sAy AnYtHiNg

Happy Birthday Grandpa

August 20, 1910 was the day my maternal grandfather was born.  Today he would have been 98 years old.  He left us 3 years ago, but it is still hard for me to believe he is gone.  In fact, just the other day I had an occasion where I wanted to pick up the phone to call him and my grandma to tell them something about the kids.  Then it hit me that they weren't there to call anymore, but I smiled because I believe they knew the story already, as they had watched it happening from above.

My grandfather was the best.  He was always smiling and quick to laugh and loved to make other people laugh.  He had the knack for putting people at ease and making them comfortable in his presence.  He was the first person I heard call someone " buddy" and have it sound totally natural and sincere, even if he was just meeting them for the first time.  All the pictures I carry of him in my heart and head are of him smiling.

When I was little his hands seemed so big, so I used to just hold his finger instead of his whole hand.

He was extremely creative.  He made a doll house for me from scratch complete with a "Tiffany" chandelier made out of a ping pong ball.  He also used to make real stained glass creations, which I am still lucky enough to have a beautiful set of angels that he made that I use as part of our Christmas decorations.   He also created a special musical verse that he would whistle to me, although he never sang the words just whistled the tune, the meaning was "this means grandpa loves you".  He had a gold necklace made for me that had a small gold pendant on it. On one side of the pendent are the musical notes that he would whistle, and on the back the words "this means grandpa loves you."  He said once to me, "I suppose someday you will be too embarrassed to wear this necklace."  I'm not sure why he thought that, but I adamantly told him I would never be embarrassed by my necklace and I never have been or ever will be, and, yes, I still have it and still wear it sometimes.  Even though I can hear it in my head, I wish sometimes he was hear to whistle it to me.

As I have been contemplating this post over the last several days trying to decide what I wanted to write, each time I found myself crying, and I am crying now.  My grandfather was truly one of the most special people I have ever known, and I could go on and on and on and on with stories all the way from when he was a mischievous youth to the last years of his life.  They all make me smile and make my heart ache at the same time.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa.  I hope you know how much you were and are loved by me.  I know I will always know that "grandpa loves me." 

A Mother's Moment

When I got home from the office the other day, my daughter was down the street playing with a friend, and my son and my husband were at home.  As I walked through the door my son said to me, "mom, she (my almost 6 year old daughter) can ride her two wheeler!"  I looked at my husband and said, "no way, really?"  "Yep."  My eyes immediately filled with tears and I whispered, "I missed it".

A short time later my daughter came home.  When she saw me, she got very excited, got the biggest smile on her face I have ever seen and said, "mommy, I can ride my bike with no training wheels" in the excited squeal that she has mastered.  I did not let on that I had already been given this piece of information, and my son and husband did not let on either.  "No way", I said, "show me".  We went outside and sure enough the little peanut hopped on her bike and off she rode down the sidewalk!  I laughed and clapped and cheered.  She rode and laughed and smiled and yelled "look at me mommy"!  It was a truly magical and heartwarming moment.  She was so very proud of herself and I was so very proud of her too.  When we went back inside she called her grandma to share the news.  The smiles and giggles and squeals were priceless, and we got the whole thing on video.

I had tears in my eyes once again, because I realized I hadn't "missed it" at all, it had been given to me as a wonderful, happy gift.

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?

You give it a free cookie. 

As some of you may recall, back in January my beloved Target broke my heart by making the decision to discontinue giving kids of shopping moms a free cookie from the bakery.  Guess what...apparently I was not the only mother scorned, for lo and behold the free cookie is back!  And all is right with the world again.

 

Home Sweet Home or Back to Reality

  Yes, we are back from paradise.  I am glad to be home, kinda. Oh, who am I kidding I would be back there in a blink if I could.  Where is the freshly cut mango and papaya waiting for me every morning?  Where is the fresh from the ocean two pound lobster prepared perfectly for my dinner?  Where are the fresh towels and sheets everyday, and how come no one is turning my bed down at night?  Where is my driver waiting to whisk me to wherever I desire?  Where is the beautiful beach, crystal clear ocean, sunsets, pool, pool volleyball?  Where is my extended family to have fun with everyday?  And what is the meaning of the non-stop rain and thunderstorms that served as our welcome home?  The one bright spot I can think of to being home is that the sheets are not damp from humidity...so I got that going for me, which is nice.

As you have probably gathered it was a fabulous vacation!  Due to some technical difficulties (or I have been too lazy) I do not yet have pictures for you, but I promise I will very soon.

In the meantime, I am going to have a little fun with something Lynette posted a week or so ago, and invited anyone and everyone to join in.  So, I am joining.

Here is her question.  "Have you ever really thought about the way you do certain things and wonder if other people do them the same way as you, or am I just a freak?

Don't answer that. 

I came up with a list of things that I am curious about and listed my answers, but I would love for you to chime in and let me know what your replies would be. Either list it in the comment section or make a post of your own and link back to me."

Please feel free to play along too, either in my comment section or by doing your own post as Lynette suggest and linking to both of us.

1) How do you eat cottage cheese? Plain? Fruit? Ketchup? Sugar?  I have never heard of either ketchup or sugar with cottage cheese, but I normally like it with a little salt and pepper.  However, I also like it mixed with a little applesauce, and my grandfather taught me a creation that he called "barley dew" (no idea where the name comes from) which is cottage cheese on a saltine topped with a little jelly.  Yes, it sounds weird, but it is actually very good.


2) When you eat a banana do you completely peel it first or peel as you go? And do you eat it plain or with "toppings"?  I peel as I go, and I LOVE peanut butter on my bananas.


3) If you recycle (which you should!) do you rinse and flatten the containers? Rinse, yes...flatten, no.


4) When putting on socks, which foot do you start with?  I'm pretty sure, right, but I have never put much thought into it.


5) How do you take your coffee?  Summer = medium iced decaf with cream only from Dunkin' Donuts.  Winter = medium hot decaf with cream only from Dunkin' Donuts. 


6) Do you generally sleep on your side, back or stomach?  It varies among all three.


7) Are you offended when someone flashes their high beam headlights ("brights") at you or do you take it as a warning that there's a police officer ahead or that your "brights" are on?
"I like to think people have good intentions are are forewarning me of a speed trap, but then I remember hearing about an urban legend involving gang initiation, so I try not to flash anyone just to be on the safe side."  Ditto.

8) If you see any type of change, whether it be a penny or a nickel, do you pick it up? Yep, generally unless it looks really dirty.


9) When at a track, which way do you go, clockwise or counterclockwise? Why do some people go the opposite direction?  To answer this, I would actually have to spend time at a track right?


10) Before loading a dishwasher, do you first rinse and remove stuck on food? Yes!  I clean before the cleaning lady too.


11) When taking a shower do you wash your body, hair or face first or do you first shave?  Again, not something I have documented, but I would have to say...shampoo, conditioner and leave it in, body, shave, face, brush teeth, rinse conditioner.


12) What type of gum do you prefer? Spearmint, peppermint, cinnamon, of fruit flavored? Peppermint!  Cinnamon would be second, followed by spearmint.  Not a big sweet flavor or fruit flavor gal, and truth be told I really more of a mint person than a gum person.

Thar she blows...all the stuff you "needed" to know about me!  Be sure to check out A Day in the Life of the Ordinary for Lynette's answers, and either comment or post your answers...inquiring minds want to know!

Jamaica Mon!

We are leaving tomorrow for a week in Jamaica.  Yeah Mon, we are very excited indeed.  This is where we are staying, Spyglass Hill-Montego Bay.  We will have a cook, a butler, a maid, a laundress, a pool man, and a security guard.  We will also have lots of family with us.  Yeah us!

The Other Day was a Very Important Day

To be more specific, the very important day was July 15, 2008. The reason for its importance can be found in the words to the following song:

Happy Anniversary to me, happy anniversary to me, happy anniversary dear SayAnything aka New Diva on the blooogg, happy anniversary to me!

Yep, I have had my little blog for a whole year...yeah me!  I will be celebrating this accomplishment, and also the milestone of my 250th post with a giveaway in the weeks to come.  I am not organized enough right at this very minute to roll it out just yet, but it will be something for which you can look forward.

Today, I will be celebrating by giving you the links to a few of my first posts, since I think possibly 2 or 3 people may have seen them the first time.  Not that too many more will see them this time, but it will probably at least be a different 2 or 3.

The Conversation that Wasn't

Civil Servant

Civil Servant 2

Hallelujah...it's Gone

Today's Wisdom

Hope you enjoy this little stroll down memory lane!  I certainly have enjoyed the journey of the past year, and look forward to what this next year in blogging will bring!

Dangerously Yummy

If you are anything like me, your bananas occasionally begin to look like this before they get eaten.  DON"T throw them away, and don't make another batch of banana bread either.  Instead, try this recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Bars.  The only problem with this recipe is how difficult it is to stop eating them!  They are extremely yummy, and a true crowd pleaser.  In fact, I made a batch as part of my son's "Welcome Home from Camp" surprise and he did a 30 second victory dance!

2C Flour

2t. Baking Powder

1/2t. salt

3/4C Butter

2/3 C Brown Sugar

2/3 C White Sugar

1t. Vanilla

2 Medium, very ripe bananas, mashed (1C)

1 Egg, beaten

1 12oz. bag Mini Chocolate Chips (really try to find the mini chips, regular chips do not give the same results)

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside.  Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in bananas and egg.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture.  Stir in mini chips, and spread in a greased baking pan -- jelly roll (aka cookie sheet with sides) size.  Bake at 350 for 11-15 minutes.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

I hope you and your family will enjoy them as much as we do!

As always on Wednesdays, you should check out "Works for me Wednesday" for more great tips, tricks, and solutions!

Random Musings ;) 8

He's back!!!!!!!  Yahoo, my son is back from camp!  I must say it was one of the biggest tests of mommyness to date.  The hardest part was not being able to communicate with him at all.  I could e-mail him, but he couldn't e-mail or call...so the silence was deafening.  However, I am happy to report that he had the time of his life and can't wait to go back!  I would have enjoyed a few more dirty clothes to wash when he got home.  Yes, you heard that right, I would have liked more laundry.  In other words, he didn't change his clothes as many times as his mother, the girly girl, would have, but I guess for a ten year old boy...it was just about right.  Also, although he didn't admit it, he did miss me, or more accurately my cooking...his best friend told me!  Yeah me.  He was also very happy to see his bed and his bathroom.  All in all a great success, and he is back to me healthy and safe!

  This is what I drink every morning in the summer.  A medium iced decaf with cream only.  Sometimes on the weekend I splurge and get a large.  The guys at the drive-thru have become friends.  I love them because they give me my lovely iced decaf everyday.  The first sip is the BEST, and it never seems to get old.

If you are a grown woman, that cannot sing, singing loudly in the shower at the health club is a decision you may want to reconsider.  Just a thought.

I have a pimple on my forehead that resembles a third eye.  I am really enjoying it, especially since I have no bangs to cover it up.  I know you are happy I shared this little tid bit with you...you're welcome.

Does the term whirling dervish mean anything to you?  After last night, I have a whole new appreciation for the concept.  My husband was away at a meeting, so the kids and I had a sleepover.  My daughter was snuggled very close to me for most of the night, which is great... who doesn't love a good snuggle.  It is the positions in between the snuggles I could do without.  You know, the elbow to the head, the knee in the back, the arm flung here and there, etc.  I swear she wasn't still for more than 5 minutes at a time, until this morning that is.  I woke up at about 6:00am and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to read for a few minutes before getting out of bed.  For the time I was reading, she was as still and peaceful as you can imagine.  Where was that in the middle of the night?  Oh well, I wouldn't trade it for anything...before I know it, she won't want to have sleepovers with me anymore.  I will enjoy my whirling dervish while I can!

For those of you wondering about my $8.00 "hand wash only" shirt, I most certainly did not hand wash it.  I washed in the washer and dried it in the dryer.  It is just fine!  Hand wash...bah!

...And this about sums it up!

The quintessential example of the difference between men and women as illustrated by this actual conversation:

He (aka my husband):  "Now hold on a minute let's think logically about this."

She: (aka me):  "I don't like thinking logically."

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's Off to Camp He Went

11 pairs of clean underwear

10 pairs of clean socks

10 pressed and neatly folded short sleeve shirts

8 pressed and neatly folded pairs of shorts

3 pressed and neatly folded long sleeve shirts

3 pressed and neatly folded long pants

3 neatly folded sets of pajamas (no I did not press the PJs...I'm not that much of a perfectionist)

2 bathing suits

2 bath towels

1 beach towel

1 pair of flip flops

1 pair of sandals

1 pair of sneakers

1 sweatshirt

1 jacket

All necessary toiletries

1 pillow

1 sleeping bag

1 blanket

1 canteen

1 flashlight

1 Holy Bible

1 Joke Book

$30.00 spending money

6 care packages labeled and ready for delivery (yes, that is one for every night he is gone, and no I do not find that excessive)

1 very excited 10 year old boy, who can't wait to have his first experience at overnight camp

1 very nervous mommy who is trying hard not to cry, wishing for him to have the best time ever, and counting the sleeps until I get to have him home where he belongs!

I Bought a Shirt

 

So, I decided to see what all the hype is about and went to Steve & Barry's.  I will say that I was both impressed and underwhelmed all at the same time.  Impressed because their prices really are that low and because the quality seems generally pretty darn good.  Underwhelmed because even though the store is HUGE the selection for women and kids was something much less than huge.  I did manage to find a cute t-shirt though.  It is black with a gold crown on the front, which, of course, is perfect for a wanna be Diva like me.  Also, it is part of the Venus Williams line "exclusively at Steve & Barry's" which makes it an ever so timely purchase, as Wimbledon is going on as we speak.

Here is the part that made me laugh.  There was a tag on the side seam inside the shirt that was driving me crazy.  It had to be removed.  I did, however, read it before I removed it...seeing as how it was the care and handling instructions.  They were as follows:  Hand wash is cold water, tumble dry on low with like colors if necessary.  Hand wash?  They can't be serious.  The beauty of Steve & Barry's is the low prices...you can get an entire outfit for $20.00, but it needs to be hand washed?  I don't hand wash anything, and you can rest assured I will not be starting with my $8.98 princess t-shirt!

My Iron Hates Me

Yes, I do iron, almost every day in fact.  I iron what I am going to wear, what both my kids are going to wear, and, occasionally what my husband is going to wear, although he usually does his own ironing.  I know that if I waited with bated breath by the dryer door for the load to dry, grabbed it out immediately, and folded it right away, my daily ironing ritual could possible be avoided.  However, as you my recall, I have been truly laundry challenged and that it wasn't until last week that, thanks to my husband, we now have a tenuous hold on the situation.  Therefore, it is safe to conclude that the waiting by the dryer with bated breath thing is never going to happen.  Most of the time I am o.k. with this.  Ironing is not my favorite of things to do, but it's not my least favorite either.  Plus, I really like that we all look nice when we face the world for a new day.  I do not, however, enjoy it when my iron turns on me, as it did this morning.  The kids clothes were ready, and it was time to quickly iron mine and get everyone out the door for day camp and the office.  My iron had other ideas.  It decided to deposit lovely black steaks on my lovely clean white shirt. Yipee. 'Cause what I really want to do when ironing is dirty something that was clean, thus causing more laundry, and, of course, having to come up with another outfit after struggling to pull together the first one is a laugh riot.  I can honestly say that nothing makes me happier than the unexpected iron streak on clean clothes.  Nothing.

Sexiest Bachelor of 2008?

People Magazine has revealed its list of 2008's sexiest bachelors.  Who is number 1?  It is none other than "Saved by the Bell" and "Dancing with the Stars" alum, Mario Lopez.

Do you agree?  I've got to say that I do not.  Obviously he has a nicely toned body and his face is kind of boyishly cute.  However, he is a notorious cheater.  There is nothing LESS sexy to me than a wondering man.  What do you think?

Also making the list, American Idol winner cutie David Cook

Britney and Jamie Lynn's brother Bryan, because what that family needs is more media attention

and Bret Michaels, because apparently he is still a bachelor even after 2 seasons of the ever fabulous "Rock of Love".  Is this a commentary on the girls on the show or a commentary on Bret? An interesting question to be sure.

A few others are mentioned as well.  For the whole article click here.

Did your favorite sexy bachelor make the list?  If yes, who is it, if not who would have topped your list?   

God help me it's true, but if you tell him I gave him credit I will simply deny it!

  My husband has solved our laundry issue.  Really.  As I have mentioned on more than one occasion recently, my husband and I have gone through some drastic changes in our business life.  As a result, I have been spending a lot more time at the office, and he has been spending a lot more time at home.  At least for the moment, the tasks I need to accomplish are more effectively done at the actual office, and the tasks he needs to accomplish can be done from home.  We are looking into programs like gotomypc.com so that I will have a little more flexibility in my whereabouts.  If anyone has used any of the programs that allows you to access your office pc from your home pc and has a recommendation I would really appreciate it.  Anyway, back to the point, the laundry solution.

The kids used to do their chores in the afternoon upon getting home from school, but now that school is out they have been doing them in the morning before going out to play.  My husband recently added a new chore to their list.  Folding and putting away their own clean laundry.  We now each have our own laundry basket and as the clean clothes come out of the dryer they are separated by individual into said individual's basket.  The kids pick up their basket in the morning, fold the clothes, and put them away.  My husband and I fold our own baskets of clean clothes and put them away.  Voila, the great mountain of clean clothes, gone and put away.  We also make sure there is a load going at all times, so the great mountain of dirty clothes is kept at bay as well.

This solution may sound like a big fat duh, or very ho hum for those of you that have a handle on laundry.  However, for those of you that are looking for a handle on the laundry situation, I can assure you this has been a lifesaver.  Who knew my husband was a domestic genius?

Be sure to check out Rocks in my Dryer for more great tips.  After all, it is Works for Me Wednesday!

Date Night...Old School Style

This past Saturday was "Date Night".  It had been quite a while since my hubby and had gone on a date...somewhere in the vicinity of February I believe.  Usually his favorite date is dinner and a movie, so that is what I suggested.  He said, "no, its been so long since we've had a date, I think I would just rather sit and talk with you over a nice dinner".  How sweet is that?  Especially since he knows that is my favorite kind of date night!

We live in an area where there are several quaint, historic downtowns.  In one such downtown, there is an old fashioned supper club to which we belong.  It is charming, the food is wonderful, and you have to dress for dinner.  You don't have to be in black tie or anything, but men are required to wear a jacket and women are required to wear dress pants, a skirt, or a dress.  It's nice.  My husband looked very handsome and I got to wear a cute new summer dress.  Casual is great most of the time, but sometimes it is nice to dress up for each other!

Our reservation was for 7:30.  We got there around 6:15 to have a drink in the bar first.  7:30 came and went with no table.  Turns out, due to some bad weather in the area, they had to close the veranda and bring all of those reservations inside.  We were in no hurry so it really didn't bother us to wait a little longer.  However, the general manager of the club was bothered by our wait, so he had us order a couple of appetizers on the house while we waited.  Well, if you insist.  One smoked salmon platter and the special prosciutto with goat cheese and truffle oil, please.  Both were outstanding, and our table was ready right as we finished.  We also happened to have a gift certificate for a free bottle of wine for renewing our membership, so we enjoyed that with our yummy steak dinner.  As we were leaving (read rolling ourselves to the door from so much good food), the hostess apologized for our wait again and gave us two tokens good for a free drink on our next visit.

Great food, amazing conversation, and all kinds of free stuff...yep, it was a great night!  Too bad every Saturday isn't date night! 

Worth the Wait

I have two Peony beds around my house.  Usually they bloom somewhere around Memorial Day, but since we had such a cold Spring they were a little late this year.  It was worth the wait, if I do say so myself.

Hope your weekend is filled with beauty and laughter.

Have You Seen It?

I am a devoted Sex and the City fan, however, due to circumstances beyond my control ( you know being wife, mother, business owner, laundress, chef, etc. etc.) I have not yet seen the movie.  Have you?  If so did you love it?  Were you satisfied or did it leave you wanting more?  Did you go with gal pals or on a date night?  Give me the scoop, but no spoilers please...I am still hoping to catch it on the big screen instead of from NetFlix!

Whoop, Swish, Zoom

That is the sound I imagine time makes as it flies by us.  Whoop, swish, zoom and it's gone.  Today is the last day of school for my kids.  I now have no one in pre-school any more.  My daughter will be a full day Kindergartner in the fall, and my son will be a fifth grader...his last year of elementary school.  Being the total rock of emotional stability I am, I have already cried several times.  They are both awesome kids, sometimes I just can't believe how big they are already!

While I am on the subject of my great kids, I have to share a couple of proud mommy moments with you.   'Cause, it's my blog and I'll brag if I want to, brag if I want too, you would brag too if it happened to you!

Last week my daughter was invited to a birthday party at Chuck U. Jesus (that is Chuck E. Cheese's for the uninitiated, click here for the explanation).  Each little child is given their very own cup of tokens to use for the games.  One of the little girls lost her cup of tokens.  My daughter said, "it's o.k.  you can share mine."  Off they went hand in hand to evenly share my daughter's tokens.  My heart was very happy.

On Tuesday I sent my son to school in long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a jacket, because although it was 80 degrees on Monday, it was only 50 degrees on Tuesday.  A little boy in his class was dressed in shorts and a short sleeve shirt.  Recess was outside.  The little boy dressed in the short sleeved shirt and shorts was freezing.  My son gave the little boy his jacket to wear for the entirety of the recess.  Why, yes I am a little proud now that you mention it.

Lastly, out of 399 kids tested for the presidential fitness test at his school, my son was one of 56 out of the 399 and the ONLY fourth grader to achieve the presidential level of the fitness test.  Yeehaw!

Summer is here and I am excited to make lots of memories with friends and family, but I have a feeling that Whoop, swish, zoom sound will make an appearance again soon.

Our Weekend

This is the weather we had this weekend:

Here are some of the things we did:

Watched my son's Little League team win 17-2 with him contributing 5 RBIs.

         

Bike rides, bon fire with friends, swimming with friends, and lots of laughter with friends.

Here are a few of the things we ate:

We had such a great weekend that I don't even mind that it is back to 54 degrees today (as long as it doesn't last that is) and that it is also back to these:

    

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend as well!

Oops, I Did it Again

Several months ago I shared a story about putting my son to bed.  I had started to doze and the Conversation became just a touch nonsensical.  Well guess what...it happened again just last night.  I had finished tucking my son in and was going into my daughter's room to take my turn tucking her in,  however, my husband wasn't quite finished reading to her.  Therefore, I went back into my son's room.  I said, "dad is not quite finished with your sister so I guess I get to sleep on your bed for a few minutes until we switch."  Apparently he didn't take me seriously when I said "sleep" because he started a conversation and I started to doze.  Here are the results:

My son:  "Mom, why would anyone buy a pickle in a pouch?"

Me:  "Well, when you are going to Europe to be a designer for David Yurman..."

My son:  "Mom, wake up."

...and there was much laughter. Hey, at least I have good taste even while sleep talking.