Sunday Song: Peter Gabriel - "Down to Earth" from Wall-E

In honor of tonight's Oscars, I've picked one of the songs up for a golden dude grab.

This song is so fitting for this ADORABLE animated movie. If you haven't seen the flick, I highly suggest you give it a watch -- there are lessons for both children and adults to learn.

And, Peter Gabriel's unique voice never gets old!

Love at 90

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I had to post this amazing heartfelt story from The Oakland Press in honor of the lovey day...

Love at 90

Saturday, February 14, 2009

By CAROL HOPKINS

The Oakland Press

Robert “Bob” Porter was having his usual lunch at the Clarkston Senior Center seven years ago when he spotted a newcomer at one of the tables.

“I said to people there, ‘Who’s that cute gal?’ ” recalled Porter, who was then 83.

Porter — a widower — didn’t speak to Treva Chivers that first day.

“I was too bashful,” he said.

But the two senior citizens did begin dating and eventually married, proving this Valentine’s Day that you can fall hard for someone no matter what your age.

They now happily share an apartment at the Inn at Cass Lake in Waterford Township.

Treva Chivers was born in Illinois but when she was 14, her family moved to Texas.She married at 16 and she and her husband, Norman, had four children. She was a housewife and for a decade worked as a nurse’s aide. When one of her sons moved to Michigan in the 1950s, she and Norman followed. Later in life, the couple moved to Florida. When Norman became very ill, they returned to Michigan to be near their son, Stephen, and his family in Clarkston. Her husband died in 2001.

Robert Porter was born in Pontiac and worked for years as a die designer for Chrysler, making fenders and hoods.He and wife Edith had two children, Ken and Connie. The couple lived in Florida for 23 years. They moved back to Michigan to be near family. After Edith died in 2000, Robert had his own apartment in Clarkston.

Then came the fateful day at the senior center. Robert eventually asked Treva out for a date and they began courting. Treva lived in her son Stephen’s basement apartment in Clarkston.

One day when Robert took Treva home in his car, he turned to her and asked her for a kiss.“I told him I hadn’t kissed in so long,” Treva, now 96, said. Robert, now 90, remembered the day.“I told her, ‘Let’s practice!’” he said. While they were kissing, Robert’s foot slipped off the accelerator and the car rolled into the garage, damaging the door.“I jammed on the brake,” Robert said, a big smile spreading across his face.The kiss was worth it, he said.“Look what I got for it,” he said, glancing at his petite wife.

The two dated for a year and married in May 2003. Treva wore a long dress for the occasion.Treva’s daughter-in-law, Debbe Chivers, was one of the attendees.“It was wonderful,” she said of the wedding at Clarkston Community Church. “We had a small reception and all the church members attended.”

The couple moved to their Waterford complex in 2006. They are often seen holding hands and walking arm in arm.

“I love to kiss her,” Robert said.

Each day, they sit side by side and complete a crossword puzzle together.

“She is a little better than I am,” said Robert about their puzzle-solving skills.

Family keeps track of them. Robert has three grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.

Treva has five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Their advice to the lovelorn is simple.“Be honest and love each other,” Robert said.

Treva, a self-described optimist, admits she wasn’t even considering marriage when she met Robert.

She smiled. “But when you meet someone and fall in love and they tell you all these wonderful things, you change your mind.”

Sunday Songs: Songs of LOVE

So sitting in church yesterday I learned it was World Marriage Day. How fitting, considering I was hoping to write a post of Sunday songs full of love in anticipation for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday....

During this particular mass, the priest was renewing the vows of couples that have been married for 20+ years. They went through the different milestones (20 years, 30 years, etc.) and at the end, the entire congregation was surprised when he announced a couple that has spent 71 years of their life together. 71 years! I started thinking about that...That means they were married around 1938. I can't even begin to imagine how much they have experienced together. And to me, that is absolutely amazing. In a world that sometimes feels filled with hatred, divorce and infidelity, I am glad there are couples like this defying the odds.

This playlist, full of some of my all-time favorite love songs, is dedicated to that couple, whatever their names may be...

1. At Last, Etta James

2. Cowboy Take Me Away, Dixie Chicks

3. Out of My League, Stephen Speaks

4. Ribbon in the Sky, Stevie Wonder

5. Everything, Michael Buble

6. Love Of My Life, Dave Matthews & Santana

7. You Make It Easy, Air

8. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, Lauryn Hill

9. Forever, Ben Harper

10. Green Eyes, Coldplay

11.Grow Old With Me, Postal Service

12. I Cross My Heart, George Strait

13. If I Ain't Got You, Alicia Keys

14. Johnny & June, Heidi Newfield

15. God Bless The Broken Road, Rascal Flatts

16. Somersault, Zero 7

17. The Luckiest, Ben Folds Five

18. Me & You, Kenny Chesney

19. More Than Words, Extreme

20. My Favourite Book, Stars

21. When I'm 64, The Beatles

22. Sleeping To Dream, Jason Mraz

23. Stand By Me, Ben E. King

24. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash

Interesting Video: Lost Generation

This video was submitted to the AARP "U@50" video contest and placed second.

Amen, sister! I refuse to be part of a generation who doesn't move this world forward.

Diving into the Detroit River for a Great Reason! Special Olympics MI

This month I am trying to raise funds for Special Olympics Michigan's Polar Plunge. The Plunge, held at various locations around the state, is an annual fundraiser open to individuals willing to plunge into freezing cold water to raise funds needed to support the year-round athletic training of more than 16,000 athletes across the state.

As you may have read in a post last year, I feel compelled to give back to an organization that has taught me so much about myself. I am excited because two of my girlfriends will be making the plunge with me -- dressed according to our team name, Happily Ever After. (I'll post some photos afterward!)

Feel free to come watch us plunge on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Roostertail in Detroit. And, if you're feeling generous and want to donate, visit my page here. If you can't, feel free to cheer me on -- I'll need the support (and some liquid courage)!

Sunday Song: John Rich - Shutting Down Detroit

If you've heard this song, you probably could have guessed this would be the song I picked for this week's Sunday Song.

Not gonna lie, the first time I heard this, I shed some tears for Detroit. It pains me everyday to hear about the thousands of people being laid off from auto-related jobs and beyond. This song strikes a chord with me because it says exactly how I feel -- you shut Detroit down and watch out! It's going to be chaos for this entire country -- it truly will be the trickle down effect.

Kudos to John Rich for writing this song - in an hour. I'm glad someone out there in the 'real world' is paying attention to us.