Mom Got Blog is Moving!!

That's right fabulous readers!!! It's finally here....

MOVING DAY!!!!

It is finally time to pack up and ship these words to a new home. I have my boxes ready and they are labeled with care. Fingers crossed that everything makes it without a scratch.

As I prepared this post, I thought....


Starting a blog is kind of like buying your first home.

You shop for what you can afford and what fits your lifestyle. The house is small, but that is ok because you are just starting out- no need for extra bedrooms or a big huge yard-at least that was our first home. (Loved that house!)

You rent a U-Haul- because you are going to save money and do this yourself! You enlist friends to help you pack up your dishes, load up your heavy furniture, unload everything upon arrival and pay them in beer and pizza. You learn all the little ins-and-outs of your new abode. Where to hang this picture? Where to place that plant?  You work hard to make it as perfect as you can. Congrats! You are now a new home owner!

While time passes you become more comfortable with your surroundings. You learn how to kick the closet door in just the right spot in the corner to “unstick” it; you chat with your neighbor while taking a break from mowing the lawn. Life is good.

Kids arrive and soon the home that seemed so spacious becomes very small, very quickly. If it works for you, you start to think about maybe moving to a newer home that is a wee bit bigger. More room in the kitchen, more room in the back yard. A place to accommodate your growing family.

Kind of like your first blog.


You set up shop on a platform that is affordable (free is awesome) and easy to use. You learn how to set up your template, add stuff to your sidebar write your first post. You hit publish and congrats! You are now a blogger!

The more time you spend on the site, the more comfortable you become. You learn the ins-and-outs of code and links. You start to connect with your readers and begin to nurture a community. Life is good.

But, maybe you want to change things up. Spruce up the look. Make it better-create a place that can accommodate your growing community.

This is just my thought process...I know a lot of people that still live in the very first home they purchased and blog on the same blog they created years ago. If our first home were a tad bigger, I'm sure we would have stayed there longer-but with a relocation opportunity, we chose to move.

I think the time has finally arrived my friends, to make this blog a little bigger and easier to use, so I am packing up and moving to some new digs!!

The new site is AWESOME! It has combined all of our favorite things under one roof so to speak. It will be easier to navigate and allow me to offer more great things to you, my fabulous friends.

I hope that you will continue to visit and follow my blog...I have some really fun things lined up that I know you won't want to miss.

The blog will be going dark for a few days, so that everything can be moved...

This will be my last post on Blogger.

Re-launch is scheduled for this Friday on Wordpress!!! WOOT!!

Spread the word- share with your friends...

Open House Party will be this weekend. I so hope you will be there!

Thanks for making Mom Got Blog such a fabulous place!

Moving into a new home or new blog...


It eventually becomes Home sweet Home!

Valentine's Day Love, Zombie Style

One of my favorite bloggers hosts a meme, pronounced Meeeemmm, kinda like zombie language..say it...meeeemmm, sounds sort of like the Mummy, or the Frankenstein in 'Young Frankenstein'...I love that movie....anyway, I am getting off point here!

My friend Cate has a great blog called Real Life With Kids and if you haven't gone to visit, well you should. Especially if you like "girl talk" whilst eating cheese doodles and getting cozy on a comfy couch. She is a hoot and I'm so glad to link up to her Valentine's Day Zombie Meme.

We are to link up a favorite, lovey, smushy, smoochy post and I could not think of a better one than my post I just wrote for The Red Dress Club...called Love at First Sight. It's a recollection of the moment I first saw my husband and fell in love. Hard.

Thanks Cate, for letting me share my love story!

Love at First Sight  

I could never have imagined falling victim of love at first sight, especially given the fact that I was already in love, or what I thought love to be. As fate would allow, on a beautiful, warm summer evening that is exactly what happened.

Every Friday evening, a group of us from work would meet downtown at the local watering hole and lament about our week over a cold beer. On this particular night, my friend Mike was late for the gathering, due to running home to his brownstone apartment to change. When he finally joined us, Mike shared with the six of us a quick story of running into a guy unloading cardboard moving boxes from a car.

It ended up that he was the new tenant in the third floor apartment of Mike’s building and had just moved from out of state. Offering a helping hand and a welcome, Mike invited him to meet us for a drink when he finished. The new neighbor thanked Mike and said that he would meet up with him later.

“I don’t remember his name. Vinnie, Vince, Vic…something like that. I wanted to be neighborly, so I invited him; but I doubt he will show.” Mike said as he ordered his beer.

Mike barely gulped the first swig out of the green bottle before he choked out “Hey! He showed up! That’s him,” pointing in the direction of the door.

My attention moved toward the entrance of the bar. As a handsome, dark-haired, olive-skinned man walked in the door, time began to slow. It felt for a moment that I was surrounded by a bubble where all sound became muffled. Instantly, my breath caught in my throat, creating a dry pocket or lump of air that could neither be exhaled nor swallowed. The flush of chill, the kind one feels when fever sets in, raced from the bottom of my spine to the top of my head, leaving in the wake goose bumps that extended to my fingertips. My cheeks became warm and my heart began to pound so hard, I thought that those around me could hear it. My mind’s only thought: that’s him.

He walked over to my friend and with a quick smile of recognition, they shook hands. Mike draped his arm over his new friend’s shoulder and announced: “This is the guy; he’s my new neighbor!” and looking to his left said “Glad you could make it!”

Introductions began to make their way around the table and one by one, hellos and names were exchanged. When it came time for us to share, my eyes gazed into the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen. I melted into their warmth and kindness. He had an easy, almost shy quality to his hello. “Hi, I’m Vic” he said with a smile, extending his beautiful hand. My mouth was bone dry, yet I was able to mumble a “Hi!”

I placed my hand into his and then the whole world shifted.

 
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Love At First Sight

I could never have imagined falling victim of love at first sight, especially given the fact that I was already in love, or what I thought love to be. As fate would allow, on a beautiful, warm summer evening that is exactly what happened.

Every Friday evening, a group of us from work would meet downtown at the local watering hole and lament about our week over a cold beer. On this particular night, my friend Mike was late for the gathering, due to running home to his brownstone apartment to change. When he finally joined us, Mike shared with the six of us a quick story of running into a guy unloading cardboard moving boxes from a car.

It ended up that he was the new tenant in the third floor apartment of Mike’s building and had just moved from out of state. Offering a helping hand and a welcome, Mike invited him to meet us for a drink when he finished. The new neighbor thanked Mike and said that he would meet up with him later.

“I don’t remember his name. Vinnie, Vince, Vic…something like that. I wanted to be neighborly, so I invited him; but I doubt he will show.” Mike said as he ordered his beer.

Mike barely gulped the first swig out of the green bottle before he choked out “Hey! He showed up! That’s him,” pointing in the direction of the door.

My attention moved toward the entrance of the bar. As a handsome, dark-haired, olive-skinned man walked in the door, time began to slow. It felt for a moment that I was surrounded by a bubble where all sound became muffled. Instantly, my breath caught in my throat, creating a dry pocket or lump of air that could neither be exhaled nor swallowed. The flush of chill, the kind one feels when fever sets in, raced from the bottom of my spine to the top of my head, leaving in the wake goose bumps that extended to my fingertips. My cheeks became warm and my heart began to pound so hard, I thought that those around me could hear it. My mind’s only thought: that’s him.

He walked over to my friend and with a quick smile of recognition, they shook hands. Mike draped his arm over his new friend’s shoulder and announced: “This is the guy; he’s my new neighbor!” and looking to his left said “Glad you could make it!”

Introductions began to make their way around the table and one by one, hellos and names were exchanged. When it came time for us to share, my eyes gazed into the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen. I melted into their warmth and kindness. He had an easy, almost shy quality to his hello. “Hi, I’m Vic” he said with a smile, extending his beautiful hand. My mouth was bone dry, yet I was able to mumble a “Hi!”

I placed my hand into his and then the whole world shifted.

This post is linked up with the Red Dress Club. The first and last (bold) lines were given to us and we were to fill in the rest.
 
I chose to write about the first moment I saw my husband. It is what began a love story that has lasted for twenty years. He is the love of my life and I am blessed every day.
 

MGB-Blogger of the Month:: February!

It is February 1st and time for us to meet a new Blogger of the Month!

I thought this would be the perfect month to showcase this special blogger, because well, she is so full of energy, love and possesses such a beauty in both mind and soul that she shines. And shines bright! When putting together my introduction I thought of the song "Let the Sunshine In" by 5th Dimension. According to Wikipedia, the lyrics "were based on the astrological belief that the world would soon be entering the "Age of Aquarius", an age of love, light, and humanity..."

Please welcome Sandi of Deva Coaching!

Love

I met Sandi while participating in a month long ProBlogger Challenge of 31 Days to Build a Better Blog. We connected through the Blog Frog community, but mainly on Twitter, where we exchanged tweets and got to know each other through laughs and support. I fell in love with her writing after the very first entry that I read. It made such an impact that I had to read it, absorb it and come back before I could leave a comment. I loved that she made me think when I read her posts. There was something about Sandi that drew me to her. We connected. We have had many a long talk on the phone where Sandi put her listening ears on and let me share my dreams. She asked me questions that made me reflect inward and gain confidence through my answers to continue to strive for my dreams. I love her for this.

Light


February 1st falls under the sign of Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) and the meaning behind this zodiac symbol personifies Sandi so well.

I looked on Astrology.com and found this:

"Aquarius is symbolized by the Water Bearer. In much the same way that the Water Bearer brings that precious liquid as a gift, Aquarians shower the world with their thoughts and new ideas. Luckily for Aquarians (and the rest of us), they are at a near-genius level, so their minds churn out some amazing things. Their thought process is also inventive and original. Aquarians are happy to bestow these ideas as a gift with no strings attached"

Sandi brings out the light in all who interact with her. It is her passion and she is amazing at it. Her writing is so strong and thought provoking that you can't help but feel the warmth and sincerity in her words. She wants the best for you and that shines through with each and every post on her blog.

Humanity

Sandi is a trailblazer. She is determined to make the world a better place and to help everyone she can along the way. She will challenge you to be the best you can be and to hear her joy when you have that "a-ha" moment, well, is just what makes her world go 'round.

I know this is a bit long, but Sandi is so worth it! I hope you enjoy our Q & A and that you will visit her amazing blog Deva Coaching!  

 MGB:  You are a professional coach. What drew you to this line of work?


DVC: Before I became a coach, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. So, I tried many things, including photography. I discovered that what I loved were the conversations I was having with people while taking their photos. This would help them relax, which would show up in the photos, often surprising them. It was an awesome feeling to help people show up at their most natural best!

Around the same time I got into personal growth, taking courses to help me figure out what I wanted in my own life. This lead me to the profession of coaching, and as cliche as it might sound, it felt like I'd found my home.

MGB:  How long have you been blogging and what do you like about it?

DVC: I launched my blog in May 2010 after reading two books: Linchpin by Seth Godin and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Between them, these two books inspired me to give writing a chance. It was something I'd wanted to do for a long time, but my lizard brain had successfully talked me out of it. Once I got over the initial fear, I began to realize it was much the same as coaching. My words and thoughts could help people in the same way as the conversations I was used to having.

Another piece that I really enjoy is the role of social media. Launching my blog got me to try Twitter and that has made a huge difference. I have connected with some amazing people at a level I never thought possible via the Internet. It still kind of blows my mind!

MGB:  Do you have a favorite post? Why is it your favorite?

DVC: After a recent death in the family, I was inspired to write Starbursts, Sirens and Siriously Shining. Part tribute to my father-in-law, part rallying cry to stop waiting for some day and start living the life you want NOW.


MGB:  You encourage so many to follow and grab hold of their dreams. What do you dream of?

DVC: I dream of reaching more people, waking them up and inspiring them to go after what they want in life. On a less altruistic level, I dream of a home by the ocean where I can write to my heart's content :)


MGB:  What do you hope to see for your blog a year from now?

DVC: Currently, the blog is a platform for me to share my thoughts and experience after ten years of coaching. A year from now? I'd love to see it become more fully a part of my business. Not even sure what that would be like at the moment, but I know it's possible. I'd also like to be known as much for my writing as my coaching. I'd love to think there's a book in me burning to get out, so stay tuned!
 
 
 
Sandi Faviell Amorim is a straight-talkin', relentless instigator, willing to urge, provoke and incite you to shine. She writes for Deva Coaching as well as The Juicy Life.
 
 
What makes you shine? Let Sandi know in the comments below!
 
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Mama Mia...I Mean, Mamapedia!

I am beyond excited to share that I am a Featured Blogger on Mamapedia today!!

I read a post by the lovely Alexandra, aka: The Empress of Good Day Regular People where she shared oodles of fabulous links to help bloggers (like me) find great sites to submit posts for publication and/or syndication. Mamapedia was one of those links!  Isn't she just fabulous?! I think so too.

One of my goals (notice I did not say resolutions!) for 2011 is to write more and have my work published.  I  joined in on a few new places to help fine tune the skills. A couple that come to mind are the Red Dress Club and MamaKats Writing Workshop. Both provide weekly prompts that help me stretch and get out of my comfort zone and that has been fun and challenging. I have enjoyed putting together posts, but many go unpublished and sit in my computer folder! I have linked up a few times to Mama K's, but I have yet to do so with Red for fear that it isn't good enough...yet! 

So, today feels like a really big day for me. This was my very first article submission and I am so happy that it was accepted!

Please visit and say hello! Share the word on Twitter and Facebook too!

Thank you for your continued support- I appreciate it more than you know.

Top Five Pet Peeves AND Favorite Things

Today's guest post is from our fabulous Blogger of the Month, Alisha of Musings of a Manic Mama. I cannot believe that this is her FIRST guest post! I am absolutely honored that she is debuting on Mom Got Blog...and I know, positively, without a doubt, this will be the first of many that she will share with the blogosphere!!

Kelly asked me to guest post on her blog today. This is my first guest post, so I hope it won't be something awful and plague her blog with some sort of Blog Pox. I apologize in advance for any Blog Pox, Kelly. (I solemnly swear I have not been reading Harry Potter this week. **lie**)


I've been thinking lately about my Top 5 Favorite Things, and along with that thought comes the Top 5 Pet Peeves.

So, we'll start off with the Top 5 Pet Peeves, just so we can wind the post up with a positive note of the Favorite Things. And these aren't your typical things such as “pizza,” “my family,” “God,” or anything else that is a given.



Top 5 Pet Peeves (in no particular order, just things that make me make up my own curse words, such as “doody-fee”, “poopa-caca” and “for the love of Peter Pan Peanut Butter”)

1. People Who Don't Signal While Driving – O.M.G. I'm from the country; manners have been tattooed in my bone marrow. So, how stinkin' hard is it to click the blinker when you're going to dart across several lanes of traffic in front of my car with my children in it? You're a lucky dog that you're going 60 mph. I can't run that fast.

2. People Who Don't Do What They Say – Be it just someone not following through with their plans to come over and we've busted our buns to make the house look presentable, false-friendship, or even worse in my book, hypocrisy. All of these are written on my Black List. Leaving that one alone, since it's a sensitive issue and I don't want to explode on someone else's blog.

3. When My Husband Gets Sick – Yeah, I know, I'm nice. A regular Florence Nightingale. I have 3 boys (4 if you count JD), and I can take a full blown flu epidemic in all of my kids, but when JD gets sick... **wall-rattling sigh** Get me outta here! Pretty much he whines and begs me to do everything but chew his food and sleep for him. And then he tells me he wants me to sit by him, pet him, scratch him, make him feel better, and it's all I can do to NOT get sick. I love you so much, honey, but I really don't want to breathe your infected air, thankyouverymuch. **waves from outside wearing haz-mat suit**

4. People Who Live to One-Up Everyone – You know the kind. The ones where you can say anything from “I love cookies.” to “My dog died suddenly.” and they have some sort of one-uppance to lob at you. Such as: “Oh yeah? Well, let me tell you about MY cookies that I got a letter from the President and the Dali Llama proclaiming them to be the only source of world-wide peace.” Or “Yeah, my dog died, too. My dog was actually the first dog to go into space. I wound up with him because my grandpa worked at NASA, and after rigorous testing and space-walks, they decided he should retire and live out a good dog's life with an owner. So NASA hand-picked my family to take on this dog because we fit all of the requirements for a retired space dog owner.” I have an unexplained feeling to whack someone in the face with a skillet after that.

5. Dutch Ovens – And I'm not talking about the kind that PW gives away and I. Never. Win. We're talking the whole farting under the covers and then trapping a person inside with it. Yeah. I am NOT a fan. Why? Well, partially because it's gross. Yeah, that's a given, but the real irritant is that I'm not strong enough to reciprocate! There's no way I can hold **ahem** SOMEONE under the covers with my Eau de Roses when they're that much bigger than me. We'll pretend we never spoke of this. I do apologize.



Top 5 Favorite Things (In no particular order)

1. Music – If you know me in the blogosphere or in real life, you'll know music is what makes me go. I have a 6th Sense about music that I can't explain. I hear it sometimes and it literally stops me in my tracks and I gasp and MUST learn to play it. There's always some tune in my head, feet always dancing, tapping out a little drum-ditty on my desk. Music is me. I'm designing a music tattoo right now, but don't tell my mom!



2. Reading – I love books. Books are my vice. If there are books for 25 cents somewhere, you can guarantee I will be tossing little old ladies out of the way so I can dive in the pile. I'm drooling over the Kindle right now, but secretly (Shhh! I haven't told my Kindle dreams yet!) I'm thinking about saving up (for 50 years) for an iPad so I can have the Kindle app on it AND get the piano app and other coolio things such as reading my blogs , or checking out one of my fave shows, Ghost Adventures, all at work! My life will then be complete. (This portion of Gadget Lust is brought to you from the person who doesn't even have a SmartPhone, a data package on her phone, but yet works for a well-known cell phone company.) Of course, there are some books I will never do away with owning the actual book. Such as my Little House set and my Anne Of Green Gables set I've had since I was a kid. And Little Women. But I'd like to have all the In Death series all in one place, among others.. And I know poor JD would like to stop tripping over stacks of books in nearly every room. Books are my crack.


3. Sweets – Cookies, candy, brownies, gum, cake, for the love, don't forget the cake! I LOVE sweets. The smaller, more tote able the size, the more I love it. Here is a huge guilty pleasure: I love cookies for breakfast with coffee. I'm sorry, I should go to Food Hell, but I love it. I love cake and coffee. Chocolate is its own food group for me. And if you want to bribe me to help you hide a body or something of that caliber, go for either Lindor Truffles (the red ones) or Sport Bars (the Butter Biscuit kind) or heck, I'll even take a box of Hershey's Pot of Gold. Don't worry, you'll get your money's worth. I'll eat it before we go to jail.


4. Laughing – I love to laugh. Usually it's at myself, but I have this dumb sense of humor that loves the things my kids say, the Marx Brothers, Monty Python (when I'm feeling ornery), Weird Al, and stupid newspaper headlines. I love a good spoof, be it a song, movie, or book spoof. I love to laugh at dumb things. And I snort when I laugh. And then I laugh harder. And snort more. And then laugh at the people laughing at me laughing and snorting. It's a vicious cycle. Poor JD, he has a constant headache from facepalming at the things I laugh at. And I apologize for laughing. “I'm sorry, but that was funny!” And then I laugh more. See, it’s a good thing you don't know me personally. Your head would hurt, too.

5. Friends – The kind that have been there from nearly the beginning. The ones that know way more about you than you'd like, but vice versa, too. The kind that come along later in life that feel like you've always known. Just the little hit-and-run relationships you come across that might be important at some time and flicker and fade out. I love meeting people, getting to know them. I feel like some of the chancy meetings people have that might be discarded when you think about them later. Maybe they weren't supposed to stay in your life, but you put something out there, the both of you, and maybe added something to the others life that you may never know or will find out about later. There's something magical about that.

 
What are your top Pet Peeves & Favorite Things?
 
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It's an AboutOne Snowday...Sort of

I am pulling on my best Eskimo get-up each morning and heading into the tundra of -24 degrees! Yes. THAT cold. Yesterday morning I watched the thermometer read-out on my car dashboard go from 22 degrees (garage temp) to -14 degrees in less than a mile! It was very strange to see the temp tick lower and lower. I don't mind the cold, but this? This is too cold.

Some of the schools had closed yesterday. They could not start the buses as the fuel *froze*! Can you believe that?

I have been really busy behind the scenes preparing the new site! I am so excited to share it with you!! I have a bit of homework to finish before the big launch day- which by the way, has been moved back to early February. My design team has gone on vacation and will be back in a week and we will be doing the final tweaks. It looks awesome! Stay tuned!

I have also been writing like a mad woman!! A lot has been going on with "life" and has given me material to keep me busy until the cows come home.

Some of the articles I have submitted to be published and gosh darn it, if they weren't accepted! Woo-hoo!

I mentioned a while back that I will be a Contributing Blogger over at AboutOne, a fantastic website created to help organize all that goes into managing a household. My first article "Snow Day Makes Great Memories" is running today! I would love it if you would stop by to say hello and leave some comment love!

I will also be featured later this week on another website-I will provide a link soon.

And....this week we will also have a guest post from our Blogger of the Month-a very funny post you won't want to miss.

I wanted to make sure I said good morning and wish you a wonderful day today. Hope it is a little warmer in your neck of the woods.

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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Mom Got Blog: Year 2010

Saratoga Battlefield
Summer 2010
K.Pugliano

 
Wow. This year has most definitely flown by, hasn’t it?

One of my favorite bloggers, Scary Mommy had this idea to do write a ‘Year in Review’ post and I thought- hey, that would be fun!

After going through the year, I am amazed at all that we have been through on Mom Got Blog. We have grown quite a bit from our beginnings! We made it to a National Blogging Contest, we had our first giveaway, we had a month of building a better blog, we joined new communities, we gained some fantastic blogging friends, we began to showcase other bloggers for Blogger of the Month and we have welcomed guest posts from around the globe.

Year 2010 would not have happened if not for you! Thank you so much for your support, comments and friendship! You have helped to grow this blog and share my voice with the masses and for that I am so grateful! Thank you for a wonderful year and I can’t wait to start 2011 with you by my side!

Here are some of my favorite posts from 2010:

January: Petra Acker, The “Sweetness" Factor {really fantastic young lady!}

February: Olympic Exhaustion {Can’t believe they were a year ago!}

March: Really?! Part 5 {I love writing these posts. Add an ‘Ex’ in there, & it gets interesting!}

April: Ben, Time is Ticking {Football & dumb moves}

May: Desperately Seeking Balance {really says it all}

June: Wordless Wednesday: Julie & Julia and For The Love of Books {could not have one without the other!}

July: Blog Bucket List {Getting through it!}

August: Dream a Little Dream {One of my favorite new friends allowed me to dream}

September: I Got Lost In the Milkyway {decadence in its purest of forms}

October: Gilligan’s Island The Chicago Series: “The Movie Star”  {One B-I-T-C-H!}

November: “Trick or Tweet” Happy Halloween {This TOT still leaves a smile on my face! Yee-haw!}

December: Single Parents are Superheroes {It is true.}


Have some of your favorites made the list? Tell me about it in the comments below!

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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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Blog of Christmas Present: Top Five Tips & Cookie Recipe

Part two of my Blogging Christmas Carol begins with being elbow deep in flour, sugar sprinkles and frosting as I have begun my holiday baking!

I spoke to my MIL early Saturday morning and she shared the best line I think I have heard coming from my FIL...she said he asked her "When are you going to make the house smell like Christmas?!" He is speaking of the lovely anise aroma that accompanies making Italian Pizzelle cookies. My husband surely follows in his father's footsteps...when the first steam of the waffle cookie escaped from the pizzelle iron, my husband exclaimed "It's Christmas! I smell Pizzelles!"

I only make these cookies twice a year: Christmas and Easter. But I do have to admit, they are delicious!

**Update***1/1/11

If you notice the recipe is missing....you are right. Hubby claimed that giving this recipe was like sharing a sauce recipe....something you just don't do! So, I promised to take it down today.

My Christmas "Present" is a lot different from my Christmas Past....For one, I am working full time. This has changed how I prepare for the holidays this year.

Here are five of my top holiday tips that have helped me through the seasons and will hopefully help make your holiday a little easier:

1. Make a list and check it twice:  of what baked goods you plan to make. When your list is complete, make another list with all the ingredients, paying attention to the amount of flour, sugar, confectioners sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla (the most common ingredients) that are used in each recipe. Make this your shopping list for the store-you will be sure to have all the ingredients you need, saving time and money. This has helped me through many- a - baking season without having to run to the neighbor to borrow a cup of sugar!

2. Click and Ship: Shop online for friends and family that are in far away zip codes. I have missed the holiday's on more than one occasion by not shipping gifts on time! I have learned that with a click of the mouse, I can purchase the same item I would pick out in a store and then have it shipped directly to my loved one, AND have it arrive on time! NO more finding the right sized box, dragging the kids to the post office and standing in line for ages. Why I did not do this years ago, I will never know.

3. Focus Santa, Focus: Have the kids make a focused Santa List. We all had that gift that we were searching for under the tree, so when the kids were old enough to make a list for Santa, my husband and I asked them for the top 3 things they would look for under the tree. The 3 things that they really, really wanted. Of course their list was filled with more than 3 things, but by separating the top three, made it easy for us to shop because we could handle their wish-list and not go overboard. This also kept it very simple for us because the other items could be shared with family members for gift ideas.


4. Save a tree and some money.  Don't wrap the gifts from Santa. My husband and I never wrapped with exception of only a few things: ( ie: clothes). I can honestly say that I have used the same wrapping paper for a good two or three years.

5. Have Christmas in July!  Have cards printed and addressed early. Are my greetings mailed yet? No. I hope to make it to the post office today. I tell myself every year, I am going to make a spreadsheet of next year's card list, get that special photo, have it printed and ready in July. Does it ever happen? Not a chance! I need to take my own advice.

So how is Christmas Present shaking out? The baking has started, the gifts are shipped, I still have wrapping paper and the cards are ready to go. Now the only thing still needed is to light a fire under Santa's butt to get out and shop!

Next up is Blog of Christmas Future: Some big announcements are headed your way!

Do you have some easy holiday tips? Share with us in the comments below!

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Blog of Christmas Past

Remember the story "A Christmas Carol"? The character Ebenezer Scrooge gets a visit from 3 ghosts showing him his past, present and future self.

Well, I thought it might be fun to do a little spin on that premise and have a MGB visit to the past, present and future!

So, Part One....

Blog of Christmas Past
Where was Mom Got Blog a year ago? Let's go take a visit!

This time last year, we were crossing our fingers for a snow day, which did actually happen! I guess the magic of sleeping donned with inside out pajamas, spoons under the pillow and sleeping "backwards" really does work! Who knew!

I also wrote one of my "Really?" posts...and actually mentioned Scrooge in this phenomenon of one decorating their car to look like a reindeer. I thought it was dumb then, and I still think it's dumb. Bah, Humbug!

Last year, our son was in the snoop-dog house, when my husband interrupted the covert operation "Mission Present-Ops" that my son and his buddy had put into action. The boy still needs to learn that "The General" is a master at strategy and is always three steps ahead!

Photo by: Jerry Search

I was also patiently waiting for news as to whether I would be going to the Olympic Games in Vancouver. I was so excited for the possibility, because I knew so many of the athletes from the US Speedskating teams, that I was really hoping to win the Olympic Blogging Contest that I had entered in October. But, I did not and wrote from my chair at home, still beaming with pride for all the friends putting their heart and soul out there on the ice.

Well, we are back at the homestead. That was fun. I haven't read those...in, well, a year! Hope you enjoyed visiting them as much as I did.

Tomorrow: A visit to Blog of Christmas Present! I believe it will have to do with some of my favorite holiday tips!

What were you doing a year ago? Leave a comment and let me know!

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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.

MGB-Blogger of the Month:: December!

It is December 1st, and that means it is time to announce our new Blogger of the Month!

I met Laurie last year- we both entered an Olympic Blogging contest through Microsoft Office and were named two of the five semi-finalists that were vying for THE ultimate prize- a chance to blog behind the scenes at the Winter OLYMPIC GAMES in Vancouver! Through months of waiting and writing and schlepping for votes we began emailing each other and commenting on the other's blog to offer support. If I did not win this contest, I was really hoping that Laurie would. Her blog is not only well written, it is choc-full of the most amazing photos I have ever seen. I knew that if she were to win, it would be such a treat to see the Olympic story told through the lens of her camera.

Last December (Christmas Eve in fact) we learned that neither one of us had been chosen to go to Vancouver. I will be honest. It sucked rocks. I did not win the contest, yet I still won. I gained a new friend,  a place to visit and catch up with a very talented woman! 

Please welcome Laurie, author of Taking the long Way!


Taking the long way

 MGB:  How long have you been blogging?

TLW: First of all let me say how honored I am to be featured on your blog. I'm continually inspired by you and what you're doing on Mom Got Blog. I've been blogging for a little over three years since the summer of
2007 when I was getting ready to move 3000 miles from Boston to Portland, Oregon. I was just emerging from a year of incredible highs and lows and realized the journey I was on was both unique and universal.

MGB: Why do you blog?

TLW: It started as a way to document my journey (literally and figuratively) and keep in touch with friends who I was going to miss dearly. At its core it remains that - a place to share what is unique in my experience and simultaneously universal to all of us. I am most in love with its ability to stretch conversations across tens,
hundreds and even thousands of miles.

MGB: Every photo you share on your blog evokes emotion when I see it. What photo has touched you?

TLW: Thank you! The photos that touch me the most are the ones when I capture people in moments that are unguarded and tell a story about them or that instant in time. The funny thing is that I don't post those on my blog nearly often enough.

MGB: Do you have a favorite camera to use?

TLW: My favorite camera is the always the one I have with me. I kick myself when I come upon something breathtaking - a particular quality of light, a color, a moment - and don't have anything to record it with. I bounce between film and digital cameras. I have a major crush on my iPhone 'cause it's always with me and is so versatile. I am at the beginning of a love affair with my Nikon D5000. We are still getting to know each other, but each thing I learn makes me love him even more. I'm trying to make up with my vintage Polaroid cameras. We had a bit of a falling out and are seeing if we can still be friends. The love of my life was the Canon G9. Though I lost him in a creek he was the best combination of ease and power and graced me with many of my favorite shots.

MGB: What do you see for your blog in the next year?

TLW: I'm constantly tinkering with its look and functionality and will continue to do so. I have a few ideas up my sleeve which I'll launch over the winter and early spring. One I'm most excited about is a link between my etsy shop and my blog. Stay tuned...

MGB: Do you have a favorite post?

TLW: Yes, and it's one that goes full circle to the adventure we shared. It took me a long time to build up the courage to write it, but when I did it flowed from my fingers like water. I had always heard writers talk about moments like that, but had never before experienced that level of ease and creativity. The challenge was to communicate a difficult story and do it in a way that wasn't cruel. Tricky for sure, but the Wizard of Oz metaphor came in to my head and worked beautifully. Here is the link to that post:  http://takinglongway.com/2010/02/06/behind-the-curtain/

I invite you to visit Laurie and stay a while. Take the long way around her fabulous blog. You'll be glad you did.

Like this post? Please share on Twitter and Facebook, or share your comments below! Thanks!

A Time I Fell Down

I am sharing this post as part of MamaKats Writing Workshop..the prompt: A time I fell down.

Happy Thanksgiving! :) 

I promised this morning that I would have another post tonight sharing my weekend, but something happened today that had me cracking up ...at myself! If you saw it, you would have certainly been laughing AT me and I would not have blamed you one bit.

As I mentioned, today was my first day of my new job. It's a nice little job that I am very excited about. I was so nervous about making a good impression, that I did not sleep a wink last night and let me tell you, the alarm sounded much, much earlier than I wanted.

After sorting out a few things and having a few gulps of much needed coffee,  I got settled at my new desk and then it happened. I felt like I was in a re-run of the "I Love Lucy Show" only, I was not Lucy.

                                   I was her stand in.

I can hear the director now...

"Ok.  Lucy, I want you to reach over the arm rest of your chair, down into that tote bag and try to grab the bottle of water that is just out of your reach. Good. CUT! Bring in the stunt double...."

Then it is me in the chair and in the next instant, the chair tips, wheels fly out to the side, my feet and the legs of the chair are above my head and I am crashing onto the ground. "CUT! Bring Lucy back in!"

 

Lucy = "Whaaaaaaaaa! Riiiiiiiiiicckkkyyy!!!"

Me = "Ouch! Bpffffftttttttttt....hhahahahahaha!"

That's is correct. I literally fell out of my chair!

I am so glad nobody saw it happen because I would never have lived that one down!

I'm sure that my neighbor in the next office has no clue that there is a comic genius in the works, mere feet away. I'll keep that gem for months from now when I can say "Did I ever tell you what happened on my first day?"

For now, I am finishing my tea and grabbing the heating pad for my sore back.

*In my best Troy McClure voice*: "I'm not a stunt double, but I once played one in an office...you may have seen me in "Musical Chairs For Dummies" or "Stop, Drop and Roll, an Office Worker's Nightmare".

Not to worry stunt doubles, I'm going to keep my day job.

November Series: Thankful Thursday

Today is our final installment of our guest post series. I am so thankful to have had such wonderful contributors this month! What great posts they shared with us!!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday today with friends and family, eat lots of turkey (or whatever feast graces your table) and be sure to laugh and share stories!

Our guest post today is by Mary Biever author of Real Life in River City Blog is a corporate computer trainer, blogger, and speaker. She writes a lovely blog about her daily life in Evansville, IN.



I am thankful for…


A dead watch battery that reminded me of the value of unplugged, stopped time.

The 1st day of our family’s vacation in the Smokies last month, my watch battery died. In addition, our cabin was so remote we had neither Internet nor cell phone access. Richard, my husband, wanted our family to have an unplugged break.

Most of the time, I liked it. Except when our kids raced ahead of us on a trail and were out of contact for two hours when we had no phone access. Or when we took the mountain shortcut on the unimproved road that beat any theme park roller coaster. How I wanted my cell phone access! Everything ended well in both adventures, even with no bars on my phone.

When I couldn’t check my phone, I heard the wind rustling in the trees and the crunch of the leaves as we walked trails. We could savor the stars in the midnight sky from the hot tub on our cabin deck. Whether we picnicked by a rushing creek or cooked out at the cabin, for a few days, we were just the little family in the little house in the big woods.

I like stopping time. My babies are now teens in high school – 1 a junior and the other a freshman. In 3 years, both of my kids will be in college. Now I understand why grandparents are so indulgent with young grandchildren. They know how quickly those years pass. I can’t make back the younger years of their childhood when I got so busy meeting schedules that I sometimes left out downtime to enjoy each other. What I can do is savor the time we have right here, right now.

We’ll be home this Thanksgiving instead of in a mountain cabin. Nevertheless, I hope we can take off our watches, unplug ourselves, and savor time just being who we are. Just for today, I hope time will stand still so we can enjoy our dinner, hear the crunch of the leaves rustling in our own backyard, and maybe play a board game.

Just to help me along, I suspect my husband or kids will kidnap my phone and my laptop and hold it hostage for the day! If they do, I wonder what ransom they will demand?

How will you stop time and seize the moment this Thanksgiving?

Mom Got Blog is Taking a Road Trip!

Have you ever been to NYC? I have been a few times and have always had fun exploring new places.

Well, this time I am switching it up a bit and will be meeting a friend-we plan on taking the city by storm and blogging about it!

I am going to meet our Blogger of the Month, Lisa of Generating Heat! I can't wait! Anything I should put on our list to check out? Favorite places to visit or grab a bite to eat? Let us know in the comment section and we will check it out!

I'll be back on Monday....with a really fun announcement! Stay tuned!

November Series: Thankful Thursday

It's Thursday! Time for another Thankful Thursday guest post!

Today's guest post is by Marie of 1000 Reasons I'm a Crap Mom, who shares her cheeky wit about being a single mom and raising her precious little bit of joy. She tries to weed through all the millions of do's and don'ts of "tips for moms" that clutter the inbox and often wonders, between mom's feedback, the conflicting advice bombarded at her, and her own insecurities, if the blog should be called 2000 reasons. Or 5000!

I am Thankful For A Book About Kangaroos

Thanksgiving approaches, and Americans around the world are thinking about what they are thankful for this year. I am neither American nor living in the US (yet!) but I am thankful for the opportunity to be a guest on Kelly’s blog and I am also very, very thankful for a book about kangaroos.

Kangaroos?

Kangaroos!

My son C has relatives in Australia, and they recently sent a large parcel full of presents for his first birthday. Everything was lovely: the cute t-shirts with smiling crocodiles on VW buses, the koala backpack that is just too cute for words, the beautiful story books for reading at bedtime.

I had no way of imagining that “Mummy’s little bush babies” would make such a difference in our lives.

C is the best and bravest baby who ever was, but he is prone to night terrors. I do not wish those upon anyone, not even the guy who invented high heels. The night terrors are terrors indeed: in the middle of the night, for no reason I can discern, C suddenly starts screeching as if his limbs were being torn off. He is inconsolable, and anything I do to try to comfort him only makes things worse: if I hold him he cries harder, if I back off he cries harder, if I try to move him to a safe position he cries harder, if he as much as touches the headboard with his head he cries harder. He slaps me off if I try to hug or pat him, violently rejects any offer of a bottle, and generally seems to suffer a LOT until suddenly a switch goes off and he crashes back into sleep.

During this whole ordeal (which has taken as long as an hour sometimes) C’s eyes are either shut or open but vacant. And by the end of it, my eyes are usually full of tears.

It is brutal. Brutal.

(And now everything will make sense!)

About a week ago C got such a bad case of the terrors that I ended up conceding defeat and accepting our amazing babysitter Adi’s help after an hour of battle. His screams had become so loud he actually woke her up. At 4 am.

She was as much at sea as I was: singing didn’t help, cuddling was not going to happen, and the bottle was slapped off as if it were cyanide. I must admit I am such a sewer rat  that I was secretly somewhat pleased about Adi’s lack of success. The love triangle between mom, baby and sitter is a complicated one.

At her wit’s end, Adi started randomly showing things to C, hoping to distract him: “Look, sweetheart! Your ball!” More wailing. “Here’s your truck, do you want your truck?” Louder wailing. “What about your empty bottle! You love your empty bottle!” The bottle flew across the room. “Oh look! Your kangaroo book!”

The crying stopped.

Adi and I held our breath.

C stretched a tentative hand towards the book, turned a page, and smiled. He turned another page, looked up from the book, and smiled at us through the tears and the snot and the drool. My boy was back!

(The hostages were free! The bomb had been defused! The plane had landed safely! The world was safe! This must be what Bruce Willis feels like all the time.)

This midnight rescue would be enough to make me have that kangaroo book gold-plated and encrusted with diamonds, but there is more: ever since that night, if C’s terrors get intractable I show him the book and read it to him. And it helps him calm down every time.

Last year, I was grateful for my perfect baby boy, the beauteous C, who is to this day the best and bravest baby who ever was.

This year, I am infinitely thankful for a kangaroo book.

Now I just need help deciding – should I have the book dipped in white or yellow gold?

Do You Have Zero Regrets? Olympic Gold Medalist Apolo Ohno In Albany, NY For Book Signing

Apolo Ohno: Zero Regrets

Olympic speedskating gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno is coming to a bookstore near you! Well, at least he is on Saturday, November 6th if you live in the Albany, NY area! Apolo will be at Barnes & Noble in Colonie Center Mall at 11:00am to sign his latest book Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday.

For those readers who are new to Mom Got Blog I will share with you one of my true passions in life: Speedskating. It is a sport like no other. I am extremely active and I have done every kind of sport I can think of, but this skating in circles really fast with 17" razor blades on my feet? Well, it brings me joy down to the core of my being. It's hard to explain...but that is the best way I think I can describe it. And I did not start this sport as a young whipper snapper (did I just say that?), I was already into my 30's, an age where most skaters have long since retired. One aspect that I have enjoyed as much as competing is meeting the people that are involved. For a wide-world sport, the community feels very small and tight knit. Everyone knows everyone. When you hear folks say that this is a life-time sport- they really mean it. If you are not skating, you are involved in some shape or form to keep yourself connected.

I have written many a post on my favorite sport, especially through the Vancouver Olympics, but there is one post that sticks with me. Apolo spoke in an interview about the "Perfect Race", and it inspired me to write about one of my perfect races. We both agree that to have a perfect race does not necessarily equal winning; it's about putting everything you have out there and knowing you did your very best.

Apolo has been NON-STOP since the conclusion of the winter games in Vancouver. He started his own company, is part of the CNN "Hero" Series where he speaks of See Your Impact , traveling for appearances and now has published his first book:

Zero Regrets: Be Greater Than Yesterday

If you live near Albany and would like to meet and receive an autographed copy of Apolo's latest book, please come out to support him at :

Barnes and Noble
Colonie Center
11:00am.

Just an FYI: He is only signing his book, no memorabilia. Time is short as he will be making his way to Syracuse and Buffalo on Saturday as well.

I just reserved my copy. I'm looking forward to reading and sharing my thoughts with you.

If you have read Apolo's book, what did you think?

November Series: Thankful Thursday

For the month of November, Mom Got Blog will be sharing a series of guest posts with you every Thursday called "Thankful Thursday"!

Today we welcome Jane of Australia from Life @ Number 8( http://www.janezworld.com/blog.) where she 'blogs holistically'. Her glass is always considered half-full, which shines through in her writing. 


 Last Tuesday I went on a movie binge with my dear friend Lee. We had decided upon just 2 movies this time. Over the years, I occasionally joined both Lee, and her late husband for triple-movie binges.We’d escape from a hot summer’s day into the world of cinema.

This half- price Tuesday saw us arrive with sandwiches, water bottles and nibbles.

Later, after the 1st movie ended, during the 20minute break we went for a walk.
I continued on a little further alone and purchased a crunchy crisp royal-gala apple. I bought my friend a white chocolate cup cake.

The films, while pleasant, charming and delightful were a little slow.

Mid afternoon we came out into beautiful Brisbane sunshine. As we walked towards our cars, we made arrangements for this to be a monthly event. I made a comment about how Lee’s husband would have loved the day.

A quick hug and I set out across the road, as I did I felt a sudden lightness of heart.
I opened my car door and slid in.
A wave of happiness washed over me. ‘I love life’ I thought.

Yes. I do.

I’m alive, feeling good, grown up, able to drive, with my own car, and just had a fun day with a dear friend.
As I drove home, I took a different route, because I wanted to. I drove over the newish
GoBetween Bridge, for the first time ever.


GoBetween Bridge


The toll tag beeped.

I laughed as I had forgotten it was there on the windscreen

I thought how often are we happy, and fail to see it?


I’m thankful for the feeling and for recognizing it.