Hello My Dear Friends,

Some exciting news.... I would like to share a story.  In the past year I lost $30.00 which was a collection of money from a group of  people at school which was to be given to another, who was the recipient.  When I went to give the money to the recipient, I realized it was gone.  A student found the money and I was so overjoyed by this selfless action, that I wrote a letter to our community newspaper acknowledging the integrity and honesty of this young woman and praising her for making such a good choice to do the right thing.

 We have a district wide program that partners with Outback Steakhouse, honoring students on a monthly basis, who lead by example and commending them for their good deeds. There is an asset that is chosen, November's Asset was Honesty, and I recommended the young woman who found the money.

  I wrote an essay about this young woman and learned that she was chosen not only as the winner for our school but as the winner throughout the whole district, for the month of November.  Tomorrow at noon her parents, teachers, administrators and the people from the community program will be at school to honor this extraordinary young woman.  I am so excited for her.  She will be surprised to receive a plaque of recognition, an invitation to a reception along with all the other chosen recipients throughout the school year, which will be held at the end of the year, and a gift certificate for her and her family to Outback Steakhouse.  I have come to know her and DC is an exceptional young woman.  Actually, her reputation preceeds her.

Tomorrow I also present our Club that I have been working on diligently, since September, to the faculty at our school.  I will speak briefly about the club, hopefully igniting their curiosity to learn more about it.  I hope that the presentation is well received.

I received an email with the following quotations...

 "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."                                                                          ~  Robert Brault

  "There are no ordinary moments."  ~ Dan Millman

I realize, all too well, how true these statements are and am thankful for my life and all the blue moments that I have experienced.  I have a lifetime of precious memories that I can recall so easily in my mind.  I can be transcended immediately to that time and place and see myself so happy and content.

Last night we had our friends, Regina and Tom here for dinner.  Shawn came home and sat at the table and engaged them in conversation.  When she walked away they said, Shawn is delightful.  You must be so proud.  Jim and I are truly proud of who Shawn is and thankful for the blessing she is in our lives. 

And so, my wish for you this day, is that you realize many extraordinary moments, and that you take to heart the following principle that I have learned and am sharing with you.  I am sending it under a new post.

En` Joy

Marialyce

           


                     

Good Evening Everyone,
I received very good news .....   My BRCA genetic testing, which was a genetic test for the breast cancer gene, was negative.  This means that neither one of my parents carried the gene, they could not have passed it on to me, and therefore I can not pass it on to Shawn and Lindsay, because I do not carry the gene.  My breast cancer was caused by environmental factors. 

It is a tremendous relief for me, because although I have passed on my traits to my daughters, I really didn't want to pass on the breast cancer gene.  To me, that would be devastating.  I don't want my girls to have to go through all that I have gone through, in their life.  I hope they have babies one day and nurse them forever, and love every moment of that bonding experience.  Please God!

Today I received a beautiful email from my friend, Joan.  It started out....  Thanks for being angels in my life....  Joan, my beautiful friend Joan, thinks that I am an angel in her life.   Wow!

The email begins.....  You are in your car driving home.  Thoughts wander to the game you want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've ever heard fills the air.  The sound is high above you.  A trumpet?  A choir?   A choir of trumpets?  You don't know, but you want to know.....  So you pull over, get out of your car and look up..  As you do, you see you are not the only curious one.  The roadside has become a parking lot.  Car doors are open, people are staring at the sky...  Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store.  The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt.  Players and parents are searching the clouds And what they see, and what you see, has never before been seen.

As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part....  a brilliant light spills onto the earth...  There are no shadows.  None.  From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen...  Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels.  They pass through the curtain one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky.  North....South ..... East....  West.

Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and the seraphim chanting,   "Holy, Holy, Holy..."   The final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver bearded elders and a multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.  Suddenly, the heavens are quiet.  All is quiet.  The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there HE IS....  Jesus. 

Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of  Christ the King.  He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud.  He opens His mouth, and you are surrounded by His declaration:  " I am the Alpha and the Omega."  The angels bow their heads....  The elders remove their crowns...And before you is a Figure so consuming that you KNOW, instantly you know:  Nothing else matters...  Forget stock markets and school reports:  Sales meetings and football games..  Nothing is newsworthy...  All that mattered, matters no more...  For Christ Has Come.

Oh my goodness...  Whoever wrote this, wrote something so visually compelling that it brought tears to my eyes.   I am so thankful that Joan shared this with me.  Thank you, Joan.

I really hope that when my last day on earth comes, and I am called to heaven, that Jesus comes for me with all the angels.  How breathtaking would that be.   I can assure you, I will run to the light...  I am not afraid to die.

 My life has been truly magnificent.  I have been so blessed to have my wonderful parents who  had a beautiful marriage and gave me the most awesome childhood.  There was enough.  Enough love, time, attention, food, shelter, financial resources, clothing and joy. I have been blessed to have my good and loving husband and beautiful healthy daughters, my dear family and friends.  And I am blessed to have all the people who have entered  my life in the last year and four months.  I realize that life is all about perspective.  I am grateful for every single moment of time shared with everyone.   And when Jesus comes, I will get to see my Mom and Dad again.  Oh happy day!

And so, my wish for you this day, is that you choose to see all the blessings in your life and feel gratitude in your heart.  This is the only November 29, 2012 that you will ever receive!

En `Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening Dear Friends,

It was good to see all my students again after Thanksgiving break.  They are all such "good eggs."  I feel so fortunate that I get to spend my days with them.  I was paid the sweetest compliment, today.  I greeted each student as they came into the classroom this morning and told them that I missed them.  One young man said, Mrs. Keane you are beautiful.  OH MY GOODNESS.  He is so cute.  Our students do not edit or have filters.  They just say whatever is on their minds.  Sometimes it is good, some times not so good and sometimes, it is a BLUE MOMENT.  Thank you DK for my Blue Moment today.

Our Friday evening with the Lynch's was fun.  Tim is hilarious and the four of us laughed so much as we walked the main street in Newtown, dined at Jake's and walked around and reminisced in Feeney's.  We decided to include the Lynch's next year for Thanksgiving and then spend Black Friday evening with them, enjoying the sights and sounds of Christmas.  Actually, Tim and I challenged Jim and Anita to plan our next adventure.  We shall see if they can top our Black Friday evening.  I am filled with anticipation over this challenge.  I love surprises.

Tomorrow we were taking our students to Rice's Market, but due to the impending inclement weather, we changed our plans to Happy Tymes.  We will go bowling instead.  Tomorrow will just be too cold and snowy to walk around Rice's Market.  This is the second time we had to reschedule this trip.  Once last year and now tomorrow.  We have never taken our student's to Rice's Market.  It is an acceptable place were they can go and tender the best amount, applying the money skills learned in the classroom to an authentic, experiential learning environment.  All other business establishments in our area, are not cost effective.

I received an email today with the following message attached:

What you dwell on is what you will draw into your life.  We can either focus on our problems, or we can focus on our blessings.  The question is do you want more problems, or do you want more blessings?  One thing I've noticed is that when you live with an attitude of constant gratitude, not only do you thank God for what He's done in your life, you start thanking Him for what He will do in your life.  You thank Him for opening doors for you in the future.  You thank Him for increasing you.  You thank Him for bringing the right people into your life.  When we say, "Thank You" to God for the things that are coming, it's really a declaration of our faith in Him.  It's like saying in essence, "God, I'm so sure of Your goodness, I'm so sure that You are working in my life that I'm going to thank you right now for what You are going to do tomorrow!"     Now that  is the kind of faith that pleases God.  

And so, my wish for you this evening, is that you say a prayer of thanks for all your blessings, and that you thank God in advance for all the blessings that will be bestowed upon you.

En` Joy,

Marialyce

Good Morning Everyone,
I have been in a whirlwind.  I said to Jim, I can't believe all these days have come and gone.  Do you notice that time seems to be elusive?  This is my season, my favorite season. The Christmas Season!!! And I love to prepare for the holidays.  I prepare early.  Well earlier than most of my friends and family.  It is because I want to accept every invitation, attend every open house at every garden center in our Bucks County area.  Bucks County is just beautiful but at Christmas time, ohhhh.  It just shines.

 So I have been decorating our home for Christmas and attended Bucks Country Gardens and the Rhodes Garden Open House.  I went to Bucks Country Gardens alone, and with my friend Joan to the Rhodes Garden, Robertson's and the Hill Company on our recent outing.  This past Sunday, I hosted 16 of my Special Ed graduates in our home for our Third Annual Holiday Gathering.   I make the phone call, and invite them and their parents, if they wish to attend.  It is OK with me if parents just want to drop the young people off, because the young people know what is expected.    The rules are, you must not share that you were invited to my home, because we can not have everyone and choose not include those students who have not graduated yet.  Attending the holiday gathering is like reunion time.  So they must not talk about me or the gathering on the phone, Internet or any social media site.  They understand.  Then I ask them to dress as if we are going to the Keswick.  They love to get dressed up for this gathering.  Thirdly, I say, your parents will probably say, we need to take something to the Keane's.  If they do, please say to your parents, Mrs. Keane just wants us to bring ourselves and our parents.  She said so.  

So Sunday at 4pm, like clock work, they all arrived, with beautiful smiles.  OH MY GOODNESS, my heart was filled with Joy.  The young people were warm and funny and polite.  Tom and Pat and Pat's brother, Michael came and Tom played Christmas songs on the guitar, while Joan led the sing along.  At one point, the kids asked me to sing a song, (I can't sing) and so I lip synced while Joan stood behind me and sang.  They loved it.  So much fun.  We went around the table and each person shared something about what they were doing presently.  There are 4 birthdays among the group in the month of November.  I said to Jim I think I should get a cake.  He said, you made all these treats, sandwiches, cheese and crackers and dips.  It is enough.   I didn't want to go against him, he is so amazing with all that he does to help me facilitate the day.  But I kind of wanted a cake.  With that, one of my students walked in and has not one but two boxes in his arms.  He said, I went to this little bakery, Mrs. Keane, and saw these two cakes and I just wanted to get them.  That was a blue moment.  How did he know I wanted a cake?   I think it was divine intervention.   When we sang Happy Birthday and cut the cake, we discovered that we had 35 guests and needed BOTH cakes.  God is awesome and so is CD.  I am so thankful CD listened to his heart that day.  

So after the gathering, we had 10 for dinner.  The Zaneski's, Fuller's and Keane's sat down to a crock pot chicken dinner with crab macaroni and cheese and salad.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

The next day I met my friend Connie at Good Eats, the diner in Doylestown.  Paul and Andrea Markert, Joan's nephew and niece own the establishment and the food is yummy.  Connie was kind enough to treat me to my delicious omelet and it was on the promise to pay forward the gift of being treated to her retirement luncheon by her friend, Diane.  So now I will pay it forward.  Whom shall I choose????  Hmmm

After breakfast, I met up with my friend Susan.  Susan was a principal years ago at our high school and now is living her best life.  She met up with a friend for lunch in Doylestown but stopped here on her way and we shared some tea, stories and conversation.  I KNOW that Susan is a piece of the puzzle in my life.  I don't have the full understanding, yet, but I know she is an integral part of my life tapestry.  

Susan shared a few concepts with me.  And because I believe, Knowledge is Power, and I want to empower others, I will share what she taught me.  There is something called The Most Respectful Interpretation.   Look it up.  Google It.   It means that we will not spend our precious time with others judging WHY they are saying or doing things.  We will honor them by having the MOST RESPECTFUL INTERPRETATION OF THEIR ACTIONS AND THOUGHTS.    We will trust that they are working, sharing, doing for the good of the whole and that their intention is to bring everyone and everything in the moment to its highest intention.  I love it! 

Susan said Marialyce, you and I are a lot alike.   I do agree with her to some degree, but she has her doctorate in education and is so incredibly intelligent and dynamic.  Charismatic really.  I think I pale in comparison.  But it is not about comparison.  It is bringing each other along and helping each other to reach our potential, our greatness, our excellence.    I said, Susan, you came into my life just when I needed you, all those years ago.  I didn't even know I needed you and you were there.  She responded, Oh no, Marialyce, it was me who needed you!   Wow!    I am thankful for Susan.  I said, I don't know what it is, but you give me this something....  This something that I need.  She said, Marialyce, I "SEE YOU."   Not the physical you, but the You, your soul.  I validate who you are and the mission that you are on.  I said, OH YES YOU DO!    I love the AHA moments in my life.  This moment actually turned into another Blue Moment.  Susan and I will work together again soon.  I can just feel it!


Then on Tuesday I had my doctor's appointments.  I was tested for the BRCA I and BRCA II genes for breast cancer.  Results will be in 2 weeks.  I am finding out if this breast cancer was a genetic predisposition or just a freak of nature.  There is no history of women having breast cancer on either side of my family, however, I recollect that my Uncle Bill on my father's side was diagnosed with breast cancer when he was about 65, thirty five years ago.  I will be pleased to know if I have the gene or not, so I know if Shawn and Lindsay need to be tested.  Please God, don't let me pass on something this grave to my cherubs.  I don't want them to have to bear this cross.  I will do anything to keep them out of harm's way.  Please God.

Then I saw Beth DuPree my surgeon.  I love her.  She gave me a good report, although I must say that I am lacking energy and my back bothers me.  I don't know what it is, but am not fearful of any cancer returning.  I am concerned about this woman I work with, Holly.  I am keeping her close to my heart and in my continuous thoughts and prayers.  Please pray for Holly.

Later on Tuesday, I met my friend, Sue for lunch at the Olive Garden.  It is our place  to go.  We had a lovely time catching up and sharing.  Sue is my sage.  She always tells me, Marialyce, let it unfold. Everything will be revealed in time.  And it is......

That evening, I met my new friend, Claudine at the Knight House.  She is a widow and a truly beautiful woman inside and out.  She has two great sons who cherish her and she is a delightful woman.  I think our friendship will develop into a lasting one.

And so, then I began to prepare for my Thanksgiving Feast.  We had 13 here yesterday.  Jim cooked an amazing feast for all of us.  He is such a good man.  He just knows how to do things.  He is calm and patient and gets the job done.  I was in charge of setting everything up and buying a lot of the items although, Shawn and Lindsay made many trips to Giant for things.  We had the four of us, Kevin, Judy, Kelly and Colleen and Trish, Megan, Chris and Allison and my Mother in Law, Sally.

Kelly made delicious desserts for all of us to enjoy.  She is a great baker, always trying new things and is always  successful.  Even, Megan's husband Chris said, that Carmel Apple Cheesecake is delicious.  Thank you for sharing your time, talent and treasure with us, Kelly.  I love you.

Everyone left our home  by 9pm.  It is now 9:30 the next morning and we are just about all cleaned up. It is absolutely the MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!

And now I will let you in on a little secret.  Jim is off today.   My friend Tim and I were texting, and I suggested that we surprise Jim and Anita, our spouses, and go to Newtown to walk Main Street, tonight and then to Feeney's in Southampton for the beautiful Christmas displays.  The Lynch's and Keane's are on equal footing when it comes to LOVE OF CHRISTMAS.   Our outing begins at 4 today.  I am excited for the adventure.  We will grab a bite to eat in a small cafe and maybe have some hot chocolate with whipped cream.  Doesn't that sound romantic.  We have not been on a double date together since we went to see Elton John when he was in town about a year ago.  I am getting excited.  I love adventures and surprises!!!!

Next week I begin decorating the house on Green Street in Doylestown for the Doylestown Christmas House Tour. 

And so, I have two wishes for you this day.  One is that you decide to view others that you work closely with you with the MOST RESPECTFUL INTERPRETATION. 

 My second wish for you this day is that you can dream up some fun adventures and surprises for those you love.  They make you feel like one of Santa's Elves!    I gotta go find my Santa Hat!
Ho Ho Ho!!!  (smile)


En`Joy,


Marialyce

Good Evening My Dear Friends,
 
I had a Synchronistic Moment today.  It was a blue moment, a God wink.   A few weeks ago, I went to Bon Ton to purchase my lip liner.  Lancome` makes a beautiful lip liner pencil.  However, they didn't have my color.  "Mars"   I purchased  two of the same lip liner in 'Raisinberry" and Debbie the Lancome` saleswoman said call us and when we get "Mars" in, you can come in and exchange the Raisinberry for the Mars!  I like Debbie.  She is good at what she does.

 Anyway, I have called a few times and today was my lucky day.  I went to Bon Ton after school and exchanged my lip liner.   On the way out the door, a young woman was coming in.  She looked so cute.  She was wearing a Mount St. Joseph Academy uniform.  I said, " Hi, do you go to the Mount?"   She said, "Yes I do!"   I said, Hello, I am Mrs. Keane.  My daughters graduated from the Mount in 2004 and 2006.  I love the Mount."  She said, I am Katie, and I am a sophomore.  We talked about Sister Kathleen, and Sister Joanie.  She told me she loved going to school there.  My heart warmed.  I said, please tell  your parents that you are a lovely young woman and don't forget to thank them for sending you there. It is an excellent school.  Please tell the Sisters that Marialyce Keane said hello and that I was asking for them.  She said she would do just that.  She was adorable. 

Then I said, by the way, what is your last name.   She said, "I'm Katie Mars.   Mars......   just like the planet. "   I could not believe it.  I asked her if she knew what a Synchronistic Moment was.  She replied, no.  I said well it is meaningful coincidence, or I call them God winks.   I said, I have been trying to get this lip pencil for weeks and it just came in so I ran over to pick it up.   I showed her the box and she looked at the name of the color.   She said, wow....that is amazing.  I said, I think so too....It is my way of knowing that I am in alignment with my true calling in life, my highest intention.  I get such a thrill when they happen to me.  Katie said, Mrs. Keane it was very nice to meet you.  So sweet!

And so, my wish for you this evening, is, you guessed it....  That you experience your own God wink, or Synchronistic Moment.  I hope it makes you feel all warm and wonderful inside, just like I feel right now!

En` Joy,

Marialyce

Good Evening Friends,
Busy weekend!   Yesterday I had such a fun day.  My friend, Joan and I shared our fourth annual day of togetherness.  We share the same birthday and instead of purchasing gifts for each other, we spend quality time (and quantity time) with each other at the same time every year.  We had so much fun.  We start out with breakfast at 'Good Eats' a great diner in Doylestown.  It is always packed, but this time we ate at the counter and were seated immediately!  Breakfast was out of this world.  I had a spinach, feta and goat cheese omelet and Joan had eggs benedict.  We shared a corn meal pancake which I highly recommend.  My mouth is watering as I write this!   Soooo good.

Then we headed up to Chestnut Hill for a day of walking and  talking and shopping.  It was a gorgeous day, the weather was perfect.  Although we did not discuss this, I think our favorite store in Chestnut Hill is the Hill Company.  Beautiful things for your home and garden.  They were decorating for Christmas and just like last year, I felt like I was in Santa's workshop.  Linda, the owner was in the throws of decorating a tree and Kim her right hand woman was so helpful to Joan and me.  We made our purchases and headed off to the other Hill and Company Store in Worcester.  Linda decorated that store already and it was magnificent.  She has the magic touch for decorating.  Joan and I also went to Home Goods where we found items that we could use to decorate at a more cost effective price point.  We had so much fun sharing, laughing and learning.  Later we met our husbands for dinner at the Publick House in Wycombe, PA.   We all enjoyed our meals and thought the service was excellent.   It was such a great day!  So for Joan and I it was a 9AM to 9PM day of bliss.  I don't know how I got so lucky as to have Joan as my dear and treasured friend.  I am very blessed.

When I think about all my friends.....  I am truly humbled that I get to be among such wonderful, caring, talented....truly magnificent people.  I know I am blessed.  Thank you, God, for the gift of my friends and family.

On another quick note, I don't think we will be getting Riley.  One of the girls in the family that owns her does not want to part with this little darling.  I don't think that she will be coming to visit us this Thanksgiving.  Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned in this experience, somewhere.  I will have to  pray about it.

And so, my wish for you today, is that you think about your dear friends and make a date to share time together.  Those friends are the jewels in your life.  You deserve to shine brightly among them.


En`Joy,

Marialyce

Hello Friends,

Today was a great day!  I had a Council meeting of all the leaders of the club at school.  We asked the students to write an essay telling us what the club means to them, what talents they could bring to the club as a whole and why they want to be a leader of the club.  We have  11 members who were inducted into the club and all were eligible to write an essay.  Seven wrote an essay and let me tell you, they were inspiring, and from the heart.  At the meeting today they were all excited, collaborative, and very generous with their talents, skills and creativity.  They were leaders, all were expressive.  I was amazed and proud at how much they want this!  I call them my Sensational Seven!

The club has many pledges, those who are seeing if this club fits within the framework of their lives.  There are 8 more students,  who continue to come to meetings and see what 'it' is all about!    Keep `em coming!!!!  At this point in time there are approximately 20 people  in the club!  

I received this quotation in an email today:

"Be happy, noble heart, be blessed for all the good thou hast done
and wilt do hereafter, and let my gratitude remain in obscurity
like your good deeds."  ~ Alexandre Dumas,    The Count of Monte Cristo

I look upon this quote as a God wink.    I am very happy!   I know that this club is necessary in the lives of young people.   Offering them an option to choose to live an amazing, beautiful, harmonious life of greatness and excellence as opposed to succumbing to the pitfalls that will present themselves in their lives is an opportunity for them to soar!  These young people were empowered today!   Their energy was palpable.

And so, my wish for you this evening is that you have an opportunity to help another human being to see that they are worthy of fulfilling their highest potential and then help them to achieve it! 

En` Joy,

Marialyce