For One More Day by Mitch Albom

Today, I read For One More Day by Mitch Albom. It has been sitting on my shelf for months. The only reason I haven't read it is because there always seemed to be another book that looked more interesting. This book cover is pretty plain: Burgundy with a dark blue and red border with a tiny drawing of a house and white letters. But remember what they say: Don't judge a book by its cover. This book looks simple and uninteresting, but I think that is what Albom was going for. He cherishes the simple things in life. And writes about them so we don't forget to cherish them as well.

For One More Day is about love. A mother's love in particular.

The question is: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

The main character, Charley, 53, has had a hard life. He turns to alcohol to ease the pain of being alone, since he has driven his family away. His father left when he was a boy and he did not have the best relationship with his mother. He decides to commit suicide. But he sees his mother that had died years before. She explains to Charley things he had never understood before, like why his father left and the sacrifices she had to make to be a successful mother.

This book reminds you to appreciate the people that love you. To cherish the short time you have with them. Love heals all. Sometimes we just need someone to show us what unconditional love is and what it can do.



Here as some quotes from the book that I felt a connection with.

"Being unheard is the ground floor of giving up, and giving up is the ground floor of doing yourself in."
*(My thoughts: Sometimes we just need someone to listen instead of judge.)*

"Mom: It's just a sound really, a hum interrupted by open lips. But there are a zillion words on this planet, and not one of them comes out of your mouth like that one does."

"It's such a shame to waste time. We always think we have so much of it."

"And I realized when you look at your mother, you are looking at the purest love you will ever know."

"You have one family. For good or bad. You can't trade them in. You can't lie to them. Sticking with your family is what makes it a family."

"Secrets: They'll tear you apart."

"You need to keep people close. You need to give them access to your heart."

"One day spent with someone you love can change everything."

10 Years!

My fiance had gotten me tickets to see 10 Years at a small venue in Nashville. A surprise of course, because we both love surprises. Especially surprises for no reason at all except that we love each other. This was one of those times.

I put on a cute "going out" outfit that I don't usually wear, because I don't ever have any place to wear it. Sequin-y top with jeans and flats. I sprayed my hair and put on make-up. (The shoes were a bad idea. I had blisters by the end of the night!)

We met our friends there: My sister, brother-in-law, Davy, Erica, my brother, El, and his new, very sweet and cute girlfriend.

Two bands performed that I had never heard of: Maylene & the Sons of Disaster and Adalene.
Maylene & the Sons of Disaster is a metalcore band from Alabama. Here is their website. Favorite song is Step Up. (Video on youtube.)
http://www.myspace.com/mayleneandthesonsofdisaster
Adalene rocks from Nashville, TN. Here is the site. Be sure to listen to Little Sister. I like it best.
http://www.reverbnation.com/adaleneband
 I am a new fan of both bands.

Then, 10 years came on stage. Oh, boy!! There was only, I'd say, a hundred or a hundred and fifty people there, so we were pretty close to the stage! They were louder than the other bands, of course, so you could feel the music. That is the best part. When you can literally feel the music in your chest, in your feet, and in your bones. The crowd was amazing. Everybody was jumping, headbanging, fists in the air, and they were all singing every word to every song. The band thanked us for being the best crowd they had. They could feel the love and support, they said.

The last song they played was Shoot It Out. My favorite. I screamed all the words along with everybody else and jumped and flailed until it was over and I was out of breath. SUCH an amazing show.

The drummer broke quite a few sticks during the awesome amazing rock-fest. So he threw them into the crowd for souvenirs. My brother-in-law caught one, of course, cause he's lucky like that.

I, along with some other people, were scouring for lost picks or broken drumsticks left on the floor. I found a pocket knife. Not what I wanted, but hey at least I got something to bring home! Lol!

I will give you a link to the band's page and also their video of Shoot It Out so you can fall in love!
 
http://www.10yearsmusic.com/home.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VCvSJo-yC0&ob=av2e

If you ever get a chance to see them live, do it! They put on one of the best shows I've ever seen. I have seen them twice and will still see them every chance I get!

Anniversary in Chattanooga

My fiance surprised me with an anniversary vacation. To Chattanooga! I'd never been there! It was our three year anniversary. Three years! We were both very excited. It was also our one year engagement anniversary.

I didn't know where we were going until we got there. He's so sneaky.

The first day Christopher took me to an art garden. There was beautiful sculptures and amazing buildings. Then we walked around downtown Chattanooga, just enjoying the town and each other. The second day he took me to Rock City and Ruby Falls. They were both incredible. I think I lost half my body weight through sweat, but I enjoyed every second of them both. That night we went on a ghost tour through the town. It was creepy and so much fun. My feet hurt so bad, but I tried not to complain because I was having the time of my life.

I can't believe that in the next few years me and Christopher will be married! I will have a wedding band on my finger and I will have his last name. I cannot wait for that day! I cannot wait to start a family!

Me and Christopher drinking old school coke in the art district.

Cori crawls with my heart in her hands.

Cori is crawling.

Can you believe it? She is no longer the tiny baby she used to be. She is growing into a big girl. She sits there by herself and plays, and when she wants something else to play with, she crawls over to it and gets it! So independent. So grown up. Already.

Of course other things come along with the little ones growing up. Like throwing fits! Cori has learned to scream. And she has learned that we pay attention to her when she screams. This is where the discipline comes in. Mama and Dada, get ready!

Just the other day, I was leaving the house. I gave Mom and Cori a kiss goodbye and started to leave. Cori started to cry. She didn't want me to leave =( It was so sad. It's strange how we already have such a strong bond between us. I went back upstairs, of course, to give her another hug and kiss goodbye. She cried again. This could go on all day. LOL. I had to just bite my tongue, hold my breath, and walk out the door. It was hard to do.

She is my little angel. My sunshine and my cuppycake. She has my heart in her little tiny hands.

Baby's First 4th of July

Independence Day. The day of celebrating our freedom in America. Our freedom to do what we want. Freedom to say what we want. Freedom of religion. Freedom to raise our children how we see fit. Definitely an occasion to celebrate.

This past Fourth of July was my niece's very first. Her Momma and Mimi (grandma) went to get her some fireworks.They asked the salesman for some that did not go very high and that were not loud. LOL. I'm not sure he had ever had that request before then.

He obviously found what they had asked for because the fireworks were... quiet. ...and boring.
But that's okay because Cori was already kind of scared. She didn't quite know what to think.

We did have my favorite kind of fireworks, though. Sparklers! We wrote our names in the air like little kids and had lots of fun. Sparklers never get old.

PEACE

This is supposed to say "Coraline" but my battery ran out before the "E" was finished.