I'm a Daisy Girl Scout......

Emma Sage and her little friends from Daisy Girl Scouts.....we are just starting our year and the girls have not gotten their vests yet.

Greta and Katrina are my big helpers at the meetings, as somehow, myself and my friend Cheryl are the co-leaders......laughing out loud, as the two of us are still trying to figure out how this happened!!!! I said that I would be at all the meetings and next thing we know, we are the leaders.

It is a delightful group of girls and we are looking forward to a fun, fun year!!!

Yup......

You Are 48% Capitalist, 52% Socialist

While you are definitely sympathetic to a free economy, you also worry about the less fortunate. Wealth and business is fine, as long as those who are in need get helped out too. You tend to see both the government and corporations as potentially corrupt.

Are You a Socialist or Capitalist?

I've been playing these fun little games on others blogs and decided to add this one to mine!

Playing......

Greta and Emma Sage and I went out to do some pictures [what a lucky Mommy I am to have daughters who love to let Mommy play with her love of photography!]

I am also trying to get the right images for this year's Christmas cards.....

Here is a picture of Otto that my cousin Andy took. I just love it and I am thinking of using it for this years cards.....what do you think?


Thanks Andy!!!

Shadow Games

Emma Sage has been fasinated lately with playing 'shadow games' both inside and outside......she seems to find the right kind of lighting and then makes me all kinds of neat things.....Butterflies are her favorite!!!!

In the Heavens above,

The angels whispering

to one another,

Can find, among their burning

terms of love,

None so devotional as that

of "Mother."

~Edgar Allen Poe

It has been two months from today, that my dear, sweet Mother passed away. There are no words to adaquetly describe the feelings and emotions I have felt over these last two months. Sadness is so real. Little things [so many little things in my life] remind me of my Mom. She was such a huge part of all of our lives. There were only a few times in my life that I did not talk to my Mother during the day....and most times I saw her a few times a week, if not daily. I go to pick up the phone a few times a day, only to realize I can't call her anymore.

Well, actually, Greta gave me a gift a few weeks ago, when she realized that I so wanted to talk to my Mother and share our day with, by calling Mom's, cellphone and letting me hear my Mothers voice on her voicemail.....and a recording that records messages, so I could leave my Mom a message, even though I know that recording will not be answered.

But as much sadness I have felt, there has also been tremendous joy.....because my Mother was such a loving, caring and giving person, her memories bring so much joy to my days. I look at my own children with such pride. They are a reflection of me and I am a reflection of my Mother.

Mom, I miss you dearly.

Sweet, Sweet Cousins

Bendy-Bendy Cousins

Emma Sage, Greta and her cousin Kelsy doing back-bends......Can you say 'FLEXIBLE'

A Thanksgiving Feast......

Upon arriving at Uncle Mikey and Aunt Victoria's yesterday, we were greeted on the porch by Ronan, who was so excited to see his cousin, Emma Sage.

"Emma, guess what we are going to have?" asks Ronan

"What?" replies Emma Sage

"It's Thanksgiving and we are going to have a Feast!" exclaimed Ronan

"Yummmmmm, I love feasts!" replies Emma Sage

Too funny.....I don't know if Emma Sage or Ronan had ever had a feast before, but they were sure excited about the Thanksgiving Feast they were about to have!

My Mother was the most perfect and

magnetic character, the rarest

combination of practical, moral,

and spiritual, and the least selfish,

of all and any I have ever known,

and by me O so much the most

deeply loved.

~Walt Witman

Emma Sage has been helping me bake this morning.....and noticing the tears. When I open my cookbooks [many gifts from my Mother or passed on to me from my Mamie and great-grandmothers]....when I open my cookbooks I start to cry when I notice my Mothers handwritting and little notes about each recipe. My Mother loved to cook and more than anything, loved to collect recipes from friends and family, which she would lovingly hand write and make little notes in the side margins about each recipe and where it came from or on what occassion it was first introduced into our lives.....then making it a mainstay, a tradition at future gatherings.

One thing that I hope to do over the next year is to create a cookbook of all these wonderful recipes,,,,but more importantly, these wonderful memories.

So we have baked an apple pie [actually two], made a fresh cranberry/apple relish and our famous Broccoli casserole [yes, my Mom has it written next to the recipe, Rick's famous broccoli casserole.......as he makes it for every family gathering and we always get calls asking us to bring it....so I guess that makes it famous in our family!!!!!

We are off to celebrate the rest of the day at my brothers.........

May your day be filled with good food and cheer!

and Mommy,,,,,,,I miss you so dearly. I saw this poem above and thought to my self......"Wow, Walt Witman had a Mother just like I did.....how blessed he was, and how blessed I am!"

Giving Thanks
For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

For the homes that with purest affection are blest,
For the season of plenty and well-deserved rest,
For our country extending from sea unto sea;
The land that is known as the "Land of the Free" --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!

Author Unknown

As you travel to visit with family and friends, or staying home, may the spirit of this day be with you all year. May we always give thanks for the day and the gifts we are bestowed. I found this poem to be one that touched me on so many levels, as my family is a family of farmers, who toil the land and reap the harvest. A job that is full of beauty, but one that is long and hard. [my cousin Fred just baled the last field of hay last week and got it all into the barn before the rains...] My family is filled with workingman's hands, with engineers, healers and teachers.....of artists. The diversity of life is so wonderful for us, and I give thanks for our health and family ties.

Emma Sage has been excited with all the stories we have been reading about the pilgrims, of freedom and of working hard and gathering the harvest so that we may sit at the table today and celebrate our good fortune. She has learned to write 'turkey' and is so proud that she can write her full name without any help.....as seen in this picture below.

I give thanks for my husband for allowing me to work from home and to teach Emma Sage......as these first few months of officially homeschooling her have been so wonderful and I know that this is the path that is best for our little girl. She is happy, rested, eager to learn and blossoming as a kindergartner..........she truly understands and appreciates the gift of learning. I pray that her love of learning will stay with her all the days of her life. I truly believe for myself, that I need to learn something new everyday, even if it is stopping to look at something in a new light. I do not end my day without reading a passage [or many chapters] from a book......as reading is the greatest of gifts that I am so very thankful for on this day of thanks.

So on this Thanksgiving Day of 2006......I wish you all a day filled with the gifts of life that make you happy.

Peace and love, Tara Marie & family

Our walk to visit Tom Turkey

We are so blessed to have a neighbor up the Lane that has a wonderful farm filled with so many animals. Since we have been talking about Thanksgiving for our school day and our school work has revolved around Thanksgiving and Turkey's we decided to walk to visit a real Turkey.

Here is little Miss feeding the bunnies in the Turkey pen.


Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

and a few pictures of our outing........

Emma Sage's cat Gracie follows us just like a dog.......too funny!

Here is Gracie up on the stonewall.....

Three little walkers.......I was pushing one in the stroller....

Checking out the peacocks and other colorful chickens [and bunnies...lots and lots of bunnies]

I just love Swan's......maybe because my maiden name was Swan[son]?


Feeding a minature donkey.....too cute!


Feeding some of the horses....this is where Emma Sage rides when the weather is nice.



and the turkey we came to visit with......the kids thought it was funny to say it was a lucky turkey as it won't be someone's dinner on Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Giving Thanks.....

First of a few Thanksgiving posts for me.........as Thanksgiving has always been one of my most favorite of days ~ as it has always been filled with family, all of my family and friends. A day to celebrate the gift of family and friends, to share in freshly prepared and delicious food. Each family bringing to the table a gift of food, dessert and drink. But more importantly than the food, the gift of fellowship and of love.

I have been truly blessed by my life. I have been surrounded every day of my life with love, compassion, friendship, honor and respect. The greatest gift that has ever been given to me is that of memories.......my family gatherings are filled with many incredible memories....many of just simple fellowship and time spent together, but what a gift, a gift that money could never buy.

Tomorrow we will head to my brothers [missing my Mother dealy] and have a quiet family dinner. Otto is invited to his bestfriends to join with his family a Thanksgiving feast [and an Italian family that will have his favorite antipasta!]. On Saturday we will travel to Mamies and have a huge family gathering with family and friends. This is always a magical gathering and one that I am so looking forward to [with a sadness in my heart, as my Mother loved this 'Saturday' after Thanksgiving as much as I do......actually, I probally love this gathering so much because my Mother loved it so much!]

On Friday, we will create the first of our Christmas season Memory Making, where we will make garlands and feeder ornaments for the evergreen trees outside to decorate for the birds and other wildlife. A way to Christen the Christmas season by giving 'Thanks' for all of God's creatures....and what fun we will have over the next few weeks watching the birds and squirrels feasting on our treat ornaments.

and just a quick share for two book ideas [as gifts or check them out of your local library].......

They are:




Emma Sage adores both of these books [as do I] and I know you will read them and sigh at the beautiful messages both books deliver.

Trying to catch up.....Halloween 2006

There has been so much going on in our lives, and I have just not had time to stop and record it here.......so here is an attempt to catch up.



I still have to post our Halloween pictures and stories of the day, as we had the greatest time 'Trick-or-Treating' with our cousins and the family dinner to follow. My Mother just loved hosting Halloween at her house for all the children and grandchildren, and even though she was not physically present this year, her spirit filled the house and the laughter and joy that echoed throughout her home, were a reminder of all of us of the many years we were blessed to share with her there, and now we will do so with her beautiful spirit in our hearts and memories.....



Here is one picture of Emma Sage checking out PopPop's candy dish that had a hand that moved and a spooky voice talking to you as you took a piece of candy.







Emma Sage heading up to a house.....she had so much fun, as Daddy was able to be with us this year, and she was so independent and had to walk up to the houses on her own, bringing her treat back to her Daddy carrying her cloth bag [which she graciously shared with him all of her treats]. She would say 'Trick-or-Treat' and after getting her treat, she would say "thank you SOOOOO much" and a few times she gave the giver a hug and told them "I love you Sooooo much" which seemed to get her extra treats!!!







Here are two of our cousins that joined in the fun! Kelsy the Witch and Connor the knight. Fiona was a little Gisha girl and baby Gabriel was a 'Pea in the Pod'.....our cousins Ronan was Spiderman and Rori was a Chinese man [with a foo-man-choo] "Yes, I know, that is most likely spelled wrong....so if you know the real spelling leave a comment and I'll change it!"













The town my parents live in [and the one I grew up in] is truly a wonderful place for Trick-or-Treating, as the neighbors all decorate and really get into creating a hauntingly wonderful time for the children. This year the weather was mild, so it was just a perfect evening.



Before we headed to Nana and PopPop's [I don't think I'll ever not refer to my parents house as Mom&Dad's/Nana&PopPops] we met at the cemetery and said 'Hello' to Mom and tell her how much we missed her and so wanted her to be at the house when we got there, with hamburger soup cooking and her all ready to see the children dressed up.





Snow white and my prince charming! Emma Sage and her Daddy!





Katrina was Dorothy





Emma Sage with her friend John and his sister [they are our neighbors]





and Emma Sage was so excited at this house, as Oscar the Grouch was handing out the treats and she just wanted to stay there and visit!!!!







Well, I guess better late than never in sharing our fun Halloween!!!! Boo!!!!

I saw this on Prince Vincent's blog....

I saw this on Prince Vincent's blog and of coarse I had to find the link and make one myself!!!!

Here is a 'Celebrity' Look-a-like for Miss Emma Sage........too funny!




and here is my Greta!

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." — Rumi

It has been a busy, busy week. The Voorhees Field Hockey team ended their season on Wednesday with a 13-0 win over Franklin to cinch the Conference Championship.

They are Officially........

Hunterdon/Warren County Champions,
Conference Champions , NJ State North II Group III Sect. Champions, NJ State
Group III Finalist

and then this week is also SPIRIT FEST!!! and Katrina and Greta have been very busy with preperations......pictures to follow!

Off to bed as there are not enough hours in the day.

I hope everyone is safe and healthy and enjoying these last days of fall.

Video's on YoUTube

I followed a link from the DSListsrv regarding a video made by a member in Brazil. After watching the bautiful video, I clicked on the list of 'similar' videos and found one that included Miss Emma Sage [and yes, I did give consent to the user to use her image from my Flickr.com account, I just hadn't yet seen the video]

So here it is.....



and here is the video from our friends in Brazil called Momentos.


and then I found this wonderful clip......

Night Train

Of coarse if you roam though YoUtube, you do come across clips by very immature and stupid people [I just ingnore the stupidity]......but, then again, you can find some gems like the ones above, especially the one of Adam and Connor setting up and playing a musical set of Night Train! The hug at the end just melted my heart

Warholized

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." ~ Kahlil Gibran

S*U*R*P*R*I*S*E

We did it! We were able surprise Grammy for her 80th Birthday Celebration!

Here is the Queen of the Gala


Emma Sage was just so excited about the 'surprise' party, and I'm surprised that she was able to keep the secret all week, as she couldn't stop talking about it will all of us....she would say "We say Surprise GRAMMY!" and jump and shout it out!!!


Emma Sage helping Grammy blow out the candles!


Yummy!!!

Mamie and Aunt Jan were able to make it for the dinner.....it was so wonderful!


Greta and Erica having a great time at dinner.....

Here is an album with all the pictures from such a magical evening!

Grammy's Surpise 80th Bday

Happy 80th Birthday Grammy........We love you!

And the Seasons go round and round

Yesterday a child came out to wonder

Caught a dragonfly inside a jar

Fearful when the sky was full of thunder

And tearful at the falling of a star

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons

Skated over ten clear frozen streams

Words like, when youre older, must appease him

And promises of someday make his dreams

And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

Were captive on the carousel of time

We cant return we can only look behind

From where we cameAnd go round and round and round

In the circle game

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now

Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town

And they tell him,

Take your time, it wont be long now

Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

Were captive on the carousel of time

We cant return we can only look behind

From where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty

Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true

Therell be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty

Before the last revolving year is through

And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

Were captive on the carousel of time

We cant return, we can only look behind

From where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game

~Joni Mitchell

Today is Grammy's 80th Birthday!!! Emma Sage just delights in celebrations and had to call Grammy and sing Happy Birthday [to her answering machine, as she went out to lunch with PopPop for Crab cakes at New Orleans]. Emma Sage helped me bake a cake to surprise Grammy with and we wrapped the presents,,,,,,each step of our preperation was greeted by the 'Birthday' song.

Grammy has played the circle game 16 times more than Emma Sage's five years of seasons. Amazing to think......and what a blessing.

While shopping for a card, I filled up with tears in the aisle reading all the 'Dear Mom' cards......so thankful I have my Mother-in-law, just so very sad that my own beloved Mother only got to play the circle game for 64 Seasons.

I had a dream the other night [I have started writing about my dreams to post in my Rambling Mommy Thoughts blog ~ and if I ever get the time, I'll type them up and start rambling again].....but my whole life I have had dreams, that foreshadowed events in my life...most of the time they are very insignificant events, but it is a strange feeling to be living through something and you know exactly what is going to happen, or what someone is going to say............or to receive a message that will help make sense of an event or passage of my life. So I had a dream that my Mother and I we sitting visiting, and she gave me a quarter and told me that I must go call her bestfriend. She told me "Use this quarter to call Aunt Marilyn and tell her to not worry about the small stuff...."Don't sweat the small stuff"....and then she gave me another quarter and told me to call someone else [I can't recall] and tell them this important piece of information [again, I can't recall what she said to me in my dream..........so here I am, left hanging with one quarter, to use to call someone [how long has it been since you could use a quarter to make a payphone call anyway?!?] and of coarse it is bugging the daylights out of me. I do hope this dream returns, or else, it will truly drive me crazy trying to recall whom I was supposed to call!!!

This week has been busy and exciting. Rick was home for a two week vacation [something he hasn't done in over two years....he chopped about two cords of wood, so I won't run out this winter and took care of many projects that needed his attention] He is traveling to London, Dubai and Australia over the course of the next few weeks, so I'm back to flying solo again [it was nice to have him home, but it is also nice for him to spread his wings as he so loves to do.......and our relationship loves these breaks of time too!]

Greta's field hockey team is one game away from being State Champs!!!! Yes, New Jersey State Champs [group 3]. On Sunday in Toms River is the big game.....unless the rain has other plans. So if you all could say a cheer for the Lady Vikes!!!!! it could be a very magical day!

Tomorrow ~ I have been busy making secret plans with Heidi [my sister-in-law] to throw a surprise 80th Birthday Party for Grammy!! We have dinner planned for 28 [with more arriving for dessert]....so you can guess what I'll be doing tomorrow [if you guessed baking, you are right!!!].

and that is about it for our 'Circle Game'

So what are your weekend plans?

A Teddy Bear Walk.....

Teddy Bear Picnic
Cherry Carl
I went for a walk in the woods one day,
And I met some nice folks on my way.
They were having a picnic that bears adore,
With berries and buns and goodies galore,
Jams and jellies and strawberry pies,
And a chocolate cake that was just the right size.
When I went for a walk in the woods that day,
I asked those folks if I could stay,
To taste those things that looked so yummy
And help to fill my empty tummy.
But when I spoke, to my dismay,
I scared those friendly folks away!
Even though I didn't ask it . . .
They left behind their picnic basket!
Now, what’s a hungry bear to do
But take a great big bite or two?
I sat right down and began to eat,
And oh my goodness, what a treat!
Before you go for a walk in the woods,
Be sure to pack a picnic basket!
Cherry Carl, 2005

Today was such a beautiful fall day....we went for a walk in the orchard and met some Teddy Bears along the way. The above poem is a school project that we are working on this week. If you are interested in the lesson plan, just click on this Teddy Bear! [This is a lesson plan that Mommy helps Emma Sage with, but the focus for me is for her to listen closely to the story and try and remember as much detail as possible....plus going out for a walk with your Teddy Bears is just too much fun!!!]

A Different Kind of Normal

"A Different Kind of Normal" By Charlotte Meryman published in WonderTime magazine is a wonderful four part article.

What do you do on a very rainy day?

You make oatmeal raisin cookies!!

Emma Sage loves to measure, mix, [nibble on the dough] and bake cookies. We use this as a time to work on reading and math. I type of the recipe in big words with pictures [I usually just draw them in for her, as I'm not great at finding clip art] and then I put all the ingredients on the counter [use word labels on the containers] and put out the basket of measuring cups and spoons an help her read the recipe, find the right labled ingredient, find the right measurment tool.....help her scoop up the ingredients and put them in the Kitchen Aide Mixer [a special gift from my Mother to me for my birthday a few years ago...] She insists on cracking the eggs, so we do that in a seperate bowl, or we would be baking crunchy, oatmeal raisin cookies.

Here a picture of my little girl mixing the dry ingredients.....


and those cookies.....they were delicious!!!!

What is your favorite cookie?

A new kitten?.......A new kitten?

One kitten,,,,,,One kitten.....makes TWO kittens.

Emma Sage lost her beloved 'Nona' kitty a little bit ago and we let her get a new kitty.....she named him 'Lovely' and they have been the best of friends....

So when 'pumpkin' didn't have a home, guess what Emma Sage now has.....Yup! Two kittens to play with and love.


It is impossible to keep a straight face in the presence of one or more kittens. ~Cynthia E. Varnado