The End

Resistance walks with honest praise,
Free will my doubt defines,
Faith allows a distant peace,
Truth by grand design.

Bound by my source of freedom,
I let go to hold on,
I hear my Savior calling,
At last, the time has come.

Carrie Jenkins
from Sane Enough to Know She’s Crazy
by: Ruth Hansen

Secret Me

The darkness is overwhelming,
Fear invades my soul.
The silence that surrounds me,
Loudly takes its toll.

War rages in my head,
Serenity is hard to find.
Spirits try to guide me,
This can’t just be my mind.

Tranquility is possible,
Peace will come some day.
If only they could understand,
Life gets in the way.

Carrie Jenkins
from
Sane Enough to Know She's Crazy
By Ruth Hansen

Reach

I feel your world spinning,
And see you holding on,
Steady through the dizziness,
Turning with each dawn.

You don’t have to let go,
To reach out for a friend,
Together we can balance,
Strength wills hand to hand.

Sway with me through good times,
And when trials dip our resolve,
Let’s dance through life’s journey,
Holding close as we revolve.

SHE DID IT!!!

I'm happy to report that, despite heavy winds, a 4 a.m. bus ride and a seemingly hereditary geographical impairment, Mom and I made it to New York City to walk for Ovarian Cancer. I'm even happier to report that the girl still has her groove! Proudly parading her recent health victory, Mom hauled her healthy cookies two miles from the Intrepid Museum, along the Hudson River, and right up the middle of Broadway to the finish line at Times Square! She didn't even stop at Starbuck's.

AND - with the generous generosity of generations of the genuinely genial generated- our fundraiser brought $522 to the OCRF!! I am as grateful as a beaver after a thunderstorm.

Overall, the walk raised $137,000 for the research fund. Sweet!

After walking, the stars appeared on stage. Oprah, Bette Midler, Gayle King, Dr. Oz and Jennifer Hudson had their say and received celebratory cupcakes. Alas, without a telescope they were difficult to see. I must admit, my astronomical geek high took a hit.

We ditched ;) Oprah early enough to see Paganini, a comically twisted string quartet. We chose the show blindly after an unsuccessful quest for a warm place to sit and it quickly became the highlight of our trip.

Yes, we shopped. No, we didn't find a cardboard cutout of Matt Lauer. Sadly, the Naked Cowboy didn't make an appearance either. Instead, Mom considered taking me up on a bet to apply for a job at Hooter's, but decided the commute would be a bit much.

As we hopped on the bus to go home, I prepared myself for a few quiet hours confined to a seat with nothing to do but think. Contemplated bliss, if you will.

The ride took me on a familiar journey to the mountain of blessings my life has seen. I am so thankful for the incredible support of family and friends that lifts me from many valleys. No matter how lost I get, there's always a way. Hot coffee on a chilly day is also a good perk, but it tastes just as good when you get it in your own kitchen. Fun and laughter help shield me from things that could otherwise blow me over.

"Welcome to Pennsylvania," I read from my window seat. I turned my head and smiled at the view inside the bus as yet another blessing shone. I thanked God for the truth the past year made sure I saw: stars that shine in the distance could never compare to the twinkle sleeping in the seat right next to me.

Happy Anniversary, Honey

A few years ago, an awkward redhead sat alone on the school bus thinking her life was complicated. She tapped her foot, trying to keep up with the Madonna song in her head.


When the dark haired senior class ruffian with the mustache plopped on the seat in front of her, "Crazy For You" still held her attention. The ruffian made small talk, asking how she liked her new home in the projects. Somehow, she accidentally agreed to go to the movies with him later that night.

Before driving her to the mall in his strangely shaped bright orange car to see Death Wish IV, he brought her home to meet his mother and a few billion neighbors. She thought it was cute when his mother made him dust the furniture before they left.


Charles Bronson and a theatre full of his fans didn't seem to mind when the ruffian's mustache tickled her awkward cheek. She, having spent the better half of her life submerged in a world of Barbie Dolls, decided she was in love. For a moment, she believed her life was perfect.


Perfect, however, was more complicated than she thought. They had to find a way to make everything easy. So, they got married...

Twenty two years later, she sits at their kitchen table in the middle of the night thinking about their life together. Searching for the perfect words to tell her husband how much she loves him, she stumbles on a memory.

She could say, "I love that I can call you -even though we had a fight- to tell you I'm stuck an hour away on the side of Interstate 81 with two kids and the car is on fire and I know that even though you're on the side of a creek fishin' you'll be there faster than a Domino's Pizza."


Neither of them really care much for country music though.


Through snore interrupted silence a beat tries to form. Something about it feels perfect. She wants to sing.

"Ed, I'm crazy for you."