Oops – lost my groove – of writing on my blog.

What happened is that one of my very dearest and closest friends of 26 years, the most awesome soundman ever, Brian Connolly, died suddenly in his sleep, at the age of 51 years old. That was the morning of March 10 – and there ya’ have it. That is “where I’ve been”.

Grief is such a strange walk – it’s very own thing, or place, for sure. It’s been amazing to practice presencing myself in the Now when there is such shock there…and the deep sadness that is waiting there in waves. I think I must thank God for the waves…for I imagine I could not take it if I were to actually “get it” in one moment alone…

Grief. It is simply it’s very own thing.

Since that morning, when I got “the call”, I’ve had some events and appointments I felt I needed to keep. I was teaching, speaking with and supporting clients on the phone and in person, and singing at Centers, all while absorbing this new information, this new life. My life without Brian in it. It may take me years to fully absorb this, or maybe I never really will – I think maybe we just kind of get used to it.

So – all that has been happening within me, and I HAD been trying to keep up my schedule…. And so here...read more »

Today I started writing songs for this children’s project I am joining in on with my brother, Randy, and his business partner (and my dear friend) Murray. This first CD will be all environmental songs for kids…and I started today by writing a song about conserving water.

The thing is that while I was writing, I forgot how literal kids can be. One of the lines was “save every little drop of rain”, but then it was pointed out to me that this could very well really freak children out. A picture was painted of them watching the water go down the drain and crying, thinking they were really doing it wrong, letting anything go down the drain.

I was wondering, then. How close can we, as adults, get to this…without the freaking out part, of course. It just made me wonder. How much water COULD I save in little things I do.

I read that every person who turns off the water while brushing their teeth saves 50 GALLONS of water a WEEK! For a family of four, that’d be 520,000 GALLONS of water saved in a YEAR! JUST by turning off the water while brushing our teeth! GOODNESS! (Literally)

Where else can I be a little closer to the freaked out kid I imagined (and will rewrite the words to avoid creating), all the while doing it with love,...read more »

I thought this was cool! It was sent to me by my friend Rev. Joyce who said it came to her, originally from Rev. Peggy Price, via the United Ministers’ listserv:

Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox, (which is March 20). This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar. Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22) but that is pretty rare.

Here’s the interesting info: This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier!

Here are the facts:
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you’re 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Okay – I know every day is special, after all.
But it JUST occurred to me, as the day is closing (sun is setting that is) here – I HAVE to add a blog today with the awrareness that I can’t do that again on this date for YEARS!

That’s all.
Just wanted to say – Happy Leap Year Day!
Jump for Joy!
Or leap, if you must.

Loving you, Melissa

I LOVE God’s amazing timing sometimes…
I had called our house in Hawaii when I was on the way to the airport, on my way here. I left myself a message to call some dear friends of ours’ whom I was missing and wanting to connect with. It had been about 4 or 5 months since we had connected at all.

And today? They called us here! They were in Santa Rosa and were wanting to connect with us. We missed them there but got to connect on the phone, and I didn’t even have to dial!

Don’t you just LOVE those synchronistic timing things?
I DO!

Okay – but then we had an extra-added fun thing tonight after I’d written this, this morning.

My husband, David’s, cousin and his wife had been planning to come visit us here in Hawaii this coming weekend. We were all set to have them here Saturday night – and then we found out that they had ended up in a B’nB in our town, without even knowing it was “our town” (we hadn’t given them our address here yet). Anyway – so we were up in town tonight – taking a walk and decided now that we knew that they were staying just down the street, we wanted to see if we could connect with them, and maybe see them, BEFORE Saturday morning.

So we decided to head home and call them. We were...read more »

Well – here I am, writing my first ever blog! WooHOO!

I know this makes me sound old, but I remember the day when none of us even HAD e-mail. Even days when we had to handwrite things! Goodness – that was, indeed, WAY “back in the day”. (Not sure: Is “back in the day” now a back in the day kind of saying?)

Anyway – it’s 2008. And here I am, on my flight to Hawaii, typing away on my fabulous laptop in order to stay ever more connected with YOU! What a miracle! And they just keep on coming too (the miracles I mean)!

I was told recently to be sure I don’t wait until I have profound things to say in order to sit down and write on this blog. It was quite freeing actually. I think that must be why I have resisted for so long. How can I possibly be deep and fresh and wise on a daily or weekly or regular basis? Oh yeah – I CAN just be ME on a daily basis! Share “her” with YOU – and there we are – profoundly fresh and real whether or not wise.

So welcome to a new world, I say to me and you both. Welcome to my blog!