About Me

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Full Time Mom, Wife, Work, Life - Mom to three children (adults), two are college graduates and now own their own homes, and the youngest is in college in NC; wife to Thomas; Work - one full time and multiple part time jobs; Life - whatever you can throw at me....

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The World in 1955

My mom sent me this in an email today - I hadn't seen it before and it really made me think!

THE WORLD IN 1955!



IF ONLY THEY KNEW!!!!


Comments made in the year 1955!

I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's Groceries for $10.00.

Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one.

Did you hear the post office is Thinking about charging 7 cents just to mail a letter.

If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store.

When I first started driving, who Would have thought gas would someday cost 25 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.

I'm afraid to send my kids to the Movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND,it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it.

I read the other day where some Scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even Have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas ..

Did you see where some baseball Player just signed a contract for $50,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if Some day they'll be making more than the President.

I never thought I'd see the day All our kitchen appliances would be electric. They're even making electric typewriters now.

It's too bad things are so tough Nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.

It won't be long before young Couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work.

I'm afraid the Volkswagen car Is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.

Thank goodness I won't live to See the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to government.

The fast food restaurant is Convenient for a quick meal, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.

There is no sense going on short Trips anymore for a weekend. It costs nearly $2.00 a night to stay in a hotel.

No one can afford to be sick Anymore. At $15.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood.

If they think I'll pay 30 cents for a haircut, forget it.

Know any friends who would get a kick out of these, pass this on!




Be sure and send it to your kids and grand kids, too!



Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Italian Potato Salad

This is an easy recipe!

I have never measured it in my life as I just go by look and taste, but I'll do my best to figure out the amounts used.


Italian Potato Salad

5 lb bag of potatoes (I honestly never even looked what kind I bought)
Parsley - 1/2 cup chopped, but not minced
Garlic - minced about 1/2 cup, but I like garlic, so you can use less
Red wine vinegar, no other kind and preferably home made
Olive oil - I have made it with canola, but I no longer use canola

Cook the  potatoes until they are tender but definitely not mushy!
Cool them.

In a bowl, add potatoes, Parsley and garlic, red wine vinegar and oil.  Use the oil and vinegar the way you would dress a salad, with maybe a little extra on the bottom.  In all fairness, if you make it the day before, you will have to add more oil and vinegar because the potatoes absorb it.

Salt and pepper to taste!  So simple!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

American Potato Salad

I am 48 years old and I can admit that I have never, ever made American potato salad.  We didn't grow up with it.  We grew up with Italian Potato Salad at every picnic and every party.  And when we were at the Cape at my Aunt's house, it was always German Potato Salad.   I was an adult before I ever tasted American Potato Salad and that was at the home of my first husband and it was bought at a deli, so it wasn't even home made! (And it was NOT good!)

On Memorial Day, I was going to a picnic and was asked to bring American Potato Salad.  Thank Goodness for the internet!

I came across quite a few recipes, and I also googled German Potato Salad, because I love that  and it has mayonnaise in it, so I figured I would do some creative co-mingling!

I have to say that I will be making this recipe again.

I am writing it down here, so that I don't lose the recipe! I also make this the day before the party because potato salad needs to absorb the liquid to get the full taste.

Potato Salad (1/2 American-1/2 German)

10 lbs  of peeled potatoes - I used white all purpose, cut into 1 inch pieces
9 hard boiled eggs
Chives - diced to about two tablespoons
Parsley - diced to about one tablespoon
Celery - 3 large stalks, cut into small pieces
Relish - 3/4 cup (German uses sweet pickle - but this worked)
Bacon - 8 strips, fully cooked
Red Onion - 1 medium chopped fine
Mayonnaise
Dijon Mustard (or whatever kind you have)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes for about 25 minutes only.  Do not cook all the way as they need to remain in pieces.
In a very large bowl, combine 6 of the hard boiled eggs (reserving three eggs for later), chopped and the next six ingredients.
Add Apple Cider Vinegar, about 3/4 of a cup and stir in the bowl and let it sit for a while.

When the potatoes are drained and cool, add to the other ingredients.
I probably used about 1 cup of mustard and 1-1/2 cup of mayo and very gingerly mixed all the ingredients together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Put in the refrigerator over night.

In the morning, you will see that it has dried up just a little bit.  Here is where I add more apple cider vinegar and more mayonnaise.  Add to your liking.  I don't usually measure too much!

Place the mixture in your serving bowl.  Cut the last three boiled eggs into slices and place (nicely) on top of the potato salad (presentation is important!)  Sprinkle with a little paprika on the top for color.

Bring to your party of choice!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Moving through the motions.....

......Sometimes, that is all you can do.




Happy Memorial Day to all!

To those that served...Thank you!  Especially you, dad!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Baccalaureate/Graduation

Friday night was my daughter's Baccalaureate Service held at the chapel in the school.  It was a moving, beautiful Mass dedicated to the graduates.  My daughter brought up the Gospel candle with her good friend, so she was able to be a part of the Mass.





 Then after Baccalaureate, they had the most wonderful reception.   Appetizers, desserts, cakes, punch, picture taking with all your friends and the teachers.  It was a beautiful party.


Saturday morning was the Graduation Ceremony.  It only lasted one hour :) - Another beautiful service and she had such a gorgeous day!









Saturday, May 26, 2012

Busy, busy, busy

Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, Graduation, Birthday Dinners, Memorial Day, 1 year anniversary of my dad's passing...

Teaching Zumba 4 times, working all week, meetings and more meetings, planning a trip to Florida.....

What else can I fit into one week?  ;-)

LOTS of pictures to follow.....

Friday, May 25, 2012

Happy Birthday!

I never even got on my computer last night to post these pictures or to wish my son a Happy Birthday!

So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOMINIC

We love you!


Saturday, May 19, 2012

Focus

I have a new mantra this month....FOCUS (used as a verb). 

So much going on, so much work to do, so little time to get everything that I need to get done, done!

So....FOCUS it is! 










Friday, May 18, 2012

The Last Day

Today is the last day of high school classes for my daughter.  Next week, she will only go to school for events and graduation practice.

They have a tradition at her school where the girls (125 of them) take their uniforms and re-vamp them for the last day of school and make them a little crazy.  My daughter used beads, paint, fringe, markers and scissors to make-over her uniform.  Then 125 girls stand in the long driveway and wave and blow airhorns and make a lot of noise to commemorate the day!

This is only part of the line that extended up the driveway.

Her and one of her friends.  The hem of her skirt has now become a headband!
Some of her friends from our area.  It was so much fun to drive up and down the driveway and see all the girls.  I stopped to take some pictures of my own, but I haven't gotten to those yet.  These are my daughters pictures from Twitter. 

Here are the girls making over their skirts in the downstairs of my home last night.  I have no idea what time they stayed up until, but they were all up at 6:00 am, ready and waiting to go!


Question: How fast does four years go?
Answer:  In the blink of an eye!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Chive Blossoms

I've been taking random pictures of my yard.  The flowers are all coming up and the kids bought me a lot of flowers to plant for Mother's Day (By the way - Happy Mother's Day to all) (I'm a little behind in my posting!).

So, I'll be posting some pictures of flowers as they come in.


The chives, the oregano and the parsley never died over the winter - since we never had winter here in CT.  I didn't do anything, they just all came up again this spring.  I have replanted the basil and I have to get rosemary.  Onions are already up and somehow, I picked garlic last week.  I don't even remember planting garlic?  So hopefully, the herb portion of the garden will be good this year!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My Annual Rhododendrun

I love this bush - faithful to the core!




Gorgeous blooms! 

Thank you, Eva!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

PYO Season coming soon

I just called Jones Tree Farm, our local PYO farm for strawberries/blueberries/pumpkins, etc. 
Strawberries should be ready the first week of June!

I never had time to go picking either strawberries or blueberries last year (most unfortunately).  I had run out of strawberry jam last year and I am using my last blueberry jam jar (from two years ago) now, so I can't wait to go picking this year! 

I'll be calling the farm hotline periodically and will hopefully get to the farm the first week of picking! 

If anyone wants to go on lunch hour, let me know....Otherwise, I'll go on a Sunday morning! 

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Second Prom of 2012

My daughter is attending her second prom of this year tonight.

She wore a beautiful green dress (that you may have seen on my blog last year).










So many girls had on so many different,  beautifully colored gowns...



Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The 600th and a Birthday!

This is my 600th post. WOW!

I am not sure what to think about it because I honestly never thought I would have that many posts!  I have been posting since September, 2009!  It has been a journey and I never thought I would love blogging so much.  I have met so many wonderful people all over the country through this blog and I keep in touch with others over seas also! It is a gift!

Also, today is my oldest son's 24th birthday! 

Where does the time go???


Happy Birthday, Rick!  I love you!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Freebies for the month of April!

Beneful Baked Delights - Beef
Beneful Baked Delights - Bacon
Purex Ultra Pack (1) for dishwasher
Tide Pod (1)
Quaker Chocolate Chip Cookie
Miracle Skin Transformer with SPF 20
Nordic Naturals Omega 3 Fish Oil
Nordic Naturals Fish Oil Gummies
Sani-Hands - Instant Hand Sanitizing Wipes (2)