Umma's World

Our Family Circus

2011-10-03T23:31:00.007-04:00

Umma's World ended on a high note with a happy post and I'm glad about that. And since Jayden now refers to me as 'Grandma' almost as much as he calls me 'Umma', and since Mia calls me 'Grandma', and I have no idea what Sophie, Eòghan, or 'Baby Ray' will be calling me, I thought it was time to retire Umma's World. Also I've read that starting a new blog could solve some of the blogger problems I've been having. I hope that's true.

So if any of you are interested in following the antics of my family you can find us here at Our Family Circus.

Home Sweet Home

2011-09-28T21:40:00.000-04:00

Finally Eóghan is home where he belongs! And it feels so good!

"Hey! What's going on? Who's the new kid?!"

Brotherly Love

And this is my niece, Erin:

Katie asked Erin to be Godmother to Eóghan, and Erin is the one who favored the Gaelic spelling of Eóghan (instead of spelling it as Owen). She also told us that he was going to be born on September 24 ~ and he was! I think these two have a special connection.

I probably won't be posting for awhile, and when I do it will be on a new blog. I'll be back to give you the address soon. In the meantime I will visit as often as I can.

Thanking you all for all your kindness, your support, and your prayers. I am so grateful.
Love,
Eileen

Let There Be Light

2011-09-27T19:11:00.000-04:00

Ray went to the hospital to visit our little man after work today because unfortunately Eóghan still isn't able to come home. He's jaundiced and needs photo therapy.
Katie and Ray said Eóghan was mad, he did not like being on his stomach, and he did not like having the goggles on or having his head wrapped, but as soon as the light was switched on, he stopped crying, and he settled down for a nice nap:

Don't get too comfortable there.
Hurry Home, Little Man!
You have a host of friends and family anxiously awaiting your homecoming!

GOOD NEWS!

2011-09-27T13:45:00.000-04:00

Eóghan is doing very well! He is still in the NICU but no more spitting up blood and his tests have come back positive! The stomach pump was removed and he was put on a special newborn formula (because he kept spitting up and it's very important that he keep fluids down in order to keep the bilirubin count down). He's still a little jaundiced, so they are trying to get him to drink as much as possible and still giving him IV fluids, but if the next blood test comes back okay, and we can assure the hospital that he will be seeing his own pediatrician tomorrow, Eóghan can come home! (I'm waiting for a call back from the doctor now).

So I'm still hoping and praying!

And just look at this big boy picking his head up off his Mommy's shoulder already, trying to get a look at the world around him!

Ray sent me these from his phone. Ray works just a few blocks from the hospital so lucky Grandpa got to see him on his lunch hour!

(He looks like he's saying, "Hey, who is that?")

("Oh, it's you, Paw. Hi, Paw!")

Thank you, everyone, for all your good thoughts, well wishes, and all your prayers. I appreciate it so much!

Oh! And a few people asked about Eóghan's name, it's pronounced like Owen, but it's spelled with the Gaelic spelling. And, no, it's not a family name (at least not that I know of!), it's just a name that Katie liked (and I've always liked the name Owen too!), and it was my niece Erin that was rooting for the Irish spelling! I actually like it, I think it's unique.
Eóghan's middle name is Harry, and that is for Ray's Dad.

Thanks again, everyone!
Love,
Eileen

A Prayer For Eóghan Harry

2011-09-26T14:46:00.010-04:00

This strong little man who has been eating, voiding, and moving his bowels so well is now having a little trouble. He was vomiting blood so he's been transferred to the NICU, where he is having his stomach pumped, deprived of any food by mouth, his only nutrition is IV fluids, and he is not very happy. But even so, he is easily soothed by a little song or poem, a stroke of the head, and lots of loving, and he calms right down and goes back to sleep:

Look at this BIG BOY! And he's a fighter! Pulling out all his tubes!

I sang him my little "Grandma's Baby" song and told him how much his Grandma loves him, and I think he understood:

(Is that not a smile?!! Yes, I do believe Eóghan smiled at me!)

I love baby's profiles.
And I ask you ~ is this not one of the sweetest profiles?

Initial tests and an x-ray show no blockage, so that's a very good sign. Now they are in the process of emptying his stomach, and sometime over the next twenty-four hours they will re-introduce "food" (which I think will make Eóghan very happy!), and we'll see what happens.

If you could remember to say a prayer for Eóghan we'd appreciate it.

Meet Eóghan Harry

2011-09-26T07:14:00.000-04:00

Eóghan Harry arrived Saturday, September 24 at 5:44 PM weighing eight pounds and thirteen ounces, and twenty-one inches long! (He hardly fits into the newborn diapers!)

His Mommy went to her doctor's appointment at noon and she was told that she was half-way through already and to get herself to the hospital (Kate had been having contractions on and off all week, and Friday night & Saturday morning they were getting stronger and coming faster). Ray drove them to the hospital in Manhattan, and I was kept up-to-date on the progress through texts from Katie and phone calls from Ray. And finally the call that he was here! And then the first phone picture from Katie:

But that was not enough for Jayden, Ellie, and myself ~ we were anxious to meet Eóghan in person! So Ray drove from Manhattan, picked us up, and drove back downtown. And then we were a very happy group!

Ellie and Eóghan

A very tired, but very happy Mommy with her two boys

Jayden always finds ways to occupy himself, here he found some gloves and I think he's playing mad scientist!

But I think he had more fun getting to know his new baby brother!

Look at the cute little hats the hospital gives to the babies:

A new little life.
Thank You, God!

Sophie/Frankenstein

2011-09-22T08:18:00.002-04:00

Katie and Sophie were playing "Frankenstein" over and over again, but, of course, when Ray tried to record it Sophie wasn't cooperating. Finally, she decided to do it once more (but once she stepped on something on the table her only interest was in what happened to be left on Ellie's plate!):

Silly, Nothing Things That I Remember And Think Of With My Mom And Dad

2011-09-21T09:07:00.000-04:00

My parents Wedding Anniversary was earlier this month and they would have been married sixty-five years. I miss them a lot, and I've been thinking about them so much. And one of the silly, nothing things that sticks with me was what they would order from the menu when we went out to eat at a diner.
My Dad would always order a Grilled Swiss on Rye with Split Pea Soup (if that happened to be the soup of the day, Split Pea was his favorite) and coffee, and my Mom would order a Belgium Waffle (you know the kind with the ice cream and whipped cream atop, and not for dessert, that was her dinner!) or sometimes she'd order a shrimp salad sandwich and coffee.
'Wish I could be sitting at the diner with you, Mom and Dad, and watching you enjoying those now~

And another thing I remember is my Mom telling me when I was little:
"Stay close to the Blessed Mother because St. Peter keeps complaining to Jesus about her. He says to Jesus, 'I keep turning the sinners away at the front gate and your Mom keeps sneaking them in the back door!" And then my Mom told me, " That's because she has a mother's heart, so stay close to her."
I have stayed close to her, Mom, and I hope you're telling her to sneak me in the back door~

This photo was taken at the time of their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration:

September So Far...

2011-09-19T15:30:00.000-04:00

...has been full and active! And in between our many home projects we did manage to squeeze in a little fun!

Labor Day Weekend the guys went to a baseball game:

Here's the happy group just before leaving the house (Mia slept over the night before and she was still lounging in her pajamas):

(I think the food is Jayden's favorite part of any baseball game he attends!)

Jayden was very impressed with the balancing talent of this vendor (I am too!):

Jayden's getting a better look at...

...Derek Jeter at bat!

And both Jayden and Mia started school again.
(Here's Jayden both excited and a little nervous on his first day.):

They are both very happy with their teachers and their classes this year! Whew!

And both Jayden and Mia are playing soccer this year:

Taking a few practice kicks before heading out to the game:

A little pep talk from the coach:

Jayden (number 15) helping a few team mates untangle from the net:

A few more practice kicks and then it's game on!

I think Jayden thinks he's assistant coach!

Jayden is 'all business' now that he has his Goalie gear on!

Jayden guarding his turf:

Mia is taking Instructional Soccer this Fall and she loves it!

Even baby sister Sophie comes to cheer her on each week:

(Well, she cheers between cat naps.):

Jayden giving Mia a few pointers:

"Did I do it right, Jayden?"

"Ohh! Yes! That was good, Mia!"

After yesterday's games some family came back to the house to celebrate Ellie's Birthday (she's in the background in the picture below):

Jayden loves his cousins! I hope he loves his baby brother just as much! (He's due to arrive today, but so far there has only been days and days of mild contractions, and so the waiting continues!)

I think it's adorable how Lori dresses the girls alike! I think it looks so cute and it reminds me of how my Mom used to dress my sister Diane and myself alike (everyone thought we were twins, and sometimes even my older sister Marybeth would be dressed like us, although I don't know if she thought it was so cute!).

So far September has been full, and active, and FUN!

Sophie's Baptism

2011-09-16T07:27:00.000-04:00

I've been away from blogging so long, and we've been so busy with home improvement projects and I almost forgot to post about a most important date!

Sophie Gianna was Baptized on July 24, 2011:

Lori's Mom, Virginia, greets Sophie after the ceremony:

Here's proud big sister Mia!

Jayden and Ellie
(Ellie had the honor of being Sophie's Godmother and she is also Jayden's Godmother):

The happy family enjoying the party afterwards:

Our oldest son Brian (he's stealing the bread plate from another table here!) & his fiancee Flora:

My smiling niece Jill, and her husband Rudy, and my niece Erika watching Rudy be, well, 'be Rudy' as usual!
(And so sorry that my nephew Mikael's head got chopped off, but that's him in the background taking back the bread plate that Brian stole from them!):

My Aunt Florence and my cousin Laura:

My niece Erin and George:

Great-nephew Jamesy Boy and Jayden:

Jamesy Boys' parents, my niece Rebecca and her husband Jimmy:

My niece Rachel and her boyfriend Mike:

(Rachel and Rebecca are sisters [daughters to my sister Marybeth])

Ray's sister Susie and her husband Doug:

Ray and his brother Donald:

My sister-in-law Eileen and Ray's Mom Helena:

Some of the "girls"! (Ann, myself, Marybeth, and Diane):

Proud parents (our son Erik holding Sophie & our daughter-in-law Lori holding Mia) and Godparents (our youngest daughter Ellie and our youngest son Andrew):

Sophie actually cried during the Baptism service, but by the end of the night the guest of honor was all smiles!

(It was a big crowd at the celebration and I have tons more family and photos I could show you, but if I posted them all we'd be here for days!)

A Few More Projects At Our House

2011-09-14T08:53:00.001-04:00

Ray has been undertaking quite a few big jobs around our house this summer and here are two more finished projects:

At one time Ray converted a tiny bedroom in our home into a walk-in closet/storage room for me. But with another baby coming into the house I emptied the closet, then Ray dismantled all his beautiful handiwork, and he got to work again making it over into a bedroom once again for our daughter Katie (and he had a little help from Jayden):

A built-in bed, a few cans of white paint, some bedding from Target and Katie was all set:

(It's tiny, but it serves it's purpose. Enough room for Mommy and newborn, until he graduates from bassinet to crib and moves in next door with big brother Jayden.)

And Jayden likes that Mommy is close by!

Then Ray got busy making over Jayden's room to accommodate both him and his baby brother:

I'm not really good about coordinating colors, so I usually stick to one color palette, and I chose gray for the boys room (Behr Silver Drop on the walls and woodwork, and Behr Irish Mist on the ceiling), and Ray found this great laminate flooring at Lumber Liquidators (Driftwood), and I was very happy with the results:

The curtains are actually shower curtains that my friend Barbara gave to me (I use shower curtains a lot on my windows throughout the house):

(See? Hung up with shower curtain hooks! So simple!)

It was very hard to find gray baby bedding, but I did find two crib sets online to choose from, and I went with this sweet white one with gray and red accents:

Jayden did not want any 'baby bedding', so he chose a Super Hero theme, and I was happy to find this 'vintage-look' Superhero comforter set online with colors that matched the room, and at the same time thrilled Jayden:

(Notice the changing table on the left in the photo? It was used as a changing table for Jayden when he was a baby but now it's been re-purposed as an entertainment center and it holds all Jayden's games!)

Well, my husband is a pretty handy guy to have around, because for sure without him I wouldn't have gotten any of this done. And our house would not be such a "very, very, very fine house" at all without him!

Working On A Dream

2011-09-12T09:45:00.000-04:00

I've always had a dream of having a bigger house without actually moving. I love this old house I grew up in, it just always seemed cramped and crowded though. So I would dream of somehow making it bigger.

I dream it and Ray works on the dream to make it come true:

Ray single-handedly knocked down the wall between what was our dining room and what was our front sun porch to make a nice, new, bright and sunny living room.

(clearing out)

(prepping the room)

(Ray built a plastic wall to try and protect the rest of the house from all the dust)

(LOTS of work, LOTS of spackle, VERY FEW breaks!)

(the wall is down)

(destruction is finished and reconstruction begins)

Lots of toil and labor, lots of dust, a few mishaps, part of the wall falling on Ray's head, and bone-tired, but he got it knocked down in a weekend.
Our son Brian helped haul out bags and bags of debris (thank you, Brian!). And Ray's brother Donald came the next weekend to help sheet rock, tape, and spackle (thank you, Donald!). And our son Erik came one Saturday and helped us paint (thank you, Erik!). And our daughters Katie and Ellie kept Jayden occupied (thank you, Katie and Ellie!).
And, finally (it took awhile because Ray only had weekends to work on this project, and it looked like we were living in a warehouse for quite awhile with furniture and boxes all over the place), but, finally we were able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

This is home:

(view from the [NEW] dining room)

(here's a BEFORE photo, with the wall up and the sun porch off the dining room ~ where that wardrobe stands is where the big chair sits now in the new living room)

(and here's some AFTER photos)

(view as you enter the room from the hall BEFORE make-over)

(view from the hall AFTER make-over)

(here's another BEFORE shot, taken while standing in front of the opening to the sun porch, looking into the old dining room and old living room beyond)

(and here's an AFTER view standing in front of the sofa [which is where the sun porch was] looking into the dining room [what was the living room] and hall)

I was nervous that we might be taking away from the character of the house, but I think Ray did a great job in making sure to keep the unique features of this old house:

(He made the built-in bookcase to mimic the ones already here in our home):

(He found some boards with a lot of personality, and then we distressed and stained them to look like old beams):

(Ray found the marble cap for the knee-wall at a second-hand shop. The marble was salvaged from the Museum of Modern Art, this marble was used when it was renovated in the late twenties and early thirties [a picture of it is hanging on the board above the marble], and my grandfather was a marble setter in the late twenties and early thirties, and my Mom said he worked cutting and setting big slabs of marble in museums and buildings around Manhattan. I'd like to think this cutting was from one of the slabs he set):

(Ray painstakingly worked to copy the curved ceiling and plaster ceiling molding):

I'm very happy with the results. It really gives us so much more living space, lots more entertaining space, and lots more space for the grandkids:

These pictures of our old house are near and dear to me, so I had to make sure they were hung in our new living room. The top one is an old tax photo taken in 1940, the middle one is a pencil drawing my brother-in-law Steve did for us (before we had the awning), and the bottom one is a drawing Jayden did for us:

And Mickey Mouse is near and dear to Jayden, so he had to make sure this was hung in our new living room along with the drawing of Mickey that Jayden did when he was two:

Here's a few photos of the old living room and now how it's being used as the dining room:

(then)

(now)
(I'm using the old entertainment center as a sideboard)

(then)

(now)
(it's almost finished, just a few more boxes and bags to empty, and a few pictures need to be raised up)

And I moved an old pie safe down into the dining room that I had been using in our bedroom. It's now a 'baby station', awaiting the arrival of Eoghan!

Ray also did two smaller projects that I'll post about at a later date. But suffice it to say I've kept him very busy these past few months.

Remember Us

2011-09-11T00:12:00.003-04:00

I got this email from my friend Barbara earlier this week:

...my cousin, Diane Riegal, wrote and sings:

Song: Remember Us, will be presented at a 10th year 9/11 commemorative service in Jersey, Channel Islands Parish Church conducted by the Very Reverend Robert F Key, Dean of Jersey (Jersey, Channel Islands is off the coast of Normandy, France). Also, she just learned this week that a few radio stations in TN and OK started playing it.

She also sent me the link to the song on youtube.

I think it's a beautiful tribute for 9/11 ~

Jayden, And Joy, And Sorrow, And Babies, And The Waiting Place

2011-07-31T13:33:00.001-04:00

Our family has been deeply saddened by a recent loss. For reasons of privacy I'm not going to mention any names.
But if anyone reading here will please say a prayer for all unborn babies, and all families who have suffered such a loss I think it will help. Thank you.

It really is overwhelming when you think of all the joy the news that an expected baby brings to the family, and then to have that joy cruelly replaced by crushing sorrow and loss, and a horrible feeling of 'never to be' and 'never to know'.

When telling Jayden about the baby going to Heaven before it was born he said to me, "That's because she was having twins and now it's just one. And I think she will grow strong and be born." I thought that was just his little mind trying to work it out that things would be okay for her and everyone.

Later on he was busy playing, and I walked into the room and he said to me, "I don't know what her babies names were in Heaven, but I know my name was Jack. And I don't know what Sophie's name was in Heaven, but I know Mia's name for sure was Rebecca." Then he looked sort of far off and reflective and said, " Well, it wasn't really Heaven, it was like a waiting place."

Later in the day I was talking to my daughter Katie on the phone, telling her all Jayden had said, and she told me to ask Jayden what Eoghan's name was in Heaven and he said, "I don't know, I only know Mia, because we were waiting together." Then I asked him if he thought this newest baby we had been waiting for would really grow strong and be born, and he said, "I hope now, but maybe not. But it doesn't matter really, because she'll come back again when she's ready. Sometimes they come for just a little while, but then they get scared and go back to Heaven. But they always come back to us, sometimes in different bodies, and sometimes in the same body. But they always come back to the same family, so her baby will be with us soon."

Before he went to sleep that night he told me that he and Mia knew they wanted to be in the same family. He said he picked his Mommy and Daddy, but he wasn't there when Mia picked her Mommy and Daddy. He said, "We weren't cousins when we were in the waiting place, but we knew we wanted to be."

He also told me that babies who are born sick or have something wrong with them are the bravest. He said, "I didn't know Sarah Palin's baby, we weren't waiting together, but I know that he is very brave."

Jayden's such a funny little guy. He's so wild sometimes, and he's so pre-occupied with playing, and it really takes me by surprise when he suddenly stops whatever he's doing to make these intense declarations.

I'd like to think a lot of what he said is fact.

Sorry I've been away so long, and seems like it will be a few weeks more before I can post again, or visit regularly. In the meantime I keep you all in my prayers.
Love,
Eileen

Busy Boy

2011-07-06T20:28:00.025-04:00

Jayden has been a busy boy:

Helping Paw build a new bed for his Mommy...

...and getting his baby cousin Sophie to stop crying...

...and writing a book:

(I asked Jayden if he wrote this for his new little brother who will be here soon and he said that he mostly wrote it for him but he also wrote it for "all the babies". I asked, "All what babies? All the babies in the world?" And he said, "No, just all our babies. Sophie, and Eoghan, and Lucy Ray." Eoghan [pronounced Owen] is the name Katie picked for her baby boy, and Brian's baby will be named Lucia Helena if it's a girl, or Raymond Francisco if it's a boy, so Katie took to calling Brian and Flora's baby "Lucy Ray" and now that's what we all call her/him.)

Jayden hasn't only been hard at work, he has also found time to relax too...

...in the pool with Jamesy Boy...

...and enjoying a poolside snack with Mia...

...and enjoying a visit from FarMor and Aunt Susie...

(FarMor really liked Jayden's shirt that we picked up for him in the Swedish Shop at Olde Mystik Village in Mystic, Connecticut!):

He also had a fun sleep-over with Mia (but we heard from Mommy and Aunt Ellie, who slept down in the living room with them, that they didn't get much sleep)...

...and he had lots of fun showing off his new "tattoos":

Ray and I have been busy too, with family, and home projects, and getting ready to welcome two new grandchildren. I'll try to post about it all soon. And I'll try to visit you all more often.

(I'm still blocked from some blogs and I especially miss being able to read Rebecca and Lidj, but I'm not giving up yet!)

May Days And May Daze ~ And Babies Are Always A Blessing

2011-05-31T09:49:00.001-04:00

May's calender was full:

We got back from our trip to Newport on May 1 and since then the month of May has flown by in a whirlwind (what exactly is a whirlwind? Well, I looked it up and found that it is a rapidly rotating vertical column of air, such as a dust devil, or waterspout, or tornado ~ yep, that word seems to fit my life right now).
There were lots of celebrations (Birthdays [Susie, Frankie, Erik, Lori, and Donald turns 60 today! Happy Birthday, Donald! ], Anniversaries [Erik & Lori ~ 9 years, Ray & myself ~ 38 years], and Holidays), and Jayden's school had a Plant Sale, and a Spring Show, and there was uniform measurement day, and a beautiful May Crowning Mass. And Ray and I have been busy, still purging, boxing things to donate, and one evening he loaded up my Aunt Florence's truck with lots of boxes full of 'stuff', and the following morning after dropping Jayden at school, Florence and I took the boxes to her Church which was having a White Elephant sale. All good.

Jayden's School had the May Crowning Mass out on the lawn:

This is an indoor statue that was brought outside for the crowning ceremony.

An altar was set up outside and lifted up onto a platform for easy viewing.

The lawn is behind the school and on the side of the church. The building on the far right in the picture below is the Rectory:
(One of the teachers was very smart and brought an umbrella for shade. She was also very sweet, I noticed later that she gave the umbrella to her students so they could get a little relief from the sun. My Aunt Florence and I were lucky, we took lawn chairs and set ourselves up under a tree.)

The procession included the 7th Graders who had just received the Sacrament of Confirmation last week...

...and it also included the 2nd Graders who had received the Sacrament of First Holy Communion on Mother's Day weekend.

The gifts:

The children of St. Luke's School bought this chalice and paton, which will be used at all the Masses the school children attend:

(Jayden's class)

All the bouquets under the statue of Mary were made from flowers that the students each brought in.

Usually it's a Confirmation girl and a Communion girl that crown Mary together, this year they did it a little differently, and I liked it very much. This year a Confirmation BOY crowned the indoor statue with a floral crown...

...and a little Communion girl put a wreath of flowers on the outdoor statue.

Jayden's school is celebrating it's 100th Anniversary this year, so the Spring Show was all about the songs and dances from the last hundred years. It was very cute and it was very entertaining!

My favorite routines were the Pre-K class singing "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" (1925 hit), the 2nd Grade singing "Ma, He's Makin' Eyes At Me" (1940 hit), and my most favorite was the first act when one of the 3rd Grade classes came out and sang and danced to "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (1911 hit):

I was surprised at how well all the children did with their dance moves.
Jayden's class sang and danced to "Jump" (1984) and they did it with great enthusiasm!
And when the song came to the 'jump' part, Jayden made sure his feet went straight out back and his knees never touched the floor, and if I can ever remember how to upload the video I'll post it for you.

At our son Erik's birthday celebration Mia had great fun teaching our daughter Katie how to do some dance moves of her own...

...and Katie had great fun learning!

And because I don't want to leave out our newest grandchild, here's a few Sophie photos:

Looking at big sister Mia

Getting some loving from her Daddy

Laughing at Grandpa

Very happy girl here with a very full belly!

Grandma gets to steal a few moments of pure joy!

Donald's wife Linda had a Birthday celebration for him this past weekend:

Mikael is in the Marine Reserves and he was just recently promoted to Sergeant. I think Donald is telling him a big fish story here. (Look how brown Donald is already!)

Here's Rudy (the pest) making a face as usual, and beautiful Jill holding one of Don & Linda's three cats. I think this cat looks just like a big old raccoon with his striped tail:

Linda works in an animal hospital and she adopted this abandoned black beauty:

Yesterday was Memorial Day and a BIG thank you goes to our military who sacrificed so much to keep us free and to keep us safe.
In the morning we went to the cemetery and put American Flags on the graves of my Dad and my Uncle Tom.

And then we went to the parade at noon:

Mayor Bloomberg marched in the parade again (yellow shirt):

After the parade we all walked up to our house for a barbeque.

Florence, Diane, and Steve

William is back from his school term in Scotland, and Andrew is still hobbling around with a torn tendon in his calf, but he made it here. It was good to see them both!

I got to spend some time with the newest addition to the family!

And I had lots of fun playing with these baby feet...

...and I even got Sophie to laugh!

And this month we were presented with some exciting news, which left me a little dazed. Our oldest son and his fiance stopped in to tell us that she is expecting and the baby will arrive in mid-January. They do not plan on moving up their wedding date (which will be in two years) ~ it's a different world I guess. And, so, we go with the flow.
And we're very happy to be welcoming a new baby into the family next year.

And then there was more news, which left me somewhat more dazed. Our oldest daughter (Jayden's Mom) has not been feeling well for months, she finally made an appointment with her doctor who sent her to a gastroenterologist, well, she found out that she wasn't in need of a gastroenterologist, but she is in need of an obstetrician, she too is expecting, and the baby will be here in mid-September (she's already been told that it's another boy). And my mind is in a whirlwind (there's that word again, it also means a tumultuous, confused rush ~ yep, that about sums up my feelings and my life), I'm busy thinking about all there is to do in a few short months, setting up a nursery, and getting Jayden's crib down from the attic, oh, and where did we store the playpen and the cradle? And I guess we'll have to get another car seat, and we gave away the stroller, so we'll need a new one. And for sure we'll have to put plans of moving down south on hold for awhile, and we'll have to take a break from cleaning out the attic and the basement while we prepare these next few months for a baby to be coming into our home once again.
And, so, again, we go with the flow.

And, while these might not be ideal circumstances for welcoming new babies ~ well, welcomed these babies will be no matter what the circumstances.
Welcomed, and loved, and cherished.
God Is The Author Of Life, and, again, all is good.

And as my sister Diane says, "Babies are always a Blessing".

"Umma's World" Is Going Into Semi-Retirement

2011-05-14T07:53:00.000-04:00

(I posted this a few days ago, but, of course it disappeared into the Blogger World, I heard Blogger was having lots of problems. Only the original draft was saved, so I'm not sure if these were my final thoughts on this subject but it will have to do.)

No, I'm not going to stop blogging altogether.
No, I'm not going to disappear.
Yes, I'll still be haunting the blog world.
But, I think it's time "Umma's World" took a little retreat.

I've been blogging "Umma's World" for over two years now, and I've done hundreds of posts, but many of my fellow bloggers and myself now only post sporadically, and some of the 'original' bloggers don't post at all anymore. I miss those that have stopped blogging altogether, but I realize that life gets in the way, and we all have to take a break or move on sometimes, myself included. I do miss that 'village' bond we all once had, but I'm so happy and grateful for that connection while it lasted. And I'm so grateful to have your friendship.

I still enjoy visiting blogs, but I've noticed lately that the posting has gotten to be more of a chore for me. And visiting some blogs is an impossibility as I keep getting error messages.

I have a few ideas for starting anew sometime in the distant future, maybe when/if we finally move.
But for now I will only be posting on Umma's World occasionally, just to keep up the scrapbook of my life, and to post about our family (mostly, of course, our grandchildren), which was really always the intention for this blog, sort of a self-indulgent diary. I have a few Birthdays, and Anniversaries, a Baptism, and a few other special occasions coming up in the next few weeks and months that I may be posting about. And my youngest son renewed ummasworld.com domain as a Mother's Day gift for me, so I'll still be hanging around Umma's World, just not as often anymore. I also want to give some attention again to my prayer blog, and I want to focus on starting a picture blog of New York and all my favorite bits and pieces of the city, as a sort of keepsake to always have when we do move, and I also want to concentrate on continued success in de-cluttering my surroundings which is very time-consuming.

I will continue to visit the blogs I'm able to access though.

I thank you all for visiting here over the past few years, and I appreciate your comments, and I thank you for your prayers, your support, and your friendship.
Thank you for sharing in my everyday moments, and for sharing in my sometimes 'not-so-everyday' moments. Thank you for sharing in my dreams, hopes, secrets, laughter, tears, fears, memories, and future plans. And thank you all for allowing me to share in all your moments too. You have enriched my life so much and you all mean a great deal to me and you will remain in my heart, my thoughts, and my prayers.

I'm not going to say good-bye...

... I'll just say that we'll soon pick up where we left off...

...so...

...until we meet again, friends...

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T08:18:00.001-04:00

I never really knew the origin of Mother's Day in the United States, for some reason I thought it was a son that came up with the idea as a way to honor his mother, so when I went in search of Mother's Day I was surprised to find that Julia Ward Howe wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation in 1870, and in the years following the Proclamation, Ann Jarvis founded five Mothers' Day Work Clubs to improve sanitary and health conditions. Both these women believed that women should be active in society and on the political scene.
In 1907 Anna Jarvis held a memorial service for her mother (Ann Jarvis had passed away two years earlier) in which she campaigned to make "Mother's Day" a recognized holiday in the United States.
In 1912 Anna Jarvis also trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and she created the Mother's Day International Association. She was specific about the location of the apostrophe, she wanted it to be a singular possessive, for each family to honor their own mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.
By 1914 Anna Jarvis was successful in having Mother's Day declared a national holiday, but she was very disappointed with the commercialization of the holiday by the 1920's.

It seems to me that's the American way, we commercialize everything. And I don't think that's such a horrible thing, it's the sign of a free country. And we are free to reject any and all commercialization. It's up to us to decide how much we want to buy into or participate in the commercialization of any holiday or Holy Day. We can render holidays meant to honor our military into nothing more than an excuse to throw barbeques, we can remember St. Valentine only by buying candy hearts and bouquets of flowers, we can honor the Birth of Christ with nothing more than an exchange of gifts, and we can honor His Resurrection with nothing more than Easter bonnets and chocolate bunnies. It's really not the fault of the greeting card industry (or any industry) if we choose to honor any holiday in a commercial way. In my case, I like a bit of commercialization, I like to exchange cards and gifts, I like to throw barbeques, I like dressing in various outfits to celebrate holidays and Holy Days, but I realize that's not the whole of it. And I realize that if those commercial gestures didn't exist, the sentiments, the meaning, the important significance behind the holidays and Holy Days still live on.

One of my favorite holidays is Mother's Day, and I had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. On Saturday morning Ray and I got up early, we did some food shopping, and then we went to the garden center and bought some plants for the cemetery. In the afternoon we went there with my Aunt Florence and we planted geraniums on the graves of my Uncle Tom and cousin Jimmy (Florence's husband and son), and on my grandparents grave, and my Aunt Margie & Uncle Bill, and we stopped by Uncle Paul's grave (we usually don't plant on his grave because his family takes care of that), and last stop was my parent's grave. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, there was a nice breeze, and I always love visiting the cemetery. It's quiet and peaceful, and almost park-like.
Later that evening Ray & I walked down the block to our favorite Greek restaurant for dinner.

Yesterday the kids came over, and also my Aunt Florence and my sister Diane (her son William is still in Scotland, and her husband Steve is away on business), and Ray barbequed hotdogs and hamburgers (first time this year) and it was delicious!
It's very rare that we remember to take pictures of all of us together but this time we remembered!

Lori holding Sophie, Erik holding Mia, Ray, myself, Brian with his fiancee Flora, Katie and down in front is Andrew, Jayden, and Ellie

Here's the new big sister:

('Love her pink shoes!)

Here's all the girls:

Flora with Diane behind her, Lori with Mia in front, myself holding Sophie, Ellie, Katie, Aunt Florence

And here's the boys ~ engrossed in their video game:

It was a great weekend!

A Visit To Newport, Rhode Island

2011-05-03T19:44:00.001-04:00

Ray and I had a nice weekend away. He took the day off on Friday so we had an early start on the weekend.
First we stopped in to see the grandgirls on Thursday evening:

Oh, Sophie was not a happy girl!

That's much better, Grandma! Forget the lullabies, just bring on the food!

I wanted a picture of the girls together, but Mia was a girl of action and not much in the mood for sitting still and posing.

Okay, onto the weekend. We spent the weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, and we took so many pictures so I will break the weekend up into different posts. Today I'll show you the hotel we stayed at and St. Mary's Church in Newport:

The Viking Hotel was built in the 1920's by the citizens of Newport (mostly ultra rich and ultra elite), it was built to accommodate their guests and visitors because most of the hotels in Newport were very small and could only house a few guests. It's a beautifully restored hotel right in the heart of Newport so it was very convenient for us.
We parked the car in a lot across the street from the hotel and walked everywhere, there is not much parking on the street, and in most areas you need a town sticker to park on the street.
We were able to stay in this hotel with some 'reward points' Ray had on his credit card. We usually save those for plane fare for the family on our trip to Disney, but we enjoyed driving down to Florida last year so much that we decided we'll drive again in the Fall.

This is the lobby across from the front desk:

And as we walked down the hall to our room we saw that there were a few lounges and private rooms to sit and relax in:

I liked this hotel a lot. It reminded me of the 'Old World' charm that the Michelangelo in Manhattan used to have (the Michelangelo was my favorite place to stay in the city until they redecorated, now it's lost all charm and in my opinion the Michelangelo now looks like it was decorated to resemble a brothel, all dark, with red velvet upholstered furniture, and heavy drapery, just not appealing to me at all. I think the one in Italy kept the old decor though. Lucky Italians.).

Our room wasn't exceptionally big, but it was pretty and it was comfortable:

(These pictures look a little dark, but the room was actually bright and airy.)

I like it when they leave the bed made up this way, sort of half-made, instead of having the covers all drawn up over the bed pillows. I think it looks more comfortable and inviting like this:

I thought it was strange not to have the sink inside the bathroom, it was in a little nook opposite the closet area:

There was plenty of room to fit a sink in the bathroom right in between the toilet and the bathtub (next to that towel rack there was a big empty space), but then I thought that it might have been designed like this to accommodate a wheelchair, and to make it easier for a disabled person to transfer:

The best thing about the bathroom though was this:

(I thought this was a great idea, I'm surprised more hotels don't do this!)

I loved the restaurant in the hotel and the food was delicious! We had breakfast there twice (the hotel offered a buffet type breakfast, but we opted to order off the menu and I'm glad we did ~ it was much cheaper and we both loved the blueberry pancakes and we came back a second time to enjoy them!), and we had dinner there the first night. We both had crab cakes as an appetizer, and I tried mahi mahi for the first time (which was served with sauteed spinach), and Ray had frutti de mare, and everything was amazing! 'Sorry we forgot to take photos of the meals but I did get photos of the restaurant:

(Here's the breakfast buffet set up in the bar area. This photo I found online, but the set up was exactly the same when we were there.)

Dinner was served in this pretty dining room:
(Internet picture...
...our pictures are so dark because we didn't want the flash to disturb other guests trying to enjoy their dinner.)

And breakfast was in this back room:

(I loved this room with the light pouring in, even on an overcast morning.)

We were seated at a table for two next to a window the first morning:

And the second morning we were seated at a table for two along the brick wall opposite the patio doors which were opened to let in the beautiful Spring air:

It felt so refreshing!

It was such a beautiful morning that they had the patio all set up to serve and I was sorry we didn't request a table here:

On Saturday evening we went to Mass at St. Mary's Church which was just a short walk from the hotel:

This is the church that Jack and Jackie Kennedy were married in:

We got to church very early before Mass started because I wanted to snap a few pictures, and I don't like treating church as a tourist attraction and being a distraction while other people are trying to quietly pray.

After Mass this sweet woman that is being greeted by the priest came over to us and told us to make sure we got a picture of the organ in the loft...

...so we did! Thank you, sweet lady!

I like these old churches, and even though so many of them are small, they were erected much like the style of great cathedrals, with the same attention to detail:

(Sorry that so many of the pictures are blurry but we didn't want to use the flash in church.)

The wood carving behind the altar is so detailed and so beautiful:

I was happy to see that the original steeple cross was kept on the grounds of St. Mary's. It hurts my heart a little when these things are just discarded, it's like throwing away a piece of history, I guess that's why I have such a hard time letting go of my 'things'.

Our hotel had a photo displayed in one of the lounges, it was of the Kennedys exiting Sunday Mass at St. Mary's. Jackie's childhood home at Newport (Hammersmith) was used by the First Family during the summers so much that it was known as the 'Summer Whitehouse', and the Kennedys used to dine at the Viking hotel often:

(I was never really captivated by this couple, I just thought they were so self-centered and all show, but as I got older I grew to admire Jackie very much, I think she was a wonderful mother):

My next post I'll show you the photos we took of so many historic and beautiful homes we saw while walking around the neighborhood the first day, and later I'll post about our 'Cliff Walk' along the ocean, and I'll also post about the mansions and the tour we took of the Vanderbilt summer "cottage" The Breakers, and I'll also post about the stories some of their servants told at another time. We packed a lot into two and half days!

I'm On A Purge Quest

2011-04-28T17:21:00.000-04:00

I'm done with collecting, and I've moved on to purging. Recently I came across an article on de-cluttering written by Leo Babauta, and he summed up the art of de-cluttering very nicely:
1. Identify what is most important to you
2. Eliminate everything else

Sounds simple, right?
Well, Leo Babauta also says you must be merciless.
And that's been very hard for me because I have a very strong, very strange, and very irrational attachment to some of my things, and while that may be understandable with family treasures, much of what I have accumulated over the years is far from family treasure, most are just 'trash treasures' (items I've picked from the garbage)! But for me, there was instantaneous bonding with these trash treasures, and at once they became 'dear-to-my-heart' items. So I had to summon up a little of my sister Diane (when cleaning out the house my parents were living in and getting them ready for a big move years ago, Diane would pick up an item and in a split second she would decide if it stayed or if it went. And I remember clearly her words as she tossed things, "This has served it's purpose"), so now my motto is 'this has served it's purpose and it's time for it to move on'.

I've heard it's hard to stop collecting. I read that a collector takes no pleasure in just looking at things, the pleasure comes from acquiring things. I'm hoping that's not true, because as much as I don't want to give up looking or 'window shopping', I certainly don't want things cluttering up my house again! I'm hoping I go from an 'acquirer' to an 'admirer', and I'm hoping I have the will to pass things by without having the need to make them my own, or the need to rescue them and give them new life.
I know I'm always going to love 'things', but I also know that I can't have it all, and really, I think I'm at a point in my life where I don't want it all anymore.
Also, I recently read that we should use good stewardship in the space that God Has Provided for us, and I have not been using good stewardship at all in the space He Has Provided for me! So I am on a quest to purge, and I am on a quest to maximize efficiency by living with less. And in the process I am becoming so much more thankful.

So far we've gone through the front room, the back room, the kitchen, and some boxes in the basement, and Katie has gone through some of Jayden's toys too. And with only a fraction of the elimination done, already it feels good. I know it will takes months and months before I get through almost thirty years of accumulation, but I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel now.

Although I want to de-clutter my surroundings and live a more simple lifestyle, I have no desire to live a spartan lifestyle. So I will be hanging onto a few treasures, but I'm hoping I will pare down to a very few treasures, and I'm hoping very soon that my massive accumulations and I will see a parting of the ways.

On a side note, I've seen a very interesting study in human behavior through de-cluttering. For a few weeks we had "FREE" signs out, I was just hoping that people would stop by, love my things and want to adopt them, take them for nothing, no cash exchange, everything free. But very few people took anything.
Then Ray decided to have a yard sale, and sell everything cheap, he and the girls set up the tables, he put a few 'YARD SALE' signs up around the neighborhood, and things sold like hotcakes!
What's up with that? I guess people like to feel that they got a bargain , but I guess they feel that "free" isn't a bargain? I don't get it.

Also, some happy news to report ~ our oldest son Brian and his girlfriend Flora got engaged! No date set yet, but I'll keep you posted!

Easter Bonnets, Scavenger Hunt, Sickness, And A Birthday Celebration

2011-04-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

I had a great week. It was a busy week, but it was wonderful, and it was a week filled with family, friends, and many Blessings. And I am so grateful!

And Easter brought even more delights! After Mass I got busy with dinner, and then there was lots of eating and visiting with family, and we also celebrated Mia's 4th Birthday with everyone here. (Unfortunately neither Ray nor I thought to take any family pictures, but we always remember to take pictures of the grandkids!):

We actually didn't get a chance to see Sophie on Easter, too many family members have been sick lately (my sister-in-law Susie missed out on celebrating Easter, she was home sick yesterday), and the medical professionals today make new parents "germ crazy" by telling them if a newborn runs a fever they MUST do a spinal tap on her. So, of course, no one wants to take the chance that Sophie might get sick. (Poor Mia was even banned from her own home when she got the virus and had to stay with her Grandmum for a few days).
So Lori and Sophie weren't able to join us, but they sent us some pictures of them enjoying their Easter morning and of the girls in their Easter bonnets:

And lucky for us, Erik & Mia were able to visit with us later in the day so the family could have a big Birthday celebration for Mia.

Before we got ready for Mass, Jayden had a little scavenger hunt and it was lots of fun for us to watch him:

Jayden was used to an Easter Egg hunt that only involved him searching the house for plastic eggs with a treasure of M & M's inside. So this was a little different for him...

...and it took some getting used to on his part. But once he got the idea, he really enjoyed it!

My daughter Katie reminded me that I used to make up clues for them to have a little scavenger hunt along with the egg hunt, so I decided to try it this year with Jayden.

He said, "That was hard work, but it was worth it! And it was fun!"

Later in the day when Mia walked into our living room and saw all the Birthday gifts everyone brought for her, her eyes went wide and she said, "Wow!"

Mia got lots of dolls, and lots of dresses, tea sets, dishes, figurines, and so much more, and she was thrilled with each and every one!

She's a sweet girl, taking care with each gift, and opening each gift so daintily, and very appreciative of each one too.

(I love these yellow shoes!)

Then it was time for Birthday cake!

I sometimes think the family is like the paparazzi! We are constantly snapping pictures of these children! (And they are such good sports, posing with frozen smiles!)

In addition to the birthday cake, the family indulged us by bringing so many delicious treats! Ann, Erin, and Diane brought some Easter cupcakes along with them. Decorated so pretty for Easter!

Steve and Diane also brought this canoli cake. It looked too pretty to eat! But I forced myself and it was delicious!

I also had a taste of the birthday cake and it was yummy too. But there were way too many desserts to sample them all! Everyone came with something, there was cheesecake, and angel food cake, and coffee cake, and carrot cake, in addition to a few desserts I made.
And one of the desserts I made were Wanda's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cookies, and the Birthday Girl loved them (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are Mia's favorite candy, so this cookie was a big hit)! I sent her home with some, and she told me she's coming to visit this week so she can get more! Thanks for posting the recipe, Wanda, everyone enjoyed them!

'Hope you all enjoyed a Blessed Easter too!

Holy Week

2011-04-18T16:39:00.002-04:00

I used to think it was so strange to hear about "celebrating" Holy Week. I only thought of Holy Week in terms of sad reflection, until one day a few years ago, while attending a Lenten prayer service, a nun talked about Holy Week in terms of celebrating the grandeur and majesty of God's Great Plan for us, and in terms of celebrating the magnificence and radiance of Jesus' Sacrificial Triumph. And she talked about this week being a great celebration of God's Love for us, and she asked us as we contemplated the Great Sorrow of this week, we not lose sight of the Great Splendor.

Whether you follow Holy Week or not, I hope you all have a very Blessed week. And if you do follow Holy Week, I hope you are able to spend some time in prayer and in reflecting on and celebrating the solemn Scripture readings, and I hope this week leads you to the "Great Splendor" and a Joyous Easter!

I probably won't be posting again until after Easter, so I am going to wish you all a very HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Birthday, Mia!

2011-04-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Four years old! Where does the time go?!

Seems like only yesterday...

Today was not only Mia's Birthday but she also had her dance recital!

We stayed with Sophie while Mommy & Daddy took Mia to her recital:

We were sorry to miss the dancing, but we were happy to join in the Birthday fun!

Mia had birthday cupcakes instead of birthday cake ~ a girl after my own heart!

Erik made them and I thought he did a fabulous job!

It was so nice to spend some time with these two sisters.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIA!

Another New York City Subway Incident ~ You Go, Girl!

2011-04-15T17:36:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately these incidents are fairly common on the New York City subway. I'm not saying it's an everyday occurrence, but I'll bet I personally know (at a minimum) of a dozen women that this has happened to on the subway.
When I worked in Manhattan, it happened to me once on the subway, once while walking on the street, and once in the building I worked in. My reaction was to do NOTHING other than feel scared, and sickened, and violated, and I moved away from the offender and the situation as quickly as possible. I wish I had the presence of mind and the courage to respond in the manner of this girl!

(So sorry about the commercial in the beginning of the video. It's only about fifteen seconds though, and the video is worth it.)

Story link: MyFoxNY.com

Aan Amsterdamse

2011-04-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

Diane, Steve, and Will were kind enough to send me pictures of the last leg of their trip.

At Amsterdam:

I could not stop laughing at this photo below! Funny, Will!

So many nice canal photos:

It must be so interesting to live on one of these houseboats!

Here's the Anne Frank house from across the canal:

And here's Diane standing in front of the Anne Frank house:

You are not allowed to take pictures inside the house. If anyone is interested you can go to this website and you can take a virtual tour: http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/ (sorry, I can't link to it).
I was so sorry to miss this tour in person, but the website is great.

It's just so heartbreaking to think of the Frank family going behind those doors and not venturing out until forced to do so, and then transported to concentration camps, and eventual death for all but one.

I don't know why I feel so drawn to tour their hideout, but I'm determined to get there one day.

Diane and Steve said there were more bicycles than cars on the streets:

I'm intrigued by this one below. Is it a stroller/bike? Or is it more of a wagon or cart? Interesting.

This next photo was the breakfast buffet in their hotel. A little more elaborate than the breakfast buffets in the hotels I've stayed at:

Now I'm getting hungry!

And thirsty!

Now this is what first comes to mind when I think of The Netherlands! Windmills...

...and tulips...

...and wooden shoes!

Thank you, Diane, Steve, and Will! It was an amazing trip! And I had a wonderful time!

Plus de Paree Gay

2011-04-11T04:11:00.000-04:00

More of Gay Paree!

(By 'gay' I mean cheerful, joyful, merry, bright, lively, pleasurable ~ nothing to do with anyone's sexual orientation in Paris.)

This next photo of Diane and Will is so sweet!

This next picture is my absolute favorite scenic photo!

And I'd love to know the story behind all these locks on the fence in the photo below!

The Moulin Rouge! I thought the singing in that movie was fabulous! I heard Ewen McGregor and Nicole Kidman got panned, I understand if there were complaints about the story line or even the acting, but I thought they did a great job with the songs.

Si belle! Merci, Diane et Steve!
Joyeux Anniversaire, Diane!

Grandgirls

2011-04-10T18:44:00.001-04:00

Jayden has been sick so Ray & I haven't gotten to see Sophie since she's been home, and we haven't gotten to see Mia either. We miss our girls!
But Lori has been nice enough to email us some pictures:

My goodness! Mia looks like such a big girl holding her baby sister!

I laughed and laughed at this one! (And I felt like scooping Sophie up out of Erik's arm!)

Ray made this composite of our three grandkids taken when each of them were just a few hours old. Can you see a resemblance? And can you guess who's who? (Check comment for identities.)

à Paris!

2011-04-09T10:16:00.000-04:00

On to Paris!

We got an email from Steve yesterday saying that he, Diane, and Will were settling into their hotel and then heading over to take a cruise on the Seine:

(This is the nicest 'Best Western Hotel' I've ever seen!)

I love how the trains have fold-up seats (and they look nice and soft compared to the New York City subway cars), but...

...are the French people all short?

Spring Has Sprung Inside A New York City Subway Car

2011-04-08T07:57:00.000-04:00

Ray boarded a train at lunch time yesterday on his way to Toys R Us so he could pick up a little something for Jayden being he was still home sick from school. When he walked into the subway car this is what he saw:

He snapped a picture with his cell phone and sent it to me. I was looking online trying to find out what it was all about but I came up empty. I thought it might have something to do with the butterfly display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then I noticed that the poster behind the seat on the subway said something about Adelphi University. And Ray found this online:
March 28, 2011 - by Lori - Last Friday, the NYC subway shuttle from Grand Central to Times Square was transformed. Adelphi University wrapped the shuttle in our new ad campaign "Success" transforming the train into a forest, a bog, and a field. With the winter we have had in NYC, the shuttle offers a glimpse of spring and demonstrates the power of change and transformation. Please let us know if you saw the AU train and what you think.

I think it's wonderful!

More From Glasgow

2011-04-07T07:29:00.033-04:00

My friend Sheila @ Quintessential Magpie (sorry I can't link to her in my post because for some reason Blogger won't let me do that anymore, but you can access Sheila's lovely blog on my sidebar) told me that my Scotland post was appropriate at this time of year because we just recently celebrated 'Tartan Day'. I had never heard of Tartan Day so I looked it up and this is what I found:
On April 4, 2008, President George Bush signed a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day.
2008 PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION
President George Bush today signed on April 4th 2008 a Presidential Proclamation making April 6th National Tartan Day! Proclamation signed by the President of the United States: Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values. On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life. Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil.

I also looked up to see if New York City specifically honored Tartan Day and I found that they did celebrate with a parade, bagpipers, and Highland dancers. I so would have loved to have seen that! Next year I will be Scottish for the day and I plan to attend!

Diane and Steve added a few more pictures to their album that I'll share with you:

These next two photos look like the streets of San Francisco! Diane & Steve said they are much steeper than they look in the pictures. I am so out of shape, I don't think I would have made it up these hills!

YUMMY!

I love this picture of Will and Diane enjoying their ice cream cones.

And I'm anxious to know if they tried "the best burgers in Scotland"!

So many beautiful churches...

...but Diane said so many of the churches are no longer churches. They have been turned into theaters, restaurants, and bars like the one below. Sad.

I got such a kick out of this:

A children's playground with a pile of rocks, stones, iron, and cement!

I guess Scotland is not a very litigious country!

Jayden would love to be playing there!

(By the way, thank you for all your good wishes for him. His fever is gone, his voice is coming back, but the poor kid keeps running to the bathroom now! I guess the virus has moved on to his intestines.)

Traveling Vicariously

2011-04-05T20:33:00.002-04:00

I take a lot of 'virtual' vacations. That is, whenever I feel the need to get away (which I did A LOT this past winter), I just go on-line and look up nice (usually warm and sunny) places to visit, and I spend a little time there, either 'touring', or 'shopping', or 'sipping drinks poolside', or 'strolling the beach'. And while it's certainly not the same as actually being there, it's enough to make me feel refreshed.
These past few days I've been traveling vicariously through my sister Diane. She and my brother-in-law Steve left for a Scotland/France/Netherlands trip on Saturday, and she very kindly has been sending me pictures.

My nephew, William, is studying for a term at the University of Glasgow, so their first stop was to visit him.

Then they will travel on to Paris, and from there on to Amsterdam as Steve has a work conference there.
I was thinking of going with them, I especially wanted to visit the Anne Frank museum in Amsterdam, but the timing was bad for me. They left only two days after Sophie was born, and I didn't want to be taking off on a European vacation now. And Ray & I are trying to 'pare down' financially, and I think that a European vacation for me would not be paring down financially at all.
And I'm glad I didn't go for another reason, because Jayden is sick at home now, running a high fever on and off. I took him to the doctor yesterday and he said it's a virus that should run it's course in a few days. So I'm happy to be home here with my little man.

And at the same time I'm happy to be "traveling" once again while being stuck inside on this cold and rainy day (I know, I know, "April showers bring May flowers!" so I'll stop complaining about the weather now).
Come on, let's take to the sky now and begin our journey:

This food looks so good!

I think they serve beer warm in Europe, so I wouldn't like that at all. But Steve looks like he's enjoying it!

And I see that Diane found her beloved Pepsi!

Seeing pictures of them walking the streets in Scotland reminds me of walking the streets of Manhattan...

... and these pictures below especially remind me of Greenwich Village with the narrow and winding cobblestone streets, and all the quaint little specialty shops, galleries, and cafes.

But the trains in their subway system look like a far cry from the subway system of New York City:

I'm hoping Diane will take you and I along to Paris! Look for it in my next post!

Sophie Smiles

2011-04-02T10:58:00.000-04:00

I've been told that Sophie has steel blue eyes, but I haven't seen her with her eyes open yet, so yesterday when we were visiting at the hospital I was on a quest to get her to open her eyes.
At first I tried tickling the bottom of her feet and I got this reaction:

(Grandma, stop disturbing my peace!)

Then I put her down in the bassinet and I started bothering her, I stooped down and I whispered, "Sophie! Sophie! Sophie!" but she just shut her eyes tighter and seemed to be saying, "Grandma, just go away!"

But I wasn't about to give up, again I whispered, "Sophie! Sophie! Sophie!", and she still didn't open her eyes but I got this gift:

(Notice the dimple!)

Je m'appelle Sophie Gianna...

2011-03-31T20:11:00.000-04:00

...comment allez-vous? Je suis la!

My name is Sophie Gianna...

...how do you do?

I am here!

Our son Erik, daughter-in-law Lori, and granddaughter Mia added to their little family! Sophie Gianna made her debut into our world this morning!

Happy Grandpa ("Paw") and happy big sister!

Sophie Gianna ~ I really love her name!
The name 'Sophie' is so cute! And sort of vintage sounding. And her middle name 'Gianna' is for our daughter-in-law Lori's father ~ Johnny.

Sophie Gianna ~ beautiful name for a beautiful baby! (Yes, I'm a typical braggart Grandma!)
And may her Grandpa Johnny watch over her from above.

(Lori's Mom, Virginia, with our two beautiful granddaughters.)

Please join us in thankful praise to God for Blessing our family with another miracle, a new little life to love ~ "Sophie Gianna"!

Happy, Thankful Update

2011-03-29T12:33:00.002-04:00

Earlier this month I requested prayers for nine-month-old Joey, he was undergoing some tests and his family was told he may need brain surgery.
I found out today that further testing showed no fluid on Joey's brain!

Please join me in thankful praise! And thank you all for keeping this baby and his family in your prayers.

And thank you for keeping all my intentions in your thoughts and in your prayers. And know that you are in mine too.

The Love Dare

2011-03-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

I've started the book "The Love Dare Day By Day" and it's advertised as a year of devotions for couples. But that advertisement is somewhat misleading as far as I can see, for this book is so much more than that.
It's a 'Love Book' pure and simple. To me 'Day One' sums up perfectly the challenge that is presented to each of us every day of our lives ~ are we going to live a life of love or not? The authors present us with the bare truth: "Loving God and others is really what life is all about. There is a vast difference between the two. One is priceless...and one meaningless."

And my bare truth is, that in my life, I, many times, have chosen meaningless. I now want priceless.

One of this week's dares is to begin praying, "Lord, teach me what real love is and make me a loving person."

"I Know You're Gonna Live Two More Years"

2011-03-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

Yesterday my daughter Katie took Jayden into work with her. When they got there she called to tell me they had arrived safely, I was busy and didn't pick up before she hung up. She called again and she said this time it just rang and rang (I was on with my sister at the time and didn't hear that anyone was trying to cut in). She finally got me on the line and said that she had been worried when I didn't answer, and then she put Jayden on the phone and I asked him if he had been worried too and he said, "No. Just Mommy was worried. I knew I didn't have to worry, because I know you're gonna live two more years."
I said, "What?! What did you say? Did you say two more years or twenty more years?"
And Jayden said, "I said two. Oh, nevermind, just forget about it, you're not supposed to know anyway."
Whoa! Where did that come from?

I got to thinking how I would spend the next two years if I knew they'd be my last two on earth. I know I'd want to make a lot of changes. I'm starting now to make those changes, but boy, would I feel rushed to do it all in a New York minute if I thought I only had two years left!

But, mostly, I thought about how much I miss God in my life.

And, oddly enough, or maybe not so oddly at all, yesterday, which happened to be my Mom's Birthday, while thinking about all this I came across Birgit Whelan's blog and her post title was: "I MISS GOD".
And she welcomed to her blog anyone who was feeling that God was missing from their life. And she went on to say that we don't have to do anything or say anything to be welcomed by God, and to have a relationship with Him all we need is to go to Him, to just be in His Presence, in His Love, which cannot be earned, and which will never be taken away. She reminded me that God will never turn us away in our brokenness.
"A broken and sorrowing heart, O God, You will not put from You" ~ Psalm 51:17
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28

Well, I don't know if it's two years more I have on this earth, or twenty more, or less. I only know that I'm grateful for the reminders I find that tell me to hold fast to all that is of true worth and true value, and hold on to only that.

Earliest Memories Of Mom

2011-03-25T07:03:00.000-04:00

Today is my Mom's Birthday and I've been Blessed lately to be flooded with early memories of her.
But other than a few of the memories like Mom singing to me, and the 'tea and toast' when I was sick, and my First Holy Communion Day, most of these memories are not vivid, they are vague and they all blend into one, as if it all could have happened on one day, but I'm sure it did not.

All of these memories (except for my wedding day) are early memories and they are all from the 'old house':

My most favorite memory is of me climbing up onto Mom's lap in the big yellow rocker in the living room and asking her to "Sing me Irish, Mommy." I felt so safe, so secure, so protected, and so loved.

Mom combing the tangles out of my hair in the mornings.

Mom giving Diane and myself kitchen spoons and water so we could make mud pies in the backyard. Me running into the house to tell her Diane was eating the mud pies.

Mom carrying me out back in a wash basket and me sitting in that wash basket watching her hang the laundry on the line. The sun, and lots of white laundry (I guess it must have been sheets or diapers), and Mom.

Mom filling the little pool out back for us to play in.

Mom exercising to the Jack LaLanne show.

Mom letting me sprinkle the clothes with water as she ironed them.

Mom bringing us 'funny guys' home from a shopping trip to Flushing.

Mom teaching me how to polish shoes.

Mom helping me to dress up for Halloween trick-or-treating.

Mom making me tea and toast and letting me eat it on the couch in the living room when I was sick.

Mom telling me stories about the Blessed Mother.

Mom teaching me about my Guardian Angel.

Mom teaching me to pray the Rosary.

Mom asking me to teach her my First Holy Communion song.
And on my First Communion day, Mom wrapping me in a white shawl that was Aunt Margie's and telling me how happy it would have made Aunt Margie to know I was using it (and years and years later, Mom sewing lace from one of Aunt Margie's nightgowns onto the bottom of the slip I wore on my wedding day. My Aunt Margie was one of my Mom's older sisters, she died from heart failure when I was about six or seven years old). And Mom telling me that I would look back on my First Holy Communion day as the most special day of my life.

Kissing Dad good-bye as he leaves for work, waving good-bye at the door to Tommy, John, and Marybeth as they walked down the block heading for school. Helping Mom close up the Castro Convertible in the living room that she and Dad slept on. Sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast. Then Mom turns on the TV, I can remember watching Captain Kangaroo, Topper, and My Little Margie while she cleans, and then later she would come and sit with a cup of coffee and watch a cooking show. I wonder if that was the routine?

All the family gatherings at our house, all the parties, and all the barbecues, so many family 'get-togethers' in the house and in the back yard. We were so Blessed.

Mom helping me down the old wooden steps in the back. Mom helping me climb into some sort of stroller or walker. I asked Aunt Florence about it and she said she remembers it, it was my cousin Jimmy's, and it had a bottom that could be moved aside and used as a walker.

Mom told me that I had the Chicken Pox at eight months old, and they were all down my throat, and I refused to take the bottle, so she would help me drink from a cup. She said I never drank from a bottle again after that.
She also said I was covered in pox, and she had to cover my hands with little socks because I kept scratching at my face (I still have a few pox marks on my face from scratching at them), and she said she would take me into bed at night with her and Dad, and I would cry and wriggle around, trying to scratch my own back. And she said she felt so bad for me, and that even though she knew she shouldn't do it, she would turn me over onto my stomach and scratch my back for me to give me some relief. And she said I would quiet down then, and lay so still, and smile, and then I was able to fall asleep.
I wish I could remember that.

I have so many 'special' memories of my Mom, so many 'vivid' memories of her, lots of special days, special occasions, and special celebrations. And lots of sad events too that stand out in my mind (the day my little brother Frankie had to be operated on, the day my oldest brother Tom left home for the Marines, the day my brother John left home for the Army, the Christmas John spent at war in Viet Nam, the day my grandmother died, the day my cousin Jimmy died, so many of her friends and family passing, just so many sad family/friend times, and of course her own descent into the depths of Alzheimer's Disease).
But what I want most, and what I have been Blessed with lately, is to remember the little 'nothing' moments. The regular, normal routine of an early childhood day spent with Mom just always being there for us.
Mom, always there, washing, ironing, and folding clothes, sweeping the kitchen floor, doing the dishes, setting the table, cooking, cleaning, running a bath for someone, feeding a baby, changing a diaper, packing kids off to school, and singing a lot, just her normal routine of being 'Mom'.

I remember Mom telling us that one of the neighbors at the old house had told her that she was so taken by how well my mother took care of seven children. She told Mom that we were quiet, well-behaved, and well-mannered, but also that we always looked so 'polished', she said that my mother was the mother of seven 'only children'! I remember asking her what the neighbor meant and Mom said it was like she cared for each one of us as if we were an only child. I remember how happy she was recounting that story. How happy and proud.
We were her life and it showed.

Happy Birthday, Mom. Missing you lots, but feeling so Blessed to have had you.

Mom, near the very end of your life you said to me, "God's Been Very Good to me". And, now with this gift of these beautiful memories of you, Mom, I too say God's Been Very Good to me.

New York Was Irish (At Least For A Day)

2011-03-23T09:09:00.000-04:00

So sorry I haven't been visiting or posting, but I've been really busy (eliminating some non-essentials in the house, and also busy having a grand time when not busy cleaning out the house) , and then I wasn't feeling well at all for a few days. I'm a little better now, and I'll post about some of the fun I'd been having before I got sick:

On St. Patrick's Day my youngest daughter Ellie took off from work so that she could pick Jayden up from school while my friend Barbara and I went downtown to enjoy a day in the city:

Barbara and I were Blessed with great weather again (last year on St. Patrick's Day we went into the city to see Riverdance at Radio City Music Hall), and we have now decided that we are going to make 'spending St. Patrick's Day in New York City' a tradition (even if we both move to different states in the future!). Manhattan is a fun place to be on St. Patrick's Day!

We saw lots of green:

And lots of shamrocks:

And lots of people out and about in Times Square enjoying the beautiful weather:

Here's where the ball drops in Times Square on New Year's Eve and at one point Barbara turned to me and asked, "What year is it? Isn't this 2011?" And then she pointed to this:

At first I didn't see what she was talking about, but then I took a closer look:

They've been practicing already for the ball dropping on 2012!

Barbara and I got a kick out of this woman's green wig, but that's not the only thing in this picture we got a kick out of, if you take a closer look at the side of the building behind her...

...you will see the Mini Cooper!

B and I also got a kick out of this!

And I love looking up at the buildings (with Barbara as my guide crossing streets and making sure I don't knock into an unsuspecting pedestrian). I love the mix of the old and new architecture in the city, but of course my favorite is the old. Such character! Just look at the dentil crown molding on the exterior of that old building! And the old church next to it with the turret that looks like a castle!

Our first stop was the Regal Theater to see "Lord of the Dance", the 3-D movie starring Michael Flatly. The theater was great, with wonderfully plush, comfortable seating! And afterwards we stopped for a nice leisurely lunch here:

We were thinking about stopping at an Irish Pub for fish and chips, or eating the traditional corned beef and cabbage, or stopping at one of the Pig & Whistle's but they were packed! So we opted for this pretty little French restaurant.

We were seated at a table by these big windows:

We shared a delicious appetizer of grilled octopus and grilled squid, and we should have shared our entree of grilled salmon because we were way too full to try any of their desserts! The food was scrumptious!

And I loved the restaurant and the decor:

And I love that they kept the old tile floors!

Then we walked uptown and made a quick pass by the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center...

...on our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral (still undergoing renovations, so there is still lots of scaffolding over the doorways):

Once inside we made our way to the front where there was an altar set up in honor of St. Patrick's Day:

I like how they used the green candles here:

Then B and I made our way over to Radio City Music Hall where we saw Celtic Woman. Absolutely beautiful voices! The show was fantastic, and everyone was on their feet, cheering and clapping, and we had great seats:

From the picture I took of our seats, it looks like they played to an empty theater doesn't it? ( It astonishes me how late people come to shows!)
But you can see from the crowd in the lobby after the show that it was a packed house!

Barbara and I were catching the eleven o'clock bus home, and it amazes me how at that hour there is still lots of people and lots of traffic, you would think it was the middle of the afternoon:

We also celebrated Ray's birthday over the weekend. He wanted a cranberry/apple cake/pie thing that we saw on the show "The Barefoot Contessa", but we couldn't get cranberries so I tried it with cherry and apple instead:

He loved it (and so did my sister Diane). I liked it a lot, but the cake topping was a little too sweet for me.

We had the usual crowd but because I wasn't feeling too well, and our daughter-in-law Lori is due to deliver Sophie in a few weeks, they didn't want to chance getting sick, and I don't blame them. We were disappointed not to have them there, and Jayden was especially disappointed not to have Mia. But he had lots of fun outside playing sword fights and wrestling (I don't know what happened with those pictures, they are just a white blur) with Christian. And Brian's girlfriend Flora was very good about occupying him too.

Here's Jayden enjoying a game of 'Tic Tac Toe' with Flora:

Flora is a first grade teacher in a very poor school in the Bronx. She was happy to take some of Jayden and Mia's books for her students, and since Ray and I are trying to purge our house, we were happy to send her off with three boxes full of books!

And here's Ducky Jayden:

And here Flora encouraged him to camouflage himself just in case there were any duck hunters about!

It was a fun few days, and then a not-so-fun few days for me being sick. But I think I'm on the road to recovery now, and we are looking forward to our new little granddaughter making her entrance on March 31!

The Spirit of Ireland, Annie Moore, and the "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears"

2011-03-17T06:57:00.000-04:00

While visiting Myrtle Beach my Aunt Florence treated us to the show "The Spirit of Ireland" at the Palace Theater:

It was a great show and I enjoyed it a lot but I was afraid that Jayden wouldn't enjoy the show much at all. When we were traveling back to New York I asked him what his favorite part of the trip was and of course he said, "The Knights show" (we had taken him to see Medieval Times). And when I asked him what his second favorite thing was, I thought he'd say either playing at the beach, or maybe the alligators he saw, or golfing with Ray, but to my surprise he said, "The Irish show"!
And just this week I was listening to the song "Isle of Hope" and he said to me, "Oh this song was in the Irish show that Aunt Florence took us too. It's really nice, right?"

The Celtic dancers and singers were wonderful. And, of course I got tears in my eyes when I heard "O Danny Boy" and "Isle of Hope" sung.

The Celtic singers from the show:

I always feel so emotional whenever I think of Ellis Island, and I think of all the immigrants that left their homes to come to our shores, and to make new homes and new lives here in a new land. And I feel so grateful that Ray and I both had a few brave relatives who decided to come to America!

I imagine that so many of them were happy and hopeful with dreams of starting new lives here.

And I imagine that many more of them were sad to leave their lives, and their homelands, and much of their family and many friends behind.

I wonder how many of them were wistful and longing for the home of their birth?

When I hear the song "Isle of Hope" I think not only of Annie Moore, and not only of the Irish immigrants, but about all immigrants who braved leaving the country of their birth, and who braved leaving their old lives behind to come to America.

Annie's story is just one of many immigrant stories.
From 1820 to 1920 more than four million people from Ireland came to America, and one of those Irish immigrants was Annie Moore. When Ellis Island officially opened on January 1, 1892, the first person registered was Annie.
She traveled from County Cork with her two younger brothers aboard the SS Nevada as a steerage class passenger. They spent over a week at sea including Christmas Day. They arrived in New York on December 31, and they were processed through Ellis Island the following morning, New Year's Day. Annie was presented with a $10 coin.

Annie and her brothers at Ellis Island:

The children were then reunited with their parents who had left Ireland to prepare their new life in America. Annie lived with her family at 32 Monroe Street in Manhattan for a few years before marrying Joseph Augustus Schayer in 1895.
The couple had eleven children, only five survived to adulthood. Annie went on to spend the rest of her days as one of the poor Irish immigrants on the lower East Side until she died in 1924 at the age of forty-seven.

Her body was in an unmarked grave in Queens Calvary Cemetery until donations were made in 2006 to purchase a tombstone for her:

There are two statues in honor of Annie, one in Ireland at her port of departure, and one at Ellis Island.

~ Isle of Hope ~

God Bless our immigrant ancestors and God Bless this wonderful melting pot we are privileged to call "Home"!

Miracle Baby

2011-03-15T23:02:00.008-04:00

In Japan rescue workers heard a cry. At first they thought they were hearing things, but then they heard it again, and they began digging through the debris, and found a four-month-old baby girl.
She had been swept from the arms of her mother during the tsunami, and she was missing for three days. Miraculously, she survived the surge, and then she went on to survive the cold weather without food and without water. I heard that some in the news media are dubbing her "Hope".

The soldiers of the Japanese Defense Force said her discovery has put a new energy into the search which had become so disheartening for them.

I'm praying for the people of Japan, that they may have a great many more miracles in store.

Stoning

2011-03-13T08:33:00.000-04:00

I'm obsessed with this subject. It's dark, and it's ugly, and I will never understand the mind, the heart, or the hand that seeks to carry out such a horrific act. Can you wrap your mind around this? A little girl sentenced by a court consisting of men, to be stoned to death by men, because another man decides he no longer has any use for her.

I have read the story of Azar Bagheri, she was forced into marriage at the age of fourteen. Within a year her husband charged her with adultery and she was sentenced to death by stoning. Under the law she is too young for the sentence to be carried out, so she will sit in prison, waiting for her stoning until she turns eighteen. Authorities have already taken her out into the prison yard twice and carried out 'mock stonings', by burying her up to the neck, but stopping before actually throwing the stones.

Then there is the story of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, 13, who was stoned to death after her father reported that she had been raped by three men. Authorities brought Aisha in for questioning, and then accused the girl of adultery instead and detained her. Convicting a girl of thirteen of adultery would be illegal under Islamic law, authorities claim that Aisha was twenty-three years old. Authorities also claim that she came to them admitting her guilt and they stressed that she wanted Sharia law and that she felt she deserved this punishment. But witnesses who spoke to the BBC said that she had been crying and had to be forced into a hole before the stoning, which took place in a football stadium. More than 1,000 people attended. She was forced into the hole, buried up to her neck and pelted with stones until she died.

Witnesses say the girl was crying and saying, "Don't kill me, don't kill me." More than fifty men took part in her stoning. While some witnesses protested loudly no one actually tried to stop the officials who were armed. Nurses were sent to check during the stoning to see if Aisha was still alive. They removed her from the ground, and when it was declared that she was still alive, Aisha was replaced in the hole so the stoning could continue.

Cameras were banned from the stoning but print and radio journalists were allowed to attend.

I've read that stoning has usually been carried out publicly by burying the victim up to her shoulders or neck (so she is not able to use the protective instinct of raising her arms and hands to shield herself) and hurling stones at her. Due to international outcry against this practice, many stonings are no longer public, they are carried out inside the prison grounds with the stones thrown by prison guards instead of townspeople.

The law specifies that the stones should be large enough to inflict damage and pain, but not so large as to kill the victim instantly, so that the stoning may continue for perhaps thirty minutes until death occurs.

It is said that nine out of ten stoning victims are women.

The film 'The Stoning of Soraya M', based on the book of the same name, is another true story of a woman stoned to death at the hands of family, friends, and neighbors. This story was told by a French-Iranian journalist, Freidoune Sahebjam when his book was published in 1994. His car broke down in Soyraya's village (Kupayeh, Iran) soon after Soraya's stoning death, and that is when he learned of her story.
Soraya Manutchehri was a thirty-five year old wife and mother of seven children. Soraya's marriage was an arranged marriage to a man named Ghorban-Ali Manutchehri, he was twenty at the time and Soraya was thirteen. Soraya was pregnant nine times over the next twenty years, two of her pregnancies ended in stillbirths. Over the course of her marriage, Soraya had to endure regular beatings from her husband, insults, and his successful campaign to turn her two eldest sons against her.
Ghorban-Ali was working as a prison guard in another town where he met a fourteen-year-old girl who he wanted to marry. Polygamy was allowed but Ghroban-Ali didn't want to support two families, and he didn't want to return Soraya's dowry, so he had to get rid of his wife another way. He accused her of infidelity, and with only his cousin backing up his accusations the sharia court convicted Soraya and sentenced her to death by stoning.
On August 15, 1986, Soraya was buried in a hole up to her shoulders and stoned to death. Her father, sons, and husband were the first to cast stones at her head. The man who she allegedly had a relationship with was not punished, he was given the honor of casting the first stone after the male members of her family had cast theirs. Then all the male members of the village were able to defend the honor of the village by casting stones at her to kill her. After her death, her body was left out in the fields for the animals to ravage.

For more information on the subject of stoning, and "The Stoning of Soraya M.", and the filmmakers go here: http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page2822.html

This is the only photograph of Soraya ever taken:

When Soraya was nine years old, a photographer passed through her village and left this portrait. Four years later she was married off to the man who would become her executioner.

I read about Soraya's tragic story and brutal death months and months ago, and I had Ray buy the movie for me, but I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie until recently - until I read this quote:

"We cannot indefinitely avoid depressing subject matter, particularly if it is true, and in the subsequent quarter century the world has had to hear a story it would have preferred not to hear - the story of how a cultured people turned to genocide, and how the rest of the world, also composed of cultured people, remained silent in the face of genocide." ~ Elie Wiesel

I know Elie Wiesel was talking about another tragedy, but after reading what he said I felt compelled to watch this film.

It's a film that is more than hard to view, but I'm glad I watched Soraya's story, and I carry Soraya in my heart, and I find myself thinking of her and reaching to her whenever I get a feeling of unrest and this woman who died such a violent death brings me peace.

God, help us.

Atalaya

2011-03-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

LONG tour ~ sorry.
I'll forgive you if you want to leave and come back when you have some leisure time!

While visiting Myrtle Beach we came upon Atalaya. It was the winter home that was built by Archer Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington. The couple purchased four rice plantations, one of them being Brookgreen Plantation (the Huntington's created and donated the beautiful Brookgreen Gardens to South Carolina, which we visited and I'll post about that at a later date) in Murrells Inlet, SC. They purchased this land because Anna's doctor felt that the warmer climate would be better for her as she suffered from TB.
The home was called Atalaya, a Spanish name meaning 'watchtower', and it was built in a Moorish style, and it was built without any written plans, all the plans were in Archer Huntington's head! And the couple insisted on using local labor and materials as it was built during the Great Depression and they wanted to help the people and help to boost the economy in that area. I read that the couple moved out of their home during World War II to provide use of Atalaya to the Army Air Corps.

(Reading about the 'rich and famous' usually doesn't do much for me, but I find this couple so interesting, and I'd like to find and read a few books about them.)

Anna and Archer Huntington used a custom-made RV to travel from their summer residence to Atalaya.

Atalaya has a giant open courtyard and an open outdoor studio, and Anna loved to sculpt there as much as possible. She also had a big indoor studio for the days she was confined inside due to the weather.

Courtyard:

Outdoor studio:

At first sight I did not think this was a very pretty structure, it reminded me of a bunker, and I thought it was an old prison or an asylum.

We decided to make a closer inspection, and we were very happy to see that it was open to the public, and we took a tour of the home. It turned out to be one of the most interesting, unique, and to my eye one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. I know I would have loved to live in this home! And I'd love to see some photos of this beauty in it's 'heyday'.
I've been searching online but so far I haven't had any luck.

For the tour we were given a map so we could do a self-guided tour, which I like best.

Anna loved animals and she loved to sculpt animals and she used them as models. Atalaya had bear pens, stables for horses, and dog kennels:

Many of Anna's sculptures can be seen at Brookgreen Gardens.

Beautiful outdoor corridor:

This corridor lead to the front door of the interior.

Opposite view looking to the outer door/gate:

Just look at the arches and the open brick work!

And I love this door that leads into the corridor!

The large gates in the background above are pictured below in a photo I found on the internet.

I overheard a woman say, "This place is creepy." And I've read that many say they get an eerie feeling walking through this house. And I can understand their feelings, I'm not saying that I'd like to spend a night alone here...

...but given the chance of a lifetime, I'd love to try and make this house my home! I'm absolutely crazy about it!

Most of the rooms had these big fireplaces:

I absolutely adored this home! So many corridors, and nooks and crannies, and exposed brick, and peeling paint, and lovely old cupboards, shelves, and shutters. I can't wait to go back again!
Ray took most of these pictures, but some I got from the internet:

These windows served as a pass-through that the servants used from the kitchen and the 'prep area' to the 'breakfast room' and into the dining room (I lost count of all the rooms in this house).

Most days the couple would have breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner on one of their outdoor patios.

This tower was used to hold water and it was modeled after a tower in Morocco that was used as a watchtower to guard against pirates.

All the beautiful grill work was designed and made by Anna.

I am wild about these ceilings and floors!

I like both the brick floors and the concrete slab floors.

And I'm wild about these walls!

And look at these views!

And best of all ~ the 'piece de resistance'...

...just look at this beautiful old sink!

If I didn't already have a similar one of my own (thanks to the generosity of my friend Barbara), I would have tried prying that sink loose and spirited it away to New York with me!

If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend this tour!

Moving Voice, Powerful, Prayerful Song

2011-03-07T09:44:00.001-05:00

I love 'Les Miserables', I've seen it four times on Broadway, and I've listened to the CD over and over again (well, actually the first version we had was a cassette tape which I listened to over and over again), and I especially love the song 'Bring Him Home'. I've heard quite a few different renditions of this song, and every version has always moved me to tears.
But last night I saw this on PBS and it blew me away, and Alfie Boe made me forget every other version: