Sharing Thanks

My daughter's after seeing Rock of Ages! Don't stop believing! Wishing everyone a happy and gratitude filled 2013. Yesterday my family was blessed to get to go into New York City and see "Rock of Ages." My husband gave us this experience gift Christmas morning. Our family loves musical theater and going to broadway this time of year is a gift. It was nice to see NYC dressed up for the holiday season. I loved the gigantic Christmas lights I saw on Sixth Ave! Where else can you see a building wrapped up in a beautiful red bow! Here is what I am thankful for. Thanks to the TKTS man who sold us awesome orchestra seats for Rock of Ages. The Theater Development fund runs the TKTS ticket booth in Times Square which helps make Broadway affordable for families. Thanks to the performers in "Rock of Ages." The energy on stage was electric. Enjoyed reliving the rock'n sound of the 80s and one of my all time personal favorite soft songs, "More than Words....

A thoughtful gift from my daughter Becky We have had many wonderful family holiday celebrations over the past week. So my many moments to be joyful about. I enjoyed watching people open the gifts I have bought them. I try to buy small thoughtful gifts and love watching someone get excited over opening a package of their favorite pack of gum. Here are some thoughtful gifts that I received and am thankful for this holiday season. Love this book by MJ. Ryan "Attitudes of Gratitude" that my daughter Becky gave me. Wonderful quotes and suggestions for living in Gratitude.  My mom included a picture in each of our present boxes this year. Seeing my at six in my hula dance costume was priceless. Thanks Mom for sharing such wonderful memories with your generous gifts. I love getting useful gifts. So I was happy to get a new can opener, as my old one has stopped working. Also loved gift cards to Dunkin Donuts. I must admit their iced coffee even in the winter is a guilty plea...

Loved these vibrant purple flowers at Union Square Market This time of year we are fortunate to be able to celebrate many holidays with friends and family. One of the things I love about our extended family is the diversity. We are Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, Quaker, and Muslim. If our family can get along I believe World Peace is possible. I think we may need a Buddhist and Hindu to marry into our family to make it even more diverse.  Last night we got to celebrate Hanukkah a little late at my brother's house. Our family has a tradition of waiting to celebrate until we can all be together. We have been known to even have a pre-thanksgiving.  This is what makes my family so special because what makes the holiday is us being together! Here are my thanks: Thanks to Ginny for making a delicious dinner. The potato pancakes were yummy! The pot roast was juicy and tender.  Thanks to everyone's generosity. We had a nice time exchanging holiday presents. I love watching ...

Love these Patriotic Nutcrackers I love getting out my Nutcrackers as part of my home holiday decorating. I had a very wonderful weekend filled with music. Every year the South Shore Symphony performs the Nutcracker with Leggs Ltd. Dance featuring professional dancers! I love the Nutcracker music and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to play it. I love sitting next to the harp and hearing the introduction to the Waltz of the Flowers!  Here are my thanks for today. Sharing thanks for seeing angels dancing at the beginning of Act II of the Nutcracker. Thankful for talented beaming kids whose radiating smiles lit up the auditorium.  Thanks to my parents and my husband, who came out to see the Nutcracker on Saturday night. My parents treated us to dinner at Greek Town. The food and company was wonderful. Hats off to my mom who has been sharpening her Scrabble skills with an App on her Ipod. She creamed us playing scrabble afterwards. Thankful to take to my older dau...

    Bryant Park Lights in NYC I decided to celebrate my first year anniversary of sharing thanks by doing a redesign. I have made it easier for people to share what they are thankful for. Just leave a comment on any post you like and it will appear in the new Recent Comments section. Since I am celebrating my blog turning one it is a wonderful time to reflect on the impact that focusing on gratitude has had on my life. I am amazed that I have had over 4,000 page views and have readers from many different countries stop by and visit my little blog. A special thanks go out to Janine and SKautz who have shared what they are thankful for too throughout the year. My hope is that other people will have the courage to share a small joy that they are thankful for. My post on enjoying a Latte got the most views this year. Loving coffee is universal. Writing this blog has helped my creative soul blossom. I love thinking about the small joys I have experienced during the day. My life...

Indian Corn, taken at a New York City Market I feel like I lost a few weeks. I live on Long Island where everyday since Sandy hit things are getting back to normal.  Hurricane Sandy was kind to me, I was only out of power for 5 days, and we just suffered a few downed tree branches. Luckily our downed tree branches did not hit our house or our car. It has been hard to see our coast get hit so hard. I loved the Long Beach Boardwalk and it is frightening how many people near the coast have lost there homes, and cars.Our family gathered together at my Mom's who was lucky to get power back in just 3 days! She hosted us and my brother's family from NJ. We spent the time cooking together and playing scrabble feeling happy to be in a safe place with lights and heat. I have been very thankful these days for the simple things: like waking up and seeing the lights on my digital clock working; cooking a hot meal, heat and taking a hot bath or shower. If you want to help the victims of ...

Loved these colorful Italian Soda bottles at Eately in the Flatiron District in NYC Its a rainy Friday here on Long Island today although my disposition is definitely sunny side up.  Got my car back from the garage. I broke down on Wednesday in a parking lot thankfully. The garage that fixed my car did a great job and it is driving smooth. Here is what I am thankful for! Thanks to Wayne Lipton who put together an amazing movie slide show to go along with our film  concert this weekend. It was fun playing this great music from movies and seeing pictures from the movie. This made the dress rehearsal so much fun. Wayne really puts a lot of great time and energy into the South Shore Symphony! Thanks to the Kris Brothers garage in Dix Hills who fixed my car. It was great to get it back together. I know its sounds funny to say I love driving my Honda Odyssey! Thanks to my Dad for being our knight in shining armor for picking up Liz and I from the Art League after the car b...

Love the leaf pattern before sipping this delicious Lavazza Latte at Eately! I love fall in Manhattan. Enjoyed a fall morning in the city this weekend. I was in New York City and I feel like I took a side trip to Italy when I visited "Eately" on 23rd St. and Fifth Avenue. I went wild with my camera and will be featuring a variety of photos from this amazing store that has wonderful restaurants, italian food, colorful italian products, and even offers cooking demonstrations and classes. Here is what I was thankful for. Thankful to get a random text from my daughter Becky telling me she got a 98 on a music exam in her college course. Thankful to enjoy meandering in "Eately". Met a nice woman from Argentina who also took a picture of her latte before sipping it. I love NY! Thanks to the Hi-Line. Enjoyed walking this path that was an old subway line in New York. Beautiful city views, river vistas. Thankful my daughter's sprain is healing. It is wonderful to...

Imagine there's no hunger, The Artwork of John Lennon I enjoyed spending time Saturday with my good friend Liz meandering around SoHo in New York City. I was amazed how high fashion this area of the city has become. It reminded me a little of Rodeo Drive. I enjoy visiting the art galleries and viewing cool art. Here are my thanks for the Columbus day weekend. Thankful for the OK Harris gallery. They had some great exhibits featuring a variety of artists. I loved Artist Licenses created out of ink and acrylic on styrene by artist Gregory J. Constantine!  Thankful to be able to contribute to City Meals on Wheels to see John Lennon's Artwork. The exhibit was a remembrance for his 72nd birthday. I enjoyed seeing his drawings and copies of handwritten song lyrics. It was wonderful to view his work and listen to his music during the exhibit. Thankful for my good friend Liz! She is an artist and it was great to have someone who enjoyed being in the city and seeing great art wo...

My dog Oreo thinks she is a cat! A few weeks ago, I took a picture of my cat Sasha soaking up the sun on the windowsill! Yesterday, to my surprise I spotted my dog Oreo sitting in the same spot. How do pets find these little spaces to bask in some warm rays from the sun. They find the warm places in the winter and the cool shady spots in the summer. Here are my thanks for the day. Thanks to Oreo, who gave me a smile peeking out at me sitting on our windowsill. Thanks to the staff at Clarke high school who helped Liz navigate the school in her wheelchair. It was wonderful to see her go back to school today. I was thankful to kick back and relax a little bit last night and catch up on watching some episodes of "Parenthood" on NBC. I enjoy watching the show and appreciate how they show a family raising a disabled child. I enjoy many of the characters in this family and applaud them for showing families who disagree and come back together. Thanks to my good friends! The...

Loved this little red leaf I saw during my morning walk! Fall is a week old already and I am starting to see signs of change on my neighborhood dog walks! I love seeing the trees change colors and celebrate nature's artistry. Change can be good. Change means growth! We live in a world where we resist change, we want things to be the same. Life changes every second of everyday. You can see these changes in nature. You can see a beautiful sunset and vibrant colors and a minute later a deep blue sky with no memory of the glorious color that came before. The rate of change in our modern world is staggering. When I upgraded my cell phone from two years ago, it amazing what new features are available in just 2 years time. We all need to be look at change as a friend, as innovation, as a way to learn something new! Enjoy the change of the seasons! Here is what I was thankful for yesterday. Thankful to see this vibrant red leaf while walking my dog Oreo around the neighborhood. I lov...

Love this sparkling water and small trail to the bay beach.  We have had some beautiful weather the past few days on Long Island. Loved visiting the fishing pier at Jones Beach State Park with my camera. I had a serendipity Saturday! Here is what I was thankful for. Thanks to good friends. I enjoyed getting a spontaneous text from my friend Ellen to meet in NYC when I was in NYC! Sometimes last minute plans turn out to be the best plans. Thanks to the School of Visual Arts and its great pre-college Saturday program. My daughter Liz enjoyed her first class very much. Thanks to her instructor who lent her money to buy a soft drink during the break. I was thankful that the School of Visual Arts was wheelchair friendly and my daughter was able to attend while she is healing from yet another ankle sprain. Thanks to a wonderful lunch at Pete's Tavern with Ellen, Ally, Kevin and Liz. We enjoyed delicious food and great conversation. I enjoyed walking around gramercy park! I loo...

These white flowers captured me! I was away in Pittsburgh, visiting my daughter Becky at the University of Pittsburgh. Every fall we love to go down for a long weekend to see a football game and watch Becky perform in the marching band. College football is fun to watch! When Pitt scores a touchdown the crowd does push-ups using people in the crowd. Team spirit, the panther mascot, it is a fun experience. We enjoyed spending some time with Becky! Unfortunately my younger daughter sprained her ankle and needed to go to first aide at Heinz stadium. The medical staff there was helpful in getting her to the emergency room. Kindness can help make a tough situation more bearable. Here are my thanks for everyone who has helped us during the past few days. Thanks to the kind medical staff at Heinz stadium, the EMTs, and the emergency room staff at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Their good humor and efficient treatment was greatly appreciated. One nurse could have been a stan...

Pond at Norman Levy Preserve. Today was a beautiful top ten day. High 70s, low humidity, blue sky with fluffy clouds. I started out my morning with a gently hike at the Norman Levy Preserve. I was walking behind a family with 4 adorable kids. It was joyful to see the excitement these kids got out of seeing a fuzzy caterpillar, or a school of fish swirling around us under the pier.We should all try to see things with the wonder and joyful enthusiasm of a three or four year old. Here are my thanks for today! Thankful for a beautiful hike at the Norman Levy Preserve. I enjoyed walking in the sunshine. Loved seeing a few wildflowers which stood out against the green wild grasses! Thankful to hear children's excitement over seeing a school of fly fish swirling around under the pier. I love to lie down on one of the benches and meditate for a few minutes and feel the bay breezes on my face. I awakened to kids excited voices seeing the school of fish. A wonderful glorious moment of...

Oreo loves going for a drive! My daughter Liz went back to school this week. My pup, Oreo has been keeping me company! She loves to go for a drive. Sometimes we even go together to pick up Liz from school. This week I was a caring friend. I enjoy helping people when I can. We all need each other! Life is more fun together than alone. Here are my thanks for today: I enjoyed meeting my friend Sejal for coffee at Dunkin Donuts. We enjoy listening to each other, laughing together, and helping each other out. With back to school comes the emergency forms. I am thankful to have some friends who I know I can count on. We look out for each others kids and help when we can. I am thankful for my dog Oreo. She helps me get exercise. I walk her 4 times a day and we both enjoy strolling around the neighborhood. I love walking her at night after the sun goes down. The blue sky with the stars beginning to glimmer always makes me smile. I am grateful to my good friend Liz. We got to meet for ...

Who doesn't love a sock monkey! Today my daughter Liz started her senior year of high school. My older daughter Becky is a junior at University of Pitt. I wish them both a good year of learning. I enjoyed a relaxing labor day weekend and today feels like a new beginning. Liz and I had lunch at Mama T's and she was thankful to get this adorable sock monkey from my good friend Sejal. Liz had made a film with a sock monkey over the summer which I posted in July. Here is what I am thankful for. Thinking of the citizens of Costa Rico. I was very thankful to reach my brother Stephen today after hearing about a big earthquake in Costa Rico. Thanks to electronic media I was happy to hear from him right away. Glad your safe!  Grateful for a nice start to school for Liz. She looked pretty on her first day as a senior. Thanks to the few customers who came and bought a few items at our garage sale on Sunday. We had a garage sale which was a great way to try to find new homes for it...

Thanks for my Zumba Crew bracelet. My friend Stella invited me to a Zumba class yesterday. I had so much fun dancing to such happy music. I've been enjoying the last few days before the new school year starts! Today was a beautiful sunny top ten day! Here are my thanks for today. Thankful to take Joanne's Zumba class at Imagine in Dix Hills. Her high energy smile and great choice of music made the class a lot of fun. It was a free trial first class and I am definitely going back. I love the dance exercise! It makes me feel young and I love the rhythms.She even gave me this cool bracelet. Thanks Stella for inviting me. I am grateful for the will power I am using to lose some weight! I've been cooking dinner every night and loading up on vegetables and fruits that I love. I lost 3 pounds last week.  Thanks to my friend Margaret who walked 4 miles with me the other night. A walk at night with a friend is a wonderful way to end a day. I love these cooler nights, the a...

Jones Beach Bandshell, listening to "The Obsession" covering the Beatles. I am very lucky to live 15 minutes from Jones Beach. I have so many happy memories enjoying Jones Beach State park. As a kid my mom used to take us to the beach everyday over the summer. I remember doing crafts in the tee-pee and swimming in the salt-water pool and conquering that first jump off the high dive. Here is what I was thankful for yesterday. Thankful to have a nice date night with my husband strolling the boardwalk at Jones Beach. We enjoyed listening to the band and even got some dancing in!  Thanks to the bubble men who treated the crowd to streams of bubbles blowing in the air during the concert. It was fun to watch grown men trying to pop bubbles to the sounds of the Beatles. Thanks to the Gera's! We had so much fun going out to lunch together. We toasted Monesha to have a great semester at Stonybrook! When we get together we always laugh and laugh and laugh. They are such go...

Eighth Ave. and 44th on NYC I shared this picture with my daughter Becky who is back in college. This is her favorite hamburger place when we enjoy going to see a Broadway show in New York. I am thankful to Becky who told me about student rush tickets on Broadway. She used her college ID to see Evita with friends for $38 a ticket. She said that my younger daughter Liz could use her high school ID to buy student rush tickets. Most theaters will allow you to purchase 2 tickets for student rush. There are also theaters that offer lotteries and general rush. To view what offerings are available go to Playbill's web article: Broadway-Rush-Lottery-and-Standing-Room-Only-Policies I went to this website yesterday before going into the city with my daughter Liz  - who had an interview with a talent agent at Chelsea Talent. Liz is pursuing her dream to be a film/tv actress and was very excited about the opportunity to work with Chelsea Talent.  We had wanted to see a show before s...

Monarch Butterfly in the Adirondacks I enjoyed spending time visiting my parents up in the Adirondacks the past few days. Saw lots of beautiful monarch butterflies feeding on the local butterfly bushes. I was able to capture this picture before the butterfly took flight! I love to watch the wildlife upstate. On this trip I was able to see butterflies, hummingbirds, a fox, and 3 loons on two different lakes! I will be posting some pictures from my trip throughout the week. It is wonderful to kick back and relax during the last few weeks of summer. So much to appreciate! Giving my parents a big thanks for being wonderful hosts. They made us a homemade chicken dinner and we got to meet some of their friends. They treated us to the Lake George Dinner Theater where we saw The Love List a romantic comedy that had us howling with laughter! I really admire my parents. They are thriving in their mid seventies! I think they are more active then some of my friends. I was grateful to see m...

Heart in a stream in Ellicott City, Maryland So thankful to have a wonderful small family vacation in Maryland! It is rejuvenating to be able to go away and spend some quality time with my family. Baltimore has some family history as it is a place we used to gather to visit Spencer's Aunt Mary when she was alive. We would enjoy staying in her old Baltimore townhouse and having crabfest's at her kitchen table covered with newspapers. Here is what I was thankful for. Thanks for a fun morning in Ellicott City, Maryland. Enjoyed meandering through this charming historical town, with its artsy shops! Loved seeing this heart in the stream from the bridge near the railroad station. It was such a lovely surprise! Thanks for a fun night out at the ballpark at Camden Yards. We saw many home runs and the Orioles won 7-1. Enjoyed the cool breezes at the stadium on Friday night and the energy of the crowd cheering for the O's. Thanks to have a memorable crabfest at Captain James...

My sleepy cat at one of her favorite spots! Photo by Liz Davidson I loved this picture my daughter took yesterday. Cats have an amazing ability for finding the perfect spot to curl up, relax and take a cat nap! Just looking at this photo makes me want to stretch out and relax. Here is what I was thankful for yesterday. I was thankful for the cuddle my cat gave me this morning. Pets do give us unconditional love. Thankful to enjoy a delicious lunch at the Olive Garden with my daughters. The manager came over and gave us some coupons for a free appetizers on our next visit. I love the salad and breadsticks there. I was grateful to see my daughters work nicely together on two cool projects.Liz helped Becky make cool ruby red shoes with some modge podge glue and some red glitter. Then Becky helped Liz make her first casting audition video. "There is no place like home." today. Thanks for a fun shopping trip with Becky getting her ready to go back to college soon. I had a...

Sunset at Long Beach Island, NJ Had the chance to spend a few days with my family on Long Beach Island. There is something so soothing about walking on the beach and listening to the sound of the surf and feeling the sand between your toes. So much to be thankful for! Thanks for the beautiful sunset tonight that I was able to watch with my daughters before we headed for home. It is wonderful to take the time and just sit and watch the sunset. My daughter Becky took this last glimmer picture which I absolutely love! I am thankful Becky did not delete the picture by accident. Thanks to my sister-in-law Ginny who invited us to spend a few days down the shore. It was great to see my family and catch up with my nieces and nephews. Ginny is the best host ever. She made the best mango salsa!  So thankful to be able to have two beautiful days at the beach. I really enjoyed soaking up some sun, with sunscreen of course. I loved swimming in the ocean with my nieces and daughters. Bo...

Lily Pads at Norman Levy Preserve I joined twitter and have been having fun tweeting my thanks! I am amazed how many people use tweets to give thanks.  You can tweet me your thanks @sharingthanks. Hope you like the twitter feed I have added to the blog. Here is what I was thankful for today. I am thankful for a Davidson girls night out. Me and my daughters treated my sister-in-law Laurie to dinner out at the Outback in Bayside. We laughed and had a wonderful time together. Thanks for the 2012 Summer Olympics. I have been enjoying watching men's gymnastics tonight. I love that the Olympics brings the world together to compete in peace and strive for excellence. I am thankful for the new email feed on my blog. You can get my blog sent to your email by just submitting your email address. I sent a test email to a friend's email address and she was happy to get a sharing thanks post.  Thanks to the beautiful sunflowers I saw today. I love seeing some of my neighbors garden...

Oreo playing outside It was a beautiful day to be out in the backyard with my friend Stella and our dogs Oreo and Trixie! We had so much fun watching Trixie and Oreo chase a soccer ball. Trixie is amazing at dribbling a ball! I miss those days when my kids would be playing outside in the small plastic pools! Here is what I was thankful for today. Thanks for the delicious limeade and invite to hang out in the backyard Stella. Oreo enjoyed playing soccer with Trixie in the backyard. I was thankful that the dogs were safe when the ball slipped below the fence and into the street. Thanks to my daughter Becky who was teaching me about twitter. I set up a twitter account today! I'm @sharingthanks if you would like to tweet me or follow me on twitter. I am grateful that my daughter Liz's ankles are getting better. Liz is using the smaller aircast instead of the bigboot. Thanks to her great physical therapist Pete who has been helping her improve both of her ankles strength! ...

Field of Queen Anne's Lace taken during a hike at Norman Levy Preserve I always think of my mom when I see Queen Anne's Lace! She loves to press them in a cool hand-made flower press she made. They look like lace and she used them to adorn wedding invitations which she would decorate with beautiful pressed flowers in a beautiful handcrafted glass frame. Yesterday it rained on and off for most of the day. Here is what I was thankful for on the lazy rainy day! I was grateful to be able to hit the snooze button and sleep late until 10 am. I felt decadent sleeping in and I thoroughly enjoyed  catching some extra zzzzzz's. I was thankful that I put an umbrella in my car. When I went to the movie theater there was a torrential downpour! Although it's fun walking in a summer rain I was happy to have my umbrella so I did not have to sit in wet clothes at the movie theater. Thanks for a fun afternoon movie with my daughter Liz. She wanted to see the new Step Up Revoluti...

Seagulls at Norman Levy Pond I took this picture at a recent hike at the Norman Levy Preserve. When I was growing up Jonathon Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach was one of my favorite books. I loved reading about a seagull who lived to fly and soar! He did this by practicing and trying new ways to soar. I got caught up in my daughter's hectic schedule for tech week for Hairspray and I am sorry to have been neglecting my blog! We all have good days and bad days and it takes practice to appreciate the goodness on any day. Looking at this picture of the seagull taking flight on the pond will encourage me to soar and practice my gratitude! Here are my thanks for yesterday. I was thankful to see Hairspray performed by Second Stage productions at Molloy College. My daughter Becky is in the ensemble and she was beaming on stage. Thanks to the wonderful young performers who sang their hearts out yesterday! It was a joy to watch the show and see some of Becky's friends soar. Dyla...

Garden at Love Apples Farm on Route 9H When I was driving home from the Adirondack's I love to take the back roads past the farms and pick up some wonderful fresh produce. I stopped at this Love Apples Farm  and got fresh peaches, blackberries and red potatoes. The difference between fresh produce and supermarket produce is remarkable. Here is what I was thankful for yesterday. I am thankful to be eating more fruits and vegetables. Enjoyed a juicy peach from Love Apples Farm. Nothing better than a good fresh peach! Thanks to the nice lady on line ahead of us at Micheals. She gave us a 40% off coupon. I love saving money. Since I have started sharing thanks I am amazed how giving people are.  I am grateful for taking my dog Oreo on a nice walk around the block. A man on a bicycle stopped and gave me some dog supplies. How kind of him. I was grateful to host a craft night for Liz and her friend Kavita. Liz was painting and Kavita loves decoupaging. I love fostering peop...

Field of Sunflowers on Rt 9 in upstate New York I loved my scenic drive home from the Adirondacks with my daughter Becky. Sometimes it is wonderful to get off the parkway and take some country roads. I love driving this drive Rt 9 to Rt 9H which takes me by some wonderful farms in Hudson New York. I was able to pickup some freshly picked peaches and gorgeous blackberries from Love Apples Farm on the way home. Here is what I was thankful for. Thanks to my Mom and Dad who took great care of my dog Oreo when I was away in California. We enjoyed visiting their Adirondack house and my dog loved running outside in their huge country backyard. I was grateful to be able to spend some quality time with my older daughter Becky. We enjoyed a wonderful production of, "Next to Normal" at the Woods theater in Glens Falls. The show was thought provoking and the performances were heartfelt and powerful. Thanks to Mom and Dad who treated to the show. I am thankful to Ben at Socapa! M...

Me at Malibu Creek State Park in the Santa Monica Mountains California has some beautiful state parks. We were staying in Agoura Hills, and had the chance to drive through the canyons on the way to the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu. There are a lot of California State parks in the Santa Monica Mountains. Here is what I was thankful for during my stay in Agoura Hills. I was grateful to visit Malibu Creek State Park. We were able to take a short hike in the Santa Monica Mountains. It was fun to see people swimming in the creeks in the swimming hole there. Malibu Creek State Park is famous as it was used as the backdrop for the MASH tv set. When you are there you get this deja vu feeling, that you have seen the beauty before. I was thankful for watching the sunset into the Pacific Ocean at Point Dumes State park in Malibu. Watching the sunset is a Californian ritual! Many people drive down to the water to watch the sunset and enjoy some quality  family time. Thanks to our...

Ventura Beach at the magic hour just before sunset Just got back from vacation in California! So many reasons to be thankful to report. I was lucky to have a week off to relax and enjoy the beautiful California coastline. I'll be sharing what I was thankful for on my trip all week on my blog. One of things I have noticed about having an attitude of gratitude, is that the universe provides me with more niceties to be grateful for. On my flight out to Los Angeles we met a nice youth group that was starting their journey on a community service trip. The young man sitting next to us, found a seat closer to his friends and that left us with an empty middle seat for our flight. It is wonderful to have some extra room on the flight! I am grateful for safe travels! I get pretty religious when I am flying especially during takeoff and landing. I was happy to have good traveling weather both ways on my trip. Thanks to the pilots who provided with a smooth ride with a limited amount of...

My daughters and our guests from Pittsburgh at 30 Rock It's been a busy few days. It was wonderful to host my daughter Becky's room mate from college and her sister and get to show them the big apple! Our small NYC tour included Times Square, Rockefeller Center and dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner! I must admit I have been enjoying getting into the relaxing rhythm of summer. There are so many great moments to be thankful for today! I am grateful for my good friends! Thanks to Stella who hosted a pool party on this top ten weather day. It was wonderful to cool off and take a swim! I loved seeing Stella and Margaret and all of our kids having a great time together. Thanks to the friendly pharmacist who helped get my prescriptions filled today. Thanks to my husband Spencer who woke up early to take our guests to make their early morning bus back to Pittsburgh. We had so much fun having them stay with us a few days and wish them a safe journey back. Thanks to Jessica ...

Air conditioned summer flowers at Michaels It's been in the 90s here on Long Island the past few days. We've had some of those  hot sticky humid days. Great days to go grocery shopping in the frozen food section to cool off! Summer is officially here. Here is what I am thankful for. I am grateful my husband Spencer for installing the air conditioner in our bedroom. So nice to get a cool nights sleep. I am thankful that my daughter Becky is feeling better. She had a horrible stomach bug or food poisoning Monday night.  I am thankful for my mom who picked Becky up from work yesterday. I had a hectic day and we are suffering from having four drivers and two cars.  I am thankful to Cathy and Amanda who helped Liz pick out some great outfits for her to wear for the LA acting competition! Liz was happy that her clothing check went well. I am thankful for the store Dots! They have great clothes in a variety of sizes which made shopping for Liz a fun experience. I inv...

Sunset at Home Depot The summer solstice is approaching. Only 2 more days until the longest day of the year. Today was a top ten day on Long Island. Beautiful sunshine, cool breezes and still light out at 8:00 pm. I took this picture outside of Home Depot tonight. Here is what I was thankful for. I am thankful for Monesha, who was my daughter's personal fashion consultant today. Mo helped Liz pick out some nice outfits for her acting competition! Mo has so much style! I was thankful for having lunch with my friend Sejal to celebrate her birthday. We went to the Cheesecake Factory and had the awesome Chicken Chipotle Pasta. It was delicious and I decided to not look at the calorie count, and just enjoy the wonderful flavors and conversation. I am thankful for the beautiful day and pretty sunset I saw from the Home Depot parking lot. I enjoy cloud and sky watching. I love finding some beauty even if its in a parking lot. I was thankful for having a nice conversation with my ...

Happy Father's Day ! Found this special I love you dad written in Stone at Target Beach We've had a wonderful family day celebrating father's day today. My kids helped make a steak and egg breakfast which we ate together outside on the patio! Then we went out to see a minor leg baseball game with my mom and dad and our family. It was fun singing, "Take me out to the ballgame." We all enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, the famous hot dog race and rooting for the Ducks who were losing! Today's Sharing Thanks is dedicated to our dads. Thanks to the readers who posted beautiful tributes to their dads. SKautz wrote, "I am thankful for my Dad for several reasons. He had a lot of issues when we (6kids) were growing up. I guess he he a lot of growing up to do himself. He always could make us laugh(I guess thats why nobody could stay angry at him!)I have to give him credit for my sense of humor in even the darkest times. My Dad never needed a lot to be ...

Corvette for Flag Day Yesterday was flag day. I happened to be driving by my kids old elementary school as the latest kindergarten class was putting on the annual flag day performance. It brought back many memories of when my kids were waving flags, dressed in red white and blue, belting out, "It's a Grand Old Flag." Today I spotted this awesome corvette during my travels. So happy I was able to get a picture of this patriotic car. This may be the ultimate American Corvette! Here is what I was thankful for. I was thankful to see the Kindergarteners in front of my daughters' old elementary school. The parents and grandparents watching the show were all decked out in red, white and blue! Nice to see so many of our neighbors proudly displaying their flags. I was thankful to see this amazing flag corvette! So thankful to have a nice steak dinner with my 2 daughters. We had some wonderful conversations and it is nice to see them getting along and enjoying spending...

Message to dad found at the end of the Target Rock Beach I was able to hike the Target Rock Beach trail with friends a few weeks ago. When we arrived to the end of the trail, we found this amazing message left for a very special Dad. Seeing this love message made may day. What a wonderful simple idea to honor a dad. No greeting card could ever match the emotion of finding the loving message made of stones found on the beach. Since Fathers day is on Sunday I invite all my blog readers to share why they are thankful for their dads! I will feature these messages on Father's Day! Here is what I was thankful for yesterday. I was thankful to Shannon who came over to help Liz prepare for her US History regents. Thanks for being a study buddy for Liz. Shannon is passionate about history and is also a very creative artistic and kind person! Thanks to my Mom and Day who gave my daughter Becky a ride home from work.  Thanks to my good friend Stella! We enjoyed having a cup of tea. A...

Davidson Family Fun at the miniature golf course at Franklyn Square, Philadelphia This weekend our family gathered to celebrate! Blessings to Cathy on her ordination to become an Episcopal Deacon. We also celebrated my nephew's 30th birthday. It was fun for my kids to connect with aunts, uncles and cousins. We have been fortunate to spend a week many summers together on the New Jersey shore. A family favorite on these vacations has been finding the best miniature golf course on the shore. I guess you are never too old for a game of miniature golf. So when cousin Nick told us about a new course in Philly we decided to check it out! Here is what I was thankful for! So thankful to Nick who invited us to stay in his townhouse. We had a great barbeque on the roof of the building. Nick is an amazing host! Thanks Nick for a delicious dinner, healthy breakfast and lunch to celebrate your Mom's special day. Thanks for a beautiful evening. We sat outside on the roof and admired th...