These are a few of my Favorite Things

Posted on July 29, 2011 by jacqui722

We all acquire things as we live our lives, these are reflections of our taste, creativity and adventures in living.  Here are some of mine.

This little Angel on my piano was a gift from the Women's Club Choir of Danbury, CT. I was their choir director for about a year, leading them in song. They gave this angel to me as a going away present when I moved to Florida, to remember them by - blowing me a kiss.

Shells from Sanibel Island Beach- one of my favorite places to visit. I collected these shells over the years, and they always bring back fond memories.

This little house was a gift from my husband one Christmas. It reminds me of living in New England and family gatherings. If you look through the little front window, you can see a set table with a little turkey dinner.

This is the quilt Helen made for me, signed by all my CT friends. It's a beautiful reminder of friendship and love.

From my Longaberger collection. I have many, now tucked away in my craft room. They just don't quite go with Florida decor, but I love them anyway.

One of my favorite tea cups. I love purple flowers.

Well, that’s it for now.  I’m sure there will be a part 2 (or 3 or 4) sometime soon.  Thanks for visiting!

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Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Diet…

Posted on July 27, 2011 by jacqui722

The above are very wise words written as a song title by my very talented friend Brad. He pretty much hit the nail on the head.

You’ve had good times…vacations…hanging around with friends and family…trying a bunch of new recipes from the Food Channel…and then one day you’re getting ready for work and bam! Just like that, your favorite pants don’t fit.
Sure, they were getting a bit tight, easy to ignore. But every time they are taken down from the closet rack and put on they get tighter and tighter, until the one day you pull them on, force the button and take a good, long look at all the fat spilling over everywhere….and you realize- these pants look awful and, and…..I can’t wear them anymore because they DON”T FIT. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!


I love to watch programs about organic food, healthy eating and changing lifestyles. In fact, just yesterday when I was home sick, Oprah had a very inspirational show featuring an audience filled with people who had lost 100 lbs or more. I’m pretty sure it was this program that sort of woke up my brain about taking some action. Because we all know losing weight is a mind-game. You have to be ready. You can’t just do your half-hearted every-Monday-morning start of a diet. You really have to COMMIT. And it has to be a commitment that lasts past your next meal, when you start to feel sorry for yourself because you’re feeling deprived with your meager lunch. (Of course, this is the lunch you packed for yourself at 7:30am when you were motivated and ready to start the diet).
What we forget is that when we make the effort to put some time into it, if we can commit to say- 3 solid days without straying, then we can experience some results. And these results are what keeps us going. Things click and we think, Wow! I can do this- I’m proud of myself- I want to keep going! Such a simple thing…3 lousy days to see some motivating results…just DO IT for God’s sake!
So that’s my Monday morning commitment. I’m going for those 3 days, a different approach from my do-or-die, usual dive into a diet that lasts until lunch time. I’m going for those 3 days and get my life and the “rest of my diet” going. Say a prayer, wish me luck and off I go!

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Italian Family Night in my Sister’s new Kitchen

Posted on July 25, 2011 by jacqui722

My sister Jill and Adam recently bought a new home. They’ve been adding bits and pieces of themselves to this new place, really working at making it a home. Now, my sister is not as much of a Foodie as the rest of my family, hasn’t really cooked much having lived at home for a long time. My late father, always the gourmet cook, loved experimenting in the kitchen and cooking for my Mom, my sister Jill and her daughter Noelle. So now it was time to “break in” the kitchen of her new home with a real Italian dinner, family style. And what could fit the bill more than spaghetti with Sunday Gravy and meatballs? So Mark, Lacey and I picked up Mom and headed over there.
We had gone to IKEA in Sunrise , FL the day before and they had picked out a couple of pieces of furniture to bring home. My husband volunteered to help Adam put them together, and the ladies headed to the kitchen to create the wonderful feast. Mom sat at the table and chit chatted with us as Jill and I got to work rolling meatballs and getting the sauce going. Soon her kitchen was christened with the aroma of sautéed garlic- such a beautiful smell! We browned the meatballs in olive oil and dropped them in the sauce and let it simmer for a couple of hours.
What a wonderful dinner! We sat at her new table in her new dining area and toasted the two new homeowners, wishing them health and happiness in their new nest. Mark said grace, asking for God’s blessings for the couple and Noelle. Then it was time to mangia! Spaghetti and meatballs, salad with Italian vinaigrette, a nice baguette and some wine- a perfect dinner.
Finally we headed home, happy we had the chance to have some family time together and to really make my sister’s house a home. ‘Cause that’s what it’s all about.

Adam and Jill

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A Birthday comes but once a year…

Posted on July 22, 2011 by jacqui722

Today is my Birthday. First off, let’s not discuss age.

Have you ever noticed that Birthdays create magic?  Why, even seeing the date creep up on the calendar brings a smile.  Today is my special day.  Today I celebrate life, love and family.  I am lucky enough to have God in my life,  a husband who loves me, a daughter I can be proud of, my Mom still with me and a network of wonderful family and friends.

Calendar

There have been many storms in my life- but today I celebrate me.

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New York City and All That Jazz…

Posted on July 20, 2011 by jacqui722

Of course, my vacation wasn’t complete without a trip to New York City.  (Another thing I miss about living in CT).  And of course, we just had to see a show!  Helen took the day off from work and drove us into the city.  Plans were:  1.) have lunch 2.) Get it line at TKTS and see what show we could get a bargain on 3.) Shop 4.) Visit the American Girl Store (for Noelle) 5.) See a show.

1.)    Have Lunch:  Walking down the street in the theatre district, we came upon a flight of stairs leading downward into an Italian Restaurant.  There were pots of flowers and plants along the sides of the staircase, which made it a very appealing to the eye….so we fell for it and decided to stop there for lunch (loving Italian food anyway- not a hard sell).  There was no wait- we were seated immediately.  The walls were covered in murals- Tromp l’Oeil  – depicting all kinds of Italian scenery, including an open window with a pot, The Amalfi Coast and a seaside veranda.  Beautiful!  And the bathroom…..oh my, filled with statues and flowers and rose petals- amazing!  We put in our order- pasta fagioli, bruschetta, pasta….all good!  Included with lunch was a free glass of wine, which Mom and I were very happy about.  All in all, the meal was delicious, filling and a good choice.  It was also a large portion, making it easy to skip dinner and save money later.

Helen

2.)    Get in line at TKTS and see what show we could get a bargain on:  Luckily, there were not too many people online for tickets when we arrived, but still it took a while to get to us.  We had hoped to get tickets for How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying starring Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliff) – both girls’ first choice – but sadly the play disappeared from the list within the first 15 minutes.  That left a few other choices, but after much argument and a couple of tears, we settled for the revival of Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster and Joel Grey.  This was our final choice which was due to the great seats available at that moment.  $69.50 pp a real deal.  We pocketed our tickets and set off towards 5th Avenue.  Mom was starting to have some difficulty with all the walking, and especially having to stand in line a while at the TKTS booth, so Helen stayed back with her to go slower and I walked ahead with the girls (to make sure they were safe- this was New York City after all).

3.)    Visit the American Girl Store:  Oh my, I still love dolls- especially ones with accessories and this was the mother of all doll accessory stores for sure.  So many cute things to see- I almost bought myself something, but then I remembered I was an adult (sigh).  Lacey felt the same, and it was even harder for her since childhood was not that far gone for her 20-year-old self.  But Noelle had brought her doll and was ready for action. Mom and I each bought her a new outfit for her doll, Brooklyn (appropriate name considering where we were, don’t ya think?)  Helen had made reservations for us to attend a “Tea Party” in the American Girl Restaurant on the 3rdfloor.  We made our way upstairs to find the restaurant.  The Maître D’ gave each girl a special chair that attached onto the table for their dolls (and Lacey was able to “borrow” a doll since she had none) and we headed into the pink & black themed room.  We all had napkin rings at our places that doubled as hot pink hair ties – very cute!  The tea itself was wonderful, with small sandwiches and pretty little dessert pastries.  We really enjoyed the whole thing and Noelle especially had a wonderful memory to take home with her.  We left, full and ready to walk off some of what we ate.

Lacey and Noelle

AMerican Girl Tea

America Girl Tea

Wall at Restaurant

4.)    Shop:  We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Store near where they film the Today show and did a little shopping, loving all the artsy, beautiful things the store had to offer.  Later we sat outside near the ice rink, and then Lacey and I headed for the NBC store to buy gifts for Lacey’s boyfriend, Elad, and Mark.  Lacey got Elad a souvenir from the show House, a little keychain with Hugh Laurie’s cane, and I bought Mark a Mad MoneyT-shirt (one of his favorite shows).  We joined Mom and Helen outside to show off what we had bought, and got ready to head for the theatre.  Mom needed a break from walking, so she and Helen took a cab to the theatre while Lacey, Noelle and I walked.  We all met up and decided to go use the facilities at a restaurant across from the theatre and kill some time before curtain.  We all got something to drink; Mom had a gin and tonic, which made her feel much better.

Show we picked

5.)    See a Show:  We entered the Stephen Sondheim Theatre and were shown to our seats, happily discovering that they were indeed wonderful seats.  They were in the last row of the small orchestra section, up on a platform along the back.  The view of the stage was great.  The curtain went up and the show began.  What a great show!  Everyone enjoyed it immensely, even the girls who had originally given us grief over our choice of show.  Fabulous- a perfect show for Noelle, being her first show on Broadway.  Mom bought her a t-shirt (choking a bit over the high price) so she could remember the experience.  Lacey loved it too and afterwards the girls waited by the stage door to get autographs of the actors on their playbills. 

We headed back to the car, happy with the day.  We didn’t realize how far we were from the parking garage and Mom had a hard time walking all the way.  We encouraged her and jeered her on and she did finally make it- thankful to sit down in the car.  It was late when we finally got to Danbury, after midnight and I still had an hour’s drive to get back to the Weed’s house in Stamford.  Still, it was worth it- New York City is a place like no other, truly a “wonderful town”.

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Soiree at the Wencek’s

Posted on July 19, 2011 by jacqui722

I have wonderful, loyal friends in Danbury…did I mention that?  They always make room for me in their lives when I come to visit, and boy do I miss them when I’m not there.  Sweet, dear friends- Helen, Janie, Stacey, Greg, Tommy and Kevin.  If I have any regrets, it’s leaving these people behind.  Whenever I visit, I always get a little teary-eyed…I wish I could keep them all close.  Our kids are all just as close and fast friends, despite the distance.

Greg and Stacey hosted a get together- Mom and I were able to enjoy the company of these great friends.  I miss them.

Tommy, Helen and Greg

Janie and Tommy

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Splendid Star Spangled 4th by the Seashore

Posted on July 18, 2011 by jacqui722

We were lucky enough to be invited  to celebrate with Cliff & Maryann’s extended family in the seaside town of Milford, CT.  On the way we stopped at Stew Leonard’s, the Disneyland of food stores, to pick up some goodies for the picnic by the sea.  Stew Leonard’s is another place I really miss- with its singing bananas, pop up figurines and really good fresh food. It was a staple store when I lived in CT, even Lacey remembered lots of details about it even though she hadn’t been in one for 10 years or so.

So we made our way through the crowds picking up whatever we fancied (especially stuff you couldn’t get in Florida) and had a fine time.  We piled back in the car with our treasures and set off for the beach house in Milford.  The homes were beautiful- some small, some large but mostly all were weathered gray and completely charming. Nothing like the ‘beach houses’ here in Florida!  Not a ‘Mediterranean theme’  to be found anywhere, which was very refreshing and just fine with me.  Lacey & Noelle loved the look of the town as well both wistfully wishing to live in a place like this.

We arrived at a small, impossibly crowded downtown area right at the seaside and Cliff squeezed his SUV into a narrow spot between the house, cars and bridged waterway.  We spilled out of the car, stretching our legs after the longish drive and headed along the walkway at the side yard of the building. The house itself looked like something out of a Charles Wysocki calendar- white with green stripes, windows agape and on the second floor facing the sea was a bedroom with a little porch and its door wide open to let the sea breezes blow through the house.

Weaving though the many adults and children roaming around we found some seats under the tree facing the water.  There was a canvas tent with tables filled with all sorts of food- chicken wings, salads, and side dishes brought by different family members to share pot luck style.  Beyond that was a pair of swings set in the sand and a volleyball net. Further on was the seashore and surrounding beaches  The water view was beautiful, with all kinds of dwellings on either side, some were big seaside mansions and some little cottages.

We helped ourselves to the wonderful array of food and settled into our seats, enjoying delicious food and interesting conversations with all the various family members attending. Cliff and Maryann’s daughter, Remi, walked around with a camera and took hundreds of great shots of all the kids and family.  She was quite a good photographer and captured lovely candid moments of just about everyone attending, us included.  So that’s how we spent most of the day- laughing, talking and enjoying the beautiful weather and waiting for the fireworks that were to happen at dusk.  When it started to get dark, we headed further down closer to the seaside to park our chairs and see what would happen next.

Now, these were not the professional, town-organized type of fireworks, but fireworks set off by the neighbors who lived up and down the beach.  It might as well have been professional, because they were absolutely beautiful!  They were right overhead, aimed towards the sea.  The neighbors in obvious competition, tried to outdo one another with each set.  All around us, up and down the beach were explosions of light, some far and some near.  It was wonderful!  Lacey tried to capture the nearness of the explosions with her video camera and got a few great shots of color exploding.

This is truly what a fireworks display should be like- on a beautiful night by the seashore, with good friends, good food and good memories to take home.

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It’s Been a Long, Long Time

Posted on July 18, 2011 by jacqui722

After settling in at our friend’s house, affectionately known as”” The Weeds”, it was time to enjoy our new surroundings for the next week or so.  “The Weeds” are good friends of my Mom and late Dad, and they easily transitioned  into being my friends as well, now that I am an adult.

It was time to put my plans into action and I was looking forward to a very enjoyable adventure.  Thanks to Facebook, I had the amazing luck to get back in touch with childhood friends- friends I had grown up with on Waterbury Avenue in Stamford.  These gals were my dearest friends until I moved away in 8th grade.  Still, so much of my childhood memories include them and I can still remember their birthdays and even their cousins, aunts and uncles.

We messaged each other on Facebook and made plans to meet at a local restaurant.  Now, I hadn’t see these girls in a good 32 years.  Talk about excitement…I brought Lacey along with me and we pulled into the parking lot.  The first people I saw were sisters Sara and Rosie.  After hugs and more hugs, I looked into the faces of these 2 women and instantly saw them as they were back then.  The same dear faces.  Tons of memories came flooding back, and I couldn’t wait to sit down and have a wonderful chat with them.  We entered the restaurant, which had just opened, and took our table the staff had prepared for us.  Shortly after, Cathy and Patricia, also sisters, came in to join us and more hugs and screams erupted.  As it turns out, even though the gals all live in the same state, they hadn’t see one another in quite some time, so we all were grateful for the reunion.

We talked for 3 and a half hours.  The waitress was so sweet, I had told her this was our first reunion in 32 years and no one cared that we had monopolized the table for all those hours.  There was so much to say, so much to catch up on and of course all the laughter as memories were shared around the table.  What a wonderful evening.

They were all Grandmas except me and Rosie (I got a late start with Lacey) and I couldn’t quite believe we were all in our early 50’s.  It seemed like yesterday that we were putting on shows for the local daycare next door to Sara and Rosie, going to summer camp at Courtland Park, singing songs and celebrating each other’s birthdays.  We remembered putting our money together at camp to go across the street to the small Italian deli and buying the very best sub sandwich in the world.  We agreed that we have never eaten a sub as delicious as the ones that came from that deli. We remembered the huge mulberry tree in Sara and Rosie’s back yard, and how we used to eat tons of the mulberries.  I can still remember how sweet and good they were.  We remembered playing in Cathy and Patricia’s house, the beautiful water views behind and how great our childhood together was.

Waterbury Avenue Reunion

Finally, it was getting late and we knew the evening had to end and even though  we didn’t want to say goodbye, it was time to go home.  We took a bunch of pictures, laughing, hugging and most definitely making plans to do this again.  I love those girls- in my mind I see us all as children, happy children who enjoyed a happy childhood together that we will never forget.

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Something about the water…

Posted on July 15, 2011 by jacqui722

Connecticut! Land where I was born and home to some of my dearest friends. There’s never enough time to visit and the time is bittersweet. The novelty of living in Florida for 10 years has definitely worn off and boy do the hills of CT look wonderful. Of course it’s easy to say this because it’s mid summer…I haven’t experienced cold or snow in a long time and it would probably take some getting used to again.  One of the things I miss the most is being able to have a beautiful vegetable garden.  the heat in Florida makes it hard to produce good produce.  I miss having the summers off to dig and enjoy my yearly organic vegetable garden.

I also miss my dear friends, and although I have plenty of friends here in Florida, they’re just not the same as the ones I have in CT…the people I grew up into adulthood with, whom I  laughed and cried over life with.  Even though I have fought the battle with Breast Cancer and a life threatening operation here in Florida, I still feel like I’ve shared most of my life’s journey with these old friends.

But on with the blog…I reluctantly left the Amish Country with Mom, my niece and daughter and headed for CT.  Of course, we got stuck in the traffic of New York’s 95, fighting our way over the George Washington Bridge and outskirts of Westchester County, protesting against  the thievery of New York toll booths and the dangerous driving habits of the crazy residents.  Of course, right around Greenwich and Cos Cob everyone decided they had to go to the bathroom (moi included) and not able to hold it a moment more and so after a few bungled attempts getting on and off exits and driving around the incredibly curvy streets that were so different from the wide avenues of Florida, we desperately pulled up outside a somewhat-promising looking bar & grill near Bruce Park.  Mom ( in an effort to protect everyone from evil) asked a delivery guy exiting the bar and grill “if this would be OK for us”.  The guy enthusiastically told us this was a great place with good bar food and we would love it.  So we went for it, and really, we couldn’t hold it a moment longer!  We parked precariously on the narrow, hilly, foreign street in front  and took our chances.

It was just a little hole in the wall, dark paneled and equipped with old fashioned New-Yorkish wood booths, but we were starving and ready for anything.  A few patrons sat at the wooden, worn bar enjoying the baseball game on this quiet late afternoon.  After looking over the small menu,  we all decided on personal pizzas (and the adults, beer) made use of the facilities and settled in for an early dinner.  Well, Mom and I had forgotten just how GOOD New York pizza is…the water and all…and we all thoroughly enjoyed every single bite of that wonderful pizza and would continue to remark on it from time to time throughout the vacation. Manna in the wilderness for sure.

Satisfied, we paid the bill and piled into the car for the last 20 minutes or so of the trip and rolled into Stamford, CT at exit 9 off of 95.  We had arrived at our next destination and were ready to continue the adventure. I wish I had gotten a picture or two of the place, aptly named “Bruce Park Grill”  but my mind was on other matters at the time.  I did manage to find a few on the web, so I’ll share them with you.

Oh, and I’m STILL remembering how gosh darned good that pizza was.

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In love with the PA Amish Country

Posted on July 15, 2011 by jacqui722

To someone who has lived in Florida the better part of 10 years, the rolling hills and farmlands of the Lancaster area of PA are to die for.  After an exhausting 13-hour drive from Palm Coast, FL  to Virginia, we fell into bed at the Thornburg Holiday Inn Express and slept like the dead.  The long drive was worth it because we only had a relativity short 3-hour drive to PA the next morning.  The girls marveled at the changing scenery as we approached Bird in Hand.  Noelle, born in Florida, and Lacey who has lived there almost half her life, were able to appreciate the beauty of the hills and quaint farm houses.

Our hotel (motel is a better word for this type of place) was called The Orchard Inn.  We loved it.  Located away from the tourist area on top of a hill and surrounded by apple orchards, it seemed a perfect place to drop everything and relax. Our room, though not new, was clean and comfortable.  We checked into the Orchard Inn with help from a 20-something Amish girl who was working the desk- very friendly and helpful and the girls got their first taste of a world  totally different from their own.

Outside, there was a circular drive skimming the dozen or so rooms of the one-story hotel and the front lawn along the drive boasted borders of beautiful flowers and plants that I hadn’t seen in years.  Two wrought iron tables with chairs were placed among the plantings on a stone patio.  The perfect place to sit and enjoy the beautiful view, which we did!

Across the street was a 2 story house, with amazing grounds.  There were 2 gardens, one filled with vegetables and herbs and the other a cutting garden of  amazing flowers.  To the right was a fenced-in field with 2 beautiful horses grazing in the grass.  To the left was a  dirt path, like a narrow road that led down the mountain flanked with corn fields on each side.  The dirt path was irresistible, and the girls and I set off on foot to explore where it lead.  We followed it past the house and got a good view of it’s backyard.  There was a shed built to look like a cottage, with a patch of flowers and tall plantings.  Set in the middle of the patch was an old, antique bicycle-built-for-two as a decoration.  Lovely!

Further down the path we came upon the most wonderful, magical place- there was a tall tree making a canopy over the path, with an old fashioned tire swing.  Above a small tree house was nestled in the branches complete with little wooden rungs nailed to the tree to get up there.  This was definitely some child’s little piece of heaven…we resisted the urge to climb up  and check out the tree house.  I can only imagine the view from up there overlooking the surrounding crops of corn. It was getting dark so we headed back to the motel to sit outside with some of the other guests and enjoy the summer evening.  All of a sudden the grass began twinkling and out came the fireflies, almost on cue.  Noelle had never seen a firefly and it had been years since Lacey had, so they were both entranced with the flickering lights.  The fireflies twinkled all around us and above the corn fields for miles…a beautiful sight.

The next morning I got up early to get some coffee and free breakfast from the lobby area.  What a breakfast it was- home baked Amish bread with Amish butter and the best peach yogurt I have ever tasted.  I asked about it and the girl told me it came from the Amish farm store down the road a piece.  I gathered my coffee and delicious breakfast treats and parked myself outside at the table in the garden.  I had my kindle with me and just relaxed and read while I enjoyed my breakfast. Every so often, the clip-clop sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance and along would come a buggie driven by an Amish teenager. After a while, Mom and the girls awoke and joined me with their breakfasts at the table.  We all admired the view and really felt like we were in heaven!  I can assure you this became my daily routine for the whole time we were there.

We spent the next couple of days shopping in the old-fashioned stores, driving around the farmland and enjoying our little spot of paradise outside the hotel.  The girls bought  books from the local bookshop to read about the fascinating lives of the Amish girls their age. They also bought sketch books and colored pencils to try and capture the beauty of the land around them, sitting outside at our favorite spot at the table.  It was like going back in time.

I have to say,  one of my favorite things was the farm fresh tomatoes I bought…Florida tomatoes do NOT taste anything like the ones I had in Bird in Hand. I was very sad to leave- I tried to talk everyone into staying an extra day….but I was out-voted.  Sadly. I can’t wait to go back. Maybe in the Fall… I loved the place and could see myself  living there, living simply…just LIVING and enjoying God’s beautiful land.

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