Margaret Mead, the famed American cultural anthropologist, once said, "Jealousy doesn't prove how much you love someone, it proves how insecure you are." Those words have never rung more true than at this point in my life.
My husband and I have been married for over 17 1/2 years, and together for over 19. For the better part of our relationship, this man I share my life with has seemed completely indifferent when it came to who I was friends with. I felt completely free to speak to whomever I wanted, without any kind of recourse, or general flack from him. His behavior (or lack thereof) actually had me believing that he didn't truly care about our relationship, which led to distance, which led to the "bad patch" we hit last summer.
My husband is a good, decent, kind man. He's a great father and a good provider. He's never strayed, doesn't do drugs, doesn't drink, or harbor any other vices that a wife could be concerned about. But still, we were at a crossroads in our relationship, and were stuck in a horrible rut that seemed to be taking us down a path of sadness, heartbreak, and ultimately, separation.
I've always believed that God's hand is in everything that happens in our lives, and there are no accidents, because at the same time this revelation began to unfold in our marriage, a former boyfriend of mine surfaced on Facebook, and made a beeline onto my friends' list, and into my life.
At first, I was thrilled to reconnect with him. He was my very first boyfriend, and I'd always held a special place for him in my heart. But, when reminiscing turned into "what if" and "what could be", I realized I had come face to face with a MAJOR, possibly life-altering decision.
Once I realized this, I did what I always do when faced with a difficult problem -- I went to my best friend for advice, and talked to my husband about everything. We had several closed door conversations about us -- our past, our present situation, and the possibilities for the future. He was obviously upset with the way my thoughts were carrying me, but in the process of our many, MANY talks, he peeled away his own onion layers, and admitted to me that he was incredibly jealous of this guy, and would like nothing more than to have him out of my life for good.
Initially, that was easier said than done. I was happy to have my former flame back in my life, especially since I'd thought and wondered about him for all those years. In my mind, this person was just a friend, and I was more than a little annoyed that, if my husband couldn't trust him, he could at least trust ME.
Once we began really opening up to one another, we miraculously discovered that we still really loved one another, and were both hoping to reconnect but were at a stalemate as to how. This "interference" with my former boyfriend was ultimately the catalyst we needed to rekindle our feelings for one another, and make us wake up and realize how valuable we are to each other and how lucky we were to have each other.
The friendship with the former boyfriend fizzled out some when he finally got it through his head that I was never going to fulfill his "fantasy" and leave my husband AND my children (can you even imagine?), and run off into the sunset with him. Yes, he and I still chat, but only on rare occasions. I have to admit, if I had it to do all over again, I would never have reconnected with him in the first place. The sweet, handsome young man I dated has turned into someone that I'm not sure I really like, and it has blown all of my wonderful memories of the two of us completely apart.
My husband now immediately shares with me when he's feeling a pang of jealousy, or when something bothers him in terms of a budding "relationship" I may be developing with someone. It's become difficult at times, especially since I'm a member of the committee planning our high school's 30th reunion, and as a result, I'm happily reconnecting with a bunch of folks that I went to high school with. I've noticed it's hard for my husband to adapt to the fact that the woman who had only one or two close friends, and focused mainly on him, is now having conversations with lots of people on a pretty regular basis. I think, in some respects, I've created a monster with him. He's now telling me OFTEN that it bothers him when I talk to people so much, and that he's frequently reminding me "... you told me to let you know when it bothers me, so I'm letting you know." Ugh.
In one respect, I think his jealousy is sweet. I'm HIS, and he's not willing or able to fork me over to someone else very easily. But, on the other hand, I like all of these re-established friendships I'm experiencing, and would like to continue talking to my former classmates from school without feeling guilty or scrutinized. It's a fine line, and I don't know which steps to take to prevent falling off completely.
I'm glad my husband and I are a happily married couple again. We're MUCH better than we were a year ago, and neither one of us ever wants to go back to that dark place. But, at the same token, I'm remembering the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for; you just may get it." I wanted a husband that was more present and more attentive, and boy, have I got him!
So, I have to deal with the whole jealousy thing and try to figure out what the happy medium is. In the meantime, I'll keep reminding myself of another one of Margaret Mead's quotes: "Every time we liberate a woman, we liberate a man."
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Old, Cold, and Hoping to be Sold
Hello out there in Bloggerville!
Again, I've whisked off to la-la land, leaving my poor little blog to collect dust and amass cobwebs. It's amazing how much life happens to you while you're busy making plans.
Time has marched on. We are all older. The boy is now 16, and is finishing up his Junior year in high school. He's begun his quest for college, and for a part-time summer job, but has yet to search out a girl. I must admit that my Mama's heart is happy, on all three counts. :)
The oldest girlie is now 12, and has immersed herself head first into the world of 'Tweendom. She's struggled through her first year of middle school, complete with a heavier workload and raging hormones, and has emerged relatively scar-free. Her glory has reached new heights (pun totally intended), because she now gloats over the fact that she is taller than her Ma. It doesn't matter whether she towers over me or not... as long as she understands that I still rule the roost.
The little has just about wrapped up her first year in elementary school, and can almost notch Kindergarten off of her preverbial belt. There were some real growing pains for her, too... going from the fun, carefree days of preschool to the more grounded work that is Kindergarten hasn't been easy on her, either emotionally or academically. Admittedly, she's had her fair share of meltdowns and trauma, and has required some extra assistance in the way of reading and spelling. But, I can say that she's still a sweet kid who's happily making lots of new friends, and her school work is getting better each day.
So, as we find ourselves in the middle of spring (with the increase of sunshine, but not warmer temperatures, as I sit here typing this while bundled up in my winter robe and slipper socks!), I'm content to watch my children move forward into the next phases of their lives, knowing we've all overcome the struggles of this past year and have learned and benefited from the experiences.
Not only have I worked diligently to better my children with their academics, I'm also pitching myself out into the workforce. I've decided, more as a necessity, but also as a hope to dip my toes into the working world with the eventual outcome of diving into a full-time gig, to begin searching for a part-time position. I'm narrowing my application options to those jobs that truly sound interesting, fun, and accommodating to my kids' schedules. I've applied for a bunch, and will continue to look, and I'll hope for the best. Let's hope someone out there will want to buy the bundle of goods that this old lady has to sell.
Again, I've whisked off to la-la land, leaving my poor little blog to collect dust and amass cobwebs. It's amazing how much life happens to you while you're busy making plans.
Time has marched on. We are all older. The boy is now 16, and is finishing up his Junior year in high school. He's begun his quest for college, and for a part-time summer job, but has yet to search out a girl. I must admit that my Mama's heart is happy, on all three counts. :)
The oldest girlie is now 12, and has immersed herself head first into the world of 'Tweendom. She's struggled through her first year of middle school, complete with a heavier workload and raging hormones, and has emerged relatively scar-free. Her glory has reached new heights (pun totally intended), because she now gloats over the fact that she is taller than her Ma. It doesn't matter whether she towers over me or not... as long as she understands that I still rule the roost.
The little has just about wrapped up her first year in elementary school, and can almost notch Kindergarten off of her preverbial belt. There were some real growing pains for her, too... going from the fun, carefree days of preschool to the more grounded work that is Kindergarten hasn't been easy on her, either emotionally or academically. Admittedly, she's had her fair share of meltdowns and trauma, and has required some extra assistance in the way of reading and spelling. But, I can say that she's still a sweet kid who's happily making lots of new friends, and her school work is getting better each day.
So, as we find ourselves in the middle of spring (with the increase of sunshine, but not warmer temperatures, as I sit here typing this while bundled up in my winter robe and slipper socks!), I'm content to watch my children move forward into the next phases of their lives, knowing we've all overcome the struggles of this past year and have learned and benefited from the experiences.
Not only have I worked diligently to better my children with their academics, I'm also pitching myself out into the workforce. I've decided, more as a necessity, but also as a hope to dip my toes into the working world with the eventual outcome of diving into a full-time gig, to begin searching for a part-time position. I'm narrowing my application options to those jobs that truly sound interesting, fun, and accommodating to my kids' schedules. I've applied for a bunch, and will continue to look, and I'll hope for the best. Let's hope someone out there will want to buy the bundle of goods that this old lady has to sell.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Living Life Like Laura Ingalls Wilder
For the past several days, we had a water ban in certain parts of Massachusetts. Apparently, a HUGE water pipe, which fed millions and millions of gallons of water into quite a number of cities and towns, corroded completely. The water, which was supposed to siphon off into all of the MWRA communities, poured into the Charles River instead (at the rate of a MILLION gallons per hour), and left all of us who live in those communities with contaminated water for two days. It was safe for showering (unless you had open sores), and flushing... but no drinking AT ALL.
A water boil order was immediately put into effect, which meant that any water used from the tap needed to be brought to a running boil for at least five minutes before it could be consumed. We had all four burners going constantly, filling up every available pot we had with water, and (once cooled) pouring it into clean containers for use.
The hubs also went on a mad search for bottled water. He came up empty at two different stores, before finally finding some cases available at Market Basket, where he got caught up in the process of forking over cases of Poland Spring gallons to those waiting for the pallets to be brought out from the stockroom. He finally broke free from the mass confusion, and brought home two cases of the precious liquid for our own consumption.
We lived like pioneers for the past several days, using the purchased water for cooking and drinking, and reserving the boiled water for washing our bodies, our home, and our dishes. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder last night, as I filled up the bathroom basin with some previously boiled tap water, adding some recently boiled water to it to warm it up, before using it to get washed up for bed last night. I was expecting Pa to come bursting through the door at any minute, telling us the crops were ready for pickin', and we should all get our bonnets on and get a good night's sleep, 'cause it would be a busy day in the fields tomorrow!
Thankfully, we were brought back to the 21st century pretty quickly. The corroded pipe was fixed, the water supply was diverted to the "reserves" held in other locations, and the water ban was lifted this morning. Who would have thought that washing one's hands under the tap would bring such joy?
I'll tell you one thing... I won't be cooking pasta, making tea or instant coffee, or a serving of Cup-of-Noodles anytime soon! I'd be quite happy NOT to boil another pot of water for a long, LONG time! :)
A water boil order was immediately put into effect, which meant that any water used from the tap needed to be brought to a running boil for at least five minutes before it could be consumed. We had all four burners going constantly, filling up every available pot we had with water, and (once cooled) pouring it into clean containers for use.
The hubs also went on a mad search for bottled water. He came up empty at two different stores, before finally finding some cases available at Market Basket, where he got caught up in the process of forking over cases of Poland Spring gallons to those waiting for the pallets to be brought out from the stockroom. He finally broke free from the mass confusion, and brought home two cases of the precious liquid for our own consumption.
We lived like pioneers for the past several days, using the purchased water for cooking and drinking, and reserving the boiled water for washing our bodies, our home, and our dishes. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder last night, as I filled up the bathroom basin with some previously boiled tap water, adding some recently boiled water to it to warm it up, before using it to get washed up for bed last night. I was expecting Pa to come bursting through the door at any minute, telling us the crops were ready for pickin', and we should all get our bonnets on and get a good night's sleep, 'cause it would be a busy day in the fields tomorrow!
Thankfully, we were brought back to the 21st century pretty quickly. The corroded pipe was fixed, the water supply was diverted to the "reserves" held in other locations, and the water ban was lifted this morning. Who would have thought that washing one's hands under the tap would bring such joy?
I'll tell you one thing... I won't be cooking pasta, making tea or instant coffee, or a serving of Cup-of-Noodles anytime soon! I'd be quite happy NOT to boil another pot of water for a long, LONG time! :)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Illusions... or delusions?
Some of you may be friends on my Facebook page. If you are, you may have noticed (or even participated in) the huge "dispute" another FB member and I had last night. With all of that back and forth, it left me reeling. And, after all was said and done, and the dust had settled, I still couldn't help but feeling that she missed my point entirely.
You see, this person has a home business, and is a salesperson (and spokesperson) for a very nature-based, holistic line of products. And, although I can fully understand her rationale for being so devoted to this line of products (her son became very sick because of toxic poisoning... which she claims was the result of using "traditional" OTC medicines and products), I do not understand, and will not accept, her incessant need to shove her opinions on these products down other people's throats. What you believe in is YOUR belief. Leave it at that, and move on.
Apparently, she couldn't do that. And, in not being able to do that, she also found it completely necessary to bash MY abilities as a mother in the process. It seems that she equates the "holistic approach" to healthier living as the be all/end all in terms of mothering status. Therefore, to her, I'm scum of the earth because I let my children ingest old-fashioned, over-the-counter medicines and products.
I beg to differ with her, but I feel, in my heart, that I'm a REALLY good mother. I put my children's needs above my own ALWAYS, and they are well taken care of, nurtured, and loved. I'm constantly receiving compliments on how great my kids are -- what good kids they are, and how respectful and caring they are. And, just imagine... they are all that (and more), despite the fact that they eat a cookie or two once in awhile!
I understand her opinion about wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. But... we all know the old comparison about "opinions", don't we???
You see, this person has a home business, and is a salesperson (and spokesperson) for a very nature-based, holistic line of products. And, although I can fully understand her rationale for being so devoted to this line of products (her son became very sick because of toxic poisoning... which she claims was the result of using "traditional" OTC medicines and products), I do not understand, and will not accept, her incessant need to shove her opinions on these products down other people's throats. What you believe in is YOUR belief. Leave it at that, and move on.
Apparently, she couldn't do that. And, in not being able to do that, she also found it completely necessary to bash MY abilities as a mother in the process. It seems that she equates the "holistic approach" to healthier living as the be all/end all in terms of mothering status. Therefore, to her, I'm scum of the earth because I let my children ingest old-fashioned, over-the-counter medicines and products.
I beg to differ with her, but I feel, in my heart, that I'm a REALLY good mother. I put my children's needs above my own ALWAYS, and they are well taken care of, nurtured, and loved. I'm constantly receiving compliments on how great my kids are -- what good kids they are, and how respectful and caring they are. And, just imagine... they are all that (and more), despite the fact that they eat a cookie or two once in awhile!
I understand her opinion about wanting to live a healthier lifestyle. But... we all know the old comparison about "opinions", don't we???
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Ramblings in the Rain
It's been raining here in Massachusetts. ALL DAY. Wind driven gusts of rain have been pummeling the windows. It makes me want to curl up in a ball, under my covers, in the warm comfort of my bed. It makes me want to watch documentaries, cooking shows, and reality TV about life in the ER. It makes me want to keep all of the lights off, even when it's completely dark out. It makes me want to read loads and loads of books. It makes me bored. It makes me antsy. It makes me indecisive. It makes me inactive.
Although I'm not a big fan of the heat, I do really like the sun. It moves me, both emotionally and physically. It gives me the kind of energy I need to be a productive human being. Instead of this laggard, hunkered-down mass I turn into when the water and clouds cover the sky.
Maybe I have S.A.D.??
Although I'm not a big fan of the heat, I do really like the sun. It moves me, both emotionally and physically. It gives me the kind of energy I need to be a productive human being. Instead of this laggard, hunkered-down mass I turn into when the water and clouds cover the sky.
Maybe I have S.A.D.??
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Beauty (and Art) is in the Eye of the Beholder... Isn't It?
Last night, right before the little and I were both getting ready to hunker down and snuggle in my bed together, she produced a picture of me that she'd drawn. She explained to me that, in the picture, I was telling her to go clean up her room.
The detail was amazing, especially for a five-year-old. In her rendition, I had long, curly hair, ears (which she could have left off, for all I care... I'd hear less of the arguing and whining that way!), an open mouth (all the better to bark at you, m'dear), two front teeth (didn't see any others inside my mouth, but at least there's a couple there to gnaw on food with!), a tongue (not forked, I'm glad to add! :), a round body (like I said... the detail was amazing... unfortunately for me!), two arms, two hands WITH five fingers each, two legs WITH feet, a belly button (I found out later I was NAKED in this particular picture...whatever!), and according to my budding artist, "your big boobs". Gee, thanks!
I held back my laughter, while telling her to go show the picture to her father. The hubs took one look, and HIS first response was "What's that on Mommy's stomach?" When she explained it was my navel, I could have been blown over by his huge sigh of relief. Apparently, the humongous chest area was of no concern to him. He was making sure there wasn't even a whisper of another bun in Mama's oven!
I don't know what it is about this particular child, but she's got almost a borderline fascination with my "girls". I'll be so glad when she grows up enough for nature to take its course, and give her a set of her own. Maybe then, she'll leave mine alone!
The detail was amazing, especially for a five-year-old. In her rendition, I had long, curly hair, ears (which she could have left off, for all I care... I'd hear less of the arguing and whining that way!), an open mouth (all the better to bark at you, m'dear), two front teeth (didn't see any others inside my mouth, but at least there's a couple there to gnaw on food with!), a tongue (not forked, I'm glad to add! :), a round body (like I said... the detail was amazing... unfortunately for me!), two arms, two hands WITH five fingers each, two legs WITH feet, a belly button (I found out later I was NAKED in this particular picture...whatever!), and according to my budding artist, "your big boobs". Gee, thanks!
I held back my laughter, while telling her to go show the picture to her father. The hubs took one look, and HIS first response was "What's that on Mommy's stomach?" When she explained it was my navel, I could have been blown over by his huge sigh of relief. Apparently, the humongous chest area was of no concern to him. He was making sure there wasn't even a whisper of another bun in Mama's oven!
I don't know what it is about this particular child, but she's got almost a borderline fascination with my "girls". I'll be so glad when she grows up enough for nature to take its course, and give her a set of her own. Maybe then, she'll leave mine alone!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Bad, Bad Mama!
So... I dropped off the blogger wagon. Again. It's just amazing how much LIFE can happen, in the blink of an eye!
As some of you already know, I've gotten hooked on Facebook. Between catching up with everyone on there, and doing everything else I need to do on a daily basis, I'm afraid I neglected my blogging terribly. Hopefully, this will be another "rebirth" of sorts (just in time for Easter!).
It took us practically hitting him with a brick upside the head, but the boy has really buckled down with his schoolwork this year, and is bringing home excellent progress reports and report cards. The hubs and I always knew he had it in him... we just had to basically threaten to pull him out of the school that he loves to get him to quit goofing around!
At almost 15 1/2, he's now just about 6'2". I can't help but wonder if there are times, when I take the kids out together, if some folks mistake him for my partner instead of my son! Gone are the baby cheeks, and cherub face. It's been replaced by hairy cheeks and mature face! On the one hand, I'm glad he's growing up, and finally beginning to break out on his own a little bit. But, of course, it still saddens me that my "baby" boy is a thing of the past!
The oldest girlie is also a tall one... at 5'2 1/2", she's almost as tall as I am (and never passes up the opportunity to remind me!). She's just as beautiful and sweet as ever, and even though she's definitely starting to show signs of "womanhood", she's still very much a little girl in spirit and behavior.
She's three months shy of graduating from elementary school, and then.... off to MIDDLE school in the fall! And, I have the same feeling in the pit of my stomach about it as I did when the boy went off to middle school. I know she'll be fine, and she'll handle the transition well. I also know that I'M probably going to be way more of a mess than she will be!
The little is also going to be experiencing a transition this coming fall. She'll be leaving preschool, and moving on to Kindergarten. I met with one of her preschool teachers yesterday, to go over her mid-point evaluation, and was so filled with pride, hearing about her tremendous progress. Miss Maritza told me that she can't get over how far the little has come, and just how much she's matured and grown, since last year. I know what she means. There have been times, during one of our conversations, where I've stopped short, and realized I'm talking to a FIVE year old! She's so articulate, and so detailed in her conversations!! :)
So, come September, I'll have one child in elementary school, one child in middle school, and one child in high school! It's going to be a new challenge, trying to juggle all of their schedules, but I'm sure we'll quickly get the hang of things.
Once the little goes into school for a full day, I'm going to seriously persue a part-time job. I've been rooting around the job listings for the public schools in my area, and sending in resumes for positions that look interesting, and meet my needs. Hopefully, one place will think I'm the perfect fit for them, and I can start working soon! Don't get me wrong -- I love being home with my kids, and knowing that I'm their primary caretaker. But, I started working when I was 16 years old, and it's so difficult for me to not contribute something financially to the household. I just hope I can find a job that doesn't demand too much of me, so I can ultimately have the best of both worlds! :)
As for the hubs and I... we're still going strong. On St. Patrick's Day, we'll celebrate the 18th anniversary of our first date. There are times when I can't believe we've been together for so long, and there are other times when I feel the time just flew by. I feel so blessed and so grateful to have him in my life, and I'm so glad he chose me to spend the rest of his life with. If we were to go back and do it again, and if he asked me out on that first date, I wouldn't hesitate to say yes.
That's enough of an update... for now. I sure do hope I make this blog thing more of a habit in the future! ;)
As some of you already know, I've gotten hooked on Facebook. Between catching up with everyone on there, and doing everything else I need to do on a daily basis, I'm afraid I neglected my blogging terribly. Hopefully, this will be another "rebirth" of sorts (just in time for Easter!).
It took us practically hitting him with a brick upside the head, but the boy has really buckled down with his schoolwork this year, and is bringing home excellent progress reports and report cards. The hubs and I always knew he had it in him... we just had to basically threaten to pull him out of the school that he loves to get him to quit goofing around!
At almost 15 1/2, he's now just about 6'2". I can't help but wonder if there are times, when I take the kids out together, if some folks mistake him for my partner instead of my son! Gone are the baby cheeks, and cherub face. It's been replaced by hairy cheeks and mature face! On the one hand, I'm glad he's growing up, and finally beginning to break out on his own a little bit. But, of course, it still saddens me that my "baby" boy is a thing of the past!
The oldest girlie is also a tall one... at 5'2 1/2", she's almost as tall as I am (and never passes up the opportunity to remind me!). She's just as beautiful and sweet as ever, and even though she's definitely starting to show signs of "womanhood", she's still very much a little girl in spirit and behavior.
She's three months shy of graduating from elementary school, and then.... off to MIDDLE school in the fall! And, I have the same feeling in the pit of my stomach about it as I did when the boy went off to middle school. I know she'll be fine, and she'll handle the transition well. I also know that I'M probably going to be way more of a mess than she will be!
The little is also going to be experiencing a transition this coming fall. She'll be leaving preschool, and moving on to Kindergarten. I met with one of her preschool teachers yesterday, to go over her mid-point evaluation, and was so filled with pride, hearing about her tremendous progress. Miss Maritza told me that she can't get over how far the little has come, and just how much she's matured and grown, since last year. I know what she means. There have been times, during one of our conversations, where I've stopped short, and realized I'm talking to a FIVE year old! She's so articulate, and so detailed in her conversations!! :)
So, come September, I'll have one child in elementary school, one child in middle school, and one child in high school! It's going to be a new challenge, trying to juggle all of their schedules, but I'm sure we'll quickly get the hang of things.
Once the little goes into school for a full day, I'm going to seriously persue a part-time job. I've been rooting around the job listings for the public schools in my area, and sending in resumes for positions that look interesting, and meet my needs. Hopefully, one place will think I'm the perfect fit for them, and I can start working soon! Don't get me wrong -- I love being home with my kids, and knowing that I'm their primary caretaker. But, I started working when I was 16 years old, and it's so difficult for me to not contribute something financially to the household. I just hope I can find a job that doesn't demand too much of me, so I can ultimately have the best of both worlds! :)
As for the hubs and I... we're still going strong. On St. Patrick's Day, we'll celebrate the 18th anniversary of our first date. There are times when I can't believe we've been together for so long, and there are other times when I feel the time just flew by. I feel so blessed and so grateful to have him in my life, and I'm so glad he chose me to spend the rest of his life with. If we were to go back and do it again, and if he asked me out on that first date, I wouldn't hesitate to say yes.
That's enough of an update... for now. I sure do hope I make this blog thing more of a habit in the future! ;)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Is It Really Time... ALREADY???
I feel like a broken record whenever I say this, but honest and truly, I canNOT believe how fast this school year has gone! I mean, I feel like I was just shopping for back-to-school clothes for three children who'd gone through MAJOR growth spurts over the summer. Then, as the first weeks of school unfolded, scouring shelves and displays, with school supply lists in hand, looking for all of the gazillion items that my children's respective teachers wanted them to come to the classroom armed with.
Now, as quick as a wink, it's mid-June, and the school year is almost over. The littlest little has already gotten her certificate of completion for her first year of preschool, and had her last, bittersweet day with her beloved teachers and school chums this past Friday. She's being rather impatient, waiting for her older brother and sister to complete their respective school years, wandering aimlessly from room to room, looking for things to occupy her time. Unfortunately, her dear old Ma is not a suitable replacement for those young legs that can run and play and keep up with the likes of her.
I, myself, am hoping that these last few days endlessly drag on. Not that I'm not excited for them to move forward another year up the scholastic ladder. I'm just NOT looking forward to the constant drone of "I'm boooorrrrrreeeedddddd!!!" from their mouths, as we wait the dreaded few weeks before school ends and day camp begins.
It's almost impossible to imagine, but come next Tuesday, I'll "officialy" have a fifth grader and a Sophomore in high school. Can't someone please tell me which magic button to push, to slow down the growth process with these children? I'm just one step closer to watching them drive off to college, and out of my motherly grasp, for ::gasp!:: what could be the very last time.
I used to barely hear the statement as I was growing up and into my adulthood. Only now do I fully understand it's truth and perspective -- children really do grow up so fast!
Now, as quick as a wink, it's mid-June, and the school year is almost over. The littlest little has already gotten her certificate of completion for her first year of preschool, and had her last, bittersweet day with her beloved teachers and school chums this past Friday. She's being rather impatient, waiting for her older brother and sister to complete their respective school years, wandering aimlessly from room to room, looking for things to occupy her time. Unfortunately, her dear old Ma is not a suitable replacement for those young legs that can run and play and keep up with the likes of her.
I, myself, am hoping that these last few days endlessly drag on. Not that I'm not excited for them to move forward another year up the scholastic ladder. I'm just NOT looking forward to the constant drone of "I'm boooorrrrrreeeedddddd!!!" from their mouths, as we wait the dreaded few weeks before school ends and day camp begins.
It's almost impossible to imagine, but come next Tuesday, I'll "officialy" have a fifth grader and a Sophomore in high school. Can't someone please tell me which magic button to push, to slow down the growth process with these children? I'm just one step closer to watching them drive off to college, and out of my motherly grasp, for ::gasp!:: what could be the very last time.
I used to barely hear the statement as I was growing up and into my adulthood. Only now do I fully understand it's truth and perspective -- children really do grow up so fast!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
April Showers Bring May Flowers
At long last.... a new blog post! :)
I'm so sorry I've been away for so long. You'd never thing that the dog days of winter would be so crazy, but really, they have. First, we endured February school vacation, while being pummelled with lots and LOTS snow (so much for "best laid plans"!). Then, at the end of the month, we celebrated the littlest little's fourth birthday (still not quite sure how she got so big so fast, but that's for another time). She wanted a Chuck-E-Cheese party with some of her preschool friends, and that's exactly what she got. The way I looked at it, it saved me a TON of clean up, food prep, decorating, stressing....and then more clean up! :)
March brought with it more snow, as well as my husband's 45th birthday, which we celebrated with much less fanfare than his youngest daughter! A homemade spice cake and a lovely, homecooked meal were on the agenda for his evening. Thank goodness he's much easier to please!
And now, it's April. Already. Supposedly, springtime is upon us, but with the damp, cool weather, I'm having a hard time being convinced of that. I'm sure I'll relish these days as the scorching summer weather blazes in soon enough.
Not only is it April, but it's Holy Week, too. I won't touch a whole lot on that, for fear of sounding too "preachy". But, I will say that, of all the times when I feel our Savior in my heart, this week is the time that I love and appreciate Him the most, especially when I remember what sacrifices he made to save us all from our sins.
Of course, Sunday is Easter. Not only is it a time for reverence and rebirth, but it's also a fun holiday for our kids. For years and years, we held out hope that our egg hunt could be had outside. But, with all of the years of rain (and even snow!), we've relinquished ourselves to having it indoors. The kids have just as much fun, and we do too, as we watch them darting from room to room, trying to find all of the eggs left for them by the Easter Bunny. They're especially thrilled when they find their "special" eggs...labeled with their names, and containing a grand surprise (usually a small amount of money, or a gift card to one of their favorite fast food joints). And then, the BIG squeals of delight, as their baskets are discovered. I have so much fun, picking out things for each of them, and stuffing their baskets chock full of their treasures.
I will also admit that, over the past two months, I've succumbed. I suppose I would now be officially labeled a "Twilighter". I've read all four books in the series, and have ordered a special edition DVD set from Borders. I've even ordered the soundtrack! :) I honestly didn't think I could possibly like a love story containing vampires and werewolves, but the books were written well enough that they were easy to glide through. I'm going to wait a few more weeks, then read them all over again!
I think that pretty much puts me up to speed, for now. All of you who've joined me on Facebook know what I've been up to on a daily basis, too. I only hope my next update doesn't take me just as long!
I'm so sorry I've been away for so long. You'd never thing that the dog days of winter would be so crazy, but really, they have. First, we endured February school vacation, while being pummelled with lots and LOTS snow (so much for "best laid plans"!). Then, at the end of the month, we celebrated the littlest little's fourth birthday (still not quite sure how she got so big so fast, but that's for another time). She wanted a Chuck-E-Cheese party with some of her preschool friends, and that's exactly what she got. The way I looked at it, it saved me a TON of clean up, food prep, decorating, stressing....and then more clean up! :)
March brought with it more snow, as well as my husband's 45th birthday, which we celebrated with much less fanfare than his youngest daughter! A homemade spice cake and a lovely, homecooked meal were on the agenda for his evening. Thank goodness he's much easier to please!
And now, it's April. Already. Supposedly, springtime is upon us, but with the damp, cool weather, I'm having a hard time being convinced of that. I'm sure I'll relish these days as the scorching summer weather blazes in soon enough.
Not only is it April, but it's Holy Week, too. I won't touch a whole lot on that, for fear of sounding too "preachy". But, I will say that, of all the times when I feel our Savior in my heart, this week is the time that I love and appreciate Him the most, especially when I remember what sacrifices he made to save us all from our sins.
Of course, Sunday is Easter. Not only is it a time for reverence and rebirth, but it's also a fun holiday for our kids. For years and years, we held out hope that our egg hunt could be had outside. But, with all of the years of rain (and even snow!), we've relinquished ourselves to having it indoors. The kids have just as much fun, and we do too, as we watch them darting from room to room, trying to find all of the eggs left for them by the Easter Bunny. They're especially thrilled when they find their "special" eggs...labeled with their names, and containing a grand surprise (usually a small amount of money, or a gift card to one of their favorite fast food joints). And then, the BIG squeals of delight, as their baskets are discovered. I have so much fun, picking out things for each of them, and stuffing their baskets chock full of their treasures.
I will also admit that, over the past two months, I've succumbed. I suppose I would now be officially labeled a "Twilighter". I've read all four books in the series, and have ordered a special edition DVD set from Borders. I've even ordered the soundtrack! :) I honestly didn't think I could possibly like a love story containing vampires and werewolves, but the books were written well enough that they were easy to glide through. I'm going to wait a few more weeks, then read them all over again!
I think that pretty much puts me up to speed, for now. All of you who've joined me on Facebook know what I've been up to on a daily basis, too. I only hope my next update doesn't take me just as long!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Part Two, of Quite Possibly the Longest Blog Post in History
Well, I don't know exactly what happened, but the Blogger wouldn't let me space through to another paragraph, so I sent what I'd written so far (so it didn't get lost), and figured I'd continue with a "part two".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to admit, her e-mail really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, I know she doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, and who knows what was going through her head when her husband's ex-girlfriend dropped out of the sky and onto her webpage... but still... there was SOOOOOO much about her curt little response that just raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
It took all I had to shoot off a snotty little response, but I bit my tongue, walked away from the computer to cool off, and came back when I had a clearer head. I told her I can understand how he'd feel overhwhelmed, but he needs to know that there are plenty of people who, for one reason or another, felt bonded to him, and wanted to know how he was doing. And, because I have a "past" with him, I was more or less their "go to" person. I also said I could totally respect that he needed time, and that I'd be more than happy to give him all the time in the world.
(Okay, okay... just because I said it, didn't mean I necessarily was FEELING it, but I was trying so very hard to be my diplomatic, "I'll take the high road" kinda gal.)
It was after those series of e-mails, and the weeks that ensued, that I began to feel crushed. I was, after all, a pretty integral part of his past (we went out together for about a year and a half, and got pretty serious there for awhile), and I was nothing but good to him. Why on earth would he shun me the way that he was?
It took me a bit of time to process through the whole thing -- to talk to people whose opinions I valued, to help me work through all the different scenarios. And, it also took me gathering ALL of the courage I had, and then placing a call to his work number VERY early on a Saturday morning (and praying, the ENTIRE time, that he wouldn't pick up the phone!), so I could hear his voice. Once I got through all that, I found a peace within me. I determined that he had made his own little life for himself, that he'd gotten himself to a better place physically and emotionally, and that he was doing well. And, quite frankly, all I really wanted to know was that he was okay. And I got that from his voice on his answering machine. I can't explain how... but I did.
The weird thing is, the guy who prompted me to seek out this man in the first place has all but dropped off the face of the earth, too. He's all but disappeared off of Facebook, hardly ever responding to anyone's posts (and when he does, it's only with these short, almost bullet-type answers). He won't return my phone calls, and he barely responds to my e-mails, too. I'm wondering if this "old buddy" of his, doesn't want to rekindle THAT relationship, either???
Men! Sigh.
Anyway... back to my life at hand. The littlest little is gearing up for her 4th birthday, and I went yesterday to book HER party (at Chuck-E-Cheese's, per HER request... the little Diva!). She's given me her short list of invitees, and at the very top is her "boyfriend", Luis (whom, she's going to marry someday, dontchya know!). Every night, when I'm getting her clothes together for school the next morning, she tells me that she has to look "really pretty for her boyfriend"...!!!! Ugh!
Who knew that it would be my THREE-YEAR-OLD who'd be boy crazy first???
Besides, I'm saving her for one of either Natalie's boys. I'll let them fight over who winds up getting her. All I can say is... GOOD luck, once you decide! She's a REAL handful, that one! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have to admit, her e-mail really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, I know she doesn't know me from a hole in the wall, and who knows what was going through her head when her husband's ex-girlfriend dropped out of the sky and onto her webpage... but still... there was SOOOOOO much about her curt little response that just raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
It took all I had to shoot off a snotty little response, but I bit my tongue, walked away from the computer to cool off, and came back when I had a clearer head. I told her I can understand how he'd feel overhwhelmed, but he needs to know that there are plenty of people who, for one reason or another, felt bonded to him, and wanted to know how he was doing. And, because I have a "past" with him, I was more or less their "go to" person. I also said I could totally respect that he needed time, and that I'd be more than happy to give him all the time in the world.
(Okay, okay... just because I said it, didn't mean I necessarily was FEELING it, but I was trying so very hard to be my diplomatic, "I'll take the high road" kinda gal.)
It was after those series of e-mails, and the weeks that ensued, that I began to feel crushed. I was, after all, a pretty integral part of his past (we went out together for about a year and a half, and got pretty serious there for awhile), and I was nothing but good to him. Why on earth would he shun me the way that he was?
It took me a bit of time to process through the whole thing -- to talk to people whose opinions I valued, to help me work through all the different scenarios. And, it also took me gathering ALL of the courage I had, and then placing a call to his work number VERY early on a Saturday morning (and praying, the ENTIRE time, that he wouldn't pick up the phone!), so I could hear his voice. Once I got through all that, I found a peace within me. I determined that he had made his own little life for himself, that he'd gotten himself to a better place physically and emotionally, and that he was doing well. And, quite frankly, all I really wanted to know was that he was okay. And I got that from his voice on his answering machine. I can't explain how... but I did.
The weird thing is, the guy who prompted me to seek out this man in the first place has all but dropped off the face of the earth, too. He's all but disappeared off of Facebook, hardly ever responding to anyone's posts (and when he does, it's only with these short, almost bullet-type answers). He won't return my phone calls, and he barely responds to my e-mails, too. I'm wondering if this "old buddy" of his, doesn't want to rekindle THAT relationship, either???
Men! Sigh.
Anyway... back to my life at hand. The littlest little is gearing up for her 4th birthday, and I went yesterday to book HER party (at Chuck-E-Cheese's, per HER request... the little Diva!). She's given me her short list of invitees, and at the very top is her "boyfriend", Luis (whom, she's going to marry someday, dontchya know!). Every night, when I'm getting her clothes together for school the next morning, she tells me that she has to look "really pretty for her boyfriend"...!!!! Ugh!
Who knew that it would be my THREE-YEAR-OLD who'd be boy crazy first???
Besides, I'm saving her for one of either Natalie's boys. I'll let them fight over who winds up getting her. All I can say is... GOOD luck, once you decide! She's a REAL handful, that one! :)
It's Been Such A Long Time...
Now that I have the Boston tune stuck in my head.... :)
I sincerely apologize for not giving a blog update to all of my buds out there in cyberspace. I honestly do believe that someone hit the "fast forward" button right after Christmas, 'cause life's been a big blur after that!
We all survived the Christmas holiday quite nicely. The kids were very pleased with their gifts (as well they should have been!), and busied themselves pretty much the entire time off with their new gizmos and gadgets.
On the 26th of December, we celebrated my oldest daughter's 10th birthday with a homemade cake and ice cream, and even MORE presents for the birthday girl. For several years now, she's been saying how she can't wait until she turns 10, so she can have a laser tag party like her big brother had a few years back. The place I took him (Good Times) only allows kids over 10 to participate in their laser tag parties, and she was so looking forward to it. She was completely crushed when I came home one day, and told her the bad news -- I was at the shopping mall across the street from Good Times, and as I was exiting the back of the parking lot, I noticed that not only was Good Times shut down, but it was COMPLETELY gone (apparently, they closed because of poor revenue). From what I heard, they're putting an IKEA in its place. Good for me; BAD for her.
I promised her that I would do my very best to search out another place that has a laser tag party as one of its theme offerings. After some hefty Internet researching (you wouldn't believe how difficult it was to actually FIND a place close to home!), I discovered that the Kid's Playground offers such a thing. The only thing was, because they shut down the entire place, to allow party goers the run of the joint, they only offer these parties either before or after regular store hours.
So... I promised her that we'd schedule an "after-birthday lasertag bash" for her. I'm waiting for the income taxes to come in, and then I'm heading off to Kid's Playground to book it for her.
January brought snow. LOTS and LOTS of snow. I was housebound for what felt like almost the entire month (except for the taxi service to and from school, and the necessary trips to the grocery store to replenish sustenance). Why didn't I update then, you ask? Well..... because I had a situation occur that kind of put me in a funk. Not the same kind of funk I was in months before, mind you, but one that left me with a LOT of thinking and resolving to do.
As a member of Facebook, I've been thoroughly enjoying reconnecting with friends -- especially those from high school and college, whom I'd lost touch with YEARS ago. One of those "friends" is actually a former buddy of an ex-boyfriend of mine. He and I have really enjoyed getting to know each other (really, for the first time, since he was only a casual acquaintance back when I was dating his friend).
One day, he asked me if I'd help him try and find this friend of his/ex-boyfriend of mine. He lost touch with him a LONG time ago, and apparently, their last encounter wasn't such a pleasant one. He really missed the guy, and wanted to let him know that he never stopped being his friend. I agreed to help out, in any way I could, and plugged at it a chunk at a time, whenever I could spare a minute on the computer.
The trouble is, this guy's name is fairly common, and I kept going so far into a specific search, then hitting a brick wall when I found out it wasn't the right guy. I hit on a nugget of unfortunate information, when I stumbled across his dad's obituary, archived in one of our local newspapers. As sad as I was to read that his dad had passed, it was still really helpful, because it listed this guy and his (then) current location, which at least pointed me in the right direction.
The next day, I plugged in his name and the location, and *poof*... there was some concrete information, which could have been a clear indicator that I'd actually found him! The only thing that concerned me was, this guy I'd found was a real "techie" -- a career path that was so far removed from the guitar-playing, artistic boy I once knew. But hey, one never knows what can happen in 20+ years, so I gave it a shot, and sent this computer dude an e-mail. That, unfortunately, hit a bit of a dead end too, 'cause I never got a response back.
I did, however, find out what this guy's wife's name was, from the Internet results I obtained. On a whim, I decided to try out Facebook, and see if she might have a profile on there. When I plugged her name into the Friend Finder, and clicked "search", there appeared before me a black and white photo of a youngish-looking woman, flanked by three adorable little kids. Upon closer inspection of one of the boy rugrats in the picture, I could see, for sure that he was DEFINITELY a "mini me" of the boy I'd once dated.
I FOUND HIM!!!!
I was giddy with excitement, not only because I'd found him, and could go back to his long-lost friend and give him the good news, but because, well.... I'd ACTUALLY DONE IT! I'd found him! (I was pretty impressed with myself, if I do say so myself! :)
I informed my new friend that I'd found the guy, and he, of course, was over the moon. He contacted the guy's wife, and wound up e-mailing the guy back and forth a few times. Before I knew it, my friend had sent me my ex-boyfriend's e-mail, encouraging me to contact him. I reminded him that he was one exceptional guy, and that most boys/men don't really want to rekindle a friendship with a former girlfriend. He insisted that this guy would love to hear from me, and that I shouldn't be ridiculous, and I should just go ahead and write to him.
It took me six attempts (deleting five in the process), to finally get up the courage to write. I kept my entry pretty benign, only relaying information about my life, and where it's taken me from then until now. I sent of the e-mail, and waited for a response.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And.... got NOTHING. The "silence" was so deafening, that I dropped a note to wifey-poo (on Facebook), announcing myself, telling her I was an "old friend" of his, and would love it if he and I could reconnect, and if she and I might become friends, too.
It took all of thirty seconds for HER to e-mail me back. She told me that she doesn't normally add people to her friends' list that she doesn't know (this AFTER she added the guy who was looking for her husband -- uhm, okay!), and that her husband was "a very private person" who was "very overwhelmed" by the surge of people who were coming out of the woodwork to contact him all at once. She also said that she was leaving it completely up to him as to whether or not he wanted to contact me, and that I should give him time.
I sincerely apologize for not giving a blog update to all of my buds out there in cyberspace. I honestly do believe that someone hit the "fast forward" button right after Christmas, 'cause life's been a big blur after that!
We all survived the Christmas holiday quite nicely. The kids were very pleased with their gifts (as well they should have been!), and busied themselves pretty much the entire time off with their new gizmos and gadgets.
On the 26th of December, we celebrated my oldest daughter's 10th birthday with a homemade cake and ice cream, and even MORE presents for the birthday girl. For several years now, she's been saying how she can't wait until she turns 10, so she can have a laser tag party like her big brother had a few years back. The place I took him (Good Times) only allows kids over 10 to participate in their laser tag parties, and she was so looking forward to it. She was completely crushed when I came home one day, and told her the bad news -- I was at the shopping mall across the street from Good Times, and as I was exiting the back of the parking lot, I noticed that not only was Good Times shut down, but it was COMPLETELY gone (apparently, they closed because of poor revenue). From what I heard, they're putting an IKEA in its place. Good for me; BAD for her.
I promised her that I would do my very best to search out another place that has a laser tag party as one of its theme offerings. After some hefty Internet researching (you wouldn't believe how difficult it was to actually FIND a place close to home!), I discovered that the Kid's Playground offers such a thing. The only thing was, because they shut down the entire place, to allow party goers the run of the joint, they only offer these parties either before or after regular store hours.
So... I promised her that we'd schedule an "after-birthday lasertag bash" for her. I'm waiting for the income taxes to come in, and then I'm heading off to Kid's Playground to book it for her.
January brought snow. LOTS and LOTS of snow. I was housebound for what felt like almost the entire month (except for the taxi service to and from school, and the necessary trips to the grocery store to replenish sustenance). Why didn't I update then, you ask? Well..... because I had a situation occur that kind of put me in a funk. Not the same kind of funk I was in months before, mind you, but one that left me with a LOT of thinking and resolving to do.
As a member of Facebook, I've been thoroughly enjoying reconnecting with friends -- especially those from high school and college, whom I'd lost touch with YEARS ago. One of those "friends" is actually a former buddy of an ex-boyfriend of mine. He and I have really enjoyed getting to know each other (really, for the first time, since he was only a casual acquaintance back when I was dating his friend).
One day, he asked me if I'd help him try and find this friend of his/ex-boyfriend of mine. He lost touch with him a LONG time ago, and apparently, their last encounter wasn't such a pleasant one. He really missed the guy, and wanted to let him know that he never stopped being his friend. I agreed to help out, in any way I could, and plugged at it a chunk at a time, whenever I could spare a minute on the computer.
The trouble is, this guy's name is fairly common, and I kept going so far into a specific search, then hitting a brick wall when I found out it wasn't the right guy. I hit on a nugget of unfortunate information, when I stumbled across his dad's obituary, archived in one of our local newspapers. As sad as I was to read that his dad had passed, it was still really helpful, because it listed this guy and his (then) current location, which at least pointed me in the right direction.
The next day, I plugged in his name and the location, and *poof*... there was some concrete information, which could have been a clear indicator that I'd actually found him! The only thing that concerned me was, this guy I'd found was a real "techie" -- a career path that was so far removed from the guitar-playing, artistic boy I once knew. But hey, one never knows what can happen in 20+ years, so I gave it a shot, and sent this computer dude an e-mail. That, unfortunately, hit a bit of a dead end too, 'cause I never got a response back.
I did, however, find out what this guy's wife's name was, from the Internet results I obtained. On a whim, I decided to try out Facebook, and see if she might have a profile on there. When I plugged her name into the Friend Finder, and clicked "search", there appeared before me a black and white photo of a youngish-looking woman, flanked by three adorable little kids. Upon closer inspection of one of the boy rugrats in the picture, I could see, for sure that he was DEFINITELY a "mini me" of the boy I'd once dated.
I FOUND HIM!!!!
I was giddy with excitement, not only because I'd found him, and could go back to his long-lost friend and give him the good news, but because, well.... I'd ACTUALLY DONE IT! I'd found him! (I was pretty impressed with myself, if I do say so myself! :)
I informed my new friend that I'd found the guy, and he, of course, was over the moon. He contacted the guy's wife, and wound up e-mailing the guy back and forth a few times. Before I knew it, my friend had sent me my ex-boyfriend's e-mail, encouraging me to contact him. I reminded him that he was one exceptional guy, and that most boys/men don't really want to rekindle a friendship with a former girlfriend. He insisted that this guy would love to hear from me, and that I shouldn't be ridiculous, and I should just go ahead and write to him.
It took me six attempts (deleting five in the process), to finally get up the courage to write. I kept my entry pretty benign, only relaying information about my life, and where it's taken me from then until now. I sent of the e-mail, and waited for a response.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And.... got NOTHING. The "silence" was so deafening, that I dropped a note to wifey-poo (on Facebook), announcing myself, telling her I was an "old friend" of his, and would love it if he and I could reconnect, and if she and I might become friends, too.
It took all of thirty seconds for HER to e-mail me back. She told me that she doesn't normally add people to her friends' list that she doesn't know (this AFTER she added the guy who was looking for her husband -- uhm, okay!), and that her husband was "a very private person" who was "very overwhelmed" by the surge of people who were coming out of the woodwork to contact him all at once. She also said that she was leaving it completely up to him as to whether or not he wanted to contact me, and that I should give him time.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
I Know, I Know....
.... I'm LONG overdue for a blog posting! I do have lots to share with you guys, but I don't have the time (or my thoughts together enough) to do that right now. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and kickin'!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Celebrity Sightings (Per Karyn's Request)
As part of the last tag I participated in, one of the "random" things I listed about myself was that I've been fortunate enough to either meet, or spot, a LOT of celebrities in my lifetime. Some were totally by accident (when I was lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time), and some were arranged.
I've put an "S" next to the stars I've merely spotted, and a "M" next to those I've met, and had even a brief conversation with. If there are numbers next to the letters, it means I've either spotted or met them more than once (the number representing the number of times). I only hope I can remember them all! :)
Jimmy Osmond (M)
Jay Osmond (M3)
Merrill Osmond (M3)
Donny Osmond (M2)
Rex Smith (M)
The Go-Go's (M)
The Psychedelic Furs (M)
Joan Rivers (M)
Bette Midler (M)
Peter Wolf and Seth Justman (from J. Geils Band) (M)
Ric Ocasek (from The Cars) (M)
Laurie Bogart (Lauren Bacall and Humphry Bogart's daughter) (M)
Tina Turner (S)
Lauren Hutton (S)
Malcolm McClaren (former manager of The Sex Pistols) (S)
Natalie Portman (S)
Christopher Lloyd (S)
Christopher Reeve (S)
Vanessa Redgrave (S)
Paul Newman (M)
Sidney Poitier (M)
Lyndsay Crouse (M)
Patti Labelle (M)
Al Gore (M)
John Kerry (M)
Judith Hoag (went to high school with)
Patrick Ewing (went to high school with)
Jon Anastas (went to high school with)
Fran Tarkinton (M)
Roy Orbison (M)
Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford (all from Aerosmith) (M)
Brad Delp and Sib Hashian (both from Boston) (M)
Billy West (M)
Ken Howard (S)
Julia Child (S)
Diane Keaton (S)
Bill Walton (former Celtics player - S)
Danny Ainge (former Celtics player - S)
Robert Parish (former Celtics player - S)
Diane Lane (S)
That's all I can remember, for now (although I feel as if I've forgotten a few! :).
I've put an "S" next to the stars I've merely spotted, and a "M" next to those I've met, and had even a brief conversation with. If there are numbers next to the letters, it means I've either spotted or met them more than once (the number representing the number of times). I only hope I can remember them all! :)
Jimmy Osmond (M)
Jay Osmond (M3)
Merrill Osmond (M3)
Donny Osmond (M2)
Rex Smith (M)
The Go-Go's (M)
The Psychedelic Furs (M)
Joan Rivers (M)
Bette Midler (M)
Peter Wolf and Seth Justman (from J. Geils Band) (M)
Ric Ocasek (from The Cars) (M)
Laurie Bogart (Lauren Bacall and Humphry Bogart's daughter) (M)
Tina Turner (S)
Lauren Hutton (S)
Malcolm McClaren (former manager of The Sex Pistols) (S)
Natalie Portman (S)
Christopher Lloyd (S)
Christopher Reeve (S)
Vanessa Redgrave (S)
Paul Newman (M)
Sidney Poitier (M)
Lyndsay Crouse (M)
Patti Labelle (M)
Al Gore (M)
John Kerry (M)
Judith Hoag (went to high school with)
Patrick Ewing (went to high school with)
Jon Anastas (went to high school with)
Fran Tarkinton (M)
Roy Orbison (M)
Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford (all from Aerosmith) (M)
Brad Delp and Sib Hashian (both from Boston) (M)
Billy West (M)
Ken Howard (S)
Julia Child (S)
Diane Keaton (S)
Bill Walton (former Celtics player - S)
Danny Ainge (former Celtics player - S)
Robert Parish (former Celtics player - S)
Diane Lane (S)
That's all I can remember, for now (although I feel as if I've forgotten a few! :).
Why Do They Do This????
I don't know whether it's just me or not, but it seems that there are a LOT more movie previews on during the day, with less than appropriate material for little ones to watch.
Two cases in point:
1) The trailer for "Taken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8HknJ3IaLk&feature=related
Just this trailer completely wigs my 10-year-old daughter out (especially the part where Liam Neeson's character tells his daughter, "They're going to take you, too." I mean come ON now.... who thinks that's okay for a young, impressionable girl to watch?? Especially one whose always had a HUGE hangup over the "things that go bump in the night", and with "monsters" under her bed! Yeah, she's sleeping REALLY well these days now, thanks!
2) Then there's this little dandy... the trailer for "The Unborn"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfkPwW6FQFk
My kids are especially fond of the creepy guy whose head is on upside down. There's a special brand of terror that comes along with that guy that only a parent can truly understand!
Is it me, being a super-paranoid mom here, or have the networks gotten too callous? I've seen BOTH of these previews on in the middle of the afternoon, allowing both of my girls to witness them, implanting nasty little impressions on their budding brain cells.
Sure, I get that this certain genre of film has quite the following... of ADULTS. In my opinion, if a movie is rated PG-13 or R, meaning that kids under the age of 18 are not allowed to enter the theater to see this movie (either alone, or without a parent), then why the HECK are they showing the previews before prime time??
Help me out here, people, will ya? Help me to understand the logic... please?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go check for the Boogeyman underneath my daughter's bed.
Two cases in point:
1) The trailer for "Taken:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8HknJ3IaLk&feature=related
Just this trailer completely wigs my 10-year-old daughter out (especially the part where Liam Neeson's character tells his daughter, "They're going to take you, too." I mean come ON now.... who thinks that's okay for a young, impressionable girl to watch?? Especially one whose always had a HUGE hangup over the "things that go bump in the night", and with "monsters" under her bed! Yeah, she's sleeping REALLY well these days now, thanks!
2) Then there's this little dandy... the trailer for "The Unborn"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfkPwW6FQFk
My kids are especially fond of the creepy guy whose head is on upside down. There's a special brand of terror that comes along with that guy that only a parent can truly understand!
Is it me, being a super-paranoid mom here, or have the networks gotten too callous? I've seen BOTH of these previews on in the middle of the afternoon, allowing both of my girls to witness them, implanting nasty little impressions on their budding brain cells.
Sure, I get that this certain genre of film has quite the following... of ADULTS. In my opinion, if a movie is rated PG-13 or R, meaning that kids under the age of 18 are not allowed to enter the theater to see this movie (either alone, or without a parent), then why the HECK are they showing the previews before prime time??
Help me out here, people, will ya? Help me to understand the logic... please?
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go check for the Boogeyman underneath my daughter's bed.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Jett Travolta
I don't make it a habit to blog about celebrities, for one simple reason: I believe strongly that because they, too, are human beings (above all else), they deserve their right to privacy just like any other Average Joe. Maybe even moreso, because they're ALWAYS thrust in the public eye. So, "gossiping" about them just perpetuates the situation, giving them even LESS privacy than they deserve.
However, I really felt compelled to write something about the tragic passing of John Travolta and Kelly Preston's only son, Jett. Perhaps it's because I'm a mom, who like the Travolta's, has only one son. Perhaps it's because John Travolta seems to be one of the most humbled, down-to-earth, "normal" celebrities in show business today. Or, maybe it's because of the sheer enormity of the tragedy that a young man's life has ended, even before it had a fair chance of beginning.
Whatever the case may be for my compulsion, I had to put my feelings out there. To make my thoughts public.
Because, really, when it comes right down to it, whatever profession one chooses in life, and however one brings home their paycheck at the end of the week, the most gratifying job there is is to be a child's parent. Sure, it can be quite the daunting task at times, but, when you do the "work" right, it can also be an amazing, wonderful thing, to watch those tiny little creatures unfold and blossom into adulthood, and to know that you've played a big part in molding them to deal with whatever successes or challenges come their way in life.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston were shining examples of parenting done "right". Because of their celebrity (and therefore, their affluence), they could have easily decided to let the nannies and governesses rear their children, while they flitted about with their heads in the clouds. Instead, though, they made the conscious effort to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground, and remain an integral part of their children's lives.
So, although I completely understand that no parent in their sound mind would ever wish their child hurt (or worse), I must say that my heart is aching for John and Kelly, not only because they lost their only son, whom they quite obviously adored, but also because of the fact that they are celebrities, and cannot and will not be left alone to grieve in private.
I only pray that they find the strength in each other in order to make their way through this tragedy together, and that they know and understand that, as long as they carry that beautiful young man in their hearts, they'll have him with them forever.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
The Seven Things I Like About You (a.k.a. Taggie-poo!)
So, my dear blogger bud Erica tagged me, as a way to "start off the New Year right". Being the dutiful blogger friend that I am, I am more than happy to oblige! :)
I will say, though, that my list of seven things about me pales by comparison to hers!
Here goes:
1. I was the lead in two musicals during my Senior year in high school, and aspired, for awhile, to be an actor. (Shhhh...sometimes I still think about performing, and might just get up the courage to join a community theater someday!)
2. I've seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" over 150 times -- every Friday and Saturday night, in the theater, NOT on video.
3. I've met a ridiculous amount of celebrities in my lifetime -- mostly purely by coincidence.
4. I hope to take art classes someday, and plan to when my little one gets a bit older.
5. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 41 years old (and yes, this is one of my biggest regrets... that I waited so long to drive).
6. I'm very intuitive. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes, I really don't.
7. My husband and I were introduced by my soon-to-be ex-husband.
Rules: link back to who tagged you (I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to do that linky thing, but I'm sure Erica will pop in, at some point), and tag 7 people (I'm not going to arbitrarily pick seven folks. I hope you'll all participate, and let me know if you do). Let them know they've been tagged (Okay... you're ALL tagged! :P).
I will say, though, that my list of seven things about me pales by comparison to hers!
Here goes:
1. I was the lead in two musicals during my Senior year in high school, and aspired, for awhile, to be an actor. (Shhhh...sometimes I still think about performing, and might just get up the courage to join a community theater someday!)
2. I've seen "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" over 150 times -- every Friday and Saturday night, in the theater, NOT on video.
3. I've met a ridiculous amount of celebrities in my lifetime -- mostly purely by coincidence.
4. I hope to take art classes someday, and plan to when my little one gets a bit older.
5. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 41 years old (and yes, this is one of my biggest regrets... that I waited so long to drive).
6. I'm very intuitive. Sometimes I like it, and sometimes, I really don't.
7. My husband and I were introduced by my soon-to-be ex-husband.
Rules: link back to who tagged you (I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to do that linky thing, but I'm sure Erica will pop in, at some point), and tag 7 people (I'm not going to arbitrarily pick seven folks. I hope you'll all participate, and let me know if you do). Let them know they've been tagged (Okay... you're ALL tagged! :P).
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Out With The Old, And In With The New
I don't know about you guys, but to me, 2008 went by incredibly fast. And, as challenging as it was, quite frankly, I'm glad to see it gone. I always feel so hopeful on the first day of a new year. It's like everything's all squeaky clean. I've been given a massive "do over". And, I fully intend to do what I can to make the best of it.
I'm not much of a resolution maker, but I guess you could say that's mine. To do the best I can. To try and move forward, and to work to my best potential to make things better. That promise may sound trivial to some, but believe me, that simple statement carries a LOT of weight behind it. I only hope I can strive to make good on that vow.
If you, yourself, make resolutions, I hope that, whatever they are, you'll work to YOUR best potential to make them come true. And, try not to beat yourself up about it if they don't come to fruition. Remember...there's always next year! :)
Happy New Year, everyone!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Double Digits and Divine Intervention
Today marks the day that my oldest girl turns ten. Double digits. Pre-puberty. 'Tween. I can't even begin to imagine where that time went. It was a mere blur... a speck on my radar.
One minute I was pulsating through the pain of her ridiculously fast delivery, at the tail end of which my obstetrician beckoned me to open my eyes during a particularly strenuous contraction, and give him my hands. And when he positioned my outstretched fingers underneath my birthing daughter's tiny armpits, allowing me to gently grasp her and deliver her up onto my stomach myself, all of the pain simultaneously washed away, and the floodgates of joy took its place.
With this child, the feeling of joy has remained. She is, without a doubt, an incredibly special being. Her kindness is almost limitless, and her love for humanity is to be revered. During the insanity of 9/11, and all of the days of sorrow, confusion, and pain which followed, my husband and I (like almost civilized human beings on this planet) were practically glued to the television set, reaching out for even the tiniest smidge of hope that another lost person may be found; that some semblance of happiness or normalcy could be unearthed from all that rubble. My daughter was almost 3-years-old, then. Such a tiny thing, that one would think she couldn't possibly fathom the preposterous scope of the trauma that was coming into our living room every evening.
One day, shortly after the Twin Towers exploded throughout New York City, my teeny bit of a babe came to me and said, "Mama, I want to be a firefighter when I grow up, so I can help people like those firefighters did." Her conviction was so strong that year that, when we came across a uniformed firefighter one day at the grocery store, she walked up to him, tugged on his pant leg, and said, "Thank you." (To which he scooped her up, and with tears welling up in his eyes, he said she was more than welcome.) She also wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween, and I was proud to dress her up as one that October.
To this day, she still expresses interest...those memories firmly etched in her mind. When she isn't talking about fighting fires, she says she'd like to be a veterinarian, so she can make animals well. She sobbed uncontrollably over every lost fish, hermit crab, and bug that she'd snag in her bug catcher. She still talks about all of her "pets", recalling them with the fondness and love that only a person with the kindest of hearts can feel.
On her birthday four years ago, one of the earth's worst disasters hit most of the land masses that border the Indian Ocean, when, as a result of an enormous aftershock from a giant underground earthquake, the tsunami that followed rose up in 100 foot waves and devastated several countries, killing over 200,000 people.
Again, my compassionate, empathetic child watched the news....and cried. When she heard one of the news reporters state that all of the children survivors had nothing... not even any toys to play with.... she announced that she would like to donate ALL of her new Christmas and birthday toys to those children, because she was lucky, and had enough old toys to play with.
I believe this child is truly a gift from God. Two years before her birth, when I was convinced that, in my heart, I could never love more than one child, and was content to have only him, I dreamed of this little girl with wavy, sunstreaked hair, and the most amazing ice blue eyes I'd ever seen. We were at a park I'd never seen before, and I was lounging in the grass, calling out to her. She came running over the crest of a small hill, wearing a grape-colored, short-sleeved t-shirt with little puffs on the sleeves and the tiniest of bows on the neck, underneath a pair of faded denim Osh b'Gosh overalls.
She had in her hands a bright red ball, and as she ran toward me, giggling the entire way, I called out to her: "Come bring the ball to me!", and spoke to her by name. It was then I knew that she was out there for me. That God was trying to let me know, in his Infinite way, that this little girl was waiting to be delivered. This gift.
And, on the day after His son's birth, he brought my gift to me. Ten years later, I'm still feeling awfully blessed to have her in my life.
One minute I was pulsating through the pain of her ridiculously fast delivery, at the tail end of which my obstetrician beckoned me to open my eyes during a particularly strenuous contraction, and give him my hands. And when he positioned my outstretched fingers underneath my birthing daughter's tiny armpits, allowing me to gently grasp her and deliver her up onto my stomach myself, all of the pain simultaneously washed away, and the floodgates of joy took its place.
With this child, the feeling of joy has remained. She is, without a doubt, an incredibly special being. Her kindness is almost limitless, and her love for humanity is to be revered. During the insanity of 9/11, and all of the days of sorrow, confusion, and pain which followed, my husband and I (like almost civilized human beings on this planet) were practically glued to the television set, reaching out for even the tiniest smidge of hope that another lost person may be found; that some semblance of happiness or normalcy could be unearthed from all that rubble. My daughter was almost 3-years-old, then. Such a tiny thing, that one would think she couldn't possibly fathom the preposterous scope of the trauma that was coming into our living room every evening.
One day, shortly after the Twin Towers exploded throughout New York City, my teeny bit of a babe came to me and said, "Mama, I want to be a firefighter when I grow up, so I can help people like those firefighters did." Her conviction was so strong that year that, when we came across a uniformed firefighter one day at the grocery store, she walked up to him, tugged on his pant leg, and said, "Thank you." (To which he scooped her up, and with tears welling up in his eyes, he said she was more than welcome.) She also wanted to be a firefighter for Halloween, and I was proud to dress her up as one that October.
To this day, she still expresses interest...those memories firmly etched in her mind. When she isn't talking about fighting fires, she says she'd like to be a veterinarian, so she can make animals well. She sobbed uncontrollably over every lost fish, hermit crab, and bug that she'd snag in her bug catcher. She still talks about all of her "pets", recalling them with the fondness and love that only a person with the kindest of hearts can feel.
On her birthday four years ago, one of the earth's worst disasters hit most of the land masses that border the Indian Ocean, when, as a result of an enormous aftershock from a giant underground earthquake, the tsunami that followed rose up in 100 foot waves and devastated several countries, killing over 200,000 people.
Again, my compassionate, empathetic child watched the news....and cried. When she heard one of the news reporters state that all of the children survivors had nothing... not even any toys to play with.... she announced that she would like to donate ALL of her new Christmas and birthday toys to those children, because she was lucky, and had enough old toys to play with.
I believe this child is truly a gift from God. Two years before her birth, when I was convinced that, in my heart, I could never love more than one child, and was content to have only him, I dreamed of this little girl with wavy, sunstreaked hair, and the most amazing ice blue eyes I'd ever seen. We were at a park I'd never seen before, and I was lounging in the grass, calling out to her. She came running over the crest of a small hill, wearing a grape-colored, short-sleeved t-shirt with little puffs on the sleeves and the tiniest of bows on the neck, underneath a pair of faded denim Osh b'Gosh overalls.
She had in her hands a bright red ball, and as she ran toward me, giggling the entire way, I called out to her: "Come bring the ball to me!", and spoke to her by name. It was then I knew that she was out there for me. That God was trying to let me know, in his Infinite way, that this little girl was waiting to be delivered. This gift.
And, on the day after His son's birth, he brought my gift to me. Ten years later, I'm still feeling awfully blessed to have her in my life.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
When I think of all of the gifts I could possibly want for Christmas, NOTHING can compare to the love shown to me by my family and friends. No material possession can come close to feeling the arms of my babies wrapped tight around me with a big "neck squeezing hug". No amount of money is worth hearing my kids laughter, or having them tell me they love me, or that I'm "the best mom EVER!". And, every time I either meet a new friend, or reconnect with an old one, I feel the blessing that is part of the REAL reason for the season.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May you and your family be blessed with the bounty of the greatest gift of all.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May you and your family be blessed with the bounty of the greatest gift of all.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Snow's STILL Falling
The storm came in right on time yesterday afternoon. The first flakes I noticed fell sometime right before 2:00 p.m. It is now almost 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening, and it's STILL flurrying.
I can't tell for sure, but it looks as if we've gotten a good foot and a half. Enough to make driving anywhere distant a major nightmare. I'm just so grateful that we're DONE with all of our major Christmas shopping. We will need to make a trip to the grocery store sometime this week, to get the remaining ingredients for our Christmas feast (and for our oldest daughter's birthday celebration the following day), but hopefully the roads will be much easier to navigate in a day or so.
Last night, my girls and I all climbed into my bed and snuggled up watching Christmas specials while the snow fell. We must have all passed out relatively early, 'cause my husband said he came into the bedroom around 9:00 to say something to me, and I was passed out! I'll tell ya, all the jewels, fancy cars, and big homes can't compare with a nice snuggle with your kids. Especially when you know that as they get older, they're less and less inclined to want to cuddle with Mom (it's not too "cool", you see).
I know it's going to break my heart when my oldest daughter gets to the point where she no longer finds it acceptable to climb in bed with dear old Mom and watch some hokey movie on TV.
But, I have a three-year-old. There's still plenty of "cuddle" years left in her.
I can't tell for sure, but it looks as if we've gotten a good foot and a half. Enough to make driving anywhere distant a major nightmare. I'm just so grateful that we're DONE with all of our major Christmas shopping. We will need to make a trip to the grocery store sometime this week, to get the remaining ingredients for our Christmas feast (and for our oldest daughter's birthday celebration the following day), but hopefully the roads will be much easier to navigate in a day or so.
Last night, my girls and I all climbed into my bed and snuggled up watching Christmas specials while the snow fell. We must have all passed out relatively early, 'cause my husband said he came into the bedroom around 9:00 to say something to me, and I was passed out! I'll tell ya, all the jewels, fancy cars, and big homes can't compare with a nice snuggle with your kids. Especially when you know that as they get older, they're less and less inclined to want to cuddle with Mom (it's not too "cool", you see).
I know it's going to break my heart when my oldest daughter gets to the point where she no longer finds it acceptable to climb in bed with dear old Mom and watch some hokey movie on TV.
But, I have a three-year-old. There's still plenty of "cuddle" years left in her.
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