Tuesday, August 30, 2005


Celebrating her 3rd Birthday..... Posted by Picasa

This is a picture that appeared in our local paper......makes you want to go and grab a slice of watermelon and dig right in! Posted by Picasa

This was taken earlier this spring,,,,but that smile is what I was sharing. Everyday I am greeted in the morning by this smile,,,and it radiates throughout my day....a smile, a giggle, a funny story, a hug, a kiss......life couldn't be any sweet than it is with Emma Sage in our lives. Posted by Picasa

Monday, August 29, 2005

Rest in Peace, young man, Rest in Peace

There are times when life just does not make sense.

There are things in this world that are so tragic and so real.....that I find that when I focus on them, it saddens me to the core.

A young man named Sean Maher died this past weekend. He was missing since Friday and a huge search went out to find him. He was 21 and like Emma Sage was born with Trisomy 21.

While I did not know Sean, from the accounts of his life, he lived a life that any of us would be blessed to live. He was truly an inspiration, living independently, following his dreams and interests and surrounded by family and friends who loved and adored him.

"Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die."~Amelia Burr

Tonight, I hold my children close to my heart, knowing that life is to be lived and what a blessing it is that they are here with me. But my heart is heavy for Sean's family at the tragic loss of their beloved Sean.

Rest in Peace, young man, Rest in Peace.

Friday, August 26, 2005

New Friends....

Our new friend Joshua came over to play with his Mommy! It was so much fun watching all the children play. They had a grand-old time at the water table,,,,and ended up getting more on themselves than stayed in the table [but that's OK because the sun was shining warmly and it was refreshing]. We walked down to our pond to find frogs....and the frogs delighted us with a leaps from the grasses into the water,,,then popping their green, sliming heads out of the water, and lots of croaking! Lunch was delicious, you can never go wrong with Pizza. We snacked on Apples and dip [very easy to make, low-fat cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla.....whiped till fluffy and green granny smith apples! YUM!] and carrots and rance dip and sweet green grapes. Oh yeah and the big favorite amongst 4 year olds, Peperidge Farm Gold Fish!

Enjoy the pictures below of the fun time we shared with new friends!

Emma Sage and her friend Josh. We had a fun time playing and having lunch together.  Posted by Picasa

Too cute.... Posted by Picasa

These kids were on the move.....lots of things to do....lots of fun to be had! Posted by Picasa

Our friend Josh came over to play....what a fun day we had! Posted by Picasa

Fun with friends.... Posted by Picasa

Our little cow-poke and her kitty....yes, that is Gracie in the same postion you have seen her in before,,,,cuddled in her Mistresses arms. This is the best kitty in the whole world! Posted by Picasa

One Person Can Make a Difference....

Advocating.......one person at a time, can make a difference.

Read an article that stemmed from the work of one amazing Mom!

Wethersfield Post

Thanks Melissa!

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Treasures.........

The Reading Mother

I had a Mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a Mother who read me lays
Of ancient and gallant and golden days;
Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,
Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a Mother who read me tales
Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,
True to his trust till his tragic death,
Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a Mother who read me the things
That wholesome life to the boy heart brings
--Stories that stir with an upward touch,
Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be
--I had a Mother who read to me.
~Strickland Gillilan

Tuesday or Wednesday is library day for us. This week it was Wednesday.

It is the most treasured day of the week. We pile in the car and drive to Clinton, with our big bag of books/tapes/CDs to return and refill.

To me, the library has always been my most favorite place to be, and I believe it is the same for my children......I hope that they will look back on their life and smile at the thought of spending time at the library,,,,looking through the shelves and taking home treasures to read [and in my children's case hear or watch] [[back when I was young, CDs,tapes and videos were not a library option....or at least I was not aware of those choices]].

During the school year we attend 'Story Hour'.........but during the summer, library is free time to explore, investigate and take out books to take us on magical adventures. To beat the heat under a tree and dive into a story.
What a National Treasure our public library system is...........of all of life's perks, for me, owning a library card has to be the greatest.

I was able to pick up a series on teaching reading called 'Learning to Read with Phonics, Letters and Worlds' [that had been lost for a long time] and I was very excited to get the call on Monday that the item I requested had been located from the main county branch. I'll let you know what I think of the tape as soon as we review it and work with it.

Otto picked up books on Julius Ceasar, The story of the nile, Explorers and Lives of the Writers [Comedies, Tragedies, and what the neighbors thought]! It makes me smile to see the books he chooses.............what a delight for a nine year old boy to be able to open the pages of these books and be transported back into time.

Katrina got two new books from two authors that she enjoyed, so she is seeing if she likes all of their work. Her required summer reading is completed for high school and she is just reading for the pure joy of reading. [truly makes a mothers heart swell]

Emma Sage, the queen of books, and her friends Claudia & B, eagerly filled the bag up with their allotment of 20 books. They are so cute together searching and looking at the covers [at 4years and 3 years old,,,,you do "judge a book by its cover" lol!]. This round they picked up some fun books and a few favorites.

I have two books on the nightstand, plus a pile of paperwork that needs to be done, so I only ventured to pick out new CDs to filled the CD deck with for music to play throughout our days. I picked up The Roches "Will you be my friend", Justin Roberts "Not Naptime", Sara Hickman "Big Kid", Sweet Honey In The Rock "Still the same me", Jamie Broza "Bad Mood Mom" and one of my all time favorite childrens music Jessica Harper "Inside Out!"
.
After checkout, we headed over to the park to play for a while. Today was another picture perfect day here in Hunterdon County. So from my accounts August 23rd and 24th are two of the top ten days of the year 2005, as you can see from the pictures below!

Here's looking at you kid!!! Posted by Picasa

Emma Sages favorite swing at the park near the library.... Posted by Picasa

You know Mom,,,,this camera thing has got to stop!!! You can't swing on the tire swing with me if your too busy snapping pictures. Posted by Picasa

Watching for Claudia & B to slide down. Posted by Picasa

Sliding down the slide.... Posted by Picasa

At the park today, after a wonderful trip to the library.....Can you say, "Picture Perfect Day, again!" Posted by Picasa

Tuesday, August 23, 2005


My little Budda in flight.......where you can find her spending many moments of time, swinging freely in the air, enjoying the moment in perfect bliss! Posted by Picasa

My little Budda

Emma Sage is my little Zen Master. She has a mysterious smile, a precious round belly and the ability to take an average day and turn it into a spectacular one. She doesn't get hung up in thinking or lost in theoretical musings about this or that,,,she just lives in the moment and can turn an average moment into a spectacular one. Her presense and teachings helps all of us to make the average day into a spectacular one.

Today she lead us on an adventure. It started out very simple and direct. "Mommy, we go to my Birthday park?" Hummmmm, I thought. Today was going to be library day, but this idea seemed like a more perfect idea, we could always do the library tomorrow.

Turns out, today was the most picture perfect of days here in this little corner of North West New Jersey. If you count the top ten best days of the year, today would make the list for 2005.

So we packed a picnic lunch, making extra fruit salad to drop off to Greta at the high school that is located right across from the State Park and headed out.

We settled into the little glen that is forever known as "My Birthday Park"......throughly enjoying each moment. We ate and chatted [watching Emma Sage, Claudia & B is such a delight] about this and that,,,counted leaves and acorns and bugs! We went for a little nature walk, stopping along the way to marval at frogs, salamanders, millipedes and neat looking rocks. They played and played on the swingsets and climbing center, singing and giggling and having such a wonderful childhood time.

I brought my camera to take pictures, but sadly realized that I left the batteries charging in the charger at home. "That's OK Mommy" Emma Sage tells me when I realize my mistake,,,,,and my little Zen Master was right, it was OK. We'd take pictures another day, and for right now, I would just soak up the pure joy and delight that these three were having playing in a perfect glen, in a woods, near a stream and pond with strands of sunshine beaming in through the high canapy of leaves.

So I muse about my live-in Zen Master......a little imp of a thing,,,,,,teaching me daily about how to just be!

********

First we braid grasses and play tug of war,
then we take turns singing and keeping a kick-ball in the air.
I kick the ball and they sing, they kick and I sing.
Time is forgotten, the hours fly.
People passing by point at me and laugh:
"Why are you acting like such a fool?"
I nod my head and don't answer.
I could say something, but why?
Do you want to know what's in my heart?
From the beginning of time: just this! just this!

~Ryokan, Eighteenth-Century Japanese Zen Master, Hermit, Calligrapher, Poet

Monday, August 22, 2005


On a scale of one to ten.....today was a 10+.....silly girl is eating as much as she is tossing to the ducks. Posted by Picasa

Ya, know.....I'm having one of those moments! This kid is just too funny. Posted by Picasa

Watch out Otto, looks like Miss Emma Sage wants a bite of the bread [she might bite your hand!lol!] Posted by Picasa

The geese were very brave today, coming up and almost eating out of the childrens hands. They were funny too, flapping their wings right in front of us [what a magical sight]. Posted by Picasa

The sun was bright, the skies blue with puffy clouds, the humidity broke [and thankfully nothing new at the house broke either] and we decided it would be fun to feed the ducks. Posted by Picasa

Monday's at 9:00 PM........I'm hooked!

So do you want to know where you can find me on Monday's at 9:00 PM? Sitting in front of the TV!!!

Yes, you heard that right. Me, the gal who never has time to even sit down for a half-hour show [or the desire to even follow an ongoing program] is glued infront of the TV with Katrina, Greta, Otto and Emma Sage by my side watching Beautiful People on ABC Family Channel.

Not since Little House on the Prairie aired original shows back in 1974, have I been so excited about a TV series [OK,,,so that is a stretch, I loved eargerly awaiting a new Seinfeld episoid and can still be found watching in often in reruns ~ inbetween folding loads of laundry!] BUT not since then have I had that teenage desire to pencil in my journal [Monday at 9, can't do anything else because the newest BP is on!] and sit and giggle and scream [when Nicky kissed Sophia,,,,,,can you say, goose bumps!] and just have a great time watching TV.

It is so much fun to have something that my girls love as much as I do!

So if you haven't checked it out yet, I say, you must! So far it has proven to me to be a series that is worth my time to watch [and I'm so thankful it is a great opportunity for my girls and I to have an interest in the same thing.]

Sunday, August 21, 2005


Flowers and Chuck Taylors....Miss Emma Sage left her shoes on the table near the flowers. When I came upstairs from repairing the water pipe, they caught my eye. What a precious sight.....two items, completely non-related, but placed together and as soon as I saw them I got the brightest smile on my face, because it was a perfect fit of my little girl. I snapped this picture because it made me happy.  Posted by Picasa

**Good-fairy[dot]com**

Ok, this is what I want to know ~ Where can I sign up for,"I need a good-fairy [dot] com?"

Life has been throwing me lemons and I have to tell you, after making lots of lemon-aid, iced tea with lemons, lemon Meringue pie and lemon drops,,,,my lips are starting to pucker and it is getting pretty darn hard to turn anything positive and happy with all the 'little things' that are just popping up around here [as quickly as the weeds are].

I have to moan, and very rarely do, but tonight was just a bit too much for me. Rick is traveling again [been gone for two weeks and counting] and it seems that it is just raining lemons here.

So I figure the best medicine for me is to write it down, laugh out loud about it, and go get some shut-eye and tomorrow will be a bright and sunny [and humid free] and lemon-event free day.

The pipes have been leaking. Rick fixed one with a 'quick fix' right before he left,,,,,I've had to fix it two additional times, tonight being hopefully the last. It was streaming out of my clamps and I removed them, retightened and I pray that I don't wake up to a flood in the basement. Another [pisser, I call them] popped up the day after he left............I'm getting good at these temporary fixes and [knock on wood] the one I fixed by the hot water heater is still nice and dry. **Good-fairy [dot] com, please wave your wand over my pipes and let the water stay in them and no come leaking out of them.**

The washer broke..........got a great new washer [no lemons here!,,,but an unexpected dent in the pocketbook]. **Good-fairy [dot] come, I love my new washer, does a great job and really wrings the water out so my poor dryer doesn't have to work as hard...........so my wish here is that you can wave your magic wand over my dry so it has a nice long life**

The Oven caught fire tonight [thank you Katrina for noticing it, or I might be homeless]. The bottom element must have shorted out, because it burnt up in a section and is now useless [Rick said he'd go get a new heating element when he returned, so I have no clue how much of a dent in the pocketbook that lemon will be]. I have been hoping to get a new oven in a year or two and pray I don't have to do it right now. **so Good-fairy [dot] com, please let this be fixable**

The filter on the pool isn't working right,,,,,,,so I am battling cleaning the pool. **Good-fairy [dot] com, please wave your wand over my pool so it is sparkling blue and crystal clear.

Good-fairy [dot]com,,,,my car is making funny noises. Please wave your wand over it and let it be like the Ever-Ready bunny and keep going and going. I have 210,000 miles on my car and I need to get two more years out of it. Then I can scale down and buy a nice used, energy efficient smaller make. On a good note, my wipers have been working since my mother's neighbor came out in the pouring rain to help me. Thank you neighbor, you are the magic wand that really helped me out during this season of raining lemons.

Now this is really gross, but Good-fairy [dot] com, can you take the stench of dead mouse out of my closet? I am working real hard on doing this myself, but I'm at my wits end.

And I guess I need to quite my whining, because as I sit here and think about all the other lemons…..they are so small and insignificant and just little things that make me really appreciate the fact that they are little things.

So I guess my last wish for you, Good-fairy [dot] com is to continue waving that wand over me and my family [as you seem to have already been doing right along] and I thank you for letting my lemons be small and bright yellow, and with just enough sour to mix beautifully with sugar and water to make such a refreshing drink on these hot, humid, unpredictable summer days.

Saturday, August 20, 2005

A 30th Wedding Celebration

Life has been very full of late............absolutely wonderful, but very busy days. I have not had time to write, reflect, or let alone even stop to catch my breath for days.

Today I had that opportunity to jump off the 'merry-go-round' of day to day life and spend time with family.

It was such a welcome break,,,,and a celebration that was so special and wonderful.

My cousin Fred [I've always adored Fred] and his beautiful wife Sandy celebrated their 30th Wedding Anniversary.

It was a surprise,,,,and their daughters pulled it off, they were surprised!!!!! The location was the same hall that 30 years earlier the came with family and friends to celebrate their joining of hearts and hands.

The girls decorated the hall beautifully and many of the items were saved from the wedding and were placed in the exact spots they had on their wedding day!

The photo collages and albums were wonderful.........looking back, to where we were, and the journey in pictures to where were are today. It was bittersweet at times, to see pictures of family that have returned home to GOD, but the joy, the smiles, the memories were so soothing and comforting as I glanced through the pictures.

There is one picture that is truly amazing.........it is of Fred and Sandy [happily smiling from their car leaving the church newly married] and my dear brother Kenny is looking in at them through the window,,,,,,It was like Kenny was there with me today. I miss him so very much and it was like he was looking in that window, through the picture at me.

The food was delicious [everyone brought a covered dish, and in my family of farmers and good cooks,,,,the food was freshly grown, freshly prepared and just too darn yummy!],,,,,the fellowship was inspirational,,,,,and the music was magical [thanks Nora].

Emma Sage just adored the whole day. She laughed, giggled, smiled, took a little break, danced, ate, drank and was just her merry ol' self.

Today, I am so thankful, for family,,,,for the special times that we get-together to celebrate,,,who we are,,,,where we have been,,,,where we are,,,,and know that where ever our lives journey's take us in the future,,,,our family will be there, stopping from the merry-go-round of their daily lives, to come out and reflect,,,,,,and celebrate the magic of family.

Today we celebrated a very special day, the 30th Wedding Anniversary of my cousin Fred and his beautiful wife Sandy. Pictured here are Fred and Sandy and their 5 blessings,,,,,,Lea, Laurie, Nora, Amanda and Aubry.  Posted by Picasa

Sharing a moment with Uncle Mikey [my dear brother] Ronan and Otto [oops Otto, sorry I cut your off part of your head] Posted by Picasa

Yes,,,,,you can have too much fun!!! and this little girl seems to know how to have so much fun everyday. I mean it when I say "If I could just bottle her essence, her spirit, I'd have an elixir of the Gods" Posted by Picasa