The Loneliest Day of the Year

I attended Christmas Mass today with my Family.

There were many men & women who came alone....

But one man... made me cry.

He was a bit older and had very nice clothes.

He was dressed in his Sunday Best, which many of us do not do, as we should...

But his sadness could not mask his pressed pants & lint free designer wool coat...

The more I counted my blessings, surrounded by my loved ones,

the more sadness & pain I felt for this man, sitting alone.

He dared not look at anyone else.

Instead, I could see him hold back his tears from so much pain.

My priest's homily really hit home.

He talked about the sick, weary & lonely on Christmas Day.

It made me cry... not for myself, but for the man in his Sunday Best.

As the Catholics said "May Peace be with You" to each other, he stood alone, clearly uncomfortable.  I wanted to make eye contact with him to give him a nod and smile, hoping to make him feel a little better, to tell him I understood, but he was looking down.  If I bypassed other parishioners to wish him peace, I'm sure it would have made him more uncomfortable.

The entire mass, I sat, planning to wish him a Merry Christmas at the end of Mass, on our way out of the church.  But he left after communion.  

I've been thinking of this man, ever since morning mass.
I wonder if he just had a bad morning, if he was just under the weather.  Maybe it was nothing, maybe he missed midnight mass with his family and decided to go today.

Perhaps he is now celebrating with his family.  Perhaps he's still alone.  Im not sure why he looked so somber to me, but I hope he's receiving the gift of peace and faith right now.

I felt compelled to wish everyone a Merry Christmas today,

especially for those who are going through hard times.

I wish you a Merry Christmas that is filled with a little more peace.

I know Christmas can be a very difficult time.

You can't pass a street without the reminder that you "should" be with family, friends, spending lots of money on commercial products... but there's someone who is spending the day with you today... and it's His birthday. 

Sir, May Peace be with you.

I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to say it to you personally today.
You taught me an important lesson, sent from heaven above.

Merry Christmas to all.

My First Eggnog Ever!

Merry Christmas Eve, Friends!!!!!

This year, I decided to let Christmas slide a little bit, as Im bogged down with wedding planning!  I've been traveling every single weekend & on some weekdays!

Mike & I did take some time off though, to celebrate!

Looks closely at the ornament

yes, we like silly pictures.

 

 

losing everything... counting blessings...

It's tough to cover stories sometimes... especially tragic ones during the holidays.

Two days before Christmas, a local family loses everything inside their home, including their family cat.  It's one of the saddest stories I've covered involving a house fire.  The mom, who is disabled, takes care of her in-laws, her mother who is ill in the hospital and everyone else.  She says her home was almost paid off (only 9 months to go).

Neighbors tell me, the family has been through a lot, but works very hard.  The son is a college student and the father drives a truck to make money. 

Today, they lost their home, their cat & their Christmas presents. 

But, not their spirit. 

The homeowner tells me, she's counting her blessings and is relieved her two dogs are alive because they were at the vet.  She says her son would have been sleeping during the day with their cat, but he was volunteering as "Santa Claus" with his dad. 

I can't promise her good things are on the way, but I sure do hope they are...

Dayton, a Formal Introduction

this is my little scruffy baby.

his name is WAT

Spoonbread, only a southern thang, ya'll?

This blog is especially for my new friends in the Dayton area.

Have you heard of SPOONBREAD?

It's one of my favorite things!

It's a southern dish... 

I like to describe to newbies as a dish 

"half corn bread, half rice pudding"

My favorite president, Thomas Jefferson, loves it, too...

(just in case you did not trust my taste in food)

by the way, I have yet to go to Shulers!!!!

Can you believe that?

From Virginia's #1 Morning Show to the Country's #1 rated CBS Affiliate

It's been four months since I last blogged?! How did this happen!

I'm back!!!!! alive & well, fellow bloggers/blog readers!

I'm finally settling down in the Miami Valley (Ohio) and getting myself situated at WHIO-TV News Center 7, which is truly an amazing news organization!

I've been mostly reporting, but also anchoring various shows as a fill-in anchor!

It's a big change from overnight producing and anchoring a two hour morning show every morning!

I also miss Virginia politics, especially reporting on the General Assembly!!!

That said, I've covered some interesting stories here in Dayton, Ohio including one of the most bizarre scenarios I've ever covered.  It was a local story about a man who entered a home, allegedly high on bath salts, lighting all the holiday Yankee Candles & hanging up a Christmas Wreath.  Then, he reportedly strung several dog leashes together tying it to a fridge and a swing outside the house.

*bizarre*

The story made airwaves everywhere, including England and Canada.

I also found out from my future sister-in-law that she saw the back of my head on Michigan News.

It also apparently made CNN, CBS News, the Gawker.. and just about any news agency that also found this story "bizarre"

At any rate, it's a surprise every single day.

Just wanted to let you know, Im alive and will be back with photos of my latest adventures!!!!!