And We;re Off!

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." Mother Teresa

We arrived at South West Airport yesterday morning - thanks to friend Doug who drove us early to Manchester New Hampshire Airport!

We checked in our luggage and went through the security check point. A buzzer went off and a "female retriever" was called in, which meant I had to get the full "pat down" just in case I was confiscating any "forbidden paraphaneila". All padded up & down - OK all set - waiting to board the plane.

Now this is an odd system - no seats are assigned - it is first come first serve - so if you want to sit with friends or family - you may need to beg the other passagers (who are already sitting with their family and friends) which is what we had to do and thankfully a woman was kind enough to do just that for us (!) We did repay her as well as two of the stewardess - by giving them each a pipecleaner flower that Sabrina made on the plane - she is very creative & thoughtful!

HINT for you parents traveling with children - they NEED activies and long thin colored pipe cleaners are a great way to keep them occupied (cut them in advance if you need to). -

{OH and let me credit Stephanie Demiris SDemiris@toastmasters.org from Toastmasters International http://www.toastmasters.org/ for this idea which was a great creative activitiy that she had us do during our weekend at District Officer Region Vii Training - in Philadelphia in Nov 2007 - THANKS STEPH!!}.

I was very impressed with Sabrina and traveling on the plane - we changed two planes - but took off three times (stayed on one flight) because when she was four we flew to Florida - she did fine on the flight out - but on the way home she cried the Whhhhhhhhhoooooooolllllllleeeeeeeee way back to Boston - it was very difficult and many of the passengers were giving her gifts and toys to get her to stop - so you can guess how worried I was - but at 10-years-old she is now a PRO!!

We met our new Nebraska friends - Charolette, Sarah and their friends - we took a tour at the Joslyn Castle in Omaha NE, set up the room, ate dinner, enjoyed the pool and jacuzzi and went to bed.

Friends I hope I can "spread the love where ever I go" like Mother Theresa! How about you - do you try to help others to feel happier after they have connected with you? How about in your speeches - is your message empowering others to want to do more, give more, be more? Do you help to change others by spreading your LOVE?

I will post more news later - We've got a train to catch!

Sherri & Sabrina Raftery