Zoe...

This post if for all of us who have loved and lost a canine companion. Dogs are truly the best friend to humans. They are loyal and will protect and love their families with every ounce of their beings. I am so fortunate to have known so many extraordinary dogs both of the past and present. Just take a second and either love up the dogs of your life or remember those that have honored you with their presence. Peace, Zoe Phillips!

Goal-Oriented

Summer is finally here! Every summer I have a to-do list that somehow never seems to be checked off. This summer I am determined to changed this. I have decided that I will do a project each week. This week's project is my room. Today I vacuumed enough dog hair and dust under my bed to make another dog! But it was done and I got to put a check by this nasty but needed project. Yea me... now I just have to keep up the momentum!

Live the dash

And he did. My father-in-law lived a good life. It was so evident but the number of people who came to show their respects to him at his funeral. The Mason salute as well as the kind words from the Jewish War Veterans sent him into eternal life with respect and honros. My brother-in-law, nephew and rabbi captured his essence in their shared words. My twelve year old son recited one of Dad's favorite sayings in his later years-How now, brown cow.

Jack Weiss touched many lives including mine. I loved him like a father and already miss him so much. He made me laugh and his love of family was so evident in all the lives he touched. He helped so many people and the memories keep flashing in mind of him, twenty-one years worth of them. Not one really sticks out, because there were so many good ones.

He definitely lived his dash and enjoyed his life. April 2, 1923-May 19, 2011. Miss you but I know that you lived your dash, Dad. We will never forget you!!!

Tis the season...

And so it begins... Bar Mitzvah season. For our family it has started a bit earlier then most. Ben just had to go out and make friends with a group of boys that were a grade ahead of him. At this point in the game we have 5 invites that have ranged in time from March to the end of May.

So, congrats to all the boys-Jacob, Sam, Austin, Nick and Trent.

This is Ben with Sam and I posted this one to honor his big day today. Go Sam.

July 29, 2011

This is the date that my layoff will go into affect. Detroit Public Schools sent over 5,000 layoff notices to every single one of it's teaching staff and most of us received them yesterday... a little spring break present.

I have one question for you, Mr. Bobb. You send letter to all you teachers telling us that due to lack of student numbers, we must reduce the workforce. How come you were at Eastern Michigan's job fair recruiting new teachers?

What will March be?

What do you think? In like a lion; out like a lamb or In like a lamb out like a lion? Time will tell....

Jessica

When I was 20 years old, I met this woman who literally changed the direction of my life. I was a college student at Wayne State. I had recently broken up with my high school sweetheart and was socially floundering. My life consisted of college, homework, work, sleep. I craved excitment and all the greatness that I thought college had to offer and that is when I meet Jessica.

I don't recall how we actually hooked up, but we became fast friends. We starting hanging out at our local hillel chapter that was in the student center. I met so many people up there and I really starting having fun. It was her idea to become little sisters to the fraternity AEPi and from there we soon realized that we wanted something to call our own and that was how AEPhi/WSU was formed.

You see, she made the call to nationals and I was right next to her! She was the first president of our chapter; I was the VP! All the good times that came with being in a sorority I attribute to our meeting.

The rest of my college years zipped by. Towards the end of my student teaching, I went out with some of my sorority sisters to a Vegas night held at the JCC. It was there that I met my darling Jay and I fell in love.

The rest... as you know is history. Graduation...career.....marriage....Ben.....Life. Always so busy and little time to look back.

About a year ago my sister told me that Jessica was not doing so well. She had cancer and was fighting the battle of her life. I friended her on facebook and have kept up with her journal entries (and now her husbands).

Yesterday Judy called me and told me that Jessica was now in hospice care. This news rocked me to my very core. How could someone my age with young children be dieing? It just doesn't seem fair. I hate cancer and all the people it has taken from this earth.

Jessica-keep fighting!!!