Sunday, February 14, 2010
valentine's day?
valentines day. what a nice day it is. the sun is shining and bursting in our windows, the sky is blue and the temperature is beautiful...mid 30's. by mid february, mid 30's in connecticut feels like a spring day.
this morning we woke up and shared a little valentine hug. i'm grateful to be so in love with biff...still. i remember the first valentines day the we were together. we were newly dating, trying to take it slow...we had such a good thing together, neither one of us wanted to speed it up and ruin everything. we were both somewhat shell shocked from previous relationships.....that make us laugh today.
i still ask biff to tell me his date stories. i laugh so hard that i cry. i feel those women's pain. nothing was wrong with biff. it was the situations that went wrong. right place with the wrong date.
one of my favorite examples was the spring sunday morning that he took his date to the zoo. one of those classic, romantic dates...until he walked into the dark reptile house and the giant snake appeared! his date, terrified of snakes.....he learned at that moment .....she shrieked,went running to the exit leaving a trail of dust behind, pole vaulted over the turnstyle and ran for cover! they got through the day. he tried to take her to the bird house but guess what? another bad choice. they pretty much stuck to the safety of the monkeys and the zebras and the giraffes! he had a nice relationship for awhile, but it just wasn't right. very nice...just not it.
he has other stories. different locations, different dates. all nice women. and of course, my nice biff. i love these stories.......not because of biff's good intentions and dates went awry, but because they were not meant to be. had those same dates been me, i would have loved that time with biff. i'm grateful because what wasn't their best date
with whatever mixups ensued was saved for me. i laugh because i see things in a different way....biff's way.
had i not been going through some of my dates from hell at about the same time as biff, our timing never would have worked out to be so great for each other. when one door closes, another opens....as the mother superior said in "the sound of music".(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw-Om-t8iiM&feature=related)
gyneth paltrow found that out in "sliding doors"(http://www.videosurf.com/sliding-doors-87922)
it's not all about biff's dates. i had some not so great dates over the years too.....and it felt like years and years and years and years.....you get the picture.......i had the "hometown guy" inviting me out to a live music show in a classic new york city setting, some drinks, some loud music, some singing....while the music was playing, i turned to "hometown guy" to smile enthusiastically only to notice and anguished look on his face, covered with beads of sweat. his eyebrows were furrowed, his jaw a bit tight and his words were weak. it was shortly after that he suggested we leave.
that was fine with me. it was late. as he drove me home, he became even less talkative, more sweaty and i noticed his jaw was clenched as tightly as his hands were on the steering wheel. i worked on some conversation...maybe he was nervous.....nothing.....more sweat....and a visible discomfort. hmmmm. one date and it was pretty wierd.....oh, give him a chance, i thought. maybe it's an off night. he had barely put the car in park and he was ready to take off. good night. bye.
it was weeks later when i was sitting with my aunt, who was asking whatever happened to "hometown guy"...she knew the family.....i told her my bizarre date story. she said, "when was that, a few weeks ago? isn't that when that bad stomach flu was going around?" at that moment, it all made sense. we got hysterical laughing...it was nervous laughter....for "hometown guy". we could only imagine his discomfort and relief to get me out of that car!
oh, there are more with lots of variety....too many to mention, actually. the more the merrier! and they all make me even more grateful for waiting....waiting for the right guy!
this all started because of valentine's day. i'm happy to say that after a morning hug, my coffee was delivered to my bedside. this was no ordinary coffee. we had a littlemixup with our keurig coffee maker yesterday....one button pushed at the wrong time(kind of like dating!) sent the keurig into coffee lockdown. not good. biff called the coffee guru at the customer service number and was talked through it like captain sully on u.s.air, the plane that landed in/on the hudson river last year.(http://www.google.com/search?q=u.s.air+captain+sully+new+york+times&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)
the keurig was fixed. and i got coffee in bed. i walked downstairs to find t.j. flipping pink pancakes on the griddle. coffee and pink pancakes...who could ask for a better valentine's day?
this morning we woke up and shared a little valentine hug. i'm grateful to be so in love with biff...still. i remember the first valentines day the we were together. we were newly dating, trying to take it slow...we had such a good thing together, neither one of us wanted to speed it up and ruin everything. we were both somewhat shell shocked from previous relationships.....that make us laugh today.
i still ask biff to tell me his date stories. i laugh so hard that i cry. i feel those women's pain. nothing was wrong with biff. it was the situations that went wrong. right place with the wrong date.
one of my favorite examples was the spring sunday morning that he took his date to the zoo. one of those classic, romantic dates...until he walked into the dark reptile house and the giant snake appeared! his date, terrified of snakes.....he learned at that moment .....she shrieked,went running to the exit leaving a trail of dust behind, pole vaulted over the turnstyle and ran for cover! they got through the day. he tried to take her to the bird house but guess what? another bad choice. they pretty much stuck to the safety of the monkeys and the zebras and the giraffes! he had a nice relationship for awhile, but it just wasn't right. very nice...just not it.
he has other stories. different locations, different dates. all nice women. and of course, my nice biff. i love these stories.......not because of biff's good intentions and dates went awry, but because they were not meant to be. had those same dates been me, i would have loved that time with biff. i'm grateful because what wasn't their best date
with whatever mixups ensued was saved for me. i laugh because i see things in a different way....biff's way.
had i not been going through some of my dates from hell at about the same time as biff, our timing never would have worked out to be so great for each other. when one door closes, another opens....as the mother superior said in "the sound of music".(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw-Om-t8iiM&feature=related)
gyneth paltrow found that out in "sliding doors"(http://www.videosurf.com/sliding-doors-87922)
it's not all about biff's dates. i had some not so great dates over the years too.....and it felt like years and years and years and years.....you get the picture.......i had the "hometown guy" inviting me out to a live music show in a classic new york city setting, some drinks, some loud music, some singing....while the music was playing, i turned to "hometown guy" to smile enthusiastically only to notice and anguished look on his face, covered with beads of sweat. his eyebrows were furrowed, his jaw a bit tight and his words were weak. it was shortly after that he suggested we leave.
that was fine with me. it was late. as he drove me home, he became even less talkative, more sweaty and i noticed his jaw was clenched as tightly as his hands were on the steering wheel. i worked on some conversation...maybe he was nervous.....nothing.....more sweat....and a visible discomfort. hmmmm. one date and it was pretty wierd.....oh, give him a chance, i thought. maybe it's an off night. he had barely put the car in park and he was ready to take off. good night. bye.
it was weeks later when i was sitting with my aunt, who was asking whatever happened to "hometown guy"...she knew the family.....i told her my bizarre date story. she said, "when was that, a few weeks ago? isn't that when that bad stomach flu was going around?" at that moment, it all made sense. we got hysterical laughing...it was nervous laughter....for "hometown guy". we could only imagine his discomfort and relief to get me out of that car!
oh, there are more with lots of variety....too many to mention, actually. the more the merrier! and they all make me even more grateful for waiting....waiting for the right guy!
this all started because of valentine's day. i'm happy to say that after a morning hug, my coffee was delivered to my bedside. this was no ordinary coffee. we had a littlemixup with our keurig coffee maker yesterday....one button pushed at the wrong time(kind of like dating!) sent the keurig into coffee lockdown. not good. biff called the coffee guru at the customer service number and was talked through it like captain sully on u.s.air, the plane that landed in/on the hudson river last year.(http://www.google.com/search?q=u.s.air+captain+sully+new+york+times&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a)
the keurig was fixed. and i got coffee in bed. i walked downstairs to find t.j. flipping pink pancakes on the griddle. coffee and pink pancakes...who could ask for a better valentine's day?
Saturday, February 13, 2010
always a challenge!
it's past my bedtime. we just finished watching the olympics....we saw some of the moguls and some of the luge. it's so exciting. the energy and determination of these olympic athletes is so invigorating. they have such passion.....and have such great accomplishments.
i had alot of energy fueled by determination today too....it wasn't the adrenaline pumping stuff of olympic athletes...i had to be the coach and pump my "athletes" up just to get the dreaded job of getting our basement back into playroom condition. it's been awhile and there has been some slow and steady decline in the terrain....my "athletes" have lost interest.
it was about 2 years ago that we had some crazy noah and the arc storm come our way. for the only time in our homeowner lives, we had water come into our basement.....it poured down from our full gutters.....it trickled down through the bilco....down the stairs....under the door....onto the floor ....juat enough to create a puddle...that grew until it seeped and seeped......and seeped some more into the wall to wall carpet that had only been installed a year or so before
no matter how we tried, that carpet was destined for the dumpster.....which caused me to be down in the dumps. while other people were off in glamorous vacation destinations, biff and i were hauling wet carpet and the padding up the bilco stairs....lugging it, dripping all over us, across the backyard, and heaving the sloppy mess into the dumpster.
we tried to work out a plan. life got busy...the plan was hazy....hazy goals produce hazy results. so, it took us some time to decide how to tackle this problem....would we put in wall to wall just to have this nightmare again. oh....i should say that i recognize this is not that big of a deal in the scheme of life events....just a wet and squishy waste of money and a whole comfortable room that we had all started to enjoy.
until the poseidon adventure. tears streamed down my face as i worked with mops and wet vacs and towels and sham wows. and that project lost momentum just because of sheer fear. fear....of water and mops and anything wet ....i was shattered. o.k., not shattered...soaked! soaked to the gils. that room had been put together with alot of effort to have a "lego place" for unbelievable lego projects created by t.j. and biff...and grace had a part in it too. this was a place of major creativity and peace and conversation for the whole family. we had couches, a t.v., tables for artwork, homework...a ping pong table and my project table for just me. it was great. until it wasn't.
we have tried to get it back to that fun place. it's been a challenge to get my family to join in the reindeer game with me. i aded large rugs. i added a little bigger t.v. nothing! no one! the legos were getting dusty...the dollhouse had lost appeal and grace was having friends hunkerdown in her bedroom with ipod tunes, a mirror and a closet full of clothes to share. times they were a changin.
i.ve been working hard to keep my "athletes" updated on these events for quite some time. the first day of vacation seemed to be the right time to boost the morale and accomplish big things in our olympic training center...our basement. it was a real challenge and competition was encouraged. thankfully, today we got alot done ...everyone helped....everyone had a personal best. we took pictures of the best legos built over time...not the kit stuff..some of the thinking, engineering and creating involved in these photo worthy projects was outstanding....and the memories of the moments shared making the piece were even better.
we packed some things up, we painted the whole basement, we sanded the big coffee table.....biff even went to order the rug.....and made plans to get it in. this was a big day. we're feeling pumped we're not gold metal material yet.....i think by the end of the week, we may be awarded the silver....maybe the bronze if my team starts slacking.
we have plans to get things done...we have plans to see some friends, we have plans to see some family.....i believe...i believe we can reach our goal. i know we can do anything when we do it together and we all commit to getting the job done.
we may even be the underdog....but that's o.k. because it was worth it just to hear grace and t.j. discuss their accomplishments at the end of the night. i was so proud of them! they don't know it, but i always knew they could do it. when we set our minds on something, we get it done! sooner or later! and sooner rather than later is always a challenge!
i had alot of energy fueled by determination today too....it wasn't the adrenaline pumping stuff of olympic athletes...i had to be the coach and pump my "athletes" up just to get the dreaded job of getting our basement back into playroom condition. it's been awhile and there has been some slow and steady decline in the terrain....my "athletes" have lost interest.
it was about 2 years ago that we had some crazy noah and the arc storm come our way. for the only time in our homeowner lives, we had water come into our basement.....it poured down from our full gutters.....it trickled down through the bilco....down the stairs....under the door....onto the floor ....juat enough to create a puddle...that grew until it seeped and seeped......and seeped some more into the wall to wall carpet that had only been installed a year or so before
no matter how we tried, that carpet was destined for the dumpster.....which caused me to be down in the dumps. while other people were off in glamorous vacation destinations, biff and i were hauling wet carpet and the padding up the bilco stairs....lugging it, dripping all over us, across the backyard, and heaving the sloppy mess into the dumpster.
we tried to work out a plan. life got busy...the plan was hazy....hazy goals produce hazy results. so, it took us some time to decide how to tackle this problem....would we put in wall to wall just to have this nightmare again. oh....i should say that i recognize this is not that big of a deal in the scheme of life events....just a wet and squishy waste of money and a whole comfortable room that we had all started to enjoy.
until the poseidon adventure. tears streamed down my face as i worked with mops and wet vacs and towels and sham wows. and that project lost momentum just because of sheer fear. fear....of water and mops and anything wet ....i was shattered. o.k., not shattered...soaked! soaked to the gils. that room had been put together with alot of effort to have a "lego place" for unbelievable lego projects created by t.j. and biff...and grace had a part in it too. this was a place of major creativity and peace and conversation for the whole family. we had couches, a t.v., tables for artwork, homework...a ping pong table and my project table for just me. it was great. until it wasn't.
we have tried to get it back to that fun place. it's been a challenge to get my family to join in the reindeer game with me. i aded large rugs. i added a little bigger t.v. nothing! no one! the legos were getting dusty...the dollhouse had lost appeal and grace was having friends hunkerdown in her bedroom with ipod tunes, a mirror and a closet full of clothes to share. times they were a changin.
i.ve been working hard to keep my "athletes" updated on these events for quite some time. the first day of vacation seemed to be the right time to boost the morale and accomplish big things in our olympic training center...our basement. it was a real challenge and competition was encouraged. thankfully, today we got alot done ...everyone helped....everyone had a personal best. we took pictures of the best legos built over time...not the kit stuff..some of the thinking, engineering and creating involved in these photo worthy projects was outstanding....and the memories of the moments shared making the piece were even better.
we packed some things up, we painted the whole basement, we sanded the big coffee table.....biff even went to order the rug.....and made plans to get it in. this was a big day. we're feeling pumped we're not gold metal material yet.....i think by the end of the week, we may be awarded the silver....maybe the bronze if my team starts slacking.
we have plans to get things done...we have plans to see some friends, we have plans to see some family.....i believe...i believe we can reach our goal. i know we can do anything when we do it together and we all commit to getting the job done.
we may even be the underdog....but that's o.k. because it was worth it just to hear grace and t.j. discuss their accomplishments at the end of the night. i was so proud of them! they don't know it, but i always knew they could do it. when we set our minds on something, we get it done! sooner or later! and sooner rather than later is always a challenge!
Friday, February 12, 2010
let the games begin!
watching the olympics on t.v. is so much fun...seeing the olympic hopefuls from around the world waving their flags is very moving....they are the best of the best of their countries. wow!
more than wow actually. i never did anything that competitive.....well not many people have done anything that competitive! but, i never really had one thing that i loved so much....or...that i excelled at ....and....did competitively. i guess i wasn't that competetive. most of my life, i've just done things that i loved.....but for fun. it never occurred to me to even want to be a better skater that would compete.
i just circled and circled around the same rink for years.
i rode my bike around the neighborhood and around the town....and to friends' houses.
i skipped. i jumped. i hopped. i ran...just to run. i played.
i swam.....again, just having fun and swimming for hours and hours at a time.
i walked for miles and loved it always....especially if i was with a friend...and talking.
i went horseback riding around and around the ring.
i love skiing...just going up on the lift and skiing down, going up and skiing down....hopefully in one piece.
i tried things. i just never even thought of doing anything competitive. i entered art contests, i even won some....and i was happy to enter the contest. i entered radio contests and won a couple of those. i entered a cake bake off in girls scouts....the scout leaders' daughter won first place....2nd place went to the other scout leaders' daughter. i played baseball with the big kids when i was little....i just wanted to hit the ball and get to first base....and then i was happy. i loved spelling bees and always won...now they have spell check. nobody even cares that i can spell. i played volleyball on the beach...with lots of friends.... that was fun competition with friends...intense for us...not for the mens' and womens' volleyball team. in college, i ran for class president...against one of my best friends....and she won. i was sorry not to win...... but i was happy for her.
i did lots of things. lots and lots of things....not in competition....hmmmm? does that say anything about my personality? maybe. does that mean that i wasn't encouraged to be SOMETHING? does that mean that i just didn't try? i'm not sure.
i'm not sure. i didn't listen to my mom when she kept suggesting i take tennis....i loved the tennis skirts and tretorns...but i wanted to get to the pool. pretty much, in the summer, if there's water...i want to be in it. i certainly need to live by the water. it's a big part of my life and it's a great big part of my life with biff and our family. i really need water in my life. i walk our dogs at the beach all winter long.
water just makes me happy. i never thought of doing anything in the water but swim and play and dive and jump. hmmm.....i was happy like that? i always wanted to sail. i did it with friends when i was really young....i still remember that unbelievable moment...that ahhhhh! feeling....that rush.....having the wind in my face and pulling lines trying to help. i loved the wind and the water and the boat and the fun.
years later, i was on a sailboat with my friend, patti....and her husband, david....we were out sailing on the long island sound. it was that same feeling. i still remember the wind changing at about 3 pm....that day,david said the wind always changes around 3.....now that i can sail, i think of david every time we're checking the wind mid afternoon. i was also out on the boat with david when patti suggested i race with him....and 2 others...he needed crew. patti was getting her hair cut...or so she said.
that day, i went out on the 23' sailboat with 3 guys....david was the skipper. here i was...with my friend's relatively new husband...we're in a race....i had never been in a race...i just loved to be on a sailboat and would do anything asked of me....just to be a part of it.
i thought..."what a nice guy, that david....my friend married a great guy." so, i'm out on this boat...i'm loving life...i'm thinking .."wow! this is where i'm meant to be. i love life!" just then, david, the nice guy turned into captain hook...the race had begun...david had begun "pull the line...uncleat that...cleat that...move over...**&^...watch out...@&@#... WATCH OUT FOR THE BOOM!" *@&%....o.k. here we go....
to this day, i don't know if we won, came in 2nd or if we placed...it was unbelievable....just unbelievable.
we all got off the boat. patti was there to greet us. we all shared stories. unbelievable. patti wanted to know how i liked it..."how was david?" ...i said,"wow! he turned into ahab out there! that was intense! he was cursing like a sailor! wow! and now he's back to david." patti said, "i know...that's why i didn't go." "HAH!" i said.
you'd think i'd never want to sail again. wow...all of that yelling, being yelled at and pushing and wind and water... and pulling lines...I LOVED IT! and i couldn't wait to do it again. by the way, i have another friend with an endearing name for her husband when he's racing...."boatman"....he takes on a new personality when he races....we all check in with him to see if he's having a "boatman" day.
oh, i also ran in some 10ks for a time...i loved running...it made me feel great...i loved being in such great shape. i loved the runners high. a friend and i saw a sign for a road race in bridgehampton, on long island...i said,"how long is a 10k?" my friend answered,"oh,probably about what you run...you know...about 3 or 4 miles." great. i was signing up.
off i went to the race early one summer morning. i got to the race...ready to run...all set...go! half way through the potato fields and by the ocean road...i was feeling kinda tired....i asked a man next to me how much longer...it didn't make sense. it didn't add up. i asked how long 10k was....it was 6.2 miles! i finished. i was proud. i ran in all kinds of races after that.
i trained for the new york marathon after we had grace and t.j. i was determined. i trained for months....we were new in town so biff would make maps for me ...i would carry frozen water with me...it would melt as i ran. it kept me cool on very hot summer days. i loved it. i got up to 14.9 miles. i loved it.
then, something happened...i panicked....i didn't think i could do it....i didn't know anyone else running. i would be alone...what if? what if...." yup. i didn't run in the marathon. i'll never know. i went to bed at night, saying to biff..."i can't believe i didn't do it...why didn't i do it?" i was making myself crazy....and then, biff said, "you ran 14.9 miles when you trained....when in your life have you ever run that far?" he put it into perspective. i was 40 years old....i had run 14.9 miles. i was proud. i let it go. i was just proud that i tried...i don't even know if it matters now. i guess it would be great to say i did it....now, i look back and say...."i did 14.9 miles." and i'm happy. with a husband and two small kiddies, that was an accomplishment in itself to even get the time to train."
and i still ride may bike with biff for miles and miles. i run sometimes. i hike. i walk the dogs at the beach...on the road....i move. i still swim...i love swimming...i love the rythym that takes over. i just do lotsa stuff.
i guess it's o.k. i'm not even a competitive mom. some moms used to brag about their babies' naps, molars and toys. i don't go there. i love my kids. i just don't go there. i'm proud of my kids. i just don't get competitive about it.
i keep my own score...with myself. i try to assess every day if i did something better than before...i work to do a little better. i try to be aware of how i do, how much effort i put into any given thing. is that competitive?
so, are my kids competitive. sometimes. they seem to love what they do. they seem to have fun, too. they have tried lots of things. they just keep trying out new things. i like that.
we all like sailing...the kids have done lots of racing. they have fun...they want to win. sometimes they do ...sometimes they don't...life goes on.....and they do lots of things...and they have lots of friends...and they love music....girl stuff....boy stuff....and they do things they like.
i love sailing...so does biff. i keep trying to get better. so does biff. the kids are great sailors. we keep trying. biff and i have raced too. we have done our best. we have never come in 2st or 2nd or 3rd or...........but, we're happy!
all that matters....to us...is that we still love each other and we keep laughing and we keep trying to get better...we try to be the best parents....we try....it's not a race....we just want to do our best. we want to have love,fun, laughter enjoy each other and our kids too. we just keep trying. just like the olympics, let the games begin!
more than wow actually. i never did anything that competitive.....well not many people have done anything that competitive! but, i never really had one thing that i loved so much....or...that i excelled at ....and....did competitively. i guess i wasn't that competetive. most of my life, i've just done things that i loved.....but for fun. it never occurred to me to even want to be a better skater that would compete.
i just circled and circled around the same rink for years.
i rode my bike around the neighborhood and around the town....and to friends' houses.
i skipped. i jumped. i hopped. i ran...just to run. i played.
i swam.....again, just having fun and swimming for hours and hours at a time.
i walked for miles and loved it always....especially if i was with a friend...and talking.
i went horseback riding around and around the ring.
i love skiing...just going up on the lift and skiing down, going up and skiing down....hopefully in one piece.
i tried things. i just never even thought of doing anything competitive. i entered art contests, i even won some....and i was happy to enter the contest. i entered radio contests and won a couple of those. i entered a cake bake off in girls scouts....the scout leaders' daughter won first place....2nd place went to the other scout leaders' daughter. i played baseball with the big kids when i was little....i just wanted to hit the ball and get to first base....and then i was happy. i loved spelling bees and always won...now they have spell check. nobody even cares that i can spell. i played volleyball on the beach...with lots of friends.... that was fun competition with friends...intense for us...not for the mens' and womens' volleyball team. in college, i ran for class president...against one of my best friends....and she won. i was sorry not to win...... but i was happy for her.
i did lots of things. lots and lots of things....not in competition....hmmmm? does that say anything about my personality? maybe. does that mean that i wasn't encouraged to be SOMETHING? does that mean that i just didn't try? i'm not sure.
i'm not sure. i didn't listen to my mom when she kept suggesting i take tennis....i loved the tennis skirts and tretorns...but i wanted to get to the pool. pretty much, in the summer, if there's water...i want to be in it. i certainly need to live by the water. it's a big part of my life and it's a great big part of my life with biff and our family. i really need water in my life. i walk our dogs at the beach all winter long.
water just makes me happy. i never thought of doing anything in the water but swim and play and dive and jump. hmmm.....i was happy like that? i always wanted to sail. i did it with friends when i was really young....i still remember that unbelievable moment...that ahhhhh! feeling....that rush.....having the wind in my face and pulling lines trying to help. i loved the wind and the water and the boat and the fun.
years later, i was on a sailboat with my friend, patti....and her husband, david....we were out sailing on the long island sound. it was that same feeling. i still remember the wind changing at about 3 pm....that day,david said the wind always changes around 3.....now that i can sail, i think of david every time we're checking the wind mid afternoon. i was also out on the boat with david when patti suggested i race with him....and 2 others...he needed crew. patti was getting her hair cut...or so she said.
that day, i went out on the 23' sailboat with 3 guys....david was the skipper. here i was...with my friend's relatively new husband...we're in a race....i had never been in a race...i just loved to be on a sailboat and would do anything asked of me....just to be a part of it.
i thought..."what a nice guy, that david....my friend married a great guy." so, i'm out on this boat...i'm loving life...i'm thinking .."wow! this is where i'm meant to be. i love life!" just then, david, the nice guy turned into captain hook...the race had begun...david had begun "pull the line...uncleat that...cleat that...move over...**&^...watch out...@&@#... WATCH OUT FOR THE BOOM!" *@&%....o.k. here we go....
to this day, i don't know if we won, came in 2nd or if we placed...it was unbelievable....just unbelievable.
we all got off the boat. patti was there to greet us. we all shared stories. unbelievable. patti wanted to know how i liked it..."how was david?" ...i said,"wow! he turned into ahab out there! that was intense! he was cursing like a sailor! wow! and now he's back to david." patti said, "i know...that's why i didn't go." "HAH!" i said.
you'd think i'd never want to sail again. wow...all of that yelling, being yelled at and pushing and wind and water... and pulling lines...I LOVED IT! and i couldn't wait to do it again. by the way, i have another friend with an endearing name for her husband when he's racing...."boatman"....he takes on a new personality when he races....we all check in with him to see if he's having a "boatman" day.
oh, i also ran in some 10ks for a time...i loved running...it made me feel great...i loved being in such great shape. i loved the runners high. a friend and i saw a sign for a road race in bridgehampton, on long island...i said,"how long is a 10k?" my friend answered,"oh,probably about what you run...you know...about 3 or 4 miles." great. i was signing up.
off i went to the race early one summer morning. i got to the race...ready to run...all set...go! half way through the potato fields and by the ocean road...i was feeling kinda tired....i asked a man next to me how much longer...it didn't make sense. it didn't add up. i asked how long 10k was....it was 6.2 miles! i finished. i was proud. i ran in all kinds of races after that.
i trained for the new york marathon after we had grace and t.j. i was determined. i trained for months....we were new in town so biff would make maps for me ...i would carry frozen water with me...it would melt as i ran. it kept me cool on very hot summer days. i loved it. i got up to 14.9 miles. i loved it.
then, something happened...i panicked....i didn't think i could do it....i didn't know anyone else running. i would be alone...what if? what if...." yup. i didn't run in the marathon. i'll never know. i went to bed at night, saying to biff..."i can't believe i didn't do it...why didn't i do it?" i was making myself crazy....and then, biff said, "you ran 14.9 miles when you trained....when in your life have you ever run that far?" he put it into perspective. i was 40 years old....i had run 14.9 miles. i was proud. i let it go. i was just proud that i tried...i don't even know if it matters now. i guess it would be great to say i did it....now, i look back and say...."i did 14.9 miles." and i'm happy. with a husband and two small kiddies, that was an accomplishment in itself to even get the time to train."
and i still ride may bike with biff for miles and miles. i run sometimes. i hike. i walk the dogs at the beach...on the road....i move. i still swim...i love swimming...i love the rythym that takes over. i just do lotsa stuff.
i guess it's o.k. i'm not even a competitive mom. some moms used to brag about their babies' naps, molars and toys. i don't go there. i love my kids. i just don't go there. i'm proud of my kids. i just don't get competitive about it.
i keep my own score...with myself. i try to assess every day if i did something better than before...i work to do a little better. i try to be aware of how i do, how much effort i put into any given thing. is that competitive?
so, are my kids competitive. sometimes. they seem to love what they do. they seem to have fun, too. they have tried lots of things. they just keep trying out new things. i like that.
we all like sailing...the kids have done lots of racing. they have fun...they want to win. sometimes they do ...sometimes they don't...life goes on.....and they do lots of things...and they have lots of friends...and they love music....girl stuff....boy stuff....and they do things they like.
i love sailing...so does biff. i keep trying to get better. so does biff. the kids are great sailors. we keep trying. biff and i have raced too. we have done our best. we have never come in 2st or 2nd or 3rd or...........but, we're happy!
simple things together.
hi! it's friday and i'm happy to say that after school today vacation begins. next week is our winter vacation. it reminds me that spring is coming.
yesterday was my niece's birthday. she turned 26. it's her birthday that seems to be my marker for spring....the sky is lighter, the days are a bit longer and milder.....the day will come....spring is on it's way. it's her birthday... how does time fly? it seems like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time. i always remember the day as a big event in my life....because the joy of a new baby is like no other. this new little creation was the first baby in our family since i was born! o.k.....it's not all about me....well...maybe it's kind of about me....but it's really about how exciting that day was for me!
i had slept over marybeth's up on 85th street in new york...where i lived at the time. we had made plans to do something on saturday but when the phone rang at about 7:30 a.m., the plans changed instantly. it was my mom...calling me to let me know that claire had been born! we were both so excited, we were squealing with joy! marybeth began jumping for joy!
who knew how much my life would change all because of this new little gift to our family. i talked to my brother, the new dad, he was as giddy as a 6'4" guy could get...he was stammering..."she's beautiful..her name is "claire".....she's just beautiful...she's pink!" i told him i'd be getting a train out to see her. they were living in our hometown...on long island...i could be there by lunch.
meanwhile, marybeth and i went to breakfast....just amazed to think that i had just become "an aunt"....we talked about what little gift i could bring....to the baby ....and my sister in law! any opportunity to shop! i went to a great upper eastside bookstore next door to the diner....i looked for a children's book with the name "claire"....the sweet name of the new baby.
i couldn't find a book...i didn't have time to "shop"...i had to make a dash to penn station, to get out to manhasset, to see that new baby. my brother's girlfriend (not the one who had the baby!) picked me up at the train...we had lunch....and went to the hospital to see claire and her mom. i hadn't been able to find any gift but a little balloon that said,"it's a girl".....not a balloon on a string...a balloon on a stick....meant to go in a bouquet. hey, it's the thought!
we got to the hosppital. i was beside my self...i couldn't wait....we stopped to see carla, the new mom. i stood with tears in my eyes....and my stick balloon! we hugged....and then i was off to see the baby. i saw her in her incubator...her deluxe suite, i called it.....i had charlie brown tears streaming out of my eyes! she was beautiful. i saw my brother...and i cried some more. i was so happy to have this baby added to our family!
well, who ever could have known how she would change our lives. a sweet little girl that gave us so much....she brought laughter and sweetness and awe like nobody else could! my sister in law was so sharing with her....that was another gift....she shared this little gift with us. she let me rent her out and take little road trips to the city, to museums, to the beach, to the movies. she made life more fun. it was the first time in my life that i got to see, first hand, through a child's eyes.
she prepared me for motherhood....kind of. except, with her, i was the fun aunt....auntie mame. my kids don't see me that way....they get some of that fun and that spirit.....it's just that i have to add discipline to the mix....that just changes things a bit.
sometimes in life, it's the simple things that make the connection. here are some of the things that happened with claire that made her laugh and still laugh today:
try on size 14 men's sneakers in the shoe store.
try on high heels, silver with 5"heels and pretend to buy them!
drive in the car pretending that there are zoo animals in the backseat with her.
buy her a pretzel and a drink and sit on the steps of the metropolitan museum of art.
go on the carousel in central park.
dive to the beach with burt and ernie....bert and ernie picking out a beach house.
having her scared of a thunder storm, running to my jetta and finding the sunroof open.
eating ice cream together and sitting on the curb.
walking through f.a.o.schwartz, not buying anything, having the "welcome to our world" embedded in our heads for the rest of our lives.
visiting her in college with our kids and blasting "broadway kids" c.d. in our mini van on our way home from dinner.
taking her on a ski trip with biff and i....telling our own scary stories while driving home....each one of us adding a sentence.
stopping at my college in the snow....taking a tray from the cafeteria....and teaching her how to use the tray as a sled.....having her land in 4" of mud and melted snow and cry.....so, to make her feel better, i went down the hill behind her and made my own big, muddy splash! she stopped crying.
having her sleep over, letting her have a soft place to sleep with me sleeping on the floor....waking up under a billowing geen plant.
lying down on our bed with our heads upside down and making upside down faces with our upside down mouths...drawing mustaches and eyeballs.
baking cookies
taking her to the zoo in new york city and finding out tthat we were in the petting zoo with bunnies and all she wanted was a monkey or a giraffe.
riding on a major roller coaster with her when she was five and i was screaming,"I LOVE YOU CLAIRE!"....because i thought we were going to die.
showing her nice boyfriend pictures of her when she was a little kid.
visiting "gramma" in the hospital and having no token to get out of the parking lot.....so we rolled over the grass....we paid the hospital on the next trip.
when a light bulb popped out of my first new car as we drove over a bump in the road.
these are some of the highlights of our days together. just the little things....just time....just simple....just fun! no matter what age, i'm a big believer in giving time....cuz really that's all we have.....time to share. i don't really remember the stuff i've given her....it's broken or lost or just gone.....it's the times we remember!
now the kids are home from school. vacation has officially begun....i'd like to spend some time with our kids........ have fun and just do some of the simple things together.
yesterday was my niece's birthday. she turned 26. it's her birthday that seems to be my marker for spring....the sky is lighter, the days are a bit longer and milder.....the day will come....spring is on it's way. it's her birthday... how does time fly? it seems like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time. i always remember the day as a big event in my life....because the joy of a new baby is like no other. this new little creation was the first baby in our family since i was born! o.k.....it's not all about me....well...maybe it's kind of about me....but it's really about how exciting that day was for me!
i had slept over marybeth's up on 85th street in new york...where i lived at the time. we had made plans to do something on saturday but when the phone rang at about 7:30 a.m., the plans changed instantly. it was my mom...calling me to let me know that claire had been born! we were both so excited, we were squealing with joy! marybeth began jumping for joy!
who knew how much my life would change all because of this new little gift to our family. i talked to my brother, the new dad, he was as giddy as a 6'4" guy could get...he was stammering..."she's beautiful..her name is "claire".....she's just beautiful...she's pink!" i told him i'd be getting a train out to see her. they were living in our hometown...on long island...i could be there by lunch.
meanwhile, marybeth and i went to breakfast....just amazed to think that i had just become "an aunt"....we talked about what little gift i could bring....to the baby ....and my sister in law! any opportunity to shop! i went to a great upper eastside bookstore next door to the diner....i looked for a children's book with the name "claire"....the sweet name of the new baby.
i couldn't find a book...i didn't have time to "shop"...i had to make a dash to penn station, to get out to manhasset, to see that new baby. my brother's girlfriend (not the one who had the baby!) picked me up at the train...we had lunch....and went to the hospital to see claire and her mom. i hadn't been able to find any gift but a little balloon that said,"it's a girl".....not a balloon on a string...a balloon on a stick....meant to go in a bouquet. hey, it's the thought!
we got to the hosppital. i was beside my self...i couldn't wait....we stopped to see carla, the new mom. i stood with tears in my eyes....and my stick balloon! we hugged....and then i was off to see the baby. i saw her in her incubator...her deluxe suite, i called it.....i had charlie brown tears streaming out of my eyes! she was beautiful. i saw my brother...and i cried some more. i was so happy to have this baby added to our family!
well, who ever could have known how she would change our lives. a sweet little girl that gave us so much....she brought laughter and sweetness and awe like nobody else could! my sister in law was so sharing with her....that was another gift....she shared this little gift with us. she let me rent her out and take little road trips to the city, to museums, to the beach, to the movies. she made life more fun. it was the first time in my life that i got to see, first hand, through a child's eyes.
she prepared me for motherhood....kind of. except, with her, i was the fun aunt....auntie mame. my kids don't see me that way....they get some of that fun and that spirit.....it's just that i have to add discipline to the mix....that just changes things a bit.
sometimes in life, it's the simple things that make the connection. here are some of the things that happened with claire that made her laugh and still laugh today:
try on size 14 men's sneakers in the shoe store.
try on high heels, silver with 5"heels and pretend to buy them!
drive in the car pretending that there are zoo animals in the backseat with her.
buy her a pretzel and a drink and sit on the steps of the metropolitan museum of art.
go on the carousel in central park.
dive to the beach with burt and ernie....bert and ernie picking out a beach house.
having her scared of a thunder storm, running to my jetta and finding the sunroof open.
eating ice cream together and sitting on the curb.
walking through f.a.o.schwartz, not buying anything, having the "welcome to our world" embedded in our heads for the rest of our lives.
visiting her in college with our kids and blasting "broadway kids" c.d. in our mini van on our way home from dinner.
taking her on a ski trip with biff and i....telling our own scary stories while driving home....each one of us adding a sentence.
stopping at my college in the snow....taking a tray from the cafeteria....and teaching her how to use the tray as a sled.....having her land in 4" of mud and melted snow and cry.....so, to make her feel better, i went down the hill behind her and made my own big, muddy splash! she stopped crying.
having her sleep over, letting her have a soft place to sleep with me sleeping on the floor....waking up under a billowing geen plant.
lying down on our bed with our heads upside down and making upside down faces with our upside down mouths...drawing mustaches and eyeballs.
baking cookies
taking her to the zoo in new york city and finding out tthat we were in the petting zoo with bunnies and all she wanted was a monkey or a giraffe.
riding on a major roller coaster with her when she was five and i was screaming,"I LOVE YOU CLAIRE!"....because i thought we were going to die.
showing her nice boyfriend pictures of her when she was a little kid.
visiting "gramma" in the hospital and having no token to get out of the parking lot.....so we rolled over the grass....we paid the hospital on the next trip.
when a light bulb popped out of my first new car as we drove over a bump in the road.
these are some of the highlights of our days together. just the little things....just time....just simple....just fun! no matter what age, i'm a big believer in giving time....cuz really that's all we have.....time to share. i don't really remember the stuff i've given her....it's broken or lost or just gone.....it's the times we remember!
now the kids are home from school. vacation has officially begun....i'd like to spend some time with our kids........ have fun and just do some of the simple things together.
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
we had this song as our last dance at our wedding....i feel like it applies to everyday and every celebration in our lives.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
stopping by!
biff's home! grace was home sick today with a rasory sore throat. in case you're counting, i have had 5 days of the last 9 school days with either grace or t.j. sick...i guess for all of the years that they had no school absentees,we are now making up for that!
meanwhile grace has been having a very hard time keeping up with her spanish work...she had mono the first semester which was the cause of her loss of momentum. we thought by now, she would be pushing ahead.
she and t.j. have both been blessed with a good ear for language. grace has alwayss been curious about people from other countries. tonight, sh talked with me about her class and her options with her teacher. it's hard to be a parent...when we encourage, they hear criticism. when we believe in them, they doubt us and themselves.
when they were younger, they knew that the work they did and the effort put into work had payoff. now, it seems when our kids trip and fall once or twice, they have a hard time picking themself up, dusting themselves off and starting all over again.
i know that i've been discouraged. i understand her frustration. it's very hard to learn tenses in spanish...when they just don't make sense....i look now and see how logical the tenses are...but, they make me tense!
as the mom, i want to jump in and save my sweet girl from drowning. she is now in over her head. i know she's smart enough. i know she is a very determined 15 yeaar old! i know that being 14 and in the first year of high school is very big! there is so much to learn.
this is oh so new to me. i have never had to work on this problem. it's been a blessing to see them work hard and be rewarded with good grades. this year, there are more distractions. some kids have a harder time keeping up with the workload...i don't think thatt;s her problem....i think she is used to good grades just by working. it takes alot more work now.
easier said than done! i am here to help. i am willing and ready...... and somewhat able.
tonight we talked and talked ...her frustration level is 10 out of 10....i want her to understand her teacher is ready and on call to help. he believes in her too.
i asked biff to review some spanish with grace tonight....i think everyone is tired of my voice since we've had so much togetherness lately.
t.j.sat doing his homework...history...writing....and this year he loves history and the teacher. that helps him to plow through the work.
grace loves her teacher...she feel bad to disappoint the teacher. she feels like giving up ....i've never seen this before. it makes me sad to see grace feeling so overwhelmed...i know being a good student matters to her...she just doesn't know how to get back on track.
this is one frustrating time...for me, for grace, for griff....we haven'[t had this happen in our parenting years...until now...it's our latest conundrum. we have to learn how to help.....or how to help the best way for grace.
i'm so tired my eyes are closing. i have to take the dogs out and get to sleep. biff got home from buffalo/canada tonight. i'm grateful to have a partner who backs me up and helps me to do our best...and reming me that this too shall passs. i know it but, just like grace and t.j., it's hard to imagine...even when i believe in them.
fitzy is breathing on me. daisy is sleeping. i ran them hard in the woods this morning with snow up to their chests. i was clomping the whole way through...enjoying the winter wonderland. i forgot my camera. i almost went back...but i decided to just walk the trails, enjoying the beauty and quiet....especially when my mind is so busy solving the world's problems. i can't fix everything to keep our kids in a bubble. i can do my best...and help the kids do their best...and pray! good night! thanks for stopping by!
meanwhile grace has been having a very hard time keeping up with her spanish work...she had mono the first semester which was the cause of her loss of momentum. we thought by now, she would be pushing ahead.
she and t.j. have both been blessed with a good ear for language. grace has alwayss been curious about people from other countries. tonight, sh talked with me about her class and her options with her teacher. it's hard to be a parent...when we encourage, they hear criticism. when we believe in them, they doubt us and themselves.
when they were younger, they knew that the work they did and the effort put into work had payoff. now, it seems when our kids trip and fall once or twice, they have a hard time picking themself up, dusting themselves off and starting all over again.
i know that i've been discouraged. i understand her frustration. it's very hard to learn tenses in spanish...when they just don't make sense....i look now and see how logical the tenses are...but, they make me tense!
as the mom, i want to jump in and save my sweet girl from drowning. she is now in over her head. i know she's smart enough. i know she is a very determined 15 yeaar old! i know that being 14 and in the first year of high school is very big! there is so much to learn.
this is oh so new to me. i have never had to work on this problem. it's been a blessing to see them work hard and be rewarded with good grades. this year, there are more distractions. some kids have a harder time keeping up with the workload...i don't think thatt;s her problem....i think she is used to good grades just by working. it takes alot more work now.
easier said than done! i am here to help. i am willing and ready...... and somewhat able.
tonight we talked and talked ...her frustration level is 10 out of 10....i want her to understand her teacher is ready and on call to help. he believes in her too.
i asked biff to review some spanish with grace tonight....i think everyone is tired of my voice since we've had so much togetherness lately.
t.j.sat doing his homework...history...writing....and this year he loves history and the teacher. that helps him to plow through the work.
grace loves her teacher...she feel bad to disappoint the teacher. she feels like giving up ....i've never seen this before. it makes me sad to see grace feeling so overwhelmed...i know being a good student matters to her...she just doesn't know how to get back on track.
this is one frustrating time...for me, for grace, for griff....we haven'[t had this happen in our parenting years...until now...it's our latest conundrum. we have to learn how to help.....or how to help the best way for grace.
i'm so tired my eyes are closing. i have to take the dogs out and get to sleep. biff got home from buffalo/canada tonight. i'm grateful to have a partner who backs me up and helps me to do our best...and reming me that this too shall passs. i know it but, just like grace and t.j., it's hard to imagine...even when i believe in them.
fitzy is breathing on me. daisy is sleeping. i ran them hard in the woods this morning with snow up to their chests. i was clomping the whole way through...enjoying the winter wonderland. i forgot my camera. i almost went back...but i decided to just walk the trails, enjoying the beauty and quiet....especially when my mind is so busy solving the world's problems. i can't fix everything to keep our kids in a bubble. i can do my best...and help the kids do their best...and pray! good night! thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
aren't they all?
before i go to sleep, i must make note of a few little things that were not quite in my "daydream snowday".....
as the saying goes," if you want to make God laugh, just tell him your plans!"
i planned a nice quiet morning, waking up before the kids....i thought i'd have my "maxwell house moment"....that's what i call the dream cup of delicious coffee...that perfect cup.....a quiet moment....a reflective moment....and that sip of coffee heated to perfection and the perfect color....just the right amount of milk. just that one sip, if not the whole cup, if i have one sip that allows me a quiet moment to gather my thoughts.......then the whole day follows with ease.
and some days, i make a cup of coffee in the keurig(http://www.keurig.com/company.asp)......i have it in a cup that i like.....buying just the right mug is another issue, size, pattern, color, handle, lip.....it gets very complex juat picking the mug...which reminds me, i'd love to get some new matching mugs because the ones i have now are just a tad too big and too muggy at the lip.......they are muggy more than cuppy.....it matters....to me. i know i'm scary. biff knows it too! he loves me anyway! he embraces my peccadillos....or was that enables them? anyway, he makes me the perfect cup of coffee considering that he likes his coffee black, at any temperature. ya know, sometimes i make a cup of coffee in the right mug, pour in some milk to get just the right color.....i may have gone one spilsh too far...(are you wondering about the spilsh thing...it's kind of a spill and a splash)......and the cup of perfection must be touched up in the microwave.
and you think it's easy! once the coffee goes into the microwave it has the possibility of being a tad tainted.....by some gamma sooopa dooopa rays.....meaning that sometimes i imagine that with allof the microwaving we do, will sometime turn our world green.
i know that might not take place today but depending on the day, i am sometimes mildly suspicious.....and no! they don't put things in my coffee to make me this way!
back to the perfect cup.....oh! ....i forgot!....and that's exactly what happens.....we go out and we buy the keurig, the great coffee, we store the coffee in the freezer instead of one of those cute tins on the counter......we make the coffee in the perfectly delightful mug .......and,"mom, where are my ski pants.....oh! they're out in the car with my gear from ski bus!"
i'll get one outrageously perfect hot maxwell house cup to my lips and "woof,woof,woof"...."ding dong"...."ring, ring, ring" and "meow, meow".....the fish never really causes much of a stir relating to my coffee......unless he's in it.....or....d-e-a-d.....dead. thankfully it's never been both!
so, today was a comedy of errors or just life.......here are some of the things that were not as i expected....
the maxwell house moment with my own coffee.
having the kids come with me to walk the dogs in the woods, in the snow.....o.k. that was ten years ago...maybe even four years ago they might have come......i know, but i can wish.
the roaring fire on the day of the fierce blizzard was an"epic fail", as grace and t.j. say....from the moment i stacked the wood, crumpled the newspaper, put in some kindling and the cheater stick, the fire helper block....and lit the match.....i knew i was having bad fire karma....and i did.....t.j. was right there to tell me what i was doing wrong...he wanted to help.....you know the rest of the ugly story......"i - know - how - to - make - a -fire ------ do - you - know - how -many - fires - that - i - have - made - in - my - life-----just - because - dad - is - not- here - does - not - mean - that - i cannot - light - this - fire!"......o.k. not one of my better moments....especially when t.j. said something that i have myself said to my children.....ready! here goes! he said,"mom! (hear his exasperation, see my perspiration) i can't believe how deliberate you seem to be.....it's like you refuse any help? why do you do this?"......o.k., i'm ashamed of myself....especially now that i see this in writing....and since i'm the one always saying...."never be too proud to ask for help!"
i had all of the best cozy food in the house....but the way the tim y wanted what he could not have....out of principle..."A SNOW DAY".....he wanted me to drive to town to "BUY" a subway sub for dinner. and here we were in our un-cozy-home-with-no fire-in-the-fireplace-no-cozy-food-in-the-oven! ....and we were all bothered by then! ahhhhhh....comfort! ahhhh! home!
we did have a very nice dinner together. we did have some nice conversation and laughter.
then i had some reluctant help in the kitchen......but they did help...and they are good kids....i'm reminding myself....they are good kids....i'm reminding....
i was applying some special groovy, earth conscious, granola, peaceful aloe natural......au natural.........to fitz's sore ears.....she loved it .....until......she didn't!
i was taking fitzy and daisy out in the snow.....just as we got to the door.....fitz started galloping across the lawn and she was gone in a white haze.......i whistled....i called her name....i did that two finger LOUD whistle......and the winds were blowing and daisy was hunting for her and i was searching.......i decided to drive down the driveway....and up the driveway....and down the driveway.........and daisy came herding fitzy to me.......lassie had come home! ahhhhh a relaxing snow day!
i was all set to put the movie in....we had eaten....i certainly had some exercise.....and the kids....oh! no! they did not want to watch a d.v.d! they had other things to do......and then they needed showers....and t.j. said he had reading for school!....o.k. not a d..v.d.
they went to sleep. i took out the julie and julia d.v.d......and.....i could not make it work. i could not turn it on...i could not get the d.v.d. to accept it.....
my phone rang....it was biff. he wanted to hear all about the nice snowday we had! it's a loooooong story! aren't they all!
i planned a nice quiet morning, waking up before the kids....i thought i'd have my "maxwell house moment"....that's what i call the dream cup of delicious coffee...that perfect cup.....a quiet moment....a reflective moment....and that sip of coffee heated to perfection and the perfect color....just the right amount of milk. just that one sip, if not the whole cup, if i have one sip that allows me a quiet moment to gather my thoughts.......then the whole day follows with ease.
and some days, i make a cup of coffee in the keurig(http://www.keurig.com/company.asp)......i have it in a cup that i like.....buying just the right mug is another issue, size, pattern, color, handle, lip.....it gets very complex juat picking the mug...which reminds me, i'd love to get some new matching mugs because the ones i have now are just a tad too big and too muggy at the lip.......they are muggy more than cuppy.....it matters....to me. i know i'm scary. biff knows it too! he loves me anyway! he embraces my peccadillos....or was that enables them? anyway, he makes me the perfect cup of coffee considering that he likes his coffee black, at any temperature. ya know, sometimes i make a cup of coffee in the right mug, pour in some milk to get just the right color.....i may have gone one spilsh too far...(are you wondering about the spilsh thing...it's kind of a spill and a splash)......and the cup of perfection must be touched up in the microwave.
and you think it's easy! once the coffee goes into the microwave it has the possibility of being a tad tainted.....by some gamma sooopa dooopa rays.....meaning that sometimes i imagine that with allof the microwaving we do, will sometime turn our world green.i know that might not take place today but depending on the day, i am sometimes mildly suspicious.....and no! they don't put things in my coffee to make me this way!
back to the perfect cup.....oh! ....i forgot!....and that's exactly what happens.....we go out and we buy the keurig, the great coffee, we store the coffee in the freezer instead of one of those cute tins on the counter......we make the coffee in the perfectly delightful mug .......and,"mom, where are my ski pants.....oh! they're out in the car with my gear from ski bus!"i'll get one outrageously perfect hot maxwell house cup to my lips and "woof,woof,woof"...."ding dong"...."ring, ring, ring" and "meow, meow".....the fish never really causes much of a stir relating to my coffee......unless he's in it.....or....d-e-a-d.....dead. thankfully it's never been both!
so, today was a comedy of errors or just life.......here are some of the things that were not as i expected....
the maxwell house moment with my own coffee.
having the kids come with me to walk the dogs in the woods, in the snow.....o.k. that was ten years ago...maybe even four years ago they might have come......i know, but i can wish.
the roaring fire on the day of the fierce blizzard was an"epic fail", as grace and t.j. say....from the moment i stacked the wood, crumpled the newspaper, put in some kindling and the cheater stick, the fire helper block....and lit the match.....i knew i was having bad fire karma....and i did.....t.j. was right there to tell me what i was doing wrong...he wanted to help.....you know the rest of the ugly story......"i - know - how - to - make - a -fire ------ do - you - know - how -many - fires - that - i - have - made - in - my - life-----just - because - dad - is - not- here - does - not - mean - that - i cannot - light - this - fire!"......o.k. not one of my better moments....especially when t.j. said something that i have myself said to my children.....ready! here goes! he said,"mom! (hear his exasperation, see my perspiration) i can't believe how deliberate you seem to be.....it's like you refuse any help? why do you do this?"......o.k., i'm ashamed of myself....especially now that i see this in writing....and since i'm the one always saying...."never be too proud to ask for help!"i had all of the best cozy food in the house....but the way the tim y wanted what he could not have....out of principle..."A SNOW DAY".....he wanted me to drive to town to "BUY" a subway sub for dinner. and here we were in our un-cozy-home-with-no fire-in-the-fireplace-no-cozy-food-in-the-oven! ....and we were all bothered by then! ahhhhhh....comfort! ahhhh! home!
we did have a very nice dinner together. we did have some nice conversation and laughter.then i had some reluctant help in the kitchen......but they did help...and they are good kids....i'm reminding myself....they are good kids....i'm reminding....
i was applying some special groovy, earth conscious, granola, peaceful aloe natural......au natural.........to fitz's sore ears.....she loved it .....until......she didn't!
i was taking fitzy and daisy out in the snow.....just as we got to the door.....fitz started galloping across the lawn and she was gone in a white haze.......i whistled....i called her name....i did that two finger LOUD whistle......and the winds were blowing and daisy was hunting for her and i was searching.......i decided to drive down the driveway....and up the driveway....and down the driveway.........and daisy came herding fitzy to me.......lassie had come home! ahhhhh a relaxing snow day!
i was all set to put the movie in....we had eaten....i certainly had some exercise.....and the kids....oh! no! they did not want to watch a d.v.d! they had other things to do......and then they needed showers....and t.j. said he had reading for school!....o.k. not a d..v.d.
they went to sleep. i took out the julie and julia d.v.d......and.....i could not make it work. i could not turn it on...i could not get the d.v.d. to accept it.....
my phone rang....it was biff. he wanted to hear all about the nice snowday we had! it's a loooooong story! aren't they all!
very grateful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt-l1liNjk0so now that our little blizzard is over?...and grace and t.j. have gone to sleep, i've had some time to sit down and reflect on this day..........since schools have a 90 minute delay in the
morning, i'm just going to write down a few thoughts.
i love my kids everyday....even though sometimes they can't ever understand how much. i'm grateful that they are such good and loving kids.....even though they don't like me to tell them that. they are so beautiful inside and out....they have good heads on their shoulders....they think things through...they are smart even though they don't think that they are....they choose really nice friends.....they have respect for all kinds of different people....they repect the sense of family even if sometimes we make them crazy......they are both really kind to others in
different ways....
i feel very blessed to have these kids....even though they don't like me to remind them that there are dishes in the sink.
i feel blessed to live in a happy home...where we laugh and listen to each other.
i feel blessed that t.j.and grace get along so well.....really!...except for when they don't.....and i know that they will come back together after some of their teen stuff....just because they have been so, so close for their whole lives. i see the way they are together at the end of the day and it's just them.....they are blessed to have each other.
i feel blessed to live in a place where we share so many nice friends.
i feel blessed that we live or try to live kind of healthy lives.
i feel blessed that our children have had so many great teachers along the way.
i feel blessed that our kids share our sense of humor even though they don[t always like to admit it.
i feel blessed that we have sweet animals in our home.
i feel blessed that our kids can welcome friends into their home whenever they like....even though we're not perfect!
i feel blessed that we're honest enough to know that we don't have to pretend that we're perfect.
i feel blessed that our kids dare to ask questions of us....and that they share it when they don't agree with us....and that they are honest and open about what bothers them.....even though it's sometimes hard to hear.
i feel blessed that i have found how happy it makes me to write. i have always been blessed with my own artistic talent....that has healed me in many ways throughout my life.....writing, i have always loved and now i have found a place to write for me.....no matter who reads it, i'm happy to be writing and sharing.
i feel blessed to have so many great friends in my life. as funny as it sounds, i realize i am grateful for facebook....for keeping me in touch with so many people who i enjoy!
i feel blessed to share some pretty wonderful days and nights with my husband, who makes me laugh. everyday he makes me laugh....and we laugh together no matter how hard it gets!
i feel blessed to have so many people in my life who have been there for me to help me through some of the worst days of my life.
i feel blessed to live a life for our family that we consciously try to keep as uncomplicated as possible.....even though life gets complicated.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt-l1liNjk0
i feel blessed that my husband and i have made the choices we have along the way.
i just feel blessed.
and grateful.
very grateful!
morning, i'm just going to write down a few thoughts.
i love my kids everyday....even though sometimes they can't ever understand how much. i'm grateful that they are such good and loving kids.....even though they don't like me to tell them that. they are so beautiful inside and out....they have good heads on their shoulders....they think things through...they are smart even though they don't think that they are....they choose really nice friends.....they have respect for all kinds of different people....they repect the sense of family even if sometimes we make them crazy......they are both really kind to others in
different ways....
i feel very blessed to have these kids....even though they don't like me to remind them that there are dishes in the sink.
i feel blessed to live in a happy home...where we laugh and listen to each other.
i feel blessed that t.j.and grace get along so well.....really!...except for when they don't.....and i know that they will come back together after some of their teen stuff....just because they have been so, so close for their whole lives. i see the way they are together at the end of the day and it's just them.....they are blessed to have each other.
i feel blessed to live in a place where we share so many nice friends.
i feel blessed that we live or try to live kind of healthy lives.
i feel blessed that our children have had so many great teachers along the way.
i feel blessed that our kids share our sense of humor even though they don[t always like to admit it.
i feel blessed that we have sweet animals in our home.
i feel blessed that our kids can welcome friends into their home whenever they like....even though we're not perfect!
i feel blessed that we're honest enough to know that we don't have to pretend that we're perfect.
i feel blessed that our kids dare to ask questions of us....and that they share it when they don't agree with us....and that they are honest and open about what bothers them.....even though it's sometimes hard to hear.
i feel blessed that i have found how happy it makes me to write. i have always been blessed with my own artistic talent....that has healed me in many ways throughout my life.....writing, i have always loved and now i have found a place to write for me.....no matter who reads it, i'm happy to be writing and sharing.
i feel blessed to have so many great friends in my life. as funny as it sounds, i realize i am grateful for facebook....for keeping me in touch with so many people who i enjoy!
i feel blessed to share some pretty wonderful days and nights with my husband, who makes me laugh. everyday he makes me laugh....and we laugh together no matter how hard it gets!
i feel blessed to have so many people in my life who have been there for me to help me through some of the worst days of my life.
i feel blessed to live a life for our family that we consciously try to keep as uncomplicated as possible.....even though life gets complicated.(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt-l1liNjk0
i feel blessed that my husband and i have made the choices we have along the way.
i just feel blessed.
and grateful.
very grateful!
more weather!
the snow is here. does it seem like that's all i ever talk about? yes. it seems that's all anyone in the northeast talks about lately....actually, everyone in the midwest has always talked about weather ....oh, and the mid-atlantic states are all talking about weather too! and then there are the people in the south....thy like to watch the weather on television...just to gloat....and see what they're missing! unless it's september....then they're the ones taping up windows for the hurricanes! of course, the california surfer dudes and movie stars have weather issues too......it affects their bleached naturally in the sun or professionally....i'm assuming that the surfers get naturally bleached blonde.....but who knows these days. oh, and then there's seattle...rain, rain, all year long! and we have the dry states in some places like new mexico......and oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.weather. we all talk about it! i went to the grocery store last night, before i picked up t.j. at his ski bus. i was concerned that by then it would be sold out of milk, bread and who knows what. i was hoping that there would be chocolate chip cookie mix....now, that's crucial on a snow day! as i strolled through the aisles, i looked at what people were buying....some had grocery carts full of chips and salsa and cheeses and hamburger and they seemed to be preparing for a super bowl party, some were buying soups and stew type meats, they appeared to be hunkering in to cook some cozy dinners for the rest of the winter, others were laiden with gallons of milk and juice of every variety, an elderly couple carried a small container of milk and english muffins.....and there i was, a stereotype with 3 gallons of milk which we needed anyway, waffles, popcorn, hamburger for meatloaf and some tacos, chocolate chip cookie mix and some butter....for the cookies. and the milk is for the cookies too. halfway through stop and shop, i saw a friend...we talked about the weather....her husband had just called to let her know school would be canceled. i trusted his word....he's a police officer in town! woo hoo! they called it the night before! relief! life is good!
after checking out, i realized that i should stop and get a couple of redbox (http://www.redbox.com/?cid=PS:Google:Redbox:BrandKeywordsGeneralOpt:redbox:376&cid=4059664465&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=redbox&utm_campaign=Redbox&tracking_ID=7261bc0f-d35f-8f69-4bb4-000037441fad) movies. i finally got julie and julia(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YybhuBmzhvA) and duplicity(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py5Iyz0_0aA). that's where i bumped into another friend who was coming to pick up some tidbits to make a pie.
did i mention that i left my whole order at stop and shop to go pick up t.j.....the ski bus had arrived. i dropped him at home to shower and i drove back to stop and shop to collect the groceries that they were nice enough to hold for me! i guess i should have thought ahead and used peapod by stop and shop...(http://www.peapod.com/?001=3144&002=33&003=1&004=&005=&006=10122)
when i stopped at the library earlier in the day, i was paying the debt for the family wing and the librarian, a photographer and writer shared photography blog with me....(http://www.cjpphotos.blogspot.com/)...i decided to tryout some of their d.v.d.s.....just in case! i like to prepare...just in case of stircraziness....it doesn't usually happen.....when i'm prepared. people at the library were not talking about weather
these are the movies that i got ..............
a fish called wanda(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqAJUlSRCwo)
envy....(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTTqmmR5FZk)
phoebe in wonderland(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZA6APB-TMc)
so far today....
i have brewed delicious coffee from my favorite farm in old lyme....they have a delicious variety with clever names (http://www.farmcoffee.com/). yesterday, i bought the obama blend to mail to our very democratic friends! i buy farm blend for us. i have just tried their "organic mexico" which is "rich, balanced and straightforward"..is that the coffee, or the people who buy it?!
i have been treated to delicious chocolate chip cookies baked by grace.
i have walked the dogs for a beautiful walk in the woods.....the long route with the camera.
i've talked on the phone to a few friends...about their weather.
we've had grace's friend over to sled.
i've carried in some chopped wood to make a nice fire....i'm expecting some help from t.j. and grace.
we've heard from biff....who will be spending the night in buffalo! with one of the other guys he works with. we all laughed because they deserve each other....they both snore!
and the regular stuff....laundry, dishwasher etc.
not much going on here.....just more weather!
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