OMG. For a full week, we have had fog, mist, drizzle, spring showers, soft spring rain, rain and torrential downpours. What is up with this weather? And we are all affected by it. Here we are at the end of this wet week and everyone I see or talk to, is hanging on by a thread. Years ago after another of these wet springs, I remember saying to someone "what a lousy day". They were quick to inform me that it was just lousy weather, that the day was fine. Well, since then I have always used that phrase when people say "what a lousy day", I always fire right back that the day is just fine , it is just the weather that is lousy. Well, after a week of this stuff, I have earned the right to say " what a lousy day" ! What a lousy week. It is nothing that a vitamin D capsule will help, and you could never drink enough fortified milk to cure it. We are all over-sleeping , under-sleeping, grumpy, weepy, clingy, headachy (starting to sound like the 7 Dwarfs) and just plain miserable.
The forecasters are predicting a better week next week. I will believe it when I see it. I think they are just plain afraid to say otherwise. Until then, I have stocked up on Lindt Chocolate Truffles, they will do in a pinch. Peace.
I have been watching some good old movies on these dark & stormy nights, Far From the Maddening Crowd w/Julie Christie and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice with Natalie Wood. Two of my all time fave actresses.
I have Net Flixed two more good ones, The Other Bolelyn Sister with Natalie Portman and The Girl with the Pearl Earring with Colin Firth. Looks like a good weekend to catch a movie.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Mommeries.......
Mother's Day. I immediately think of huge bunches of dandelions that we used to pick in the field across the street and bring home for our moms. Yellow stained hands and clothes. Big smiles. My dad would take all of us shopping (all 6 of us) and buy bathrobe & slippers and we would do our best to behave on Mother's Day.
My mother was always a young, hip mom. I don't ever remember going to the dept. stores to pick out clothes. I would come home from school and there on my bed would be some new, really cool clothes that she had picked up for me. Always loved them, never had to return anything. I had whatever was in style..beatle boots, mini skirts, ruffled bell bottoms, just like Cher wore.
Mom was a great cook, too. We had a "big" dinner every night. Steak with handcut fries, stuffed pork roasts, and her pasta & sauce were heavenly. That was usually saved for a Sunday, when a really big dinner was planned. Every Sunday night however, we kids actually looked forward to a light meal..soup & sandwich and Lassie on TV.
After we all grew up & moved out, she had plenty of time to cook and she would cook as if we all still lived home and pop up at our houses with all kinds of great food. Some of the best Christmas presents from her were baskets filled with cookies & cakes and all kinds of jellies and breads. Delicious. And always there was a little something tucked in there especially for me. A pin or a little antique something that she knew I would like. To this day, when we are at a family gathering, my brother -in -law J will just up & say " I miss Evelyn. Boy, she could cook" My son T has made it a mission to make sauce , just like Nana's. It is never the same, I don't think any of us will ever get it exactly right, but sometimes we get it close. There was just something, she had " the knack".
Growing up, our house was always impeccably clean and very stylish. I can remember lovely furniture, mostly early amercian style growing up. Then when we moved to a bigger city, into a more modern house, we all came home to find a pink nubbly curved sofa and orange crushed velvet chair with lovely oriental rug. WOW !!
Her hair color also changed on a whim. My mom was a natural light blond. She had very fine hair and mostly kept it short and would pin curl it up with bobby pins and then brush it out. So the style mostly stayed the same..the color was another matter. She went from platinum to black one day while we were at school. Oops !!Next day she went back to the hairdresser and they tried to strip out the black and she ended up with red hair for a few months. Very adventurous and I must say it has rubbed off on most of us girls. I seriously would think nothing of going lavender tomorrow.
My mom also gave us some great laughs in our adult years and it never fails when we all get together, someone will end up using one of her funny words. She called Zinfandel wine-"zymphony" wine. She always served it in a "caraf-a". She always said "pa-sketti" for spaghetti and when my sister B got married , she thought the priest was a hunk. So she sidles up to me & my sister R and says.."did you know that he is married and has kids?? I thought priests had to be "cele-brate" " So it never fails that when we hear the song "Celebration" at a wedding, we always start laughing uncontrollably and think of mom and the priest.
Sadly, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and died a year later. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.
A mother's job is tough, the toughest.
So today, I honor my mom and all the great & funny things about her. She was taken away from us way too soon. But, every time I smell my sister B's pasta sauce, I catch a glimpse or every once in a while my sister R will turn her head a certain way and there she is.... and always, she will be in my heart.
My mother was always a young, hip mom. I don't ever remember going to the dept. stores to pick out clothes. I would come home from school and there on my bed would be some new, really cool clothes that she had picked up for me. Always loved them, never had to return anything. I had whatever was in style..beatle boots, mini skirts, ruffled bell bottoms, just like Cher wore.
Mom was a great cook, too. We had a "big" dinner every night. Steak with handcut fries, stuffed pork roasts, and her pasta & sauce were heavenly. That was usually saved for a Sunday, when a really big dinner was planned. Every Sunday night however, we kids actually looked forward to a light meal..soup & sandwich and Lassie on TV.
After we all grew up & moved out, she had plenty of time to cook and she would cook as if we all still lived home and pop up at our houses with all kinds of great food. Some of the best Christmas presents from her were baskets filled with cookies & cakes and all kinds of jellies and breads. Delicious. And always there was a little something tucked in there especially for me. A pin or a little antique something that she knew I would like. To this day, when we are at a family gathering, my brother -in -law J will just up & say " I miss Evelyn. Boy, she could cook" My son T has made it a mission to make sauce , just like Nana's. It is never the same, I don't think any of us will ever get it exactly right, but sometimes we get it close. There was just something, she had " the knack".
Growing up, our house was always impeccably clean and very stylish. I can remember lovely furniture, mostly early amercian style growing up. Then when we moved to a bigger city, into a more modern house, we all came home to find a pink nubbly curved sofa and orange crushed velvet chair with lovely oriental rug. WOW !!
Her hair color also changed on a whim. My mom was a natural light blond. She had very fine hair and mostly kept it short and would pin curl it up with bobby pins and then brush it out. So the style mostly stayed the same..the color was another matter. She went from platinum to black one day while we were at school. Oops !!Next day she went back to the hairdresser and they tried to strip out the black and she ended up with red hair for a few months. Very adventurous and I must say it has rubbed off on most of us girls. I seriously would think nothing of going lavender tomorrow.
My mom also gave us some great laughs in our adult years and it never fails when we all get together, someone will end up using one of her funny words. She called Zinfandel wine-"zymphony" wine. She always served it in a "caraf-a". She always said "pa-sketti" for spaghetti and when my sister B got married , she thought the priest was a hunk. So she sidles up to me & my sister R and says.."did you know that he is married and has kids?? I thought priests had to be "cele-brate" " So it never fails that when we hear the song "Celebration" at a wedding, we always start laughing uncontrollably and think of mom and the priest.
Sadly, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and died a year later. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her.
A mother's job is tough, the toughest.
So today, I honor my mom and all the great & funny things about her. She was taken away from us way too soon. But, every time I smell my sister B's pasta sauce, I catch a glimpse or every once in a while my sister R will turn her head a certain way and there she is.... and always, she will be in my heart.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
STUFFED !!
Spring cleaning. This year I am doing more than cleaning, I am cleaning out. Seriously, there are times I look around my cozy little place and realize that I don't have room for another thing. But, I find yet another thing that I absolutely love and I end up fitting it in somehow. I have a little plaque on my fridge with a quote from George Carlin.."Home is where we keep our stuff, while we are out getting more stuff."..Alas, I am a collector, but I am not a hoarder. Believe me, I have seen those hoarder shows and realized (with relief) that I am not that bad. Not saving butter containers yet. Although, at one point I had way too many paper bags saved! So, I have been "going through my stuff". Now, I do expect this to take quite a while because some of this stuff I haven't seen in years. I really have some great stuff. The decision to keep or pass it on is not an easy one. I have read & re-read the book by the guy who had that program on HGTV, Clean Sweep. He explains in his book that we attach a huge emotional value to our stuff and that is the reason we keep things. He mentions that most of the stuff that is stored in rented storage containers, that people continue to pay rent on month after month, is very rarely taken back out of storage. Most stored stuff is never again visited by it's owners. I can sympathize. When I downsized after my divorce, I had like 75 totes of stuff in my new basement. (I got rid of about 150 totes of stuff when I moved to the new place). I had two or three yard sales after I moved into the new place, and when I went down into my last week, I was back up to having 75 totes of stuff again. How did this happen? I ahve vowed to cleanout the basement once again. This time I have enlisted the help of some friends who will help me get beyond the emotional attachment to my stuff. Or so I hope.
Last night I was looking at a mirror that I have on my bedroom mantle, it was my mom's. It is nothing that I particularly like, I would like it more if it was in a frame, I guess. The frame was very cheap and fell off about 5 years ago. It is just a large, very sharp edged mirror , with a Japanese geisha engraved on it. I have hung onto it all these years because it was my mom's, for basically no other reason. I asked about getting it framed at a local craft store and they said it would be about 150.00, so back it went on the mantle unframed. It is my emotional attachement to it that keeps it there on the mantle. I have to let go of the thought that somehow that mirror is my mom. In reality , it is a mirror that hung in my mom's house. If she was still alive, there is a chance that maybe she would have tired of it and sent it packing anyway. Now, I have to be brave enough to let it go.
And it is surprising, when I packed up two bags of stuff for Goodwill two weeks ago and got it right out the door, it felt good. When I went through my desk last weekend and cleaned out a lot of old paperwork, it felt good. This weekend, I am "going through stuff" in the kitchen. I probably have 25 kitchen gadgets that I haven't used in years. I know I have a bag of cookie cutters that haven't been pushed into cookie dough for 10 years anyway. My grandchildren & my niece make cookies, I bet they could use them . They can cut out forms in play dough with them, too. Way better than sitting in a draw in my kitchen for the next ten years and I knwo I will feel good about it .
So, here's to Spring Cleaning-Out! I am really having fun with it this year. Peace.
Last night I was looking at a mirror that I have on my bedroom mantle, it was my mom's. It is nothing that I particularly like, I would like it more if it was in a frame, I guess. The frame was very cheap and fell off about 5 years ago. It is just a large, very sharp edged mirror , with a Japanese geisha engraved on it. I have hung onto it all these years because it was my mom's, for basically no other reason. I asked about getting it framed at a local craft store and they said it would be about 150.00, so back it went on the mantle unframed. It is my emotional attachement to it that keeps it there on the mantle. I have to let go of the thought that somehow that mirror is my mom. In reality , it is a mirror that hung in my mom's house. If she was still alive, there is a chance that maybe she would have tired of it and sent it packing anyway. Now, I have to be brave enough to let it go.
And it is surprising, when I packed up two bags of stuff for Goodwill two weeks ago and got it right out the door, it felt good. When I went through my desk last weekend and cleaned out a lot of old paperwork, it felt good. This weekend, I am "going through stuff" in the kitchen. I probably have 25 kitchen gadgets that I haven't used in years. I know I have a bag of cookie cutters that haven't been pushed into cookie dough for 10 years anyway. My grandchildren & my niece make cookies, I bet they could use them . They can cut out forms in play dough with them, too. Way better than sitting in a draw in my kitchen for the next ten years and I knwo I will feel good about it .
So, here's to Spring Cleaning-Out! I am really having fun with it this year. Peace.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
You gotta have friends........
Where would I be without all my great friends? I would very well be up the creek with no paddles..up the creek with no water, too. "They" say people who have plenty of friends live longer and happier lives. I have no trouble falling for that bit of info. I chat on the phone with at least two or three friends a day and make plans with friends at least a couple of times a week.
I haven't always had so many people in my life. There was a time when I felt alone and thought I had no where to turn. Those were very scary days. As life started to rebound for me, about 10-12 years ago, I started gathering these precious gems that I call friends. And I must mention that not all my friends are gal-pals. I actually have a bunch of great guy friends in my life that I do treasure. Mostly, they are husbands of my pals but still if I needed help, they would be there for me. The real test of friendship. I have a couple of ex-boyfriends who now fall into the "just friends" category. A real testament to my picking "good" ones now.
They are all soooo different from each other, personality-wise, a very eclectic bunch. BUT they also have a lot in common: like being supportive, sharing big laughs, caring when times are tough, gently critiquing a new haircut or new jeans, sharing desserts at dinner, having shoulders to cry on, helping out with a home project, helping to pack boxes for a big move......all the wonderful things you believe a friend would be.
So today's blog is meant to be a SHOUT OUT to all my friends. I am not naming names, you know who you are . I would not be able to make it in this life without you.
I must mention here, too, that I have four great sisters and a brother who I include in this bunch of friends. Could not imagine life without them, love them all very much.
So, today for me is Appreciate a Friend Day. I hope I never forget to appreciate them everyday. Peace.
I haven't always had so many people in my life. There was a time when I felt alone and thought I had no where to turn. Those were very scary days. As life started to rebound for me, about 10-12 years ago, I started gathering these precious gems that I call friends. And I must mention that not all my friends are gal-pals. I actually have a bunch of great guy friends in my life that I do treasure. Mostly, they are husbands of my pals but still if I needed help, they would be there for me. The real test of friendship. I have a couple of ex-boyfriends who now fall into the "just friends" category. A real testament to my picking "good" ones now.
They are all soooo different from each other, personality-wise, a very eclectic bunch. BUT they also have a lot in common: like being supportive, sharing big laughs, caring when times are tough, gently critiquing a new haircut or new jeans, sharing desserts at dinner, having shoulders to cry on, helping out with a home project, helping to pack boxes for a big move......all the wonderful things you believe a friend would be.
So today's blog is meant to be a SHOUT OUT to all my friends. I am not naming names, you know who you are . I would not be able to make it in this life without you.
I must mention here, too, that I have four great sisters and a brother who I include in this bunch of friends. Could not imagine life without them, love them all very much.
So, today for me is Appreciate a Friend Day. I hope I never forget to appreciate them everyday. Peace.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes.......
Wouldn't it be great if we humans thought of change as our therapists would like us to.....a second chance, a challenge, another door opening, a fresh start, a do-over. But most of us don't. I know I think of change as a BAD thing...uncertainty, confusion, painful & tearful, a leave of absence from the comfort zone, just plain scary. I like my warm & fuzzy sweaters & socks, my mac, cheese & fried bologna. Recently, there was something that happened that would shake my foundation a bit. I felt scared, uncertain, worried.
Well, it just so happens that I have just finished two good books on worry/anxiety/stress. The first is The Worry Cure by Robert Leahy, a cognitive therapist and the second book is Nerve by Taylor Clark, a researcher. Low & behold the first thing that I read is that there are no quarantees in life. I am sure you are saying everyone knows that,come on, of course everyone knows that, right? Well, let me tell you that I have spent the better part of my life trying to get a guarantee. I want 100% certainty that my life will continue with no bumps or lumps, no BAD stuff happening. I constantly check & re-check things looking for reassurance. I am hyper-vigilant, always thinking of the bad thing that could happen amidst all the fun. My pediatrician thought it was uncanny how I would have my kids in his office before any illness had a chance to take root. It has been my job in life to see danger from 50 miles away, so that I could prevent anything bad from happening. If I did not stay on top of things and something bad happened, it would be my fault. Can you even imagine having this kind of power? Imagine is right because that is just where this power lies, in my imagin-ation.
So, I will be re-reading my two good books after I give myself a week or so to contemplate what I have learned from them. I realize that I need to change. What? Change? Me change? Yes, time to change..long overdue. I will say that this little bump on the long road of life has made me realize that I have been down this road before. I have been through some life altering changes in the past and I have survived. I have done more than survive, I have thrived.
So, look out opening doors, here I come..I might just knock you off your hinges ! Peace.
Well, it just so happens that I have just finished two good books on worry/anxiety/stress. The first is The Worry Cure by Robert Leahy, a cognitive therapist and the second book is Nerve by Taylor Clark, a researcher. Low & behold the first thing that I read is that there are no quarantees in life. I am sure you are saying everyone knows that,come on, of course everyone knows that, right? Well, let me tell you that I have spent the better part of my life trying to get a guarantee. I want 100% certainty that my life will continue with no bumps or lumps, no BAD stuff happening. I constantly check & re-check things looking for reassurance. I am hyper-vigilant, always thinking of the bad thing that could happen amidst all the fun. My pediatrician thought it was uncanny how I would have my kids in his office before any illness had a chance to take root. It has been my job in life to see danger from 50 miles away, so that I could prevent anything bad from happening. If I did not stay on top of things and something bad happened, it would be my fault. Can you even imagine having this kind of power? Imagine is right because that is just where this power lies, in my imagin-ation.
So, I will be re-reading my two good books after I give myself a week or so to contemplate what I have learned from them. I realize that I need to change. What? Change? Me change? Yes, time to change..long overdue. I will say that this little bump on the long road of life has made me realize that I have been down this road before. I have been through some life altering changes in the past and I have survived. I have done more than survive, I have thrived.
So, look out opening doors, here I come..I might just knock you off your hinges ! Peace.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Life's a beach.......
Last weekend I took a ride to the beach. Yes, it was cold and windy but I just needed to breath the salt air. So off I went ipod and down vest in hand. I stopped at the chocolatier on the way to see if they had any chocolate bunnies from antique molds , no luck. ( I am working on an Easter vignette !) I drove by my favorite fried clam place but did not pull in. What good was the walk going to do me if I ate fried foods? So on I went and pulled down the street with the beach lot on it. As I got closer I noticed the lot was packed with cars. I had to creep around looking for a spot and I am wondering what the heck is going. It is cold & windy and although the sun was out , it was definitely not a beach day. I walked down the path and saw that it was low tide, plenty of beach to hunt for treasures. A kite surfer flew by on the sand, no doubt a beginner trying to get his "sea-legs". As I got past the dunes, I saw all the people down by the water. Some in waders out in the water, some on the beach with rakes and buckets..what were they up to? Clamming? Yes, hen clamming !! They were digging up buckets full of those big, juicy clams. There were all kinds of people , men and women with kids and dogs. What fun ! I walked along , looking for treasures and listening to all the jabbering and laughing. Newbies asking others for advice, dogs barking and chasing balls, kids running and collecting shells. I found a large peice of quartz and thought it would make a great paperweight. Unfortunately one of the dogs there thought it would make an even better ball to chase and was not going to leave me alone until I threw it . So no treasures, no luck finding sand dollars. I sat down for a bit and closed my eyes and took deep breaths and listened to all the wind-whipped voices. Almost felt like a summer day. (Almost, it was like 30 degrees with the wind) I stayed until my ears were numb and then headed for the car. There were plenty of people still walking from the lot with buckets and rakes, blankets and kids & dogs in tow. Headed for a fun afternoon at the beach and then home to make a hearty clam chowdah, no doubt. A just reward for braving the cold & wind. I headed home to settle in and have a nap..dreaming of a warm June day that is just around the corner.
Peace.
Peace.
Monday, March 21, 2011
!@#$%^*.....They say it's your birthday ........
Ok, so it is well known around these parts that I think my birthday is pretty special. In years past I think I have let anyone I talked to in the month of March know just what day they should be calling to wish me well. I come by this feeling honestly, though, because my father's BD was the day after mine and it also happened to fall on St Patty's Day, which is a special day all on it's own. So there was alot of hoopla on those couple of days. We always planned a double BD party for the Sunday before or after with two cakes, lots of family, wearing of the green , etc. So, I kind of got used to having a grand celebration with lots of attention and presents and cake. After my dad passed away, I just kept it going. I was so used to my birthday being a big deal that I assumed everyone else thought so ,too. So it came as a shock to me that this year I just didn't feel the same excitement. I was pretty sad about it, too. It was like losing a friend, to be honest. It has been so much fun over the years to make a big deal about my birthday and why not, it is a big day for me. I just think I have hit a wall with my age..I don't want to go any further really. I mean , I want to live a lot longer..I just feel like I want to stay right here..fifty- something. Life is good.
So on THE day first thing ,my sister L calls me to say stop by the store she has a card fo rme. So in I go and there are two of my sisters L & B, my nephew, my brother in law, my niece all wishing me a happy birthday. I started to feel a wee bit better. On the ride into work three of my grandchildren ,my son & daughter in law get on the phone to wish me a happy birthday and to hint of the fun planned later at their house. Starting to feel pretty good.
I get to work, climb the stairs and looked at all the goodies on my desk. There is a white mum in a pot dressed up like a leprechan, a big package of green Peeps, a note explaining that S took off for a meeting with the cake still in his truck (a cake that his daughters had made for me) two nice handmade cards from S's daughters and a big , flattened box with happy birthday written on it with a hand drawn cake. Everyone in the plant had been informed of my special day and all stopped by my desk to say happy birthday throughout the day.
During the day, the rest of my kids called, and my two other grandchildren , O & M, called. I got many mesages on Facebook from friends & family all over the country ( some of these were very funny) and a bunch of emails. Wow, cheered me right up !!
Right after work headed to my son T's house and what a great BBQ we had, complete with cake AND my daughter in law K had made my very favorite pie, got beautiful PRESENTS and some cute cards the kids made me !! We played pin the tail on the donkey and danced, too. After the party I headed for home feeling pretty warm & fuzzy.
But wait there is more.......This past Saturday, my daughter R came down to visit and we went out for a belated birthday lunch with a bunch more of my family (a dozen of us) and more cards & presents, too.
So, I ended up having quite a birthday week after all. And you know, I still feel pretty good. If all my next hundred birthdays mean I get to be treated like Queen Bee for a day (or a week) , then bring on the birthdays !!!!
PS- I have finished On Folly Beach by Karen White. I thought it was a good story, not sure about the style of writing. I kept thinking I was reading a script for a B movie. So I am on the fence about recommending this one. Please stay tuned.
So on THE day first thing ,my sister L calls me to say stop by the store she has a card fo rme. So in I go and there are two of my sisters L & B, my nephew, my brother in law, my niece all wishing me a happy birthday. I started to feel a wee bit better. On the ride into work three of my grandchildren ,my son & daughter in law get on the phone to wish me a happy birthday and to hint of the fun planned later at their house. Starting to feel pretty good.
I get to work, climb the stairs and looked at all the goodies on my desk. There is a white mum in a pot dressed up like a leprechan, a big package of green Peeps, a note explaining that S took off for a meeting with the cake still in his truck (a cake that his daughters had made for me) two nice handmade cards from S's daughters and a big , flattened box with happy birthday written on it with a hand drawn cake. Everyone in the plant had been informed of my special day and all stopped by my desk to say happy birthday throughout the day.
During the day, the rest of my kids called, and my two other grandchildren , O & M, called. I got many mesages on Facebook from friends & family all over the country ( some of these were very funny) and a bunch of emails. Wow, cheered me right up !!
Right after work headed to my son T's house and what a great BBQ we had, complete with cake AND my daughter in law K had made my very favorite pie, got beautiful PRESENTS and some cute cards the kids made me !! We played pin the tail on the donkey and danced, too. After the party I headed for home feeling pretty warm & fuzzy.
But wait there is more.......This past Saturday, my daughter R came down to visit and we went out for a belated birthday lunch with a bunch more of my family (a dozen of us) and more cards & presents, too.
So, I ended up having quite a birthday week after all. And you know, I still feel pretty good. If all my next hundred birthdays mean I get to be treated like Queen Bee for a day (or a week) , then bring on the birthdays !!!!
PS- I have finished On Folly Beach by Karen White. I thought it was a good story, not sure about the style of writing. I kept thinking I was reading a script for a B movie. So I am on the fence about recommending this one. Please stay tuned.
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