snooze in-a-basket!

Please.

I just want to smooshie kisses all over their sweet little faces!

These are my new babies. Well, that's not entirely true. They're not my babies, they're our babies.

As in, my niece's babies. Which technically means, they're the family's babies.

My-oh-my, I'd give anything to hold these darlings right now.

Babies...proof that God is still in control.

And that we are loved.

Down On The Boardwalk



Being Saturday and the day before Easter,

Jason and I opted to go grab a bite to eat.

But we didn't want to go just anywhere....

we wanted to have a dining experience!



The restaurant itself isn't elegant, the food is good and satisfying, but not particularly incredible. But the view...the view is spectacular! Look at the gentleman to the right, he was eating lobster...I love how I have a shot of him in mid-bite, so enjoying his food!

Just outside the restaurant is a small boardwalk, overlooking the ocean. We left just as dusk was settling in and the ocean was at high-tide. Thank goodness for iPhones, as I didn't bring my camera (as usual) and the phone has a decent-enough camera. I saw our shadows and thought it would make for an interesting photo.

The beauty of the ocean is breathtaking! Especially on the eve of Easter...

God's perfect beauty...

An unsuspecting cactus hidden in the dunes...

Houses on the beach...can you imagine?

The restaurant.

Palm trees...so elegant and perfect on the coast.

We sat and watched the breaking of the waves. The skies are blue, the wind whipping about...

A random beach-estate on the ride home.

But are they happy??!!

Ha, ha...I'll bet they are!

But do they have a cozy little home with a sweet little dog to greet them when they walk through the door?

I wouldn't trade a thing in my life...God's plan is perfectly perfect for me!

accidental on porpoise.

We were cruising up the St. John's River, just talking and looking at the downtown buildings when I spotted a dolphin. Then another dolphin, then a school broke the surface together. They were beautiful, playful, graceful. One came up to the side of the boat and greeted Jason...so funny. I grabbed my camera and pointed at the spot I thought they'd next be surfacing. I have a point and shoot digital, which means that bright sunlight pretty much makes it impossible to see the subject. So I just pointed the camera and hoped that when I downloaded into the computer, I'd have a few photos of the dolphins. I managed to capture several fins, but this is the best photo.  I had no idea that dolphins could travel through the river...I thought they were strictly ocean-dwellers. Definitely a great day on the river!

whiney autumn lament.

Hello.

It's still hotter'n heck, hades, h-e-double hockey sticks here in Florida.

Tell me, what does fresh, cool air feel like?

I knew it once, a very long time ago.

Tucked in my bed as the evening settled in, curtains dancing upon the cool autumn air.

...and the breeze would lightly kiss my cheek.

The tree frogs and crickets sang their orchestrated lullaby as a girl drifted off to sleep.

Now all I have are hot flashes in the middle of the night, a damp t-shirt and lizards staring at me through the window. 

...the dog sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed, dreaming and snoring like an old, craggy sea captain.  Nice.

I miss the dancing curtains and the songs of the night critters.

...Autumn in Florida just isn't the same!

tale of two cities.

As alluded to in my last post, I have visited the MOSH nine-hundred, forty-eight thousand, two-hundred and fifty-one (948,251) times over the past 15 years.  Most of those visits were with our son's elementary school class, over the course of nine years.  And might I add, I usually was the mother who was chosen to chaperon the "naughty" boogers children in the class, so it wasn't generally the most enjoyable experience for either Jonathan or myself.

But surprisingly, this last visit with Tom (my brother) was very enjoyable.  Was it the company?  The lack of children?  Or the exhibits that made the excursion so enjoyable? 

It was the combination of all three.  Add to these factors that Tom was hyperventilating over the fact that his beloved sailing vessel, the Maple Leaf, was on exhibit at the museum. 

We toured the Currents of Time exhibit and had a marvelous time!  I learned so much about the early settling of Northeast Florida.  Tom and I read all the exhibit descriptions and snapped away, taking lovely photos of the various vignettes of the region.

And then, and then...we came upon her.  Tom's beloved Maple Leaf (an article that Tom wrote about her can be found here).

I was excited to download these photos...if you look closely, you can see the reflection of my dear history-buff brother captured in the glass. 

He was relating to me the story of the Maple Leaf.  From her beginnings in Canada, to her celebrity in Rochester, NY and finally, her humble end as a workhorse vessel during the Civil War.  Her final resting place?  In the mud of the St. John's River, off the shores of Mandarin.

Which is very ironic, as Tom resides in Rochester and our parents, Mandarin.  

And here she is, the Lady herself....

It's nice having your own private tour guide...you learn some fascinating facts!

countdown to commencement.

Welcome to High School Graduation Central.

We're preparing. And cleaning. Shopping. Working. Uncontrollable sobbing. Reminiscing. Stashing. Planning. Executing. Hugging. Calling. Driving. Planting. Writing. Anticipating...

I'll be back next week, after all the festivities. The fun and frivolity. The sleep and relaxation...

Beauty and the Beast...

This isn't the classic Disney tale of a beautiful young maiden, destined to save the soul of a disfigured and miserable young prince...

Mine is a tale of two highschoolers; a beautiful young woman and a handsome young man who, on the very same evening at approximately the same time, experienced a moment they won't soon forget.

I am both a bystander and participant in this "magical" evening.

Our tale begins at the annual high school beauty pageant...I am in the audience, cheering on the contestants with my trusty friend, Suzy. The contestant we are most interested in is Mackenzie, the daughter of our dear friend, Kathy.

Mackenzie looks beautiful, so talented, so poised! For the talent category, Mackenzie dances to a jazzed-up beat of Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind...actually, it was a very energetic and precise dance/tumbling presentation...I could easily do that!

All of the contestants did a great job, they all looked lovely. Such talented girls...how would the judges ever choose one winner? Dancing, singing, a piano solo...beautiful dresses, big smiles.

I know who should win!

Hey, look behind you, judges! I'll help you select the winner!

The queen of the evening should be this girl...



Mackenzie! Yes, this will be the girl who will wear the crown, I just know it!

She's talented, poised, a dazzling smile, so pretty. Yes, she's your girl!

Meanwhile, a few miles down the street is this boy, Jonathan.

He's gearing up, ready to step in the ring with who-knows-who? To punch, kick, jab...

He's been unable to fight for the past few weeks, due to an injury he suffered to the precise spot where a bone-growth had been removed.

He's ready, man!

Let the fighting begin!




Here he goes, giving it all the power he has, punching hard.

After all, he's been out of the ring for several weeks and he has a lot to prove.

But you know what happens in sparring when you unleash all your power?

Yup, you get even more power unleashed on you!

And then you end up here...

In the emergency room for six hours!

Jonathan received a hard punch to his temple and we didn't quite know what was happening to him...fingers clenched, tingling/numbness, distorted vision...

A cat scan, two Motrin and $250 later...

The evening ended well for both Beauty and the Beast...

The Beauty didn't win a crown, but she competed well.

The Beast was clocked on his crown, but he competed strong.

And yet, both won in a roundabout way...

"It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game."

It's not the prize that the Beauty and the Beast will forever remember, it's the experience of participating in the event that will remain with them.

Go children.

Make mommy and daddy another memory!

shower power!

A BEARY BABY STORY

A few years back, my family and I decided to attend a different church in our diocese, one that was closer to home. One in which we could tear through the deserted streets early on Sunday mornings to beat the 8 AM church bell.

We were blessed to have fallen in love with Assumption Parish, a beautiful traditional church that is reminiscent of the church I grew up in, during the Renaissance (I held the paint palette for Michelangelo. A sloppy painter, by the way, until I whipped him into shape and told him to get his act together!).

For several years my guys and I just sat in the pew, taking a break from the very active parish we had come from. We weren't about to get caught up in a whirlwind of activity in this church.

Right. Jason took the plunge first, and joined the men's Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP). After his weekend retreat, he seemingly found such peace in his relationship with Jesus. I, on the other hand, was firmly planting my heels into the asphalt of the church parking lot, denying my need to attend this boring weekend. But as often happens, I felt a nudge in my heart, prompting me to change my mind and not to be outdone by my convert-husband. I signed up for the upcoming women's weekend and found love, peace and renewal.

I am so glad I disengaged my heels from the asphalt and took the leap into the world of CRHP. Had I not, I would never have been at this gathering last night...

Meet Maureen. I stalked her on our CRHP weekend, staring her down, examining her face and wondering where I had seen her before! And let me tell you, she has the most beautiful eyes and smile I have ever seen. She lights up the room when she laughs. See her belly? Maureen is the guest of honor...

.......at her baby shower! Yay, a party! Look at all the delicious food the girls brought. And the balloons were outrageous and fun! Lisa and Joanne did the bulk of the decorating and boy, was I relieved! 'Cause it would have looked like a redneck trailer park party had I decorated.

Did I mention that I'm Catholic? I guess by the bottles of wine, you would have guessed that. Catholic girls know how to party...not that much of that wine was consumed, mind you. But it's always nice know that it's there. PARTY!!!

And here is our dear Juanita. She's our girl Friday, the gal who does it all. Really. She has the ability to anticipate the next move hours before that next move is set to take place and then she pounces! I just stand there, like the Comcast turtles. Juanita is on it, man!

This is what you'd call a gaggle of giggling girls. Yup. There are a lot more around somewhere...hello girls, where are you?

Then there are these three...trouble. With a capital "T" that rhymes with...never mind (name that musical). Oh, I have my eye on them. They're always laughing, joking around, being mischievous...pssst....*two of them are teachers! When there's an undercurrent of static, it's these three, giggling, laughing, whispering. Hey, I want to join...

Gifts! That's what we came here for! Gifts! We had no clue, no inkling as to what we should buy. We were lost. Maureen had the audacity not to find out the sex of her baby! I'm all for being surprised at the moment of birth. Afterall, when I was pregnant I didn't find out the sex of my baby. But that's not acceptable at the showers I'm invited to! What am I supposed to make for this baby? There are no co-ed fabrics out there...crikey! Once that little mooshka of a baby arrives, I'm going to have to go into yet another sewing frenzy, gender-appropriate flurry of creativity. Thanks, Maureen! (She did that to get double stuff...diabolical plan...)

Wait! Hold on! I detect a girl outfit. I know boys don't wear Hello Kitty! Hmmmm...one of the CRHP girls is using her powers of persuasion to get a girl-baby birthed. Wow, I didn't know that one could do that. Just buy a gender-appropriate item and voila! The sex is now predetermined. Smart.

Then there was this blessing. As a ruse to throw Maureen a baby shower, Mary Jo suggested to the group that we host a baby shower benefiting the Women's Help Center. As part of the Center's program, they provide clothing and other items for mother's and babies in need. Gently worn or used items are accepted and quite often, new items such as clothing and diapers find their way to the Angel Closet at the Center. With Maureen present, I nervoulsy (I was afraid I was going to slip and spill the beans) explained to my peeps what was needed for the closet, emphasizing that if they didn't have any used items to donate, a little t-shirt or pants from Wal-Mart ($3-$6) would greatly be appreciated.

Suffice it to say, my sisters didn't stint on their giving in the least. Bags and bags of brand new baby clothing, diapers, binkies, bottles, toys were piled on the table. Gently used items like a Lands End jean jacket (help me, I swooned over that), a big rubber crate of shoes (oh, the cutest little sandals and tennis shoes), baby food, cash donations...

And this afternoon, I found these Mary Janes in the back of my truck, amidst all the lovely donations I gathered last night. What little girl wouldn't love these shoes? What mother wouldn't be proud to place these precious shoes on her little girl's feet?

I am amazed at the power of the Holy Spirit, at the generosity of these women whom I call my sisters. I didn't ask for much, but they gave abundantly from their maternal hearts. Because of these women and many like them, babies all over the city will have decent clothing, warm blankets, clean bottoms. And mommies won't have to fret and cry that they have nothing decent for their children to wear.

Maureen lights up a room with her smile. My CRHP sisters light up a mother's life with their generous hearts. Babies are born. We smile and humanity is illuminated with the joy of new life, new love, joyful hearts.

Thank you, ladies. Perhaps one day, a mother who received your love in the form of baby clothing will one day be in a position to help another needy mother. And so it goes...the light shines on.

sweet song Mom would sing to us.

There once was a Dutchman, whose name was Johnny Quebec

He made the finest sausages and sauerkraut and speck.

He made the finest sausages that ever you have seen

And one day he invented a wonderful sausage machine.

Oh, Mr. Johnny Quebec, how could you be so mean?
I told you you'd be sorry for inventing that machine.
Now all the neighbors cats and dogs will never more be seen.
They'll all be ground to sausages in Johnny Quebec's machine!

One day a boy came walking, came walking in the store,
He bought a pound of sausages and laid them on the floor
The boy began to whistle-he whistled up a tune,
And all the little sausages went running around the room.

Oh, Mr. Johnny Quebec, how could you be so mean?
I told you you'd be sorry for inventing that machine!
Now all the neighbors cats and dogs will never more be seen.
They'll all be ground to sausages in Johnny Quebec's machine.

One day the darn machine broke,the darned thing wouldn't go;
So Johnny Quebec climbed down inside to see what made it slow.
His wife was having a nightmare and walking in her sleep.
She gave the crank an awful jerk and Johnny Quebec was meat!

Justice after all! This was my all-time favorite song as a child, always a treat when Mom would sing it. As she sang, I illustrated the words in my head, imagining Mr. Quebec chasing those poor animals. And the little boy freeing the doggie & kitty-sausages. The tune is quite catchy, very upbeat and happy. No sissy songs for us...Thanks, Mom.

Mom wrote out the words and ended it with this notation:

**Learned at Camp Immokalee, 1946 Campfire Song. Also learned to float.

insect inspiration.

Here's another song mom would sing when I was a girl, a feel-good, "You can do it!" type song...

Next time your found,

with your chin on the ground

There's a lot to be learned, so look around.

Just what makes that little old ant

Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant?

Anyone knows an ant, can’t

Move a rubber tree plant!

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes

He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes!

So any time your gettin’ low’stead of lettin’ go

Just remember that ant...

Oops there goes another rubber tree plant

oldies, but goodies!

Red Skelton. I remember watching his variety show when I was a little girl, waiting for the segment where he'd dress as a clown, his trademark.

Phyllis Diller. Oh, she was funny! And so crazy looking. But I loved her laugh. Those were the days when a performer could smoke on TV. She had one of those long cigarrette holders, just like Cruella de Vil's, and Phyllis'd puff away on that thing. Cool!

And my all-time favorite, Jimmy Durante. I absolutely adored him. What I remember most about his show is, at the end he'd be playing the piano and he'd say, "a-cha-cha!" And kind of tip the brim of his hat. What was it that I loved most about him? He resembled my beloved, one-of-a-kind grandpa, Frank Moran. It was the nose. What a nose!

XXOOXXOOXXOO, Grandpa!

blast from the past.

A deep, dark secret from my past...I was a Hooter's Girl! Yes, I was! That was in the '80's, when the "uniforms" were scandalous and hooter enhancements weren't prevelant. We were just "au'natural"gals. In little shorts and tops. And sneakers. There was only one Hooters in town and that was the place to party, especially during the Florida/Georgia game. I made money...without any surgery. And my mom just about died. Sorry 'bout that, mom. It could have been worse...Playboy Bunny waitresses were still around back then!

turn away, PETA!

Mom sang this song to me when I was a little girl. She'd sing it to me now, if I ask her. Mom had a whole repertoire of charming children's songs, songs that would ignite our imaginations. Not the sappy songs of today that we sing to our kids like, "I Love You, You Love Me" (which we sang with our son when he was a baby...I think that today I'll sing it to him), sung by a purple dinosaur named Barney. Captain Kangaroo never sang love songs to us, nor did Bozo the Clown. It was our Mom who sang to us, teaching us the dangers of random organic eating...what might happen if you swallowed a fly. Four little children, our own Southern Lady, all singing the perils of insect-consumption...

Father's Day.

Happy Father's Day!

~to my husband: my knight in shining armour. My protector, mate and friend.

A great & loving father to our son.

A devoted son to your parents. A helpful son to mine.

Not only do I love being with you,

I love you!

~to my dad: thank you for providing for us, for teaching us how to love life.

You have always been there for us, so much fun to be with.

Thank you for the secure childhood you gave us.

Thank you for loving me.

~to my brothers: you will never know how much each of you means to me.

As a child, each of you were like a mini-father to me.

I always knew that I could count on you.

How blessed am I to have 3 beautiful brothers!

~to my father-in-law: you raised a fantastic son.

Who fathered his own fantastic son.

Thank you!

~to God my heavenly Father: you answered the prayers of my heart,

without my ever having to utter a word.

Your love for me is certainly beyond measure,

for you blessed my life with good men.

May you continue to bless

each of them in their daily walk,

loving them, guiding them, blessing them.

And Heavenly Father,

thank you for the gift of your blessed Son.