Strangely Attractive

There are certain things in life that I am strangely attracted to, and it occurred to me that a compilation of these oddities might be interesting(to me, at least).

Fonts. Some pay no attention to the selection of fonts, but I love 'em. My current favorite is one from my Print Shop Scrapbooking program called CK Journaling. Sydney recently showed me how to download famous fonts from DaFont.com, and that's totally cool. When I design marketing materials for my business, I have been known to spend hours selecting the perfect font. My business partner doesn't necessarily get it, buy I'm glad she loves me in spite of it.

Goofy. Wendi and I took the girls to Disneyworld when they were really little. At a Character breakfast, we were flanked by Minnie Mouse, Chip-n-Dale and the Goofy. Wendi and I both found ourselves strangely swooning over Goofy. Seriously. I'm not sure if the persona of the guy in the costume was that magnetic or it was just the costume, but ever since then, I blush a little when I see Goofy. ;)


The Posh Bob , aka the Pob. Okay, maybe not so strange to be attracted to this hairstyle, considering 80% of the residents of my township are wearing it, but I still am. I'm having an internal fight with myself not to get this haircut, but I like it so much. The problem I have with the do is that it's sooooo trendy. What looks completely chic today, will look completely dated in about 10 minutes. And it's sooooo popular. That's the other problem. I'm not one to go along with any crowd, and this particular style is definitely goes along with the crowd.

Good-N-Plenty Candy -

There's nothing like the crack of the sweet candy shell that exposes the chewy black licorice cylinder inside. I enjoy the Good-N-Plenty very much.

Swirl Tap-n-Buff - I started using Bare Minerals powder make-up about two years ago, and I still love it. It's the best.



Ugg Boots - I wouldn't let my children have them, cause they're expensive, trendy and unnecessary, but, whoops, I bought them for myself, and wow, I gotta admit, their awesome. Warm, comfy, and no socks necessary. I never want to take them off.



General Hospital - Started watching at age 14, when Laura first met Scotty and during the virus epidemic that was spread by Jeremy Logan (my friend Irisa just read this and laughed out loud). I still watch, almost every night at 10 on Soapnet, and I'll always love it.


Scrabble - its Scrabulous.







Hair and Make-up Products - I can't help it. When I'm in the store and I see a product that promises shiny hair, or smooth, younger looking skin I'm a complete sucker.







Craft Supplies - I have a Craft Room that is filled with cool supplies. When I walk into a Craft Store I go into a daze...I just love looking at the glue and the paint and the scrapbooking paper. Gregg would rather stick needles in his eyes.

Matching Socks - It seems like we have tons of unmatched pairs of socks, and I've been holding on to them for years. Cause nothings as good as matching up a pair.

Drug store Eyeglasses - Thank goodness for these cheap convenient sight enhancers...cause I lose them all the time.

The Obituary Section - I remember my mom reading it every morning, and I thought that was so weird. Now...I read it too. I guess that comes with age.


Other Random Stuff I love:

HGTV
Kathy Griffin
Le Mystere Bra
Baby Powder
Bounty Paper Towels (accept no substitute)
Chris Cuomo on Good Morning America
Project Runway
Valerie Bertanelli

Sorry Wendi, I Got NOTHING

Wendi and I have a code, for when our last blog post gets stale.

UMS

This stands for Update, my Shish. (Shish is our code name for sister...she is The Shish ...da shish and I'm Little Shish or Lilshish) Shish is pronounced Sheesh.

Okay, now that everyone understands how very immature two forty something women can be, Wendi has made it known that my blog needs an update.

Yeah, okay, but it's spring break, and the kids are home, and I don't have anything all that earth shattering to write about.

Hmmm, let's see. Nope, nothing good.

So, for right now, I'll just go and make Addie's breakfast, but at least I've updated.

So there.

Connecting the Dots

We had the unenviable task of attending the viewing and funeral for our young cousin David, who passed away earlier this week. Though he was Gregg's first cousin, we didn't know him well. When David was born, Gregg was already 26 years old, and on the cusp of entering his real adulthood. We were married and had our first child a few years later, so for most of David's life, we were in different worlds.

That's not to say we didn't know him. When he was very little, and I met him for the first time, we attended his big brother's First Communion. He was a very precocious little boy, and I was charmed by him. I knelt down in the kitchen to say hello to him, and as I greeted him, he took one look at me and smacked me right on the face. (The first and last time ANYone has ever done that to me.) I looked up stunned and a little embarrassed that I couldn't work my magic on him. I never mentioned it to his mommy and daddy, I didn't see the need, and I didn't want them to be upset by it, because I certainly wasn't, just a little stunned, I guess.

When he was older, we shared that story with him, and thought he had no recollection, he did apologize for his behavior.

For many years, on the night after Christmas, David's parents, would have the whole family over to celebrate and bond. David, a gifted musician, kept to himself, disappearing for long stretches, and then we'd see him sitting at the piano, alone in the living room, making music that seemed somehow beyond the reach of someone so young.

But, still, we didn't know him well. My older daughters certainly didn't. He was 7 or 8 years older than they are, so I'm sure neither party had too much interest at family gatherings. And so, we never really got the chance to forge a close relationship.

We took the older girls to the viewing on Wednesday night. The line wound around the funeral home and we waited in the stark quiet for our turn to greet the family, and view the body. As we approached the main area, we heard piano music. These were recordings of David's amazing music. Beautiful displays were set up, as a memorial. Gracing this area were his keyboard, a guitar, some favorite nick-nacs, a letter from his girlfriend, and pictures. Pictures from our family get togethers, soccer and baseball games, birthday parties, his sister's wedding.

We were in a couple of the pictures. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was, a little. These 40 or so pictures were a memorial to David, but really they were just the dots. Like the dots in a "Connect the dots" picture. We get to see the dots, but it is up to us to really fill in the blanks and to add color and life to the picture.

We got to see the significant moments, but his life was so much more. These are the things about him that I'll probably never know. The timbre of his voice, what made him laugh, a quirky mannerism, his favorite book, his favorite music. I know he played soccer, but what position. I know he had a girlfriend, but for how long and how serious? He was an Uncle, but was he around a lot? Was he like Aunt Wendi is to my girls?

I realize that's why I felt so odd about being in the photographic memorial to his life. We were there, given important billing, but we were probably not anyone he ever thought about.

But it does make sense. What we are to our family, even family we are not close to (and we all have extended family like that) is the bare bones of life. Family is what defines you before you ever can define yourself. And those moments, the soccer games, the piano recitals the family gatherings begin to give life it's shape. The rest was up to him. Just like the dots in that connect-the-dots drawing. How sad that this drawing never had the chance to really get finished.

Bat Mitzvah Synopsis

I wanted to briefly journal some of my observations and musings about the B'not Mitzvah while they were still fairly fresh in my mind. I'm just going to list things as they pop into my head.

1. The Toe. Of course, the most trivial of matters, but just in case you wondered. When we arrived at the synagogue, I threw caution to the wind, and stuck my foot in the high heels. It hurt, but, surprisingly not that bad. The adrenaline pumped and kept me in those shoes for the rest of the day.
2. The Children. The Bat Mitzvah Girls were perfect in every way. They were behaved with poise and elegance on the bimah, and each completed all of her tasks with perfection.
3. Aunt Wendi. Looked stunning. Cried Buckets.
4. Gran-dad. Presented the Tallit to the girls, and, it was one of the most heartfelt moments of the day.
5. Grandmom. Stunning. I photocopied all of the speeches so she could follow along (since she is hearing challenged). As the girls spoke, I could here her chuckle a few moments before the punchlines were spoken. I'm so glad she got to experience their speeches.
6. Addie. Looked like a princess. When she was called to the bimah to open the ark, she ran up, fast as lighting. She had a slight meltdown at the reception. I think it was all a little much for her. If I had to do it all over again, I might have hired a babysitter to shadow her for the day, just to make sure she was taken care of. So I kind of feel bad about that.
7. My dress. Do you know how a lot of women look at the mirror and see an unrealistic view of themselves,(ie, they think they're really fat, but they are really not). Apparently, I have the opposite problem. I thought the dress looked nice, and I felt good about myself. I just saw the video, and eeeeeek, not so good. I think I was a Glamour Don't, and in the end, I'm very unhappy with my dress. My legs, according to my mom, however, looked good. I'll get over it, I think, what can I do now?
8. The Weather. March in the Northeast can be many things. Snow, springlike or somewhere in between. Of course we worried a lot about snow. What we forgot to worry about were monsoons. And we had one. It began around sundown Friday night, and lasted until sundown Saturday. So essentially the entire 24 hours of festivities. We managed well, however, when leaving the synagogue on the way to the reception, the rain came sideways under the protective awning area. My hair was destroyed. It also delayed us from getting to the reception and I'm pretty sure we lost a good 45 minutes of our cocktail hour.
9. The Cocktail Hour. The biggest disappointment. The food and drink were plentiful and tasty (I think) , but I requested that all 135 kids be separated from the adults for this one part of the event. Though I was assured that this would happen, it didn't. Again, can't do anything about it now, but I'm very disappointed.
10. The Decor. My heart skipped a beat when I walked into the reception room. It looked beautiful. I had made all the centerpieces, and they looked great. We also had a huge sign made professionally with the letters HC/SC (the girls initials), in the style of the AC/DC logo. It's now in my basement, and I'm not sure what to do with it :)
11. The Wii. My dear friend (the Ethel to my Lucy), worked her magic and gifted my family with a Wii system. I am now a Guitar Hero addict. Addison has mastered bowling, and I think Wii tennis is my favorite new activity.
12. Afterwards. We had out-of-towners, family and neighbors join us for a casual supper at the house. We also had 20 of the girls camp friends sleep over. That was probably too much. I was tired.
13. The Wine. I drank too much of it. Probably because I wanted to dull the big toe pain. I also forgot to eat. I was too excited. I didn't behave like a sloppy drunk, thankfully, but I kind of don't remember a good deal of the day. Ooops.
14. The Hora. Though I requested no chair-lifting for me, somehow, I went up. We watched the video and my daughter pointed out that I forgot to cross my legs. Who knew there was Hava Nagila etiquette. The last time I was up on a chair was my wedding day, and I had a long gown on. Oooops again.
15. My husband. Love him. Love him. Love him.
16. The Stomach Thing. Apparently, there was a fair number of people who attended who suffered from diarrhea and/or vomiting a couple days after the event. It didn't seem to be food poisoning, but rather a virus that made it's way through the crowd. I feel really bad about that one. Oooops again.
17. The Guests. I couldn't stop hugging people. Seeing everyone you know and love in one room is the most incredible feeling. And you know how usually a few people don't show up at the last minute? Not one No Show in the bunch. NOT ONE! Everyone was so gracious and seemed happy to be there. That was the greatest gift of all.
18. The End. That's it. I'm sure there is more that I forgot to write about, but as far as discussions about March 8, 2008...it is being officially put to rest.

Thank you for your patience!!! We will now be resuming our normal life.

Untitled

Eleven years ago, I was a young overwhelmed mother of two beautiful little girls. Money was tight, and I was just trying to figure out how to get a grasp of the daunting task of being a stay at home mom, without going crazy. I spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself.

I had to have my gall bladder removed, and was scheduled for a same day procedure. Unfortunately, complications arose, and I had to be hospitalized for a full week, until I was healthy enough to go home. I spent a week, sustained by iv fluids and Demerol injections. This gave me more reason to feel sorry for myself, except, I didn't. As it turned out, those complications were the best thing to ever happen to me.

Maybe it was the lady in the bed next to mine. She had no family to visit her. She had complications on top of an already complicated health history. Yet she was grateful. For the friends she had made in the city. For her faith in G-d.

Perhaps it was seeing the face of my oldest daughter on the one day the visited me. When she came to my bed, and chattered about her adventures, I felt like I was looking at her for the first time. Every gesture, every word, I soaked it in. How beautiful and perfect she was, and in my daily routine, I'd forgotten to be grateful.

Or the walk I took in the hospital hallway. As I traveled slowly, in hospital slippers, attached by a needle in my thumb to my rolling iv, I couldn't help notice the other patients. They laid in gray rooms, alone. Staring blankly at blaring televisions. Alone. And then I came upon a room, filled with flowers and photographs, stuffed animals and construction paper artwork. And just as I thought, how lucky for that person, I realized, that person was me.

It hit me on that day, that I'm a princess. Not in a bad way. In the best way possible. I am completely blessed with love and health and family, and its always been there. I guess I didn't realize how lucky that made me. It was a simple fact of life, but oh my, not everyone has it so good.

I left the hospital, a little bruised and battered, but healthier than I have ever been. Grateful, finally for my blessings. Since that day, I have always called the experience the worst, best thing that ever happened to me.

This morning, we learned that Gregg's 21 year old cousin died, suddenly, inexplicably. Brilliant and musically gifted, he was battling addiction issues, but on the road to success. He leaves his parents, a brother, a sister, two nephews, a niece and his Grandmom (our Me-mom) Ruth.

They say every experience in life has a lesson. I don't like this one. I don't like that people that we love and care about are experiencing the worst kind of grief. I don't like the slightly nauseous feeling that I'm carrying with me today. I don't like that Gregg is so beside himself he doesn't know what to do. I don't like that my daughters feel sorrow.

But, will my daughters attend that funeral, and see first hand what drugs can do? Yes. Do I look around my overflowing house today, filled with the girls' friends and not feel overwhelmed? Yes. Do I look at my husband, who I spent the evening bickering with last night, and see him with extra tenderness? Yes. And I see my life, and remember again, how extraordinary it is. How what I normally perceive as mundane and overwhelming is really the greatest gift of all.

I don 't want this lesson. I don't want to feel this way. But, in times of sorrow, I have to find a way to process it. And this is the only way I can right now. I can be grateful for the blessings in our life, and be thankful for today, for we never know what will be tomorrow.

Moving up in the Blog World

Now that the BM is over *that's bat mitzvah, not bowel movement, silly....I have to start focusing on my other job...running the art program at an overnight camp. This is a pretty time consuming task, year-round, as I get to plan a summers worth of programming for our campers.

I've been toying with the idea of a "Crafty Blog" . There are so many out there, but this one is specifically for kid crafts tailored for a group situation. We offer Arts and Crafts, Ceramics, Sewing, Jewelry, Cooking, Paper Crafting, Wood working and Rocketry, and there should be a little of everything included.

Though these are for my camp program, Girl Scout Troops, Birthday Parties Hosts, Room Parents might find some interesting ideas.

So, I hope you'll stop by, I'll be updating very frequently!

The Camp Art Lady (aka Everything's Better with Glitter)

Montage

This is the video montage I made, about the girls. We showed it at the reception. :)

WE DID IT!!

We made it, and it was spectacular. I want to post photos and the like, but for right now, I am posting the speech I made to the girls at the ceremony. Enjoy :)

When Hayley was born and the doctor said, “it’s a girl”, I was overjoyed. Not only was she healthy and beautiful, but she was a girl!! And truth be told, I really wanted a girl. So after giving birth to my first girl, I thought, that would be enough girls for me. But when I was expecting Sydney, I hoped for another girl even more. Why? Because Hayley had to have a sister. Having my own sister, I know in my heart how extraordinary that bond can be. So, I wished for that kind of relationship for my own daughters. As we know, we were blessed with out beautiful, healthy Sydney, and I have spent years trying to figure out, how I could have been so completely blessed.

Having two girls so close in age comes with a lot of challenges. Naturally,

everybody had advice about raising them properly. Never compare the two girls, they say, let them be individuals. So I have been careful never to compare one girl to the other, for fear that I might somehow traumatize their psyche.

So, here I am in front of everybody we know, and I am giving a speech about the wonders of my girls. How on earth can I avoid the inevitable comparisons?

I’ve considered this conundrum, and I gave thought to the Torah portion which Hayley and Sydney chanted so beautifully. Their portion describes the breastplate made for the high priest. The breastplate is composed of 12 gemstones set in gold, each representing one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Each stone is beautiful, but if we were to describe them, they can’t really be compared. They are too individual, too unique to possibly measure against each other. These stones, like my daughters can simply be appreciated for their own very unique attributes.

Hayley, your sense of determination will never cease to amaze me. As a baby, you were pretty fussy, and for a new mom, it was challenging. One day, in a mommy baby class, while all the other baby’s sat placidly on their blankets you were restless and unhappy. The leader of our group sought me out to comfort me. I know this is hard, she told me, but don’t worry, that baby is going to be the head cheerleader. She’s going to know what she wants, and know exactly how to get it. Boy, was She was ever right..

As a very little girl, you practiced for an inordinate amoun of time, just to master monkey bars, cartwheels, swimming… whatever the newest challenge, you faced it head on. Athletic and fearless, you are still willing to try anything, whether it’s a roller coaster, skiing or sushi. You recently decided you wanted to play piano, and even though you haven’t taken a lesson since you were six years old, you play. You hear a song, you think, “I can do that”, and then somehow, you figure out how to play it perfectly. This is a perfect illustration of your determination.

The road to this day has not been easy for you. But here you are, you persevered. We are so proud of you.

Sydney, the first thing I think with you, is your heart. When you were a baby, I wrote in your baby book, that you when you look at me, somehow I feel like you “get it”. That you understand what I mean, or need, or want. You still possess that kind of wisdom. You are an inherently empathetic person. You have the unique ability to figure out exactly what makes people tick, and then you are able to use that knowledge to get along with everyone that knows you. You have a strong sense of right and wrong, and when something isn’t right, you are not afraid to voice your opinion. Graceful in your manner, naturally charismatic, you like to play by the rules. There is a quote posted in your school, that says something like, “Having Character is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching” I always thought that was a beautiful description of… you.

And as different as you both are, there are characteristics, you share. You are both talented writers, and I hope you both embrace that gift as you grow up. Enthusiastic members of your school’s cheer squad, successful students, summer camp enthusiasts, text messaging experts. You are both creative, silly and loving. You are both adored by your family and friends but, most especially, by our littlest sister, Addison.

After this service, we are all going to leave the temple, and go to a party. Now, I’m sure we going to have a wonderful time, celebrating today, but I want you to know, that the party is not what this day is about. The party is a by-product of your journey. It’s how we celebrate your accomplishments, but the party is but a fleeting moment in your life. What we hope you remember most is right now, because this IS what today is about.

Remember the faces of your family and friends, as they share this moment with you. You are blessed to have people in your life that love you and care for you.

Remember the journey. Remember all the wonderful mitzvoth you did, and remember how you learned that doing something nice for others feels twice as good as doing something for yourself.

Remember how it feels to have your sister standing beside you, how comforting you two can be to one another. You will no doubt share many more milestones together. Some will be joyful, and inevitably, some moments will be sorrowful. Remember how blessed you are to have each other, (and Addison, too). You will be there to comfort one another for your whole life.

Finally, remember how it felt when you said your final blessing. Remember how good it felt to accomplish something that seemed insurmountable. There will be many other challenges you will face in your life, some even harder than today. But now you really understand that you really can do ANYTHING in life you set your mind to.

It may feel like you are finally done, but don’t be mistaken, this is really just the end of one big chapter. And how proud we are to be standing here with you as you begin the next chapter in your life.

May you always feel as loved as you are right now.

Tired Stream of Consciousness

Soooo tired. All done. Can't forget to pick up my earrings tomorrow. I know I'm going to forget. Can't believe people are actually traveling here. Chicago, Georgia, California, Maryland, North Jersey, Narberth, Mt. Laurel. Can't believe people are actually buying outfits to wear. Everyone I spoke to told me how they bought a new outfit. I feel a little bad about that.

I have to speak in front of everyone, and it's just hitting me that I'm REALLY nervous. Like REALLY nervous. I have a lot to say, but maybe Wendi could pretend she's me and read it :)

Lost weight. Tee hee. That's what nerves will do. Put on my skirt for Friday night services, and it was WAY too big. Not to worry, I had an alternate plan.

Really excited to see everyone we know (almost) in one room.
Really excited to see my kids have fun.
Really excited to see Addison in her dress, which is so gorgeous, I can't stand it.

Gregg just found some baby wipes. Ooops, almost forgot we have to drop off the dogs. I hope no one calls last minute and can't come. I hope I don't forget the dvd montage, I worked my too-kie off on it.

My toe hurts. Why? (say it like Nancy Kerrigan in 1994) WHHHHHY? WHHHHHYYYY?

My friend is a doctor (Judy P.) and she said I should just take a lot of pain killers and suck it up. Sounds good to me.

Gregg just said some random hebrew words. LOLOLOL.

Nighty-night.

Nervous Stream of Consciousness

Nauseaus, nervous, oh my god it's supposed to rain. Doesn't matter, doesn't matter. Then its going to be over...girls so cute. Addie so cute. I love Gregg. Mom and dad cried today. Nachas (not nachos, NaCHas...joy..pride). Gregg is such a good husband, he's so much better at this than me. The girls actually know their stuff. I'm getting a pedi/mani tomorrow. My toe hurts too much to wear a flip flop.

Nearing the end of this. Changed my speech, to make it shorter. Took out the stuff I said about my relationship with my sister. Needed to edit for time. The rabbi said so. So DA SHISH, the sentiment is there. Finished montage. Fine. Fine.

Have to clean the house, the cleaning ladies are coming. Burnt two fingers this afternoon, working with a hot knife. Duh. Careless me.

Hope we don't forget anything. Most especially, my mind.

I'll be fine. I'm just freaking a little.

Lost Dog, Part Deux

Roxy Cleopatra (a whole lot of terrier), ran away again last night. Her owners reported that she escaped out of the back door at approximately 8:30 pm Sunday evening. Though spotted numerous times by her owners, running through neighbors yards, barking at stray cats and causing a scene in the neighborhood, she eluded capture.

Freddie Finkel, her common law spouse, a fat bichon frise, kept watch at the back window in hopes she might return. He spent a good part of the evening whimpering, and if he could speak, he would have said, "Roxy, come back, I need you baby".

Prayers were said by the children of the family. Hayley, the oldest, admitted that, even though she didn't pay a lot of attention to Roxy, she would really miss her if she didn't come back. Hayley and Sydney both agreed that the family should probably get another dog, but not a Cairn Terrier, next time.

Her owner, Gregg, tried to catch her in the neighbor's yard, but felt a little like peeping tom walking around other people properties at two o'clock in the morning. Instead he came in the house, and a decision was made to keep the screen porch door open and just wait.

At 5:02 am, Lori awoke, and decided to check the screened in porch, though groggy, she spotted the dog. Roxy was sleeping soundly on one of the cushioned patio chairs.

"All I kept thinking was, she knows where she lives!"

The family went back to sleep, feeling relieved and grateful that their prayers were answered.

Appreciation

Just a little nugget of sweetness I picked up yesterday. We went to the dress shop, for a final alteration on Hayley's dress. She decided she would prefer to have straps, rather than wear her dress strapless.

The color of her dress is a pretty unusual shade of lilac, so I was a little concerned that they might not be able to help us. I needn't have worried. They found a match within seconds.

"That's amazing!" I exclaimed to the dressmaker as she pinned the straps on to the dress, "how lucky are we?"

She smiled at me and said, "It's because you appreciate".

Huh?

She went on to explain, that in all of her years of dressmaking and tailoring, it is always the customers who come in with cranky attitudes that they have the most trouble with. The customer is nasty, and then a seam doesn't come out straight, or a crease is wrong, or they can't find a proper match for a button.

The customers that come to her with gratitude and appreciation for her efforts, always have things work out for them.

Her theory has consistently proven itself to be true.

I've always felt like people respond better to kindness, and try to live my life like that. But now I have a new mantra to add, and I like it.

Appreciate.

xoxo