Sharing thanks for creative astronauts and a beautiful crescent moon!

Thankful to see this rendition of David Bowie's Space Oddity by Chris Hadfield on the International Space Station. I came across this on my Twitter account and enjoyed watching so much I wanted to share it with you. I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day filled with love and appreciation. Here is what I thankful for yesterday.

1. Thanks to my daughter's creativity. I got 2 home made cards from my daughter's yesterday. Whats cool about this is Becky is 21, and Liz is 18. Gifts from the heart always make me smile. Becky drew a picture and is taking me out to lunch. Liz painted me a picture with a heartfelt note.
2. Saw a beautiful crescent moon last night as we were driving home from my mother-in-laws last night. That glimmer of light is always so breathtakingly beautiful.
3. Thanks to my sister-in-law Laurie who made a delicious turkey dinner with all of the trimmings for Mother's Day!
4. Thanks to all my wonderful friends who are also moms who set me beautiful messages on facebook, text, phone and twitter. Love has many ways to be shared~

I invite you to share what you are thankful for! Sharing gratitudes sends a wave of appreciation into the world!

Sharing thanks for this short history of Mother's Day

 

Loved watching this cute short history of Mother's Day. Wishing everyone a a beautiful gratitude filled Mother's Day! Here is what I was thankful for today. To celebrate I invite you to share a piece of wisdom your mom has given you that you treasure! My mom taught me to "Say Yes!" to adventures and accepting invitations to do something new. Here is what I was thankful for today!

1. Thanks to my sister-in-law Ginny who made reservations at Puglia on Hester St. in Little Italy to have an early mothers day celebration. We all enjoyed waving and singing the "Wave your napkin" song!
2. Thanks to my good friend Segal who sent me a beautiful Thank you friendship card. It cheered me up. We all have rough patches in life and this card really brightened my day.
3. Thanks to Mom for her unconditional love and all the wonderful things she has taught me to appreciate. Like creativity, nature, and playing cards! 
4. I am thankful for a walk in the park. I was feeling sad yesterday so I tried to shake it off by taking a walk in the park. I was inspired when I walked by the tennis court and saw a doubles match being played by 4 men in wheel chairs. Their competitive spirit lifted mine. I saw kids riding bikes, couples having a picnic.

Happy Mother's Day!  I invite you to share a piece of your Mom's wisdom in the comments. I love reading all your great gratitudes!

Sharing thanks for tuning in to the quiet sounds of nature!

Love this Tuscan garden I saw at the Hick's Flower Show!

I'm sharing this little piece of heaven. One of my goals is to visit Tuscany and tour Italy. Two of my favorite films feature scenery from this beautiful area "A Room with a View" and "Letter's to Juliet." I enjoy visiting quiet places with natural beauty. Sometimes when I am visiting some of the parks on Long Island I am struck by the vast number of people that are walking, running with their ipods on. I love music very much but I invite you to turn your ipod off and to tune in to the natural music all around you in a quiet place. I was walking at the Norman Levy Preserve and once you get into the trail, man made noises disappear and you can listen to birds chorus, the sound of a soft bay breeze, the music of nature. Here is what I was thankful for:

1. I was thankful for listening to the sounds of nature. Hearing bird calls, my footsteps on the path, and enjoying the peace that silence can bring. 
2. I was thankful for my parents treating Becky and me to lunch at the Olive Garden. Love the soup, salad and bread sticks for lunch. Enjoyed seeing my parents. They gave us some great advice, "Say yes, to what ever invitations you get in life." They had fun telling us about a performance art exhibition they went to by climbing down the sewer in Brooklyn to an old tunnel.
3. I was thankful to make a home cooked meal. Love cooking Italian food, may be that is another reason I want to go to Italy! I made a baked ziti.
4. I was thankful to reconnect talking to some of my good friends. Enjoyed morning coffee with Segal and a nice long phone conversations with my good friends Liz and Stella. I recommend real conversations over texting any day of the week. In this age of digital connection nothing can replace gathering with friends and family and enjoying experiences together.

I invite you to share a small joy that you are thankful for in the comments. 

Mother's Day is coming! Thank your mom at sharing thanks!

Thanks mother nature for providing us with clean air, drinking water, delicious food and love!

Mother's day is Sunday May 12th! Want to thank your mom and show your appreciation! You can thank your mom in the comments section of my blog or on my twitter @sharingthanks using hashtag
#thanksmom! 
     It was a beautiful Spring weekend.  Here is what I was thankful for!

1. I am grateful to my Mom who has always been there for me encouraging me every step of the way! Thanks for your love, your boundless energy, and your creative spirit! I love you MOM!!!!!
2. I was thankful to enjoy seeing Iron Man 3 with my daughter Becky! We loved Robert Downey's performance of Tony Stark and the great script with some memorable lines!
3. I was thankful to my Mom for throwing an instant party which allowed us to have an impromptu family gathering to wish my niece Chelsea a great trip to Spain!I
4. I was thankful to give a music lesson on Saturday morning to Sam. I really enjoy teaching kids to reach for the stars or in this case NYSSMA level 6. Thinking of all my students who had NYSSMA this weekend. I am proud of the hard work you  have done to learn your solos!

I look forward to sharing and honoring your moms! I will post them on Mother's Day!

Sharing thanks for going to a Long Island Ducks baseball game!

Let's Go Duck's!

We have been having some beautiful Spring weather out on Long Island. Last Saturday we headed out to see a minor-league baseball game for some family fun. I love being outside and watching a sporting event live. Here is what I was thankful for.

1. Thankful to enjoy a beautiful evening outside with my daughter Liz and her friend Kavita! Happy that the ticket prices for the game are $10 - $12. Every seat in this small stadium is a good one! Love that the parking is free as well.
2. Thankful to see a few people in our section have the thrill of catching a foul ball. This may be a lesson in life that there is a silver lining to a mistake. Let's face it a foul ball is a strike and when a fan catches a foul ball it is a small miracle for them. They have a huge grin on their face and they leave the stadium with a happy memory and a souvenir.
3. Thankful for the amazing Grucci Fireworks after the game. It was a clear night and the fireworks were dazzling!  I love the sparkler fireworks where they sparkle at the end of gigantic burst!
4. I am thankful for the power of smile. I was walking at one of my favorite parks yesterday. A few people passed me by and gave me a good morning hello with a bright smile. When someone smiles it is difficult not to smile back! We all have the power to give someone a small jolt of joy by just saying hello with a smile. So smile to make the world a happier place!

I invite you to share what you are thankful for! I love reading about the little things in your life that you are grateful for. They always make me smile!

Sharing thanks for watching kids climbing trees at the Arbor Day Festival at Planting Fields Arboretum

Kids climbing trees with spotters at the Arbor Day Festival

Ahhh to be 10 again. I enjoyed watching these courageous kids climbing this tall tree and have the experience of being among the high branches. It was a gorgeous Sunday at the Arbor Festival at Planting Fields Arboretum. I was so so happy to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Here is what I was thankful for!

1. I was thankful to see families enjoy this beautiful state park. The magnolia trees were beautiful shades of pink and purples.
2. I was thankful to see 5 happy wedding couples getting there wedding pictures taken at planting fields.
3. I was thankful to see kids running around the great lawns and enjoying the simple joys of nature.
4. I was thankful to see so many people going home with small tree saplings to plant.

I invite you to share a small joy of nature that you are thankful for!

Sharing thanks for Michael Bublé Sings in NYC Subway

Love this video of Michael Buble singing in the 66th Street Lincoln Center NYC Subway station. This is what I love about NYC you never know what you are going to see and hear when you ride the subway. Love the acapella group and the tile acoustics. What a way to visit Lincoln Center by subway!