just for giggles

Shhhhh its a secret...

I was home alone today and...just for giggles... i put my wedding dress on and twirled around a few times.

Hope you all had as wonderful of a Christmas as I did.

making memories

The whole weekend was, in fact, a very relaxing, inspiring, and loving one. There are so many things I will treasure... OTHER THAN all the wonderful gifts I recieved, because after all... Christmas isn't about the gifts (and i truly believe that, having spent a few Christmas's without them).

This was our(Rob and me) first "official" Christmas together, having only been dating for a few weeks last year, so it was extra special in my eyes. We were (and are) a great team when it comes to planning stuff like this. SO much so that I was able to take an hour nap before everyone arrived Christmas eve. And only one little itty bitty argument to report which was extinguished almost instantly.

His mom and I spent all last Thursday making Christmas cookies (of which I did my duty and paid my visits to both our elderly widowed neighbors with special sugary treats in hand). It was nice to bond with my future mother-in-law and lick the bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough at the same time! It was also the first time I was able to join Rob with his family on Christmas morning. I even had my own stocking hanging on the mantle in their home.

I spent the whole day on Saturday with Grandma making empanadas and setting the table for our guests on Monday night. She was a riot! Let me tell you! Quite the joker - even with her memory loss. We headed into the supermarket near my house and she promptly scooted in front of me saying ... "Here let me get the door for you". I laughed to myself and said..."but Grandma, those are electric doors, they open by themselves". She gave me the biggest, slyest grin and said "I know". She cracks me up!

But i think by far the most significant moment was when she walked into my door again Monday night, looked around and said "Oh, i've been here before... just the other day, right?". It made my day complete. I guess there's still a little something left after all... and I think most of us were thankful she didn't take out her teeth to show everyone.

me and grandma in the kitchen

I didnt get a chance to post these pictures from Christmas yet. Grandma came to my house a few days before Christmas to help me cook and clean and get ready for a big party on Christmas Eve. We had a great time and these were the shots I captured in the kitchen.

Famous in a Small Town

Apparently i made the front page of the News Review this week as one of the "Faces of 2007"!

Check it out!

Times Review

Can you see me(or maybe i should say us)?

Are we missing the boat?

Sunday, Rob and I went shopping. Yeah I know, what was I thinking? But we needed to get a few more wine glasses for our huge celebration next Monday. Fifteen people for dinner and probably a few more for dessert! Linens n' Things had a great deal - 12 for $10. SOLD! But that was one of 4 stores we went to that day.

There was this sweet old lady in Costco struggling to push and move her cart over so that we and several others could get by. I of course reached out with a smile and lent a hand. Selfishly it made me feel better, but isn't that the idea? Helping others simply makes you feel good about yourself. I was astonished of course when she whispered in my ear with a smile on her face that she was 96 years old.

Lady, you don’t look 96.

Well, I feel it today after pushing this cart around, she said.

I tried REALLY hard to keep the spirit alive inside me, put on a happy face and lend a helping hand to those who couldn’t reach the toy, bend to pick up their glasses or move their cart. I truly wanted to enjoy the season and the “shopping” experience.

But as usual people were in a hurry to get on the shortest line, get out the door, to the next store and home in time for supper. Apparently there just weren’t enough hours in the day.

We did encounter a few rude people here and there, pushing their way through everything with their sense of entitlement. I had one woman who was in so much of a hurry she was practically breathing down my neck while waiting on line. I could FEEL her coat touching my back. Ugh. As a frequent theme park visitor, I have discovered there is only one cure for this sort of behavior: step backwards on to there toes – hard - and bump into them a couple of times. And as much as I wanted to do this to dragon lady behind me, I held back and behaved myself.

The worst, however, was driving.

Rob is a fairly non-aggressive driver. In fact I find myself egging him to go when he hesitates at an intersection.

Come on, I so could’ve gone twice.

Shush. I’m driving, not you. (One time he actually put his hand over my mouth to shut me up and to be honest, he was right. It was major PMS central that day. I like a man who can tell me like it is!).

So there we were driving down the road, pretty much going about our business and enjoying each other’s company. And in a matter of 2 hours we were flipped off at least twice, nearly run over by some lady with a nasty grimace on her face who seemed to think the parking lot was all hers and cut off by countless people just trying to get those prime parking spots.

Now I know where I live and New York is just high tension anyway. Admit it; even the most rural areas on the North Fork have more wired-up people than the back roads of Kentucky.

But seriously are we missing the boat?

This time of year is for holiday cheer, love, family, friends, giving….what happened to us?

I think next year I’ll just sit comfy at my desk browsing Amazon and wait patiently for my gifts to arrive at my door step.

time

Two girls from my high school lost their fathers this year and i feel like time is slipping away. Can't we spend more time together? Call me!

slush much?

Life does not stop

Though life does not stop
For me or for you
In my head I’ve been gone
Trapped in solitude

Ten years have passed
And suddenly I wake
Looking back down that road
Many mistakes I have made

Some were my fault
Others...not so much
But what counts is my life
Brand new and retouched

Though I have learned
many lessons in life
By far the most valued
Is how to be a better wife

I’m now seeing clearer
And before me lies gold
But one look in the mirror
And suddenly I’m old

For though my mind
Was on hold all those years
The world kept moving
And suddenly I was in arrears

A few more wrinkles
And tired eyes will show
that life does not stop
Even if you desire it so

But my appreciation for time
Has grown and grown
I will never again
Take for granted this milestone

Happy Holidays

Whatever you celebrate.... celebrate with love.

I get to do cool stuff!

In my work i get to do the coolest things!

This week I spent four days in Niagara Falls and I swore, since our hotel was only a 1/4 mile away, I would hike to see it at night no matter what! On our way to the hotel we could see the mist rising up from the Falls at least a mile or two away. It was inspiring! So I brought my gloves, hat, scarf, and winter coat to bundle up and this is what i saw. I had never seen the falls at night, all lit up. It was gorgeous! Breathtaking. Humbling.



The other part of my job is meeting great people. I've had the privilege of meeting both President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton. I've met Eliot Spitzer - our current Governor - before he was Governor. I met Pete Seger two summers ago...even bought him an ice cream. But probably one of the most unique experiences was meeting Doug Wheelock. Doug is one of the astronauts who just returned from space about 4 weeks ago. He and his team made an emergency repair on the international space station. Doug spoke to our group on the importance of teamwork. Very inspiring! What a privilege. PS. the woman to the left is a woman who knows how to grow GREAT sweet corn!