ONE FINE DAY - WARNING! APPRECIATE IT!

Before someone's tomorrow has been taken away, cherish those you love,appreciate them today." Author unknown

This was a great weekend and I wondered how I could draw a picture with words so that anyone reading this blog could experience my pleasure in the little things that happened. The title "One Fine Day" came to mind along with all the things that made each day fine.

We had earlier said goodbye to several guests, two of whom were my niece Vicki and her friend Julia. It was growing late and I could not put off writing any longer.

As I pondered, the phone rang. It was a very shaky Vicki who was calling to tell me that she and Julia had been in a serious accident on I-5 as they were returning to Seattle. Their car was inches from being a statistic. She said they were fine, but there were several seriously damaged cars and injured people, one of whom was a motorcyclist. Being uninjured themselves, and blessed with calm natures, they were able to lend assistance. This was a horrible, unexpected cap to what had, up to then, been two glorious days of rest and rejuvenation for the two women.

Yesterday they had explored the wonders of Mt. Baker's Artist Point, spending hours hiking and appreciating all there was to see. Today they had relaxed on our beach, then headed for Birch Bay to play and enjoy the sand and warm, incoming tide before returning to their homes and jobs on Monday.

In the blink of an eye they almost lost their lives. Good driving on the part of Julia kept that from happening, as cars ahead of them careened into each other and across lanes of traffic.

The call left me feeling unsettled as I realized how quickly things can change and what that should mean to all of us. Sayings like "Appreciate today, because you don't know what will happen tomorrow" take on new meaning.

So maybe all I need to do is simply talk about a few things I appreciate from this weekend, and commit to encouraging everyone around me to also appreciate life minute by minute, rather than worrying about a future that may never even come.

Here goes. This weekend I appreciated. . .

1. going out on our boat with my husband and my son John on Friday to drop off two crab pots with high hopes for a feast the next day.

2. getting seven steaks at Haggens for $7.00 which we bar-b-qued and enjoyed as we sat watching a brilliant sunset followed by an equally breathtaking moonset.

3. going down to the Sandy Point Marina on Saturday to watch two of my grandchildren along with more than a hundred other kids compete for the biggest bullhead in the annual bullhead fishing derby. The event included lunch and drawings for many prizes. Lily got movie tickets and Kacey got a kite.

4. returning by boat to find nine keepers and one octopus in the two crab pots.

5. driving my husband and sister , with the top down on my Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder, to Boulevard Park on the Bellingham waterfront - the air still warm and the scent of flowers and freshly cut hay in the air.

6. watching my son mix music for a great blue grass band performing for the hundreds of spectators lounging about on the park's grassy lawn.

7. returning to cook the crab and to play a game of cribbage and 500 Rummy under the outdoor heater on the patio.

8. basking in the warmth of another sunny day while watering the lawn and flowers.

9. enjoying another great surf and turf dinner (crab and steak) with two sisters and a new friend.

10. being grateful Vicki and Julia survived a scary accident that is now on the 11:00 news.

I wonder why it takes a tragedy or near-tragedy to give us wake up calls about what is important in life. Let's vow to make the most of every day. Let's take stock of the good in life and appreciate what we have. Let's give love freely and receive it with gratitude and humility. Let's do our bit and a little bit more for everyone around us, and model a better world. What a great gift to give our children!