December 31

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaappppy New Year

to all my bloggy friends!!

FOUR

Amazing what I can do when on vacation..even Memes!!

Four things to do before I die:
1. Visit the Great Wall Of China
2. Hang glide (with a trained professional)
3. See the great American Monuments and sights, natural and man made (Mt Rushmore. Grand Canyon et al)
4. Travel, travel, travel.................

Four things I love about my spouse:
1. His generosity in every way
2. He is an art savant..I have never known anyone who can recall artists and their works on a dime..no matter how obscure..if he has seen it once..he can rememeber it...It's rather amazing.
3. His sense of humor
4. He dances like no one else...I mean NO ONE

Four things I say:
1. I love you
2. Hi Honey, it's Mom (phone)
3. Sure, I can do that
4. Have a nice day

Four movies I could watch over and over:
1. Gone With The Wind
2. Almost Famous
3. Casablanca
4. All the Lord Of The Rings films

Four jobs I've had:
1. Worked in a mail room
2. Travel agent
3. Electronics store
4. Art & Antique dealer

Four places I've lived:
1. Bloomfield, NJ
2. Montclair, NJ
3. Miami, Fl
4. Hollywood, FL

Four TV shows I like to watch:
1. Amazing Race
2. The Office
3. 30 Rock
4. Hardball

Four places I've been on holiday (vacation):
1. Paradise Island, Bahamas
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. California
4. Turk & Caicos

Four favorite dishes:
1. Sushi
2. Veal Francese
3. Rigatoni with meat sauce
4. Aged Filet Mignon, Baked potato, salad with gorgonzola dressing (ok so that was a meal...

Four places I'd rather be:
there is no where I'd rather be right now

Greetings from the Keys

A few days ago my husband asked if I wanted to spend the New Years Holiday in the Florida Keys...my answer..BUT OF COURSE, who wouldn't!

It's only a 2.5 hour drive southward...our business is on hiatus this week. I could really use some R & R as we had had such a hectic fall, what with my step daughter getting married....a trip to Disney with our 6 grandchildren. Those same 6 plus their parents spending some time with us in our small but comfortable home. A 13 hour drive to NC for Thanksgiving. Somewhere in the middle of all that I found time to actually work, go Christmas shopping, wrap presents and decorate our home. Bake 12 dozen cookies, wrap and deliver them to friends. Then cooked for 2 days prior to Christmas for our annual Christmas party on Christmas day for 25 of our closest friends and family. Can you say EXHAUSTED? well I can...but in a good way.

So here I sit in beautiful Key Colony Beach, FL..in a lovely home, on a canal, steps away from either the Gulf of Mexico or the blue Atlantic. We stopped at Alabama Jacks on the way down, which serves the finest conch fritters anywhere...and just spent the evening visiting with friends. The stars are out in plenty tonight and the temperature...a balmy 77 degrees (and its after 10!!) My biggest dilemma over these next few days should be nothing less than, shall I have the blackened grouper or grilled?? Should we spend the morning at the Beach? or pool? Shall we fish for mangrove snapper or yellow tail snapper...decisions, decisions... ;-)

Happy New Year My friends!! Wish You Were Here!!

BIG HUGS!!

Holiday Eating

Eating Tips for the Holidays

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can and quickly. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an "eggnog-aholic" or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it!!!! Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand-alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello???

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, pumpkin and mincemeat - have a slice of each. Or, if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?



9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Reread tips: Start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

A gift of a goat, a pig and a sheep

This year I gave gifts in the name of our children to Heifer International. It is an organization that gives gifts of livestock to families in need around the world including the US.

Heifer International is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability.

When a family receives the gift of, say a goat, they can raise and breed it, use the goats milk for food and to sell the milk to provide for their families. They then give it's offspring to other families in their village, thus paying it forward.

I researched many charities this year and as you probably know there are many that could use support.

Take a look at their website, it can be a perfect last minute gift that will surely enrich the lives of those who surely could use it.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

Holiday Snowglobe Part Duex

I posted this about a year ago....I don't care...I'M posting it again..it's fun..and I love it!!

It's took some doing but..

I finally got my Christmas tree up

burp!

Bruce!

The email reads:


You purchased 2 tickets to: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street BandBankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL


Fri, Apr 18, 2008 07:30 PM





Got online yesterday just prior to 10:00am, when tickets went on sale. I was happy to get decent seats on the lower level (no general admission floor..I'm not into squuezing down there...I wanted reserved seats).

Once a Jersey girl, always a jersey girl. Bruce is dear to me..YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I, meme, mine

I picked this up from Jl4, who picked it up from Karen's Kastle, who picked it up from Blackbird. No one asked me to do it, I just picked it up..

1. Where is your mobile phone? on the kitchen counter

2. Relationship? The best

3. Your hair? blonde.

4. Work? yes, busy and profitable....yay.

5. Your sister(s)? One sister gone since 1991, but girlfriends who are surrogates.

6. Your favorite thing? rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens....oops, thats been used before...right now ordering xmas gifts on line and having them delievered to my door. SWEET!

7. Your dream last night? can't remember detais, but I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. what's that all about???

8. Your favourite drink? Tropical Iced Tea.

9. Your dream car? a Rolls with a driver.

10. The room you're in? livingroom.

11. Your shoes? many, many shoes..I love shoes..sandals, heels, comfy, I love shoes...shoes, shoes shoes..

12. Your fears? not too many fears any more..losing my husband or daughter..but I don't dwell on that.

13. What do you want to be in 10 years? Alive. (jl4's answer..I like it) and healthy (I'll add)

14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? husband (12 hour drive from NC to Fla, thank god we like each other so much)

15. What are you not good at? bowling...no big loss there

16. Muffin? Thank you, yes...that lemon poppy seed one looks delish.

17. Wish list item? Trip to Europe

18. Where you grew up? New Jersey (can't you tell by my accent?)

19. The last thing you did? visited blogs

20. What are you wearing? PJ's still..I better hit the shower

21. What are you not wearing? um...socks.

22. Your pet? Buster, deceased and missed.

23. Your computer? Dell.

24. Your life? A wild ride

25. Your mood? Mui Contenta

26. Missing? family who is no longer with me.

27. What are you thinking about? this meme

28. Your car? 2007 RED Honda Civic coupe..I LOVE MY CAR

29. Your kitchen? clean

30. Your summer? Far too long.

31. Your favourite colour? Blue

32. Last time you laughed? last night.

33. Last time you cried? Thanksgiving day when my granddaughter (age 6) handed me a home made drawing of she and I watching the Macy's parade.

34. School? been there, done that.

35. Love? nothing like it....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

My life has been a veritable whirlwind of activity for most of this month. Went to Disney world a couple of weekends ago and had a blast with our grandchildren.

Then the family of 8 (6 grandchildren, Mom and Dad) came to stay with us for 4 days so we could all attend my step-daughters wedding this past Saturday. The wedding was wonderful, the bride was lovely, the groom, couldn't have been more handsome and the 2 of them couldn't be more in love. We threw a hell of a reception and a fabulous time was had by all.

Entertained friends from out of town on Sunday and now I find myself in a Comfort Inn on I-95 somewhere in South Carolina, heading up to North Carolina to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with the afore (sic?) mentioned family of 8.

I don't think I could be any more thankful for all that I have in my life. That being said, I wanted to wish YOU ALL a very happy, healthy and wonderful Thanksgiving.

If you are from the Northeast and listened to progressive rock radio in the 1970's, you may remember that each Thanksgiving at 11:00 am the DJ would PLAY THIS SONG. It brings back many many memories for me and perhaps for you too. Happy Thanksgiving friends.

BIG HUGS!!

leelee

Friday Puzzler

Do you remember the classic slider puzzles? Numbers 1-9 on little sliding tiles? Sure you do...so give this cute slider a try:

Have a great weekend friends!! I'm off to Disney World..YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Don't Forget Them

When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following:

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

They've given so much..it's the least we can do to let them know they are still in our thoughts.

Friday Puzzler

Road Blocks 2 game

You have to use your arrow keys to move the thingy around..start easy.

Have fun and have a great weekend!!

HUGS!!

Happy Halloween!!

From leelee

Verbicidal Tendencies

Wow...I am now hereby a contributor. Wordplay rocks!

Check me out

Friday Puzzler

3 of my 6

Grandchildren

If this doesn't put a smile on your face...well, I just don't know what will.

Time sure flies..

I have hardly had a moment lately to put anything up here...busy with family, friends and wedding preparations for my step daughters weddding one month from today 11/17. Wow!!!

I'm still here...and still flitting around the blogdom, but can't put anything cohesive together for a post.

In tHE meantime...I'll just send you all some HUGS!!

PS: I did put a new song up on Kitchen Concerts though...A good one...but then again, aren't they all...go..have a listen

KITCHEN CONCERTS

Disinvited to the Party

Why Giuliani's candidacy could be a good thing for the GOP.

By Anna Quindlen
Newsweek

One of the complaints you hear a lot from readers when you're in my line of work and live in my part of the country is that you can't understand America from the vantage point of New York City. I'm beginning to think there's some truth to that, and it's all because of the candidacy of Rudy Giuliani.

Ever since the presidency was a mere gleam in his eye, lots of New Yorkers have been predicting that Rudy, like a toddler or a genuine bagel, would not travel well across the country. It wasn't just the quasi-liberal positions on abortion, gay rights and gun control: he could massage those, and sometimes has. It was his private life, which his former constituents have watched with all the avidity of a soaps addict tuning in to "All My Children." There was the annulment from the first wife, who was his second cousin, the press conference he used to inform the second wife that she was history, the girlfriend he met in the cigar bar who became wife number three, and the very public estrangement from his children, both of whom have suggested that they won't be stumping for Dad. To which the candidate recently responded at a town-hall meeting, "Leave my family alone, just like I'll leave your family alone."

This would be a reasonable response were Giuliani not a member of the Republican Party, which in the last three decades has often been less about public policy and more about moral judgment. It wasn't always so. Once the GOP was moderate and secular. But then the '60s arrived. Society divided itself neatly into the button-down and the tie-dyed, and the Republican Party rallied around something called "family values." It's a phrase that has appeared in every party platform since 1976 and is often accompanied by the adjective "traditional," which translated means that if you don't have a stay-at-home mommy, a dominant daddy, some kids, a marriage license and a church membership, you're disinvited to the party.

Combined with the ascendancy of the religious right, which had the distinct political advantage of insisting that even its most uncharitable positions were beamed down from above, what developed was a neat political dichotomy. The Democrats were godless liberals—"contemporary socialism" was how the 1992 GOP platform put it—no matter how often they went to church or voted for war. And the Republicans were the party of old-fashioned values, less constitutional than canonical. Barry Goldwater, once known as Mr. Conservative, decried this shift before he died: Christian conservatives were, he said, "trying to take the Republican Party away from the Republican Party, and make a religious organization out of it."

It took some sleight of hand to reinforce this positioning. You have to give credit to the spin-sters who portrayed Ronald Reagan as a paterfamilias (although he had distant relationships with his children) guided by God (although he scarcely ever went to church). By contrast, while the Clintons were inveterate churchgoers and involved parents, and decided to keep their marriage together after consulting with Billy Graham, it was easy in the wake of the Lewinsky scandal to demonize their personal lives. Bill Clinton alone helped to keep the Republican Church of Moral Certainty alive longer than it might have been, and Hillary Clinton's candidacy has given its fringes a second wind.

But a shift has slowly been brewing. The Republican platform of 1992 had the family-values section at its very beginning; by 2004 it appeared at the end. National security had trumped the wacky emphasis on whether kids can sue their parents. Perhaps in part this was because even Republican families have changed in the last 30 years. The vice president became enraged when he was asked by a reporter about his daughter, a lesbian with a longtime partner, who gave birth to their first child not long ago. Maybe Dick Cheney genuinely thinks there is no conflict between being the standard-bearer of a party that has been hostile to gay rights and the father of a person who might need them. But if you run on family values, both your values and your family will inevitably be subject to scrutiny. Be careful what you wish for: it might get you.

A Giuliani victory wouldn't be a good thing for this country, but his candidacy may wind up being a very good thing for his party. The poll numbers that show him consistently ahead come as a surprise to many of us in the city where he was once mayor—and where he once bunked with a gay couple after leaving his second wife. But perhaps they indicate that the end is nigh for the stranglehold the Leviticus lobby has had on the GOP. All those who joined the Republican Party for smaller government, not fire and brimstone, may be ready to take back the power, to say that health care is more important than creationism, that the disintegration of Social Security is more critical than a ban on gay marriage. Maybe Republicans are finally ready to be members of a political party again, the kind Barry Goldwater could embrace, one that knows the difference between a podium and a pulpit.

Pictures from the weekend

Back in the 80's my friends and I used to spend most every weekend at our friend Bob's parents lake house in the Pocono's. We were all single, young and free. Needless to say, if those walls could talk....yikes!! But really we always had a wonderful time. We decided to get together last weekend while I was up..we brought out all the old pictures, left kids and spouses at home and had a mini "kids" reunion.

Doe-die (we always considered the local wildlife friends..yeah we named them)

Bucky, Doe-die and family

An honest to god pumpkin patch...I love that!!!

Debbie, leelee and bobby BFF!!



A view from Bob's deck...

The lake

leelee and Chon

end of day and end of a great weekend!

Today is MY day!!

It's MY birthday..

Happy Birthday to leelee.

Hello...it's me

Quickly...I'm back from a mini leelee vacation...went to NJ/PA for teh weekend..the weather was perfect..the friends were great...I had a flipping blast!!

Saw Genesis at Giants Stadium on Thursday night...

View From My seat way up high!!

A fan's vid...way down low...




It was WONDERFUL!!

Spent the remainder of the weekend with my bestest friends in all the world..

We took tons of pictures but..it'll take me some time to get that together...

But here's a camera phone pic of leelee at one of my old hangouts in Montclair NJ.. We revisited old spots and had fun talking about all the memories..

They say you can't go home...but...sometimes I think you can... :-)

Benjamin Franklin said...

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

I find myself trapped on that particular hamster wheel lately, in regard to a couple of relationships I have..one with a friend one with a family member.

In the last 2 days I have had 2 light bulb moments in regard to them. Yesterday was the "aha" with my friend. I realized that our relationship is what it is because of the direction and circumstances of our lives. It's not going to change and I have decided FINALLY to let it go.

Today's "aha" is all about the relationship with a particular family member. We are where we are because she has made a choice about how she wants to live her life..and I need to let my expectations and assumptions go. I have decided to FINALLY let go.

I find myself at peace about the friendship and am working toward being at peace with my family member..that is the best I can do...

Wonderful Old Gal

One day, I saw a wonderful old gal sitting on her front step, so I walked up to her and said, "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look. What is your secret for such a long, happy life?"





"I smoke ten stogies a day," she said. "Before I go to bed, I smoke a nice big joint. All my life, I've eaten only junk food, and I put away at least a fifth of Jack Daniels every week. On weekends, I pop pills, and never do any exercise at all."

"Absolutely, absolutely amazing," I thought, and asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-four," she replied.

The Ball That broke Hanks record....

what do you think should be done with the ball??

Click here to cast a vote

What a great weekend so far..and it's only Sunday afternoon

...and here I sit in my comfy chair with my feet up watching football with my honey.

My husband asked me on Thursday if I wanted to go up to the Orlando area for the weekend. We are antique dealers and there was an antique fair up in Mt Dora. Mt Dora is a lovely picturesque town a bit North and West of Orlando. The charming little burg sits lakeside and is filled with B & B's , cafe's and shops. Note to Orlando area readers: GO THERE if you haven't discovered it yet..I think it is probably lovely at Christmas time. We spent friday night there, had a great dinner and just really enjoyed our quiet time together. Saturday we went to the antique fair and finished that up by 11 (we're early risers) and headed to Epcot at Disney.

Not crowded but extremely hot and humid. There is a bright spot about Disney in the off season...NO LINES..if you can handle the heat, the parks are really fun. We saw the entire park, went to all the good attractions and never waited more that 10 minutes for anything.

There is a quality to our life now, that I just feel so grateful for. My husband and I have been together for 22 years..and of course like all couples, you go through good times and bad times, exciting times and boring times. We work together, live together and play together. I don't know how many couples can do that, but we seem to have figured out the formula.

In any case, I won't bore you all with the details...but..it really has been a great weekend..and it's only Sunday afternoon!

It's still so hot!!

By mid September I am sooooooooooooooooo done with hot and humid weather. When I see the street audience on the Today show wearing light jackets, I am extremely jealous..I long for those days..and by now, I can barely stand another minute of this weather...

Gosh I hate when I whine...I'm going to look back on this post in January...when the people on the Today show are wearing coats and mittens, and it's 75 here...

ok I feel better now.

In Memorium

Photo's finally!!

Beautiful Flagler College in St Augustine

River Street In Savannah

Our oldest grandson - Pierce - 11 yrs old

Second oldest - Nikolai, 10 and his sister Sasha, 6 and my beautiful step daughter Tara, the Momma

3rd in Line Sebastian, 8

Our daughter Celina , 19 and Sasha, 6... BFF!!



Celina and Lilia, 3


The newsest member of the clan - Jude, 17 months




Tri County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats!!

Fun at the game, Sasha, Grandma leelee and Celina

Action shot!!

Friday Funny

A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came upon a restaurant
operated by a fellow cannibal. Feeling somewhat hungry, he sat down
and looked over the menu...

Broiled Missionary: $10.00

Fried Explorer: $15.00

Grilled Republican: $100.00

Baked Democrat: $100.00

The cannibal called the waiter over and asked, 'Why such a price
difference for the Politicians?

The waiter replied:
"Have you ever tried to clean one? They're so full of shit, it takes all
morning."

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig

Hi All!

Back home again..great trip...will fill you in and post LOTS OF PHOTOS...soon as I can carve out a minute

HUGS!

Long weekend

Heading out tomorrow for a nice long weekend...looking forward to visiting our Grandkids...YIPPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! You can count on pictures when I return..I look for any excuse to share MY SIX cutie's with you all.

Hope you all have a great labor day weekend..stay safe and have fun!

HUGS!!

The Black Crowes

So last night my 19 year old daughter humored me and accompanied me to a Black Crowes concert. I totally rocked...I mean how can you not? Daughter..was impressed with the music and my enthusiasm ~wink~ Mommy is a rock and roll girl ..Oh Yeah she is!!

Honestly, this week has been crazy. Looking forward to doing as little as possible this weekend, and preparing for our small road trip next weekend to visit our grandkids..I can't wait! Have a wonderful weekend bloggers!!

HUGS!!