Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Accident? Who said accident?

Having been relocated to the south when I was a teen I discovered a strange thing - people in this state of transplants believed I had an accent! How can that be? Everyone I heard on TV sounded like me - unless they were from the Northeast or California - yet jokes were made over my calling fizzy beverages "pop" - versus "soda," and the way I said certain vowels. It was fine, as I knew who was right - me of course.

Life being what it is, my husband - also from the Chicagoland area - and I raised our daughter in the sunny state from the time she was a few months old. She had picked-up not a midwestern or southern accent, but a New York accent! From the time she could talk, she put the emphasis on the wrong vowels and just plain sounded like a New Yorker. We were living in the Chicago area when she was 4 and nonnna called to chat. While I was chatting with my friend, my daughter was in the room - listening of course. Nonna was curious to know if living in the midwest had effected her accent and asked as much. I gave my daughter a glance and reported "No, B-- still has an accent, you can hear it when she says ..."

I was interrupted by an indignant outcry, "NO! I do NOT"
Looking curiously at B-- she reported for my information, with all the self-righteousness of the wrongly accused, "I do NOT have accidents, I haven't since I was a baby!"
That was it - I was lauging so hard, I almost had an accident!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

A Challenge

It appears I have actually entered blogging - as a wonderful friend, weaselmomma
has included me in her meme. I am to find the 4th photo in my 4th file and post it with explanation. This sounds easy - right? Well, it requires me to learn new skills *nail biting* as I ask my teen how to post a pic and navigate the link option... The 4th folder on this computer is my teen's file of photos, so I will pick the 4th family-ish photo we'll see how it goes...

OK - that wasn't sooo bad. It was just well, 3 or 4 attempts to put it where I wanted. This pic is appropriately New Years Eve - 2007. Yes, those are small children sitting outside a bar in downtown Seashore - in the gutter! On the plus side - we didn't leave them home to fend for themselves - and they have icecream. When we parked them here to eat their icecream, they (my 2 younger ones, my nieces & nephew, and family friends) said - hey this is where we sat last year! Yes, our tradition is placing our children in the gutter, letting them hop puddles, and eat crud before we head home to eat more crud, light fireworks, let off silly string (which I have been told will cause my death if I bring it again), and let them all (even my princess New Year) stay up to welcome another year! So - happy New Year!

Our Amazing World

Today I thought I would take a moment to commit to paper - err web a note about how our world is amazing. I have a very good friend, we'll call her Gina. She was born with Cystic Fibrosis - a genetic disease that effects the body, primarily the lungs. When she was born people with CF didn't generally live past their teens. A few years ago that was upped to 20's and now it is low 30's. Being my friend, Gina is obviously not in her teens, and was getting very ill. In addition to breathing and oxygen problems, she was suffering from opportunistic infections. She was placed on the transplant list last spring.

I imagine being on a transplant list is a scary and guilt ridden prospect. Gina tried to keep upbeat and eventually became ill enough that she could no longer work. As I watched her health deteriorate, I couldn't help wondering what was taking the transplant so long - it is a strange thing to pray for a transplant, as you feel as if you are praying for someone to die - which you aren't you are praying for someone to live - a paradox maybe. Well, Gina received a double lung transplant on Thanksgiving - talk about being thankful! She was home in time for Christmas and reports that she is recovering well...and I just think, WOW! That as a race, humans can actually take parts from a person who can no longer use them and put them into a person who needs them is really mind boggling when you stop to think. I am thankful that this wonderful, kind person has a chance to live out a full life and that I have the chance to have her as a friend. It is truly an amazing world.

Monday, December 29, 2008

The Christmas Update

We have had much to be thankful for this holiday season, I myself am especially grateful not to have been digging out of snow on a daily basis while trying to prepare for Christmas. Sadly, I can not say the same for my children - well child. The smallest has no clue what snow is really about, as she has not experienced the fluffy, slushy white stuff outside of her picture books and TV. The middle child is really too accomodating to complain much about anything, but the oldest - well let's just say that she always makes her feelings clear to the world, especially when there is an injustice involved.

In her eyes the biggest injustice is that Christmas was not even cool this year - it was hot. Christmas Eve began with humidity so high the air was turned down to accommodate the last minute tidying and wrapping that would take place. After Mass we headed to Grandma's house to dine and visit. The air conditioning in the van is making a very strange noise - so we went with windows down. The oldest was not pleased with this and made it clear to everyone in the car that living by the seashore is stupid, because everyone knows Christmas should be cold and snow covered. We reminded her (for the umpteenth time) that she has spent 14 of her 15 Christmases here and we should definitely be beyond this EVERY Christmas. We reminded her again that we are celebrating in a more authentic way, since the actual birth was in the spring and Bethlehem doesn't get much snow.... all to no avail. And I do have to admit inwardly that it is strange to celebrate when it is sweating weather - versus sweater weather.

I am happy to report that she did gain the Christmas spirit as the evening went along and Christmas morning (which began at 5am) was a glorious success, with Santa knocking them dead with his ability to get each child - or family - just the right gift. In our house we spent all morning and most of the afternoon playing with the Wii and Guitar Hero - World Tour that he gave to all of us. The Christmas carols played quietly and everyone was content. There was so much goodwill that we heard no weather complaints, even though it was warm enough to eat outside. We spent the weekend hiding out at home enjoying our family and new gifts, with not even the oldest asking to visit friends, and me not even visiting the grocery store until last night. Today I am sure that things will all change, but the memory will linger....

Sunday, December 21, 2008

welcome to the shore

Here at the shore life is peaceful, filled with moments of silent reflection, and gives adults plenty of time to catch up on their reading and relaxation......If you are buying this I have a bridge I could sell you, that coincidentally leads to the shore.

In all reality, this blog started simply because I wanted to be included as a follower of my friends' blogs and - it started an account! I have left it blank as I struggled with what I could possibly write about, and came to the conclusion - a personal mantra of mine - that everyone has a story, so here I am. I am a mother of three, a wife, and a teacher, among the various other hats I wear - daughter, sister, friend, plumber - try to get kids to plunge a toilet, a bus driver - my morning route alone takes an hour, and the list goes on..

Lately I have been a personal shopper. As I have bustled from mall to discount store and back again, I have been grateful for many things. I am grateful that I can shop this year, money is tight everywhere and this year we have been blessed to be just as broke as we are every other year. As a result, I try to give to every bell ringer I pass, this way of behaving (even in rough times) might explain why we are not wealthy. I am grateful - can't tell you how much - that it is Christmas break. I am grateful that my husband will be off of work to share much of this
time (work). My house will be filled with children - some of which will not be mine - for the next 2 weeks. They will be under foot, loud, and occasionally bickering - but they will also be baking, sharing time and memories - and this makes me glad. This brings me to the title of the post - finally - I am glad I live in the southeast. I can easily send the scampering children through the door to complete bickering in the great out-of-doors. The weather here is such that no pause is required to search for mittens, hats, boots, or even a coat - heck getting my children to wear footwear requiring laces is almost impossible when they are not in school. When I view the weather reports containing scenes of beautiful snow covered trees, there is a fleeting twinge that we are missing something. That twinge quickly fades as we drive over the bridge, watching sailboats make their way down the intercoastal. So, this is me and my blog - welcome.