Home For Christmas

Yesterday my daughter Wendi, the youngest of my girls, came in from New York to spend Christmas with us.  It is lovely to have her home and rarely does she stay for such an extended visit.  Basically I intend to enjoy her being here which may mean that I’ll have to neglect my blog.  Sometimes we have to prioritize and, in this case, the time with my daughter is limited and therefore of great importance to me. 

Believe me when I say to you, my handful of faithful readers, that you will be on my mind during my absence.  Until my next post I wish you all well, I wish you the many joys and blessings of the season regardless of your religious denomination , and I wish you peace and prosperity.

My Friend "Flicker"....

For the past few days I have purposely kept from adding a fresh blog post as I did not wish to distract focus from my article on Vanessa's need for sponsors for her NYC Aids Walk. She is still below her goal of $1,000 and needs another $350 to reach the mark that she set for herself. If you're interested you can access her sponsor page through the above highlighted link. She would be happy for ANY amount you wish to contribute.

Several days ago I was standing on the wooden bridge at the back of our property and could not help but notice a scuffle going on between 2 birds. They were both woodpeckers though not of the same species and they were definitely at odds over something. The larger bird I recognized as a "Flicker" due to its large size and a brilliant tuft of flaming red feathers at the crest of its head. The other bird was much smaller and more reserved in coloration but was obviously some type of woodpecker. Though I managed to capture a few photos of the larger Flicker the smaller bird was more elusive.

Photo below...Captured this shot just as the flicker's red crest caught a patch of sunlight. Oh how I would have loved to have a camera with better zoom capabilities.

Touching So Many Lives...

Photo above...Vanessa from her walk of 2009

On MAY 16th 2010, New York will host its annual AIDS WALK NEW YORK. Each year my daughter Wendi supports her close friend Vanessa, who lost both her parents to Aids. As is my daughter's custom, she always sends me an email reminding me to help support Vanessa's cause.
Below I have posted the e-messages from both my daughter, Wendi, and her friend, Vanessa.

Hi Everyone ... Vanessa is doing her AIDS Walk again and I am sending this out to anyone who, in this economy, can spare money for a donation, any amount is more than enough. Below is a personal note from Vanessa so you can get an idea of why this is so important to her and that this is just one of many steps in her personal journey. I do hope the link works for you all but if not if you just click on Sponsor a walker and type in Vanessa Felice you will come to her page.

http://aidswalknewyork2010.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=331281&lis=1&kntae331281=75D1544B5ADF4FBC98AB8AA08372DF18&supId=211701930

Dear Friends:

As you know, there are few causes nearer and dearer to my heart than AIDS related charities. I'm going ahead with doing the AIDS Walk again this year, despite the tough economic times, and I was hoping that you could find it in your budgets to donate.

I did the walk for the very first time when I was 10 years old, with my sister and the people who worked at the clinic my mom used to go to. The nurses and social workers there were a huge part of my childhood; they were always very kind to me, and I had no idea that it was the first walk that I would do in honor of my mother. Six months later, I lost both my parents to AIDS.

As an adult, I've been extremely passionate about doing the Walk in honor of my parents. They were amazing people: funny and sarcastic and smart and handy (though that trait skipped me over), and they did their best with what little time they had. I think they raised a pretty awesome kid (not like I'm tooting my horn or anything. Nope. NO-SIR-REE) despite their sicknesses, and I enjoy doing the walk in their memory.

Also, I'll share the freebies they give out along the walk. (Seriously. Those weird flavored waters have to be SOMEONE'S taste, and Wendi will thank you for the room in our fridge!)

Thank you so much for your generosity and your time. I've included the link to my AIDS Walk page below. I hope you'll find a way to donate and keep me walking! You'll even get a thank you card, with me all sweaty and red and shiny at the finish line (I might even be able to promise frizz!). I know, your motivation has since increased! LOL

Much love,
Vanessa Felice
Woodside, NY AIDS WALK NEW YORK

AIDS WALK NEW YORK

Below is an e-mail I received today from my darling daughter Wendi. She and I are of like minds and we both sport a soft heart. I will be helping sponsor Wendi's very sweet roommate, Vanessa, for I know that AIDS has affected and touched so very many people. If you know of any one participating in this worthy walk please support them in any way you can.

Hello Everyone:

Some of you have met my roommate Vanessa and some know her from my conversations. But many of you may not know that as a young teenage she lost both of her parents within a few weeks of each other due to complications from AIDS. Last year was the first year she decided to deal with the loss head on by turning it into a positive and participated last minute in AIDS Walk in NYC. This year she has decided that she would like to participate again.

I am extremely proud she is facing what many would term as a devastating loss with such conviction and determination to make something positive come out of it and try to help others faced with similar situations. I know times are tough and charities are being hit hard by the financial state – but every dollar counts so if any of you can help out and give anything even just $5 as it adds up and will make such an impact.

Love you all and wish you all the best - and many of you I have not spoken to in a long time so drop me a line tell me how your doing and where you are now.
Wendi

On Thu, 4/16/09, Vanessa Felice wrote:

From: Vanessa Felice Subject: AIDS Walk New York Sponsorship.
To: wendiyoakum Date: Thursday, April 16, 2009, 11:30 AM
Please sponsor me for AIDS Walk New York!
Wendi, I'm going to be participating in AIDS Walk again, and would love your help in reaching my goal! I know it's rough right now, but even the tiniest amount would mean a lot to me. This is the one cause that I wholeheartedly support, and would really appreciate your help in reaching my goal this year!Thank you so much for any donations that you make! Every little bit counts! :) Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support AIDS Walk New York