Linda Bourgault

Photo: (Top left to right) Bourgault Family; Bruce and Cathy Bourgault; Bruce Bourault; Jack Shull, Linda Bourgault and jeanne Bourgault; Diamond Head, Honolulu, HI; Sunset Beach, HI; Gina Watson, Shelli Ralls and Sandy Ralls; David Kicic and Andy the Piper; and Sandy Rephan and Jeanne Bourgault

One day over sixty years ago a baby girl was born to a wonderful, loving family. The baby girl's name was Paulette. Paulette died when she was only ten hours old. Her family grieved over the sudden and tragic loss of her sweet, innocent life. Time passed... I was born and abandoned. The loving family opened their hearts and took me in when I was only eight days old. They gave me a family complete with a mom, dad, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and more. They gave me my first holiday gift of acceptance and joy and have continued to give these gifts for fifty-eight years with the promise to continue every minute of every day.

Over the years there were many challenges. My family had to fight to keep me. They could have taken the easy way out, but they persisted, endured and finally succeeded in keeping me with them. They were with me through many illnesses, hospital stays and surgeries. My mom was home every day when I returned from school. She gave me the gifts of perseverance, respect and unconditional love. My dad worked two jobs and gave me the gifts of knowing that giving is better than receiving, integrity and responsibility. My oldest sister gave me the gifts of independence, humility and honesty. My second sister gave me the gifts of generosity, help with my education and how to have fun. All together they gave me the greatest gifts—acceptance, joy and love—every holiday and every minute of every day.

My mom and dad traveled thousands of miles to be with me on my wedding day. My mom knew intuitively the day I miscarried when I was 12,000 miles away. My sisters were with me when our mom and dad died. My sisters helped me when I was divorced after twenty-one years of marriage. They were with me for my second wedding. One of them sent her daughter to be with me when my husband was dying in Hawaii. The same sister traveled thousands of miles to be with me after my husband died and helped me with his "Celebration of Life." My family and friends comforted me while I grieved my husband's passing and gave me—again—the gift of acceptance and joy during the first holidays without him and every minute and every day since.

During this year's Thanksgiving holiday I was with my sister and family in Spring, Texas. We talked story about the loss of those we love over the past year and shared their extraordinary lives with one another. Once again I received the wondrous gift of holiday acceptance and joy.

My second husband, Bruce, and the love of my life was a mortgage banker. He foresaw the decline in the housing market and our national financial crisis. When he was diagnosed with cancer I became his voice as his loan officer assistant. He encouraged me to become a certified loss mitigation consultant. I was able to keep my head above water financially after his death because of the foreclosure and short sale experience I had received. However, it wasn't enough to maintain our home in Hawaii. Through an exceptional Realtor and my experience as a loss mitigation consultant I was able to close a successful short sale on our home. This in turn allowed me to relocate and return to my family and friends on the mainland.

Even though I had no children of my own my husband gave me another family—two daughters and a son. Through their marriages they gave us five grandchildren. My heart leaps whenever any of them calls me "Tutu Linda," grandmother in Hawaiian. The holidays were always very special to us. One of our favorite things was to give one another "the greatest, most wonderful Christmas present in the world." The gift consisted of something small costing $10.00 or less. The gifts were always something silly, funny and entertaining. Yet the greatest holiday gifts he gave to me and every minute of every day were the gifts of love, acceptance and joy.

This holiday finds me living in a new place closer to my family and friends. I'm helping my family to promote S.A.D., Stop Aggressive Driving, and P.A.R.A., Parents Against Reckless Driving, polishing my photography skills, continuing to guide those needing to avoid foreclosures and short sales, gradually establishing a new business and volunteering at a local church which serves several charitable foundations. Through the support of family, friends and business associates I continue to receive the holiday gifts of acceptance and joy.

My life today is due in part, directly and indirectly, to members of Activerain. I would not be the person I am without you. My holiday wish for all is to receive the gifts of holiday acceptance and joy and share it with everyone you meet every minute of every day.

Mahalo to my Ohana and everyone at Activerain, Happy Holidays and Mele Kalekemaka!

Copyright by Linda Bourgault, 2008. All rights reserved.

As promised here's the Chocolate Truffle Recipe

Ghirardelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles

Many of you are aware Bruce Bourgault, my husband, died just over a year ago, but none of you know of the additional tragedy our family has endured this year. Our family lost a Shining Star, Chance Wilcox, just 25 years old, on March 24, 2008 through a tragic roll over accident caused by aggressive and reckless driving. Chance was a son, grandson, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and a friend to so many—including strangers. As a family we were devastated, yet through this tragedy we are closer, stronger and resolved to turn tragedy into positive action.

Shelli Ralls, Chance's mother, is leading the way for positive action by establishing S.A.D., Stop Aggressive Driving, and P.A.R.A., Parents Against Rollover Accidents. S.A.D. and P.A.R.A. are websites (in development stage) which will "educate and prevent death and injury caused by aggressive/reckless driving and rollovers/seatbelt failure."

Shelli says, "I am looking for any families wherein their loved one was killed by aggressive/reckless driving and/or rollover or seatbelt failure. I would like to add personal stories along with a picture of your loved one to the Website we are creating for S.A.D. and P.A.R.A. If you would like to be a part of this endeavor, I would be honored. I am also interested in any perpetrators of Aggressive/Reckless Driving, that would like to tell their story so that we can advocate the seriousness to other teens. If you are interested and would like to discuss, please email me at Shelli_Ralls@Comcast.Net. Thank you for your consideration in being a part of S.A.D. or P.A.R.A."

Through our grief we have rediscovered the in-finiteness of our love,strength, faith and unity as a family. We hope you will join us during the upcoming holiday season and beyond to help spread the word in preventing unnecessary death's of our loved ones.

The S.A.D. logo (above) has be made into a stamp. If you are interested in helping to support this program please contact Shelli at Shelli_Ralls@Comcast.Net. The stamps are available in a book form of twenty and cost $15.50. Orders for the first printing are due by November 27th.

If you want to learn more about Chance and our famiy please visit his memorial website at: http://chance-wilcox.last-memories.com

OK, some of you are already asking, "Where's the chocolate?" Chocolate is forthcoming, I promise!

Whenever you encounter the graphic

"See what's brewing at lulu's cuppa java"

it's time to kick back, take your shoes off and relax.

This is an invitation to stop by and chat about whatever floats your boat and escape the daily grind for a few moments.

Now back to chocolate. I confess I am a chocoholic. I believe that chocolate is one of the major food groups. It is a natural anti-depressant. Dark chocolate is purported to be full of flavonols which which reduces stress and helps fight the naughty bits known as free radicals (which are BAD for us). It's also said that it is an aphrodisiac. So, what's not to love? Chocolate is good for you—at least in moderation!

A week ago I was in the midst of a chocolate attack and there wasn't any chocolate to be found in my house. Well, since I knew I couldn't live without something chocolate I drove to the market... drooled over the myriad of choices—chocolate cake, chocolate pies, chocolate candy bars, chocolate cookies, and chocolate ice cream, but none of it appealed to my deepest, darkest chocolate desire.

Then EUREKA I was struck by a lightning bolt—chocolate truffles! That was it, nothing was gong to satisfy me except chocolate truffles! Alas, no chocolate truffles were in residence at this ginormous supermarket. I mean what's a chocoholic in the throws of chocolate withdrawals gonna do? Make them, of course, that's it. Only one problem, I had never made chocolate truffles before, but I was determined to have them. Thus I set about filling my cart with ingredients that I thought chocolate truffles contained. Thirty dollars and three hours later my chocolate truffle craving had been satisfied! The kitchen looked like a tornado had hit it, chocolate was everywhere, but I didn't care because I was eating my fill of truffles. I went to bed satiated and dreamed of chocolate truffles dancing in my head.

The following day I thought I'd take a photo of my endeavors. i was rather proud of them! However, when I looked for the container I discovered it was gone. How could this happen? Did the truffles grow legs in the middle of the night and walk away? I don't think so. I just couldn't believe how they could disappear. Several hours later my house guest returned from a day in Dallas saying she didn't know I could make chocolate truffles. I told her I didn't either, but out of necessity I gave myself a whirlwind lesson only to discover they had all disappeared. She turned bright red! She confessed she had found the container on the counter and took them with her to Dallas where she was meeting a few of her friends. She thought they'd try a few and return the rest, but they ate all of them!

Yesterday we went to the market together and we purchased MORE ingredients for chocolate truffles. I doubled the recipe last night. I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow there will be enough truffles remaining to take the photo I thought about shooting last week!

The moral to this story is that if you want something badly enough you will find a way to make it happen... and true friends will appreciate what you do and even help you do it!

From the diary of a chocoholic—11.19.2008 with chocolate smears in evidence on the page.

Copyright 2008, Linda Bourgault, lulugraphix, All Rights Reserved.

Everyone knows how to use a bucket, right? As children we used buckets when we played in the sand box or on the beach making sand castles. As adults we use buckets to haul all kinds of things and occasionally we use them as something to sit upon. However, there is much more to discover about how to use a bucket!

Those of you who knew Bruce know he was notorious for using simple devices to teach or make a point easily understood.

One of the stories he shared about a bucket came from Frank, his dad. Frank was a man of few words and preferred to demonstrate than to explain things.

One day when Bruce was a young boy he told his dad he wanted to be a very important person when he grew up. He wanted to be the BEST at something special—to do things other people couldn't do. Frank told him it was good to have lofty ideas and goals, but they needed to be tempered with a dose of reality. Bruce didn't "get it." So his dad told him to fetch the bucket and fill it with water. Bruce did as he was told. Then his dad told him to make a fist, stick his fist in the bucket and remove it. Again, Bruce followed his dad's instruction. With a look of bewilderment on his face, Bruce stared at his dad. He wasn't sure what that was all about. His dad asked him if he noticed how fast the water filled in after he removed his fist from the bucket of water. Bruce said the water rushed back in on itself very quickly. His dad said, "my point exactly!" The lesson being, "To be the best and remain the best you must work very, very hard because there is always someone else that can fill your shoes very quickly!"

Frank also used a bucket to teach his son about the importance of character. He told him to fetch the same bucket and fill it again with water. He told Bruce this represented his storehouse of character—honesty, integrity, responsibility, loyalty, trustworthiness, excellence, etc. He wanted Bruce to understand that if he used his supply of character wisely his bucket would always be full. However, if he lied, didn't keep his word, didn't do his job well, betrayed a friend or didn't do his best, he would discover his bucket empty without any way to refill it.

So, every time I see a bucket I think of Bruce, the lessons we can apply in our business whether we are Realtors, mortgage bankers, loan officers, processors, consultants, loss mitigators, other professions as well as in our personal lives, from such a simple, ordinary item, and wonder at the wealth of ideas it can provide for us to draw upon.

I used "the bucket" idea with a different spin for a post on my blog yesterday. See link below.

If you have any other bucket ideas be sure and let me know.

If you haven't seen the film, The Bucket List, check it out. It's a terrific movie with Jack Nickalson and Morgan Freeman. A good take on living life to the fullest.

How to help our nation through the “rain”... one drop at a time

Copyright by Linda Bourgault. All rights reserved. 2008