Almost Crunch Time

Well folks, it's just 5 weeks 'til the big day. My sweetie & I went to Town Hall to get our marriage license today! We also went to order the wedding cake (yummy). My sweetie got me some "shiny stuff" as an early wedding present... he treats me like a princess...I'm so lucky.
The teenaged one still hasn't gotten a haircut, but he got awarded the PTA scholarship this week.
Win some , lose some?

Super- Heroes

When you mention super heroes most people think of the usual suspects like Batman, Spiderman, Captain America etc. This year I've been fortunate to meet some of the real super heroes of Long Island. Most of my kindergarten students are from "economically challenged" neighborhoods... they wear hand-me -down clothes, they don't have the luxury of designer sneakers.

This school year my students were blessed with 2 guardian angels... the first one is a retired grandmother who likes to shop at the dollar store... she has given them teddy bears , cars & trucks and pretty plastic jewelry. The other angel is a wonderful man who prefers to remain anonymous...he gives the kids books and has even donated a bike to a little girl who didn't have one of her own.

These are the true heroes... you'll probably never read about them in the newspaper, but they are the ones who know how to put a smile on a child's face. God Bless them always!!!

Grandma, Tito Puente & the Hard Rock Cafe

My grandmother was always an adventurous woman. When she was a kid, she would ride her father's horse bareback to school. When she was in her 20's she was the first person in our family to fly in a plane (with her 9 month old baby). During the years she was raising her children, her love of travel & adventure would continue to flourish. At any given moment she might be in Oceanside, California or in San Antonio & Fort Worth visiting her her siblings.

Even in her 80's & 90's she continued to travel and her quest for new experiences. In the summer of 1997 we traveled to Spain on a family. One day after several hours of sight seeing grandma complained that if she had to look at another museum or old church she was going to hop on the next plane home! That afternoon we went to the Hard Rock Cafe (Madrid) for lunch. While we were waiting for our table grandma wandered off & and met Tito Puente who was giving an interview for a Spanish television station. After his interview, "Tito" came over to say hello to grandma and let her take pictures. He even joked with her saying he was going to charge her $5 per picture. This would be a tale she would repeat to her friends & family members for years to come.

Her life had many sad moments... her mother died when grandma was only 12 years old. She outlived 2 brothers and 2 sisters (all younger than her), and after 58 years together she buried her husband... the only man she ever loved. Despite all these hardships she was always loving, caring & generous. Last Fall, just a few months after my mom died, my grandma decided to join her in Heaven.

We miss you both, Happy Mother's Day

One year later

The hardest part of losing a loved one is when you forget they're gone. This happens to me occasionally... something funny happens at work & my first reaction is to pick up the phone and start dialing 541-5.... Oh shit! Mom, you're not here anymore. I miss the sound of your voice, the Saturday afternoon shopping sprees and most of all I miss hearing you & grandma argue in the kitchen while making Sunday dinner.... but I guess we were lucky , we saw each other every day for the past 44 years & when we didn't see each other there was always the phone. We had all those great trips San Diego, Alburquerque, our road trips to Florida even Cooperstown and the baseball hall of fame was fun. Can't believe that you went to Paris without me! But then again I went to Ireland with the" boys" while you & grandma spent the summer going to garage sales.