should have paid cash for it...

walking under the angel through my front door...

hearing my sammy's angry roar...

dumping a whole bag of treats guiltily on the floor...

these are some things i am looking forward to...

sleeping in my own bed...

the hum of the house dancing in my head...

no longer living in someone else'e homestead...

these are some of the thing's i am looking forward to...

checking out mj's new car, so proud is he...

sitting with rita under the tree...

talking about how different our futures will be...

these are some of the things i am looking forward to...

hugging my mom, smelling her skin...

always she will be my home from within...

singing songs with jake and waiting for x-mas to begin...

these are some of the things i am looking forward to...

sitting on the steps of the sloarium...

back in tom and kt's emporium...

ready and willing to carpe diem...

these are some things i am looking forward to...

heading to boulder was the perfect respite...

low blood pressure has stepped down from the pulpit...

hgtv is only on late night...

and at the gym he puts up a fight...

we still have a long way to go...

this i now know...

but we are getting stronger everyday...

and together we have found a loving way...

but home sweet home...

where my crazy ass bunion toes roam...

out in the garden where my soul often grows...

these are some of the things i am looking forward too...

335 n. spring mill road...villanova, pa...

(4.2 from my mom by the way...)

a place where a piece of my heart will always stay...

It is time for me to end this magnificent adventure on the beach and head home...to my house, my children, my husband, my friends, my job, and my life...and remember how blessed I am....soon my daughter KT will return from her Boulder adventure...I wonder what she is looking forward to?

So we move from food to Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. It is my favorite for lots of reasons: no presents, no wrapping, no decorating, no polyannas, no tree, but YES to eggnog...a no brainer in my mind. Plus, it was always my mother's favorite holiday. No matter what went on in our world she was always happy on Thanksgiving, even if she was doing the cooking for 20. The one thing I always wondered though, is why didn't our turkey come out like the one in the Rockwell painting shown...Ours was always sliced and on a tray by the time we sat down...actually everything was on plates and bowels and baskets...passed and consumed within about 15 minutes, DONE! I always wondered if the people at Norman Rockwell's house were finished in 15 minutes like we were. Or did they sit around and tell what they were thankful for and...my favorite fantasy...compliment everyone on something good they did that year? I read it in a Bobbsey Twins book once and always wanted to emulate it at our house but mostly I just got smiles and pats on the head when I asked...so ,of course, I stopped asking...but I digress...
It seems that Thanksgiving is the great American holiday, only celebrated here to remind us of the Pilgrims and Indians and that fabulous story that, as an elementary school principal, I hear a zillion times in a zillion ways , all delightful, each year...I then get to taste soup and cornbread and pumpkin pie until, well, until the end of the day because I would never want to dissappoint any of my students!
The idea behind this holiday is to stop and think about what we are thankful for...is that what the pilgrims did? They were thankful the Lenape didn't kill them mostly...just like we are sometimes just thankful that no one got drunk, no one brought up the evil cousin's wedding, or no one fought about who gets the leather recliner when pop pop dies!
If you are reading this then you know I am on a great adventure trying to define my life after 60 and after kids...and one of the exercises is, of course, enumerating my blessings...which are numerous. I am eternally grateful for my husband, my children, my friends, my family, and my job. I am grateful that I can sleep in on weekends and I don't have to clean the house anymore. I am grateful that we are able to pay for my youngest son's college tuition with a minimum of help. I am grateful that my brother and his family are back in our fold and we are able to share our love and pride for each others' children. I am grateful for the wonderful house Billy and I bought together and the wonderful family that lives next door...
If we had taken my suggestion and offered something positive about all of the people around my table this is what I would have said:
Billy...you worked hard to find yourself this year and ended up in a wonderful position that was just right for you...
Michaeljohn...you continue to work hard and live the life that you have always wanted...and you did a fantastic job on finding that new car!
Jennifer...you work so hard to be a good wife and help take care of your Mom...good for you
KT...this has been the roughest year of your life and each day you are hanging in and offering intelligence, sensitivity, and love when it is the most difficult.
Tom...you are slowly finding your way back to us...I am grateful for your sense of humor and your love of our family
Michelle...I am so impressed with how hard you work and how aware you are of who you are and how you live your life on your own terms
Jake...I am as proud of you as I ever have been...you finished high school...got into the right college...you are working hard and actually TESTED out of an exam...and you are working hard to continue your basketball...growing up never looked so good!
So there you have it...screw Norman Rockwell...I have found my great American family.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Body Issues?? ME???

Crap,hunh???ooooo that hurt...of course, she didn't say I ate that crap did she?
All of my life starting when I was a teenager and taller than almost anyone I knew, I watched what I ate...and any Saturday night binge was met with a few Correctols to alleviate the "swelling". In my 20's I had babies and was slim because I was...i was running after kids, playing tennis, smoking cigarettes and "watching" what I ate...I looked fabulous. In my 30's I was doing the same things...but I added diet pills...lots of running after the same kids, grocery store, tennis...and again, I looked fabulous.
In my young 40's...42 to be exact...I had a baby...my husband left me...and I didn't eat again for about 5 years...I smoked cigarettes, took diet pills, ran after my baby, and walked and walked and walked...just like Forrest Gump...and still, I looked damn good. I got married at age 48 and for the next 10 years I worked hard at managing my weight...I quit smoking and I went to Weight Watchers and then Weight Watchers online and Nutra Systems and the one with Kirsty Alley and took diet pills and was still looking cute...
And then, one day about 3 years ago...I was in my late 50's and I just got hungry...it was 5 months before my son got married, I was dieting like crazy to look good for his August wedding, and I just decided I could not do it anymore...I couldn't feel that fuzzy or hungry or anxious or frustrated ever again...I was hungry, God dammit, and I wasn't going to take it anymore! So I began to eat...similar to walking. I ate and ate and ate. And gained lots, and lots and lots...let's just say too many pounds... ouch!
Some days I am disgusted with myself but more than not I think i am not so bad for a 60 year old broad who realizes she has worked hard all of her life and has finally, and at last, learned that I do not die with a second piece of pie!
My daughter has learned moderation and I could not be prouder...perhaps if I had learned that secret I would not have let menopause and lasagna have their way with me...I can live without MickeyD's but who doesn't love pizza on a Friday night or an afternoon of Margaritas and Nachoes Grande!!

mickeyd's double cheeseburger...

i remember the day i realized i was raised eating crap...i called my mother from colorado and told her, "mom i eat like shit...'i know", she said...i do too and i taught you..."  my mother had a staple of dinners that were on rotation...my favorite was a toss up between scrambled eggs with hot dogs and hamburger helper...another one of my faves for sleepovers was the block of velveeta melted for nachos...why did i ever stop eating that??? i got into eating healthy  by my unhealthy eating habits...after many attempts at numerous diets over the years, (atkins...bacon and cheese? no problem...fat tree cheese...yummy...diet pills with a red bull chaser anyone???)  i have found that my body is responding best to a cleaner diet...the less processed the better...like fruit for example...i did not eat a piece of fruit for my first year on the atkins diet...i got crack skinny and fit into a size 6 jeans (for like an hour) but still...feeling guilty for eating fruit...that's just not right...now i eat as much fruit as i want and bread and pasta too...as long as it is brown of course...i even gave up the Diet Coke...sometimes i honestly think i may be more proud of quitting diet coke than the butts...i used to always say that of all my vices diet coke would be the one that killed me...that aspartame is some crazy shit and so NOT organic...occassionally i will have a diet coke which i think has also helped me battle my food obsession...moderation...friends of mine will say everything in moderation except moderation...and although i do have days that i live by that they are few and far between...yesterday for example i had birthday cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner and am kicking myself in the ass for being to lazy to drive and get my one true love who has never left me and has ALWAYS made me feel better no matter the situation....a McDonald's double cheeseburger...due to the excessive cake consumption, completely guilt free, i will have to wait until my next relapse for my mickey d's...but not to worry...because i have learned, everything in moderation...except of course moderation when it comes to a mickey d's double cheeseburger...yes...i have eaten 3 in a sitting before and i am damn proud...and as healthy as i have become by eating organic and clean, and however much shit my mom gives me for making her eat whole grain pasta, nothing will ever come between me and my double cheeseburger...but let's be honest here...when we talk about our relation to food we really mean our relation to our  body and i don't think there are enough gigibites in the world for all of the blogging that my mother and i could do on that topic...for now i'll just be happy i have found some moderation...

Food...good, bad, processed, fresh...

I grew up in the 50's. My dad worked week nights in the restaurant business and during the week my Mother put a full dinner out for me and my brothers...I remember pork chops, peas and applesauce, chili with green beans, meat loaf with mashed potatoes and corn, and spaghetti and meatballs with a salad, and always a big glass of whole milk. We always had more fresh fruit than candy and more cheese than chips...never soda except on Saturday...prime rib and baked potato on Sunday when my Dad was there.
But something happened in the early 60's...I like to call it the Greeen Giant effect...suddenly convenience was more inportant than wholesome. Niblet corn in butter sauce over fresh corn on the cob and flaked potatoes in a box over peeling, boiling and mashing...damn...my mom learned easy was better!
And then...OMG...McDonald's and Burger King and Arby's and the list goes on and on...before you knew it we were having burgers and fries and milkshakes on a regular basis. Even when my parents opened their own restaurant they made their world famous "chocolate cake" from Duncan Hines...I swear!
When I became a mother I jumped on the convenience band wagon...using ready to drink baby formula, jarred baby food, and boxed biscuits. Oh I made Christmas cookies from scratch when the kids were little but have you met Slice and Bake...I mean, come on! Why bother with the sifter, the wisk, the fake vanilla, the egg separator, the flour, the butter, the Crisco...really, why?
And the beat went on...Kraft Mac and cheese with hotdogs thrown in for protein (I AM NOT KIDDING), Hawaiian Punch, Golden Grahams and frozen waffles. While I was starving myself to stay thin I was feeding my children processed anything...and feeling good about it!
The happy ending here is my children, all three of them, have learned how to eat healthy... embarrassingly for me... they have learned on their own. Carbs are such a dirty word with these kids, if WHITE anything is mentioned in connection with chewing I get an eyes to heaven, "Mom..." and a mini lecture on eating, as I chomp on a sugar cookie with jelly in the center.
the truth is I am glad all 3 of them are healthy eaters. It is one less thing I don't have to feel guilty about...
But I have to comment on my daughter's choices...you have whole wheat Mac and cheese in your cupboard...you really do...organic garbonzo beans AND you eat whole wheat Doritios for Christ sake...where do you find this stuff?

Happy Birthday KT

Before I get to food...a topic I LOVE...I want to wish my baby, my middle child, the center of my heart, my only daughter, my princess, my punkinhead, my diva, my soulmate and my best friend Happy Birthday. ?? years ago (I will let you tell if you want) my miracle was you. Every minute my girl, has been a grand adventure and I would not have given up one second of it for all of the $$ in the world. The laughing, the crying, and the wishing upon a kazillion stars and birthday candles have all brought us here...STILL trying to figure it all out. I wouldn't have it any other way because always remember...the joy is in the journey...once you reach the destination I am pretty sure you are dead. Happy Birthday, Punk...love, yo yo ma

Accomodations/Changes/ Adaptations...Really Who Cares?

KT and I are discussing our blogging...how it is going...how we are going about it...etc. We are enjoying the hell out of it AFTER it is written but we have promised no pressure on the WHEN we get it done...if you read KT's blog you know it works better that way. However, we have decided to make one adjustment. I have been doing the writing and KT has been taking my lead...now we will call each other with the topic and have a chance to be the first voice...you might not care...but KT and I do...we are going to now do our take on food...please enjoy!

any given sunday...

my mother and i have completely different schedules...always have...she is in the school system and has always had the traditional summer and holidays off...except of course when she became momma bigshot and went on the administration side (shout out to lynnwood lions!) and lost her summers...but other than the years she was raising my older brother and i and of course the year The Baby was born she has always been a 9-5 ish monday thru friday type of gal...i, on the other hand, have known from a young age that a 9-5 , 7-3, 11-7 or however the hell you want to stack the time was not the type of job  that appealed to me...the thought of having to be forced to stay somewhere doing something i may not enjoy always made me feel a tad nauseous and scared...i am not afraid of hard work and i would like to think i actually enjoy sinking my teeth into any new projects whether they be physical or mental...what i think my problem has always been is that once there is a deadline, whether self imposed or not,  i become consumed with either getting the job done or thinking about when and how am i going to get the job done when it is the last thing in the world i want to do...it kind of takes over...it infiltrates me like a bad flu and holds my free spirit captive until the work is done...it's like once i am obligated to do something most of the joy flies away...and being my mother's daughter, if i decide to do something i must do it right or why bother doing it at all...i realize how lucky i am that at age 36 in 3 days i have been able to succeed in finding my way without ever having a 401k and being ok about it...of course, others may think i'm not so lucky and may even  been foolish for living without the security...but it never made me feel secure only sadness that my spirit would die...very dramatic, i know, but very true...i just need to do things on my terms...of course i Must do some things some of the time but mostly i have figured out how to do most things on my time...which is why, much to michael john's chagrin...any given day is my sunday... 

A Sunflower Sunday

Sunday is my favorite day...I call it my "dining room table" day meaning today is the day I clean off the dining room table of all of the stuff that has accumulated during the week...plus, of course, I do the wash, the bills, the food shopping and on and on. In the winter I am usually doing these jobs in the house spending time with my husband and in the warm weather I often go outside with him and friends and neighbors. A sunflower kind of day, no matter the weather. Usually I see my KT at sometime on Sunday but as you all know she is in Colorado and I am not...and you all know that I miss her...especially on Sunday. She might help me in the garden, or walk with me at the college or even go food shopping with me just to spend time with me...good times.
But today turned into a very special Sunday because my Buddy, my youngest, was home from college for the day AND he spent almost all of it with me! I know my boy was missing his sister almost as much as I was and we were happy to have each other...and OMG, we had fun. We did the wash, ran errands, went to KT's house and picked up the mail, played with the cats and watered the plants, came home and watched JUNO and cried a little, watched some football, went food shopping for him and me, and bought some great burritos for dinner. Fabulous day for him and I. Had some great conversations and learned a few things about my freshman in college...interesting things...food for thought for me!
As I begin my reinvention of myself I know there is one thing I would never change nor give up ...my relationship with my children. My children fill my heart in a way no other person I know can...As they reveal themselves to me, whether their age is 19, 36, or 37 I find the most incredible human beings underneath their beautiful exteriors...warm, funny, sensitive, oh I could go on and on...after all, they are MY children!
My point here is to focus on the very positive aspects of my relationships with these 3...the good times, the happy moments, the sweet bedtimes...sooner or later the rougher times with my kids will probably be talked about...but not tonight, not when I am on such a natural high from the afternoon, not at the end of a Sunflower Sunday...what about you...happy stories of you and your Mother??