November and a Covered Bridge

My dad has a role in a soon-to-be released N.C. independent film, and, my mom and I accompanied "the star" on location today and witnessed one of only two remaining covered bridges in the state of N.C. It was a cold but "cool" November weekend experience, and I'm proud of my dad for his continued zest for life and for trying new things. I'm also appreciative that my mom first learned and suggested this creative opportunity to my dad, because, if she had not, neither my dad nor I would have experienced this day. Attached is a picture of the covered bridge, "the star" and a little video as well!...Hope all of you are having a great November 2008!...Ruth

Halloween 2008

Halloween is an unusual holiday where partakers can take on the role/person/image, etc. of someone who is totally different from themselves. Some people think Halloween is simply an excuse for others to show their true colors, their innermost desires, etc., while some people think that Halloween is about briefly experimenting with an opposite side of yourself, a minor, minor part of yourself.

I was Amy Winehouse this year and had fun going to my friend Charlotte's (roller girl in pic) party.

To self-analyze a bit, I think I had fun choosing to be an outlandish character. There is much about Amy's publicized demons that I don't and can't relate to, but I think we can all relate to the complicated force of human nature that she represents. Amy's recent Grammys recognize her creative talents and musical genius, however, the headlines she makes show she's far from being a total success. Again, I think all of us can relate to being imperfect, and I think that's why I was relaxed in my Amy "get-up."

Who knows what I'll be next year, but, this year, it was fun to be Amy for a little while....RTD

VEGAS and Halloween

Hi, all:

This month has been busy for me and will be topped off tonight as I morph into Amy Winehouse for a Halloween par-tay! The after-party pics will tell the tale.

For now, I'll leave you with a fun video from my recent Vegas work trip. I was lucky that my sis, Dee, was able to fly out and join me at Caesars. The video captures her "winning" (pun intended) moment.

I wish all of my family and friends similar joy and luck for the rest of 2008!...RuthieD

October has arrived!

Happy Birthday to me...Happy Birthday to me...hee hee hee...it's hard for me to believe that October is here already! But the presence of mums as well as the arrival of my birthdate have left me unable to ignore the fact that we have only three months left during 2008.

My door is marked with mums and my face is marked with a bit more age in the attached photos.

I hope all of you family and friends are well and getting ready for Halloween! I'll leave you with this song about aging by Frank: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDp8anVM0eU

:-) Ruth

Time and what's becoming of me and you

Hi, all:

2008 has been flyin' by as far as I'm concerned. Of course, this sort of feeling tends to happen when you relocate/move -- something I did earlier this year.

Beyond the sense of fleeting and fast-diminishing time, I'm struck by my overall sense of time and timing in this life. In so many ways, when I reflect on my younger self, I realize things now and see things now about my previous experiences that I didn't see then. Yet, I have a memory of that time that was, and I can still recall how I felt during those earlier times...how I felt that I was seeing things/life/etc. as clearly as I could at the time -- hence lies a feeling of contradiction within me that so many of us hold.

And, now, ringing in my ears, I hear a line of scripture (1 Corinthians 13:12), "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

This life is a mystery. And, I, an optimist, believe that through it all, the good and the bad, life is a blessing.

I wish all of my family and friends continued blessings and happiness in this life...R.

What About Now?

Hello, friends:

I just got went for a long run and concluded the run listening to one of my all time fav Simon & Garfunkel songs, "Kathy's Song"...listen...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FE6JTtCLK0&feature=related I love so many of the lyrics and the melancholy melody is perfect for this Sunday (in my personal opinion)....

I also really enjoyed watching and listening to Chris Daughtry's new video, "What About Now?"...very inspiring and go NC boy!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-KZyn3ep9U The message I love is: no matter the pain, consider your blessings and constantly ask yourself the question, "what else can I do to help others who are less fortunate than me?"

I wish all of my family and friends a positive and inspired week ahead!...Ruth

Labor Day Weekend & Labor-less Days - Sep2008

Hi, friends! I've been on vacation for 9 days -- yeah! From visiting the coast to celebrating my mom's birthday in Smithfield to hanging out in Raleigh, I feel blessed to have shared some fantastic quality "down time" with my family and friends. My twin sister was in town all week, so all of my vacation days were "doubly fun!" And, Hannah made only a minor dent in the schedule weather-wise. During our time in Smithfield, my twin sis and I got to hear my dad jammin'. It's always great to hear a steel guitar. Check out the pics and video below!...Ruth