This was our last week filming at the O’Brien house this season, and of course we are setting up for another family breakfast scene. Our season premiere is Aug 15! What is your favorite family breakfast tradition? Here are some pics of mine. My grandkids ask for one of two things. My Grandmother Sarah’s special oatmeal with brown sugar, raisins, butter and milk… or Belgian waffles. I put a step stool by the kitchen counter so the kids can reach and help me mix the waffle batter. Even 2 year old Wolf. Then while they’re cooking I set out cans of spray whipped cream on the table and every kind of sprinkle ever invented. Their creations are colorful and a mile high, and I can’t believe they can fit them in their mouth. Solstice also makes us chalk artwork placemats. I have been gone almost 4 months, can’t wait to have a Mimi weekend as soon as I get back. Read More
Happy #CanadaDay to all my fellow Canadians! Charles Porlier who is my make up artist hung this flag outside the makeup trailer last night so we’d all see it when we drove up this morning. They also sang “Oh Canada” in the green room. I am a dual citizen (thank you Dad) so I get to celebrate on July 4th too. I feel blessed to be part of both countries. May you and your family have a great weekend celebrating your blessings and freedoms wherever you live. And remember, democracy can never be taken for granted. Read More
“Let Freedom ring!” I am so proud and grateful that Juneteenth is now a Federal holiday. If we don’t remember our history, and learn from it, we are doomed to repeat it. May we come together and do all we can to uplift our Black brothers and sisters, so that we can truly become the nation that Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of, and that we all deserve. We are stronger together. Read More
Happy Memorial Day to you all. May we always remember what our Founding Fathers and generations of heroes have sacrificed for us. They fought for the dream of freedom and equality for all who live here, even though it was not yet a perfect realization. And equally as important, may we never forget how close we were to the unthinkable, close to losing everything, especially on January 6. That cancer is still growing. It is not about politics, let us be very clear. It is about truth and justice and kindness, living with faith, no matter what that faith or religion is, and about simply doing the right thing for yourself and your fellow citizens. This is on our watch now, and we must stop the craziness and erosion of rights. Until the least among us are protected and valued and living with true equality in every way, freedom is only a mass illusion for all of us. That American Dream is now teetering on an eroding precipice. People who are supposed to be protecting us are instead protecting their power. Hate is much louder than peace and love, and bad things happen, and are allowed to grow, because good […] Read More
Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are mothers by birth, and to all of you who are mothers by choice. What a blessing you are to give motherly love and care to those around you, whether they are human or animals. I’m filming on location today but got to FaceTime with my daughter and grandchildren. It made me think of the legacy and journey that Jess and I have taken together. I remember the first time my daughter was placed in my arms. She took my breath away then and still does today. How amazing it has been to watch her develop into this special, gifted woman who works hard to make a difference in this world, and who is now raising her own children. Now, watching them grow, my heart bursts. Thank you, Jess, for making me a Mimi. I feel so blessed to be your mother, honey.  Read More
A Star is Born! I just love her authenticity and truth. She proves it’s never too late to go after your dream. I’ve always thought that the saddest thing would be to wonder “what if?” at the end of one’s life, and that has haunted and pushed me beyond all my comfort zones for years. I don’t want to get too comfortable and stop taking risks, stop growing, stop discovering what I am capable of. Believe me, I know how scary it is to put yourself out there. But when you think about it, isn’t the alternative even worse? You may say, “But what if I fail, what if I fall”? You’re right, you could. But on the other hand… on the other side of that leap could be everything you ever wished for! Don’t you want to find out what you’re capable of? To discover all that you are meant to do and see and become? Quit wasting time. Smile at your possibilities. Embrace your gifts, trust yourself, take a deep breath and go for it. Leaping out of your safety zone is the only way to discover how high you can fly. And isn’t that why you’re here? […] Read More
This this is how I woke up this morning, with Henry and Brando saying welcome home Mom. As much as I love to work, it is so good to be home again! The older I get the more I realize it’s the simple things that we crave. Love, health, employment, safety and a secure place to live. But many of us are hurting and struggling right now for those basic things. They are isolated, missing loved ones and worrying about providing for their families. May we remember the true spirit of the holidays and reach out to help those who have less than we do. There are so many ways we can help, and a gift of love gives so much more to the giver than to the one who receives it. If you are blessed, share your blessings. If you know someone who is alone, pick up the phone and call them. If you have extra, please help your neighbors with food and donations. Families are facing homelessness through no fault of their own. I can’t even imagine the panic they must be feeling. At the very least let us help provide them with food and gifts for their […] Read More
We remember those who died this day at Pearl Harbor 79 years ago. We gratefully honor all those who bravely came together in the ensuing war to try and bring peace and justice to the world. But alas, decades later we humans still have not learned the lesson. We are still at war, fighting against each other and this very planet. In turn, we are destroying ourselves, our future, and everything worth fighting for. History shows that if we repeat past behaviors without abiding by the lessons, it will just repeat itself. My prayer is that we start living this truth instead: When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. Read More
On this day of Thanksgiving, let us not dwell on what we don’t have. If we are alive, especially in this time of Covid, we are beyond blessed and we can have hope that tomorrow will be better. Let us instead be grateful for what we do have, and build on that. I am so grateful to have each of you in my life. We are all way more alike than different, and I celebrate our differences as well as our common dreams of hope, safety, security, health, full bellies, and the need for love. Too many of our brother and sisters are struggling right now! Please look around you and reach out to share with those who have less. There but for the grace of God go any of us. Take care of each other, please. Teach your children the lessons and blessings of giving and sharing, of what truly is important. We can and will get through this, but we must keep each other alive and safe until then. From my family to yours… God bless you and your loved ones, and Happy Thanksgiving. Read More
Thank you Veterans for your service, we are so honored and grateful for your sacrifices. Generations of you have put your lives on the line and fought for our freedoms so that the rest of us can live in this great social experiment, created by our founding fathers, called Democracy. It is beholden upon us to hold up our end of the covenant too, to live up to your example and fulfill the dreams you fought for…. including honoring elections of the people and by the people. America has always honored this, and when the people have spoken, there has always been a peaceful transition of power. No matter who you voted for in this election, whether you are celebrating or in dismay, remember that the democratic process has taken place. Yes, all votes should absolutely be counted, but when it becomes clear that there is a winner, we must honor that. Otherwise we are no longer that shining beacon of light that the world looks up to. Instead we are no better then a banana republic. Every day it becomes clearer that the American people have spoken, and it is time to move forward with a new President and […] Read More
