Good Bye to 2010

Today is the last day of 2010. It's been quite a year, and I can honestly say I'm glad that it's (almost) over. I have a good feeling about 2011; I'm not 100% sure why, but it beats having anxiety over it. In reality, we are supposed to live for the moment and not worry about tomorrow. I can't say I'm worried, though. I look forward to what will come in the New Year. Both good and hard times are to be expected, but by the grace of God, I'll get through them all.

I was supposed to be 'on top' of my blog throughout this year, but I've always allowed 'life' to get in the way. Anyone who is a frequent text or email pal knows I can 'go on' forever. So, why not put some of that energy into my blog? One of my resolutions is to dedicate some more time to my writing each month. As I look back at my posts, I see how much emotion is in my writing. While reading, I either laugh out loud or have tears in my eyes by the end. Regardless of the emotions my blogs bring, I know that I have a passion for writing and preserving memories.

I end this blog with some photos of happy memories from this year. Of course I have MANY happy memories from 2010, but not enough time to post all of the photos I'd like to. Perhaps I'll start a scrapbook. Someone check up on me and see if I've actually started one! I wish anyone who reads this blog a blessed and Happy New Year!

For Michelle

Back in September, my friend, Michelle, was gently reminding me to get going with my blogs. For someone who loves writing, I certainly have stopped doing something I truly enjoy.

These last four months of 2010 have been very busy and full of emotions. I'm glad to be on Christmas break to kind of organize and catch up with things, as well as relax. I slept for a very long time last night, and God knows I needed it. This week is also a good time to catch up with my blogging, and to try and do (much) better in 2011.

This blog is for Michelle. She is currently home being a wonderful mommy to her little loves, Katie and Christopher. I miss having her at work every day, just because we had fun together. Yes, through some tough days at work, we managed to have fun, or at least throw an encouraging word each others way. She visited us a few weeks ago with little Christopher, and he is just too cute for words! On this post, I'm including some pictures from her Baby Shower @ work. Love and friendship, Michelle!

Happy Birthday, Grandma Aida

Last week my family and I celebrated my Grandmother, Aida's, 82nd birthday. I never remember how old my grandmothers are, and when I asked her how old she would be this year, she responded, "84." That didn't seem right to me. We had just celebrated her 80th birthday not too long ago, but definitely not four years ago! So, I asked my aunt, and she confirmed my thoughts. Grandma was to be 82 this year.

This year's celebration took place at my aunt's house. Most of my cousins were there, but Ally was out of town, and we did miss having her there. The fiesta began with a bar-b-que. We all strolled in at different times, just because my family's schedule is always all over the place. Sure enough, though, we all got there and I know Grandma was delighted to be amongst her family. After eating way too much, and laughing very hard over the silliest things, we moved the party inside for singing and cake! Grandma really does not like to be the center of attention. Getting her to smile for a picture is a project in itself. However, it seemed as though she was at peace this time around, and just let the pictures snap away as she took it all in. I'll never know what was going through her head as we sang "Happy Birthday." Maybe she was praying, thanking God for another year of life, perhaps she was talking to my grandfather, wishing he was by her side, which I'm sure he was. Regardless, she just let it all happen without a fuss, and wore a smile.

I will forever love my grandmother. There are a few people who know what she truly means to me and my family. She is so wise, loving, prayerful and simply put, amazing. I do pray that God blesses her with many more years of life. She is our blessing.

I love you, Grandma. Always.

Random Evening Thoughts

There is so much on my mind, I wouldn't even know where to begin writing. We have 16 days left of this school year. It's been quite a year, but I will save that for a later blog. The camp season is quickly approaching, and that's definitely at the forefront of my mind. I did as well as I had hoped to in the class that just finished. That was the highlight of my week! And now, I just have so many other things to think about and sort through, I just have to take it "one step at a time," and hope things get figured out. I have a feeling June is going to fly by. The first week is nearly over, and I have a jam packed weekend planned. Being busy usually makes the time fly by. I look forward to August 6th, which is the last day of camp, and my summer will actually begin. I'll need a week or so of just quiet. The thoughts of this blog are very random, which I suppose is how I feel tonight. Kind of all over the place. I did have the best time/dinner with Sue and Gid. Being with them always keeps me laughing and smiling; even long after we've said good-bye. They are wonderful friends and people! Hopefully my next blog will be a bit more 'organized.'

May = One Busy Month!

So glad to see that I last wrote only 10 days ago. As I was running this evening, I started thinking about my blog, among other things, and I was certain my last entry was at the end of April. I thought, "How could that be?" In realty, that wouldn't have been so 'off' for me, since I haven't been on top of the blogging this year. That's probably because I always like to have pictures to include with my posts. Oh well! Next one!

May is nearly over, and I'm truly shocked. This month went by much too quickly, and thinking back on it, there was minimal drama in my life. That's always a good thing! ha! Perhaps it seemed to fly by because I was working nonstop on my final papers for the first two weeks of the month. Once my papers and class were finished, the next two weeks were all about graduation, after graduation, after graduation, along with Shannon's birthday, but I missed the party because of -- graduation, lol. Her next celebration was the day before a half-marathon, so I missed that one, too. Sorry, Shan! Three very special people reached this amazing accomplishment, and I could not be happier for them! My sister, Marisel, our aunt, Mildred, and my cousin, Bethany all graduated within last two weeks. Now they will be on their way to bigger and better things! We celebrated everyone's day differently, and each event was special in it's very own way!

Now it's Memorial Day weekend. I sit here shaking my head wondering where every day has gone. Part of me wishes I wrote daily, like in a journal, just to truly reflect. When the weekend is over, it'll be June...and there will be 19 more days of school a.k.a. work. Then camp begins... Time is moving too quickly. I think it's time I stop and smell the roses, cherish the moments, and really take things in. That's my plan for June. : )

Nighttime Rituals

At 11:15 p.m. I'm already 45 minutes 'late' for bed. It's important that I get 8-9 hours of sleep each night, or else I'm not as functional as I'd like to be the next day. Today was a long one, which turned into an even longer night. After work and a run, my family and I celebrated Titi Mildred's birthday. The time together was entertaining, as always. I really didn't mind getting home later than usual. What I mind is that I'm still awake. If I didn't have to do ALL the things I do before getting to sleep, I wouldn't still be up. Really, though, the things I MUST do before bed (besides washing up) are: get a cup of water to have on the night table, make sure the door is locked, the closets are closed and the shower curtain has been pulled open. Those are my nightly rituals. However, they shouldn't have me up til 11:15. Then I stopped to really think about WHY I'm still awake. Perhaps the phone call with my friend, Cathy, added to my 'late' night, or the straightening of my mane (a.k.a. my hair); maybe it was reading up on people's Facebook or my friend's blogs. All I know is that as I was straightening the shower curtain, I thought, "I do this every night...why?" In reality, my 'nighttime rituals' aren't SO important. They are funny to think about, if anything, but they are part of me...and my silliness...and I guess that's what makes them OK.

One More Week!

It's nearing the end of another semester at Hunter. If I read back to this time last year, I will laugh at the craziness I went through when trying to complete the papers I thought I never would. Those feelings of stress, uncertainty, pressure and helplessness are still quite real. I have spent the last three weeks engrossed in papers for the ONLY course I took this semester. The one thing that worked against me was that the professor gave us NO due dates, except for the last day of class. All papers are due then, or before, if we were so motivated. I simply don't work that way. I need dates. I knew, though, that I did not want to wait for the very last minute to get them done. Procrastination has proven that it is not my friend. That being said, with one week left in the semester I've really worked hard within the last month. The 4 hours I put into today's two article responses, and the weekend I worked on my final and two other papers have all been worth it. I just have one more report to write up, and I'll be set. That will be my Saturday, and I'll be okay with it. This is the semester that I decided I was going to put Procrastination to rest--for good. I've done pretty okay, I have to say.
Now, off to sleep...this season's allergies are terrible and adding to my exhaustion! :)

Mother's Day Weekend

It's been a busy weekend, and I know the rest of the month will be just the same. However, it was a special weekend. There were First Holy Communions to celebrate and Mother's Day. Both events were quite special. I am glad I was invited to be part of those celebrations!

Today, I celebrated Mother's Day with my mother, aunts, uncle, cousins, and grandmother. Although it was as WINDY as a late October day, the sun was shining brightly, and we were NICE & WARM inside my aunt's house. There we had a lovely dinner, watched t.v. and just sat around enjoying the company that we don't get the chance to often enough.

I was fortunate to start the day with a Mother's Day 10K race with my mom. An 8 a.m. start at the beach wasn't my idea of great start to a Sunday morning. I was exhausted, and it was very cold and windy. However, we used the wind to our advantage, as it cooled us off when we got too warm. Running into wind is about as difficult as running uphill. Neither is easy, but you do it slowly and steadily, and we did. Of course there was grunting, complaining, and breathing...there was also conversation, laughter, and picture taking. My mom and I do not usually run together, simply because we run at different paces. Since it was a Mother's Day race, I thought it would be nice to stay together. She usually doesn't like for me to 'talk' during the run because I simply can not 'shut up' as she says. ha! That's okay, though. I just keep on going, whether it be running or talking! ha! I'm glad I decided to run with her. She did a wonderful job, and finished with a respectable time of 1:11. Awesome job, Mom!

I am truly thankful that I had the opportunity to spend time with my mother today. She is a wonderful person with a great heart. I pray she is blessed all the days of her life.

Love you, Mom! xoxo

Good-Bye to April

To say 'I'm glad this week is over!' would be putting it mildly. The more I think about it, I must say that I am glad April is over. It definitely has been a whirlwind month in every aspect. That being said, I have not had one moment to be 'still' with my thoughts before right now.

This last week (of the month) began with a rainy day trip to the Bronx Zoo. The rain definitely did not deter my kids, our chaperons and I from having a ball! From the Reptile House to the Bug Carousel, we laughed, splashed in puddles (against my will! ha!) and ate until we were ready for more. Of course, the trip left me exhausted, and I have not yet fully recovered, but they truly did enjoy themselves. At the end of the day, that's what matters most to me.

Add regular work deadlines, projects that need to be tended to or finished, grad school papers that come with MORE deadlines, my own personal things that are going on (or not), and you have one drained person. Of course I am thrilled that #1, it is FINALLY the weekend, and #2, the weather will be perfect. We certainly deserve this beautiful weather since the tri-state area dealt with dreary days for the past two weekends. From what I've heard, my friends & family have many 'outdoorsy' events planned. I look forward to wherever I end up! : )

In the end, this is life. The ups and downs, light loads and heavy ones, exhaustion and energy, laughs and tears... When it's all said and done, we are who we are because of all that we go through...and personally, I don't know that I would change any of it. I look forward to what May will bring...

Happy Belated Birthday to Justyn!

Although it's almost a month since Justyn turned 10 years old, I haven't forgotten to write him a birthday blog.

Justyn is Marisel's pride, joy and life! He is bright, hilarious, and both sports and musically inclined. He never seems to have a care in the world and truly loves his mother and family. Justyn is a lot of fun to be around to be around. Don't get me wrong...he definitely gets cranky at the mention of having to go shopping, or leaving a place where he's been having the 'time of his life'. I suppose many 10 year old boys do, right?

Watching my nephew grow into this amazing young person has been a pleasure all my own. I don't spend enough time with him, but when we are together, I laugh very much and I love it. I especially enjoy his interactions with Natalie. They truly love each other. They are more like siblings than aunt and nephew. They melt my heart. As I watch and listen to him, I am always pleased with the way he uses his words and manners. He is a very lucky and loved child. I hope and pray he continues to grow into an educated, polite and fun to be around (among many other wonderful character traits) individual.

We all love you, Justyn! Have a blessed and happy year!
Love, Titi Jessie

Florida Memories

And so, it's back to reality after nearly a week and a half off. I have to say I feel quite relaxed and ready to go back to whatever is awaiting at work. Hopefully the next 57 days won't drag, but then again, I have 6 weeks of camp to look forward to after that, so I won't start counting days until the first week of August.

Florida was wonderful! Getting up for a run first thing each morning was mind clearing, as well as a good way to ease my body into waking up. As I sit here I remember all the laughs, the cooking, shopping, some yelling, lol, but that's expected, and it's what being with loved ones is all about. It's about the time together and the memories made, both good and bad. Glad to say, we made not one bad memory. Sure, there were cranky times for us all here or there, but nothing that we didn't laugh at in the end. My week together with the Celentano family was yet another wonderful bonding experience.

All in all, Florida was wonderful! The family time, friend time, Yankee game time, shopping, EVERYTHING. I loved it. I returned home ready to be back in my favorite state and in my own surroundings, but with so much to be thankful for.

Florida...Day 1

So, here we are in Land o' Lakes, Florida. Last I heard, Florida is supposed to be the "Sunshine State", but today it's been nothing but RAINING and humid. For our first full day here, I don't so much mind being home bound and doing nothing. Anyone who truly knows me is aware that I am incapable of sitting still for too long. However, after our 18 hour drive, I have appreciated the down time.
I slept wonderfully last night, and had a fantastic run this morning! Since then, we've just been 'vegging out'.

The drive...
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. haha. We tried to sleep as best we could in the car, but truth be told, it was very difficult. My poor neck hurt every time I woke to change positions. Little Joey (who is celebrating his 9th birthday today! yay!) was awake from about 6 in the morning 'til we got here...so, he slept for about 6 hours and was READY to go after that. ha! Our drive from NY to VA was as smooth sailing as possible. I got to bond w/ Shannon's sister-in-law, Josephine, and eventually, we all fell asleep.

After a stop in Virginia for gas and a bathroom break, we drove AGAIN straight to Georgia (I LOVE Georgia), and we then stopped in Cracker Barrel for a delicious breakfast. We were all in very good spirits for a bunch that had been 'car bound' for so long. From there, I took over the driving and Shan and I sang, chatted, and continued on the way. We did make a stop at a 'Waffle House' for a quick bathroom stop, and for all the great things I've heard my Southern friends say about it, perhaps I simply walked into the wrong one. Hmmm?

I'm excited for what the rest of the week will bring..I'm meeting with a college friend on Tuesday, and we have a fun day planned...nothing concrete, but I'm positive it will be wonderful. Wednesday, the Celentano family and I are headed to see the NY Yankees play, and I'm SURE that will be awesome!!! And the rest of the week~who knows where it will take us? What I do know is that I'm grateful that Shannon invited me to spend our Easter Break with her and her family. They are an amazing group of people, and once again, I know I've been blessed by having her and her family in my life.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

This past Sunday, my family and I celebrated my father's 58th birthday. Trying to get everyone to agree on a venue is always a project, but thankfully we came to a happy medium fairly quickly. The choices were somewhere sort of healthy (my IDEAL restaurant), with STEAK (dad's ideal restaurant!). Noda's Japanese Steakhouse in White Plains is where we finally agreed upon. I know dad was pleased to have his loved ones around him. It was especially nice to have Mom, Grandma, and Natalie with us. I sit here and laugh to myself as I recall him telling me the waiters BETTER not come sing to him, and as usual, I replied with an "okay" and ignored his silliness. However, I'm sure he wasn't surprised to hear the 'Happy Birthday' (in Japanese, of course) coming his way. I also know that deep down he didn't mind. Just by looking at the smile on his face in this picture, and all the pictures we took that night, makes me certain that this was a special birthday/evening for my father. He truly is an amazing man. I know I have been blessed to have had his as the man who raised, loved, and taught me so many things in my life. I know my sisters, mother, and anyone that truly knows him, can attest to the special & unique person he is.
We love you, Dad.

Snow Day!

Today's blizzard pretty much shut down the entire Northern East Coast. Here in NY, it gave us the third weather related school closing in my nine years with the New York City Department of Ed. Amazing, right? The Mayor and Chancellor definitely made a good call.

The season of Winter has changed so much since I was a child. I know that's to be blamed on the changes in the layers of the atmosphere and Global Warming, amongst other things. I have memories of trudging through snow during and trying to get everywhere those winters, yet not so much minding it (back then). Now, honestly speaking, I have enjoyed living through the winters with minimal, to no, snow. We get enough to upset the flow of traffic and travel, but usually not enough to close schools, or send people home early from work.

Today's 'snow day' has been relaxing. There have been a few pangs of missing my family and being with the kids. I'm sure they would have welcomed the cookies after being in the snow! Still, I spent time catching up w/ friends, had great conversations and much needed laughs, baked cookies, and listened to music. As I told one of my friends, none of that was on the 'snow day to do list' I created yesterday. Maybe that just means I should stop trying to plan out every second of my life. ha!

Tonight's Thoughts...

I definitely appreciate how every now and then Shannon will delicately remind me that I haven't been blogging. Her words today were, "You're slackin' with the blogs." Very true.

Sometimes I need inspiration to write...other times, I must simply vent. Writing is my outlet, and anyone who emails, texts, etc. me regularly knows that. I enjoy expressing myself through the written word. Still, there are times when I can't connect the words to my feelings, or life is just 'quiet.' It's those times that the blog goes through a 'dry spell.'

Life never ceases to amaze me...everything that's happened in the past month has put me through an emotional ringer. It's been exhausting and elating, although never at the same time. Actually, now that I reflect, that's not true. During some harder days, there was a pleasantly unexpected light at the end of the tunnel that happened to shine through...and suddenly, things were put back into perspective. And that's pretty much how life goes. We go through the good and the bad, and while the bad seems downright crippling, there's always someone to shine their light in your life and get you through it...even if they don't know it.

Back to Hunter

This whole fantastic idea of working towards my second Master's Degree was exactly that~~a fantastic idea~~last year at this time. One year later, with only two classes under my belt, and beginning my third, I sit and wonder why I'm still trying to get it done. The 'prize' seems so far off that I'm feeling slightly discouraged.

My most recent course, Assessment of Students with Disabilities, seems amazing, but I feel as though I took a VERY similar class when I worked on my Masters in Reading. The professor is very laid back, which will be calming after a long day with the kids. Our required work seems quite interesting. No group projects, thank God, and everything is to be turned in by the end of the semester...no specific due dates. What's the problem, right?

I don't know...The class isn't on campus, and I LOVE the Hunter Campus. Granted, the 'campus' is two buildings on 68th & Lexington Avenue, but that's just the point. Being there, on Lexington Ave. and on the school 'grounds' amongst all the other 'college kids' brings me back to my college days, which were filled with MANY amazing memories and great friends. My class is on the 94th Street campus school, between Park and Madison Ave. In reality, it's the PERFECT location for a pre-class 6 miler, if the weather should ever warm up, it's four blocks from the NYRR office, and two blocks from Starbucks. Add to that, my commute into the city is a bit shorter. So, okay, there are pluses and minuses to being off campus. One big minus is not being with the dear friends I made last semester. We probably wouldn't be in the same classes at this point, anyway. But, I can be a creature of habit, and very shy, so I'm not up for making new friends just yet. However, as I anxiously waited for class to begin, many of the students walked in with their friends, and I found myself missing mine.

I know I have to get my mindset back to the place that brought me to want this degree...Perhaps once I really get into my work, I'll be there. In the meantime, I want this discouraging feeling to go away.

Songs, Thoughts, Sleep, Thoughts, Reflections

I feel as though half of the time that I should have spent sleeping was spent thinking about my next blog. I wanted to get up from the bed and begin writing, then I decided to stop thinking and simply sleep. But, I did wake up still thinking about it...

Ever hear songs that make you go, "That's EXACTLY how I feel!"? I've been obsessing over the following two songs: Absolutely Positively, by Anastacia, and Somebody to Love, by Leighton Meester. The first is about someone who is getting over their recent love, and although she thinks of him and cares for him, she just realizes that it's time. The second is about someone who seems to be searching and searching for THEIR person to love, and wonders if there IS someone out there. After hearing these songs, one in the gym @ a weekly class, and the other just on the radio, I found that they are very similar to the ways I've been feeling. The two messages the songs give are the two thoughts can consume my own if I allow them, but they can also be very stressful to think about, therefore, I try not to allow them to take over. After hearing these songs, and subconsciously replaying them, I realized why...it's almost as though they speak what I feel. And, in a sense that's good because it's like getting my feelings out through the songs. Maybe it all sounds weird, but I'm glad to be 'absolutely positively certain that I'm not sure that I love him anymore'...although really getting over someone takes time, healing and reflection. It's important to know, though...that you will get over and be okay in time... And it the same token, wonder..'Is there somebody who still believes in love? I know you're out there.' I'm sure there is... In the meantime, I will keep being me and having a good time. :)

'Life Unexpected'

I borrow the title from the new show I watched last night. It was broadcast on the WB Pix. Anyone who watched it could attest to it being quite the sappy 'Jess' type of show :)It should be no surprise to read that I loved every second of it! But, as I sat and watched, I thought about the title and how true it holds to everyone's life. Of course I initially thought of myself and the events I've dealt with the past few weeks/months/whatever, but then my thoughts turned to the many people who are in my life, and of the 'unexpected' situations that occur in their every day lives. When life does throw something unexpected your way, when something you simply haven't 'planned' for suddenly appears, what DO you do? How do we react? Do we freak out? Do we question it? How many of us embrace whatever that 'thing' is? I believe it's time that I begin to expect the unexpected...and just embrace or deal with it as best I can...because as we know, everything is given to us for a reason. Although we may never know the exact reason, things that we deal with do make us stronger one way or another.

Let's Begin...

Happy New Year to all! I'm thrilled that we've just begun a new year. For me that means more positive thoughts and actions. I already have 'projects' set up for the year...going BACK to Hunter at the end of the month, I'd really like to learn Spanish SOONER than LATER, and I do want to get myself back to church regularly. I wasn't so great at that in 2009. I am blessed in many ways, and I think I need to remember that and be thankful more than I am. Sometimes I forget that there's so much & so many people to be grateful for.
So, here's to 2010... I look forward to what's to come!