Dear Reader:

When I hear so many of the old Beatles songs, including John Lennon’s beautiful “Give Peace a Chance” I remember a wonderful reunion with my high school friends.

I had been away at college for a couple of years when this song hit the airways and immediately was heard everywhere…over the campus, on our radios, in the car…and no matter how badly I sang (and it was pretty badly) I had to start singing the refrain every time it got to that part of the song…with the windows down in the car and feeling completely free, young, and happy.

Some of my closest high school friends planned a class reunion that summer for all of us who had gone to different colleges and were scattered all over the state and country.

A group of parents (from our graduating class) rented out the country club (outside town) and we all dressed in our best sixties “mod” outfits…bright colors, mini-skirts, tie-dye shirts, tank tops, or bellowing blouses with large sleeves, hair apparel – caftans and tie-dye ribbons…Reflecting back on it I am sure we looked hysterically funny but at the time we thought we had it “going on”!!

For the last song of the evening… John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance” began playing quite loudly…but then it became faint as all the names of the boys in our graduating class who were fighting in Vietnam, injured, or deceased… were read out over a loud microphone while we hummed “Give Peace a Chance.”

We were all in a circle holding onto each other swaying back and forth…feeling that we could change the world that night…that love was all that was needed.I don’t think there was a dry eye in that whole crowd.

It is one of my fondest memories from the sixties.

And who know what? I still feel that way. Even now…after years of watching wars and conflicts continue and loved ones suffer from its effects…there is that same nineteen-year-old girl still inside me…who believes that one day love will win out over hate, intolerance, and indifference.

I think that hot summer night in 1969 created the ideology in me…the “girl” that still believes in new possibilities and ways of looking at things differently.

I had never heard the word “possibilitarian” until I read a paragraph from one of Norman Vincent Peale’s books that stated….

Norman Vincent Peale said, “Become a possibilitarian. No matter how dark things seem to be or actually are, raise your sights and see the possibilities – always see them, for they’re always there.” 

So until tomorrow…

Let’s give “peace a chance” and “people a chance“…everything and everyone deserves, at the least, a chance. Open minds open the doors of possibilities.

And speaking of opening doors….Kaitlyn gave me these “Welcome Beads” for Christmas. They are an old southern tradition symbolizing hospitality. One can hang them on a door-knob or wall hook…they welcome family, friends, and guests…hoping everyone will leave uplifted from the gathering of surrounding love.

What a lovely thought….may our country continue to welcome guests and show them how loving and accepting Americans truly are. Welcome “Y’all”…come in and sit a spell! 🙂

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Happy One Week Anniversary Winnie! She’s checking out Eva Cate’s new bed in her bedroom and helping re-decorate for her. She even took a ride in Barbie’s pink cadillac!

Can you remember when you didn’t have Winnie…Eva Cate? Since the monsoons hit yesterday I got an extra day with my “bestest” Christmas tree…still gorgeous without her “make-up!”