September 2018

And once again, it is September.  The other day I stood and watched the day slowly disappear.  That subtle transition from day into night.  I noticed how the sun sets in a different location now and much earlier as well, the quiet in nature with just the sound of crickets singing their evening song.  These are the days of gathering and planning for the turn, once again, from warmth to cold, shortened days and crisp autumn air.  I anticipate putting the summer décor away and pulling out the pumpkins.  Time for apple picking and making all kinds of kitchen creations with them!  The sweet scents wafting through the house.  Saying good bye to summer is certainly bittersweet in so many ways, but embracing Autumn and all its colorful glory is exciting and rewarding!

A reflection for my son….

We just dropped off our son for college the other day.  Even though he is not the first to graduate, the emotions are just as predictable.  Regardless, I am feeling extra melancholy.  Why is this so tough for me?  The answer should be obvious.  My beautiful boy was born with congenital heart disease.  After 3 surgeries before he turned 3, he grew into a strong and busy “all boy” who loved long cargo shorts, dirty flip-flops and t-shirts over what he called “handsome clothes”. Fast forward 18 years to the present day young man who can be charmingly sweet and typically teenage moody.  I am so proud of all that he has become…….

So my dear William, I want to send you off with some sage advice.  You know I had always believed in making every day your best, set the table for dinner, use your ‘pleases’ and ‘thank you’s’ abundantly, dress properly before you leave the house, etc.  It was all about setting your standards and self discipline.  You have the power to make your choices and those choices can be life-changing.  Life isn’t about having dreams, it’s about creating them.  I had always known family was what I wanted and I was going to be the best mom and wife I knew how to be.  Life obviously threw me some curveballs but I have gotten stronger, more sympathetic, more patient and more tolerant than I’d ever thought I could be because of them.  So learn and grow from adversity that comes your way – it already has and is bound to again.  Your family will be your roots to support you as you grow in your journey and never loose your curiosity and your humor.

I’ve grown and learned so much from my children.  We like to think that we teach them, when in reality they teach us. Yes, raising children is the hardest job out there, but I’d give a kings ransom to start all over again. So as I watch you, my dear son, cross the stage, gather up your diploma and move on into the next exciting faze of your life, through blurred, teary eyes, I will silently wish for the days when I tucked you in at night in your little zip up sleeper and simultaneously look forward to all that awaits you in the future.

Love, forever,

Mom 

August 2018

It always amazes me how quickly the summer months slip by.  Do they?  Or is the old adage really true, that the older you get the faster the time flies. I remember as a child there were days that time seemed to stop altogether, and waiting for your friend to come out and play, “after they’ve finished their chores”, seemed like it might as well be tomorrow! I think it is a combination of both. As adults there is more to juggle, family, work, home and not to mention countless activities. Children don’t think about all that, they live for the moment, days end when they end and they are pros in packing as much fun into 24 hours as they can! So naturally the long days of summer are sheer joy! And here we are in August and I’m finding myself nostalgic once again. Everywhere I turn there is the constant reminder that summer will soon end, school supplies are out, talk of the NY State Fair (which ends on Labor Day), back to school commercials, etc. This August I vow to think more like a child. I will enjoy each moment fully. I won’t let the forboding of summers end loom over me. I encourage you all to do the same. There are 4 and a half weeks this August, plenty of time to fill with memories and fun! Get out there and grab it!

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July 2018

Once July hits, I am always reminded of the song “Dragonfly Summer” by Michael Franks, “let the world wait as we procrastinate, its too hot now”.  All the lyrics are just magical the way they “paint” the visions of summer into our imaginations.  July truly is deep into summer.  Plans for vacations, family reunions or just heading out to the camp are in full swing as we (especially here in the northeast) try to fill all of these wonderful sun-filled days.  I will admit, summer can seem to be a bit of a rush and I am guilty of not taking more lazy days to myself, something I am working on.  I am going to heed my own advice of slowing down just a little.  Taking a moment to flip through a magazine or read a book or try a new recipe using all the wonderful fresh produce available now.  Look for some of my favorite salad recipes in the ‘From the Kitchen’ section.  And yes, look up Michael Franks, Dragonfly Summer, I guarantee it will have a place in your summer tunes play list!

Look for the link to Michael Franks here.  Just click on the July 2018 heading.

June 2018

I originally posted this last July as my reflection for that month.  Ironically, a year is about to pass and our country is currently having communications with North Korea.  How much can happen in a year.  My own son is graduating and it once again makes me think of how one action can change the course of a life forever.  I felt it fitting to honor the memory of Otto Warmbier one more time.

Anyone who is a parent knows that there is an undisputed unifying bond that connects us all.  We feel it the day that newborn is laid into our arms, we are immediately, undeniably forever changed.  Life continues and we develop a common sympathy with other parents regarding their trials and tribulations.  How many of us remember that feeling of handing your child the car keys for the first time??  To those of us with a son, or sons, teenage or young adult – how common those ambitious, beautiful (like Otto), ‘eager to take on adventure’ and also ‘quick to accept a dare’, wrapped up with a lot of naivete and a little bit of ‘crazy’, young men.  Believe me, I’ve got one!  That said, there is another even stronger parental connection, it is the one that unites all those who have lost a child.  Our connection is deep, we instinctively know the tremendous amount of “grief work” the other has gone through or is about to embark upon.  We are connected across the physical miles by human compassion and pain.  We can physically feel the angst of other parents over and over again, each time we hear of tragedy……it never goes away.   I followed Otto’s ordeal from the very first day he was ever mentioned in the news.  I worried for him every day and wondered if anyone else did as well.  I felt as he were my son and I was another one of his parents.  So imagine my elation when that boy returned home.  And like any other parent, hope against hope, prayed for a miraculous recovery that was not to be had.  I felt the life pass from my body once again, when I heard the news that Otto was gone to us all.  To see the Warmbiers enduring such heartache and exhibiting such grace before the world was crushing.  Then the inevitable onslaught of opinions – some unfortunately, negative.  And here is my very point.  How many of us look back at our younger selves and wish we could erase some of the “less than smart” things we’ve done.  How many of us have young adults – sons or daughters, that take risks we’d rather they didn’t.  It is a parents’ duty to raise our children as strong, compassionate, respectful individuals, with a good moral compass and enough sense to make good choices.  Then slowly we sense their need for independence and we have to step back and allow them to fail, learn from their mistakes and eventually soar.  It doesn’t take a lot of insight to see that the Warmbier’s did that job with perfection.  I don’t personally know the Warmbiers, but I know them well enough as a parent that if they could change anything to avoid what happened to their dear son they would in an instant without any hesitation.  And as time will ever so slowly soften and dull the sharp ache they have now, eventually they will come to accept that ache as part of them, because oddly enough, that ache will connect them to Otto.  I strongly discourage becoming a ‘blame seeker’, it serves no purpose.  Instead look inside yourselves and imagine if these circumstances were your own.  Have human sympathy for the Warmbier family and remember Otto simply, like so many families, as their beautiful son and brother. Peace.

May 2018

This is a repost from a few years back, but I just felt it captured how we are all feeling

right about now following some harsh months of weather!  Enjoy.

I found this lovely little watercolor on Pinterest, (nestofposies-blog.com).  I think it says all there needs to be said!  I think everyone can relate to opening the windows after a long winter.  The first wafting of fresh air through the house, the unavoidable first ‘SLAM!’ of one of the bedroom doors upstairs when a stiff breeze brazenly enters. Aaaahhhh, the smell, the feel, the joy, the warmth.  Driving along a beautiful stretch of road one day, I saw a car pulled over, the trunk was open and spread out wide were all the necessities for a day of plein air painting.  An elderly man sat on a make-shift stool, wearing a slouchy hat and a large shirt over a t-shirt, sleeves sloppily rolled-up.  Easel before him, he sat quietly painting the beautiful view of the valley and farms below.  I thought to myself, in our hurry up world, what a great way to just toss aside the chores and sieze the day.  I encourage you in this beautiful season, when the earth re-awakens to try to grab a moment, hour, day to yourself.  Take in the view.  Open the windows.

Be sure to check out the “Spring/Summer Essentials”  in the Style section.  I have added product links to purchase similar items as well.  Time to hit the refresh button!

April 2018

Here in the east, March came in…roaring!  Storm after storm has left us so winter weary that the mere thought of April warms us inside.  April too can be unpredictable around here, but there is no mistaking that warmer days are ahead.  I am tackling a few re-decorating projects around the house and like to have them finished before the spring to-do list comes out, as once I can get outside, the gardens start to demand my attention.  Something about that familiar fresh scent in the air, that promise of rebirth and growth.  The anticipation of blooms from bulbs placed in the ground last fall.  Hope really does spring eternal!

March 2018

 

Photo from Pinterest

Here in the northeast March is definitely coming in like a lion with a nor’easter expected to drop several inches of heavy wet snow.  March can be such a tease, one week sunshine and warmth hinting of the long awaited spring to come and the next…..well, snow and even snowstorms.  Whether you like snow and cold or loathe it, you can bank on March to be the last month for consistent winter weather.  While out for my morning walk the other day, I noticed that familiar clatter that made no mistake the red-winged blackbirds and starlings were back in town.  Slowly, the air is filling with our summer inhabitants and I always welcome their song and busy-ness.  Although it is not quite spring yet, March does allow us to think forward to the warm days ahead and our anticipated projects, gardens, vacations and such.  So while we are still primarily indoors, flip through the blog and perhaps try a new recipe or tackle a small project such as starting seeds indoors.  Make your spring to-do list and know that April is just around the corner.  Also, be sure to check out my Irish Soda Bread recipe.  It is a recipe given to me by a dear friend and I can assure you, it is absolutely delicious!

 

February 2018

Here we are, already one full month into the new year.  This will be one very exciting month as we celebrate the achievements of our Olympians at the Winter Olympics in Peyoung Chang.  I posted the picture above as an nod to my daughter, who has been pursuing her dream as well.  In December she competed at Team Selections for moguls in Winter Park, Colorado and made it into finals!  She is committed to her sport with constant year-round training and coaching to keep in peak shape.  I am always inspired by her and all athletes in such elite levels of their various sports.  I savor all the personal stories of the dedication and sacrifices made along the way to their dreams.  We can all take away something from their commitment – a conscious decision to try to be the best at whatever it is that motivates us.  Make this February a start to becoming the best version of yourself for you and all those around you.

January 2018

January – new starts, fresh beginnings.  With this post, I introduce to you my newly web-optimized, user friendly, updated blog!  I’ve been working on creating a blog that is easier to navigate as well as new features.  I’ve added a ‘Style’ section as well as indexing for my recipes.  I am hoping to offer consulting in the near future, in which my readers may contact me for advice on organization, décor, tablescapes, etc.  I am currently in the process of adding many new posts that were on hold while the site was under construction.  I will also be offering exclusive discounts on products I recommend through amazon.  This is an exciting time for me and I am thrilled to share with my readers!  Truly, happy new year and new beginnings!