A fan convinces Michael Buble to invite her 15 year old son, Sam to join him on stage. Watch and enjoy…this literally gives me goosebumps!!

Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Blast from the past…
Originally posted Nov. 20, 2008

On my honor, I will try: to serve God and my country….Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so….in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice…grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can…I have the right to remain silent, anything I say can be used against me….I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States….I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth ….forgive me Father for I have sinned….bad boy, bad boy, what’cha gonna do when they come for you…

With racing thoughts and that feeling of an impending doom, the second it happened my body went into anxiety mode.

I then caught a quick glimpse of my future…..

Fortunately, the logical part of me stepped back in, and brought me back to reality.

You know the little things you would hear as a child, “if you step on a crack, you’ll break your mama’s back.” You’re pretty sure that’s not going to happen, but err with caution just in case. As an adult you know it’s not possible….but occasionally that inner child kicks back in. You find yourself, secretly making an effort to step over that crack ahead of you…for old times sake. When you first start noticing these hideous little things growing on your skin.
“They are freckles honey.”
“Well I don’t want freckles.”
“You don’t? Did you know that every time you get a new freckle, it means an Angel has kissed you?” So now you feel like the most loved child on earth. You begin to make a conscious effort to see if other kids had freckles….and how many. Now older and wiser, you know the truth but sometimes finding a new freckle can still bring a smile to your face.

I remember playing with a pillow one day while visiting my grandparents, holding it by the “tag” and dangling it around. My grandma said, “Be careful Annie, you might rip that off.” (Annie was my nickname growing up. It means “our favorite grandchild.” Or something.) I didn’t really know what the big deal was, but as usual, I complied. (that is how I earned all those Angel kisses!) Still playing around, obediently, I happened to look at the tag. That’s when I saw it, and it all made sense; Under Penalty of Law, This Tag Not To Be Removed. My grandma knew, she new what would happen to me if I ripped the “tag” off, I would go to jail! I had already pulled the “tag” off my very own pillow at home and now I’m a little worried. What if my mom found out…what if anyone found out? I held this little secret close to my heart for awhile, not even out of grade school and I was already a law-breaker. I eventually confided to my best friend. She laughed hysterically at me until I showed her the “tag” on her pillow. We read it together, Under Penalty of Law, This Tag Not To Be Removed, in smaller letters underneath it said, Except By The Consumer
“What’s a consumer?”
“I don’t know, I don’t think I’m old enough to be one though.”
It took some investigating, but I did find out….I was a consumer. Still didn’t really know what that meant, but I knew I was one of ‘em! So much for grandma wanting to spare my future as a convict, she was just worried about her damn pillow!

But the little “what if’s” remain. What if…I stepped on a crack, what if…the neighbor had more freckles than me, what if….I pulled the tag off my pillow? See the pattern? See it? Something is telling me O.C.D. has played a bigger part in my life than I care to admit! So yes, today, when I ACCIDENTALLY yanked the tag clean from my pillow. The second it happened my body went into anxiety mode, with racing thoughts and that feeling of an impending doom. But, I’m O.K, Annie’s O.K. As fast as the anxiety came, reality set back in.

Now older and (so much) wiser, I know the truth. But occasionally I like finding a new freckle or secretly making an effort to step over that crack ahead of me. Apparently I’m still working on that consumer/tag thing though.

As I finish writing this, I’m kinda feeling a little anxious again. Just wondering…did I unconsciously pass this down to another generation? I don’t remember, did I or didn’t I ever tell my kids that their stuffed animals don’t really turn into Angels that watch over them once they’re asleep? Do they know that the dancing light in the car isn’t really Tinkerbell, it’s the reflection from my watch? Do they know that it’s not really a law that you have to brush your teeth first thing in the morning? You know…they may even still wonder if the sun really hisses when it touches the ocean at sunset.

XOXO,

This about sends me over the edge. Heartbreaking, yet heartwarming.

Estimated to be approximately 10 days old, Nipper was alone and injured when found. Injuries believed to have been caused by a fishing net, Nipper is being nursed back to health at a rescue center.

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A hit with the visitors at the rescue, Nipper has also sparked the interest of a Magellan penguin. What a tragic story on it’s way to a happy ending!

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It’s no secret to anyone that knows me, I love dolphins. Truth be told, I’m a bit obsessed. There is something about their presence that is both magical and calming, and their perm-a-grin simply melts my heart.
I have any and everything from wood carvings to jewelry to writing pens, key chains, wine glasses, to dolphin slippers. Let us not forget about my dolphin tattoo. They make me smile, they make me happy so it only makes sense to surround myself with them.
It’s also no secret to anyone that knows me that I’m a Sea Lion Whisperer, so I have a little experience rescuing our sea life…kinda. Had I found Nipper, you probably would not be reading about it, nor would the cute little penguin have a new friend. His name would be Huna and I’m afraid Huna would be next to me right now in a fancy Little Tykes Swimming Pool surrounded by baby size dolphin toys. I would make midnight runs to the store to keep fresh supplies of mackerel, herring, cod and squid on hand (maybe not squid) and I would continuously play 1 of the 3 “Dolphin Magic” C.D.’s I received for Christmas. I would be…in absolute heaven!

I‘m going to go out on a limb here and say the rescue center is probably the better choice for Nipper Huna Nipper. I truly hope there are follow up reports of his continued recovery and growth. It really amazes me, with all this little guy has been through already, his perm-a-grin is as big as ever. It’s no secret to anyone that knows me…that simply melts my heart.

Read the full story on Nipper here.