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Showing posts from February, 2011

Magical Moment 389, "The First Time She Called Me 'Daddy'"

"It was just her and her mom for a long time when we met, and naturally she was a little protective of her mom when we began dating. I tried to plan activities that the 3 of us could do together and over time, we became good friends. Three years went by and I asked her one day after I picked her up from school, 'How would you feel about me and your mom getting married? Would that be okay with you?' She looked down shyly, but I could see that she was smiling. I knew it would be okay. Our relationship shifted after the wedding as I took on a more paternal role. I was involved in her school decisions, her daily life, and her discipline. I always loved her, but now I loved her like my very own daughter. She still called me by my first name and I didn’t blame her. I knew I could never fathom the feelings and emotions of a preteen girl and I just wanted her to be comfortable with our family situation, though I secretly longed to hear her call me Dad. One day she got home from

Magical Moment 388, "The Unobvious Beauty"

Do you ever get frustrated with where you are? Do you ever feel jealous of the people who live near mountains, or ocean, or lush, vibrant pastures? A few days ago, I spent some time in Thomas Edison's Greenhouse, taking pictures of the  stunning flowers . I went back today and I found even  more  beauty to inspire me. This time, it had very little to do with the blooms of the prize winning orchids.  I discovered that a single drop of water, contains as much beauty as an entire ocean. I noticed that this tiny, little orange had fallen from its tree branch into this watering can. I couldn't imagine an orchard being much lovelier. One petal fell. And it rested lightly above the earth, casting its gentle shadow.  I wouldn't have thought a New Jersey Sunset could look so stunning behind the smoky, steamy window panes of an old greenhouse. It takes slightly more effort to notice this kind of unobvious beauty, but it makes me thankful f

Magical Moment 387, "One-Legged Pigeon in the Making"

After I forced Eddie to join a gym with me so I could get some running in during the winter months, my plan backfired. Eddie has a bad lower back and insists that yoga does wonders for his back muscles (he also makes me play raquet ball with him once a week and I wake up with nightmares of that stupid rubber ball shooting straight at my head). I have no doubt of yoga's benefits for the human body, I just prefer a work out that lets me use my iPod. At the beginning of the class, the instructor directed us to hang forward at the waist, allowing our fingertips to reach as low as possible towards the ground. Mine went to about mid-shin. I spent the next hour breathing, stretching, contorting, and bending into every unnatural shape imaginable. At one point, I looked like a sad little, messed up pretzel that wouldn't make it through quality control. Everything was painful and I couldn't even form the full poses like the rest of the class. At the very end of the session however

Magical Moment 386, "Emily's Cozy Spot"

On rainy days like today, I like to cozy up on the couch. I guess Emily the cat has her own place to cozy up. Having a dog and cat, I find animal hair in my carpet, on my clothes, and all over my furniture. The bathroom sink was the one place I thought was safe, until today... (Although, she might think it's raining inside , when I turn the water on...) The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.   - Susan Allen Toth , England For All Seasons

Magical Moment 385, "The Best Time I Ever Got Pulled Over"

I rushed out the door one Saturday morning, worried sick that I would be late for work. If there is one thing I hate to be, it's late! I zoomed down the Garden State Parkway, forgoing my morning Dunkin Doughnuts coffee, and switching into "New Jersey Driver Mode" (it's not pretty, and I only do it when I have to). After I got off the Parkway and onto the residential streets that would take me to the ballet school , I noticed a police car hiding on a side street waiting to catch someone. I immediately slowed down, as I was going about 5 over the speed limit. Whew! He didn't get me. Once he was completely out of my rear-view mirror, I again sped up. I was almost to work and if I could just maintain this speed, I would get there exactly on time. I was in the clear! In fact, I could see my final destination, when all of the sudden...lights. My old buddy was right behind me. Sneaky little guy. Defeated, I pulled over. My clean driving record that I had worked so h

Magical Moment 384, "Considering"

I  have a lot to consider lately. I've been reflecting a great deal and  looking for signs  since I've been  accepted into a law school  on Long Island. To go, or not to go? How will this affect my music goals? Is this the path I want to go down? What kind of future do I want for my family? These are the things I'm considering. In the decision making process, I thought perhaps the first step would be to spend the day in the area where we would most likely move to. If only the ultimate decision was based solely on today. It would be an easy choice as the day was absolutely perfect.  Islip, NY has everything I could ever want: Wildlife The deer are so numerous, they're considered pests  near Fire Island National Park. This little red fox actually came to me when I called him. I'm not even zooming in on my camera. I've always been a sucker for geese. Love 'em. A hist oric, beautiful lighthouse I couldn't get enough of these giant reeds. Beau

Magical Moment 383, "Giggles"

One of the greatest bonding rituals among female kind, is the sacred act of uncontrollable giggling. It's not just a chuckle, or shared laugh, or even a knee-slapping, gut busting howl. No, a true giggle is much more complex. If you've been lucky enough to have one with a fellow sister, then you'll be familiar with these key elements that makes up a real giggle. First, you have to share the same sense of odd, quirky humor that no one else in the universe understands. Like when my best friend Deb and I find it absolutely hilarious to make goat noises within ear shot of total strangers. It's very tricky to make the sound in a way that people can't tell where it's coming from. When we're out together with our husbands and the goat noises come out, our husbands suddenly don't know us. They hide their faces in shame and deny their own wives. But they just don't get how funny people's faces are when they think they hear a goat noise just walkin' d

Magical Moment 382, "Color"

I woke up this morning to a loud, familiar sound just outside my bedroom window. The low rumbling terrified me to my very core and in dreaded anticipation, I walked to the window silently pleading, Please don't let it be... The snow plow. A fresh layer of white had fallen on the the newly emerging patches of green on the ground. Now everything was again white. I love the snow, don't get me wrong. And it's beautiful too, it's just been... too white for too long.  I stopped by my husband's work where he was pulling a double shift on this President's Day. He told me that he wanted to show me something and took me to Thomas Edison's green house. I entered into a warm oasis of vibrant color amidst the never ending white. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I was especially struck by the shape the blooms made against the steamy, glass greenhouse wall. (Click on photos to enlarge)  One tiny orange, growing out of season.

Magical Moment 381, "Crazy"

When I tell people that my greatest musical influences are Dolly Parton, Bing Crosby, Patsy Cline, Randy Travis, Ray Charles, and Floyd Cramer, I usually get some puzzled responses, followed by, "How old are you?" What can I say? I grew up loving these artists and find myself inspired by their genius when creating my own music. I fell in love with Patsy Cline when I first heard the song "Crazy." And what I actually loved about that song at first, was not Patsy's amazing pipes, but the light, tinkling piano style of Floyd Cramer. After that, I was hooked on both of them. My repertoire quickly filled with their songs and became favorites among the crowd at Lee's Chicken in Lincoln, NE, where I played the piano all through college. Patsy's music became even more special to me because it was a shared interest for myself and both of my grandmothers. One of my Grandma Valencia's all time favorite songs is "Crazy" and whenever she came to Lee

Magical Moment 380, "Reflection"

"Reflection" by Elizabeth Grimes A million eyes, all looking at me. I’m terrified of what they might see. It matters not how I hide, or where. I can’t escape their watchful stare. I try to move, but feel paralyzed. And I’m pulled apart as I’m scrutinized. Soon it changes, after a breath. Now there’s only one spectator left. I reach my hand to touch the cruel eyes And suddenly realize I’d been seeing lies. It was water I felt. People, none ! The ripples made thousands out of one. Another truth! I see it clearer. A crowd created by a broken mirror. It’s only me, and was all along. I’m the only one who needs to like my song.

Magical Moment 379, "Nothing"

Eddie and I like to make a big deal out of each other's birthday's. For example, on my birthday I get to pick what I want to eat, where I want to go, and what I want to do. The other person has to make that wish come true, no questions asked and no complaining. Eddie has sat through karaoke night, eaten sushi, and spent the day at the mall for me. Well, today, we celebrated Eddie's birthday (his real birthday is on Sunday, but he has to work). I asked Eddie, "What do you want to do on your birthday?" The answer was simple. Nothing. I thought maybe he just needed some suggestions: Play a game of racket ball? Go to the park? Go out to eat? Go see a movie? Nothing. He wanted to do nothing. He didn't want to leave the house, or the couch for that matter. And so, in keeping with our birthday tradition, I respected his wish. We spent most of the day watching movies and eating junk food in between naps. At the end of the day I asked Eddie, "Did you have a go

Magical Moment 378, "Bull's Eye"

There are times when I wonder if I'm living in a parallel universe. It's that intense feeling of deja vu when it seems like I'm living a past moment and present one all at once. Like that time on the subway when all five  senses took me back to the moments right before I jumped out of a C-130 in the Army - the way I stood, the jerk of the train, the smell, the cramped discomfort. Or the time I walked through my hallway in the middle of the night and heard Latin music blaring from what seemed like my bathroom. I swore I was dreaming, I even tried to wake myself up until Eddie reassured me I was already awake. Today I had another one of those odd sensations. I sat perfectly still and quiet. I adjusted the muscles of my body, my shoulders, my arms, my abs. I looked straight ahead. I took a deep and deliberate breath. I did this over and over. Each breath drew the same amount of air into my diaphragm. Each exhale relaxed my shoulders to same height. I found myself reciting t

Magical Moment 377, "Hope Sandwich, Extra Lettuce"

“Everyone, please take some food home with you! We have too much!”  The director announced after a luncheon and music rehearsal. I grabbed my coat and purse and headed out the door when she stopped me again, “Won’t you please take some of these sandwiches home with you? I hate for them to go to waste.” I wrinkled my nose, not wanting to bring anything back to New Jersey with me, but she seemed so desperate, I humored her. “I guess I can take something to my husband,” I offered, knowing full well that my picky eater would never touch anything with tomato or lettuce on it. Nevertheless, I grabbed a six-inch sub from the neatly laid out platter and wrapped it in tinfoil. I shoved the entire wad into my purse and started home. I traveled uptown through the subway and then switched to the bus terminal, where I would continue to New Jersey. It’s a very familiar route to me by now, long, frustrating, and tiring, but then I remember how lucky I am to be able to commute in and out of New Y