When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

My children have flown 

the nest to find their

way in the world.

I have flown the nest

to find my way in the world without them.

I hardly know where to start.  I was away to Ireland for a retreat last month and have not written a post on this blog for even longer.  I've missed all of you so much, and especially reading your blogs.  My Google Reader and my entire Google including email and my Blog, were tragically kidnapped during my recent travels and I've just gotten them back.  I promise that this week, I'm going to tear up the airwaves, cable, gateways and streams of data, reading and re-connecting with all of you.  Meanwhile, I want to share some of the Shenanigans I've been up to so you'll know I'm not just making excuses!


Most of you know that if there's one place in all the world besides home my heart belongs, it's Ireland.  It is the home of my ancestors. I've travelled there, far and wide and it is there that I have made some of my best memories.  A few years ago when I was in Cork at a party where everyone took turns singing old Irish ballads of history and love, filled with forlorn memories and longing, someone in a drunken stupor yelled out, "Give us a song yank!)"   I looked around sheepishly, pointed shyly to myself as if to confirm it was me, and commenced to sing, Kiss Me Through The Phone by Solja Boi.  Is that wrong?


Several years ago my hubby and I renewed our wedding vows there at a little monastery down by the sea.  I go there whenever I'm able. Whenever I do I leave a big piece of my heart.  So of course sometimes, I have to go back just to pick it up!  Recently, when I desperately needed a break from a long bout of physical and emotional trauma drama, my husband said, "Get up the yard! (Get lost!") my hubby was all for it, and made it possible for me to fly off all by myself to Ireland. I picked up my heart right where I left it last time I was there, and I indeed think I came home with it just a little bigger!


This blog is my happy place and I don't write about the dark side here so I won't start now.  Suffice to say, I have had an interesting, almost fictional-like life.  It has been exceptional, vastly uncommon on many levels, bloody but good and I've been tremendously blessed.  As do many people who live lives that may be a bit on the extraordinary side, I have stories and memories to fill missives 10x over. I've incurred many sacred wounds along the way and the story of one of them resides in the midst of  a very interesting book I'm writing.  Its part self help and part memoir, but full of hope! You'll be able to read all the gritty stuff there, if you're so inclined when I finish it.  Meanwhile, unless I revamp this blog, you're stuck with the sunny, positive side only.  I gather that's why you're here anyway, so I aim to please!  Regardless, back to my most recent shenanigans.  I desperately needed a break, or a break down and I chose the former.  

Sometimes God calms the storm...

Sometimes He lets the storm rage

And calms His child.

Flying over Scotland from the window of my Virgin Atlantic Flight.  (It looks a wee bit cold out there, I said, to myself.)


The first leg of my flight was on Virgin Atlantic which I highly recommend.  They treat you like a child who needs a good nap.  We were given a goody bag with darling red socks, a teeny tiny tooth brush and tooth paste, a soothing eye mask, and of course a pen.  We had a nice dinner and then they came around with warm chocolate pudding and tea or coffee just before bedtime.  Lights out except for those who left theirs on to read, and on the back of each seat was a wonderful screen which showed all the latest chick flicks, had a GPS map of where we were flying, or one could watch the latest reruns of sitcoms. We were gently woken in the morning with a smile, a cuppa and a hearty breakfast.


The hairy part was landing at Heathrow in London and getting to the gate of my Air Lingus flight into Cork, Ireland.  Apparently the English were still ticked at the Irish when they decided where to put the gate.  It couldn't be further away from the British side.  I took a train, then a bus, then walked/ran as fast as I could. I saw a sign at one point that said, you only have half a mile to go.  You'd think I would have been relieved, right?  The good part is I made it!  And for a woman traveling alone, who barely leaves home unless she can walk there, getting from good ole San Diego, USA to Cork, Ireland was a coo.  After a two hour drive from San Diego, CA to Los Angeles where I caught my flight, all the waits in between, the flights, and then a bus which took three and a half hours from the city of Cork out to the wilds of the Beara Peninsula, I was traveling for almost twenty-four hours.  I never slept the whole time and that's not bragging, it's whining.

You know your in Ireland when...You see a kid Irish dancing that looks like a ringer for your grandson; and then all your troubles begin to fall away.

This is what my Google looked like when I arrived in Ireland.  There I was in the computer age, no cell phone, no watch, (because I usually use my cell phone for the time), and my Google was now in the hands of the Irish whom seemed to have it out for me where my blog, my Reader and English was concerned.  I must admit, the Irish ads were lovely and I now know where to go for Irish dance lessons or where to get a good Irish plumber!

ANAM CARA.  After all my travels, this was my final destination.  Every hassle, every moment of being alone, confounded, confused and petrified that I was carrying luggage that said in 8" letters OVERWEIGHT, was more than worth the journey at the end of the road.  ANAM CARA.  I would invite you to read all about it more formally right here on their website, Anam Cara Retreat.  Anam Cara means Soul Friend and it is an Artist's, Writer's Retreat in The Beara Peninsula, West Cork, Ireland.  

Meet Sue Booth-Forbes.  She is the founder, and the heart and soul of Anam Cara.  Anam Cara is not just a retreat, it is Sue.  They both will become one with your heart if you should ever be lucky enough to retreat there.  Through the wisdom of her own battles in life, her experience as an entrepreneur, a writer and editor and extraordinary human being  Sue created a retreat and a place for Artist's and Writer's to begin, restart, reshape and sometimes finish up their art and writing projects.  She is an American who has lived in Ireland for fourteen years now and she just obtained her Irish Citizenship.  I'm  sorry that I won't be there for the Ceili, (Irish festive celebration with music and dancing) which everyone from all around the Beara will come to celebrate with her on her special day. I've a feeling it will be a serious hooley and I hate to be missing all the craic! 


There is so much to tell you about Sue.  She is the bravest most amazing woman of strength and character I have ever met.  She is a fantastic listener, an amazing story teller, a mentor, a trail blazer, an accomplished writer and editor, and I aspire to one day make her as proud of me as she made me feel worthy of. She taught me to be able to recognise the choices that diminish my dignity and to count myself a success whenever I make choices that nourish my soul. This woman consoled me when I cried, she constantly made me laugh, she gave me the ability to see things more clearly, throw away guilt and my iron, and learn some new phrases which I can't get out of my head, such as, "allriiighty then!"  If I could give you all one gift, it would be for you to be able to go to Anam Cara and spend time with Sue.  It will change your life.  Seriously. We all need an angel in our life.

What I did friends, was this.  I made a month long retreat, tacking a little over a week onto each side of a space of time where an artist was in residence teaching plein air watercolor classes.  The Artist, Evenlyn Dunphy, was phenomenal. Please see for yourselves her gorgeous website and paintings here at this link: it will be a treat! For any of you out there who have an interest in painting and want a teacher who is accomplished, patient, and has the energy of ten people, Evelyn should be your first choice.  She travels the world working with artists in watercolors and pastels.  Painting with her is only the first of the privileges you will be afforded.  She is also one of the sweetest and most dear women you will ever meet. My medium is usually acrylics or oils on canvas so I was a newby and she not only encouraged me daily, she never yelled at me once! 

Besides reading, writing, painting, eating, and napping, and because I missed my own pups so much, I became the official dog walker for Sue's Jack Russell, aptly named, what else?  Jack.  We developed a beautiful friendship on our journeys over Irelands high roads and I learned much from him.  Such as, unless someone gives you a reason not to, you can trust him.  Also he taught me the amusing and effective pee pee dance.  I'd show you a photo but I don't want to embarrass him.  Lets suffice it to say I had to re-name him, Jack Russell Spunky Sparky Sassy Booth-Forbes and we'll leave it at that.

These cascades are on Sue's property, easily assessable and a work of art themselves.  Here where the falls rage and the sweet, fresh water pools, one can paint, contemplate, stare the indignity's of life right in the face if necessary and mostly, gently give thanks for blessings given.

A retreat is not your typical trip to visit a foreign country.  There is very little sightseeing, traveling, touristy shopping or the like.  When I got home everyone wanted to see all the art I produced.  Although I did produce some, I left some there and brought some promising studies home.  However, I was there to paint and retreat, not just produce.  I'm 57 years old and have been basically a grown up since I was 11 years old, so I was taking my first real break and retreating in the land I love. Without guilt, which of course I would have had before I learned (better late than never) how important it is to take care of my own needs. I mostly wrote, contemplated my life, ate ravenously, napped, hiked the hillsides with Jack and did farm chores.  Oh, and I may have mentioned an awesome woman named Sue mentored me regarding my future in writing, art and just being. Anyway, I wish that everyone could experience what I did in the Beara. I lived my life there, one day at a time, one moment at a time. 

Have you heard the saying that it only gets worse with time?  I had, which confused me.   Thanks to these men and women I've just spent the past month with, I have hope that the best is yet to come!  Creating art and getting serious about my writing and painting, long walks, napping, indulging in my friendships, traveling, and taking more time to enjoy every second of every opportunity in every day is what I've been up to and plan to do more of.  More being and less doing! I'm beginning to think that life really only just begins after 50!

From our own perspectives and perches in front of cottages on the windy roads of Eyeries, we all painted our own versions of the colorful, whimsical town which boasts the title, Tidiest town in Ireland.  I'd like to add friendliest too!  At the end of our week with the artist Evelyn Dunphy in residence, we through an art exhibition and invited all our new friends.  It was a great success and my first exhibition!

Have I mentioned how much I love radiators?  The fact that they keep a half frozen all the time, person such as I, warm and comfy is only half the love affair.  When you wash your clothes in the shower (thanks for the tip Bob and Suzanne) you can dry your cacks on the radiator (in the privacy of your own room). And now because I apparently have no shame, in the public arena of the internet.  Fabulous!

A feast for the eyes as well as the pallet. Every meal was a decadent repast of comfort food.
I ate things I haven't eaten in years and I ate them like I would never eat again!  My tummy is still full.

When you sign up for a retreat at Anam Cara you may sign up for one of the chores that need doing if you so choose.  You say you have ducks and chickens that need to be fed and let in and out each day? Well, farm chores are a specialty of mine.  Added to my resume now, chicken feeder, egg gatherer and duck-herder.  Allriiiighty then!


My home has been filled on and off with kids for the past 36 years.  My five kids, all my  foster kids, all their friends and cousins and neighbors!  My last two, the ones we all still refer to, much to their disgust dismay, as "the babies" have just graduated high school. They are barely a year apart in age thus referred to as, Irish twins, they have been the last two to keep me hopping!  It's been a grand run, but now my nest is lonely empty.  I went to Ireland to do a little redefining of my life.  I think I'm off to a grand new beginning, don't you?


Le gra go deo to all the good people who have blessed me with hope and inspiration.
Sue Booth-Forbes my mentor and my friend at Anam Cara; Suzanne and her husband Bob, my So. Cal partners in crime; Ginny and her side kick Gayl who made me laugh 24 hours a day for a week; Solvegia with whom I got to celebrate a birthday in Ireland;  Mary who through her devotion to her late husband produces some of the most amazing paintings of ferns I have ever had the pleasure of gazing upon; Artist extraordinare, Evelyn Dunphy and all my new friends such as, John Eagle  Maureen, Joan, Cormac, Kieran, Maureen O'Driscoll who became my most serendipitous friend and whom I will include in another blog post soon; John and Therese (who makes the best rashers around and allowed me to eat cocoa crispies on a regular basis); and Mrs. O'Geraghty whose students make the best music in all of Ireland.  If I've forgotten anybody it's only for this moment.  Mo chro, my cairde ndeor (forever).  


And to you all my blog friends, it's grand to be home and writing for you again.  I'll be in touch all this week so keep the blog door open:)

From my cozy retreat room at Anam Cara, overlooking fields of patchwork and The Coulagh Bay...

Back to the glorious sunsets at my Cottage By The Sea...


Blessings,


Tia


From 23 May 2010
A Farewell Poem


Sacred wounds healing
the beginning in sight
back to the rugged Beara
of my soul and the land
Ireland forever
truly my heart
friends I will miss there
nare really we do part
lessons about tolerance
faith and deep pain
from others I've learned
life is truly a game
important to linger
and drink up the good
but always remember
the wounds of the soul,
In order to heal them
you own them through pain
you've nothing to lose
yet everything to gain.
Fingers of islands
reaching out through the bog
the rain drops of Heaven
bursting through the sun
rainbows appear after the light
the stars in the Heavens whisper
angels in sight
blessed country of my heart
sleep sweetly tonight


LJM (tia)

What's In A (Random) Name? With Apologies to William Shakespeare

It's a random day here at my cottage by the sea.  The weather is a bit gloomy, rain on and off but, my garden is loving it and it's a perfect day for blogging.  I usually give you a photo of the sunset  at the end of my posts but, because today I'm concentrating on random, here it is at the beginning.


The end.

God's artwork never ceases to amaze me.

I was inspired to write today, by a prompt posed over at Mama Kat's Pretty Much Famous Writers Workshop.  She posed the question, "What did you want your name to be?"  Funny you should ask I pondered, because although my husband loves my name, and I think it looks good on others,  I have never been satisfied with it for myself.  When I was a little girl I was constantly changing it up.  While it's a tad embarrassing, we're all friends here, so I feel free to let ya in on a little bit of my crazy!  Besides, there is a moral to this story.

First off, my given name isn't actually Tia. When you reply to my email it may be a bit confusing because you can then see both of my names, and you may think, what's up with that?  So for all the two of you who want to know; here's what's up with that! 

My youngest grandchild is named Abigail Rose.  I love her name.  Abigail comes from the Hebrew and means, "The Father's Joy".  It doesn't get much better than that, and she's definitely her daddy's girl, so it sure does fit. Now you may be thinking, well that's certainly random.  But really, it's not.  I just wanted to show off a picture of my cute little granddaughter and it seemed the perfect way to squeeze it in.

Just two years before Abigail was born, and after having four rambunctious little boys, my daughter and son-in-law yearned to adopt a little girl. Pink started to dominate over at their house of blue.  It looked like someone shook up a bottle of Pepto Bismol and let-r-loose all over their house, car, and backyard.  A princess was born, and began her reign at their household.  There Are Those Who Think Families Happen By Chance, is a post I wrote about my daughter's heart for adoption and the gift we got when this little one was born.  They named her Emma, from the Hebrew meaning, "God is with us".  Emma and Abigail, beautiful sisters with beautiful names. And what do ya know?  I snuck in another picture of my darling granddaughters.


Now randomly,  back to my original story, and the name given to me at my birth.  Lori, which I believe originates from the English and means... "Truck".  Yeah, so here's how that happened.


When I was about eleven my mom sprung it on me, that she had never really liked my given Christian name.  She told me that she didn't even choose it for heavens sake!  Her first choice had been Mary, but I had a cousin born just before me and they called her Mary so... My mom told me that in the hospital after my birth, when she was using the rest room, the nurse came in to find out and record my name for the birth certificate.  My Grandma was there and she told the nurse, since my mom was indisposed at the time, that my name would be Lori.  She just happened to like the name Lori and she said it was a derivative of Mary, which may or may not be true but, there you have it.  The women in my family are doers.  The baby needed naming and she needed naming right now!  So my grandma took care of it, bam!  You're welcome.


In other words, Mary became Lori in the time it takes to turn off the bathroom light.  From the original Hebrew, Mary means, "Gods Gift," "Wished For Child," "Sea of Bitterness" - What? Screeeeech!
"Sea of Bitterness"? I believe that last definition was from the Greeks.  The name my grandmother gave me, was the name that everybody called me for the first 20 or so years of my life but, it wasn't Mary, and it wasn't Tia which, is what I'm called today.


It wasn't Mitzi either, which is a name I randomly chose for myself once, back in Junior High School.  I had recently graduated grammar school and being that I was starting anew, I  decided I might as well use the opportunity to forge a new identity with a fresh, new, name.  Henceforth I was to be called, Mitzi.  I forged signed  all my own paperwork at school anyway, being an extremely independent child, an understatement for those of you who know me.  I also had a very Irish surname so, Mitzi for a first name was an unusual choice, to say the least.  Imagine if you will, something like, Mitzi O'Shenanigan.  (Obviously not my real name) but, you get the picture.  I don't even remember how I pulled that name out of the hat at the time, but in the Hebrew Mitzi means, "Small and Bitter". Just like Mary which supposedly has the distinction of having Lori as a derivative.  Seriously, I don't make this stuff up.  You can Google it.  Ironic or random? You decide.   


I'd just transferred from a small, religious school which had about ten kids to a class, all of whom had become best friends, to a huge, over-crowded public school where I was completely lost in the crowd.  Bitter?  Much you think?  I guess not so random after all.  The name Mitzi lasted for the entire semester of 7th grade until, when I came back to school after a break someone called out, "Mitziiiiii", and I didn't even look back.  I can be like that; don't judge.  Every girl reserves the right to change her mind now and then.  So, then I went back to my original given name, "Lori".  "Truck?" 

When my eldest sister started having babies, (my 8 beautiful, awesome nieces and nephews) they all started calling me Tia, which is, the Spanish word for Auntie.  The fact that we aren't Mexican, or even hail from any Spanish speaking country has nothing to do with it.  She and the kids called me Tia out of love.  They nicknamed me the name that they, and all their friends and family would call me to this day.  It makes me feel warm and happy and loved and special, and that's what your name should do, right? I have since Googled the name Tia and found to my delight that it is also of the Celtic origin meaning, "Princess".  It can also be traced back to the Greek, in ancient times, and was an abbreviation for names like Dorothea and Althea.  The Mythological Thea was the Greek Goddess of Light, Mother of the Sun, Moon and Dawn.  And in Japanese, it means "Angel".  

So the moral of this story is, (remember, I told you there would be a moral to this story). Do NOT go to the bathroom after you have a baby if your mother is there, or she might randomly name your baby something you hate!


Hello, you can just call me Tia because, after all, what's in a name?

When I was little all I ever wanted to do was grow up and raise babies, which I've been doing (in my humble opinion) successfully, since 1976.  I always knew I wanted to be a mom and grow a big family full of kids and pets.  I started off with pets and used up a few of my favorite names on them.  Then I had my first daughter and I called her Tara. The name Tara originates from the Gaelic and one of the meanings is "God Fearing And Pious".  Another is, "Smiling".  As you may be starting to get the gist of, names can have many different meanings and if you Google hard enough you can find just the one you like!  Tara is the mother of those sweet baby girls you met earlier in my post and her sweet hubby Jason stands right beside her here.  His name means, "Healer," and kudos to his mom because that's a great name.  I unfortunately can't take any credit for that one.  Tara however, was my idea, and another meaning for her name is,"Star on a Hill". Which it turns out is ironic because, when I decided years later to be a foster mom, my first foster baby was named Michael and, he had a biological sister named "Star Hill".  Wow!  My life is not only random, it may be ironic, and I think I just might be psychic.  All right, I concur, perhaps just a wee bit psychotic.  Whatever, it's all random.  


I went on to birth, foster and adopt, a whole pack-a-kids over the years.  Ten of them to be exact. I also had many dogs and cats and various other creatures great and small. You might be starting to see a trend towards my love of names and naming; I know I am.  Let's just say that it's a good thing my family stopped growing  when it did because, after naming my last dog Maggie, I thought I'd used up all the best names I could think of.  So when my last kid came along, I named her Maggie as well.  Yep, I really did.  It was the name I had chosen for my beloved Irish Wolfhound, so I didn't want it to be lost.  I wanted that name to live on, therefore my youngest daughter, was named for my favorite dog.  It's true and I'm darn proud of it and so is she!  She's just glad that I didn't name her after any of my childhood dogs, because then her name might be Flash or Putzie.


The origin of the name Maggie is Ireland, and there is also a saint by that name.  It means "Pearl" which all the books say is similar to the name Elizabeth which was my grandmother's name.  I gave one of my other daughter's the middle name Elizabeth too, only I spelled it Elisabeth with an s, because that is how her great grandmother spelled it.  Just to solidify all of this for you, during my extensive research whilst Googling the name Mitzi and its meaning, I found that it meant small or bitter and in so doing I looked up the name Mary which is what my mother originally wanted to call me.  Holy shmokes, it also meant bitter!  Then again, it was also the name of the mother of Jesus.  So I guess it all worked out in the end. Random?  I think not.

By the way, I didn't do all this naming on my own.  Oh, no siree.  That guy to your left there. He helped!  Yeah, go ahead buddy have a drink, you deserve it, and after this post I think anybody would agree.  

I hope you have been amused and, at the very least will forgive me now. Just keep in mind that I write this blog because I don't golf. 


So in answer to the question from Mama Kat's workshop: What did you want your name to be?


Grace.  I wanted my name to be, Grace.

God loves you and I do too!

Blessings,

Tia  :)


Oh, and by the way, for all you Lori's out there - Here's the real low down.


Lori


Latin: honor, fame, spirit
French: crowned with laurel
Hebrew: lovely and beautiful,
             wise person, smart one.  Oh, snap!

I Want To Live In Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

My Hood.

So, why you ask?  Why do you want to live in Mister Rogers Neighborhood when you live in such an awesome neighborhood already?  Well, if you have a little time, grab a cuppa, come spend a wee bit of time with me and I'll tell ya.  Welcome!
  
You probably already know Kathy from her, pretty much famous writers workshop.  She also has a blog AND she does videos over at SheKnows Mommalogues, which if you haven't checked that out you should because, it will give you a big laugh every day, and we all know that big laughs are good for you.  They're better than vitamins even!

On the Mommalogues Site, lots of mommy's, even some famous ones, film video responses to everyday questions that moms are asked.  Mama Kat answered the question recently, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO GROW UP AND BE WHEN YOU WERE A LITTLE GIRL? Then she put the question out there for us to answer too.  I commented that, I wanted to live in Mister Roger's Neighborhood so he could love me just the way I am.  Then, Kathy commented to me that she thought that was sad but would make a good blog post.  Then she linked me in her writers workshop and whew!  That meant I had to get off my beach bum hiney and back on this blog to post an explanation to that glib response of mine.  It worked and here I am so, thanks Kathy!  You make me laugh everyday, but you really motivated me to write today.

The way I see it the most important gift is the gift of life.  And the most important thing about life is to love and be loved. But how many people love you just the way you are?  No, really.  Think about that.  I often don't even love myself just the way I am, so how can anybody else, right?  It's really not that deep, it's just a little something I think about now and again.  But, sometimes there's somebody who really does love you, just the way you are.  And Mister Rogers did.  He really did, he said so himself every day in the between 1968 and 2001 on his original TV show, Mister Roger's Neighborhood and you and your kids can still hear him exclaim it today right here at Mr. Roger's Neighborhood on KPBS.  That's where you can find it if you live in California where I do, but if you go to the site you can find out when and where it's on in your state. I know, Yea!  We all know by now that every thing we hear on TV is true, right!  So, in short that was my answer to Kathy's question and I'm stickin by it.  However: those of you who know me by now, know I can never keep anything short, ("laudy, no matter how I try"), so here's the rest of the story. 

The following was a gift from my eldest son, to me, for my birthday.  Yup, it's a re-post but, my blog is so unorganized at the moment you wouldn't be able to find it if you had the time to try, so here it is again but, in a revised form. 


There hasn't been a day since my son wrote this for me that I haven't read it.  And it brings happy tears of love to my eyes every time. For some odd reason this kid knows me and loves me anyway.  Not only that, (just like Mr. R.) he loves me just the way I am!

Today and every day is a day to be happy to be alive no matter who you are, where you are, or what your situation.  Just because you are.  Because of that, I leave you with one of the greatest blessings I have in my life.  A love note from my son to me for my birthday.  Children certainly are, a heritage of the Lord!

  

 

I simply can't imagine a world without you.  So today as you complete your 55th trip around the sun, I give you 55 reasons I love you, mom...

1    Your penchant for cozy socks

2    Your sense of humor

3    You passed down to me your germaphobic habits

4    How very religious and prayerful you are

5    Your love for dogs

6    The sound of your voice

7    Your humility

8    You drink tea everyday out of the tea cup I got you, a reminder to me that I am with you even when I'm  not

9   Your kind heart

10  Your generosity

11  How cute you look when you laugh hysterically

12  How serious you are about bloging

13  How hard you work at keeping your promises

14  The way I miss you when we're not together

15  How lucky you make me feel each day for having someone like you in my life

16  When Dylan used to bite us, you would encourage us to bite him back.  If we were crying too hard, you would do it for us

17  The smell of your perfume

18  Your handwriting

19  How we get See's every time we go to the mall together

20  You knit me scarves

21  Your smile

22  You blogstalk

23  You gave me a brother and sisters

24  You were recycling long before it was cool

25  You are very forgiving, and we've given you a lot to forgive along the way

26  You don't consider it cake unless it is chocolate

27  You bring me Sprite and toast cut into strips when I'm sick

28  You listen to good music

29  You kissed James Taylor

30  You have pretty hair

31  You cry during romantic comedies

32  I love watching movies with you, even though you talk the whole time

33  Your freckles

34  You are an amazing writer

35  You're strong, in many ways

36  You have traveled all over

37  I inherited your artistic abilities, a talent of mine I value above all else

38  We are more alike than I sometimes care to admit

39  You taught me well

40  You let me make my own decisions

41  Your hands are always cold

42  Your heart is always warm

43  You love yoga, I love yoga

44  You spoil me

45  When I was little you always let me borrow your beloved silky blanket

46  My favorite birthday present I ever got was the letter you wrote me when I turned 19.  I cried when I read it

47  You let me keep Bailey

48  You like Soulja Boi

49  You married your best friend

50  You make me laugh

51  You survived my teen years

52  You are convinced that all of your grandchildren are gifted and talented.  Really, they are

53  You always told us our birth stories on our birthdays growing up, even if we didn't always want to hear them

54  You make lists

55  Dessert doesn't always have to come last in our house

I love you more than all the days we've been together,

Cooper

  

My son Cooper, because you took all the love I gave you and gave it back to me in one simple note on my birthday, and therefore made me feel like a bizillion bucks and because you love me, "just the way I am", (just like Mister Roger's)- 

You're my hero, boyo!

I love you more than all the love there is in the world...

My son Cooper is a Junior in college now.  He carries a full load at a rigorous University, works two jobs and has an internship in his field this year.  He is always doing service hours, feeding the homeless, visiting rest homes, (where he has a 100 year old girlfriend), and tutors kids in the poorer areas of Los Angeles. Yes, it's true I'm bragging big time, wouldn't you!  I'm just so proud of him and I can't imagine where he got the time to write 55 things about why he loves me. But he did and that's what made my heart sing.  He also writes a little blog when he has the time, which isn't often but, you might enjoy getting to know him and his art a little better. I'm willing to share him as long as I always get him back.  So, if you want to visit him, his blog is called Look Hear.

So, go forth, love one another and remember, even if nobody else does, just like good old Mister Roger's, I also love you, just the way you are!  

Blessings one and all,

Tia

Help!

Because I believe this to be true, here I am, humbly and publically asking you my blogger friends, in the here post, for your h e l p.

This post is an unabashed plea.  Blogger changed their format and I can't seem to post without great difficulty.  Which, in case you were wondering is why I have been absent for a while.  My past posts are not present on my design page and as it was, I needed to update my header, and get all around help and bring my blog into this century.  Have I mentioned I'm terrible with change?  I yearn for an awesome header and the ability to use my own photos on it.  I want to learn how to do watermarks on my photos so I can put them on Pinterest. I really, really, need help putting separate tabs up top so I can introduce you to the characters who inhabit this cottage life of mine and make it easier for you to navigate 'round here.

I've seen such awesome work by so many of you out there.  I'm in awe. You're all keeping up with these changes and I'm sitting in your dust over here.  I'll be your best friend if you can come save me?  If there is anyone out there who can give me some recommendations for blog designers, blogger help, etc.  PLEASE email me or comment.  Until then my blog is completely on hold and my creativity is stunted due to my lack of computer skills. 

Thanks guys.  I know I can count on your awesomeness.  There are no other people I've ever met who are more supportive and generous than fellow bloggers.  I know lots of you even do this for a living and I so want to know who you are.  I'm a potential client.  Contact me!  

Help bring me out of the shadows.  I wanna come back and share my sunsets with you, pleeze...

Cottage life is for sharing.  I'm a good sharer. 

Come back to the beach all ya all.  I miss you!

We got shenanigans galore still going on around here.

 We got the cutest pups evah!

 My quirky kids and the pups are still up to mischief.

I have no shame.  I need you.  I'm vulnerable and I need my girly powers back.  I depend on this little space for a creative outlet and to keep in touch.  We've got adorable pets and babies around here and I need to know how to do cute collages and all the creative things so many of you are doin now.  How do you do it?

This is Grace. I haven't even been able to tell you about her yet. She's my newest love and I think your gonna love her too.  Save me!

I'm lost without you.  I await your comments with great anticipation.  I await with great hope.

The fruit of faith is love, (Mother Teresa), and I have faith there is someone out there who can help this blogger blog.  I'll love ya forever?

Have a seat.  We've got work to do!

Blessings,

Tia