Good Morning,

Just a dust of snow here in Jersey. I don't think of myself as an envious person, except when it comes to other people's travel adventures, and maybe just a few more things having to do with other's accomplishments rather than possessions. Well, maybe a few possessions, but not many- I promise.

However, last night I received a fb post from Laurie, a friend from Junior High who lives in California and is reading my blog, and today I am envious of her nice warm weather.

In response to Laurie's fb compliment, I wrote that I am writing this blog as much for my three sons as I am for myself- at least that is how it has evolved thus far. I told her, I hope one day my boys will read this and think,"wow, this is what my mother was doing or thinking." Which I explained was better than the alternative,"My mother had no life".

This morning, at 3:30 A.M. I was up helping my son Austin and husband get off to the airport. Austin is playing in a golf tournament this weekend in Florida, where it is supposed to be freezing! Good Luck Austin!

The birthday gift here is that it reminded me of my parents, but mostly my father, Marvin, who would wake me on horse-show mornings, and drive me to the stable at ungodly hours,(and yes Mom, I know you were always up making sure I was dressed warmly and had enough food).

I seldom stop to reflect on the sacrifices my parents made in raising me, and now that I am a parent, I appreciate them more. So, thank you!!!

This past summer while walking on the beach, I found a sea horse skeleton-I had just been speaking of my dad, and I thought it was uncanny that I found this perfect "horse", where there usually are none. It is such a treat to have improved at recognizing these hidden coincidences or maybe it's as they say, "there are no coincidences".

Like the time I was chatting at the bakery with some older locals who only know me from stopping in at 6:30am to get an early morning coffee, wearing my pjs with PINK written across the butt(I no longer do this since the bakery closed).

Well, one thing led to another, and it ends up the guy's brother worked as a farrier at my father's stable years ago, and he remembered my father giving his brother a jeep for free. When I later repeated this story to my mom, she so profoundly said, "You see Alicia, the only thing we leave behind is our good name." And my mother's words of wisdom, while uttered two years ago, are a gift to me today as they are everyday that I remember to make my own name something to be well remembered.

So, tonight when I go to services to say Kaddish for my grandmother, I will also think of my father. And, remembering a loved one, as I mentioned in a previous blog, is always a gift to me.

Since September, I have been fortunate to have Austin around to drive himself and Reid to school. This has given me the luxury of staying home longer before I begin my day in the "real world". Well, due to the weather, and with Austin away, walking was not an option for Reid. So, I bundled up and did what I did for so many years, which was drop Reid at school and go straight to the market. What a pleasure to shop when the aisles are empty and to boot, I bought a present for myself-Fish Oil capsules! Happy 50th!