Goodbye, Mom... I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack

My mom passed away on Wednesday, and I'd like to take this Music Monday post to say goodbye. She would have been 85 years old next month, and had a very full life... most importantly including love and involvement with our family and her wonderful neighbors. I admire those who are able to speak at their loved ones' memorial services and suspect I will not be one of them. I break down every time someone says something kind to me about my mom, and I won't be able to speak the words that I would say. We're having my mom's memorial service next Sunday, and in the meantime, we've been doing what I know my mom would want us to do: celebrating her life instead of mourning her death. We had our seventh annual Roxiticus Sunset party on Friday night, and while it may have seemed a bit unconventional, it felt so right to be surrounded by our closest friends. On Saturday, London and Maddie had their dance recital at Garden State Ballet, and I knew my mom was watching over them and would have been so proud to see them dance.



I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they're worth taking
Lovin' might be a mistake
But it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)

(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)

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.


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Music Monday for My Mom: Amazing Grace by Leann Rimes

My mom has been moved from intensive care to the hospice floor of Somerset Medical Center and seems to be nearing the end of her almost 85-year-old life (though apparently this morning she has rallied and was up eating breakfast?!). I spent the day with her in the ICU yesterday, holding her hand while she talked to Jesus and the angels. Just before I headed home, my mom suddenly launched into song... even in her confusion, she remembers her scriptures and she knew all the words to Amazing Grace. So this one's for you, Mom... I love you.



Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

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!

Peanut Butter's Progress

Hard to believe it's been three weeks since we drove up to Mulberry Farm in Duchess County, New York to bring home our beloved cockapoo puppy, Peanut Butter. You can see from the photos that little Peanut Butter has settled right in with our family. As I write this post, Rex is out in the garden, London is on the couch recovering from a sleepover party, and Peanut Butter and Maddie are cuddled up for a nap.

It hasn't all been smooth sailing, but lucky for us, we've had our own personal PuppyNanny911, Justine Schuurmans of The Family Dog, to guide us through the challenges of housebreaking, as well as to help all of us to have some fun in the puppy and family training process.

Continue reading...

Hungry for a Pizza

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

It's a good thing I have Rex to cook for me... when I'm hard at work and/or stressed out (and I was a lot of both this past week), I don't take care of myself... not getting enough rest, foregoing a workout, and worst of all, flat out forgetting to eat. Even worse, on Friday I had a five hour meeting in Philadelphia and our client forgot to order our "working lunch." Five hours on peanut butter filled pretzels! I almost passed out before the parties could even get close to shaking hands on an agreement. Tonight, Rex is hard at work in the kitchen, whipping up his special four cheese macaroni and cheese with the crunchy bottom and sides. Unfortunately, it's gotten so late in the evening (she gets waaay too hungry for dinner at eight, never mind 8:30pm) that I have visions of the new Freschetta FlatBread pizza flashing before my eyes (and tongue). All four flavors sound awesome to me: Zesty Italian, Roasted Garlic and Spinach, Pepperoni or Five Cheese. I'd have one of each right now if I could.

While I wait for Rex to serve tonight's dinner, I'm going to go to Freschetta FlatBread online to get a coupon for $1 off... that way, I'll be ready with plenty of choices for lunch this week and will pop one in the oven each day instead of just wishing for one. But don't let Roxy have all the fun... you can get a $1 coupon, too, and check out Freschetta Flatbread Pizza for yourself.

Roxy's Best Of... Books: Steig Larsson Trilogy

I have to confess, I'm addicted to Steig Larsson. I bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo paperback at the Mendham Township Elementary School Book Fair back in March, and once I started reading it in May I couldn't stop. As soon as I finished, I zoomed out to the Mendham Bookstore to buy the Girl Who Played with Fire, and learned that the third and final novel in the trilogy -- The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest -- was due out at the end of May. Somehow I made a mistake and never ordered it online, so when I saw it today (again at the Mendham Bookstore), I grabbed it and ran (well, I did stop to pay for it and to buy four other books that I couldn't resist). Now, this weekend I have more than my share of work (good news on an important investment banking transaction), family and puppy time, and stress (my mom is in rehab for a terrible fall and is headed to a nursing home, never to return to her home), but I have a feeling that tonight's gonna be a reading night... what will become of our heroine, Lisbeth Salander??The problem is, once I finish the trilogy, there isn't anymore... Steig Larsson is dead.

Wish I Still Had My iPhone

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

I have been known to mock the "very very busy" executives who have meetings and phone calls scheduled every fifteen minutes with "hard stops" that prevent meetings from running over into the next quarter hour...these royal figures frequently have more than one personal human assistant (the ruder the better), and they always carry two or more cell phones or personal digital assistants. I mock them. I do. So when Rex and I joined another investment banking firm that wouldn't support my iPhone, I gave it up and accepted The Firm's Blackberry instead of having my servants trail behind me arranging my important meetings and carrying multiple devices to coordinate my emails and phone calls while I played touch screen games on my personal iPhone.

However, I do miss my iPhone apps.... my stock market widget, the weather at my fingertips for home and multiple desirable locations, and all the new apps that are introduced for the iPhone every day. For example: WeReward.com is a new mobile application from IZEA, the company behind SocialSpark and Sponsored Tweets. If I still had my iPhone, I could be making money while I'm mobile. WeReward pays you for check ins and tasks you complete in the real world. It integrates with Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, so you can still share and get your badges and the way you always have.

If you have an iPhone, go ahead and Download the App. If not, check out the following video with me to find out what we're missing:

Music Monday Tribute to the 2010 Mendham Minor League Softball Champion Yankees: "Time of My Life"

This week's Music Monday post is dedicated to the 2010 Mendham Minor League Softball Champion Yankees, who, thanks to our Coach of the Year Michael Surella, came together as a team over the spring softball season. Win or lose, the Yankees had become champions in our eyes, but on Saturday, June 5th, London's Yankee team rallied against the Phillies in the sixth inning to win the official minor league softball championship.

On Sunday night, we all came out to Dante's for the Yankees award ceremony and honored each Golden Glove award winner on the team... including a Rookie of the Year trophy for Maddie, who was "called up from Scranton" whenever the Yankees didn't have enough players.

Thanks, Coach, and thanks, girls... this season, Rex and I had the time of our lives... and we owe it all to you!


Dirty Dancing, The Time Of My Life



Tracey MySpace Video

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt like this before
Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

Girl: 'Cause I've had the time of my life
and I owe it all to you

Boy: I've been waiting for so long
Now I've finally found someone
To stand by me

Girl: We saw the writing on the wall
As we felt this magical fantasy

Both: Now with passion in our eyes
There's no way we could disguise it secretly
So we take each other's hand
'Cause we seem to understand the urgency

Boy: just remember

Girl: You're the one thing

Boy: I can't get enough of

Girl: So I'll tell you something

Both:This could be love because

(CHORUS)
Both: I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
'Til I found the truth
And I owe it all to you

Girl: With my body and soul
I want you more than you'll ever know

Boy: So we'll just let it go
Don't be afraid to lose control

Girl: Yes I know whats on your mind
When you say:
"Stay with me tonight."

Boy: Just remember
You're the one thing

Girl: I can't get enough of

Boy: So I'll tell you something

Both: This could be love because

(CHORUS)
Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you
'Cause I've had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I found the truth
and I owe it all to you

*Instrumental*

Boy: Now I've had the time of my life
No I never felt this way before

(Girl: Never Felt this way)

Boy: Yes I swear it's the truth
and I owe it all to you

Both: 'Cause I had the time of my life
And I've searched through every open door
Till I've found the truth
and I owe it all to you

Both: "cause I've had the time of my life
No I've never felt this way before
Yes I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you

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!