Dear Me, not yet to be….

June 26, 2011 by 72 Comments

                                                     

 

September 7, 1961

 

 

Hey there,

Wow, you’re finally sixteen, a big day in a girl’s life.  Happy Birthday! 

I knew that you would open up that favorite book,  A Girl Can Dream, once again and find this letter that I left for you.  Reading has always been your escape, a doorway that takes you away from the hurt and into a world where you become someone else in a happier story.

I’m sorry that no one made a big deal of this special day and you’re feeling sad.  This is something you should have gotten used to as you’ve grown.  Parties have never been something of importance to your parents and, right now, you’re sitting there on the bed, hoping for a surprise of some sort before the day is over.  It won’t happen, just as with all the birthdays before this one.  You’ll wake up tomorrow morning promising yourself that, someday, things will be different.  Trust me,  any changes in life begin with the decisions you make but, you already know that by now.

For a teenager, you are strong in so many ways, having dealt with things that no young person should have to endure.  Some day, way in the future, you might be able to help others who went through all you have but, for now, it’s so difficult to share that pain with anyone, not even your very best friend, Helene`.

The road ahead won’t be easy and you will make mistakes; we all do.  The important thing is what we learn from these occasional wrong steps and how we manage to become more productive adults in the process.  Remember, no one is perfect!

Right now, you’re experiencing that dizzy feeling of a first big romance and  smile whenever you think…of him.   In time, this flicker of what you think is love will turn to sleepless nights and tears in your pillow, ending when another girl steals him away.  Trust me, that empty feeling in your stomach that makes you ache all over will pass; it will just seem like it’s taking forever.  One day, you’ll look back and think how silly you were in feeling so devastated over that high school romance and feel happy that you didn’t end up with him  You will be happier still that “the other woman” got what she deserved. 

Those dreams you have of  someday leaving home to become a Stewardess, well, they will remain wishful thinking.  And, any hope of college will be quashed by your father who feels, unless you plan on being either a teacher, or nurse, there’s no way you’ll go to school just to earn a “Bachelor of Nothing” degree.     It will be the world of Business for you, so grin and bear it even when you find yourself sitting behind some desk feeling all cooped-up and wanting to do so much more with your life; someday, you will.

Some heartbreak will never fully disappear; you’ll learn that when you reach your twenties and make a choice that will leave a permanent hole in your heart.  Part of you will always be missing but remember that you made the best decision; not everyone could have been as brave.

The endless turmoil at home will end in a few years when your parents finally divorce but as one door closes, another will open and bring its share of conflict.  That too, will pass but not your mother’s dependency on you for years to come.  I promise you that you will get through that, as well.

Marriage?  It will come, along with its ups and downs;  so will children, a home of your own and, someday, grandchildren!  Yes, you, a Gramma and, you will be a very cool one, at that.  Trust me!

Keep writing… even though your mother always finds the notebooks that you keep as journals and throws them away; her belittling of your writing just makes you eager to do it more. She can’t discard your thoughts and memories, no matter how hard she tries.  

I know, you’re sitting here, reading this and wondering how I know so much about you, wanting to believe the hopeful things I’m sharing yet fearful of what is still unknown.   That fear can be paralyzing but you cannot allow it to imprison your spirit and sense of adventure as you explore what this world has to offer in years to come.

Learn to trust; not everyone in your future will be like the hurtful shadows of people in your past.  Learn to love those closest to you and enjoy the beauty of life as it was meant to be.

At this moment, all you want to do is grow up as fast as you can but please, hold on to these precious years of youth for they pass by almost with the blink of an eye.  We’re given a one-shot chance at life without any option to go back and do it again.  Suddenly, one day, there are more years behind us than on the horizon and we’re amazed at how quickly that time has gone.

Remember…hold onto sixteen…as long as you can!

Love,

Patty

 

p.s…..Don’t marry a man who can’t dance!

 

Sharing an older post for my very first link-up with yeah write!

 

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Happy Tails!

March 9, 2011 by 22 Comments
                                  
Just felt like departing from my norm, whatever that is, to write, once again, about my daughter Jill, the animal lover/rescuer extraordinaire`!  Did a blog about her a while back…take a peek to better understand where I’m heading today.
 

 

Oh, you’re back?  Good, now you understand the method to today’s writing-madness.
 
I cannot say enough about unwanted, abused, discarded animals; most of us probably feel the same.  Each day one more horror story unfolds on the news and it’s damn heartbreaking.  When people opt to lay down some heavy cash for a pricey pedigree, I often wonder if they realize just how many perfectly wonderful animals languish in shelters or are euthanized due to overcrowded rescue facilities; cats and dogs who would have been so grateful to live in some forever home.
 
Hey, I’m not scolding anyone owning some fancy-schmancy little fu-fu dog or cat, just suggesting that maybe more people could broaden their pet horizons and open their hearts, and homes, to some animal in need.  There’s always room for one more.

Sharing some photos of my Jill’s many, many animal successes….

“Bluto”…..a male Pit Bull found severely abused and emaciated; this poor boy was so badly beaten that he lost one eye.  Jill fostered him with love and much care and found an extraordinary family who adopted the dog.  He’s dressed up as a Pirate, eye patch and all, for Halloween, goes everywhere with his owners and is one incredible, happy dog today.
       Then….

   Bluto today….on a camping trip!          

“Mia”…..this pretty blue-eyed girl, another Pit Bull, was rescued by a representative of a highly reputable animal shelter who purchased Mia and her litter-mates from some dirtbag who was selling the tiny puppies outside of a local Wal-Mart.  Jill fostered some of the babies and fell in love with Mia, adopting her shortly after.  All of the dogs went into terrific homes.
                                  
“Iris”……this little “Schneltie” (Schnauzer-Sheltie mix) was a surrender from an owner who could no longer care for her or her mommy.  A little ball of yippy, cuddly, wiry fur, Iris became a permanent member of Jill’s household; how could she resist?
                                        

 

These two kittens were very young rescues; Jill bottle-fed and weaned them, finding a loving home for them when they were old enough to be adopted and……after both were spayed and neutered!  Both have extra toes that make their feet look like catcher’s mitts….
Babies………..

All grown up…..

If  only more people would be responsible and remember to….Spay and Neuter, this figure would drop, significantly…..
                  
“Walter”…..another Pit Bull who Jill recently pulled off a Brooklyn, New York, shelters’ “death row”.  This poor guy was found tied to a fence in freezing weather and starving to death. 
 
This is his picture, taken at the shelter,  just before Jill brought him home for fostering.   
“Walter” is now one happy boy, as you can see, and is ready and waiting to be adopted.
A few more photos of happy endings……..
Matt, Emma, Mia and Iris, out for a ride….
An armful of puppies, each one adopted and thriving today!
Think about it, please, if you’re looking for a pet….rescue animals and those from reputable shelters… have so much love to give!

 Share a story about a stray you took in or an animal you once rescued.

This story is about someone near and dear to my heart, my middle daughter who is an animal lover/rescuer/advocate.. extraordinaire`.  Jill is the Dog Control Officer for our town and works tirelessly to reunite lost pets with their owners as well as removing them from situations of abuse and neglect.  Many of the animals she rescues are never claimed by their owners but Jill constantly manages to find new, loving, forever homes for each one after she runs extensive background checks and makes several home visits for a perfect furry/human match.  She also makes it a point to stay in contact with every new adoptive family to be certain that the animals she places are thriving and happy.

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Colder than Ice!

January 23, 2011 by 6 Comments

 

What could possibly be…colder than ice?  Brrrrrr..waking up to an extremely frosty morning here in New York State!
 

I’m sure that, by some weather-related, temperature standards across the U.S., -8 degrees here in the upper sector of The Empire State could be considered downright balmy.  Joking with friends, I just made a comment that, when it warms up to zero, I’m heading outside to sunbathe, armed with Frozen Margaritas.  Everyone is invited over…just bring your own towels for swimming along with an icepick for the pool.

Not a good day for attempting to see if one’s tongue sticks to a metal pole but I’m sure some fool will try it just for their 15 minutes of fame..or however long it takes for some EMS team to remove that stuck organ from its captor.

                                  

The weather services have labeled our current little cold snap as an Arctic Air Invasion while forecasting the potential of a whopper of a mid-week storm heading for the Northeast along with the drama of predicting it will be one more Storm of the Century.

Been there done that…yawn. 

Hey, we’re snow-pros, ready to assume our places in long supermarket lines, struggling to push shopping carts filled with the basics..bread, milk, toilet tissue and beer.  We’ll start cooking everything in our collective refrigerators/freezers, producing enough menu choices to last for at least the next three to five months.  Coal for the coal stoves, wood for wood stoves and fireplaces, electric heaters, kerosene heaters (not many, kerosene is outrageous, surpassing even gas pump prices), oil and propane tanks topped-off as well.

                                                 

After all, we aren’t like various southern states where snow and ice come as a shock; where one, or two, local counties in the deep south have just one snowplow with which to clear roads.  Like I said, we northerners are seasoned experts with that white stuff and all the havoc it can create.

                                                    
We’re ready for whatever Mother Nature hurls at us.  We are tough east-coasters with 4WD, AWD, plows, snow blowers, ice melt, cat litter and every shovel design offered by our local Home Depots.  Most of us have extra gloves, scarves, food items, emergency flares, flashlights and more stashed in our vehicles should we become snow-stranded or suffer an accident.

                                                                  

                                                
                                                                                            

Hunker down and bring it on!  Mommies have time to fortify themselves with some “me time” to bolster their mental defenses before the kiddies are home from school yet again.   It’s Winter almost wherever one looks except for the state of Florida, the only state with no snow events.  Hate this cold weather?  Move to The Sunshine State where the roads are full of cars driven by headless drivers who, when they aren’t driving through the windows of some Chik-fil-a, chug along for miles with the turn signal flashing; where there’s a CVS on every, and I mean every corner; where once thriving orange groves are demolished to make way for another housing development.  The positives are great beaches on both Florida coasts and growing manufactured entertainment produced at Disney, Busch Gardens, Universal and more making the state a wonderful venue for vacations.  

For me, the only endearing part of Florida is the fact that one of my daughters, her husband and my Grandsons live there.  

But…there’s no snow.

                                                                        
Hold on a minute…I’m not Florida-bashing, just making an observation here so…relax all you Floridians!   All I’m saying here is that you can take the girl out of the Northeast but…you cannot take the Northeast out of the girl.  Once this arctic freeze passes, along with a few more snowstorms, we can look forward to Spring…then Summer…and Fall! 

And then…Winter will return.

 

 

    Flicker of Inspiration Prompt #31: Cold

                                         Have you ever been cold?

Almost a year ago we were freezing our posteriors off here in the Northeast.  Beyond cold or any other description of the weather.  Thought this post was worth sharing for this prompt.  Today, January 1, 2012…temperature outside is a balmy 32 degrees.  Haven’t seen snow since a freak storm in October and no precip is on the horizon.  Mother Nature is seriously slacking-off.

 

 

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