Merry Christmas 2010!

Just a quick little post....

To wish everyone.....

A very Merry Christmas!!!

{Tasty Treats} Bronx Style

 If I've said it once, I'll say it again.....no matter how long I live on the Jersey Shore, how much I love it here, or how deep we plant our roots, I will always and forever be a "New Yorker". 

I love going back "home" to visit, even if it is just for a few hours.  Yesterday I took a spur of the moment trip to spend some time with my mother.  Mom needed my help sorting a personal matter, and I immediately told her I would jump on the morning bus into the city to help her out. 

The matter took all of 30 minutes to resolve, but it left us with 6 hours of Mommy and Me time.  She took me out to lunch to Seafood City in City Island, which is a mecca of delicious seafood restaurants. We used to go there at least 4 times each and every summer growing up.  The seafood was just as good as I remembered it.

Afterward, we went to the Bronx's Little Italy.  If you've seen the movie A Bronx Tale, starring Robert Deniro, you have seen the 60's version of the area.  Mom and I always visited this neighborhood in order to get the best pastries, breads, and cheeses around.  Pizza is amazing too, but since we were already full from lunch, we decided to buy a box of delicious pastries from the ever popular Palombo Pastry Shop.  The freshly baked sweet treats were a welcome surprise to Mr. Man that evening.

 Even though the visit was short, I was able to spend some quality time with my mom and visited areas that bring back wonderful vivid memories of childhood.  It never fails to remind me why I love being a native New Yorker.

Happy Birthday to Me!

So happy to be blessed with an abundance of wonderful, caring people 

in my life who make each birthday special!

Can't wait to eat the special Applesauce Carrot Cake Mr. Man ordered for me from The Little Pie Company in NYC.  When we lived in NYC it was the cake I celebrated with each year. 

Have a great day!

{Weekend Highlights} 10-17-10

Fall is my all time favorite season.

We have been  spending a lot of times outdoors ever since the brisk autumn weather has arrived.  There is just something so wonderful about donning a warm sweater or jacket and staring at the marvels Mother Nature has to offer us during the months of September, October, and November.

Many of my family's all time favorite family traditions take place during Autumn.  One of our favorites is visiting a pumpkin patch and picking pumpkins straight from the vines.  Each year, each of us goes in search of the perfect pumpkin.  We then bring them home, wash them off, and paint faces on them before setting them on our front porch as a decorative element.

This year I introduced a new "tradition"....corn mazing.  I knew once my Little Guy was old enough, that this would be something we would love to do.  The farm we go to has a 5 acres large corn maze.  We were given riddles with clues of which direction we need to go.  It was so much fun getting lost and going around in circles till we finally made it out.  Lil Diva said the moment we were done..."This is definitely something we have to do as a family tradition every year!"  And so an additional family tradition is added to our ever growing Autumn list.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Thirteen Years Ago Today....

Thirteen years ago today.....on a warm, sunny, September afternoon, much like today..... I married my friend.

I remember most of my friends thought Mr. Man was an unlikely match for me.  Me being the openly friendly, silly, social, extrovert....him being the quiet, reserved, introvert.  But upon getting to know him I realized he was my anchor.  Whenever, I get overly emotional about something, he's the one to shock me back to reality, "oh come on, it's not such a big deal! It's not the end of the world!" and he's right.  And the same works out for us in reverse.....my optimism and funny nature has helped him when he has felt a little insecure.  His dry sense of humor always has me in stitches (I often think....he should have been British), and my way of sporadically taking everyday terms and songs and making them mean something else entirely (which he determines right away) always puts a huge smile on his face.  We really can turn to each other for anything....positive advice, a shoulder to cry on, a good laugh. What people can't openly see is the fact we both have the same goals, values, morals, and passion about life.  So on the surface we may have seemed like complete opposites, we were like two puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together.

Mr. Man, in thirteen years we have gone through so much together.  More ups than downs, thank God. We have accomplished so many goals, created a family, and built a loving home to spend our time in. Truthfully, it doesn't feel like so much time has gone by....but as they say....Time Flies When You're Having Fun!  And indeed, it has been.  Happy Anniversary!

Cause for Celebration

A little over a century ago today, a baby girl was born to a 16 year old girl in a small town outside of a major city.  She was the second daughter to this young mother and her military husband (who at the time of her birth was serving his country overseas).  When the baby girl was placed on her mother's chest, doctor's told the young woman that unfortunately her child was stillborn.  "That can't be", said the young woman.  The doctors, believing the young mother was in denial, continued working on the mom.  As she gazed at her baby girl, she stroked her back, and suddenly she felt a slight movement.  "Doctor!  Doctor! See? She's not stillborn! She was just sleeping soundly!" she said.  The doctor picked the baby up off the young mother's chest and slapped her bottom again.  Whereas the first time, no wail came out of the baby girl, the second time, the infant let out a big strong cry (or roar, as her astrological sign, the lion, would do).

Her upbringing wasn't easy.  She was provided the basics: food, clothes, shelter.  And seeing that the her mother loved laughter, she had plenty of that.  But as it is to be expected when you are raised by a young naive girl who quit school at 14 to marry a serviceman and quickly started having children (she would have 4 by the age of 19), obtaining an education and setting goals and chasing your dreams were not things this little girl was taught to do.  Once she became old enough, she was given chores upon chores and was told she was only allowed to go to school, hurry home, and stay inside.  As a teen, she would sit by the window and dream of what the world outside her window was like.  So it wasn't too surprising that at age 16 she would start carrying on a conversation with the neighbor's 25 year old son through the window.  He would soon court her and charm her mother into letting him date her.  By the following year, at the tender age of 17, she married him as a means of escaping the home she felt trapped in.

By her first wedding anniversary she was the mother of baby girl.  Three years later, she went on to have another child, a boy.  And if she thought she was trapped before, she quickly realized marrying as a means to get out was not the right decision.  She attempted to get help from her mother, but to no avail.  Her mother locked her door and told her to go back to her husband.  And she did just that....but this time the wheels were turning.  She took her GED exam since she was prohibited by her husband from completing the mere 4 months she had left to graduate. She enrolled in a vocational school, obtained a job, and bravely took her two children and walked away from an emotionally and mentally abusive, loveless marriage.  Shortly afterward, she met a man her age, a divorcee as well.  He would provide the love and support she knew was out there.  More importantly, he would become the father to her children she had always wanted.

That baby girl born over half a century ago, I am proud to call my Mother.She is living proof that the vicious cycle of repeating our parents mistakes can be broken, if you have the determination, drive, and will to succeed.  She went on to complete a Bachelors degree in psychology and early childhood education, the only person in her family to do this.  She made it a point to teach her children the importance and value of an education.  When she saw any of us hanging around the wrong people or teetering in the wrong direction, she made it a point to communicate to us what is wrong with this decision and more importantly, what are the consequences.  Growing up I may not have had all the material things my friends proudly boasted about.  What I did have in abundance was a mother who truly loved me and showed me the wonders the world has to offer to me.  She taught me the importance of dreaming and setting goals to work towards making those dreams a reality.  When my friends were saying that an athlete, singer, or movie star was their inspiration in life, I was never ashamed to say my mother was my role model.  Today, I am proud to call her one of my closest dearest friends.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Lazy Monday

There is no better way to spend a lazy Monday afternoon than sitting with my laptop at a Starbucks cafe catching up on all my favorite blogs.

My weekend was really busy but enjoyable for the most part.  My brother and his family came down for a 3 day visit.  I was able to spend quality time with my beautiful niece.  It never fails, I am always rendered speechless to observe how quickly children grow!  Is she really 18 months already?  We all spent the better part of the day at the beach on Sunday enjoying the hot weather, sand and amazing waves.  I was so exhausted by the fun in the sun, I promptly fell asleep by 8pm!

This morning, we all ate breakfast together and said goodbye to my brother and his family and thanked them for their visit.  They enjoyed the beach so much, they are planning to come back up again in August.  With the house back in order after entertaining family for the weekend, it is back to the usual.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.  Have a wonderful week!

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{Friday Five} Things that Made Me Smile This Week

1- Spending time shopping with a friend.

2- Two whole days back home in the heart of NYC.

3- Introducing Lil' Miss to the world of antique shops.

4. Exploring a hip artistic urban town a mere 30 minute drive from home.

5- Making surprise weekend plans involving a full house with loved ones.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

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