50th Birthday!

Today was actually Mom's 50th birthday. She was gone to class when I got up and I am ashamed to say it never dawned on me what day it was when she stopped in before her masters seminar. After she left a neighbor mentioned how he thought her birthday was yesterday and how was it blah, blah. I said no her birthday is actually (pause for thought) TODAY! (I KNOW, I'm awful) So with the ten bucks I had I went and bought a banner and some candles and her favorite fruit tart from the bakery. I hung up the banner and called my sister to see if she had remembered it was Mom's birthday. And of course she had! She had called earlier and sang her happy birthday, which is our usual family practice. I told my sis how I had screwed up and she laughed uproariously. Then I asked her to sing happy birthday to mom with me when mom came home from class.
Birthday's in our family have always been family afairs. With cake and presents and dinner out, but always a family afair. We like it that way.
However, I think that a 50th birthday ranks definitely higher in importance. So after making sure everything was ready for mom, and calling nonchalantly to see if she had made it off the train, I waited.
As I waited my sister calls and says that mom is really hurt that no one remembered her birthday. It turns out that so far no one had called her but my sister. Even Pop, who'd had to fly out early this AM, hadn't called. So Char let her know that I hadn't forgotten (very nearly ruining my surprise). And on her way home her Aunt from California called to wish her happy birthday. She loved the surprise. My sister and I sand her happy birthday (Char via speaker phone), and she loved the candles and cake. After my surprise she found a message from her Mom and Daddy wishing her happy birthday. Pop called too, at 12:15 am. And the next day she got a present from her in-laws and a card from her sister-in-law.
So even for a family who likes to celebrate birthdays in a small way, everyone should take note that being around for 50 years is a big deal!!

The Circus

Today we saw the Cirque Le Masque for my Mom's 50th birthday celebration. She will actually turn 50 on Wednesday. It was really neat. There were some amazing acts and some less amazing acts. Mom had a great time and Pop sat through it for her. Of course when I tried to make fun of that fact at intermission he made some jerk response. I even got over that- after a few moments thanks to the start of the second half of the show.
One of the coolest parts were the responses of the kids in attendance. At intermission the little girl in front of us turned abruptly and asked us "It's not over is it?" The look of concern on her face was priceless. As an acrobat climbed and stacked chairs up to the arch of the theater balancing and doing a hand stand the oohs and aahs of the children were enchanting. Afterward we went out to eat. Overall it was a good day. One must add is that the muscle men were amazing!! And the tall one was scrumptous!

Happy Birthday MAMA!

Snowy days are here again...

So while I slept last night the storm that had been on the news yesterday swept in. And left behind it a beautiful mantle of white. Snow always makes the city seem so pretty... until it starts to melt. Then the dirty mush pools and the city is it's dark and dingy self again. At least until spring!
I just stare out my window lost in the beauty and sparkle of the snow!
I love the snow, again!

My Utmost...

I have been reading My Utmost for His Highest as my quickie devotional guide.
I don't always like the way Chambers states things, but overall it's good and sometimes even inspiring.

Like today...
On the disciples falling asleep in the Garden.
"Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had great opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says- 'Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost forever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.' Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irrisistable future with Him.
...He came with a spiritual initiative against despair and said- 'Arise and do the next thing.' If we are inspired of God, what is the next thing? To trust Him absolutely and to pray... Never let the sense of failure currupt your new action."
Thank you God that you help us to break free from the past. Not dwelling in our failiing but moving on to walk with you.
God shook me out of my dwelling today!

It snowed!!

It snowed today! Just an inch or so. It was so beautiful I took the dog out and we went a little nutty! He loves the snow!

Then we went to the park and went jogging. I then let him run unleashed around the snowy blissfully empty park.

I couldn't help but see the beauty of all that God creates. My friends laugh and call me, "the earth mother." I am that, at least a little bit. As I jogged these huge fluffy snowflakes kept falling in my eyes and on my face. I felt so close to God. So in awe and very at peace.

I love the snow!

"Happiness comes from accepting the present situation, whether it's something you wish to savor as long as possible or change as quickly as you can. Neither is possible without acceptance as the starting point, because without acceptance you are living on the periphery of your life. There at the edges, you can't fully enjoy the good stuff or do anything about the rest."

Victoria Moran

Go Giants!!

What a great game! Yea!

I am an avid NFL fan. Granted I don't keep up with stats or names the way the guys do. But still I love the game. This season anybody and everybody who has played against the Pats has been my team. As the season took off I was against them because of that low-down, dirty Belichick; not only is he a cheat but he's also a poor sport winning, and now losing. Secondly, the more undefeated hype the Pats rustled up the more I didn't want to see them win. I have this rebellious streak a mile wide that demands I root for the underdog. Any team touted as 'the greatest' is one I'll cheer against. The loss that hurt the most had to be when the Pats beat the Eagles with backup quaterback AJ Feeley. Feeley showed no fear! It would have been the perfect underdog story come to life... if the Eagles had won.

On to the superbowl: Insert raucous yelling "Fall Flat Pats!!" It doesn't hurt matters that the Giants are backed by my home state (okay, resident state!) of New York. I went into this game chanting "it's possible, it's possible!" At least four other times this season that mantra failed in the last few minutes of the 4th quarter. This time with four minutes left Eli "Easy" Manning throws the winning touchdown to Plaxico Burress! We were all up and out of our seats whooping and hollering! It was awesome watching the game with avid NY fans and seeing what was just another possibility turn into reality.

Things I've been thinking...

• God knows when you are ready for something, even when you think you aren't.
• My Jess is a good friend.
• Humanity is beautiful!
• My pop made the best sausage and veggie stir-fry Wednesday... I'm still thinking about it.
• Rollo is the best dog in the world!
• My sister is good to me, there for me and a bad ass!
• Rain is new baptism for the earth, and somehow it cleanses me too.
• I need to love myself more. I need to love myself enough to make the changes necessary.
• My mother is a good woman.
• Pain may be a gift. It realigns what is important. It tells you that you are alive. It ebbs eventually and it will come again. All of this lets you know that you can make it through, because you have made it through before.