Susan Mangigian, Chester County Life

It was a quiet black Friday around the Mangigian home.  Max and I headed out about 9 AM to go to Waterloo Gardens because they had white pine roping on sale until noon.  Max wanted to exchange some of his old PS2 games to be put toward an XBOX 360.  We fought all the way to the mall, over all of the things he thought he "had to have" in past Christmases and all of the things that have gone by the wayside, not much used, like the 3 bags of PS2 games that probably cost me hundreds of dollars over the years and which he got $98 for today.  He didn't get my message of past abundance in this time when I am wondering how I am ever going to pull Christmas off without credit cards.

We pulled through it though, as always and came home to have a nice lunch of leftovers.  My mom spent about 45 minutes cutting all of the meat off of the turkey.  I was putting the carcass in a pot and cutting up carrots, celery and onion.  I turned to look at the table and couldn't believe my eyes!  JJ, the shortest dog in the world, was standing on top of my kitchen table, over an enormous but very empty platter of what was once our lunch and dinner for today!  I honestly could not believe my eyes.  He ate an entire platter of food, in a very short amount of time.  He couldn't have possibly chewed it.  I think he inhaled it!  How did such a short dog ever manage to climb up onto the table?  Another lesson I haven't been able to teach my boys is how to push their freaking kitchen chairs in when they leave the table.  That darn dog even managed to lick my face before I put him outside to ponder the error of his ways.

Black Friday... JJ is on 24 hour watch to see if he gets sick from all of the food.  My veterinarian is closed today, but my husband plays basketball with a very nice veterinarian, who laughed.  He said "how would you like to smell all of that good food and then have someone give you a bowl of dry kibble"?  Point well taken.  He said that dogs are very devious when they smell food and will stop at nothing to get what they want.  Since JJ ate enough for 4 meals, he won't be getting dinner tonight!

Now look at this innocent face.  Who would have thought that this little guy would steal my lunch and my dinner?

My husband Jack was walking through the bedroom today and astounded me by saying it was snowing!  With that, I hear Max's feet hit the floor running... the kid lives for snow.  He went straight to the computer to check out whether or not he had a snow day... Hope springs eternal in the young!  Sadly for him and yippee for me, school was in session!  Mom, where are my gloves... Mom, do you think we'll have early dismissal, Mom.. Mom.. Mom...

Seeing the snow through my puppy's eyes this morning brought a smile to my face.  JJ has never seen snow and he was in puppy heaven!  Clumps of snow were sticking out all over his little body.  God, I love this dog. 

Honestly, have you ever seen a cuter little face?

C Tann Starr recently posted, or commented that someone told her she needed to stop talking about her children so much.  What?  Our children, our pets, our spouses... these are the things I want to know about people.  I don't want to read  market reports, although I've posted a few. 

I come to Active Rain to form relationships with other agents.  Maybe the public is reading Active Rain, and I hope they are, but I'm here to meet other agents, to talk about our lives, to celebrate our successes and commiserate about our missteps.  I think this kind of networking is invaluable.  I'd love to meet a buyer or seller here, but I'd love it more to get a referral from someone here, another agent, who I have come to know and respect.  To know that the feeling of respect is mutual. 

Now that is social networking.

I've formed some very serious friendships here.  I value them like I value all of my friendships.  They make my life more pleasant, they make it for flavorful. 

And, hey, if you don't want to hear about my little dog, or my two sons, or my husband and the red vacuum cleaner, oh well. 

Gary Woltal is one of my real life heroes.  He reminds us daily to look on the bright side, to smile, to live.  While he doesn't need any kudos, as he is probably one of the most popular bloggers here on Active Rain, this post was too good not to pass on.  No matter how down we tend to get about this market we are experiencing, we must remember that it could be worse and we must do what we can to help those less fortunate that we are.  Mahatma Gandhi said it best.  You must be the change you want to see in the world.   Gary does this every day.  Thanks Gary for lifting us up.

While driving the other day, I was listening to Barbra Streisand's On Higher Ground CD.  There is a song on it that literally gives me chills ever time I hear it.

At the Same Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scGQr9I8jfQ

On this Veterans Day, let us all take a moment to reflect on the great sacrifice our veterans have made, and continue to make on our behalf.

Imagine the love that would flow toward them if we all took that moment at the same time.

Imagine if we all reached for the dream of peace for all: 

just think of all the hands
that will be reaching for a dream
think of all the dreams that could come true
yes if the hands we're reaching with
could come together
joining me and you

Imagine if we could all feel love for our fellow man, at the same time. 

think of all the love
pouring from our hearts
at the same time
yes think of all the light our looks
can shine and grow this world
at the same time

Thanks to the brave men and women in our armed forces, we have freedom to disagree, freedom to love, freedom to worship, or not.

yes think what we've been given
and yet think what we could lose
all of life is in our trembling hands
its time to overcome our fears
and join to build a world that loves and understands

Thank you to all Veterans, today, and always.

And thank you Ms. Streisand for making music that has moved me, all of my life.

I am a spring/summer person.  I get very excited by the coming of spring, the first crocuses, the first daffodils.  I'm over the moon when my forsythia's bloom. The first year I started gardening, in the warmth of a summer afternoon, I was leafing through a spring flowering bulb catalog.  What a great idea, I'll order a couple of hundred bulbs and plant them when fall arrives.  Being a city girl, I never dreamed in a million years that this meant I was going to be digging a couple of hundred holes and putting dead looking things in them on a blustery and overcast fall day. 

This was the year I learned that gardeners are also optimists.   To go out on a cold, windy day with something that looks like an onion and expect it to be a gorgeous flower come spring is nothing short of expecting miracles.  But, miracles indeed they are.  Every spring when the bulbs are blooming I think, this autumn, I'll plant more.  Every year by the time September gets here, after raking leaves, weeding the thistle and getting rid of the summer flower debris, the very last thing I want to do is dig more holes. 

My garden, while I think there's a wild beauty about it in summer, is not very inspiring in the fall.  And lately, I've been outside a lot.  My puppy, JJ is not getting the hang of this going potty outside business.  In the summer months, he was somewhat incredulous that I expected him to walk in the wet grass in the morning.  Go outside in the dark, surely you jest, his accusing eyes would say.  My husband Jack put in an electric fence for me so that I could just open the door and let my little darling out.  He stands at the open door, looks outside, looks back at me and runs away.  What are you kidding me, he seems to say.  It's cold out there, and I want to be with you!   So, with nothing else to do for it but to accompany him outside, every single time he needs to go, I wander around my garden, urging him on, and looking around for a shred of beauty. 

Having JJ has been very rewarding to me.  Every time I come home, he throws me a parade of love and unstinting affection.  But the potty business is getting old, I have a cold and it is raw outside.  So there we were today, I am  urging him to go, and JJ is trying to be cute and sneak back up on the deck.   We both know that as soon as he is out of my sight, if I can't get him to go outside, he'll go in my laundry room, so he keeps trying to slip past me and I keep blocking the way.

Gardening teaches many lessons and I learn another one today.  There is beauty in everything.  While begging JJ to hurry up, and complaining about the cold, I am immune to it.  But when I grab my camera, and decide to make the best of it, I find it.  The remains of Max's marigolds, planted every year from the seeds that started out as a present on Mother's day from him when he was 6 years old, remind me that while he may be growing up fast, he is still my little boy.

I may have to rethink the beauty of my wild garden in the fall.   Hope springs eternal in a garden and who knows, there may be hope yet for JJ and the potty training.   JJ brings so much to our home and putting the time in with him really isn't too much to ask in return.

I have certainly been getting around lately, and on 10/25/08, I had the distinct pleasure to be on the arm of my good friend Ed Angelo at the Gala Tribute Dinner Dance Celebrating the Outstanding Career and Achievements of Dr. Gerald Marks.   The event was held at The Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, PA.  Ed and I got dressed up, something I don't really get to do all that often, and we hobb knobbed with the who's who in the medical world and on the Main Line. 

Upon entering the hotel, Ed and I were greeted very enthusiastically by a dapper gentleman, superbly dressed, with a twinkle in his eye and a huge smile on his face.  As usual, when I am introduced to someone, I don't get the name due to my hearing impairment.  The dapper gentlemen quickly kissed me on both cheeks and pronounced what a lovely little Armenian Social Climber I was.  I smiled just as sweetly and informed him that I was nothing of the kind.  I was Italian and as such, he better be careful.  We all laughed and eventually Ed and I moved away and it was then that I found out, that within minutes of entering the gala, I was kissed on both cheeks, kiddingly insulted, and I threatened the honoree of the evening!   Off to a good start, as usual!

The event was just lovely.  Dinner was wonderful, the band was great and the honoree was roasted in a film that brought the house down.  Dr. Gerald Marks, Jerry to his friends, is a professor of surgery at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research and a practicing colorectal surgeon with his son John at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, PA.  His biography is beyond impressive and too extensive to list here.  You can read about this incredible man at http://www.markscolorectal.com/site/MCSA%20Gerald.htm.

As astonishing as his stellar career is, Dr. Marks is also an accomplished artist.  You can see his work at http://www.mcmahonjazzmedicine.com/page06posters.html

A father of 3 sons and grandad to 10 grandchildren, he and his lovely wife Barbara enjoyed the evening, both of them dancing and laughing. 

Ed and I made the usual fools out of ourselves that we always do when we go out, dancing and carrying on.  I don't know how to jitter bug, but jitter bug we did, including Ed, swinging me on each hip.  The show ended with the song I will Survive being played while Ed watched in horrified fascination as I sang along on a spoon that I picked up off a nearby table!  Ed calls me his gal pal and we have been friends for going on 25 years.  I thank him publicly for inviting me to this lovely occasion and it was certainly a pleasure to meet Dr. Marks, his lovely family and many other great people.  Thanks too to Joe Joe, the poor friend of Ed's who had the misfortune to be our designated driver for the evening.  Joe Joe is pictured on the left wearing the straw hat.  Ed, pictured on the right  goes out of his way to make me laugh and the sign, the driver and many other practical jokes went on all evening.  Thank you Ed.  I had a wonderful time.

Additional information about the Marks Colorectal Surgical Foundation can be found on their website:  http://www.limr.org/html/ccr-marks.htm.

Yes we can, oh yes we can! 

I was moved to tears this morning, catching the last wave of euphoria.  Unbelievably, I fell asleep last night before the winner was announced.  I was awakened by my Mom at about 11:10 yelling in my ear in her excitement!  I was very happy and still very tired, so I rolled over and fell asleep.  The phone rang again and since I can't see the clock without my glasses, I have no idea what time it was.  It was my college boy, Mike.  He was beside himself and it sounded like he was dancing in the streets of Kutztown.

Now is the time to put the divisiveness behind us.  Even if you didn't vote for Barack Obama, join me in celebrating our freedom of choice.

To quote our new President-elect,

"... That out of many, we are one:  that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people.

Yes we can."

On Thursday, October 30, 10 women from the Chester County Women's Commission had the opportunity to attend the Pennsylvania Chapter of the March of Dimes 19^th Annual Salute to Chester County Women of Achievement.  I was one of the lucky 10 members of the Commission who got their name picked out of the hat to attend this function, as the Commission was one of the Corporate Sponsors. 

Pictured from left to right are Lisa Spangler, current Chairwoman of CCWC, Deanna Shelton and Joanne Yarnall.

Pictured from left are Cynthia Vickers Wilson, yours truly and current Vice Chairwoman of CCWC, Debra Shupp

Pictured below are Terry Moody, Pat Tirney, Terry Brown Walker and Brenda Williams

My sincere congratulations to the three women being honored at this event, Glen Brion, the Community Development Coordinator of Friends Association for Care and Protection of Children; Barbara Tachovsky, President of Paoli Hospital; and Michelle Venema, Vice President of First National Bank of Chester County. 

I got to see my favorite State Representative, Barbra McIlvaine Smith and our Chester County Commissioners, Kathi Cozzone, Terrence Farrell and Carole Aichele.

Pictured from the left is Chester County Commissioner, Kathi Cozzone and PA State Representative for my district, the lovely Barbara McIlvaine Smith.

 According to Grant Parker, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Eastern PA, the March of Dimes is actively pursuing their mission by investing money, time and volunteer talent in our community in support of programs to prevent birth defects, infant death and premature birth. 

 A young couple got up to speak about their experience with very premature twins, now 2, who were up on stage with their parents.  Having very premature babies can be a harrowing experience, and with the help of organizations like the March of Dimes, babies born this early have a much better chance of surviving now than they did years ago.

I can speak from the experience of being an aunt to a lovely young lady, now 22, who was born on the 1^st day of the 7^th month of gestation.  My Little Lizzie was 3 pounds 5 ounces at birth and she fit neatly into the palm of her Dad's hands.  Being the first baby in the family and coming after many late stage miscarriages to my sister and her late husband, she was a miracle to behold.  I still tell her how strongly she resembled Jiminy Cricket! 

 To find out how you can support The March of Dimes, go to http://www.marchofdimes.com/.  From there you can then type in your zip code to go directly to the local chapter near you.