I walked out of work last night with a happy heart, I almost skipped to my car. The three day weekend had begun! Memorial Day/Jimmy's birthday weekend.
For me, it is all about Jim this weekend. He is turning 53!  I have put him through the mill these past few weeks with a diet that is not for the faint at heart. Zach and I have weathered an ornery Jim, stayed strong, prepared his meals and snacks, mapped it all out and followed the plan right along with him. We are in this together! The result...we are all healthier and feeling great. Most importantly, Jim's run away blood pressure is the lowest that it has been in years. All of his other numbers are good...so we are having a celebratory, once a year only birthday meal.  Shrimp cocktail and brushetta on whole wheat ciabatta toasts followed by NY strip steaks, real mashed potatoes and corn on the cob (we have been eating what our diet calls mashed potatoes- baked potatoes whipped up with no salt chicken stock and pepper) and Jimmy's favorite cake from Costco. Kate and Jeff are coming and it promises to be a great night.

When we light the candles and turn off the lights to sing...my heart will be very full. Another birthday. So very thankful.

Daydreamin...

I saw this picture today and it made me smile. My daydream, if I had been born a while back. First of all, I am very strong for a girl and I could totally carry those buckets full of milk. I am taking them back to the house because the children are thirsty and I am surprising Jim with a homemade custard tonight. He has been   out in the barn making furniture all day and he loves my custard with fresh eggs and cream. The chickens are laying about a dozen eggs each day, more than enough for a treat. We don't worry about cholesterol or blocked arteries in my daydream. We are not chubby because we work hard all day and flop into bed at night exhausted and grateful. 

Gotta run. I need to spend some time on the treadmill this morning because in reality I spend all of my day sitting down at a desk. Have a nice day!

Smarty

Zachary was inducted into the Experiential Honor Society at UNH today. The criteria was top 20% of his class, GPA 3.8 or greater, and at least one experience like an internship, or study abroad, or research presentation. Zachary had two. His internship last summer with the CT state police major crime unit and his presentation in NYC two weeks ago at the National Criminal Justice Symposium. That means that he was inducted as a gold member. Very impressive! Jim and I were practically bursting, we were so proud.

Fancy High Tea

There's our boy

All smiles

Zach and Tina

So proud

When I first started working at WSMG I was overwhelmed with how sick some of our patients were. I came from PT/Chiro and the worst was bulging disc pain. But at this job, there is something sad and awful practically every day. People are taken out by ambulance daily. I get a death list several times a week. Mostly it is the elderly, but we also see young patients that get diagnosed with awful things. This is a patients’ first stop…their PCP. They come in with stomach pain or back pain and we send them on for testing. If it is something serious, it is the end of the line for our office and a specialist takes over.
Anyway, back in 2009 a man a few years younger than me came in with back pain. He was sent for testing and a few weeks later he got his diagnosis. Pancreatic cancer that had metastasized to other parts of his body. It did not look good and all of the staff was talking about it like it was an everyday occurrence. I now know that in this office it was an everyday occurrence, but back then, I was new and it was horrific to me. A few days later this man called me to discuss his insurance coverage. He also wanted a referral to Memorial Sloan Kettering Hosp in NYC and I needed to put together a few things so that could be done. I was new at my job and this man just touched me in such a way that I went above and beyond to make sure he was all set. He was so thankful that he called to thank me and while we were speaking he shared his thoughts about his illness and his feelings about death. He just wanted to live to become a Grandfather. He was not afraid to die, but he was very afraid for his family. He said that he felt confident about getting out of Waterbury and going to Sloan. I shared the fact that my Dad went there. We had a very moving conversation. We were strangers, but our conversation went as tho we had known each other for a long time. I had no office back then and I was in an empty office for the day. I hung up the phone and began to cry. The most compelling feeling came over me to pray for this man. I began to pray. As I bowed my head and closed my eyes, the feeling came over me that God wanted me on my knees. I could not ignore it. I knew that God was speaking to me, and even tho I was at work, I got up, closed the office door and got down on my knees and poured my heart out for that man. I know that God always hears our prayers, but I felt such an amazing peace after I prayed. I felt like I was a part of something really big. Right there in that little office. I could barely get it all out when I went home that night and shared it with Jim. It was just so overwhelmingly emotional for me. I had prayed for a miracle .
Over two years have passed and I have kept loose tabs on his appointments here at our office. I knew that he was still alive, but had no real idea of how he was actually doing. This morning, there was a light tap on the door of my office. I turned around in my chair and there he was. A miracle was standing before me!!! He was a bit thinner, but looked healthy in every way! He introduced himself, but of course I knew who he was. I do not think that he remembered me or our conversation, or if he did he showed sign of recognition. I asked him how he was and he said “great”. I answered a question about his account here and then he was gone. I whispered “ Thank you God” and I sat back in my chair and the tears just popped out of my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. As sure as I know my own name I know that I have been a witness to a miracle. And I have been blessed to have been able to see a direct answer to prayers that I have prayed! I am blown away. Tonight when I get home I will get down on my knees again, but this time I will be giving praise and thanks. I serve an awesome God!

It has been a crazy two weeks, a whirlwind as a matter of fact. I had forgotten how much work a very young puppy can be. Thankfully Zachary is the primary caretaker and so Jim and I only take over when we want to or when Zach is not at home. Hazelnut is a very active puppy and so when she is awake we are "on". The Bissell carpet cleaner is on permanent stanby in the kitchen. Aside from all of that, puppy kisses and puppy snuggles are still as wonderful as I remember. Puppy antics like flips and slides are the funniest. Puppy greetings when you get home from work are the sweetest. It is all pretty great, but it is a lot of work!

The gates are up

The bowls are down

The toys are ready. We are in full puppy mode.

Saturday morning and everyone is still asleep upstairs. The house is quiet except for the gentle whirring of the dryer in the next room. It's chilly again this morning and I am resisting the urge to turn the heat back on. We have had some bizarre weather over the past week. Temps in the eighties. One day our upstairs got so hot that Jim turned the ac on for a short while....IN MARCH! Things are greening up. The daffodils are in full bloom as is the forsythia. The air is fresh and fragrant. As my Daddy used to say..."Spring has sprung, the grass has riz...I wonder where the birdies is?"
These are our last few days with an only dog, and although we are excited to welcome Hazel, I am agonizing about what this will do to my meek and mild Tofu. So, I am making her last few days as an only dog as good as it can get for a dog. Lots of belly rubs and ear scratches. Walks outside in the beautiful weather. Extra chewy treats and yummy people food dinners, like turkey meatballs one night and steak bits with sweet potatoes another. As I write this she is here in the chair with me. Always by my side. My loyal friend. The other night I drove Zach's dinner to him at work and scooped up Tofu for the quick ride. She sat in the passenger seat, so calm and good. Every once in a while she would put her front paws up on the arm rest so that she could see where we were going. The car window was open, but she is too little to stick her head out. Just her eyes can peek over to watch what is passing by. I thought right then that I have been blessed to have been loved by a few dogs in my life (Tinkerbell, Misty, Daisy, Maude) but Tofu is the sweetest of them all, the perfect pup, the perfect fit for us.
My dream is that she and Hazel will become buddies. That after Zach has tired Hazel out with walks and playing she will look to snuggle up with Tofu in her bed. I pray that she will be sweet with Tofu and not be a puppy bully. I couldn't bear it if Tofu goes back to hiding behind Jim's chair.
I just heard the creak of floorboards above me and I want to make breakfast for Jim and Zach, so I have to close for now. Have a great weekend!

I woke up to a sunny day here in Ct. I plan on being 100% homemaker today. The entire house needs a good going over, but I will only tackle the downstairs. That will take the better part of the day. I picked up some beautiful strip steaks at the market and so we will have a hearty meal later on. It will stay light out longer as we turned the clocks back last night. I have a nice long day stretched out before me. Yip!
Yesterday morning we drove out to Branford and had a nice long visit with our pup. It was so hard not to put her in my pocket and take her home. The breeder has decided to keep them for 9 weeks instead of 8. Her vet told her that 8-10 weeks is ideal for puppies to leave the nest, but closer to 10 weeks is better. For their emotional health. I want whatever will make Hazel a happy girl, but Zachary is bitterly disappointed. 3 more weeks. Hazel is living in a little cottage by the sea, she sleeps in a large crate with her brother and sisters in a sunny cluttered kitchen with a view to die for. Her owner is the sweetest lady, who kisses each one on the head as she lifts them out of their crate. Staying there another week can only do her good!
Last night, revved up with puppy excitement, Zachary and I made a trip to Petsmart to get some essentials for our little girl. Zachary bought a crate, treats, and toys. I bought bowls, and toys. I want to get a basket for her toys for the family room. I can't wait to see her drag her toys all around the house. To come home to puppy toys underfoot. Tofu has never had any interest in toys so we cannot wait for puppy playtime. She is already chasing after mini tennis balls! Yesterday the puppies were running and tackling each other and Jim made some comment to the breeder. Hazel stopped in her tracks and sat her little puppy butt right down and watched Jim. She cocked her head to the side the way dogs do when they are really concentrating. Hers sibs just kept on roughhousing. She is very smart, our little Hazelnut.
This is Hazel's backyard. Those are the Thimble islands. She is breathing that salty air 24/7. Lucky girl!

PUPPIES!!!

There's our girl.

The puppies are all fascinated with untying shoelaces. They stick with it until the laces on both shoes are completely untied.

Zach scooped her up and she was content to snuggle for a few minutes...

and then wanted back into the action!

Sweety!

About 4 years ago the sweetest little thing came into our home that has brought us such joy. If you know us, you know that I am speaking about our little white dog, Tofu. Most likely abandoned in Central Park, found and rescued by our son John and then turned over to us one sunny August day. I see a bumper sticker every now and then that has a paw print and the words, “who rescued who”? So true. She enriches our lives in so many ways. She has been with us in happy and not so happy times . I have cried my eyes out into her soft white fur and she has never failed to make me feel better with a nose kiss and tail wag. I believe that she helps Jim’s stress level come down to normal levels and well, I could go on and on. If you have ever been the recipient of a dog’s devotion, you know exactly what I am writing about.
The kids have on and off badgered us for another dog (even John, who does not even live with us) for a few years. Recently we had been talking more and more about getting another dog. Two weeks ago Jim emailed me a picture of a dog bed big enough for several dogs and that opened up the discussion again.
We really wanted to do another rescue, but because Tofu is older and set in her ways we thought it best to look for a puppy so that Tofu could remain “top dog”.
Last week we drove out to Branford to a house on the beach to look at a litter of Morkie puppies. That’s ½ Maltese and ½ Yorkshire terrier. Of course we fell in love with all of them, but Zach chose a chubby female that the breeder had named Hazelnut. I wrote the check and she is ours. She can’t come home for another 4 weeks and honestly none of us feels very patient. We cannot wait to get her home.

That's our girl, belly up, big yawn.

Love at first sight

Snuggly

Puppy love!

Hello

I made two small silly New Years resolutions back in January. Really silly, but do-able. I am still having some sleep issues and so one night before bed I took a warm bath and it really helped me stay asleep all night. So my first resolution was to take more baths. I thought jazzing up my tub area would entice me so I filled a basket with bath goodies and flameless candle, piled some fluffy white towels in the corner, bought a beautiful soap dish. Fail. I have not taken one bath since I made my plan. Every week I scrub the tub and tile and all that I am cleaning is dust. Boo.
My second resolution was to learn to bake and decorate cupcakes. For fun and giving, because we really cannot eat them in this house. I know that I am a few years behind the cupcake revolution but I have always been intimidated. Last year when the kids gave me my awesome mixer, all I could think of was cupcakes. A few weeks ago someone at work brought in some leftover cupcakes that she made for a bake sale. Boxed mix, canned frosting, and everyone went nuts. People love cupcakes, even sub par cupcakes. Last weekend I sifted through all of my cupcake files on my computer and chose the easiest recipe from Magnolia Bakery in NYC. Vanilla, vanilla. Guess what...I actually made a delicious homemade cupcake. I think that the frosting method can make or break the finished product so I followed this technique and came pretty close frostingcupcakes Next week I will try chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and use a pastry bag for the frosting. Yikes! Silly and fun. Today I will dust and clean out the bathtub again in the hope that a bath is in my near future.
It is snowing (finally) here this morning in Ct and so I planned yesterday to make a healthy big breakfast for Jim and Zach. Whole wheat blueberry pancakes and turkey sausage. It's 8:00 so I better get going. Have a great weekend!

A few weeks ago Jim, Kate and I traveled to Massachusetts to welcome our new great nephew Max to the family. His parents live less than 3 hours from us and so we were able to make the trip in 1 day. Oh how I wish that we lived closer to all of the kids so that we could see all of the new babies when they are only a day or two old.

Jim could not wait to hold this precious bundle and was quite reluctant to let us have a turn.

Uncle Jim and big brother Alex share a moment.

My turn. Yip!

So sweet.

What's a big brother to do watching the baby get all of the attention? Stand behind Kate and poke her in the back until she remembered him too!

Okay, that's better.

What a great day! Welcome to the family Max!

The Complete Season

Today is New Years Eve. It is cold and rainy here in Connecticut. Jim and I are sitting on the couch in the living room enjoying the last moments by the tree. He is reading and I am typing my message to you. We woke up to the news that very soon we will have another great nephew (he may already be here as I type this). Soon Jim and I will head out to do our usual Saturday morning errands, but for now I am really enjoying our quiet time together.
Here are the Christmas pictures...everything from the whole month of December. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas season. Time together, time with friends and family...it was over much to quickly. I deliberately did not take any pictures Christmas day. I feel like people get tired of me always doing that. Of course now I regret that decision. Oh well. Here are the pics minus the actual day :(

Jim, Zach and I spent a day at the Cape with my Mom. Got to see Debbie and Mike and my nieces too. It was a fun day!

Beautiful hand blown glass ornament given to me this year by my sweet friend Nancy.

We spent a day in Boston with the kids and then met up with Jim's sister Lorraine and part of their family. It was my birthday and I cannot think of a better gift to me than a day like this. It was great!

After dinner cannoli.

Yup, a city garbage can was our table. John and Cassie assured us this was "city" thing to do.

Jim gave me tickets to a holiday house tour in Woodbury for my birthday. We spent one Saturday meandering through some beautiful homes a few weeks ago. So much fun and the perfect way to have some Christmas fun!

This was the home of composer Leroy Anderson. He wrote this Christmas song clickhere

We make an annual drive by this house on Ash Road every year on Christmas Eve.

Hello Hobbes! John and Cassie's cat all decked out for their Christmas card.

Finally, Christmas Eve. Come right in.

That's my Daddy's sled there by the door.

If you sent us a picture card this year...this is where you will find it. We miss you all, especially at Christmas time!

Christmas morning, before anyone was up.

The only picture I allowed myself. Tofu in her Christmas jammies (Thanks Debbie!!!!XO) and a happy Jim.