Winter Is Here Again

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ― Anne Bradstreet

At midnight, as the clocks rolled over in bed to greet December 21, it arrived quietly and without fanfare. Most were asleep and did not hear as it crept into our new day. There would be no stopping this change, this constant reminder of nature.

Winter was officially here.

People awoke the next day sensing the change. It seemed much darker and that darkness lasted longer. One could feel the change but most were unsure of what the change had been. As the Sun fought to erase the darkness, we simply let the feeling pass.

Yet winter was finally here.

The holidays kept us busy and full of energy. There were gifts to wrap, meals to plan and a new year celebration to attend to. Our minds were kept occupied by other more important things. No one had time to think, much less concern themselves with the new season.

Winter had quietly taken hold.

Now the celebrations are over, the relatives gone home and we see the darkness of evening approach early. The snow has lost the virginal white of a new snowfall as the wear of foot and wheel leave their stain. Even the cold seems much sharper in it's bite of skin.

Yet winter remains his keep.

It is easy to allow the depressing gray of cold winter skies and darkness of long nights to grab hold of us. But each day becomes slightly longer as the Sun begins to retake its place. The promise of spring lingers more and more within our minds.

Winter will not overcome us.

Winter is rightfully here in its place among the seasons. A cycle in life that has, does and will always occur. Our own seasons will cycle like the winter into spring and summer. Changes in our life and circumstance will sneak in like winter and catch us with surprise.

Yet winter will not overcome us.

Stay inspired my friends!

My Friend is Sailing

“Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” ― Arthur Schopenhauer

For a friend

Gone From My Sight by Henry Van Dyke

I am standing upon the seashore.

A ship, at my side, spreads white sails to the moving breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

He is an object of beauty and strength.

I stand and watch him until, at length, he hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, he is gone"

Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all.

He is just as large in mast, hull and spar as he was when he left my side.

And, he is just as able to bear his load of living freight to his destined port.

His diminished size is in me -- not in him.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, he is gone," there are other eyes watching him coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here he comes!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIOVANNI, Mario Anthony, Jr.

Mario Anthony Giovanni, Jr., age 65, died peacefully at his home in Buford, GA on Wednesday, December 31, 2014. Born March 26, 1949, in Phillipsburg, NJ, he attended Pius X Catholic High School in Roseto, PA before moving to the Milwaukee, WI area with his parents and siblings.


It was in Milwaukee where he married on September 28, 1974, Suzanne Steber, raising two children, Anne Grazier of Lindenhurst, IL and Nick Giovanni of Buford, GA. In 1996, he moved his family to the Buford, GA area working for the past seven years at Engineered Architectural Systems, Inc. of Alpharetta, GA. Previously he worked several years for Albany International.

Mario was a member of the U.S. Army Reserve for two years, was active in coaching his son’s hockey team in the Lawrenceville, GA area and enjoyed both golf and college basketball. He had a passion for music which included his time with the Drum and Bugle Corp in high school and playing drum most recently with a local band. He had a serving heart, positive nature and adored spending time with his granddaughter, Audrey.

Mario was preceded in death by his parents, Mario, Sr. and Mary (Pacovich) Giovanni; sister, Carla (Franzrab) Giovanni; and nephew, Jeb Jensen. Survivors include wife, Suzanne (Steber); daughter, Anne Grazier and granddaughter, Audrey; son, Nick Giovanni; sister, Lucia (Giovanni) and Roger McGrath of Eagle, WI; sister-in-law, Char (Steber) and Jeff Jensen of Reedsburg, WI.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mario Anthony Giovanni, Jr. will be held 6:30 P.M. on Friday, January 9, 2015 at Georgia Cremation Chapel 3116 U.S. Highway 23 (Buford HWY), Duluth, GA 30096. Relatives, friends and coworkers are welcome to attend and celebrate a life well lived.

Georgia Cremation (678)584-0914 is assisting the family with local arrangements. Messages of condolence may be made or viewed at www.GeorgiaCremation.com.

Stay inspired my friends!

One More Sparrow

“Nothing you become will disappoint me; I have no preconception that I'd like to see you be or do. I have no desire to forsee you, only to discover you. You can't disappoint me.” ― Mary Haskell

In life, we grow up and leave home to take on the world. And like the sparrows that scatter about, we go about our separate ways.

There will be moments of terror and frightened circumstance. But there will also be moments of delight and love to strengthen you.

While all this happens, remember there is unconditional love of your parents.

If you were not so fortunate, know there is always one constant and unconditional love from your faith.

No matter how many times we fail or ask, there will always be one more answer.

There will always be one more sparrow.



Stay inspired my friends!

Forward To Opportunity

“There will always be a door to the light.” ― Shiro Amano

There will be days go by when all we do is contemplate and worry over that which we have or has been done in our life. We will obsess over what might have been or what our current lot is in life.

Looking backwards constantly in our lives is one thing we must change in order to move ahead in our life.

Yes, knowing and understanding the history of where we have been is a good thing. We use it to study and reflect upon what we have previously done to place us where we are now.

To move ahead, we must look forward for opportunities that await us.

The key thing is to move forward and not stay chained to what has already occurred. In the physical sense, our eyes are in the front of our head...looking forward, not backwards. We walk forward and not backward.

Alexander Graham Bell said, "sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open." If we continue to look backwards never seeing the open door, we will never see the open door. We will never see new opportunity opening before us. We could drown in the fading light of history, wondering if things could have been different.

Keep your dreams in front of you, looking for new doors to change; for new opportunity that is presenting itself to you.

One door may close but another is always opening if we simply look for it. History and current circumstance will be your support, but forward momentum will be your future. Keep your eyes open and looking for that open door of opportunity.

Stay inspired in 2015 my friends!