Sunshine and Gratitude

Met one of my bestest friends for breakfast this morning.  It's been two months since we've seen each other.  Way too long.  We typically take a couple hours to catch up before we head our separate ways.  And I think we both feel more fulfilled when we part.  It's like that with good friends. 

I was almost moved to tears of gratitude this morning on my way to meet her. I looked up and saw a plane landing (I live near O'Hare International Airport) and its path crossed in front of the sun. It was a beautiful sight; one that I wasn't able to capture in a photo, but the image made me realize how blessed my life is.  Not sure what that has to do with a plane.  I just know that I was near tears.  I love this life. 



I captured this just shortly after seeing
the plane cross in front of it.

We had a family barbeque last weekend.  Most of my sibs and their families were there.  My sister-in-law's aunt also came and I just love this picture of Ava and my daughter talking to Auntie Josie. 

And then my absolute favorite human subjects when it comes to taking pictures are my three grandkids.  Such a happy bunch!

No fear in this little one! 
(I need to learn a lesson from her!)



Always one clown in the bunch! 
At 4 1/2 years old, he's chosen to take on that role!
(Maybe I should learn a lesson from this one, too!!)

 I've been reading a book authored by one of my blogging buddies.  Tracy Spaine over at My Thoughtful Spot wrote a book called Life through the Eyes of a Hurricane Doggie-Dog.  My favorite part is that each chapter ends with "I love this life."  Haven't finished the book yet, but I'm liking what I read so far. 

So that's a little bit of what was going on in my life this week.  Oh, and the new food thing...I tried two different dips.  Couldn't bring myself to try the avocado dip my son made (yeah, that's a visual thing about putting that color green in my mouth).  But of the dips I tried, I liked one, not the other.  Hey cut me some slack, people.  I'm trying!!  And I tried some German Potato Salad that my sister made and loved it.  Not too vinegary. 

Okay, that's all for now.  Hope your weekend has some sunshine in it!! And a little bit of cool weather.  And that you can wrap up this weekend by thinking, "I love this life."

TGITW (Thank God It's The Weekend)

What a week!!  I had a wonderful Mother's Day!  Spent some time with the kids and grandkids at my daughter's house.  And realized something...that it doesn't matter whether my kids are 3 or 33, when they are in a good mood I am in a good mood.  It was so much fun

to watch my son play with his nephew. 

And to listen to this little girl declare at the top of her lungs, "I LUB YOU". 

And to look over and see my PG taking it all in. 

And to watch as he showed Ava how to prepare corn for the grill.

And to look at this beautiful daughter of mine basking in this life she has.
 

It was a great Mother's Day.

And then came work!  1700+ manila envelopes stuffed with registration material for the 2012-2013 school year.  Yes, we start preparing for the next school year as early as February.  And these envelopes are the culmination of that work.  So it would be a true statement to say that if I never see another manila envelope for a long time, it would make my day/week/month. 

Oh, except the Pick Your Plum envelopes.  But they're padded.  So that's different.  Have you heard of Pick Your Plum?  Each weekday they have an offer that lasts til they sell out.  I've gotten a number of deals on that site.  Shipping prices are phenomenal when you buy more than one of an item.

Looking forward to a shorter workday starting later this week. Gotta love summer hours!!  Gonna make the most of that additional hour at home by getting my garden in shape.  All I've got so far is:

Lots o'work to do.  I'll take pics of the progress!!

Do you have any garden plans?

The Force Is Strong In This One

My daughter and her family went to Legoland today and made the evening news.  Little Ava is high fiving the Storm Trooper at the beginning of the segment. Cormick is the little Darth Vader putting a choker move on the news guy.     WATCH: Inside Legoland's Star Wars event

Ava high fiving a stormtrooper
Photography by Christine Buti

Trading weapons with a stormtrooper
Photography by Christine Buti



Boba Fett & Darth Vader
Photography by Christine Buti



Another Birthday Celebration

Today, we celebrated my youngest brother's birthday.  Not all of my siblings could attend but for those that did, we had a nice lunch and a yummy birthday cake.  It seems hard to believe that it's been a year since we threw a surprise party to celebrate his 50th birthday. 


My Oldest & Youngest Brothers


On my way home, I was thinking about how things have changed over the years when it comes to getting together with my brothers and sisters and sisters-in-law.  When our kids were young, family birthday parties were usually held on a Sunday.  Monday morning would find the "sisters" (that includes the SILs) on the phone doing our post-party debrief.  Who talked about whom, who insulted whom, who's not talking to whom, whose kid was a terror, whose kid was an angel.  The whole deal!!! 


Courtesy of obsolescing.wordpress.com

As our kids got older, the Monday morning debriefs ended (mostly because we were then working outside the home), and we would touch base with one another sometime during the week.  It would usually start out with, "We had a great time at the party..." 

But now, things are different.  We are comfortable sitting around, chatting about our kids and grandkids, enjoying our time together.  Maybe it's because we share a history that's over a half century old.  Maybe because we realize that all of that stuff really doesn't matter.   But we had a nice time today.  Comfortable. 
And we celebrated my kid brother's birthday!!

Life is Good!!!  Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Black Cow or Root Beer Float?

I have two sisters and four brothers.  Our family lived in a two story bungalow with a kitchen meant for a family of 4.  So our "kitchen" was actually in the finished basement where there was room for a big kitchen table. 

A family with 7 kids in the 50's & 60's never knew what it was like to get a McDonald's burger and fries.  We never had Jay's potato chips on a regular basis.  Fritos were something my Dad had occasionally, later at night as he sat at the kitchen table upstairs while reading a book.  Most weeknights Dad would work late so he never joined us for dinner.  We weren't allowed to be on the phone until we got the call from Dad that he was on the way home. 

Sunday dinners were always at 2 p.m.  We had roast beef with gravy (no lumps), mashed potatoes (we would peel 10 lbs. each and every Sunday), early june peas, a salad (which consisted of iceberg lettuce and tomato wedges, nothing more), and Pillsbury crescent rolls.  The rest of the family used Imperial margarine, but my Dad refused to use margarine.  He would only eat butter.  And my brothers would pile the peas on top of the mashed potatoes, right before they poured on the gravy.  (Picture "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" potato scene).

Image courtesy of foodbeast.com

Most nights, we didn't have dessert.  The only fruit I remember was canned fruit (probably partially explains my dislike for fruit).  But once in a while we would have a treat that, to this day, puts a big smile on my face. 

 

We'd have a black cow.  One scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glass and root beer poured over it.  Plenty of foam at the top.  Lick off the foam and add more root beer.  Let it wait a little and when you finally eat the ice cream, it is slightly melted and just so creamy.  

Image courtesy of twoarmparty.com



Now, this is not to be confused with a root beer float.  A root beer float was created in the opposite order.  You poured the root beer in the glass first, dropped the scoop of ice cream in and watched the foam rise.  May seem like an insignificant difference, but it truly was a different taste.

 

And a black cow should not be confused with a brown cow.  That was made with Pepsi instead of root beer.   At least that's how we knew the difference in the Midwest.  And that just didn't do it for taste. 

I always find it funny when you reflect back on growing up and it's the little things you remember. 

What are you remembering about those days gone by?  What still puts a smile on your face? 

Christmas Traditions

When my brother was an infant, my aunt and mother started a tradition that lasted until my aunt passed away.  My Aunt Marge found the Christmas card that my mother had sent her the year before, and because she liked the picture of the cherub on the front she put a new date on it and sent it to my mother.  So it went, back and forth each year, with maybe one year when the card got "lost." 

In 1985, a similar tradition started with my siblings.  But it wasn't a card...OH NOOOO.  You'd have to understand how twisted the sense of humor is with some of my siblings to comprehend how this ever kept going.  You see, we gift a pig's head. 

2007

It started off as a doll, then it lost its body, then it lost one of the eyes.  It was just ugly.  In 2003, the nieces and nephews pleaded with us to end this bizarre tradition.  Nah...that's not gonna happen.  So I gave him a bath, fixed his eyes, gave him some hip sunglasses (aging, y'know), added a little color to his cheeks.  (Chicagoans, note the box...Marshall Field's!).

2008

When this tradition first began, the recipient of the pig's head one year was able to decide who got it the next year.  But now, we just have a white elephant gift exchange and that's one of the gifts.  So there's no telling who will end up with it each year.   

2009

(Clearly my daughter was not thrilled to be the recipient last year!)

This Sunday is the family Christmas with my siblings and their kids and grandkids.  Can't wait to see who gets to bring home the most prized Christmas gift ever!!

Do you have any bizarre traditions?  Share!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is, by far, the holiday I look forward to most.  Many of my brothers and sisters and their kids and grandkids all get together at my brother's home.  The weather usually cooperates by not being so cold that it goes right to your bones (although it's questionable this year!).  Preparing the meal is half the fun of getting together, since my brother's kitchen is big enough for most of us to hang out. 

It's just such a peaceful time!! 

I am so incredibly grateful for my family.  And when they say that the longest relationship you will ever have in your life is the one you have with your brothers and sisters, it makes me glad to know I have them.  Because no matter what, I know they're there for me. 

Be vocal with your gratitude.  Tell them all how much you appreciate them in your life.  And have a wonderful Thanksgiving. 

Skeletons In The Closet

Do you remember the children's song about the bones in your body being connected?  "The hand bone's connected to the wrist bone, the wrist bone's connected to the arm bone..." and on it goes about "Dem Bones".  That's pretty much describes my hobbies.

It formally started when I was attending college.  I suppose the fact that I was in my 40's was one reason why this caught on with me.  We had to do a paper about our heritage.  So I pulled out the information my mother assembled years earlier (when I didn't care a wit about it) and wrote an essay about my parents and grandparents.  I think from that point on, I was hooked.  I became known in the family as the one who knew how everyone was connected.  Next thing I knew, I found myself looking for genealogy software.  I had to get this documented!!

When my mother passed, I was the one that got a lot of the "stuff".  My Dad's paystubs going back to 1957 when his take home pay each week averaged $140 and that had to feed seven people.  Old bank books and insurance payment books from my grandparents.  My great-uncle's eyeglasses and prayerbooks.   Hundreds of pictures of people, to whom I couldn't even guess on how I am related.  As I explore these documents, touching a bank book of a man who died 2 months after I was born, I tell myself, "I have to get this documented!!".  And so, my scrapbooking passion is fueled. 

Cardmaking?  That's an offshoot of scrapbooking...when you don't have time enough to complete a scrapbook page, finishing a card can give you that creative "relief" that you sometimes need when you feel like you're going to burst if you don't "DO" something.

My photography hobby?  Easy...I want to be sure that my life and our family history is documented.  I want to be sure that when my grandkids pick up pictures, it tells who is in the picture and what the story is behind that picture.  I want to be sure that the generations that I won't meet will know their past.  The best way is in pictures (with journaling). 

As for the title of this blog post, let me get to that little bit of "dirt".  In November 2003, a month after my dad's sister passed (she was the last of that generation), I received a call from a woman who had spoken with my brother and was advised to call me because "Peggy knows how everyone is connected in the family."   This woman proceeded to tell me that she was my cousin, who had been given up for adoption when another of my dad's sister's was 18 years old.  She had done her research and was willing to share it with me.  Obviously, I was skeptical.  There's no way this could be, I thought.  Nothing I'd seen up til then indicated anything like this happened.  I kept thinking about how it was only a month after the one woman who could possibly substantiate any of this was gone.  Coincidence??  A con??  

I took her number, told her I'd contact her "brother" and then we'd see where it went from there.  Calls were made, faxes were sent.  This was for real!!  When she walked into a party I was having in December, our jaws dropped.  She was the spitting image of my grandmother in this picture. 

There was no denying she was related.  Slowly, the other cousins added puzzle pieces that made this whole thing come together.

Since then, I've found other papers that spark more questions about all sorts of things in the family.  I may not have the answers, but the journey and the questions that surface are a lot of fun to contemplate!!

So, any FUN skeletons in YOUR closet??

Practicing Gratitude

Hello again!!  Yes it's been a couple of weeks since I've posted.  I've been a little busy at work, trying to get our high schoolers registered and started!!  It's taken almost six months, but after having interaction with nearly 1700 families (with at least a third of them waiting til the week before school to register) they are in school and things have finally slowed down a bit. 

This time away has made me think about all the things I've missed when my main focus has been my job.  This morning, I had an opportunity to enjoy a video that Brene Brown has on her blog.  Brene has done research on authenticity, shame and vulnerability.  It's an interesting 17 minute video that explains why so many of us have difficulty being authentic in our lives.  Also interesting is that Leslie from Words of Me Project has chosen "authentic" as her one word for this weekend.

One of the things Brene mentions in her video is how to become authentic by practicing gratitude.  I've been a little lax in that area lately.  So I'm glad to have taken a little time this weekend to sit and ponder about the things that really ring my chimes, float my boat, give me flight...you get it!

Things like this little girl vocalizing so loudly as she laid on the floor and watched her mommy on the phone, that I was unable to hear what my daughter was saying,

and like this little guy deciding that life is moving too fast to take the time to call me "Grandma" so he now calls me "Gram" (after all, we are talking about saving the time it takes to speak another syllable),

and this not so little guy who is starting 7th grade with his new school supplies that I've happily shopped for each year (this is a joy for me...I don't want to give up the school supply shopping)

and these two who have made me realize that, in spite of what may have been mistakes in raising them, have given me such joy and pride in being able to say I am their mother,

and this man who has truly been my rock and who after watching "Juno" last night and hearing the dad say "Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with." says "That's right" (hmmm...)

and brothers and sisters, their spouses, kids and their spouses, and grandkids (26 in all) who have a most special place in my heart and who can't be shown here because a) I don't have an "All In The Family" picture of them and b) I don't have their permission to post their pics,

and last but certainly not least, a very electic group of friends who, when I am at my worst, always see my best!!!

It is for these and so much more, I am grateful.  My life is incredibly blessed.  And when I remember to express my gratitude, to feel how truly blessed I am, I find serenity.  I guess you could say my cup runneth over!!

One of the challenges from the 31 Days Challenge at Words of Me Project was to come up with a list of 50 things I value.  Well, listed above are just a few.  I'll share more with you in the coming days.  In the meantime, please feel free to share with me what you value in your life.

Thanks for stopping back, and thanks for hanging in there with me!!

Another Day of Random Thoughts

I ask you... would you pay $150, wake up at 4:30 a.m., travel in fog so thick that you can't see farther than a block, to compete in a competition where you end up looking like this??? 

For 4 of the past 6 years, my daughter and her girlfriend have participated in Muddy Buddy-Chicago.  It takes place in August each year and it's a ride/run competition (As one rides a bike, the other runs, then they switch halfway thru the course).  And there's a twist...

When both team members have completed their ride and run, they meet up at the mud pit.  That's right, they need to crawl thru the mud together in order to complete their race.  Now, this is on a large farm so there's no telling what's mixed in with that mud!!  But these girls love it.  And they're good!  Two of the four years they were 1st in their age group.  I am still in awe of how athletic my daughter is.  Although I'd be delighted to say that she gets it from me but no... that would be... mmm...inaccurate! 

A couple of weeks ago, we attended a wedding out of state.  One of the things we happened upon during our drive was this:

Is it just me, or does anyone else find a windfarm fascinating??  I'm so excited at the thought of renewable energy.  I'm amazed that anyone can see this as "ruining the landscape".  A new friend mentioned that she doesn't mind seeing them, but doesn't want to hear them.  (Yes, they do make noise, depending on how fast they turn).  And did you know that in high winds, they shut the turbines down?  You get these babies moving too fast and they're likely to explode!!

It figures...I join Leslie at Words of Me Project for her 31 Days Write, Create, Be. challenge and I feel like most days, I'm coming up with nothing!!  I know most bloggers have days like this, but I feel like I can't even finish a post in a day!  Nope, not complaining.  Just looking forward to the turnaround that happens when you come out of writer's block. 

So I guess this is enough rambling.  There were more random thoughts I had when I sat down, but once again, they have now vacated this place I call a brain.  See what I mean?  I know I need to write it down.  Now where's that pad of paper??

Everything Old is New Again

It's been an interesting journey going thru old boxes that held items that my parents decided were important enough to save.  Things like keys (and to what do these belong???), eyeglasses (probably my dad's but might have also been my uncle's), religious scapulars, a dance book from Lane Senior Prom, the hospital crib tags when my little brother was born, and a Catholic's pocket manual (Seriously??  A Manual?? Like a manual to fix a car??) 

I also found some class pictures (probably my mom's) and other pictures of people I'm clueless to identify.

All were kept in this very old, very heavy suitcase. 

I suspect this case made its way to the U.S. from Ireland in the hands of my Uncle John when he emigrated to the U.S. and became a citizen in 1935.  Before I came to that conclusion, I was considering getting rid of it.  Now, I have second thoughts. Maybe it's not an antique, but it's a part of my history. 

So today, I've come up with a solution.  It will start a new life.  It will house my scrapbooks.  Now, I could go to Hobby Lobby this week and get 50% off a decorative trunk.  But I've got something better.  Whether or not this case originally lived in Ireland, or whether it started its life here, it's part of my history.  So I'm keeping it!!  And using it!  And remembering! 

And I guess that's my creativity for the day!  So, have you taken something from your past and found a new purpose for it in your life?  I'd love to hear about it!!

"What Is My Angel's Name?"

Well, I got one scrapbook page done this weekend.  And I put it in a frame and gave it to my daughter, the mother of two of the most beautiful grandkids a Gram could ask for.  She really is an incredible mom.

I wish I knew the author of this poem, but all my research comes up with "Anonymous".  It's titled "A Newborn's Conversation with God." 

A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God said, "Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."

The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy." God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."

Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?" God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."

And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?" God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."

Who will protect me?" God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life."

But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore." God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."

God said, "You will simply call her, "Mom." 

And I made a matching card, inspired by Leslie at Running with Scissors.  That's about as far as I go with my creativity this weekend.
 
Hope everyone had as wonderful a Mother's Day as I did.

It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

Yesterday, we celebrated two birthdays.  My son, daughter, three grandkids and my PG, all got together to celebrate one belated birthday (Happy Birthday, Jim!) and one birthday coming up this week (Happy Birthday, PG!).  Because these two birthdays are only a couple weeks apart, and due to everyone's busy schedules, we usually combine the celebrations.  My daughter chose a kid friendly place where the kids could make their own personal pizzas.  My Pi (the name actually uses the Greek symbol for 3.14159265--how cute!!) was very accommodating and we truly had a lot of fun.  As I was taking pictures, the manager offered to take a group picture.

The absolute best part was when I looked at my two grandsons making faces at each other, my son & daughter chatting away about music, PG sitting next to me, and my granddaughter sleeping in my arms.  At that moment, I said to myself, "This is my life.  And I couldn't ask for more."

I am so incredibly blessed.  I absolutely adore my kids and (what's a word that goes beyond adore?  where's my thesaurus??)... well, let's just say I'm head over heels in love with my grandkids.  And PG truly is the love of my life. 

I just wish this for everybody.  Many times, when you really take a step back and look at your life, you'll find it's the little things that offer the greatest blessings.   So tell me, what makes you feel blessed today?

A Surprise Party!!!!

On Sunday, we will celebrate my little brother's birthday.  Age 50!!  This is a celebration beyond anything one can truly imagine.  Why??  Because when he was probably six months old, and when the doctors told my parents that he was mentally retarded and that he wouldn't get past the age of 6 mentally, and that he probably wouldn't live past the age of 30, we took that as fact.  It's nice to know that doctors can be wrong sometimes. 

Although he doesn't speak words like you and I, he communicates pretty darned good.  And he so loves when his brothers and sisters and others he knows get together in one place. 

So, yeah... we're celebrating my kid brother's birthday.  We're celebrating big time!!!

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Today, I'm celebrating.  I'm celebrating my outlook on life.  I'm celebrating friendships.  I'm celebrating laughter.  I'm celebrating family.  Today, I'm celebrating my Dad's birthday.  He would have been 96 today.  And although he passed away in 1975, I do celebrate his birthday every year.  Because I strongly believe my love of life, my love of family, my friendships and how dear they are to me, have all been influenced by my Dad.  The way he lived his life serves as a beacon to guide me in the way I live mine.  So today, I celebrate...

I celebrate Dad's love of family. 

He worked as a shipping supervisor for a pharmaceutical company.  You can imagine the pay wasn't that great.  But he managed to proudly support his family of 7 kids with that job.  No handouts from the government.  He was the sole breadwinner for many years.  As I've been digging thru old documents and pictures, I see how he managed it.  I find budget envelopes.  I find bank books with weekly deposits.  Simply amazing to me!!!

I celebrate his love of country. 

Dad proudly served in the Navy during World War II.  Even though he was married with a child on the way, he did what every proud American did back then.  He joined to protect our nation and our rights.

I celebrate his love of life. 

See that twinkle in his eye?  I was lucky enough to experience that most mornings after I graduated high school.  Dad and I were early risers.  So many mornings, we sat at the kitchen table chatting over our first cup of the day.  And I would love to look into his eyes as he talked.  They would twinkle, the same way you would think of a leprechaun's twinkle.  It actually set the tone for the day.  And I honestly can't think of a time it wasn't like that.  He just loved life. 

I celebrate his love of laughter,

whether it was he who laughed, or he who made others laugh. 

When we were lucky enough to have Dad join us for dinner (usually it was only Sundays and holidays), he would always come up with at least one very corny joke.  Of course, I usually laughed my butt off, because I saw the sillier side of Dad.  And, again, watching his face I could tell the punchline was going to be a silly one.  So I was ready for it.  And I think I enjoyed it all the more because of it.  He just loved to make people laugh.  I have no idea what he was trying to say in this picture, but I can tell you it was in the early to mid 40s and clearly he's clowning about being a sheik or something. But I have no doubt he entertained those he was with. 

I celebrate an all around good guy.  

When my Dad worked for Montgomery Wards as a Santa one year, all I could think about was how perfect he was for the job.  After all, we know Santa has a twinkle in his eye, right?  He really enjoyed this gig.  Once again, he just really enjoyed life.

So that gives you a little glimpse of my Dad, who would have been 96 today. 

One final note:  When my Dad passed away, his wake was not a somber event.  I looked around the room at the funeral home and listened to the chatter.  It actually had a party atmosphere to it.  And I remember thinking, This is exactly how Dad would have wanted it.  Celebrating his life, not mourning his death.  The procession of cars from the church to the cemetery was at least 2 miles long.  It really spoke to just how many lives this wonderful man had an effect on.  And I was lucky enough to call him Dad.   

Serenity All Around

I tend to lean toward nature to look for my serenity.  It's always been that way.  A garden just gives me that "Ahhhhhhh" feeling.  But this weekend, I was lucky enough to watch Amanda Hein, photog extraordinaire, at work.  And as she worked, I was in the background taking photos of the process. 

When I got home and uploaded the pics I took, it was apparent that it's not just a garden that brings serenity into my life.  I get the same "Ahhhhhhh" feeling when I look at this picture of my daughter and grandson.  I'm looking forward to seeing what Amanda saw in her lens.