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.