Are you earning it

The Mr. and I had the honor and privilege to meet and hear a fantastic talk a few days back by Lt. Col. Allen West (Ret.). For anyone not familiar with him, he is an American political commentator, retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, author, and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was not only informative but also highly motivating. I strongly suggest a visit to his website www.theoldschoolpatriot.comwww.theoldschoolpatriot.com. 

With the seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day around the corner he brought up a very valid point and it got me to thinking. He asked us if we remembered the scene in the film "Saving Private Ryan"(one of the best war movies ever made)where Captain John H. Miller (Tom Hanks) tells Private James Ryan to “earn this, earn it”and then dies right there. Col. West then went onto remind us how every American that is and ever is to come owes a debt to every service member who gave their life in that war. How can that debt be paid? By earning it.

How do we earn it? Be involved in our local communities. Participate in civics and serve others. That's how. Heck, maybe even run for the President of the School Board. Why not? The world might look a whole lot different had it not been for the heroes who stopped evil dead in its tracks. We all might be living in a totally different reality. A reality where the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted would be nothing but a dream.

Then on the drive home my mind started to wander. I realized we also earn it by living every single day, and squeezing every stinking second out of it. The good days, the bad days, the in-between days, even the days when you wish you could go back to bed and pull the covers over your head. There are countless souls who never had the chance to have those days. We owe it to them to do and be everything that they never had the chance to. It's the least we can do.

So on this seventy-fifth anniversary of D-Day honor and remember the fallen. Keep the strength and steadfastness of the Greatest Generation the world has ever known in your mind and heart. If you're lucky enough to know or meet one of those heroes please thank them. I am fortunate to meet a fair share of them from time to time when I sing at Veteran related events. It is always and honor and a pleasure to talk with them and hear their stories. I am thankful and grateful for their sacrifice today and every day. God bless America and God Bless the Allies. 

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Never Say Never

One of the Greatest Comebacks of Ever!

Most people have already seen this image by now. It's been splashed all over across the news and social media world. Whether one watched the historic event or just caught the highlights, I can't imagine this image not making any human being smile a great big cheesy happy grin.

I thought it was simply magical to witness a truly gifted and disciplined athlete return to glory. I was also glad to see the folks in the media cheering for him instead of jumping on the bandwagon to tear him down as had been the case in years past.

There is no escaping it in the world we are living in, that is unless you move to the wilderness and get off the grid I guess. It still always bothers me when I see people in the media, and on social media piling onto tear down someone the minute something isn't exactly "perfect"in their life. Sure everyone likes to be a cheerleader when someone is on top, but as they say a person discovers their true friends in times of difficulty.

Back to Tiger... Seriously though, his win might well be one of the greatest comebacks in the history of ever. How special it was that Woods, who has endured four back surgeries (including spinal fusion two years ago) and personal struggles and scandal ended his dry spell at the Masters. His comeback happened at The Masters, which was the first major tournament he won 22 years ago. I don't know about you, but I just loved it! I mean this is the stuff movies and the great stories of the ages are made of.

It just goes to show you, you may be down but you are never out, that is unless you choose to stay that way. I was watching an interview with a journalist who ran into Tiger at a charity event last year. Tiger told the journalist he was putting very badly and was practicing three hours a day at that time to get better. Imagine it, one of the greatest golfers of all time practicing three hours a day to get better at something he is one of the greatest of all time at. Sounds crazy but that discipline is one of the things that made him the great that he is. It is also the thing that can take anyone from anywhere they are to anywhere they want to go.

I also learned there was a time when mere standing was painful for him, let alone holding a golf club. When the thing you love causes you pain it takes a special kind of drive to find a way past it to break through. Such a great moment in history, it is one I will never forget. In my adult life Tiger Woods has mostly been on top and a symbol of what one can achieve if they believe, and work hard. I am very happy for him and for what this event can and will do to inspire generations of people from all walks of life for years to come. GO Tiger!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com


 

Let the Confetti Fall!

I couldn't be any happier if I tried. Why? Well it all started on Saturday when Punxsutawney Phil gave me a belated Christmas gift with the prediction of an early spring. This had me jumping for joy because frankly last year winter hung around way too long. The Nor'ester that brought trees down all over our yard totaling one of our cars didn't really add any love to the season for me either.

Sunday started out doing my favorite thing in the world which is to sing, at a military event The four Chaplins WWII Memorial Service. It was also a milestone wedding anniversary with the love of my life and on this same day with a hot cup of magic a la Dunkins in my hand I got to watch Tom Brady and the Patriots deliver a fantastic gift to us and Pats fans everywhere by delivering another historic Super Bowl win! There was so much talk about him being too old, and people speculating if he still had what it took, or if he should retire, and on and on. As the confetti was falling down all around and the celebration began I couldn't help but think about my song "I Don't Even Care".  

It was written about stuffing your ears full of cotton balls when the naysayers of life tell you you're too this or too that to do something. When they say that something is impossible. First off they are forgetting what the word actually says, "I'm_Possible". 

Nothing is impossible to anyone period, end of story. It's all in your mind. If you think you can, you can and that is it. Well that is unless you're ninety nine years old and your dream is to be an Olympic skier, but even then who knows really? The power the mind has on the body is incredible. There really are no words to fully express it.

Anyway there are a lot of people with Tom Brady derangement syndrome out there and I think it is beyond silly. He is an athlete who has broken all kinds of records in the sport. There were so just many beautiful things about this Super Bowl anyone should be smiling watching it all unfold. Especially the twins from my little neck of the woods. First time ever twins played together in a Super Bowl. Twins Devin and Jason McCourty were born in Nyack, NY the area where I live in the beautiful historic Hudson Valley of NY.

People should celebrate others success and be happy when someone achieves a dream or a goal because if it happened to them it can happen to you. Anything is possible if you work hard and take the necessary steps to achieve your dream and goal. I listened to a pregame interview of Brady on Saturday night, and he was saying how he makes a daily choice to do the work necessary to do his job. There was a lot more to it, but it was really poignant. Many people today want things overnight, and feel entitled to have them without doing the things required to get them. Here is a guy who has worked practically every day of his life on one thing, and he is the best at it not only because of his talent, but because of his effort. He works hard, stays out of trouble, and has a beautiful wife and family. I think it is a great example and inspiration to people everywhere.

His interview actually reminded me of a great quote from President Ronald Reagan. It was made while he was Governor of California.

"Attitude, not aptitude, controls altitude. Along with a positive attitude, we must have a positive plan." 

Very true. Even more so the more you think about it. Another thing that made the Super Bowl so special this year was the National Anthem. I mean HELLO! Gladys Knight knocked it OUT OF THE PARK! Quite possibly the BEST National Anthem ever in my opinion (and to think she didn't need to write the lyrics on her hands and she was fully clothed)wow - what a concept. I will use my inside voice to describe what I thought about the half time show because my mom taught me if you don't have anything nice to say, sometimes it is best to not say anything at all.

Onto the third and final item in the what made it a Super Trifecta weekend for this greek girl. Well, it is not really the weekend still because it happens on Tuesday. However, Tuesday is the Super Bowl parade in Boston and the grand finale that same evening... if you guessed the State of the Union you are correct!

I have my popcorn ready (organic of course) and I'm all set to watch the President address the nation. I could go on about another major case of derangement syndrome some people have but I won't. I will however say that there are far too many people who show no respect for the office. Even when there have been people in that office I did not agree with in any way, shape, matter, or form, I showed respect for the office. The level of discourse out there is frightening. Where is the common decency? People should be able to disagree and not hate each other as people. Good grief Charlie Brown.

Anyway it's a happy day for me. So go download my song, tell the naysayers where they can go, and go out and make it a happy day!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

New year new you

Happy New Year!

They say the new year is a time for new beginnings. A whole new chance to begin again. New year, new you, or maybe a new me. Possibly the same old me, just one that I haven't seen in a while.

It's that time of the year when we get the opportunity to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new one ahead. For me the last year has really been a great opportunity to grow and expand my awareness of all kinds of things from health/wellness and going almost totally vegan to changes in fitness. The year I began to really love yoga. Which for a girl who spent most of her life doing all kind of crazy workouts, is actually quite surprising. I never thought I would love it as much as I do. In fact it has been the best thing for my back. Having sustained a back injury in two close-dated car accidents years back, really put a damper on the crazy workouts. Since I started to do yoga regularly, honestly my back hurts if I "don't"do yoga.

Anyhow back to my original thought. It happened kind of randomly actually, but it got me to thinking. My acting representative was visiting shortly before Christmas. He started to tease me a bit about the fact that he has a hard time finding jobs to submit me for. As there are far less castings for blondes than for brunettes. If you are at a certain level in an entertainment career you can have your hair any color and mostly people adjust to you, or you change it for a role, then put it back as needed. However, until that point, you kind of need to be able to "be" what is being cast. So if a role says "female 30-40 brunette" he can't send me if my hair is blonde.

Unless, my inside voice started to say "unless I wear a wig". So the next chance I had I dragged the Mr. along to some local wig shops. Just to get an idea of how I would look, because honestly I had not seen it in so long I couldn't even remember how I looked as a brunette.

Yes it is true, I did not come from the manufacturer (the man upstairs)with blonde hair. So I put on a few and of course none of the pictures below are what I have in mind, but making use of what they had in the shop, I took a few fun pics just to see how I looked in a dark hairdo. So here ya go:

Holy 90's hairdo & way dark... but it's what they had!  

Whole lotta hair & super dark with BANGS! (Good gravy)

 As you can see, I look quite different, it was a bit shocking for me. Of course these are much darker than my hair actually grows out of my noggin. However, it was fun to try them on an see a different version of me. So in order to be cooperative with my acting rep, I am going to humor him and comply with his request. Hey what do I have to loose? If it works I can have more opportunities for acting work. If not, I can always put it back if I don't like it.

My plan, is to just go light brown with some blonde in the front more along the lines of Jennifer Anniston. To have even more options, I am also going to order a wig online in a medium brown ,and then have my talented Mr. (being a super awesome photographer is one of his many talents) take headshots of me in both colors. This way my acting rep has more options.

This my friends is how the new year is going to bring a new version of the old me. What are your plans for the New Year? Do you have any resolutions, big ones, small ones? Whatever they are try to keep a positive mindset. I think sometimes we can set big goals and then beat ourselves up if we don't accomplish everything all at once or as quickly as we might like.

Remember to be grateful for the past year and thankful for every day, because it is a gift. We only get one day at a time and that my friends is the best advice I can give as to how to roll into the New Year.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful, blessed and HAPPY New Year!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com