Got Country

NYC and NJ country fans 

finally got what they were asking for...

MORE COW BELL.

The metropolitan area was without a country radio station for 17 years,

but that changed last year.

Now they get their "country on" with

NASH 94.7 FM.  

It's no wonder NYC radio

finally woke up and 

smelled the Jack Daniels in their coffee. 

There was no denying loyal country fans their music.

 Country is HUGE...

especially with shows like "Nashville" and country singers

Blake Shelton on The Voice 

and Keith Urban on American Idol.

Heck ya'all, 

country singer Jason Aldean sold out 

Madison Square Garden in under 10 minutes.  

Anywhooooo…...

Speaking of Madison Square Garden... 

that's just where Colin played on Wednesday

my favorite bass player 

with Dustin Lynch 

on the Keith Urban,

Little Big Town 

Light the Fuse Tour,  

which was a dream come true for any dreamer…

especially dreamers like Colin and Kat.  

PaulA and I were right there with the other country fans….

hootin' and hollering' and kickin' up our boots.

yahoooo!  

Congratulations to 

Dustin Lynch and his band

In a toast to ya'all...

we lift our Jack D.

or sweet tea.

(depending on the time of day)

"CONGRATULATIONS ON PLAYING
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN...
such an 
incredible 
iconic
dream come true
venue."

Happy 28th Birthday, Chelsea

Some people LOVE celebrating birthdays, 

and then there are some others who 

LOVE  LOVE  LOVE celebrating birthdays.

ummm…..that would be 
Chelsea.

And because celebrating a birthday 

once a year is not enough…

Chelsea celebrates half birthdays.  

(hers and her friends)

twice the birthdays. twice the fun.

Happy 28th Birthday, Chelsea…

and

Happy 56 Half Birthdays, Chelsea.

(Note to self:  Don't do the math for your own half birthdays.)  

You will be totally freaked out.

This 28th birthday year is a HUGE one for Chelsea…

the year she and Austin will be married. 

woot   woot

Anywhooooo…….

Today I'm remembering, 

how Chelsea got her name…

which by the way, 

is an Old English name meaning "port for chalk."

Inspiration for baby names can come from anywhere... 

flowers: "Daisy", 

athletes: "Pierce", 

places: "Paris". 

The inspiration for Chelsea's name came from the movie 

"On Golden Pond"  

(she should be glad I wasn't 
thirsty: "Chardonnay" 

or hungry: "Olive")
but the connection was much more meaningful.

The movie came out in 1981 

(the year PaulA and I were married) 

and starred Jane Fonda...

as "Chelsea." 

I immediately loved her name. 
I had never heard

"Chelsea" as a girl's name…

although I was very familiar with it as a name for a "town." 

My grandmother and other relatives,

 such as my great, great Uncle Stanley Wilson 

(once Governor of the great state of Vermont. just saying.) 

hailed from the beautiful town of Chelsea, VT.  

It made an immediate and special connection with me.

After seeing the movie, I said to PaulA, 

"If we ever have a baby girl, I am naming her Chelsea."

5 years later...

when it came down to naming our 1st baby-to-be...

I taped a list of possible baby names to the refrigerator door. 

 Under "Boys Names" I wrote 11 names...

Paul, Matthew, Sean, Ryan, Trevor, Travis, Kyle, Austin....  

Under "Girl's Names" I put one name.

And so it goes…

we had our Chelsea.

Chelsea in Chelsea, VT

 I have to say...it was funny/coincidental/foreshadowing 

that we had Austin, 
Chelsea's fiancé's name, 
on the list as well.

Happy 28th birthday, 

my lovely "Port of Chalk" Chelsea.

Your dad and I were 

thinking of you and 
loving you… 

5 years before you were born.

xoxox

Say YES to the Dress

Chelsea and Austin
got engaged 
November 1st.

presenting

the lovely couple

Nothing drives home the 

realization,

actualization,

light bulb momentization

 that Chelsea is getting married 

more than

seeing Chelsea

step out of a dressing room 
and onto a platform riser 

in a wedding dress.

pass the hankies, please

Looking at Chelsea, 
the baby girl I used to hold in my arms...
stand in front of me 
in a wedding dress,
opens up my emotional floodgates,
flooding my mind with a montage of 
pictures of her growing up.

I can't help but ask myself.....
"Self, where did the days (and years) go?"

Chelsea's dress-up days 

didn't seem that long ago.

Anywhooo…..

The ultimate dress-up day 
will occur this fall,

and I'm sooo happy to go with Chelsea 

to look at all the wedding dresses 
the city of Atlanta has to offer.

Something tells me that we will look at quite a 
few of them before a decision is made.

 Is 999 too many?

(I do remember going with her to find a prom dress.)

But 

I do know this…

when Chelsea puts on 
THE dress…

there will be no question in her mind.

She will 
unequivocally 
undeniably
indubitably 
know 
FOR SURE
and

say 
YES 
to the dress.

It may take Chelsea a while to find the right dress...
but
Chelsea has known for a long time that
Austin 

is the right guy.

When Hell Freezes Over

Oh Baby It's Cold Outside.

How Cold is it?

Cold enough for an escaped inmate

in Lexington, Kentucky

to turn himself in to the police 

because he couldn't take the freezing temperatures.

Anywhooooo……..

So...How cold is it?

Cold as Hell.

I used to think a snowball didn't have a chance 

in Hell.

But apparently I was wrong.

It has a chance...

Hell has frozen over.

Hell, Michigan

pop. 600

If you don't believe me...

You can

go to Hell.

right this way

The inmate in Kentucky

 probably thought that if he ever managed to escape,

he would 

 NEVER EVER turn himself in...

not until Hell Froze over.

Apparently that's exactly what happened.

Okay, so what's next? 

Pigs that fly?

Happy Twerking New Year

Every January 1st...

I look forward to

a sparkly brand new year...

full of hope...

full of promise...

full of new dance moves.

say what?

Last year we rang the New Year in 

gangnam style…

so it only made sense to

twerk 

in the new year.

(I wish I had pictures to show...
but they were too costly.)

Trust me...

we all gave it the old college try...

BUTT

twerking isn't as easy as 

my girl Miley makes it look.

(I gotta give that girl props for her twerking ability.)

From the Gangnam Psy

to the twerking Miley...

I wonder what it's going to be next year?

Twerking Miley says she sticks her tongue out in photos
because she feels awkward
 smiling...
(but not twerking)

at least 
we keep our tongues 

inside our mouths.

Anywhooooo……

2014 is a big big BIG year with

3 Healy weddings….

June, September, and November

and
I wish us all

GOOD LUCK.

Rabbit

Rabbit

Rabbit