Busy, Busy, Busy...

OY and Vey!

I have been so busy these past few weeks, I feel like I have been on a roller coaster and merry-go-round at the same time! Between getting ready for the holidays, the kids arrivals home, the never-ending school work (and last paper!!!), and work related projects, my time has not been my own to do whatever I wanted to do. My “to-do” list is finally caught up...almost.

The kids arrived safely home from Rhode Island and Grenada, and my time with them went excessively fast. I love when they are home, and with me. I love each second. Thanksgiving was here at my home, celebrated with my mom, and three of my siblings and their families. The food was yummy, and in just the right amounts. My brined turkey was a hit again! (Thankfully)

Black Friday was a day filled with shopping with Caitlin, Daniel, Jillian, and my sister Gidget. We really did not do much shopping (not many sales), but we had fun being together. (we are very cheap entertainment for each other).

This past weekend, my sister Gidget, niece Jillian, Caitlin, Daniel, and I baked cookies. I was not going to even bake this year (Lack of time), but when they offered to help, I took them up on their offer, and we did a ton of baking. The cookies in the picture are peanut butter mice Jillian and Caitlin baked! They are too cute. In between cookie baking, I took my sisters Sue and mom to see the Three Irish Tenors do their annual Christmas show in the states. We saw them last year and my mom loved them. Therefore, I had to take her back again! We had fun.

I have hauled all the holiday decorations out of the basement and now have a huge job ahead of me, and with both kids gone, and Jim working, I might find myself decorating less this year. Less is best anyway. The holidays are, after all, more than tinsel and greens.

I am thankful for my busy and very full life.

The Sounds of the Holidays

One of the vivid holiday memories I have form my childhood is the many shopping trips my sister and I took with my grandmother (my dad’s mom) when we were younger. She would come to our house and walk us to the bus stop, where we would wait patiently (well not really) for the city bus to pick us up. The bus would head towards Asbury Park, where we would walk and shop with MomMom for most of the day.

When we were younger (oh so long ago) Asbury Park was a thriving and wonderful place to shop (thankfully that, too, is making a comeback!). As little girls, we would have been given a small amount of money to buy for everyone, and the best place to do that was at HL Greens or JJ Newberry’s, two great five and dime places. And, JJ Newberry’s had an awesome food counter where we would end our lunch with an ice cream sundae! It could not have been any better!

As we strolled throughout Asbury, we would be awestruck by all holiday decorations, the lights, the sounds (the bell ringers), and smells of Christmas (yes theses were the days of roasted chestnuts). One of the things I remember fondly was my MomMom’s lectures on giving to those who were unfortunate. She would have us each place one precious coin in the red kettle of the Salvation Army. Parting with the coins was hard as little kids, but we did it, and eventually grew old enough to understand the value of parting with them.

So today, I cannot pass a red kettle without thinking about MomMom or giving when I can to those who need it more. Thank you MomMom for instilling those precious values in each of us.

Remembering Guiness

My friend Faith had to euthanize her dog this week, and I know exactly how she feels. Making that decision is never easy, and unless you are a pet owner, you cannot begin to even understand how it feels. It's heart breaking.

Guiness had been sick for a while, and even though Faith knew in her heart his days might be numbered, she persevered and continued to care for him as best she could. When the time came to make that decision, although hard, she knew it had to be done.

For those of you who have had to wrestle with making the decision to euthanize a pet, you might have wondered whether you did the right thing. I know after two of these heart wretching decisions, I had to think about it, and wonder myself. In the end, when you can finally catch your breathe, you do realize it was for the best. After talking to faith this week, I felt the pang of hurt all over again. I can see both their faces, Tyler and Brady, and still miss them. Pets are like kids (and I am not saying the loss is comparable), but it has to be very close.

Like me, Faith will meet up with her little guy one day, and I know that he is waiting for her on rainbow bridge...

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

"Mother's Little Helper"

During the 1960’s, Valium was known as “Mother’s Little Helper”, getting many women through their hectic days...snowing them until they could not recognize one day from the next. Valium was the drug that revolutionized the treatment of anxiety and became a cultural icon. It was the drug in the book Valley of the Dolls, which made it such a great read. The "dolls" within the title is a slang term for downers, or the mood altering drugs. Apparently, the drug is making a comeback; taken with alcohol to help drug addicts get through their hectic days (which I have no idea what that might be considered 'hectic' when one is a drug addict... Where to score the next drug? Which provider is cheaper? How to avoid being caught?)

As a mother, I too need a little helper, but my pills come in the form of something called a Kong. A Kong is pictured so the reader does not get confused, or think I might be confusing a Kong with a bong. I have times when I am trying to get schoolwork done, and I found myself trying to entertain 3 Goldens who think it is time to play. Therefore, I fill each Kong with peanut butter, and viola! I have three happy and very busy dogs working tirelessly to get to the peanut butter, thus helping mother get things done. MY little helper!

Unfortunately, I still feel the effects of sedation as I read through some of the posts on the bulletin board where I go to school...

Cancer Sucks

Cancer sucks. It really does. It has affected so many of my family and friends. In fact, I am hard pressed to find anyone whose life has not been affected by it.

My dad died of it when he was only 66. A young 66 at that. He was initially diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and fought a three-year long battle to defeat it. Unfortunately it won. At the time of his death, he also was diagnosed with TWO other forms of cancer. It seems one kind was not enough.

Several years ago I was sitting in my doctor’s office when she found a mass on my thyroid. After many tests and a surgery to remove the right lobe of my thyroid, the cell was identified and although a rare cell, it was not malignant. The time between the initial finding and the final pathology report was rough. During this time, I thought of my dad on daily basis. If it was to be a malignant cancer, would I be as strong as my dad? Thankfully I was not to be tested. This time.

Then several months later, a lump was found on my husband’s thyroid. He was not it seemed, as lucky. His cancer was malignant, has since had his entire thyroid removed, and will be treated with radioactive iodine in the near future. Thyroid cancer is one the easiest cancers to treat so his prognosis, if you will, is good. Despite the good news, the whole ordeal did take its emotional toll on all of his. Cancer robs us physically and emotionally. It sucks.

Both my husband and I are proactive with our health. Thankfully. So we don’t sit waiting for nasty cells to invade us. We wait, watching for them. I only wish everyone would be as vigilant with their bodies.

Happy Birthday Kelly!

Happy Birthday to Kelly! She turns 21 today and I am sending her all the best in having a wonderful day!

Love ya Kelly!! (Daniel's 1.5) =)

Rhode Island!

I recently went to Rhode Island with my sister Sue to visit Daniel and Kelly. We had a great time visiting with the kids, and getting out and doing some exploring. Kelly was sweet enough to make sure we had fun, and she took us down to Newport. It is a quaint and historic little town on the water. The shopping was great and the grilled cheese sandwich even better.

We took in other food places and all had a ball. Kelly and Daniel seem very happy together, and that makes me happy. We also celebrated her birthday, which is this Friday. Daniel is a character, so spending time with him usually brings on a bunch of laughs, and this time was no exception. Sue was able to go to a BIG Christmas Shop, which might have been the highlight of her trip. I bought the kids a butcher-block table/storage thingie, and watching Daniel put it together was like watching Bob Vila in action! =)

I cannot wait to go again!

Thank You Dr. Clarence Manziano!

I read the obits every day. I know I am not alone in doing this daily ritual. Many people read them for the obvious reasons. I started reading them because my mom moved from one area of NJ to another and no longer got the local paper, so I made sure that if anyone died she might know, I could let her know. Now it is simply a part of my reading the morning paper routine.

The thing is I learn new things occasionally by reading them. For example, in today’s paper a well-known veterinarian, Dr. Clarence Manziano, passed away, who lived in the town where I grew up. I have no recollection of this man, but what is interesting is the fact that he did a great deal for Vet medicine. Returning to the United States, he testified before the New Jersey Legislature and was responsible for passage of the "Manziano Act”, which made it possible for veterinarians of Italian and Jewish descent to sit for the veterinary exam in New Jersey.
Before passage, only veterinarians educated in New Jersey could sit for the exam, and since no Italian or Jewish applicants were accepted during the 1940s, minorities were effectively precluded from practicing veterinary medicine in the state.

Among his many accomplishments, he worked as senior veterinarian for the Mexican American Foot and Mouth Commission to eliminate the deadly cattle disease, and was the U.S. delegate for the United Nations Commission on Foot and Mouth Disease.

Dr. Manziano worked as a field veterinarian for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Delaware and Maryland until 1952, when he took the post of veterinary epidemiologist for the New Jersey State Department of Health. It was during this period that he uncovered the transmission of the disease Psittacosis from an aviary of 5,000 birds to dairy cows and humans.

There is always something to learn somewhere.

Kristallnacht

“What I saw was hordes of people standing in front of a beautiful synagogue, and throwing stones through these magnificent, uh, colored windows. And, uh, as we arrived, of course we ran past the, the, the place itself, the noise, the shouting, the screaming. I suppose there was an, an aura of, of eeriness about it, because we still didn't know what was happening, but I suppose just the mere fact that so many people were there and were screaming and shouting and, and throwing stones into the, uh, stained glass windows was enough to make us run. We arrived in school and were immediately told that our parents would pick us up, we should remain calm but there would be no school that day. And indeed a few, uh, minutes later, or half an hour later, whatever the case may be, my mother did arrive and took me to my grandmother's home where my father already was. And here then unfolded slowly but surely the, uh, grim story of what happened during the night, that the synagogues all through Germany had been set on fire, destroyed. The, uh, Sifrei Torah [Torah scrolls] were burned in most cases. It is known that in Hamburg people sacrificed themselves to run into the synagogue to save some of the Sifrei Torah, hide them, and I believe were successful in doing so. Um, that the, uh, Jewish stores in the center of Hamburg, in the downtown area of Hamburg, had been demolished, windows had been, uh, broken, uh, the merchandise had been thrown into the streets, covered with water and with ink and--I mean it was a, a total chaos, a total destruction”.

This is a personal story from Johanna Gerechter Neumann, born in Hamburg, Germany in 1930.

Let us not forget her story, and the story of others who lived those two horrifying days....

Read more here: http://www.ushmm.org/remembrance/dor/years/detail.php?content=2008

A New Day..A New Country

I woke up today, like all of you, to a new president, Barack Obama. Despite my political views, I cannot help but pause to think that we have elected a president who’s middle name unnerves many of us, who is the son of an interracial couple, and who was raised by a couple who did not live within the America’s power and wealth. He is more like the average American, despite what you might think. (Let’s just put aside all the bad things that have been said about him, for a minute)

I cannot help but put myself in the shoes of all Black Americans today. The barrier has been broken. Imagine what might be going on in the mind of a young black boy who now knows he too could be a president someday. Imagine those who never thought Blacks could move forward, and let us face it, that mindset still, sadly, exists in this country.

I cannot help but think of Dr.Martin Luther King. His famous speech now echoes throughout this country.

I am not a Barack fan, although I am a Democrat. At this point, I just want a man who will redirect this country. I want a president that does not try to solve every problem but will do those things beyond the power of individual citizens to get things done. I want a president that will help to regulate the economy fairly. I want a president that will help keep the air clean and our food supplies safe. I want a president that helps to ensure that the sick will have access to health care. I want a president that will help to look past the walls of America to help ensure that children around the globe are educated and kept as healthy as possible.

The choice has been made. Now we have to stand behind this man and together as a nation reach goals that will benefit us all. This country cannot be redirected by one person; collectively, as a nation, we all have to reach for the goals together.

Vote, vote, vote...

Get out and vote...its your civic duty, it's your right and responsibilty as an American citizen!!

Our Very "me, me, me" Society

I have the belief that we live in a very “me” oriented society, in which many just think about themselves and not too many others, if any others. That said, as a labor and delivery nurse, I have noted that there are a great many women these days who are not happy being pregnant (even those who have planned the pregnancy), and that “glow of pregnancy” is viewed more as a scowl. As many of my readers know, I normally do not share work related topics, but I have to tonight.

I had a patient come into labor and delivery tonight who was 34 weeks pregnant contracting and when I assessed that she was indeed contracting, I told her my plan was to start an IV to hydrate her, and hope that it might stop the contractions. Her immediate reply, “I do not want another 8 pound baby, so if it is labor, then I do not want it to stop”. I immediately explained that at 34 weeks she was still considered premature and that the baby might have respiratory difficulties. I have plenty of friends who had premature babies and they did fine”.

When I run across people like this who have little regard for the baby they are carrying, I want to grab them and shake sense into them. BUT of course, that might not go over big with the patients or the hospital bigwigs. Why are people so selfish? What makes them have little regard for another little human being? Why can’t women accept the fact that pregnancy is not something to be rushed through? I seriously do not get it.

I can understand being frustrated. I can understand the desire to end the pregnancy when you feel huge and swollen and miserable, but when you are 34 weeks, and your little one is depending on your for a few more weeks, and you have that opportunity, and you throw in the towel...I simply do not understand that selfishness. Pregnancy does not come with a fast service option.

Thank you for reading.

Happy Birthday Daniel Boone

Yes, it is Daniel's birthday, and I thought I would take a minute and share this fact with you. I fondly remember watching that show with my siblings. I also remember my brothers running around with sticks, shooting us with raccoon hats on their heads. Silly little boys, but cute.

I also remember my brothers carrying around stinky a rabbit's foot in their pockets for good luck. What is it about boys and yucky things. Oh sure little girls can be yucky too, but not like little boys (my mother might disagree). My Daniel was always messy, and I fondly remember his infatuation with large bugs! He loved to carry them in the house and show me, usually dropping them along the way. He has never really outgrown his messy streak, although he has gotten better (right Kelly???) Please tell me he has.

Caitlin on the other hand was my neat child, but she tended to get messier as she aged. And there's always the stories about her trips home from playing with the heifers. OY, what a smell! But she loved being with them, so her smell was a happy smell.

So as long as they are happy, who cares about messy, and sticky, and gross.

Happy Birthday Daniel Boone!

November Obligations

According to Martha Stewart, who I rarely reference because she and I are no longer friends (long story), November is the month to do the following:

Vote. I’ll add it is your duty as an American, so do it!

Set the clocks back. Love that extra hour of sleep!

Turn down the heat. (I would have to turn on first, but ask anyone I know, and my house is NEVER over heated).

Make sure the house is draft free. It is, thank you, although if I didn’t have to let Madison in and out so many times...

Inspect you trees for those branches that with heavy snow might come crashing down. Well Martha, here’s the thing. I have been after Jim for about three years now to do that, and WE still have branches looming overhead, ready to wreck havoc...so I will defer him to you. Oh wait, he hates you. That will not work.

Clean gutters! DONE!!

Preserve pots. You mean I should not leave the dead plants in the pots sitting out all winter until spring?? That takes away the challenge of trying to remove dead old plants from pots come spring.

Check baking supplies for freshness. You are talking to the baker here...

Okay Martha, check and double check. Now I can move into November with a sense of accomplishment already!