If You've Ever Needed a Reason

...not to text and drive, or call and drive, I have one for you.

Watch Oprah this Friday, April 30th, and look out for a young woman named Jacy Good. I knew her mother, many years ago, and have written about her here, though I didn't name names. I taught her brother in Vacation Bible School about 100 years ago, for me, which translates to about 3 years ago for him.

Two years ago this May, Jacy graduated from college, magna cum laude, on a beautiful Sunday. After the ceremony, the congratulations, the hugs, the goodbyes, she and her parents loaded her things in the family car to drive home. Jacy was set to begin working in New York City as an Americorps Volunteer, for Habitat for Humanity. She was set to change the world.

The afternoon of her graduation, as she and her parents drove towards home, a young man on a cell phone ran a red light and into the path of an 18-wheeler, which proceeded to veer into the Good's car. Jacy's parents died immediately, and she was not expected to live. That she did live is nothing short of miraculous. While not fully recovered, she has made amazing strides. Parts of her will never function "normally" again, but she's alive. And she's on a campaign to stop cell phone use while driving.

I'm not really for voyeurism, but if you click on this link you will see the photo of her family's car after the accident. It's horrific. Even more horrific are the injuries she suffered and the sorrow she and her brother have endured in the last two years.

If you know someone who uses a cell phone while driving, please send them this link. Please ask them to stop.

Where Does the Time Go?

Hmm...sudden realization that I haven't updated my blog in a while, and I'd like to say I could blame it on warm, sunny weather and the completion of many outdoor activities, but I can't. It has been cold here, for the most part, and not conducive to weeding, planting, or mulching. I am still (always) trying to tidy up my house and, despite my vow to make this year the year I get myself organized....well, you can guess.

Time waits for no man, or woman, so they say, and that is proving itself true here In the Land of Broken Hearts. I will never be able to keep up, and just when I think I might manage it, something changes, and I feel I am always preparing for the change. Which, quite honestly, may or may not come. I try to live my life by the wonderful philosophical/spiritual advice of those life-balance gurus, The Beatles, and just "let it be...there will be an answer, let it be."

But I suck at letting it be.

A Blog, and Book, for Babyloss Parents

Naming the Child is a new(ish) resource for parents who have experienced baby loss of any kind--SIDS, stillbirth, miscarriage, or other baby death. It's a lovely site and I thought I would recommend it to all of you.

The site's owner, Jenny Schroedel, has a book available on Amazon, Naming the Child: Hope-Filled Reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Death.

How to Do and Have It All

I've finally figured it out! The secret to doing everything you want to do with your life!

Hire someone to clean your house once a week and come in to do touch ups on an as-needed basis.

Hire a gardener to pull the weeds that keep returning no matter what you do. Hand said gardener your credit card and say, "Go to it."

Figure out where Mary Poppins is, or perhaps Super Nanny, and hire her. Pull ye olde credit card out again, for superior childcare is expensive.

Find an appointment setter/part-time schedule keeper to keep track of, and make, appointments to the vet, dentist, doctor, arrange for the plumber to come fix the leaky faucet, purchase the yearly pool pass, arranging play dates and dinner parties, and chauffeur the children to lessons and classes and to-and-from school.

It's very important to hire a chef to purchase and prepare healthy, organic, whole food meals. Ideally this would be done as inexpensively as possible and use many coupons. For if you do not use coupons, ye olde credit card might combust from the strain.

Spend one weekend clearing out all the junk in your house. Throw it on the front lawn for passersby to take.

Obtain some Valium to help with any residual anxiety, and then get to it. 55 books on your reading list? No problem! Career in need of revitalization? You're free to revitalize it! Spending quality time with the family and providing for their every need while earning enough money to pay for the extras? Easy! Learn a foreign language and lose 10 pounds? What are you waiting for! You now have a beautiful, clean house, a stunning backyard and beautiful meals instantly available. You too can do it all!

*If these tips fail you, I suggest throwing your hands up in the air, saying, "fuggedaboutit" and joining the circus. Which sounds like a damn fine plan to me right now.

Spring Break