The other thing that really grabbed me while watching the John Adams series last night was in the extras. There was a mini-documentary on David McCullough, the author of the biography on John Adams that the mini-series was based on. It’s a deceptively small thing, but powerful. He said anything you want to be is only possible in the doing of it. If you want to write, you must write. If you want to paint, then you paint. You excel through the doing, not just knowing and learning.

Simple.

It’s spun me around and I’m looking at my day differently. Those things I want to be, I’ve put them in my schedule to do today.

Paul & I finished HBO’s mini-series on John Adams last night. The series was based off David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning book. The final part had me wracked by tears.  When John Adam’s wife Abigail dies, he makes a comment to his son:

I cannot believe that God created a creature such as she only to walk, live and die on this earth.

I don’t know if that was pulled from an actual historical statement or from the mind of David McCullough or the screenplay authors.  Regardless, it expresses nearly perfectly the anguish and anger I have with death.

I’m not sure why I bring this up or where I’m going with it.

I don’t have a working philosophy or theology around death.  As I get older, I think how we live arises out of what we believe and how we deal with death… of our loved ones and the inevitability of our own.  So while it isn’t a topic that I want to dwell in, it’s one I need to spend a little time with.

In the car, Paul & I were talking about where we can go to eat so that we don’t have to cook but that won’t make our sweet girl sick. In the middle of the conversation Paul stops and says:

“Amira, why do you have to be allergic to wheat?”

To which Amira replies:

“Um, I’m just looking at the trees!”

We took a walk a few days back with Amira through our neighborhood. I never realized how many dogs lived around here. I think we counted something like 20 dogs! And of course, they let everyone know we were coming. There’s no sneaking around unnoticed in this neighborhood!

I grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos. The above being one of them. But mostly, I just had a magical time walking, playing, laughing and delighting in Paul and Amira!

How DID I get so lucky?  And whatever I did, let me know so that I can do it again!!

Police say a trail of pillows and backpacks led to two sleeping men who were arrested after a department store break-in.

…police followed a trail of cardboard and items from storage containers in a locked area behind the store that led to the two men. One was sleeping in a stolen hammock and the other on a pile of stolen pillows.

Anyone have a gluten and egg free chocolate cake recipe that’s yum? Am I asking for the impossible?

Amira’s 4th birthday is in September. I’m starting the search now for a recipe that will be deserving of my girl — but not hurt her afterwards.

The above cupcake: Namaste Chocolate Cake (requires eggs ) and Pamela’s Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting… tasty if you have no problem with eggs.

My friend Dana Roc interviewed John Dau this week for her Inspiring People series. A bit from that interview that really struck me:

We are just here for a short time. Think. Think about what you can do so that by the time you leave this world you will have done something that you can be proud of. Instead of bickering and thinking about what happened or planning to kill the Muslims or kill the Christians, why not put a smile on someone’s face and treat other people well. What if I decide to help others? What if I work harder so that others can go to school? I am going to work harder so that others can get eye surgery and see again. I am going to work harder to leave something for the community. What would you rather do? Bicker and seek revenge or cause people to smile?

You have to make a choice. I have made my choice.

Read the entire interview if you have time. John Dau inspires.

For my regular readers - you know I’m currently doing a fundraiser for the John Dau Sudan Foundation.  For those of you just stopping in, long story short, I was given help when I really needed it. After watching God Grew Tired of Us and learning about John Dau and other Lost Boys from Sudan - I wanted to do something to help.

Just a few bucks will help. It’s quick, safe and easy (and a tax-deduction). You can donate here.  Thanks.

Clickie here.

Today was another one of those little rite of passages for Paul & I as parents. We took Amira to her first soccer class, the Lil Kickers.  We went to the ‘hoppers’ class for 3 to 4 year olds. She was super excited to go.  The above picture was just before she was let loose onto the soccer field.  It was a trial class for her and us to decide if she was going to join in for the rest of the summer season.

I was surprised by how few girls there were.  There were several classes going on.  Across all the classes, there were probably 10-12 boys for every girl.  At this age and stage, Amira couldn’t care less.  And, if she ends up at all like me, she never will.  I was just surprised.

Based on her activity during the class and her reactions after the experience, we’ll be there each week from now until the end of August. I’m thinking she’s not going to be happy about having to wait an entire week to go again…

No, she’s not ours. My parents have adopted this 7 1/2 month old shih tzu. You can see what Amira thinks of her.

(photo by my Papa) 

This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.

-Oscar Wilde

I was quiet over the weekend because I’ve been working on other websites that I’ve had in mind to do. The first is EmbracingMyHealth.com

One of the recurring themes that has been with me for quite a while now is health. This new site is going to deal with healthcare, personal health, fitness and nutrition generally and on my personal health goals, journey and achievements specifically.

If this is something that interests you, please bookmark the URL and come in and visit.