Debbie Rowe? Really?

Scared of that.

Anyway, today, in the car, my 7 year old son was talking to me about Michael Jackson. Thank goodness I wrote in my journal nearly every day growing up (sarcasm), and thank goodness, so many of my entries as a youth were about Michael Jackson. My son Brandon likes to avidly read my old journals and then dispel info discovered to the rest of the children. I know, lucky me.

Anyway, so Ethan begins asking me how old I was when I started liking Michael Jackson songs (probably around age 11 or 12) Ethan: "Oh, you were older than me." Ethan: "How old were you when Michael Jackson sang his first song?" Me: "I wasn't alive yet." Ethan: "And he's dead now." Me: "Yes". Ethan: "And you'll die before me." Me: (Grumpily): "Yes"

Then Ethan turns around in the van and says, "And Brandon will die before me."

Then, once again, the conversation turns back to MJ. Ethan says, "You know Mom, you look sorta' like that woman that Michael Jackson was married too."

So, I start to think (which doesn't happen all that often, btw). And as much as I would like to think he was talking about Lisa Marie Presley, I realized that is not the case. Which means he was saying I look like Debbie Rowe.

Fabulous. If I am going to look like a semi-celebrity couldn't it be someone a little better? I guess it could be worse. He could've told me I look like OctoMom.

We may be banning any more of this Michael Jackson talk. I don't like where it is going. Death and me looking like Debbie Rowe. Hmmmmm. Maybe it's time for a makeover.

Oh kids!

High School Days

More facebook fun. Some friends of mine posted pictures! Love it. These pictures are from our Senior Year 1990, in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Ridge High School. Fun times.

Carolyn, me, Lorraine, and Chris

Everyone in HS has to have the locker picture

Jen, me, Eileen, and Christine

Christine, Jen, me, and Tracey ----- The Bible Study Group with Mrs. Galloway

Jen and Tracey, Eileen, Lauren, me, Tracey, and Christine.

Days of my Youth

These are several facebook pictures my cousin Amy has put up. That's what is great about facebook, remembering all these memories as people post pictures of you and you post pictures of your past. Fun times.

My cousin Amy and I

My cousin Amy and I am on the right---"Climb every mountain"

Oh Genesis. Remember those days.

I was not too happy. I had bronchial pneumonia for 2 weeks and was just recovered. I was in Utah at the time. Not so fun.

Being silly on a hike.

Winning and Mookie Wilson

I love to enter a good contest, so the other day I saw a book giveaway at this blog. Being a blog giveaway winner virgin (if that makes any sense), I was ecstatic to find out I had won. This blog is great for finding a good book to read. She does tons of reviews and has lots of suggestions!!! Here is the book I won, I am excited to read it!

The last time I won anything that I can remember, I was about 12 years old and living in NY. I was with my friend Sharon, who had invited me to an event at her Jewish temple. All the members of the Jewish congregation were there to hear Mookie Wilson(a big baseball star with the Mets at the time) talk, answer questions, etc. So, afterwards, there was a raffle for various Mookie Wilson items. Who won the grand prize at the Jewish temple? Yeah, me, the 12 year old Christian girl. I won one of Mookie Wilson's bats and he signed it for me. I am sure the congregation was thrilled. Luckily they did not know I was clueless about baseball; although they probably could've guessed it quite easily. Just like now, I didn't exactly look like a sports fanatic, I wasn't too athletic then (I know, so shocking). Despite my lack of sporting knowledge, I was absolutely thrilled to win that bat!

Funny part of the story: Mookie Wilson signed the bat for me. After signing the woooden bat he had used, he gave it to me, and reminded me to let his signature dry before I touched it.

Just like when they tell you not to touch the hot plate when they serve it to you at a restaurant, what do you have to do? Touch it to see how hot it is.

Well, yeah, I had to touch the writing to see if it was dry. It wasn't. So, to this day, I have my Mookie Wilson bat with the smeared signature of Mookie Wilson. A great reminder to have patience and listen to the advice of others.


Anyway, the point being, I enjoy winning again after a 24 year hiatus!!!

Oh, actually, I guess I take that back. We did win a Playstation 2 from a McDonald's Big Mac several years ago----but that was my husband Brandon. Thank goodness we were pigs and ordered several Big Mac's that day---it paid off. Perhaps that contributed to my weight problem, I had such a positive conditioning experience with watching him win a prize from a sticker on the Big Mac, that it led me to eat more and more and more. OK, maybe I can't blame my weight problem entirely upon that incident.

Moral of the story: Go to the Temple, eat as many Big Macs as you can, and don't touch the hot plate at the restaurant when they tell you not to.

First Day of School & A Wedding

First day of school with Erin (in front of me), Joy on the right, and I am on the top left holding the flowers. (I was probably 8, Joy, 7 and Erin was probably starting kindergarten.)

My wedding reception in Texas (Joy on my left, and Erin on my right)

I spent almost every day of my childhood with my two best friends. We all lived on Greenridge Avenue. Joy Schumacher lived across the street and Erin Duggan lived next door to me. White Plains, New York was a fabulous place to grow up---especially with such great neighbors. They were like sisters to me. This is a picture of us on the first day of school. (Joy was a year younger, Erin was 3 years younger). The next picture is at my wedding reception in Texas in 1996. They flew out from NY to be there as my bridesmaids. What a great reunion! It's fun to see the age progression. See, there are some advantages to Facebook. Joy posted these pictures on Facebook, which sent me a message as I was labeled in the pictures. Then, I get access to pictures I would never have had! Thanks Joy. I guess all the obnoxious Facebook applications are worth it----if this is one of the benefits!

Childhood Halloween Moment

I am so excited. My friend Joy, just put this picture of us up on Facebook. We were childhood friends and spent almost every day together growing up in White Plains, New York. I miss those days-----fun, childhood days with Joy. Thanks Joy for sharing the picture!!! I guess I loved Halloween back then too!!! I am the girl on the left, and my beautiful friend Joy is on the right!!! I love the Rubik's Cube costume!


Perhaps this is why I am obsessed with taking pictures. I just LOVE finding pictures from the past. I can't even remember that costume or wearing it, but there it stands, and I am glad to have a copy. My children will not appreciate pictures, they will hate them, as their Mom (me) is so obsessed with cameras and pictures. So, they will take few pictures. As a result, their children will be obsessed with cameras and pictures. It's the circle of life ladies and gentlemen, have you ever noticed that generations seem to skip in certain priorities, etc----I have. It's that darn circle of life. (Sorry for the random ramblings). We create in our offspring a disdain for the very things we love because we drive them crazy with them. The lack of those things creates a desire for them in the next generation. You could obsess on this theory forever---I sure have quite a bit----anyway-----you can tell it is late---I am tired-----night, night.

The Magic of Trains!

Little Brandon overseeing Benjamin's work on the trains


Daddy and Benjamin working on the train


Maddie enjoying the trains


Ethan playing on the Wii


The boys working on the train


Train enthusiast


Dylan and Daddy


Maddie clapping at the trains as they go by! (she looks like a Christmas angel!)


The girl loves trains like her Mommy!


As I have said before, Brandon and Benjamin have a magical connection which seems to include their interests! Benjamin is starting to really love trains. I don't think any little boy has ever LOVED trains (especially Thomas the Tank Engine) the way my little Brandon used to. It was so cute to watch Brandon overseeing and helping little Benjamin with his new train set. It got even better when Daddy got involved. We found some of little Brandon's old tracks, and we had some connector sets to connect the old and new, and all the boys enjoyed putting together the train. (Except for little Ethan who was on the Wii helping Princess Lea and Luke to ward off some enemies!) When Maddie and Dylan woke up from their naps, they also joined in the fun. Maddie loved the trains and would clap for them as they went by.

There is something magical about trains, especially at Christmas. Part of that "train magic" is probably thanks to a childhood memory! The Duggan's (our next door neighbors while growing up) always had an amazing train going around their tree; which also included a little village inside of the tracks. We loved playing with the village and watching steam come out of the engine. Hours and hours of fun make believe! One day I hope to duplicate this memory for my kids and family and have a great little village and train going around my tree also. The kids just need to get big enough not to destroy it! I guess for now Thomas will have to do! It is not like the kids mind any!

You've come a long way baby!

My childhood friend/sister, Joy posted these on her facebook. She is the cute "Barbie" looking girl! She still looks like that today. I guess some looks are timeless. Clearly, my hairstyles were not timeless. I had a good laugh. One is at my birthday party, and one is at Joy's birthday party. So many styles of hair! Gotta' love the 70's! Thanks for the pictures and memories, Joy!

At my birthday party; I am one with the "Happy Birthday" hat on! Yes, that is me with a bowl cut! Don't get too jealous! Joy is the cute "Barbie" looking girl with the green balloon! Little Erin Duggan is the cute, little girl in white. I know, I have always had beautiful friends!These two were my best friends and sisters to me growing up! The fun the three of us had! That is Megan Stone, a church friend, on the far left!


Don't you love my red dress and the cute hairdo? Wow! This is at Joy's birthday party!

Greenridge Avenue: A Great Place to Grow Up!

(This is full of childhood nostalgia, which will probably bore you unless you lived on Greenridge Avenue, in White Plains, NY in the 1970's and 80's!)

For some reason, I get very emotionally attached to homes I have lived in. If I was ever independently wealthy, I would have to go back and buy the childhood home I grew up in; in White Plains, New York! The memories I have of that place! In fact, I don't think it would be good to go back now, as I think many of my memories would be replaced by a new look at the place! As a child, you remember things in such a magical way. Our White Plains home had the best passageways and little nooks and crannies to hide in. We would always climb on the back of our back neighbors garage, and sit on this little nook they had on the back of their garage, which backed right up to the lot of our house. (When my parents sold the house, it was these neighbors that bought our house!) For New York, and standards these days, we had a lot of land there, and my Dad would play wiffle ball and kickball with us every night of the summer. We had such fun with all the neighbors. Then, there was this other area, at the back of the yard that was enclosed with a wood fence. That was our fort. Then we had hedges all around the front of the house, that you could walk behind and run through. A great passageway! Then we had a patio off our house in back, that was high up, so we had a huge ivy hill going down to a little stoneish wall. What fun we had making sled runs going from the patio to the ground! Honestly, I don't think backyards can get better than the one I had growing up. The other fun area, was from my bedroom window. You could walk out onto a roof! I didn't do that too often, but it sure was fun! My parents also planted huge gardens. I think we had about 3 huge gardens. And a compost pile! My friend Joy and I really enjoyed picking off those raspberries off the raspberry bushes! No wonder I love gardening. I am not the gardener that my parents are, but I sure enjoy it. Perhaps because of those childhood memories!!!

I will also always remember our special neighbors there: The Mohr's, The Schumacher's, and the Duggan's. Miss Joan Mohr always made our lives so special; she was so kind to us; always talking to us and making us feel special and important as children. She would always bring over holiday treats, and homemade ornaments that were so beautiful! Her parents were the sweetest people on this earth. They were like my surrogate grandparents. Mr. Mohr would always walk his dogs; Big Red and Little Red. The most beautiful dogs. Mr. Mohr would always offer us little treats and listen to our random questions and talk to us. Mrs. Mohr was always sweet and offered us smiles and treats. Great people! They don't come better than that. Miss Joan and I have remained in contact, and she has sent us many treasures through the years; spoiling my children! She has been like an Aunt to my kids; as she was to me as well! At one point, Miss Joan became a nun. It never surprised me as she was such a Christlike, kind, sweet person. Someone like her was likely to dedicate themselves to God. She is one of those people who has lived her life helping so many people on their journey in this life.

I am also so grateful for my childhood friends, Erin and Joy! The fun we had together as children! I remember always watching "Little House on the Prairie" at Erin's house; practically every night; as her brother Eddie would play on the floor with his He-Man toys. I remember "Gramma Duggan". She was the best. She gave me my first "Gap" sweater and "Swatch". She made the best noodles and butter you have ever tasted, and we would often eat peanut butter and crackers at their house. They were also like family to me. I remember going to Maine on vacation with them, and going crabbing and looking for seaglass. Cherished memories for me.

I remember feeling as though Erin and Joy were my sisters. Joy and I would play games; especially Monopoly for hours and hours and hours. By the end, we would be paying each other in $1's! Those were the good 'ol days! We would also play Barbies; choosing out the Barbies and clothes one by one. Joy had quite the Barbie collection! Joy's father was a Pastor for the Lutheran church. I remember going to her church from time to time, and Pastor Schumacher always working on various projects; often pertaining to Martin Luther. The Schumacher's were always so good to me, it was Mr. Schumacher who taught me how to go off the diving board at the pool for the first time. Mrs. Schumacher was always so kind and sweet to me, I remember her calling me Margaret; we had a lot of inside jokes and they were like family as well! I also loved their dog; Kris Kringle.

Anyway, I am also really attached to our Springville home. It was our first house, we bought it a month before little Brandon was home, and we brought home our first four children to that home. I have a great deal of love for that home as well, and would have to rebuy that home if I ever was independently wealthy also. I guess, more precious than the homes themselves, are these precious memories that I take with me. As I left Miss Melissa's home, I took a picture of my old Springville home. It is a bad picture. It doesn't help that it was about 1am and my camera was not too happy! So, this is the best I could do. I did feel very sad and nostalgic, driving away from my old home. It has a special place in my heart and always will! I could belt out the song "Memories" right now. Aren't you sad that you aren't nearby to hear my rendition of that song?

Our first home; in Springville