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Stop it Mr. Timekeeper. The whole month of December is going to go so quickly that heads are spinning. Thankfully, I am going to sit on Santa’s lap with my girlfriends tonight [get mind out of gutter] and take in some holiday cheer. And see the Muppets. And I am currently sporting Miss Piggy’s ‘do.
Recently stumbled upon a very interesting read. I am pretty sure this article is titled “Thea, 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself“
Random baffle. When I lived in a one room apartment, I always put my clothes away in the drawers and closet. In a three bedroom house, my clothes are in the laundry room, on my bed and on the couch in my room.
I turn 30 in 64 days. Not excited. I will be here. With my favs. Uber excited.
I still love everything about baking. Phew.
I love love love our tree. And that the people I love helped decorate it.
I am incredibly thankful for all of the wonderful people in my life, especially during the holidays. You make my stomach hurt from of the laughter, back hurt from all of the chocolate cake I clean out of the kitchen tile grout, my head hurt from the nights of mixing, my heart hurt from the thought of not having these moments forever and my cheeks hurt from all of the smiling when I know we have it so good. So so so good.
And despite all of this holiday cheer in the country, no body does Christmas like NYC. And I am really looking forward to breathing is all in next week. I miss my city.
“I can hear people singing, it must be Christmas time.” ~ The Pretenders
1. Thea Sphere Sweets is off and running! Catch all of the Thanksgiving creations over on the official Facebook page. And “like” the page to keep up-to-date.
2. In the effort to keep the Thanksgiving season a lottle longer, I have been encouraged to do 30 days of thankfulness. Today, more than anything, I am thankful for all the people who are on my sidelines. The ones with the pom poms, the ones with the meagphones, the ones with the signs. It seems that I have my very own cheersquad whenever I need one. And even when I don’t.
3. In hair news, I have bangs. And I want to braid my hair just like this.
4. It’s officially the holiday season! So very excited about collecting toys for Family of Woodstock, cutting down our own Christmas tree at Bell’s Christmas Trees, singing carols and sipping eggnog, holiday cocktail parties, spending time with my wonderful family and extended family AND welcoming in 2012.
5. We recently visited Lucas Vineyards in Interlaken, NY on a wine our. They have an awesome Tugboat Red. And a cute wine aficionado to tell you all about it. Worth the trip.
“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” ~ Henry Van Dyke
Commitment defined.
Winter is here! And baby, it’s cold outside.
The holidays tend to bring some level of randomness, excitement and dysfunction. This post will probably follow suit, as I have a few things to share.
Love love love Pacing The Panic Room’s post of the lunar eclipse.
I’ve been wanting to finish the popcorn cranberry garland for our tree. And much like le sauce, I am not that far along in the project.
Elf Yourself and the Jib Jab team is really a good idea, especially when it’s your own family.
My sister continues to be a rockstar.
Tonight is going to be a special Kundalini yoga class at Sacred Space.
I wish a smooth holiday season a happy New Year for us all.
“Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion’s starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it’s always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion… love actually is all around.” ~ Love Actually, 2003
My life seems to be on ff (fast forward). I would like to slow it down. I am going to work on that for the month of December.
And remembering that the last 11 months were full. Really full. And fast. Too fast.
I went to yoga for New Year’s Eve and brought 2011 in peacefully, quietly and wonderfully.
There was skiing, three 30th birthdays, gym, yoga and football.
I turned 28 in February and became a redhead.
I made homemade fortune cookies.
We saw Michael Franti and Spearhead and John Mayer at Madison Square Garden.
We celebrated Kim’s 30th in March. In Europe. With Dave. Nothing and everything was the same after that trip.
We saw Billy Joel and Elton John in Albany.
I ran the Shamrock Run. First and last race of the year.
There was yoga, birthdays, Artisnal cocktails and blind dates.
There was Team Pixie Dust dinner dance and Passover. For 20.
April brought bonfires, yoga, ACS gala, tres leche.
I took a Photoshop course, through a surprise party for my brother at Mercato and went to LA.
In May we went and met the Mendelsen men. It’s a choir. And we love them.
I got new couches, went to meditation, heard Nacirema, drank Grey Dog raspberry ice tea.
I signed a lease.
I cooked ramps.
Went on a booze cruise which lead to changing roles, rules and expectations. Thank you Universe for teaching without hurting too much.
And then I moved. In. With. A. Boy. Roommate.
Had my first and only deer encounter. “Welcome to the country,” I was told.
Went to Dave.
And Mountain Jam.
Baby showers, Relay for Life, babies, Band of Horses and painted the rest of June.
The 4th / housewarming extravaganza.
Then the summer went so fast all of our heads spun. There were concerts.
And backyard BBQs, bonfires, butterflies and sunsets.
My ridiculously fabulous sister turned 21. I remember the day she came home from the hospital. She was very little. She had a curly ‘do. She smelled new. She smirked before she smiled, screamed before she coohed and had me in the palm of her hand before she opened her big brown eyes. Apparently praying for a baby sister every night for nine months worked. Years have passed and there have been ups and downs, but she still made it with grace to the legal age. May she have 100 more birthdays just as great as this one. I will make cake for every single one.
One day two crazy gals ripped out a hot tub from the ground. And then the following weekend built a stone patio. Talk about surprising yourself.
We threw a “Hello Fall BBQ.” This was to subsidize the lack of an end of Summer BBQ. This is also when I learned that everyone doesn’t love parties as much as I do. And I also learned that the same people love me enough to have them anyway.
There was FOOTBALL. Every time we played football in the park I wanted to watch the Daria episode where she yells, “FOOTBALL.” It was my closest connection to my gut reaction in playing the sport. I just wrote playing a sport and me in the same sentence. I think we should call someone about this.
In October I sent off a dear friend to California, my wingwoman. It was sad. I made cake. And that’s all I’m gunna say about that.
There were trips to walking towns, Sunday night dinners and the change of the seasons.
We celebrated Halloween (my most favorite holiday) with a house party. There was decorations, shenanigans and lots of laughter. Please note “Party’s Here” carving stage right.
We went to Philly to cheer on my brother-from-another-mother in his second marathon.
The gaping hole in this 2010 recap will be from mid-November to mid-December. That’s when everyday seemed to be, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” Throw in a 10 year high school reunion, a few mind games and a dash of depression and we’ve covered that chunk of time just fine.
On to the end of December. We bought a Christmas tree. It was a humorous experience and worth every second guess of the “perfect” tree.
Holiday cheer and snow arrived around the same time.
Here we are. Prepping for New Year’s Eve again. How did that happen?
Wishing you all the best for 2011. Thank you for being here and allowing my creative outlet to invade your screen. I have a lot of faith that the best is yet to come. A lot.
There seems to be a lot of insanity going on in my life right now. I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do where I live, but this city mouse is freaking out in the country.
As my mother would say, “You have the tools to get through this.” Well, I am digging DEEP into the toolbox this week. The simple things are painful, the complex things unbearable, the surprise things are startling. One of my best pieces of advice that I dole out regularly to friends and loved ones is a gratitude journal. You spend a full month writing down three things you are thankful for each day. It changes your perspective, maybe even your life. It creates appreciation when there seems to be none. It makes you be positive in a world of negativity.
In starting my gratitude journal, I realized this was going to be manageable for me. Despite the miserableness that I have been walking around with the moments come quick when I have my pen out. I thought I would share my first few days and encourage you, yes you out there, to do the same.
December 1st
1. phone call with Nana, “Love you my darling.”
2. roommate to light the first night of candles with
3. phone call with Kim, seeing her comes soon
December 2nd
1. cleaning ladies
2. shopping with Toddly and Roomie for sheets, gosh they are funny
3. payday being tomorrow
Dcember 3rd
1. TGIF
2. lobster malabar
3. knowing that home is safe and your sweatpants live there
December 4th
1. Toni wanting to see me even when she has to study
2. Winning the door prize at the Creekside Adorning‘s Holiday Showcase
3. Koz
December 5th
1. gathering around the table
2. the ability to cook deliciousness
3. the smell of Noel’s tree
May you all find joy in the “little things.” Like chopping onions, silk scarves, cooking like a farm wife, and breathing.
“A natural expression of a loving heart,
The power of gratitude recharges our souls,
In giving thanks we help heal the world
And increase our abundance of blessings unknown.”
~ Katherine Scherer
My department at work hosts themed lunches. We have tackled comfort food (mac n’ cheese, pork and potato casserole, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, Mexican chicken soup, veggie chili with cornbread bake), Mexican food (Mexican pot pie, veggie chimichangas, fresh salsa and chips, lemon tart and Tequila ice box pie), Irish food for St. Patty’s (corn beef, rye bread, cabbage, spicy mustard, Irish soda bread (with and without raisins), potatoes, cupcakes, cakeballs and broccoli casserole) and Spanish food (homemade pastelitos, arroz con pollo, tres leche cake and arroz con frijoles). These lunches are manageable and special since it is the five of us. And it just shows you that a graphic designer, the head of sales, a sales assistant, a marketing specialist and the online communicator can make delicious meals together. Food really is the universal language.
Tomorrow we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Our own little Thanksgiving dinner for lunch. I knew that we would all be celebrating with our families soon enough, but I wanted to make sure we did it as a department. Having a workday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and spending more time there than in our “other” lives, makes you appreciate the people who get the work done. Ultimately, appreciating your coworkers makes your day better and allows you to leave each day with comfort and returning in the morning with relief.
The other thing preparing for the Thanksgiving lunch did was push me to start my “what I am thankful for” list. We are currently promoting the very concept through our Facebook and Twitter sites at work. We asked our customers, “What are you thankful for?” The post qualifies them for the chance to win a Healthy Back Bag and Baglett. Reading the entries has reminded me of the amazing people who are out there. These are people I don’t know personally, but believe in the same product I do. The common tie is allowing us to share thanks.
I hope each and every person I know, will know one day or is connected to me in some way, shape or form is preparing to give thanks this holiday season. As a community we have a responsibility to be appreciative of what we have. There are so many with out.
I am thankful for the ability to give thanks, the people who have shaped me to who I am today, the quality that magnetizes people to me, the love I feel everyday, potential and strength. And that’s on the short list.
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
My aunt Randi is celebrating her 50th birthday tonight with the girls and is my inspiration for this post. She is a firey red-head who has an impeccable fashion style. Her outfits often were a one-color theme, whether it was a red on red on red ensemble or a teal blue dress, shoe, pants and bracelets. A counselor by day AND a full-time mom of two rambunctious boys, Randi makes time for her family and friends. She creates fine pearl jewelry, delicious confections and personalized gifts for the ones she loves. She has kind way of talking to you about the most important of things, she is the one who can tell you what’s going on with who and she is the first person to extend a touch and kiss saying hello, good-bye or hello again. As she reaches her 50th year, may she always replicate the love she has been able to share. May she achieve all that she sets out to do. May she continue to listen to the voice within. Happy Birthday Aunt Randi, sending long distance love, hugs and kisses.
My aunt Wendi is Randi’s sister and from the Magic Mommy line. She is my most level of aunts, which is a great feat, especially when we are all together. Wendi has her hands full of hours and hours at Saltbox, being one of the best moms in the world to my boy cousin Justin and my girl cousin Cassie. She is strong and shows little fear to the outside world. Wendi has conquered the running, gyming and boxing world of the Upper West Side. In fact, I’d say she is looking damn good lately… She is also another of one the “Jewish Mafia,” making amazing foods and holidays. She creates the Magic Mommy way. The way you cook when there is heart and soul in the bowls, dishes and pots. Wendi has a soft voice and a direct message. We are the lucky ones that can hear it on a regular basis.
My aunt Deanna is my “little crazy Italian aunt.” She is married to my most favorite person, my Uncle Koz. They have two kids that are phasing out of direct parenting, being of the late teen and early twenties ages. Deanna creates the magical food and comfort daily. She has channeled her crazy Italian aunts and grandmothers to create homemade pasta, artichokes, stocks, stews, glazes and cuts of meat that melt in your mouth. The richness and sweetness of her dishes bring you to a happy place. Where you sit is rustic and antique all at the same time. Running a private hidden kitchen, creating magical events and feeding the soul is on the top of Dee’s to-do list. She also has a great passion for sharing the ways of the Slow Food movement, the teachings of Vandana Siva and how you can sustain nutrition in your community. There is a lot to learn from the spitfire.
My aunt Pattie is one of the kindest people I have ever met in my entire life. She is another fine example of a working mom in the real estate industry. She is also the ultimate cheerleader for everyone around her, whether it is a sibling, her husband or the people she cares about. Pattie makes sure to look at you when she is talking. She supports her local animal shelter and has dedicated hours and hours to breast cancer awareness and fundraising. She is gearing up for this year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer as we speak. Coming for an “extended” family tree line, I am blessed to have this “aunt” around for the last 20+ years of my life.
My aunt Ann is my biological father’s sister. The only women in that group of siblings, Ann has always held her own. She has been a strong single mother of my most beautiful and spirited cousin for as long as I can remember. Ann continues to be one of the great links to my Syracuse family. Her home is always open to me, her ear just a call away and her support unconditional. My fondest memories of her are mornings after sleepover at their house. We are around the table planning, skiing, shopping and other “upstate” adventures. I also remember when she lived in “the city” and how much fun it was to visit her apartment and office in the Empire State Building. I am also beyond thankful that she cares for my grandmother and looks in on her. Their relationship is a wonderful example of dedication and love between a mother and daughter. I know Ann will always be a straight shooter and a consistent part of my entire life, regardless of circumstance.
My aunts Carol, Michelle, Cheryl and Susan are also on that side of the family. They are bright and spirited women who have made me apart of the largest tree limb on my family tree. Marrying into this dynamic and strong family has brought them all together. Holidays, birthdays and reunions are spent catching up and keeping tabs. Like most women in my life, these aunts are strong and dynamic people who run businesses, homes and children (there are ten between them).
My aunt Judy is my mother’s older sister. She is the one out of all my aunts that has the most childhood memories attached to her. Holidays and birthdays were always a BIG deal. Judy made hand painted faced dolls, dollhouses and vanity sets all throughout my childhood years. Another foodie, Judy creates sweet treats and rich goodness for the people around her. She was proud of me for as long as I can remember. Her large heart is shared with those she councils, her two beautiful girls and her community. She has dedicated time to the Unitarian Church and encourages others to do so as well. I will always remember the possibility of someone new living at Judy’s house. As her couch was open to anyone in need for as long as they needed it.
My aunt Poppy is my mother’s oldest sister. And she is new, having only connected with our family in the last five years. Not knowing Poppy my entire life, she has taken a short few years to enter our hearts. My favorite qualities of hers are those that remind me of my Nana. She passed twelve years ago and I miss her all the time. So when Poppy reaches for a cabinet in the kitchen or makes a certain look of approval, I see my Nana. That is a great gift that she does not even know she is doing. Poppy is the mother of my Maine cousins, who are frequently brought, shuffled, and traveled for sports and school outings. She is a caretaker and counselor to others, making people’s lives easier to live. She runs with force, skis with spirit and says, “I love you” and means it.
My sister and I have known my aunt Linda as “Titi” for many years. She watched me after school from the time I was five and on and off for years later. She admired my non-picky eating as a child, let me in on secrets of the lettuce was really spinach, taught me to make her butter cookie and pasta fagioli recipes and cared for bumps and bruises. I stayed at her house when my sister was born twenty-one years ago. It was her late husband that picked me up from school on Friday’s because Steven (their son four months my junior) had been well-behaved and was being rewarded with a comic book. As the years passed, Linda became another one of my cheerleaders, keeping interest in my schoolwork, friends and jobs. At the last family gathering Linda said I looked beautiful. It was an important moment, as I knew she meant it.
“Only an Aunt can give hugs like a mother, can keep secrets like a sister, and share love like a friend.” ~ Spanish Proverb
This year has been INSANE. I don’t know how else to explain it. There are no words that could explain what happens when you take your life, dumb it upside down and inside out, move from the city to the country, start a new job, make new friends, make mistakes, travel, make things happen and lose yourself in an evolution of major change.
It is the time of year that we are faced with Yom Kippur. Since I already celebrated my one-year in the country, I feel that this is another anniversary of sorts. Marked by the year passing, what has transpired and what will be. By definition Yom Kippur is known as the Day of Atonement, one of the holiest days of the year. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. The holiday is observed by fasting and going to services. It also concludes the High Holy Days, the Days of Awe.
Appropriately, I will be dividing myself between the country and the city. Attending services the first night at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation (Kehillat Lev Shalem) with my wonderful extended family and then the next day I will go to services with my immediate family at Romemu. Having multiple places to worship is an interesting concept. To think it was not that long ago that people had to hide their religious preferences. And not too long before that when people were not allowed to even have a preference.
We have been throwing around the phrase “clean slate” around lately. Not sure I really want to start over though. I was thinking that I would like to continue this year with perhaps a lil more jazz. A lil more funk. And a lil more adventure. After all, it is the adventures that bring the greatest moments of discovery. I will not wish for anything though. Instead I am going to just ride the wave, pray for easy bumps and more time in between should I must have one.
May we all have the opportunity to start over whenever we like. Whether it be a designated holiday or when you know you have to.
Children bowing the shofar to ring in the New Year.
I’ve talked about perks before. Here. Here. And here. I’m adding one to the list. A perk being living down the street from the Port Ewen Fire Department. When you can walk out of your front door, turn left and witness the raising of the flag. And not just any flag, but the raising of a very large flag. I’m definitely proud of our country’s flag, what it means, represents and carries. And some how when it was raised at the end of my block the warm feeling in my heart was stronger than usual.
September 11, 2001 is a day that changed an infinite number of things. The way nothing surprises us, what fear means to children of those we lost, the men and women in uniform stateside and abroad, the transfixed look on our faces as we watched television for weeks and possibly the greatest change was the way we felt as Americans that day. An attack made us all as vulnerable as the person to our left and to our right. The attack made us all equal. Equal in that we all could have been there.
Some say that the 9/11 attack is much like the day that JFK was shot, as in you will always remember where you were. I was at home. It was my second year at Hofstra and I didn’t have class till later in the day. My phone rang, I said, “Hello.” “Turn on the tv.” “What channel?” “It doesn’t matter. I love you. I have to go.” I turned on the television and took a moment to focus on what was on the screen. And then from the left side of the screen I watched the second plane hit the south tower of the World Trade Center. I froze. There was no blinking, breathing or movement. And there I sat for the next three days.
I hope we never forget. I hope the memory lives on in all of those who were alive on that day. I hope it becomes a moment in history that is spoken about with not just sadness, but the amazing energy of the heroes. The supporters. Those who passed. And their loved ones.
May I always live some where there is a special memorial with a large flag on this day.
