How Snow and Ice Bring Out the Birds

As I looked out the window, I saw a good 4" of fresh snow and it was still falling at a pretty good clip. School closed. The forecast said sleet and freezing rain to start around lunch time and continue through the day. Great.

My mind raced between "Do I go into work or do I stay home?" My husband had a commitment already that he could not get out of and who knew how long he would be. I just took a whole day off last week for a snow day. What I really wanted to do was stay home, but I felt torn with the feeling of obligation to go into work. I decided to brave it and go in for half a day.

I hate, and I do mean H-A-T-E to drive in bad weather. I seem to instantly turn 190 years old. I'm sure that is what it felt like this morning to the Conga Line of drivers that trailed behind me as I inched my way down the road. I could almost feel them shaking their fists at me in frustration. I don't care. I will drive 5 mph, white knuckles and all for as long as I have to.

Listen up drivers in bad weather: I will get there when I get there...no need to risk my life or yours. Why are you in such a big hurry, tailgating Mr. Dodge Durango guy? I see you have fallen into the ‘false sense of security’ pool, swimming with the belief that because you drive a SUV, you can travel faster than the posted speed limit in Winter Storm WARNING weather. Boy that just irks me.

Ice is ice, Baby.

No way around it, 4WD or not, nothing gets traction on ice. Yet, owners of the SUV seem to feel invincible of this phenomenon. I've seen time and time again, drivers who get frustrated, peel out from behind a slow moving vehicle and within seconds, begin to fishtail, lose control and find themselves in a ditch, the median or god forbid wrapped around a tree. All because of a lack of patience.

So, after a half day of work, I saw that my trip home would be just as welcomed as the commute was in the morning. As I waited for traffic to pass, I saw yet another SUV coming down the road. I thought I had enough time to pull out, since the car would have to slow down to go around the slight curve in the road- you know, because of the good 3 inches of icy slush on the road. I will point out that there was also pa-l-enty of time to take the foot off the gas Mr. Nissan Pathfinder man. But, instead, decided to slide through the turn and get right on my bumper. My guess was so that I could have a nice clear view of the bird he was flipping me against his windshield. I also saw that he had a Handicapped tag hanging from his rear view mirror. I guess his handicap was NOT with his hand.

Seems it may have been his snowy travel decision making.

Then again, who am I to say how one should drive. I guess I should just send out this warning for all on the road.

Keep your flippin’ snow-birds to yourself, sonny, because I will be taking my sweet old time to get to my destination.

How do you feel about driving in bad weather? Do you drive as slow as molasses too?
 
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Wordless Wednesday:: A New Addition to the "Snow Day" Dance!

I opened my freezer this morning to find this:

Apparently, wearing pajama's inside out and backward, stashing a spoon under the pillow and doing an actual dance is not enough to make sure the weatherman/woman's predicted snowfall guarantees a snow day. Adding an orange in a hat and placing it in the freezer, well, that is the clencher....

As, we are enjoying our first snow day of the season!

What crazy things do your kids do to "make a snow day happen"? Share in the comments below.

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Learning Lessons From 2010

This post is part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop. I chose the prompt: "What happened in 2010 that you'd rather not repeat?"



I swear that each morning when I hear the shuffling foot steps coming down the stairs that I will be greeting  my own Jolly Green Giant. I don't know what is in our water, but according to the pencil marks that adorn our basement door, displaying height marks etched for the past 10 years, we should maybe switch to milk. Something to stop this madness!  

I learned the hard way that the side effects of said sudden growth spurts should be monitored with a close eye...because in 2010 I failed in that department. Not once, but TWICE! I sure hope that I don't repeat this in 2011, and I am sure that my son feels the same way.

And here is why:

Lesson One: The Band Concert

My Husband had been traveling quite a bit and I had started a new job. Time was tight when it came to after-school activities and trying to be two places at once. Well, not at once, but pretty darn close to it. Trying to get the household accustomed to the new schedule, I tried my best to arrange our time and places and honestly what I came up with worked well....on paper at least. On this particular day, our son had a band concert and our daughter a track meet. To make sure that my master timing plan would go off without a hitch, I asked our son to lay out his clothes the night before so that I could just grab-n-go that morning on my way to work. So, our late afternoon/evening would run as such:
- Pick up our son a little early from school (which lets out later than our daughter's)
-Meet dad (who just arrived from the airport) at the track meet.
-Cheer on sis
-After meet, dad and sis run to Panera to pick up dinner and meet us back in school cafeteria.
-Between the track and cafeteria, son to do his best superhero and change in the back of the car.
-Have dinner in cafeteria
-Because of being in school already, son is early for pre-prep concert rehearsal.
-Dad, sis and I get seats in the auditorium, affording prime waving and picture taking spots in audience.

Smooth like clockwork....until there was a glitch in the system.

As our son was getting ready in the car, he said:

S: "Mom. You grabbed the wrong clothes!"
M: "What do you mean I grabbed the wrong clothes? I grabbed what was on your bed."
S: "Well, then you grabbed the wrong shirt!"
M: "There was only one set of clothes on the bed."

With that, I looked in the back seat to a kid a shirt size, maybe two, too small. The sleeves barely making it to mid-forearm length!

M: "What the heck?! That is the same shirt you wore to the Christmas concert only a few months ago!"
S: "Can we please go get a new one?"
M: "No. We don't have time. You will have to roll up your sleeves."
S: "I don't want to wear it like that! It will look stupid!"
M: "You CAN'T wear it like that! You are going to have to roll them."

Not only were the sleeves too short, but the shirt was just able to stay buttoned. If he held his breath he would be just fine. How is that going to be possible? He has to play a wind instrument!

It felt like our own twisted version of A Christmas Story...don't breathe or else you will shoot someone's eye out (with popping buttons!)! Should I warn the first row?

Bad Mother of the Year!

Lesson Two: Sneakers

After said band concert, you would think that I would take inventory of any other piece of clothing that may have gotten too small. Nope. Never even crossed my mind.

Fast forward to the last week of school.

S: "Mom. I need new sneakers."
M: "OK. Since it's the last week of school, can we wait til Friday and we can go then?"
S: "Sure. No problem. Thanks Mom."

Friday rolls around and when I got home from work, off to the mall we went to look for new shoes.

We looked through every style that donned the shelves. Finally, my son found a pair he liked and tried them on.

S: "Ahhhhh. Oh, man, these feel GREAT. Soooooo much better. I can move my toes again."
M: "Oh, good. Wait. What do you mean 'you can move your toes again?' What size are they?"

He hands me the box and on his now happy feet are size 11. I grab the tattered shoe that is lying on its side and see on the back of the tongue that is is a size 9. NINE????!!!! His toes must have been folded in half!

M: "Oh my goodness! WHY didn't you tell me BEFORE that these were so small?! How long have they been like this?"
S: Shrugs shoulders. "I dunno."

Another nomination for Bad Mother of the Year! Please don't let these mommy faux-pas repeat themselves again this year! I think I have learned my lesson!

My son can only hope.

Blog of Christmas Future

Photo from: nonprofitquarterly.org

Part three of the Blogging Christmas Carol is finally ready! I don’t know about you, but the holiday’s seemed to take forever to get here and then when they did arrive, spun me around so much that I lost all track of what day and time it was!


Blog of Christmas Past

Brought you and I to what was happening on Mom Got Blog a year ago. I enjoyed the visit and hope you did too. I think my favorite post to read again was the Snoop-Dog House Christmas!

Blog of Christmas Present

Was fun to write also…but I will give you a heads up. Hubby was not happy that I shared the family Pizzelle recipe, so if you want it, write it down! I will be removing it from the site on January 1st!

Which now brings us to:

Blog of Christmas Future



Photo from: ucdavismagazine.ucdavis.edu

The Christmas Carol brings a bleak future picture for old Scrooge. Since this is a Blogging Christmas Carol, I have decided that the picture not look so downtrodden, but bright and optimistic! Ahh, the future; Defined as “something that will exist or happen in time to come.” What is exciting about the future…possibilities that are out there yet to be discovered. The future can also be scary because of the unknown!

I have been talking about moving this blog for a while now and it is finally happening! I wanted to pull together all the different pieces such as my love of food, sports, photography, books, as well as the main life-story ideas that make up MGB and have them in one spot. It will be easier for me to maintain and will also be easier for you to navigate through the site. I have contacted a designer and they have been working their magic making a new place and look for Mom Got Blog! I like what has been created so far and I think you will too!

Since the new site will be self-hosted, I will be opening up the blog for advertising. Nothing outrageous and nothing that does not fit with the blog itself. As a reader and friend, you know that I share my honest take on things-whether it is a favorite family travel destination or cooking product and I have done so all on my own (meaning that the company behind the product did not ask me to say things about them!). If I can land a few advertisements that can interest you and help me break even on the maintenance costs…then I think it will be a win for both of us.

Blog it Forward

Remember that? Yes, the fabulous idea that started out with such fervor? Well, it is still alive…it just needs a little kicking! I have asked a few blogger friends if they would like to be contributors to the site to help with more consistent content and they have graciously agreed. We are about to brainstorm some ideas and be ready to start back up again in the New Year.

The future holds so many opportunities and I can’t wait to welcome them with you! I am putting fear aside, grabbing 2011 by the horns and hanging on for the ride - hope you will join me!



What are you looking forward to in 2011? Let me know in the comments below!


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How Would You Live Out Your Last Days?

Today's post was inspired by Mama Kat's Writing Workshop. One was to choose a single word: angsty, excruciating, enchanted, bold, simple, and write a post around that word. The following post was already started yet felt that each word given in the prompt was important to highlight.

How Would You Live Out Your Last Days?
Angst

I’ve been thinking about this question over and over in my head this past week. Sometimes my answer is angsty realizing I would not have enough time to do all that I still want to do in my life. Other times the answer is more light-hearted, telling myself that I would make damn sure I tried every single flavor of ice cream.

Excruciating

Many of you have read my post Livestrong, Baby! where I mention my husband being diagnosed with cancer. It is mentioned briefly, because I didn't want to write too much about my feelings of this disease. It can be excruciating at times for me to go there and share. Did I fear losing my best friend? Yes. Did I cry in the shower? Every. Day. Did I pull off to the side of the road to cry before coming home to the kids? Yes. Do I get a pit in my stomach with each follow up visit, even now, almost 5 years later? You bet. Do I snuggle a little more and make sure I say “I love you” every day? Yes and Yes.

Imagine your 18 year old child, fearing having appendicitis, only to learn that they are suffering from Burkitts Lymphoma, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer. You help them fight the good fight and think it’s in remission, only to have it rear its ugly head a month later. It’s back with a vengeance, growing double in size throughout your child’s body every 12 hours. The doctors prepare your whole family with the news that you only have a week, maybe two, left to spend together. This is the life of a local young man and his family who are in the battle trenches this very minute. I listen to updates on the radio station each morning; choking back tears as the DJ’s, themselves, try their best to keep it together as they share his story. He celebrated an early Christmas with his family last week, not knowing if he would make it through the weekend.

Life gets put into a finite beam of perspective that you never thought possible when given this news.

Enchanted

The best part of this family’s Christmas celebration: the day was, in fact, enchanted. This young man was not sure he could muster the strength to share this special time with his family; yet as the day progressed, he found for a short two-hour window, he forgot that he had cancer.

Another place that can have that effect for a family, to forget for just a while that their loved one is seriously ill, is the Ronald McDonald House. My cousin spent months in Baltimore, MD at Johns Hopkins fighting and overcoming leukemia and a bone marrow transplant. The RMH was a place for my Aunt and Uncle to feel home-away-from home and to find, as well as offer support with other families going through the same struggles. When contacting my local RMH, I had no idea that they had a Wish List , full of every day items such as food, cleaning items and even gift cards. Please check out your local RMH and see how you can help offer a hand to those who really need it.

Bold

While in the middle of preparing this post, more sad news crossed the wire. Elizabeth Edwards passed away at the age of 61.

I applaud Elizabeth for making the bold decision to tell cancer to go fuck itself; she was going to die the way she wanted, not be dictated to by how the disease wanted to take her.

“In a message posted on her Facebook page, Elizabeth Edwards addressed her family and friends:

"The days of our lives, for all of us, are numbered. We know that. And, yes, there are certainly times when we aren't able to muster as much strength and patience as we would like. It's called being human," she wrote.

"But I have found that in the simple act of living with hope, and in the daily effort to have a positive impact in the world, the days I do have are made all the more meaningful and precious. And for that I am grateful. It isn't possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you I simply say: you know." –excerpt from CNN.com

I’m glad she had the chance to tell her family and friends good-bye, in her own way.

Simple

I know this is a heavy topic for today, but sometimes life whispers to you in a small way to make sure you pay attention to the important things in your life. You find that it is the simple things that you want to remember: the feel of sand between your toes, a snowflake on your nose, the smell of your child’s hair, an embrace of a friend or loved one, to view a sunrise or sunset, or it could be as simple as savoring every flavor of ice cream.

How would I live out my last days?

I would hope that I have the opportunity to surround myself with those I love, laugh as much as possible and know that I have lived the best life I could possibly live.

I pose that same question to you: 

How would you live out your last days?

Now, get out there and live. Carpe Diem!


Share with me in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
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Single Parents Are Superheroes

Supermom, redefined.

It has been one of those days.

The kids were slow to get out the door-my daughter even screamed;
 "Can't you dddrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiivvvveee me to school??!!?"

My mouth wasn't even open long enough for the answer to come out; I, myself, only had 20 minutes to get ready for work and I still needed to take a shower!

"Never miinndd" she sang in a sing-song voice. "All is right with the world, I found a headband!"

The teen world was brought back into balance, because now it will be a good hair day.

I have been running our house solo for the past week and I am now running on fumes. I am exhausted. I am crabby. My house is a complete disaster. Even the pleas from the kids asking "Is tonight a food night?" have not enticed any culinary skills what-so-ever. Cereal is food, right? Nothing wrong with breakfast for dinner.

My husband used to travel A LOT when the kids were little. Weeks-out-of-the-country kind of travel. I was a stay at home mom back then, which made it easier to deal with. Not easier, really, different. Easier, I guess because there was more of a structure to our day; eat, put the kids in the car seats and go to the library, park or playgroup; nap, eat, play, eat, play, bath, read, bed. I could make it through the week knowing that I could could cook, clean, do crafts, coffee with friends all around this schedule. Now with both of us working, and the kids having their own schedules, it's hard for two of us to keep up with the social calendar, let alone only one of us.

So, it has been frustrating to talk to my lovely husband on the phone this week. When he asks "How are you doing?" and I answer "I'm so tired...." I get an immediate " I know, me too." Why is this frustrating you ask?
Because, he has been in VEGAS all week.

I know.

I played my violin too.

See, in his case I do understand...I used to be a conference event planner, so I know how hard it is to be "on" 18 hours a day, meeting after meeting and to walk through an exhibit floor. It is tiring. BUT....he also has great places to unwind, grab a fabulous meal, or just kick back in his room. His. quiet. room.
I just want him to acknowledge that I am tired too. He just doesn't get it.

Which then made me think:

How do single parents do it? I mean, really? How do you manage ALL of it? 24/7?

To me, YOU are superheroes.

Hands down, money on the table.

How do you handle the kids' crazy schedule? Let me know in the comments below. Share on Twitter and Facebook too. Thanks.

Friday Fun

Ok...I've had quite a week and there is a post in the works about it...but for now, I'm going to share a store front that I saw in NYC that cracked me up- so much so,  that I snapped a picture of it!

I know you are, but what am I?

Wordless Wednesday::My Speedskating Rides-Marchese

Coach Paul Marchese's Short Track Skate made just for me!

Halloween is a Treat in My Book

Halloween is my favorite time of year. Then again, I am partial to it. It is the day that this little goblin came into the big bright world! Being born on a holiday can be a drag, but I think I lucked out in the most fun department. Sure, Christmas has lots of toys and good cheer, but each birthday, I got to dress up, be a different character and eat loads of candy. For me, Halloween really is a treat!

I am definitely showing my age here, but I remember as a kid going to Woolworth’s and looking through all boxes with cellophane windows that lined the shelves. When peeking inside, you could see the plastic mask of your favorite character and tucked underneath would be a smock that you would tie at the neck. They were awesome. My favorite was Snoopy and my brother's was Superman. The great thing about those costumes – after each wear, you could fold it up for next year and place the box in the closet for safe keeping.

As kids came into the picture, Woolworth's was long gone and ordering peas in a pod or pumpkin onesies through catalogs took its place. As they got a little older, it was really fun to create costumes! A few years ago, we decided as a family to dress up as vampires-our makeup came out awesome..I wish I could find the family photo, but this is all I could find:

Doesn't my son look a little like Eddie Munster??


I plan on dressing up this year to hand out candy to all the little ghosts and goblins. I will not divulge what or who I am until Nov. 1, so you will have to come back and see! I will have a post and picture for you-speaking of pictures-I am entering into the SITS Halloween Party for a chance to win a sa-weet new camera! This could be the best birthday weekend ever!

Candy, treats, having fun with my family....

I can’t think of any better day to turn a year older!

Directions: Putting One Foot In Front Of The Other

In this sculpture, no two pair of feet are facing the same direction. They are pointed toward their own particular path. Is it a path with purpose or is it wandering aimlessly?

Aimless or with Purpose?
At first glance, I thought it was aimless, but as I got closer and physically walked through it, I felt that it was more with purpose.  I wish I could feel as solid as these metal limbs, so sure-footed in the direction they wish to travel. Then, I found it. My own path beginning to take shape as I made deliberate steps around the solid masses. To make my way through, my path needs to be my own and not like anyone else.

Stepping on Toes
Sometimes when traveling, we intersect with those that seem to be headed in the same direction and may step on toes. We do not mean to do it, it just happens and we say sorry or excuse me. Can I get to where I am going without stepping on toes? Nope. And I know that mine will get a kick now and then too. It's all part of the journey.  I try to look at these missteps as a reminder to keep following my path no matter what.

A Change In Direction
Can a path change? Of course. It is a choice we all make.  Do we go left or right? Stay on the familiar or take the road less traveled? No matter what we choose, it is our individual journey from point A to B. We may use a detour now and then, but that is ok. I think the important thing is: find your path with purpose. Make each step count.


My path is about to change. I'm heading in a new direction. I just need to put one foot in front of the other to let the journey begin.

Where is your path taking you and are you going there with purpose?

Leave a comment: I would love to hear your thoughts.

I Wish Time was in the Stars

This is my Horoscope for today as shared by Twittascope:


"Thursday, Sep 23rd, 2010 -- You are still on a creative run, but may wonder how long you'll be able to keep it up. You may get an extra boost from the Full Moon today, but other people's demands seem to suck up whatever additional energy you have. Ultimately, managing your time wisely is more important than anything else now; concentrating with great intensity on a task for a little while is more productive than casually meandering through your work without focus."

How did it know? I am tired. I am freaking exhausted.

I have all burners going on full blast and I think it is catching up with me. Not enough time in my day.

I have been up since 3am trying to set up a domain and such for Blog it Forward....getting our next Blogger of the Month set up and responding to a few comments on the guest post I did yesterday. After reading the comments on that post I think I may do a follow up  here.

Now it is 6am and I can't believe that 3 hours have gone *poof*!

Time to pack lunches then hop in the shower to get ready for work.

How do we women do this day in and day out and not collapse?

Weekend Still on My Mind & Scary Mommy

I just spent the weekend in one of my all time favorite cities....Chicago!!

If I ever won the lottery, I would so buy a little place downtown. I love the vibe of this place....

I am still recovering from this trip, which my husband and I took with some friends. We toured, walked, ATE, shopped...lots of fun.

By the last evening, we could equate our trip to "Gilligan's Island" and could match each character with someone we met. It's true! I will catch you up with a few posts next week which will all be dedicated to the Windy City.

For now, I am trying to catch my breath with being away and getting back into the swing of work and school schedules.

I did want to tell you about something exciting though....

I will be guest posting on another blog tomorrow!! I cannot wait! The blog is one of my favorites and I am so honored that my post was accepted! Be sure to check out Scary Mommy tomorrow! That's right! I am on Scary Mommy! Woo-hoo!

Day 4: I'm Every Woman

Day 4: Back to Blogging- write a post about a woman who inspires you.

This is the hardest post to write!! How can I pick ONE woman? I have so many in my life that have given me inspiration whether they know it or not.

Oprah comes to mind...she inspired me to run a marathon...read more books...better myself.

My friend Kim...she inspired me every day as I watched her finish her Masters degree in psychology...while working....while raising 3 kids....she is just awesome.

My mother-in-law....she inspires me to be a better cook...she can have a conversation with anyone and make them feel like they have been friends forever- she inspires me to be that way....

My old boss....she is smart business woman and started and continues to run her own business...with a full staff....with 3 kids....in the event field. Not easy to do.

Elizabeth Gilbert, Julie Powell and Maya Angelou....all writers that have produced books that have changed my life and how I live it every day.

Bonnie Blair...for inspiring me to try speedskating and for allowing me to find and compete in my favorite sport.

I cannot choose just one woman. There are too many...but I know that with all of them,

I am every woman.



-------------------- 
**This week's posts will be done as part of "Get Back To Blogging" through SITS and a sponsored giveaway provided by, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. The item(s) up for grabs are "Thelma & Louise", a washer and dryer by Electrolux!

Wordless Wednesday::A Break From All the Healthy Eating

A nice bowl of Cocoa Krispies is just what I needed.

First Day of School

Lunches are packed.
Backpacks are at the door.
Pencils are sharp.
What are you waiting for?

Time to see your friends, old and new
Tales of summer happenings are waiting
Sharing routines, schedules and books,
It is now time for creating!

Testing your math, grammar and science
will seem trying at first
but with a little time
in all subjects you will become well versed.

The clock always rings at dawn
Being up early is always a fuss
It's the First Day of School
Now hurry up or you'll miss your bus!

Drivers Ed FAIL

I am a patient person....but that patience can be tested at times as I go from point A to point B. So to ward off the the "What are you doing?!" and the "Where did you get your license, a Cracker Jack Box?" comments to fellow drivers I may take up teaching Driver's Ed refresher courses.

If I were a Drivers Ed instructor, the following points would be on my clipboard:

DON'T ride the tail of car in front of you traveling in the center lane when it is apparent they cannot move left or right to get out of your way. Flashing your high beams is not recommended.

DO: Merge into traffic when seeing the sign stating that RIGHT LANE MERGES 1/2 mile AHEAD. This means that you should move now. Not in the last meter of the cones. No one will want to let you in. No one like a line-butt-er.

DON'T: Travel 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit, unless you are a cute 90 year old lady/man.

DO: Use your turn signal when you want to turn. No one is a mind reader.

DON'T: Stop while yielding onto the highway. It's just plain dangerous.

DO: Give a wave of Thanks when someone lets you into the flow of traffic after you have been sitting and waiting. It's just a nice thing to do.

DO: Be sure to have all makeup applied BEFORE you leave the house, unless you are a passenger, then car application is perfectly ok.

DON'T block an intersection while trying to make the yellow light. If your car length will not fit, wait for the next light cycle. It's only a few seconds...you can handle it!

Anything you would like to add to my clipboard???

Guess Who's NOT Coming to Dinner!

Want to know how to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her oven.

Last weekend we had my brother and his family over for dinner. We were not expecting company for dinner, but as it is a no-brainer-like breathing-a place is always welcome (for ANY meal) at our table.

So, as I said- not expected, but that was ok...it was Sunday, meal prep would be easy, because EVERY Sunday is pasta in some shape or form in our house.  I had already taken the last of the frozen homemade sauce out of the freezer and instead of making macaroni, I decided to make a lasagna. I set the timer to preheat the oven and went about assembling while chatting with my daughter as she prepared the salad. I timed it perfectly...I had exactly one hour to cook and let it cool before company arrived. I whipped open the door and as I went to put the dish in the oven I said out loud

"Why is the oven cold?"

I looked at the control panel and it still read "PRE". Hmmm.

I asked my son to go get Dad. My husband came in and checked, pushed buttons, turned on burners, banged and double checked and said "Nope. It's "cooked", Bwaahaahaaahaa." Under normal circumstances, I would have found that punch line hysterical, but right now I am stressing. I can't freeze the dish because it won't fit in my freezer and I can't make a new pot of sauce because I don't have enough time. My neighbor saved me. I called her and asked:

Me: "Are you using your oven for dinner tonight?"

Friend: " No. We are having tacos."

Me: "I know this is going to sound crazy, but can I cook lasagna in your oven? Mine just bit the dust and I have company coming for dinner in an hour!"

Friend: "What should I set my oven to?"

I *so* owe her a bottle of wine!

My husband grabbed the dish and drove it down.

While the next 60 minutes ticked by, I went down to the laundry area and started a new load. Oh, and did I tell you that my washing machine is now on the fritz too? Uh, yeah.

Want to know how else to drive an Italian woman crazy?

Take away her washing machine.

For two weeks now, I have had to turn the dial a certain way and then hold it on while the cycle begins. If I don't, it won't agitate. Gremlins. I just had them here for a visit for my dryer, when the Laundry Fairy Returned as Gremlin!

And the third?? Because you know everything happens in three's...

Take away her dishwasher.

The night before we would learn about our oven, I turned on my dishwasher and it made the most horrible noise. I opened the door and checked to make sure nothing was blocking anything. Not that I could see. Turned it back on and "GGGGGGRRRRRUUUUMMMMPPP". The sound actually woke my husband and he came down from bed like the Grinch- "Noise! Noise! Noise!?" I pointed to the dishwasher and he opened the door and could not find anything either.

The next morning I checked carefully and pulled out a piece of thin plastic....the top of a tortilla package that you rip off the top. How the heck did it get in there? Gremlins.

Can't they find another house to party in?

Between the washing machine, dishwasher and now my oven, they have definitely overstayed their welcome. For the record...Gremlins are NOT welcome at my dinner table!

Luckily, my brother and his family are cute and not mischievous in any way and we were able to sit down to a nice homemade meal, something I hope we can do again soon.

How does an Italian woman get her revenge on Gremlins?

She starts with lots of garlic, a novena and a repair man. If that doesn't work, she braves the waters of the appliance store, salesman and all and buys a new one!

Damn Gremlins.

Teens Interrupt Regularly Scheduled Programming....

I am completely throwing caution to the wind (and spell check) to throw this post up. Why? Because I just need to vent a little about life with a teenager...

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures of my daughter. She was 3 at the time and it was taken as the first snow of the season started to cover the grass. We went outside and tried to make snowballs and a snowman but ended up only able to make snow angels.

I realize she would not stay the cute toddler forever.

But :

Why did arguing over friends we don't know-who now can drive- have to come so soon?

Why did "You just don't GET IT!" have to make it's way into daily vocabulary?

Why does our explaination of "no" have to always have an expanation attached other than "because I said so!"

I love going down memory lane; but I am reminded that time passes quickly and no longer am I making angels in the snow, but trying my best to help a young adult learn from the experiences that have paved the path for this adult.

But why does that process have to be so painful, for both of us?

Maybe I just don't get it.

Wordless Wednesday :: I Still Got It!

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I have many traits that come with being Italian. I talk with my hands, my family is my lifeline, and food is also very important; to eat and to share.

As a former meetings/conference event planner, I worked with many a chef to prepare menus for clients to be sure they ate and ate well for breakfast, lunch and dinner. No one ever went without. One dinner that I planned consisted of over 100 meals. With travel schedules and late arrivals, not all meals were served and the banquet manager came to me and asked what I would like to do with the 15 or so meals that were still plated in the back. She asked if I would like them boxed for the guests still in attendance to bring back to their rooms. I thought that was a great idea. But then something popped in my head and I asked her "Wait. Do you think these meals could be donated to a shelter or a mission instead?" She said that her property did have an agreement with a local shelter that on a certain night of the week all food that was left from the day was donated to them, however, the night of our function was not one in the same and there was no way to find one at this hour.

Another story, is from a time that I spent in Chicago. My husband and I were walking and window shopping along Michigan Avenue. In our travels back and forth along the "Magnificent Mile", we passed a man, dirty and in ragged clothes, that was just sitting there; every day, in the same spot. He wasn't asking for money and didn't have a sign that said "help me". He was just sitting there. As I passed him throughout our trip, I noticed that when people would walk by eating something, he would look up and follow them with his eyes. On our last day, my husband and I had lunch and I asked for the other half to be boxed. As we walked back to our hotel, I handed my bag to the man on the street that everyone was ignoring. He was hungry.

Did you know that one in eight Americans receives food assistance? In 23 counties of my local area alone, 21,597,680 pounds of food are provided annually. I was shocked when I read that. Want to know where your community stands? Check here.

As you know, we just planned a wonderful 50th Wedding Anniversary party for my in-laws. The food was wonderful and we made arrangements ahead of time that we would be able to bring whatever was left over home with us. We did not however, plan on so much to come home. What did we do? We collectively decided that the first thing we should do is call a mission that feeds the homeless once a week. Below is a letter that my brother-in-law wrote to us after he and our niece brought the food to share. I asked if I could share his letter and he said yes. Here is his experience in his own words:

All,


As we discussed after the party, we ended up taking the two trays of pasta down to Pittsburgh on Thursday night to feed the homeless/poor. I wanted to write to let you know that and to let you know how amazing a night it was.

We arrived and saw that there were (I’m guessing) 70-100 people waiting for the students from Steubenville. When they arrived we introduced ourselves and explained about bringing the food. They were cool with that, but didn’t realize how important that would become. You see, this was a week when a local priest was scheduled to bring the food for them to distribute. The students had some donuts to distribute, which they did while they were waiting for the other food. The time went by and no one came bringing the other food.


I don’t think that the students realized that I also “happened” to have bowls and some to put the pasta in and some quantity of plasticware. When I pointed that out they said grace and began distributing the food. It wasn’t a lot for everyone, but everyone who wanted had some and many had seconds. With just enough bowls and silverware, the last of the pasta was eaten. God in His providence did provide. Let’s say it this way: if mom and dad hadn’t gotten married 50 years ago (and thousands of other events in between) there would have been a lot of hungry people yesterday….


Anyway, we had an amazing time. We ended up spending most of the time getting a “history lesson” from a guy named Al. Al went on and on engaging us with amazing stories and history of Pittsburgh, America and the world. He was GREAT! He went on and on with fun story and story and also did a real motivational talk about learning. It was really amazing.


Randy

When I finished reading this, I immediately looked up my local food bank to volunteer. I printed out their schedule and told my kids to look at it, pick a date and time when as a family, we would go and help prepare parcels for those in need. 
 
I'm going to ask you to do the same.
 
Look at eight of your neighbors or eight people you pass in the mall or on the street. Statistically, one of them will be receiving assistance from your local food bank.
 
Food is a basic need that all of us require to live. In this day and age, no one should have to feel hungry. If giving my time or donating food to my local food bank will help, then that is the least I can do.
 
Will you join me?
 
Find out more from Feeding America, a great resource of information.