Sharing Thanks

My new organized empty closet. Sometimes good things happen from things that go bump in the night. On Friday night I was woken up by the sound of huge crash at 2:00 am. I jumped out of bed and turned on the lights to find that my wall closet rods and shelf had collapsed. My clothes laid half on the ground in a heap, and I'm embarassed to say it reminded me of an episode of "Hoarders." Thank goodness my cat was ok, sometimes she sleeps by a cuddly sweater. How could I be thankful about this? Well sometimes it takes a calamity to force you to become more organized. Here is why I am grateful for my collapsed closet. I was thankful to have the opportunity to go through all of my closet belongings. I made my 3 piles, keep, give away to goodwill, and absolute trash. I have lived in our house for over 20 years. Some of my clothes are even older than that. I decided if I had not worn a piece of clothing in the last 10 years it should be thrown out or be given away. I fel...

Remember a shot of water can be just as much fun! I love being around people who know how to orchestrate fun! I am a UMASS alumni, and one of our college friends hosts a reunion party every summer. It is so much fun to reconnect with old college friends and more important make some new memories together with all of our growing families. Thanks to our hosts Keith and Dora who hosted the party. It's a pool BBQ, and mostly everyone sleeps over. Guests from as far as Arizona, NY, Washington DC gather in Massachusetts to celebrate. Thanks to Keith and Dora for making a Shotski. Looking for something to do with your old skis? Keith organized pool game Olympics. And the games began with the a ceremonial SHOTSKI. There is something goofy about holding a ski and drinking with your friends. It just made me laugh Thanks to my team mate Annie in the swim relay. She held her own with the recent college grads. It was so much fun to be silly and be in an innertube kicking race. Although ...

There is nothing better than going to see a summer indy matinee in a cool dark movie theater with my daughter Becky. Did I mention Becky is a recent film studies major? Boyhood is a masterpiece at capturing life's moments. Some scenes trigger memories of conversations I have had with my kids, fighting in the back seat of the car! Moments matter. Boyhood was filmed for 12 years and shows the cast aging and growing right along with the story line. See this amazing movie. Ethan Hawke's performance is Oscar worthy! What was even better was the discussion with Becky that followed the movie. Hearing her insights on the film and being able to discuss the movie and family dynamics. Take someone special and see this beautiful insightful film. This was a moment I will savor. Thanks also to the Cinema Arts Center in Huntington for celebrating independent films year round! \

Fresh herb garden at Barilla's new restaurant in New York City I love cooking with fresh spices. Had a wonderful lunch with my girl friends at Academia Barilla Restaurant on 52nd St and Avenue of the America's. Loved the wonderful aroma of fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary wafting through this affordable restaurant. I have fresh mint and basil in growing outside on my patio. Thankful for making spaghetti with meat sauce with my fresh basil! Love the simplicity and flavors of a home cooked meal. Thankful for fresh mint in my home made ice tea. I love Lipton's cold tea bags so I can make home brewed ice tea. Fresh mint, slices of lemon, and a hint of sugar and voila home made ice tea. The taste of summer. Thankful to have lunch out with the ladies! Love finding affordable, fun places to eat in NYC! Thankful to find this draft blog post I started and being able to finish it. I love writing some gratitude about an experience I had with my girlfriends months ago. Grea...

Liz Davidson with 2 of the cast members from STOMP! My daughter Liz is deaf and hears with a cochlear implant. I lot of music sounds like percussion to her. She loves drumming and we got to see STOMP on Sunday. STOMP is a percussion and dance marvel. Seeing this show made me realize the everyday beats that are all around me. Here is what I was thankful for. Thankful to take my daughter into the city and see the heart stopping STOMP! Got some discount tickets from  Theater Mania !  Thankful for the creative set, with built in crazy drum sets! Love all the different objects used during the show. I will never look at kitchen sinks in the same way! This show made me realize all of the rhythums that around me and how to tune in to the energy of a creative beat. Thankful to learn that you can tell a story with just the beat. The performers really interact with the audience. We are all capable of making music just by clapping, slapping, you get the idea! Thanks to the acto...

On July 20, my daughter Liz and I shared our stories in the powerful No Limits Theater Group production of "Silent-No-More" to a sold out show at the Long Island Children's Museum. My daughter Liz shared her story of what it was like to grow up deaf in a hearing world and about her dreams of becoming a film director. I was asked to provide a parent's perspective. I am so thankful to Michelle Christie the founder of No Limits for asking us to participate in this groundbreaking show. I spoke from the heart about what it was like to be a musician raising a deaf daughter. To learn more about the fabulous No Limits Theater Group visit  www.nolimitsfordeafchildren.org   It's taken a few days for me to gather my thoughts about this amazing evening. If you are looking for a worthy charity to support donate to the No Limits for Deaf Children Organization. In addition to the theater program No Limits runs a speech therapy program that allows low-income children in Los An...

The best Tiramisu Milkshake with a dash of color and even a magic wand! It was nice to have a magical Monday! We had a wonderful night out with some good family friends. Here was what I was thankful for yesterday. Thankful to have a great night out with our friends the Gera's! They suggested going to "Diner by the Sea" in Long Beach, NY. We were lucky to get a table as this diner is a popular hang out. I splurged and go this Tiramisu Milkshake that came with sparkling sprinkles and even a magic wand.  You know I just had to get the french fries too. Thankful to have an upside down night. Since we decided to start with dessert first, we walked done to the beautiful Long Beach Boardwalk. I love listening to the pounding surf. Thankful to see my girls enjoy running on the beach, climbing a life guard chair and taking tons of fun pictures together. They also dipped their toes in the ocean. Thankful to hear some great sounds of summer from a live band that was pla...