Alone again, (happily) naturally!

I love my "alone"time.
I am alone for the hours I sleep in my cozy bed during these long winter nights (unless you count a cat or 2)
I am usually alone in the hours before work, now that the girls have once again flown the nest. (My son works early)
And, I even relish either the Saturday or Sunday (but not both) that I am alone with aforementioned cats. One day each weekend I am with my Mom, kids, extended family or best friend. Perfect.
So, I don't mind. It's my choice, in fact. My preference.
I realized that the activities I enjoy are quiet ones..most that need some concentration or quiet... praying, gardening, reading, writing, research /prep for my job, embroidery, photography, walking, cooking, baking, crafting, traveling, appreciating art and music, even cleaning the house, grocery shopping, laundry, etc. All mostly alone!
Yet, not many would see me as "anti-social"....because...

As serendipity would have it, my job is TOTALLY busy, active, (non-stop) public, fun and LOUD.
I am a Site Director (Teacher/Director) of a large (60+ child) after-school program, along with 7 ladies who are my teacher aides. I am entirely immersed with this for about 5 hours each school day.
And I couldn't love it more. It is a perfectly balanced life for me...Because I do LOVE and need the sound and activity of children around me very much..very happy and life-affirming...lots of giggles and smiles, creativity, messy hugs.... and non-stop curious questions and comments! Glue stick heaven!

Just wanted to stop by today...and let you know..
And as I sit overlooking the half-frozen lake outside my window, with the ocassional squirrel and bird on my deck, who look right into my eyes to say Good Morning,old lady!~~~ and the exquisite aroma of bread baking in my oven...Life is good..Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Have a blessed day...Simple is best!
oxoxoxoxoxo
marianne

Hi everyone (....anyone?)
Springtime was just fine.
School ended June 23rd 2012
but I began my summer job on
May 26th, 2012.
(weekends only until July 1st)
I was "Beach Tag Monitor" on
our Lake (Beach)
from 11am-3pm (5 days a week)
until Labor Day!
It was HOT HOT HOT and SUNNY (often breezy).
I loved it so much.
I read a lot and developed a nice tan and relaxed.

Returned to my school-year job 2 days later and
all is well. I truly love my job.
The children and my mom are good,
and I have an appointment to spay our cats,
Olivia and Jennifer..They each had and raised a litter of  3,
so that is enough for this kitty-overpopulated world!
It was sweet and fun and they actually nursed one another's kittens!
Sisterly love in action.

Let me look for fotos for you. Hang on..
There you go
Bye for now
Peace

Brand New Day

Hi again...

I haven't written for almost 4 months, so here goes a short post, just to catch up on Life.
We are all getting along pretty well.
My son is finishing college and he earned a 3.8 last semester; He also works 25 hours a week!
My daughter works full time and is also doing well....Making plans for her next adventure.
I am so proud of their strength, compassion, humour, perspective in Life and most importantly, their grounded sense of family and faith.

I am also working and enjoy my job so much. I am keeping in touch with close friends and family, feathering my nest, cooking, baking and enjoying my hobbies. Considering the circumstances of 2011, All is well..

We had a mild winter, weather-wise, and with SPRING around the corner I am contentedly looking forward to cleaning up the yard, planting flowers in the front and side yards, and creating my annual herb [patio and deck] gardens.....Gardening always rejuvenates the senses and soul! ...So very therapeutic and creative and life affirming.....

The simplest joys in life are the best...Babies...Gardening, Praying, Cooking [a good meal for family and friends], Walking, Sewing, Reading, Writing, Napping, Movies, Art and.... Baking Bread!
Nothing more awesome than kneading , watching the rise and ultimatley baking a beautiful loaf of bread to share and enjoy.  

The more things change, the more they stay the same! Praise God.

Bye-bye my buddy

My husband went to Heaven on October 24, 2011. 

I feel certain he is in peace now, free of pain and seated at the Table of Grace.

He had been battling CHF for 8 years, and this past year was particularly difficult for him.

Freddie had health challenges in his life that prevented him from being comfortable in any setting; He had constant pain and fatigue when sitting, standing, walking, driving, even in attempting to lay down to sleep at night. He ended up sleeping in hour increments in a recliner in the living room.

He was miserable much of the time which was not easy for any of us to bear, especially on a daily basis. 

Still, Freddie was a funny man. It was his sense of humour and playfulness that got us through our 34 years together. Seems nothing came easy for us.When our son was 11 months old, Freddie fell through a roof, and was unable to physically work full time ever again. That was in 1990. He continued to work part-time until 4 months before his passing. (which was a testament to sheer will on his part). 

We were (by the grace of God) able to remain in this little house we bought so many years ago; where we raised an outstanding son and daughter. The years went by----we celebrated our childrens'  Baptisms, Reconciliation, Communions, Confirmations, English Horse Riding Championships, Trumpet solos, Band concerts, Little League games, Award ceremonies, Nursery School, Elementary School, Middle School, High School and College Graduations!  So many blessings!

The years took their toll on our extended families..Freddie lost his parents, sister and brother....I lost my grandparents, best childhood friend, my father...

Conversely, my brother and sister-in-law gave us nieces and nephews and Godchildren to dote upon!

The house always needed repairs we couldn't afford, but we cleaned, cooked, shopped, decorated and baked around the crumple and still laughed at the end of the day........And argued like cats and dogs....and lived to laugh (and fuss) another day.

But, 2011 proved to be too much. 

Beginning in January, we were back and forth to the Wound Care center, Dr. visits and Hospital stays back-to-back-to back. Freddie would no sooner come home, he'd need to go back. His pills and monitors were everywhere, he was failing.

August 24, 2011 at 5 am, my son came to me and said, "I think Dad is having a stroke". We got him to the ER (no easy feat..he was a bit combative in his confused state) and he was experiencing an aphasic stroke. (and we uncovered it had not been his first stroke)

So,  although he came home for a month, afterwards, our October 11 trip to the ER proved to be the beginning of the end of our tri-weekly visits.

Freddie's heart and lungs and kidneys couldn't work anymore. His organs failing, body temperature dropping, blood pressure dropping, he was placed upon a respirator after suffering a cardiac arrest.

We were comforted to have 18 more hours to all be together, although he could not speak.,.,he knew we were all at his bedside and he mouthed words to us and we understood one another.

And at 2am, October 24, 2011 he passed onto the Everlasting.

We didn't have a "perfect marriage", in fact, it was like living a nightmare sometimes.......But, during the past few recent years, after the children were grown, we evolved into more a devoted true friendship than a sexy  romance..and it was OK.

And after his funeral....a loving, personal and spiritual tribute to my husband of over 3 decades....it was time to lay him to well-deserved rest. I laid a rose and whispered as I kissed his casket, "Byebye buddy, I'll see you soon"

Happy Birthday!

          

HAPPY, HAPPY 22ND BIRTHDAY MARK

ENJOY A HEALTHY AND BLESSED YEAR

LOVE ALWAYS, MOM

September 11, 2011

Watching broadcasts all day on the 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001.
I think I feel worse today than I did a decade ago,
Still so unbelieveable....
God Bless us all

Hurricane Irene

What a drag!

Nothing major--High Anxiety, shopping, relocation, packing up irreplacable treasures~~just annoyances, really~~~~

No Cable TV, no telephone, no PC connection... [skylights that LEAKED!]... a large, old tree across the road where we live for 5 days...Nothing some towels, bucket and broom (and a Detour) couldn't mend.




But wait! Did I neglect to mention my husband had had an aphasic stroke on the Wednesday before, and was still in ICU? (I KNEW I forgot something......Poor man is home now, in outpatient therapies and making a remarkable recovery)




Never-the-less...We commenced to eek out some Good Eats and Fun Times~~~~{My brother had POWER}




My Mom and my kids spent 2 days at my brother's house----5 cousins, 1 grandma, 2 sibs [and sister-in-law], 3 old friends from Arizona, one cat and 3 doggies!

While the grown-ups were watching the Weather Channel...... the kids were online, and playing Wii (sp) and texting and tumbling about the house with the dogs.....(Naturally) I made my way into the kitchen to cook.

(my personal response to most of Life's situations..)




It was our "Hurricane Irene, Are u kidding me" party---

ENJOY!

For the Appetizer:

I rolled a Thanksgiving Day sized platter (twice) of smoked turkey, roast beef, chesses, and assorted crudite'.

Next, side dishes of Mixed Olives,

Roasted Peppers,~~

Chick pea/artichoke heart/marinated mushroom cold salad.




For the Entree:

A pot of saffron rice/cannellini beans ~~ and a pot of ground beef with onions, garlic, cumin, smoked pimenton, salt, pepper, and a big bay leaf. (to spoon over rice)

One of our friends made a huge, beautiful salad of heirloom tomatoes, (from his 90 year old father's garden!) cucumbers, purple onion salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil ~~~and cubed a big fresh artisan loaf of sourdough bread to sop up the juices! Amazing..




For Dolce:

And, at some point, in the midst of this, while afterwards were we washing dishes and throwing in a load of laundry~~~~

While the kids decided to bake cookies and brew coffee and steep teas.....Jose Cuervo did make an unannounced appearance....(well, always room for another friend at the table)




Soon after, the compressors came out and it was time to blow up the beds...

We watched "Meet the (Focker) Parents" and all fell sleep by 1am.....to the sounds of some rain and some wind, but nothing as spectacular, as The Weather Channel was relentlessly predicting.




Now, it is a week later, and the sun is shining, the winds and waters have receded, my husband is back home and I still have dishes and photographs to unpack and restore to their original places of grace within this little homestead.




School begins on Tuesday again, I need to get organized!




Bye for now..I hope everyone is back to normal on the East Coast!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to 56 year old me!
Yummy carrot cake mini-muffins with cream cheese, walnut frosting!

I had an excellent day and will write about it with photos over the weekend..
My good, generous and loving children bought their mama a KINDLE .It is very cool and I am most grateful.

My Mom treated us to lunch and then we went shoe-shopping...
And so many FACEBOOK birthday wishes!..I felt very loved and so appreciate every single Happy Birthday wish..so...thank you bunches, all my dear friends and family. You made my day!

Now, look at this ! This jug belonged to my Great Grandmother, Marianna, and she brought it with her from Sicily at the turn of the century (1906) when she arrived in NYC (pregnant with my grandmother)

Isn't it exquisite?
(Oh, and can anyone advise me on how to set  CORRECT date on my camera? These shots are from August 12-19, 2011 Thx)

 My big old girl, Olivia, was very curious...Her sister, Jennifer, not-so-much..go figure....

Know what this is?
This is my Grandparents 1930 sugar bowl !
{I bet they bought it at the Hardware store for 2 bucks, at that time.... }
This is the sugar bowl that sat upon their modest kitchen table for the 38 years I had my Grandparents (we lived right next door to one another for my first 13 years) and I was always enchanted by it's simple, yet beautiful, unique style.
And, as you must know....I treasure it..

It has been 18 years since my grandparents went to Heaven, and even (no,especially) today they stand united and glorious as a positive, loving, comforting, intelligent, funny!~~ shining beacon of an example of true love, compassion, caring, courage, hope, perseverance, honorable spirit and love of family and neighbor, alike....This sugar bowl seems to be a tiny but emotionally tangible illustration of the SWEETNESS of their lives, and of the sweet memories they left for us to cherish!
And although (100 years later), their children, grandchildren and Great-grandchildren! are still struggling to make ends meet (lol) we are all close to one another, and are all good parents and children to one another----And what better Legacy can anyone hope to leave?

                                                            WE ARE ALL SO BLESSED!

Tired

I am tired.


This year has been, in some ways, relaxing and rejuvenating. Well, from June 2010 through the Holidays was an excellent time for me, anyway....

The weather between late summer and Christmas time has always been my favourite and although I could wish it to be that way all year, well, it wouldn't be as special as it feels when mid-August does arrive...I do love it so much and even after 56 years, I relish this time of year, every year.

[Counting one's blessings is so under-rated...it makes all the difference in attitude and outlook and peace of heart, body, soul and mind.]
                                    Still, I am exhausted,....


In February my father got sick, was hospitalized, and remained there until his return to Heaven on April 10, 2011.
And over the past four months we have all drawn together and sometimes pulled away a bit, too..as Life goes on...
Nonno's 5 amazing, busy grandchildren do help us focus on LIFE!


Last Wednesday, I embarked upon what was initially going to be a 4 day mini-vacay for me...Pet-sitting 3 of my most favourite doggies and one of my most favourite cats. The setting was my brother's very nice home, on 2 serene manicured acres....about an hour from my house, and I was looking forward to the change of scenery and doggy companionship. (I brought 4 books, my yoga mat and DVD, hand weights, nuts and seeds..I was excited!)


Instead...! My husband took sick, and we had to make 2 trips to the ER (he has a fractured rib and pneumionia (don't ask...). He is having pain----and not able right now to be alone for too long (he needs help getting around), so each day I drove to my canine friends, fed, watered, played, walked and generally had a FUN time enjoying their innocent antics, for a brief couple of hours~~ to drive back home to check on my pained-and-none-to happy patient...It's OK...Hubs is slowly mending..and my job was ful-filled, even if not in the anticipated manner....Ah, LIFE!

New job!

Hello Everyone!

Guess what?
I am working again and happy to celebrate and share this good news. Woooooo Hoooo.
Just wanted to tell you this blessed turn of events and I will write more about everything when I begin on September 6th. Blessings to all.