A Day In The Life Of ME!

The Day, January 17, 2015

Today I woke to the darkness of the morning after a restless night of tossing and turning yet again.

It was still silent about the house as if the midnight hour was still upon us.

At 6am It was necessary to wash sheets and blankets while others were still sleeping comfy in their beds

It was time to set up the coffee for the man of the house so he could prepare to take our son off to work.

In his absence I swept the house as the cats chased me all about as if catnip was the reward for the one who catches me first.

After which a nice warm shower was calling my name. I gladly answered the call and enjoyed every drop of warmer than warm water against my skin.

I captured fifteen minutes of the news of the day and as always found what I heard to be disappointing.

Violence and ignorance ring through. But one good deed from ‘Bob’ Grownkowski as he delivers a much-needed sofa to a single mom lights up the room.

I decide it’s time for some exercise and head straight for the living room for a visit with my WiiFit.

So today I decide to spend 30 minutes on a step stepping exercise while listening to Bob Kingsley’s Top 40 Countdown on WKLB taking 2776 steps in 30 minutes and burning 166 calories, followed by an array of other exercises totaling 344 calories burned in the span of 43 minutes. Telling myself that I know I could burn more faster if I would just go running, but that’s just not going to happen.

With exercise behind me I could eat my breakfast but with each bite I found myself wondering if me and my Wii fit need to meet up again once I finish. I think better of it and relax a bit to watch the last episode of Top Chef.which amazes me. The contestants working together with a family member some with little to no experience and others with a wealth of experience. Amazingly, they all pull off something quite delicious and a surprised to even most of them. One faltered slightly and the sibling performs better than he, but all works out in the end as no one had to go home. I relax checking notifications on Facebook only to find a comment to my disliking in response to a posting from CBS News on a Maryland Couple practicing “Free-Range Parenting” that are under investigation for neglect. I get a couple of not so agreeable replies to my comment and I could care a less. I state my feelings and move on.

I decide more cleaning is in store so I run through the house making beds, clearing the table, washing dishes and doing laundry until I find myself here talking to you about my day.

It’s now to move on to other things to do. Blogging, blogging and blogging.  Stay tuned for more…

The Day, January 19, 2015

Well up and at I yell to myself knowing that I have to get my son up and out to work for the day. It’s hard to tear myself away from my iPad. I was enjoying the overnight news and still basking in the joy that the New England Patriots won their 8th AFC Championship in a row and are once again get to try their hand at winning the Superbowl.  I always have every faith in them. Any way, my Facebook friends and family have many things to share. Some good and some bad but nothing that I wouldn’t want to know, somethings I just don’t want to see, but you have to take the good with the bad in everything.

So as the morning starts to bring a bit more light in the day. My son is off to work, thanks to my husband for being his chauffeur (thank you honey). I set up breakfast for the girls, sweep the house, do some laundry and jump back on the bed and watch news with my hubby. I’m amazed to hear that the day will bring us temperatures in the 40s. That’s odd for this time of year. But happy to see that the sun will grace us with its presence, which of course is always more than welcome. After I’ve had my 20 minute fill, it’s time for my morning workout. Today I did 3,914 steps on the WiiFit Basic Step game and then did a separate aerobic workout lasting 20 minutes for a total of a 1 hour workout.  My body was surely crying when it was over.  I enjoyed a bagel with my husband while we watching last nights episode of resurrection on the DVR. I so love the show despite how predictable it is. As soon as it was over it was time to jump in the shower and rid myself of the film that covered me from head to toe. As always, the feel of the hot water against my skin was a welcoming feeling.

Once dressed and making sure everyone else showered. There were more chores to be done before going off to Walgreen’s for wrapping paper and cards for yet another birthday celebration coming up next week. There’s nothing wrong with being ahead of things. I wonder if anyone ever thinks about how much time and effort it really takes to keep a 7 room home clean and functioning and being sure that everyone living in that home has all that they need and are doing everything they need to be doing. It definitely takes a great deal of time and effort. I’m happy to do it though. It’s a lot of fun, but often emotionally draining, but the rewards are great.

Noon time comes and goes and I can now sit down and do my writing for the day. Thanks for stopping by for a moment with “A Day In The Life Of Me! To be continued…

The Day, January 20, 2017

I start my day off the same way every day. I set my goals a little higher than the day before, hoping for better things all the time. Today slightly different being Tuesday and the day that the milkman comes to make his weekly delivery. It’s nice to get farm fresh items when you can.

Today a stomach bug decided to visit my 14-year-old twin daughters so they get an extra day off from school. The 12-year-old was slightly off, but no fever, or anything that was able to keep her home for the day so she went on her way. It’s morning as usual from then on. But chose to do better on today’s exercises and beat yesterday’s step count of 3,914 and therefore finishing at 5,507 steps.  I have to thank HBO and Boardwalk Empire, Season 5, Episode 1, for distracting me while I burned my calories. It’s definitely helpful to have something to take your mind off whatever pain you might be feeling. As per Jane Fonda: “No pain, no gain.”

After completing some morning chores, ready to begin blogging a tad bit earlier today, I stick my head out the front door for a breath of fresh air before taking a seat at the computer. I notice the neighbors dog getting her regular door-to-door shampoo and trim when suddenly overhead helicopters begin to hover overhead.  Two minutes after sitting at my desk, I get a flash report from CBS news and the ABC news that there has been a shooting at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.This hospital mind you is literally a 10 minute walk from my house if that. Thoughts race through m mind praying that it is no one I know. Then I pray that it has nothing to do with a terrorist act. Then I realize that it is a contained situation despite the fact that a victim lies with life threatening injuries and the shooter chose to commit suicide. My heart goes back to normal, but the helicopters remain. My heart goes out to the families, victims and all else involved in this situation. This was truly a senseless incident.

This incident is part of the constant reminder that violence doesn’t stop, Violence finds a home anywhere. You just hope and fray that it doesn’t find you or anyone you care about. We all must remain vigilant and aware of our surroundings, behave appropriately and make rational and sound decisions, thinking before we act on every situation.

I take a break and bag some food for my eldest daughter for a parents job is never done. Times are hard and we must all find a way to help take care of our own.

My hope for the rest of the day is that nothing else tragic occurs and that everyone kind peace within themselves to move forward in a healthy way.

…and the writing continues another day.

The Day, January 21, 2017

This morning I was sad to hear that Dr. Michael Davidson died yesterday at the hands of Stephen Pasceri, of Millbury because his mother, Marguerite Pasceri, died after Dr. Davidson had performed surgery on her. A childs love of a parent, especially a mother, can be as strong as an individual’s will to live. When you take that away from someone they often lose the will to go on, feeling as though they are invisible.  Their reality is obviously tainted as was  that of Stephen Pasceri. So when I sit down to dinner tonight I will again pray for both families and will hope that everyone can move past this traumatic incident without further loss. Life does go on for those who want to live it.

I start grateful that my twins made it to school today and we actually got all three girls out of the house early and quite happy. It’s the small things in life that actually matter. As I continue my morning chores, I think about the fact that people don’t seem to truly realize the value of their lives as well as the lives of others. It deeply saddens me that only in times of tragedy or in a convenient PR move or moment that they reach out to those suffering or in need of companionship. I further started to wonder why people need to be dying, or rich to meet someone they admire or look up to. I know some may think why is she spending her time thinking about such things? I do because it matters to me. Really, things that make others happy matter to me. I tell my own kids every day not to “waste time fighting about things that don’t matter or that you know won’t change, that life is short and the way they are behaving at the moment isn’t the way they are going to want to be remembered.” I always tell them that “they should put all their energy into being the best they can be as themselves and whether others like it or not, they will find themselves happy with what they have done. You can’t make yourself happy based on the desires of others.”

Chores are out-of-the-way for the time and I go onto exercise. 6,100 steps, thanks again to HBO and Boardwalk Empire, Season 5, Episode 2 this time. It’s truly amazing how the pain goes unnoticed when you don’t have to focus on it. I tell my children to focus on the happiest memory they can when they know they have to endure pain. It truly helps. I truly believe that people would be so much happier if they didn’t center their lives around the fact that they are in pain. No one can live like that. There is no fulfillment in that at all.

I finally remember to schedule a couple of much-needed appointments. I have a terrible habit of putting things of my own personal needs on hold because I’m obviously a caretaker to everyone else, leaving myself by the wayside. It’s my New Year’s resolution to try to do a better job of taking care of me, which is why I’m making a concerted effort to exercise more. I might be being a little hard on myself as I did just have knee surgery less than two months ago, and the injury was what kept me from exercising. However in my mind, that is no excuse and I have always lived off of the premise that there is no gain without a little pain. It’s hard to release yourself from childhood memories meant to guide you through life. What’s important, is that I’m on track now. I just hope that I can keep up the good work. I’m definitely motivated, that’s for sure.

Well, it’s time to prepare for a meeting, after which I can get to writing for another day. Until we meet again…Thanks for stopping by.

The Day, January 22, 2015

Another great morning of synchronicity with the girls. Everything worked like a well oiled machine without much prompting I might add. Thank goodness because with a lack of sleep its hard to put exuberant amounts of energy into things that occur first thing in the morning.

Yesterday afternoon I spent an hour advocating for my youngest at school. It turns out that despite her having ADHD and PTSD she doesn’t qualify for an IEP because she is sound in her academic executive functioning abilities. However, she does have problems with processing and reasoning abilities as well as frontal lobe issues. Self avocation is her biggest problem. My problem is that it seems that schools don’t function as they did when I was an elementary school student. Teachers always visually scanned a room to see if students were actively working and if it appeared that a student was struggling, the teacher would figure out what help might be needed. Today, a child shouldn’t have to do everything for themselves when it is obvious they have issues. A child can fail and the teacher has no problem not communicating with the parent to let them know that their 12-year-old is struggling and blaming the child for not getting things done. I understand that teachers have so many more students than they use to. But they do have help. The have student teachers and other valuable resources for helping the students. Today, teachers are winning awards, despite the fact that they are leaving students behind that don’t fit into the profile of a student that they prefer to work with. When a student is self-sufficient and can advocate for themselves, there are no problems.  The child who can’t self advocate is basically punished and cast aside. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to bother teachers when a child slips through the crack because they too have their own lives and there is only so much they appear to be able to handle. So what about my child, what am I to do. I can only act as her “frontal lobe” while she is at home. I can’t be there while she is at school. I can only do my best. I thank goodness that my daughter is comfortable talking to me. I will keep pushing on.

I took a day off from exercise as I enjoyed spending the day with one of my older daughters who is on vacation from work.  We spoke about many things. She enlightened me about how to find great free books on iBooks.  I love reading a good book.

The twins are home from school after a tough day but were pretty upbeat.  The younger twin has battled a horrific ear trauma that we are still trying to get properly diagnosed. Unfortunately, she is miserable.  I did the best to comfort her and reminded her that her MRI is coming up soon and we will hopefully have resolve soon.

Our youngest returns home after a difficult day with more homework yet to finish. After a brief check-in, she’s determined to get everything done. I’m proud of her willingness to push forward with the best spirit she can offer.

Just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 23, 2015

The house was subdued throughout the afternoon and evening yesterday, despite the fact that our younger twin remains ill from her horrendously painful ear trauma. I hate having to sit by waiting for an MRI giving her ear drops and pain medicine. I wish I was magical and could relieve her pain with just my touch.

I felt so alone during the night as everyone else was able to sleep and I sat listening to the sounds of the night wondering how many others sit up in their beds just like me. The hours quickly melted away and I experience another great morning of synchronicity with the girls. Maybe it was knowing that it’s Friday and they have the weekend to look forward to. Time to do as one likes is everything, especially when you are young at heart.

It felt great to get back to exercising today. Boy what a difference a day really makes.  You wouldn’t think that your body would make you pay as much as it does for missing 24 hours without exercise, but I noticed it. I’m sure it’s because I need more time to whip my body back into shape. I’m on my way and I will keep moving forward no matter the pain. I put 5,543 steps behind me topped off by 15 minutes of yoga, I hope my body is happy. 

On my mind today continues to be the “deflation” issue that the New England Patriots are suffering through. This entire situation is just ridiculous. I’m certain that everyone knows that the Patriots don’t need to deflate footballs to win the AFC Championship. This was certainly not their first attempt to get there and I’m certain it won’t be their last. I just wonder why the Indianapolis Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson, didn’t initially state that he didn’t notice any difference in the ball he intercepted during last weeks game with the Patriots. Why hold on to that statement for later? I hope that in the end it turns out to be the cold weather that deflated the balls and that neither team had anything to do with the “deflation” of the Patriots footballs.  Let the Patriots enjoy their success and move forward with the task at hand, preparing to play against the Seattle Seahawks in the upcoming match-up.

Writing seemed to go with such ease today. It’s easier when you have the story(ies) all stored neatly in your head. It’s just a matter of organizing your thoughts and committing to transferring the information onto the computer.

Moving on. I plan to spend tomorrow rearranging the room that my husband and I share so I’ve spent hours visualizing what makes the most sense. This will be a massive project. The things I get myself into. Unfortunately, I don’t every seem to be happy unless I’m changing something around at home or in my writing. This is what makes me happy outside of cooking good food. Speaking of which, my daughter asked me to make chocolate chip cookies two nights in a row including last night, so I did. Whatever I can do to make someone else happy, especially my family, I will do.

Life is good. Even when we don’t get all that we hope for.  I wish better luck next time to my 14-year-old daughter (the older twin) who is the time-keeper for the Freshman girls basketball team at Brookline High School, and the rest of the team. BHS lost today’s game by 3 points to Dedham High School with a final score of 27 (Dedham) 24 (BHS)..

Just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 24, 2015

Enjoyed watching American Idol missed episodes with the girls last night.  There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done and of course TV isn’t on the list of priorities. Thank Goodness for the good old DVR so you can record it and watch it later so life doesn’t pass you by. It’s amazing how talented some people are, but then there are others that enjoy just being themselves despite knowing that singing is the last thing they should be attempting to do. I’m glad that so many people are comfortable in their own skin. Once we finished the girls went to settle in their beds for the night.

My husband is so lucky he’s able to sleep as soon as his head hits the pillow while I sit awake during the night. Last night I heard the wind howling through the night as the snow was on the way. I was happy to catch just over an hour of sleep. Upon waking I found the back yard full of shiny glistening snow. I knew the girls would be happier than happy upon waking.

For the next couple of hours, I surfed the web reading up on mental illness and searching for new cooking ideas.  I love to cook and I find myself anxious to attempt some of the new techniques I’ve seen while watching Top Chef Boston. It’s amazing what you can do to food. It makes me wish I had a house with a floor dedicated just to cooking. I’m now inspired to take on many new challenges in the kitchen.

Everyone wakes in a good mood and the girls do in fact scream with delight as they view the snow through my bedroom window. I’ve never seen them eat their breakfast so quickly just so they could make their way outside to enjoy the snow.

After recording the outdoor fun it was time for me to take on the task of changing my room around.  This was all so I could get my desk out of the cold draft of the window.  It’s no fun writing with a cool breeze slowly leaking in on you the entire time.  I get so cold sometimes it causes me to nod off.  It took me 4 and 1/2 hours to get the job done, mostly due to all the electronics that I had to move and rewire. Once it was all done, you would never know it had been any different.

I was able to go on and do some writing in a comfortable new spot in the room. We just enjoyed a nice dinner. Sitting down together with music and conversation is quite comforting. There is nothing better than hearing laughter from your child. We are all going to gather shortly to finish watching American Idol, but of course, I will still be on the computer, doing what I do, but enjoying time with some of those that I love most. It’s just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 25, 2015

Sunday’s bring a certain kind of light to the day for me. Despite my lack of sleep, I always have a feeling of enlightenment, as well as a true appreciation for being a surviving and grateful member of this place we call our home. I guess you could say that I have a sense of spirituality. Last Sunday I was feeling so spiritual that I ordered myself a ring with the lords prayer. Is that strange? I’m not sure, but it makes me feel better.

It was another talkative time at the breakfast table with the hubby and the girls.  Laughter early in the morning is the best medicine for anything that ails you that’s for sure. There is a lot to get done today.  The girls have a ton of homework to do with midterms coming up this week. I’m not too sure how all that will work out with the impending storms heading our way. I can certainly see them as well as the scheduled basketball games being rescheduled due to inclement weather.This is reminiscent of the Blizzard of 78. I was in high school at the time and remember walking in the street single file to school because the snow remained on the sidewalks because there was no place to put it. The stores where pretty barren because no vehicles could get in to deliver anything.  So the chore of the day is to make sure to get extra food in the house in the event that the storm does actually occur. We must be ready for all events even those that may be less desired.

First the morning workout as yesterdays room rearranging took the place of my workout.  So I was able to pull out 5812 steps out in 15 minutes less than my usual time with no pain whatsoever, that was truly a great feeling. There is definitely something to be said for continued regular exercise. Now it’s time for chores.  Sunday is meant to be family day, but it has turned into a catch up chore day, but eat every meal together day. I guess it should matter how you spend the time it matters who you spend it with and long as you are talking and happy then all else is ok.

This storm is really rattling our news stations. I can’t tell you how many alerts I’ve gotten even for NYC. I’m not sure what that’s all about since I don’t live there. But I guess it is better to know more than less about what’s going on and where. The stores continue to be full of people in fear of having nothing in their homes in the event that the storms comes.  I’m sure we will be getting more items tomorrow.

I was able to squeeze in a couple of hours writing. Thankfully it still flows pretty easily now despite all the other chaos in my life and household now. I try to minimize what I say so as not to offend anyone who doesn’t want to see their name in print. It’s just as hard to keep your family and friends happy as it is to keep the world happy. But I put on a smile and just “Do It” like Nike says.

It’s almost time for the Screen Actors Guild Awards I will have the winners on my blog later tonight so be sure to visit me later on poetsareangels.com for the updates.

All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 27, 2015

I missed you yesterday but sometimes even life gets in the way. There is a lot to do when you are preparing to be snowbound for at least 48 hours. There are a lot of provisions that you need and people you need to check on. I was happy to still fit in my morning workout including another 5,582 steps on the WiiFit followed by Yoga. All anyone could and would talk about is snow, snow and more snow. The oldest twin is still upset that her midterm schedule has been upset and that the start of the new quarter will begin two days later.

Yesterday, I kept saying that I didn’t believe that we would get what the by the predicted amount of snow due to the feel in the air. The temperature feels slightly warmer than what it has been in the past when we have had higher amounts of snow. At about 6:30am the snow accumulation looked like this 

A couple of more hours passed and it was somewhat worse.  Thankfully, it’s nice and soft with the exception for the icy snow the snow plow tosses back at you. It’s been somewhat annoying to have to shovel the fire hydrant in front of our house 6 times already. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. I’m just grateful that the town is actually good about plowing our street. I know some streets in Medford often unattended to for hours even more than 24 hours, which I don’t like knowing that My mother-in-law, and sister-in-law live there and two out of the three are diabetics. This is not good in an emergency! Every street matters.

Please keep in mind that the snow ban is still in effect for most, while having been lifted for some. For those of you driving, please drive safely!

In the midst of all the snow, I learned about the death of a wonderful, warmhearted, skilled man known as Sidewalk Sam  It’s devastating when anyone dies, but hurts slightly more when it is someone with such talent and with such kindness of heart wanting only to make others happy. I’m hopeful that he along with all those loving friends and family members that he now leaves behind can find peace and comfort as he journeys on in his new home in the heavens.

Onward with the day, stay safe, be helpful, and stay smart!

All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 28, 2015

Today, 25 years ago, I was fortunate enough to give birth to my second child (Alicia). She is a beauty and I am more than proud to call her my own. She was born at 3:15 on super bowl Sunday in Laconia NH. She came with is on a cold winters day. I remember hearing women screaming from room to room not understanding why. My Alicia knocked when she was ready to come out gave a couple of kicks and I basically pushed her out with no screaming. It was a breeze. I was relieved and quite happy and proud all at once. 25 years of an amazing mind brewing, I can’t wait to see what she brings to share with us in the future. Happy Birthday my Alicia!

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Believe it or not overnight more snow fell and I spend yet another hour and 45 minutes outside shoveling. It was surprising to me that I didn’t even notice that, that much time had even gone by. Before I knew it, the milk man (Thatcher Farms at ThatcherFarms.com) had made the days deliver. They are amazing, can’t believe they still made it in this weather. They are definitely a life saver and cheerful while being so. Our youngest, pictured below on the left in pink snow-pants and purple coat, along with her friend Josephine and Hannah not pictured helped her grandfather shoveling snow for the second day in a row and fit in some sledding as well. The girls are actually pictured standing on our bench that we had to bury in the snow while shoveling. They enjoyed every minute of the day. We had to bribe Lea home, she just wanted to savor every moment of the days as if she would wake and the snow would somehow be gone (there is no chance of that happening any time soon.

All around the day was a grand success with one more birthday celebration down. Next up are the twins (3/9) and then the youngest (3/30). It feels like there is always something celebrate. I would have to say that is true. Because each day that we live is a celebration in itself.

All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, January 29, 2015

Before bed last night, I reminded my husband that the storm pushed our trash/recycling day to Thursday from Tuesday. So we had the unfortunate task of dragging 3 recycling bins and 5 full trash barrels over mountains of snow. Thank goodness I was able to clear a good amount of space while shoveling over the last two days so that we actually had space for the receptacles.

Life, life, life is crazy! After two snow days, it isn’t easy getting a 12-year-old, twin 14-year-olds and a 21-year-old out of the house and back to business as usual. Eventually we all pulled it together and got where we needed to go. It remains that somehow it felt even worse than a Manic Monday. Everyone forgot that the road was for all drivers and not for a select few. After the trauma of the drive to the high school, I settled in for my meeting with the CBC program team for my Autistic daughters IEP meeting.  I’m so very proud of her successes to date. She has come so far since graduating from 8th grade. What I love about a high school IEP is that the student is able to take part in he IEP process so that they are in tune with their educational process. My daughter presented an overall slide show of her work to-date and her five-year plan. Despite her shyness, our Jasmine was articulate, as well as accurate and spot on with what we all hoped for her and the direction that she needs to be going in.  This has been one of the few times I actually enjoyed attended an IEP meeting. It’s also nice to be able to hear what the team has to say about my child then offering me the opportunity to speak. Whereas in elementary school you have to speak upfront and then listen to the teams responses. I prefer having the ability to add onto what has already been said or changing what I didn’t like hearing. I can plan as I listen, and not listen while I plan, if you understand what I’m trying to say.

Our Ariana (Jasmine’s twin) worked through both her mid terms. The first one was a breeze, the second one was a little hard, but she did it.  Sometimes she overthinks, but ends up with the result she hopes for. You can’t ask for more than that. Two exams down, one more on Friday and one more on Monday as long as the weather doesn’t mess things up again.

I enjoyed catching up on some articles I’ve wanted to read online. It’s important to keep a full mind of knowledge. You can never know too much. The more you read, the more you write and the more you write with ease.

I look forward to spending some quiet time tonight. I need a mental break from pressure inducing situations in the game called

All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, February 1, 2015

These last few days have been crazy. So much to do all the time that I often wish I had a double on my side. Self care and family maintenance is a job in itself. Then when you add what you do on a daily basis you have to pick what you think is more important that day hoping that the choices you make are the right ones.

Do you ever wake up and look around the house and decide that everything needs to be different? Well that has been me these last few days for me, so I’ve added unnecessary stress to my pre-existing amount of stress. When I have a lot on my mind or I’m writing stories in my head before I transfer them onto paper, I decide that nothing is right the way that it is so I have to change things around.  After changing my room around earlier in the week, I’ve decided that I must keep continue change things and even now as I type, I’m thinking of what colors to paint the walls throughout the house. It amazes me how I can keep all the thoughts compartmentalized in my brown so that they don’t conflict with any other thoughts going on at the time. How convenient for me.

But I find myself today angry about a couple of things I read online. The first being the piece I read about Comments made by Stacey Dash who is an actress turned Fox News Contributor.She spoke to the recent issues of college frat parties and rape. Her comments upset me and a number of viewers as well. But she was not the only one saying things that shouldn’t have been said. While many may feel “sorry” for college men because all the protections are made for women, the fact is that no man should decide that the right time to try to make a move on a female young or old, is when they are inebriated. As for a female being able to handle her alcohol, sometimes we start thinking that we can handle things that end up being bigger than we thought they would be. In the end, when it turns out that we can’t handle them, the situation should not then become an open invitation for bad things to happen. There are no excuses for anyone to take things that they know really shouldn’t be taken. All college students should be able to attend parties. Females have just as much of a right to have a good time as men do.

The second story is that has me even madder is that of the a 3-year-old Albuquerque boy who found his mother’s gun and wounded both his parents with a single shot. I need someone to explain to me just how the scenario of a young child gaining access to a gun and accidentally shooting someone can continuously happen? There should never be any type of deadly weapon around any child especially not a gun. I’m so grateful that the child will not have the real trauma of knowing that he killed his parents. However, someday, he will know that he did shoot them. This won’t set well. This is an unnecessary trauma for this child to have experienced.

Enough negativity for one day. In an effort to cheer myself up, I searched YouTube for Super Bowl commercials and just had to share them with everyone so they could laugh the same way I did. Let me tell you, it takes a lot to get me to laugh, it was worth the energy and the pain from both laughing and being close to tears. Now I’m close to tears of excitement because our New England Patriots came out on top as the winners! Now everyone can make it home safely before the snow starts falling.

On a happy note, I’m so happy to share some of my daughters cartoon art work.

  

  

Proud of the talents of my 14-year-old.

The Day, February 3, 2015

Snow has consumed my life as of late. Because of snow I am now sick from what I believe to be Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Unfortunately, a car was running while I was shoveling in front of my house and because it was so cold out when it was hard to keep my mouth closed all the time. needless to say, I was breathing in the polluted air. Then the wind picked up and it was even harder to breathe due to the windiness.Thankfully, I was able to push through and finish the shoveling. But through the night I was suffering and was and continue to be nauseous, light-headed and unsteady on my feet. The bed has been my friend for a larger part of the day, but of course without sleeping. At this moment I’m neither fond of cars or snow.

The kids made it through their 4th snow day for the year (two days for each storm). Drawing, baking, shoveling, sledding and playing board games and a random movie here and there. I know a lot of other towns have missed a lot more days of school than we have. They still have one more final to go and a final day of the quarter before the new quarter starts on Friday. We are truly grateful that it wasn’t worse. The roads are still a mess. I’m not normally a complainer, but I must say that there definitely needs to be a rule that during snow season no one gets to park on a residential street. Even on a two-way street, there is only enough space for a single car to get by. If someone parks on either or both sides then people can’t pass and they are left to honk their horn until someone comes out to move their car. Then we need to figure out where the snow can be dumped because the plows keep making random snowbanks at the end of people’s driveways then no one can get out of or into them. Fire hydrants dug out by residents get plowed over time and time again. Plowed snow is extremely heavy and harder to move once frozen. We need to have a better system in place. We’ve had more than our fair share of snow and obviously don’t have enough room for it all. But it’s here and we have to deal with and not by dumping it on each other.

Better days are on the horizon, when I’m not sure, but I know they are coming.

For now, I’m going to take it easy  and do what I can.  All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, February 4, 2015

It’s nice to feel a little bit more like myself. I know I’m feeling better when I get back into cleaning too much. It’s funny, I clean so much that I end up being tired before anyone else even wakes up in the morning. On with the stories of today.

This morning I was shocked when we were piling the girls into the car for school and some insane driver found it necessary to speed down our narrow street filled with snow. The reality is that no one should really be parking on the street. It is a two-way street, but due to all the snow a single car can barely pass. If you add a car on either side its like a mouse trying to find its way out of a difficult maze. Well this “crazy” driver was coming so fast and didn’t even bother to slow down, clipped our drivers side mirror that was only recently replaced after an MBTA bus tore it off. The only good thing is he just clipped it and it didn’t break. Thank goodness the girls got in on the other side or it would not have been a good ending. I will say it again, all on street parking should be banned in residential areas when there is snow on the ground. I don’t want it to be too late and someone dies because of some crazy driver who doesn’t even live in the area.

Despite the scary start to the day, the day was a success as always. The Twins mid-terms were finally completed today in spite of the snow delays. Our youngest has a big social studies project due tomorrow. She’s still putting finishing touches on it. With the night coming to a close, my mind settles on the thought of the Patriots celebratory parade and just how proud we all are to have such an amazing team of athletes working hard for us. I wish I could have been one of the many lucky people to have been there to take part in the celebration. But I did enjoy watching the many videos and clips on the news.

I think about just how lucky we are to live in a place so full of diversity and opportunity to fulfill ones dreams. We have some of the best doctors, amazing scientist, and some outstanding teachers. But most of all, just when we need it, there is a phenomenal sense of community when tragedy strikes. Believe it or not, the sense of community is actually a permanent fixture. This is why we are “Boston Strong.” All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, February 5, 2015

Oh what A day it has been. The morning was as crazy as ever. It saddened me to hear about the train crashing into the SUV stuck on the track and then the Shooting in Bourne involving 3 Coast Guards. I was happy to have a reason to stop watching the news having to make four lunches and making sure that Lea put the finishing touches on her Social Studies project for her presentation first period this morning. I was so proud of her for how hard she worked. Everyone made it to school time despite the craziness on the road.  It’s still beyond me how people have the nerve to be speeding on the streets when it is obvious just how dangerous it is. Not only that, kids are walking in the streets because they can’t get onto the sidewalks. What was nice is the town overnight did manage to widen some of the streets, but still didn’t open the sidewalks from the streets making it so that people are still left to walk in the streets. There are signs on our street asking that no one park on the streets due to scheduled snow removal. Unfortunately it has not yet been done. Hopefully it will occur overnight. We shall see.

I rushed to get household chores done before having to drop my son off at work only to pick up Jasmine from High School to take her for her MRI. Seth arrived to work early (sorry Seth) and we made it early to Jasmine’s appointment. Getting there wasn’t that bad either. For the first time the valet service was quite timely. Thank you, Valet! As for Jasmine, here MRI was negative. I’m glad about that, but it doesn’t help with the problem. So the Dr. is diagnosing her problem as Tympanic Membrane Neuralgia. The Dr. says she has quite a number of patients who suffers from that and it is not as uncommon as one might think. It’s good to know that we are not alone, but it doesn’t really bring me nor Jasmine comfort. We will follow the regimen suggested for the next 3 weeks touch base with the Dr. and let her know how Jasmine is doing. Meanwhile Jasmine is in agony and blaming herself for her condition. To think this all started with an ear infection back in July. Sometimes medicine can be numbing and frustrating.

While we enjoy dinner there is a sense of relief as the second quarter ends and the girls prepare for tomorrow’s start of the new quarter. Ariana, the older twin isn’t happy to be starting a 7:30am Z block Health and Fitness class, which means she will have the first shower every weekday for the rest of this school year. What a drag for her. We spoke of summer vacation trying to hide from the fact that more snow is on the way. Soon, the snow will show its daunting face and the reality of the situation will be upon us. For now we enjoy a couple of more days free of forced shoveling.

All is well in just another day in the life of ME!

The Day, February 21, 2015

Quite some time has passed since last I found time to write to you. Life has its ways of running you instead of your running it. Today I have the urge to speak about relationships. In my life, I’ve had many friends, lots of acquaintances and of course we all have family. There are those we can trust and others that we can’t. No matter how much time we spend with people, no matter how many years pass the truth is we will never know all we could know about anyone in our lives. The things that draw us to one another initially can be the very thing that tears our relationship down later on. Secrets, disloyalty, lies, and abusive behavior whether it be verbal, physical or emotional are all the tools that each person to destroy their relationships. Each one of us have our breaking points for what we are willing to take or put up with. We are all told that compromising is a part of every successful relationship. This is most often true, however reality teaches all of us that there are many people out there that take advantage of compromising to the point where they no longer want to compromise and thus all of their relationships start to break down one by one.

Sometimes people are fighting within themselves holding on to the tragedies of their past. Not letting go of past events and not forgiving others for the pain they have caused you truly gets in the way of your being able to live your life the way you need to live it. I purposefully did not say “want to live it”, because the reality is, that we shouldn’t always base our lives off of what we want. It’s more important to look at what we need both from our lives as well as in our lives. I’m certain without the combination, you won’t end up happy. Everyone I know that has not processed through their tragedies no matter how major or minor has not been able to move forward in their lives. It hurts me deeply to see this. So many people I know rant their anger and frustration all over Facebook. I’m almost certain that if they were able to work through their feelings they wouldn’t be making destructive decisions that can ultimately damage their working career down the line or the relationships that they have with their peers.

Pain must be processed and not pushed aside. The results can be life altering. Why give into destruction when healing actually benefits you and everyone in your life? Speaking from experience, I can honestly say it’s definitely better to process the pain.  You don’t forget the things that have happened. You just move on. But you can’t move on until you’ve done something with the pain.

Enough said.  Time to prepare for a slumber party involving 6 teenage girls.  All is well in just another day in the life of ME!© 

The Day, March 14, 2015

Life has continued to bring me a mix of good and bad. The good is a loving family who is healthy for the most part. The bad is hearing of loved ones lost.

Last night one of the worst things that could have ever happened to me happened. While checking on Facebook updates last night an old high school friend sent me a message saying that we needed to talk. I messaged her with my phone numbers and waited to hear back from her. I got off from Facebook and returned to spending time with my family. My husband was fast asleep as was the rest of the house when I returned to Facebook to see if my friend had sent any further information, she had not. So I started reading the status feeds. To my horror, I came across a message from my friend saying good-bye to our mutual friend who I had wished a happy birthday to after receiving a Facebook Alert for her birthday. I immediately broke out into hysterical tears at even just the idea of our friend being gone. I started to search the internet for her obituary. To my extreme horror I came across an article outlining the story of her murder. I was enraged! Angry because I was so happy to have talked to Tanya again after so many years of falling out of touch after my 30th birthday party. There was a small group of us that were close friends as we had all taken dance class together at Brookline High School. We remained in contact with one another through the years with some spots here and there.  I had planned to come see Tanya back on November 1st, but there was some shooting that happened around her area and we decided to wait until things cooled down a little bit before taking our kids for a visit. We spoke a few more times before the holiday and to my disappointment fell out of touch, which is why I had no idea that she had passed. The most troubling for me is that we had spoken of the man accused of killing her.  She left out some details in that she had taken this young man in off the street, which is something I had done. Tanya and I were a lot alike as was our other friends in the group. That’s what brought us together. We all connected on many levels. As I write this message, my stomach is turning with such anger and resentment for the man (John Devine of Marblehead) that took the life of my friend. I will be forever be left with the words from our last conversations where she spoke so lovingly of the man who beat her to death. My heart truly goes out to Tanya’s sister (Sabrina Joyce). I remember that Tanya’s parents (Leon and Doris (Mallouf) Nichols) had both already passed on. I’m only glad that they did not have seen or hear of their daughters torment and murder. Now at least they are reunited. Today’s lesson, don’t let time erase your memories nor the bonds of your friendships. Stay close to those who hold meaning in your life always letting them know that they matter. Once they are gone, it’s too late!

All is will be well in just another day in the life of ME!© By Felina Silver Robinson