It's a TWO POST day....

Not often does this happen so today is one of those rare occasions.  Today was a wonderful, beautiful, sad, inspiring kind of day.  So many different things & emotions..... 

I was up early; the sun was coming out and it looked like it was going to be a pretty day.  I had a quick, yummy breakfast - whole wheat bread, topped w/cottage cheese and a slice of swiss cheese on top - in the toaster oven to warm/melt the cheese and toast the bread + a banana.  Yummie!!!  Waited an hour and then out the door for my morning run.  I ran through Piedmont Park as the exhibitors were waking up, having coffee and beginning to set up for the last day of the Dogwood Festival.  It was quiet and wonderful.  I had to cut my run/walk short because I was going to my uncle's unveiling today.  That was my next stop.

My uncle died of Alzheimer's last July and today was his unveiling.  It was family only and ironically his grave lies beneath an apple tree - this was his favorite.  My cousins said the appropriate blessings and then.........my niece spoke.  She is 21 years old, high functioning down syndrome.  I always love and admire her but today she spoke with ease and grace and it blew my mind.  She said what everyone was thinking but too teary to talk.  She loves to color and created a book in her grandfather's memory.  She read her book.  First a letter to her grandfather where she described the "team" of herself and her grandmother and hopes he was doing OK.  She's a riot!  Her next letter was to G-d thanking him for having a grandfather such that she had.  This was signed "your partner."  Strip away all the pretensions, apprehensions and BS and this is what you have....a caring, loving soul.  I'm still teary!  And lucky to have such a great kid around! 

I recovered from the unveiling, ran home to conduct a Health History with a fellow blogger volunteer.  What an incredible experience and THANK YOU (you know who you are and I won't use your name cause didn't get your permission)!  How cool is it that you can connect so much with someone you've never met except online in the blogging community.  I accomplished my "school work" but more importantly I got to know someone new.  It's so cool!

Next I had to get back to the Park quickly before closing because I saw something on my a.m. run that blew my mind and I needed to take a photo............so here it is!!!!  FRIED CANDY BARS.  WTF is this?  Come on, this is disgusting not to mention so bad for us.  I so wanted to ask them how many they sold but it was so crowded.  Not sure if the crowd was buying the cheesesteak, fluffy fries or the fried candy bars?  Either way, can you imagine this crap going in your body?!  I was so traumatized by it, I had to come home and have a vodka!  Now we're talking!!!!!