In memory...Arnold Jay Kurtz...

"Biggest fan in the stands"..."Best neighbor ever"..."Heart of gold"...join us for a gathering of friends & family...to remember and share stories of our Arnold. Husband, father, brother, grandpa, uncle, cousin, coach, co-worker, neighbor and friend to so many. Gone too soon...forever in our hearts.

Arnold passed away unexpectedly on 3/25/14.  Rosemary & him celebrated their birthdays the day before...Arnold was an amazing man and he will be missed by all of us that had the honor of knowing him!!!

R.I.P. Tony S.....

I was shocked to learn this afternoon that James Gandolfini had passed away suddenly at the age of 51.

 I didn't get into watching the Sopranos until close to it's sixth and final season.  It was a harsh/gritty/amazing show and James' character of Tony was the center.  Even though he was a horribly person, he did have a heart (to an extent) and it was a wild ride seeing how "the family" worked from their perspective.

Rest in peace Tony....

Celebrating Big Philly...

Today we celebrated all things Big Philly. Betty, Rodney, Billy, Ava and Riley were there. Along with a bunch of his Intel family and a few of the Meisel's close friends.

This is the only photo I took. We laughed a LOT! We shared stories, all great ones and the theme was consistent to everybody who spoke. We are all better because he was and always will be a part of our lives! He always smiled, encouraged and made you feel oh so special. He treated everyone with respect, no matter what grade level they were.  He LOVED life and his family!  That is one of the many gifts/life lessons we all received and are better because we were fortunate enough to have him in our lives! God bless you Big Philly. Until we meet again my dear friend!

Saying goodbye to BP...

Big Philly's memorial service was this afternoon. A military honor and doves were released. Doug did an amazing job speaking, as did Little Philly. All that knew him, we are better because he was part of our lives. I cry selfishly because I miss him, but he will ALWAYS be in our hearts!!!  Love you BP!  Thank you for making this world a better place!!

The Dash ---

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came his date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
as the dash between the years.
For that dash represents all the time
That he spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved him
Know what that little line is worth
For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read
Withyour life's actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?


I attended the memorial service and celebration of life for my friend Karie's husband Derek tonight.  A life taken all too soon!   It was great to hear a few stories from relatives and friends.  Then the video of so many wonderful pictures of Derek's life....so many great memories with family & friends. 


My friend Libby posted this poem just now on Facebook and it got me thinking...what would it look like at my celebration of life?  I can honestly say that I am proud of how I have and continue to spend my time/energy with friends and family and that I'm making a positive difference to all those I come in contact with....I'm not perfect, but I try and learn from my mistakes, move onward and be the best I can be...it's definitely a work in progress....but I'm getting there!   I will look back on my dash and SMILE!

Please keep Karie and her family in your prayers!  

Heaven has another angel tonight...

An amazing lady lost her battle with cancer today. Doreen Lynn Schmitt - May 30, 1958 - October 11, 2011.

http://imaginenocancer.blogspot.com/2011/10/doreen-lynn-schmitt-may-30-1958-october.html

I'm thankful that Dor is no longer in pain. I'm thankful that I was lucky enough to know her. I'm thankful knowing her & Rick are together again in heaven. I pray for her amazing kids, family and extended family and pray for peace in their hearts as they deal with the loss of their mom, daughter, friend. The world is a better place because she was a part of it and shared so much of her battle with cancer and helping breakdown myths about lung cancer specifically.

I will continue to DREAM BIG and do my part in helping find a CURE!

In Memoriam...Steve Jobs...

Rachel called me to let me know the news...I started to digest it...told mom & dad about his passing...it wasn't until we were driving home tonight and I heard it on the radio that I started to cry...I hate cancer!!!

Steve did things his way and he strived to give the customers what they wanted, but didn't know they wanted!

My heart & prayers go out to Steve's family and friends. Pancreatic cancer is a horrible disease. He made sure that the world didn't focus on his health and he continued to help innovate technology until nearly the very end.

I'm glad you are no longer in pain...thank you for making a difference in this world!!!

Two more reasons to Relay...

Two wonderful ladies lost their fight against cancer in the last 48-hours.

Our neighbor Phyllis who had been battling cancer for the last couple of years and took a turn for the worse just in the last couple of weeks.

My friend Jen's grandma Dorothy (pictured below in the middle) passed away this morning after her most recent battle.


















I'm SO GLAD I took this photo of (Jen, Grandma D & Cheryl) back in July at Vancouver's Relay. Dorothy was a feisty one and always had a smile on her face. A couple of weeks ago she REALLY wanted to go to the casino, but she was just too weak...so instead, her family brought the casino to her! ;-) You should have seen the smile on Dorothy's face as she played the slot machine from her hospice bed.

Jen and family, along with Phyllis's family, you are all in our thoughts & prayers.

Patrick Swayze...

I just found out that he lost his 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer today. I remember watching him and his wife on the Barbara Walter's special early this year and just being in awe of his love for life and his family, his will to keep going and his positive attitude to take each day and make the most of it!

Ghost, Point Break and of course Dirty Dancing are all favorites in my DVD/VHS collection!

Peace be with you Patrick and your family!!!

Goodbye to three icons...

WOW--what a bizarre week in the world of entertainment. The passing of three icons...

First Ed McMahon on Tuesday, then Farrah Fawcett early this morning, THEN Michael Jackson's passing hit the internet waves later this afternoon. My dad actually called me at work to tell me about MJ's passing. Back in the 80's I was quite the fan. I'm still a fan of his music, just wish his personal life hadn't taken such bizarre twists and turns over the past 15+ years.

I was lucky enough to attend one of the Jacksons' Victory Tour concerts in Kansas City on July 8, 1984. That is a day I will NEVER forget! I remember thinking, WHY would this tour begin in Kansas City of all places? I just happened to be going to Kansas City on my way back from a KEY Club convention in Dallas and thinking, wouldn't it be cool if I could go...totally DREAMING and knowing it would never happen....funny thing, my Aunt Jan & Uncle Dennis (hi guys--I know you read this daily) were lucky enough to score 4 tickets (tickets that they had to get put into a lottery for, it was an interesting purchasing experience...no internet back then, those were the days that people normally camped out for tickets, but they didn't even have to do that)...imagine my surprise to find out I was going!!!

We had row 13 center on the floor at Arrowhead Stadium...Awesome doesn't really begin to describe that concert experience. I was 15 years old -- it was AMAZING! Cameras were strictly prohibited, I remember metal detectors and of course no cellphones back in those days! Didn't even take my camera to the stadium to get photos outside, but I was there! I also remember thinking it was really strange that Thriller was NOT performed???

I still have the ticket stub, need to find that scrapbook...ironically I just recently recycled a ton of old memorabilia from the 80's..including two magazines (Time & People July '84) with MJ on the cover from the Victory Tour...bummer! (Victor had rolled his eyes at my keeping them for 24+ years...so I knew it was time to LET GO)....

Rest in peace Michael, Farrah & Ed...you three are true icons and will be missed!

Cooper's Flock...a knitted memorial...

One of the great things about blogs is how they really do draw us together and connect all of us, even though there are miles, states and sometimes even oceans that separate us. I read about Cooper today on Susan's blog. Lucinda is making a knitted memorial of 100 birdies for her son Cooper, who passed away when he was only 21 days old. I emailed Lucinda and I plan on making a bird and I'm also going to see if Rosemary wants to make one to that we can send back to NY and give to Lucinda and her husband in memory of "their little birdy" taken all too soon!

Anymore of you knitters out there reading this that would like to make a birdy for Cooper, please let me know or contact Lucinda directly via her blog.

Remember to give those you love a hug and never, ever take life for granted! ;-)