Confessions, car crashes and fierce Mother’s love…

I have a confession, I have often used you, my readers…and this blog

as a catharsis… But I think of you each as friends. Each.

Let me use you one more time please to tell my story.

So I can breathe. So I can stop crying.

This week I drove with my youngest for a University interview and tour

We were driving in her small Mazda…. She dutifully stopped at a stop sign.

She looked both ways,

Then proceeded to drive straight into the path of an oncoming SUV… going 60 mph.

I saw it. Time stopped. I yelled NOOO. Put my hand out…

in the way mothers do.

Heard it. Couldn’t stop it.

Then black.

I awoke to the acrid smell of smoke…looked over to see my baby. My beautiful girl lying slumped…eyes opened. Broken.

Mama hormones and Mama love are the most fierce …most impassioned kind of strength.

I witness this, often, at a birth.

I know this. YOU know this. You Mothers. You sons and daughters.

The car was on fire (or so I thought)… I wailed for my baby to live. held her, shook her,pulled her seatbelt off and mine .

she finally looked at me. My beautiful curly haired morning star

who was only going to be 17 next week.

and whispered faintly

I am ok

With a speed and strength of what I can only imagine as pure adrenaline , I pulled myself out of the turquoise burning coffin, and over to her door. There was no handle…it was not opening. There wasn’t really a door.

I couldn’t see out of one eye….thought maybe I had lost half of my face… I lost a shoe…I saw blood.

I demanded in that way that mothers do my curly haired child to follow me.

she pushed I pulled her over the console.

We chanted the mantra we are ok…we are ok the whole time.

Thank goodness she didn’t have a spine injury. I know not to move accident victims. I know this .

But the ferocity in me demanded it.

Ferocious, that mother love, that has us dispel rules in the name of survival.

Ambulances, and trauma centers, cat scans a few days in a hospital bed... and a few staples in our heads later.

we are ok

we are ok

we are ok.

Sweet sweet 16…

So I celebrated a birthday party with a favorite 16 year old…

I was the lone adult among a cadre of teens

go ahead. weep for me.

I was given the enviable task of staying at the pavillion

guarding assorted ipods,purses,keys...flip flops (??)

while they all went running off into the surf. Gallavanting merrily...

hey…man…

Hours…maybe it was even days went by…

and I sat…and dutifully watched. and watched. and watched

seemingly all of my friends and family were at every other corner of the earth.

I sat alone. sniff.

Finally…they returned….to open some ::cough:: interesting gifts...and others very benevolent...

Later, That evening Some of the girls and I spent the night

in a funky little villa on the ocean

In the morning I peacefully awoke to the sounds of waves

refreshed..rejuvenated…

yeah...so maybe I did call the one bedroom...so?

ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

And took a walk on the beach…and stretched...

Um…

They didn’t. that would be a table their feeties are on

payback is a beeyotch.

~mother of the year award coming soon.~

Happy Birthday my love!

oh…and the kink in your back will be gone by tomorrow. promise.

To A Wonderful, Merry, and Peacefully Chaotic Christmas…

From our Happy{ish}Home…

ok...maybe some of us don't like photo shoots that much

To yours…

You have all made my heart and soul sing.

Each of you…The commenter’s and readers…the non-commenter's and readers…the just looker’s

the e-mailer’s…each of you has warmed…

The veery cockles of my heart.

I think I wuv you. each of you.

Merry Merry Christmas!

And...for what it is worth...

I think the Big Black Dog is smitten with you…too.

yep. Positive

And an extra for what it's worth...Happy 22nd anniversary to us!

yep...cuhrazzy kids married on Christmas Eve!

Imagine.

Traditions….

What is Thanksgiving without

cranberries?

say we.

We have a well loved salad we have been making for years…14 years

Our oldest son has taken over making it

each Thanksgiving.

In our casa, each kidlet makes a part of the meal…Fun!

Part of the fun is pulling out the old recipes…this one was on the back of a calendar back in 1996…

where my writing lists piano lessons and holiday parties...

Your Thanksgiving traditions?

Share.

please.

Heh heh heh….(insert creepy laugh)

In our home

we have always had the birthday fairie…he leaves the kids a little something

at the foot of their bed the morning of their birthday.

Always. Maybe some chocolate, maybe some socks…

maybe a small gift ya never know.

Somewhere…as our oldest became a teen…

he took on a bit more of a mischievous persona

Some might even call him bit of a creeper…in fact some in the house do.

But….religiously, every birthday he shows up

missing teeth and all…the first to wish them

a happy birthday.

…except the year the big black dog took off with him…and lost his hat.But that is a whole other story.

Who me??

This weekend we celebrated another birthday at our casa…an 18th Birthday…

and the little creep…err Fairie… joined us. And even helped to make a

Coca Cola Chocolate Cake <---recipe here

Southern, to be sure, but when you are a die hard fan of Coca Cola…as this 18 year old is known to be

then what’s a Fairie to do... but try a Coca Cola Cake.

With all the decadent goodness of chocolate cocoa and buttermilk and Coke…

and marshmallows

Decidedly gooey

Decidedly imperfect…

In that perfect kind of way

But aren’t we all?

Happy Birthday to our favorite 18 year old Coca Cola lovin’

Kidlet…

Love,

The Birthday Fairie.

heh heh heh.

So…..

::Thankful::

...for Big Black dogs managing all the comings and goings...

For the imperfection ( perfection?) of messes in the kitchen

made by once little people

creating a part of the meal…

and husbands

brining turkey’s

because they saw an article online…

and Grandma’s

making apple pies… teaching those with once tiny hands...
now large.

yep.
Thankful…sooo thankful.

~~~

The best to you and yours this Thanksgiving Day...

Hold ‘em tight.

Fall in Florida…well… fall in my camera…

You know how great it is when you find money in an old coat pocket?

A gift

Well as I try to…ahem…set up this new hard drive

I unloaded some pics from my trusty camera

That I didn’t really know were in there

and so I share…

And apparently…a certain 14 year old who is enjoying her music theory classes had my camera in her possession for awhile

experimenting with the lens

as did her friends

as they enjoyed their first homecoming dance…

Oy…say’s the mother

I happen to love the bruised knees…from climbing trees

but season’s change…

Fall casually and quietly sneaks it’s way into the usually bright glow

which is the Florida I know…

You learn to see and appreciate the subtleties of natures changes

I do anyway

It is certainly not the plunge of orange fringed harvest hues our northern neighbors are gifted with…

but is a gift all the same

But looking through the shots…

I find some gifts

…are better left in the camera

Just sayin’

In celebration…

… of my favorite Mom’s 80th birthday this Sunday…

okay, okay ONLY Mom...but still favorite

My brother completely surprised us by flying down from NYC, and we all

headed further south to the Sundy house and Taru Gardens

in Delray Beach.

We had an amazing brunch among the tropical flora and fauna

Cool Mimosas and bloody Mary's flowed freely

Never left to get below half of a glass

After several courses of lovely delectables like smoked salmon and curried pasta...

florentine eggs benedict and Crepes bananas foster…

Mahi mahi and wood smoked pork

Oh....it just went on and on and on...

We took a break to stroll through the secret gardens

Where we stopped at the natural rock bottomed pool,

and dipped our toes in amongst the colorful small fish

dancing in the crisp water…

With Mimosas in hand we continued to wander through the acre garden…

...Back at our table for another round of tropical smogasboard...

Oy...I’m still full.

The food was spread out through many different parts of the historic Inn

Can’t think of a better place to celebrate 80 amazing years…

To many, many more….

and we’ll keep the mimosas flying!

okey dokey?