The Happiest Place On Friday

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy

When asked why such a big password, she replied "It had to be at least 8 characters long."

Happy weekend Bloggers!!

http://www.mdjunction.com/forums/agoraphobia-discussions/lounge/887043-tgif-jokes-and-quotes

Hot For Teacher

So get this...

Apparently Kaitlyn Pearson, a 23 yr old Fitchburg, MA special needs teacher's aide was placed on administrative leave on Jan 17 after an anonymous packet containing Pearson's modeling photos were mailed to both the local paper, Sentinal & Enterprise and Fitchburg school officials. This created a whole bru-haha that set the city buzzing.

Facts are: Kaitlyn did pose for "racy" pictures. They certainly do not constitute "pornography", but she was photographed scantily clad, embracing other semi clothed women. The question here is what does this have to do with her teaching duties? Her reputation as a teacher's aide is excellent. She is well respected by her colleagues and is reportedly a devoted teacher.

A local principal of another middle school, not the school Pearson works in, wrote a letter in her defense:

In the letter, Principal Fran Thomas Jr. of Memorial Middle School said that while he doesn’t know Pearson, he objected to the “cowardice” of the anonymous packet sender. “As a parent and an 
educator, I am far, far, far, more concerned about a student being in a classroom with petty, vindictive, sneaky, gutless bullies than with a former model.” Sneaks, he said, are the ones who shouldn’t be working in schools.

As The Boston Herald's Margery Eagan pointed out today: If Scott Brown can pose nude for Cosmopolitian and be voted into the US Senate, with rumors swirling around his possible Presidential candidacy in 2016, why is it such a crime for Kaitlyn Pearson to model in her spare time?

Evidently the powers that be agree. In a recent press release, Fitchburg Superintendent Andre Ravenelle said that "after reviewing all relevant information" the school reinstated Kaitlyn Pearson on Tuesday.

Amen. It's nice to see that for once, doing the right thing ended up being the right thing to do.

Monday, Err Ummm, I Mean Tuesday Morning Water Cooler

This is the post I was about to post yesterday when I got distracted by something and forgot about it:

Monday Morning Headline News:

• It's frigid weather here so nothing much to do but indoor activities, so I saw two great movies yesterday. 
• First up: Saving Mr Banks. This was a delight! Emma Thompson's portrayal of the acerbic author P.L Travers, who wrote the children's classic Mary Poppins series, was so unlikable which was in stark contrast to Tom Hanks' lovable portrayal of Walt Disney. The movie tells the tale of the making of Disney's classic musical motion picture of Travers book Mary Poppins and the seemingly insurmountable battle that ensued. In telling the tale we get a biographical look at Travers childhood with a surprise turn from Colin Farrell as her alcoholic banker father. I give this one a resounding two thumbs up! Let's just say that I enjoyed it so much, that I made a purchase on Amazon.com immediately after. 
•  After a quick dinner, I then watched Dallas Buyers Club.  Talk about an about face on the subject matter. I get why Matthew McConaughey is winning all the awards for Best Actor this season. The movie and his performance was riveting. The subject matter-HIV Virus and Aids in the mid 80's-set the stage for McConaughey's portrayal of a man who unwittingly finds out about his diagnosis and death sentence. Jared Leto plays his transgendered partner in the journey to stay alive and beat the odds. Both McConaughey and Leto lost unhealthy amounts of weight to play these roles which lent itself to the urgency of this debilitating disease and the desperate measures people were willing to take in those days. Certainly worth viewing, for sure. 
• Fortune or Misfortune? You decide. Watch out for those winter pot holes!  While I was going to pick up balloons for The Candy Bar event on Friday, I drove right over a pot hole the size of a bathtub. I didn't see it but my car certainly did! I was on a major thoroughfare with lots of traffic. Immediately the tire began to deflate and the steering wheel locked up. I pulled into the first driveway I could, which just so happen to be a Jiffy Lube. As I stepped out of the car on that frigid morning, an employee of Jiffy Lube came out to inspect. "I just got a bad flat tire can you help me?" was all I could muster up and I could hardly believe it when the man asked for my keys and pulled it into his garage to change to my spare. The whole thing took maybe 15 minutes and they didn't charge me!!!! I sent him a Dunkin Donuts gift card while i still wonder with amazement. 

So how was your weekend? 

Baby, Baby, Baby, OH!

The Biebs got arrested..

Big news on the radio as I was driving to work today. Evidently he was drag racing his yellow Lambo while under the influence of something. The press is having a field day with this latest infraction. It's like the vultures are circling now waiting for his demise. 

I say not smart ever-especially when you're Justin Bieber. 

BUT-really? Big news? Ya maybe if you're TMZ or E! but broadcasting live on every news channel? This is really not hard news worthy enough to have his mug shot streaming over the AP. Here's the thing...

He's 19! The kid is 19 years old and has lived a lifetime already. Tons of money and lived a pampered life. The life of a rock star who can pretty much do anything he wants to pretty much any day. But he's still a kid. Listen, I'm not condoning drag racing while you're hopped up on something but I get that a 19 year old would. 

My nephew got arrested for drag racing at about the same age in Small Town, USA- I don't recall his mug shot plastered all over the AP. Or the local PTO meeting either, and believe me, those suburban moms can talk... They didn't because either their kids did it too or they came dangerously close. Too close. 

It just proves that The Biebs, while being the biggest pop star on the planet, is still just a kid. A boy who likes his toys. It just so happens that he can afford the best. 

Yes, it's extremely dangerous.

Yes, it's foolish and childish.

And yes, it's not how a role model should behave. Ever. 

But it doesn't warrant the "bring down the Biebs" campaign that the press has been waging. 

Maybe all that's warranted here is a time out. His mom should ground him for a month and take his keys away. Done.

Just like every other parent of a 19 year old in the good old U S of A.

Snow Noooo!

'

I have to laugh....

Born and raised here in New England, I have seen my fair share of snow storms. In fact, I have seen lots of them. From the great Blizzard of 78 to last year's record breaking Blizzard, this is the time of year that dumps lots of nasty snow in our region. So why does it always surprise us when snow is in the forecast?

Hearty New Englanders, you'd think we would be conditioned for all of this. So when they forecast 6-10" of snow yesterday, we were ready. The weather people had warned of a January Nor'Easter with high accumulations. The snow was predicted to start late in the afternoon and go heavy into the wee hours of the night. Another nasty evening commute with a tough morning one to follow. There was even a blizzard warning in effect for the southern part of the state with high winds and 18-24" predicted. 

So it began about 4pm and as promised, the evening commute was not particularly pleasant. As the snow continued I watched as a measly inch to two piled up on top of last Saturday's surprise 4" already on the ground. The snow continued throughout the evening but every time I looked outside I saw nothing much amounting. Nothing much for a native to these parts. When I woke this morning I found the same story. In total we got about 4" which by now totals up to a "dusting" . It was not what the forecasters had warned/promised. Yet again....

This is the second time this month we had had a storm that didn't live up to the hype. 

Oh yes-the southern part of the state got smacked. Some towns reported getting 18"and word has it it was still snowing and blowing at 8am this morning, but here closer to the city? A whole lotta nothing. 

It makes me laugh. Why all the hype? I guess it's better to be over on the snow predictions than under if that's what you do for a living, but around here it's like get it right or go home!! For goodness sake, this place was in a complete tizzy about 2pm yesterday. I'm sure all the show shovels and ice melt were sold out, which is a usual occurrence when big snow is predicted, but this morning we probably feel like idiots who got duped by a cheesy door to door salesman. With all the Doppler radar aps out there for our tablet devices, becoming a weather watcher has become a seasonal pastime. How did we not see it?

It's a simple case of the boy who cried wolf. I'm not buying it next time. Unless there is a state of emergency declared and a driving ban or "shelter in place" order issued, I'm not going to panic. 

After all, what another 6-10" inches to a native New Englander?

The Art Of Story Telling

So I watched Lee Daniels' The Butler last night and I give it a Daily Dandy two thumbs up! While I thought the story was compelling and thought provoking, what's really amazing to me is that segregation of that kind took place during my lifetime. It's so hard for me to fathom. I guess it's a good thing that today I live in Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream....

In any case, let's talk for a moment about the acting in this movie.

What I really loved was the who's who game that was played throughout the story. From Mariah Carey, Robin Williams, James Mardsen, a prosthetic nose-wearing John Cusack as a young and old, battered Nixon, it was almost like a Cracker Jack surprise in every box! Then there was Alan Rickman, (Prof. Snape himself), Jane Fonda and a commode sitting Liev Schreiber, (My Ray Donavan) I kept calling out the names of the actors like a rousting game of "who's who?" Lenny Kravitz??? Brilliant casting. Cuba Gooding Jr once again making me fall in love with his talent. Oprah Winfrey was a joy to behold and for someone who doesn't act for a living, she was fantastic. Then there's Forrest Whitaker, who absolutely takes a role and wraps it in his hands like a modern day Rumpelstiltskin then spins the straw into gold. His compassionate portrayal of Cecil Gaines, based loosely on a true story, is a testament to the significance of the subject matter and the moral fiber of the character he portrays.

Now let's talk for a moment about the civil rights movement.

For me, I couldn't help but be enthralled by the character of Lewis Gaines, Cecil's son, the freedom fighter. The courage and dedication of a man to fight for what he believed in almost cost him his relationship with his father. He was a hero but at what expense? The scene in the Gaines dining room when Lewis comes to dinner with his afro wearin' girlfriend was one of my favorites. The moral struggle between father and son played out between blacks and whites and society serves to highlight the courage it took to become a freedom fighter and to stay one. I couldn't help but think about where we would be today if people like the character Lewis Gaines hadn't found the strength and courage to fight to end segregation.

Now I'd like to talk for a moment about Cecil Gaines himself.

Although Cecil Gaines is a character written for the big screen, Forrest Whitaker's elegant portrayal of a man who served eight presidents during his tenure as a White House butler exemplifies that this character represents so much more about being a black man in a white world. The character represents pride. Cecil took pride in his job and his family and while he may not have agreed with the politics that were taking place around him, he continued on. While he served, his goal was to be "invisible" in every room he entered, and he contributed to his world with the best of himself. But that same pride and invisibility later came around to haunt him and the passion he had been suppressing for years by being "invisible" is what ended up saving him.

Of all the questions that this cinematic treat left me pondering, there is one left to ask here:

Who is Lee Daniels?

The Super Bowl

I'm soooooo nervous....

But in My Tommy we trust.

Heck, after all the devastating injuries the Patriots have suffered this season, I figure this game is a bonus. But there is something different about this time. So much riding on who wins...Not only does the winner go to the BIG Kahuna, The Super Bowl, but the winner here preserves a legacy. A quarterback legacy.

It's Tommy vs. Peyton and that has been the focus of Sunday's game in Denver. Oh, we've been here lots of times before, but this time it's far more serious. This time the circumstances are different. Both of them are in the December of their careers. Each one has a ton to prove, both to themselves and to the world. Can Peyton win when it counts? Statistics are not on his side Can Tommy lead his depleted team to his 6th, record breaking, Super Bowl? Stats are on Tommy's side-but lately he's not been the closer we have become accustomed to. This time Peyton has home field advantage and a whole new team with a loaded-league leading offense.

What does Tommy have? He's got it all, and he knows how to use it. This guy is one you can never count out. Never. Because when you do, that's when Tommy will make you pay. But is this the team to do it with? With this win, he will go back into the category he belongs in, the "possible greatest to ever play the game" category and I think he deserves it. And that's only with the win on Sunday.

But in My Tommy we trust.

It's just everybody else I worry about.

There Are Really Some Very GOOD People In This World!

So I have spent all morning, literally since I opened my eyes, trying to deal with the HACKING of my personal email. My Guy and I were sitting at the kitchen counter having coffee when he informed me that my email had been hacked.  The Email that went out to my contacts read:

From: xxxxxxxx
Date: January 16, 2014 at 7:43:18 AM EST
To: xxxxxxxxx
Subject: Please Help!!
Reply-To: xxxxxxxxx

Good morning,
 I am writing this with tears in my eyes, My family and I made a trip to Kiev (Ukraine) unfortunately we were mugged at the park of the hotel where we stayed all cash,credit card and cell were stolen off us but luckily we still have our passports with us.
I have been to the Embassy and the Police here but they're not helping issues at all the bad news is our flight will be leaving in less than 12-hrs from now but we are having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let us leave until we settle the bills, I will need your help (LOAN ) financially, I promise to make the refund once we get back home. Please let me know if i can count on you and i need you to keep checking your email because it's the only way i can reach.

Thanks,
Candace Evans-Lucas
The Candy Bar
20 Church Street
Wellesley, MA 02482
781-439-5899

Candybarcosmetics.com

Oh HELL No!

I have received this email before from people and never thought much of it. Pain in the ASS hackers-so I handled it and took the necessary steps to protect my email account immediately.

But then the most amazing thing happened....

People started emailing, texting and calling me. My phone blew up! My family and friends and my Facebook friends all letting me know I had been hacked! My blogger friends, Scope, Cora, Zibsy and BeckEye all contacted me-then people outside my circle started calling. Strangers and even Frack's school teachers!!! All checking to see if we were OK.? I couldn't believe it. People that I used to work with called me , people that I didn't even know reached out to let me know that I had possibly been hacked.

The most touching came from an acquaintance I had met through my son's athletic team. He called expressing his concern. I informed him that my email had been hacked and that I was sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused him and then he told me,
"Candace, I'm glad it is not true because if it were, we would have taken the proper steps to help you."

It's people like that that make me want to squash every single hacker's fingers into a million pieces. 

Their overwhelming kindness and the fact that they could have become a victim of fraud because of me??? I couldn't bear the thought. So I have been all over the place this morning trying to report, catch, intercede and do whatever I can to ensure that my contacts know that this is a SCAM!!! I seem to have lost my address book to send a bulk email, but I'm working on that too. I have posted on every possible social media site, Facebook Twitter and Instagram and now on the Daily Dandy! My apologies if any of you are inconvenienced.

For all the bad that it caused, it sure doesn't negate the good because the good is glaringly obvious.

January Doldrum

I hate January.

It's not even the tons of snow and dangerously freezing weather that we have been hit with lately. It's the time of the year when everything feels...stagnant. The holidays are over, its time to get back into the groove of things and its always a time for re-evaluation. And who really wants to do that? We always seem to be in a holding pattern in January; holding out for spring and waiting for the new year to begin or holding out for something more.

I read recently that Jan 6th is the most depressing day of the year. "Blue Monday", as it has been dubbed, is said to bring on terrible depression in some. With winter's dark and shortened days, the excitement of the holidays now come and gone and those additional pounds and bills piling up, it's easy to see why January is a least favorite month among people. In the beauty industry, it's the month to focus on Health and Wellness which goes along with the New Year and the New You philosophy. That's a positive way to look at things, but then there's the reality that says January sucks. Plain and simple.

A British Protein drink Maker claims that they analyzed over 2 million tweets over three years for negative language and concluded the Jan 6th date. Scientists do NOT agree.

“There is simply no science to support that statement,” says Dr. Gail Saltz, a psychiatrist and TODAY contributor. “The idea that you can cull negative words from tweets and then from that conclude that it is the most depressing day of the year sounds absurd from a science standpoint.”

Either way, I have concluded that January is the red headed step-child of the calendar year. With it's miserable weather and insincere "fresh new outlook" mentality, January can go pound sand for all I care. Bring on the ground hog, the Super Bowl, Valentines day and much more hopeful time of year because love cures all! Sorry January but you're time has come.

Just Like Donald Trump says, "January, you're fired."

Fashion Perfection

Last night's Golden Globes marks the beginning of Hollywood's 2014 Red Carpet Season which stretches all the way thru to the big finale at the Academy Awards in March. There were many high's and a few lows, so here's how I saw it!

Breathtaking, stunning and absolute red carpet fashion perfection is how I saw Lupita Nyong'os red Ralph Lauren creation. She took my breath away and I LOVE it when a fashion does that. This girl has the body of a fashion model and I cannot wait to see what her next red carpet number will be. Stunning....

Poor Lena. She looks like a young girl crammed into a grown woman's fashion that she really feels uncomfortable in. This Zac Posen might have been better served on another star, but on the upside, she looks the part of a Golden Globe nominee. Points for that, but where she misses is the fit and the color. This color is stunning-just not on her- and that's ok. They just should have told her. And while I prefer a tight fitting gown on Lena over a large silhouette, she is jammed in here so tight I'm not sure Lena thinks she will make it through the whole night securely. And it shows...

America's sweetheart took a trendy turn in a Prabal Gurung color blocking gown. The gown is lovely on her. Well fitting and fresh, but not very memorable. The thing about Sandra last night that puts her on my best dressed list was her face.. Her makeup and hair was flawless which sets the tone here. She looked so beautiful and soft, she actually belies her advanced age in Hollywood standards.

The youth of Hollywood speaks! And I love what they have to say. Fresh and different, yet stunning and sexy is how I would describe Emma Watson's Dior creation. From the front, it covers fully but sports a gorgeous slit, and from the back it really packs a punch. The House of Dior really know their stuff and I spot a  new fashion trend coming! 

Reece can do no red carpet wrong and last night was no exception! This aqua Calvin Klein design was like liquid paint on her, and her hair and makeup were right in line with the minimalistic beauty of her gown. Kudos to her.

It's a good thing Amy Adams is such a great actor, because this Valentino is just wrong...Naked. She looked naked from the side especially and it made me a bit uncomfortable. Didn't we see enough of this fashion on her on the big screen in American Hustle? I'm not sure why she felt the need to re-cycle the look for herself. It's just bad. Period. Note to Amy's Glam Squad: Her lipstick needed to be darker. I would have used Kevyn Aucoin's Blood Roses Lipstick which is a modern, fresh black cherry color that would have worked perfectly. 

Kate Blanchette-a gorgeous creature in general, this Armani Prive lace number just set her apart from the pack. Why? It's simple elegance showcased Kates own elegance in a way that made her look regal. Was she my choice for best dressed last night? No, but she's top 3 for sure.

Hmmmm. My first thought is why? Jennifer Lawrence wore white to last year's Academy Awards and why wear it again? This was not my favorite, but it was not altogether bad, just off for me. I would have expected more from her, Rachel Zoe and Dior. 

Who is this girl? She is BREATHTAKING. Margot Robbie is possibly one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Her Gucci creation is stunning and form fitting and perfect on this beauty. She's just perfection from head to toe. I think my girl crush is showing. 

A Sharon Stone moment this is NOT! Sharon Stone made a splash at the Oscars in 2009 when she paired her husbands white dress shirt with a Vera Wang skirt. This is not that. Ouch..Julia, this (pardon the expression) SUCKS. Bad. Not only is it terrible, ill fitting and WRONG, but that crystal belt? Oy Vey. What the hell is that? Dolce? Are you paying attention to what Gabbana is doing? Was anybody paying attention? Obviously not. 

And last but certainly not least, my favorite of the night! I may be wrong here but Diane Keaton stole the show. Diane came out to accept Woody Allen's Cecile B. Demille Award she was eloquent, reflective, endearing and stunning. I know that this gender bender suit is Diane's signature look, not anything we haven't seen before, but that particular suit with her stunning and perfectly sexy coiffed hair and glasses? She was gorgeous! I'm now looking for a suit like that for me. I LOVED IT!

Just one girl's fashion opinion here. What did you think?

A Shameless Plug

So I've been watching a lot of Bravo TV lately and I will admit to being a Real Housewives Addict. I watch them all...It's my favorite guilty pleasure (besides Modern Family) and I'm not ashamed to admit it. My Guy believes that the Real Housewives franchise is responsible for part of the "dumbing down of America". I say Andy Cohen for President!

Once in a while I will go to the Bravo cast blogs to see if I can dredge up any new juicy tidbits from the Housewives. Yesterday I finally found something somewhat redeeming for my time spent and something I can use!! 

Carlton Gebbia-a new cast member from Real Housewives Beverly Hills wrote in her latest blog post dated Jan 8, 2014:

"For a gift last year David had a surprise pentagram necklace made for me by "King Baby" with our children's names engraved on it. Sometimes with silver jewelry it has no substance to it, it's flimsy, but 'King Baby' jewelry has some real weight. It's a solid gorgeous piece of jewelry."

Music to my ears Carlton! I agree wholeheartedly!! That's why The Candy Bar has been carrying the unmistakable King Baby brand for 4 years. King Baby is best described as designed for "the chosen few". So if you are looking for an edgy and unique way to express yourself, look no further. 

Happy weekend bloggers. And celebrate your inner King Baby...

Fire Is Good

There were three guys, a sex addict, a weed addict, and an alcoholic. 

They all went to hell for their sin and found themselves standing in front of the Devil. The Devil decided to make a deal with them saying,

"I will lock you in a room with what ever you did for a 1000 years and if you get over any of your sins I will send you back to the land of the living, Earth." 

So the sex addict got locked in a room full of virgins, the alcohol addict got locked in a room full of beer, the weed addict locked in a room full of weed. 

1000 years later the Devil goes to the sex addict he comes out saying "Aww my dick hurts I'm never having sex again", poof he goes back to earth.  

He then open the alcoholic room and the alcoholic says "Im never having beer", and gets sent back to Earth. 

Then the Devil opens the weed addict's room and the weed addict punches the Devil right in the face!

He looks at the Devil and says,

"You forgot my lighter bitch! 

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/dirtyjokes/marijuanajokes.html

Another Day In Paradise

Coming home to this Arctic cold really makes me long for another day in our recent Puerto Rican paradise. It was a much needed break from everything, but most of all a great chance to bond as a family. Team Building, as I like to call it, was a great success! From the great weather, the hours spent enjoying recreational activities and the hours spent just relaxing, the trip was well worth it.

I would have to say that the Europeans have it right...

I may be lambasted for this in this public forum, but part of the success of this trip was the fact that my children both of Puerto Rico's drinking age, were for the first time able to experience the "adult activities" legally. It is no secret that Frack-my son-has been pushing the limits of our patience since this summer. I get that he is of the age of experimentation, but every weekend dude? And-forgive me-but Frick probably did all the same things he is doing and never got caught? Having said that...we were a bit worried about Frack and his antics while on vacation and legal to drink.

As a test of sort, we decided to give him some rope and see if he would hang himself with it. The first night we arrived I had come down with that unfortunate vomit bug that seems to be going around, and was unable to do anything except crawl into my hotel bed and die. That left My Guy, Frick and Frack alone to go paint the town without me. My Guy reported that Frack (Frick is a college student in NYC ya know) had announced at the dinner table that evening that this was the first time he was able to order a cocktail legally. A milestone for him, and absolutely to be celebrated. My Guy wondered quietly how much he would celebrate.

After dinner and two cocktails for all, the group then ventured about 50 ft over to the hotel casino. My Guy, a brilliant business man, told our children that he would finance and monitor their gambling for the evening. The only caveat, was that they split their winnings with him. Much to Frick and Frack's surprise and delight, a deal had been struck and off they both went to their first choice, the Roulette table. My Guy sat across the pit at the Blackjack table where he could monitor their progress. He was pleasantly surprised by how the children stood together and watched the game take place for the first 30 mins or so. They then got their colored chips and began to play. When the chips piled up and the winnings being tallied were "colored up"; (meaning the more chips, the more the color of your single chip) my children began stowing these brighter colored, more valuable chips in their pockets. A tip they learned from their mother, a notorious chip hoarder.

After an hour or so of some really fun gambling, Frick and Frack left the table victorious! Both had won quite a bit for their first time. But the amazing this was this..after a great night of gambling and drinking, both children retired with My Guy early. We could hardly believe it. My Guy and I told them that they could go out on the busy, touristy strip-not too far-but far enough- to explore the city TOGETHER. They were not to leave each other. They declined that first night and unbelievably every night after.

I bounced back the next day, and joined my family at the beach and for all the festivities that followed. But amazingly Frick and Frack never left us. And they hardly drank alcohol. After the first day or two of being able to drink at lunch and dinner and the casino, I noticed that they weren't interested in the drinks that much. They would enjoy one with dinner, maybe, but I never saw them order one at the casino again. And the drinks were free!! I know they didn't because by then they had graduated from the Roulette table to the Blackjack table. Gambling Blackjack was much more fun when your mom and dad are right next to you, walking you through it. All in all-Frick and Frack both left Puerto Rico a few hundred $ richer and with a much different perspective on drinking. (I know it would have been a different story if their friends were there) But I am encouraged by the maturity of both of them. Again, maybe the Europeans are onto something...

We are still basking in the glow of the great family experience, and I think we all have a new found trust for each other and the decisions that we make. All of that accomplished in a plane ride to the Caribbean. If you ask me, it was truly a trip to remember and a true paradise.

My Three Sons

While I was on vacation in Puerto Rico last week, (which was FAB-u-lous) I found myself at a New Years Eve celebration in the hotel with lots of happy families, happy people and music. I spyed a group of kids sitting on a sofa together. They were adorable. There were two boys age 14 and 13, two little girls-11 and 10 along with their baby brother who was 4- and was sleeping soundly on the sofa. Being a helicopter mom myself, I continued to watch the kids through the celebration right through the magic time that 2013 had turned into 2014. The girls were dancing and playing with noise makers, giggling and enjoying a festive evening being included in the adult activities. The boys stayed put, almost watching guard over their baby brother who was sleeping right through the party that was taking place around them.

I couldn't help myself.

I sat down next to the group at the sofa and began chatting with them. Affable, intelligent and way off the cutie chart, the kids and I enjoyed the normal conversation exchanges. "Where are you from? How old are you? etc." We were having a great time talking, as each one enjoyed their moment in the spotlight, explaining who they were and their ages. Their step-dad had gone to UMass, they told me and they stated that a trip to Boston is something they would like to do someday. The conversation then naturally turned to school. The boy to my left, Gabrielle, explained that they were from a town in Puerto Rico about an hour away but were there at the hotel for the week enjoying a family vacation. I asked them when they were returning to school, to which they replied "Jan 13th". "Why so late?", I inquired. Frack was slated to go back on Jan 3rd. They explained that the return was normal; it was in observance of Three King's Day.

I had never heard of this.

I had heard of people leaving their Christmas trees up until Jan 6th, because of "little Christmas" as they called it, but I never understood that this little Christmas they spoke of was the one my new friends were explaining to me. They kids told me it was just as big as Christmas to them and that the three Kings brought them just as many presents as Santa. "The Feast of the Epiphany", or "Three Kings Day" falls on January 6th and marks the biblical visit of the three wise men or The Magi, to the baby Jesus. It is the anticipation of this day by children mainly in Latin America and Spain that my new little friends spoke of.

 "According to the Gospel of Matthew, the men found the divine child by following the North Star across the desert for twelve days to Bethlehem. Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar -- representing Europe, Arabia, and Africa respectively -- travelled by horse, camel, and elephant in order to present baby Jesus with three symbolic gifts."

Anyone who has ever been to my house, my mom's house or anyone in my immediate family's home, would find displays of the Magi (the three wise men)  all over the house. And not just at Christmas. My mother was given a prayer by a priest when she was a little girl in homage to the Three Kings. It is to be said three times and is described as a very effective prayer. My mom believes, and always has, that the three Kings are the bearers of good fortune. My brothers and sisters and I all posses this prayer and many displays of the Magi in our surroundings. How could I have not known about Three Kings Day??

Today when I woke up, I thought about the kids I had shared that enjoyable conversation with in the early hours of 2014. I though about them putting grass and water out for the wise men's camels in anticipation of their arrival and I thought about them enjoying a wonderful day with their family. I don't think those adorable kids had any idea of the impression they left on me, but I carried it with me right through to today.

Happy Three King's day to them and all of you! I hope that the Magi continues to bring all of us good fortune all the year through!