Dancing with the Shows

"Working Class Hero" in tribute to Joel.. R.I.P.

This is my brother doing what he does best the day before we found out his friend, Joel, had passed away.  My brother doesn't know I'm posting this here but to me he, and Joel are "working class heroes" and the video will tell you the rest.

R.I.P. Joel.. a wonderful friend, father, chef and musician

Eat Pray Love

My brother is reading the book, Eat Pray Love, that my son gave to me before the movie was even made and he told me that it reminded him of me.  I smiled and I cried because I do feel a connection to the story although I have never seen the movie and never made it past the first chapter in the book.

I hope to someday to travel to somewhere of my heritage... or Italy, India, Bali or France. Yes, maybe someday ... that is my dream...

For Laura...

Happy (belated) Birthday, Laura!

The girl who sings this song in the video reminds me so much of you... so beautiful and sweet... inside and out. Thank you for loving my son and sharing your love with me and my family. You are a very lovely person and your beauty and heart is pure and kind and a gift to all who are fortunate to know you.

With all my love, Sheryl

Indian Trading Furs - The River and The Wall

Kyran Million and Will Gallivan, Indian Trading Furs (friends of my son) wrote, play and sing in this video.  The music is not only  rhythmically sound but it has a spiritual lift to it as well. Listen and enjoy :)

Lucky the penguin

No words need to describe this video but a big THANK YOU I send out to Teva and the Santa Barbara Zoo for helping "Lucky" the penguin to walk!

LIke My Mother Does

If I could only do like my mother does... her strength, her composure, her patience... she has helped me through many a rough time and I am forever grateful to be blessed with her love and guidance.

Keep it between the lines

This song reminds me of a friend I recently met who lost his dad years ago. He has a love for cars as his dad but it's more of an honor and respect for his father who taught him to "keep it between the lines".

Cody and Laura's honeymoon to Italy

Pictures and adventures of my Cody and Laura's honeymoon in Italy...

"ate gelato three times, met some fun dogs and cats, saw a free classical concert, and oh yeah got locked into an underground museum of an ancient Roman city in the middle of Perugia... plus scorpions!" ~ Laura

"Teaser of the day - museum closed early without telling us and turned off all the lights...while we were underground in Etruscan-Roman ruins. Using the flash to light the way to the emergency exits (that were locked) and making it upstairs just in time to see the front door close and lock and to set the alarms off. Yay! (Filed under 'things that only ever happen to us1)" ~ Laura

Florence, Italy

Venice, Italy

 

 

The Wedding

My son was married Friday to the most beautiful person a mother could want as her daughter-in-law.  The colors were turquoise and brown and was held at the zoo... yes, the zoo! A beautiful zoo and a beautiful wedding full of love, happiness, fun, laughter, tears of joy, yummy food, and of course, dancing.  There was a cotton candy booth, a photo booth, pinwheels everywhere and silly, fun lovin'  abound!

These are just a couple of the pictures I have and rest assured there will be MANY more! The song for the mother and son dance was Beautiful Boy by Ben Harper (cover song of John Lennon's original) and yes, I cried.

So, here is a glimpse of what I have so far of the most funtastical wedding EVER!

My love to my son and his new wife... forever and always, Mom

My Wish for my son... and CONGRATULATIONS!!

Waiting on a Woman - Brad Paisley with Andy Griffith

The Things That Matter...

A very beautiful friend of mine wrote this about a week before she passed away. Although I never met her in person her essence was profound and she will always forever be in my heart. Her name was Deb and here is what she wrote...

The things that matter.....

I seem to have so much time on my hands these days although not the sort of time I would chose if a choice was given, but time to reflect, time to think and time to straighten a few things out....

What matters in life...? I have spent my adult life working hard, saving all the pennies, stacking them away... why?

The dream you see... The dream of the pretty cottage in the country, the Daffadils and Tulips in the spring, the Lilies and Lupins in the summer, the sweet apples on the tree as the summer fades. I have seen the beautiful garden in so many of those dreams, ablaze with colour, vibrant and alive. I have sat on a cold winters night, the frost thick on the ground, in front of the warm open fire being mesmerised by the flames getting lost in the music they dance to. I have climbed the rickety old stairs to the rooms above and laid upon the cool cotton sheets on the old Oak bed.... This was my dream, my purpose in life but now its not so important, it would be nice but its no longer at the top of the list, no longer the ideal I yearn for.

Why? what changed.....? Life changed, maybe not for the better but changed it did and the things that seemed so important have become secondary to something far more so. The worst thing is that what now is the most important thing was there all along but just taken for granted and often overlooked and no doubt, on occasion, abused.

There are things that matter way more than any dream of a cottage, any amount of money, anything at all in fact......

These things will pick you up when you fall, catch your tears when you cry, carry you when your too tired to even crawl and they will love you without reserve. You can shout at them when you are low and they will not hide from you, you can tell them your fears and they will listen without judgement, you can sleep when they visit you and they will return tomorrow and the day after if you sleep again. When they are true they never desert you, never leave you lonely and never expect.

What are these wondrous things that I now hold so dearly to my heart..... They are simply Friends.

I have people I have called friends throughout this world and until not so long ago I would have said they numbered many tens. Now I can count them on the two hands I hold in front of my face and still have a finger spare in case another comes along :)

They come in all shapes and sizes, they come from all over the world and they come from unexpected places...

I have friends here in RLC that I now know would stand by me till the bitter end and that brings me peace and calm. I have friends here in RLC that are at equal to that and just because i may never meet the person behind the profile it doesnt mean they are less of a person....

To quote a few lines from a great song from the film Trainspotting. Shallow grave by leftfield!

Im not ashamed.

Ive known love,

Ive known rejection,

Im not afraid to declare my feelings

Take trust for instance, or friendship these are the important things in life, that help you on your way

If you cant trust your friends well what then, what then?

I trust all my friends, they are my they are my rope when I need hauling from a deep hole, they are my beach when I need somewhere to lay my head and they are my sanity when insanity reigns supreme.

Thank you for being here with me, I love you like brothers and sisters and my life would be an empty place without you being part of it...

My love to you my dearest Deb... i know you are where the angels fly and dancing above the clouds...

Moon is made of Gold

Rickie Lee Jones has one of the most beautiful voices ever and her music is always so full of heart. I just found this song tonight. It's a song her dad wrote when she was little. I send this to my dad... don't feel bad because by now you must know that the moon is made of gold! :)

Hurry Home by Jason Michael Carroll

A bittersweet video with a very important message about love and forgiveness...

 

Richard... r.i.p.

Another good man passed away... the brother of Michael (previously passed) and Debra. They're mom? Wow! She's much like my mom... such strength and so strong. God bless her heart to have raised and loved two boys and a daughter with such pride and honor.
Peace, love and harmony to you and your family Richard... you now are where you should be and have earned your wings!
My love always...

This song was one that Richard played for me one night. He rarely showed his pain or sorrow but when this song was played he had tears in his eyes. "Say Hello to Heaven" has a whole new meaning to me now.

Stacy Westfall showing what love is all about...

Amazing bittersweet video of a girl and her horse for her dad. My sister and cousins have taught me about horses and from their knowledge and patience I see so much beauty and strength and love in this video. I dedicate it to my Uncle Darwin and my dad... r.i.p.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Tell Me Baby audition

The best audition ever!  !!

 

Have a Little Faith in Me - Benny & Joon

Poem for my mom

This post may be late but it still holds the same meaning as when I gave it to my mom on Mother's Day this year. I haven't been the easiest child, (I sure wouldn't want to be my mom!) but she taught me so much and even if I haven't quite learned all of her lessons well, they are instilled in my heart. So... this is my poem for my mom..not much really, but its all I got. 

Thank you Mom, for giving me

The important things in life

By being strong and standing tall

For teaching me what's right

You've shown me how to see the light

When everything went dim

You never let me give up hope

When life was dark and grim

Always you've been there for me

At times I wondered why

It couldn't have been easy

To watch your child cry

By doing that you gave to me

A strength that will not die

Things happen for a reason, right?
But only if I try

So this Mother's Day I give to you

The thing I cherish most

A love you placed within my heart

and forever I hold close