Macy's: 150 Years

I love this commercial! I get all choked up everytime I see it and I'm sure we'll see it often through the holiday season!

Youngest choir member

We have a new addition to our church choir--he's young, handsome, hip, and has one strong set of pipes!

Baby Jack!

Kay and Tyson have become a welcome addition to our Choir over the last few years.

They brought Jack into the world. He was baptized this morning at Mass.

What a doll. His presence alone makes you realize the greatness yet gentleness of Jesus Christ.

Jack was a dream this morning! All dolled up in his all white suit and tie. Never made a peep! Tyson says after the first week or two of his birth, he became very observant watching everyone and everything, following movement and attentive to everything in his sight line!

Our choir director, David, already has great plans for young Jack!

Congratulations again to Tyson, Kay, and Jack! May you make beautiful music together and live in harmony for many many years to come!

Fall back

I've been anticipating this moment for the last 9 days!

I know, it's silly.

You say, 'Danielle, just go to bed an hour earlier and you will get an extra hour of sleep.'

I feel like a kid at Christmas opening a gift. The gift of one more hour to do whatever I'd like--and right now, I'd love to utilize that hour to sleep.

When I was younger, I'd get an extra hour to drink. Well, if I were hanging around with my best friend, that would be my wish again! I still have it. 3 weeks ago, I don't think there was a day I went to bed before 5am. It was great! So I know I still have it! For now, my wish is to sleep.

The downside is that this momentous occasion occurs Saturday to Sunday. I can't sleep in on Sundays. I must be up early to Cantor Mass. But at least I do get that extra hour before duty calls.

Starting around 8pm, I keep saying "it's really 7pm" and so on and so on.....

Well, right now it is really 1145pm and believe it or not, I can not wait to finish watching my episode of Law and Order...maybe another one...and then off to dream land with this magnificent gift we've been given tonight...

Sweet Dreams!

Hole in one

Contractors, you can't live without 'em but have trouble living with them in your house!

When it comes to builders, contractors, and construction workers (though many of them are dreamy and hunky), I am a skeptic.

It's the nature of their business. They say they are going to build something but once they dig in and tear down and find out what is under or below or on the other side of that monstrosity, the job has just escalated a few notches (as well as the price!).

Not to mention the time frame. We've never had a contractor stick on their timetable. They say they will be over one day and never show. Then they say they will be over at such and such a time and .....and most certainly, the job is never complete when they say it will be done. Again, nature of the biz. When they find added bumps in the road, it's bound to take longer. That's why no contractor should EVER promise, guarantee, or even mention dates, times, or the length of a job.

For the most part (up until now), we've had bad luck with contractors. The guys who waterproofed our basement--well based on a recent blog entry, they did not waterproof our basement!!

Then you have the guy who renovated our upstairs bathroom. The cabinet was put in backwards...the light above the shower could have ZAPPED any one of us at any time....that same guy left a huge hole in the utility room....and the list goes on and on...

Now, we have guys who belong to our church, Joe & Tommy. Very nice people. They do a very solid job. Honestly, we could keep them in business year round if we had the money because we do have a bunch of jobs worth doing in our home.

They are great guys. They strive to do the best job and take great pride in their work. Contractors have to factor in if it's a 'need' or a 'want.' I'd LOVE the best, the top of the line. However, with 'blank' amount of money to work with, gotta go for the 'need' and not the 'want.'

I get that contractors are 'laboring,' hence the astronomical 'labor charges.' However, I guess I am not like that. If I like doing something, I'll do it for next to nothing. If these guys get their supplies at cost or for cheapo, and they absolutely love what they are doing, why charge an arm and a leg for the labor??? Same as a car mechanic. I can buy a part for my car for 59 cents, yet to fix the problem, it winds up being 599 dollars because of the labor charges. You have got to be kidding me!!!!!

What started out as replacing our garbage disposal, yep, that's right, our garbage disposal, has turned into --well just look at the above pictures! I'm sure it will be lovely and is very necessary. The guys wanted to do so much more but the landlord is on a budget. I'd love to have them re-do the entire kitchen. It needs it, and frankly when would I have the time?? I barely make it through the day with everything on my plate. Again, the landlord and the tenants are all on a budget.

One day, maybe..............................

Magical memories

I am determined to hold onto those magical moments from last week!

It's very easy to have a few days off or enjoy a great party, concert, celebration...and once you get back to work or the grind of the routine, poof --everything goes out the window!

Not this time. We had a wonderful week! Jam packed as usual. But what else is new?! Every day in our lives is like being on the freeway at rush hour in LA, Orlando or New York!!!!!

Last week consisted of basking in the beautiful weather....family celebrations....new restaurants never sampled...good friends revisited from the past and the present...exotic places never traveled....making apple cider from scratch....singing, dancing and music....

Mix in the fact that baseball season is still alive! And the Cleveland Browns had an UN-BELIEVABLE MNF game. What more can you ask?!?

It truly was a dream week.

Toward the end, little things started happening as signs that the dream week was about to end. Not gonna let it happen!

Life is too short. Remember the good times to get through the bad times. Keep a sweet memory in your pocket when times get tough as a stepping stone to the next magical week.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

What a wonderful gift I've been given to be able to celebrate Mom's 79th birthday with her (all of us really)! She looks great! We've been through so much. And I guess that is what makes it sweeter! That's what makes it memorable!

Even though it is Mom's birthday, I've been given the greatest gift of all!

Thank you, dear Jesus.

Coming up for air

Finally, after a week of cleaning up part of the basement (still so much more to do) and doling out bags and bags of clothes and blankets....I've managed to come up for air!

It has not been a hard week. It's been a 'typical' week in the life of Danielle. On the go from Dawn to Dusk and back.

There is so much more to do in the basement, but we have a great start. After last week's unfortunate water leakage, we had to toss 13 bags and boxes of 'stuff.' Fortunately, none of the 'stuff' was too substantial.

Once we were on the purge kick, we managed to get rid of 13 other bags of clothes, blankets, sheets, and the like.

Fit into there a trip to the hairdresser, major league baseball playoff games, singing all the Masses, dialysis, and a few other Mom Doctor's appts and VOILA, welcome to my world!

Honestly, this has been nothing compared to the next 12 days ahead.

Buckle yourself in because we are in for one of the wildest rides of your life!

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!