Sunday, March 28, 2010

just sayin'

this is my blog. it has been so much fun writing.  i have spent time writing and having fun with photos.  i know there are many blogs out there with very specific topics....very specific for people to get just the information they desire. there are family blogs...art blogs.... about blog blogs...exercise blogs...shopping blogs....movie blogs....dog blogs....infinity and beyond blogs.

and then there's me.  just a bunch of  stuff...just some day to day stuff....what's going on with a wife, a mom, a dog "owner", a cat "owner" a friend, a sister, an aunt, a daughter in law, a sister in law, a shopper, a mom who's trying to bring up our kids...with the help of a great husband. i'm a woman who's pretty happy in my life. 
i'm grateful, passionate about lots of people, places and things.  i'm always honest.....i "go direct" these days.  i don't have the time to talk behind people's backs.  if i have something to say about someone, it's usually something that i'm sure i've said to the person i'm talking about!

how could i deem myself the one to judge!  besides, most of my time is spent judging myself and how i'm doing ....as a wife, a mom, a friend.....a dog "owner" and how the dogs see me...do i walk them enough...do i give them enough time....
you can only imagine how i do that as a wife and a mom.  goodness, i'm even critiquing myself as i begin my e-bay business!  thankfully, i don't judge my womanhood or my mom-hood or my wife-hood based on how many dust bunnies i have or how great my grout looks.  there would be big trouble if i judged myself based on my becky-home-ecky skills!
i'm also exhausted, enthused, excited,sometimes discouraged, sometimes scared, energetic, sometimes lonely....which is ironic because sometimes i have no time for myself.... sometimes frustrated, sometimes sad, sometimes disappointed, sometimes , sometimes, sometimes.  in no particular order.  i do try to be grateful everyday....just because it's the only way for me to live and stay happy in a busy world.  there's so much to be grateful for!
as a mom, there's no real way of knowing whether i'm doing a good job, a great job or a job that's not quite good enough....all i can do is do my best!  some things we do our best at and that's not enough...we could have done more!  one thing for sure, this is the biggest job of my life!  and it's the job that i've put more energy and time and life than any other thing in my life....ever! and i'm still learning.  at the end of the day, almost every day since our kids have been born, i kiss them goodnight and i say my own little prayer thanking God and also hoping that i'm doing it o.k.....well really, better than o.k.

i'm sure there are lots of people who may judge just what kind of job we are doing...there are plenty of people who judge in this world!.....i wish there were as many people who would share the joys and ups and downs and share their own with us.  sometimes people say i'm too honest....i tell it like it is.  i do.  why bother going through life faking it.  i have nothing to hide!  

the funny thing is, many people that i know have said, "i can't believe you write all of that stuff on your blog!" ..."what's the point of the blog?  you don't get that many followers."...."why bother writing if no one will read it?"....."why don't you see how you can get more people to read it?"
sounds good to me. i mean, why write it?  especially if i have no followers.  why bother. why bother if it's not anything that anyone cares about?  i don't know.  why would anyone want to read all of this??
i don't know. who knows?  who cares? i have a few followers.  i hear some nice things when some friends read it.  i guess. 
oh, wouldn't we all love followers....supporters...people cheering us on!  people who pat us on the back...tell us what a great job we do....a mutual admiration society is just fine with me.  after all, i'm a  leo!  i crave praise, even in a blog.......

but really, everyone in this world is so busy...who has the time?....who has the inclination?...who wants to bother to read this stuff when they have their own stuff to do? 

i don't even think my family reads this! too busy. it's funny because we've had this life for a long time....just our life...mix ups and all!  we talk to some family...here and there...we talk to our friends...when we can.
yet, nobody has a clue about our life...nobody really gets to see our kids everyday, really get to know them...in person!  as they are...everyday.  through the goods the bads, the ups the downs. family may see them on occasions....but, that's not who our kids are....that's just a tiny spec of who they are.
actually, that's why i miss my mom so much!  because she cared.  she took the time.  she spent the time.  she didn't judge.  she laughed....alot.  about the ups and downs and ins and outs with biff.....with me.....with grace......and with ted.......and daisy and fitzy and the cats!
she spent time with us.  she stayed with us to visit....to really spend time.  she didn't like to stay too long..."guests are like fish...after 3 days they start to stink!" she used to say.  but, she also lived with us through tears, tantrums, sickness, frustration, laughs and singing, church, baseball games, halloween parades, trick or treating, kids swim lessons, splashing in the pool, picking up shells on the beach.....just stuff...the simple stuff...the things our kids remember.  special stuff and special memories.
you can't buy memories.  you can't get that on a visit a couple of times a year.  you can't have the wonderful connection....it's just not real...and that's sad.  sometimes that happens.  it's out of our control.
sometimes, we try and try and the timing just won't work...that's hard.

oh, we talk to lots of people...in fact we don't even have enough time to really "talk" to some.  and lots of people talk to us.  it's funny though....still with all of that talking, not everyone even asks how we are...or how they are.  as a friend says, " there are lots of people talking about their kitchens!"  and that's true.  everyone wants to talk home improvements. many want to bore you with their busy jobs....yawn...like that's who they are...it's just what they do.  lots of people talk about how busy they are...

soooooo busy!  when did that start. busy.  we are all so busy.  there's no time to say hello.  gotta go.  gotta get to practice.  gotta get to the store...gotta, gotta, gotta.
i was just talking with one of my favorite friends....actually, she's family.  we were talking about how many people consider the computer and e-mails and facebook and cell phone instant messaging real forms of communication.  i just don't buy it.  it's not real.
it's not spending time with people..."live action" as the kids used to say about the movies that were people and not cartoons! i know lots of people who "count" computer "talk" as real.  if that's good enough for them....i guess that's all they need!
i prefer hearing the voice...better yet, seeing the person and hearing their words go with their facial expressions!  nothing can beat that!  nothing.
friends see our kids much more.  the local friends see them through the ins and outs and ups and downs.  the friends have kids going through some of the similar situations...playing on the same teams, going to the same schools.....they know our kids.
probably, in my mother's era, families knew more about families. they lived in closer proximity to each other....they lived close to where they worked...they lived in the same towns....they had alot of emotional support from each other....so they say.

some families may be better off  separated by a few states. oh, come on! we all know those stories....they are everywhere....every family has one of those stories.  even perfect families have those stories!

that's why we need a sense of humor!  and that's why we need friends.  we pick our friends!  sometimes, we find families in our friends.  sometimes it's easier with friends. sometimes our friends know us better than some of the family!!  i think that's o.k.  it's great for the kids to have lots of different types of family!  
we've been blessed to have friends and family...not always as often or as close as we'd like....but we are grateful.  it's important for all of us.  it's important that we have more than just us....it's important that our kids have more than just us!  kids need to know that they are a part of more.  family is very important....but in a world of busy - ness, kids need lots more!
last week, i was at two meetings about looking out for our kids....all of our kids.  the one's in our family, our friends' kids, neighbors' kids, kids in our community.....just kids.  we got a lot of information.....and we learned a lot!  kids need us.  kids need to "feel the love" as biff and i always say.
it's true.  most of us do. kids just need more.  they need to be encouraged. kids need time...time spent together...talked with...engaged....looked in the eye....encouraged....approved....love from lots of different people....kids need connection.
so do we.  if we're lucky, we get some connection that's real...more than an e-mail masquerading as connection and feelings shared.  i know at the end of the day....when we're home...just family....quiet....loud....happy or sad....angry or exhausted....up or down.....in my case, lipstick or no lipstick!......i'm connected.....we're connected here at home....and that's enough!  still, more connection is better.....for everyone.
i guess it's a good thing that i like writing my blog....because i like writing. it feels good for now. it's good for me. i like hearing that others enjoy it...of course, that's nice...that's a bonus!

just like being a mom....it's nice to hear that your kids are good kids...that they're liked...and loved.if we worked at it just to get the praise and the pats on the back, it wouldn't be the same.  taking care of them, being there and loving them is all that matters.



just sayin'.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

**mean girl movies and chick flicks**

here's a link of great teen movies...really good movies...i'm hoping to watch them all again!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cEjFyZc5zQ

just added some of the mean girl movies and information that we've been learning as parents lately!  face it, we've all known the mean girls....some have even been the mean girls. i hope i wasn't mean or hurtful to anyone....if i ever have been like that, i hope i'll get the chance to apologize...or be an example today...in some way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cEjFyZc5zQ

this is a great you tube video of some great mean girl movies out there! anyone with girls should check them out....forever, there have been "mean girls"....this is a new generation of mean girls...with technology.this is not a movie...it's just a video with movie suggestions.....pretty good ideas all in one place!

also wanted to add some nice chick flicks to think about...for moms and girls....this link is a youtube video put to music with all of the movies listed...great resource!
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcaYcSjvHjw&feature=fvw


mean girl

 daisy, fitz and i had a fun walk through town for daisy's 8th birthday...here they are sitting in front of the movie theatre! see the cat behind them!!
what a day....the weather was great!
another "out the sunroof" pic!
i was off with my friend jane to get some of my credits back to the stores...walmart!! marshalls!! and t.j. maxx!!  even though i've been staying out of the stores, some of the things we've bought over  the last 6 months may not have been the right fit for the bicycle, the wrong color grosgrain ribbon for a project, an impulse buy of rubbermaid stacking containers.....and more...it adds up!  too much stuff! we're clearing out.
o.k.  the bike stuff was from biff's birthday in october....he had the bike mechanics already. darn.  not because i bought him something he already had...biff knows it's the thought that counts....again!  i had already given it to him!

the adorable polka dot ribbon was for grace's bedroom....the project stalled....the color was wrong for the beach colors in grace's room...turquoise and hot pink and lime green.  the ribbon waited....the receipt blew away!

the rubbermaid stackables are easy to explain....anything that i can do to create order attracts me. anything...

@katiecouric: Rosalind Wiseman

o.k, i admit it! i'm about the age of katie couric...and i do like her...i miss her on n.b.c! i love her honesty about life with daughters!

daisy, daisy....

daisy is 8 years old today!  what fun we've had since mr. mckee called to let us know that pine, daisy's mom, had just had 11 puppies!!  we couldn't wait to go to old lyme, ct. and meet our little girl puppy.....which one would be ours?   biff, grace and t.j. and i arrived at mr. mckee's big barn to see hunter, daisy's big burly english.white.golden......with pine,the traditional gold. golden....nursing lots of puppies. pine looked exhausted!  no wonder!

that was the day that we saw our puppy!  love at first sight!  from the moment, mr. mckee called, the timing was just right.  we had thought about getting a puppy for a few years.   i had never had my own dog....ever.  oh sure, there were alot of rentals....friends had wonderful dogs.  there was poochie, timmy, monroe, matty, heidi and even my brother timmy's black lab, humphrey....and tippy...and jenna.....

poochie, a gentle german shepherd, was afraid of fireworks...if they lit fireworks, that would get him home.

timmy was another sweet german shepherd but he didn't like men very much....when the pizza man delivered a pizza, he ran for the door...put his paws through the window, the pizza man dropped the box and ran back to the car!  free pizza and the word "canine" written on the map at their address forever!  no more deliveries.

monroe, shared by our very close family friends, was the first golden retriever in my life and my dream come true!  beautiful, well trained and perfectly charming with a ten year old girl...... he was quite the ladies man, arriving at the front door to greet visitors with random pairs of boxer shorts from the laundry basket....L-O-V-E.  that was that.  i was sure i would have my own golden retriever....someday.

mattie was a city dog....the first little dog in my life ...a hot dog!  funny and cute, he was a cool new york city guy!  he had a swagger, he had and attitude and he knew his way around the big apple....just like some guys i dated. great guy, nice memories...not my style.

there was heidi, an adorable honey toned mutt with gigantic brown eyes, who was always glad to greet me at the door when i went to visit a friend....heidi was sweet, silly and always excited to see me!  she had a bubbly effervescence about her....specially while she pee'd  all over the feet of her newest, latest, best friend.


humphrey may have been one of the coolest dogs ever ...and he was practically related!  tim took that black lab everywhere...he lived in stowe, he traveled in a red pick up truck, he summered on nantucket, he knew the folks on the nantucket ferry...he traveled to new york to visit his gramma, who worked at saks fifth avenue!  he waited in tim's truck, in saks' parking lot, while his master and his gramma had lunch!  one very cool dog.  too many humphrey stories to tell.... at christmas, i always gave him a new bandana...accessories matter ....to everyone in our family!

after christmas,humphrey went back to stowe with tim. tim continued running his business.  humphrey went about his stowe routine...visiting all of the restaurants up along the mountain road....welcomed and served through their kitchen doors. he was well bred with finer tastes...back at tim's shop, humphrey mosied on in....tim noticed that humphrey's red bandana was looking rather worn.  it was time to replace it.....time to take out his fine green bandana, his christmas present.

tim cleaned up the boy nicely, wrapped his handsome green bandana around humphrey's neck....and got back to work. just then, the door to his shop opened.  it was a local.  the local paused and looked a bit perplexed....he shook his head....tim asked what was up.....the local told tim,"it's amazing!  i just saw a dog that looked just like yours....he was running up the mountain road....he had a side of beef in his mouth! that dog looked just like humphrey.....only the other dog had on a red bandana....and humphrey has a GREEN bandana!"

then there was tipperary.  "tippy" was a beagle...a regal beagle....with a hint of kooky.  he was loving.  he was my friend's first baby....you know dogs like tippy....at first, he was an only child....he loved everyone he met....the family....friends...other dogs...and company.

 tippy was one cool dog. he lived in the hamptons with my good friend. it was the late 80's...there were many weekends in the summer that our friends would gather at tippy's house, sit by the pool, walk to the beach, have barbeques and sleep overs with friends.

one delightful summer saturday, while lounging at the beach, talking about our night time adventures with the girls.....i mentioned my sleep the night before...or lack of it...i started, "i dozed off quickly....it was great sleeping weather....i slept like a baby....until TIPPY got into bed with me...there was plenty of room...but, you know how he pushes his way under the comforter?  same old story!  you know how he likes to nuzzle up really close?  REALLY close.  and it was hot.  i kept trying to push him back...just so he's stop breathing on me!  he just pushed back!  HE is SO persistent!"
that was when our friend kathy burst in,"shhhhh! all of the people around us are staring!  it sounds like tippy's your preppy boyfriend! and you're a bit loose!" 
we howled....louder than a beagle!

years later, biff, the kids and i moved to our house.  the dream was getting closer....we would get a dog....a golden!
first, we would be able to handle the kitties.  then, we would get our dog. grace and t.j. were little...it wasn't time...YET.

we lived through the summer. we waited.  we wanted it to be at the right time.  our day would come.  i walked grace and t.j. to the pound. i told stories about all of the "time-out" pups!  we knew our animal control woman on a first name basis!

one october day, i walked to the garage door, i opened it...from inside our house....and who sat wagging at me?
jenna, a golden retriever!  i fell in love.  it was my dream. did biff bring this sweet dog to me? where was she from? so many questions needed to be answered. i called the number on her tag.  they answered the phone. i told my story.  they asked if we wanted her!  i did. i did.

biff loved her too.  he said she would wander.  that's how she got to us.  he was worried that she would break my heart....wandering away. she never did.  she was ours. from that day forward. her family still left their garage door open for jenna.  they still fed her.  they threw the ball for her. 

when there was thunder and lightning, she came to us.  when one of our small kids had a tantrum, she was here...to calm us all.  when my piano arrived...the piano from home...from my mom....the movers trudged along our path to the front door.....jenna dropped her tenns ball!

they picked it up and threw it!  when we had friends with minivan doors left open, jenna would fill up the seats and floor with tennis balls.  if we were raking the lawn, jenna would drop her tennis ball in front of the lawn mower....so we'd have to toss it.  when the u.p.s. truck arrived, she'd drop her tennis balls in the truck.  joe, the u.p.s. man, would have to throw it out of the truck.  the kids would play wiffle ball....jenna would arrive....and dash off with the ball.  when she seemed cold, we'd bring her in by the fire.  one night, t.j. was about 4.....he called to me."mom. mom....a little help please." i said,"t.j., i'll be right there.  i walked up the stairs....to t.j......he was in his room.  i turned to look at him.....he was standing with jenna...in his room.  she had let herself in!"  she knew where the love was.  an intuitive dog!  we loved her....she went everywhere with us.  sometimes uninvited.  people would call out to us,"excuse me...you SHOULD put that dog on a leash!"

now. we've had daisy for 8 years! she was worth the wait! a dog like daisy is all i ever hoped for....and i had no idea she'd be even better. she is the sweetest.  we all love daisy! daisy, daisy.

this is the puppy face she's had since we first met our daisy!!

A Bicycle Built for Two (Daisy)

the carousel version of our "Daisy" song!! my mom used to sing this to daisy....over the phone! and in person....every single time she spent time with our daisy....sweet memories...

Daisy Bell (A Bicycle Built For Two)

this is a sweet version of the song,'daisy' that my mom used to sing to daisy! grace sang it today....friends from all over called to wish daisy a happy birthday!

Thursday, March 25, 2010



i know your pain. big scary pain...and remembering how bad it feels...emotionally to keep thinking this may be it, this may be it.  i lived that and then slowly, i felt peace wash over my body like a warm wave in the bath...i let go, i trusted and life happened...it's 13 1/2 years later and my bouncing baby boy is taller than me. life is good.  it's sad to lose life.  traumatic to think what might have been...i still wonder about that other time.  who would that be? i love whoever that was....forever whoever will be with me...and you. i wish you peace and more peace to love your family...

that was my wish for someone worried about having another miscarriage.  i remember that...everyday.  no one would know when i smile, i sing, i laugh, i dance, i walk the dogs....but, i'll never forget....ever.  and whoever that baby was is with me/us everyday.  that's a gift...that i never got to hold...still, a gift of life.

i had that scare when i was expecting t.j.....and it was so much like that real miscarriage.  same month, same snow, same trip to barnes and noble....same tears...same scare.....same biff calling the doctor...only we had grace....life...our gift....our life.........and the snow kept snowing....and the tears kept flowing and the doctor said rest....and we were terrified....and then......peace.....and all those months later....t.j......our gift! never take a gift for granted. thank God!  everyday.....a million times and more.
i'm so grateful for my family.  so, so grateful.

sorry if this turned mushy on you!  i am tired and i am tired of headaches and sunlight.  i live for sunlight. this will change, once i have rest.  rest will come...sometime. i have to try to keep my eyes closed. computer, reading books, t.v., stuff....i drove a lot today...forgot my shades....sun...headaches.  the doctor says the concussion is like shaking a fish bowl....and all of the colored pebbles have to settle...and the water has to stop swishing!  i have to settle...that's tricky!

and then there's the family.  and then there's my little e-bay biz,,,i want to grow. 

i want to have my biz.  here are some of my e-bay darlings.....
i love my store.  i just have felt like i've been slowed down...just when i'm revved up to go.  life happens.  that's o.k.  i'm slow listing and i have so much to list.  grace even sold her pink electric geeeetar....it's going to pennsylvania...to a guy with a gig coming up.  i like my e-bay customers.  the patchwork madras pants from brooks brothers went to las vegas...isn't that a kick!  seems like an oxymoron to me!  brooks goes vegas!
 
the great dooney and bourke bucket bag in navy went to someone's mom in florida....
 
grace's chinese silk little girl dress went to ohio....i wish i could follow to see how people look when they open their little packages, wrapped in tissue...and some ribbon...because i'm a retailer at heart!  i've sent birthday gifts and easter outfits!  i'm back in retail and i love it....even if i'm starting slow!! i've got new things to add to my store everyday...like my sterling cuff!
 
.and it's not like saks 5th in southampton when we all had to go in at 
5:30a.m. to 10 main street and meet the truck to unload it for the week's new merchandise!! so old school...awesome!


 that picture up above is adams china, a wedgwood group...my mom had adams, lowestoff....they made so many different varieties....my mom bought her first piece in bermuda....and she bought a piece like her aunt gertrude had...up in massachusetts....we got home and found she bought the wrong pattern!  and that's when the quest began...adams lowestoff...in england....in england again....the collection grew...and i collected a variety....now i have my mom's and i don't care about some of the similar patterns...this was an oriental looking version, called adams,metz.

this is a wedgwood veggie dish ...lovely!  i wish mom was here to have some retail fun with me!
biff and i were laughing about me slowing down with my blog....i only have 28 followers!  it's not like there's a crowd!  not everyone signs in...and that's kind of fun.  a friend said, it's like writing a book and not knowing who checks it out at the library! 

biff's mom wrote her book and it did well...our fun thing we do whenever we stop in a library....anywhere in the u.s......we look up her book, take it out....and stand it up on display!  that makes us laugh!  again and again!  like a toddler with surprise of a jack in the box.....POP goes the weasel! every time, it's new!!

hugs to all....wherever you are....it's o.k....even if i don't know you're there....it's just words....going out to my little world!  my universe!  that's enough.  i still haven't figured out why anyone would read this if they were just popping by!  why? i know photobucket sweeps through to take my pictures....t.j. saw daisy on google images!!!!

and on that note, i'll say nitey nite!! gotta go shopping tomorrow for some biscuits and maybe a cozy new dog bed!     http://www.petco.com/

tomorrow is daisy's birthday!! eight years old....the puppy we love so much!! we'll be having a birthday at the beach with some puppy friends!  fitzy is hoping for cake!  me too!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

rest?

i know this is an oxymoron to a mom...the doctor told me to lay low, stay home and rest, close my eyes, try not to go on the computer, watch t.v., or read.

so, where's the plane ticket to a warm and sunny paradise?

oh, that's right, the sunshine doesn't feel so good in my eyes....it feels like eye strain.

sunglasses.  that's it.  except i mostly wear my shades for the summer or for the added accessory.  oh, don't worry this accessory girl has lots of shades.  as we used to say, "my future's so bright, i have to wear shades!"

it's different when they're "prescribed"!  so, yesterday, i'm taking t.j. to the wrong dentist....orthodontist...., and i wore my shades out in the rain.  even that felt bright on my eyes....but, i quickly forgot, when we arrived at the orthodontist and dianne, the wonderful receptionist, had that puzzled look on her face!  we talked about the bill so that i could make a payment while we waited for t.j. to be seen.....oh, he was seen.  that's when dianne gladly took the payment and glanced over at t.j. and said quietly to me,"t.j. doesn't have an appointment today." that's when i realized my cell phone had an incoming call from the dentist during another phone conversation....i said quietly to dianne, "i think we're supposed to be at his dentist appointment!".....i called my other favorite receptionist in the world, zoe!  quietly.  yes, we were due in.  yes. 15 minutes would be fine!"  t.j. never knew the difference.

Monday, March 22, 2010

after great accomplishment by the whole family yesterday, i fell into bed and began to drift....thinking of all of the hard work each member of the family had contributed.....gladly, with no prodding or complaints or resistance....i felt proud of us all!

reviewing in my head each of the jobs that we took on, i was feeling delighted to think what we can do together....as a team! "t-e-a-m", t.j's lacrosse coach used to reinforce,"there's no "i" in team!"  somedays that was accepted like a proud member of the armed forces going off into battle.  other times, it was not received as well...after a tough practice, worn out, t.j. would repeat his coach's words,"t-e-a-m, there's no "i" in team!" as we drove home i'd talk about the meaning of those words....and how it applies to our family!  "a teachable moment" ....my time take advantage of the coach's motivational boost!

t.j.,  a boy who is big on semantics, would respond,"well mom...i know that you want to believe our coach and i know that you think that's true.....but, really.....i think there's no "me" in team......and i just need some time for m-e!"  point well taken by a mom who doesn't want to argue over semantics with this boy who wants to be heard!

the boy with the semantics approach....to life.  i've heard other moms say that their boys are very literal.  that seems to be true with t.j., but the semantics could be argued for hours.  he says,"mom, i just can't help it...i think i'm right and i like to argue!  i'm good at it!"  true....that doesn't mean that he can win though.

last summer on the cape, t.j. mentioned that he and his buddy, oliver, both liked to argue...they liked it.  oliver confirmed!  oliver's mom confirmed!  grace and oliver's brother, camden, nodded.  it was a consensus....by the knowing family members looking on.  wiped out from a day of fun in the sun, i took a big breath and suggested that they open a law firm together.  "great!" they cheered! everyone was relieved...that's when i mentioned that t.j. had better do the litigation and oliver might do the divorce or they'd have to shut down the law firm.....arguing a point might just be the demise of their partnership.

i'm grateful to have smart kids.  it's great to see how clever they can be.  just not always great when i'm standing at the door with armloads of groceries and i haven't used the words to guarantee my passage and needed assistance.  sometimes those clever takes on semantics aren't so impressive to me....and those semantics don't work out so well for t.j."

yesterday, my words were very clear....no interpretations could be used...."many hands make light work!" ....my mom's favorite quote.  our kids remember her saying that when it was time to stack up their blocks....or time for toddlers to carry their dishes to gramma's sink!  it worked.  simple. it worked!  better than barney or mr. rogers.  that's my line now.  now they say as they begin to help,"i know, i know, many hands make light work!"  to be followed by droning voices," i remember.....that's what gramma always said" they finish it off with a knowing smile.  we all laugh as we do the job.....together.

a mom's words seem to stay with us forever.  yesterday, i never would have stayed on task with so much to do, the mommy a.d.d might have kicked in big time.  that's when "amazing grace" kept me going....her words in a thought balloon over my head, " like with like!"

"like with like" has kept me going throughout my organizational deficit training....they've helped direct my energy ...they've certainly helped the kids chant "i know, like with like.....that's what gramma used to say."  bored by my reminders.....still, getting the job done....and well done at that!

so, as i attacked our garage, filled with a winter's worth of skis, snow board, ski poles, bird seed, sailing gear leftover from the fall, bikes that had been crammed into random spaces, boots and more.............interruptions......like right now.....gotta go pick up grace...no lacrosse because of rain.----------------------

and i'm back...after stopping at out local, sensitive new age coffee shop for grace's favorite corn muffin...which turned in to a few errands...and a some time with our kids to reiterate their afternoon agenda....beginning with each one taking a dog for a walk....

my mom used to use those simple words "like with like" and "many hands make light work" with her salespeople at saks fifth avenue.  she kept it simple with no room for misinterpretation....smart woman....a great manager.
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/Entry.jsp?site_refer=360i+G&kw_refer=saks+fifth+avenue
she had one other tidbit to help her professional salespeople who just wanted to sell...the ones who didn't put the effort into the basic stockwork of the day.....this was a requirement to keep the exclusive store looking it's best.  when my mother had a new employee arrive to sell in her department, she'd hand them an 8 pack of crayola crayonshttp://www.crayolastore.com/?trk_src_ss=CRAPAYPCWEBMACSS|PPC|ADW|crayola.com&gclid=COWBsLCNzaACFSZo5QodcWeL5Qhttp:http://www.crayolastore.com 
and have them fill in the designer sportswear by color, according to the crayolas!  no room for questions! smart woman.

friends stopped in......every mom knows about this happy interruption! a fun one...be right back.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

big news...camera making a comeback....photos to follow!

what a beautiful day!  we really accomplished a lot today.....we all raked up some of the leftover leaves from the fall...t.j. vacuumed the car, washed, simonized and helped with some other work outside, grace jumped in too...she put some good energy into getting the leaves cleared.

yesterday was the first day of spring....perfect timing for us to get to the leaves!  oh, we're on it....we work hard to get this far behind!  biff was out there raking and hauling those leaves bright and early....and everyone followed!

even daisy and fitzy!  and jinx and happy too!  by the warm sun of the afternoon, t.j. had put lots of elbow grease into the s.u.v. that totes the dogs to the beach, the family ski trips, beach jaunts, bike trips....accumulating enough gum wrappers, water bottles for every species,dog leashes, dog fur, dog fur, dog sand leftover from wet sandy paws.....and he was proud!

it really was fun!  i know, how pathetic is my life that i have to gather the family together to do yard work and house clean up and call it "fun"?  the fun-ny thing is that we all had a good time.  we were motivated...all of us...biff and i, grace and t.j.....even the dogs seemed content!

sometimes, it's more work to get everyone doing the work together.  sometimes one person resisting the work can cause enough frustration to toss in our rakes.  today was like a family on a television commercial.  smiles, eager to pitch in, "please may i go to the beach with my friends after we finish" and "will you please take me to the store to get something refreshing to drink?".....wow!

is this the way the perfect people do it?  i'd probably think of myself as perfect too....if this happened all the time!  only, it might seem surreal...it might feel like an alternate universe. no one with plans to go to a friend's house, no one complaining about how hard it is, dogs barking or needy. is this how the other half live?  i think i like it!

how do they do it?  do they pay their kids?  they must bribe them somehow.  i'm not even sure how we got everyone motivated and committed to the day of hard work!  i'll have to think that over and make a note of what we possibly did to arrive at this outcome.

biff and i were multitasking all day....passing each other as we completed a task, giving a helping hand to one another, laughing with one another, talking to the kids....and when biff came out on the deck looking dazed and confused at the end of the day.....he said thoughtfully,"now, what did i come out here foooor?" without missing a beat, i picked up a dog bowl and handed it to him.  he held it and said,"thanks for filling in the blanks!"

some days are like that.  we danced through the day with no one stepping on anyone's toes....it was as though the day had been choreographed by someone with way more talent and dance experience....who was leading?

towards the end of the day, t.j. asked if he could stop because he wanted to do his homework!  tell me that's not like a television commercial....grace called to ask if we'd pick her up in town. her friend stayed for dinner....

we had a barbeque which we haven't had in awhile. this was not a winter of many barbeques.  it was great to get in gear for the days to come. even that worked out well...timing wise.

no mixups. no more than normal, that is.  we had fun as a family...cleaning the yard, the garage, doing the laundry....i feel like june cleaver today...only my hands might be a tad dirtier. i realized at one point, biff was folding laundry and i was sweeping the garage....now that everything , almost everything , is where it's supposed to be....june cleever didn't get her hands that dirty!  and mr. cleever, i don't remember his name....ward cleever....i do remember....anyway, i don't recall mr. ward cleaver ever folding laundry!
i'm not sure i could have had as much fun and laughter if biff was like ward cleaver.  i think it might be a little too strange to have kids like the t.v. kids....and i don't think mrs. cleaver had any mixups. me like mrs. cleaver?  not quite.  except for the pearls!  for all occasions!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBWO1vWZXGY

 do you remember the beave and wally?

Saturday, March 20, 2010

pink clogs and bikinis

At the center of your being you have the answer. You know who you are and you know what you want...Lao Tzu 



 did you ever have a theme of the week?  this keeps popping up everywhere i go since sunday.  i'm sure i've been learning this my whole life...now, it seems that it's shouting out to me!  "SHOUTING"!

 i remember when i was 4 years old, at our awesome beach club in the hamptons, on the east end of long island.....

life was like a good movie....our family at that time was living the dream, with all of the luxuries of life....family, friends, home,vacations, beach, country clubs, schools....even a station wagon both plentiful and abundant a part of our everyday life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Preppy_Handbook 

http://www.preppymusthave.com/Pages%20Main/Ladies.html 

life changes. people change. friendships change. addresses change. lifestyle changes.....and then we look back.

who i am today has all come to be because of the many pieces of the puzzle that make up my true life story.

my coffee mug i randomly chose today had these words,"whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should..." max ehrmann.

back to those memories...i vividly remember a day, at the quogue bath and tennis club, when i was 4 years old...mrs. callendar gave me a itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikini....i think i've mentioned this bikini before...my mom had me put it on in one of the seaspray white washed cabanas located amidst the glorious dunes with the narrow wooden and creaky boardwalk with the wobbly planks....at the top of the warped wooden staircase to the outstanding beach with the crashing waves....that's the memory.  it's still like that today only the "club" is a private home...as it originated in the 1920's....in days of grandeur and splendor for  those with riches and fine taste.

i apparently didn't care for being the  model i was being prodded to be at that time....i like my one piece dunkin donut pink suit with the sweet white trim!  this bikini, a thoughtful gift for this little august birthday girl, was NOT going on the runway...or boardwalk....even with bribery or the clenched teeth of my mother. i knew what i liked and what i did not like. i always have.

 there were some times in my life when i seemed to conform.  never all the way.  even in catholic school with a uniform, it gave me great joy to wear the wrong color socks or my sunday shoes or a different style shirt.  it was a risk that only a wild child would dare to take!  most of my rebellious moments seemed to be with clothing.  i didn't like to be told what to wear or go with what the fashions dictated....even as a four year old!

how frustrating that must have been for a mom with all of the finest clothing and dreams of the perfect little girl!  i came to understand that feeling!  and no one laughed harder than my mother.  it seemed the years had mellowed her and she treasured the style and spirit of my grace!

i had many moments in my life where i absolutely knew, better than anyone in the world, who i was.....deep, deep down to the core of myself. 

when i was 11, my mother's fabulous friend ellen,who lived in new york city and worked in the fashion industry, gave me a gift of an hippie looking mustard suede shoulder bag with beaded leather fringe.....it was my fashion statement of the year.  i felt that nobody was cooler or hipper than me!  i was with it!

one thing for sure, i always had a mind of my own. one to enjoy colors and classic clothing, i've remained loyal to my basics.  when i was 16 years old, i got a strawberry pink lacoste shirt and nobody could have been happier!  for some of the more formal, winter social events in my life, my greatest delight has always been to wear a classic velvet skirt, pants or even shorts with a festive shirt that may be a bit more trend conscious.  sounds boring...not really...i love an outrageous belt, rockin' wild colored shoes, boots and jewelry or scarf.  i'm no plain jane....i just know what i like and what makes me feel dressed with some style and my biggest requirement is to also feel comfortable....nothing can wipe away confidence more than the feel of ill fitted or uncomfortable clothes, shoes or accessories.

that's just the clothing bit of me being me. there have been times in my life where volunteering was the greatest joy because the work was so moving.  like when i was expecting grace, i worked on a women's committee to throw a christmas party for kids with cancer at a local hospital. i enjoyed the whole process...i was a bit bored by some of the social climbers on the committee...but, when the afternoon at the hospital came and i was there to set up the party, help with the food and entertainment set ups be with the families....spending time with the kids and their siblings, drawing and doodling cartoonish pictures with and for the kids. it seemed to be over in a flash!

being with those children with cancer and their families may have given me more joy than anything i had ever done in my life, up to that point.  i cried because doing something that really mattered  exaggerated the fact that although i was making very good money at my job, it was not enough.

ever the doting husband, biff arrived to pick me up because i was 8 months pregnant and parking was so limited. i walked out to the car sobbing...he assumed it had been heart wrenching for me...the sobbing was from the joy i felt down to my soul...i had done something that came so easy to me and it had mattered and made a miniscule difference in the day of the lives of families dealing with the burden of cancer.  they were families, doctors, nurses and caretakers that had great strength, grateful hearts, appreciation of the moments and thankful for each day! i was in awe of their humble and joyful spirit...as though i had been in a room full of angels!

 times like that scream out to me that i'm in the place i belong, doing something outside myself, giving of myself and feeling that my time spent there had mattered.

if i had listened to myself throughout my life, i may have avoided some of the lesser friendships, relationships and job choices i lived through....i had to learn the hard way. those not so good and poor choices made me learn to really listen to my heart and sometimes my head!

earlier in life, some volunteer choices i made were more about my need for praise, being "seen", receiving accolades from my peers and filling myself from the outside...i loved the attention...it felt great for my ego but not true to myself!

some of the most difficult life events have helped to shape some of the best parts of who i am...i learned some true values and real lessons that made a difference in everything and everyone i encountered along the way.

it seems that the poor choices catch up with us faster...just waiting to remind us....haunting us with a funny feeling.  when i've listened to that or felt that feeling, life was good.  when i tried to push through and force that feeling....i ended up like humpty dumpty....and the only one that could put me back together was me.  darn it!

as one of my birthday cards once said, "happy birthday!" when open, it read,"now pick up the shattered pieces of yourself and move on!"  i've done that alot!  hopefully, i've been catching on a little more everyday...i guess i won't know til next time i have that humpty dumpty feeling...the more i have shut down that voice or that pang of no good, the harder i fall.  it does pay to live consciously. 

all week i've been reminded to live life being true to myself...lots of little reminders...hopefully, i'm hearing them or putting myself to work trying to listen.  if i busy myself and keep moving, i might not have to listen...but later, my true voice catches up with me.

it used to seem like more work....trying to do the right thing with no motive...just knowing the right thing to do...for me...and my family.

sometimes we try too hard...with friendships, with work, with eating, with drinking, with good habits and bad habits.....we know.  when we do what we know is right without the need to justify it to ourselves or anyone else, it's usually what's good for us. when we're fighting the flow, working to hard to explain ourselves, getting defensive.....that seems when our choices catch up with us....maybe not today....but later....sooner or later!

now i don't think that bikini would have had a great effect on my life whether i wore it or not....at least i felt strong in my belief...i knew what i liked and what i didn't! today, i might be thrilled to have that bikini on...especially if i looked great in it! 

when i was 11 and sporting that groovy suede fringe bag with the beads...nobody could dare tell me that i was anything but cool.  i knew it was me!  i had that artist in me!  that's really who i am today...i've relaxed...i've grown into this me...i make lots of mistakes...that's me too...i feel better if i share my "mixups"....that helps me to get over those mistakes...big and small!

 for a few years, when the kids were about 6 and 7, i volunteered at hospice connecticut...i did art therapy with the patients.  it was another one of those experiences that made every bit of my being know i was doing something that i loved...there were moments i had a lump in my throat, but i was living and loving every experience.  those patients, some who biff, grace and t.j. met too, gave me so much more than i gave them.  to this day, each person that i worked with has a special place in my heart and in my memory!  that was real. that was true.

i was born to be some sort of classic, tailored prep because that's how i'm comfortable....but i don't like to be wrapped too tightly anymore....the artist in me has had to relax....the artist in me still wants to wear my clogs, in preppy pink!  the artist in me wants every bit of my life to have some creativity and flair....i'm not meant to be a cookie cutter....i need to be myself!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preppy_Handbook 

i know what matters to me.  thankfully, biff and i share those passions...i hope our kids will always have the safety of knowing real, like the velveteen rabbit! real. this is a sweet story link with merrill streep telling the story. i still treasure that story.  i didn't appreciate it until i read it to grace and t.j.!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_m054tLKvs

when grace and t.j. were little, the house would get very quiet...i would enjoy that quiet for about a minute...then, i'd realize the potential for one of those moments.....like the quiet morning that biff and i were lying in bed marveling that we were getting a little extra semi-sleep....just a little...oh what a treat!  until we got up and got the scent of something fresh and familiar.....their was a haze in the hallway....i turned the corner to t.j.'s room and found grace and t.j. covered in baby powder!  t.j.'s "wed wug"(red rug) was white and had little powder footprints all over! at that time, we were reading a lot of the adventures of"curious george"...that's when, if the house was too quiet, i began asking,"is there any curious george going on?" 

i tried to explain,"sometimes it feels like the good angel is on your shoulder....and you get that good feeling!  if you listen, you can tell that the bad angel makes you feel like the choice might not be so good! just stop and think...you'll know the best answer. real.

 i hope they still remember that!  i hope they learn to listen to that voice...to do the right thing....to be true to themselves.  i'm still learning.  hopefully, i'm listening a little better these days. really.

if only it was as easy as pink clogs and bikinis! 

http://www.hannaandersson.com/category.asp?id=women_shoes+%26+tights&cm_re=Spring%202010-_-Mouse%20Over%20Navigation-_-Women%20Shoes%20Tightshttp:

//www.thepinkmonogram.com/php/clogs.php