The Dauntless Chronicles ~ Teen Interview
#1 International Bestseller in 2 categories and #1 US Bestseller & #1 Hot New Release in 3 categories on Amazon ~ The Dauntless Chronicles!! Written by two 14-year-olds, this multi-planetary, multicultural universe is filled with epic adventure & young romance as narrated from the perspective of teen aliens who crash land on Earth.
From exceptional technical descriptions of the spacecraft, locomotive and ships, and from dragons to ice planets, war to secret missions, these young teen coauthors produced riveting plot twists, intense action and suspenseful turns while incorporating the powerful themes of family, friendship, loyalty, and love.
An exciting escapade & intergalactic treasure for readers of all ages! The Dauntless Chronicles – Book 1 (454 pages) – go to TheDauntlessChronicles.com for more info or to submit FanArt!!
Willow & Anthony talk about worldbuilding & lore, gods & goddesses, etc., in this short interview:
The Bright Spot – This book is riveting! Visit The Dauntless Chronicles!
Ziplining at Niagara!
Ready for some excitement, I got up one morning & proclaimed, “Pack some clothes, we’re driving to Canada!â€
Truly, one of the most marvelous spur-of-the-moment trips ever ~ complete with sunny skies & 80 degrees!! We spent a supremely-packed 46 hours at Niagara Falls!
Night arrival in Ontario, Canada to the powerful glacial phenomena at Horseshoe Falls & the American Falls in all their glory in ever-changing brilliant colors!
We grabbed ponchos and headed to the water’s edge straightaway!
We enjoyed a gorgeous suite with center views of Horseshoe Falls at the Embassy Suites – pure magnificence outside our 10th floor window!!
And look at the morning mist below & the stunningly beautiful vista at breakfast!
That’s our hotel & the incline trolley to the Falls! And can you see the small red boat on the left-hand side?? That’s the Hornblower with a passenger capacity of 700! Yeah, that’s how huge these Falls are – hard to capture in a pic! The Hornblower has been in operation for 170 years and, in 2016, carried 2.2 Million people that year!!
We spent the day at Marineland where our daughter enjoyed the 450’ tower drop – height of a 45-story skyscraper – and rode it 3 times with great joy. Then she went on Dragon Mountain, the world’s largest steel roller coaster covering more than 30 acres. Plenty more rides followed by a visit to the beluga aquariums – one for the males, one with 34 young belugas and one maternity pool for 
pregnant belugas! Our marine-loving 14-year-old fed and caressed a beautiful female whale with continued appreciation for these amazing animals (click: Sea Trek or Dolphin Trainer or Harmony & Magic)
This was followed by a most striking sight – the rainbow over Horseshoe Falls!! A rainbow appears every day as the sun sets and hits the mist. 
We then watched the Niagara Fury movie protected by ponchos in this full-immersion film – covering us with snow, water, wind and a moving floor! We topped off that first day with an unnerving walk through the deep tunnels of Niagara, actually journeying
BEHIND the thundering falls!!!! 
Tunnels built in the 1800s, the massive force of the clear waters roaring overhead and all around made me glad when I was back above ground! 
The following day, we traversed the Maze of Mirrors & then enjoyed lunch at the famed Rainforest Café where our daughter said she enjoyed the world’s largest steel roller coaster & mega tower drop but she needed something “more thrilling.†
We asked her what she had in mind. Ziplining at the Falls! Oh, of course. So after lunch, our daughter found herself 220 feet above the Niagara River Gorge alongside her father because I sure as heck wasn’t doing it!!
They traveled 2,200 feet at speeds of 70+kph along the breathtaking vista of the American Falls to the outer rim of Horseshoe Falls!! An experience of a lifetime was how they both described it! A bucket-list moment – volume up! to enjoy this quick video:
I loved the beauty, visitors, rainbows, wineries ~ Niagara Falls, Ontario is a must-see!
Love locks on Lock Bridge, Canada – photo taken by my love, Phillip.
We topped off the late afternoon with Dairy Queen and said goodbye to Ontario, Canada as we headed 3 hours south to the Benn Conger Inn, a gorgeous Colonial built in 1921 for State Senator Conger in Tompkins County, New York & the Skaneateles Lake region.
Click here now for those beautiful photos & experience: Skaneateles
The Bright Spot – Bucket list moments. Enough said.
Skaneateles
After ziplining at Niagara Falls (click here for video: Niagara), we said goodbye to Ontario, Canada & headed 3 hours south to the Benn Conger Inn, a gorgeous Colonial built in 1921 for State Senator Conger in Tompkins County, New York, winery country.
Owners Peter Zon & Douglas Yurubi greeted us warmly upon our arrival after 9:30pm with local wine for Phillip and a cozy place for us to eat a late dinner. The stories we shared, the majesty of the house & their divine breakfast made for a memorable stay & wishes for an expeditious return! 
Peter & Doug organized a lovely boat trip on the Skaneateles River in Onondaga County, a rural community in the Finger Lakes Region. Skaneateles is an Iroquois term meaning “long lake,†16 miles long, 315’ deep!
The captain’s tour of spectacular mansions and their prestigious owners captivated us all.
Afterwards, we toured the historic Sherwood Inn, circa 1800, followed by a hearty dinner at a pub before our daughter purchased exquisite handcrafted art pieces from the enchanting Skaneateles Artisan’s Gallery Under the Old Stone Mill.
.
(Credits: Skaneateles Artisans Under the Old Stone Mill & Benn Conger Inn)
The Bright Spot РThe tranquility was revitalizing and seeing the famous portrait of Madame X, Virginie Am̩lie Avegno Gautreau, in person was delightful!!
Oil on canvas, 1884
Below is my brochure & the painting can be see above over the main staircase.
(Credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art)
SeaTrek – Fueling the Passion
I have written many stories about fueling your child’s passion. Offering many opportunities for your kids to explore what it is they really love. For our son, it was photography & cars. Next month, his photographs will appear in an international car magazine!
For our daughter, it’s music, writing, animals & marine life. If you scroll through my archive, you’ll see many stories about her special beluga, swimming with dolphins in Jamaica, Florida & in Bermuda training 9 dolphins for a full day – gating, feeding, measuring, exercising & frolicking with these sociable, small-toothed whales, click: Favorite Day.
So when in England we heard about SeaTrek – known as Europe’s 1st Sea Bed Walk at Sea Life – we made sure to book it! The staff said they’ve never had a more enthusiastic participant! Â We’ll let the photos & 8-second video speak for themselves.Â
 
 
Our 11-year-old loved the sting rays, sea turtle, gorgeous fish, urchins, simply everything!
  
 
When I say we have a budding marine biologist in our midst, I think one might agree.
  
 The Bright Spot – Oh, just everything about this story. Empower your kids. Fuel their passion. If you are in England, enjoy SeaTrek by clicking Sea Life to get more information: Sea Life.
Everyone Needs Their Mum!!
We had a 2-week window between Phillip’s last chemical injection and the start of his radiation. It will be 40 rounds of daily radiation from June through August. He wanted to see his Mum. Click: Amazing Grace. Everyone needs their Mum at a time like this!
So we took our little one out of school late May/early June for this family emergency and visited relatives in Europe. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, Godchildren, close friends, everyone we could see within 2 weeks.
Phillip’s mother was overjoyed! Her 89th birthday was in June and she said seeing her son was the best gift ever!
Naturally, everyone we saw wanted to know how treatments were going. We could not rehash the details over and over. Not only is it draining for us but we didn’t want these conversations to overwhelm or frighten our youngest. Most of the time, we can shield her from it but when you’re traveling from home to home – or pub to pub, as is the case in England – folks want to catch up and we’re very sensitive to little ears in range.
Plus, we have striven to reclaim normalcy in the household & beyond for our family. Playing with friends & doing cool things was a mainstay.
 
 
  
And Legoland was awesome but laying on the grass topped all!! Why? Because there are no ticks or pesticides for ticks at all where Grandma lives and Darling was so happy!! It’s the little things, isn’t it?
 While staying for an overnight with dear friends about a hundred miles south of Scotland, we ventured with the girls to a nearby castle where parts of Harry Potter & Downton Abbey were filmed, click: Castles & Angels
Later, we drove nearly 300 miles south to Oxford to visit the university and delve into the history of this beautiful medieval city, click:Â OxfordÂ
And because our budding marine biologist, during these 2 weeks, would unfortunately be missing a highly-anticipated field trip to the beach to explore the biodiversity of the water’s ecosystem, we wanted to do something special for her and booked her for Seatrek at what’s known as Europe’s 1st 
Seabed Walk:Â SeaTrek
Her 5th grade teacher kindly allowed our daughter to give a full presentation to her class on the 3 adventures above & what made each so special.
And speaking of 5th grade, the Friday we left for the airport was the same day her class was split into just girls/just boys earlier that morning for “The Talk.†You know the one. Menstruation, growing bodies…
But unlike the lecture we had in school when I was that age – along with a cartoon movie with dancing flowers depicting our blossoming into young ladies – this talk was not only about girl stuff…but boy stuff, too! Would be shocking, but the school explained that with the advent of the Internet, kids see much more than we did at this age and need to know more material to educate and protect themselves.
Humm… Still found it shocking. But it certainly made for fits of laughter – of which we need much of these days – and especially with a silly 5th grader! as we passed 
by unassuming pubs like the Dandy Cock, or were served Nobby Nuts (salted peanuts) or when we read Spotted Dick on the menu – a British sponge pudding made with raisins & served with custard – but I mean, seriously, come on!
 
When we all revived in the car from laughing so hard, we arrived at one of Phillip’s oldest friend’s for a lovely meal. No, not at the Dandy Cock. We walked over buttercup-covered hills and along lakes & clifftops.
 
The Bright Spot – finding the hilarious things in life out of the simplest moments! And appreciating the glorious countryside with our loved ones.
My Caped Crusader
Whether my dear husband is busy
at Gotham City’s Sherry-Netherland’s Doubles on 5th Ave sweeping ladies off their feet…
or me off mine… 
… giving speeches 
or playing Cricket…
chillin’ or racing 
giving sweet baby kisses
and super Daddy hugs…
…corporate by weekday and
Hearth Warrior by weekend
(God, I love those legs!)
…and whether he’s playing peacefully or keeping the peace,
up in the sky or under water,
dressed up…
dressed down, OR…
barely dressed…
Phillip is funny and
great fun to be around.
A wonderful father,
an animal lover and protector,
a loving husband and great friend to all who know him, I am proud to be his wife, his lifelong partner, his other half.
I’m also proud to work together as co-hosts on our Live radio show, “Let’s Talk!” about Life, Love and Parenting archived on this site after each show for your listening convenience.
The Bright Spot 
– I could not think of a better person to take this life journey with! Take a moment to think of all the reasons you love your special someone and go give that person a big kiss! I’ve just finished this story and am looking for my Batman, my Caped Crusader, my darling to give him a big smooch! 😉 b
Hand me a Volleyball!
Well known for its particularly high satisfaction rating by patients, I am no exception with my bilateral reduction mammoplasty (photo taken next morning): 
With the initial look at my dressing upon waking in recovery, I was simply delighted with the white bralette, my first ever. I felt like someone should hand me a volleyball so I could head to a California beach straight away!
Over 3 hours & hundreds of internal stitches later, Dr. Chang Soo Kim (GCsurgeryandlasers.com) & his amazing team removed nearly 1,500 grams! Find a 3.3 pound weight and put it on a chain & wear it around your neck over your lungs and tell me if you don’t want to rip it off by the end of the week! Not only did Dr. Kim give me the breasts of a 20-year-old, but I could suddenly breathe effortlessly again!!
I don’t blame breastfeeding, I don’t blame aging & I certainly don’t blame weight loss. 
Life started out normal…
And then, what on Earth happened?? I mean, seriously, look at my little neck…
No matter how little I weighed, I was
still a DDD+. Not pleasant when the rest of my body was wearing a size 4.
It translates into neck & back pain, underwires digging into soft skin, and bursting
buttons.
I had never experienced a surgery that would alter my appearance. Between fun, function & fashion, the twins had served their time well.
But enough was enough. Deemed a medical necessity, I was grateful it was fully covered by our insurance. So grateful!! All $91,234.43!
Unless you’ve not been able to bounce on a trampoline with your kids or run through Costcos without getting black eyes or lay on your stomach at the Chiropractor’s or zip up your coat without pushing past the bust roadblock or comfortably enjoy a massage or if you’ve rested your twins on your wrists climbing the stairs or slung your mammaries into the massive nylon cups of a minimizer or released them at the end of the night only to swing like tube socks with golf balls or if you sleep on your side with a pillow just for your top boob or find it difficult to buy a pretty little outfit with straps or take a deep breath without holding up your center bra wire or accidentally hit the delete button with your breast when you’re reaching over your keyboard, then you may understand. Millions of women do. This surgery is life-changing!
And those shocked by my decision only proves I was a master of camouflaging my DDD+ girls with the perfected fashionable slouch, wearing baggy blouses, and, as countless women know, subjecting ourselves to breath-defying minimizer bras.
Dr. Kim & his team were incredibly kind. I even asked to pray before surgery, something I’ve never done before and really didn’t even know what to say, but Dr. Kim held my hand and his team gathered around and I felt safe and cared for and the next thing I knew, after “Amen,†I was waking up in recovery feeling lighter & breathing easily.
The only unusual part of the day was standing with Phillip shortly before surgery in the pre-op room and the doctor used a special surgical Sharpie pen to mark my skin for the incisions. Ewww. I tried not to picture what those lines really meant.
When it was time to go home late that night around 10pm, Phillip helped me change. Gown off, we both looked down for the first time and were excited and pleased. No drains. No ugly bandage wraps. Just a little white satin bralette. I felt so adorable. I felt 20 again. “You look awesome,†Phillip exclaimed. Cool!
I dreamed of finally buying a pretty bra with a lovely pattern or wearing something strapless for the first time. When I got home, I wore a cozy PJ top I have never been able to button before. It was exciting!
Interestingly, if anything could go wrong the weeks leading up to surgery, it did. But it wasn’t going to deter me.
I had partially torn my meniscus 
and was in physical therapy 3 times a week in February. Phillip just recovered from another intensive cancer treatment surgery (The Journey) through February & I was drained. My Mom 
tripped 10 days earlier and I was making the 60-mile roundtrip to her house daily to care for her. Then Mom (Tribute to Mom) fell the day of my surgery and injured herself even more. My sister & niece both have bronchitis and my daughter broke her foot in gym this week prompting us to immediately cancel the friends’ homes where she was to stay during my initial recovery. As if that weren’t enough, I haven’t had my period for a year & the night before surgery it came on with full force & was relentless all week. Then a fluke March blizzard delayed my follow-up visit to the surgeon. One thing after another, but you know me. Nothing would stop me & so it is done.
I came home that night, got in bed, put my feet up, snuggled our 3 kitty cats & haven’t moved much since. We inflated a triple-decker queen air mattress in our room with pretty aqua sheets & a pastel butterfly comforter for my little Darling, 
and we’ve been cozying up watching The Flash, enjoying tea & scones, and letting our Boys deal with the chaos in the real world while she & I focus on our *Healing Party.*
(And Mom has Visiting
Angels now).
The reduction was a huge decision, no pun intended. No woman goes into such a major surgery without having given it a great deal of thought. 4 girlfriends went through it and offered words of wisdom. Recovery was quick and, thanks to strong meds, relatively 
comfortable. (Phillip’s med chart > for me.) No stretching, no pushing, no pulling, no lifting, no standing upright for a long time. No driving 
for 2 weeks.
For a busy Mom, it’s actually quite nice to stay in bed for a while.
My gals still “under wraps” as I enjoy a lovely salmon dinner in bed. Phillip has brought me every culinary delight this week & is keeping me on track with infection & pain meds around the clock.
My husband & I met with Dr. Kim a week later for the unveiling. Phillip says the Redesigned Twins are “spellbinding!” Ooh! (blushing). We’re happy, I can breathe & long necklace ornaments will never be bobbling off the center wire of my big brassieres again because those parachutes are all in File 13!
UPDATE: DAY 9
(Warning: Graphic photos ahead intended for mature audiences only)
We visited Dr. Kim yesterday, the one-week checkup since surgery. To be honest, I was afraid to look down & see stitches when the doctor took my bandages off. That’s when Phillip gave me that beautiful compliment above. But today was Day 9 and I seriously needed to shower so this would be my first meeting with my girls.
stared at myself in the mirror for the longest time. I mean, just really stood there and stared. What looked back at me was the most beautiful set of healthy, perky twins with an upturned point you would only see on a mannequin and think, “Yeah, that’s not for real.”
– Thank you, Dr. Kim, for your wisdom & your artistry. Your work is outstanding and you and your
team are the very best and have made me feel light & amazing. 2 things that make Dr. Kim stand out from the rest – he doesn’t like to use drains which I’ve heard are painful to remove a week or more later. And he uses a special technique to help save sensation after healing. Dr. Chang Soo Kim ~ Click: GCSurgeryandLaser 203-920-1444
UPDATE: DAY 18
As one friend who has been through this aptly put it, “Your lady bits are tender now. Drink tea, binge watch & recover.” Good advice & someday soon I’ll be able to lay on my stomach! Photos below of my loving Support Team!! Daily our furbabies skillfully demonstrate how to just lay around & chill.
I would like to thank everyone who is been so encouraging & wonderful especially in helping to pick up our Darling from school, or bring her home after track, or to and from dances, sleepovers & movies, or brought me to the doctor for stitches cleaning/dressing changes or sent goodies or brought dinner, you know who you are & I’m grateful.
Thank you, in particular, to Nayer, Samara, Maria, Anitta, Emily, Melissa, Aimee, Cheryl, Chloe, Mighty Medina’s, Jane, Stephen B., Rose, Ann, Cathy, Sue, Lorine, Julie, Hannah F., John Z., Billy & Shannon, Luz & Lisa, Suzanne, Barry & Sara, thank you all!! Your actions meant a lot!
UPDATE: 1st Summer!
I find it funny that when I’ve run into friends these past two months, the 1st thing they say is, “Hey, how are your boobs!?” So here’s an update: It’s been 4 months since undergoing this major surgery & this major change in my life. It took weeks to drive or even lift my arms above my shoulders. But with each passing month, I’m just happier and so thankful to feel light and look like a normal person in clothes. And it’s not just my new clothes…I’ve been able to “closet shop!” So yes, everything feels different and new because fabrics hang properly now.
The surgeon explained the outside stitches would heal at their own pace and then I could use scar tape across, down & under (left photo) to lighten the marks once the wounds closed. It works very well. He explained, however, that the hundreds of internal stitches are different – they are made of a slow-dissolving material that takes months to dissolve while the soft breast tissue heals. I accidentally pulled out 2 of them when I peeled off the scar tape to shower. Owww! Those stitches were tough & thick like a clear nylon fishing line. Believe me, I peel much slower now!!
In the end, all is wonderful and summer in spaghetti straps is a dream realized. (You can still see the dents in my shoulders above from all those burdensome years…well-endowed ladies, you know what I’m talking about!)
Who knew 32 years ago when I asked my parents if I could paint my walls – I think 
they thought ivory or yellow or something! – that I would paint this picture…check it out – my gals look like that painting!
The Bright Spot– As I mentioned above, it’s 100% all-natural me, just less of me!!!
Going National ~ Thanks to YOU!
Thank you to everyone who listens to our Life, Love & Parenting show, “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip!”
After nearly 500 interviews &       19 Seasons, my husband & I are excited to announce we have been signed for national syndication!
For those who are new to this program, here are snippets of our bios & an overview of our show.
Bianca’s Bio:
Bianca Tyler is a 3-time award-winning TV journalist, nationally-syndicated radio show host, popular blogger, Mompreneur, former Miss Connecticut, TV & radio producer, founder of WH Publishing, and “The Momversationalist®,†the title of her new book coming out in 2016.
She’s also been a news anchor, news reporter, parenting contributing editor, entertainment reporter, weathercaster, one-man band, linear & NLVE editor, singer, model, lecturer, teacher, animal-lover, adoring wife, active mom of 2 kids and her pets, and an all-around, bona fide multi-tasking guru ~ a BFMTG!
In addition to her TV awards, Bianca has also been honored with 8 other awards including the Women’s Leadership Award and a Citation of Excellence from the Connecticut State Senate.
Her website, www.TheLetsTalkMom.com, currently celebrates over 10.26 million page hits & counting! Her focus is about family life and empowering oneself by “Finding Your Bright Spotâ„¢.â€
She has spent over 30 years promoting her charitable causes ~ during her reign as Miss Connecticut, statewide charities raised over a million dollars of fundraising revenue.
Bianca has appeared as a special guest on over 35 television & radio programs and in more than 60 newspaper, journal and magazine publications in over 135 articles, photos and covers worldwide, including USA Today, NY Post, NY Daily News and The New York Times.
Bianca has explored over 120 times more than 50 countries on 5 continents.
Phillip’s Bio:
Phillip is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur who founded his 1st company and grew revenue by 268% in the first 3 years. His 2nd venture – a tech company, www.IDCardGuard-us.com, launched last year and specializes in patented RFID-shielding for credit/debit cards & identity theft, SmartTag & WalletTag tracking devices, selfie remotes, RFID-blocking wallets, passport shields and so much more.
An accomplished publishing & media executive, he demonstrates extremely strong strategic and analytical skills with a proven track record in business start-ups &Â turnarounds. Most recently, the division under his leadership ranked in the Inc.500 list as one of the fastest-growing companies in America showing a 3-year, 937% increase in revenue ranking them as the #9 media company in the USA.
Exceptional P&L and cost control expertise, Phillip is a leader in identifying strategic alliances to build and convert market opportunity into new business revenue streams. He has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars worldwide for charity.Â
“Let’s Talk!” Show Overview:
“Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip†is a Life, Love & Parenting program. It’s a forum to discuss parenting, relationships, single parenting, infertility, marriage commitment, intimacy, loss of a spouse, communication, raising phenomenally close & thoughtful children, romance, matchmaking, healthy living, information and well-being, great tips to make your life easier, getting through any tough situation and, most of all, getting & staying motivated whether you are married, single, male or female.
We’ll help you empower yourself and keep your sanity while keeping your marriage and family strong!
We have incredible, experienced & dynamic guests from all over the nation, many of whom have been quoted from People magazine to Parenting magazine and have appeared on shows like Today & Good Morning America, experts, authors, parents, and doctors as well as little folks on our “ChitChat with Childrenâ„¢” portion, and teenagers for our “Teen Talk!â„¢” segment, connecting parents and youths through understanding and communication.
All programs are archived on this site. You can listen to the shows on your computer or cell phone at home or in the car for your listening convenience.
The Bright Spot – “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip” ~ Empowering parents/listeners through information, advice, guidance & tips.
Dolphin Tale – Winter & Hope (Part 3 of 3)
As part of our daughter’s 10th birthday extravaganza, we surprised her with a special visit with Winter, the beautiful dolphin who lost her tail when she was only 2 months old. Her tail was caught in commercial fishing lines.
(Courtesy: Fintastic)
She is now 9 years old & lives with her best friend, Hope, at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Our budding marine biologist was thrilled to meet them both and all the marine animals under treatment in the hospital.
Winter’s real-life rehab story has captivated audiences worldwide in Dolphin Tale & Dolphin Tale 2.
Both movies, starring Harry Connick, Jr. & Ashley Judd, were filmed on location at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium with Winter.
A look at the timeline these past 9 years and how Winter has inspired suffering children & veterans:
  
 
  
  
 
Our fintastic trip wrapped up with a trolley ride between the filming site rehab center & museum, dinner on the water, and the best memories of Winter & Hope!
 
 
The Bright Spot – Empowering your children to grow up living their dreams.
For Part 1, click: Double-Digit Extravaganza    For Part 2, click: Harry Potter World
Dolphin Trainer
How we kept it a surprise I have no idea! After weeks of planning and several days cruising across the Atlantic on the gorgeous Norwegian Breakaway, we landed at King’s Wharf and headed barely after daybreak onshore with our Little One.
“Why are we leaving so early? Where are we going?” Still mum, Phillip & I guided our inquisitive daughter to a huge, weathered wooden door battered by storms but fixed firmly in place by its centuries-old surrounding stonework.
Her eyes grew wide as we knocked loudly
on the door. No one was around but us. A short while later, the door creaked open and we were led into a large courtyard – the National Museum of Bermuda at the Royal Naval Dockyard. It was clear it would not open to the public until later that morning.
We walked through the dockyard until we came to a building where a young woman greeted us. She knew the day had been a surprise for our daughter. When she explained to our Little One that she would be joining her team for a day of dolphin training, the excitement in the room was electric! Then she was handed a Dolphin Quest swim top and felt very official. “Wow!” she whispered under her breathe.
Our daughter’s dream of loving, studying, and safeguarding marine life just took another leap forward. Years prior, our family had only swum with the dolphins. Jamaica. Bahamas. Florida. But this was different. It wouldn’t be just a 45-minute encounter with a group. When we saw that Dolphin Quest in Bermuda offered a Dolphin Trainer for a Day program, we booked it for our daughter straightaway.
She spent the day with 8 dolphins including 2 baby dolphins just 3 months old ~ talk about over the moon!
Our Little One gained experience in fish preparation, dolphin feeding, gating, hand signaling, dolphin relationship building, swimming, measuring and dolphin training.
 
 
 
 
 
 
I’m not sure who had more fun, the dolphins or our darling!
 
Later that day, she enjoyed lunch with her mentors and when we picked her up at the end of her session, the dolphin trainers said they had never had a person know so much about marine life before and that she was the most excited participant they had ever had in all their years and that she would be a welcome participant for their 5-day training program there or in….Hawaii!! Yeah, looks like that may be the next dolphin destination! I’m ready to pack…
The Bright Spot  – Our daughter has been waiting 5 years to swim with her beloved Beluga, Juno.
She learned about the program when she was 5 years old but the rules require people to be a minimum of 60 inches to get in the tank with the whale.
So guess who’s 59 & 3/4 inches?!?
Yes, I think we are heading to Juno before summer’s done! (photo of Little One with Juno left). It’s truly a pleasure to empower children’s interests.
Click here for the story about Juno at 5: Harmony & Magic
Click here for the Florida dolphin swim at 6: Pixie Dust & Dolphin Kisses
Click here for Dolphins in Jamaica at 7: Paradise for Families
Click here for Winter & Hope at 10: A Dolphin’s Tale
Nifty 50!
Everyone kept asking me what Phillip was planning for my 50th. He’s arranged some pretty spectacular things for me over the years so I knew whatever it was I’d be thrilled. Our son captured the moment:
  
  
Good Lord! What could it be? Well, prior to opening this envelope, Phillip planned a weekend of delights including dinner at La Panetiere.
   
  
 
     
    
We visited the Cloisters on the northern tip of Manhattan overlooking the Hudson to enjoy the stunning array of more than 5,000 pieces of European Medieval works of art from the 12th – 15th centuries including the famous Unicorn Tapestries. The Cloister’s Library contains over 15,000 volumes of books.
  
  
Later, we toured the World of Wings butterfly atrium where I had my 1st opportunity to take photos with my gorgeous new Canon from my son. For the amount of time I invest in my photography, this latest Canon with touchscreen, image sensor & built-in Wi-Fi was the p-e-r-f-e-c-t gift!! Thank you, darling!
  
 
  
  
And if anyone knows our family well, you’ll know why the logo above is so significant!! 🙂
As you can s
ee, this day was magnificent with brilliant sunshine & deep blue skies. But 50 years ago, there was a blizzard and my mother arrived at the hospital with a police escort. That’s one way to make an entrance.
Mom recapped the story over dinner. Then she surprised me with a very special gift…a piece of jewelry I’ve admired for 45 years. It was given to mother by my father’s mother when I was 5.
I’ve worn it in the past with great delight (photo on right), but on this special night, my mother said it was now mine. Overjoyed is an understatement. It means so much to me on many levels.
 
  
 
  
  
So what was in the envelope in the opening pics? Let me first explain that my greatest gift ~ now & always ~ is being loved by my family & friends. Flowers & cards, emails & posts. All is appreciated. The kindness, the thoughtfulness, the time spent to make my day special. Thank you all!!
 
The above cards from my children touched my heart deeply. My son chose a card that says I make him feel understood, happy and loved. Wonderful, wonderful!! And our little one says I make her happy every day…down to even the school snack. What more could any mother want? Happy, thriving kids – this was, by far, the very best gift of all!!
  
    
    
        
     
   
   
  
 
  
16 years ago, I started the Harry Potter series with our son…reading it in “real time,” that is, waiting each year for another book to be published…standing in line at midnight openings with great anticipation for 1st edition hardcovers. We saw the movies, he had the posters, the comforter set, the throw pillows, the robe, Harry’s wand, etc. He even had a Harry-esque look to him, especially when he got his glasses.
   
  
  
Fast-forward more than a decade and our little daughter & her friends are relishing in the adventures, quoting the spells, whipping up potions and donning the robe. The perfect hardcovers have moved from our son’s room to our daughters’s bookcase. Over the holiday break, we watched all 8 movies (Yes, 8. The last book was filmed in 2 parts).
My friend, Sara, took one of our daughter’s best-est friends (since the girls were infants) to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter last month. The girls are now 9 & 10, the perfect age for the story. Sara posted this video of Platform 9 3/4 on her FB page & that was it!! What more fun could our family have than to venture through the fantastical world of wizards?
 
 
 
 
CoCo Key water resort & hotel:
 
  
We finished up the weekend celebrations with my favorite movie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Jane Seymour & Anthony Andrews. Luscious ~ Dreamy ~ Yum!
    
 
  
So many other details went into this weekend that I would just like to say thank you to my husband, my whole family and my friends for marking this milestone with great joy.
The Bright SpotTM Â – Thankfulness that my mother is feeling better, it’s on & off and for my birthday she was really “on!” Even sparkly! And thank you to all who sent wishes for a beautiful birthday weekend. So ready for this next great decade, bring it on!!
