F-35 Lightning, Blue Angels, Red Arrows!!!!

Turn your volume to 10 & enjoy the supersonic sounds of jet engines roaring to this super-amazing song, LEGEND by THE SCORE!!!! (Copyright Owners: UMG on behalf of Universal Records, Album: Atlas by The Score). Video from our cell phones, one of my all-time videos to edit especially to this fabulous song!! Enlarge & turn it up!!!

We joined 50,000 people over the weekend at the New York International Air Show 2019, Stewart Int’l Airport, New Windsor near West Point for the debut of the $100 Million Mighty F-35 Lightning II Supersonic Fighter Jet, helmet $400,000, 3-mile vertical climb in 3 seconds – YES, A MILE A SECOND!!!!  So heart-poundingly loud – can break the sound barrier!!! The rumble in our bodies as the Lightning II thundered by is indescribable!!!!

Plus, the US Navy’s phenomenal BLUE ANGELS & the Royal Air Force’s RED ARROWS precision aerobatics!!! Red Arrows touring the US after 11 years. And when our new mighty F-35 Lightning II flew with the World War II P-51 Fighter Bomber plane (see end of video above), it was such an unforgettable moment of new technology & old faithfuls, wow!!!!

Royal Air Force Red Arrows ~ 11 pilots, 100+ crew, 5,000 aerobatic performances in 57 countries since launching 1965! Our daughter received all the aviators’ autographs here:

(Credit: Royal Air Force Red Arrows & The Blues)

The entire show was breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, this pic from our cell phone!) 

 (Credit: US Navy’s Blue Angels logo)(Credit: Royal Air Force Red Arrows banner)

The Bright Spot – A bucket list moment for my dear husband! (Click: Phillip) After 12 hours, we came home & watched TOP GUN ON FULL VOLUME – OF COURSE!!!! Dad’s favorite movie!!!

Our Soldier: 82nd Airborne

20th Anniversary

Happy 20th Anniversary!
These photos are of our weddings in England & America.

They were 4 weeks apart both under a full moon.

In the last group of photos, there’s a picture of us today. 

For more on the English wedding, click here: Castles & Vows

Since my beloved father had passed away suddenly the previous year, my husband’s wonderful father walked me down the aisle in England and my father’s best friend, Prince Abdul Ali Seraj, walked me down the aisle in America. My sweet dog, Moussie, with his huge white bow led the way down the aisle!! And I love how Moussie’s standing next to me in the above picture!

For the story on this amazing dog, click here: Moussie

I had wonderful bridesmaids at the English wedding & the American wedding and, of course, the best maid-of-honor, my sister! Most bridesmaids flew back and forth. Look closely and you’ll see my sweet furbaby, Moussie, sitting on the grass with his big white bow in front of the blue dress!!! 

Then & now….photo from today. *Poof* ~ 20 years flew by!

I had my bouquet designed after my mother’s bouquet. I’ve gazed upon my mother’s wedding portrait since I was a baby. It was something to love and cherish and admire. She had natural stems and a huge red bow, biggest I’d ever seen. She cradled the bouquet in one arm. I brought a copy of her portrait to the florists in England & the States for both weddings.

The Bright Spot – Love. I love how my mother looks at my father devotedly. She adored him. He was her one and only and she’s lived these 21 years alone since he died but she keeps his memory alive always talking about him when we’re together. It’s sad and beautiful at the same time.

My husband and I have been through a lot these 20 years. Of course, I appreciate all the blessings of our wonderful family, especially my children, and the life Phillip and I have created together. 

But there have been many tragedies – 5 miscarriages, Phillip’s aggressive Stage 4 cancer (click: The Good, The Bad & The Spicy), loss of our company in the deep recession, other complete miseries throughout the years, and now the weird lightning bolt that took out our well pump the day before our 20th Anniversary costing us $3,700 wiping out our summer vacation fund for the vital rest Phillip needed since he missed vacation last year because of more cancer treatments.

So you can imagine how thoroughly touched I was when a friend through Facebook whom I’ve never met but mutually feel kinship toward for an assortment of reasons including the fact that she loves animals and is just simply amazingly kind, wrote this: 

Wow! Truly, Liz captured the essence of these two decades. Thank you, Liz, for your kindness toward us, animals and all whom you serve.