I’ve been assigned to work in Brooklyn, Bensonhurst to be exact. I don’t particularly care for it. I like the other nurses I work with abstracting the charts but the office staff here pretty much keep to themselves. My last assignment was at a local high school in their health center which is run by the hospital we are contracted with to abstract their charts. I loved it there, the staff was wonderful. Very warm and inviting. I was there for 3 months. And they liked me too, when my birthday came around they even had a cake for me with a card they all signed, I almost fell over it was so, so nice. What an exceptional group of people!

So here I am in a borough that has difficult traffic to navigate and hard to find parking but great places to eat lunch that are literally steps from the office. I guess it’s a trade off. One needs to be aware of opposite side of the street parking on Wednesdays and Fridays where you can’t park on one side of the street from 8:30 to 10am.  I’m waiting for the staff to arrive and open the office. There’s quite a bit of traffic out here, people driving fast to where they have to be. It’s not the same as the hustle and the bustle of Manhattan.

There are distinctive prominent cultures in this area which I do find interesting, and after I visited the pizzeria around the corner twice the man behind the counter greeted me as if I were a regular. That my friends is what I adore about NYC. The ease of familiarity that occurs in a short amount of time. I’ve personally only seen it occur in NYC, you are fortunate if it happens in your part of the world.

I know I shouldn’t complain I mean I still have a job, I still like the job I’m just not thrilled with my current location. I’m sure by the time this assignment is finished I’ll be so used to Brooklyn everything will be second nature but I don’t think I’ll want to stay the way I wanted to stay at the high school health center.

I think back to when I  wasn’t working and I was praying for a job. I knew God would answer me and at that time in my life the answer was, “not yet”. Then along came the ear piercing gig and I really liked that job for the season I was there. I loved being in Manhattan. Then God answered me with this job. His timing is nothing less than perfect. I have hope and faith in Hi that I am here in Brooklyn for His purpose and God will come through when the season of this job is over. I have faith in Him. Happy Monday all!

I love going to church. I adore our new pastor and I really like the people in the congregation. In church I feel at peace and when the pastor starts preaching I’m ready to hear what he is led by the spirit to say. Much like the pastor before him, Pastor John teaches while he preaches. And he has a wonderful way of preaching. He’s passionate and you know he truely loves what he does. I’m glad our church “found” him and I’m glad he accepted the position when it was offered.

So I went to church this morning like I always do just about every Sunday. I find if I make time for the Lord, fit Him into my busy schedule, I feel good. I manage to keep people in prayer almost every day during the week. I know God wants to hear from me and I love praying and talking to Him. We had communion today and that is always so special. In my church we don’t have communion every week it’s usually once a month.

This week our Pastor preached from 1Peter. He’s been doing a series on Hope called “Hope has a Name” and it’s been wonderful. I think my favorite one has been when he addressed marriage. That there is hope for lost spouses and that wives are to submit to their husbands. I agree with him. I do submit to my husband. But that doesn’t make me a door mat or that my husband rules over me. It means that I trust him as the one that God gave to me as my husband. I trust his judgement and I submit to him in the same way I submit to the Lord as we are supposed to according to the Bible.

That’s another thing I love about my church; when the pastor preaches he is doing so right out of the Bible. Scripture based preaching. I really enjoy it. There is no room for misinterpretation.

Next week for Easter service, the church is having its service at the St. George Theater. I’m really looking forward to it. Not because of the theater (although that is really nice), but because we celebrate the day our Savior has risen! Risen from the dead after taking on the sins of the world. I can’t think of a better reason for a celebration. Christ is King!

 

 

Today my daughter Daniella and I are off to the isle of Manhattan! Lelly had an appointment and I’m there to tag along, not that I would let her go by herself anyway she is still only 15.

Some facts about my Lelly. She’s our 3rd and “middle child” She used to be the baby before Samantha came along. In some ways I still consider her the baby because she held that role for 5 years until Samantha was born and habits and ways of thinking die hard. She’s very affectionate and honest. Not that I believe in astrology all that much but her sign is Taurus and she does fit the description oddly enough.

One of the many things I love most about Daniella is the way she tells you what is on her mind for better or worse. Sometimes it’s a mini explosion of emotion and sometimes she simply talks calmly. I don’t even mind the mini explosions because I’d rather her get it out than hold back.

She confides in me and only once did I break that confidence when I approached one of her friend’s mother and mentioned that the woman’s daughter had a boyfriend. The mother had a feeling, but her daughter didn’t come out and actually say she was dating  it to her mother. I wanted to die I was so embarrassed and mortified. Of course Lelly was there to see and hear the whole thing and could not believe that I said something.  Of course if was as if I shared top security military secrets in the eyes of my daughter. I’ll never do that again. Ever.

Shes also fun to be with. Lelly has always been a strong willed child, she definitely has her own drummer she walks to the beat of. I remember when she was a young child, her testing me with that will as kids do. At that time one of my best friends, Jenn would tell me, “You don’t want to break her spirit…but it must be contained”. I’d say at this time in our lives that spirit is contained but arises when the moments are right.

She loves the Lord and serves in the capacities that are right for her, such as babysitting for parents of bible study groups and volunteering in the nursery of our church during Sunday service. We can openly talk to each other about God and prayer and worship and I love that.

So her and I are off today on a mini adventure to Manhattan. The weather could be nicer but it’s ok. We’ll make the best of it and enjoy being together.

 

I went to the beauty parlor this afternoon after work. I don’t know if people still call hair places “beauty parlors” or not but I still do. Anyway… I’ve been going to this place  for the past 6 months or so. I get a color and hair cut. And I love it. I’ve been coloring my hair forever, seriously; I started when I was about 16 years old and never looked back. I only know my natural color by pictures but to be honest most of my pictures are from when I was a teen and by that time I was already blonde and my natural color just a memory. It’s funny because when I met my now husband all those years ago I was my natural color which is a very dark blonde to light brownish red. By the time he started attending the same high school as me I already went blonde but he was looking for the girl with the light brown hair he just met and thought was cute.

My hair had been just about every boxed/drug store color out there with the exception of black, I can’t go too dark or I look pale and sickly. From very pale blonde to very red to very brown; my hair and family have seen it all. I’ve colored my hair myself all these years and I have to say I’ve gotten spoiled by having my hair done at the beauty parlor. The woman mixes the exact color that I’m liking these days (blonde), applies it with a brush and I sit and play with my phone or text while it processes. My hair is then rinsed and shampooed by one of the assistants. I do nothing but switch chairs when the timer goes off. It is fabulous.

I can only justify what I call a luxury because I work full time now. I don’t know if I’d do this if I weren’t working, honestly I know I wouldn’t. I’d still be buying the box and doing it myself not that there’s anything wrong with that. I enjoy being pampered and firmly believe all Mom’s should be pampered to some extent. Most moms work really hard whether it be inside the home, outside the home or both.

So I’m home now,  pampering is over and I’m back to reality and washing dishes and cleaning up after dinner. I really did enjoy my time at the beauty parlor and thoroughly recommend it to every woman out there.

 

 

 

 

I remember starting this blog a few years ago (I can’t believe I’ve been writing this long!) I wanted to write about and post pictures of my thrift finds. Instead I began writing about my family; my son and our journey with him more specifically. I am very honest and try to be as transparent as possible. And I appreciate that honesty in other people.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with a woman I’ve known since grammar school. We started chatting and she started telling me about her challenges with her child. My heart broke for her as I am all too familiar with being in challenging situations with my special needs son. We talked for quite a while and I understood exactly where she was coming from; she was so honest and I’m glad to have been there to at least to lend a listening ear.

I find myself thinking about God and my relationship with Him and my Lord and savior Jesus. Am I honest with other people since In person I rarely share my joy of my relationship with Jesus with non believers?  I keep it no secret here on my blog that I am saved; a follower of Christ, born again, whatever you want to call me. I worry about friends who aren’t saved who haven’t accepted Christ as their savior. I’m not bold enough in person to tell them I’m worried and that they need to accept Christ and God’s gift if grace, that they are loved more than they can ever imagine by a God who gave us  his only Son who gave up His life to save ours. Jesus loves us and for that I can hardly express how grateful I am. Not only did he die for us and take in our sins, He’s still interceding for us with the Father. This is all in present tense mind you. I’ve seen in my own life the wonderment of God’s work and prayers he’s answered with both a “yes, no” and “not yet”. His timing is always perfect and impeccable.

Perhaps God wants it this way, for me to share the Gospel in my blog. This is the only way I can be as  bold as I want to be. Maybe I need to be patient and when God wants me to speak up to a particular person He will orchestrate the timing and place perfectly.

Yes I’m sure that will happen;  in time. And I will be completely honest.

 

 

 

Thomas is home for the weekend right now. It’s an adjustment every time. We’re not used to giving one person the amount of attention he commands. It’s frustrating and I’m so glad our other kids are older now and don’t need the attention they needed when they were younger. Back then I felt like I was pulled in 3 different directions all at once. It was more than meeting the different needs of children at different age levels. It was at times hellish. Don’t get me wrong it wasn’t like that all the time, just some of the time. I’ve always thanked God for my girls, I think they kept me sane most of the time. Especially Alyssa since she was born after Thomas. Everything she did was wonderfully typical. Every milestone she reached was as if she read an infant growth and development textbook and knew what she was supposed to do next. She’s still like that. She was a very typical teen minus the rebellion thank God, and today she’s a fantastic young adult and college student that we are very proud of. I feel very fortunate to have my girls; all of them. God gave them to me just as he gave Thomas to me. I have a mission with each child and that is to ensure that they are as independent as they can be when they reach adulthood.

We are still waiting for Thomas to be placed in the group home here where we live. No one meaning neither the agency guy from the group home or the man from the state who is in charge of placement of kids who turn 21 have been in touch with us. Frustrated is an understatement. I’m going to call the man from the state on Monday.  Hopefully he’ll have an answer or two. The guy from the group home simply doesn’t answer his phone and that is just plain rude.

So Tommy or I have to make the hour long drive (longer if there is traffic on that George Washington Bridge which is always unavoidable and unpredictable) both ways just to have a weekend visit or if we want to take Thomas out for dinner; which we do at least once a month.

I must say Thomas had been very patient through all this “waiting on the group home” business. He is more than ready to go when they are ready to take him. Every time he comes home he finds more things in his room to take back to school with the intention of bringing said items to the group home. I’m proud of him for being so patient. It’s funny that all my children are so different. My girls would never have endured residential school the way Thomas has. God has ensured that each of my children are to have the tools they need to live their own individual lives. He absolutely provides, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

Tomorrow Thomas will return to his school and our lives here will return to our version of normal. We’ll miss him and go back to phone calls and dinners out until the next visit. Hopefully the group home clan will have their act together and we’ll have solid information. One can hope and we can pray on it as well.

 

 

 

I took today off from work because of an appointment. That appointment was cancelled. Since I already have the day off I figured I’d make the most of it and travel to Manhattan for the day. Stopping in the morning see my favorite therapist who I haven’t seen in over 6 months I believe. I haven’t needed to see or talk to her since starting this new job. I fell as though Nancy has given me wings to fly and I’m able to handle various life situations as they come along.

I’m still amazed at how God worked my life out. He placed Nancy in my life years before I would need her for me. In fact God primed the pump by having Nancy call me for information about a year before I needed her. A year after receiving her phone call I called her looking for guidance in dealing with the Board of Ed when we decided Thomas had to go away to residential school. I was already suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD from living with him and dealing with his aggressive behavior. I was also actively searching for a therapist but none would call me back. Anyway after telling Nancy I needed her help with Thomas she offered to meet me for coffee. I was puzzled and asked her why. She said, “Because you sound like you need a therapist”. God is so good. I started seeing her and continued to see her for the next 3 years. We covered a lot of ground and worked through a lot of issues. She respected my faith (Nancy is Jewish) and would encourage me to pray through situations. I asked her once why she was so supportive of a belief system so different from her own and she answered,”Of course I would support you, I see how important your faith is to you, why would I take that away?” That only increased my respect and admiration for her.

So here we are, a million sessions later ending with us quietly ending our sessions. There was no “closing” session. We left off that I could call her at any time and if I was going to be in the city to let her know and we’d try to get together.

So off I go on this chilly Monday morning in March. I’m on the ferry and then soon to be on the subway. Since I left my job in Manhattan I haven’t been back on the ferry or subway. It funny how something becomes familiar again so fast. I haven’t missed the commute, instead I’ve become spoiled working so close to home. I’m home from work in 30 minutes the longest depending on traffic.

After I see Nancy I’ll haunt my favorite thrift stores in the area. There are 3 🙂 . I’ll make my way home hopefully lugging full bags of my found treasures on the subway.

Happy Monday!

 

 

We had a snow day this past Tuesday and since I had already cleaned out my closet and reconfigured my handbag storage situation this past weekend,  I decided to tackle the basement.

I had originally planned to sell my grandmother’s china since I wasn’t using it and had no future plans to use it, but my cousin expressed that she would love to have it. So that’s now gone thanks to my sister who picked it up for my cousin who lives 4 hrs away in Upstate NY. I’m guessing they will see each other before I will. Either way it’s a win/win situation and everybody is happy.

I’m also other dishes and plates that I’ve held onto merely because I have the storage space. It feels good to do a purge and get rid of things and also find things you had no idea you even have. I think I posted that I “found” an electric carving knife brand new in the box from probably my wedding shower over 20 years ago. I plugged that bad boy in and it runs like  champ! I now have a “new” carving knife that will come in handy during the holidays or when I cook a roast.

I was so surprised at the “stuff” that was put away in my basement. Things that were held on to for no particular reason. There were a lot of clothes and blankets to be donated and a lot of just plain garbage stuff whether it be toys no longer played with since everyone is so much older now or me stowing once sentimental things in a big box for posterity sake.

I think it was George Carlin who said the more storage space you have the more “stuff” you have. He’s right. I’d  love to tackle the attic one day. I know parts of Thomas’ infant bedding is up there along with extra copies of our wedding invitations. I gave my neighbor most if not all of Samantha’s newborn infant clothes when my neighbor was having twin girls. I was thrilled to see someone use her little clothes again. I know I have clothes up there from Thomas. Being the only boy I didn’t have anyone to pass on his clothes to. By the time my sister had her son too much time had passed. And styles do change even with toddler clothes.

The next chance I get I think I will take on the attic. It will be so satisfying to fill garbage bags to either donate or throw away. I get a thrill out of filling a big bag of stuff to get rid of.  Ok now I’m off to donate 2 huge bags to my favorite haunt The Salvation Army !  Happy Saturday !

 

We were supposed to get this horrendous blizzard wth tons of snow. The mayor even closed the schools yesterday before a flake even fell. Since I’m abstracting charts in a health center at one of the local high schools I got a snow day as well 😀.

This past weekend. I cleaned out my closet a bit. Tommy “gave me” his armoire since he doesn’t really use it. J promptly cleared it out and it now houses my handbag collection. I think I counted like 18 or so bags. And before you say anything, YES I use all of them.  I change bags quite often and I know I have a problem… There’s something about bags and shoes, sigh.

Today I’m cleaning out the basement a bit. We have storage closets that seem to get fuller and fuller with each passing year. I have a old set of dishes from when we were married. It’s not a complete set so don’t ask me why it’s still here. I also have my grandmother’s china. I really have no use for it nor do I have a China closet to display it. I’m not sure what to do with this set. We’re having a house sale at my inlaws this weekend so I guess I’ll transport it there and maybe someone will buy it. You never know. I’m also in the middle of dusting and laundry while I’m down there. Fun times I tell you. But in all honesty it’s all good because if it were nice out and I was off from work I sure as anything wouldn’t be down the basement.

I also found boxes from 16 years ago when we moved here. Decorative plates I used to collect, and a carving knife and a coffee percolator. I’m sure the last 2 are over 20 years old. I have no idea why they never made it out of the basement. I also found the most adorable picture of Lelly and Alyssa at my inlaws block party. They must be at least 5 and 2 yrs old. They are standing together eating cotton candy.

Im sure I’ll have to go de-ice my car soon. I’ll enjoy being holed up in the basement a little longer.

 

 

 

I recently splurged on a purchase of new glasses. I usually wear contact lenses since I’m irreparably scarred from the huge I wore while in 5th and sixth grade. I won’t even try to find an embarrassing picture. I’m sure if you are of my age group and were a tween in the early 80’s and you had to wear glasses you know what I mean and are probably as scarred as I’m.

When Tommy and I were away we were shopping at the outlets and I happened upon an eyeglass frame store. They had a table of designer frames at a fraction of the retail price and well… if you know me you know I had to take advantage of this deal. I brought the frame to the place in the mall who did my contact lens exam and had them put my prescription lenses in. I even let them talk me into thinning out the lenses and some anti reflective something for another $50.00.

The glasses were ready last night so Samantha and I ran out there to pick them up. I even wore them around the mall and to the supermarket after. This is huge for me I never and I mean n-e-v-e-r leave the house with my glasses on. It’s always contact lenses. Always.

So here I am ready to face the day with my new glasses. The frame is a bit bold but that’s ok I wanted it that way. I’m tired of getting really small frames that try and hide how thick my prescription is, but the truth is nothing can hide how thick my prescription is so I might as well embrace it.

Here’s to new Glasses!