Archive for November 2014
Every once in a while Neil has a Birdie
We are delighted to have Birdie Ingram visit us occasionally. She is an adorable dog who is lucky to have Claudia and Wallypop as her full-time parents. Neil and I agreed to dogsit Birdie when Claudia and Wally adopted this sweet dog. Birdie spends time with all the counselors at Camp Higgins. Staffer Chic is supervising her afternoon nap.
Our resident dietitian Betty makes sure Birdie is adequately nourished. Betty makes sure all the campers eat well, even if she has to hand feed them.
Of course, no camp is complete without arts and crafts. She is exhausted after completing one of her favorite activities…quilting!She loves “Rip the toy to shreds.” Birdie always scores bonus points for removal of squeaker.
This is what her buddy, camp resident Eagle, looked like 2 minutes after Birdie left to return home with Claudia and Wally. (He’s resting up for her next visit.)
Vicki and Dave’s wedding quilt
Vicki has been part of our family from the time you met her at Suffolk University. How could I not fall in love with the free-spirited, animal loving, food addicted person who has been a faithful friend to you. Of course, I was happy to make a quilt to celebrate her wedding.
Lots of love went into the lots of squares that were cut and sewn for this special gift.
If I had another child,a sibling for you, I would want her to be Vicki.
Dave BURST into our lives at your wedding. It was such a treat to see his fancy dance steps!
They already looked like they belonged together.
I was so happy to be at their wedding. Vicki was a beautiful bride, Dave a handsome groom!
Some things last a long time. Congratulations Vicki and Dave!
Todos Santos
One week from now our little family will be departing from New York . . . Ellen, Richard and Lauren will be departing from Boston . . . and Shannon, Sebastian and Harper will be departing from Anchorage . . . all with Todos Santos as our final destination! SOOOOOOO excited! I really need a vacation and its perfect that we’re going somewhere warm when things are starting to get cold here.
Todos Santos (All Saints) is on the Pacific coast of Mexico about 45 miles north of Cabo San Lucas. Its was initially founded as a Mission in 1724 and later became a major sugar-cane producer. It reminds me A LOT of Kauai (from the pictures at least) because there are huge beautiful mountains and the ocean is filled with waves. Here are a few more pictures and a great article on the little town can be found here.
We will be staying here. Love the little deck at night time.
We will probably eat most of our meals at home but there are some REALLY awesome looking restaurants in Todos . . . especially Hierbabuena. A little farm-to-table Mexican-style (horrible picture quality but you get the idea).
On a separate note, this will be Julian’s FIRST time on an airplane and first time out of the country – so big trip for the little guy (and me). I went a little overboard on the toys I bought for the plane and will be packing WAY too many snacks . . . but you can never be too prepared, right? Fingers crossed that it goes well!
Adiós tienen un gran fin de semana! ( <– Working on my Spanish :))
Some Days I Have It All Together . . . Some Days
Hi. I’m still alive. I’ve thought of so many blog posts over the past few weeks but life has been getting in the way. Thank goodness you (mom) are there to continue the posting. (She has another quilt that she made for a friend that hopefully she’ll show soon! Amazing.)
Now . . . on to today’s post . . .
Mike is away this week . . . London. I was lucky enough to have you (mom) come up to help me take care of my boys while I was also traveling and working long hours. (THANK YOU!). But you leave and I almost fall apart. Not because I need help . . . I do love having a second set of hands . . . but my mind is distracted by too many things (stuff I need to get done before our trip, the mile-long list of things I need to do at work today, guilt of not making it through an entire T25 cycle before I put myself in a bathing suit next week, etc.) that I forget about the most important thing . . . Julian. This morning I was in the bathroom (for 30 seconds) . . . and during that time Julian managed to pick up Chet’s (ceramic) water dish (which I ALWAYS pick up when Julian’s around but forgot), dump the water out, slip due to the water being on the ground, fall and bring the bowl down with him, break the bowl and . . . by the time I rushed back . . . he had a piece of broken bowl in his hand and blood was dripping on the floor. My perfect little boy was broken and it was my fault. Ugh. I wanted to throw up and cry at the same time . . . meanwhile he was “finger painting” his blood all over the walls and floor. He could care less.
Have you ever tried to put a band-aid on a 13 month old’s finger? Its impossible. Putting on two (to keep his finger straight so the blood stops pouring out) . . . double impossible task. But you know what? I did it (after putting hydrogen peroxide on it, mom!). I also made him breakfast, played for a while, had him help me pick out an outfit (that boy has great taste!), had snuggle time, put him down for a nap, got a shower, sent a few work emails, washed the bathroom rug that was spattered with Julian’s blood, washed the dishes, made Julian lunch . . . and then ran into Diana’s arms when she arrived because I was so relieved she was there and she could tell me that he was going to be okay. Now I’m here, at my desk, trying not to think about his little finger but its hard.
- Don’t let fear be an excuse for inaction. “At one point, we were all fearful,” said GMA anchor Robin Roberts. “But as you get older, it’s the things you don’t do that you regret, more so than the things you do. When fear knocks, answer.”
- If the rights of any woman are threatened, the rights of all women are threatened. “It is my hope that this moment will inspire people to understand that the issues of transgender women are women’s issues,” said Laverne Cox. Preach. We live in a world where trans people still experience high levels of verbal harassment, physical assault, poverty and suicide. Feminism includes fighting for the right of any individual to express their gender identity authentically without having to worry about violence or social stigma.
- Your story is powerful. So tell it authentically. “The best stories are often true,” said Shonda Rhimes as she introduced Robin Roberts — a woman who has an amazing story. “The narrative of human life is most beautiful when told truthfully and without boundaries.”
- You don’t need balls to be courageous. During Amy Schumer’s touching — and hilarious — tribute to the late Joan Rivers, she explained one thing that Rivers taught us all: “Having balls has nothing to do with it.” Damn straight.
- Women’s equality isn’t just an idea. It has real consequence for all of us — and for our children. “We need to close the imagination gap for women,” said Chelsea Clinton, touching on how the current climate of gender inequality impacts the girls who will grow up to be the women of tomorrow, including her newborn daughter Charlotte. “I want Charlotte to grow up whatever she dreams to be, wherever she dreams to do it, however she chooses to become it.”
- Ignorance isn’t bliss. It’s damage. “The biggest problem is ignorance,” said Sylvia Earle. “If you do not know, you can’t care.”
- Being the first is great, but being one of many is better. “I live for the day it’s not groundbreaking to have an Indian woman with her own TV show,” said Mindy Kaling, who is often singled out simply for existing as a successful woman of color in the entertainment industry. “I long for the time when there are so many women who look like me that I am no longer a model minority.”
- “To be a woman is to be human.” And as Lupita Nyong’o explained, our humanity is the most beautiful part about us. “To be human is to seek perfection and find joy in never attaining it,” she said.
- Do what you can, because every bit of change matters. As U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power so eloquently stated: “Just try to change your slice of the world and the rest will follow.”
Welcome Baby Oz
One of our faithful blog readers and her husband recently welcomed a baby boy to their family. In addition to being one of your friends Katya and Unity graciously allowed us to stay in their home last Christmas. Here is the little cutie on the quilt I made for him.Mom,Dad and Oz
The quilt looking lonesome…
Enjoy life Oz!