The Pipes Area A Calling

So, today we drove up to the Poconos to watch a St Patricks Day Parade. What drew me to this parade were the pipe bands, apparently 14 pipe bands were going to perform. My mother as a Scot has always had an affinity for the pipes and this I inherited from her. Somewhere, deep inside when I hear that familiar sound it sets up an aroma of memory, a deep knowledge of where I come from, it is comforting, extremely emotional and a cathartic experience. So, a patients family at clinic whom I have become close with really wanted me to come as often we have shared our Celtic heritage. The dad of this family is in a pipe band and the mother is Irish through and through. How could I say no. The parade was on Sunday March 14th. On Friday it rained cats and dogs, on Saturday it rained worse, we lost power for 12 hours. Sunday morning it looked even worse, hang it I thought, I'm going anyways, so glad I did. The funny thing was all those pipe bands and did not hear one Irish jig, lots of Scottish ones that I recognized thou, Bluebells of Scotland, You take the High Road, Scotland the Brave and more.

Yes it was grey and drizzly but just as the parade started the heavens dried up. I was not disappointed, it was truly a heavenly experience for me, one I will remember for a long time

Also, spent a gorgeous weekend with Joe and Katie last weekend, they are both doing so well, used to go to a playpark with my son, now we go to a bar and have a good chinwag.....times are a changing. Katie and I had a lovely sweet time together doing what mothers and daughters do best.....shopping. It really really was worth the 24 hours visit just to physically hug and kiss them and tell them I love them sooooo much. Now both have gone on Spring Break, Joe to Oregon to go back country snowboarding (hope he lives) and Katie to the mountains in New Hampshire to do more snow boarding.

A happy week, a very very happy week.

Therapy In The Middle Of Winter

So I love winter, my favorite season is the Fall but its very closely followed by winter. However, even I have had enough this season, I mean snow snow snow enough already!! So when I had the opportunity to go to Florida for a long weekend with some girlfriends, I jumped at the chance. A few days in the sunshine can be as rejuvenating as a 2 week vacation. We went to a well kept Floridian secret called Anna Marie Island, no fast food or tall buildings allowed on the island, miles and miles of golden beaches. It was wonderful. Just lovely to have no agenda, chatting with girlfriends about deep deep issues and superficial ones too. It was wonderful, but all good things must come to an end, finally came home to.......guess what.....more snow. I could not believe we got another winter storm. Lets hope we are done now.

This weekend I am going to see Joe and Katie, have not seen them since January and everyone is busy at spring break so no-one is coming home (grrrrrr) so I just need to go and get my Joe and Katie fix.

Also, really enjoying getting back out there and running and working out in the park, its soooo good to be outdoors, even if it is cold, no particular mission, no event I am training for just enjoying feeling better as my fitness level raises, even though I hate exercise (and I really really do hate working out) I have realized that for my mood and sense of well being this is just a really good thing for me to do.

In the spirit of a great book I am finishing up right now, The Happiness Project, which I recommend to everyone, especially for those of us that have become so busy with work and just stuff that we have forgotten how to feed our soul!

Things That Have Made Me Happy Since My Last Blog

• A weekend in the sunshine


• A good cry/laugh with girlfriends


• Drinking chardonnay at lunchtime followed by a 2 hour nap!


• Coming home, it always feels good to come home


• A day off in the middle of the week


• Cold pizza for breakfast....the best!


• An impending visit to see Joe and Katie and anticipating the sweet time I will have with them