Loving Your Family

A Sweet Child!

October 21st, 2011
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 Happy Friday Everyone!

 I posted this cute little bit about a boy and his Dad just because it is so sweet.

After a rough week out there in Adult Land, I needed something simple and straightforward.

Have a great weekend!!

darts

 Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments,
but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy
 who said to his father:
“Let’s play darts.  I’ll throw and you say ‘Wonderful!'”

–From The Best of Bits & Pieces… Read More

A Wedding Shower

September 23rd, 2011
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A Silver Tea Set Stands Ready Two gleaming, freshly polished silver tea sets sit in my house right now, waiting in anticipation of my niece’s bridal shower this Sunday.  Originally, the sets belonged to my grandmothers and each set is as different as the woman who owned them.  They now belong to my Mom and she generously agreed to let me borrow them for this special family event. I loved both of my grandmothers, Nana and Gammy, and it’s a tender feeling to see the tea sets resting in their new and temporary locations.  I knew my Mom’s mother very… Read More

School Days — Reminding Teachers About Loss

August 31st, 2011
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School days are here again and the usual anxieties are filling children’s heads: a new year of learning, a new teacher, new friends or a new school.  Along with thoughts about wearing the right clothes, hanging out with the cool crowd, comes an additional layer of concerns for those children who are still dealing with a death in the family or perhaps one that may have occurred during the summer. This school year also brings the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and reminders of this event are all around us: television specials, national ceremonies and the opening of… Read More

One Hilarious Beach Memory

August 13th, 2011
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Photo By Emily Noonan My son and I vacation at Bethany Beach, the same beach we have been enjoying since he was a toddler.  It’s also the same beach where I vacationed as a child.  This conjures up all sorts of memories for both of us and it gives my son a sense of stability.  We can’t imagine going anywhere else. The first time we vacationed in Bethany after my husband’s death, it was jarring, but we stayed positive and survived.  I had some meltdowns but they were in private.  More importantly, keeping up the vacation tradition gave us confidence… Read More

Harry Potter & His Parents

July 22nd, 2011
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Hi readers!  Today we have a guest blogger, Ryan O’Toole, a rising senior at Fordham University, and in the interest of full disclosure, my son: Isn’t it funny that there are words for people whose spouses die?  A woman whose husband dies is called a widow, while a man whose wife dies is called a widower. Now the sheer existence of these words might not seem odd to you at face value, but doesn’t it strike you as a weird oversight of the English language that we do not have words for children who lose a parent?  I have thought… Read More

Family Porch Time

July 18th, 2011
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I am painting the screened-in porch on our house and it is taking me a lot longer than I thought it would.  This time around there is more sanding and it just seems as though there is more to paint.  I had forgotten the amount of prep work necessary before you can even put the brush in the paint.  Oh well…I’m making progress as the radio blasts America’s Top 40, even though I’m occasionally pulled back to thoughts about the last time I painted the porch. Eight years ago, the porch was new and my husband was alive.  He absolutely… Read More

OMG…..That Was So Funny…….

June 30th, 2011
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When was the last time you had a really good laugh? I’m talking about the kind of laughter that comes from way down deep; when you can’t catch your breath or you accidentally spit out whatever you are eating or drinking because you can’t contain the laughter anymore and you have to let it out. Spontaneous, out loud laughter that is contagious and blows the stress out of your system.  That’s what I’m talking about. Doctors say laughter is great for your health because it reduces stress and strengthens your immune system….and who cares whether you have health insurance or… Read More

21 Candles

June 25th, 2011
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Today, I am sending out a special message to my fantastic son today on his 21st birthday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! MAY LOVE, GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS BE YOURS, TODAY AND ALWAYS!!!!!!!!!!!! MAY YOU HAVE MANY, MANY MORE BIRTHDAYS, FULL OF FAMILY & FRIENDS. .  I’M SO PROUD OF YOU!!! XO MOM… Read More

Daddies Day

June 19th, 2011
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This post is a big shout out to all of the wonderful men out there who love and provide for their beautiful children.  If your Dad is no longer alive, I hope you tell funny and sentimental stories about him today or think about the special things you did together.  I’d also like to give some recognition to the fantastic men who continually reach out to the children who need a Dad in their lives. Father’s Day is a celebration of all Dads and all of the important emotional and material contributions they make for the good of their families… Read More