wow, what a weekend!

Last night I finally finished watching Dan In Real Life. I had to see it, mainly because Steve Carell is in it and like most comedians I think he is a good actor. Anyway, I liked what he said at the end of the film. Talking about life and how most people make plans, he said, "...plan on being surprised..." So true I thought, because I have to tell you no one was more surprised than me this last weekend when I picked up the early Sunday edition of Newsday on Saturday and saw my other blog, Long Island Daily Photo featured in an article written by Darren Sands. When Darren first wrote me in May I wasn't really sure what to think. As a writer for Newsday, he told me he wanted to do a feature article about LIDP. Hard to believe, I thought, why me? I do love this blogging stuff. I can't get enough of what is happening in the blogosphere. There are just so many interesting people out there sharing their interesting experiences.
So let's just say when you consider how much time I spend (a lot) writing and taking pictures for my blogs, I felt pretty lucky standing in Waldbaums early Saturday morning finding the story written in Newsday's LI Life section about Long Island Daily Photo.

Yes, I knew the story was coming out, but I had no idea what it was going to be like. Never having been interviewed I wondered, did I talk too much? Would I be a good representative for the blogging community? -which I love, by the way. Opening up the paper in the supermarket, I immediately found the article. I could hardly believe what I saw. It was hard to hold back my tears of disbelief and joy. I may as well have left the building because upon my discovery I could barely focus on much else after seeing that yes, this was indeed true, Darren actually wrote the story and it is now published in Long Islands largest newspaper. So much for my anonymity!

I didn't want to read it until I got home so I could share it with my husband and son. After all, these two people are a great inspiration to me-one can't help but be creative when you live with such great creative minds. So husband and son loved the article Darren wrote and they loved the photos he included. So thank you husband and son for always being there for me. Thanks Darren for writing your beautiful story. Thank you Mom and Dad and my dear family and friends for visiting my blog, encouraging me. Thanks Blogger for hosting my blogs. Thank you my fellow bloggers for all of your inspiration, especially Eric Tenin who inspired LIDP and Petrea Burchard who first welcomed me at Paris daily Photo. and lastly but definitely not leastly thank you Quasi-Mom for telling me I should start a blog way back when.
I know, I know, all of these thanks may sound a little too much like an acceptance speech at the Oscar's but now is the time for me to be grateful and thankful- and that I am. Oh yeah, thank you Jesus...
Here you see one of my favorite animal lovers holding the baby of the family who just turned three yesterday. Happy Birthday Priscilla!

First golf outing

Yesterday was the first annual golf outing in memory of my brother-in-law Paul. It was held at the Lido golf club in Long Beach, NY. Paul's beloved companion Diane organized the event in his name to honor him. There must have been 250 people there. The night before we had thunderstorms and the weather forecast for Tuesday wasn't very hopeful. Yesterday morning before I opened my eyes I heard the man on the radio say, "It looks like we are going to have a beautiful day today." He was right about that. Check out the photos.


This was at the very beginning of the day. Everyone was just starting out at around 1PM.

Here they are finishing up. It was that end of day feeling. The light was beautiful. As the sun was setting, the cousins practiced putting.


It was a day filled with mixed emotions. It is beautiful that so many people attended the event showing their love and support for Paul and his family. Everyone came together sharing something Paul loved to do. Funds were raised for two important organizations here on Long Island.

And, even though we weren't able to see him, it's not as if Paul wasn't there. Knowing Paul, I saw him there when his siblings won their raffle prizes and when his niece and nephews got lucky somehow and was able to drive the golf cart around the course most of the day. I felt Paul with us when his two sister-in-law's were laughing hysterically at their inability to pick out soda while on a soda run. Paul was there when his brothers and sister played an excellent game of golf. He was also there when a family friend brought flowers to his mother, and another thoughtfully gave his Mom a shirt to wear to match the ones their foursome was wearing. And then at the end, through the kindness of his siblings, Paul gave Diane roses.

Thank you Paul for always reminding us about what's important and thank you for blessing us with your generous spirit.

Quiet before the Storm

Ian just graduated from an idyllic private school where most children (including Ian) felt like it was their second home. It wasn't perfect but it was close. I wish every child had the good fortune to attend a school where they could take art classes and join the chorus and perform in theatre productions and learn to play bells in the bell choir. Ian got to do all of this in seventh and eighth grade.
I feel like this time in his life is mimicking today's weather. It's totally unpredictable.

This photo was taken right before a storm blew in. We have hundreds of cherries on our cherry tree. It's pretty cool to see.

isn't this beautiful?

This is where all the children sat at their graduation dinner. Parents of one of my son's fellow classmates were kind enough to decorate the school for the occasion. It is really inspiring to see how so many parents donate their time and energy to all of the children that their child goes to school with. It really is beautiful.

Have you ever seen a dog faking sleep?

I know she is faking because it is a rare moment when I make the slightest move and she doesn't spring to attention. This is the dog that jumps up (actually I should say hops, because she really does hop, like a bunny she hops! ) from a seemingly sound sleep a half a second before the alarm goes off. Here she lies directly on top my pillow acting like she is sleeping. She thinks maybe I won't disturb her, like I may not kick her hairy butt off of my pillow, if I think she may be sleeping.
Tired of me taking photos of her in the above position, she gets paranoid thinking maybe she really shouldn't be sleeping RIGHT ON TOP of my pillow, so she moves to the foot of the bed, hoping I will leave her alone.

Still hoping I won't "wake" her...I kneel down in front of her to get a better look. There is no denying it now, she's busted!"OK Mommy, I'm awake...look at me, look how I am so upright," she communicates to me telepathically. Only being like her mother I see her eyes are glassy and she really does need to rest.which is verified by her quickly sinking head...There she goes, eyes glazing over...la la land here comes Priscilla. You can see why I love her.

reality check...it's a beautiful day...

Thank you God. Thank you for my good health and my family's good health. Thank you for my family (which includes Priscilla & Sylvia). Thank you for my friends. Thank you for my home. Thank you for my food. Thank you for my car working again. Thank you for being able to buy a new one soon. Thank you for these awesome flowers. Thank you for your presence in my life.

It's Saturday and you know what that means...

once again I found it quite difficult to attend my 7AM weight watchers meeting. I was convinced that I hadn't lost any weight & when I weighed myself before I left it looked like I had actually gained! I thought about not going and then I realized if I didn't I wouldn't have my journal for the week & that wouldn't be good. I need to write down what I am eating. Doing that and going to meetings seem to be what works for me. When I do those things those are the weeks when I am most successful. Plus I had to be at the car repair shop by 8AM & when I thought about going to take care of my car before taking care of myself that stopped me dead in my tracks. I realized how bad that would make me feel, sort of like a martyr. I can't go to my weight watchers meeting, I have to get my car fixed! Then I would be sitting there at the repair shop all like, see, this is why I can't lose weight, I have to do this & this & this. Then I suddenly realized how much I've changed. The same old story doesn't fly with me anymore. I could easily go to my meeting and drop the car afterwards. If I nurture my weight loss goal by going to my meeting, I would feel great no matter what the scale says.
That didn't stop me from thinking if I just joined the gym it would be four dollars less a month than what I am paying for my WW meetings. I was thinking this when I got out of my car in the parking lot before going inside to get weighed. Just as quickly I knew though, I have to do this. I need to reach my goal no matter how long it takes. I don't want to be overweight the rest of my life. I don't want all of the added health problems that accompany too much weight on my bones. If I have to continue to go to my WW meetings in order to succeed, that is a pretty small price to pay.
So I get on the scale and when the WW woman pulled out the little shelf, for the first time I could actually see the number on the scale. Now this is how sick I am. I look at the number and I automatically think I gained weight.
Then the nice WW lady says, "down point six." So I lost weight! I lost a little over half a pound. What? I lost? I don't know... sometimes I think I am a lost cause, I mean really, for someone like myself who thinks I am the most positive person I can be a real downer when it comes to my own stuff.
So I have decided this week I have committed to believing I am going to lose weight this week. And I am going to go out on a limb here and say I believe I am going to lose two pounds this week, maybe even three! I'm going to make little signs and post them up everywhere in my house with this proclamation so that I will remember each day throughout this week what my mission is. I'm also going to take out the fat picture of me in my bathing suit from last summer and put that where I can see it as well.
I'll keep you posted!

"In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can."~Michael Korda

you're not sick of looking at her yet are you?

I didn't think so, so I just had to share this with you!
You can't tell but she's looking straight at me. Her eyes are tired but that does not deter her mission in life ( I love her little hairy leg hanging down by the back of the pillow). She is happy in this position because she is basically on top of Ian's head but she can still see everything I am doing. This is very important since in her eyes I am the endless supplier of food. I may sprout something for her to eat at any given moment and she is fully committed to be at the ready!

My weight stayed the same...

I guess that is better than gaining! I'll take it. I was disappointed, but not for long. The weather this weekend is so perfect and there is nothing I have to do other than work in the garden and go see a movie with the hubby and our beautiful boy so how could I stay upset or disappointed for long?
This week I set new goals. Two major things, exercise more and eat five servings of fruit and veggies everyday. Today I ate three. I guess that's a start. Plus I ran 3.2 miles. Though I dreaded running I felt like a million bucks afterwards-as if I know what that is supposed to feel like!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked up from my coffee and saw this sky before me.

Poppies in morning light

I love our garden and these flowers are among my favorites. I must admit I have many favorite flowers though. After my last intense post it is only fitting that I share something so light and hopeful and full of spirit like these awesome flowers. That is how these flowers make me feel whenever I see them in our backyard in the early morning hours. That happens to be the best time to go and see the garden. In the earliest part of a new day when all is quiet and I am just waking up it helps me to see nature alive and vibrantly alert. It's better than caffeine!
I find this photo very appealing because it captured a lot of what I notice about this little patch of what makes this one of my favorite places in the garden. The Poppies are noticeably going through their many different stages complete with their various colors and textures. These are exciting flowers to have in ones garden. They reseed themselves so each year I get a few more as they spread across the ground. During their final stage where their seed pod turns from a bright feathery green to a light almost brittle brown the seeds are released to grow new plants that come back later in the summer. In between it looks as if everything has completely died out only many more are actually propagating almost entirely unnoticed.
When I first inherited this garden I tried to cut these poppies to display inside but they barely lasted half an hour in a glass of water. The cool thing about these flowers is that you have to go outside and visit them if you want to enjoy their beauty.

"Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed."
~Walt Whitman

"One touch of nature makes the whole world kin."-Shakespeare

Saturday morning I found out I lost 2.4 pounds. So I didn't lose the three I thought I had at the beginning of the week. Actually I did lose it last Monday, I just found some of it back. Three would have been nice, but I am grateful I lost 2.4.

In less than two weeks I have to see the DR & I would love to be 4 more pounds lighter when I see her. I am going to have to up the ante a bit I think.

Last week I committed to exercising everyday, juicing & joining the gym. I actually didn't exercise until Wednesday which only left me three days of that week to exercise. So Wednesday & Thursday I ran 3.2 miles & Friday I walked for 50 minutes. I never juiced, but I do have the organic celery, carrots, parsley and apples waiting in the fridge. I also didn't join the gym. I know I can juice and exercise today. I also may be able to check out the gym. I guess it is always good to set goals because inevitably I will wind up doing something and something is always better than nothing. I have to focus on my progress. It's OK to be honest with myself seeing what I didn't do, but I can't let that cloud my thinking. I don't seem to get very far thinking like the perfectionist I once was.

I like to volunteer to bring either the fruit salad or the green salad whenever I am invited to a food gathering. This way I get to use as many organic ingredients that I can. Consuming organic ingredients is a small step all of us can take to insure better health for ourselves as well as the planet. Besides, those organic strawberries here in this salad tasted far superior than any I have tasted this season by far! Go here if you would like to know more about the consequences of pesticide use. I can't imagine how boring life would be without birds in my yard.

We do not use any toxic substances on our property. We can't control other people's actions, but we can start with ourselves and in doing so I believe each of us can make a difference to help ourselves and our beloved planet.

I like to think my family and I are providing a sanctuary for all of the animals that come to visit here or make it their home. Sometimes when I am outside in my garden I feel like I'm in a jungle as I listen to nature's music. I also welcome the busy flying back and forth of the birds across the lawn from one tree to the next. I find my garden a complete respite for my mind.

Ian's Audition for the Glee Club

I thought I would pick Ian up a little early from school yesterday so he could prepare himself for his audition. I didn't want to be rushed. I wanted him to have some moments to himself to shed his school day and try and relax. Plus he had to practice his songs a bit.
As he sat next to me in the small space of our car and started to practice I started to worry. I wouldn't say he sounded bad, but he just didn't sound like himself. His voice sounded tired. Panis Angelicus always sounds pretty when he sings it. As angelic as Ian sounded yesterday, it sounded like something was missing. Was it his energy? I couldn't put my finger on it. The principal at his school was telling me all the kids have been overtired lately. They think it's the allergy inducing air tiring everybody out. Ian's DR said last week that this Spring in NY has been the worst allergy season he has ever seen. Great- I thought, the timing for this audition is just not good at all.
We had to wait for another student to finish his audition. I started talking with God. I know when I am talking with him because I start to feel an inner calm. I start getting reasonable thoughts in my brain that I don't believe would be there in such circumstances unless God was there to comfort me. Like for instance, I started to realize that you know, whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Why not just let God's will unfold? I prayed a simple prayer taking me out of my own head asking God to please let his will be done, bless Ian and the other people involved with the auditions today. Help them all to follow your path Lord. This always makes me feel noble when I pray for all those involved. I think God likes it when I start to think of others and what they may be going through in our shared set of circumstances. It always makes me feel better when I remember to do this.
Yes, this teacher is about to decide something important for our son, but you know what? In actuality God is the one making the decisions through this wonderful teacher. ( I could tell he is wonderful because he is so into it.) In other words, if Ian doesn't get in the glee club, that means he's not suppose to be there.
As I was waiting for my son as he auditioned for the glee club at the high school he will be attending in the Fall, I was completely overcome with emotion. It happened all at once, it was worse than getting choked up. It felt like that type of soul wrenching feeling when you just know without a doubt that God gives us many gifts. Like when you see our creator busy looking for opportunities to let his light shine through us so completely so the world can feel his presence. I believe God created music for precisely this reason. It breaks down all barriers, it's sole purpose being to unite all of us.
I turned to face the row of lockers to avoid eye contact with two students passing by.
Outside the open doorway we could clearly hear Ian in the middle of singing Hey Jude. The students stopped in their tracks one asking the other, "Who is that, hey do you know him?" Watching this my happy tears turned to laughter thinking to myself, I can't wait to tell Ian about this!
Towards the end of his audition I started to get the feeling the teacher was making it a lengthy one so that he could continue to hear him sing. To make a long story short Ian got in the glee club.
The only problem now is he has to decide between either the glee club or the orchestra. The teacher told him to follow his heart.
OK God, it's me again...

losing weight 3 weeks in a row!!!

Dare I say I think I am getting my mojo back? Certain people I live with may think I am jinxing myself. I have to be optimistic though because losing weight is a huge challenge! So I am celebrating. When I got on the scale I thought for sure it would be another .6 or .4 loss so when the person that was weighing me said," down 1.2 "-to say I was ecstatic is putting it mildly. An added bonus was I impressed my husband & he's not an easy person to impress. I've noticed people who grow up with more than 2 other siblings tend to be like that and my husband has seven.
The topic of today's meeting was exercise. My poor WW leader, she is so great- very inspiring but people just weren't responding like usual this morning. Maybe because it was 7AM on a Saturday morning. We had a few laughs though. She is very funny.

On a sad note a woman talked about her week & said her husband had just had a heart attack & is in the hospital. I have to bring this up because he really is lucky to be alive. Maybe by sharing this story someone reading this may realize they should get to the DR too. The man had been sweating & feeling like his heart was coming out of his chest. He laid down for a while & started feeling better. A few hours later the same thing happened again. Then he went to work. His boss told him to go home & called his wife telling her she better take him to the hospital. The wife said if he didn't get in the car she would be calling an ambulance. Please say a prayer for him and his family. This story makes me think about how difficult it can be to take care of ourselves-like exercising.
looking at the fallen petals of the Star Magnolia tree lying on the ground made me think of the weight I envision falling off of me. I think I have to love all of me- like I love these petals- before I can let go of the weight. Then I feel it may just fall away.



I like exercise so it's not hard for me to do it but I know that is not the case for most people. My leader said we should never say we hate exercising even if we do because then we are programing ourselves to fail. If we talk about loving food so much & hating exercise she asked us what we thought our fate might be? I love both so maybe I'll just be happy.

"You have to make sure that you're doing more things in life that make you happy-because when you're happy you are less likely to overeat."-Eileen, my weight watchers leader

"My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can."

-Cary Grant
I love this quote. Click on his name & you will be linked to a pretty cool website dedicated to Mr. Grant. I was looking for a quote about beds when I found this. It rings so true to me.

Today I bought a new bed for Priscilla-thankfully. Her old bed was fairly disgusting. Our old humidifier would mysteriously leak water and with her bed acting like a giant sponge...well you get the picture!
This new bed is so cozy looking, more like a giant pillow with paisley bright colored quilting. It's big & puffy too.
So acting like a pack mule entering the living room I inadvertently frighten Priscilla as I balance a large mirror, some new linens & Priscilla's bed. She wanted to come and greet me so badly but she trusted her instincts knowing that something about three times the size of her was making a lot of noise inside that plastic bag I was trying to negotiate.
Getting rid of the noisy plastic I figured she would go check out her new digs when I set it down where her old bed used to be. No such luck.
Actually, it's not the first time I have had to return a rejected pet bed. Though I have to say it was always our cat Sylvia who did the rejecting. And they were some plushy warm comfy looking cushiony beds too. Sylvia can be a bit of a control freak though, but that's another story.
Two hours later & Priscilla is still making a giant detour around her new bed every time she either enters or exits the living room. You can almost see her thinking... imagining to herself that if she got too close to that strange kind of psychedelic puffy cloud thing some weird portal may open up & suck her into the bed zone.
Then Ian comes home from school. Immediately seeing the new bed he shouts with glee,"I love this bed!" while promptly lying across it- perhaps reliving the days he used to pretend he was a dog. Right behind him was Priscilla running over quickly curling up into a ball as close to him as she could possibly get.

This post is dedicated to my dear cousin Veronica

I never had a younger sibling...until I met Veronica. She is the little sister that I never had, only she is actually my cousin. Still, though- she seems like what I would think a sister would be-always there for me. We live very far apart now. We have lived far apart for years. In fact I rarely see her. But that doesn't seem to matter because when we pick up the phone and have one of our gabfests it is as if I saw her yesterday. I guess that is what happens when you have known someone since they were born. I remember looking at a home movie & seeing pictures of her as an infant. She looked precious. I was only about two in the film.
When she was older, her Mom had a big pool put in their backyard. Veronica was the best swimmer out of everyone. I can still see her diving off the side of the pool and splashing into the water. I can even say with some certainty that she figured out how to dive off the side of the pool before I did. And fast-she was an extremely fast swimmer indeed! She was the youngest out of all the cousins, but no one could keep up with her.

Veronica grew up to be one of the most caring people I know. Sometimes I just can't wrap my head around something and I know if I call her, she'll help me figure it out. But she just won't give advice. She'll look at it from a Christian perspective & she won't be afraid to talk about it on those terms either. I love that about her.

A few years ago I decided to visit her for her birthday. I hadn't seen her in years. When she called to tell me something a day or two before my trip my son overheard our conversation. When I got off of the phone he was smiling and laughing saying something like,"...Mom, you two sound just alike-you even laugh the same." I wonder how that could be. How could I be so lucky to have someone who treats me like what I would imagine a sister would.
Happy Birthday Veronica-I love you.

Sunny blue sky Sunday

What is it with boys & their climbing trees?

I love this trail because there are so many different parts to it that are interesting to look at.

Boys seem to like carrying sticks too.

I like moss in general but I especially love the way God put this moss in with these pretty white rocks. I recreated this nature scene in my garden at home.

These roots cutting across this path seem like steps made by mother nature to accommodate us humanoids.

A row of trees along this ridge serve as a canopy au naturale.

Every time I get to this part I feel like this is where the fairies live. These small trees are low & twisted to the ground. They are on either side of the trail almost like a fence type barrier- where the elves live too...

Peaceful, isn't it?

Part of the old farm.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.-Anne Frank

Just for today...

I will live up to being the person my dog thinks I am. Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13:4-8

The above sounds just like our dog Priscilla-except for the rude part, ok & the self seeking too I must admit she is very self seeking at times.
I don't understand how anyone can have a dog and fail to recognize that they have feelings similar to our own. My husband has been sick & Priscilla found it necessary to sleep next to him when he was hurting. She has done this with me in the past too. When my son leaves for school in the morning Priscilla gets frantic. She literally sounds as if she is trying to tell him, goodbye Ian! The other day I was holding her so she could look out the side door window & when she saw my husband pulling the car into the driveway her entire body shook with glee as she wagged her tail 100 mph.

All I can think about is food lately...

it's horrible, relentless thoughts. I'm not gorging myself but I just feel like I am constantly hungry. Maybe I need more sleep. The Babka we had with our Easter meal was sublime. I wish I had a photograph of it so you can see. Thankfully I gave a lot of it away. Otherwise I would be in serious trouble with the scale. I do need to get my mojo back though.




I love watching them hunt for eggs.

Last night at midnight as I lie in my bed, I heard the church bells ringing...

What a beautiful sound. Thank you Jesus. Alleluia, Alleluia!

This is what I see on my way to church on Sundays. I walk under a grapevine to get there. It transports me to Italy as I prepare myself to worship.

This is what I see as I sit in my regular spot inside our church. Of course today the glass was luminous.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

The day I was born my mother said the DR who delivered me thought I was so beautiful he asked her if he could take me home. My mother couldn't believe she had a girl after just having two boys. She was very happy. Wait...it's my mother's birthday today-not mine!
This memory my Mother has shared with me has made me wonder what my Grandmother thought after my Mother was born. Did she have any idea what kind of effect her daughter would have on the world and those around her? Did she know how smart & talented she would be, how she would marry later in life (compared to her counterparts-she was actually older than me when I got married) & wouldn't get married until she fell in love? This was fairly revolutionary back then when you consider most people got married when they were much younger. Flash forward thirty something years later and it amazes me that despite the fact that her parents never encouraged higher education she studied for her GED & graduated when I was in grammar school. Soon after I believe she took every art class available at the local college. She accomplished this while having three kids & always working some job, either her own or when helping to support my Dad's business.
& it wasn't like she was ignoring us while she pursued these other activities. I felt very much like I had the classic stay at home Mom. In fact she would make Martha Stewart pale by comparison. Back when designers first started putting out patterns for people who could sew she decided to make up a nice Calvin Klein woolen suit for me when I was in High School. She could sew anything. When my aunt got married, she made her wedding dress & the bridesmaid dresses. They were so stylish-especially for the seventies & we all know that it wasn't easy to look cool in the seventies!
My Mother is also expert at working with all things miniature. She could paint model cars and houses & buildings for my brothers train sets. She especially loved to paint those tiny little people that were less than an inch tall. She would even paint faces on them. My brothers had a train set complete with a layout of a town & neighborhood. It looked like something you would see in the Sears Christmas wish book. The cool thing about my mother is that she is always creative. This really comes in handy when you have children. Without her realizing it she was a constant source of inspiration for us. Later when my brothers kind of lost interest in the whole train set thing she laughed when she saw how they used it as a prop for a town getting blown up in a film they were making.

Her cooking and baking is a whole other story. She made homemade gingerbread men at Christmas along with gingerbread houses. She used licorice for the bricks on the chimney & special icing that made it look like snow on the roofs. My cousins still talk about her gingerbread till this day. Her Easter cookies were another holiday favorite. In fact one of those very cousins made them using my mom's recipe this past Sunday in preparation for their Easter celebration.
Our birthday cakes were always homemade. My birthday falls around Valentines Day so when the new cake decorating supply shop opened up in our town my mother went & bought special heart shaped baking pans & made me a three tiered heart cake blowing my best friends mind when I invited her over to celebrate. She actually made my wedding cake too-it was beautiful.

One of the greatest memories though is when she would make homemade pizza for us. Often times my best friend would be there too. My friend still talks about this pizza. Recently I told this friend how I had started making homemade pizza. I explained how I use organic olive oil & fresh mozzarella with shredded parmigiana & organic sauce & whole wheat flour. I told her I'd make some for her when she comes to visit. She looked at me & said, "Oh that's OK, I really want your Mother's pizza."
My dear & generous Mother made her famous pizza when my nephew came home for his spring break recently. My Mom & Dad invited us over so we could all be together a couple of Sundays ago while partaking in this family tradition of enjoying my Mom's good food. If you look at the photo you can get a glimpse of my Mom's beautiful hands. She has created many wonderful memories with them over the years. I am sure my Grandmother is proud.

Happy Birthday Mom, I love you.