With Love From Mom: "Fear is the Mind-Killer"

One final important note about that trip to London:

Along with many others determined to be defined by how we live, my Harry and I left London that summer amid the highest security at Heathrow Airport and beyond...

Unfortunately, amidst the wonderment of this vacation two thought-out but failed attempts at carnage were staged by terrorists at crime scenes one block from our hotel near Trafalgar Square. I admit that I was more scared than Harry. He's so much braver than me.

Our trip on the underground subway after the news arrived created a sense of nerve-wracking chaos as a massive amount of people made their way to the surface grasping for the light of day. As a precaution, we too made our way above ground and walked the five miles back to our hotel. Museums and theaters across the city closed, so we rearranged a few of our tours. When Harry went to sleep, like the night stalker I can become when anxiety strikes - I got up and quietly watched the media reports of the carnage over and over again. It was not a healthy thing to do and I can't tell you why I did it. It was like, this can't be happening again... Not here. Not now. Please, God, I prayed, just get us home safely to our Kate and Scott.

Armed guards were in full view along the highways and on top of buildings. Machine guns and bomb sniffing dogs were within our reach as their presence was leveraged by the British government to mitigate the risk of additional car bombings and suicide missions. And there I was - a mom from New Jersey - completely reminded of 9/11 and all those hard times that followed in New York City. I had lived all these safety precautions before when we defiantly returned to our jobs in Downtown Manhattan to do our part to heal the broken city we loved.

To be honest, because of these events (and the news reports I couldn't escape from)- that post-traumatic stress "thing" that I talked about in another Blog entry crept up on me in London bringing on a sense of sadness that paralyzed my senses for a while. But I was so determined... I had waited a lifetime to get here, so I could not allow a mood nourished by fear to steal my London moments from me! My internal struggle as I toured St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London was real, but I fought like hell to not let these horrific circumstances blind me to everything that was beautiful around me. 9/11 taught me that if you do that, "they" win.

It felt very far from home for a couple of days as we walked along the Thames River, but through it all we were comforted by the common language of heroes who eloquently ushered in calm through courageous acts and deeds.

For us, the sights and history that collided as we toured Paris and the United Kingdom over those twelve days reminded us once again that creating an uptick in security anywhere in the world has always demanded bold steps from courageous heads of state, creative innovation from the thought leaders of our time and flawless execution.

When we made it home to Pt. Pleasant, we hugged our kids with an energy I cannot describe. The sparkle in their eyes and the warmth of their embrace reminded me that demanding less from world leaders can never be an option.

Harry and I had the time of our life in the Summer of 2007. No terrorist could steal that from us.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 20/51

Quote of the Day: "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
- Frank Herbert

In London: May You Kneel Where My Knees Knelt

Kudos to all of you in the Blogoshpere! I want to thank some of you for the feedback you sent to Tish509@comcast.net which actually identified a life-long Tish Challenge... Okay. You're ALL correct! Too "many" of my Blog Entries are too long!! So today, I'm going to work to make them shorter!! I'm going to try!!!!!!!

Anyway, I wanted to take you back across the pond today... This time to London! This destination was the second stop of our whirlwind 12 Day Tour of France and England and once again eleven hours of walking per day, (step, step, step...) trying to cover as many of the 66 square miles as possible of this enchanting city cut in two by the Thames River and lined with beautiful parks, gardens, 17,000 historic buildings, and 200 museums. The first question: Where on earth do we start?!!

Oh my gosh - after checking into our hotel at The Royal Horseguards - we loved every minute as we walked through the heart of every place we had ever dreamed of: Hyde Park, the Piccadilly Circus Area, Trafalgar Square and beyond... We were exhilarated and somber all at once as we tracked the great palaces of the City of Westminster. We went from Buckingham Palace, to Big Ben, to Winston Churchill's underground bunker in the Imperial War Museum, to Parliament and its amazing Victoria Tower (the largest square tower in the world!). We stood at 10 Downing Street as Tony Blair prepared to exit his residence on his last day office. The press was everywhere as his motorcade escorted him to Parliment to deliver his last speech. The new Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on the way... We couldn't believe it - historic sites and history in the making! It was just great!

Then on to Shakespeare's Globe, Thames House, The National Gallery... and onward to the utterly amazing and haunting Westminster Abbey - where world history, faith, all art forms, cultures, and the light and dark sides of humanity collide under one roof. I don't know how to explain it, but we were both left with a strange sense of tension that lingered for hours after we finished this tour. But no worries - a ten minute cab ride across London lightened the mood as we enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes Museum and later laughed uncontrollably as Harry acted out a Sargent Pepper Trek across the real Abbey Road! As horns honked, we got the message that locals would have much preferred we go home and "Let It Be!"

The mind-boggling and gruesome history of the Tower of London stopped Harry and I in our tracks... Harry was mesmerized and all day he really missed the kids as he tried to imagine what their reaction would be to this unbelievable country. I actually felt a tad ill as we passed through chambers filled with the olden day tools of torture in the White Tower. I literally walked off the tour a few times to get some fresh air. But the Tower Bridge and all its splendor of Victorian architecture was a beautiful diversion to focus on when the history of William the Conqueror got to be too much! It was so emotional... One minute we were caught up in the artistic wonder of what we were staring at and in the next moment the history simply blew us away! It was literally exhausting at times.

And there we were again with a view from the top-of-the-world on The Modern Day Eye - that huge Ferris Wheel built for the Millennium celebration. This wonderful experience with my Harry somehow usurped my fear of heights. Those who know me would absolutely call this a miracle! (Oh yes - I had a rough time at the Grand Canyon and on that glass escalator in Trump Tower in NYC!) But here... I felt no fear. Encased by glass and encircled by this view, I was grateful for this moment.

We took buses through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. On our way to Shakespeare's birthplace @ Stratford on the Avon and Exeter University in Oxford, our guide provided an awesome listening tour-through-time highlighting what was special about each suburb. We loved it as we travelled through a collection of charming villages - each with its own unique history and character. To impress our Kate, we also shopped at Harrod's and had dinner at Gordon Ramsey's where we pretended we were the #1 Fans of his hit show, Hell's Kitchen. My gosh - it "literally" cost a King's Ransom, but we ate like an English king and queen for sure!

For me, our stop at London's 1400 year old St. Paul's Cathedral was the personal highlight of my summer journey. During our exploration of the massive Dome, all the Crypts and Galleries surrounding the Nave, and the Quire, this place of peace, retreat, and worship (Here I go again...) literally moved me to tears. Harry climbed the 163 steps to the incredible Whispering Gallery in the Dome itself. I did not. No steps for me after the Arc de Triomphe just to to be safe, so I walked alone for a while. Nothing could prepare me for what I would feel as I reached the back of this cathedral... nothing.

In back of the highest alter I'd ever seen and tucked behind the Roll of Honor in a place called the Apse is the American Memorial Chapel - the people of Britain built this chapel as a gift to America to honor our men & women who had fought for peace during World Wars I & II. I stood silent inside this place of reverence with chills running up-and-down my spine as I read the inscriptions on the walls honoring those who gave all so others could live. It was humbling that our great nation had such a meaningful place in this cathedral and her 1400 year history.

Every aunt, uncle and friend who had ever served in the Armed Forces found their way to me in this chapel and my heart was engulfed by their presence and warmth. What their sacrifices and service meant to people of other nations was never more succinctly clear to me. This was my moment - a miraculous and all-consuming feeling swept me away to a beautiful place unknown which connected every cherished dot in my life. When I exited that chapel to reunite with Harry, physically it felt as if I had just climbed the 163 steps to the Whispering Gallery. (Wow - I've been trying to describe what happened to me in the American Memorial Chapel @ St. Paul's Cathedral for almost 3 years and I think I just did it!)

I can't wait until Kate and Scott kneel where my knees knelt on that beautiful June day in 2007.

How about if I start my "shorter" Blog entries tomorrow - okay?

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 20/51

Quote of the Day:

"This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England."

William Shakespeare, "King Richard II"

With Pride, We Put the "FUN" in Dysfunctional!

I think I finally have an official Seasonal Disorder!! Snow, snow, snow...

Oh my gosh - It's snowing again! Call it wishful thinking, but spring in on my mind! Temperatures have been down in these parts and the wind chill has been in negative territory for too long. Nevertheless, I have been trying to think "spring", but it's not working! I'm sitting in my Jersey City office one block from the Hudson River and the visibility is so awful, I can't even see the water today! There's not even a chance that I'll make it home before 9 p.m. this evening!

For years, I've done this 3-to-5 hour round trip commuting routine on automatic pilot. I never thought about it and rarely complained, but this winter is starting to feel like some kind of test on whether or not Tish Ferguson will be able to weather all the decades in front of her. Do you think I'm getting old or something? Do you think this could be payback for loading 50 cousins into an Academy Bus to drive from New Jersey to Maryland to celebrate cousin Tom Brusgard's 40th Birthday in what we coined as, "The 1996 Irish Invasion of Maryland" which was unofficially sponsored by the "Association of the Humor Impaired"?!

Okay - I admit it! We invaded Maryland and when we were done Tom Brusgard couldn't get rid of us fast enough! After a lovely brunch at the Idle Hour, we rounded up as many Brusgard, Hart, Sharkey, Conaghan & extended cousins as we could find and tied them to their seats. Then we put our catered food and entertainment items in the baggage compartment and we were on our way. We played bingo & trivia games, gave out prizes and sang songs with Aunt Francis and her spectacular voice leading the way!

When we arrived in Annapolis, we sent two grim reapers to the front door to lure Tom out of the house so we could deliver a perfect 8-inch round birthday cake while all 50 cousins(and a couple of strangers too...) stood on Bev and Rod's front lawn with Fighting Irish and Over-the-Hill signs singing "Happy Birthday" three times in a row without stopping! We ended with a poignant verse of, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow!" I'm telling you, with his mouth seemingly stuck open, Tom looked absolutely ill. I mean the guy could not speak!

Next we handed his wife Katie a dozen roses and told her we had actually liked her better all these years... and then we kidnapped both of them, along with their kids Jen and Eric, Bev and Rod, my brother Sean and his family and away we went for a whirlwind bus tour of the area.

We all wore T-shirts with a logo that screamed, "Tom Who?" as this magical bus made it's way to a beautiful Club House (loaned to all of us by Our Kirsten and Kevin - thank you guys!) and it was there that the second shoe of Tom's big surprise would drop on him like a ton of bricks! Tom's work colleagues met us at the door of this party destination and surprised him too!! And I'm telling you - our Tom never looked so frightened in his life. You see we figured out that he had talked about his family in NJ a little bit at the job, but he had probably forgotten to tell them that we actually put the "FUN" in dysfunctional!!! And by the way... we're damn proud of that fact!

Anyway, we had ourselves a blast enhanced by great food, cousins, so much fun, our Only-In-This-Family Awards Ceremony, Joe Fuller on the guitar, more cousins, bagpipers, wine, beer, soda, cake - easy for a 40 year old to chew, a poetry reading delivered by Cousin Kathy and Irish dancing... Positive energy filled the other room decorated to perfection as "historic" 35 mm films of Tom frolicking through the ages as a child mesmerized our crowd! We laughed and we laughed till we cried and we laughed...

Late in the night, we got back on that bus and I'm telling you the trip from Maryland to home in New Jersey was so quiet that it had to be obvious to passing motorists that we had just attended some older person's birthday party! I didn't realize Tom was actually pretty young that year until I attended his 50th Birthday Party ten years later! It's ridiculous how often I seem to find myself a whole decade off in these situations?!

Life is precious and one of the great things about plowing ahead with the plan to have Tom's Surprise Party - which was run by a force so much bigger than me and us and them - was that the smiles and laughter of all seven Brusgard children lit up the room as they were joined by their parents, Aunt Mary and Uncle Chris, and so many cherished relatives from so many corners of our life including Aunt Marie, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Joe, Aunt Francis, Aunt Marilyn & Uncle Dick, Cousin Pat Kendall, Aunt Elle, Uncle Dan, Aunt Margie, Cousin Maggie DeNuggi... and the rest of you know who you are.

Sadly, our fun-loving and beloved Uncle Chris Brusgard would unexpectedly pass away just a few months after this glorious event. I often look back on this celebration which successfully honored Aunt Mary and Uncle Chris too - as we thanked them for giving us our Tom! When I focus on all those wonderful moments that were woven together by the circle-of-our-family that day... I feel only joy.

Now back to the snow. If this endless weather keeps up, I'm warning you to picture this: It was a snowy day on February 25th 2010 and Cousin Tish was driving down the NJ Turnpike, and her cell phone rang. Picking up, she heard Kate, her voice high with anxiety, warn her, "Mommy, I just saw on the news that there's actually a car driving the wrong way on the Turnpike in New Jersey. Please be careful!"

"One?" I reply, "You've got to be kidding me. I see at least 200 hundred cars! Can you see the nearest rest stop on that Columbus news channel baby? Mommy needs to go!"

Don't worry kids. If it gets that bad, I'll learn to pull over.

Tonight, I have to remember it's only snow and I learned a long time ago that I can actually survive almost anything. Twenty-four years ago, my Uncle Chris walked me down the aisle the day I got married because my Dad could not. I was forever humbled.

Seventeen years ago, Cousin Tom and his enchanting wife Katie became Godparents to my Scott.

On both occasions, my heart was full and Irish eyes smiled. Forget the snow. Today, I'll let great memories rule the day to bring me warmth.


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, Nor time unmake what poets know”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Music To Our Ears: Bravo Scott!

Step, step, step...

On Saturday, February 12th, we attended the 47th annual concert of the
All-Shore Chorus at Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver. Since there was consensus to add a modern day vibe to this 46 year old show, this year's repertoire and performance changes successfully showcased artistic excellence at its finest.

We sat in awe as 135 gifted students, who were selected from 36 area high schools (including Pt. Pleasant Borough High School Sophomore, SCOTT FERGUSON!!), came together as one glorious voice exercising their art through the common language of music. Every year, they only have one month to practice, so obviously this group effort succeeds because these students are lucky enough to be embraced by the dedication of music teachers and directors from the participating schools whose ability to transfer knowledge stretches their talent and confidence in ways that empower them to transcend the expectations of their audiences every single time. These kids were spectacular! My Scott was the tallest on the risers and we have the pictures to prove it! If you don't believe me, write me @ tish509@comcast.net and I'll send you a copy. (Thanks for bringing your camera Aunt Mary G; and for forwarding the pictures from your computer! I was too busy picking up my mother-of-the-year award to remember my camera!! I know we have more pictures of Katie! Sorry about that Scott, but you have to stop counting the 4,000 we took in during Kate's first 6 months... This happens in all families: Just ask Cousin Sheila and Uncle Brendo!)

Anyway...The choir belted out contemporary tunes like Born to Run which followed a cappella efforts and solemn renditions of Dominus regnavit, decorum indutus est and O Magnum Mysterium. The orchestra, production staff, Beth Moore - the accompanist, and Kristopher Zook, the program manager were all tremendous. Congratulations to all who participated and for delivering a performance of the highest caliber. It was a privilege to be in attendance.

This magnificent effort was led by Conductor Joseph Cantaffa, a three-time member of the All Shore Chorus and currently Entertainment Techology Instructor in the Fine and Performing Arts Center program at Howell High School. Kudos to Mr. Cantaffa! His remarkable contributions gave this year's audience a diverse musical program, staged visuals and a multimedia video feature - all of which honored the rich history and tradition of this remarkable organization which has been dedicated to the success of student musicians for 47 years.

Conductor Cantaffa was quoted in the February 5th Asbury Park Press as saying, "It genuinely means the world to me" to return as a guest conductor of the All Shore Chorus 20 years later.

If I could reach out and speak to Mr. Cantaffa right now, I'd say, "Well sir, it meant the world to us to watch you at your best on Saturday, February 12th. We appreciated all your efforts that allowed our Scott to shine and for helping the entire All Shore Chorus succeed for the 47th year in a row! Sometimes, a mom's evening doesn't get better than this." :)

Harry, Aunt Mary Gunsiorowski, Aunt Mary Brusgard and I thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Aunt Mary B. ended up in the hospital the very next day, but AMEN because she's 100% herself again. When she was at home and feeling better, I sent her flowers with a note that read, "Thinking of you... Was it the company or Scott's singing on Saturday Night??!!" As usual, we both roared with laughter!

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "You'll know what music to your ears means when you hear it."
- I just made this up because I'm in a hurry! Love to all.

Harry & Tish: "We Will Always Have Paris!"

Step, step, step.... I stepped it up yesterday and logged 5,000 steps on my treadmill at home, but I still haven't had a minute to get to my brand new gym - Brick Fitness. Geographically speaking, I'm just all over the place between 3 states four days a week (NJ, NY & PA) and I'm out of Pt. Pleasant from at least 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on those days. This reality definitely makes the scheduled gym commitment hard. I know TishTrek - my 51/51 Challenge is a lifestyle change that has to align with my desired personal goals, so give me a little more time and I know I'll figure out how to do this.

In the meantime, I plan on traveling abroad again in the near future so this Health and Wellness Journey is important to make sure I can maximize my enjoyment wherever I land in the world. You see - in the Summer of 2007, when Harry and I visited France and England, I had no clue that my original pacemaker was on the last bar of its battery pack until I started climbing the 284 steps of the stunning Paris landmark called the Arc de Triomphe De l'Etolile which stands 264 feet in height, 150feet wide and 72 feet deep. The Arc has one elevator, but it was out-of-service for repairs that day.

As Harry and I made our way up the extremely narrow and dark stairwell, to my surprise I had to stop many times and stick my behind into these small cement cubby holes to rest (ok - they weren't that small) and catch my breath while other tourists passed me by. I could feel my heart racing... "Please God," I prayed. "Don't let me land in a hospital on this side of the pond. Don't let this happen to my Harry on our dream vacation." This difficult sweat-producing effort seemed odd for a girl who had jogged for thirty years, but I had waited my whole adult life to walk up these steps, so there was simply no stopping me... Onward and upward had to be the focus. I did not look back.

As you know, the monument was designed by Jean Chalgrin in 1806 and the triumphal arch honors those who fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. On the inside and the top of the Arc there are all of the names of generals and wars fought. Underneath is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. All this history we had brushed up on, but none of it could prepare us for the range of experiences that would play out...

When we arrived at the top, the first magnificent moments exceeded everything we had ever dreamed of. This awesome monument stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle and it is at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, so Harry and I felt like we were actually standing in the center of the universe! The spectacular panoramic view from the roof of the Arc on this beautiful clear summer day moved Harry and I to complete silence. We imagined what it would have been like to absorb this country's history and to see this view for the very first time with our Kate and Scott in tow. For a moment, (albeit a brief one...) we really missed them very much. We knew they would have loved everything about Paris.

With our arms around each other we looked eastward, down the Champs Elysées, toward the Louvre, there was the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. We had visited all of these historic places before making our way to the Arc, so observing these French treasures from on top of the world created one of those unbelievable shared moments in our married life. When we looked westward - the Arc's larger and newer cousin, La Grande Arche de la Défense stared back at us; and there was my Eiffel Tower and the Tour Montparnasse in a distance! For the rest of our lives - "Harry and I would always have Paris" because our two beating hearts finally lived this timeless dream as one.

Some practical advice for the 1st time traveler to Paris: The area in and around the Arc de Triomphe will remind you of New York City's Times Square before it was turned into a Pedestrian Mall. It is surrounded by reckless French drivers (like the ones on the NJ Turnpike every morning...) traveling in their cars at high speeds on twelve major avenues leading to the Place de l'Étoile and to the exceptionally busy roundabout in which the Arc stands. My message: Pedestrians beware! Use the underground passages when you can!

It was our Summer of 2007, when we left Paris to take the high speed Eurostar passenger train through the Channel Tunnel (The Chunnel!) from France to England with the goal of making more great memories! Harry used to work for the American Society of Civil Engineers which in 1996 had identified this undersea rail tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Like two kids in a candy shop, we were absolutely ecstatic that seeing this wonder first hand could be crossed off our Bucket Lists!

Obviously, I enjoyed myself on both sides of the English Channel and - with the help of God - after that little scare on the steps inside the Arc De Triomphe, my pacemaker issue stayed calm for the rest of our vacation. I got another Tish Reprieve until November and felt truly blessed.


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "We will always have Paris."
- Casablanca, 1942 (One of Harry's Favorite Movies!)

Laugh Often & Much: Invite Stupid Over. She Makes Snow Angels Too!

Step, step, step... Happy Sunday! Kate came home this weekend! I attended a bridal shower for my cousin Laurie Hart in Bayonne; and Colleen was working in New Jersey this week so she made her way to Pt. Pleasant. So all-&-all, I'd say we had a ball! Ut oh - I had only a little time for my Virgin HealthMiles GoZone steps during this busy weekend, but I learned that "laughing often and much" is as good for our health as stepping!

On Thursday, February 4th, my Harry left for Las Vegas to attend our niece Jennifer Ferguson's wedding. She got married to Ian David Tate and word is a splendid time was had by all! As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, Scott was supposed to have his BIG All-Shore Concert event on that same Saturday, so I stayed behind in New Jersey to cheer him on. In the end, the concert got cancelled due to a giant snow storm that dumped 18 inches of snow in our front yard and 26 inches of snow in the backyard. If you think that's impressive, my sister Maggie & her husband Paul had 36 inches in Aberdeen, Maryland and Cousin Sheila & Jeff had 5 feet on their deck in Clarksville. Let me warn you, if you try making a Snow Angel in snow that deep, you risk not being seen again until the spring! And I know this for a fact because 25 years ago I made 100 Snow Angels at the Utica, NY home of Katie and Tom Brusgard to honor the birth of their beautiful daughter Jennifer while we celebrated her christening! There had been a blizzard and with 40 guests cheering me on, I almost didn't make it out of their backyard!!! Uncle Chris decided I was crazy that day and the rest - as they say - is history...

Following the daily routine of the Ferguson Family commuting car that takes me to Jersey City and Harry to New York City Monday through Friday is a little bit like watching a clip from "Driving with Miss Daisy." Yes - I admit it: I've got it pretty darn good! My Harry clears a path in the snow for me, heats up the car to a perfect temperature, throws my morning newspapers on the passenger side, stocks up on bottled water so there is no chance of dehydration if we get stuck on a highway and then he gives me the signal that the coast is clear to hop in for our 1 1/2 to 2 hour drive to work.

We then make our way to 7-11 to grab some fresh brewed coffee and the Wall Street Journal and away we go... When we get to Jersey City, he usually pulls the car to the curb (as close to the front of my building as he can get), let's me hop out and then he makes his way to the Parking Garage at the Newport-Pavonia Path Station. After he parks the car, he still has another half hour ahead of him as he makes his way across the Hudson River by ferry or underground tunnel and FINALLY across the Island of Manhattan to get to his NEW & FANTASTIC job at the United Nations, where he manages Website Marketing & Communications for the Global Finance Team at UNICEF.

Something happened this month that helped me realize that it's time to admit that I've been very pampered and spoiled with this unique travel arrangement. Some would say, "I got a little lazy..." I dropped Harry at Newark Airport for his trip to Las Vegas on Thursday, February 4th. The next day - Friday, the 5th - I had to get myself to work! Oh my gosh - by the time I was done doing everything he does for me in Pt. Pleasant and after navigating through 60 miles of those cell phone, texting maniacs and makeup-applying speedsters that nonchalantly run those of us paying attention off the road at every mile marker - I got to work an hour later than usual and a tad disheveled. That night I barreled into Pt. Pleasant at 8:30 p.m. just as the Nor'easter Snow Storm was making its way into town.

When I pulled in the driveway, I decided to take a cue from my neighbor and FRIEND - Ray Pell - by pulling the cars out of the driveway and backing them in so both cars would be close to the road facing outward. When I jumped out of the car, I dropped my briefcase on the lawn; emptied our mailbox and rushed Friday's mail and my favorite local newspaper - The Ocean Star - into the house; I ran back outside, opened the garage and retrieved the snow shovels so they would be within my reach after the big storm... and I thought I was set. I felt remarkably prepared.

For the last 16 days, I've been looking for my briefcase; for the first few days it was actually a frantic search - to say the least - since my work ID, calendar items and my extra reading glasses were all inside! Do you think I'm kidding? When Aunt Mary Gunsiorowski and Aunt Mary Brusgard joined Harry and I at the Dublin House in Red Bank for a quick dinner before Scott's rescheduled All-Shore Concert on Saturday, February 13th, they both had to read the menu to me!!! Today is Sunday, February 21st and I found my eye glasses.

For gosh sakes the briefcase was buried in the snow under our basketball net to the right of the driveway. When the snow melted, the darn thing was exactly where I set it down when I arrived home on THAT Friday - February 5th - when I was in my little frenzy without my Harry to prepare for that darn storm.

No worries - I'm sure my Aunt Marie is smiling down on me today because she would expect nothing less than a story like this from someone who doesn't even know where her water heater is! But to my earlier point: Stop making Snow Angels when the snow exceeds 12 inches OR use a buddy system. We don't want to be finding any cousins on our front lawns in the Spring!

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

TWO Quotes of the Day: Okay - I admit it: #2 is more appropriate for today's blog entry!

1) “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”

2) “It is one of the blessings of old friends (and cousins) that you can afford to be stupid with them.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Through a Mom & Dad's Eyes: Children Learn What They Live

Dear Blogosphere Friends,

This is a tough read. It was very hard to write.

Remember a rule in this Health and Wellness Journey is that getting pent-up emotions out is important, so please... bare with me today, as I bow my head to mourn the tragic loss of New Jersey's Little Baby Zara.

While commuting to Jersey City on Wednesday, February 18th, there was no option except to get sick to my stomach as I approached the Alfred E. Driscoll Bridge. The old Garden State Parkway toll booth offices in Sayreville were re-opened for business yesterday. The building was surrounded by at least 20 black detective cars with tinted windows and a large NJ State Police Mobile Crime Unit Lab; a blinking alert sign asking the public to call if we had any information was illuminated overhead. The grim task in front of the selfless heroes inside that facility was to plan out the strategy to locate the tiny lifeless body of a three month old baby who suffered murder-by-drowning in the Raritan River at the hands of her father.

Police say 21-year-old Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem, of Galloway, told them he threw his daughter, Zara Malani-lin Abdur, off that bridge on Tuesday after the attempted murder of the child's maternal grandmother whom police say he assaulted in East Orange during the alleged abduction. This brave grandmother was caring for her precious granddaughter. At the time of the abduction, the baby's mother was in a courtroom in Newark, NJ applying for a restraining order against Mr Abdur-Raheem.

Over the last 30 years, I've embraced the broken bodies and injured spirits of women and children who have survived the scourge of brutal domestic abuse and violence. I know - from personal experience - that it is beyond stressful and beyond all civilized experiences to have to watch people you love endure these kinds of horrific circumstances. The painful long-term consequences that often play-out all the days that these victims live is enough to numb your heart.

It takes remarkable courage and resolve to place yourself square-in-the-middle of such danger during any attempt to ensure the survival of those who cannot save themselves from abuse in these corridors of darkness. Like Baby Zara's grandmother, my own mother understood and lived this tenet and truth whenever God called on her to do so... My grandmother's generation - that generation of revered immigrants - succeeded at transferring the knowledge to all of us that when and "If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them" - which gives each child an unyielding strength, a confidence and a shot at happiness that has no bounds.

What could have inspired Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem to believe it was actually okay to murder his little girl in the Raritan River on Tuesday? Baby Zara's death is a haunting and sad reminder that I've actually been forced to watch the suffering of beautiful children being dangled from bridges for most of my adult life - not literally speaking of course, but figuratively. When adults in emotional high-drama, high-stake (or low-stake) situations fail to operate, act, or comport themselves in a manner that puts the best interest of their children at the forefront of their thinking, the children lose. In this case, Baby Zara died, but I'm honestly appalled every single time children are left dangling on some hazardess ledge to fend for themselves when a parent is within their reach.

For the record, these abhorent situations laced with rage and revenge don't do anything healthy for all the other people in the world who love their kids - everyone with a view experiences mountains of breathless sorrow that can literally eat their insides out. Do you really think Mr. Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem cared about what Baby Zara's grandmother and other relatives would experience for the rest of their lives after he killed her? Unfortunately - people who don't care about the harm they are doing to their own kids are not ever going to care about the damage they are doing to you.

The chances of kids being damaged by the scars inflicted by parental behavior during these dreadful situations go up exponentially when hatred, disdain and/or a lack of maturity rules each day. How come so many people "use their own children" for personal gain, to one-up this or that, or to get back at partners and/or other adults involved in these loops of madness that encompass everything from divorce, busted dreams, infidelities, death, financial failures, family court decisions, substance abuse, unemployment, abuse and beyond... The next chapter has to come, so why doesn't everyone just close the last chapter sooner if doing so means helping kids?

All kids see soooo much through the eyes of both parents, so why doesn't everyone wake up and grow up especially since we already know that Children Learn What They Live. For gosh sakes - Some children die; others resort to self-medicating solutions to block out the pain for the rest of their lives; the weakest ones give up on everyone and everything. If a "Child Lives With Hostility, He Learns To Fight," so isn't that reason enough to stop fighting ten years after some divorce?! Is it too hard to recognize that this chapter of your life isn't about you anymore? Have you forgotten that you're actually the adult responsible for the Health and Wellness of your children?!

My prayer for Baby Zara Malani-lin Abdur is that God arrived armed with love to catch her fall; and that she found comfort in His mighty arms as He swaddled her with His grace. This isn't hard for me to imagine because on earth I've witnessed glorious grandmothers execute this same great work in His name... over and over again.

And when their work was done, selfless aunts, uncles, and cousins would step up and do the same; leading each journey with magnificent efforts that humbled all. Collectively, so many people I love succeeded at giving awesome meaning to the term "Circle-of-Family." With this in mind, I pray for the circle of that family who could not save their little girl. But make no mistake, I have evey faith that God took Baby Zara to heaven and granted her peace before she hit the frigid waters. I knew it and I could feel it in my heart as I drove my car over the Driscoll Bridge on Wednesday.

Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. May we all learn "something" as we view our own lives - for just these few moments - through the beautiful prism and innocence of Baby Zara's big brown eyes. My God - she was just a little baby.

Love to all.


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day:

"If A Child Lives With Hatred, He Learns To Hate.
If A Child Lives With Hostility, He Learns To Fight.
For A Fact I Can Tell You, When This Happens - Most Grandmothers Mourn"
- With the help of author Dorothy Law Nolte

Ash Wednesday: God Grant Me Serenity...

Step, step, step... today is the first day of the rest of my life. I'm going to make sure the next 40 days make a difference for the next forty years!

1) My Morning Prayer for this Lenten Season will be the Serenity Prayer. My commitment is to recite it daily.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr


2) I will continue my journey to Health & Wellness with renewed & awesome passion.

3) I will summon the strength inside me to close "those" old chapters in my life that have caused unhealthy stress and/or pain.

4) I will not look backward; only forward...

5) I will accept God's will, no matter how difficult the situation.

6) I will help my triglyceride count by eliminating wine and ice cream completely from my diet, (Our friends at Bob Hoffmann's Ice Cream and Gerard's Liquors will not be happy...)

7) I will help my cholesterol count by reducing my red meat intake to no more than twice a week, (Oh gosh - I hope Colonial Ranch Meat Market doesn't go out of business! Have the fire department alert Darren & Lisa Arms!)

8) I will increase my good cholesterol count by eating more foods that feed that number which in my case "must" stay between 50 & 100.

9) I will sit quietly and listen for His voice when I'm struggling to accept something heart wrenching and important that I cannot change.

10) I will contribute to the peace-of-others by not resisting so much when it's time to walk away.

It's okay to scream, "Tish - How are we ever going to miss you, if you never go away?!" I actually had this joke painted on a piece of wood for Aunt Mary Brusgard's 70th Birthday Party. I thought the quote was hysterical when I delivered it during my long-winded monologue as the self-appointed Mistress-of-Ceremonies for this wonderful family celebration at Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty. At age 51, my advice to others is to be wary of revisiting your monologues and one-liners from previous decades. Things that you said which seemed funny then may no longer be funny simply because you're filtering your own words through ten years of new experiences. Oh and finding out an audience may have been laughing at you and not with you back then does nothing for your health and welfare.

I wish everyone serenity and inner-peace this Lenten Season. God bless you all.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "I've always known what I needed to do; for reasons I actually understand - I just never cared about myself in the same way that I've cared about others. Convincing myself I was worth it combined with this process of turning my own positive energy inward has brought great joy."
- Kate's Mom, February - 2010

Happy Fat Tuesday!!

Step, step, step... Did you have a nice three day President's Weekend? Now are you looking back thinking, "Oh no - I fell off that health wagon for a couple of days to have fun with friends and now what?!"

For about 40 years, I've used the 40 Days of the solemn Lenten Season to focus on doing something good and cleansing for me. Okay - in the early years - Mom and Dad used to turn off the television for 40 days - (no, I'm not kidding and we did not have video games, computers, blackberrys - no mind-numbing distractions to get us through!!).

Every year from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday, my parents worked - by mandate - to motivate me and my seven brothers and sisters to do something that would give us a personal benefit. They would try to encourage us to read books, play games, spend more time interacting with family and friends, become pen pals to cousins in Ireland... "Use our imagination," mom would say. "Do anything you can think of..." because the TV stays off EXCEPT for that one glorious Sunday evening during Lent when we'd get to join the Bratton Family to watch "The Wizard of Oz" on our first new color TV! No video stores in our day kids, so yes - my parent's made this one awesome exception (Thank you, God...) that we were all extremely grateful for!! The first time Dorothy stepped out of her house in OZ after that tornado and the landscape across the screen was in color in our family room, we all literally hugged and screamed for joy!

Aside from vividly remembering our first color TV experience, this amazing requirement in our house represented learning - at a very young age - how to keep a 40 day commitment. In my eyes, we were a strong "Team-of-Ten" making the first group sacrifice of our lives while enjoying the benefit of each other. With this lesson in toe, my four brothers, three sisters and I were prepared to lead on Al Saner Track & Field, basketball courts, in classrooms, on stages, for non-profit causes and in our professional lives. Not one of us could ever say that our parents had not worked hard to try to prepare us for what was ahead as we embarked on our lives one difficult commitment at a time. When we become adults, parents are no longer in the position to shut off our televisions; only we can do that. To honor Mom and Dad - every Lenten Season - "I try" to do something meaningful tied to this important lesson.

In later years, for the 40 days I would commit to a certain exercise routine or eliminate sugar from my tea at the Brusgard house or swear off of a favorite food to help jump-start a health initiative that I'd hope would lead to a behavioral change that would become a long-term benefit managed by little old me.

Since "TishTrek - my 51/51 Challenge" is a journey to Health and Wellness... I'm going to celebrate Fat Tuesday and the start of Lent by taking another step that will enhance this journey! I'm going to up the ante in this challenge... and the drum roll please... I'll let you know what I'm going to commit to tomorrow.

Meaningful periods of reflection and action are woven into the ceremony and tradition of every culture and all religions in every hemisphere. Do something meaningful for yourself this Lenten Season. Sit quiet for a moment or an hour and figure out something you can do more of, or stop, or cut back on which will make a difference in how you feel about yourself and/or others. Do something for the next 40 days or the next 40 years. You won't regret it.

If I can do it, so can you.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "If at first you don't succeed, believe in yourself and try again."
- But you knew that already!

Remember: The Aunts Are Always Right!

Aunt Mary Gunsiorowski is convinced I got Grandma Ceil's story wrong on my last Blog update. I recall researching Bayonne Mobster Boss John DiGilio after Grandma talked about him in 1988 after he was murdered. I remember wondering if any of his friends in high school were able to tell he was headed for a life of crime. Could anyone tell in the early years and/or were there any signs that snuffing out the lives of others would mean nothing to him in his adult life?

Honestly, I could swear mom told me that she dated him a couple of times in her teen years, but Aunt Mary says, "Nope. I have this story wrong!" In Irish families, the Aunts are always right! Aunt Mary insists that Grandma never dated John DeGilio and she would know because she's the little sister! Aunt Mary's recollection is that mom actually beat John DiGilio up for constantly cursing out and harassing other kids in The Alley. This is believable to me because those who knew mom know that she always protected people in her circle like a pit bull if you needed her in your corner or if she recognized you felt threatened.

Well, we'll have to check this story out with Uncle Dan and Uncle John. Maybe they (or someone else from Bayonne...) can weigh in here so we can solve the mystery of this descrepancy... Someone call Patsy Lavan!!

In the meantime, pick whatever version of this story you like best. Okay kids - Grandma Ceil either dated him or beat him up, but we can all agree on one thing: She and lots of her Hudson County friends definitely knew John, who was the oldest of six children in the DiGilio Family. If our tough Bayonne Irish-American mom actually beat up John DiGilio when they were kids, maybe it was actually her - Cecilia Marie Sharkey who inspired John to become a professional boxer before he marched on to his life of crime. You know - like no girl was ever going to beat him up again! Thanks Aunt Mary!! Even I like this story better!!

John was not very tall and stood at 5 foot 7 inches. Eight years before I was born, he won the 1950 New York Daily News Golden Gloves 126lb Sub-Novice Championships by defeating Manuel Vinho of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. While a welterweight boxer, he trained at the Bayonne Police Department Police Athletic League. His first professional boxing match was against Tony Loti on October 16, 1950 in Providence, Rhode Island, which he won by knock out. On April 8, 1954 in in Newark, New Jersey he defeated Felix Redondo and was awarded the New Jersey State Lightweight Title. On November 18, 1955 while fighting Tommy Barto at Madison Square Garden in New York, the fight was stopped, but DiGilio was deemed the winner. On June 15, 1956 once again at Madison Square Garden he knocked down Johnny Busso in 1:39 during the 4th round. The fight was eventually stopped due to cuts over DiGilio's eyes. On February 11, 1958 in Miami Beach, Florida DiGilio suffered a beating and was knocked down in the 4th, 5th and 6th rounds. On March 29, 1958 he fought against Stefan Redl Paterson, New Jersey for the New Jersey State Welterweight Championship and lost. In total, DiGilio boxed 231 rounds, won 28 and lost ten, being knocked out by opponents in three. During his boxing career he weighed in between 147 and 154 pounds and although he got heavier after leaving behind a boxing career, he maintained an athletic build with strong muscular defined shoulders and had an aura of self confidence. He was fairly flamboyant in appearance and in the 70's at the height of his success he drove a gold-colored Cadillac.

He was murdered in a Lincoln Continental. For a little guy he sure liked big cars, huh? Whatever the real story, I'm just glad mom didn't ride with this character for too long.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "It's not an Irish-American thing, we drink wine to make all of you more interesting!" - Dedicated to all my Irish Cousins

The Soprano's vs MTV's Jersey Shore?

Okay - I'm back on the beam!! I logged over 7,000 steps on my Virgin HealthMiles GoZone Monitor this morning! Went to Ocean Family Care for my blood pressure and weight check-in and all is good! :)

There has been a lot of buzz about MTV's Jersey Shore which was filmed to the chagrin of many Italian-Americans. I live in Pt. Pleasant and the house they filmed last season in is a mere eight miles from our home in Seaside, NJ! Fa-get-about-it because the beach scene being depicted by The Situation, Snooki, Pauly D and the rest of those muscle-heads is not the Jersey Shore we know.

If you were watching the 11 p.m. Channel 4 Newscast last night - MTV's Jersey Shore house made the news again!! There was a Sweet 16 party thrown by another over-the-top, over-indulgent, but well meaning local mom (No offense to this mom because it takes one to spot one!). This woman beat me to it and rented MTV's house for her daughter who attends Pt. Pleasant Borough High School and yes - the tall, handsome dancing man cutting up the rug with friends on television was none other than our Scott Ferguson!!

Think about it: It means we too could rent this house to celebrate Kate's NEW Jersey Girl Blog (katecferg.blogspot.com) or have a wild canoli party for Aunt Nonnie's 85th birthday party! Her 85th is still a couple of years away but - rumor has it - that's how long it will take to raise the funds to rent this place!!!

Speaking of funds, I hear the MTV cast have until close of business today to agree to $10,000.00 per episode for reading laugh lines that go something like "Question: What's an innuendo? Answer: An Italian suppository." or they will all be replaced!

Hey, I could recite those scripts! 35 more pounds and some baby oil and maybe I'll get discovered for an upcoming season in a casting call. I can go riding in on a disco ball, bring back my 1980's big hair, apply some good freckle remover, call in my girls from Rutgers, (Karenola, Suzanne and Linda - Grab the Grease album and let's shake IT again!). Afterall, John Gandolfini from the Sopranos used to eat in the same Cook College Cafeteria with us!

Finally, when they find out that Kate and Scott's Grandma Ceil actually dated La Cosa Nostra mobster John DiGilio when she was in high school - I'll be a shoo-in, right? DiGilio, was born December 5th, 1932 to first generation Italian-American immigrants. John Joseph DiGilio Sr. a.k.a. "Johnny Dee", was a New Jersey mobster with the Genovese crime family who became a powerful organized crime leader in New Jersey. He was also called the the Bayonne Boss of Hudson County.

DiGilio became involved in and eventually the boss of illegal gambling, loansharking, labor racketeering and extortion in the Genovese crime family. In the mid-1970s, Digilio took control of International Longshoremen's Association Local 1588 in Bayonne, New Jersey, which had been under Genovese control since the 1960s. Digilio used his position to extort payments from shipping companies in exchange for smooth labor relations. In 1986, Fortune Magazine named DiGilio as number 39 on its list of the 50 biggest and most powerful Cosa Nostra bosses in the United States. My mother dated him before he became this famous!

Louis Auricchio, formerly of Holmdel, was a Genovese crime family soldier looking to increase his power at the time that DiGilio’s body was found floating in the Hackensack River on May 26, 1988. When my mom read in the Newark Star Ledger that he had been killed, she stopped and recalled a nice young man from the early years. It's amazing how close we can be to danger or dangerous people/families without even picking up a clue. What was written about him seemed unbelievable to say the least. DiGilio had been shot five times in the head and had been missing for three weeks. In March 1994, Auricchio pleaded guilty to first-degree state charges of aggravated manslaughter and racketeering.

Auricchio admitted that he conspired with other members of the crime organization to kill DiGilio. He said he shot DiGilio several times in the back of the head with a .38 caliber handgun from the back seat of his own black Lincoln Continental, driven by George Weingartner, a former Bayonne police officer.

Honestly, I don't love how the communities lining the Atlantic Ocean are being portrayed on MTV's Jersey Shore, but I was surprised that so many Italian-Americans got so vocal and so up in arms over this show. How come we heard so little from them during The Soprano's reign?

Think about it: The Soprano's versus Jersey Shore? Are you more offended by a foul-mouthed snapshot of real people who live or lived in the Italian-American community (like John DiGilio) who chose to embrace a life of organized crime laced with murder which made them lots of money while bringing shame to their heritage and families? Or are you more offended by seeing very tan egotistical twenty-somethings with raging hormones and a very 'distinct' dialect looking for action? This answer is easy.

Snooki, and Pauly D are a light-hearted gift to their heritage when compared to Tony Soprano and Italian- American's like the late John DeGilio. Put on the Irish Channel if you don't like the show.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 16/51

Quote of the Day: "A four-letter Italian word for good-bye...BANG" - Archie Bunker

Kate's Blogging Her Way to NYC: katecferg.blogspot.com

I dedicate today's Blog to my daughter - Kate Cecilia Ferguson - who will turn 21 years old on April 20th and who will graduate from The Ohio State University on Sunday, June 13th! The second quarter of 2010 belongs to Kate! It is a glorious time in our family's life...

Kate and I went to see the movie "Julie and Julia" together last year. It turned out to be one of those mom & daughter days that I know we will always remember. Kate used this film to introduce her technically-challenged mom (who is a lover of composition & content) to the worldwide Blogosphere! My Kate and this movie motivated me to start "TishTrek - My 51/51 Challenge"!

Kate was obviously inspired by this experience too. This week she started her very own writing journey which has sent me right over the moon with pride! "She has Grandma Ceil's gift!!" I screamed out yesterday!

Go to: katecferg.blogspot.com

It is a fantastic read about our Jersey Girl who is preparing herself to take on New York City and the WORLD!! Go Kate! Go!


Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish

Score: Kate wins!

Paint the Town Red @ Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty!

Step, step, step... Okay - I have my answers. All is calm. I had sinusitis for three weeks and the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist put me on Ciprofloxacin (2-500MG tabs daily) and Allegra-D 24 Hour Tabs (1 tab daily) and the combo shot my heart rate into orbit. Three days after I stopped this drug therapy, the heart rate plummeted and the pacemaker did what it was supposed to do and kicked in. :)

Next time, I will call my cardiologist before taking any medication that warns you on the label that it "May Cause Dizziness" and/or "Do Not Drive Or Perform Other Potentially Dangerous Tasks Until You Know How This Medicine Affects You." In one of my earlier blogs, I announced that I already knew it was important to monitor everything we put in-or-on our bodies. This scare was unnecessary!

February is American Heart Month, which marks the perfect opportunity for me to continue embarking on this quest for a healthier heart and lifestyle. Despite strides in raising awareness of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death and illness among women, heart disease is still under-recognized, under-treated, and under-diagnosed in women. If nothing else, I hope this blog continues to raise awareness... Are You Good to Your Heart?

Heart Disease kills more than 700,000 people each year; more than 80 million Americans (1 in 3) are currently living with one or more types of cardiovascular disease. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this year alone, more than 920,000 people will have a heart attack (myocardial infarction) and an additional 780,000 will have a stroke. I'm going to continue to assess my lifestyle to see if there are other actions I can take on this journey to mitigate the risks that contribute to these statistics.

In the meantime, I'll be Going Red for Women and celebrating heart health at Jack Baker's Lobster Shanty on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010! Would anyone like to join me??!!

The Red Dress Event:

Plan a night out with the ladies and view several dresses fresh off the runway from New York's 2010 Fashion Week as part of the Red Dress Collection from The Heart Truth Campaign. Notable designers who have dressed the celebrity models in the past for this fashion show include Vera Wang, Donna Karan, Oscar De la Renta, Badgley Mischka, Marc Jacobs, and more. Designed to warn women of their #1 health threat, The Heart Truth created and introduced the Red Dress as the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness in 2002 to deliver an urgent wake-up call to American women.

Enjoy refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, beauty, fashion, door prizes and gift bags – and most importantly, learn your risk factor for heart disease. Take away the latest information on how you can be heart healthy from Sara Grimley, M.D., director of Meridian Women’s Heart Connection. Reserve your spot now as only 200 tickets are available. Attire is casual chic with a splash of red if you wish.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Lobster Shanty
83 Channel Drive, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742


Tickets to this event are $50 and all of the proceeds will benefit women's heart services at Meridian Health.

For Information call 1-800-DOCTORS

Let's paint the town RED at the Lobster Shanty!!

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 14/51

Quote of the Day:

"Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
And you're here in my heart
And my heart will go on and on..."
- Celine Dion, Ensign Music Corp.

This Ain't No Dress Rehearsal!

Step, step, STOP...

Okay gang. Yesterday, I experienced my first noticeable arrhythmias since last summer and found myself oddly breathless. I skipped the Blog last night to get to bed early and I've confined myself to regular walking only. I'm still counting and monitoring my steps with my VirginHealth GoZone Monitor, but I did stop the 100,000 Step Challenge immediately until doctors get a chance to review the heart rate data recorded by my pacemaker. Tomorrow we'll know if the matter requires further exploration or any action on my part.

In layman's terms, what's happened to me before is that sometimes when the chemistry in my blood changes (i.e. improved cholesterol numbers, lower triglycerides, etc.) and/or I'm successful at losing weight with the help of exercise, my medication dosages have had to be altered somewhat to be sure I could continue gaining maximum physical benefit from drug intervention.

For everyone on medication out there - including people like me who are healthy except for these heart rate issues - you have to be vigilant and alert to any physical changes and/or signs of discomfort you may experience at any time. Sometimes your body is just sending a message that it has adapted to a dosage level which may have worked fine for many months or years, but suddenly any number of internal or external factors may now require a higher or lower dosage than previously prescribed.

Look at this example, if you're on 40 milligrams of blood pressure medication and you are exercising more than all of last year AND your diet has addressed some other risk factors, there's a very good chance you may get to reduce the daily dosage or perhaps even eliminate this medication altogether!

Be a hawk when it comes to medications and become your own best advocate by staying informed! Pay attention to how you feel because as we all know, "this ain't no dress rehearsal!"

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 14/51

Quote of the Day: See above.

Healthy Citizens are the Greatest Asset!

Step, step, step... Step over here so we can discuss why eliminating stress has to remain a high priority for any health and wellness journey.

On Tuesday, February 2nd, The New York Post published a letter-to-the-editor that I wrote about President Obama's decision to consider alternate locations for the 9/11 trials. My letter is not about politics - though I'm proud to note that I've had hundreds of political letters published across the country over the past twelve years in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Asbury Park Press and beyond.

This week's letter was honestly about the health and wellness of people who have been through enough. It's about eliminating unnecessary stress for New York residents and for all commuters who happen to work in the vicinity of the New York City Court House to simply put food on their tables and/or to earn the money it takes to fulfill their family dreams.

Here is my Letter:

The 9/11 attacks caused the "post-traumatic-stress event" of our generation. This phenomenon became evident when thousands of us in New York and New Jersey ran for our lives during Air Force One's low-flying photo shoot last year.

Since the Chicago Machine in Washington is oblivious, I'm confident Mayor Bloomberg will rise up like the leader he is to protect the health and welfare of our citizens.

Just say "no" to the terror trials - not now, not today, not ever.

Tish Ferguson
Pt. Pleasant, NJ

I'm not kidding, on Monday April 27th, 2009 when an Air Force One lookalike, the backup plane for the one regularly used by the president, flew low over parts of New York and New Jersey, I had just exited the NJ Turnpike at the 14C Jersey City exit. A booming sweeping sound shook my whole car, so I looked up & out my open sun-roof window and there it was - this giant jetliner accompanied by two F-16 fighter jets. Many of us on the road got out of our car to scan the sky in an attempt to assess and process what was happening.

As I entered the intersection closest to Exchange Place, I was a tad overwhelmed by the scene before me as I watched thousands of people run from their office buildings as this plane circled over us back-and-forth across the Hudson River. Being familiar with the air traffic patterns in-and-out of Newark Airport, it was immediately clear that this plane was flying much too low. People quickly concluded there was danger in the air. I got scared, so I called my Harry and asked him to turn on the news to find out what was happening...

I sought out a big open space near the new Trump residential building and pulled over and joined 15 other commuters - all adult men - who were as alarmed and upset as I was. Everyone was on their cell phones looking for answers, advice, whatever... One guy called his office and demanded that his employees evacuate their building. I called Harry again and told him that I was going to bypass my work location and head away from Jersey City as fast as I could. Should I head to Hoboken? Get back on the Turnpike? Where would I be safe? What's the smart thing to do?

From our vantage point, we could not read the logo on the side of the plane, but the white and aqua colors made some of us think that perhaps it was a hijacked EL AL Israeli passenger jet. What other conclusion can one have in this post-9/11 world especially when U.S. fighter jets were escorting it? I wondered if the airspace had been "sanitized" like on 9/11 - could these jets have been ordered to shoot this plane down?! In a panic, with tears in my eyes and my heart racing, I realized that no matter what action I took, no person on the ground could control how this would end; nor could we secure a defined fate or outcome for ourselves or others.

When I reached the Newport/ Pavonia Path station across from my office, hundreds of people were exiting office buildings there too. Suddenly, all of the traffic stopped and a number of grey & black undercover cars with their lights flashing and sirens blaring surrounded the NJ Path station. Oh my gosh, I thought - I hope there's not a bomb inside this major transportation hub. All I wanted to do was to drive away, but traffic was at a standstill - so I bowed my head and literally asked God to keep me and everybody in Jersey City safe.

A detective ran to the intersection on Washington Blvd and pulled out a bull horn to alert the masses to the fact that there was no danger; he repeated many times that there was no danger! "The airplane in the sky is executing practice military maneuvers. There is nothing to fear. You can go back inside your buildings now. Everything is okay and everything is under control. Do not be afraid."

I parked the car in the garage; bought some coffee; and went into my office to re-start my day. A while later, I read on-line that the situation was not a practice military maneuver afterall. President Obama's plane was conducting some kind of photo shoot over the New York area.

I wrote an e-mail to several family members alerting them to the fact that this silly fly over brought the trauma of 9/11 to the surface for me and thousands of other people that morning. Actions that trigger panic should be eliminated whenever possible. Anxiety causes stress and stress is unhealthy! That's what motivated me to write this week's letter to the New York Post.

So yes - I think the people responsible for the choosing the venue for the 9/11 trials all have the responsibility to look out for the health and welfare of New Yorkers and all those commuters who love and support this great city daily! Forcing good people to relive the stress of 9/11 for years on-end by putting these terrorists and their circus trials in our faces is not good for the health and welfare of anyone!

Having men, women and children patted down at security check points simply because they work or live within a half mile of the courthouse is asking people to endure an unnecessary hardship which is not good for their mental health. Watching people who hate this country march in support of KSM outside the courthouse will make too many of us angry and anger creates a bad state-of-mind that sabotages good health! Guaranteeing that people will have to run from office towers because of bomb scares -like the 30+ that followed in Downtown Manhattan after 9/11 - is not fair to people who are just trying to earn a living. Watching - at close range - as lawyers from our Attorney General's former law firm continue to defend the actions of those who successfully murdered 3,000 fellow commuters and citizens will make too many people -including me - absolutely sick!

Everyone can punch each other out over whether terrorists should be afforded civilian or military trials. I favor the military option myself, but in keeping with the mission of this Blog, my focus is on health and wellness first. It serves the health and welfare of no one to welcome terrorists in Lower Manhattan!

Getting issues and emotions out - and off your chest - when they are pent up inside of you, is an important step to take for good health. Letters to editors actually help me in this regard. With this in mind, I'd like to make the final point that I think the idea of hosting such trials to create a boon for the local economy is appalling. It's the shocking and senseless equivalent of profiting off the backs of those 3,000 fellow citizens who were murdered before our eyes.

"You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life." - Winston Churchill

Just say "no" to terror trials in New York... not now, not today, not ever.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 14/51

Quote of the Day: “Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have”.
- Winston Churchill

Healthy as a Brick What?

The All Shore Chorus ticket crisis was resolved! Two feet of snow cancelled the show!

Step, shovel, step, shovel, step, shovel... We were hit with 18 inches of snow in these parts and it's still snowing. No fair! My friends in Westfield reported 4 inches and NYC is reporting ZERO in some parts. Maggie G in Maryland is getting a work-out with a whopping 24 inches so far with approximately 10 more inches on the way! Go Maggie!

My Harry is attending Jennifer Ferguson's wedding in Las Vegas today! All the Ferguson siblings from around the country and Grandma Eunie were able to be on hand to celebrate this glorious occasion. Wish I could be there right now because Jennifer is that kind of niece who is absolutely wonderful to have in our family. She's smart, sweet, outgoing, generous, beautiful, fun to be with, hard working, loving, and the list goes on and on... This is a special day for our family and we hope that all the joy she has brought to others comes back to her ten-fold for the rest of her life! We love you Jen!

Now, back to health clubs: I'm leaning towards the $99.00 special at Brick Fitness -an all women's club with a casual and supportive atmosphere! My Amy suggested it... and a few of my friends are satisfied patrons, so I'm going to check it out as soon as the snow clears!

You have no idea how important a little professional exercise oversight is for a klutz like me. Last February, I launched my 487th failed attempt at an exercise program. There I was minding my own business on the treadmill in my garage at 10 p.m. and - like an idiot - I lost my footing and was thrown off onto the concrete floor. I squealed like a pig on fire and no one heard me! As I executed a quiet damage assessment, I couldn't help but think that maybe I should have paid attention to Aunt Nonnie five years ago when her observations caused her to blurt out, "Hey Tish - I think you've been jogging for thirty years and how much weight have you lost? A pound?"

After an awful night of hot baths, I had no option but to go to the emergency room next to the O.B. Diner. Aside from my broken rib and the rubber burn exposing the hole the edge of the treadmill tore into my leg, I had also sprained my right shoulder, arm and wrist; And oh my gosh - my collar bone still goes into stinging spasms one year later!! They sent me on my way with a blow up cast to secure my wrist, a prescription for shoulder rehab, and the rest as they say, "Is another chapter in Tish's pathetic athletic history!" Am I the only one seeing a pattern here? As I continue pounding on my keyboard in the Blogosphere, aren't you starting to wonder why the heck I didn't take a collection for liposuction years ago?!

The following Monday when I went to work, two of my colleagues were in casts as well - one guy fell on the basketball court; the other faltered while skate boarding. Okay, their stories were better than mine, but I admit I was happy there were a couple of other injuries in the office that week to take some of the spotlight off my sling!

I'll tell you, my Dad was always proud of me when I jogged from our house on Forman Avenue to the Manasquan Inlet and back; or from the Laurelton Circle to home again. He'd always smile and say, "Tish - Great job! You know you'll never be Twiggy... but all that running will keep you as strong as a brick shit house and healthy as a bull!"

My gosh - I just figured out that Aunt Nonnie and Dad were both trying to warn me that all my athletic efforts were headed straight for the nearest toilet!

How could a girl not know that being compared to a brick shit house and a bull wasn't exactly something to brag about?!

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 13/51

Quote of the Day: "A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses."
-Hippocrates

Help: Do You Know Anyone On The Red Bank Regional Board of Ed?!

I can't talk steps today... because I'm hyper-ventilating!

Below I've attached the wonderful article from www.app.com today about Scott's All-Shore All-Star Chorus Concert tomorrow night. Scott never ordered our tickets in advance and he (and everyone else...) said I could get them at the door. But!!! With all the Asbury Park Press & radio advertising, they SOLD OUT yesterday for the first time in 47 years!!

Can someone lend me their third born or find me a janitor's outfit? Perhaps I can arrange an Irish Festival for the conductor's favorite charity?!! I have to get tickets to this event for me and the Aunt Mary's and Aunt Maggie and my neighbors who all made plans to attend!!! Ohhhh - we even planned an early bird dinner.

Holy cow - Harry went to Las Vegas to be with his mom and entire Ferguson family for our beautiful niece's wedding and I'm here because our little 6 foot tall boy has this special CONCERT!! Aunt Mary Gunsiorowski - I can hear you over there on Oak Terrace defending him already!! But really - pick up the envelope on the kitchen table and buy your mom her tickets so she can cheer you on isn't being too demanding or harsh, is it??!!!

Oh wow - this is my all-time favorite annual concert! No kidding - The event absolutely took my breath away last year. These kids produced a show that was as good as any performance I've seen anywhere on the planet! I have to get in there! Does anyone have a black ski mask?? Maybe the snow storm will keep people away and I'll get in anyway... Maybe the event will have to be moved to the Sunday snow date -Arrggghhh!!

When Scott called me at work yesterday and told me I couldn't get tickets - I scared my colleagues in Jersey City because I let out a loud scream!! If this doesn't work out, I'm making him call the 3 Mary's (Aunt Mary G & B and Mary Pell!) and my Maggie!

Okay, I admit it! I'm one of the people in New Jersey praying for snow today.

And PS - Don't worry about "your boy" Aunt Mary because everyone blames the mom in these circumstances anyway. Do you know how I know this? Because the last two years while Scott was going through his growth spurts, he was standing on the risers during the May concerts in black FLOOD PANTS! And "I" leaned over to the strangers next to me and asked, "Who's his mother?!!" We're ahead of the pant and shirt management curve for this concert, so at least I won't get blamed for that this time!


A note to Mary Sharkey: Yes, I know - this blog entry gets filed under "Planning."

All-star chorus concert at Red Bank Regional to be in tune with times
By MICHELLE GLADDEN • STAFF WRITER • February 4, 2010

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LITTLE SILVER — "It's amazing, I don't even conduct when you listen to each other," Joseph Cantaffa told the 135 students who make up this year's All-Shore Chorus.

That accolade and many others were interspersed with some grueling moments Wednesday night during one of the last three-hour rehearsals the group would have before Saturday's annual concert.

"You have to sing the contrast of dynamics here," he told them later on in the evening. "You are still too cautious. You want the room to be full of energy. Use the part of your sound palette that is already in your vocabulary."
But none of these students seemed to mind Cantaffa's lecturing. In fact, they were raising their hands asking questions on how to better approach a note or keep tempo.

"These kids are the best of the best," Cantaffa said. "There is so much talent in this group, I only wish I had more time to bring them to their full potential."
But what Cantaffa and the students from 36 area high schools had was one month to prepare for the regional competition turned team effort.

"So often these kids are in competition with each other to get into the choir but once they are here they are not," said accompanist Beth Moore of Central Regional High School. "Getting them to come together as one unit, one voice, is the biggest challenge."

Created in 1963, the All-Shore Chorus brings high school students and professionals from across Monmouth and Ocean counties together for an annual all-star performance.
The fact that Cantaffa, a Howell High School alumnus, performed three years with the nonprofit group and has now returned, more than 20 years later, as its guest conductor is a story of coming full circle.

"The whole thing is kind of surreal to me," the 39-year-old Howell resident said. "Never in my wildest dream did I ever think I would get this opportunity. It genuinely means the world to me."

And just as he has done as a Howell High School music and production teacher, where he created the a capella group Rebel Yell and the '50s and '60s all-girl track act The Rebelettes, Cantaffa is adding his signature rock 'n roll flair to the 47th annual production.

"We've always done traditional choral pieces," said ASC president Peter Isherwood, a choral director at Middletown North High School.

"I can't tell you how happy I am that this is happening," Isherwood said of the repertoire and performance changes.

Among them will be contemporary pieces such as Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen numbers fitted specifically for the choral group, and the multimedia video feature "A Making of the All-Shore Chorus," Isherwood said.

The annual performance will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with a 3 p.m. Sunday snow date, at Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver. The school's choral director, Kristopher Zook, is wearing the production manager hat.

By Friday afternoon, the show was sold out for only the second time in its 47-year-long history, the last time was in 2001, when Zook was the guest conductor, event officials said.

"The students enjoy doing this so much," said Zook, who has participated in the annual event for the past 12 years. "Really, we are getting them to use their whole brain — their logical side as well as their creativity.

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Michelle Gladden: 732-643-4095; mgladden@app.com; twitter.com/mgladdenAPP

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: Who can think about a score at a time like this?!

NO QUOTE TODAY: For once - I'm speechless!

Health Clubs: No Judging Books By Their Covers!

Step, step, step... I only made time to log 3,021 steps yesterday on my Virgin Healthmiles GoZone Monitor, so I have to step it up this week. The good news is: Yesterday, a member of my team from the New Year's Resolution Challenge invited me to participate in a NEW challenge which starts February 6th! I'm pumped! The goal is to see who can get to 100,000 steps first. I won't win this challenge because of the Achilles heel, but I'm joining anyway... I stayed motivated knowing that other colleagues were watching my score during that first challenge. I think I poured it on more often for that reason alone, so I'm going to join this new group effort and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

Today I'm going to start my search for a health club to help enhance this journey. Sixteen years ago I belonged to Living Well Lady and did rather well... but I have some reservations on which gyms I "might" be inclined to join and which ones someone called "Pat Fat" in her childhood "might" have to steer clear of. Look, I need help, so if you think any of my perceptions are wrong, please send an e-mail to tish509@comcast.net!!

- I'm looking for the best place in town for my needs. Aerobic fitness and steps are great, but without "some" weight training, it's impossible to attack inches on every front. I knew this in January, but I didn't want to overwhelm myself with too many NEW athletic commitments in the first few weeks. January was about Virgin HealthMiles steps; February is about getting stronger with the help of weight training. Make no mistake though - January and February won't count if every month in 2010 is not also about what I put into my body and how I handle life's responsibilities and the stress that comes along for those little rides...

Let's see - How about Gold's Gym on Rt 35 South? Years ago, the grand opening reminded me of a scene from MTV's "Jersey Shore!" Back then, I didn't think I owned enough gold necklaces or tanning lotion to workout there, so I ran to Wall Township and did the safe thing - I joined Living Well Lady! Then again, those high caliber athletes with their magnificent "GOLD"EN tans are in such stellar shape, that I imagine these days they'd make a 51 year old wanna be - like me - feel a tad out of my muscle league, don't you think? I picture them looking over in a flabbergasted stunned state thinking, "Who let this lady out of my grandmother's nursing home? Or good gosh - that broad should have found a health club 30 years ago?!" Is there a chance that as these Thumb-Heads and Juicers stay focused on fawning over their own reflections in the 100-plus exercise mirrors, that not a single one of them would even notice me?! This club is local; right on the way home from work; lots of equipment; good price; nice atmosphere; and good trainers. Hmmm...

Then there's the "Social Experiment" called Brielle Sports Club where the old Shop Rite used to sit. Does anyone remember that Bar and "Polyester Pant Palace" called the Barber Shop where Farrell's Restaurant now resides in Pt. Beach? Oh gosh, the stories making their way across the Manasquan River are managing to keep the memories of those leisure suit lizards at the Barber Shop on Broadway alive! If you're single - just grab your short-shorts and sign up for this gym right away. Rumor has it, the establishment has an actual Meat Counter left over from the old Shop-Rite days for professionals looking for new commuting partners to run with for the rest of their lives! Married, single - it doesn't matter - it's an equal opportunity environment. Show up and take a number! We're talking don't even think about touching your toes if you're not looking for action! I guess it's nice to know that muscular creepy crawlers have healthier places to prowl in the 21st Century, but really girls?! Maybe if the Barber Shop was still around, this glorious health club would not have been soiled by the stench of rotting sneakers. This place is out.

"Anytime Fitness" in Pt. Pleasant is run by a very nice couple. They are expert personal trainers and I've heard they've helped many students in our area get into shape, prepare for sports seasons, championships, etc., so maybe they could map out a program to help little "old" me? But then again, I can only go here if I don't mind every health-obsessed teacher, student, and citizen in Pt. Pleasant knowing how many minutes I spend on treadmills or how much my back fat wobbles when I'm executing upper-body movements. Everyone in town loves this place!! And Okay - You can access this facility 24/7, so maybe arriving three nights a week after my commute from Jersey City, would actually keep me from running into too many familiar faces on a regular basis. After all, I wouldn't be exercising until after 8:00 p.m., right? But then again, what's a girl to do about those weekends?!! Hmmm...

My cousin Brian, and our awesome Sandy, just joined (perhaps rejoined...) the Meridian Healthcare Facility called LIFE on Arnold Ave in Pt. Beach. I'm gone four days week from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., so I just don't think the hours at LIFE can accommodate me and my crazy schedule. Hmmm - but they have health care professionals from all walks of life, (no pun intended), on-hand to monitor their customers and that could be a definite long-term health benefit for me. Maybe a couple of days a week - while being monitored closely - is all I need? Any effort will be more weight training than I was doing last month.

How about the glorious Atlantic Club in Wall Township with its' top-notch amenities?? Nope - I'd never find the time to get my money's worth! But - most people I know love this place! This club is in my future!

Now - there's also a new Boot Camp in town, but I've heard working with big balls can be dangerous? Is this true? Does anyone out there have an opinion?

Okay... Finally, there is the Newport Health and Racquet Club in Jersey City across from my office. Many colleagues exercise during lunch or immediately after work. If I go there after work, I'd get home much later than 8 p.m. and that's a long day. Also, I know I could never get there in the middle of the afternoon. Not sure my commitment could be consistent if I choose a gym this close to my office and so far away from my home. Hmmm...

I'll have to walk and think on this one. I'll circle back soon.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 13/51

Quote of the Day: "When you're searching for a gym, don't judge a book by it's cover! Never poke fun at people who exercise harder than you, unless you hire a personal trainer as a body guard!" - author unknown

Help Wanted: Personal Trainer! Call Tish immediately, if not sooner.

Literally: Don't Let That Parade Pass You By!

Step, step, step... I just keep marching on to the beat of my new drum and I continue to feel good about this entire journey. Attitude - of course - is key.

Over the years, if my attitude needed some adjusting, I'd just try to go out and create events or challenges to bring an infusion of positive people and their energy into my life. It's actually very easy to do. You just set a goal; assess what needs to get done to achieve that goal; map out a step-by-step plan; and execute on that plan.

In my Kate's 2007 high school yearbook, I dedicated a number of quotes to her and one of them read, "Stay positive and remember that you're never too old to ride on a motorized parade float." For more than thirty-years, I had so much fun creating floats with the help of artistic and talented cousins and assorted family members!

Thanks to a gentle giant by the name of Connie Vucola (May he rest in peace...), who was my beloved friend with the motorized flatbeds that made these special chapters of my life possible - we lit up the town with laughter, balloons, Disney characters, music, kids and friends as "his" trucks led parades for the Lion's Club Inner Tube Races, School Spirit Days, and the Pt. Pleasant Halloween and Memorial Day Parades.

When Kate was eleven years old and Scott was 7, it was clear to me that my kids - like most kids - view the expressions on their parent's faces as a window into how they should respond to any number of issues. I know this will sound crazy, but 14 days before one of my surgeries, I forced the biggest smile I could summon and laughed hysterically as I let the kids tie me into a living room chair and put me on top of our 101 Dalmatians "Who Let the Dogs Out" motorized float which was featured in the Pt. Pleasant Halloween Parade!

As the song, "Who Let the Dogs Out" played, Kate waved to the crowds lining the parade route posing as a beautiful Cruella Deville seeking to be adored by all who observed her stunning silouette on flatbed truck #1. My job was to finish the theme on flatbed truck #2 as the bad and ugly Cruella who had been tied up by my Scott and the 100 other Dalmatians who, as the Disney story goes, enjoyed the last laugh at Cruella’s expense after she tried to kidnap them! Ninety kids - of all ages - on three trucks and dressed as dogs and dog catchers rode with us on our family float that day! It was so much fun!

I came up with the idea to actually tie myself to the float because doctors had just confirmed that my vagus nerve in the parasympathetic system - the system that influences heart rate and blood pressure - was in trouble. The condition, called vasovagel sydrome and which is easily diagnosed with a simple Tilt Test, was brought on when the vagus nerve became "somehow" activated, producing a sudden dilation of blood vessels, which then caused a dramatic drop in blood pressure in seconds. When this symptom presented itself, I'd black out for a few seconds and that fact had put me out of work on disability and restricted me from driving while the good doctors did their research. It had been a tough six months, but if I could stay safely tied to the flatbed truck, there was no reason to back out of the parade, right?

You see, I knew exactly what I was doing that day when I purposely reached inside myself to produce a powerful visual the kids could not ignore. In my grey & black wig and black boots I was literally tied to that float wearing my mother's fur coat and pearls to prove to Kate and Scott that sitting this glorious annual event out was not an option for me or them. In the end, our motorized float won every category and laughter prevailed!!! It was a great day.

An attitude altered by fear of the unknown should never be the sole reason you let a parade pass you by.

Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 13/51

Quote of the Day: "Don't wait for moments to come; create them by using your own energy, creativity and enthusiasm."
- Kate's Mom, 2007