Well, another Christmas has come and gone. This was the best one in a long time. Nothing major made it so special, just a bunch of smaller things. First off, our 19 yo son stuck around and hung out with us a lot more than usual, possibly because 2 of his buddies lost their moms in the past month--I think it really hit him. So sad, these boys are so young to deal with that. It made dh and I very happy to have him around a lot more though. Second, although money is still pretty tight this Christmas wasn't as frugal as ours have normally been. We were able to buy the kids many things that they wanted and needed. It was wonderful to see their faces when they saw the piles of gifts this morning--still small by most standards but a bonanza to them. And finally, we were able to spend more time with family this year. We spent Christmas Eve at dh's mom's with about 40 others, and today at my sister's, with our family & her dh's family. Good people, good food, good times had by all.
Tomorrow we will attend the funeral of dh's 86 yo uncle. We will miss him do much. It was hard to lose him just a few days before Christmas, but we will celebrate his life. Uncle Mikey was the kindest, most gentle, generous, and joyful person you could ever meet. I'm blessed to have known him for 25 years.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We're getting ready to head to Boston for our annual Christmas Eve family feast, Italian style. Lots of seafood, pasta, and best of all--people! Tomorrow it's my side of the family, much quieter, but still fun. And best of all--little kids there! That's always fun since my own kids are almost grown.

I hope you all have a very Merry, Happy and Healthy Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

My crazy kids relaxing on the patio!

And my cutie pie furbaby. She loves to stick her face in the snow--she feels the need to try to eat every last flake.

I DID IT!!

I passed the Praxis II on the first try, without studying! WOOHOO! Such a relief. I really did not want to have to spend the time or the money to take that test over, but I had absolutely no time to study because of my coursework. Now I just have to wait for approval for my field observation hours and my student teaching application. At this time next year I will be finishing up my semester of student teacher and will be a certified elementary education teacher. The end is in sight! It's been hard working full-time, attending college mostly full-time and caring for my family, but I know it will all be worth it the day I welcome my students into my own classroom.

"Borrowed" this from my CT pal Nancy...

A= Attached or Single: attached for 22 years
B= Best Friend: hubby
C= Cake or Pie: Pie
D= Day of Choice: Saturday
E= Essential Item: laptop
F= Flavor of Ice cream: anything with chocolate
G= Gummy Bears or Worms: Neither--swedish fish
H= Hometown: Medford, MA
I= Indulgence: lobster
J= January or July: January
K= Kids: AlanaL= Last movie I saw at a theater: Hairspray (John Travolta version)
M= Musician: Jon Bon Jovi
N= Number of Siblings: 2
O= Oranges or Apples: both
P= Phobias or Fears: heights
Q= Quote: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. Henry David Thoreau
R= Reason to Smile: Next year at this time I will be done with college & student teaching
S= Season: Winter
T= Tag: anybody who wants to play
U= Unknown fact: none--my life is an open book
V= Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: Oppressor
W= Worst habit: procrastination
X= Xray or Ultrasound: ultrasound is more fun...if you're pregnant
Y= Your favorite food: pasta
Z= Zodiac sign: aries, but I don't follow that stuff

ICE STORM
So this is my backyard right now. We're in the middle of an ice storm. I hate ice storms, but I love having no school or work! We were without power, heat or water for most of the night. It did come back on a little while ago, but I don't expect it to last too long. It keeps flickering and threatening to go off, plus the freezing rain is supposed to last all day and it's supposed to get windy later. Wind will cause huge trouble with all this ice on the trees.
I had vowed if I didn't have work today I would finish all my college paperwork. What am I doing instead? Checking my message boards and updating my blog while I still have a connection. Aaah the internet.

OK, I so stole this from a friend on a board--thanks Jessie! Here's what you're supposed to do...delete my answers, type in your answers TYPE ONLY 1 WORD...IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!
1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? bed
3. Your hair? "brown"
4. Your mother? bitch
5. Your father? ok
6. Your favorite thing? truck
7. Your dream last night? none
8. Your favorite drink? wine
9. Your dream goal? graduation
10. The room you're in? kitchen
11. Your fear? heights
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night? library
14. What you're not? skinny
15. Whats for breakfast? oatmeal
16. One of your wish list items? money
17. Where did you grow up? Medford
18. The last thing you did? meeting
What are you wearing? sweats
20. Your TV? ignored
Your pet? Julia
22. Your computer? dell
23. Your life? good
24. Your mood? frazzled
25. Missing someone? Dante
26. Your car? Tahoe
27. Something you're not wearing? bra
28. Favorite Store? Borders
29. Your summer? hot
30. Your favorite color? purple
31. When is the last time you laughed? tonight
32. Last time you cried? yesterday
33. Who will/would re-post this? Patti
34. FOUR THINGS I COULD VISIT OR DO OVER AND OVER:
1. read
2. kayak
3. mountains
4. ocean
35. FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME:
1.Kelly
2.Sidney
3. Lorna
4. boss
36. FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Pizza
2. Pasta
3. Lobster
4. ice cream
37. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW ?
1. Bermuda
2. Alaska
3. kayaking
4. hicking
38. FOUR PEOPLE I THINK WILL RESPOND:
1. Kelly
2. Sidney
3. Patti
4. Cassandra

Cars...no, not the movie...the story of my life with dh

My online buddy Cheri had the idea on her blog to write about her cars, after she had given thanks in her Thanksgiving post for reliable transportation. Of course when I saw that I had to run with it. See, I belong (through marriage) to the car of the month club. At least, that's what it feels like sometimes. And these are not nice, new cars...rather, they are whatever can be purchased for the least amount of money. It all began when we were newlyweds and I had just gotten my license. Yes, I got my license at age 22...
( I have put the year of acquisition in parentheses in order to reflect the timeline)
1978 Ford Fairmont--borrowed from my fil (1986), it died in the middle of a MAJOR city intersection, the day after I got my license and the first time I was out driving alone
1985 Chevy Nova--purchased from Avis Rent-a-Car (1986, the newest car I have ever owned)----my father was so proud that I bought an American-made car, no matter that the thing said Toyota on every single part. It was a good car that served me well for several years, until dh spotted the...
1985 Buick station wagon for sale ($600) by the side of the road (1994). Seeing as how we had our second child at that point he thought it would be a great family car. The fact that the battery kept dying wasn't a problem--heck just throw in a kill switch to turn the battery on & off...and put it in the wheel well to save $$ on the cost of wire! I'm sure people were always wondering why my right coat sleeve was filthy throughout the long, slushy, salty NH winters and muddy springs. When we could no longer afford both the cost of kindergarten tuition (public kindergarten not mandatory in NH) and gas to get the kid there, why not trade vehicles with the next-doo neighbor?
1986 Ford Escort wagon (1995)---sure, it could have fit in the backseat of the Buick wagon, but at least we could afford the gas. That is, until a woman in a volvo pulled out in front of me. Those Escort front ends sure crinkle up like aluminum foil...scary! While waiting 5 weeks for the insurance claim to settle I had a rental car...
1996 Cutlas ---that was one beautiful, brand-new car! Luckily, dh found one "exactly like it, just a little older"...
1986 Cutlas--yeah, just like the brand new 96. This one only lasted a few months before dh got tired of coming to rescue us from the car that won't start unless HE turned the key.
1993 Dodge Intrepid---beautiful car! (1998) Wonderful! Drove great, reliable..it was even manufactured in the same decade that we were living in! I drove this car the longest of any, until we moved further north and it couldn't handle our driveway in the winter.
1996 Chevy Tahoe--almost my dream car (which would have been a Suburban). Purchased in 2001 after I returned to full-time work, this was my baby. Metallic plum color, handled great, it was a girl's truck. It hauled on many camping trips, scout troops, and the dog. It plowed up and down our driveway no matter what the weather brought. I loved this truck. Then gas prices skyrocketed. I was suddenly doing a lot of driving. We decided it would be worthwhile to buy something smaller. Dh began to drive my baby to work (a mile from home) and I got a...
1998 Subaru--sporty, fun, and AWD. It was great on gas. I drove it for several months, all the while listening to dh complain about driving a pink truck with a girl's name on the license plate. After a while, gas prices dropped again, so I volunteered to give up the "new" car and swap vehicles with the man even though I drive many miles more than he does. After all, he should have the black sporty car and I should have the pink truck, right? Right! It felt like coming home. So comfortable, so pretty, so safe, so ME! I love my truck. I don't care if she's 12 years old, I plan on driving her for as long as she'll run.
Of course--these are only my cars. I haven't even touched up on all the cars dh has had over the years. Each one was his "dream car"...all 12 of them. Well he's stuck with the Subaru for quite a while now!

Thankfulness.
My family
Our home
Health
Plenty of food
Coffee
The silly dog that makes me smile
Good jobs
Heat
Friends(both online and irl)
Books
Nature
So what are you thankful for on this day?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

This is R modeling her So You Think You Can Dance "official" (read $65) sweatshirt. A friend of mine gave me a couple of tickets that she won and since my dd loves to dance (read $1500 on dance lessons and shoes since September) we were excited to go. Our free night out didn't turn out to be inexpensive though, considering the cost of gas (an hour drive each way), parking ($20), dinner at dd's fave, Applebees ($35). Of course, the tickets, being free, were for seats way up in the highest level, second row from the balcony. Have I ever mentioned my extreme fear of heights? As soon as we sat down I started hyperventilating. If it wasn't for R I would have just left, but I couldn't do that to her. I also couldn't faint or do anything else considered embarrassing to a 15yo. And judging by the look on her face I must have been pretty close to doing just that. Somehow I managed to control my fear, and the show was awesome. Incredible dancing! And then, as we were leaving, she spotted the vendors, and the sweatshirt. I couldn't refuse the look on her face. Our "free" night out ended up costing about $130, but the look of joy on her face was worth it. I think I deserve the Mother of the Year award, don't you?

Quote of the Day

Another really good one!!

Instead of complaining that the rosebush is full of thorns, be happy that the thornbush has roses. German proverb

Quote of the Day

"To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness."
Bertrand Russell


I saw this quote in a magazine today and it really struck me. I am in a situation right now where it is so applicable. My daughter has been best friends with a girl since day one of kindergarten...attached at the hip...for ten years. Except that for the past year or two things have gone downhill. So much so that the girls hardly even speak to each other. It's so sad, because I really thought/hoped this would be a lifelong friendship. They got along so well. Had so much fun together. I loved this friendship. Especially since we seemed to have so much in common with the other girl's parents...values, morals, etc. However it is rapidly becoming clear that is not the case after all. The other mom seems to want to be her daughter's friend rather than her mother. She gives her whatever she wants, whenever she wants it. Money and time are no problem. New wardrobe? Sure! Bedroom remodelled again...why not? Fake nails and bleached hair...sure, it's important to look good. Want to bring your boyfriend on vacation? we don't want you to be unhappy, and after all, you are 15 years old. What is left for this child to look forward to if she is getting everything as soon as she wants it?
Thankfully my daughter is smart enough to see through all of this, but that doesn't make it easy to lose a friend. It's been a hard couple of years, but we are finally on the upswing. She has finally discovered her niche at school, is friendly with a great group of kids, and isn't feeling the pressure of fitting in with this other girl anymore. Life is good!
It's hard having a teen-aged daughter sometimes, but it's even harder having to work with the mom of the old "friend." But that, my friends, is a story for another day.

Darn (Kn)It!

I've picked up knitting again after a hiatus. It's funny, I had absolutely no interest in knitting but was forced to learn when I company I used to work for began a knitting catalog. I'm still not very good (though we have many lovely scarves around the house), but am determined to learn to knit socks. I've always heard how comfortable they are, and since I can rarely find socks without bulky seams at the toe (which drive me absolutely INSANE), I really want to learn this skill. After much research, trial and error (MANY errors), I think I have it! I actually made a sock. Well, almost....I made MOST of a sock...then I ripped it out. I meant to take a picture of it to post before I ripped it out BUT I FORGOT! Why did I rip it out? Well, it was clearly a sock, but not necessarily a sock that I would want to wear out in public. It was a learning sock, a first sock project, so it had its "quirks," shall we say. But I am determined, and will cast on another sock tomorrow.

SCORE!!

I hate to shop, but I desperately wanted to start a new knitting project today and did not have the right size needles, so off I went. First stop--knitting store. I decided to splurge on the good, expensive needles, because they can make knitting so much easier. Then I spotted a book that I wanted--an easy, humorous read that would be the perfect break from reading all those boring textbooks. So I decided to get that as well. After spending twice what I had planned I left the knitting shop and headed home. On the way, I thought about some shoes that I have recently seen three different women wearing. They are the same shoes that I owned, loved, and wore to death several years ago. I remember being very upset when they wore out, because I couldn't find a replacement. Since I would be passing by the outlet mall where I bought them years ago I figured I would stop in and see if they were selling them again. Surprise! Not only did they have them, in TWO different colors, they were were also having a huge sale! 60% off the lowest marked price, and then 20% on top of that. I picked up a black pair. When I got to the register the cashier mentioned that if I donated a dollar cash to breast cancer I would get another 25% off! Having a breast cancer scare myself just a few months ago I gladly donated $2 in order to get the extra discount off both pairs of shoes. When she rang it up and I saw the total I nearly died...$50 for two pairs of shoes that originally went for $70 each! On my way out the door I spied a pair of boots that looked a lot like some that I had admired in a magazine a few days ago, so I ran out to my car to search for some change (since I had spent the whole $2 cash I had in my wallet), ran back into the store, and bought the boots with all the same discounts. I got $110 boots for just $39!
OK, I'll admit that the shoes are fugly, but they are comfy as heck and I'm on my feet all day. The boots are really cute with jeans and they're weatherproof--good for these New England winters.
It was a good shopping day!

On-line Friends

It's amazing to me that many people still don't realize how close you can become to people on the internet. I have two dear friends that I have been corresponding with for several years now on almost a daily basis. We all met on a weight loss message board and it took off from there. We began emailing each other separately from the board, and it quickly turned into a close knit friendship. We confide in each other, give each other advice, and pray for each other. I honestly would be lost without these two beautiful women in my life, even though I have actually never met them in person. I know one day we will!
On the other hand, there is a whole group of women that I met on a scrapbooking message board whom I have met in person several times. Once or twice a year we meet up at a scrapbooking shop in CT (the others seem to think this is a mid-point for our meetings, but being one of the northernmost gals I know this is not the truth--I am happy to drive the distance though!). We spend 12 hours laughing, talking, laughing, eating, laughing, scrapping (a little), and shopping (a lot). I look forward to these visits and am never disappointed!
The internet--some people believe it is responsible for the demise of social behavior as we know it--I know otherwise.

Addictions

What are you addicted to? For me it would be a long list. Here are some...

coffee...knitting...chocolate...cell phone...reading...ipod...gallo cafe zinfandel...kayaking...clogs with no socks...quilting...tea...capris...gardening...biggest loser...magazines...pasta...biographies...

How to relive your childhood

R decided to go back to ballet this year. She's danced all along, but had dropped ballet for several years, just sticking with tap, jazz & hip hop. Since I did ballet for about 12 years I was thrilled she decided to go back to it! She was told she would likely not be ready to go en pointe until the end of the year, since she would have to catch up. After the first class however, she came home saying she needed toe shoes for next week. We went to the dance shop this morning for her first toe shoe fitting. I don't know who was more excited, her or me! The shop owner was fabulous...she scheduled an appointment for us before the shop opened so she could spend time with us. She tried many shoes, finding the perfect pair, and teaching R everything she needed to know. R was grinning so hard I thought her cheeks would burst!

Can't wait to scrap the pics!

Reality strikes

So it's here...the inevitable. My little baby girl just got into a car with a boy, a teenager, and not her brother. Sure she's had boyfriends before, but in junior high and even freshman year it's just about texting and IMing, meeting up at dances, going to the movies with a group, that sort of thing. This is for real. He's a junior, has his license, looks so mature. You'd think it wouldn't be so hard. After all, her brother is 19. It's not my first time dealing with this. But he was always older, more mature, the leader of the pack, the driver. I didn't worry much about him. It's all different this time.
Where did my baby go?

Wasn't I cute? lol Oct. 1964, 6 mos old. I won a baby picture contest in the local newspaper. The grand prize--a case of charleston chew candy! There might have been a small cash prize as well. Obviously I can't remember, I just remember always hearing about the candy.

Somewhere I have a similar pic of dd in the same pose and you can't tell us apart.

Ugh.

Homework, homework, homework. Sometimes I feel like it's all I do; it's taken over my life. At this point, after being in college at night for six years, I'm so freaking sick of it. I have to keep telling myself that it's just one more year then I'll graduate. Finally in the home stretch. I did the first few years a class or two at a time, as I could afford it, but for the past year I've been going full-time so I can finish sooner. It's really hard working full-time, taking classes full-time, and having a family and home to care for but it will be worth it in the end.
A good thing...we're getting the remnants of a hurricane this weekend, so at least I won't feel like I'm missing out on good weather!

Nana and My Allowance

When I was a kid, my nana would pick me up every Saturday morning and bring me to my dance lessons. Afterwards, we would go to Brigham's Ice Cream Parlor and sit in a booth. She would have a cup of coffee and I always had a glass of orange juice and an english muffin (grilled, not toasted) with apple jelly. Then she would bring me home, but not before she gave me my allowance...a whole dollar bill! That afternoon I would always walk back down to the the same plaza (strip mall) where Brigham's was, and I would go into Mammoth Mart Dept.Store and choose a record, a 45 rpm from the top 40 Billboard chart. Then I would go next door and buy an ice cream cone (always peppermint stick with chocolate jimmies) to enjoy on the walk home. Once I got home I would play that record over and over.
Such enjoyment for just a dollar! I looked forward to my Saturdays all week long.
When I reached the mature age of 11 or 12 however, that changed. I was finally allowed to take the bus downtown by myself to go to the big, main public library to borrow books...I remember the first time...I felt so grown up! After that, Saturday afternoons were devoted to my big library trip (yes I was/am a geek). But that's a story for another day.

I miss him so!

D comes home from school tomorrow night! It's only been since Sunday, and how can you miss someone who's rarely home even when he's not away at college? But I do. He's such an easy kid, fun to be around, and caring. He's growing into such a great person. Where has the time gone?? Here is was on his first day of kindergarten with his Lion King backpack...

Oh...and I must give credit where credit is due...my dd15 took most of the photos on "The Party's Over." I only took the 2 shots that she's in. She's a much better photographer than I am!

The Party's Over

That's what my father-in-law would say every Labor Day weekend. It was time to pack up the cottage and head back to the city for the winter. Now we are lucky to make the lake our home so we're here for the long haul, sub-zero temps, mountains of snow, and all. We love it!
It's hard to believe summer passed so quickly and it's time for back-to-school already, and a little depressing since we didn't really do anything too exciting this year. Our boat didn't even hit the water. We did have some family bbq's and do some hiking, and it was great to have D home again after his first year of college. I miss him so much when he's gone! Here are a few shots of our summer happenings...

D left this afternoon to head back to college. This year he won't be living there though--he's staying with friends from Mon-Thurs and then coming home to work down here on the weekends. R will start her sophomore year tomorrow, and I will return to work at the elementary school. I also start a new college term--only one more year to go!