White Christmas

Do you love the movie White Christmas as much as I do? This movie holds so much nostalgia for me...when I was growing up it was aired on tv once every year. It was the highlight of the year for me! I waited up to watch it on channel 9 in Chicago and relished it each year. Now I have it on DVD and AMC shows it all the time (as they are tonight). I cannot see it enough and my husband just has enough of it. But...my husband puts up with my watching it endlessly because he loves me. Why do I like it so much? Because it was limited in its showing 40 years ago? Maybe. Because it tells the story of love? Maybe. Because it is a great musical? Maybe.

I can't tell you why this movie evokes such emotion in me. It reminds me of my childhood and the warmth of Christmas......I love it!!!

Elizabeth Edwards: a reminder of my mother

The death of Elizabeth Edwards reminds me of when my mother died. She, too, was 61 when she died, and she, too, was a professional. My mom was an eye doctor and was a pioneer in the contact lens field. Both women died from metastasized breast cancer, which finally hit their livers. What is interesting about the comparisons is that both women suffered a trauma while they were battling cancer that, in my opinion, caused their cancer to get worse and ultimately kill them. We all know that Elizabeth Edwards suffered public humiliation and personal devastation because of her husband's infidelity. My mom suffered from the aftershocks of a car accident, in which a drunken man stepped in front of her car while she was driving on a side street. She hit him, but did not kill him. She broke his leg, and when he found out she was a doctor, he sued her. This turn of events impacted my mother greatly, and I believe played a part in her cancer returning. The lawsuit was settled shortly before her death, but the knawing reminder of it haunted her last days. I don't know about you, but I believe that one's frame of mind and attitude play a key role in fighting illness and disease. I am sad, once again, for another woman who has lost her battle against this horrible disease. Elizabeth Edwards, you will be remembered well and missed greatly, just as my mother is.

My early morning walk

Brisk wind hits my face,
Frost is on windows and trees,
Darkness commands the morning,
The stars shine bright.

Is social media good or bad?

I am a social media enthusiast. It is hard for me to understand that people can discount the value of social media. There are so many opportunities to exploit the use of this media in order to drive enthusiasm, communication and networking. What do you think?

Hunter S Thompson: an early blogger?

When I was in college I was introduced to the works of Hunter Thompson. Since I was in journalism school and fancied myself a writer, I was mesmerized by the "new journalism" as it was called then. The first person accounts that Thompson wrote were revolutionary at the time - very avant garde, especially because of the honest depictions of drug use. Today, these kinds of writers would fit into the blogosphere nicely, wouldn't they? It was so different in the 70s and Hunter Thompson was in the forefront. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was a fantastic portrait of a drug addled writer. It always made me wonder how much of his drug use was exaggerated. How could one be so doped up yet remember so much? It is somewhat like the Keith Richards' memoir, Life, that I am currently reading. Richards even uses quotes about himself from the books of others. But he, too, recalls a lot despite his drug abuse. I think it is time to re-read some Hunter Thompson, and wonder what he would be doing today, and if he would have a blog.

Sunday night after Thanksgiving

It has been an interesting Thanksgiving weekend. Visits with family and friends, and the loss of two friends in an car accident. That weighs heavy on me as I write this. We put up the outdoor Christmas lights today - not too many - because it was nice out. I still think it is weird to put them up while it is still November. We used to put them up about two weeks before Christmas, but that often means putting them up in snow and cold. Now I cave in to neighborhood convention and get the outside lights up Thanksgiving weekend. We still wait to put our inside Christmas tree up until about two weeks before the holiday. I really do like the Christmas holiday season. I like snow, I like the cold, I like the memories the season conjures up. Watching old movies (especially White Christmas!) takes me back to being a kid, but also gives me a sense of being grounded. When we lived in Atlanta, I missed the winter season and the gray dismal days. Strange. Some people get the winter blues, but not me. I like winter and all it brings. It helps to have a warm house, not have to worry about where my next meal comes from, and a good job.

Work begins again tomorrow, five more days until the weekend. I was named one of six top women marketers in the office products industry by a British web site over the past weekend. A dubious honor at best. On to the work week!

Life is short - enjoy it

I wouldn't normally begin a post with something serious, but I learned today that two people I know were killed in a car accident last night. They are employees (head chef and waitress) from a restaurant we frequent. They were going home from work - just a normal day - and some guy ran a red light and killed them. It makes me pause, say a pray for the people I know, and remember to live each day fully.