News You Can Use: Simple Kids' Snowboards for London and Maddie from the Sports Section in Mendham, NJ

Roxy's loyal readers know that, a few weeks back I posted about trying to find a simple kids snowboard for London and Maddie. Since we've had so much snow (including four snow days off from school so far this year), I've been thrilled about London and Maddie's new love of the snow... snowmen, snow angels, sledding, and my hope of finding them a simple kids snowboard to use to slide down the hill in our front yard in the Roxiticus Valley (not on the mountains of Whistler, Vail or Deer Valley).


Given the amount of snow we've had this year and coinciding with the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, it seemed like the right time for nine-year-old London and eight-year-old Maddie to try snowboarding. However, after doing some basic Internet research on kids' snowboarding, I had decided I would need Roxy (the snowboard and clothing company) to sponsor Roxy (the blogger) with London and Maddie's first set of snowboard equipment (stay tuned for happy ending that doesn't involve sponsorship). While I thought it would be fun for each of my girls to have one of those Roxy snowboards with the cool graphic designs just to slide down the hill in front of our house, I didn't realize that snowboarding could be as complicated and expensive as skiiing... snowboard, bindings, boots, helmet... While I waited for the snowboard offer to come in from Roxy to Roxy for next season, I considered tracking down a couple of those plastic cafeteria trays used for snowboarding back in my days as a college student at Syracuse University.

Last weekend, temperatures reached the high 40's and I decided spring was here. However, the snow returned to the Roxiticus Valley on Thursday and Friday.

Continue reading

Err On the Side of Caution

There have been a lot of stories in the news lately that (1) break my heart, (2) remind me that there are a lot of sick, sick people in the world, and (3) make me want to tell parents and anyone who will listen to err on the side of caution.

Here in New Jersey, police continue to search for 3-month-old Zara Malini-Lin Abdur-Raheem, who has been missing since February 16th. After abducting the girl, her father, Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem, told police he threw her off the Driscoll Bridge and into the Raritan River. New statewide Amber Alert guidelines now under consideration would lift some of the current restrictions on issuing an alert when a parent abducts a child. I'm sure the ACLU and their ilk will have some reason to disagree, but please tell me what we would have to lose as a society by issuing an Amber alert immediately and asking questions later.

In nearby Delaware, pediatrician Earl Bradley, 56, has been indicted on 471 counts of sexual crimes against 103 children at his practice, and authorities are urging former patients and parents with any information to come forward. All but one of the alleged victims were girls and some were as young as 3 months old, prosecutors said. Charges against Bradley include first-degree and second-degree rape, first-degree unlawful sexual contact, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree assault, sexual exploitation of a child and continuing sexual abuse of a child. "These were crimes committed against the most vulnerable among us -- those without voices," Attorney General Beau Biden said. The crimes were "committed by someone with whom an entire community and parents had placed their trust." Parents, no reputable pediatrician will ever ask you to leave your child's side for any kind of a medical examination. Ever. No exceptions. Never let your child out of your sight when they need you most.

Music Monday Earthquake in the Roxiticus Valley: I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King

Roxy and family didn't actually feel the earth move under our feet this morning, we're all just fine, but this just in from the Star Ledger about the Somerset County NJ earthquake on Sunday, February 21st:

BERNARDSVILLE -- A 2.6 magnitude earthquake hit just before 9 a.m., prompting scores of phone calls to police but no reported damage, according to Police Sgt. John Remian.

The earthquake's epicenter was reported in Gladstone, about seven miles away, at 8:59 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey website.

But Bernardsville residents have logged the highest number of phone calls reporting the quake, according to the USGA.

About 100 people called Bernardsville police in the following minutes, Remian said, after experiencing a loud rumble then hearing what sounded like a boom. "It was felt by everybody here," Remian said from police headquarters. "It felt like the whole room was shaking around us, and a loud exposion afterward."

Remian said the area, which sits on the Ramapo Fault Line, experienced a 1.5 magnitude earthquake in January. Though there has been no reported damage after this morning's earthquake, Remian said, "this was more substantial than the last one."

The county's Office of Emergency Management was notified, he said, and Bernardsville Police sent out an advisory notice through the town's e-mail and text messaging system.

I hadn't figured out my Music Monday post when I saw the headline, making Carole King "I Feel the Earth Move" an easy choice. Here's a terrific live performance of the 70's hit:




I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Oh baby
When I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh darling I can't stand it
When you look at me that way

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Oh darling
When you're near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that,
My emotions
Are something I just can't tame
I've just got to have you baby

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down

I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
tumbling down, tumbling down...





Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.







PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

And again this week, the lovely Genie Princess zoomed in from across the globe and "got the chop" as first commenter.

Next Year... Snowboards for Maddie and London

Maddie and London have been on school vacation for the past week, but since Rex and I have been crazy busy with work we were not able to get away to sun and fun in Laguna Beach. Instead, perhaps inspired by the Winter Olympics, the girls have been out in the snow every day, sledding down the hill, building snowmen, and having a blast.

They've been standing up to ride down the hill on their red plastic sled, so I started to look into kids' snowboards. We were over at Modell's to buy softball gloves for London and Maddie's first year of Little League (little known trivia: Roxy was a fast-pitch softball pitcher on the Branchburg Central middle school team in the 7th and 8th grade) and I asked about snowboards... they were sold out! I guess everyone in the Greater Roxiticus Valley had the same idea after watching the half pipe events in Vancouver... though I have to confess, I'm not sure I could watch my kids doing all those crazy snowboard tricks, even if/when they had grown up to be Olympic snowboarding champions.

A few hours later...

Back from the girls' basketball clinic and having done some basic Internet research on kids' snowboarding, I can safely say I'm going to need Roxy (the snowboard and clothing company) to sponsor Roxy (the blogger) with London and Maddie's first set of snowboard equipment. While I thought it would be fun for each of my girls to have one of those Roxy snowboards with the cool graphic designs just to slide down the hill in front of our house, I didn't realize that snowboarding is as complicated and expensive as skiiing... snowboard, bindings, boots, helmet... and with temperatures in the Roxiticus Valley reaching a balmy 43 degrees and toppling our snowman, it feels like Spring is here! While I wait for the snowboard offer to come in from Roxy to Roxy for next season, maybe I can find a couple of those plastic cafeteria trays used for snowboarding back in my days as a college student at Syracuse University.

And as I create a long, rambling post, London and Maddie always bring me back to the simpler things in life... they don't need a trip to California, or lunch at American Girl Place, or $1,000 of snowboarding gear to be happy. They make snow angels. They play in the backyard. I brought two of their friends home with us after basketball and the four girls are in the basement singing pop songs and making up a puppet show. And Rex and I are enjoying another great fire blazing in the living room fireplace...where confidential materials and marked-up non-disclosure agreements burn brighter than ever.

2010 Olympics Music Monday: K.D. Lang Sings Hallelujah

Since Friday, when the 2010 Winter Olympics began in Vancouver, Canada, our family has tuned in to see the opening ceremonies, speed skating, ski jumping, and luge competition. While the media have gone out of their way to yammer about a technical glitch with lighting the cauldron to start the Olympic games, I found the opening ceremonies quite beautiful and compelling, even with only three of the four flame chutes in operation.

We were all saddened by the death of 21-year-old Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, and the opening ceremonies provided several fitting tributes. All my life, I've had the oddest grief reaction to accidental death... I can't stop thinking I need to warn the person not to do whatever caused his or her death. Back in 1998, Rex and I returned from our honeymoon to learn that a close friend and client had died after falling from the roof of his house while trying to install a satellite dish. For years afterward, I would awaken from nightmares in which I couldn't get there in time to tell him not to go up on the roof of his house. On Thursday night, 1988 Olympic bobsledder Mark Wasko gave a terrific presentation to London and Maddie's 4-H Prep club, and we learned how thrilling and dangerous the sport can be. While I know the Olympic authorities have done all they can to make the luge track safer for the athletes, I'll still offer up a prayer for the safety of all of the competitors.

I couldn't embed the video of K.D. Lang's mesmerizing performance of Hallelujah from Friday night's 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies in Vancouver (copyright violations), but I did track down the following video from a prior performance for this week's Music Monday post:




I knew I had heard the song before, but couldn't remember where... embarrassed when I tracked down the source as Rufus Wainwright on the soundtrack from Shrek! Leonard Cohen wrote and performed the original lyrics:

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.


PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!



Mariuca has already zoomed in as first commenter... check out her latest post on Mariuca's Perfume Gallery for a Valentine candy heart quiz:

Roxy's Winter Wonderland

After the blizzard of 2010 dropped a foot of snow on the Roxiticus Valley and gave the girls two snow days, London and Maddie have a week off from school to play in the snow. Rex and I will be hard at work next week, but we've settled in for a long Presidents' Day weekend...watching the Olympics, relaxing by the fireplace, and celebrating Valentine's Day with lobsters at home tonight and dinner at Verve in Somerville, NJ on Sunday.

Music Monday: Pants on the Ground by "General" Larry Platt

Okay, okay... London, Maddie and I just can't get the song out of our head, so I'm making "Pants on the Ground" my Music Monday post this week. So for those of you who've already had enough of "General" Larry Platt, I offer apologies, and for the rest of you, I offer catchy lyrics, a video of the Pants On The Ground Remix, and the back story:



The Catchy Lyrics:
Pants on the ground,
Pants on the ground,
Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground!

With the gold in your mouth,
Hat turned sideways,
Pants hit the ground,
Call yourself a cool cat,
Lookin' like a fool,
Walkin' downtown with your pants on the ground!

Get it up, hey!
Get your pants off the ground,
Lookin' like a fool,
Walkin' talkin' with your pants on the ground.

Get it up, hey!
Get your pants off the ground,
Lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground

The Back Story:
We got to wondering whether Larry Platt was really a General. He's not, but he has earned his nickname. I did a little Internet research and found this story over on USAToday.com:

Take a look at the photograph below from the home page of the Civil Rights Veterans Movement website. See the young man on the left, looking directly into the camera? That's Larry Platt, age 16.





"We had come by bus in 1963 to a church in Savannah, Georgia to plan a march to desegregate the city," Platt writes. "Reverend Hosea Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were our leaders. That particular planned march was canceled and we were singing to raise our spirits before returning home."

Platt worked with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Georgia, organizing sit-ins in the South.

He was beaten during the Bloody Sunday march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery.

He got his nickname, "General," from the Rev. Hosea Williams because of his heroic efforts on behalf of the civil-rights movement.

The Georgia General Assembly proclaimed Sept. 4, 2001, Larry Platt Day in Atlanta, because of "his great energy and commitment to equality and the protection of the innocent and for his outstanding service to the Atlanta community and the citizens of Georgia."

He remains a community activist in the Atlanta area and recently has become known for publicly protesting foreclosures.

I agree with USAToday's Idol Chatter:

If anybody in that Atlanta crowd deserved his 15 minutes of fame on national television, it was Larry Platt.

"Pants on the Ground" refers to the gangsta look of wearing oversized jeans literally falling off with your underwear sticking out and baseball caps sideways or backwards. Sing along with Roxy now: "Mouth full of gold...hat to the side... Lookin like a FOOL with your pants on the ground."

When "General" Larry Platt tells you to get your pants off the ground, you'd best listen.

I just might have to get my girls these commemerative T-shirts from Donkey Tees.



And on the subject of American Idol, I offer Roxy's lament:
Just when London, Maddie and I were starting to get into the show, making our plans for the girls to audition in 2018, we hear a rumor that show producers are in talks with skanky-haired dirtbag Howard Stern to replace Simon Cowell. I have disliked Howard Stern since I was a teenager when I had aspirations of becoming a disc jockey and owning radio stations one day. Howard Stern showed up with his foul mouth and misogynist attitude on WNBC radio and was exactly the opposite of my DJ role model.

Stern is FOX’s first choice to take over Cowell’s role, an insider tells the New York Post. “Idol bosses think he’d be even nastier than Simon,” a source says. “They know he would be great TV and would clash with the other judges such as Ellen DeGeneres and the contestants.” What they don't get is that Simon is "likeable nasty." If most mothers saw someone who looked, spoke, and behaved like Howard Stern at a restaurant or playground, we would steer our children far, far away from that derelict (see "Dirty Oars" post on Slightly Drunk blog). So I have no plans to invite dirty Howard into my family room on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I'll just have to hope that FOX pays attention to what the voters over at People magazine online are saying.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Ready for the Weekend (with our Pants on the Ground)

Rex, London, Maddie and I certainly weren't the only ones to chuckle over 62-year-old Larry Platt's appearance on the Atlanta auditions for American Idol. A few weeks later, since every time one of us bursts into the song, it still makes us smile, I thought I would share it with any of you who missed out.

For your fun Friday, we offer up the Pants on the Ground Remix featuring "General" Larry Platt:



We got to wondering whether Larry Platt was really a General. He's not, but he has earned his nickname. I did a little Internet research and found this story over on USAToday.com:

Take a look at the photograph below from the home page of the Civil Rights Veterans Movement website. See the young man on the left, looking directly into the camera? That's Larry Platt, age 16.



"We had come by bus in 1963 to a church in Savannah, Georgia to plan a march to desegregate the city," Platt writes. "Reverend Hosea Williams and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. were our leaders. That particular planned march was canceled and we were singing to raise our spirits before returning home."

Platt worked with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Georgia, organizing sit-ins in the South.

He was beaten during the Bloody Sunday march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery.

He got his nickname, "General," from the Rev. Hosea Williams because of his heroic efforts on behalf of the civil-rights movement.

The Georgia General Assembly proclaimed Sept. 4, 2001, Larry Platt Day in Atlanta, because of "his great energy and commitment to equality and the protection of the innocent and for his outstanding service to the Atlanta community and the citizens of Georgia."

He remains a community activist in the Atlanta area and recently has become known for publicly protesting foreclosures.

I agree with USAToday's Idol Chatter:

If anybody in that Atlanta crowd deserved his 15 minutes of fame on national television, it was Larry Platt.

"Pants on the Ground" refers to the gangsta look of wearing oversized jeans literally falling off with your underwear sticking out and baseball caps sideways or backwards. Sing along with Roxy now: "Mouth full of gold...hat to the side... Lookin like a FOOL with your pants on the ground."

When "General" Larry Platt tells you to get your pants off the ground, you'd best listen.

I just might have to get my girls these commemerative T-shirts from Donkey Tees.

Valentine Gift for You... and Help Out Haiti, Too

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cryo-Cell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

My loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers know that I've been particularly grateful lately for my family's good health. I learned last week that a client's teenage son, Evan, has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. While they will treat it aggressively and will have access to the best doctors at their local children's hospital, the odds of beating it are not good, so we continue to pray for our client and her son. Evan's family has set up a CaringBridge web site and it is heartwarming to see how many people have stopped by to offer prayers and lend their support. I spend a lot of time thinking about how, without frightening London and Maddie, I can help them to understand how very fortunate we are... how unimportant our day-to-day challenges (forgetting a homework assignment, losing a glove, a playground argument) are in the grand scheme of things.

My girls do have good hearts and want to help others. Earlier this week, London and Maddie participated in a Hope for Haiti fundraiser at Mendham Township Elementary School. All of the kids brought in contributions and wore their favorite team jerseys. There's another way to help rebuild the future for the children of Haiti from the devastation of the earthquake when you enroll now with Cryo-Cell to safeguard the future of your own newborn. Throughout the month of February, Cryo-Cell will donate $25 from each enrollment to the “Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund.”

When London and Maddie were born, Rex and I "banked" their cord blood, which remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth and used to be discarded following delivery. Once scientists discovered it was a rich source of stem cells, umbilical cord blood became a viable substitute to bone marrow in thousands of successful transplants. Cells taken from your newborn's cord blood are a perfect match for your baby for his or her lifetime. In the event your child contracts a disease which must be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, there is a probability of a negative impact on the immune system. While an autologous (self) transplant may not be appropriate for every disease, there could be a benefit in using the preserved U-Cord® stem cells to bolster and repopulate your child’s blood and immune system as a result of complications from other treatments.

So this Valentine's Day, give your child or a friend's child a gift that lasts a lifetime... enroll with Cryo-Cell to bank a baby's umbilical cord blood and Cryo-Cell will donate $25 to "Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund."

Blizzard On Its Way to the Roxiticus Valley?

This just in from the National Weather Service. For the Greater Roxiticus Valley (Morris and Somerset County, NJ), there's a Winter Storm Warning in effect starting tomorrow (Friday) at 6:00pm until 7pm EST on Saturday.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY.

A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO TODAY WILL PASS OFF THE CAROLINA COAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEN CONTINUE TO THE NORTHEAST ON SATURDAY. SNOW FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FRIDAY AFTERNOON... THEN CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF SATURDAY. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WARNING AREA. STRENGTHENING WINDS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MAY CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WHICH WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL HAZARDS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

We will continue to monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service.

Just Say No... to Slow

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am not not not a patient person. On interviews, when asked to explain one of my weaknesses (instead of just focusing on my strengths), I used to say, "Patience might be a virtue, but it is not one of mine." So I ask all of you, why do we accept the progress bar? We live in an instant gratification society. As Veruca Salt sang to us in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, "Don't care how, I want it now!" We like fast food, fast cars, fast-bake coffees, and it absolutely positively has to be there overnight delivery. In most areas of life, we don’t put up with slow service. And when you choose your Internet provider, there certainly is no need to tolerate DSL speeds and unreliability. Not when we need to work and play online: e-mailing, tweeting, banking, playing games, shopping, uploading and sharing photos, downloading music from iTunes, streaming videos and blogging. We don’t want to watch the progress bar, London and Maddie want to watch that video of a dog skateboarding the minute we open the email. DSL is now the new dial-up. We’re losing productivity at a time when we can least afford it. It is time to say, “No More Slow!” With Charter, we can all stop waiting and get going. Visit Charter’s Facebook page and find out how to get high-speed Internet for $19.99. Get the speed you crave and the instant gratification you demand back in your life. Charter is reliable, secure, and once you’ve had it, you'll never go back. Just like the old dope peddler, they'll even install it free to get you going.

Winter Wonderland Causes 2-Hour Snow Delay in the Roxiticus Valley

I'll try to post some photos of the winter wonderland here in the Roxiticus Valley when I finally get the girls up the driveway and onto the school bus. Kris Harrison (the Mendham Township Superintendent of Schools) is really the only person I like to get a call from at five in the morning... sometimes a two hour snow delay is just what our family needs to pay back the sleep bank (and we were well into our sleep bank line of credit after London's birthday slumber party). I've got a roaring fire going in the home office, Rex is working out in the basement gym, and London and Maddie are snoozing away for another half hour.

Blast Off!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of "Blast Off!". All opinions are 100% mine.

London, Maddie and I are in bed, watching the last of the American Idol auditions on TV. It's almost time for the girls to go to bed (Rex is already snoring), while I've got a long night ahead of me on two client deadlines.

So my loyal Roxiticus Desperate Housewives readers and Twitter may have noticed my Tweet the other day about Allison Maslan's new book, Blast Off! It just launched on January 19th, 2010 and is now available on Amazon Amazon, Borders, and Barnes and Noble web sites, as well as other major bookstores in your area. For a list price of only $24.00, and much less on Amazon.com, Allison Maslan says her book will help you to launch your dreams into reality. I may head over to our local Mendham Bookstore to take a peek and let you know what I find. In the meantime, if you've read it, please leave me a comment to let me know what you thought of the book. If not, check out the web site.

I don't know, maybe they've got my number... since reading Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" about fifteen years ago (at the suggestion of my then on again off again boyfriend Johnny Moneybags), I have picked up quite a few self helpish books... I make New Year's resolutions and start diet and fitness plans...

Then again, every morning when I wake up and find Rex next to me and my two beautiful daughters sleeping down the hall, I realize that my dreams already ARE reality... and I wish the same for all of you.

Punxsutawney Phil vs. Roxiticus Roxy: Groundhog's Day 2010

Back in February 2008, when (as usual)Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and dealt us all six more weeks of winter, I decided to get my own Groundhog.... I went outside to discuss the matter with one of the guys (or chunky groundhog girls) who raids our tomato garden every summer.

When I returned from the backyard following my Groundhog's Day 2008 interview with our very own Roxiticus Valley Groundhog, I learned that she wanted to be known as Roxiticus Roxy and her point of view on shadows and springtime? "The clouds are so thick in the sky I can't get a glimpse of the sun, never mind my own shadow. For those of you fortunate enough to live in the Roxiticus Valley (including Mendham, Chester, Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone and Bedminster, NJ), Spring is Here! Now get online and order me up some heirloom tomato plants for my family to enjoy this summer."

This year, London, Maddie and I went out to speak with our Groundhog friend, Roxiticus Roxy, but she refused to come out. "What are you people thinking? Don't you read the weather report? 14 degrees, feels like zeeero? It is way too cold for me to come out looking for my shadow. Interpret that any way you wish, but I'm going back to sleep."

Here's a link to a Punxsutawney Phil coloring page.... please instruct your child to cross out Punxsutawney Phil and proudly color Roxiticus Roxy: http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/print/groundhog-coloring-page/

Our northern neighbors in Canada have their own answer to Punxsutawney Phil. His name is Wiarton Willie and he saw his shadow today. Here is his web site.

Music Monday: Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks

This week's Music Monday post takes me back to my childhood... I was 8 years old in 1974 when "Seasons in the Sun" became a worldwide hit for Terry Jacks.

This weekend we celebrated London's ninth birthday, and I'm feeling grateful for my family's good health and happiness. On London's birthday, I learned that a client's high school age son has been diagnosed with leukemia... while they will treat it aggressively and will have access to the best doctors at their local children's hospital, the odds of beating it are not good, so we pray for our client and her son. I spend a lot of time thinking about how, without frightening my children, I can help them to understand how very fortunate we are... how unimportant our day-to-day challenges (forgetting a homework assignment, losing a glove, a playground argument) are in the grand scheme of things.

"Seasons in the Sun," a dying protagonist's farewell to relatives and friends, is an English-language adaptation of the song "Le Moribond" by Belgian singer-songwriter Jacques Brel. The original French-language lyrics included sarcasm and references to his wife's infidelity - but these are often missing from the English-language adaptation.



Goodbye to you, my trusted friend.
We've known each other since we were nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills and trees.
Learned of love and ABC's,
skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die,
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Pretty girls are everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the hills that we climbed
were just seasons out of time.

Goodbye, Papa, please pray for me,
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
wonder how I got along.
Goodbye, Papa, it's hard to die
when all the birds are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
Little children everywhere.
When you see them I'll be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the wine and the song,
like the seasons, all have gone.

Goodbye, Michelle, my little one.
You gave me love and helped me find the sun.
And every time that I was down
you would always come around
and get my feet back on the ground.
Goodbye, Michelle, it's hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
Now that the spring is in the air.
With the flowers everywhere.
I wish that we could both be there.
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun.
But the stars that we could reach
were just starfish on the beach

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.





PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!