Tis the Season

Jamie and I got all of our presents wrapped up and ready to go! I love the suspense of Christmas.

Jamie has learned a way of keeping me away from his presents to me. He said that one is very very fragile and if I shake it then it will break. He wouldn't tell me which one is the fragile one so I can't touch any of them!! That's why I love him, there aren't too many guys out there that can trick me at my own game of wits.

My mom and I had gone out and finished up the last of our shopping, it was a good time. I can't handle when it gets to crazy and packed in the stores. I like to do my shopping in August, I know I'm kind of on my own on this one but man it's great. No one else is ever shopping then, this is the key for a few reasons: 1. stores have huge sales to try and get people in 2. the shelves are stocked and super clean 3. no crowds or lines to contend with. It really is the best.

I must admit that I do always have at least one shopping trip a week or two before Christmas. It's nice to get a small flavor of the holiday shopping frenzy and there is always one more gift that you need to get.

I love seeing the stacks of gifts with the pretty wrapping and bows on it. Everything takes on a happier light when it's illuminated by Christmas tree lights I think.

Today is my last day of work for 2006, only an hour to go!! I can't wait to get out of here. Have a great Holiday and I'll see you in 2007!

Another Good One!

Another good weekend to report. Friday night we watched Jamie's Netflix movie, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" it's a Woody Allen flick about a guy who kills his mistress. Jamie enjoyed it, I thought it was ok but I enjoyed hanging out with him all the same. Saturday we drove up to the North Shore because I was having a Partylite show at my friend's Alicia's house. It was a great time, lots of food and fun people. Afterwards I joined Jamie back at his parent's house and we had dinner with them. It was a good trip, it was nice to finally see Alicia again. She's all engaged and planning her big day!

Sunday morning Jamie went golfing with Greg. *gasp* :o) I stayed home and later in the day joined my mom and her 2 close girl friends and we all went to see the mansions decorated up for the holidays. First we went to The Elms, it was nice and they had a headset that you walk around with and it tells you all sorts of stuff about the place. I loved the linen closets! We then went to the famous Breakers and toured there as well. It was super beautiful! They had done amazing things for decorating for the holidays. There was a giant, probably 2 story "tree" of real pointsettes! It was awesome. They had each room decorated nicely and the mansion itself was so impressive. I can't wait to go back there some time and see it all again.

Us for girls went out for dinner down on Thames Street in Newport at the Brick Alley Pub. It was terrific as it always is. It was a really fun time hanging out with them and talking and laughing. It was nice to see them all again and spend time with my mom.

That night Jamie and I watched my Netflix movie, "8 Below". It was really good and I'm not just saying that because it was a Disney movie! I'd recommend it to almost anyone. It made me cry a little. On an expedition to Antartica they had to evacuate and leave the beloved dogs behind for the winter. It was a very touching movie that's based on a true story.

Over all it was a great weekend, any weekend spend with Jamie and my mom constitutes as a good one to me!

It's definitely December now!

It was a pretty quiet week down here for us, though my work has been crazy busy. Yesterday was Jean's Birthday, so a big shout out to her!

Happy Birthday Jean !!

I hope that it was a good one :o)

Yesterday Greg came over for dinner and Jamie made up Jean's famous Stuffed Peppers for dinner. It was a huge hit, there was nothing left of it afterwards!

This weekend I'm heading up to Haverhill, Ma to host a Partylite show at my good friend Alicia's house. It should be a good time, it's been way too long since I've seen her last.

The days are so short now, when I go to work the sun hasn't risen yet and when I leave work it's pitch black outside already. Makes it feel so late once I get home, but after Dec. 22 they should start to get longer and that's not to far away. The cold has really set in now though, it was so great having all those warm days to enjoy so late in the season.

Last weekend Jamie, Greg, and I went to The Whale, which is a local golf course that Jamie and Greg like to play at. They played and I just went for the walk. I tried to fore caddy but turns out I walk way way too slow for such a job. Some of the holes felt like wind tunnels because you were so exposed but others we tucked in and the sun kept you warm. I took pictures of the two of them and of the course, it was a really fun time. Walking the 18 holes kicked my butt completely, I slept on the ride home. Thankfully Jamie was driving at the time. It was great to be out in the sun enjoying the nice weather and playing golf in December!

Always enjoy the good time, it helps get you through the cold winter. Have a good weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Jamie and I went to my parent's house for Thanksgiving, we went out Wednesday night and stayed over so we wouldn't miss anything. Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Ma. I'm telling you turkey just tastes better there! My dad cooked up a great meal and it smelled terrific, I love the torture of having smelling the turkey cook all morning long. My aunt came over with my grandfather. It was nice to have them over and to spend Thanksgiving at my folks. The turkey cooked fast and was done in 3 and a half hours, which worked out good because about 15 min. after we pulled the bird out the power went out! My dad was all stressed out about it but we made it through and ended up having dinner a little later when the power came back on.

On Saturday Jamie and I went up North for the day. I went with Jean to Erin's baby shower and Jamie went with Greg and Uncle Rick to play golf. It was nice to see Erin, Suzanne and Colleen all with their big belly's. They all looked super cute! Jean made a great cake, it looked just like Fenway Park with all the details. It was nice and taste-y as well! For dinner Jean made a terrific turkey pie. The best part of Thanksgiving is the leftovers :o)

All day Friday and Sunday Jamie and I worked around the house. It was nice to have the long weekend to be able to see our families and be able to check off a few of the things we had wanted. The insulation is in and looks great! Our house is all tucked in for the winter now. We cleaned up part of the basement and got the yard all cleaned up and mowed. We had a lot of leaves from the neighbors tree that had fallen. I finally painted the small last section of wall behind the refrigerator. I really thought it would be one of those things that gets forgotten for a few years, but we pulled it out and cleaned up and painted it all up. We also got our new sink and faucet installed. It looks so good and clean now, plus we don't have to empty the bucket under the sink all the time. The old one leaked when ever you used the faucet and had gotten worse as time went on. Looking good now though!

I'm hosting a Partylite candle party at our house on Tues. for the neighbors, so I wanted to get these things done for that. I sent out about 50 invitations but I have no idea how many people will be coming. For the most part I don't know any of them and was hoping this would be a fun way of meeting new neighbors. We'll see if anyone is interested!

The days are getting so much shorter, it's hard to get outside while the sun is up which is a bummer. Jamie and I watched the sun rise over the river this morning from our picture window in the kitchen, it looked amazing. So there are good sides to everything, they day might be shorter but the later sun rise means that I might actually catch it. It was nice to take a few minutes and just enjoy them with Jamie. I can honestly say that with out Jamie I probably would never see a sun rise! They happen way too early for me.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Time to get ready for Christmas, it's right around the corner now.

11-20-06

Today is Jamie and my 6 month - a - versary!!

Whoo Hoo!

4 - 1

I had a great time up in Maine! Jamie and I drove up Thursday to Colleen & Rich's house and stayed the night to try and break up the trip and see the new mom. Looking good!! She has just about the cutest belly I have ever seen on a woman. It was nice to be able to hang out with them, it seems like it's been awhile since we've seen them.

Friday afternoon we set out for Bangor, the weather was amazing out. It was nice and sunny and perfect driving weather. Jamie and I stopped at the visitor's center just outside Bangor to pick up some pamphlets and maps. A very sweet looking old lady who worked there helped us out and showed us our trip on a map, she asked what we were planning on doing in Bangor. We told her that we were visiting a friend and seeing the UMass Lowell vs. UMaine hockey game. She gave us a sweet smile and said, "That should be fun, too bad your teams going to lose".

Grandma's talking trash!! I wasn't ready at all for this and just gave her a look of disbelief. Maine 1, Sondra 0.

We made great time up to our friend Matt's house and got to hang out before the game at 7 pm. Matt's 6 year old son Devon was a riot! He is super smart and has a great dry humor just like his dad. We hung out and played soccer, I tried hard to make Devon a Riverhawks fan before the game. We had dinner in time for the group of us to make it to the game on time, I love watching them warm up.

Walking into the arena, I definitely stood out. I was happy to finally be wearing my UML Hockey Jersey even in a sea of UMaine jerseys. I got some stares...

Our seats were partially obstructed, apparently Maine didn't consider the fans when designing the arena. We could only see the bottom of the net on the left hand side. I was very excited to be there, it's been a long time since I've been to a hockey game. We got there in time to see the warm up!

A few minutes after we sat down a group of die hard UML fans sat in front of us! It was great, I wasn't alone! Maine 1, Sondra 1.

The game was very exciting. Lots of action and talents guys working hard. We all had a great time watching. Devon was cheering, "Go UML, Go Blackbears!" It was so funny, he'd cheer when either team scored a goal. The final score was UMaine 4, UML 1, Maine kicked our butts but we played a good game. Maine 2, Sondra 1.

The next morning we went out for breakfast at a local diner. We all had a fun time talking, laughing and enjoying a big breakfast. Walking back through the restaurant there was a couple of elderly ladies sitting together having breakfast. One noticed my UML sweatshirt and said to the other while looking at me, "Did you see how well we did in the hockey game last night, we really kicked their butts". I'm not kidding! What is up with the old ladies in Maine? Why are they all taunting me? Sigh, Maine 3, Sondra 1.

Jamie and I had a great time visiting Matt and his family and seeing the hockey game. It was so nice to do something different and fun for the weekend. I loved the game even though we didn't win. Leaving Matt's wife says something to me that I didn't quite catch and I ask her what she said. She said, "It was great to see you guys, thanks for coming up, sorry your team Lost!" Ohh man, I walked into that one...

Maine 4, Sondra 1.

Go Riverhawks!!

Tonight Jamie and I are starting out on the first leg of our journey to Maine to see the UMass Lowell vs. UMaine hockey game. We'll go up and stay at our friend's Colleen and Rich's place tonight and then tomorrow morning continue up. Google said it would be 6 hours up there, yuck, but it should go by fine because we are breaking it up and have all day Friday to make it up.

I've always been a big UMass Lowell hockey fan. I loved going to their games when I was in college. The excitement in the air, the smell of all the food and ice, the cool entrance of the players, seeing the guys get slammed up against the glass. I love these things! I have a luck red shirt that I wear under my hockey jersey that my parents got me for Christmas. I can't wait to put it back into commission again!

Saturday and Sunday we are going to Bar Harbor, which I feel was named that just to exaggerate the New England accent. I truly can't say it correctly even when I'm trying!

Baah Hahba

When Jamie and I had been living in South Carolina for a couple of months I distinctly remember talking to my mom on the phone. I thought she was joking around and super exaggerating the New England accent for me, I told her to cut it out. She had no idea what I was talking about! She was just talking like she always did, not joking at all. This was a distinct moment for me because my mom always had felt like Home, she was my measuring stick of Normal and now I had changed from that. I think that everyone needs to travel and meet and learn about people from a different area then they are used to, you are able to learn so much about others and yourself.

Maybe I'll learn something new about myself on my trip to Maine. Even though I've lived in Mass. my whole life I think that I've been to Maine twice. I'm excited to check out the UMaine arena and taunt the fans. I'm also excited to see Bar Harbor and check out all the local shops and people. I'll let you know how the trip went when I get back. Have a good weekend!

PartyLite

This past weekend Jamie and I worked down the basement trying to get it cleaned up a little. Jamie also continued to work in the attic, it's coming along great but sure is tough work. We both had a good weekend, I had a tough time getting up for Monday once it rolled around.

Last night I went to my first Unit Meeting for Partylite, I've signed up to be a consultant with them. Partylite sells the best candles and candle accessories that you'll ever find and I'm excited to be starting with them. I'm working hard to try and get off to a good start and really make it worth it. So far I have 2 shows set up and trying to set up another for neighbors at my house but I think I've been kind of shy about it because I don't know my neighbors too well and so I've been kind of putting it off.

I really think that I'm going to do good at selling Partylite candles. I've used and loved them for many years now because my brother Dax has worked there for a long time and gets us all sorts of stuff. I also have been good at sales in the past and have a good level of confidence to be able to talk to a group of people. Hopefully it goes well for me.

I've found that the conferences and meetings that I have been attending for work related to being a leader at work will also be useful for my new line of work as well. How to lead, be confident, speak to groups, dress properly, listening skills, knowing my own strengths and weaknesses; all these things will help me out when I'm up there and interacting with everyone.

I'm excited about it, let me know if anyone you know is interested in hosting a Partylite show! The hostess gets credit towards free merchandise!!

Trick or Treat

Halloween was a success. We kids all different ages come trick or treating this year. It seemed that me and Jamie were more excited then the kids. We would sit by the window and peek out when we heard people going by; the candy bowl was stocked and ready at the door but the groups would skip over our house sometimes. All the kids that came though were dressed up, even the older kids who travel in packs. It was fun to see the costumes and we met a few new neighbors which was nice.

Near the end of the night there was a gaggle of teenagers that came by at once, honestly must have been 25 kids. It was fun seeing all the outfits, my favorite was Raphael from the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles. We ended up with just a little candy left which worked out good, I'm glad I had gotten the two large bags from BJ's to be on the safe side.

I remember canvassing the neighborhood as a kid and how much fun it was. I remember the stress of deciding on a costume. You'd stay up at night thinking of what you could be and all the super cool outfits that you would love to do. One of the guys at work was telling me how his son dressed up as the Grinch and they dressed the dog up in reindeer antlers to go along. They had done a dry run of the costume the night before to make sure that everything was just right. It brought back good memories of my own dress rehearsals.

Jamie carved his pumpkin last night. He had been talking about carving it for awhile now, about how he wanted a Chinese Jack-O-Lantern that had Chinese letters on it. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff! It came out really good, and it was fun to see all lite up at night. Overall it was a fun Halloween, I hope that all of yours was just as great!

Hangman

The rain and wind this weekend was intense. Saturday morning I spent outside getting soaked to the bone, not because I had too but because I love being outside when it's raining and the weather is so overpowering. I found stuff to do while out there but honestly nothing that couldn't have waited. I loved every minute of it!

Saturday afternoon during the height of the storm Jamie and I decided to go out to Home Depot and a few other close stores to get out. Well we got out alright! We checked the house before walking out to make sure all the windows and doors were locked and properly secured. We then promptly locked the door behind us and found out we left the keys inside! Yup, locked out in the pouring rain and wind that could knock you over. We made a good time of what could have easily gone very sour. We talked and played hangman, Jamie's idea. There is no one else that I would want to be locked out of a house with in torrential rains then him, well maybe a locksmith but I digress.

Jamie's first hangman game, 4 letters.

__ __ __ __
humm, I guess E, T, R, A, K not too much to go on but getting something.

K E __ __
This had me stumped for awhile, guessing away and thinking that I don't know a single word that starts with KE, what the heck could it be. I then guess the letter S

K E __ S

I stare for a second before I start laughing, Jamie starts laughing too when he realizes that I got it.

My final guess: Y

This is why I love Jamie. Stuck in a car in pouring rain with a tree that is threatening to fall on us, locked out of our house, we are both soaked, nothing to do Jamie comes up with hangman and starts the game off with KEYS.

My dad finally made it out and unlocked our door. We both weren't up for going out anymore after that so we just hung out with my dad and cooked some dinner. We did make it out on Sunday, but I had a lot of fun stuck in my car playing Jamie in hangman.

Branding

Wednesday after work I went to a SWE Professional Development Workshop at BAE in Lexington, Ma. It was a great topic and I got to see my good friend Robin who was also going. SWE is the Society for Woman Engineers and they usually put on a workshop or seminar every month or so. The speaker was Thelma Kailiwai from Raytheon in Tewksbury and she spoke about "Developing Your Personal Brand".

She covered the importance of reputation and branding yourself. Reputation is other people's perception of you while branding is projecting what you want people to recognize you for.

Reputation has a big impact in reaching your career goals and can significantly help or hurt you. The steps to managing your reputation are to be aware of how you are seen by people who have influence over your career opportunities and by using any feedback you receive to improve. Feedback can come in the form of assessments, comments, and project debriefing sessions. Knowing where you stand helps in deciding the right path towards reaching your goals.

One way of improving your reputation is by branding yourself. Branding distinguishes yourself from others doing similar work, shows your true identity, highlights your talents, and establishes your position in business.

To develop your brand you need to find out who you are and what your values are. In an upcoming blog I will talk about exercises you can do to help figure this out. Your brand needs to have consistency, clarity, and authenticity. You need to also define what your dreams are and put them into action. Find out who you are and what your dreams are; sounds easy but try and put it down on paper!

So this was my attempt at explaining what it was all about, now I'll try and put it into action for myself.

Changing of the Seasons

I didn't realize it's been over a week since I last posted, time seems to be passing me by!

On the drive into work today I was amazed at how different the neighborhood looked after last nights rain. The leaves were all changing and most had fallen down last night, my car was covered in yellow maple leaves. The roads were colored a brown-orange from all the pine needles that had shaken loose.

I love being fully submersed in Fall. Things I love about the Fall: the trees changing colors, the big piles of leaves, pumpkin picking, apple picking, wearing sweaters, apple cider, fall decorations, apple crisps, mums, thinking about x-mas, crisp clean air, hardy meals like turkey and ham, carving pumpkins and reading a book of a overcast day. These are just some and I'm sure there are more.

I clearly remember when in mid to late August I was sitting at the picture window in our apartment overlooking the side yard when I saw one of the first leafs fall from the tree. I remember looking at it twirl it's way down to the ground and my mind was yelling "NO".

By the time it met the earth and joined the small group of previously fallen brothers my heart was racing and I was thinking that I wasn't ready for the Fall. I'm never good at the first signs of change, I really never have been. I was sitting there is the warm Summer breeze waiting for Jamie to come home so that we could go to the beach, and then BAM change was in the air.

This tiny leaf said to me, "Time is moving forward, things are always changing even when you aren't there to notice."

I said to the leaf "But it's still August! It's still Summer and warm, I'm not ready to let this part go yet. Get back on that tree!"

The tiny leaf just continued to twirl down and responded "Enjoy the moments that make up your life, there are only so many. We are one day closer to Winter; we are one day closer to next Summer as well."

Strange how we are never comfortable with Change but it's always happening, you'd think that just by having it bother us so consistently we would become accustomed to it. I think that seeing change coming is never welcomed but after change has come and gone we are usually ok.

I remember sitting in the picture window watching the tiny leaf fall and feeling not ready at all but now that we are fully in Fall I love it. I'll try and remember this when I see the first flakes of snow pave the way for Winter.

Making a House a Home

It was nice to have a few days off from work to relax and get things done around the house. Thursday after work Jamie and I went up to his folks house for dinner to celebrate his 30th birthday. It was nice to see them along with Jonny, Erin and baby Brendan. I had sent Jean flowers at work to thank her for the Big ray of sunshine she brought into the world, she loved them and they had really made her day. Jonny and Erin's birthday present was 2 ice cream scoops, a perfect gift for Jamie!

Friday Jamie and I went apple picking at Sweet Berry Farms. It was a great time, the air was warm and crisp with the smells of fall. We had a fun time walking up and down the rows of apples and choosing ones to pick. I love apple picking, it's one of my favorite things and I'm glad we were able to catch the season this year as well. We also picked up pumpkins for each of us. We both can be particular and pumpkins are no exception. We both checked each pumpkin over and carefully made our final decisions. I chose the brightest orange round pumpkin I could find. Jamie wanted a darker tall one that had no blemishes on it. We both found our own perfect ones and walked away very happy. To me this farm hold a magical piece of life, if I go enough then maybe I'll be able to figure it out. Friday night Jamie cooked up pork roast with corn and I made up homemade applesauce. Greg came over and we all had a great dinner and night.

Saturday we worked around the house and went to a friend's house for Octoberfest in the evening. It was the first time Jamie and I have crossed the Mount Hope Bridge into Bristol, which seems strange because it's maybe 10 minutes from our house. There was a good crowd of people and we had dinner and tasted all different types of Octoberfest beers that people had brought. After the tasting there was lots of jokes and laughter, we had a fun time hanging out with everyone.

Sunday we finished up some jobs around the house and started the attack on the basement. It was dirty but I'm glad that we got it started.

Yesterday we went out to my parent's house for dinner. It had been awhile since I had been out for a visit and they loved having us over. I packed up the car with the last few things of mine from my parent's house. It felt strange that I didn't still have most of my things there, a sad separation for me. It affected my dad too, he said that he didn't like the fact that I didn't call their house "home" anymore. It was an unintentional realization of leaving the nest for both of us I think.

It reminded me of when Jamie and I came back to Mass. after living in South Carolina. When we were down there I missed being home in Mass. and when we moved back I missed living down there. There was an odd sense of longing no matter where I was, both had a place in my heart. Change is good but it uproots the comfort factor that sneaks in when you aren't looking and just going about your day.

I'm happy in our new house, it truly feels like home to me. I love the routines that we have fallen into, it feels comfortable and perfect. It feels good to be doing manual labor on our house and putting our fingerprints on it. I am looking forward to our years together in our home, putting down roots and making memories.

Jamie my Love

Happy Birthday to my Dear Husband!!!

I've never dated a 30 year old! How exciting! I'm looking forward to many more birthday's together.

My mom came over last night and brought Jamie his first Son-in-Law card, and this morning I gave him his first Husband birthday card. Got to love it :o)

Have a good weekend, I'm taking tomorrow off.

October 4, 2006

Tomorrow is Jamie's 30th birthday!! Whoo hoo! We are planning on going up to his parent's house after work for dinner tomorrow. We both are taking off Friday of this week and Monday of next week, so we are going to have a mini vacation/birthday bash. It should be fun. We wanted to start working on the down stairs at the house now that most of the upstairs is looking good. Not sure yet what the plans are but we'll figure that out on Friday. I'll have to let you all know how his big birthday bash goes on Tuesday when I get back near my computer.

Today is also the session premiere of Lost! I can't wait it should be really great, and full of suspense.

Sorry

Sorry I haven't posted all week, I've been in training and just recently escaped! Well actually it finished, I didn't escape. Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, if you're wondering, nothing interesting unless you want to dimension part drawings.

Last weekend Jamie and I went to an amazing little farm right on the island that I fell in love with! Sweet Berry Farm, what a great name. They have a grocery store and all sorts of pick your own stuff. I'm really hoping to get out there soon and do some apple picking, it's one of my most favorite things to do and I'm hoping we didn't miss the season.

This past weekend Jon and Erin came down with their new baby boy Brendan. It was great to have them all over and have two days of baby holding time for me and Jamie. They slept over Friday night so we got to really hang out and relax. Friday we all went down to Second Beach, it was windy out but a great time. To celebrate Brendan's first visit to the beach we put a little water on his hand, I think he liked it! It was really nice to have the trio down. Erin and I had gone out shopping and Jamie held the baby the whole time we were gone. Jon asked Jamie to be Brendan's Godfather and Jamie was all excited about it and said Yes.

We also went to our neighbor's 2nd birthday party on Saturday. It was good to meet some more of our neighbors and there was a cake shaped like a truck, which is always good. I don't remember the last time I went to a two year old's birthday party though, strange. Same night we also went to Greg's for his 24th birthday party. It was a good time too, but more in a beer and video game way. I'm glad that we get to see him so much and were able to make it out for his big birthday bash.

Have a good weekend!!

Happy Fall Equinox Day

Today is Septemeber 22 which is the Fall Equinox, a unique day in the sky. Here is a quick explanation that I found at www.solar.physics.montana.edu:

The Sun is at its lowest path in the sky on the Winter Solstice. After that day the Sun follows a higher and higher path through the sky each day until it is in the sky for exactly 12 hours. On the Spring Equinox the Sun rises exactly in the east travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the west. On the Equinox this is the motion of the Sun through the sky for everyone on earth. Every place on earth experiences a 12 hours day twice a year on the Spring and Fall Equinox.
After the Spring Equinox, the Sun still continues to follow a higher and higher path through the sky, with the days growing longer and longer, until it reaches it highest point in the sky on the Summer Solstice.

So make sure you all take a moment and enjoy today, especially with it being so sunny and nice out. Today is one of the longest days of the year so soak up every bit you can! Have a good Equinox!!

How to Change you Last Name

For all those lovely ladies out there who are getting married and will be changing your name I've put together a list of where you need to change and what you'll need to do it. It's a big headache trying to get everything changed over and I wanted to try and make it simpler for you ladies.

Changing Name Information:

___ Get a copy of your marriage license at the town hall where you applied. They don't mail this too you and should be ready within a week after your wedding day. Once you get this make about 10 copies because you will need them to get everything else done.

___ Social Security Card: You'll need to fill out a SS-5 form and take it with your original marriage license to your local SS office. They can be located by going to www.ssa.gov and in the bottom left column there is a link to find an office by zip code. They also give you the phone number, directions and times they are open.

___ go to the DMV for your new driver's license, you'll need to bring your new SS card and current driver's license. You can check on www.mass.gov/rmv click on the second link in the left column for branches & wait times. You'll also have to update your auto registration AFTER you get your new license but check the website and go at the right time and it's not to painful.

___ Employer: you'll need your SS card and drivers license possibly, each one is different

___ Bank: They'll need your SS card and drivers license I believe, we had opened a new account so I didn't have to deal with changing my name on the old one.

___ Credit Cards: The weird part about this one is that you don't need to show proof at all, you just call the number on the back of your card and they'll do it for you.

___Passport- Fill out a DS-19 form and mail it with a copy of the marriage license & current passport to:

Charleston Passport Center
Attention: Amendments
1296 Holland Street
Charleston, SC 29405

It felt strange to mail my passport out but this is the way that they do it.

___Post Office if changing address
___IRS - you'll need to fill out an 8822 form and mail it to:

Internal Revenue Service

Andover, MA 05501

You can get it at and information at www.irs.gov

___Voter Registration this can do this at DMV
___ Doctors and Dentist
___ Insurance Companies
___ State Tax Board
___ Clubs
___ Memberships
___ Retirement Plan
___ Medical Plan
___ Online Accounts

This is the list I have been working off of to try and update my name with everything, it's amazing how many places it came up where I hadn't realized but hopefully this list will help get you through it easier. I have a pdf of each of the forms if the links don't end up working for you, just drop me an email and I'll send it out to you.

Congratulations to my favorite girls!!! Lindsay, Alicia and Robin I am so happy for you all!! I can't wait for all of your special days to come. I'm more then willing to help out with anything you need, just let me know.

Have a great Friday, I'm sure not too much work is getting done with wedding bells ringing in your heads.

Back in Line

So it's official! I got my license and registration changed over to Rhode Island, what a process! I was trying to change states, change my last name, and register my car at the DMV... need I say more.

I made it through though and came out with a new license and new plates! Jamie had given me a heads up on the level of inefficiency the RI DMV was so I headed there 20 minutes before it opened to be first in line. Turns out even with that I was third and by the time they opened the doors there was a line of over 30 people, I'm not exaggerating this. So in my round about way I got my license then my registration.

I turned in my Mass plates to the DMV in Fall River and expected the worse, I went around 4:30 and there wasn't a line anywhere!! It was terrific and they had a person set up for when you first go in to help you know where to go and what forms you need. It was like night and day dealing with RI and MA DMV's. At least now I can just mail in the renewals.

The house is coming along very nicely. I got all the bedrooms upstairs painted and moved stuff in. I'm still working on the trim in the kitchen, living room and hallway. Well to be honest I should be working on the trim but I am so painted out right now I'm waiting for my second wind. Jamie is doing a great job on the outside, it looks like a whole new place. The grass is mowed and the crab grass is dying off and the flower beds look amazing!

I've got to run Jamie just called and his car won't start! Darn that Caddie!! Anyone know of a cheap car that we could get??

Bright-Dim-Dimmer-Almost Dark-Off and a Few Inbetween

Jamie and I continued working on the house after work yesterday. I'm still painting the last bedroom and Jamie has been outside cleaning up and getting rid of ants. It's coming along and looking pretty good overall.

My brother Kirk came out and visited yesterday and did some of the electrical work that we needed done. He changed out some outlets and we put up a ceiling light in one of the bedrooms. Kirk and I went out and got another gallon of paint late last night and we went to Home Depot. We had a fun time and ended up getting a remote controlled dimmer switch! I'm very excited about this one and kept playing with it once he had put it in. This went on for a long time, I liked to see every setting and see them all again. From outside our bedroom must have looked like a light show! He did a great job putting everything in and it's looking a lot cleaner and safer now.

It's going to be nice to have all of the bedrooms done upstairs so that we can start unpacking all of our things and get things settled down. I can't wait to have our family and friends over once we are finished!

Yesterday

Yesterday after work Jamie and I went down to Second Beach in Middletown and enjoyed the sun and read. It's nice being so close to the beach that you don't have to plan a day trip, you can just go hang out for a few hours and then make it home for dinner. This is just what we did too.

It was a beautiful day out, I was amazed at how bright all the colors were. The grass and trees out in the bird sanctuary was a deep green and there wasn't any fog at all so the sky was a strong blue with puffy white clouds. The ocean water was a blue green instead of the stone gray blue you usually think it will be in September. We sat and read for an hour, the sun kept us warm and the view was perfect. It's a super charge to your batteries to be able to sit on the beach, it complete erases the work day and gives you energy for the rest of the day.

From the beach Jamie and I went to Home Depot and the paint store, again. We have become regulars at both. When we got home we both worked on house stuff. Jamie was out in the yard, it's looking amazing out there! He has done a terrific job, I can't wait to see what spring time brings us. I worked on prep-ing and painting the final bedroom upstairs. It feels like a never ending project getting everything painted but it has slowed down because it's just been me after work and there is only so much you can do with out sun light.

My mom is coming by later today to help out, I'm very excited to see her. It always feels like you get so much more accomplished when there is a second person so I'm looking forward to it. My brother Kirk said that he'd be able to come out on Wednesday to help out too which should be great as well. Yesterday was a good day for me almost made me forget what day it was....

Yesterday was Sept. 11 th, a day that when you hear it sends a shiver down your spine. Sept. 11th is also my brother's birthday, it feels strange to have something so terrible happen on a day that was memorable to our family even before 2001. My cousin's birthday is Jan. 28, which was a tragic day in 1986 when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded and something that we are reminded of each year.

I feel bad that such terrible things happened on a day that should be happy for them. I get excited when I see my birthday as the expiration date on a carton of milk. "Whoo hoo that's my birthday!!" and the milk always tastes better to me. I asked my brother how it feels to see his birthday everywhere, he said that he grew numb to it. I think that we all kind of grew numb to it though.

Watching the recreation of the 9/11 attacks on t.v. last night made me feel sadder now then when I had watched it all unfold in real time back in 2001. Now I know how many people are still in that building, that there will be very few survivors pulled from the rubble. Now I know what it means for our country, how everything has changed. I have heard many stories of the people's lives that were cut short that day, no one was ready. The pain is worse now knowing that almost 3,000 people lost their life that day and over 2,000 men and woman died in the resulting war.

Knowledge is power, though sometimes it causes more pain. Stay informed and empowered.

Where 22-27 Went

Labor day weekend - the last hurrah of summertime. We had a good time, we continued working on the house and it's really coming along nicely.

Both Jamie and my parents came and visited us this weekend. It was terrific to see them all. It was Jean and John's first visit on Saturday and they seemed to really love our place. We explored the neighborhood and went out for lunch. My parents helped out around the house painting and installing a new stove hood on Sunday.

Sunday was my 27th birthday. I can't believe how quick this year has gone and how much has happened. While I was 26 Jamie and I moved into our apartment in Rhode Island, got married, bought our first house, moved out of said apartment and welcomed our new nephew into the world all with in the span of 1 year! These were the big events, there was also many weekend adventures that took place as well in there.

Time is moving fast. September has never come so quick for me, it really feels like Christmas wasn't that far ago. 27 has come amazingly quick as well. While I was holding baby Brendan at the hospital I was thinking about how time has so simply gone by. I find myself wondering what happened to 22-27 they seemed to have slipped by quietly. What happened in between college and now?

The night of my last final for my last class in college I met Jamie, I sure remember that amazing moment! I took a summer looking for a job with no luck. I decided to take Jamie up on his offer and moved to Hilton Head, South Carolina and we lived there for 3 months. It's strange that these three months created so many memories when the following years created so few, it was an amazing time and place for us. I worked at Kigre and loved it but we decided to head back to New England for family and the job potential. Spent another few months looking for a job once we arrived. I moved in with Jamie's family and started working at ITT Industries in Gloucester, Mass. I enjoyed the job and people so Jamie and I got a house along Walker Creek in Gloucester, some great memories there as well.

After a year there Raytheon finally got around to calling me back to see if I was still interested in a job that I applied to over a year and half before, I figured I'd see what they had to say though I wasn't looking to change jobs at the time. They came with an offer when things were getting shaky at my current job and Jamie and I decided to go for it. We moved to an apartment in Andover, well technically Lawrence but we called it Andover, and I started my new job at Raytheon. Things were going ok but the commute was terrible for Jamie and I felt that something was missing and it took a while to figure out what, I was missing the ocean.

So we uprooted again and I transferred to their Portsmouth RI facility and we both lived at home. This was a tough time, too many things felt up in the air. Christmas Eve Jamie proposed to me on the swing in his parent's back yard, it was so special and I cried and cried. When Jamie found a job on the island we moved into our apartment above the Beach House. It felt so good to be living back together again. In May we married on the bridge in Brewster Gardens.

From here I've already covered it above in my synopsis of my 26th year, so I guess I do know where 22-27 went, it just seemed to have passed so easily. These moments we've shared I'll always treasure, it feels good to go back and remember them.

Birthday Trio

September!?!! Holy cow the summer went by fast.

Jamie and I drove up to the hospital last night and visited baby Brendan, Jon and Erin. They all look great and happy. Brendan seems like such a great baby, he didn't cry the whole time we were there and though he didn't like it he was fine with getting a million pictures taken. He loves to play with his hands and touch his face and just move them around in general. Everyone was excited to see him and hold him and he didn't mind at all, he just kept on napping and waving.

It was a day of birthdays with Brendan coming in as the third to have his birthday on August 31. Erin's mom and Uncle both share the same birthday as well! They'll be the birthday trio from now on!

Mine's right around the corner as well, Sept. 3, I'll be turning 27. I really don't know where the time has gone, I can't believe I'll be 27! It's always works out nice having my birthday fall around Labor Day because I usually get an extra day off to enjoy it.

I love to hear stories of when I was born. I think that everyone must love their own story as well. I was born on Labor Day, for longer then I should I believe I was the reason it was so named. Living right off Cape on Labor Day means traffic, lots and lots of traffic, and so was the case when I came into this world. My mom tells me that my dad drove them to the hospital in their purple Gremlin, yes a Gremlin. Traffic was bumper to bumper and crawling at best, my dad sat rigid in the driver's seat with a white knuckle grip on the wheel the entire ride. I can picture him doing this quite easily, it must have been such a relief once they got there. They got to the hospital fine after all that and I was born at 1:01 in the afternoon.

I love to hear stories about when I was born, the one above and how my grandmother forced her way into the delivery room to see me. It's amazing to think that I will be the one telling Brendan about the day he was born. Jamie and I took a picture of a rainbow we saw on the ride up to see him, it was special and something that I will always remember. I hope that the picture comes out good so that I can show him when I tell him about his birthday in the future.

New Beginnings

This morning Brendan Peter Heos was born at 1:09 am. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Jamie and I are going up to see him tonight and welcome him into the world. What a cutie!

Last night was the first night that Jamie and I got to sleep in our new house! It was hard work getting everything moved in. Jamie's cousin Greg and his roommate came and helped with his truck and my brother Dax came to help with bringing things in. Many thanks to them for their hard work and time.

It's a time of new beginnings all around. Beginnings are always fun and exciting because they hold the possibilities and hopes for the future. Change is always unnerving though, you never know what to expect. Beginnings of something Special make you excited to see what's in store despite having to go through Change to get there. I'm excited to see what the future holds for the Heos family!

It's a time of new beginnings!!

Our First Weekend in our New House!!

It was a busy but great weekend! Jamie and I signed the papers at the attorney's office and got the keys!

I went back to the house and started washing down the walls with T.S.P., there was so much dirt that came up that I'm really glad that I put in the time to do it. I also found that the power got shut off! Jamie called the electric company and they said that they can't come back out till Monday to turn it back on. So we could only work during daylight this past weekend but it ended up working out fine.

My mom and Kirk came and visited us after their work on Friday. They had packed some of my stuff up from the house and brought it along with some cleaning supplies. They were both very excited to see our "New House".

My dad came out and helped on Saturday. Jamie and I were at it early in the morning, cleaning and carrying boxes in. We got a good amount done, walls cleaned and got the joint compound on and sanded. We went on the first trip to Home Depot, got new switch and outlet covers and new outlets so it will look all clean and new. I can't wait to get them installed.

So the walls were are prep-ed for painting when my mom came and visited again on Sunday. We bought the paint and started in on the master bedroom and small bedroom. Primed the walls and painted the ceiling in the small room and got to put color on the walls in the master bedroom! Whoo hooo!!

It's always exciting when all your hard work in prep-ing finally pays off. I attached a picture above of the color we went with, Gourmet Mushroom from Sherwin Williams. It came out terrific and looks great against the bright white of the trim that we painted as well.

Jamie worked hard in the kitchen all day, he got the cabinets washed and lined. It was a huge job because there are so many cabinets and they are all extra tall. They came out looking terrific as well!

Today my mom is coming out again and will be putting up the color in the small bedroom. We are doing a light sage green in there. I had gotten the ceiling and trim all painted up last night so that we were ready to go for today.

I can't wait to have everyone over to check out our new house! We'll need to get the rest of our stuff moved in and settled though but please consider yourself invited :o)

It's Only a Day Away!!!!

Tomorrow's the big day!!! I can't wait! We are closing tomorrow at 11 am, then we'll have the keys to our new home. I'm planning on going through and cleaning up as much as possible that first day and moving stuff in a few days later. Jamie and I are both too excited to wait to move in though so that might happen right away.

I can't wait to decorate our own place! You never bother when you are renting and now we have a whole house to fill. I keep finding myself day dreaming about what we would like and where to put things and the colors to use.

I'll be taking plenty of pictures and post them here when I get them developed. I hope that everyone will be able to come visit sometime.

Things have been so busy with everyone lately. Jon and Erin find out today if she'll be induced tomorrow as well!! Could be a very busy day in the Heos Family; new house for us and a new bundle of joy for them. I can't wait, I've always been bad at it but the excited waiting is half the fun.

We got Saco-ed !!

We canoed, we camped, we conquered.

Day 1 we canoed 11 miles down the Saco River out of Conway, New Hampshire to Fiddlehead Campgrounds in Fryeburg, Maine. Early Sunday morning it started to rain and continued for the rest of the day but we still made it the 6 more miles down past Walker's bridge to the take out.

The Saco Bound people pick you up and drive you and your canoe back to your car, which was nice. By the time we finished we were soaked to the bone and sore, but we both had a good time.

Traffic was tough coming home, but Jamie came through with flying colors and got us through it.

www.sacobound.com
www.fiddleheadoutdoors.com

Saco it to me baby!

Friday, August 25 11 a.m. Eastern Time we are signing the papers on our house!!

Everything is all set and things are looking good. I'm planning a whole day of cleaning next Saturday. Then we'll try and move our stuff in on Sunday. I'm going to try and take lots of pictures, the dorky kind where you stand in front of the Sold sign, us with the keys, and others along the same lines. If anyone is interested in helping clean or move or just come visit you are more then welcome!

Jamie and I are going canoeing and camping on the Saco River this weekend. It should be a great time full of adventures. I'll let you know how it went when we get back on Monday.

Have a great weekend!!

Who's afraid of a Sand Castle?!

Monday night Jamie and I went for a walk on the beach after sun set. The ocean's edge always feels different when the sun has left. During the day people leave their belongings sitting out on their towel as they swim and laugh; in the evening you are cautious of people walking anywhere near you and find yourself scowling at them.

Some how the sun makes us all feel safer; at dusk the water appears black and gives the impression that it is hiding something Unknown below. As we walked on the beach last night I put my feet into the water. I went in only up to the top of my ankles, the darkness enveloped my feet. My heart raced and I tried desperately to keep my toes in view. It felt that there was something unseen that wanted to grab them lurking in the shallow water. I ended up running back to Jamie and continuing to walk on the sand instead.

It was interesting how different I felt being on the beach at night time. The ocean's waves sounded too loud, a distant sand castle looked like a crouching villain, seaweed on the sand looked like black holes, the usually warm breeze was now too cold. These things had not changed but my reaction to them was affected by my feeling of Insecurity or Not Knowing.

Honestly, who is afraid of a sand castle?!?!

It made me think that possibly this same affect happens in other aspects of our lives. When I used to work at Polaroid in Waltham I would drive to and from work in bumper to bumper 128 rush hour traffic. I really enjoyed it at the time because people weren't driving crazy and I got to watch people in their cars and wonder about them. I would actually see some of the same people in traffic day after day. I always got to work at the same time, the traffic was very predictable and I knew the in's and out's of it.

Now I don't like traffic. No, I hate traffic, I feel trapped and that I have no control. My mind races trying to think how to Get Out, when will it end, will I be stuck here for the rest of my life, what if I have to go the bathroom? That always leads me to feeling that I have to pee right then and there. It's tough and I realize that it's all in my head but that doesn't make it easier.

The only thing that has changed is my own view of traffic, how could it appear so differently? I try and keep this in mind when I find myself overwhelmed, maybe things aren't as terrible as they seem.

Maybe it's just a distant sand castle in the evening light.

Weekend Wedding

This past weekend Jamie and I went to one of his old college friend's wedding. It was at the Daniel Webster Inn on the Cape. It was beautiful, the ceremony was in a small garden off of the Inn. The garden was full of all different types of flowers and packed full of color. They said their vows under a giant tree in the early evening, when I always feel magic is possible. There was dinner in a big sun room that overlooked the garden, which was then lite up with small garden lights.

Jamie and I had a great time. We enjoyed sitting in the garden, eating terrific food, and dancing to the 80's!

www.danlwebsterinn.com/

Fried-day Friday

Sorry that it's been so long. It has been an incredibly busy work week, I'm drained and there has been nothing left of me. Thank goodness it's soon to be the weekend, I can't wait to get out of work!

We are going to a friend's wedding Saturday, it should be a fun time. Going to visit my parents and then go to the beach with my cousin on Sunday. Sounds like the perfect way to recharge my batteries and I'm really looking forward to it.

I try and not get caught up in the small details and remember to enjoy life but it seems that life itself sometimes gets in the way of doing just that. I find that kind of strange. "Get out of here life and your details, I'm trying to enjoy you" just sounds off doesn't it?

I haven't figured it all out yet but I have made sure to stay in bed a little longer in the morning and tell Jamie that I love him and spend time just smiling and looking into his blue eyes. These are some of the best mornings, and that's saying a lot, I hate mornings!

So nothing philosophical, comical, special or interesting here, just me being over worked me. Have a good weekend!

Home Inspection

Today was the home inspection! I went and both of my parents drove out to see as well. The inspector did a great job, we went through everything inside and out. The inspection turned out good, there wasn't any surprises or big problems that he found with the house. There was a long list of small things to do though. I'm glad that my dad was there to help me remember it all.

There is plenty of small things to do that will keep us busy and broke for many weekends to come. I can't believe that we are going to be owning a home! I can't wait to have everyone come down and visit!

Things are moving smoothly and should continue, I'll keep you posted on what happens next with the house.

Home Depot/Lowe's Gift Cards welcomed and appreciated :o)

Baking a Diaper Cake

Here is a picture of the diaper cake that I had made for Erin's baby shower. It was fun to put together once I got the hang of it! At first the diapers kept popping out everywhere and it took a few practice tries to get it right and help from Jamie. Here's how I did it:

Supplies you'll need:
50 or so disposable diapers
elastics
ribbon
baby receiving blankets
baby socks
baby wash cloths
baby outfit
baby accessories

How to make pull it together:
1. Take one diaper and roll it tight length wise
2. Roll more diapers length wise around first
3. Once it has reached the diameter you like secure with an elastic
4. Continue making different size tiers until all diapers are used, securing each tier with an elastic
5. Fold a receiving blanket to the height on the bottom tier and wrap around
6. Secure by wrapping around elastic in back (baby pins could be used as well)
7. Cover all tiers with a folded receiving blanket and secure
8. Embellish with folded washcloths, baby socks, outfits, accessories & ribbon
9. The top was made by putting an elastic around 3 pairs of baby socks and having the tops all stick out
10. Secure the entire assembled cake with ribbon wrapped from the bottom to the top and cover with sock topper

You can add anything small you like to it as far as baby items go, rattles, stuffed animals, pacifiers, ect. It helps to have a second person help you out holding it as you add the diapers to the larger size tiers. Give it a try and happy 'baking'!!

Friday Joke of the Day

I took my car to my mechanic for a checkup.

He told me that my battery needs a new car. :o)

Have a great weekend!!

How Time Flys is in the Way You Measure It

In the summer time when you are young there is chance to do something everyday, it's great and amazing. You would wake up and go humm maybe I'll play on the swing set or go down and swim or possibly jump through the sprinkler in the front yard. There is an entire day that needs filling with Things To Do.

In the summer time as an adult you only have weekends to fill with Things To Do. I've noticed that no matter how you try every weekend in August is always planned out for you well in advance. These things are usually fun things like visiting friends and family or them visiting you, weddings, and weekend trips. Even though I look forward to all of them I miss waking up and deciding what will I'll Do today. My entire month of August is already planned out for me and it's only the 3rd day into it!

Adult summer times pass so much quicker then kid summer times because adults count the summer by weekends while kids count it by the day. If I have 4 weekends planned then I'm set for a month but a kid has things planned for 4 days and they still have some of that week left. The time is the same it's just how you measure it that changes.

I try and make memorable moments in an attempt to keep a small part of kid time in me. It gets tough though when you wake up and go to work, come home, clean up some dishes, cook dinner, and then get lunch ready for the next day of work right before it's time to go to sleep early for work, again. Jamie and I have been trying to do things after work but since signing up for the house it seems to be taking up most of our time, hopefully we'll get back to going to the beach after work, those are always great moments!

Game On!

Jamie and I have received the signed P&S agreement from the seller and have signed all the paperwork at the bank, it's official We're In!! It's looking like the inspector and assessor are all lined up for next week too. We don't have a locked down closing date because right now it's as soon as we can get all the bank stuff done, both us and the seller are ready to move. It's been less stressful now that everything is either done or lined up to be done. Getting things all lined up reminded me of planning for the wedding; Don't forget this and we have to do this and we need this done right now!

I'm excited and even though the wedding was stressful right before it turned out perfect and I think it's going to be the same thing with buying the house. I'm going to try and take plenty of pictures of the house and us and the SOLD sign and the real estate agent and ... well I think you get the idea!

Party, Party!!

It was a weekend full of events for us! Jamie and I went up Saturday to our good friend Rocking Robin's birthday party. We had a great time, good food and people always makes a party special. Though for a 'Surprise Birthday Party' she sure was dressed up :o) She got the info. out of me, I leak like a sieve, always have. Personal secrets I can take to the grave but fun exciting ones seem to find their way out of me quite easily.

On Sunday I went to my sister-in-laws baby shower. This was supposed to be a 'Surprise' as well. She sure was dressed up too though and she brought a gift for each mother :o) Her mother had gone to great lengths to keep it a surprise. The day before she hide all the food for the party in the trunk of her car while they visited and she set the party up at a friend's house so that she didn't see any of the prep work. This seems to be an on going game between mother and daughter; planning a surprise party and finding out about it.

Planning a surprise party for someone else always seems like a fun thing to try and do. In the same sense it's always a fun thing to try and play detective and figure out the surprise early and know what's going on. Part of making memories are the surprises in life and enjoying them as they come.

It's hard but it's always better to wait for the surprise. Around Christmas time everyone has the itch to try and find out what they are getting no matter what the age. By sneaking and finding out what you got before hand takes the magic and excitement out of when you do get to open it. Part of the fun of life is the anticipation of what it could be!! I love guessing what could that big present be?! Though I hate knowing I guessed correctly.

Life is made up of moments and you should never take away special ones from yourself, the anticipation moments are just as good and make the finally able to open the present moment better.

The Big 25 !!!!

Happy Birthday Robin!!! Congratulations and I can't wait to see you.

We're Buying a HOUSE !!!!!!!

So we are doing it!! We decided to buy the house ! Jamie talked to the mortgage guy and I talked to the real estate agent today. I'll pick up the papers today and we'll sign them by tomorrow. I can' believe it's really happening.

I was worried that if we did buy that I would feel overwhelmed and scared, but I am excited. I really think that we are making the right choice. It has a pool! and a big back yard! Whoo hooo!

I will keep you all posted on what happens, hopefully we will be able to move in by Sept. 1 because that is when our lease is up at our current rental.

Here is the link to the pictures of the home we are getting:
http://www.riliving.com/PropSearch/sfformdetails.asp?MLSid=635765&indiv=1

it's cute and I can't wait to have everyone over and have a big house party. Have a great weekend guys, I'm sure there will be more to tell on Monday.

Rent, Buy

Rent or Buy,
Rent or Buy,
Rent or Buy,
Rent, Buy, Rent, Buy. Buy, Rent, Buy.

Ahh, umm, maybe, not sure, possibly, down payment, let's go for it, I don't know, can you believe it, points, ummm, what do we want?

These have been our thoughts for the last few weeks. They kept me up all last night. How do we make this decision?

Rent, Buy, Rent, Buy.

If we buy will we ever be able to afford to have kids down the road? or to eat?? I'm more then willing to hear opinions on this one. Any one clairvoyant, give me an idea of where house prices are going.

Rent, Buy, Rent, Buy.

Rent and we can get the debt paid down and put together more of a down payment. Buy and we own a home, won't have to move in 6 months, can have barbecues and pool parties and will be building equity.

It doesn't matter if you win or lose but how you look doing it

There are many things in life I just don't understand.

A few weeks ago I was waiting at the salon and there was a woman at the front desk setting up an appointment. This is not strange I know, but let me try and explain why it has stuck with me. She was skinny, to the bone skinny; her face was all hollow and looked like a skeleton. Her knees were by far the widest part of her legs. Her neck looked so frail that it could hardly support her head. She had been tanning and was the color of a dark cherry wood stain; her face texture was that of leather. Her platinum blonde hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail was fried from all the dyeing. Her sunken face looked to be 70 years old but I would have to guess she was in her 20's or 30's, it was hard to even take a guess.

She wore work out cloths, leggings and an oversized sweat shirt that went almost to her knees that was imprinted with the Champion logo. Her socks looked brand new and had the Nike symbol on them which matched the brand new Nike shoes. Over her shoulder was an oversized Louis Vuitton handbag, and on her head were Channel sunglasses with the fake rhinestones along the side.

She had seemed to take all the modern day female idealisms to the extreme. She was winning the contest to be skinniest, blondest, tannest and the biggest spender. To me it looked like she was losing the game of Life. My heart went out to her, I felt terrible and sad. She so clearly needed self acceptance and a hug to me.

These are just my opinions of this situation. I'm not saying having a Louis Vuitton bag is a bad thing, but it definitely doesn't make a person happy in itself. This woman may have been totally giddy with Life and had already checked off all the 'simple things that make you happy' boxes and had moved on to others. We won't know.

A little later I was sitting getting my nails done and the woman had walked by. I said to the manicurist "It must be really tough on her", gesturing towards the skeleton woman. The manicurist looks up and says "Yea I know, it must be really tough to buy pants that fit". Thankfully the manicurist was looking down at my nails when she said this because my face was transparently showing my thoughts, TOUGH TO BUY PANTS! My verbal response to her was

"Yea, plus the clearly self evident health, emotional, and physical issues".

Her response to me was a confused "humm". We were not on the same wave length.

I looked around and wonder am I in bizarre-o world or am I the odd ball here. I've gone out of my way to not get caught up with having all the latest toys and Name Brands that promise a false sense of self fulfillment. I work very hard at accepting myself and enjoying who I am, it's not easy but well worth the effort. I'm not perfect, no one is. Why do we all have to try and pretend that we are?

This is to be continued. This trend has overwhelmed us and I'm worried about what this means for all of us. This contest to be hottest and the biggest spender has totally warped the values of our society. If you are going to work so hard at a contest, make sure it's a contest you want to be a part of first. This trend seems as filling to your self esteem as a bag of potato chips.

There are many things in life I just don't understand.

2nd Month - a - versary

Beryl is moving in!! The waves were HUGE, and the tide came in further then I have ever seen. Of course with a Tropical Storm slamming our shores Jamie was tracking it closely on weather.com and determining high tide which was found to be 4:40 pm, absolutely perfect! A trifecta of colossal events leading to the makings of an amazing day.

Trifecta Facts:
1. Tropical Storm miles off the coast
2. Work end in time to be in the water by high tide
3. Our 2 Month - a - versary

We had our bathing suits on as quick as we could and were on the road. The wind had really picked up and was strong by the shore. When we got there Jamie asked the life guard if there had been any rescues that day. He said no there hadn't been. Jamie told him that we'll try and not be the first ones :o)

In the water we go, it felt really cold because of the wind and I whined my way through it. The sky was overcast and you could see the looming dark clouds of the storm. Usually if you stand in one spot the water recedes around your feet and pulls the sand out from around your feet. Not yesterday, once I was up to my knees the receding water was pulling me in!

We jumped over the crashing waves but more often we held our breath and went under them because they were way too big to jump. It's amazing feeling when a huge wave passes over you when you are below. You duck below the wave and everything is very quiet, the turbulent pull of the water moves over your body from head to toe, then there is a very strong 'after shock boom' feeling that moves over you much quicker. At first you think the wave has passed and then this thunder-ish boom hits you, it feels like Poseidon has slammed the ocean floor with his trident and the whole world is quaking. It's scary even when you know it's coming.

The receding water's pull was too strong and I couldn't stand in one place no matter how hard I tried. Jamie held my hand at times and when it would whoosh me away he held tight, I felt like a flailing kite. There was no way to just walk back to shore, you had to know when to ride a wave in and when to hold your ground as best you can. We both had a great time going in and out.

At one point the clouds broke and some sun got to shine through. It caused that hazy affect where you can see the sun's rays coming down on the water. It also caused a full rainbow! It streched from the beach to the ocean, I've never seen such a complete rainbow before. It looked just like the ones that little kids draw over there house. It was an amazing moment.

We swam for well over an hour in these giant waves. Once we got out we were both exhausted from the struggle. We sat and watched the waves from the beach. Jamie said that they look like they got smaller, I said that's only because we aren't in them anymore. Funny how it seems that way with most things.

Thank you Beryl for the giant waves, and thank you Jamie for a terrific 2nd Month-a-versary!

Planting a Garden

For a few years now my dad has always wanted a small garden of fresh herbs at the house that he can use to cook up his food masterpieces with. I have tried to grow different herbs for him from seeds in past summers but it never worked out good. Either too much water or not enough, and it seem to take a long time to get the plants large enough where you can actually use them.

The last time I visited my parent's house my mom and I went out to Home Depot to do some garden shopping. Out front there were racks of all different herbs in small pots on display. We decided to pick some up for him as a surprise. We got oregano, basil, parsley, cilantro, and thyme plants. We searched for the healthiest plants of each for his garden creation. We also picked up a long rectangular planter and soil so that we can get it all done for him. All the herbs smelled great in the summer heat.

At home my mom set up the soil in the planter and we planted each one with plenty of space to grow. It ended up looking real good so we gave it a good drink of water and placed it out in the late afternoon sun. When my dad got home later that day I showed him what we had put together for him. He was ohh-ing and ahh-ing all the different herbs as I read them off to him. "Ohh that's great I can make up some lemon thyme chicken, ohh great I can make up some pasta sauce with fresh oregano." He was all excited about the food possibilities.

It felt great to finally set my dad up with the herb garden that he has always wanted outside his kitchen. I'm looking forward to all the good food that I know will come out of this. Once we had finished getting it all together I was thinking how strange it was that it had taken so many summers for this happen. It was something that we all had wanted to do but never had finished before.

Sometimes when I feel I don't have any time constraint on me I have a harder time getting done what I need done. When I am working on things for work or for others I always try and get them done on time or early, but I'm not as conscious with my own dreams. Getting this small garden done for my dad reminded me that it's important to set goals and deadlines even when it's only for myself. Maybe it's more important when it's only for myself.

I realized how sad I would be if I had never put the time into making this small garden for him and for me. Tomorrow is never promised to us, this should be deadline enough.

Haiku for You - Numero Uno

Still working on the list, it ended up being a busy day at work today but I came up with a Haiku:

Waves crash over me,
Time now passes surreally,
Sunset always comes.

A reflection on life by Sondra (bow)

(wild applause)

Jumping in Puddles

Things that I want to do in my life:
start a book club,
be an amazing cook,
visit Montana,
see the Northern Lights,
have a baby,
own a home,
make a difference in my community,
start my own business,
eat vegetables that I have grown,
be a paid public speaker,
speak at high schools to young woman about respecting themselves & making good life choices,
learn more History and take away knowledge that is relevant today,
be a friend that can always be counted on,
see the Alaskan Tundra,
have another baby,
get my Master's Degree,
live a healthy life style,
exercise on a regular bases,
make Christmas magical for a child,
be a supportive loving wife,
host Thanksgiving at my house,
make my parent's proud,
visit every state on the East Coast,
keep a scrapbook of all our memories,
have a pet bunny,
paint a picture worthy of hanging up,
walk the streets of Italy,
make people laugh,
be financially secure,
jump in puddles in the rain,
bake a tiered cake,
be a part of the special moments as my children grow,
be an expert at something,
support woman who are victims of violence,
learn how to ballroom dance,
grow a beautiful garden,
make my children feel safe and secure,
see Niagara Falls,
go kayaking,
ride a horse,
dress successful at work,
be as success full as I dress at work,
take beautiful pictures,
fully enjoy the journey,
show the ones I love how special they are.

This is just a start for me, seems odd how tough it was at some points to make up things that I want to do. I'm really glad that I got it out here though, there is a better chance of achieving them. These are not in any particular order, sometimes it's better that way.

Patience vs. Drive

I seem to always have a constant battle between these two things. I have a very hard time finding a balance that lasts, it seems that the scales are always tipping one way or the other. I have a strong internal desire to drive hard for things that I want accomplished. I have a great ability to "get the job done" but this is not always a good thing.

I have found myself to far down the wrong path by being head strong. There are times when "going with the flow" would have gotten me to where I wanted to go much easier and the ride would have been more enjoyable.

The best comes from a blending of the two together. I want to have a larger goal and be working towards it while enjoying the steps it takes to get there. Much easier said then done, but life is about practice and learning not being perfect. So I continue to practice and try to improve.

I don't want time to pass by and not have accomplished something that betters myself, my community, family, woman's lives, or anything. I don't want to find myself looking back and seeing that only time has passed. This is one of my biggest fears.

The most recent battle field for Patience vs. Drive for me has been the attempt at deciding if we should rent for a little longer or buy a house. Pay off debt sooner or build equity and have a place that we won't have to move out of in six months. I am driven to buy, to have that same place to go home to every night that we own. I want to be Patient and rent to be that much closer to feeling secure financially. My desires push me to be Patient and Driven at the same time and I feel like I've been going in circles for months now.

I realize that with both my indecision on buying a house and my need to accomplish something big in life the main hurdle is that I don't know what I really want. This fact scares me the most. Do I want to save and rent or do I want to own? What larger goal in life do I want to work towards? If I had the answer to these two questions I know I could get what ever I dreamed of done. But I continue to move in circles trying to answer the question, what do I want out of life? The fact that I can't answer this question seems out of character to me and strange.

I don't know when I lost sight of my life's desires but I feel back on track now. First step will be to make a list of things I would like to accomplish in life. My only fear now is setting my expectations to low.

My favorite socks

While living in Gloucester I found my Mecca, a store called The Joy of Socks where they sell nothing but socks. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with merchandise. I visited this store many times while living there and have on occasion bought so many socks that I need to use plastic to pay. My favorite is the white one above, I have gotten a pair on two separate visits. It's socks of socks!!! Someone out there really understands me.

If you want to check them out they have a website set up http://www.joyofsocks.com

Wedding Pictures

Here are some of the pictures from the photographer! What an amazing day. Thank you everyone for making it such a special day for Jamie and me. We love you all!!!

Diving through the Waves

After work yesterday Jamie and I went down to Second Beach in Middletown and went swimming in the waves. The waves were as big as I had ever seen them there because it was a full moon and the tide was coming in, a great combination! Yesterday was the first day that I had been swimming this summer and Jamie was excited I was finally joining him. The water was a terrific 70 degrees and beautiful.

It’s always hard when you are first walking out to swim in the ocean. No matter what the temperature is, when the water first touches any part of your body it feels cold. The waves always come and splash the dry parts before you are ready for it and then just as quickly move on. Once your dry belly is splashed you walk out further and stop when the newly splashed parts are now under water because it doesn’t feel as cold any more. You then stand and wait, trying to hop over the smaller waves. Then another wave sneaks up and splashes you higher up on your belly. This continues until you are far enough out you decide to just dive through the next wave.

Through life there are always events that sneak up on us, ones that you were sure you weren’t ready for but some how came out of and ended up stronger for it. A childhood challenge makes us stronger for the challenges we face as teenagers. From these teen years we learn so much and take our lessons learned with us when facing our adult life. Each feels too hard at the time, but we grow stronger as we continue through life, sometimes unaware of the strength that has grown.

There have been times in my life when the waves chill has lasted longer then maybe it should have. I admit to standing and waiting, feeling over whelmed by the smallest of waves, just not ready to continue on. Through support from others and a strength I never knew was there I was able to move further and I am so glad that I did.

Jamie and I had a great time swimming. The waves were splashing and crashing, and I got tossed around from them. Jamie held my hand and kept me from falling over more then a few times. As we were walking out and the waves got stronger Jamie stood in front of me to help block them. We would swim out over, dive through and ride the waves in. We would swim out till we could barely touch the ground and then swim in, over and over. We tried swimming parallel to the shore but it didn’t work out well. We wouldn’t be watching and then a big wave would crash over us and we’d get water in our mouths. We had a great time and laughed the whole time, the scenery and water were picture perfect, it was great moments to remember.

This morning was Jamie’s doctor appointment with his cardiologist at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Neither of us slept to well. I have the hardest time sitting in the waiting room even though I have been before. Most of the other patients are babies and toddlers, and there are small tables and toys for them to play with. All of the kids seem happy, either playing with the toys or sitting with their parents listening to a book be read. The parents, when not distracted by their happy kid, have a look of dread and concern on their face. This look cuts deep in me, I feel very empathetic towards them and also I see my own feelings being reflected.

One couple held their son on their lap; he didn’t look older then 6 months to me. They both were doting on him and doing things to make him smile. The mother had clearly been crying and looked close to it still. There was a young girl playing with one of those wire frame toys that you slide colorfully shaped blocks along. Her father paced and organized magazines while watching her as her mother sat as still as I have ever seen anyone who has a child sit watching their daughter with an unblinking eye.

The wave was about to crash over me as I was sitting in the waiting room. So I read Jamie a book that was sitting near me, it was in Spanish and about a llama. It made us both laugh because we don’t really know what we were reading. He got tested, weighed and measured and everything is looking great!! The good Dr. Walsh says he is still going strong and his pace maker could possibly last 2 more years before we need to change the batteries; terrific news. He also said that his heart hasn’t changed and predicted him to live to 110 or 111!! Thank you Dr. Walsh for your work and kind words, you are an amazing person.

The water’s not as cold; we’ll take a few more steps out. Together.

The Eleventh Hour

Last night I watched the Movie Walk the Line about Johnny Cash. Terrific movie that I would recommend. Jamie started watching the movie with me but ended up falling asleep about 30 minutes into it, he still had his sunglasses on his forehead. I always find it interesting how a strong handsome man goes to cutest thing ever when asleep. The movie shows the deep love between Johnny and June that overcame so much.

When the movie finished I woke Jamie up, at least half way, and we got ready for bed. Laying there in the semi-dark with Jamie sleeping heavily my mind can't slow down. I was thinking about the movie, about us getting a house together, about the future, about Jamie having to go to his heart doctor's appointment on Tues. , about my love for him. These late night thoughts with myself are common and always end with me thinking about Jamie and how much he means to me.

He is always thinking of me and ways to make me smile. He is always happy to see me, he runs up the stairs of our apartment after work and comes calling out to me, comes around the corner and when he sees me his eyes light up and he is smiling. No matter what my day was like I always catch his happiness and we give each other a hug as though it's been months since we have seen each other. He says that he loves me throughout the day and night, but his actions shows that he loves me even more.

He tells me when America's Funniest Home Videos is on, points out when he sees a rabbit, takes out the trash, buys me the big container of ice tea mix, leaves me little love notes, always closes the cabinets, and loves to look at pictures of me. He loves me even when we disagree, he says that he loves that I stand up for myself and am so smart. His balance between enjoying life and all it's moments and having a strong desire to accomplish so much amazes me and something that I will always admire. He has taught me so much about life and myself.

As I look at him in the evening glow I am so proud of him I smile. I wonder about what our future holds and what adventures we will go on next. He is in a deep sleep and I kiss him softly on his shoulder and whisper that I love him. My heart aches to tell him how much but I know that words won't come close, and that our moments together both past and those to come are the only things that will fully say how deep my love is. In his sleep he says that he loves me too. I start to cry, I try not to wake him but he woke up enough to give me a hug and kiss me on my forehead. He says "Ohh girl, it's alright." And it was.

At the end of the movie it said that Johnny Cash died 4 months after his wife passed away. Love is a very tight bond between all of us. I try and make moments memorable and show loved ones how special they are.

Controlling the Gallery at the US Woman's Open

This past weekend Jamie and I volunteered as Gallery Control at the 2006 US Woman's Open hosted at Newport Country Club on the 10th tee. We had a great time working the ropes on the putting green and rubbing elbows with the best female golfers of today. I got my visor signed by Annika Sorenstam after the practice round on Tuesday. We also worked up at the tee which is shown in the picture, located on the right side of the club house. The crowds had gotten very large and both Annika and Michelle Wie had huge followings. We were able to see all the golfers up close on the ' inside ' of the ropes. I'm glad that we both did such an exciting event, life is made up of moments and we will always remember our time at the 2006 US Open in Newport, RI.

Annika and Pat Hurst ended up tie-ing on Sunday which lead to an 18 hole playoff on Monday. Annika took it down with a 5 stroke win. Here dedication and hard work was inspiring !