Mama Buddha...

We all have those longings to go back to weight we were when we were younger. Each year as I visit my doctor for my yearly physical I get the usual warnings about losing weight. Over the years I've gained AND lost significant amounts of weight, but currently I'm on a gain swing. 

I'm a contradiction when it comes to food, because I don't 'Love' food. It's a necessity of life. I love watching cooking shows and cooking competition shows. I strongly dislike cooking. I don't drool over pictures of food. My downfall is dessert. I love cookies, cakes and most importantly CHOCOLATE! Chocolate is my 'drug' of choice. I'm picky though, a purist really. Don't make me fancy decorated cakes and cookies, a basic Toll House cookie is nothing short of nirvana to me. 

I love a variety of fast food also. An Arby's Mid-Classic with cheese is a current favorite. Firehouse's Engineer (sans mustard and pickle) is my current all-around favorite. Bagels, have I mentioned bagels? A sesame bagel with butter, I could eat one every day. Robin at Bagel Jays (the best bagels in the Buffalo area) knows it's me as soon as I give my order at the drive-up window. Did I mention sandwiches? I love sandwiches. Turkey with Swiss, a little lettuce, tomato and mayo is my favorite.  

I also love a variety of foods that my family will have nothing to do with, like mushrooms. I love mushrooms, sautéed, stuffed, fried, in cream soup, yum! I also like olives, plain old cocktail olives and recently black olives, split pea soup, escargot, gazpacho, and more.

I don't get these favorites often so I'm not overdoing on them. My doctor did, however, put the fear of Weight Watchers in me this time around. I'm getting a little out of control. The cakes , cookies, sweets, and carbs are starting to catch up to me. I'm also not the best at exercising. Rather,  I'm in running (ha, ha) for the biggest couch potato award. So, in response, I and we, as a family, have decided to join the local Y. Yes, I'm going to start exercising (you can stop laughing now). They even have exercise bikes I can sit down at and watch TV (my kinda exercise!) I'll check in in a few months and let you know how I'm doing, provided I survive!

A Man and his Dog...

One nice thing among the many nice things about my husband is that he doesn't read my blog unless I ask him to. I get out if the shower this morning and this is what I find, Norm and Abby sleeping in, butt to butt! Alexa insisted Abby wear her sweater for a Christmas picture - pink argyle, what else!

Not to waste Alexa's efforts

Our girls!

Throwback Memories...

I opened Facebook the other day and found this...

Yikes! Yes that's me with my friend Steven Anderson at our senior prom. Most of the comments from Steven's friends were about how my dress matched the curtains in the background and how they think their parents had the same curtains!  Steven lives in Florida today and is a very successful salon owner,  fashion stylist and makeup consultant for HSN. 

As you can see I'm as tall as Steven, maybe a little taller. I love being tall, don't get me wrong. but those were the days of big hair, curls and fancy updos for proms. I was very self-conscious about my height and I spent the day at the beauty parlor in town getting my straight hair to curl under the watchful eyes of Steven's little sisters without adding any poofiness up top. I also wore flat shoes, no heels for this girl! The dress? There were very few dress stores at that time where you could find "formal" dresses. We ended up at a bridal salon in Roosevelt Field and this was the only dress that was long enough. Believe me, orange is not my favorite color. 

It was an interesting night fraught with teen drama and angst. Our friend Arthur wanted to go to the prom with another friend of ours, Vivian. Vivian was, shall we say, reluctant. It took several months of cajoling, note writing, impassioned phone calls and whatever to get all parties on board. Steve's uncle had a town car and was going to be our "chauffeured" limousine ride to the prom. He was late, very late. Steven was pulling his hair out (he did and still does, have very nice hair), Arthur was having a nervous breakdown and Vivian and I, convinced we were never going to make it to the prom sat down in Mrs. Anderson's living room and watched the Met's game.  It was the closest to Flushing Meadows we were going to get, we thought.

Steve's uncle finally showed up, girlfriend in tow and we were off. Now I have to say I have very few memories of the prom itself, but I do remember Steven's uncle and girlfriend coming in a few hours later and crashing the prom…We did breakfast after the prom at a friends house, slept at the beach the next morning and by evening both Steven and I were looking for new "dates". Steven, I still love ya! Thanks for the memories.

Got Snow?

We do. I enjoy living in Buffalo albeit the suburbs of Amherst. It snows, big deal! To me it's one of the best things about living here. I don't like driving in it though. The past two years we've bitten the snow bullet. I even got a rebate back from our plowing service so we've been a little spoiled. This week we had our first major snow. Not a blizzard but enough to make it interesting. 

Tonight we attended an open house at Norman's boss's house. I don't do well at these types of parties. I'm not a party person. I have a hard time making small talk and I can't remember names and faces to save my life.  I think name tags should be mandatory at all social functions ( and if they could come with a warning note to tell me if I've met the person before and where or if they are well known and important to my husband or Medaille that would be very good too). 

The drive into the city wasn't too bad and the snow made everything so pretty and sparkly. The drive home was not as nice but doable. I'm a bad, bad backseat driver. I want to break earlier, slow down, you name it, so I've decided to just close my eyes. And chant to myself, "Norm is a good driver, Norm is a good driver, Norm is a good driver, over and over". It works quite well...

. 

Apple Withdrawal...

I started a blog post on the BSS blog last week whinning about technology. Now, don't get me wrong, I love technology. I can't wait until we create transporter technology like in 'Star Trek' and better yet, the Auto Chef from the J.D. Robb 'in Death' series. Scramble my atoms and scramble my eggs for breakfast - works fo me!

What I'm whinning about is how ridiculously reliant we've, OK, I, have become on technology. We all get a little glimpse of what it is like when our power goes out during a storm and we go to watch TV, oops can't do that, OK, I'll read a book, oops can't do that in the dark. I'll make a cup of tea; can't do that on an electric stove. OK, I'll surf the web, I've got wireless! Nope, computer battery is dead and I can't charge it. You all get the idea.

No, I'm whinning about the 24 hours I barely survived when one of our store's customers accidently picked up my iPhone thinking it was hers. I get this bizarre call from my MIL wondering why I would leave my pocketbook out so that someone could take it home with them by mistake. Yes I know, I said phone, but as my 83(in 3 days) old MIL likes to remind us all, "I'm getting old!" A very nice customer, shopping along with two other ladies and a new baby they were watching after took my phone by misake. When she discovered she had the wrong phone, she called the house, my MIL who got the message confused and I thought the customer would be bringing the phone back to the store first thing on Saturday. Long story short, after nashing my teeth, losing my temper (in private, at myself), growling at everyone, I got the story straight, and my phone back.


What's all the fuss you say? Who did I have to call that was so important that I couldn't have used anothe phone? NOBODY! I needed my calendar to prove to my MIL that she didn't have a dentist appt. this week. I needed to check my contacts for the number for the plumber that we might need if the rain didn't stop.  I needed my text feature to contact my daughter after her tennis match, my e-mail to ontact my husband in Chicago (because he doesn't know how to use his text feature, or just plain forgets to check it). I needed my Google Maps to find my way home and I'm still playing Million Second Quiz hoping Ryan Seacrest will call.

I've also come to realize I am no longer the tech guru in the house.  My daughter has vastly surpassed me and I don't like it! I am not handing over my pocket protector gracefully. Alexa upgraded my phone to the iOS7 operating system. I barely, according to Alexa, knew how to use my phone before the update.  Now I've got a whole new technology to learn and I'm not sure which will be obsolete quicker me or the update!

It Begins Again...

...or as I've been known to call it, "the most wonderful time if the year!" My daughter is beginning her junior year in high school and she has carved out a very challenging academic program. She also made the school's tennis team!

If she makes it through this year with the same grades she is used to, I'm not worried about her ability to handle a college curriculum. However, as we all know, the first day is not about the books and classes, it's about the fashion!

Abby is looking on and not thrilled that not only is Dad leaving for the day, but sister is too! We also know fashion includes the new Vera collection in a backpack this year, vs. the tote she's used in the past with matching accessories. 

Happy school year to all us students and moms alike!

It's Done!!! (Well at least I'm done with it...)

Alexa's room is finally done! We had the great reveal, the girlfriends over to put their stamp of approval on it and it's been christened with it's first sleepover. Here are the final photos.

 

I made the window curtains, the curtains to the stage closets, covered the vanity stool with pink fabric and made the French bulletin board. Alexa did ALL the painting, including the closet and Norm provided the heavy lifting, wallet included. Next year Alexa will be lucky to get a $10 gift card to Tim Horton's..,

Just Call Me Norm..,

Abrams, that is. The construction zone continues. Paris, er, Alexa has decided her closet must be as nice as her room. I spent most of last week wielding hammer, screw driver and drill. I put together the cube unit along the back wall and Alexa assembled he shoe rack. Here is the first version:  

Alexa actually did do alot of work in the room. She picked out this chandelier decal.  It's hard to see but there are little rhinestones on the dangly things.

After my furniture construction and moving duties I retired for the day and left Akexa to her own perfections. I was called back to add shelves, mount a cork board that was later changed to a magnetic wipe board (painted coordinating green with rhinestones in the corners for that touch of glitter and of course, a mirror.

Here is the final version sans doors. Next the whole room gets cleaned up, final decorations get put in place (I get to hang her French bulletin board and cover her vanity stool with matching fabric. By next weekend the room could be finished! Only four months after we started!
 

 

 

Don't look at that lady taking pictures in the mirror!

Summer's Here and so am I...

Yes, summer is here, whooppee - I'm not a summer devotee. Heat, sun and Donna don't mix. I do love my air conditioning though and my house has central.

We've had a few busy months, here are some highlights and lowlights from the past three months:

• Alexa finished the 10th grade with a 98+ average. Very proud! Her summer plans include but are not exclusive to - an internship, volunteering, tennis lessons, driving lessons and a trip to Denver.
• Norm finished the 2013 academic year with a promotion to Acting Vice President of Academic Affairs.
• Joyce is...Joyce, what can I say (nothing more if I want to keep my stress levels down)
• Abby is Joyce new favorite 'person' in the house
• Alexa's room is STILL not finished, argh!!! Did I mention she's a perfectionist...and my stress levels?
• My aunt Caroline passed away late last month. My mom's sister and one of the sweetest, strongest woman I've known. She will be missed.
• Got re-interested in family ancestry while visiting with my family at my aunt's funeral. Discovered I have a relative that goes back to the civil war. Unfortunately, he deserted - twice.
• Alexa still isn't driving, yeah!!
• I'm still driving her everywhere, boo!

That's the tip of the rapidly melting iceberg called my summer. Stay cool, have fun and enjoy your summer.

P.S. - I've been stuck on level 65 of Candy Crush for two weeks! Argh!

Almost there...

Alexa worked diligently the week she had off from school painting every nook and cranny of her room. Then she spent a few days in Rochester attending a FBLA conference/ competition and I had the last minute, bright idea of surprising her and getting her floors redone.

Her bed came on Saturday and we're still working on finishing up two pieces of furniture and getting everything back in place. She has some wall art to put up and I made curtains out of a matching shower curtain that I still have to put up. Next comes a French memo board I have to finish. By time Lex's room is totally finished she'll be leaving for college!

Home Goods has become a new go to place for this room's decorations. Lex needs LOTS of storage, big surprise.This cute little drawer and basket set will probably have hair stuff in it.

These boxes nest inside each other and have a cute bow features and magnetic clasps.

Here is the French Memo Board. The board itself is done and tonigt I'm putting on the ribbon and the buttons.

These are the curtains, finished, but I still have to put up the brackets. Hope to have that done tomorrow!