http://www.susiehemingway.com/books/

Susie Hemingway”s book, A Power Within, Poems of Love came in the mail today. I plan on giving it to the Mrs. for Christmas. I can’t think of a better gift. I hid it in the basement after giving it a quick read. The quick read lasted over an hour, even though I had already read most of the poems inside they are so good you can read them countless times.

I never was much of a poetry fan but these are different, I often wonder why. Maybe it’s because I found Susie while doing a random search of all of the blogs from all over the world and for some reason landed on her site. The words simply struck home. Maybe it’s because we both are blessed with beautiful, courageous and inspiring spouses who happen to be ailing. Maybe it’s because her words seem to find me at all the right times, when I need them the most. Whatever the reason,  follow the link to Susie’s site, I think you will also be hooked by the passion, honesty and love her words convey.

Though written for her husband, Hamada, who is battling Multiple Myeloma, they manage to touch my soul every time I read one.

Thank you Susie, this is a great gift, probably won’t make it to the 25th!

What exactly is Black Friday? You just know we’re being taken advantage of when corporate America jumps on the urban myth bandwagon and starts to market a social phenomenon like Black Friday. I liked it better when we all knew that the day after Thanksgiving was shoppers hell, no big ad campaign had to tell us but bargains were to be found if you looked. I actually passed a home improvement place today that was advertising “Black Friday Window Sale.”

Sometimes I think we’re on this planet to serve as revenue producers for other people. Then I remember yesterday, when things were quiet and I sat in my backyard smoking a cigar with my daughter’s boyfriend and his dad talking about whatever came to mind. The girls were inside drinking wine and talking about whatever it is they talk about when they are left without their other halfs. Simple, unplanned things like that make it all worthwhile. Nobody told us it was “Smoking Thanksgiving Eve” or anything, just three guys enjoying each other’s company after a long enjoyable holiday spent with our families.

I had a great day yesterday, and Black Friday is just another day, as far as I’m concerned.