You Are Merrily Appreciated

December 24th, 2015
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christmas capitol

 

I pause today to extend my best wishes to all no matter what holiday you may celebrate this time of year.

Throughout this holiday season, may peace and joy be with you and your families.

Holidays are great opportunities to celebrate life but I find they are also difficult to manage because we bring so many emotions and expectations to them each and every year.  Don’t think I am being a Scrooge when I say that the decorations, the music, the food, and the rituals are important, but I am of the mindset these days that if something doesn’t … Read More

Oh Fallen Christmas Tree

December 21st, 2015
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I was working on the computer this past weekend when I heard a sudden “thud” upstairs in the living room. As I ran up the steps to see what had happened, I had a sick feeling in my stomach that I knew what had fallen to make that sound. When I came around the corner and reached the living room, I found I was unfortunately right about the origin of that dull thud on the wooden floor. My beautiful Christmas tree had fallen.  With all of its lights and ornaments on it. And it was laying partially across the living… Read More

Holiday Breathing Space

December 11th, 2015
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As the calendar pulls me closer to the holidays, I am feeling those inner twinges that happen when my time starts being crunched by competing priorities at work and home. I try to look ahead and plan to prevent this feeling of running out of time to shop, cook and decorate but this year, somehow, it snuck up on me. It started a few days ago when I thought I knew what to buy for some family members and then I found out that the person already had the thing I had in mind and then some of the other… Read More

The Ever Expanding Thanksgiving Table

November 23rd, 2015
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For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving in our family is about reaching out and sharing. During our childhood, my parents always reminded the six of us that we could invite anyone that we knew who might not have a place to go and might possibly be spending Thanksgiving alone. And they meant it. The Cranston Thanksgiving table always had room for more people.  For friends who couldn’t make it home to their families, for people who had no where else to go and for elderly relatives who had paid their dues in preparing Thanksgivings past and now needed… Read More

Accepting Vulnerability

November 12th, 2015
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  Tommy At The Beach My heart is in a vulnerable place today for as much as I try every day to go forward and rebuild my life, the 12th of November always pulls me back to the morning of when my beloved husband Tommy died.  I have found there is really no way to prepare for this anniversary.  The ying and yang of the day can make me momentarily feel as though it just happened but then in the next moment it can make me feel that it has been more than 12 years since his tragic death. Little… Read More

Happening Monday

November 9th, 2015
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Me (left) and My Sister Sheila (right) with our Dad Wow! I don’t know about you but this past weekend just flew!! Mine was full of family activities and I was glad to get to all of them but in making sure it all got done, it seems that the weekend was spent going from one event to the next, and now I find, in the blink of an eye, that it’s Monday morning. I hope your weekend was productive and/or lots of fun and that many good things happened to you. Looking back on the past several days it… Read More

Waiting for The Great Pumpkin

October 30th, 2015
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  Halloween arrives this weekend and it brings back very fond memories of me and my husband taking our son out to trick or treat in different neighborhoods and watching him run from door to door with his friends, so excited and amazed to be getting free candy! I remember all of his costumes, some of which I made myself (Thomas The Tank Engine and Simba) and some that I bought at the store (Cookie Monster and Ninja Warrior). The cute, cute, cute picture above is of one of my son’s first Halloweens.  He loved his Spider Man pajamas so… Read More

The Martian and Grief

October 12th, 2015
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Actor Matt Damon Plays An Astronaut In the newly released movie, The Martian My 25-year-old son went to see the new Matt Damon movie, The Martian, the other night and he was telling me that he enjoyed it a lot because it made him think about his deceased father. The Martian is a new movie about an astronaut who is mistakenly left on Mars, presumed to be dead after a fierce storm.  It’s a warm science fiction, adventure techie kind of movie that pokes fun at the geekier side of life. My son’s Dad was an award-winning journalist who covered… Read More

A Whale of A Baby

October 5th, 2015
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Baby Shower Table Scape Notice the whale as centerpiece   My Mom and I hosted a baby shower for my niece yesterday and it was healing in a fun way to pause with my other sisters and close relatives to celebrate the arrival of a new family member. I think it’s always good news when a baby is on the way; beginnings are always exciting and so full of hope! At the shower we had an advice jar where people wrote their tips on slips of paper for my helping my niece transition to motherhood.  Here are a few examples… Read More