Assessments of the New

There are certain times in life that cause us to assess and / or reassess everything around us.  To take a good long hard look at ourselves, our surroundings, and the choices that we may or may not even realize we're making on a daily basis.  Some are drawn to do this at the start of a new year, some find themselves doing so after a crisis, others simply arise one morning with a newly awakened determination to create change in their world.  Nothing is impossible.

The kicker is this... change is scary & uncomfortable at the outset.  It's probably the reason so many of us end up reverting to our previous ways that we sought to change in the first place.  Even if those thoughts, those habits, those daily choices were not ultimately in our best interests, they were what we knew & used & felt a modicum of confidence through, even if their end result created less than positive circumstances. Like a fuzzy old tattered blanket, we became accustomed to the not so stellar end results as well. Changing those thoughts, habits, and daily choices creates not only a level of reaching beyond our comfort zone via the process, it causes new end results that we must learn to embrace too! 

My point is this, without reaching beyond our comfort zones, without striving to better ourselves, without continuing to push past the bounds of our standard actions and reactions, we stagnate.  We quit growing, and evolving, and miss out on many of the most spectacular people and experiences that life has the potential to offer us. I say this because I recently have been striving toward these changes in multiple areas. It's not easy to let go of the old, but the further I immerse myself in the new, I find that it's an unaccustomed feeling of calm, positive, sheer happiness that I'd really like to get used to!  It's a little uncomfortable experiencing all these new feelings and possibilities, but I'm learning to be okay with that aspect. My hope for anyone reading this is that you'll close your eyes, take a deep breath, and take that leap in whatever direction is a new start ... just to try.

~ The Girl in the Little Black Dress

Focusing on the Important

For days all the news has seemed to focus on is the Connecticut elementary school horror.  I find myself with a lump in the back of my throat & tears on my face every time I hear one of the stories, see a picture of a murdered child or teacher, listen to a tribute from a performing artist or hear a portion of one of the eulogies ... quite honestly the entire thing is heartbreaking.  I cannot begin to imagine how the families of the students and staff that were gunned down, or the children that survived, or even the people who simply live in that town feel.  It must be heart stopping.  There are simply not enough words to express the shock, horror, sadness, and sorrow that we all feel for Newtown, Connecticut, and they must surely feel in the aftermath of what occurred there.

Here's the thing, especially in this, the season of goodwill and giving, the focus should be on remembering the victims of this tragedy.  The children that needlessly died.  The staff that gave their lives to keep the children safe.  The staff that survived keeping students safe.  The brave beyond their years kids who survived & will live the rest of their lives with the memory that day.  The families of both those who perished and those who lived.  The townspeople that came to assist whether they had children in that school or not.  These are the folks that deserve our thoughts, our prayers, our efforts, and our focus.  Not the gunman.  Regardless of his reasons or issues, focusing on him and remembering his name instead of those whose lives he disrupted is not only disrespectful, but shows a blatant lack of empathy towards everyone affected by his actions.

Charlotte Bacon, age 6 - she loved school, wearing dresses, the color pink, and every animal she met
Daniel Barden, age 7 - he had formed a band with his siblings that he played the drums in
Rachel D'Avino, age 29 - her position as a behavioral therapist working with autistic children was her absolute passion
Olivia Engel, age 6 - she loved art, dance and musical theater, played tennis and soccer, swam, and was a Girl Scout
Dylan Hockley, age 6 - loved playing video games, jumping on the trampoline & watching movies while eating garlic bread
Chase Kowalski, age 7 - completed his first triathlon at age 6, played baseball, and was a Cub Scout
Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, age 47 - Sandy Hook's principal who was loved by all the students, and had just begun working on her Ph.D.
Jesse Lewis, age 6 - he loved math, riding horses, and playing at his mother's farm
Ana Marquez-Greene, age 6 - loved singing while her brother played the piano
James Mattioli, age 6 - nicknamed "J", he liked to wear shorts and t-shirts in any weather, ride his bike, and swim in his grandfather's pool
Grace McDonnell, age 7 - she loved art, playing dress up, gymnastics, soccer, and her spaniel named Puddin'
Anne Marie Murphy, age 52 - a married mother of four, she died covering the bodies of children in her classroom in an attempt to shield them from the bullets
Emilie Parker, age 6 - carried her markers and pencils everywhere and never missed an opportunity to draw a picture or make a card for someone
Jack Pinto, age 6 - was a huge NY Giants fan whose idol was Victor Cruz, and loved baseball, basketball, wrestling and snow skiing
Noah Pozner, age 6 - loved playing with his twin sister and his cousins
Jessica Rekos, age 6 - she loved everything about horses and wanted Santa to bring her new cowgirl boots and a cowgirl hat this year
Avielle Richman, age 6 - was happiest when she was riding horses and had just gotten her first loose tooth
Lauren Rousseau, age 30 - was a permanent substitute teacher at Sandy Hook, fulfilling her dream since kindergarten to become a teacher
Mary Sherlach, age 56 - a wife and mother of two grown daughters, and the school's psychologist, was meeting with a parent when they heard the gunshots and she ran into the hall to assist
Victoria Soto, age 27 - a first grade teacher at Sandy Hook, who immediately moved her students away from the doors to safety before being gunned down protecting them
Benjamin Wheeler, age 6 - was always following his father around in the yard, handing him tools and helping
Nancy Lanza, age 52 - was known for the game nights she hosted, the holiday decorations she put up at her house, and enjoyed gardening
Josephine Gay, age 7 - had just celebrated her birthday three days prior, and was looking forward to her birthday party the next day
Madeleine Hsu, age 6 - she loved reading, running, and dancing, and was known for her sunny, happy personality
Catherine Hubbard, age 6 - was a passionate animal lover and was known for her constant smile
Caroline Previdi, age 6 - she took ballet and jazz classes and tended to dance everywhere she went
Allison Wyatt, age 6 - she was a doting big sister and an avid artist who'd turned her room into a studio

Rest In Peace, Newest Christmas Angels.  It's YOUR names and lives that should be remembered.
Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men.

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress

Puppy Power!

I am currently the foster mommy for three beagle mix puppies.  It's a bit like having a rough & tumble group of curious four-legged toddlers in the house. Puppies in general take time, patience, and understanding.  Three of them together can be, to put it mildly, Nuts. 

Molly is definitely the ringleader.  Like the kid who tends to instigate but then makes sure she's not the one doing something stupid when you come around the corner.  Buddy, being the only boy, tends to be the most vocal of the three. As if he's overpowered by his sisters and must make himself heard whenever possible. Gretchen is the calmest, but most curious.  She figured out how to open the back door by pawing the handle, and is the reason I reinforced the back fence as she discovered a tiny area where she could get under it to go explore outside the yard. There are constant, daily conversations with all three of them about not chewing on things like pillows, or furniture, or the staircase, and it's a normal occurrence for them to run in circles all holding onto the same toy at one time. I am definitely not lacking for free entertainment!

The thing is, even though any hope for a quiet, calm existence is currently topsy turvy, they are so sweet and lovey that I just melt and can't be mad at them. I came down with the flu a couple weeks ago, and woke up on the couch with all three of them napping on top of me keeping me warm. They'll lay their adorable puppy faces in my lap when I sit down and be content to snuggle while watching the news, and I've never felt so welcomed home when I open the door... even if I've only been gone for a couple minutes to get the mail!

I'm only their foster mommy, and eventually they'll be adopted by families who will love them as much as I do.  I'll be sad to see them go, but I'm enjoying the joyful craziness they bring while I'm lucky enough to have them!

~ The Girl In The Little Black Dress

If you're interested in adopting a furry family member, or want to foster a rescued animal, this is the link for the Animal Adoption League: www.mynextpet.com