YewNorkBabe TItle!!!

Our Little Spelling Bee

2009-05-02T07:41:00.002-04:00

How I got TheCodeMasterGeneral to spell 'cousin' for yesterday's spelling test....

See-Oh-You
then..... what is it you do to make it to the 'Lake of Fire' when you die?

Needless to say, he spelled it correctly.

Moral of the Story

2009-04-24T07:00:00.003-04:00

I may have figured out the moral of yesterday's story.

First, last night on the way to our church financial class I asked Capt to turn around so we could go home instead. I've been fighting off some bug and didn't think I could sit through 1 1/2 hours of teaching, my head felt like it was about to explode. And he didn't have a problem with that.

Then, this morning I wanted to sleep later than my usual 5am, so he took the dog out and feed her before heading out to the base.

When I finally got my butt out of bed at 6:30, I went downstairs and there was a surprise.....he put on a pot of coffee for me....he doesn't drink coffee and I wasn't fully aware he even knew how to make coffee.

So, the moral of yesterday's story is this: It's all about give and take.

Or as SirNottaguyImadadsays:

If you love something, let it go. If it doesn't come back, hide it after you wash it next time.

Thank you all for the sage advice.

OXO

2009-04-23T07:07:00.004-04:00

Remember when I posted about starting to make my loving husband tea every morning in an attempt to be a better wife?

Well, lately he's been commandeering my favorite OXO travel mug in the morning in order to enjoy said tea, which I lovingly make him, while he drives to work.

Moral of the story:

I'm not quite sure yet. But I sure do miss my mug.

Thyme for more

2009-04-22T06:03:00.006-04:00

As promised I will continue the spicy story that I'm sure has had you on the edge of your seats. But first:

Capt and I had a date last night. We went to Saybrook Fish House and had a wonderfully romantic dinner. I had The Poseidon Adventure, I thought it would come upside down but it didn't.

Then to Bed, Bath & Beyond to shop for the turntable. I apologize to all my Susan-named readers, I now realize that what I was looking for is a turntable, not a Lazy-Susan. I thought a turntable was something that you put your Beatle's Albums on, but I am dating myself here.

Anywhos, to get back to the main point of this most interesting story, here is what my spice cabinet looked like before:

I am not an evening person at all, I was very tired and not focused last night but here is what it looked like after I organized it:

Do you see that Fennel Seed? I've had that since my twins were born in 1980. I used to use it when my children were gassy. I would boil a few seeds in water and make tea for them to sip. I would then count, 1....2...3 and I'd hear - *BURP*- it worked like clockwork. I just can't seem to ever throw it out. (Maybe when I become a grandmother....someday....hello children, I'm not getting any younger here.) <-----that was my manadatory monthly plea, sorry you had to witness that.

And take a good look at the Domino Sugar'N Cinnamon shaker:

A few years ago I was food shopping with my daughter Jen and she nonchalantly grabbed this from the shelf and said, "Oh wow, I designed and drew this for Domino's and I didn't realize that they used it." (She was working for a company at the time so her work was not owned by her.) Of course I bought 5 bottles of this stuff. Then she pointed out jars of spaghetti sauce and olive oil that she worked on and designed, but I just love the duck wearing a sleeveless tee, striped shorts, water goggles with a lobster on its wing dripping wet the best. That's my Jen.

Now, just for fun, I'm gonna tag you all to show me what's in your spice cabinet.

Thyme for a New Post.....

2009-04-21T06:11:00.003-04:00

In my other life, the life I lived on Long Island, when I would get my tax refund the first thing I would do, after tithing, would be to buy something frivolous. Back then my tax refunds were substantial; the more faithful I was in tithing the more faithful God was in returning it back, and then some. So I would get myself a little something, like a massage, a day at a spa, take my sister's foster children to a toy store and let them pick out whatever they wanted; once I even took a cruise to Mexico. (Ouch, my head hurts just thinking about all the Margaritas I drank on that cruise.)

This past year has been different in many ways. I moved to CT relying upon a promised job which would earn me enough money, albeit less than my LI job, to live here in my dream home and be close to Capt, my husband now.

That did not work out and you all know the rest of that story. That was a trying year. And one of the greatest years of my life.

This year's tax refund has just been automatically deposited in my checking account. And even though it is puny in comparison (and, well, so was my tithing)to previous years I am so excited.

Tonight Capt is taking me to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I am splurging on a lazy-susan for my spices. I could not be more happier.

You see, I possess kazillions of different spices. I always have. I like to be able to sit in my kitchen and think of something I'd like to bake and have all the ingredients and spices available without having to take a trip to the grocery store. Which, by the way, is quite a hike when you live in this town.

The problem is that it is difficult to keep the spices in the same place on top of each other in alphabetical order, facing forward, without having them fall all over when I go to use them. I used to think my son, David, was to blame for my messy spice cabinet, he loves to cook and uses spices like an artist uses paints, but now that he doesn't live with me anymore I realize it is the spice fairies who come in when I'm not home and mess it all up.

So, I'm thinking that I need a lazy-susan, desperately, so that the spice containers will be more accessible. And I can't wait until after dinner tonight when we get to pick one up.

I'll even take a before and after picture for you tomorrow.

To be continued....

His Majesty

2009-04-14T18:24:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday we all took a trip to Long Island to meet up with my children and family. Mom and Dad came up from South Carolina. Even though the weather was horrible (rainy and cold) we all had a great time sitting around and just being together.

The trip home was long 2.5 hours. TheCodeMasterGeneral was unusually quiet, he wasn't feeling well. Then he told us, "I feel majestic."

Capt said, "Wow, I didn't know you knew what that word meant, good job with the volcabulary."

TheCodeMasterGeneral replied, "It means stuffy and can't breathe, right?"

We all just looked at each other puzzled.

Pookie was the first to speak up, "I think he means 'conjested', not 'majestic'."

And now that we all have caught TheCodeMasterGeneral's cold, we tell each other that we feel 'majestic'. I think it sounds a lot better than 'conjested'.

Joyce Meyer, my BFF

2009-04-08T05:24:00.002-04:00

Hi.

I have no excuses for not posting. None. But I do thank you for the emails and comments that you miss me and are concerned. I am fine, I guess sometimes I just get too involved in other things, like SPRING CLEANING and therefore lose my blogging focus. I started the cleaning on Saturday with my walk-in bedroom closet and it all went OCD thereafter.

Speaking of OCD, the past couple of weeks something has been gnawing at my spirit. I wasn't sure what it was but I kept feeling like there was something more that I should be doing, something different, something that I was failing at. I just couldn't figure it out. My husband even noticed it and was constantly asking me what was wrong.

He took me out to dinner on Friday night and as he sat across from me drinking his favorite Chinese tea it hit me. I asked him if he'd like me to get him a cup of tea every morning for when he gets out of the shower.

My thinking was that I'd be a better wife...that we would be more of a team working together towards a goal...the goal being, well, I'm not sure, but it seemed like this is what would fill the void I was feeling...the missing something.

As he raised his right eye brow (I love when he does that) he suspiciously asked me what is it that I want in return. "I just think I'd be a better wife if I brought you tea upstairs when I bring my coffee up", I reasoned. He doesn't have a morning beverage habit.

He then said all the right stuff....you are a perfect wife, there's nothing more you have to do...blah, blah, blah. I was determined that something else needed to be done.

So the next morning I brought him tea. The next morning I forgot. Then yesterday morning we sat in bed together drinking our morning cup of coffee and tea and did something we never do in the morning, we turned on the television.

And Joyce Meyer was on. And she was preaching about that gnawing feeling that there is something else to be done to be a better wife. She told a story about how she grew a garden one year and made her husband clothes because she felt like it would make her a better wife. We watched with amazement because it seemed like everything she was saying was exactly what I had been trying to explain to him. Of course her garden and clothes making was a disaster, God has a plan for her to be who she is, the woman he created, not the woman she was trying to be because she thought it would make her a better woman.

The enemy gets into our lives and sometimes we don't even see it. I am fine the way I am, quirks and all. I like me. Capt likes me, he even LOVES me. There is nothing more I have to do to fill the void. In fact, there is no void, the enemy just wants me to think there is.

This isn't the first time Joyce Meyer has unintentionally spoken directly to me. There was a season in my life where I couldn't have stepped out of bed without hearing her because I was in so much pain. Pain that broke me. She was there to help me as I was built back up into the woman I am today.

She is an amazing woman and I have to believe that so am I.

Kate and Capt plus....it doesn't work....

2009-03-25T07:56:00.004-04:00

Monday night Capt and I watched the season finale of Jon and Kate Plus 8.

Normally he does not stay in the same room when that show is on. He has many issues with Kate's behavior and attitude towards Jon, as well as other things. Kate and husband could and should never be friends...it would be a disaster of magnitude proportions.

I was startled when right in the middle of watching Kate freak out when her children had a bit of paint on their hands, my husband leaned over and whispered in my ear that he had a fantasy

Before I let my mind run amok with that info I asked him what his fantasy was.

"I'd like to tie Kate down and watch her freak out when I splatter paint and mud on her because she's just too uptight about keeping her herself and her kids clean."

Oh.

I think I'll stop watching it in front of Capt, clearly it is affecting him in a most disturbing way.

The Secret Life of Yew Nork Babe's House

2009-03-24T05:54:00.003-04:00

What ever this plague going around is, it has clearly wiped me out. At least this morning I feel like the fever is gone and I can think clearly...well somewhat clearly...I never truly think clearly.

Last night the season finale of The Secret Life of the American Teenager aired. If you heard about the show then you probably don't have a teenager. Or you may shield them from that type of show. In the past, when my children were teenagers, I would have not allowed them to watch it, but I was a strict parent and kept my children protected from a lot of worldly things.

Now that I am a step-parent to a teenage girl who is not being raised in a sheltered way, I see that it both ways has its benefits, neither is wrong, both are right. Although, my children are on the fence about that.

The Secret Life deals with teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, Christianity and other real life issues. The way these issues are portrayed are real and relevant to today's times.

The part I love the most: The character's personalities are portrayed in a transparent way. The attitudes, the brattiness, the hormones, the motives...it's all there.

Monday nights are our family night. We have a family meeting, talk about issues we may have, offer up suggestions to make our family run smoother, and comment on our week in general. We then play board games until The Secret Life comes on.

As the show progresses we discuss or comment on the motives of the characters. And I think it is a good thing. And I think that the show has opened the eyes of hundreds of thousands of teenagers and in turn will protect them from many heartbreaks. (An example: Why did Amy go all the way at band camp? Because she was feeling insecure and was being pressured and bamboozled by the most popular, silver-tongued guy that all the cool girls wanted to date. The outcome: being pregnant at 15 and having your whole life turned upside down.)

Pookie has learned a great deal from the show and has used it to understand some of the issues that surround her.

My husband is an excellent father and may be raising his children differently than I did mine, but I am learning from him that love and communication is the most important aspect of raising children in these times.

But one thing is for certain, even though I don't have much say in how my step-children are being raised, I adamantly put my foot down about this: NO ONE, REPEAT, NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO BAND CAMP IN THIS HOUSE!!!!

Be Still My Heart

2009-03-19T14:27:00.002-04:00

My little girl, I just can't get enough of her:

Don't you just want to just squeeze her?

She's 28 1/2 years old now, so I'm sure she would consider it harassment or something.

Some Like it Hot!

2009-03-18T06:42:00.004-04:00

We got a new pizza/deli in this small town and it's all the buzz. Every time I bump into someone in town one of the first things they say is, "Have you tried 3 Fellows Pizza yet and isn't it great?". The owners are all from New York and the pizza perfectly reflects New York style pizza, which is just heavenly.

One of the amazing things about 3 Fellows is that they DELIVER !!! ....right here in the boonies. And that is unheard of in these here parts. [oh my, I'm starting to talk like a Marlborough-er]

Anyway, last night it was my turn to make dinner. My day was hectic. I just barely made it home before TheCodeMasterGeneral's bus pulled in front of our house.

When I got in the door I realized that it was too late to plan dinner.

I had a great idea: Let's get pizza delivered, but first I checked with Capt to make sure he didn't have pizza for lunch....I'm good like that.

I started to feel like I was back in New York, like now I have another option when it comes to getting dinner on the table.

The pizza delivery young man came to the door, I paid him and when I brought the pizza box into the house Pookie (age 13) asked if the pizza was hot.

"Yes, of course it's hot, why?", I asked.

"It must be really hot because it was near that delivery dude.", she said with a twinkle in her eye as she swooned.

Oh my land, that girl is growing up too fast.

And I think I saw a few more grey hairs on my husband this morning.

An Observation

2009-03-14T06:48:00.003-04:00

With all the technology these days I hadn't realized this problem before:

Kids with cellphones not having landline telephone etiquette.

Pookie's cellphone was taken away by her mother this time. I don't know all the details but I'm sure it was deserved. Here at the house of YewNork, we don't have a lineline.

When Pookie is on her cell she rarely talks, 99% of the time she is texting her friends.

Last night while I was driving her and her BFF to a fundraiser facility basketball game at their middle school she asked her BFF to text their other BFF, Kaylee to see if she's going to be there.

As she passed her her own cell, she told Pookie that the other BFF had her cellphone taken away also and that Pookie was going to have to call her at her parent's home phone.

Pookie dials and I hear, "Hi, is Kaylee there?" "Umm, okay, bye."

"Who answered the phone?", I asked.

"Kaylee's mom", she said

"I thought you loved Mrs. P."

"Yeah, she's so cool."

"Then why weren't you using good manners with her?"

"What do you mean?"

Then I explained how I would have felt if one of her friends didn't say ," Hi Mrs. F., how are you....or Hi Mrs. F. is Pookie there?" At least acknowledge her, I explained.

It never occurred to her, or to her BFF sitting with us in the car.

They said that they will both keep that in mind if they ever have to call a landline again. But the truth is, it rarely happens with teen-agers.

NewYorkBabe's Irish Soda Bread

2009-03-11T06:29:00.005-04:00

This is what is in my oven right now.

I've tried many recipes over the years and I've come up with one that is perfect, it's a combination of different Irish Soda Bread recipes handed down from generations. And yes, I am not Irish, I am Jewish, but I have some friends who are.

1 Cup dark seedless raisins
4 Cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
I tsp. baking soda
3/4 Cup sugar
2 T. Crisco shortening (full spoons, not measured exactly)
2 T. caraway seeds
2 Cups buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400. Put water in small pot, add raisins and bring to boil, then turn off and let raisins soak until ready to add.

Sift flour on parchment paper, measure 4 Cups and put into large bowl. Add salt, cream of tartar, baking powder and soda. Mix with whisk to fully blend. Add sugar and shortening. Cut shortening with butter knife until fine pieces, mix well with wooden spoon.

Add strained raisins and caraway seeds and mix well again.

Crack egg into a large bowl, add enough buttermilk to equal 2 cups, important: not more than 2 cups. Beat together.

Add buttermilk and egg mixture to mixture stirring well with wooden spoon. It will be sticky and hard to handle with hands.

Sprinkle some flour on the parchment paper and on your hands and spoon out mixture. Put some flour on mixture and knead gently until mixture is in a slightly manageable shape. Gently is the operative word. This will be very sticky.

Divide mixture in half, adding a little more flour to cut ends and lightly knead into shape of pans.

Coat pans with shortening and flour lightly 2(9x5-inch) loaf pans. (I also use round glass casserole pans sometimes) Fill equally with batter. Make a cross-like indentation with a sharp knife on top of the dough (it doesn't have to be perfect) and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then lowering to 350 for balance of approximately 30 minutes.

DO NOT open oven during the first 15 minutes of baking.

Then sit back and watch the family become intoxicated with the delicious aroma.

Advice: Don't let them eat a piece until their homework is done, or your husband throws out the garbage because it's all about the leverage here.

Enjoy.

Don't you get PineSol from Pine Trees?

2009-03-09T10:47:00.003-04:00

I had a wonderful weekend with my twins and future son-in-law.

It's maple tree tapping time out here in the boondocks. Everywhere you look you see maple trees being tapped, tubes a'flowin' and 5 gallon water jugs filled with sap.

My daughter asked me what was going on with all the plastic tubes and water jugs all over this town and I explained that my neighbors are getting ready to make maple syrup.

"Oh, well what kind of trees are those?", she asked pointing to the trees being tapped.

"Sugar maple trees.", I replied.

"But I thought you got maple syrup from pine trees.", she said. She thought for a second or two and then realized something.

"Oh yeah, maple syrup....maple trees", she said.

My 28 year old daughter makes me crack up...and she's not even a blonde.

Fashion Friday

2009-03-06T05:56:00.004-05:00

About 7 years ago I found the perfect handbag from Banana Republic. It had round bamboo handles, canvas and oh-so stylish. I can't find an online picture of it but believe me, it was just perfect. One of the things I loved the most was the way it opened and closed with ease.

I felt so sassy and vogue strutting along with that purse.

But my world was about to come crushing down.

I had just found out that my former husband had been having an affair. The betrayal sliced through my being and the pain was crippling. My body and mind shut down, yet my spiritual connection to God and His peace was ever present.

I began losing weight fast...30 lbs in a few weeks. Although I ate some food everyday, my heart rate was so high I burned away those calories and then some. I had seen so many people, both men and women, go through this, since I was a matrimonial paralegal and dealt with them on a close level, but I never could understand the intense pain they were going through and how it affected their bodies like so drastically. Although I cared dearly about my clients, I never could sympathized with them...that was about to change.

It was about that time when a receptionist at the firm, a woman who was a tad on the wild side, got herself a new boyfriend. This new boyfriend had gone to an annually required meeting with his company and brought home some 'handouts'.

This particular receptionist thought it would be a great idea to put one of these 'handouts' on each desk in the office before anyone got in in the morning.

When I pulled into the parking lot I wiped away my usual morning tears, stepped out of my car (swinging my new Banana Republic canvas handbag)and ran smack into a desperate client. I told him to follow me straight into my office and I will sit and talk with him.

As I stepped into the entrance to my office I spied a bright, banana yellow 'handout' on my desk and quickly swept it into my easy to open purse, hoping that my client didn't see it.

My day was so busy, I forgot all about the banana 'handout'.

That night, in the middle of the night, I had to get rushed to the hospital. I had a high fever and was in a terrible amount of pain. My former husband did not want to drive me, he didn't care much about anything but his new girlfriend, so my daughter took me. She was in the midst of her final year in college and was having her thesis project presented the following morning.

My daughter stayed with me at the hospital all night but had to leave in the early morning hours right before my emergency surgery. In fact, all three of my children were in college at the time and all three of them were dealing with finals. I had been through surgeries before and I insisted that their finals were more important than sitting in the hospital with me.

My surgeon, who knew my former husband and knew about the affair before I did, wanted someone from my family at the hospital while I was in surgery. I was too out of it to make any phone calls so he asked if it was alright to go through my purse to find my address book.

Of course the bright, banana 'handout' fell out of my purse and went flying across the hospital floor. He went over and picked it up, looked it over and put it back into my purse. Next he called my sister in Staten Island.

The nurses put my purse under the gurney I was on and it seemed like every time they moved me the purse would open, spill out and topple over exposing the increasingly embarrassing 'handout'.

After the surgery (The surgeon and an oncologist did the surgery and they didn't find cancer, just a benign mass)I woke up to find my oldest son leaning over and kissing my cheek. All I had the strength to whisper to him was, "Dave...please... take the condom out of my purse.....put it in your pocket now.....don't ask me any questions....I will explain later."

The look on his face was priceless.

I recovered, in many ways. God is so good to me.

When I was up and about I took a trip to a local store. An elderly woman stopped me and told me that my purse was lovely.

Right then and there I emptied it and handed it to her.

Value, Worth

2009-03-05T06:15:00.003-05:00

In my morning devotions I read, "An idol is anything that takes the place of God."

It hit home.

I am a fine example of what happens when you raise a child without making them feel like they have some kind of value. Fifty years later I am still trying to overcome my feelings of worthlessness. Yet in my head I know my value, in my head I know my worth.

But sitting in a tiny corner of my heart the opposite whispers to me.

In the quiet background of everything I do I sense its pull, "No one cares, you don't matter." And no matter how hard I try to ignore it, it's there. Just there. And there. And I know that it confuses people and sways their opinions of me because they can sense it too.

And it has allowed me to make wrong choices in my past.

And it takes the place of God.

An idol. Sin.

And it is annoying as heck.

It's Come to This

2009-03-04T17:45:00.005-05:00

So, Pookie gets her cellphone taken away since this past Monday because she hasn't turned in 8 math assignments. She also got her laptop taken away, but she can handle that.

Pookie texts ALL DAY LONG. I mean she texts when she is walking, talking, in the car, at the movies, ALL THE TIME!!!! She has unlimited texts on her phone and takes full advantage of that.

These past couple of days have been rough, she has been going through terrible withdrawals. She's been in tears, pleading, begging, praying, trying mind control on her dad....she even made up all the missing work and has been doing extra chores to get her cellphone back....to no avail.

Capt is being strong and not giving in because he wants her to learn her a lesson on prioritizing her school work. I'm in agreement, the constant texting is OUT OF CONTROL.

But when I just walked into the dining room what I found was quite disturbing:

Pookie using a calculator , frantically and aimlessly texting away.

The Time is Here

2009-03-02T07:10:00.004-05:00

There is about 2 1/2 feet of snow that fell last night and it is still falling full force. The kids are sounds asleep upstairs and have no idea yet that school is closed. There is no way I'm heading out to work, the roads aren't plowed yet. I would imagine that the courts are closed anyway. A day to sit by the fire and relax is just what we all could use.

Yesterday I posted about visiting a new church. I have been looking for specific things in my search for a church here in Connecticut. It's not like there is anything wrong with any of the churches that I've been to this past year, it's just that I feel the place for me is in a church that fits these qualifications:

Worship - the worship team should, at the least, have smiles on their faces while leading worship. I love worship, I feel that it sets the tone for the service and helps me enter into God's presence. The worship team is leading us into God's presence, we are all singing to God. When I worship I have an image of God in front of me, I can't help but smile and get excited, so when the worship team is looking like they wished they were back in bed, it is distracting to me.

Music - I like Christian music. I come Christian City Church where music is...well...the most awesome experience...indescribable. Old hymns are wonderful once in a while, they pierce my heart and can melt me into a pool of butter where I stand, but I just can't get all excited when I'm signing hymns throughout worship. ..except if I'm singing "How Great Thou Art"....that one gives me goosebumps every time.

Congregation - It is nice to have a mix of types of people, mix of different generations, mix of backgrounds. I love when the congregation is made up of some really cool and updated,in the world type people...people that can relate to current events, fashion and what is going on in the world today. Some of the churches in this small town are made up of only people who dress plainly, do not wear make-up and have strict rules which separate them from the non-saved. That is fine for them, but not where God wants me.

Pastor - I like a pastor to be laid back, upbeat, comfortable, not too dramatic or theatrical and, most importantly in tune with the Holy Spirit. I don't put all of my confidence or trust into pastors because they are just humans like us and not our God, but the person that is spiritually feeding and leading me every Sunday should be someone that I feel isn't "way out there"; he should be right where we are in life, able to relate to us and our struggles. I've been to churches were it seems the pastor is too above us all and is too busy taking his private jet to the tropics than to sit down to share a meal with us. And I've been to churches where the pastor seems to be in a poverty mentality.

I want a church that loves the community, that has a heart for the unsaved, that accepts sinners with an open heart and does not judge but gently leads us all to forgiveness. I want to go to a church that is filled with sinners like me.

Christian City Church was the church my children grew up in, it was the church that I felt was my family. I haven't experienced that in a long time.

Yesterday I visited Hope Church and it feels right, it feels like I've found a home again. All the things I am looking for seem to be there.

And I am start to finally feel settled.

How do you feel about church?

Christian Spirit

2009-03-01T07:33:00.007-05:00

I'm getting ready to head out and visit a new church, since I still haven't found a church in Connecticut that 'fits'. I have hope that this will be the one.

So while I'm gone, here's a video I'd like you to watch demonstrating a perfect example of the Christian spiri; just make sure you have a tissue ready, especially you men:

To the Porn Shop

2009-02-26T06:01:00.003-05:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I went to the local porn shop?

I had just met Capt for the first time after being matched up with him on Eharmony months earlier.

We had gone on a wonderful first date. He took me to a seaport to see how ships were made. Some might think, "What a strange place for a first date.", but it was perfect, just perfect. He had planned the whole day right down to umbrellas in case it rained and in case I didn't feel comfortable sharing one with him. He even had an assortment of waters in his car in case I got parched and was fussy about water. (Yes, he was correct.) He even pre-paid for everything before I even got there, which took the awkwardness away.

We even sat on the bench in front of the lighthouse and looked out over the water and talked and talked. I thought he was going to kiss me then, but he waited until we said goodbye.

It was the most wonderful date ever. And as I walked onto the ferry to go home I knew there were many things about Capt that I loved and I hoped we could continue our long distance relationship now that we had met in person.

Capt is all about electronics, computers and all things geek-related. He knows how to find anything on the internet and does it in no time at all.

A few days after our first date I called him from my office phone. He took that number off of his caller ID and reverse looked-up it to get my work address.

The next day I was getting buzzed by my receptionist, Larisa. When I picked up the intercom she was hysterically laughing and trying to tell me between breaths that the local porn shop was on the phone and they had a package for me.

This porn shop was not an ordinary porn shop, it was known to be the most 'porniest' of the porn shops around. I knew this only because the local churches were always praying for it and its owners.

Needless to day, Capt's reverse lookup investigaton did not uncover my correct work address and a lovely package of chocolate covered strawberries got delivered to the porn shop instead of the law office.

I pleaded with Larisa to pick them up for me, but being the good, sweet, innocent person that she is she declined stating that she was just too embarrased. I even offered her cold, hard cash, to no avail.

I had no choice but to go in there myself and pick up the strawberries. They had to be refrigerated so I had to get them right away.

It took me awhile to get out of my car once I got into the porn parking lot. I know that this is really stupid but the thing that I kept thinking was, "What if I ran into someone that I know from church in there?". And not because of what they might think of me, because I would know that they were there and then we would have a weird secret connection or something like that. That would be too creepy.

After about 30 minutes I took a deep breath, went inside, lowered my head and tried to keep my eyes straight ahead as I approached the check out counter. "You must be Theresa.", said the young woman. "Am I that obvious?", I asked.

It was the biggest laugh in my office for years, mostly because I am such a goody-two shoes. And it was a turning point in Capt and my lives because we just knew then that our relationship together was going to be filled with these types of funny memories.

A Lesson Learned

2009-02-24T06:22:00.002-05:00

My Pookie.

I don't know how she got to be so wise at age 13.

I don't know how she realizes how wrong domestic violence is.

I don't know if she knows how absolutely blessed she is to have a father who treats her so tenderly and lovingly.

She threw out the calendar of her dream man, the man she had a teenage crush on for over a year, the calendar that she swooned over every night and every morning. The man she insisted she would marry, if, of course, he wasn't attached when she was old enough.

She threw it in the garbage when she found out that he allegedly beat up his girlfriend.

Her crush is over.

I only wish I had been as wise as she at 13; it took me far longer than that.

The Scrabble Queen

2009-02-19T13:25:00.003-05:00

Last night when my 13 year old step-daughter and I went "grocery" shopping, she told me that she thinks I'm so cool and that she wants to be like me when she grows up.

She also thinks that I'm the biggest nerd ev'.....as she puts it.

Last night while we were driving through a snowstorm to, you know, get some of that delicious Dairy Queen otherwise known as "grocery" shopping, I got a call on my cellphone.

Someone had a Scrabble question and needed the answer right away.

My Scrabble days started 20 years ago when I was dating Todd. He was a Scrabble player extraordinaire and tried to teach me how to play, but I just couldn't get it. He was often frustrated and bored when we played. He threw down tiles that gained him high points and I spelled words like boy and duck, if I was lucky.

Then one day I got an idea.

I went to the local book store and found a book on how to win at Scrabble. I read it that day and learned many valuable strategies to playing a winning game. I also memorized all the two letter words in the English language, a big plus for a Scrabble player.

That night when he offered to play another tedious game of Scrabble with me. I obliged and played like the winner I had read about. (Todd didn't know about the book.)

Imagine his shock when I rack balanced, bonus worded and I used two letter words like 'aa' and 'ae' to attach to other words to maximize my points. I think I scored in the 400's that night.

And I think he turned pale and almost passed out.

One of the things I learned in the book was to use words like 'faqir' that your opponent might not know so he or she would challenge them. Then after a few losing challenges where they skip a turn they stop challenging you and then you can use words that aren't really words and no one is the wiser.

Some call it cheating, I call it strategy. Hey, I learned it from pros who wrote the book.

Needless to say, no one likes to play with me. Except last weekend my sister's boyfriend played with me and got really frustrated at my 'strategy' and quit playing.

But it was my son, David, who finally put it all into perspective for me when he asked, "Mom, would you play flag football with someone who tackles you all the time?"

OKAY, I GET IT NOW!!!!

But still, Pookie thinks it's really cool that I get phone calls about Scrabble. I even think she was more tickled about that than having her poor, exhausted, step-mother drive 38 miles through a snowstorm to get her an ice cream cone.

The Golden Slippers

2009-02-12T06:30:00.006-05:00

Money had been very tight around here this past year starting with me losing the job I relocated here for, and continuing with working two part-time jobs, which total in weekly earnings what I used to earn in a few hours. Not true, but it feels close to being true.

Gone are the days when I would throw down hundreds of dollars a month on face products to keep me youthful looking.

Gone are the days of facials and massages.

Gone are the days when I would walk into a high-end clothing store and sidle up to a saleswoman and ask her to please pick out about $1,000 worth of clothes for me while I wait in the dressing room because I hate shopping and have no clue what looks good on me and I know you have skills since you work here.

Yes, I used to do that twice a year.

That's how I used to roll.

And I don't even miss it because I'm happy and I love my new life.

Needless to say, my husband has had to take over the majority of my expenses. He has sacrificed so much to marry me. I am no longer the financially independent woman I was when he met me. He's really been a trooper. He's had to sacrifice more than I can say.

I know that he appreciates the skills I have that cut our spending, make ends meet and keep the bills at a minimum.

So Sunday when I told him that I purchased a new pair of slippers that cost $100 he looked like he was going to lose it for a second. And he never loses it.

You see, for a wedding present a girlfriend of mine from Long Island, who couldn't make the wedding, sent us a gift card to Saks Fifth Avenue in the amount of $100.00. Around these here parts of the wilderness, there is no Saks. She has no clue as to my new life here. We once had tea together at The Plaza in New York City....$90.00 for two cups of tea....and I don't even drink tea.

Anyway, for the past 7 months I've been looking on Saks online and trying to spend the gift card, but there are only a few items for under $100 and they just don't seem worth it, i.e., a bottle of Juicy Couture perfume. No thanks.

And lest you think I'm all about me, there isn't even anything for men that looks interesting for under $100.

In the past I would have added my own money to the gift card and presto a new blouse. But I carefully watch our budget and there is no room for unnecessary purchases.

Capt trusts me with our money and that means a lot to me.

So, on Sunday I received an advertisement via email from Saks showing slippers for $80. "Maybe, just maybe, I could get away with this.", I thought. And I looked. And I purchased. And if I had them sent via overnight the total cost would be $99.98. YES, SCORE !!!!

I needed a pair of slippers and I had mentioned to Capt that I was thinking about going to Target and getting myself a pair, if they were on sale.

A few seconds after I told Capt that I purchased slippers for $100, I told him that I finally used the gift card that I was wracking my brain over and he looked instantly relieved.

Now I am the proud owner of the most awesome slippers ever invented. I feel like I am walking on a cloud:

They're Uggs. Yeah.

Why I'm So Happy:

2009-02-11T05:20:00.004-05:00

A few days ago my friend Merrily over at Life is But a Dream tagged me for a photo meme.

The problem is that most of the photos on my computer, like 99.9% of them, are of Pookie and/or her girlfriends doing the 'kiss' pose at the camera. Anyone who has a teenager knows that pose. I think standing in front of a camera making pouty lips with your girlfriends....or alone....is a prerequisite for turning 13.

Unfortunately, my husband doesn't like me to post pictures of his children, although I've gotten away with it a few times for special occasions.

So I've picked my favorite photo of our recent wedding:

Capt and I had been dancing our first dance together for about 4 minutes, Pookie and her best friend were up on the landing of the stairway singing 'our song'. He had just mumbled something funny under his breath to me and leaned back to give the photographer a 'let's ham it up now' smile.

And I'm thinking, "Can I be any happier?"

These past seven months have proved that I can be.

Everyday something new happens. Everyday I'm happy that he married me. Every night we kiss goodnight and say, "I love you, thank you for marrying me."

Even the days when he does something stupid, like this past week when he tried to help me with my delicate laundry, I still am happy.

He gets the delicate load in the washer and at the last minute before turning on the wash sees the dog's dirty, fur-filled blanket on the floor and decides that it could use a washing too. Yes, he threw it in with my delicate load. When I come home he has already washed and dried (-IN THE DRYER-) the load three times because all the fur wouldn't come off.

Yet, I'm still happy.

And a few days ago when he broke the tip off of my favorite high-end parring knife and put it back in the drawer because he used it to pry off the top of his son's travel mug even though I had previously told him the mug simply unscrews and doesn't pop off.

Yet, I'm still happy.

Or how the blanket on our bed seems to make its way over to his side every night and when I ask him to please stop hogging it he tells me to stop letting it move over to his side.

And yet, I'm still happy.

Or when since our wedding day when I am looking for Tupperware to put leftovers in and he just stands there with a blank look on his face appearing to wonder with me where it all disappears to because I keep buying containers and lids and they mysteriously disappear. Then one day last week he comes home with a gigantic garbage bag filled with my Tupperware and dumps it on the kitchen floor. He had been taking it to work and leaving it there for seven months. It took 3 loads in the dishwasher to fit them in to clean them and I can't even fit them all in my cabinets anymore.

And yet, I am still happy.

I could go on and on with the reasons why I love him.... how he makes my body tingle when I see him walking towards me....how when I look into his big brown eyes I melt....how when he touches me he can bring me back from a stressful day....but I won't, happily I've got a lifetime for that.

If you'd like to be tagged for this meme, tag, you're it.

Kage, how I miss him.

2009-02-09T08:35:00.002-05:00

My daughter emailed me this link of her dog, Kage.

Kage is a very weird dog.

Kids These Days

2009-02-06T06:13:00.003-05:00

I guess I still have stuff to write about regarding the open house at the Court. After this, I should be done.

When I married Capt I got the benefit of becoming part of his extended family and thereby having an aunt (pronounced 'awnt' in these here parts instead of the right way, 'ant') and uncle among other wonderful family members.

My new Aunt J was kind enough to get me out of a bind and lend me the family coffee urn for the open house last week.

Since I still don't know how to make coffee that people can actually drink yet, I ordered already- made coffee from the local bakery and poured it into the urn. And presto no one had to know it wasn't made by me.

By the looks of it, the urn must have been around for a few decades, although it looks newly purchased. It has that 50's look, but it's odd because it looks brand new and out of place in these times.

After using it I brought it home to give it a good cleaning and set it on the kitchen counter/island right next to where my step-son sits when he eats his breakfast, when he plays computer games on his laptop or when he just feels like being a skutch to me while I'm cooking (Skutch means jokester in NY, I've had to explain that a few times).

My step-son has ADHD and it is very unusual for him to notice common, everyday things like a coffee urn on the counter. But this particular afternoon he did.

He had eaten breakfast Saturday morning and not noticed.

Later he had eaten lunch and not noticed.

But when his best friend came over to play an on-line combat video game together with their laptops....wait a second.....I have to stop here and just register my amazement at technology today, kids today bring their laptops to each others' houses and play games over the internet with other kids all over the world. When I was a kid I played jacks. And I loved it.

Anyways, in mid-slaughtering of an enemy soldier he screamed, "THERESA, WAS IS THAT OVER THERE????" I almost spit my water all over the kitchen when I instantly realized that he was afraid of the coffee urn.

AFRAID OF THE COFFEE URN!!!

People, here he is shooting and eliminating soldiers, there is blood splatters on his screen and there sits a gentle coffee urn quietly next to him, minding its own business, and THAT he is afraid of.

After his dad and I explained what the coffee urn was he laughed and said, "That thing looks like it could kill someone." And his friend agreed.

Oh kids these days.

Coffe Crunch Bars

2009-02-02T18:11:00.003-05:00

The Court that I work for moved from the Town Hall into a new building last month. We still have some kinks to work out but all in all it was a good move. The only complaint I have is that it is very lonely working there without other people. Lonely and scary, but I think the scary part is from living in NY all my life. In NY you may not be too safe sitting alone in an office building in the woods.

This past Thursday we had an open house luncheon and invited about 50 lawyers, judges, Town Hall friends, etc. I ordered food from the local grocery store deli and made cookies for dessert. I had gotten a new Bon Appetite magazine and in it was a recipe that sounded right up my alley....Coffee Crunch Bars. Of course I had to make them for the party.

Bon Appetite has a whole article by Molly Wizenberg about these cookies.

She writes, "The coffee and toffee flavors of this crunchy dessert are heightened by the dark brown sugar and espresso powder."

Finding the espresso powder was the problem, a big problem when you live in a small town. After visiting several stores I went to Whole Foods, they didn't even have it, but they came up with a solution - they grounded up espresso beans into a powder and I used that.

The cookies came out wonderful, or so I thought. My husband doesn't like anything coffee related.

After the party there were a few cookies left so I sent them to work with my husband, his co-workers just love it when he brings stuff in.

Later that night I asked him how they liked the coffee crunch bars. He said, "No one ate them". "Why?", I asked. And in true Capt form he said, "I told them that you put coffee grinds in them".

I'm sure the image of old, cold, used coffee grinds would take anyone's appetite away.

A Summary of Sorts

2009-01-24T05:53:00.003-05:00

This past week was our week with the kids. There are a lot of things we try to do when they are here to make them feel like they are 'home' for the week. Things that they can rely on and things they can roll their deep brown eyes at. After all, split custody is great in so many ways, but it makes it difficult for the children to have a place to call 'home'. I often hear them telling their friends that they are at their mother's house or their father's house. They don't visit either parent, they live one week with Dad and one week with Mom.

The "switch" time is Fridays after school. The amount of "stuff" my step children travel back and forth with is voluminous so one parent has to get to the other parent's house with a truck sometime on Friday and transport the "stuff". It's not like they need all of the "stuff", well that's not all true, Pookie (13) needs her "stuff", The Boy (11) just likes to have his "stuff" at home, at each home. And if it makes him feel more comfortable then its worth the schlep.

Friday night is when Pookie has a sleepover with her girlfriend(s). The Boy and his dad hang out. I stay out of everyone's way, schlepping humans and "stuff" if necessary. I usually make pot roast since it is Pookie's favorite.

This past Friday morning, before work, I was getting the pot roast ready for the crock pot and noticed that after I opened the box of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix there was only one envelope inside the box instead of two. The recipe calls for two envelopes, but I find that I get too gassy if I use both. And being gassy is just not lady like. After all, I have an image to uphold in this household; gassy stepmother is not that image.

I took the empty box with me to work and on my lunch break I emailed Lipton to let them know about the missing envelope. In yesterday's mail I received two free coupons for Lipton's Onion Soup Mix together with a nice letter from Chris Greene, Consumer Services Representative for Unilever and other valuable coupons for items that I use.

I can't help but feel a bit like a Proverbs 31 woman.

Monday nights are family night. We may have a family meeting first to discuss any concerns, rules or issues, then we play Catch Phrase.

Catch Phrase is an electronic game similar to the TV show Password. It is so much fun because we usually wind up laughing so much that our sides hurt.

This past Monday my husband had to give a clue to The Boy and all he had to say was, "Theresa does this all the time". Without skipping a beat The Boy answered correctly, "Clean".

What? I hadn't realized that that is their opinion of what I do all the time. I guess that is a better image than when I digest too much Lipton Soup Mix.

Pookie and I spend alone time during the week. We do a lot of talking about our lives. I was telling her how much I miss going out for ice cream, something we just don't do when it's constantly -10 degrees like it's been these past few weeks.

She suggested that we go (air quote) grocery (air quote) shopping one night after dinner....and when we get back without (air quote) groceries (air quote) we will just tell Dad that we ate them.

Hmmmm, I knew exactly what she meant.

Dairy Queen is quite a hike, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do and (air quote) grocery (air quote) shopping is what we just had to do. At dinner the next night Pookie asked me in front of her dad if we needed to go (air quote) grocery (air quote) shopping. I said , "yes, of course we need to go (air quote) grocery (air quote) shopping, I was going to go to the gym tonight, but I'm pretty sure that (air quote) grocery (air quote) shopping is much more important. Let's get ready to go."

"Hey, what's with all the air quotes?", my husband asked.

Nothing gets by that hunk of a man.

We went and had a good time. I love ice cream too much.

As time goes by things get more and more into a routine with the kids and our marriage. And that's a good thing. I love my life, I love my kids and how they are growing and I love my step children.

We are jelling as a family.

"Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future."

coffee time

2009-01-19T07:28:00.003-05:00

Dear Coffee Drinker next in line,

You don't know me, and that's most likely a good thing. I only started drinking coffee last month when I turned 50; before that I only drank Pepsi in the morning. I figured it was finally time to grow up and join the coffee drinking masses.

I find that the coffee at 7-11 is pretty good especially with the International Delight French Vanilla creamer that sits on the coffee counter, so I treat myself to a cup of coffee there every so often.

Since I am a new coffee drinker and all, and since I am a spaz of ginormous proportions, I didn't realize that the top of the French Vanilla creamer isn't supposed to be removed. Unfortunately it wouldn't fit back correctly, so I just left it sitting precariously on top of the container.

I am so sorry that you probably didn't notice that it wasn't on there tight while you poured it into your coffee. Whatever the repercussions of my stupidity caused you - I am truly sorry. I know I should have alerted the coffee clerk, but alas, I was too embarrassed at my inexperience at coffee counter etiquette.

Again, sorry.

As they all say at 7-11, "Have a good one."

Very truly yours,

Yew Nork Babe

It's too Early for This

2009-01-18T06:25:00.002-05:00

This is what I saw when I opened my email at 6am this morning:

Have you ever notice that when you start spending a lot of time with someone you start looking and acting like them?

Well, it's been 6 months since we got married and it's so true, they are starting to look and act like me.

Do you see why I'm sooooo stressed lately?????

Clearly they are out to drive me insane.

No Time for a Title

2009-01-16T11:35:00.002-05:00

Oh my poor neglected blog.

If I could just give you one brief glimpse of my past week I know you'd all faint from exhaustion, or boredom, so I'll spare you, except to say it was really that tiring because trying to fit in working two part-time jobs without a break in between, keeping up with the house work, cooking and grocery shopping, being a newlywed and a step-mother to a child with behavioral issues (which for the first time in 3 years we had to deal with an issue directly relating to my supervision of him - and after much tweenage angst there was a positive break-through), and fitting in my wonderful Christmas present - a year membership to the gym, I had a melt down.

I guess I should have seen it coming.

Sometimes it is difficult for me to let go of trying to be a perfectionist in all I do. So I'm working on it. And I'm letting my family help because I don't have to do everything myself.

So that's where I've been.

Now I have to run.

I hope you have a wonderful 3-day weekend.....and be blessed.

Yo

2009-01-07T20:26:00.002-05:00

The most important thing I learned today:

It's not a good idea to eat three helpings of the shepard's pie your husband made for dinner and then go directly to yoga class.

Nuff' said.

What Me Worry?

2009-01-03T08:23:00.005-05:00

My mind is in a fog right now, more so than usual. My husband and I have been having trouble sleeping lately but last night we probably only got 3 hours of sleep. We discussed our worries at length between 12am and 4am. And we talked about our blessings.

Right now he is at work and I am home trying to keep calm while my step-son runs around the house bouncing off the walls until his medicine kicks in. He is very, very loud and being a pain to his sister.

Thankfully, my step-daughter is being a great help.

One thing that her and I do a lot together lately is watch tv shows. It seems that every show we watch mentions prom. Not "the" prom, just prom. When did "the" disappear and why wasn't I informed? I hear, "Bobby is taking me to prom" and "Tonight is prom, what am I going to wear?"

I never went to my prom, instead I went to Sunshine Acres, a Christian camp in upstate New York and worked as an assistant cook. I missed my graduation ceremony too.

I never realized how by making that decision my life would change, nor did I realize how important going to your prom was. I may not have experienced what normal teenagers do and have the wonderful memories and photographs to laugh at 30 years later, but that summer I learned how to prepare food, how to cook and, more importantly, how much God loves me.

He is my Father and I have to remember that He can carry my worries on His shoulders if I give them to Him. And I think that's what I'm just going to do today.

2008-12-31T06:41:00.003-05:00

If I was to have a New Year's Resolution for 2009 it would be to become a better person.

This past year I was blessed enough to get a small glimpse at knowing a young woman.

She seemed like an ordinary woman who married a man with two teenage girls. They already had a child together when I met them. And later we all found out that she was pregnant. They had a baby boy, the first for him. Even though the baby had serious problems at birth and needed to be hospitalized for his first month, they were so proud and excited that he was born.

When they took the baby home they started to relax and get into a routine.

A month went by.

The whole family took a wonderful vacation to Florida and celebrated life.

They got back home and unpacked.

Then her husband suddenly died while attending their 5 year old daughter's birthday party. He died in his daughter's arms. They say he died before he even hit the ground, that's how fast it happened.

He did not prepare for his untimely death. [please, if you do not have a Will, make it a priority to have one done this year.]

Her stepchildren fought a difficult, emotional, embarrassing and painful fight, all while trying to grieve the loss of their father and attend high school, to have her be their guardian.

The reports that came back from the agencies that had to investigate her home were extensive and impressive. One spoke of "her unconditional love and kindness, her honesty and loving discipline are evidenced in her words and deeds".

The children won their fight.

I think, how can I be more like this young widow? This woman, who normally I would feel sorry for due to her situation, is far greater than me.

She knows what matters most in life, she has earned the love and devotion of her children, she has her priorities set right. And it is evidenced in her words and deeds.

That is what I would like to strive for this year; to have my priorities right, my motives correct, my heart in the right place....so that someday, maybe, I would feel "job well done" about my life.

2008-12-30T06:19:00.002-05:00

Well Christmas is over and done with. It was filled with family, friends, great gifts, great food and a colonoscopy.

That whole sentence just isn't right.

But I see that when you turn 50 there are a few unpleasant requirements that beckon.

And you have to comply.

And you have to stop eating solid foods and only drink clear liquids.

And you have to prep.

And you have to show up with a responsible person to drive.

And you have to get put under.

And you have to try to wake up.

And you have to try to stand up.

And then the nurses realize that you are a wimp and need more time to recuperate, so back down you go.

And then after you have rested, they might ask you to come back the next day and do it all over again because maybe you didn't prep good enough.

I'm starting to think that the Fabulous Fifties are highly overrated.

I'm 50.

2008-12-16T06:10:00.006-05:00

Hey there. Long time no see.

I guess turning 50 kicks the ever-living life out of you...I wasn't prepared for that.

So much has happened, I don't even know where to start.

My husband and father-in-law threw me a surprise party. And I didn't even have a clue!

However, I was wondering why my husband and his kids were dragging me out for breakfast at McDonald's at 8am on a Saturday morning because I'm not a fan of fast food, especially breakfast fast food. I was touched though, because when the children first get to our home for 'our' week they usually want alone time with their dad. I totally respect that and support it, so being invited to go out to breakfast with them should have been a clue.

But I'm clueless.

All I wanted to do was clean the house because the hardwood floors just got sanded and stained and the dust that keeps continuously settling out of no where is freaking me out. And all of the stuff that was put in other places in order to have the floors done still wasn't where it was supposed to be yet.

So when we got home at noon (apparently there were other important errands to run) my house was filled with family and friends. SURPRISE!!!! (Clueless=me) A lot of work and planning went into the party and it showed. I'm so thankful.

It was wonderful. And I didn't freak out about all the dust and clutter.

And that was a lame attempt at showing you a picture of the party, but alas, I am still a ditz of magnitude proportions and uploaded a picture of a stove in my garage that my husband is trying to sell. Hey, anyone interested?

See, I still don't know how to use the Dazzle yet, sorry.

But isn't it a cute stove?

Anyway, while the party was going on, I was on the cusp of getting my husband's sickness, the one I so fondly named 'The Hante Virus'. And this past week I've been down with it, while working the new job and the Clerk's job. So I haven't had the energy to be a blogger, sorry.

Oh, and I didn't get that plum job in Hartford. Here is a copy of the email the employment agency forwarded to me:

Just wanted to let you know that we will not be pursuing matters further with Theresa. We have offered the position to one of the other candidates who has many years of Connecticut family law experience and she has accepted our offer. As I indicated, we had condensed 172 resumes to 29 interviews to 6 second interviews to two final candidates of which Theresa was one. The determining factor was Connecticut family law versus New York family law and this individual fell into our laps and can come in and be productive from day one.

We were, however, extremely impressed with Theresa and if something changes or this individual doesn't work out for whatever reason, I will let you know.

And now in true Scarlett O'Hara fashion: I am going to concentrate on being the best Probate Clerk and part-time Legal Assistant there ever was. And I will never, ever be second pick again! (Apparently, I am still not well).

2008-12-11T05:50:00.002-05:00

It's my birthday.

And I'm really tired from a very busy day yesterday. Very....

I think I'll have a better chance of getting breakfast in bed if I'm actually in bed, so I'm going back to bed now.

I'll be back later when my head is clearer.

2008-12-05T06:15:00.002-05:00

Another day closer to my big birthday.

I got some presents in the mail yesterday. My mom and dad sent me a gift certificate to a spa...how cool is that? I can't wait to get to use it, I just can't decide between an anti-age facial or a deep tissue massage. Big decisions.

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law sent me a book on secrets for blogging your way to a six-figure income....I'll let you all know how that turns out. And a funny book about divas. They really know me well!

Last night my husband was making dinner and I got all teary about how stressful these past couple of days have been with the Court moving to another facility in town and all the packing and unpacking, all the setting up and reorganizing my office, then starting a new part-time job in a law office and having to learn everyone's name and how things are done and all the new computer software....it's been a bit tough, especially for me with my memory issues.

During all this chaos I've also been chosen as a top candidate for a very plum position at a large firm doing what I love the most. I've gone on two interviews and taken numerous tests. Out of 175 applicants I'm one of three left for them to choose from. If I get this job, I'll not only be happy, but will be earning a decent living. So keep me in prayer please.

So while my husband was busy cooking a delicious dinner for the both of us and simultaneously preparing tomorrow's dinner (Shepard's pie from scratch - yum), the pans were a'flying and the stove top was filled with pots a'boilin' he said, "Do you think I've been sitting around eating bon-bons?"

And I stopped right there in the midst of my pity party and said, "You say that like that's a bad thing."

But honestly, I am so grateful for so much at this time in my life.

When I think of the year 2001 and how I thought my life was over because I was dealing with the worst form of betrayal possible and thought I should be able to die from that stabbing emotional pain, and I look at all I have today, I could not be more grateful.

Go Shorty

2008-12-03T06:03:00.006-05:00

My husband has had a fever and stuffy nose for 3 days. I like to fondly call it 'The Hante Virus'.

I haven't been able to sleep because he hasn't been able to sleep due to lack of breathing through his stuffy nose.

Last night I insisted that he take some Sudafed, you know, those little red over-the-counter pills that you have to sign and show your ID for at the pharmacy because bad people chop them up and make Chrystal Meth with them.

Right before bed I told him that there are two little red pills for him on the kitchen counter and to take them. There was no 'please' in my demand; I do need my beauty sleep after all.

Due to those blessed pills, last night we both slept heavenly....until 2am when the Sudafed abruptly wore off.

"Babe, do you want me to get you anything? A drink of water? Some more Advil? Let me go down stairs and get you some more Sudafed?", I asked in the most pleasant, angelic, wifely voice I could muster at that ungodly hour.

"Stop with the Sudafed already, who are you, my drug pusher already?", was his groggy reply.

"No, but you wanna be my...." On second thought, maybe I shouldn't finish writing what I said. It was funny though.

I'm just hoping that 4 hours of sleep will be enough for me today, since I am starting a new part-time job.

And since my BIG birthday is next week...let the celebration demands begin! I don't have any blog-giveaways, since my finances are suffering from a horrible illness much worse than 'The Hante Virus', so I've come up with a virtual party plan...

Today friends, please stand up right now and do a little dance to this:

Question

2008-12-02T06:27:00.002-05:00

Does anyone know what has happened to Antique Mommy? Her site hasn't been working.

Thrown to The Wolves

2008-11-30T20:30:00.005-05:00

My husband coaches girl's basketball every year.

In fact, this is the first year that he hasn't coached boy's basketball as well as girl's. His son decided not to play this year so Capt is focusing on his daughter's team. (His son is focusing on skateboarding, mostly skateboarding in our basement, which he has turned into an indoor skateboarding park.)

And because I love teenagers....especially a houseful of teenage girls who scream and laugh at the silliest things, our girl's basketball team had a Pasta Night here last Tuesday night.

It was something that I always wanted to do but couldn't because of me living on Long Island and all. But now that I've relocated 100% and married their dad, my evil plan has come to fruition. [insert evil laugh here]

Evil plan = getting a second chance at being a part of a family with young children.

I loved being a mom to my children and even though my children are adults, I still love having them visit. I love who they have become, but that youthfulness is gone forever. And now I have another chance, even if it is only every other week.

I invited the whole team over.

First we ate meatballs and pasta. Unfortunately the pasta sauce I made....it was not very good... at all. I think that I'm going to stop making homemade sauce even though I specifically took a gourmet cooking class on making tomato sauce. That class is where I learned the first rule in making tomato sauce: a good sauce begins with toasting the garlic.

In my new household a good sauce begins when you open the jar of Ragu Traditional Sauce.

We carefully and calmly decorated team sweatshirts so that I wouldn't freak out about the possible stains I might never get out of my furniture.

Mission accomplished.

We watched a documentary on basketball and learned important game skills like, "draw blood" and "Who are we, dogs or wolves?" and how banging on lockers before games psychs-out the opposing team...you know, good sportsman stuff like that.

There is my new dog Fenway, she is loving all the attention the girls are giving her.

Then we made our own sundaes.

It was a marvelous time.

I just love this.

Fire Drill Day

2008-11-27T07:23:00.004-05:00

This morning started off with a bang, or a smoke alarm going off that might as well been a bang.

The good news is that as soon as the alarm went off the younger children woke and filed down the stairs ready for action.

The sad news is that my adult boys, who are sleeping in the living room, right next to the alarm, didn't even flinch. Maybe they are just more used to me and my cooking skillz.

This all happened at 6:00am when I was chopping the apple for the stuffing and forgot about the last four pieces of bread in the toaster oven.

I'm thinking that this may have to become a new family tradition....Fire Drill on Thanksgiving Morning.

I am thankful for so many things that happened this year, mostly for my wonderful husband who for some crazy reason married me and makes me get all tingly in love whenever he walks in the room, for my children who continue to amaze me with their independence and success, for my step-children who keep me feeling young or old depending on the situation, for my father-in-law who is not only my good friend, but a wonderful, loving person.

And for the fact that I'm going to be 50 years old in a few short weeks and I can say that I am truly content and peaceful.

It's going to be a great Thanksgiving over here. I hope you have a great one too.

Fenway

2008-11-24T06:30:00.003-05:00

Well, we are back from our mini-vacation.

It was nice, it was fun, but by Thursday, we missed being home. That and our bodies couldn't take all that delicious, fattening food that the restaurants were feeding us. We both gained a few pounds.

It was so lovely and relaxing sitting in the hot tub at the hotel every morning watching the sun rise. What a wonderful way to pray each morning.

We got home just in time to get the children for our week.

The floor guys did a beautiful job, even better than we expected. The saw dust (the only thing I am allergic to) left behind was minimal. I wiped down the walls and molding with a damp cloth and that was it. I honestly expected it to be a lot worse.

So now that all the floors on the first floor are done perfectly we went and did something that is going to mess them up.

We got ourselves a dog.

A big dog.

A boxer who looks just like my granddog, Kage.

Our new dog's name is Fenny, as in Fenway Park. Her previous owners loved the Boston Red Sox.

She is a well-behaved dog, trained as a show dog, is 4 years old and loves to play. We got her from my daughter who knew a couple that could no longer keep her due to obligations caring for a parent with cancer.

Already our hardwood floors are starting to look scratched up.

But our family needed a dog. With the children living with us one week on and one week off, it makes for a lot of emptiness on the off weeks.

Not only that but the things you do as an intact family seldom get done. So having a dog to love, to be a part of this family will, hopefully, give the children more of the privileges of an intact family life.

That and I'll have a dog to take with me on my long walks. And to greet me when I get home.

She doesn't need any training either.

I'll post a picture of her as soon as I can.

Opposites Attract

2008-11-19T07:25:00.003-05:00

One thing I've learned from all of this dining out with my husband stuff:

Whenever he tastes something and says, "This is horrible", my interest piques because I know that I'm gonna absolutely love and totally devour whatever it is that he's not liking.

Update on the House Construction

2008-11-18T06:31:00.005-05:00

State Farm Insurance, I love you!

Last night my husband and I checked into the Hilton for a five day stay at State Farm's expense.

I posted about the leaky dishwasher incident a few months back.

First there was the 'rip out the kitchen floor stage'.

Then there was the 'breaking the granite counter top' stage, where I had to help pick out matching granite by driving all over this state. If I ever hear 'Uba tuba' again I'm gonna spit. Actually, I don't know how to spit and it's not lady like.

Next there was the putting in the ugly linoleum tile stage that came out looking fine, yet again required me to drive all over Connecticut to pick out. The reason it was ugly was because the tile that got ruined from the leak was a cheap linoleum tile and the restoration company could only restore back to the previous type tile. I picked out a tile that would easily be recognized as the same tile you would see at a school, or grocery store, thinking that we would put a floating bamboo floor on top of it after the work was done. But I'm liking the brightness of the ugly tile and I think it will stay that way for awhile.

Yesterday they came and moved all the furniture on the first floor into the garage. I kinda freaked out a little because, OMG all my stuff is no longer where it belongs and I have a case of THE OCD. Also had to pack enough clothes and toiletries for me, my husband and for the two kids because if the floors aren't dry by Friday, the kids are going to have to be here with us.

Today the contractor is on the 'sanding, staining and polyethaning the floors' stage.

Which requires us to stay at a luxury hotel, all expense paid, except dry cleaning. That's what the hotel manager told me. "We were told by your insurance company that all your expenses are covered, except for dry cleaning". And I didn't know how to respond to that. Am I insulted? No. I'm fine with it actually, I didn't even think of bringing my dry cleaning with me.

Last night we ate at a fancy restaurant and ordered all of our favorite meals. We even shared a piece of carrot cake which was divine.

This morning at 6am we ate a big breakfast together and off to work he went.

I didn't mind eating all these rich, fattening foods because my big plan was to use the gym and the pool every morning to burn the extra calories off.

Except that I forgot my sneakers at home.

And it's too late to go back and get them.

And my feet are so small and arches so high, that it takes forever to find any shoe or sneaker to fit them, so I'm not going to purchase another pair.

So there you have the update and extra info that I'm sure you didn't need.

If you need me, I'll be sitting poolside.

Not really, I just always wanted to say that.

The Best Mom Song Eva

2008-11-15T15:33:00.002-05:00

My new BFF Peggy showed me this YouTube Video today. I've played it like 100 times already and I can't stop laughing.

I can't wait to show my children.

2008-11-14T09:30:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone.

I know it's been a while since I've been here, but things around these parts have been busy.

Take for instance yesterday.

I had to see an ENT doctor because my poor husband keeps complaining that he can't sleep with all my snoring and breathing stoppage during the night.

I never used to snore or stop breathing, it's a new thing since I've been married.

After doing several tests, one of which was very invasive, the doctor told me what he thinks is the problem:

I'm too stress-free. Too relaxed.

He explained it like this - I used to have a stressful job, used to live in a stressful town and my muscles were tense. Now that I'm married, getting jiggy with it (my words, not his), happy and working in a stress-free environment, the muscles in my neck and throat have relaxed so much that my airway gets constricted at night when I go into a deep sleep.

Imagine that.

So now I have to sleep overnight at a Sleep Clinic and get all sorts of tests, which creeps me the heck out.

I know I'm not going to be able to sleep with all sorts of people watching me and recording my vitals. And I'm going to be all wired up.

Help, I need some stress in my life!!!!

I never thought I would ever say that last sentence.

Ooops

2008-11-08T09:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday my husband stayed home from work and put the dishwasher back in. It's been gone for over three months and I am so happy I could cry.

That and the fact that I won't have to deal with my rubber gloves insulting me anymore.

I was working in the Court yesterday when he stopped by to surprise me. We chatted for a few minutes while I packed up my office.

The whole Town Hall (where the Court is located) has been getting re-carpeted and a new paint job. It is the Court's turn to move everything out and since I'm the only one there I got to pack up.

When Capt was leaving and standing at the door I said, in a rather loud voice, "Hey, come back here and give me some tongue." (which means give me a kiss)

What I didn't realize was that an attorney was entering my office at the same time and overheard me.

I tried not to make a big deal out of it as I explained to the attorney that he was my husband and we are newlyweds, but I got the feeling that he doubted me.

Why You Should Always Check Your Kid's Homework

2008-11-04T18:47:00.001-05:00

Mommy works at Home Depot.....she is selling a shovel in the picture!

2008-10-31T06:35:00.002-04:00

I've been down-in-the-dumps for 2 days.

And the fact that I got a flu shot on Wednesday is most likely the reason I feel so absolutely blaaaaahhhhhhh. That really wiped me the heck out. At one point Wednesday night my husband just looked at me and laughed as I stood in the middle of the kitchen staring into space. Then I remembered that my body is trying to fight off the flu shot and it is taking all of my energy so I'd better just go to bed.

Anyway, I forced my family to see 'High School Musical 3' last night after dinner (I made pancakes and scrambled eggs because I just couldn't get myself to actually make a meal) just to cheer me up.

After the first hour my husband and step-son were ready to kill me and my step-daughter was lovin' me. I enjoyed it and it did feel good to do something fun with the family.

The men just don't realize how much a high-spirited youthful musical lifts up a girl's spirits.

Anyway, food has been on my mind a lot too. I've haven't had much of an appetite after the diet episode last week.

I've been wondering what I would eat if I knew it was going to be my last meal.

I'm not too sure yet about the entree, maybe lobster, but I know I would eat all the Hagen Daz Coffee Ice Cream I could.

How about you, what meal would you eat if you knew it would be your last?

Why I Should Have Stayed in Bed

2008-10-30T07:39:00.004-04:00

Wednesdays are my day off. A day to catch up on the laundry, cleaning and errands.

Yesterday I planned on going to the dentist to have him put back the crown that fell out before my wedding, then get my nails done (finally), then go for a routine check up and then go get a few things from the grocery store.

The dentist's office was interesting. He told me that because I had waited 3 months to come in, my teeth shifted and the crown no longer fit. He used a diamond head drill and made it fit, but before he permanently cemented it in he tried it out first. When he saw that it did indeed fit he tested to see if dental floss would fit between the neighboring teeth.

That's when I heard him shout, "OH NO!!!!".

The crown had catapulted down my throat as he pried the floss out.

However, I saved the day by sitting up quickly and coughing the thing up.

Dainty, yes, I know.

Immediately from there I went to get my nails done. After an hour of the most detailed and exact laying on of nails I've ever experienced, the nail technician managed to get her whole hand glued to a metal aerosol bottle.

I took a long time for the other nail technician to remove it.

There was a lot of laughing going on, so she really was fine.

So what was supposed to be an hour at the nail salon actually took 2 1/2 hours.

But I'm not complaining because - I HAVE NICE LOOKING NAILS AGAIN!!!!

Is it a Crime?

2008-10-29T06:50:00.002-04:00

Living with an 11 year old boy has been an eye-opening experience.

It has been a long time since my sons were that age and I don't remember them being so, well, so typical boy-energy/loud/playful/rough/messy/adamant-ish.

My stepson is a handful at times and at other times he is the sweetest, most loving child.

And there are the times when I just can't figure him out at all.

For instance, last Saturday we took a drive to Albany (2hrs away) from Connecticut to drop off my daughter's dog. We had been dog sitting all week while she was in Las Vegas at a wedding.

We stopped off at Burger King to get some lunch and since I wasn't eating lunch, I told the family that I was going to take the dog for a walk in the grassy part of the parking lot.

"NO, NO, THERESA, YOU CAN'T DO THAT HERE!!!", the boy screamed as he grabbed the dog's collar and tried to get him back in the truck as quickly as possible.

"Why not?", I replied.

"We are in Massachusetts, this is PUBLIC. You can't let the dog pee in PUBLIC in Massachusetts!!!!!", he screamed in a panic.

Me and my husband gave each other an inquisitive look are were trying not to laugh.

And the boy continued repeating the same thing over and over until we convinced him that it was okay to let your dog pee in public in the state of Massachusetts.

But his rationale....still remains a mystery.

He still can't explain it.

I Understand Now

2008-10-26T17:33:00.003-04:00

Sometimes I forget that I have medical issues.

I go about my life acting and thinking that I'm just like everyone else...I can do anything physical, I can stay up late and not get enough sleep and I can eat anything that comes my way - even though I had half of my colon removed five years ago.

And sometimes it all catches up with me as my body screams, "ACT YOUR AGE NOT YOUR SHOE SIZE!!!".

[My shoe size is 5. Add a zero to that and that will be my age in December.]

I thought I could go on the Sacred Heart Diet - where eating lots of veggies and fruit helps you lose weight fast.

I was good up until the third day where you are instructed to eat all the fruit and veggies you can all day.

I had some fresh pineapple for breakfast, vegetable soup for lunch and as I was ferrying across the Sound (NY to Connecticut) I enjoyed an apple. Apples do not digest for New York Babe.

The pain was not unlike being in labor.

I stopped the diet, and when all was said and done I had lost 7 lbs.

And since I wasn't allowed to drink my usual few sips of Pepsi in the morning, for the first time in my life I tried coffee.

I have never in my entire life drank a cup of coffee.

Why have I waited all this time? I don't know, but I liked it.

And after a few sips I felt like my eyes were bigger than ever.

And just think of all the new possibilities:

I can meet friends for a cup of coffee.

Whenever I stop in at a convenience store I can go to the coffee counter with all the cool people.

I can invite people over for coffee.

So I have learned many important things about myself during this diet. And I will be more aware of how I take care of myself.

2008-10-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Since August I've been without a dishwasher.

I haven't complained, but I am getting a bit tired of washing, rinsing and drying ever single dish and utensil.

Because of our budget, or lack thereof, I've had to stop getting my nails done. I've always had acrylic pink and white...I believe I might have been born with them on.

So, in order to protect my now thin, damaged nails, I purchased yellow rubber gloves and I've been wearing them to do the dishes.

After two months, my nails look worse then ever.

That is not the gloves fault though. My nails and cuticles look like they belong to a bricklayer, not a female paralegal from New York.

The thing with the rubber gloves is that every single time I go to put them on, they are laying on my counter in a rather insulting position.

If you lean towards the paranoid side, as I sometimes do, then you will understand how I could possibly assume that someone in my household was trying to tell me something every time I went to put the gloves on.

But after a brief investigation I figured out that it was me who left them that way.

At first I wasn't aware that I took them off by pulling on the middle fingers and then laying them down with the rest of the fingers folded in.

Hence, the unintentional insult.

So, if my stepchildren didn't think I was weird enough before I asked them if they were trying to tell me something while showing them the position of the gloves, they certainly do now.

And my husband took a look at my manly hands yesterday and told me that he insists that I get my nails done...even if it doesn't fit into our budget.

100

2008-10-21T06:31:00.004-04:00

100 days ago today, I married the man of my dreams.

Happy Anniversary Capt, I love you.

Also, 100 days ago today, I weighed 10 pounds less than I do today.

I don't have a calculator on hand, but I can assume that at that rate, he's gonna have to build a bigger door entrance for me soon.

Just sayin'....

Seriously, I am going to start the Sacret Heart Diet, anyone want to join me? Someone at work, who didn't even look like she needed to diet, lost 14 lbs the first week and now, 6 months later, eats whatever she wants in moderation and lost a total 35 lbs.

Why Leaving the Toilet Seat Open Might be a Good Thing.

2008-10-20T06:16:00.002-04:00

6:00 am Saturday Morning:

Pookie, age 13: "Theresa, first of all I want you to know that I am totally serious, okay?"

YewNorkBabe, age 49 and holding: "Okay, what's up?"

Pookie: "Really, really, really, I'm not kidding about this."

YNB: "Okay, just tell me."

Pookie: "There is a dead mouse in my bathroom toilet."

*silence*

Pookie: "Theresa, what should I do?"

*silence* as Theresa tries very hard not to take an emotional decline.

Pookie: "Theresa are you okay?" (She knows how freaked out I get about rodents, especially when they are in our house.)

YNB: "Just go wake your father and tell him that a mouse committed suicide in the toilet."

I heard laughter and then a flush.

It seems that all our neighbors are getting mice in their houses. They seem so matter-of-fact about it. I, on the other hand, am ready to move to another house.

I am not handling this well.

Even though I am strongly against hypnotism, I am seriously thinking about getting hypnotized into thinking that mice are cute or something.

I wonder if there are hypnotists that do that sort of thing.

The Color of Love

2008-10-16T05:43:00.002-04:00

A while ago my insurance company approved us for a new kitchen floor, since the old floor had buckled from the dishwasher leak.

Even though they approved $15,000 worth of work, I was only allowed to spend $1.50 per square foot on the flooring.

And the flooring had to be vinyl tile, nothing else, since that was what the previous flooring was.

If I was going to upgrade, it would have been a big deal. And I have not been in the mood for a big deal. And our household budget wasn't in the mood for a big deal.

So, my husband and I went looking for flooring at $1.50 per square foot in our area. By area I mean the 50 mile radius around the one traffic light town in the boondocks where we live. In other words, Home Depot....the only place around these parts.

It was impossible to find anything, so I called the restoration company and asked them if they had any ideas. They sent me to a flooring warehouse in Milford, CT. And one Wednesday afternoon, I took the long drive there alone. The gentleman that I had an appointment with was shocked to find out that I traveled such a long way to pick out such a low cost tile. I told him that I was from New York.

That satisfied his curiosity.

He showed me a few samples and I quickly picked out an ugly one that wouldn't clash with the oak floors that surround the kitchen and left. You see, even though I am a woman, I am a tad bit color blind. Just a tad. I can't distinguish between pastel colors, purple and blue look the same to me. I've mistakenly worn one black/blue shoe and one brown shoe/boot/sandal to work too many times to remember.

Later that night Capt and I had open house at Pookie's middle school. There, right under our feet was the same tile I had just chosen for our kitchen. Uggh. "You see this right here?", I point out to him, "This is our new kitchen tile." He didn't comment. But he did roll his eyes.

The restoration company came on Tuesday for a projected three-day job of removing the granite counter tops, cabinets, flooring, etc. and laying the new floor.

State Farm told me to go out and eat at any restaurant with my family during the renovation and they will reimburse us. So for the first night we decided to go to the kid's favorite place, Boston Market. But the second night was going to be a real fancy place.

When we got home from Boston Market, the kitchen was finished. Rats!!!! No more free meals.

But I believe a miracle happened.

The flooring brightens up the kitchen and I'm loving it.

I wish I could show you some pictures, but I'm having great difficulty.

My husband says that now, whenever I want to upload the pictures from my camera, I have to use the Dazzle and they automatically go onto the F drive which can be found by......and all I start to hear is "Blah, blah, la, la....., something important, something important...configures...blah, blah...." and then I see something shiny in the distance and I'm totally gone.

So, I don't have a clue what I'm doing with my pictures.

There is some more good news though, the restoration company broke the granite counter top. That was expected. So now, I have to pick out new granite and if I can't match the old granite (there is black granite on all sides of the kitchen) to the granite that is still intact, then I get to pick out new granite.

So this morning I was in the master bathroom with Capt, attempting to tame my unruly hair as we were discussing the kitchen granite situation and he began to brush his teeth with my green toothbrush. (We bought new toothbrushes last month.)

"Hey, that's my toothbrush, ewwww.", I say.

"Ewww, no, Babe, this is my toothbrush, see, it's green, don't tell me you've been using my toothbrush this whole time!!!!", he says.

"Yes I have because yours is the red one in the holder and green is my favorite color", I say.

"Look carefully at the red one, Babe, IT'S PINK, do you think I'd be using a PINK toothbrush?", he said.

"Oh Darn, I did it again, that's just gross".

2008-10-14T06:21:00.003-04:00

I won this award over at Nancy's Blog, thanks Nancy.

I love reading Nancy's Blog for many reasons but mostly because we are in similar situations in our lives and, when I'm going through tough times, reading about all the fun things she is doing with her family and friends makes me a feel like I'm not alone in all of this and that there is hope that in a while all will settle down.

I'd like to give this award to a few people that I love:

Mimi over at Beachy Mimi

Wendi over at Because Wendi Said So

Jessica over at Oh The Joys

Liz over at LooneyBin4sure

Nadine over at Just Being Me

Happy 2 Year Negative Anniversary

2008-10-10T08:28:00.003-04:00

My daughter and future son-in-law picked a wedding date.

October 10, 2010. Ten-ten-ten. Cute, eh?

I'm so excited that my daughter is getting married. Excited for her, excited for him and...well, excited for me because this is one step closer towards me becoming a grandmother... someday.

(Hey, I'm not getting any younger.)

So Happy Two-Year Negative Wedding Anniversary Jen and Jay.

Props Where Props are Due

2008-10-08T06:15:00.003-04:00

This past Friday I got the kids off to school, dropped off their transition stuff to their mother's house, did some various other errands and drove to Boston, all by myself.

My husband had his monthly Drill Weekend. I know, I know, it sounds painful, but there are no dentist drills involved during Drill Weekend. I've asked.

The drive along the way to Boston was full of beautiful foliage. And, when I arrived in Boston, more civilization than I've seen in quite some time.

There was both hustle and bustle going on.

There were people and buildings...oh my land! I was so very excited to see so many cars...and not a pickup truck anywhere. Nor cows, or horses anywhere for that matter. Not that I mind the cows and horses in my town, it's just that whenever I see any type of urban civilization I get all nostalgic and excited.

Capt had printed me out a coupon for 25% off on parking at PreFlight Parking. Let me tell you that the people over there were wonderful. As soon as I got out of my car the shuttle bus pulled up to whisk me off to the airport. Bach was gently playing throughout the bus....Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major to be exact...one of my favs.

(Youze didn't know I was so kultured n' stuff, did ya?)

When I arrived back to Boston from my whirlwind of a trip to SC another shuttle was there as I stepped out of the building. There was no waiting at all.

This bus was calming too. In fact, a couple sitting next to me made their upcoming wedding arrangements on a cell phone during the 15 minute trip back. I know where they are getting married, the ceremony details, the flowers and their music choices. Entertaining, yes.

I got a ride directly to my truck and when I drove through to pay the cost for three days of parking was a mere $35 !!!

When I go to NYC that's what I pay an hour for parking.

It was a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend and I must say that I was very impressed with PreFlight Parking and how easy and affordable the parking was for me.

Self Destruction Opera, the Review

2008-10-06T06:41:00.003-04:00

The play was brilliant.

Every performance was sold out except the matinee, which was the one we all went to (my mom and dad, my daughter and future son-in-law).

Usually my son is nervous during his plays, but this time he seemed more at peace. Saturday night's performance was being reviewed by some bigwigs from NY. I wasn't there for that performance....I can't wait to read the reviews.

As usual, most of the intricate meanings and messages and representations that my son peppered his play with flew right past my understanding. But that's just me, most things like that fly right over my head.

But the story of how a 20-something year old young man gets through his past, a past that defines him, and becomes a man who can obtain what he wants and overcomes what he doesn't like about himself is a story that I can understand.

After the play, members of the audience were talking about how brilliant it was and how talented my son is.

And I am so very proud of him.

The actors were fantastic, I couldn't get over how down-to-earth they were and how professional they were. And when I got to meet them after the play I was surprised that many of them had strong Southern accents. The play was set in NY City and they had the accent down perfectly.

My son Tom,David and Jen's little brother, the computer programmer- IT guy, doesn't like plays, so he doesn't come to see David's plays anymore.

David knows this and understands this, but still feels frustrated about it, as if it is a challenge. So, whenever he writes a play he says he thinks of Tom and tries to make the play interesting for someone like Tom, a non-play going person.

And in ALL of David's plays somewhere along the storyline he has a brother murdered.

David says the carnage will continue until his brother attends one of his plays.

Yes my family is odd.

But it's my family and I love them.

Self Destruction Opera

2008-10-03T06:42:00.004-04:00

I'm flying out of here in a few hours to see my oldest son's play, "Self Destruction Opera" in South Carolina.

The proudness I feel...it is overwhelming.

This morning Pookie asked me what I am ever going to do with all the flight time I'll be experiencing (a whole 1 1/2 hours). I told her that I'd be most likely bothering the person sitting next to me about how my son is a playwright and how wonderful he is and how he was reading at a 3rd grade level at the age of 18 months old and how he has a brilliant mind and how I'm on my way to see a big production of one of his magnificent plays and how I'm not going to let this person, whomever he or she may be, get a word in edge wise because I'm so excited about my son DAVID.

Here is where you all might want to say a prayer for that poor person that is going to be sitting next to me.

I do find it funny though that Pookie gets all concerned when I have a few moments of nothing to do. In her world - No IPod, no Laptop, no GameBoy....well, what on earth does one do then?

Oh teenagers.

Here is what was written about my son David Jacobi's play:

CLEMSON — After starting with superheroes and capes, young David Jacobi graduated from comics to gritty graphic novels, like “Watchmen.” By the time he was a teenager, he was knee-deep in film noir, Stephen King and “The Twilight Zone.”

Jacobi, now a 28-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y.-based playwright, continues to chase shadows. His “Self Destruction Opera” is a dark comedy twisting together two separate plots — one: a 1940s-style drama; and the other: a modern tale of horror.

A Clemson University production of the play will make a six-day stand at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts, Sept. 30 – Oct. 5. Clemson Theatre Director Mark Charney is helming the show.

“‘Self Destruction Opera’ is based on the idea something happening to one person can also happen to someone unrelated at the same time,” Charney said. “The two stories consistently overlap. It’s very contemporary, and suggests even in the worst of times, we’re all connected.”
Sundry characters populate “Self Destruction Opera,” which centers on the lives of two principals: suicidal landlord Bobby Newmark and chemically addled chef Franklin Pinkerton. Newmark finds the love of his lifetime, while Pinkerton buries his murdered wife. There’s a soul devouring demon — or is it a tormented brother? — calling from the super’s basement. (I told you it was dark.)

Jacobi began writing the play in China during summer 2007. At the time, he was studying language and culture at Beijing University and exploring the local theater scene. While laid up sick in his hotel room one morning, Jacobi hammered out a 10-page skeleton script. He fleshed out the entire story upon returning to the U.S. and his classes at State University of New York; as per a writing class assignment, Jacobi finished a full version in 48 hours. He recalls the whirlwind session as “exhausting” and “painful.”

Charney became aware of “Self Destruction Opera” when Jacobi submitted the script to WordBRIDGE, a cutting edge Clemson theatre initiative giving young playwrights access to real-world production resources. Out of 100 entries, Jacobi was one of seven writers selected for WordBRIDGE 2008.

“I loved the script. I’d rarely seen something so dark yet with so much hope,” Charney said. “There are two compelling stories coming together in a completely original way.”

At WordBRIDGE, Jacobi showed a willingness to experiment with his play and shift things around. After a pair of stellar auditions for the narrator, the role was split into two.

Like other WordBRIDGE playwrights, Jacobi was offered access to big-shot dramaturges, choreographers and other pros. The experience jolted his text.

Said Jacobi: “The play would not be where it is without WordBRIDGE. I was given unlimited research and was able to work with people I already admired. It’s absolute paradise for playwrights and writers.”

Now, a 12-person Clemson Players student cast is making Jacobi’s words reality. The production is ambitious for a collegiate project. A wall of light. Trap doors. Spiral staircase. Four-level stage. A pregnant woman spewing confetti from the womb.

It’s all in there.

“I think ‘Self-Destruction Opera’ is a play trying to be a movie,” Jacobi said.

In a small New York production of the play, Jacobi even rolled credits on a screen before the actual show.

“Theatre is kind of too smart for its own good. I don’t want to dumb it down, but I want something entertaining to bring people in with kind of a film mind. Theatre offers intimacy, but I wish it had more of the accessibility of cinema,” Jacobi said.

Charney compares the play to films from bent auteur David Lynch, like “Blue Velvet.” And while Jacobi will cop to the influence of filmmakers, including Quentin Tarantino, he also said Irish playwright Nick Donohue casts a shadow.

A stint as a sous chef also shaped “Self Destruction Opera.” Jacobi said, “I wanted to see two things like film noir and horror fit together, how they would complement each other and what the similarities were.”

Currently, Jacobi is collaborating with a New York writers’ collective, Heart/Punch. Although the tone of his next project is yet to be determined, for now Jacobi is basking in the smoldered contours of dark comedy. Jacobi said his connection with the genre expanded after reading the work of novelist Kurt Vonnegut.

“I think there’s something cathartic about laughing about something horrible, whether it’s your own fault or a tragedy. Vonnegut would say these things — ‘isn’t this world a terrible place’ — but place them in a light and humorous fashion. There’s something very calming about that.”
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Production Staff
Director ......................................................... Mark J. Charney
Assistant Director.......................................... Clint Boswell
Stage Manager .............................................. Kirsten Head
Scenic Designer ............................................ David Hartmann
Lighting Designer ......................................... Tony Penna
Costume Designer ......................................... Rebecca Eastman
Sound Designer ............................................. Jeff Russell
Music Composed by ..................................... Jeff Russell and Robert Allen
Technical Director ........................................ Richard Cowan
Dramaturg ..................................................... Anna Chovanec
Assistant Stage Manager ............................... Teresa McClernon
Asst. Costume Designer ................................ Corinna I. Miller
Fight Choreographer ..................................... Paul Savas
Fight Captain ................................................. Ryan McCrary
Properties Designer ....................................... Corinna I. Miller
Makeup Artist ................................................ Corinna I. Miller
Cast
Bobby/Franklin .............................................. Ryan McCrary
Rebecca/Penny ............................................... Erin Lovelace
Gerald/Detective Moon .................................. Andrew Christian Herrera
Beth/Anne ...................................................... Maxine LeBron
Abraham/Killer .............................................. Shayan Shojee
Bastard Operator/Chorus ............................... Jazzma Pryor
Jesse James/Chorus ........................................ Bradley Zellars
Mr. Rictus ....................................................... Nick Mazzuca
Walter/Chorus ............................................... Harry Averett
Carl/Chorus.................................................... Michael Jasper
Jimmy/Narrator/Chorus ................................. Miles C. Ware
Narrator/Chorus ............................................. Kristi Laffler
Crew
Greg Bateman, David Williams, Charlie Jenkins, Megan Dorris, Andi Stone

Did I mention how proud I am of him?

M is for Meme

2008-10-02T08:07:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I was tagged by RR Mama for a meme.

If you haven’t read her blog you should go over there right now and check out the pictures of the damage to her home from Hurricane Ike.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

So, here are the rules:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively.
2. link back to the person who tagged you.
3. link back to this parent post.
4. tag a few friends or five, or none at all.
5. post these rules— or just have fun breaking them.

Here is how blogging has affected me…

1. Friends -

By now youz (NY for Y’all) must be sick and tired of me talking about my relocating from NY to CT together with the ‘empty nest syndrome’, so this is the last post on all of that.

I can’t promise, but it will be my goal.

During this past year it has been the encouragement, prayers and kind words of wisdom from my blogging friends that has gotten me through some of the most difficult times of my life.

I have talked on the phone with some of these friends, emailed some and IM’d a few. I’d love to meet some over a cup of coffee, or Pepsi someday.

It has been a comfort to know that I have many friends in the blogging world that I can meet with each morning while I drink my morning Pepsi (lots of ice and a lemon wedge). And you all accept me for that.

2. Vulnerability-

One of my biggest issues in life used to be letting myself be vulnerable.

If I can’t be vulnerable, no one really understands me….my self-erected walls don’t break down….no one can get too close to me.

Reading other blogs, especially Christian Women Blogs, and seeing that other women are opening up and discussing things like depression, anxiety, loss of spouses, loss of children, etc. has given my more courage to express who I really am. And not only to other bloggers, but also to my other-than-internet life.

I may not be able to always relate to the exact problems that are being posted, but I am able to relate to having hidden fears, secrets and concerns.

I have learned that bringing out the things that are hidden into the light takes the darkness away.

Whenever someone shares about their problems, I admire them, pray for them and look more closely at myself.

I cannot thank you enough for that gift.

3. Focus-

My life gets CRAZY sometimes. Having two younger children again that have been brought up in a different time, different environment, with two parents who co-parent together makes my head spin sometimes.

My step-son can be a handful sometimes and knowing what to do and how much to do is confusing for me. And although I love them both with all my heart, it can get absolutely CRAZY around here.

Having the ability to go sit alone with my laptop and go down my blogroll helps me to pull myself together, get my faith up and running faster and helps me focus on my new family again.

4. Sharing-

One of the biggest things that I love about blogging….and I know that this is kind of selfish….is that when I do something that I am proud of, like making a gourmet meal or an amazing pie, or my wedding, I can post pictures and get all you to ooohhh and ahhh over them. I just love compliments.

5. Confidence –

For all the reasons mentioned above, blogging has given me more confidence in who I am in God’s eyes, in my husband’s eyes and in my children’s eyes. And it has given me confidence in being the unique person I am.

Enough said.

I am going to tag:
My Home Sweet Home Newly added to my blogroll
Insight to Lala's World -just because she's so busy and probably needs a break from her busy life right now.
Looney Bin 4 Sure - just because I said so.
The Farmer Files Newly added to my blogroll.
Fordy Days and Nights Newly added to my blogroll.

Thanks. I hope you don't mind being tagged. And thanks to my new blog friend RRMama.

This Song is for You, Filled with Gratitude

2008-09-30T13:53:00.008-04:00

Tonight my 28 year old daughter is having dinner with my first love.

It is a long story but here is a short version:

I met Todd in 1987. We dated for about 4 years. He taught me so many things about love. Have you ever known someone that made you feel like you were kindred spirits? That was us. Sometimes we would even know what the other was thinking. It was amazing.

But my insecurities and my past held me back from going to that next level with him and I know that I made the right choice, but it was painful. Very painful. Painful for me and for my children who were very attached to him.

I think our biggest problem was that we both were 'follower-type' people. There was no one strong 'leader ' and we both were just lost, not knowing how to get through the smallest of difficulties and not having a healthy frame of reference to guide us though.

Anyway, Todd found a wonderful wife and now has a beautiful, happy family.

I struggled for many years making mistakes and trying to fill the emptiness in my life that was left behind.

And all the time I thanked God that Todd was put in my path to teach me about love, to teach me to delve into the little things in life because they are the most important...to laugh, frequently from the depths of my being.

I honestly don't think that I would be here today, loving my husband, loving my life, and loving God if it wasn't for Todd.

This life is but a blink of the eye and I know that one day, when this earthly life is over, we all will be fellowshipping together again - without all the baggage, mistakes, insecurities and hurts.

updated: Jen called me after the dinner to say basically the same thing I just posted. "Mom, I learned about love from Todd, he taught me things that made me the person I am today. He taught me art, appreciation for little things, he was such a great influence in my life".

Do you have someone in your past that changed your life for the better?

Next I'll be Taking Geritol

2008-09-26T15:39:00.002-04:00

Pookie just came home from school. She's been at her mother's all week and now her and her brother spend this week at home with us.

As she most often does when she first gets home here she went to the cabinet where we keep the goodies.

"Hello Lucky Charms", she exclaims.

And then she pours herself a big bowl and adds milk. Organic Milk.

"I guess the organicness of the milk cancels out the unhealthiness of the colored marshmallows", she says matter-of-factly as she sits down and eats her after-school snack.

That's just one of the reasons I love her, you can never argue with her rationale.

My husband and I went to open school night at her school last night.

I haven't been to one of those since 1996 when my children were in high school. And back then my children had about 2,000 children in each grade.

Here, 4 local towns join together for middle school totalling 350 per grade.

I learned many things last night.

Did you know that students can get their text books on a disk? What is that all about? What happened to the heavy text books that they had to schlep back and forth each day?

When my kids forgot something from school their punishment was to bring home the entire contents of their desk for a week.....it always worked. That's not going to work these days.

And what is with those Smart Boards? They do look like a lot of fun, but who gets to clean the chalkboard erasers these days? That used to be such an honor in my day.

Reading that last sentence makes me feel really, really old.

But the most amazing difference between 1996 and now is the fact that you can track your child's school work, homework, projects and grades online everyday. You can even give your kids quizzes on the things they've learned that week.

My head, it was a'spinnin' last night.

I've got a lot of catching up to do if I'm going to keep up with these Whippersnappers. (there I go again)

Magically Delicious, I Don't Think So

2008-09-25T06:05:00.006-04:00

This past Saturday my husband insisted on going shopping with me at the Commissary.

Not actually insisted. Actually, not even close. But lets say he came with me because he was available and we didn't have any children with us. And I was going anyway. His eyes did roll when I told him that it was our next stop after Home Depot. We were at Home Depot at the time.

So he came with me.

It's really not considered kidnapping when you're married, is it?

It was the first time in his 25 years of service in the Armed Forces that he has been to the Commissary. I have been shopping there since I received my military ID because the prices and the men in uniform make the shopping an experience to be remembered.

Sometimes I get weak in the knees from all the low prices.

Or that could be because of all the Navy men. *swoons*

I will confess that I have always had a thing for men in uniform. I think my husband should come home in his once in awhile, but it's never happened in the whole two months that we've been married.

But I digress.

So we walk into the commissary and immediately Capt (my husband) goes nuts.

NUTS!!!!

One of the first things he eyes is the breakfast cereal. He grabs a box of Lucky Charms, reads the price and throws it in the cart. "A dollar fifty for cereal? Wow, you can't beat that!", he says as he proceeds to fill the cart up with various other popular sugar-filled cereal.

Now, here's the strange part:

In all the years I have known Capt and his children I have never, ever seen any of them eat breakfast cereal.

When Pookie, age 13, wakes up on a school day she usually has two pieces french toast. Maybe once a week she will have a ham and cheese omelet.

When The Boy, age 11, wakes up on a school day, he ALWAYS has pancakes, made from scratch (as in butter milk, eggs, flour, etc.) along with yogurt, fresh fruit, four pieces of raisin bread toast with cream cheese, instant oatmeal with peaches and sometimes a breakfast sausage and more.

And just in case you have an image of a rather plump child - you are mistaken. The Boy is thin.

(If you have a child on ADHD meds, you understand.) The next time he will eat anything substantial will be right before bed.

On the weekends I make even bigger breakfasts for them. I don't eat a big breakfast, usually I eat oatmeal.

So, as you see, there isn't room for breakfast cereal in the schedule. And they have never asked for any.

But now we have 6 boxes of sugary and marshmallowy cereal in the cabinet above the stove, each for $1.50.

And I doubt that it will ever get eaten.

But, my husband is excited about what a bargain we got.

In the interest of actually saving money, which is the whole idea, of course, I will go alone from now on.

How it all went....

2008-09-22T14:48:00.005-04:00

I just got back from my 'date' with Peggy. Her and her family just moved from NY last month. She had so many questions about this little town. I've only lived here 9 months, but since I work in the center of town, I was able to explain some.

This town is so different than NY......it is quaint, down-to-earth , friendly and just plain lovely in so many ways.....and so not on the pulse of fashion and trends. And if you need to purchase something from a store, plan on at least an hour adventure because there is nothing close by. Nothing.

But if you are into coyotes, deer, beaver, hawks, chipmunks, heron, bear, AND LOTS OF MICE, then you are living in the right place.

We met for lunch at a local restaurant, a restaurant where George Washington once ate at, and didn't stop talking until I took out my cellphone and realized that it was 2:30pm! Peggy had to be home at 2:20 to get her teenage daughter off the bus. (Her backpack is very heavy and she has to walk 1/2 mile from the bus stop uphill to her house.)

And for someone from NY, where everything you want is a few steps away, that's a long way!

I really enjoyed our lunch and I hope that the next time we get together it will be as easy as today was.

BFF's 4EVA

2008-09-18T05:10:00.004-04:00

For me, blogging has been a great way to meet friends. Although, I've yet to have the opportunity to actually meet one of them face-to-face, I've had the pleasure of speaking to a few over the phone. And, of course, e-mail. And some via AIM.

I've meet some wonderful friends by blogging and reading blogs...friends who care, pray for me and my family, are supportive through the tough times and those who laugh at my silliness.

It's been a great outlet for me to vent and share the struggles of my life and the lives of my family.

There are times when I don't put a lot of effort into blogging and there are times when I do.

I'm not one of the 'popular blogs' - you know, the ones that get a whole lot of traffic, the ones that get invited on all expense paid visits to far away countries to 'live blog'....the ones that....well you know.

And that's okay with me. I've never been one of the popular people.

Even when I run into someone from high school I'm hardly remembered.

But college, well, I was big in college. I was 30 years old when I went to college, though I looked like I was 20. I had confidence in myself, I had to, I was raising 3 children as a single mom. I was so into being the best student possible that I made a name for myself and my professors knew me.

Anyway, I've been living in my new house, in this new state, since January. That's 9 months now.

And this is a very, very small town. And it has been difficult to adjust after living in fast-paced New York. And just going to get something from the local store is an hour adventure. And getting a hero from a deli, well, you just can't do that here. Pastrami on rye is just not done here.

I hope you are all sitting down for this one:

Fashion and fine dining is no big deal here either. And I love fashion and fine dining.

The women are very friendly and very busy getting their children to and from sports events.

And, well, I haven't made a 'best friend' yet.

But I think that's about to change because a few days ago I briefly met someone, Peggy.

Peggy moved to this town last month from NY. She's all about NY. She's having trouble adjusting to this small town, although, like me, she loves it here. She has twins, a boy and girl, just like me.

We are getting together for lunch on Monday and I'm so excited. I just hope, hope, hope that we are not sitting there uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.

My goodness, I feel like I'm going on a date.

I guess in a way I am.

And I'm a bit nervous.

I'm just hoping that it all turns out okay, because I could use a real live friend lives who here.

Build a Better Mouse Trap and the World will Beat It's Way to Your Door.

2008-09-17T07:34:00.006-04:00

I HATE mice.

There I said it.

They have hearts, lungs, kidneys, eyes, ears.....things that normal bugs and insects just don't have.

Lions and tigers have hearts, lungs, kidneys, eyes, ears and you don't see them breaking into your house sneaking around, scampering across your kitchen floor while you let out a blood-curdling scream which causes your loved ones to run to you expecting to see that you just accidentally cut a limb off- do you?

Because I live in a wetland area, white-footed deer mice enter the neighborhood houses around this time of the year to settle in for the cold winter.

Last year we hired a mouse expert to get rid of them.

For $300 he threw packets of poison in the attic and basement. He then proceeded to give us extensive medical and nutritional advice in a very low Southern accent for over an hour. If anything it was entertaining. And expensive. And unsolicited.

And when the mice died, they died in the walls, which smelled awful.

This year I'm taking a different, less expensive route....with plain old, run-of-the-mill, mouse traps.

One down.

Let this be a warning to all mice, Yew Nork Babe's got her game on!

2008-09-16T05:29:00.002-04:00

This post is written on behalf of my sister.

A few weeks ago her 3 year old foster son, the child she was about to adopt the following Monday, lit a small fire in her kitchen while she was using the bathroom. At the time, her foster son was watching TV in the livingroom and she did not think it would be a problem if she closed the bathroom door for a quick few minutes.

When she got out of the bathroom, he was still sitting on the couch, so she felt good that all was well. Unfortunately she found out a little later on that he had gone into the kitchen and quickly lit something and threw it in a drawer.

This could have happened to anybody.

The agency immediately took her son away. She is heartbroken. This child has been in her care since he was 4 months old. He was a crack baby. She spend most of his baby years rocking him as he painfully withdrew from the drugs his birthmother so carelessly put into his body as he was being formed.

He has behavioral problems, but he also is the exact opposite - he is the most loving, kind, playful, adorable, cute as a button boy you'd ever want to meet.

He is a part of her family and ours. Now he is somewhere, we don't know. He just celebrated his 4th birthday without her, without his friends, without anyone familiar to him.

And she's heartbroken. It is going to take at least a year for her to fight to get him back. The agency is saying that she should not have left him out of her sight for those few minutes. She is a single mom and has an older daughter that she adopted.

What she wants is for a family to adopt him now, so that he wouldn't be shuffled around from foster home to foster home.

If anyone knows of a family that would love a beautiful boy, please contact me at:

thuth@hotmail.com

My Life Updated:

2008-09-14T13:34:00.006-04:00

Firstly, My husband can breathe now. We are all done with the plague and the plague is all done with us.

Secondly, I went to visit my parents in South Carolina recently for a family reunion of sorts....all of us children got together. (Except one brother.)

My mom took up a strange hobby when she retired, she shoots pistols. She also packs one in her purse which is kind of scary.

While I was there, my sister was telling me a funny story about when she and my mother went to a shooting range recently and the manager of the range was showing my sister how to shoot. He left them both alone together in the same cubby to shoot at the targets.

During that time my mom had an itch on her back so she reached under her shirt and scratched it.

Later on the manager came back to check on them and panicked. He apologized over and over again to them saying, "I'm so sorry, nothing like this ever happened before." My sister and mother were confused. He was about to call an ambulance when my sister looked at my mom's back and saw a perfectly round blood stain spreading. It looked like she had been shot, when in fact, she just scratched open a scab. They all got a good laugh.

During the visit I got to see my little nieces from Colorado, my baby brother's children. It was so wonderful to see them, I don't get to see them too often. Whenever I go to Colorado I find if very difficult to breathe. That and the fact that I don't possess the funds I used to so I can't just travel across the country whenever I'd like.

My youngest niece, age 4, looks and acts exactly like me. In fact, when I was younger I used to suck on my left index finger upside down. She does the same thing! You wouldn't think that something like that passes on through genes, right? Weird. Looking at her was like looking at a mirror 46 years ago.

So my family and I went to sit by the ocean one day. I really miss the ocean now that I live in Northern Connecticut. It was so relaxing and beautiful.

My littlest niece (the clone of me) got a little sunburn. When we got back to my parent's condo my mom said she had something to help sooth the burn. She slathered on some cream and my niece started complaining about it. When my sister-in-law looked closely at the bottle of cream my mom used she quickly washed it off. My mom had put on hair remover. Ouch! She won't have to worry about any unsightly back hair for awhile.

Lastly, my daughter and her fiance came to visit this weekend and she helped fix my header and give me a new look. Yeah!

Finally, Yew Nork Babe has her head back.

He can't breathe

2008-09-10T06:21:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I attempted to work a full day at the Court, but I only lasted 3 hours. This plague is very clingy...it won't let go.

I've shared it with my husband and he's been in bed for 2 days repeating the same phrase over and over again, "I can't breathe, I can't breathe". While I was at work yesterday he e-mailed me "Dear Wife, I can't breathe", just so I'd remember that he can't breathe.

I'm going to make another batch of my Famous Matzoh Ball Soup this afternoon.

Here's the recipe if you'd like. It's a secret recipe from my Jewish Mother's Aunt Rose, so shhhhhh:

2 chicken breasts, bone intact
3 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1 heart of celery
4 carrots
3/4 cup of fresh parsley, stems removed
enough chicken broth to cover chicken and a few inches more- or use water and chicken bouillon (Knorrs bouillon is the best)
black pepper to taste
Matzoh meal

Put everything in the pot and boil, turn to simmer for one hour then remove the chicken, take it off the bone and put the chicken back in the pot.

Keep the soup simmering while the matzoh balls are being made. The recipe for matzoh balls is always on the package and if you can find the kind that is just matzoh meal and not matzoh ball mix it tastes better.

And just in case you can't find Matzoh Meal in your local store, you may take some dry macaroni, put it in a ziploc bag and break it up in little and big pieces and add that.

Enjoy!

I have to go check on my poor husband now....I hear him mumbling something about not being able to breathe.

2008-09-08T05:26:00.003-04:00

I have the plague. And I'm under the influence of Heavy Duty Over the Counter Drugs....for grown ups! Usually, I take a children's dose of something and I'm knocked unconscious for 12 hours straight. I tried that this time but the plague just laughed and said,"Yeah right". So out came the big stuff, along with the hallucinations. The last thing I remember last night was Michael Phelps teaching me to swim the breast-stroke.

This plague started on Friday with a sore throat of epic proportions. A fever followed that had me hot and freezing cold at the same time. My husband said that last night the neighbors knocked on our door asking me to stop the snoring already....he kids.

I've been in bed for two days straight.

Even my famous 'Matzoh Ball Soup That Cures All' hasn't worked.

There is no way I can make it to work today, so I'm staying home.

Hopefully, I can reunite with Michael Phelps so he can show me some more swimming pointers or he'll introduce me to his mom.....I'm going back to bed now.

2008-09-05T10:20:00.002-04:00

Today if my Father-in-Law's 71st Birthday.....Happy Birthday Dad.

My husband and I have written and sent out all of our wedding thank you notes weeks ago, yet there is one more to write, my father-in-law's. Every time I start to write it, I don't even know where begin. He has been so generous, so helpful, so supportive, always there when we need him, always praying for us and making us laugh.

There aren't any proper words to use in writing the note that even come close to how grateful we are for him - and all he's done for our wedding.

All I have so far is 'Dear Dad'.......

So the card sits on my dresser and stares at me, daring me to finish.

Labor Day ReCap

2008-09-02T06:44:00.002-04:00

To celebrate Labor Day, we decided to rent a canoe and paddle around Lake Pocotopaug, East Hampton, CT. The lake is pronounced 'poke-a-tee-pog' and, like all good lakes, has a few Indian legends behind it.

As we got closer to the lake I noticed white caps, which indicated that it was too windy outside for a canoe ride. I wasn't about to be all involved with a tipped over canoe, especially after just reading 'The Shack'.

So my husband suggested watching the boaters put their boats in the lake. "How uninteresting", I thought. But the kids seemed okay with that.

We sat at the boat docking beach and watched.

And yes, it was very entertaining, I imagine more so due to the wind factor.

I've never had the pleasure of having to un-hook a boat from a boat-trailer....or try to back up a truck with a trailor attached into a lake, but yes indeed they do make for funny scenes to watch.

How did you spend your Labor Day?

The Shack

2008-08-30T06:21:00.004-04:00

The Shack by William P. Young.

Have you read it yet?

If not, what are you waiting for?

It's an experience where you get to know God in a more personal level, as our Father, surrounding us in his pure love.

I feel so blessed to have read it.

True to Form

2008-08-29T06:36:00.002-04:00

I survived the commissary trip, though the Navy guys barely did.

First I had to find the right gate to get the proper sticker for my truck. I asked a nice uniformed, armed man how to get there and he wanted to know my husband's rank. Just like that.

I thought that was a bit intrusive of him yet I answered.

Well, the royal treatment is what I got.

He sent a young soldier to walk in front of me as I followed in my truck to the correct building to get a sticker. I thanked the young soldier and wanted so badly to ask him to 'drop and give me 20', just for the fun of it, but I held my tongue.

My husband could care less about ranks, he has got to be the most down to earth person I've ever met.

After waiting on a small line, I got to meet another Navy guy who was very helpful with the stickers.....all four of them. He showed me how to assemble them on the counter and told me where to put them on my windshield.

IT WAS VERY CONFUSING!

I asked him to show me again and he gladly did.

But when I got outside to my truck, I accidentally ripped one of the important stickers in half. I put it on anyway just like that. There was no way I was going to go back in there and let them know that I was the ditsy wife of someone they obviously had a lot of respect for.

My husband laughed when he saw my truck and told me that I was going to have problems getting through military gates with the torn sticker on my windshield.

Anyway, the commissary was amazing!

It is a grocery store with everything a regular grocery store has, except the prices are really low. And, to my amazement, I was able to buy our favorite orange juice without having to take out a second mortgage.

And there was a mall upstairs! And they sold Coach handbags! And designer shoes! And a food court!

Yes, it was all worth the stress. I just hope they let me back in next week.

Left Right Left

2008-08-27T06:40:00.003-04:00

Today for the first time I am going to take a trip to the military commissary, after the contractors get here that is. It is about an hour's drive from our house.

I've been a bit anxious about the trip because it will be the first time as a military wife that I am doing something that a military wife does. When I get there I have to go to a special gate and get my truck regsitered and stickered up. That may not seem like a big thing, but for some reason and I can't figure out why, it is a big thing for me.

So last night I had one of my famous dreams. "They" say that dreams are ways your mind helps you deal with the stresses you are going through. For me, they are the opposite.

In this dream I took a trip to the Naval Base (My husband is in the Air Force and National Guard, but the commissary is at the Naval Base) and accidentally, yes, accidentally, as if it could be at all possible, signed up to join the National Guard.

In the next scene of my dream I was at boot camp, running around, jumping over ditches, climbing walls and dropping and doing 50. I was not in shape so I was getting yelled at a lot for not being able to keep up with the rest of the young people. Unfortunately I was my actual age in this dream, almost 50, which made it all even more frustrating.

I'd never be able to walk in those boots, where's the 4 inch heel?

At least I was wearing lipstick.

In the next scene I was assigned to my husband's unit and was standing next to him as I was getting yelled at by his commanding officer who was a woman. I kept screaming back at her, "YES SIR" and getting in more trouble because I was supposed to scream, "YES MAME" or something equivalent indicating that she was a woman. I couldn't get it straight and I kept trying to explain that I'm new to this all and if she was a judge I'd know what to call her, "Madam Justice", "Your Honor", "Judge". She didn't give me a chance to explain and my husband could only look straight ahead at attention.

Then I woke up.

And now I am even more anxious about shopping at the commissary.

So if I don't return - you all know what happened.

Please tell my husband I love him and I'll see him right after boot camp.

Who needs stupid geckos?

2008-08-25T15:00:00.007-04:00

Oh my land, I'm about to go through a nighmarish experience once again, I've been through it before in my old house and I spent the whole time freaking out, now it's gonna happen again....I'm going to be without a kitchen for the next month or two. I'm happy and freaking out at the same time.

It all started when my kitchen floor started warping awhile back....I didn't think much of it because it was humid outside and I know that the former owners put the floor in themselves. And from some of the other projects they did around here, it is obvious that home improvement wasn't their thing. Like, for instance, when the kitchen cabinet with the glass door fell off the wall, or when the bathroom medicine cabinet pulled away from the wall.

So, I just thought that I was going to have to replace the vinyl tiles sooner or later because they weren't installed correctly.

But then we noticed a small puddle of water in the basement under the kitchen area. The dishwasher was leaking water under the kitchen floor.

So I called my insurance agent and lo and behold, they ordered a restoration company to come and dry up the kitchen and then a contracting company to tear the kitchen down and rebuild it.

I love State Farm Insurance.

But I do not like being kitchenless.

Anyone who knows me knows that I practically live in my kitchen. It's where I find peace. I love to cook and bake and whenever I am going through a tough time, you'll usually find me cooking or baking up a storm.

Today State Farm came out and approved everything, even a food allowance, if necessary, for having to eat meals away from home. And an hour later the restoration company came, they still are here, drying up the kitchen and basement. There are fans a blowing and dehumidifiers sucking up air all over the place.

So you can have that gecko, the cavemen and all those other insurance companies....I'm sticking with State Farm, 'cause....

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Sad News.

2008-08-20T08:12:00.004-04:00

A friend of ours has suddenly passed away. He was young and a father of four, the youngest only 3 months old.

He took his children to Chuck E. Cheese on Monday and collapsed, they were unable to revive him.

It is so sad for everyone in our small town.

Jon coached basketball and soccer and was a positive influence on hundreds of children lives. I don't think any child in this town doesn't have a picture of him in one of their team photographs.

If you can, please remember his family in prayer, for his two older teenager girls who have been struggling and for his younger children who are unable to understand all that is going on.

Thank you.

Hot Pants

2008-08-18T16:01:00.004-04:00

I'm loving being married and all the 'fun' rights that come with that.

Now that we are married, being able to exercise some of the things that have been stored away in my mind for years has and continues to be 'fun'.

Yet, no matter how hard I try, I'm still a klutz of magnitude proportion.

Take for instance, the other night when in an effort to be all romantic and sultry-like, I lit a candle and later nearly lit the bedroom ablaze when I threw my husband's 'drawers' across the room. They landed right on top of the candle and started smoking.

Of course I put the fire out quickly, but it took a long time to stop laughing.

element

2008-08-03T07:02:00.003-04:00

We celebrated my step-son's 11th birthday yesterday.

And I surprised him with his favorite strawberry shortcake....with a twist....the Element logo. He's all about skateboarding lately.

What a special child this boy is.

He struggles; he overcomes.

He adapts to two separate lives, even though his nature is to thrive in predictability and constants.

He obeys with out complaint, even though he wants to be mischievous.

At night he struggles to sleep, he is prone to insomnia. When his dad puts to bed, he takes off the shirt he's been wearing all day and gives it to him to sleep with. My step-son puts it on, snuggles it and dreams of being able to grow up to be just like him.

And I watch in awe at this father and son's love for each other that is so strong and solid. And I'm so blessed to be a part of all of this love.

Let the rain pour

2008-08-01T06:35:00.003-04:00

We were driving together as the gentle rain fell, Pookie and I. During times like these, when it's just her and I, she tends to open up and tells me of the things that run around her head. And I love it ....and her.

It brings me back to when my children were teenagers and our car rides with their heartbreaking drama that didn't seem so heartbreaking by the end of our drive. Sometimes just listening to them talk about their problems would help them figure it all out themselves. They still do that these days, even though they are well past their teenage years.

She was sitting in the passenger side of my truck, excitedly telling me of the newest drama with her and her friends when in mid-sentence she stopped and asked, "Theresa, do you hear that?"

"What?", I asked.

"Oh my gosh, THAT, want is that noise?", she asked again, as she folded herself frontwards to look on the floor of the front seat.

"I don't hear anything, what is the noise?", I asked.

She looked all around.

"You've got to hear it!!!! I'M NOT CRAZY!!!! ", she screamed.

More searching. And then.....

"Theresa, it's....it's..........oh, it's the windshield wipers...."

We laughed until the tears started falling.

"You've got to blog this.", she said and then continued where she left off talking about the important things that are going on that are shaping her into a remarkable, intelligent and beautiful young lady.

and now the rest of our life begins.

2008-07-29T09:06:00.014-04:00

I would have been happy to get married at our local Town Hall, but Capt wanted to have more of a celebation.

And that's how it all started.

I'm not one to like a lot of attention directed towards me. In fact, I try to be aware of my shyness everyday and push myself out of my comfort zone to overcome it.

I'm glad I made a choice to trust Capt....and I will for the rest of my life.

My father-in-law was our wedding planner. First we picked out a beautiful dress. Here I am wearing it during our reception.

That's our diningroom, which is tiny, except a miracle happened on our wedding day and it got bigger.

I was such a diva about wearing the dress for the ceremony, which took place in our front yard...one of my favorite places.

One of my neighbors, an elderly woman who had recently attended her grandaughter's wedding, overheard me tell another neighbor that I just wasn't sure if I wanted to get married in the beautiful periwinkle dress. I wanted to look like a bride by wearing something in the white-ish family. Well, she practically accosted me and threw me into her bathroom and ordered me to try on the dress she had just worn to her grandaughter's wedding. It was white and fit okay, but needed to be altered and cleaned. She insisted that I take it and a pair of shoes too. Although I returned the shoes to her later that week.

My wonderful female co-workers (Dawn, I work part-time in the Town Hall) asked me to bring in both dresses to see which one looked the best. After I gave them a fashion show from the ladies room, they all unaminously said "definately both".

So I dropped off the dress at the seamstress and a week later to the cleaners.

And I decided to be a diva for my wedding and change dresses mid-way through.

And true to myself, at the last possible moment before it would have been too late to pick up the dress, my step-daughter reminded me that I should pick it up. God bless that child.

Pookie, as I refer to her here, was such an amazing help. She assisted me in all aspects of the wedding. And she's only 11! I almost forgot to pick up the flowers for our hair and centerpieces if it wasn't for her reminding me and keeping on top of all the plans.

Here's the dress:

My daughters Jen and Pookie went with me at 6am to get our hair done. Of course I forgot the flowers so Jen's fiance drove them to us. Here we are sitting on the backyard deck with my son Tom.

Although, I'm not sure if that is Jen or Pookie, it is hard to tell them apart these days.

My husband's Aunt and Uncle flew in from Miami , ate something then set up the rented tables, linens, china, silverware and centerpieces in our livingroom, along my FIL. The next morning, all three of them were here bright and early to finish and get ready for the food. They also graciously took about 100 photos of the wedding with their cameras.

The people delivering the cake/cupcake wedding cake got lost a few times, but made it in time. It wasn't exactly what I ordered, but it looked great. I wanted 72 small cupcakes, the baker decided to make 72 gigantic cupcakes.

The ceremony was quick and simple, just like we wanted, officiated by my husband's commanding officer.

My FIL wrote us a poem, he read it before our vows:

‘Give all to love; obey thy heart'

Advice be given; but never taken without thought

for how can we suggest to you a new way of life as husband and wife;

having created a bond that’s not new for both of you

but so better yet,

as time has ripened each in ways we cannot understand,

so you have found each other and now do ready yourselves and us

to see this union consecrated here midst family and friends

in a flower garden that will come to symbolize the love you now have for each other;

new blossoms and old; all reaching high for the sun today

as your new life shines a ray that overtakes us all with joy,

so in the simple words of a poet famous for his rhyme,

hark his sage advice:

‘Give all to love; obey thy heart’

and look forward to a future aware that our love for you is always there!

Then my friend Jerry read some scripture about Jesus turning the water into wine...saving the best for last. It was so perfect.

My husband surprised me by writing his own vows. I got all choked up.

Then we all went inside for the food.

As we were eating, Pookie and her best friend surpised everyone (except me, I knew about it) by singing our wedding song.

Capt and I danced our first dance to it.

We had sno-cones for the kids. They ate them and had snow ball fights with them.

We also rented a bouncy castle to keep them busy.

Everyone had a great time.

I wouldn't change a thing.

I married the man of my dreams and have the most loving, kind and fun to hang around step children.

And now, the rest of our life begins.

Thank you for all your well wishes and prayers.

More, more, more.....

2008-07-25T06:16:00.006-04:00

This is what our livingroom looked like the night before our wedding. It is just a fraction of what my father-in-law so generously did for us: I was so thrilled at how elegant each table looked.This is our diningroom, all set for the wedding.

Our wedding cake-cupcakes thingy....

Yes, you're not crazy, when you look out the diningroom window, you do see a huge Crayola Castle....we rented it for the day.And a Sno-Cone Machine for snow ball fights....

Here's my daughter getting ready, she was my c0-Maid-of-Honor with my step-daughter.

Right before the wedding ceremony......I'm not sure why I love this photo so much, but I do. Doesn't it look like we have some major attitude going on? The HAPPY, HAPPY couple:The whole family....

I'll have more time this upcoming week to write more and share with you the beautiful poem my father-in-law wrote and read at the wedding.

The Short Version...

2008-07-17T06:48:00.003-04:00

We're married!

The wedding was everything I could have dreamed of...the weather was perfect, the food was delicious, we all had a great time...and then there was my step-daughter (12) who surprised my husband by singing our wedding song (along with her best friend)...the tears were flowing....

Our friends and family all came from all over....

We honeymooned in Newport, Rhode Island, one of our favorite places....

More details to follow, we both have to get to work today.

On the 12th Day of July My True Love said to me.....

2008-07-01T08:24:00.002-04:00

Only 12 more days until our wedding.

I can't wait! The planning is mostly over, the details need to be ironed out a bit, but overall things are looking like it will be a glorious day.

On another note, my daughter got engaged a few days ago. I'm so excited. She is marrying a wonderful man. The date isn't set yet, but I keep thinking that this is one step closer to me having grandbabies.

So, how odd is that? Me and my daughter are engaged at the same time.

I will post pictures of the wedding.....after the honeymoon.

Season of Change

2008-05-27T12:22:00.003-04:00

I know it's been awhile since I did a post. Thank you for still reading and caring. I probably should have mentioned that I was going to be pre-occupied for a few months, I'm sorry.

Everything is moving along nicely. I love my new job, which is part-time. I get to use my paralegal skills without all of the high-pressured stress which I am most accustomed to. Everyone is so sweet in the Town Hall, the Probate Court is in the center office so I get to see lots of people from the town walk by. I also handle all the passport applications for the town. I'm getting to know lots of people.

My relocation adjustment is still going on, but I'm getting more and more used to my new life and it is starting to become more familiar. For one thing, I don't wake up in the morning wondering where the heck I am anymore. (That's a good thing.)

The wedding plans are moving along as well. I can't even begin to describe how amazing and awesome my future father-in-law/wedding planner has been through this whole loss of job/wedding planning turmoil. He is making it all possible and because of him this wedding is going to be real klassy and all. (Date of the Wedding - July 12, 2008)

Capt is still getting his house ready for sale. It has been a daunting task to say the least. Hopefully by next month it will be listed. And then we need lots of prayer so it sells quickly. It has been difficult financially.

My children are all doing well. David graduated Purchase College last week and made all sorts of honors and such. He is an amazing dramatic writer. Some famous drama company is producing one of his plays in South Carolina next month. I'm so proud.

My son Tom is looking to relocate, along with his job, to Connecticut. I'm so excited.

My daughter Jen is in love with a wonderful man. She is doing well as an artist.

Capt's children are all doing well too. We are all living together now and grafting our family together. Learning how we all work, our roles and how we communicate has been much easier than I expected...but I'm not sure of their side of the story. The children get to have me around after school since I work part-time, so they have more time to socialize with their friends. They also get homemade cookies and milk waiting for them when they walk in the door. For now, we are all loving this. But Capt and I know how difficult stepfamilies are, and we are working, compromising and standing ready for any problems which may occur. So far, so good.

Thanks again for all of your e-mails and comments. Everything is great. There is so much going on in my life right now that I need to focus on doing the best I can in my new life as a soon to be wife and stepmother, my new job and all that it entails and in this season of change.

Role Reversal

2008-03-19T06:57:00.005-04:00

Boy: Theresa, I'm going upstairs to take a shower.

YNB: Okay.

Boy: I'M GOING UPSTAIRS TO TAKE A SHOWER!!!!

YNB: Okay.

Boy: Theresa, where am I going?

YNB: To take a shower.

Boy: Good listening.

When One Door Closes...

2008-03-16T07:43:00.005-04:00

My future Father-in-Law is coming home from his missions trip to Brazil this Wednesday. I'm so excited to hear of all the amazing experiences he had. He went on the same trip last year and when he came back he had some great stories and life-changing experiences. From the two e-mails he has sent, it seems like this trip was even more exciting.

Before he left I was telling him how frustrating it is to be unemployed and how difficult it is to find a job in my field because it usually takes months to get an interview and he told me, "Now, by the time I get back, I expect you to have your whole life figured out." (or something to that effect). He was joking, of course, which is the same type of lovable sense of humor that Capt has.

He doesn't know it yet, but it was a prophecy because:

I got notice today that beginning April 1st I will be working for the State of Connecticut on a part-time basis, in the town where I live, as close to my house as physically possible (4 miles down the road). And although the job is very prestigious and the benefits plum, the pay is not adequate.

But then again....and as always, God provides a way. He provides a way that could never even be imagined. I have an amazing offer to supplement my income at my leisure doing something that I know, in the area of law that I'm sure of, and I can make my own hours working from home.

FROM HOME!!! Which means the so much to me. I love being there when the kids need me. I love making cookies for them when they get home from school. I love helping them with their projects and homework. I love having dinner made for when Capt gets home from work so that he can get the kids off to their activities without having to feed them something quick. I love sitting down at the dinner table taking about our day.

I can still meet with the mothers for the Mom's In Touch International prayer meetings.

As you can see, I'm so excited.

And it is soooooo true that when God closes a door, He opens another... or two!

Update, All is Fine

2008-03-14T07:21:00.004-04:00

Many have written emails to me asking if I'm okay because of my lack of posting recently. Thank you for your concern. I've been going through a lot of changes this past month and working through them.

Although I moved to CT almost a year ago (but still worked in NY), I only permanently lived in my house starting 2 months ago. I was not as prepared as I thought for the separation of my family and friends and the isolated feelings that happened once I left Long Island permanently.

The job I relocated for turned out to be filled with unfriendly co-workers and a boss who has a reputation for being a character (that's the nice version). Coming from a firm that treated me professionally and like an equal must have spoiled me because the way I was treated here knocked me for a loop. I didn't see it coming. Lesson learned; horrible, horrible experience put behind me.

I have taken a couple of trips back to NY to see my children and friends this past month. That has helped a lot.

Searching for a new job has been a struggle and a humbling experience. Thankfully, there are a few options now that Capt and I are working on.

Capt and his kids moved into my house a few weeks ago for 2 reasons. His house has to get ready to be sold and for financial reasons. The kids have done exceptionally well with the adjustment, better than we thought. They have jumped in and helped with chores, painting, organizing much to our amazement. I like order and cleanliness, that is not a priority for Capt. Thankfully, the kids have respected that and actually seem to enjoy it.

Figuring out my role in the children's lives now that we all live in the same household has taken some effort and lots of prayer. It's going to be an on-going process, but we are all on the right track.

Being in this house, filled with love, quiet, fireside dinners, wild dancing in the family room (I've got some wild dance skillz, just ask Pookie), board games and jacks (the only 'sport' I can master) and just simply learning about each other has been perfectly wonderful. I look forward to our marriage in July and watching the kids blossom into teenagers soon.

And I will adjust to not having my adult children close by. And I will make new friendships here. In fact, I'm off to my Mom's In Touch prayer meeting in a few minutes. Those women are on fire with praying for our kids.

So, I'm fine, God's got me in a quiet place right now working out big adjustments and preparing me for future things. I'm happy and loving my life.

I'll be back soon.

2008-02-26T10:37:00.002-05:00

You know you did a good job raising your kids when your daughter hears in your voice that you're upset and calls back 15 minutes later to chat.

That's just what my daughter did this morning. She encouraged me, listened to me and just let me vent.

When we finished talking I asked her how come she's not at work yet and she replied, "I called in and told my boss that I have a family matter to handle before work and that I'll come in later on this morning."

That's love.

Important Lesson About Owning a Cat:

2008-02-22T06:45:00.003-05:00

When you don't clean out the kitty litter for 3 days, she finds other places to 'go'.

"What are you lookin' at, Diva? Lesson learned, stop looking at me like that!"

Learning to Love

2008-02-18T08:34:00.010-05:00

For Valentine's Day I decided to make Capt one of his favorite dinners instead of having him spend money on eating out.

I planned, shopped and prepared all day.

Since being recently diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholestrol, Capt's diet has been strict, he misses his former high-sugar, high-fat meals, so I thought I'd make an exception and give him a treat.

His top favorite dinner is turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce...all the trimmings.

But in the interest of his health, I made him his second favorite dinner:

I had him drop them into the pot of boiling water, I just couldn't do it.

I also made Filet Mignon, sauteed asparagus and this, as an after thought...

Potatoes Au Gratin from A BOX!!!!!

And do you know what his favorite part of dinner was? Do you know what he keeps talking about over and over and OVER AGAIN?

THE BETTY CROCKER BOX OF POTATOES AU GRATIN !!!!!!!

(Next year I think I'll just gonna make that for dinner.)

After dinner he took me to Dairy Queen for the new Choco Lover's Blizzard where sweet cherries are lovingly blended with chocolate chunks and creamy vanilla soft serve. Ahhhhhhhhh.

Lovingly blended indeed!

And all was well with the world.

I Almost Feel As Though I Went There Too

2008-02-17T07:07:00.002-05:00

I've been faithfully following Sophie's and Shannon's overseas travels all week and have been deeply moved and enlightened to a world I never had room in my life to open up to.

I have a feeling that Christian blogging has taken a giant step towards God's plan.

Thank you sisters for listening to your hearts, for leaving your comfort zones and for doing something that I'd be scared to death to do. May you have a safe trip back to your loved ones.

Gag Reflex

2008-02-16T14:23:00.005-05:00

My new kitten, Diva.

Cute, right?

I love her, but I don't love cleaning out her litterbox.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T07:40:00.003-05:00

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite days of the year. To me the day represents being in love and being loved, two things that have ruled the direction of the beginning stages of my adult life.

Today is special to me in other ways. I am engaged to be married to an extremely romantic and loveable man in July, I have deeper love for my children as they develop into adults, I am learning about the type of love my soon-to-be stepchildren need from me, and I am completely awed by the love shown to me by my future father-in-law (who stopped by last night and gave me a big box of Godiva chocolates).

As the years go by I have learned that love isn't just about me and how it affects me, it's about giving, listening, understanding, being unconditional, being compassionate and being willing to have your heart enlarged. And enlarged again...so that God can have room to fill it with good stuff.

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day today, filled with love and sweets.

2008-02-09T06:30:00.001-05:00

Warning:

You shouldn't try to put on a sports bra while wearing one of those big hair clips.

I finally got free after 15 minutes, but I at one point I seriously considered calling 911.

Big Foot

2008-02-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Let's just say that the job didn't work out like I thought it would. After 3 1/2 weeks it's over. I feel so many emotions about it all but mainly relief. Glorious relief because working in that environment was one of the strangest experiences I've ever had.

I should have paid attention to the red flags.

Oh well, hard lesson learned.

I'm back in the job search, only this time I'm going to try temping....this way I can see if the job is a good fit or not.

Capt stopped by this morning on his way to another doctor's appointment. He's doing really well with the diabetes, high blood pressure and cholestrol. Everything seems to be normal. When one stops drinking a six-pack of Mountain Dew, eating 3 chocolate donuts and Taco Bell everyday one gets their body normal very quickly. (I kid but I'm really proud of him and what he's done to get healthier)

As we sat on the couch, I was so excited to tell him all about the documentary I watched in the middle of last night. (I can't sleep so well lately.)

The documentarty was on the History Channel.

Big Foot.

After watching it I truly believe they exist. In Canada. I never gave the idea any credance in the past but with the facts presented coupled with sleep deprevation and my emotions running rapid, I believe in them now. I do.

So I'm all excited and telling him about all of the witnesses they had, DNA samples and proof and such and he just sat there looking at me and nodding his head. When I was all done and could hardly breath after talking all that excitedly, he said, "Babe, I think you need to get a job". Then he kissed me and left.

But really, don't you think that Big Foot/Yeti/Sasquash is real?

I can't be the only one.

And yes, Capt is right, this staying at home thing is not for me.

But I've got to go, my soaps are about to start.

Hey where did I put my bon bons?

Crazy...

2008-01-31T04:17:00.000-05:00

When my children were younger, much younger, our weekends were jam-packed with nothing much actually.

We lived in a suburban town on Long Island, NY and I was going to college and co-running a cleaning business while my children were in grade school. During school nights we would do our homework and study together at the kitchen table. So when the weekends came, we hung out together, did chores together and had some of their and/or my friends over for a simple day of hanging out and dinner.

My children are grown and on their own.

Last month I moved to a different state.

Things have changed.

Here in this small, one traffic light, rutal town where Capt and I live you'd think life with children would be more simple.

You'd be wrong. Very wrong.

It seems like everyone here with children, including Capt, runs themselves crazy on weekends with sports practices, sports games (sometimes 5 on one Saturday), birthday parties, dances, play dates, etc. There doesn't seem like there is enough time to relax and hang out together.

And chores, how do they ever get done? I'm all about the cleaning.

Running around after Capt and the kids is exhausting, so exhausting that by Saturday afternoon I'm most likely to cry "Uncle" and retreat to my house for a few hours where I clean, do laundry and cook....then light a fire and read a book. They just leave me alone and continue on with the madness.

Adjusting to this new life has been more difficult that I expected. I'm having my moments of home sickness and empty nest syndrome.

And my new job, let's just say I have to have a new attitude about it. I'm working on it.

Whoever said "be careful what you wish for", knew something.

And yet, my dreams are all coming true and I'm loving all this.