There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents ... and only one for birthday presents, you know. - Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

Still they lived, transformed to fireflies.
- Camp Oneka song

Racing For Casey - 10.17.10

It's a little bit funny this feeling inside

I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live
If I was a sculptor, but then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

 - Elton John

"I will give you a light which will guide you when all other lights have gone out." [Katharine Hepburn]

You are my light.

Love, Mom
written from Susan Eckman to Katharine Eckman; April 6, 2008

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"Time is tricky. You have whole months, even years, when nothing changes a speck, when you don't go anywhere or do anything or think one new thought. And then you can get hit with a day or an hour, or half a second, when so much happens its almost like you are born all over again into some brand-new person you for damn sure never expected to meet."

"Nobody's life is filled with perfect little moments. And if it were, they wouldn't be perfect little moments. They would just be normal. How would you ever know happiness if you never experienced downs?"

"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you must not forget to laugh."

-Katharine Hepburn
written to Susan Eckman, from Katharine Eckman, April 7, 2008

Paul Ryan (reading the question): What is the more common name of the body part called the hallux?
Casey: Hallux...sounds like mallet...must be the elbow!
Rest of trivia team: Wha...?

We DEFO have to get in line for Trivia at 6, but we'll tell everyone we got there at 7.
- Casey

Six Years Ago

[The following is a letter to me from Casey, written before I left for college.]

September 4, 2003

Dearest Elizabeth,
The time has come to let you go. The most constant part of my life, my family, is beginning to have distance between them. First you, then me, and so forth. Onward we must go, secure in the knowledge that we have been taught and raised by amazing people, not only by our two parents, but by each other.

We have been blessed by having three sisters each. Each sister is unique and special and different. Each of us makes up an integral part of the family. Although at first, it will be hard having a piece of our family so many miles away, you are still a part of the family, and you make me proud.

You are amazing. You are honest and funny and generous. You are beautiful both inside and out and you will never...could never...let me down.

You are such a fantastic role model because although you make mistakes, you deal with them. You have a voracious appetite for learning and life. You have pluck and courage and the ability to make me believe in my dreams and more importantly, myself. You know every nagging detail about me, which is both good and bad (mostly good).

We are now and forever, the time lapse twins because although very different, we are best friends. I understand you as no one else does because we are sisters. With us, things can be unspoken and still understood by one another. That's what sisters are for, and there's no better sister than you.

You taught me that sometimes, it doesn't matter what people think. You have to do things for yourself. You also taught me that I'm an okay person. I'm not a failure and I'm not going to be worthless. I have value.

I want to personally thank you for being my late night confidant when we just needed to stay up late. Thank you for being my lawyer when I was in some tough situations - your charm has never been put to better use. Thank you for loving me unconditionally even though I know I get annoying and mean and spiteful. Thank you for putting up with my stupidity and helping me to overcome my errors and be successful. I don't know what I would be without your constant guidance.

I hope that you have learned as much from me as I have from you.

I urge you to take chances whenever you can. Be spontaneous. Not everything can be logically explained. Some things just happen and the best thing to do is sit tight and see what happens. You can achieve whatever you set out to. Hard work pays off, now and later.

You will have bad days. But you don't have to live through them by yourself. Email, phone, IM, snail mail - use it. We were not built to sail a storm alone.

Being what everyone expects you to be is not your jet. You be what you want to be. You know right from wrong and you know your limits. Mom & Dad taught you good from bad. They're pretty smart.

Love your friends,
Love yourself,
Love your best friend,
Casey

P.S. Did you cry?

Casey's Maid of Honor Toast

On June 7, 2008, Casey gave the below toast at my wedding.

Congratulations - today is your day
You're off to a new house, Job to do, bills to pay
We've come quite a ways From the time we were small
You're no longer a girl Though you're not exactly tall

Imaginary friends, till I came along
Just us time lapsed twins, a new friendship strong
But just 'cuz you're older doesn't mean we forgot
All the moments that passed from adult to tot
Pickles and ice and playing house
Head-down running and Mickey Mouse
Naps and fights and fishsticks and peas
Dress ups, mom's makeup, and skinning our knees

Soon two became three One more girl in tow
A performer this time Who could put on a show
Tired from playing, she slept a lot
And attention and love she always got

Soon three became four, This time a blonde
Quite the little talker And of her we were fond
Through autumns and springs Through summers and winters
Through bronchitis and colds Through stitches and splinters
Tea parties and tattletales To driving and dates
SATS and college Apps Which everyone hates

A month into school, Lib has a new guy
A calculus book and the boy with blue eyes
Our first impression of Peter that year
Was a phone call at midnight, quite hard to hear
A New Orleans arrest, Libby reveals
Peter started a riot – Blue Devils or Tarheels?

Parties and pledging, White House, Fancy Dress
Italian Wedding, the Palms, and no more arrests
She's Phi Psi's sweetheart and they're both social chairs
Civil suits from landlords and Fallout nightmares

Graduation for him – a job teaching school
His students thought he was incredibly cool
A proposal, a wedding date, the planning begins
An apartment, no parking, yet no shortage of grins

So here's some advice for my new brother Peter
You won't find another any more sweeter
She loves lattes and cats and celebrity blogs
She collects shoes and friends and frogs
She's funny and kind and loyal and true
And an Eagle's fan though that shouldn't surprise you
She's stubborn enough that if you get her going
She might trade your shed for some needed lawn mowing

So this is my toast to my only big sister
Who's found for herself the very right mister
May you have so many joys but just a few sorrows
May you enjoy your todays and all your tomorrows

To my sister and brother Let's raise up our cups
To the good and bad times To the downs and the ups
Hopes for your futures and memories of your past
Enjoy each other always, because time goes by so fast.

Casey's Introduction

"It's basically my obsession...I've been collecting quotes since I was old enough to collect stuff...I just love it when I find a quote that states perfectly exactly what I'm feeling. I'm more into modern stuff, song lyrics, movie lines. I hate...anything cliche/corny. I try to keep the quotes modern, stuff you can relate to, etc."
- Casey, March 2005

I love you.
- Jacqueline Georgiana, August 19, 2003

Ten Things Part IX

1. Believed in the honor code and turned someone in for cheating
2. Loved the BBC (6 hr) version of Pride and Prejudice
3. Could write papers amazingly quickly and well
4. Read every Jane Austen book
5. Went to the movies and was the only one in the theater
6. Went off a jump while skiing
7. Ate sushi
8. Rode the Metro, the NY Subway, the Tube, and went through the Chunnel
9. Went to a flea market in Paris
10. Tailgated a Blue Rocks Game
11. Sent 2800 text messages in one month
12. Was rescued 3 times in one day by a lifeguard at the beach
    

*To read all 9 posts on "Things My Casey Did", click [here]

Ten Things Part VIII

1. Saw Wicked, Annie, Taboo, and Aida on Broadway in New York City
2. Loved bows
3. Loved trivia and played on a trivia team at Hamilton
4. Was elected to the Judicial Board at Hamilton
5. Was obsessed with the elevator in the science center
6. Loved to talk to her family
7. Played the piano
8. Was a great debater of hot election topics
9. Was forgiving
10. Remembered and used book, movie and TV show quotations all the time
    

Ten Things Part VII

1. Rode in a wheelchair thru the Louvre and was nose to nose with the Mona Lisa
2. Got into accidents: Drove between a telephone pole and the supporting wires and drove into a car at a stop light
3. Got a speeding ticket and took defensive driving
   
4. Could imitate Dwight Schrute
5. Went to a Monster Truck Rally
6. Saw The Dixie Chicks
7. Was once offered a fish sandwich by a surfer boy in Ocean City
8. Met a group of boys in the DR
9. Did a tequila shot on her 21st birthday
10. Went to the 100th Fancy Dress with her sister

Ten Things Part VI

1. Got stitches
2. Loved to wear perfume - particularly “Romance” from Ralph Lauren
3. Loved the Georgia books by Louise Rennison, the Betsy books and Patrica Cornwell
4. Loved the song White Flag
5. Loved chocolate milk and Starbucks Frappucinos
6. Was a great hugger
7. Could text message at amazing speed
8. Slept with her phone
9. Swam in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Caribbean Sea and put her toes in the Baltic
10. Walked the palaces of the Tsars
    

Ten Things Part V

1. Bit her fingernails
2. Got a manicure
3. Played Monopoly, Scrabble, the Game of Life, and Tetris
   
4. Loved The Office, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI and the West Wing
5. Went to the Philadelphia Zoo, the Washington DC Zoo and the Seattle Zoo
6. Went to a movie premiere and saw Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, and Maggie Gyllenhaal
   
7. Met Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
8. Saw the Phillies, the Eagles, the Flyers, and the Nationals at home
9. Caught a foul ball
10. Danced with the Phillie Phanatic
    

Ten Things Part IV

1. Could change a tire and add air
2. Went to Yellowstone and stopped traffic by pretending to point bushes
3. Visited Hollywood
4. Went to Alaska
5. Traveled by car, train, plane and ship
6. Sailed a sailboat, paddled a canoe, shot an arrow
7. Went to a prom
8. Was a flower girl
9. Was her sister’s Maid of Honor
10. Fell in love

Ten Things Part III

1. Served on Capitol Hill: Gave tours of the Capitol, Saw the White House Christmas tree light up, rode in an elevator with Senator Kennedy
2. Was editor of a newspaper
3. Cared for small children
4. Collected quotations
5. Wrote 2 blogs: one on politics, one on travel
6. Had a dazzling smile
7. Loved fake Chanel jewelry
8. Had a Burberry bag
9. Had beautiful, perfect eyebrows
10. Didn’t drink, smoke or use drugs

Ten Things Part II

1. Had a phenomenal memory
2. Saved a stray cat (Angus)
3. Rescued animals: a Golden Retriever, a terrified Rottweiler and a mutt
4. Had cats (Lily, Ellie and Angus), dogs (Josie, Rosie and Honey), a hamster (alice Dorcas) and 2 fish (Izzy and Meredith)
5. Sang in several musicals: Seussical, Cinderella, Annie
6. Sang the national anthem before sporting events
7. Sang the song her sister and father danced to at her sister’s wedding
8. Performed in a talent show and fell off the stage
9. Performed in a cruise talent show
10. Sang in the choir
    

Ten Things Part I

*This is the first in a series of posts based on a list created by my mom of "Things My Casey Did." Even at 21, Casey did more things than most people will ever do!

1. Visited 13 countries: Canada, Dominican Republic, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Russia, Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Bermuda.
2. Skied
3. Took tennis and golf lessons
4. Swam
5. Rode a bike
6. Rode a horse in the Rockies and thru the Colorado River
7. Tried field hockey and soccer
8. Went bowling
9. Loved Bingo and played slots (and won $323)
10. Spoke Spanish and had a terrific British accent

"I wouldn't want to be normal. Even if I understood what it meant."

- Casey