Responding to Uninformed Opinions About Hunger

All one has to do is spend one hour in a food bank. Look into the eyes of the mothers, fathers, grandparents and especially the children who are waiting for assistance. Feel their pain, their shame at not being able to provide for their families. Do this and then tell me that this is not a growing epidemic that we MUST stop. Now. Our people are starving and we have the means to help them. Start now. Volunteer your time at your local food bank and raise awareness of the work they do every day for our country.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

RIP Alexander McQueen

I was in shock when I read the news on Twitter yesterday. Such a horrific tragedy - my heart goes out to his family, friends and staff. The fashion world has lost a true genius.

I found this image on a post over at Tom and Lorenzo and it just really struck me - not only is it pure genius but the foreshadowing of the snakes overtaking the model is just a bit too real:

(Image via here)

Ringing in 2K10, Detroit Style

I spent the last night of 2009 with my brother and husband doing some truly Detroit activities!

We watched the Detroit Red Wings crush the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 at Joe Louis Arena!

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Following the game we introduced my brother to the best coneys in the world at Lafayette Coney Island:

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

After demolishing the coneys, we headed home to celebrate with the pup, Kathy Griffin, Anderson Cooper and CNN:

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Reilly made sure to be wearing his party hat:

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

The Decade List or How I Remember the '00's

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Jenni over at Absent Minded had the fabulous idea of making a list of memorable moments in the last decade being that it's the first decade of the new millennium. Thinking this was a great way to spend a Monday night, I decided to play. 


The Decade List:

• I graduated from high school.
• I graduated from college.
• I lived in Bremen, OH; Detroit, MI; Warszawa, Poland; Alexandria, VA; Farmington Hills, MI; and Dearborn, MI
• I met the other half of my soul
• I married him.
• I became the proud parent of a turtle named Sir Rupert Sheldon
• I adopted Mr. Reilly Patrick - my fave pound puppy!
• I worked about a million jobs.
• I was laid off...twice.
• I changed my name.
• I had two passports issued to me due to said name change.
• I lost a grandparent.
• I lost a good friend to stupidity and a shotgun.
• I laughed.
• I cried.
• I was the shoulder for others to cry on.
• I watched the WTC fall in the middle of campus with about 100 others.
• I joined a sorority.
• I hung out with fraternity boys that I now consider some of my very best friends.
• I watched so many friends get married and have babies.
• I watched a good friend get divorced.
• I made friends for life.
• I lost friends due to no fault of my own.
• I voted in historic elections.
• I watched my country go to war while living in a country that was violently opposing the war.
• I contributed to the saved lives of countless greyhounds.
• I learned more about myself than in the previous decade.
• I maintained a 19 year friendship with my Best Friend even though we haven't lived in the same city for more than 4 months in the past 10 years.
• I met my hero, Steve Yzerman, more than once.
• I have shaken hands with past and current sports figures, including Mr. Hockey.
• I watched the Stanley Cup Banner raise to the rafters in Joe Louis Arena.
• I watched #19 retired to the rafters in Joe Louis Arena
• I was in attendance at Superbowl XL in Detroit; the 2006 World Series in Detroit; the past four Preakness Horse Races at Pimlico; and countless other sporting events.
• I've traveled around the US, Poland, France, Germany, Luxumbourg, Italy, Czech Republic, Austria, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas
• Most of all, I've lived, I've loved and I've laughed.

What's your list?

Here's to a spectacular next decade!

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

Hark, Hear the Bells...

Merry Christmas! I'm sitting in a hotel room in Grand Rapids, MI typing as the icicles drip and form pools of icy patches on the sidewalk - in other words, winter on the West Side. We are 2/3 into our annual "criss-crossing the Mitten Christmas adventure" wherein we take two days (one for each side) and do a whirlwind visit to the family. It's a duet of family gossip, lots of ham, random and sometimes thoughtful gifts, hugs, eggnog and cookies. I love it  but also love that it's only once a year and it only lasts two days.

Photo copyright MyrtleArt Photography

So here's to family, food and fun. Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukah/Merry Festivus/Happy Kwanzaa!

That's What Christmas Means to Me:

Former Red Wing, Igor Larionov's daughters are not only gorgeous, they can actually sing too! This year they teamed up with the Hockey Fights Cancer Foundation to record a holiday song and music video to benefit the organization.

I'm LOVING the video that features fans and NHL players holding signs that show what Christmas means to them. The song is also available on iTunes as a download but I've embedded the video here for some holiday cheer. Enjoy!

Detroit Red Wings 2009-2010 Season Opening Video

Anyone who knows me but at all will tell you that I've been a Detroit Red Wings fan since birth, literally! My parents watched the Wings on tv and listened to games on WJR before I was born and throughout my lifetime. When we moved to Ohio, we would all gather around my dad's ancient AM radio where we could just barely get the WJR signal and listen to games...my friends in hockey-less Central Ohio could never understand why I couldn't come out and play during hockey season! Steve Yzerman has been my hero since he was drafted - he was the first person outside of my family that I could identify (at 3 yrs old, mind you) by sight. Now that I'm a "grown-up," I have season tickets to the Wings and live in Detroit. You could say my obsession knows no bounds.

This is the pre-game video for the 2009-2010 season. I think it's the best I've ever seen. Maybe I'm a nut that everytime I watch it I get chills and tear up. No? Good.

Enjoy.