bedspread. (Stick with me, please. I never promised only lofty topics on this blog!) Where some prefer crisp, slightly stiff, "right off the clothesline" sheets, the kind that in an ideal world would have been ironed before being placed upon the bed, others opt for the silky, soft, cozy sheets that you just melt into each night. The third option for sheets rides down the middle of the crisp vs. cozy extremes, and typically falls into the category of "On Sale at Bed Bath & Beyond."

While I'm not suggesting that bedding is worth a hefty chunk out of the family budget, I do believe that sheets and blankets and bedspreads that make you sigh with a mixture of pure exhaustion and pure elation when you slip into bed are well worth the money. As I get older, a good night's sleep has become more appreciated and cherished and I have become more attached to my bedding preference ... silky, soft, cozy everything, including sheets, blanket, down comforter and pillow.

Be that as it may, Gary is a crispy sheet guy. So our bed is a compromise made up of middle-of-the-road BB&B sheets, a soft cozy blanket and a regular quilted bedspread. Kayti, on the other hand, prefers a fine-tuned variety consisting of crisp sheets, a plush, soft, and cozy blanket, topped by a heavy denim-comforter. She calls this combination her "bedding parfait of good dreams!"

What's your preference?

A moment of peace.

I am alone in the house.

My feet are on the coffee table.

The fireplace is on.

The pup is asleep on his bed.

I have my computer on my lap.

And as far as I know, all are safely where they are supposed to be.

Moments like this, right now, I cherish ... the quiet, unexciting, mundane, even a little boring moments when there is palpable peace.

Since the drop of the Times Square ball on January 1, 2011, 12:01 a.m., a lot has happened in my little world to help me appreciate the quiet times ... and more importantly, the power of prayer, the grace of God, and the peace that passes understanding:

• At midnight on New Year's Day, I was in Fairfax Hospital with my friend Jean and her husband Ed who fell from a ladder and broke his back, and later developed a dangerous blood clot.

• My next door neighbor Alyssa was in Loudoun Hospital with an intestinal infection.

• My mother-in-law Betty got pneumonia.

• My mother got shingles ... on her face, bless her heart.

• My father had his pace maker replaced.

• Andy rode in the ambulance taking his friend Mitch to the ER for stitches in his head.

• Andy's Volvo got hit by a crazy lady in a parking lot.

• My friend Linda fell down the stairs and broke her leg ... surgery. One plate, 13 screws.

• Kayti and I both got pink eye.

• Andy's girlfriend Katie had to put her sweet dog Luke to sleep.

• And last night Willie called and he got hurt playing basketball and has a hairline fracture in his ankle.

This is 21 days of life ... Ed, Alyssa, Mitch and Linda are all home from the hospital and healing. My mother is on the mend, albeit slowly. My father's pace maker is pacing just fine. Betty's second round of antibiotics are finally working. Despite the dent in his door, Andy went to be with Katie this weekend. Willie has tons of friends taking good care of him (thank you, Kelly, Coleman & David ... hi, Blaine!).

And, most importantly, GOD IS GOOD ... All the time!

Betty's Birds

Happy New Year!

(No resolutions about keeping this blog going ... I will try to do better. For Willie.)

I know I've commented on earlier blogs about my growing fascination with birds. Lots of beautiful birds are enjoying Grandma Betty's bird feeders that grace our backyard now that she and Grandpa Fred have moved into Greenspring Village. Although this activity makes me feel old, it is quite entertaining watching the birds vie for position on the feeders and scatter frantically when the fat acrobatic squirrels jump from the porch onto the feeders to steal their seed.

I (pathetically, maybe) have been keeping my camera and telephoto lens handy lately to get some fun shots of the birds and the squirrels.

I was told that little cone would keep the squirrels out of the feeder ... this guy was undaunted by the cone and the ice on it. He's so fat he can barely make it to and through the fence when we send Kilmer out to chase him, but luckily for him, Kilmer is too stupid to find him in time.

Thank you, Betty, for sharing your love of birds and giving us your bird feeders. I am enjoying them immensely.

I'll never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant

Aside from the fact that I have no discernible skin care regime and wear the least bit of make-up possible, I could never be an Independent Mary Kay Consultant. Last night at a Holiday Bazaar at which both of us were vendors, my Independent Mary Kay Consultant friend, who meets all the requirements you would expect of an Independent Mary Kay Consultant, told me she was also showing her wares at another craft show in Ashburn that wants her to start setting up at 8:00 this morning. It was about 9:30 at night when she told me this and she was rather dramatic about the late hour and the need to get up so early the next morning.

She then pulled me close and in a low whisper, she confided in me that she was planning on going straight to bed, not even taking off her make-up, then getting up in the morning and not even showering and heading off to the show. Heck, I do that every other day!

But that's not the show-stopper here ... she was selling single gloves at her table with cute little signs on them calling them "Getting Gas Gloves." Apparently, Independent Mary Kay Consultants take off the nice gloves they have on in the cold winter months, pull a single pink glove out of the glove compartment and put it on their pumping gas hand so as to not soil their nice gloves.

Give me a break.

(Note to my Blog Readers, all 6 of you ... sorry it's been so long. Thanks for the nudges to get back to this from Willie & Sissy!)

'Ello to Ya!

Life is good in London!

After a long flight and a first sleepy day of Bus touring, we spent our second day visiting the Tower and exploring Old London. Pete The Tour Guide on the bus taught us a lot about the City of London ... his grandmother survived the WWII bombings and he is very proud of his City, Christopher Wren and St. Paul's.

When Kayti and I were here 3 years ago, Big Ben was being restored, so this was the first time we actually heard him chime the hour.

This fine gentleman Beefeater talked to us for a long time ... learned a lot about what it takes to be a Yeoman Warden (apparently "Beefeater" is actually an insult) ... at least 22 years exemplary service in the military. Thirty-six Yeoman Wardens actually live in the Tower while working there. We later walked to St. Paul's, but we got there just as a Choral Concert was about to start, so we were unable to tour the building. We will return, no doubt, at a later date.

Here's the view from the South Bank of the Thames ... not all bad, huh?

Gotta go ... heading off to Portobello Road to search out fun 50th birthday gifties for Lori and old buttons for Jean.