Blind Kitty ~ Humanity at its Finest!

We have rescued many animals (you can see more on the Moussie Tales side bar on the left-hand column of this site) & our family was so touched by this video.

God bless the folks who adopted this blind little kitten. Watch this tender video as Oskar discovers his very 1st toy:

Hurricane Irene Pushes My Bright Spot!

Hurricane Irene ripped through metro New York and coastal towns in our area destroying homes and businesses. Our schools are closed for an extra week because of all the downed trees and power lines on the bus routes. Many people were left without power for a week; all I kept thinking about were the elderly, the disabled and all the Moms who have babies and toddlers to care for in the dark with no water. It also made me think very deeply of the 6-year-old little girl and her family we sponsor in Africa and how limited their resources are with power and water. It makes their plight and struggle for survival really hit home.

We were one of the families who were flooded; we had no power, no communication services, no running water. We’re on well water and when the power goes, so does the pump. Toilets don’t flush, oh, joy! Throw in a period the night of the hurricane and it can pretty much go downhill from there.

But Phillip was my hero, as usual, driving back & forth downtown filling gallon after gallon of water jugs. Sure, we prepared – we filled the tub – but at 2.5 gallons of water to flush, it doesn’t last that many days! He bought a load of Poland Spring and at first I felt so guilty flushing it down the toilet – literally! We used the “refilled” jugs for that and the remaining bottled spring water for drinking & brushing.

But before we could get downtown, we 1st we had to get out of our road – again Phillip & our son were my heros! A tree blocked our road. Neighbors were stuck. We’re far in the back country, near the horse farms and golf courses.

   

We are not a priority area, so I knew workers would not be clearing the end of our road for a while.

 

So in rain and heavy winds, my men cleared the way. I snapped pics, Little Petal supervised. A grand team effort in a time of family & neighborly need.

 

We had our battery-operated radio and listened to the radio station we air from weekly – WSTC & WNLK – it was the only outside communication we had. And we had dark chocolate-covered graham crackers – a must-have during this dodgy week!

With no electricity, time seems to pass more slowly. My stomach was still achy, brushing teeth was a misery trying to not waste the bottled water while cleaning the toothbrush, night came way too quickly and I just wanted to wash my hands!

My buttons were being pushed and I had to push back – I had to find my Bright SpotTM and make it a grand adventure! (See Mission: Bright Spot - 3rd flower tab in the nav bar above).

Finding your Bright SpotTM is not an easy task. The effort comes in times of adversity. But I decided to turn my situation into something great and memorable. We became pioneers and turned the hurricane recovery time into family fun time.

So what exactly was the Bright SpotTM in all this?? We all drove to my Mom’s house (my sister’s family had no power either) for hot showers, home-cooked dinner and good times all together. Then we bought dozens of battery-operated tea light candles and used them for the den, bedrooms, hallways, staircase, etc. It was very pretty. We had our 6-year-old pick out her favorite brand new flashlight and she played with the cats – chasing the little spot light here, there and everywhere. Our little one stayed in our room and we made shadow puppets on the ceiling with her new flashlight. We had friends over and in daylight hours played family games like Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land and I Spy.

We watched crazy men with bike helmets play golf on a flooded course – hello???

And because we had to eat out every day, I didn’t have to cook! And that means NO dishes…which in itself is its own Bright SpotTM!!

Do You Need Fur That Badly??

If you’ve read my Press Release, you know my husband and I fervently hope for the end of the brutal seal hunt in Canada and have worked with the Senior Vice President of the Humane Society of the United States Wildlife to stop the largest massacre of marine mammals on the planet – slated to begin this early April on the baby seals’ birthing floes. 

According to this Senior VP, “the Canadian government is now allowing 468,200 seals to be killed – an increase of 80,000 from 2010. This is the HIGHEST SLAUGHTER since the 50s and 60s when the sealers nearly decimated the seal population by as much as two-thirds!!”  468,200 seals will be slaughtered in a 6-week period – you do the math, that’s a lot of hooked-club bludgeoning in an 8-hour day!!

There’s ONE thing that you can do to help STOP this, read below.

Fact: 95% of the seals beaten to death are less than 3 months old.

Fact: Over 50% are 12 – 30 days old! Most have not even eaten their 1st solid meal. They are nursing on their mother’s milk on their birthing grounds.

Fact: Most cannot swim yet as they are so young. Even the bigger seals cannot defend themselves – they cannot run away! Come on – they don’t even have legs, this is NOT a hunt but a vicious, savage massacre! 

Fact: Observing vetrinarians say as many as 42% of the seals are skinned alive. Video shows the mothers cry!

I mean, really, do you need fur so badly that you are willing to wear the remains of a baby seal beaten to death by a hooked club? Seal products are banned in the US, thank God, but it needs to stop worldwide and YOU CAN HELP BY MAKING ONE SIMPLE CHANGE – DON’T BUY CANADIAN SEAFOOD – JUST LOOK AT SEAFOOD LABELS IN YOUR STORES OR ASK WHERE SEAFOOD WAS PURCHASED WHEN YOU’RE IN RESTAURANTS, OR JUST GO TO THE HSUS SITE BELOW FOR DETAILS.

If you have the guts for it, read my article in XD Magazine, but be warned the photos are graphic. Click on the red words below here that say “end the seal hunt” to read my article, and to see how YOUR ONE simple change can have a huge impact:

Article:  End the Seal Hunt

Or click on the seal photo below to learn more about the boycott to not buy Canadian seafood until this henious brutality stops.

 

 

The Bright Spot  – YES, THERE IS ONE AND AGAIN, IT’S YOU!!  650,000 individuals and 5,500 companies are participating in the HSUS ProtectSeals Boycott of Canadian Seafood. THANK YOU if you are one of the 650,000 people and THANK YOU if you go to the seal link above and join the effort.

A MILLION Thanks to YOU!!

We hit our 1 Millionth page view on this site since its launch 6 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We only have YOU to thank as our faithful readers of this site and as listeners of our radio show, “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip” on stations WSTC and WNLK, and streaming LIVE worldwide.

                  

With guests from around the nation, our show focuses on Life, Love & Parenting issues. We welcome all of your input and respond to every e-mail.

The show is archived on this site every week! – just click on the Radio Show flower in the navigation bar above to select a topic of interest to listen to at your convenience.

                          

We’d love & appreciate your vote ~ only takes a minute.

     Please click on this Vote Now image ~ you’re eligible because we stream Live.

On the VOTE NOW survey above, please forward to page 4 & under Radio Personalities: type in “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip,” and under Radio Station (local): type in “1400am WSTC, Norwalk.”

Then just hit “Submit” at the end. You don’t have to give your information.

The Bright Spot  – YOU, YOU, YOU!!  Our readers, listeners, followers and friends, THANKS A MILLION!! LITERALLY!!

How Do You Measure Time?

(This is a special 3-part post that runs from December 21 – December 28th. As you read down the page, you’ll know what I mean.)

I am so tired of people being offended by holiday greetings, holiday decorations, holiday traditions.

I just heard in the news yesterday that some people in England want everyone to take down their outdoor Christmas decorations because it depresses and offends them because they don’t celebrate Christmas and have no decorations.

Please read Mission: “Bright Spot” in the navigation bar above – just click on the flower.

There you will learn much about me…including that I come from a very large, close-knit, multicultural, multi-religious, multi-international, multi-lingual family.

We were raised to be open and accepting of all cultures and religions; raised to be respectful and open-minded. To be kind and thoughtful of other families’ customs and celebrations.

If you want to put up a tree, put up a tree. If you want to light a Menorah, light a Menorah. If you want to drink from a Kikombe cha Umoja Unity Cup for Kwanzaa, drink from the cup, but for God’s sake, stop your cantankerous yammering, put on your happy face and let the world celebrate…together!

Embrace the differences.

(Our Snowy Village and Christmas Tree)

 

I remember one year buying a Mezuzah for my brother-in-law. I had one of the Rabbis explain what it was. I initially liked its beauty but when he explained what it was, I was doubly excited.

As it was December 22nd, the Rabbi asked me what it was for. “It’s a Christmas present for my brother-in-law,” I beamed.

I explained that my father was Muslim, my mother a Lutheran, my sister and I were baptized Protestant, we went to Catholic schools for 17 years and my sister married a Jewish man, and that was just a glimpse of my very unique family…then the Rabbi hugged me and said, “You are what the United Nations should be!”

Today, my sister called to tell me her husband collapsed and was rushed to the hospital unconscious. As I wait here with the children, I can only pray. And then pray some more.

One of my cousins had sent me the following in an e-mail. It asks “How Do You Measure Time?”

The author is unknown but the message is clear. We don’t know how long we have with one another, so enjoy every moment.

To realize the value of 4 years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize the value of 1 year:
Ask a student who has failed a final exam.

To realize the value of 9 months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize the value of 1 month:
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of 1 minute:
Ask a person who has missed  the train, bus or plane.

To realize the value of 1 second:
Ask a person who has survived an accident.

To realize the value of a friend or family member: LOSE ONE.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have.

And hold on tight to the ones you love!

The Bright Spot   – I have the power of prayer in my belief system. You may believe otherwise, but that’s the beauty of this nation.

We are strong because we are different. Don’t worry about who’s celebrating what. Celebrate with them and enjoy  life!

UPDATE ON THIS STORY (the following morning):

As soon as the kids were off to school, I drove to the hospital which was more than an hour away (my husband went yesterday). And thank God I left so early! Here’s why:

My sister set off shortly after I left. We planned that I would visit my brother-in-law 1st in Intensive Care while she waited in the lobby with their little one. Then we would switch and I would watch their daughter while she visited with her husband. (Their little one wasn’t allowed upstairs because of a bad virus). 

During my visit I found out that he had been feeling very ill, had picked up this virus while away on business, and then really felt ill yesterday morning. He felt so delirious, he could no longer make out the numbers on his phone to dial 911, so he called out to a neighbor nearby, waving, “Help me! Help me please!” She looked at him and drove off. He said he felt like he was dying and he didn’t want to die at home alone, he wanted to get to the public so he went to the nearby coffee shop and staggered in, telling the owner he was a diabetic and needed help.

The owner yelled at him that he must be drunk because he was slurring his words so the owner called the police – not an ambulance!! Then he threw my brother-in-law out the door and told him to wait outside for the police – excuse me, it’s 20 degree weather here!!  No longer able to stand, he waited on the ground, delirious, weak and shivering.

The police arrived. My brother-in-law had just his last ounce of strength left to mumble he was a diabetic and was feeling very strangely and then he passed out.

Doctors told us when the ambulance arrived, glucose levels in a healthy body are supposed to average 100, his count was 1,700 and that he was close to slipping into a coma and was 10 minutes from dying. They actually say he is a “prime case study” because none of them knew how he didn’t die. Now I ask you – where is all this holiday spirit of love and giving and kindness and helpfulness? I was just sick when I heard all this!

So then, while I was visiting him in Intensive Care, a call came in from a hospital staff member telling me that my sister had slipped in the lobby, cut her hand on some rusty metal and was in the Emergency Room undergoing treatment, a Tentanus shot, and x-rays and could I come and get the little one.

The day was long for all of us. So what’s the Bright Spot  in all this??

I remembered my own blog post above from yesterday – how do we measure time, how do we value time? I was with my sister, brother-in-law and niece. I was there to be a helping hand. I was there for a reason. It’s 2 days before Christmas Eve, our big celebration, when I could have been flitting about with last-minute preparations. And tomorrow is a big show on our radio program, I could have been preparing guest questions, etc…

But I was with family ~ and there was no other place I would have rather been but right there in the hospital…valuing my time with my loved ones.

UPDATE December 28th:

My brother-in-law has now finally been moved out of the Intensive Care Unit, thank God. He will be in the hospital for quite some time. Thank you so much for all of the e-mails that were sent to us last night – we appreciate it!

Thank you from my family to yours. Hold those you cherish close to you as you celebrate the New Year.

Tea Cups

Our sweet, adorable “Uncle” George passed away at the age of 95. 

He was the consummate gentleman.

Always held the door open, always in a suit, tie and outdoor hat to go to dinner – no complaints or excuses even as he wearied in his 90s.

He was a devout religious man, a boy scout, an engineer, a loving husband, an incredible man.

My husband’s father and my father had both passed away and George became the

Patriarch of our family. 

His beloved wife, Mildred, had passed away about 16 years ago and we met George the following year ~ he lived next door to my sister on the beach – this is her lovely house at sunset – simply glorious.

Mildred and George had no children; we “adopted” George into our family and for 15 years we shared every holiday, every birthday and every regular day in between as family.

He even had a cell phone on our family plan. 

For George’s 90th birthday, we had more than 80 people at our home to celebrate. We set up huge foam poster boards with photos from his youth – he kept those boards all around his home for years.

Whenever we visited George at his home, he would make tea. It was our very own special tradition – he always had delicious goodies and a fine story to tell.

But the time came when George wasn’t feeling well. He asked us what we would like from him to remember him by.

He knew very clearly we never wanted anything but his love, strength, model of life for our children and model of love and communication for our marriage. But he asked more persistently as he was dissolving his material things so I said we would be honored to have his tea cups.

We would enjoy them throughout our lifetime and think of him.

Little Petal’s Fairy Princess Tea Party for her 4th birthday was inspired by George ~ for he gave us these gorgeous porcelain tea cups that he and Mildred had collected from all around the world.

We honored his gracious gift by telling that story to everyone at the tea party

and we all clapped in his honor.

Below is Little Petal turning 4 and her adorable friend – all the little princess were

so naturally gentle with the porcelain. So sweet and beautiful to see.

We miss our Uncle George very much but we know he longed to be with his dear wife so much.

Phillip and our son were pallbearers, carrying George to his final destination beside his beloved. Both said doing so was very healing for them.

George had brought flowers to Mildred’s resting site every single Saturday for 16 years. He is a model for all of us.

The Bright Spot  â€“ If we all bring one lonely person into our lives, we can change this world one snuggle at a time.

Please go to the Radio Show flower in the navigation bar above and listen to the show we broadcasted Live on November 4, 2010 – it’s now archived on this site ~ we talked about this wonderful way to integrate our Senior Citizens into our families, our lives (and the conversation after the elderly and children about World Vision reduced me to tears.)

Our Senior Citizens are the walking treasures of history, story-telling and love from a time gone by. Grab hold before their story is gone. Everyone in the family benefits and your experience will last for a lifetime!

“We Have Found Your Mother”

                           

                                 Mother – Ceil in 1983                          Daughter – Linda in 2010

“We have found your mother.”

Those were the words Linda heard after searching months for her birth mother.

Ceil had never held her baby, had never even seen her baby – EVER!

As she walked the halls of the maternity ward and saw the window to the nursery, she knew if she looked through the glass, she would not be able to go through with it – but in the 60s, it was difficult for a woman with a child to find a job, she said women didn’t have credit cards and they could not take out a loan on their own. Ceil wanted her baby to have a mom, a dad and a home.

She turned around in the hallway and went back to her room and sobbed her heart out.

Ceil never had any other children.

44 years later, her daughter found her!

Phillip and I documented the reunion that happened just 6 days ago – you’re invited to share this beautiful moment in the short video below in the next post, just scroll down – but to acutally hear their story, click on the Radio Show flower tab above in the navigation bar above to listen to their heart-wrenching story.

The Bright Spot  is clearly family – old and new -  love, hope and celebration!

Hello & Welcome!

In a world of curdling sippy cups, crushed gold fish crackers under the car seats, and perhaps even your white-knuckled grip on your last ounce of sanity after a day with the kids, the boss or both, this is an exciting day!!

I personally invite you to journey with me together ~ through this blog, its stories, tips, videos, photo galleries & the upcoming radio show ~ as we discuss life, love, parenting, relationships, and empowerment by finding your Bright Spot.

What is the Bright Spot?

When the world deals you a rough hand, it’s looking for the good in any situation. You know, the silver lining, the lesson learned, the insight, the blessing, the take-away value…ultimately, the hope!

But how can I help empower you?” Oh, believe me, I’ve been there -click on Mission “Bright Spot”  in the navigation bar above to get the whole story, but here’s just a glimpse of finding that brilliant spot of hope in my life to empower myself over and over again.

Oh, the extremes!!

I’ve dined at Parliament, and have grabbed dollar burgers at Mickey D’s.

I’ve been chauffeured around England in a Rolls Royce, and I’ve had my finely-coiffed hair sucked out of a tornado-ravaged-blown-out back window of a pick-up truck driven by a wannabe cowboy on a first date. Dear Lord, help me empower myself!

I’ve been served decadent dinners on Caribbean beaches by full moon; and served up my own mac&cheese at home on the fly.

I’ve been interrogated by the FBI (nerve-wracking!) and I’ve been hit by lightening (more nerve-wracking!!); when store registers freeze, my husband smiles at the cashiers, “Oh, that’s just my wife; she’s electric!”

I’ve kissed fools and I’ve kissed princes (yep, the kind with crowns and egos) and sometimes the fool was the prince.

I’ve enjoyed scrumptious escargot within Ascot’s Royal Enclosure, and sputtered up chunks of meat when I found out it was black snake soup in China.

I’ve traveled in private planes, & have been scrunched in the back row of economy class next to the toilets.

And I’ve certainly dated my share of losers and learned the hard way what the lesson – the Bright Spot  – in each sour relationship was – finding out exactly what I didn’t want in a man or a relationship!

So when my husband came along, I knew instantly. We were only in each other’s company 46 days when we married.

Look, I love flowers but I’m no gardener. I love to eat but I’m no cook.

So who am I? Ultimately, I’m a wife, a mom, a daughter, a sister, a woman seizing every minute with gratitude. Enjoy these moments with those you love.

Look at the lesson, the gift, the blessing in every situation – good or bad – find your Bright Spot  and start empowering yourself today!

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