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Digger Dog and Legg-Calves Perthes Disease
May 12th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
April 2, 2010
Utilizing only holistic treatments, my dog, Digger, beat Legg-Calves Perthes disease, and my article about Digger's amazing journey appears in the April/May issue of Animal Wellness Magazine.
Legg-Calves Perthes can be devastating to the dog as well as to those who love him or her. Unfortunately, the "cures" inspired by conventional medicine can be as horrible as the disease itself. Watching Digger heal and become a normal four-legged dog again was a great joy, and I hope others who read his story understand that, above all else, there are choices.
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Michael Jackson and Me
July 12th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
As the world mourns the loss of Michael Jackson, I can’t help but reflect upon the brief moments in time when my world and Michael's crossed paths. His music was always a part of my life, but I had the extreme good fortune of experiencing three special and personal "Michael" moments. Oh, these weren’t sit-down conversations, hugs or even handshakes. They were just three fleeting instances of sharing a common circumstance. But they were awesome to me.
The first time I saw Michael in person was on December 8, 1984. It was the final show of Michael’s VICTORY tour at Dodger Stadium, and it was my birthday. I had the flu. I felt beyond miserable. I didn’t even know if I could push myself to go, but I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see Michael perform live. We had great center seats just a few rows from the stage. He was so close. My friend made me a cardboard sign that said “Hi Michael! It’s my birthday!” She hung it around my neck. It cracked my husband up, but I was too sick to even care how dorky I surely looked. Michael saw it and blew me a kiss. At least I’m told he did. I was so sick that I had my face buried in Kleenex most of the time. And yet, even as my legs wobbled beneath me, I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my birthday any other way. There is electricity at a Michael Jackson concert that can’t be recreated by any other means. It’s exhilarating, and I’m quite certain it knocked the flu right out of me. The next day, I inexplicably felt so much better!
The next encounter came a year or so later. My husband and I owned and operated a limousine service, and we often donated rides to the Make a Wish foundation. On one such occasion, our mission was to transport a terminally ill little boy whose greatest wish was to meet Michael. I didn’t go along, but my husband drove the limo for this event. We sent our grandest limousine and took the little boy and his family to a soundstage where Michael was filming a video. He must have been the kindest, most generous soul with the child, for my husband said the little boy couldn’t stop chattering even for a moment on the long ride home. And he was packing tons of gifts Michael had given him. My husband didn’t go inside, for he didn’t want to intrude. But he was invited. Michael’s people were very kind. The boy’s parents told my husband that Michael was a true gentleman and never once tried to hurry things along. He gave the boy his undivided attention, even when it meant delaying the video shoot.
The final time Michael drifted in and out of my life was about five years later. I was in Atlantic City setting up a trade show booth for my bridal accessories business. I heard a commotion and looked up to see Michael and Donald Trump standing there. They were on a balcony just above me. Michael seemed to just be checking things out. I waved, and he immediately waved right back. Then I laughed and shouted up to him, “Michael, I was at your final VICTORY tour show, but I was so sick that night. Would you do the performance over for me?” He smiled and said, “I would! I would!” He was so genuine. The man always had time to share a word with his fans.
I think Michael’s heart was truly as big as the great outdoors. He wasn’t perfect, but who can lay claim to perfection? No matter what personal opinion of him one may have, his extraordinary talent and influence in the musical world cannot be denied. His legacy will live on forever, just as he will forever live in the hearts of so many, including mine.
The limo my husband drove for the little boy's Michael Make A Wish day.
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LIE TO ME -- I Just Read a Fun Romance Novel!
May 18th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I recently read the debut romance novel, LIE TO ME, of author Starr Ambrose, and found it to be a quick and thoroughly entertaining read. It's high on my recommendation list for anyone who loves romantic suspense. I wrote a review of the book for Suite101, so click on my Suite101.com Articles tab and check it out!Posted in: Uncategorized |
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Hummingbirds in the Spring
April 14th, 2009 at 10:51 am
It occurs to me as I fill the hummingbird feeder daily, or twice a day now, that doing so is a blessing. Sure, these little guys are hungry. Spring is the time for babies, and they need all the sustenance they can get. But their heightened activity is an absolute joy to share. Sometimes after I've hung the feeder, I stand beneath it as they hustle in to feed. It only takes a few moments for them to become comfortable with my silent stance under their sugar water buffet, and I'm so close I can see their bellies and their tiny feet and hear the whirring of their lightening quick wings. I find it uplifting. I may be the one providing food, but it is the very existence of these little miracles of life that is feeding my spirit. Hummingbirds in the spring inspire a ready smile, and that is a gift.
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"Marley & Me" Movie Review
December 30th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Thank goodness for books.
Sometimes movies just don't stack up to the book they are based on, and I have to wonder what the screenwriters were thinking. I saw "Marley & Me" on Christmas Day and wished I hadn't picked that day to see it.
Was the "Marley & Me" book on your must-read list in 2008? Have you seen the movie? Check out my review of the movie here:
Marley & Me - Movie Review
Then tell me how the movie worked, or didn't work, for you!
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The Art of Waiting
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 am
Waiting is joyless, yet we do it again and again, day after day. What would life be like if we didn't have to wait? Just how many precious moments and finite heartbeats are lost just waiting for something not yet here or not yet happening? It doesn't matter whether we're waiting for something spectacular or something dreaded, the wait can be just as excruciating. If we're waiting for something fantastic, we wish our lives away trying to make it get here faster. If we are waiting for something unpleasant, we brood about it so much that the next thing we know we are smack dab up against the "awful", wondering where the time went. I've tried to beat waiting at its own game. I vowed to turn every moment of waiting into a moment of learning something new. It didn't work. My brain revolted against all the trivial "stuff" I tried to jam into it. Then I tried to psyche myself out by reversing the process..."No! Don't send my lottery winnings so fast!"..."Hurry, colonoscopy, hurry!" It didn't work. I couldn't fool that pit of "waiting" in my stomach the least little bit. And finally, I tried to pawn off the waiting onto someone else..."I, uh, lost all my calendars and my watch is broken, so you'll have to tell me when I need to do "this" or need to be "there". It didn't work. Turns out, everyone else is saddled with their own miserable waiting and aren't the least bit interested in managing mine. Bummer. So, I have to ask. If good things really do come to those who wait, then shouldn't we all be bursting with goodness by now? Yes, it's an odd creature, this thing known as waiting. If only someone could come up with a way to beat "the wait" I'm sure we'd all fork over our last plug nickel to learn the secret. I know there must be an art to waiting, and when it's finally discovered, I just hope it will have been, well, worth the wait.
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Little Miracles
May 13th, 2008 at 11:44 am
Lately I've been thinking about miracles. They surely do seem to come in all sizes. Yet sometimes they may be so small that we fail to recognize them. I've come to believe that opening ourselves to an awareness of the littlest miracles not only enriches our lives but paves the way to the big ones. For example, I used to have a beautiful white Hemmingway cat named Dancer. After she passed away several years ago, I bought a plant in her honor. It was supposed to be a flowering plant with an annual bloom of tropical pink flowers, but although the plant grew rich with leaves every year, it never bloomed. That changed one special day last August. My husband and I had spent the day away to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. When we returned home that night, there they were - three of the most beautiful flowers you have ever seen, rising tall and proud above the deep green leaves. Their beauty, and their timing, brought tears to my eyes. After years of refusing to bloom, my Dancer plant chose our Silver Anniversary to unfurl in magnificent style. I was so touched. Now, as I reflect, I realize there have been many little miracles in my life. The key is to embrace them and allow their existence fill us up with joy. I do believe in miracles, big and small. And perhaps sharing them with others is a little miracle all its own.
Posted in: Little Miracles |
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Up and Running!
April 28th, 2008 at 9:41 am
Good morning and happy April 28th!
Today is the launch of my new website, triciaspencer.net, and I'm so happy to be able to share a piece of my world with the world at large. The site is a work in progress and there will be much more to come, but today the basics have arrived. The website is about my life as an author, but this blog will not focus only on my writing pursuits. I will also share my feelings on issues that matter to me in life. That's the joy of a blog--you get to stand on your virtual soapbox and sing out about whatever your heart leads you to share.
So I bid you welcome, and I thank you for stopping by. I hope we cross paths often.
Today is the launch of my new website, triciaspencer.net, and I'm so happy to be able to share a piece of my world with the world at large. The site is a work in progress and there will be much more to come, but today the basics have arrived. The website is about my life as an author, but this blog will not focus only on my writing pursuits. I will also share my feelings on issues that matter to me in life. That's the joy of a blog--you get to stand on your virtual soapbox and sing out about whatever your heart leads you to share.
So I bid you welcome, and I thank you for stopping by. I hope we cross paths often.
Posted in: Welcome |
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