Bing Crosby - Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)

I wanted to drop in and wish every single one of you and your families a very Merry Christmas! Since the weather here in Florida has been in the 80s for over a week I decided I would share my favorite tropical Christmas song, recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters wayyyyy back in 1950…

They're coming home!

The last 6,000 American troops are to be out of Iraq by December 31. 

Have you come across this ad on YouTube?

That's my nephew and his family in the picture!

Earlier this month, my family marked the 1st anniversary of my nephew coming home from Iraq. While David was deployed there was a documentary made called Operation: Family Connect. The collection of films told the stories of three military families and what they experienced while they were apart. My nephew and his family were one of the families.

David was deployed just after his son Ian's birth, so not only was he looking forward to seeing his beautiful wife, Ariana, but he was also excited about spending time with her and his son as a family.

At this time of year, my heart turns to other military families who will not be able to be with their loved ones for the holidays. For almost 4,500 troops this day will never come, they made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and for us.

Today I would like to share The Rathburn Reunion video with you to give you a glimpse of what our military families go through as they wait for their soldier to return to them and the moment they spot each other across a field. This is putting a face on what so many have or will experience.

To our troops who are still deployed in Afghanistan and other parts of the world, I wish you a speedy and safe return to your loved ones. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

My nephew, David Rathburn, has been home for a year now. As a family they just celebrated their son's second birthday. I am so proud of them and wish them a very Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart.

Please take some time this busy season to thank our troops in any way you see fit, it will make your heart sing and show them how much we care.

You can watch more stories from Operation: Family Connect on YouTube.

Here Comes the Sun

Here Comes the Sun

Hi Everyone!!!!!! I've missed you all so much and I'm sorry I've stayed away for so long. The last four months have been very difficult dealing with my sister's passing. I want to thank all you for your continued support, your comments, your emails, your phone calls and most of all your friendships. Thank you for understanding that I could not respond to each of you, but knowing you were out there thinking of me meant more than words can possibly express.

I do not want to write about this personal loss, but I am ready to get back to our blogging world and see what all of you have been up to!

I will tell you that, as of late, a few old tunes have been running through my mind when I think of you and the whole situation. Funny, because I was never a HUGE Beatles fan, but it is their words that have helped bring me back to blogging.

First up are these that are so apropos:

"And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the haze.
But every now and then I feel so insecure,
I know that I just need you like I've never done before.


Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me."


Next are these:


"What do I do when my love sis is away
(Does it worry you to be alone)
How do you feel by the end of the day
(Are you sad because you're on your own)


No, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mmm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mmm, Gonna try with a little help from my friends."

Lately these words express how I'm beginning to feel:

"Little darling, it's been a long cold hot lonely winter summer
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right.


Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right.


Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes."

In the last month I have started getting out and the first time had to be to the beach, of course! I went down to visit my friend Karen of The Essential Beachcomber. She always knows my soul and she kept me busy shelling, shopping, and eating. You may have seen this pic she put on her blog…

Well, here we are enjoying a day doing what we do best — shelling (me) and shark's tooth hunting (Karen). Don't you love that mermaid in front of Margaret Albritton's gallery? (Loui, she made me think of you!!!)

Karen even lent me her kayak for a solo ride. Boy, it felt good to be on the sea…

The following week I took off with my gal pal Deb to Ribfest 2011 at Vinoy Park in St. Pete. The only thing better than the fallin' off the bone ribs, was the entertainment. The last time I saw these guys in concert was 1978!!!!!!




I have to include this short video of Tommy, just to show you he is as HOT as ever…



This is not to exclude Lawrence, who still makes my heart go pitter patter…sigh and James, you ROCK. I love these guys and it was great to see Chuck performing with them. The "new" guys Todd Sucherman and Ricky Phillips were fab and if you see STYX coming to your town, get down and get tickets!!!!!

Then to just make November even better, I went to my friends Jane's of Artfully Graced for another Art at Home Show. I haven't made anything new, but I took what I had and went to spend the day with friends. Between Jane's paintings, Becky's quilting and Catherine's cupcakes and just being with good friends, you couldn't ask for a more wonderful day!

So that's it, that's what's been going on around The Hut. I miss you terribly and I don't know how often I will be posting, but bet your bottom dollar I'll be out seein' what's new with you!

Oh, I have one last Beatle tune for you before I go:

Shebelle loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shebelle loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shebelle loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!