‘A New Birth of Freedom’

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If you want to be important — wonderful.
If you want to be great — wonderful.
But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
That's a new definition of greatness ...
by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.
You don't have to have a college degree to serve.
You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.
You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve.
You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.
And you can be that servant.

an excerpt from a sermon Dr. King delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Ga

The Blog Quote of the Moment...

And while Mrs. G. is thrilled her party's candidate won, this inauguration, in her mind, transcends politics. On Tuesday, she will be sitting on her couch watching a black man raise his right hand, flanked by his beautiful black family, and she will cry.

And while she cries, she will think: hey racism...

in your fucking face.

I Remember When...

When Wes was a toddler and fully immersed in perfecting his gross motor skills from sun up to sun down, I recall wondering if he would ever sit for 5 seconds so mommy could catch her breath want to draw or paint.

I remember silently wishing he'd at least take to coloring so I too could color an afternoon away.

And not that he ever neglected his gross motor development, but he did begin to show increasing interest in stories...or better, writing them. Actually, in the beginning he'd draw the story on computer paper then ask Dad or me to write the words on the pages for him...oh, and then staple the pages like a book--he didn't know how to use a stapler yet.

On his own terms and in his own time, he developed and refined those fine motor skills and isn't ever farther than an arms length from a big blank drawing book.

We've always admired his tenacity, his attention to detail and albeit frustrating as it was at times for him mostly, but dad & mom too...well, let's just say he's mastered that stapler!


Mariah, lost in Wes's new parka



Drawn by Wes while playing Jeopardy with mom & dad

icicles & sea smoke

sea smoke view from our bedroom window this morning

shine a little light on me

shadow reverence

before...now you see it...

bidding adieu

after...now you don't...

...the calm at the end of the day

We Love Video Games! They Teach...They Connect Us...They Challenge...They Give Us Reason to Laugh at with Dad!

Proof is in the pictures...




...a brief tutorial for a first timer


...Sterrs men Rock!



...Nicole & Mariah bring on the feminine power




...Ad brings it home!


...Mariah, the only one who actually has any musical training (she's very patient)




...or maybe proof is on Larry/Dad's face!

"Button" Up...Oh, I See We Have a Tie for Blog Award Button Friday...

And the winners are my West Coast friends, Kelly of "She's in Transition" and Mary of Zenmomma's Garden!

These women, mothers, wives, Goddesses are breaths of fresh air and my life has been deeply enriched by having met them through a random act of Goggle a meticulous Blogger search.

I'm enrolled in their distance learning program (Blog Tech 909, Passionate Unschooling-the Teen Years, and Smile Wrinkles-They're so In!) I hope to be a daily blog stalker perpetual student of their for as long as is perpetual's definition.

Congratulations Mary & Kelly...

Happy Birthday, SETH!

I've been attempting a birthday post to my friend, Seth, but have been receiving an irritating message which says something to the effect that my image quota is full...wtf?

Seth, in spite of Blogger I wish you a wonderful birthday full of:

...great food (insert visualization of beautiful filet mignon dinner platter,)...
...perfectly mixed Stoli & cranberry juice (insert visualization of Stoli bottle and the perfect pink hue in an iced filled glass,)...
...one kick ass birthday cake(insert visualization of decadent three layer chocolate ganache cake complete with ALL the candles,)...
...and of course insert image from your most recent memories of a room full of crazy, lovable, loyal good friends and one crazy-about-YOU husband!

Hope you enjoyed our Solid Gold Dancer's rendition of 'Appy Birdday'...sung despite clogged ears and stuffy noses!

Hugs,
Team Sterrs!

Broth is Beautiful

"Good broth will resurrect the dead," says a South American proverb. Said Escoffier: "Indeed, stock is everything in cooking. Without it, nothing can be done."

Tomorrow I begin the two and a half day FAST that I've been putting off since early November. In the beginning I thought I was just procrastinating the IVP procedure, but now I'm certain it's the "clear liquids" and "just say no to pasta" that has me eating my way through the weekend like a voracious lioness!

It's probably a given that spaghetti is on the menu for supper tonight...spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms, peas, chicken and Alfredo sauce. And on the back burner: chicken carcass, herbs, onion, carrots, celery stalks, etc...hopefully, a beautiful broth a'brew'n

Charlie's Christmas Angels...Not!