A Sunny View

Moments in time....

2011-04-18T00:25:00.015-04:00

Time passes in a whirl and I come back here to realize how many moments I have not documented. I regret that but I won't dwell on it. I will document the ones I can now because I love remembering how I felt in those moments.

My trips to the DR have increased. In 2 weeks I will leave for what will be my 5th trip in 4 years. Four years seems like such a long time but in my heart it is a blip! My Facebook status last night said "Two weeks from today I will be on a plane to the place where my heart is happier, where I breathe deeper, smile wider and work harder than anywhere else. I simply cannot wait to get back to those people & that place. ♥" This is the absolute truth. I feel as though I am at home there as much as in my own where I have spent most of my 35 (eek) years.

I spent last weekend in Boynton Beach, FL for girls' weekend to celebrate my dear friend's 40th birthday. She turned 40 last year but also had a baby so we celebrated this year! :) There were 8 girls in her parent's lovely home and we had a fabulous time. No drama, no tears - just lots of laughter, sharing of secrets of love, marriage and babies, and fun all around. We sat at the pool, the beach, the bar chatting and laughing and relaxing.

The porch where I read every morning before everyone was up....

So much laughing.....

It was the most relaxing, stress-free time I've had in a long time. Most of the women were young mothers with little ones at home. In the beginning there was some guilt, but by the end we all agreed that time away is important to rejuvenate, recharge, and refresh!!!!

What can I say? Bathing beauties.....full of life....

We're so fancy - Blackberries and cash in a Ziploc bag.....nice!

Nothing says happy like wine and smiles!

Moving days....happy days!

2010-06-16T23:48:00.007-04:00

Today one of my best friends from college moved to within 15 minutes of my house and within 7 minutes of my office. I could not be happier. Honestly, I am ecstatic. I am overjoyed. They have 3.9 little boys (#4 (also a boy) is due in 4 weeks) and they are the sweetest, kindest, most loving family. She is the most relaxed mama - never stressed, rarely angry, such an amazing woman. She was my first married friend back when we were so young, so innocent. She started out life after college getting married and moving to Germany to fly Black Hawk helicopters in the Army. Umm right - she's WAY tougher than I am.

Sweet, beautiful friend!

Upon returning to the US (pregnant with #1 who needed surgery), she lived in VA near our other friend and then moved to NC, close to my best childhood friend. I was able to see her intermittently and then they moved to western VA, far away from many friends. I only saw her once in the past couple of years and didn't see her boys much at all. I was so sad! :( When news came that her Army hubby might just end up at MIT, I nearly burst with excitement but tried not to get my hopes up.
The day she texted me "We're heading your way!" I could not stop smiling. When they started looking at houses, I hoped it would be within an hour of me. The day she asked me to look at a house 7 minutes from my office, I was nearly jumping up and down with excitement! Today I could not contain my pure joy.
I stopped at their home tonight to drop off a banana bread and my wonderful 36 week pregnant friend, said "Stay for dinner." I had no intentions of staying for dinner, only saying hi to all and coming back when they were more settled. I stayed for 3 hours. My friend is so calm for someone who has been in her new home less than 9 hours, for someone who is delivering her fourth boy in 4 weeks, for someone who just moved to a foreign state. Her boys are excited beyond belief and honestly so was I. I couldn't stop telling them about the things we could do here, the beach, ice creams shops, the drive-in, the fairs, the train, the Aquarium, etc etc!
She said to me tonight, "I still can't believe it's real.....like I can see you whenever I want." How true!! It feels like I have to squeeze in every moment with her this weekend until I can see her again. I don't!! I can soak up every minute of the next 2 years with her.....and I am content.

Babies and Birthdays

2010-06-10T00:58:00.011-04:00

I spent a most wonderful, whirlwind weekend in VT for Miss M's birthday. You know those friends? The ones who seem like they have been friends forever (and at this point they have been friends for almost half my life which is close to forever!). My friend was dating her (now) husband when she walked into my life on the first day of freshman year of college so I have known him almost as long as her. J and I hit it off from the first minute - complete opposites - she was petite, where I was a giant....I was chatty and she was thoughtful. We spent more time in each other's rooms that year than our roommates did. I was far from home, so her parents invited me for Easter and made me feel like one of their children.

Through those 4 years, our friendship was a comforting constant. We studied, partied, talked, bonded, loved and supported each other. As she and her (now) husband dated and broke up, I listened. As I struggled with my mom's illness, she listened. We laughed together, made friends together and ate many, many Pub cookies and Dana Dining Hall meals together. Although we did our own things too, we never let our friendship go.

After college, she went back to VT and I to MA and it was hard. Roadtrips ensued, parties happened and their wedding was celebrated! Since then, we've traveled to FL to visit other friends, we've watched the Red Sox and 4th of July fireworks in Boston and cried together over many pitfalls of life. We supported each other through (similar) grad school programs and 30th birthdays.

Last May, life brought them an adorable bundle of love and joy in the form of the amazing Miss M! They were married for 8 years before having a baby so seeing them as parents is almost sweeter for me. I know them so well as a couple that it's like meeting them again to see them as parents!

Miss M's 1st birthday was celebrated this weekend with love and family and lots of laughter! It's always too short when I get to VT but always like coming home.....like seeing family again. It's never awkward....always a feeling of love and comfort, understanding and pure friendship.

I love my friends and their families.

Moments in time....

2010-06-05T01:34:00.003-04:00

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything on this blog!!!! I looked tonight and realized that 2 long years have passed!! It makes me sad to have missed out on this much of my life because I really enjoy looking back through my archives at the moments in time.
So, I resolve to get back to blogging just for me....so that I may remember my life as I get older.
Tomorrow I leave for VT to see a sweet baby celebrate her first birthday! A darling girl who I have met but once since her birth and who I cannot wait to cuddle again!
I have made cute bow-bows for her and have my camera charged up for multiple photo sessions. My car holds 2 bottles of wine for her mama and I - the kind she can't find in VT that is a bargain in MA ($8/bottle!!).
I can't wait. Moments in time start again here.

Yikes!

2008-05-27T22:19:00.016-04:00

It has been almost 6 months since I posted last! I like to read back on what I posted, so you would think I would have incentive to post.
What a whirlwind it has been! I'm not going to be able to remember all that has happened so I'll do a little photo story of a few highlights.

A beautiful (albeit cold) DC wedding in December! My first "maid-of-honor" duties and I could not have been more honored. My friend and I were the long time single friends, college drinking buddies, and working girls. We have seen many changes in life and I was bursting with happiness for her.

Now, they're expecting their first child in October!

My favorite little friends had a play date!

Follow the leader...

Shopping together.....

Snack time!

I SEWED!

Rice Heat Therapy Bag for Mama
(Tutorial from Sew Mama Sew Blog)

I spent some time up North in VT in WINTER! (So much winter that I got to spend an extra day due to unsafe driving!)

Vermont critters are friends! ;)

After the Polar Plunge in Lake Champlain!

Snowshoeing with a beagle!

I rocked....

We Wiied! :)

It snowed....

and snowed.....

but it was beautiful

so we walked despite wind that took your breath away!

Then we crafted.....hat in progress by JS.

I visited my favorite place.....

where Miss Kitty and Papa relaxed by the fire....

This has turned out to be really long and I didn't even get to small children making me a birthday cake!
Oh...and a whole post for my AMAZING medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic (which just happened a few weeks ago and I'm still sorting pictures). Truly an eye-opening, life changing experience.

This weekend is all about me. I have been working SUPER hard (65-80 hours a week) for the past few weeks and it's taking it's toll. That's why I am looking forward to my 10th college reunion this weekend. I can't wait to hit VT where my FL friend and my VT friend await along with wine and babies and the sweetest husbands ever. On to NY, where more friends, babies, wine, and memories await. Back to my carefree youth for just a few days....and you know I have a rockin' new dress to wow them all at dinner! :)

I've missed this. Maybe now that I've broken the ice, I can get back into it!

**Edited to add: I forgot the whole reason I wanted to blog tonight. My brother announced this evening that he and his gf are moving to FL. My brother is my savior, the one I call when I just need to vent, who always says "Do you need me to come there now?" when something happens with my mom. He is about an hour from me now and that's just far enough.
FL is way too far. It will be temporary and he is doing it to support an educational move for his gf, but I can't help but be a little bit selfish and sad tonight.

1-2-3

2008-01-23T23:47:00.000-05:00

Today....was my birthday. It's an easy to remember day - 1-2-3 and all. I took the day off from work today to give myself some "ME" time. I realized today that I am not very good at scheduling that. My days are full of work, my nights are full of - meetings, volunteer work, sign language class and sewing class. Oh, right sign and sewing should be for me, and I do enjoy them sometimes, but it's all becoming too much. I am NEVER home and I don't have much time for spontaneous fun. Monday night - sewing (if I can leave the office), Tuesday night - volunteer at the Hospice Children's Bereavement group, Wednesday night - office meetings, Thursday night - sign class. Often that means that Friday becomes Late Night at the Office and that is NOT fun.

So, anyway - complaining finished. I need to sort out what I can weed out or place a hold on (in my head I am signing all of the things that I know how to sign - hooray! ;)), but I'm not coming up with much - except going home from work earlier.

Anyway, I wanted to sew today and it didn't quite happen. I had to take my mom to the doctor (which I knew but it's always a slower process than I realize) and then she needed to do another errand. I found myself getting frustrated and feeling selfish and I didn't like it. After all, if it's my birthday, it's a special day for my mom too right? Her first child was born today. Resolve to be more patient. With age comes perspective?

We had a work dinner tonight and thankfully I work with great people who made sure I felt special on my day.

That is sinful egg nog creme brulee. I just love the chocolate writing - so cute!
Taken with my camera phone so not great quality.... oh well. :)

I am thankful for my life, my friends and my family. I don't feel much older, but I hope that this year brings new perspectives, excitement and a renewed sense of peace with myself! :) (Oh and maybe a bit more blogging? Seriously, I'm so inconsistent!)
Happy Birthday to me (although it might be past midnight already.....)

Review

2008-01-03T21:46:00.000-05:00

I thought perhaps I should look back at what I said I "would" do last year and just review how I did. I'm not going to berate myself for the things I didn't do, but I would like to remind myself of the progress I DID make. :)

This year:

I will continue to work on my finances so that I feel good about the way I am handling them. Check (sort of - I have worked on them).

I will save my money, research, and purchase a bike. Nope - I didn't get to this one, although I have the money for it.

I will learn more knitting techniques and make something for myself. I did learn a few more techniques, but then I lost my knitting mojo and haven't knit since February or March.

I will travel far and wide - including WI, MN, NC, NY, and VA in the first 2 months - hopefully AU and IRE will make it on the "far" part of the list. I travelled to all the states, but neither of the countries. I'm hoping for a trip to help people in the Dominican Republic this year....more on that later....

I will continue to bake, but work to improve my cooking skills. I wish I had cooked more.

I will do some form of exercise 5 times a week. I wish I had done this too.

I will be thankful to have my siblings all in the same country. I was and I am. My sister has returned and it makes so happy to be able to call her whenever I want!

B and I in Ithaca during a snowstorm!

I will appreciate my parents for what they are and be thankful to have them both living. I learned this lesson in a bigger way than I thought.

I will spoil the babies in my life with love and attention and perhaps a few little hand knit items. :) The babies were spoiled and it wasn't even a little bit difficult! ;)

I will spend time making sure my godson "P" knows how special he is to be the one who made me an "Auntie" and how much his mother (my best friend) means to me. When they visited in July, I spent almost every spare minute with them and I am so glad I did. He is becoming such a little boy!

I will make time for the important things in life - friends and family. I made time to take care of Mom, but was still to be at and in a few weddings and showers. These are the times memories are made of!

I will learn to sew - FINALLY - so I can stop being jealous of all the beautiful things on other people's blogs. I DID THIS! 100% I did it! I can't stop being proud of this. It's one of those things I've always wanted to do, but just never did. It's worth a post.....but I can sew now and have made several things in the past couple of months!

Three baby balls with bells in them -
a gift for my little friend whose favorite word is "ball"

I will do what I need to to keep my License in Social Work current, so that I can go back when I'm ready. I have to renew my LCSW in October, so I need to make sure I have all my CEUs by then.

I will make time for myself and my life. I have tried to do this by doing things I enjoy at night. I could do better, but I'm happy with the progress I've made.

I will make an attempt to be more organized. I made the attempt and it's a work in progress (esp now that I have fabric too)!

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my accomplishments. I should make a list for this year. Not tonight though. I stayed home this morning with a pounding headache - my body telling me I need MORE sleep. If only I didn't want to sew in every free minute!

Oy vey.

2008-01-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

Mom & I at a wedding almost exactly 1 month after her accident.
She was still in a wheelchair, but determined to be at this wedding!

Good grief, it's 2008 already? I feel a little bit like I have been asleep for the past 4 months. Mom is improving - thank you for the sweet thoughts! I have to admit that her accident put a severe kink in my life. I didn't do anything without thinking about whether someone could help her, stay with her, etc. Honestly, I thought about resenting it and then realized - I should be grateful! My mother, who took care of me in every sense of the word, who was unselfish and hard-working, and who bore the brunt of any adolescent angst I may or may not have displayed - needed me. How many people get the opportunity to care for their parent in such a way and have them recover afterward? So I feel as though I gave my mother these last 4 months. They were not wasted after all. They were spent giving my mother everything I had. My gift to her.

Happy New Year to all of you! I'm not going to do my New Year's post right this minute, but I promise to be back to blogging (heard that before? ;)) for now. After all, I have all kinds of crafting to show off. I'm learning how to sew and quilt and received this and this for Christmas!

In a moment.....

2007-09-20T22:27:00.000-04:00

Where I have been? When I logged in and saw July 30th, I wondered could I have been away so long? Maybe you wondered too. I have been a lazy blogger before, but I swear that was not it!
I don't know where to start.

I have been losing sleep and doing lots of laundry.

I have spent more than 5 nights trying to sleep in a hospital.

I have been dressing, feeding, and caring for someone who could not do for themselves.

I have been cleaning house and preparing a new bedroom.

No, I am not having a baby. :)

On the morning of August 15, my mother fell down the stairs while she was on her way out to mow the lawn. She is a nurse and knew what had happened, but had no way to get to a phone. After a couple of hours on the landing of the stair, she used a cane to get to down to the bottom of the stairs, but was in too much pain to do any more. She lay on her face in the foyer for the next 12 hours until I found her at 9:15pm. 12 hours. It had been 24 hours since she had had anything to eat or drink on Thursday night. She had tried to yell for the mailman and paper girl, but to no avail.

She weakly said "Be careful" as I opened the door. I was shocked to see her on the floor, but in my mind it seemed that she must have JUST fallen. She told me had a broken hip and that I needed to call 911 because she couldn't move.

Life has been infinitely changed since then.

It is not a life threatening condition (for a 61 year old woman anyway - it can be life threatening for older people) and she has survived far worse, but it has been a challenge.

So that's where I've been for the past month or so. I've been lurking on other blogs when I catch a free moment, but not commenting because - well I just haven't had time.

She spent 5 days in the hospital and had a partial hip replacement. She spent almost 3 weeks in a rehabilitation facility. My neighbor asked "How's mom?" and I responded "Doing ok, she's in rehab." My neighbor laughed and commented "Your mom and Britney!" :) The most amusing part is that my mom does not drink at all.

Mom has been home for almost 2 weeks. On our first day home she had chest pain and I called 911 again. We were whisked back to the hospital and kep overnight, but sent home with a clear heart. Perhaps it was a muscle from using the walker and using her arms so much.

It has been a big adjustment. She is gaining independence each day, but is limited because she has to use the walker. She will not be cleared to drive for awhile as she broke her right hip. She can't bend, so everything has to be at waist level. Her bedroom, etc had to be moved to the first floor. There are a lot of assistive devices that she has been learning to use to dress herself, etc (try putting on socks when you can't bend at the waist or lift your foot). She's considering whether she should get a device that you can push if something happens. It seems that she is too young, but really - it can happen to anyone.

That's my month or so in a nutshell. I would like to be better about blogging, if only to remember all this in the future. ;)

Bliss

2007-07-30T17:38:00.000-04:00

I just spent the weekend engrossed in conversation, wine and love. My friend is getting married. She may have thought, at times, that this moment would never come. The despair over getting older, relationships that ended, and the lack of quality options was frustrating and overwhelming at times. Lord knows, I understood. Then, she met him. Her knight in shining armor, her ONE, her perfect, understanding gentleman with a good heart and a tender sweet love for my friend. I knew it would happen. There were times over the years that she wanted to change who she was and I encouraged to hold onto herself. Someone out there would love the person she was. I was right. He clearly does. All those quirks she wanted to stifle are accepted and embraced by him.

And so, in 5 short months they will be married - in what will be the shortest engagement of any of my friends. It has been a whirwind since they got engaged, but she has it all together. Her planning skills are incredible and I can only view with awe all that she has already done. I zipped down to DC this weekend to spend time dress shopping, wine drinking, favor prepping, and just talking. I realized how I miss my friend. Life has been busy for both of us in the past year and we have not seen each other as much as we would like. She has been happily engrossed in her relationship, so our phone conversations have been shorter and less frequent. This is not to say we lost touch - we still chat and make phone dates so we can have more than 10 minutes to catch up! It's just that we are in a different phase in life right now.

My friend and I reconnected this weekend. I saw her new place (ironically soon to be rented as they combine households after the wedding), ooohed and ahhed over her wedding gown, chatted, laughed, gave opinions on options, and tried on dress after dress. There was margarita drinking and laughing with several college friends, and much baby love of a darling girl belonging to another DC friend. I awoke this morning with something as close to hangover as I have had in a long time. A bit shaky and a note to self that going beyond the 2 bottles of wine was probably not a good decision on our parts. We are not as young as we used to be and our livers not as capable of bouncing back.

After pedicures yesterday afternoon, we bought goat cheese and french bread and wine and had ourselves a fantastic French lunch! ;) Last night we called another dear college friend who was far away. We put the speaker phone on, she had a glass of wine at her house and we commenced the talking, laughing and comfortable feelings that come from time spent with good friends.

Unfortunately, I did not take as many pictures as usual. Too much fun I suppose.

Nothing compares to good friends. Something we should never take for granted.

Sweet, Sweet Summer

2007-07-01T11:00:00.000-04:00

I wish computers had scentavision in them. I love strawberry picking. There is nothing like walking into a strawberry patch on a warm summer day. The smell is heavenly. You crouch down and spy a bright red spot among the green leaves. Your hand touches that strawberry warm and ripe from the sun. Undoubtedly one of my favorite summer activities. (I picked 16 1/2 lbs yesterday!)

Some of my strawberries had an accident and got a little bruised!

But some were JUST perfect....

Making jam is another favorite. It's one of those things my mom did every summer and I finally let her teach me. It took several summers before I felt comfortable enough to do it without her standing 10 feet away for questions or help when things starting boiling and jars needed to be filled! It's so sweet and delicious when you have a little leftover in the pan and you can have WARM on toast.

Mixing the jam. You can only use a wooden spoon.

The jars sit on the window sill and get tipped over every 10 minutes until the tops "POP."

Ready to be labeled!

Now I have lots of thank you gifts, Christmas gifts, and "just because" gifts on hand. They just need labels and they'll last until next strawberry season.

My fingers they are a movin'....as I become bilingual!

2007-06-05T23:36:00.000-04:00

Tonight was my very first ASL class. I just discovered
that the class was being offered 3 days ago, so I hardly had time to
think about it. I've been looking for a sign language class since last
fall. I am hoping to put the knowledge to good use with href="http://asunnyview.blogspot.com/2007/04/catching-up.html">one
beautiful little (almost 1 year old!) girl I know. Hopefully,
she won't be too critical if my hands aren't quick (my teacher says
fast signing is not usually good signing) and my movements are a bit
clumsy. I just can't wait to participate in her world in this way. It's
so important to me that I can communicate with Miss Sadie and
understand what's she's trying to get across. It has not been an easy
year for her parents and the coming year is going to bring more
challenges and some medical procedures for their baby girl.
Nonetheless, she has only become more adorable and sweet with each
passing day.

My class was amazing and captivating. The teacher
is a speaking woman with no hearing deficits who is clearly excited
about teaching American Sign Language. I sat with nary a yawn for 2
hours without moving (except my hands!). This is no easy feat by the
time 8pm rolls around. I love the approach she takes, so that the list
of signs I learned tonight includes: newborn, weekend, drinking
(alcohol and lemonade ;)), President, doctor, train, purple, nickname,
kids, children, cars, planes (landing and taking off which will thrill
my Godson!), I agree, I disagree and I don't care. There are a bunch
more that are not in my head this second. I thought we would learn a
basic alphabet and then add on various words. Apparently, that is not
the best way to learn ASL. She also teaches some cultural aspects of
ASL. I love that too, after all I'm a social worker by training!

I'm
only sorry that I could not convince any friends to take it with me so
I have no practice buddies, but you can bet I'll be showing off to
everyone who will look at me!

Look at me becoming bilingual - who would have thought!?!? :)

Time flies....at the speed of light!

2007-06-03T23:22:00.000-04:00

What I want to know is who turned the knob on time into overdrive? How are we one month away from the 1st birthday of two of my favorite babies? How is summer already here - when it felt like I had waited forever? How did I not blog at all about the week I spent spoiling my darling Godson and his new baby brother? Yikes. I'd like to request 48 hours in a day for the summer months please!

My poor laptop is crying because it has soooo many pictures on it. 10,000 something - to be closer to exact. I am a bad girl. I don't have an external hard drive, nor do I regularly put my pictures on CD. Now I am left with the daunting task of putting pictures on CD a little at a time. Uggh. My two memory sticks are almost full, but I don't want to load any more pics on my computer until I clean out some more photos. I hate the message "Your startup disk is almost full." I'm so sorry for overloading you my little PowerBook - please hold on just a few more days. I promise you will feel lighter and more joyful again!

Soon I will visit one of my new babies. He lives in FL and was born in January - thus I have not yet met him other than in a cell phone video. :) I cannot wait. However, he is the only baby born to a friend who has not yet received a hand knit item. I feel terribly guilty because I know his mom is waiting anxiously for it. I just hit a wall - got stuck - stopped being inspired - or perhaps just started reading too many blogs! Time to get on that sweater. I just found out that another friend is expecting this fall so it will be back to the needles for TWO baby items!

Back to that FL trip. I cannot wait. I will spend time with two of my fave college friends. We will talk, laugh, drink, hang out on the lanai (I love that fancy word for screen porch!), and swim in their pool. It will be hot, but we won't care. We will sit on the bar stools and laugh hysterically about something inane while her husband prepares gourmet Cuban meals for us. We will spoil that baby terribly and love him bunches so he remembers Auntie K and Auntie J when they come to visit again. :)
Somehow FL has become our meeting spot, as this friend has had the most life changing experiences in the last 2 years (bridal showers, weddings, baby showers and now - A baby!). They have to bend my arm every time! ;)

In July, there will be 1st birthday parties, visits from the above Godchild and family, more birthday parties and the big beach party for 4th of July. Oh and there will be more visting with the gorgeous sister! She was recently in town for a vacation from veterinary school and it was oh so sweet to spend time with her. She lived out of the country (on a tropical island no less) for 3 years so I didn't get nearly enough sister time recently. She'll be back in the area for an externship in July so there will be more laughter and adventures then.

My sister and I have this thing. We always gave blood together from the time she was old enough. We worked together for a time, so we'd go after work. When she was in college, we went to summer blood drives. After she moved to vet school on a island, we couldn't go together any more.

We're not weird. Unfortunately both B and I suffer from what my mother (the nurse) calls a vaso vagal reaction to having blood drawn. It has nothing to do with needles. I had allergy shots for several years with no problem. The issue comes with taking my blood. My body does not like it - not one bit. It allows the blood to be removed. I get up and my blood pressure plummets. Next thing you know, I'm on the floor, sweating and thinking - "Body it's ok. I GAVE them this blood. There was no emergency." I love giving blood though. So, the sister and I go together. We are each other's support. It doesn't have to happen every time. Sometimes it only happens to one of us.

My sister was bored on Mother's Day - being 350 miles from our mother and all. She decided the night before to make an appt to give blood - WITHOUT ME. Don't worry - she did ok - no fainting. I was not happy. She was coming here in 2 weeks - why not wait for me? It was a nice thing to do on Mother's Day and all. I just didn't want to go alone. She promised to accompany me. She did. I was rejected. Rejected and refused. My hematocrit was too low. Thanks anyway dear - go on home now and boost your iron and stuff. Eat more red meat, green veggies and such. Bummer.

We made up for it by getting swabbed for the Bone Marrow Registry. It was just like CSI - swab that cheek, swab this cheek. I had signed up for the Bone Marrow Registry in college but the woman told me to get tested again because they test differently now. They gave us a button which reads - "Will you Marrow me?" I've been trying to eat more veggies. I'm not a regular red meat girl. Pretty much I'm a no red meat girl. Uggh. I also might have had a teeny bit too much water. Like close to a gallon between 8am and 4pm. They say that too much water can lower your crit as well. It's just that water makes my blood flow faster and helps with the fainting issue.

Ahh well. The sister and I will attempt to give blood again in July. I do not intend to be refused again. My blood is good dammit.

First Mother's Day.....

2007-05-13T22:38:00.000-04:00

This is the e-mail I sent to my dear friends who have had their first baby this year....

To all my friends on their first Mother's Day.....

I just wanted to wish you a happy first Mother's Day and tell you how proud I am of you and the beautiful children you have produced.

In the past year, you have done so many amazing things - birthing children, raising them, caring for them when they are sick, teaching them, and playing with them.

I am constantly in awe of all that you do - if you step back and think about it, I think you will be too. Would you ever have imagined that you would able to juggle so many things in a day? Would you ever have thought that it would be so difficult or that it would bring you such joy to be a mother?

You have all struggled with different things and with some of the same things. Every one of you has managed to deal with these things in your own way and your children are all still happy, thriving babies. This is a testament to your mothering instinct. No matter what you read on the internet, advice you get from well-meaning people (someone like me perhaps?), or find in a "What to expect" book - you are ultimately the person who must manage the issue, solve the problem, and/or stay up all night with the crying baby. You are the front line, day-to-day, 'round the clock worker who has to think on her feet, solve problems sleep deprived, and remember all the necessities when you leave the house. You go to appointments, remember important milestones, and teach your child the things they need to know as they grow. You are the one who must comfort a terrified or hurting child, remember when they last ate, and decide when they are sick enough to go to the doctor. You are quite simply - superhuman.

Day in and day out - I am so glad to have such wonderful mothers for my friends.

You were my friends long before you were mothers and I loved you for the people you were then - but now I have another reason to love you - for the mother you have become. You have produced adorable children for me to love and in doing so I have seen you morph into someone who I admire for a totally different reason. You are a mother.

So, on the day when we honor those who gave us life - my friends - I honor you - for being brave enough to give life to someone else and for taking on the responsibility of teaching your child about this amazing world we live in.

May each day with your child bring you new joys and more love......
Happy Mother's Day.

Feeling good....doing good....

2007-05-07T20:43:00.000-04:00

So last weekend consisted of........

Just a few cowgirls.....and some girls who have no clue how to line dance! ;)

Please ignore the phallic straws and focus on the cute bride in her cowgirl hat!

Just a crazy country line dancing bachelorette party.....with one very good college girlfriend.....and several fabulous girls I had never met before. I love coming together to celebrate a girlfriend! It's just good fun. I don't spend a lot of time in clubs anymore, but I have to admit this place was a pleasant surprise. It was not crawling with skeezy (?sp) guys like most clubs. It wasn't like being packed into a box of sardines.

As for country line dancing, I'm probably the least coordinated person on the planet. Not only with dancing, but with sports, with walking, with everything except sleeping.

I once provided a one woman comedy show at a friend's wedding. I had removed my shoes, but still had nylons on. A circle was forming around the happy couple. All of our college friends were gathering together and I noticed our friend Tim across the way. I sashayed over, reached out a hand to him, and he turned to set down his drink. Since we were pulling in opposite directions and lost our grip --- I ended up sliding across the floor on my rear with my legs in the air. The bride and groom were only sorry that the videographer had already left. I was only sorry that I had not removed those slippery nylons. That's what I told myself caused my little stumble.

So, yeah.....country line dancing - I gave it a try! After many years, I can Electric Slide sometimes. Thank goodness the bride and her dancing (and very coordinated/strong) friend were very patient teachers for those of us who had NO clue. I usually got the hang of a dance in the last 30 seconds of the song. What are the chances I'll remember those moves 2 weeks from now for the wedding? Ummm...right.

Nonetheless, the night was a rockin' good time and a great workout! I tried valiantly to keep up on the dances that I could. I watched slack-jawed on the ones where I clearly could NOT.

From this position, they all moved (in unison) into a push-up, then jumped up and continued dancing! Yiiikes!

The bride is the only one in her row who can do this part of the dance!

I got home Sunday and finished packing up these little baggies.

Bandanas, gum, toothbrushes, photos and other treats for Kelli's trip to Mozambique!

I can usually stay on my feet while shopping. Especially for Kelli's good cause. I had such fun doing this and I did not have to endanger my bones! ;) The box is on the first leg of a long journey (They arrived...along with lots of other baggies! :)) and I hope the baggies bring the joy I packed in them to many little faces.

Isn't it amazing how many different things can make you feel good? What makes you feel good?

The people, the places....

2007-05-02T22:12:00.000-04:00

I have not blogged in so long that I feel like a child who has been out sick and has lots of homework to catch up on!

This is a busy time. My grandpa turned 91 this week (really 3 weeks ago), so my mom and I traveled to his farm for a visit. It worked out well because I had a bridal shower in CT as well.

Grandpa at his birthday dinner....he is never without a glass of milk!

I adore my grandpa. He knows so much about so many things. For example, in the course of an hour, he explained to me how to make a frame for honey bees that would go in their hive, how a carbide drill works in drilling rock on the side of the road, and chatted about Antiques Roadshow. I’ve talked about Papa before. As my only living grandparent, he is precious to me. I pray that I have his genes and live as long, and as healthily as he has thus far. At the same time, I think it will hit me very hard when he goes. I have a funny feeling it will be quiet and fast. One morning my uncle will come over and find that he isn’t out of bed and that will be it. Ok, I don’t want to talk about that.

Miss Kitty fixes you with her green eyes...

My grandpa has a cat named Miss Kitty. She is a beautiful silver furred cat with a very pink tongue and a loving but firm personality. Miss Kitty appeared in my grandfather’s life a short time after my grandma died. They had been married 58 years or something. Miss Kitty was a wild cat who began life in the barn. Gradually, with Papa’s love and encouragement, she became more friendly. Now she is loving and happy - sleeping on your lap and crying when she wants more food. We are generally not a superstitious family, but Papa believes Miss Kitty is my grandma’s soul. I have to say – I don’t think it’s that far fetched. My grandma was a strong woman with firm ideas and a tough exterior. She was also very loving, kind and generous. She expected a lot of us, but she loved us unconditionally. Miss Kitty is my grandpa’s companion. He has hearing aids that he doesn’t like very much. He can no longer see well enough to do his beloved puzzles or read the small print of the newspaper. He works doing inside farm work (planting seeds) in the cold winter, and gets out to the greenhouses and for a walk in the good weather. I imagine sometimes that his life must get lonely. My uncle is in and out all day working on the farm, but he does not have much time for "visiting.”

All this to say – I love my grandpa very much. I learned how to give the best backrubs from my grandpa because he loves them. Since my grandma isn’t around to give them, it’s always my job when I visit. It’s our thing. His back is itchy a lot so a backrub really helps.

Papa lives in my favorite place in the world. The farm has always been my escape – the place I can get away from real life. He does not have internet (he still has a rotary dial phone!) and I can read or knit or just sit and not feel like there are eight projects waiting for me. I have fond memories of adventures in the brook as a child, or working selling vegetables at the stand. It’s family, it’s love - it’s the place I bring to mind when someone says “Go to your special place.”

This post goes absolutely nowhere but in a circle. Do you ever have those times that you hope never ends? Do you know those people who are such fixtures in your life that you cannot imagine life without them? I should get there more often. Grandpa never says anything, but I know how much he appreciates the visits. Call those people in your life and let them know you’re thinking of them.

Catching up....

2007-04-29T10:36:00.000-04:00

Oh no....I wrote this post on 4/6/07 but then my computer froze and I only managed to save a small portion of it. I was so frustrated that I just left it as a draft. Then life got in the way and I went away. I promise I'll be back more regularly now. Here's what I had:

I might be the worst blogger ever. Has it really been 2 weeks since my last post. I'll be lucky if anyone is still reading. (HA - now it's been over a month....is anyone still out there? :))

A while ago, my very good friend asked me to assist her in planning and executing a baby shower for a good friend of hers. Babies, chats with my friend, and shower fun - of COURSE I said yes. Secretly, I hoped to hog lots and lots of love time with the doll she calls her daughter.

Grandma made that poncho - HOW CUTE?!?!

So I drove 1 1/2 hours to her on a Sat am and we hung out, caught up, sliced vegetables, played with Sadie and I learned some sign language. Oh, and her wonderful husband? Yeah, he noticed that my car was "pukin' oil" all over the street. Oy. You will recollect the above 1 1/2 hour drive? He and I checked my oil - zippo! After 4 quarts, I was on my way home with all phalanges crossed. Oh well. It is at the shop. It doesn't look good for my little car - perhaps a rear seal needs to be replaced. Sounds innocent right? Not so much. The rear seal requires removal of the transmission. Hmmmppph.*

On Sunday I met Casey for a 2 hour drive to the shower. The car was packed to the gills with shower fixins and us girls. We arrived at the shower and began prepping....

A Candy Bar.....

A Declectable Table.....

From any angle.....

And a lovely diaper cake made by my friend.....

Who is this crazy lady taking my picture?

The shower was a stunning success but Baby Sadie was by far the star of the show. While her mother and I bustled around, she amused the guests.

A perfect angel....

*P.S. My car required $1,080.88 worth of fixin' the rear seal, but it's worth it for no car payment! All better now! :)

Oh Happy Days.....

2007-03-21T07:27:00.000-04:00

I am in love with my dry cleaner. He is a squat little man with glasses and grey hair. I love him. Yesterday morning, I went to pick up the skirt. When the girl brought it out, she said "Take a look, it all came out." There was not a shadow of spaghetti sauce left on that creamy white material! I could have kissed him! I'm sure I floated out of there. Now, I'm deciding what to bake him for his kindness. HOORAY! I may just wear the skirt today. :)

Those were the days....

2007-03-20T00:20:00.000-04:00

Is there anything cuter than a sleeping baby?

And the universe comes 'round....

2007-03-14T21:36:00.000-04:00

I don't know about the skirt yet, but yesterday the universe gave me a pick-me-up. Doesn't it always happen that way? Something good balances something not so good?

I have this skirt. It was a "sale" skirt too. I loved it, bought it, and realized I had nothing to wear with it. It sat in my closet for 6 months? 8 months? I don't know. It bothered me that I was silly enough to buy it when I had nothing that matched. The skirt was black with only one other color in it. It's a hard color to match. I thought perhaps I should just bring it to a consignment shop. The other day I was shopping for some other things in TJMaxx and Marshall's (oh how I love bargain shopping when I have some time to really look) and found IT. I thought this shirt would match perfectly. I wore the outfit and got tons of compliments! Everyone** in my office, as well as a (married) male visitor to our office, and a client in our office. I sound like I'm tooting my own horn, but really it was just such a nice feeling. I figured I can love this skirt, just as much as the stained one, now that it has a match!

**One of the girls in my office told me I looked like a Polly Pocket. I'm not sure whether to take this as a compliment or an insult?

Hopefully, this does not sound conceited beyond belief. I feel like it might.

Reason #216 Why I love my Mac

2007-03-12T22:19:00.000-04:00

It reset the time by itself with no "patches" or "fixes" by me. I love you Mac.

Excuse me - Do you do miracles?

2007-03-11T19:52:00.000-04:00

So today I performed a very classic "ME" move. There were lots of children at the christening and I have a well documented love of small people. These people are my other family. I have known them all forever - their Gram is my Gram - and I could attend without my friend and feel perfectly comfortable.

As food was served, I corraled a small child who belongs to my friend's sister. She has two and is currently separated and trying to manage them on her own. I figured the least I could do was get Dean some lunch. He was so cute in his tie and white shirt but Mom suggested we change into play clothes before his spaghetti lunch! I changed him and we headed to the buffet. I was wearing a brand new off white skirt, bought on sale at Ann Taylor. It was originally marked $108, marked down, and by the time I bought it - it was $29.99. Unfortunately, I did not change myself.

I successfully scooped a meatball onto a plate with a small child on my right arm and the plate in my right hand. I moved to the spaghetti dish, still balancing - and you guessed it - somehow managed to lose my grip on the large spaghetti sauce covered spoon so that it hit the counter and bounced in a lovely red pattern down my skirt to the floor. Thank goodness my dear friend (the child's aunt and mother of the christened baby) scooped him out of my arms and directed me to her car where she happened to have a spare pair of khakis that I could change into. I was so angry with myself.

Grandmothers, aunts, mothers and other older women were all offering me advice on how to remove the stains. I would show you a photo if I hadn't been so devastated at the moment that it occurred. I handed the skirt to one woman while telling her that I only wanted cold water on it. I've been reprimanded more than once by my dry cleaners. DO NOT PUT ANYTHING ON A STAIN. BRING IT TO US AND LET US WORK ON IT. I have ignored this advice and it did not work out well for me. The woman began soaking the stains with cold water in the kitchen sink - until I noticed that same EVIL spaghetti spoon in the sink - and told her that I thought we should stop before it got worse.

I alternate between a chain dry cleaner (open more hours and have better coupons) and a local dry cleaners (love the people, great service but I can't always get there during work hours). Tomorrow morning at 7am I will be at my local dry cleaners asking for a miracle.

Pick Mom Up

2007-03-10T23:48:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning I tried out a recipe I found through Finny. I felt like baking, but I thought this sounded pretty healthy. I'm suspicious of heathy sometimes. I prefer real butter, regular sugar, and no "diet" items in general. I believe in moderate eating, but I like the real stuff.

These bran muffins from Farmgirl seemed real and I love honey and molasses. My mom is a big fan of bran muffins (with real butter of course). Mom has been going through a real rough spot lately and I thought I'd make these as part of a little CAOK project for her. I was up early and had them finished in time for breakfast. When I went to deliver them, surprise - she was still asleep! I made up a little tray with juice and tea, a muffin and some butter and left it for her to find when she awoke. I'm glad I chose this morning because she was able to stay in bed and relax for awhile this morning. After all she has been through, she should not be dealing with the aggravation she is right now. There is not much I can do to change that, but I can give her a little "extra" love and attention.

Mom pronounced these muffins - YUMMY - as did my friend who ate hers immediately when we met at the mall. Excellent recipe! :)

GarlicArt

2007-03-10T23:28:00.000-05:00

The Cuisinart and I made "GarlicArt" tonight. I have a christening party tomorrow and Whoopie pies were requested. I will make those in the am, but I decided to try out a recipe for Roasted Red Pepper Hummus also. In my office, we might never eat anything healthy, if not for the woman who makes this hummus and shares it with us. It is scooped up on anything handy - crackers, pita, carrots, bread, seriously ANYTHING.

She kept swearing that it was easy to make, so finally we asked for the recipe. I overheard one woman say she tried it and hers did NOT turn out quite the same. I was nervous. It was all for naught. The Cuisinart was long a fave kitchen appliance of my mother's - when we were kids she chopped every leftover veggie etc and put them in ice cube trays for omelets etc. It was never something I carried that much about. Tonight I made the whole recipe right there in my Cuisinart and now I have almost 2 LBS of Roasted Red Pepper Hummus in my fridge for tomorrow. I have a new respect for that Cuisinart. Let's hope everyone likes garlic!

**Aside (and funny garlic story): When my godson was christened, it was the first time my best friend and I had thrown a "big party." We held a dinner for the minister the night before, with lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and fresh peach shortcake. It was delicious, yet we were stressing about the "real" party the next day. The next morning we (both parents, Godparents, grandparents, etc) all rushed around her tiny apartment getting ready. As we stood at the front of the church that morning, I smelled something rather - shall we say pungent? It was the breath of those around me who had eaten our fabulous and VERY GARLICKY - garlic bread at dinner. Oh dear. Note to self: only feed that much garlic to people you don't have to see the next day! ;)

Leavin'

2007-03-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for my trip. I discovered something today. On Weather.com (sorry no link here) they have an option to see the weather predictions for the major airports in the U.S.. It's pretty cool because I can look at airport predictions for tomorrow morning. That's great - if only my airport wasn't the only one with a RED plane on it. Oh yes, my airport says there is a "HIGH" probablity of delays while all the others are "MEDIUM" and "LOW."
Oh well. We may spend several hours in the airport tomorrow, but we will get to our GIRLS' weekend and I may get some knitting done in the airport. ;)
See you in a few days!

TBI - To Be Inspired

2007-02-27T22:53:00.000-05:00

My heart is a little broken tonight. I just finished watching this program on Bob Woodruff's horrific experience and the experiences of soldiers with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). I couldn't help but feel my heart cry. These men and women - with spouses and children - so perfect in their military photos - who are unbelievably changed forever.

I cannot imagine the strength it must require of their families to support them. I cannot imagine the fear of the unknown that their spouses, children, parents and friends face every day. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be for the patient to have to work so hard to do things they used to do without thinking.

Bob Woodruff is doing very well. It has also been more than a year since his injury, but he has made amazing strides. It is stunning to see his children teaching him words like "belt buckle" and "diamond." I know he must have worked incredibly hard to get to the point he is at now.

It is a well-known fact that I feel deeply and things affect me profoundly. I am not weepy, but there are issues that really just hit me hard. I find it hard to keep myself removed from suffering like that. I place myself in their shoes and just wonder - if that happened in my life - how would I manage - how would I maintain hope? I know that you do what you have to do - I have been through issues in my life and maintained hope when there was little reason to, but I just wish these things didn't have to happen. Right now, my job does not afford me as much opportunity to help those who are suffering as I would like.

I am by no means an activist in a lot of ways; not because I don't care, but because I am sometimes paralyzed by my upset. Does this make sense?

What is the best way to help? How can I best effect change? Who needs to hear my upset over these issues? I struggle with these thoughts and more. Whatever your feelings are about war, no one feels good about the men and women who are injured, maimed, and killed serving and protecting our country.

This will bother me. They highlighted a family whose father/husband had a TBI. They followed him for awhile and in the beginning he was in tough shape. As time progresesed with his rehab, he made amazing progress!!! Unfortunately, he went back to TX (if I remember correctly) and was not set up for his rehabilitation to continue. Due to these "mistakes," he had serious setbacks. When Bob visited him again, you could see the (bad) changes that occurred while he was not in rehab.

So, Bob's family started a fund to help military families with Traumatic Brain Injuries and they link to this site as well for a way to help. I like giving money, but I also like to be able to help in tangible ways. These families are inspiring.

**Before this story, I was going to write about my upcoming girls' weekend to help a good friend celebrate a big birthday (one I have not yet reached - thank goodness! ;)) with a HUGE surprise. She has NO idea we are going away to Hilton Head, NC for the weekend. Her husband will be home taking care of their 19 month old twins while we do girly things and maybe check out the Food & Wine Festival in Charleston. Cross your fingers that a storm which is supposed to bring snow Thursday night (heavier towards dawn? Our flight leaves at 7am!?!?!) heads north so that our plane can take off! :) (If not, I'll make sure to have some knitting.... ;)) Anyway, my weekend took a backseat after Bob's story. I am on a mission (CAOK?) to figure out how I can best help.

No longer a wallflower...

2007-02-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

I'm not a wallflower anymore! Since I started my blog, I've been lurking around lots of blogs, learning, reading, laughing, and making friends. I've been gaining confidence, so now I'm actually participating in CAOK II!!! Ok, it's not a knitting, sewing, or crafting participation - it's something better. I love making people smile, showing kindness to someone, and helping out (the Girl Scout in me ;) so this was a perfect fit for my first blog activity.

Unfortunately, I don't know as much as I would like to, so although I got Kelli's button, I only got the picture, not the link. I'm not that smart yet.

Anyway, I can link to Kelli in my blog, so I hope you'll check out Calculated Acts of Kindess and maybe participate?

Uh-oh -- It's Girl Scout Cookie time again!

2007-02-19T00:04:00.000-05:00

I have a few weaknesses (ok maybe more than a few) but my love of Girl Scout Cookies? Seriously disturbing. At this age, I have no shame in admitting that I was a Girl Scout until I graduated from high school. It wasn't the cool thing to do, for sure, but I made many good and constant friends during Girl Scout activities and meetings. I learned lots of cool stuff - including how to change my tire - from Girl Scouts. I traveled to Mexico and around our country with Girl Scouts. Intangibly, I gained self-confidence, leadership skills, commitment to community service, and a strong sense of self-worth - oh and a love of cookies! ;)

I know people have different experiences in Girl Scouts and other organizations, but mine just happened to be pretty fantabulous. The women who led were role models, kind souls, and teachers with high expectations that we would always do our best. Girl Scouts was fun for me - I think I'm a bit of a dork though - I do like to learn! ;)

So, I sold cookies every year. My mom stocked our freezer with Thin Mints, Trefoils, etc and we had cookies all year long. For many years, my mom was the "Cookie Mom" and all the cases and cases of cookies for every girl in our town were delivered to our house. (Hmm...perhaps this is where my unhealthy attachment came from... .;)).

I want other girls to get as much out of Girl Scouts as I did and I love the cookies so I buy them. Probably not great for my figure.....but it's like a trip down memory lane for me too.....

*Currently eating the "newish" chocolate covered cookie ("Thanks-a-Lot") with a cup of tea (oh yeah and sometimes I dip them)......but I love frozen Thin Mints crumbled over a dish of vanilla ice cream too.

"I was a Girl Scout and I loved being a Girl Scout. I learned so much as a Girl Scout and I used to sell cookies and it was really fun. " - Maria Bartiromo - journalist

Red rover, red rover....Send Chocolate right over!

2007-02-14T22:47:00.000-05:00

Historically, Valentine's Day has not been a great time of year for me. It's not the relationship issue so much as death. I know. Crazy right?

My (paternal) Grandma died on Valentine's Day about 20 years ago. It was a weekend and we were talking to her on the phone when she had a stroke. She was a petite, white-haired woman with a deep love for the Boston Red Sox and her grandchildren in the U.S. and Ireland. Grandma F. was the kindest, most soft-spoken woman you have ever met. This exterior hid a tough woman, who worked as a nurse and supported her two children after husband died at 39. I loved her deeply.

My (maternal) Grandmama (how snotty does that sound? That's what we called her though.....) died on February 15th about 10 years ago. She was a tall, tough woman with salt and pepper hair - a farmer's wife - who loved her family unconditionally. Grandmama T. had a love of cooking and baking and high expectations for all of her grandchildren. It's a shame she didn't live to see those expectations come to fruition. She was a nurse as well; a psychiatric nurse who had great understanding and empathy for her patients.

After my freshman year in college (6 hours away from home), I became an RA for freshman. I knew I would enjoy helping people and I was right. That job was my calling. In my first year as a freshman RA, I lost a student from my dorm on Valentine's Day. G died in a car accident due to icy roads. It was a traumatic event. She was barely a year younger than I. That experience really shaped my decision to work with grieving children and pursue a degree in social work. I spent many sleepless nights talking to confused and devastated students and sharing in their grief. She was a sweet, generous girl with a ready smile and infectious laugh - in the prime of her life.

So you see.....Valentine's Day? Not so much my day. :)

Nonetheless, I like to make people smile on this day. I feel really close to the above people on this day and I try to channel their loving personalities to help others. The romance of the day - ehh. The love of people - that's what I'm about!

I stayed up late last night to prepare a few little treats.

Some bags of chocolate for the girls in my office - and some red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for my office as well. These last few weeks have been stressful for all of us and they deserved a "pick-me-up" I thought! :)

**Typically I'm not big on made from scratch cupcakes. I think most mixes work great for cupcakes, but I really wanted red velvet and this recipe was easy to do at the last minute last night! :)
I also mailed little "First Valentine's Day" bibs to all my new babies! :) Hopefully, it made the Mamas smile! I can't believe how fast they are growing!!

Happy Valentine's Day to all.....I hope you were able to spread the love today.

Reconnecting.....and reminiscing

2007-01-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

It was a wonderful weekend; filled with reconnections with old friends and good times. I am so glad I made the drive out to a SMALL (2000 people) town in WI to visit an old friend. We went to college together and due to a variety of factors, (none of which are good excuses - but distance, life, relationships, family, etc) we have been in touch rather infrequently in the past 8 years. I hate that that has to happen to friends, so when the opportunity presented itself to find some good old fashioned chat time, I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed.

She was kind enough to offer to let me stay overnight and I'm so glad I did. It was a lovely 24 hours spent getting to know her 2 children (3 years old and 11 mos) and her husband, as well as catching up on their lives in the past few years. I brought books and small gifts to her children. I love books as gifts and the reactions of her children are the reason why. They LOVE to be read to and had read the books 10 times each by the time I left. Her 3 year-old sat through the entirety of Make Way for Ducklings (an adorable story based around the city of Boston). It's not a short book and has pencil drawn pictures, but she loved it. We share our first name, and we bonded after a few shy minutes. She is a sweet and innocent child, who loves to iron Kleenex (her mom shares that she realized that she must not iron enough - her daughter tried to iron her pretend toast the other day! :)). Her brother is a little spitfire with a mischievous smile and a sparkle in his eye. They are such well-behaved children.

It makes think long and hard about the benefits of living in a quiet little corner of the world. This family has a beautiful home with wonderful children. My friend has made the choice to stay home with their children and they obviously are benefitting from their mom's dedication. It is not perfect. Dad works long hours and travels for most of the week, but it's what works for them. It is truly incredible to see your friends as parents.

My memories of this friend include lunch chats, the occasional basement frat party, or night out on the town. Seeing her as a mother is something so phemonal. It's not as a new mother, still feeling her oats and getting her bearings. It's as a mom who is comfortable in her skin as a mother and loves spending time with her kids. I am so glad that I was able to witness this. We stayed up late, my friend and I, long after the children went to sleep, the neighbors left, and her husband left us to visit (after having cooked us dinner - does he have a brother? ;)). We finished up one bottle of wine, opened another, reminisced, and reconnected. In the morning, her happy children were awake and I was so content to be in the midst of this pictureque family scene. I am so happy when my friends are happy.

The scenic route....with a few bumps ;)

2007-01-26T08:50:00.000-05:00

This is what my day consisted of yesterday…….

It’s an all day trip from the East Coast to a small airport in WI. As the agent said to me when I checked my bags, “You’re taking the scenic route huh?” There are only two airlines that fly into this airport so I didn’t have much choice, but……

I like to travel and for the most part, (if time is on my side), I don’t care how long it takes me. I love to people watch and I could do it for hours. Although security at the airport is increased, I was able to arrive at 11am for a noon flight (I always check-in online). Security was easy-peasy, no line (although my bag did have to be hand checked – probably my knitting ;)) and my express bus ride to the airport was EARLY! I love when things go right (because prior to that – the morning was not going so well as I ALMOST missed the bus).

Like I said with all the changes, the airport is sometimes a hectic place to be….I love that they have put these all along several hallways. It is so peaceful and quiet and allows you to just relax in all the hustle and bustle. I had time to sit for a few minutes today.

It turns out the rushing this morning was silly…..my flight was delayed more than 1 ½ hours. I rarely have this problem on the more “fun” airlines – Southwest, JetBlue etc….but with the bigger, older airlines – it seems there’s always a delay. Lucky for me – it doesn’t stress me out. I’ve had many airline adventures (including sharing a hotel room in NJ with an old woman from India – but that’s another post). It turned out that it was a fortunate twist of fate that the flight was delayed. I would have missed my connection to Chicago in DC so they rebooked me on a direct flight to Chicago!! Wooo-hoo!!!

I was early into Chicago and my flight to WI was delayed. I played on the computer and people watched (no knitters though, hmm.....), but I was hungry. Nothing in the airport appealed to me and I had had JUNK airport food for lunch. I finally landed in WI and I have NEVER seen such a small airport. We walked down 10 stairs and there were our bags coming off the only baggage claim in the place. I turned left and there was my rental car company. I stood there signing forms while I watched for bag on the belt! :)

Unfortunately, my bags were not there. I knew this was a real possibility when I started out because my itinerary was changed around so much. I asked the Hertz lady where to go if my bags were missing - she pointed me to a counter across the way. A woman there told me to ring the bell, but if they didn't come right away, it might be because they were just finishing up unloading their plane. A guy came out and took my info. He told me it should arrive on the 9:30pm flight and that it would be brought to my hotel.....BY HIM. Really I think he was the person who singlehandedly ran the airline in this airport. I was amused, having come from such a large and busy airport.

All in all, it was a long day with no major problems. My hotel is lovely, right on the Mississipi River I think (based on what I can see from the window **Ooops I stand corrected - it's the Black river)! I ate alone in their restaurant, which I don't do very often. It was almost empty, save two other tables, so I was very obvious. I had salmon because I was starving for a real meal and it did not disappoint. I should have brought my knitting or a book, but it seemed rude. Rude to whom I don't know. It's just a weird feeling to eat in public like that with no one to talk to. Travelling alone, no problem. Love it. Eating alone, still working on that one. ;)

Today I'm off on a little adventure to visit an old college friend whom I haven't seen in 9 years and meet her children. Tomorrow - the wedding! :)

A little chubby......

2007-01-24T17:00:00.000-05:00

Seriously.....can you imagine? These whoopie pies are almost as big as my face. My friend sent them to my office for my birthday. Either she loves me and knows me well or she wants me to gain 10lbs quickly.

She mentioned that she had sent a surprise but it wouldn't arrive until the day after my birthday. Someone came into my office and said "WHAT are WICKED WHOOPIES?" Aha I thought! There were 2 boxes - 24 pies......in various and assorted flavors, mint, chocolate chip, raspberry, and traditional. A woman in ME started the business, and it has just exploded in the past couple of years. There are several more flavors on their website. They ship all over the country and have been featured in many magazines, TV shows, etc. If only I could come up with an idea like that! ;) I make whoopie pies, but I would never have thought to do something like this.

Anwyay, they were delicious, but it took me 2 hours to eat one because they were so sweet. Of course I shared with my office, my friend and several others, but I still have a couple to freeze for later.....when I need a sugar injection! ;)

Hold the candle - I'd like a torch please!

2007-01-23T23:25:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to me....for a few more minutes. In an unlikely recap, I only took a picture this morning on my way out the door of the pretty (and sparse) snow we received overnight. I stopped at my favorite lunch spot for a corn muffin (toasted the way I like it and not NUKED) and cafe mocha treat (which I NEVER get - Hooray for birthday presents for yourself! :)). During the day at my office, every time there was a problem - I said (in my head) "It's ok - today is my birthday" and the stress just melted away. I refused to allow stress to hang around today and everything got done. (Of course I endured hearing my staff tell me how young I am and how they had children older than me.) Ah well.....they left a sweet card on my desk today and were very kind in helping me leave work somewhat on time!

On to the title of my post....I LOVE creme brulee. It is a love cultivated later in life, on a cruise in my 20s that holds so many fun memories and adventures that I smile just thinking about it. While out for my birthday dinner tonight, I spied creme brulee on the "specials of the evening" menu. My face LIT UP and nothing else mattered. I dutifully ordered a butternut squash ravioli appetizer (YUMMY) and a chicken braccialtone (?Sp) with roasted potatoes. It was also delish, but I only ate a small portion so I'd have room for my creme brulee. When the waitress returned with our "doggie bags" to inquire about dessert - I ordered it and a cup of tea. Alas, a moment later she returned to tell me --- OH NO -- they were all out. Oh yes, and to add insult to injury - they were out because the table behind us had "saved" some when they came in (30 minutes after us). Who "saves" dessert when they get to a restaurant? Apparently, they had come before and the restaurant was out so they weren't about to miss out this time. I was crushed. I ended up ordering no dessert because nothing can compare to creme brulee for me. I like cakes and cookies but.....ooooh that crunchy top.

**Add to list of things to purchase at some point: Torch to make my own creme brulee. ;)

The best laid plans..... ;)

2007-01-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting on my couch at 10pm eating this chocolate chip cookie dough that I found through Amanda. Why? Because my mother always let us eat dough in the days before salmonella and I like to live on the edge. Because I made these cookies Friday night for a scrapbook group (which I turned into a knitting group for my purposes ;)) and had dough leftover. Because I stayed at work until 9pm and didn't have dinner.

And, yes, because tomorrow I will be one year older and actually "in my 30s" (how is that possible?). I can eat cookie dough if I want to. I'm not overly depressed about this one. Last year was the big one and my girls gathered 'round; spoiling me at the spa and at an awesome dinner with good friends! This year I'll be traveling to WI at the end of the week for a wedding, so there won't be much celebrating and I'm ok with that.

I'm trying not to feel old. There's a country song - Something's Gotta Give - and....the words....touch me somewhere.....

"Jenny's got a job,
a cat named Jake,
31 candles on her birthday cake
Next year
Thought by now she'd have a man,
Two car seats and a minvan
But it still ain't here (hey!)"

The song goes on....but honestly - those words. I didn't necessarily think I'd have a minivan (ok I never thought I'd have one).....but I did figure on at least a husband and one child on the way. I wasn't the kind of girl who planned out every minute of a wedding, my life, etc. I had way too many other things to think about, but in the back of my mind, 30 was sort of a magic number. I just always figured I'd be a mom by now. Certainly it's still an option.....

So, I'm working on a new vision for the back of my mind. Sometimes, the best things are those we don't plan.

**Pity party ends here**

I didn't plan for my best friend's husband to be in the military (which caused him to be away when their first child was born). By default, I became her labor coach, was there when their child was born by C-section and spent the first 6 months of his life basically serving as his second parent. That beautiful and loving child (my Godson) is now a fresh (but adorable) 2 1/2 year old. Unfortunately, his parents' marriage did not survive, but I treasure those months of parenting and love. They live too far away now for me be as involved, but hearing "I wuve ou Auntie" on the phone is probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard. You never can tell what surprises life holds for you......

FINALLY!!!

2007-01-17T08:25:00.000-05:00

All my life I have wished I could wear the cute pants that my friends had.....or buy that cute jacket I saw at the mall last week....however when you are the tallest person in your class from Grade 2 on.....it just can't happen...at least not without looking silly. I'm pushing 5'11" and everything about me is LONG. The only time that pants seemed to fit me was in the 80s when everyone tucked their pants into two layers of socks? (If I could find a picture, I'd post it... :))

I am deliriously happy that now I can shop tall online. I can find tall pants at Banana, GAP, VS, Ann Taylor, JCrew online. Unfortunately, they don't all offer other items, but I'll take the pants. At GAP online, I've even seen EXTRA Tall. When I buy these, I can wash my khakis AND throw them in the dryer!!! I am a content girl.

Although I still wish I could go to the store, I'll take online shopping over nothing. BR now has an entire tall section. After living with sleeves that barely covered my forearms for most of my life, the prospect of clothes that fit is sometimes confusing. I try something on and think - is this too big? No, in fact, it just fits. ;) A warm coat that fits across the shoulders and covers my chilly wrists? AMAZING. A skirt that isn't MINI on me? PERFECT. It's the little things really. I've had jeans that were long enough for awhile now. I'm just glad that now I can buy outfits that fit. Of course they come at a price (doesn't everything) which probably will not help with my New Year's goal of working towards a better financial picture, but clothes that fit. A novel idea. (Oh and why do they charge more for tall things, but they don't charge less for petite things?)

Giving Thanks

2007-01-07T21:54:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of posts that I didn't get to between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Now, there are a couple I'd still like to write. One is about Thanksgiving. We were in CT with my mom's brother and family, and my 90 year old grandfather. It has always been one of my favorite places in the world, my grandpa's farm. It has been in our family for generations and when I was young it was such a special getaway. I don't know that I have any digital pics of the farm itself, so I will do my best to describe it. My grandma would be cooking up something in the kitchen, even during the hottest summers. She always ate my burnt toast because she said it made your hair curly. My grandfather and my uncle would be planting or picking, fixing the tractors, preparing for a farmer's market, chatting with neighbors or visitors to the farm stand, or driving children on the hay ride to pick pumpkins. In the cold winter, my grandfather would be in the greenhouse planting for the next season. It was not a perfect place. There were always several old cars around and something needed fixing. Nonetheless, I would wander for hours, exploring the brook that meandered over the farm, or visiting with the girls who worked summers picking. I hated tomatoes, but I loved picking them fresh off the vine. We would always have fresh vegetables with dinner and catch fireflies in the evening. If there was a thunder and lightning storm (which my grandma and I loved), she would let us stand on the porch and watch the fantastic show. At the T Family Farm, it was ok to get dirty and the days lasted forever. As I got older, I worked on the stand helping people pick the best fresh vegetables and watching over my younger siblings and cousins. I loved using the old-fashioned cash register and hearing the stories of people who had been coming here for years. My uncle had revived this farm with my grandfather and somehow made a living at it when few people in this area were able or interested. It made me proud and so happy.

The stand doesn't run anymore, although the T Family Farm sign still hangs at the end of the long driveway leading to my grandpa's farmhouse. He's 90 and he doesn't get out to the greenhouse in the winter. He still plants in the house though and occasionally ambles down to check out the pond we used to skate on. He is an amazing man - his skin is perpetually tan and leathery from the weather - and he could tell you everything about raising bees for honey. Grandpa and I would ride to NY State in the later years to pick up fresh corn when we couldn't keep up with the demand. We would leave early in the morning and drive through little villages and talk. My uncle still grows some vegetables and hires several men to pick for him. He goes to three farmer's markets a week and is always generous with customers. If someone is trying to decide whether to try his garlic, he throws it for free and tells them to try it and see how they like it.

My aunt and uncle have always lived a simple life. I adored my aunt as a child. She seemed so much "cooler" than my mom. I think she was just a hippie. She wore bikinis when we went to the beach. She took me shopping (she only had boys) and she taught aerobics. When she went to aerobics at 5am, I went along to swim and have "Auntie" time. In case you couldn't tell, I loved everything about that place.

I have 3 male cousins. My aunt and uncle live in an old house with wood beams, and no TV. As a child, I wondered how my cousins survived (and we didn't watch much TV at our house!). For Thanksgiving, it was my brother and I and 2 of my cousins. The 2 younger cousins (my sister and my cousin) were out of the country. It was calm and relaxing, family style food and wonderful family time. While we were there, I read an article in the paper about my uncle. It made me very proud of my family.

The story is about how my uncle wants to make sure the land for the farm stays protected. My mom and uncle own all the land, because my grandpa thought it best. The story detailed that there is no one in the family who wants to take over the farm and that my uncle has been thinking about how best to protect it. He has been making arrangements with the city to make sure it is protected land that can't be sold to developers or turned into shopping malls or housing developments. We will retain some land with the houses and the there will be city parks and walking trails. There will be nature learning for students and open space. How great is that? I am so proud to be a part of a family who are so well-grounded and who care about our environment and future. It made me very thankful to have grown up with such great role models.

I only hope that my cousins and siblings can live up to the great examples in our family....

2 cousins (plus one significant other), me and my bro

** This is such a long post, but it was a feeling I wanted to document before I forgot it or it faded.**

Back at the office.....

2007-01-02T21:28:00.000-05:00

Not only was today my first day back (since Friday but whatever) but it was my very dear friend's first day back after a 3 month maternity leave. She told me the other day that she had not ordered any pictures (some of which can be seen here) of her son to have in her office when she returned. I decided to solve this problem. I also decided to make her first day back a bit merry. So, I shopped for a "Welcome Back" banner - do you know how hard this is to find? They make many Happy Birthday banners, Welcome Home banners, Baby banners, etc. I persevered and found one though.

I purchased several different photo holders (otherwise known as frame type things), ones that spin, collage types and the requisite "I love Mom" frame. I cut pictures to fit. I went into my office at 9pm last night to set everything up, on the off chance she MIGHT arrive before me today (HA - new mother, first day back to work - be early? :))

I baked, of course. A quick family favorite, Mom's Sour Cream Coffee Cake (a recipe she got from a woman she used to babysit for which must make it 50-70 years old?) which earns rave reviews from almost everyone.
Apologies for the crummy picture - it's the best I could do at 1am! :)

I got to work and she wasn't there, but her office loooked perfect!

I got settled and kept checking for her. She came in - looking beautiful and happy - and just barely frazzled (her husband was taking the babe to daycare after all). I gave her a hug and followed her to her office where she smiled at my decorations, opened her office door, took one look, and promptly dissolved into tears. OOOPS. I made her cry. After another quick hug, I fanned her face and we breathed. Crisis averted. She was thrilled.

Mission accomplished.

“If you're alone, I'll be your shadow. If you want to cry, I'll be your shoulder. If you want a hug, I'll be your pillow. If you need to be happy, I'll be your smile. But anytime you need a friend, I'll just be me.” - Anonymous

P.S. I forgot on my list of things for this year - research and purchase a NEW, REAL camera. I outgrew my point and shoot long ago and I can avoid this no longer. (secretly --- VERY excited. :))

Looking ahead.....

2007-01-01T00:36:00.000-05:00

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” - Bill Vaughn

Thinking about next year.....I feel....excited.... apprehensive..... and calm. It's strange. Today is just another day that holds just as many possibilities as yesterday, but we have built it up to be SOMETHING big. I admit it. I'm just like the next person.

This year:

I will continue to work on my finances so that I feel good about the way I am handling them.
I will save my money, research, and purchase a bike.
I will learn more knitting techniques and make something for myself.
I will travel far and wide - including WI, MN, NC, NY, and VA in the first 2 months - hopefully AU and IRE will make it on the "far" part of the list.
I will continue to bake, but work to improve my cooking skills.
I will do some form of exercise 5 times a week.
I will be thankful to have my siblings all in the same country.
I will appreciate my parents for what they are and be thankful to have them both living.
I will spoil the babies in my life with love and attention and perhaps a few little hand knit items. :)
I will spend time making sure my godson "P" knows how special he is to be the one who made me an "Auntie" and how much his mother (my best friend) means to me.
I will make time for the important things in life - friends and family.
I will learn to sew - FINALLY - so I can stop being jealous of all the beautiful things on other people's blogs.
I will do what I need to to keep my License in Social Work current, so that I can go back when I'm ready.
I will make time for myself and my life.
I will make an attempt to be more organized.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” - Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Looking back....

2006-12-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

This year has been - what every year is - unpredictable in some ways - and reassuringly normal in others.

I have become "Auntie" or good friend to many, many babies born in 2006..... (Rachel, Emelia, Elizabeth, Luke, Zachary, Sophie, Dillon, Devin, Ben).
I have continued to love and spoil my most darling godson "P" to the best of my ability and he has continued to bring joy to my heart and smiles to my days.
I have found a new job which is challenging and fun and allows me to work with some very compassionate people.
My new job has allowed me to get on the road to financial solvency, finally. I am not a perpetual student with only loans as income.
I have visited good friends despite my cash flow problems and I am glad to have been there for the weddings, showers and important events that make the best memories.
My family has changed in ways that alter how we spend important moments together and I have adjusted (B's engagement).
I have watched good friends get married and I have witnessed the joy on a new mother's face.
I have seen the pain on friends' faces when marriages end.
I have witnessed the pain a parent feels when they realize their child is different.
I have done my job to the best of my ability and worked to make positive improvements in my office.
I have spent quality time with my siblings on vacation and will treasure it for years to come.
I have seen family members struggle and my heart has broken.
I have created memories with good friends the world over and done my best to be a loyal and constant friend.
I have worked to mend my heart and allow myself to see the decency in the world.
I have forgiven.
I have met new people and fostered friendships at an age where I thought making friends was difficult.
I have cultivated friendships that were weakened by distance and life and brought them to a bright blossom.
I have learned many new knitting techniques and surprised myself with the number of finished projects in my repetoire.
I have grown up at the same time that I have rediscovered some parts of my inner child.
I have traveled to FL, SKB (W.I.), NC, VA, DC, MD, VT, NH, RI and some random airports on my layovers :).
I have helped people whenever possible.

This year has been full of many things......I'm sure I've forgotten many. It has not been perfect but the second half is certainly improving my outlook on next year.
I can't wait! :)

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” - Benjamin Franklin

Giving.....

2006-12-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

"Giving offers so much more than you can ever attain in a lifetime of receiving." -Kyle Lebeau

After Thanksgiving.....I start to think about giving to others, not just those who expect it. In the past few years, my holiday and giving cash has been strapped. I have tried to give my time, but I love to give in a myriad of ways. This year, I finally have enough and more. It has started me thinking about how I give - money, time, material things.

How do you decide where and how to give?

There are several places I give to for various reasons.

I give to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Jimmy Fund Dana-Farber Cancer Research because they were my grandma's favorite charities. My wonderful, sweet, loving grandma who died when I was 11, but left this giving imprint on my heart. It makes me feel like I am keeping her memory I alive.

I give to the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen because my mom (and my friends' moms) had breast cancer and I hope someday no other women will have to suffer.

I donate my time to my local Hospice at our Children's Bereavement Group throughout the year. I do this for my friend who lost her mom when she was young and never had a place like this. I also do it because helping with grief is my passion. Weird I know.

I give to Globe Santa through our local newspaper because as children my parents always expected us give to them. They were teaching us to give to those children who were not as fortunate. Your name was in the paper and, as kids, it was a tangible way to see that we were helping. The paper featured stories of the families they help and we fantasized that our $10 was helping a particular boy or girl.

I donate my clothes and things to the Boys and Girls Club or Salvation Army because they make good use of these items.

I give my time to friends who have babies and could use a night out to renew their commitment to husbands and marriage.

I give my love to family and friends.

I give kindness to strangers during the holiday season (and all year). I try to help someone struggling with packages or let someone else have that "coveted" parking space. It's amazing how little it takes for people to look shocked that you have been kind.

I give to the scholarship fund set up in my memory of a college friend killed in an innocent auto accident on a winter road.

I give to my university so that another student may receive the grants and scholarships that allowed me to attend a school way out of our price range.

I give to the organization that helps homeless families in our area. I love being in the store and just picking up a few toys and clothes to drop in the box in my local bank each week.

Giving makes us feel good, no matter whether it's monetary, material, or emotional. It is truly wonderful - you feel good about giving and you make someone else feel good when they receive. Is there anything better?

“Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.”
H. Jackson Brown, Jr. quotes

The rush.....

2006-11-22T01:02:00.000-05:00

Gosh it's been a long time.....I wish I could fill this post with pictures of all the wonderful things I have been doing. Unfortunately, my camera is on vacation at the Sony repair center to have it's focus fixed. I almost always have my camera with me (at the moment I have borrowed/scarfed a friend's for a few days) and am feeling very lost without for several weeks. My sister was right however, would I rather have bad pictures or be without it for a few weeks?

This week is more hectic than I would like. My friend, KS's baby shower is this weekend in FL. If it were up to me, I would not have chosen Thanksgiving weekend (and yes I am a bit selfish and don't want to fly/buy tickets on a holiday weekend). However, it was a group vote and I lost. KS is a dear friend from college and last year at this time I was preparing for her wedding, so it seems like just yesterday we were trying agree on wedding shower themes. I have honestly planned no less than 5 baby showers this year (and have had 10 friends have babies in the past year) and it's getting exhausting. Anyway, the shower is Saturday and I managed to find a reasonable ticket on this site. I can't say enough good things about the advice they give. KS was so genuinely happy that I was able to come that all my frustration with planning melted away. I worked feverishly over the weekend on this.....

It's a diaper cake. This one is obviously elephant themed. Yes, they are all rolled individually. It contains about 200 Pampers and is a most FUN gift to shop for and to give. It has a great "WOW" factor and I think it's fun to make. You can buy different versions, but I've made a ton now and I love it. So, that had to be shipped to sunny Florida. Picture me with a giant box stumbling into UPS on Monday morning. I'm thinking 4 days (plus 1 Holiday) should be plenty of time right? After much waiting, it's my turn and the UPS man tells me it will be $25 to get there next Monday! NOOOO - I say - I need it there by Friday. When he came back, with a grimace, I knew it was bad news. Well, $126 will get it there by Wednesday. AHHHHH - what? So, apparently, despite their advertisements, UPS takes days off. The drivers are off for 4 days. Oh well. The good ole US Postal Service came through for $30 and will get it there by Friday. I love my mailman.

My schedule includes working until 12:30pm Wednesday, driving with my brother to my little brother's birthday party, then on to CT for an evening out with the cousins. Thursday will bring family Thanksgiving, with my 90 year old grandfather, who is the kindest, most generous man I have ever known. He is a farmer who has worked hard his whole life and thinks nothing of giving what he has worked so hard for to his family. I am so thankful to have him as my sole surviving grandparent.

We'll leave CT Thursday night so that I can fly out to FL on Friday at noon and return Monday am. It will be a lovely weekend if I get something knit for this shower! That is stressing me out, as is the fact that my best friend and godson's mother, BQ is due in 4 weeks with her 2nd baby. Her mother is my aforementioned knitting guru and other mother. She knit my godson a beautiful yellow outfit as his "coming home from the hospital" outfit. BQ asked me to knit the outfit for this baby. I protested my knitting skills were less than stellar. She insisted that she wanted me to do it. I stated that her mom could produce a far superior outfit, but she stood firm. I was honored, but now I am stressing. I have put it off because I am afraid that it will not be perfect, but it must be done, otherwise I will be Overnight Fedexing it to NC when she goes into labor. :)

On the up side, I borrowed a fantastic (and very $$$$) camera this weekend to take some of these shots for another friend.....

Such a sweet baby! :)

And so....the rush begins.....I know that from now until after New Year's it will be busy. I have much shopping done and some crafting and much baking still to do, but the hustle of the holidays will still envelope me. Honestly, I think I love it. :)

Enjoy your family time this Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for my warm home, loving family and wonderful friends.......and that I have enough of everything I need or want.

"Friends are like stars... you don't always see them, but you know they're always there."
---Hulali Luta

Pick-a-path

2006-11-08T22:49:00.000-05:00

Do you remember pick-a-path books from when you were a kid? I used to love them. They were like the book that never-ended (I might have been a nerd?)! You could just keep changing things up and it was a whole new book.
I'm fairly new to the whole blogging scene, but I sometimes feel as though I am reading a pick-a-path book. I start with one blog, and branch to another from someone's comments, or the blogger's friends on their sidebar and blog #2 branches me to another blog, etc etc. Before I know it, an hour has passed and I am astonished at where I have ended up! People are so interesting! I love to people-watch. Perhaps blogging is a form of that?
I have lurked a great deal because I still am not sure where I "fit" in, although I think the beauty of blogging is that everyone fits in! So tonight, I followed a pick-a-path (one of several) from Kelli's blog to Jen's blog, to Rachel's blog for these yummy cheesecake brownies. Of course, I had to make them. They will disappear quickly tomorrow when my friend brings her 4 week old baby to the office for his first visit with mommy's co-workers.
P.S. I decided to start commenting on more blogs. It makes me feel so nice when someone comments on mine! :)

Politics.....and Knitting :)

2006-11-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

Many times politicians infuriate me for political reasons. Tomorrow is election day and I really want to vent just for a minute. In the past 24 hours, ONE politician has left no less than 5 (I stopped counting) political messages on my answering machine! Instead of encouraging me to vote for him, he has infuriated me and I will not vote for him on principle. I have just sent e-mailed a note to this effect to his campaign.
I am less politically informed than I should be, although I find myself paying more attention the older I get. I wish I knew and understood more, but at least I am able to peruse the internet and make an informed decision when I get to the polls tomorrow.
Yesterday found me fighting a sinus headache (and feeling a bit like a convict buying Sudafed where you have to show your license etc), but also accompanying mom to a dinner with her old college friend. Joyce was visiting her daughter (a PhD candidate no less) nearby and called my mom on a whim to come to dinner. Mom invited me (really she just wanted someone to drive the 1 + hour with her) and off we went. It really was fun. It's lovely to see my mom with old friends and her daughter was very nice (and belongs to a knitting group!). I've been looking for a youngish knitting group in my area and have been unsuccessful so far. It's nice to know that one exists. It's a bit of a drive, but they said they are always looking for experienced knitters (I would NEVER call myself experienced - just barely intermediate :)). It would just be nice to have some knitting/chat time and meet some new people.
Don't forget to vote tomorrow!!!!
K

Sunday morning....

2006-11-05T10:13:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a Saturday night chat with my friends Ben & Jerry..........and a Sunday morning filled with baking to make you feel like anything is possible.......

"Sunday clears away the rust of the whole week." ~Joseph Addison

The muffins are for my other mom's birthday. She is my best friend's mother, my knitting advisor/teacher, and a woman I could talk to for hours about most anything. As a kid, when I didn't get along with my own mother, I always got along with Mom O. So, some muffins went to her this morning, but I had to sample one of the smaller ones (and yes, I love real butter).

These are the Jordan Marsh blueberry muffins (which probably only means something to you if you lived in the Northeast about 15 years ago). Mine don't look like quite like they did in the store, but they taste yummy. Mom and I pick POUNDS and POUNDS of blueberries in the summer, make some jam, and freeze the rest. Nothing beats blueberry muffins with fresh (frozen) berries in the middle of winter!

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups blueberries*
sugar for top

sift together
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Cream shortening (margarine) & sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and mix until well-blended. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk & vanilla. Add blueberries and mix in by hand. Spoon into 12 well-greased muffins cups. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes before attempting to remove.
**If using frozen blueberries, reserve 1-2 Tablespoons of flour and toss with blueberries before adding.
Serve warm with butter!

Happy Sunday morning......
K :)

Getting to the sunnier side......

2006-11-04T10:01:00.000-05:00

Here are a few photos of the cute Halloween visitors we had this week.

A horse and an astronaut....

The week started out on a rather rotten note. I avoided blogging because I knew it could be angry and that's not attractive. Several things have happened this week and I sort of wish the week had never happened. Strangely enough, my week was fine. The problem is that I am the kind of person who is profundly affected by what happens to the important people in my life.

A close friend, C's, daughter (less than 6 months old) has a disability. She will live a full life, but it will be a challenge for her and her family. My friend is struggling with this and has told me that her coping ability is almost zero. I, in turn, have struggled with how to help her. I'm hoping that a visit to hang out, and just talk will give her some escape. She has said that she wants to be able to enjoy her baby who is healthy in every other way.

My friend A's mother has been diagnosed with colon cancer. This breaks my heart, as A lost her good friend, Jen to colon cancer (which had spread) at the age of 28. The cruelty of cancer is so frustrating. Jen was a person I knew only through A. She was a young woman of tremendous faith and strength, who I know A misses very much. Although her mom is Stage 1 (discovered through routine colonoscopy) and will most likely do very well, I know that A is frightened for what she knows Jen went through.

My own mother, has recently struggled with some terrible issues at her office. I also used to work there, and have many friends there. Some of those friends are also my mother's bosses. Recently, things have happened which have devastated my mother and angered me. She has been scapegoated and treated unfairly after more than 18 years of dedicated work. Although I am trying to separate business and friendship, I find it very difficult at this point. I have never seen my mother so devastated and I am shocked at how they have treated her. She still has a job, but her spirit is gone.

My friend J is struggling with parenting her baby. Having lots of experience with children and nannying, I think she thought she would be a perfect parent, or at least it would be easier for her. She is shocked at how difficult it is and how she questions every decision. I see her struggle and wish that I could do more than listen.

My friend, AE, is struggling with being a new mom, and possibly working through some postpartum depression. It is difficult to know quite what to do. I know that she is aware and is getting help. Thank god for her family support and vast network of friends that have helped to keep her going.

I guess this post reflects my feelings of incompetence in helping the people I love and care so much about. I know that it will get better. I know that these people appreciate my support and that their strength will help them persevere through this parts of their lives to come out on the sunnier side.

“A friend is someone who helps you up when you're down, and if they can't, they lay down beside you and listen.”

Blogger

2006-10-29T01:05:00.000-05:00

Ok....now I understand other's frustrations with blogger. I have only had a blog for a week and I can't post?!?! This is really just a test to see if it will publish this post, because it won't publish the one I wrote earlier today. :(

Ok, FINALLY. Now it appears to be working!

A Discovery!

2006-10-28T11:38:00.000-04:00

The other night as I drove home from work in the dark, my headlights hit on something interesting on the sidewalk with someone's trash. I drove by, turned around and parked near their house. I got out and walked over to take a look. It was an adorable (and I think fairly old) children's rocker. I don't usually go "antiquing." I think old things are neat and we had plenty growing up in a family of packrats, but I don't actively seek them. I don't usually go to yard sales or antique shops. I just couldn't stand the thought of this going to the trash. It's in pretty good shape. It has springs on it so that when a child bounces in it, it rocks and is springy. I'll clean it up and use it as a treat when my friend's children come over.

"On the other hand, I don't understand the enthusiasm for everything in the antique shop that Grandma threw out. There, the sense of quality has declined; otherwise Grandma wouldn't have thrown it out." - Arne Jacobsen

Don't get me wrong. I like old things, I just like them to be useful old things. :)
It has a sweet little picture on the seat.

Here is a much better picture of the previously poorly photographed afghan for baby DL.

Today is miserably rainy. They are predicting 1-3 inches of rain and winds up to 60mph. I also have a little cold. Sounds like a prescription for staying in and crafting, no? Or perhaps cleaning. That must be done as well. I have been going non-stop for the past month and many things have been neglected. No, I think crafting and ordering photos for my new office will be the activities for today.

The cleaning will wait until I feel a bit better. I must start a new project for Kati's baby shower. I'm just not sure which sweater I want to make for a FL baby. Any suggestions? He will be born in January where it is cool in Fort Myers, but certainly not cold. I'm thinking a baby or sport weight cardigan? It will probably fit him until 4 or 5 months and by then it will be HOT, HOT in FL. At some point, I will also make him a blanket - a lightweight blanket! :) I love warm things (like my PJs ;)) so it's hard to figure out what to make for these southern babies! I'm off to knit....

Fall fades.....

2006-10-23T21:50:00.000-04:00

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." ~Carol Bishop Hipps

This time of year in the Northeast always makes me a little sad. I love the fall.....not so much the winter. It's so sad. The poor boat and chairs abandoned. You can see the tree branches in the corner with almost no leaves left. It's getting cold. The mornings are COLD, not brisk anymore. I feel the need to make tea every night and cuddle under a blanket. You can feel winter wiggling it's fingers and reminding us that soon there will be mornings of frost. Brrr!!! OH and my weatherman? Just mentioned the S word!!!! That's right SNOW!!

BUT when it gets cold, I always want to knit A LOT! This is a good thing, because two of my best friends are expecting in December and January and the gifts must be made. They both live down South (one in NC and one in FL), so the question is what to make? It is not as cold, but still cool. Hmm....any suggestions are certainly welcomed. In the meantime, I have been working on a mock cable afghan for my friend J's baby DL as a christening gift.

So I'm not a big fan of the blanket in fake florescent light, but at 10:30pm what can I do? The color is a soft green that will match his bedroom (or close enough - I hope). The pattern is from Filatura Di Crosa Tahki Stacy Charles - FDC Fall 2004 Baby Book . I love Baby Zarella yarn. It is soft but it has some weight and will be cozy for winter. I only have 2 skeins left and it will be done. I'm ready to work on another project (yes several are started but not much is done).

I spent the evening hanging out with another new Mommy. My friend AE's baby D joins all the little bundles of joy my amazing friends have delivered in the past couple of years. At 17 days, he is still just a beautiful snuggle bug. Yes, his dad has a long arm cast in this picture. He broke it when D was 4 days old. Can you imagine? We had an amazing meal of YUMMY Indian food. I'm spoiled by AE's mom!

It's strange. As a youngster, I was VERY picky and averse to trying any new foods. I lived on grilled cheese, pizza and turkey sandwiches in college (ok and some liquid sustenance! ;)). This might explain why I lost 15 pounds immediately after college. When I began hanging out with friends who were more adventurous (and expensive) eaters, I realized what I had been missing (and regained some of that weight!). Now I love so many different foods.

A celebrity in our midst?

2006-10-21T23:49:00.000-04:00

My mom is famous - maybe not famous but a local celebrity? In November this year, my mom will celebrate 11 years of survival since being diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (a rare form). Approximately, 15 months later, she was diagnosed with brain mets (it spread to her brain). She underwent multiple treatments/surgeries which I won't bore you with here, but suffice it to say that it was not easy, but she is doing VERY WELL!

So, Mom volunteers at the American Cancer Society in our area. She is a Reach to Recovery Volunteer (a fabulous program where survivors who are done with treatment call newly diagnosed women and men to answer questions and offer support). Through that work, Mom was asked to participate in a fashion show of new clothing for people in treatment. The clothing is actually VERY amazing (and so much better than a johnny or removing clothing for exams) and the fabric feels lovely. If you know someone in treatment, Healing Threads. It would make a fabulous gift.

In addition, one of the TV stations in our area (FOX) wanted to do a story on inflammatory breast cancer and Reach to Recovery. Mom was asked if she was interested and agreed to be interviewed. Her story will air on Monday night.

On a personal note, my mom is really a true miracle. I remember listening to the brain surgeon and trying to wrap my mind around all the things that COULD happen. I was young - maybe 21 at that point and don't know that I could absorb the fact that my mom could be gone. At the time, I don't think I really GOT it. Looking back, I get it. I have friends who are in that place and I see how difficult it is. I feel lucky every day to still have my mom in my life. I get frustrated that her memory isn't great, etc but I always tell her how much I love her. She is a true inspiration.

Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death. ~Author Unknown

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.” - Washington Irving quotes

K

Feety PJs

2006-10-21T00:59:00.000-04:00

So, I decided to do it....actually make a blog. I kept thinking I had to have something earth-shattering to start with (never mind that I just started a new job, traveled to NC, and hung out with the Secret Service). I needed something AMAZING. Suddenly, I decided my first post would be about my love affair with feety pajamas. So much for an amazing first post right?

Yes, I am older than 2.....older even than 22.....and I love my feety pajamas. I have 3 pair. I wear them all winter. It gets cold here in the Northeast and I am a cold person! They are different from what you are imagining. There are no zippers, just a top (with a kangaroo pocket :)) and bottoms with feet (try to ignore the GIANT size of my feet). They are fleece and are the most cozy things! They remind me of my closest friends.....you can always feel comfortable when they are around. It's amazing to me - the older I get - how seeing old friends just takes you back. My friends are all over the country, but when we see each other it's like yesterday. It's so easy. My pajamas feel like that - easy to be with and comfortable. So.....there you have it.....a confession for my first blog post. :) And no knitting......maybe next time.

“We get tons of requests for foot pajamas. We don't have them, because we haven't seen them on TV yet. But I think it's part of the retro craze, a connection to one's childhood.” - Francois Shirley

So, am the only one who is partial to her PJs?

K :)