Tuesday, May 15th- National Chocolate Chip Day, Police Officer's Memorial Day, International Day of Families
For today's holiday, I bet you're thinking I'll have some decadent chocolate chip recipe. I know you all have enough chocolate recipes to last you a lifetime and I also wanted to spotlight a very important person in my life.
Today I have my very first guest writing for my blog, my very dear friend, Victoria VanBlaricom. As soon as I started going through the holidays for May, I knew I wanted to include her on May 15th's Police Officer's Memorial Day. She has an incredibly heart-breaking story, but it never ceases to amaze me how people emerge from terrible tragedies to become incredibly beautiful and forgiving people. There is no shortage of grace in this family and I am so honored to know even one of their beautiful members. Here's to you, Vicki! <3
Where does one begin when discussing the tragic loss of her Father? I should start off with a little background on my wonderful family. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. They married young and had four kids - Tamiko, Chris, Myself (Vicki), and Heather. My mother was pregnant with a fifth child whom she was caring as a surrogate. Her name is Corey and she is a wonderful baby sister!! My mom was 7 months pregnant with Corey when the news was delivered that my father had been killed while on duty. Here is the article describing the details on my father’s death:
Inkster, Mi-Police found the bullet-riddled bodies of three fellow officers inside a rundown motel room early Friday after a 70-year-old woman and her three heavily-armed sons emerged from the barricaded room and surrendered. The discovery, after a 10-hour siege punctuated by gunfire and a tear gas assault, dashed the hopes of law enforcement officials, who had been assured by the woman that her police hostages were still alive.
Buckley said Friday it appeared that all three officers, who had gone on a routine call late Thursday
afternoon to the motel to serve warrants on the woman and one of her sons for passing bad checks,
had been shot to death with automatic rifles as soon as they entered the woman's motel room. Buckley said the woman lied to police negotiators about the killings until she and her sons surrendered at about 3:30 a.m. Friday. The woman, identified as Alberta Easter, 70, and her three sons, all in their 40s, were being held in the Wayne County, Mich., jail and were scheduled to be arraigned today.
The slain police officers were identified as Sgt. Ira Parker, 41, a 15-year police veteran; Officer Daniel Dubiel, 36, a 13-year veteran, and Officer Clay Hoover, 25, who had joined the Inkster force in March. Each was shot twelve to fourteen times, police dispatcher Philip Rogers said.
Hoover and Dubiel had gone to the motel to serve the warrants at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday and then requested the help of Parker, their supervisor. As soon as all three police were in Easter's motel room, the motel manager heard a volley of about 20 shots from automatic weapons and called police. Four more officers responding were then fired upon with automatic gunfire and retreated. Buckley said that the gunmen then fired hundreds of rounds from the motel room. The shooting stopped after police responded with tear gas, but the gunmen were apparently well prepared for a siege; they donned gas masks and continued their holdout.
Over the next 10 hours, as hundreds of police, state troopers and FBI agents converged on the motel room, Alberta Easter continued to insist that she and her sons had taken the officers hostage. Wayne County Sheriff Robert Ficano said police had remained hopeful throughout the night that the officers were still alive, although Easter had never offered any proof. At one point, Easter negotiated with a local television reporter, who failed to persuade her to surrender Thursday night. Buckley said that she and her sons finally surrendered in the middle of the night, because of a combination of "time, fatigue and reassurances that they would be safe."
I have SO many pictures of trees saved on my Pinterest it's not even funny. And, not that I ever need an excuse to wear purple, here is a super awesome color combo from Ampersand Design! Purple and tangerine, yum! | Wednesday, May 16th - Love a Tree Day, National Sea Monkey Day, Wear Purple for Peace Day, National Employee Health & Fitness Day, Turn Beauty Inside Out Day Thursday, May 17th - Pack Rat Day |
1. You do not need to wear something different everyday, you do need to be comfortable and appropriate: With that in mind, I use a packing formula: 3 bottoms for 1 week, 3 tops per bottom, 5 bottoms for 2 weeks, deduct 1 top and 1 bottom for each dress.
2.If you are going sightseeing or to a city, always, even in the heat of the summer, bring a cardigan (women) or a dinner jacket (men). Not every place in the world is as informal as the United States. On that same note, always pack one thing to dress up.
3. Unless you are going to Antarctica or camping, there will be stores where you are going and you can always get what you need or forgot there. Apart from contact lenses or prescription medicine, you will be able to buy it at your destination. And, if you're in a foreign country, the replacement product will likely be more interesting than what you're used to.
4.Forget the pack flat or roll debate. Bundling is best: Check out this method. Not only is it a space saver, it is genius at keeping your clothes from wrinkling.
5. Pack one space saver bag: Just in case you buy a lot while you're away, the space bag may help you avoid having to buy an extra piece of luggage to bring it all back in.
Left to Right: Portobello Pesto Pizza by Brown Eyed Baker; Deep Dish Pizza by Eat, Live, Run; Garlic Bread Pizza Crust by How Sweet It Is; Mexican Pizza by Ready, Set, Eat!
I wish with my whole heart that I could be visiting my relatives today. Instead, I'll have to settle for a phone call or two and distract myself by planning my first ever PIZZA PARTY! It's not going to be today, but I AM inspired to plan one thanks to this awesome holiday!
Chicken & Artichokes in White Wine Sauce by Apple a Day
-- Yum! Probably a pretty tasty way to celebrate today!
Happy picking!
XO