...On Thankfulness

Someone asked me the other day what I listen to and watch online.

"Besides listening to songs (including of course the ones my husband Gil and I produce), I love animal videos. I particularly like ones about animals who have reunions with their owners after a long separation. Also, ones where animals are rescued and nursed to health by kind people.

I was raised with all sorts of animals - one set of grandparents lived on a farm, and I was always finding cats to adopt, and once helped nurse a pigeon to health. My kids are grown, and in our family we have had all sorts of animals, including Goldy our cat who was the inspiration from Goldy’s Baby Socks. Now, we have Bailey as the "star" in our house. We adopted her from a shelter, like our other cats, and she is a Senior Cat. She had a friend Lucy who lived with us as well, but recently she passed away, so Bailey is our one love.

There is something wonderful about having an animal in the home, and watching animal videos on YouTube, or an animal rescue show on TV, or even just the videos our kids send us makes me happy.

These are scary times so we all need to find things that calm us down and make us happy.

I also want to say “thank you” to all you that are keeping your loved ones safe, and all those who through their unselfish actions are working to keep us and our neighbors safe. And thanks to all those who give their time and support to community charities such as food banks. Kindness is such an easy thing to do, so whether it be to animals or humans:

Please, be kind.

...On Making It My Best Day

Times are tough. On days where everything seems overwhelming, I try to find a little levity by watching old funny television shows, YouTube clips of animals getting adopted, and talking to loved ones to keep in touch.

A year ago, my husband and I wrote a positive song that just makes us want to dance a little in spite of everything in the world. Though we wrote the lyrics a year ago, we felt that it’s a fitting song for 2020, so we just worked with our longtime collaborators just had it produced at Pearl Snap Studios. No, we don't sing, or write the music, so thank goodness for Pearl Snap for helping turn our dream into reality!

It’s called Best Day and it’s available on most streaming sites now! Soon we’ll have a video out, so stay tuned!

Hope you like it, and hope you have the Best Day!

...On Ice Cream and Dreams

Summer's here and there is something wonderful about sitting on my porch or sitting on a cozy chair reading books or magazines - just add a bowl of ice cream and you have a perfect afternoon!

I recently broke my ankle and it made me slow down and appreciate these ice cream afternoons, and not  being on the go all the time. Of course, I wish my appreciation could have come another way, but hey...

There are lots of ideas swirling in my head, but I am not finishing a book currently. My book followers have asked me to really try to get my books adapted for the screen, so I am working hard at that and searching for connections to make it happen.

I’m hoping my books get passed around and someone says, "Wow, I could make this into a great film!"

It is fun to have dreams, and visualize me being in a studio watching the book/scripts being filmed.

You may be saying wow, it might never happen, and she is just a dreamer, but for all the dreamers like me, I say make it happen, and DREAM ON!

Photo by Nick Snider

...On Loss and Lucy

People who follow my blog have seen many pictures of one of my cats, Lucy.

We adopted her at one year old and she has been a joy, cuddling with us at every opportunity.  

Yesterday, at age 12, Lucy passed away.

Our hearts are broken, but she lives on in our" “Lucy stories”. Our sons and their spouses feel the loss as Lucy would be part of their  visits to our home, and all her shenanigans that would make us laugh. 

Appropriately, a few years ago, my husband and I co-wrote When I Call A Name At  Night with Billy Rae Stewart.

It is a song about losing someone you love and eventually finding it within you to continue on . You'll get teary, I think the song really captures the feeling of loss at the Snider family right now.

To all those who have lost someone, human or your "pet family", I wish you the strength to continue on, and may they be in your hearts forever.

So, Lucy, the funny stories we will tell about you will go on and this post is dedicated to YOU.

...On Second Chances

I have spoken with many people in life who have the dream that they missed an exam and the terror they felt.

Well, guess what - that dream actually happened in real life to me back in college.

Sitting at the table chatting with my husband about kindness, I remembered a professor of mine, Professor W., who years ago I had for Criminology in college.

I thought I set my alarm to take my final exam for Criminology, but didn't.

When I realized what had happened, I threw on my clothes and ran to the class just as it was ending.

"This is it," I thought, "I am going to fail the exam", and in addition, I really liked the class and professor (looking back years later, I have to thank this class for influencing my writing)

Talking to Professor W. however, was a joy - he was so kind and understanding and actually let me come back and take the exam!   I did, and I passed.

Years later after graduating and going down to New Orleans for a Masters in Social Work and having a family, it was his giving me a second chance that had a lasting impact that I haven't forgotten, when others may have said, "Too Bad".

After reminiscing with my husband about the professor, I called the university to ask if they could relay a message. They did, and he took the time to call me.  I was able to thank him myself, which was very important and heartwarming to me.

I like to think that I give people second chances that deserve them.  We all make mistakes, and we should all be allowed to learn from them and try again.  I've taught this lesson to my grown-up kids in life, so that they too can give others second chances.

I'm blessed to have grown up with a kind, loving family, and have raised a kind, loving family, giving myself and others second chances, but I'll never forget the lesson that Dr. W taught me all those years ago:

We all need second chances in life.