...or has anyone else noticed that when something is on your mind, that subject seems to pop up EVERYWHERE. and i don't think it has anything to do with just noticing it more. it just seems to be coincidentally popping up in places like on tv shows i watch, commentary on ESPN, in the news, on the radio in the chatter between songs, names of towns...weird places that i wouldn't expect to hear it...
or maybe i have just lost what little of my mind i had left. LOL
...but it is not by any means unimportant:
Happy Birthday to my brother Josh! =P
(who I am mercilessly teasing about being on the downhill side of the 20s now--26 lol. never mind that i am older & a mere 18 months away from 30.)
...this girl eats ice cream.
to give you an idea, dinner consisted of a large bowl of edy's grand special edition girl scout tagalongs cookie ice cream. nothing cures a problem like chocolate & peanut butter living happily in a sea of ice cream. dessert is an ice cream sandwich. gimme a break i waited 2 hours between them.
sometimes being a grown up is good if only for the fact that you can eat ice cream twice & call it a meal.
do i really need to justify it? a girl needs her calcium intake & i don't do milk.
Lake Ostego (photo by me!) 
Isn't it strange what makes you homesick out of a clear blue sky? On any given day, I love my life in Florida. Don't get me wrong. Of course there are people I miss like crazy & deep down I am inherently "New England" but Florida is home now.
I was just flipping through some photos though & I came across some of Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard from a few years back. There is this tiny little town nestled into the mountains of New York named Fly Creek. It's about 20 minutes outside of Cooperstown & if you didn't wander a little way off the beaten path, you would never know it existed. Back when I still lived in CT, I used to love a day trip into this area of New York, just me & my dad. It's about a 4 hour trip up but so worth it. We are only on one small stretch of highway the whole trip & at that, it's not a very busy one. Other than that, it's all these windy backroads with quaint little towns and farm country and the Catskill Mountains,just the two of us, some good music, some conversation. We have it all down to a science. I drive the first half of the trip. We stop at McDonald's to grab my dad a coffee & a quick bathroom break. Then he drives the rest of the way. We stop at this little place we affectionately call "the fly trap" because without fail there are always a dozen or more flies trapped inside banging on the window screens--darned if we even know the real name of the place LOL--but the pastries are yummy & we grab a couple of homemade doughnuts & stretch our legs.
Then it's on the road again, next stop Fly Creek. It's this neat functioning cider mill & orchard with a country store & a snack bar. We browse the store, get some cider (which they sell "regular" and frozen so that it will keep for those who are on a trip like ours) & other goodies. Then we have a snack, complete with some hot apple cider & some sort of apple dessert: apple crisp or apple pie or hot apple topped sundaes. Yum... With our stomachs content, we hit the road again, our destination close but not before one more stop along the way. On another side road, tucked away from first glance is the Cooperstown Brewing Company where you can take a tour of the brewery & sample some of their specialty beers. My dad always buys a case or 2 to savor during the hot summer months. He's practically on a first name basis with the brothers who own the place but this is just that sort of area: small towns where faces are familiar and people are still friendly & pleasant. Next stop for us is the ultimate destination: Cooperstown, home to The Baseball Hall of Fame. We always wander through these halls, see the memorabilia, the latest tributes. I am especially intrigued by some the photography that they display there now as well. But even if you aren't into baseball, the town still holds so much appeal. There are neat little shops all up & down Main Street that have a flavor of baseball of course, but also something distinctly New England. We aimlessly meander the street, stopping at a few old favorites (we've been doing this since I was a small child) & here too it's amazing how people stop to wave & smile, not just friendly but that look of recognition that warms the expression on their faces. My dad goes up probably 4 or 5 times from May through October (I used to make the trip with him in Ocotber for my birthday and the foliage) and these people have seen me grow up. There are a bunch of little places to eat scattered throughout "downtown" but we have our favorite places: a light lunch at the Pioneer Patio, where the owner will keep the restaurant kitchen open just for us even if he was about to lock up & he will stand behind the bar, chatting with us as we eat, talking a little baseball with my dad, always remembering my dad's favorite teams.
After lunch, we shop some more and then we drop our packages off at the car and take a long walk up & down the tiny streets, absorbing the atmosphere, looking at the houses that have all the old New England charm you would expect. We always end up on the banks of Lake Ostego (pictured above), enjoying the conversation or simply the comfortable silence. Then it's dinner at one of the restaurants "downtown" where there is a baseball theme to the establishment & they of course serve beers from the brewery we had visited earlier. We eat & relax & then as the sun is starting to set, we head for the car to start the ride home, tired from the day but that happy relaxed sort of tired that comes from a day full of time well spent. There was never any rushing around, just an easy pace. My dad drives the first leg of the trip and at McDonald's, we switch & I finish it up.
The whole trip is comforting & predictable as are the memories I have of it. It's one of the things I miss the most, being so far away now. And tonight the photos made me a bit homesick: for autumn in New England, for traditions, for my dad. But the memories are sweet & warm and they make me smile.
If you ever find yourself on a getaway to this area of New York, make sure you get yourself off the interstates & give yourself the freedom to explore, to find your own special memories. It's a place I hold near & dear to my heart...
On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them: "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here. He has risen!" (Luke 24:1-6) 
I am not one of those people who talks very often about my faith & what I believe. If someone were to ask me about it, I have no problem sharing it with them but I do not often bring it up myself. I suppose there are people who think that I should but I am the quiet type in just about everything & that is reflected here as well. I simply believe what I believe in the way that I was raised--it is such a personal thing for me.
But this morning I'm going to do something slightly out of character. You may feel free to read or not read of course, but I am simply going to share what Easter means to me--surprise surprise, in the words of a song. It is an Easter hymn that I remember singing for most of my life but it professes the joy & triumph I feel in my heart when I an reminded of what Easter means to me as a Christian: By Grace through Faith I am Saved and if I Believe, Heaven will one day be my Treasure.
He's risen, He's risen, Christ Jesus the Lord
He opened Death's prison, the Incarnate Word
Break forth hosts of heaven in jubilant song
And earth, sea and mountain, the paean prolong.
The Foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree
In Satan's domain did the hosts shout & jeer
For Jesus was slain whom the evil ones fear.
But short was their triumph, the Savior arose
And Death, hell and Satan, He vanquished His foes
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high
He lives, yea, He lives and will never more die.
Oh where is thy sting Death? We fear thee no more
Christ rose and now open is fair Eden's door
For all our transgressions His blood does atone
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
If you believe as I believe, then today you know peace & joy. If you believe something else, then I wish you a happy day to celebrate Spring & rebirth & a new season. Whatever you believe, I wish you a very Happy Easter.
so sweet 
mojo? is that you...? maybe i *do* have some creativity left in me after all!
still listening to be as you are. suddenly very intrigued by one line from track 8
french kissin' life square in the mouth
hmmmmm...going to think on this for a bit...
be as you are (songs from an old blue chair): Kenny Chesney 
i don't know how many of you out there reading this thing like country music (i like all sorts of music which may not be evident by my posts lol but if you check out the list under in my cd player you will see that i *do* actually listen to other things as well!)...
anyway. i checked out the Listening Party for Kenny Chesney's latest release be as you are (songs from an old blue chair) and i have to say i'm loving it. very light & tropical. some songs happy, others as peaceful as a secluded hideaway in paradise. maybe you're like me & where you live is tropical so this feels comfortable, like the soundtrack for home...or maybe you are currently digging out of yet another snowdrift (hey?! isn't it supposed to be SPRING...?? i am confused...) & could use a little tropical to take you away to someplace you could thaw out for a bit.
regardless i am loving it so i'm sharing...i'd love to know what you think. (i am especially addicted to track 13, the acoustic version of old blue chair...)
come on in... 
Just a quick congratulations to someone super important to me. She's been waiting for this for years. And (gotta love her!) she didn't start out as the most patient girl you've ever met. But having a baby & the process of building a house have brought her a long way. Oh she's still the Heather I know & dearly love. But she's learned the value of things that are truly worth waiting for. I hear it in the way she talks now. It's not easy to wait, but in the end, it's worth it.
So welcome home friend. Hope you make a million sweet memories there. Birthday parties & Christmases of course. But everyday memories too. First steps. Bedtime stories. Laughter. Seasons passing by. And always the echo of family & friends & good times in your heart.
Love ya girl...
we talk about being a "morning person" or a "night owl". i'm something of both. it's that middle of the day slump, 1-3pm, that i struggle to keep my baby blues bright. and open lol. i just drag.
and i mean d....r....a....g
it doesn't matter how much or how little sleep i got the night before (although 6 solid hours is my optimum). it doesn't matter if i went to bed early or stayed up half the night. it doesn't matter if i was up with the sun (typically the case) or if i slept in. it doesn't matter what i'm doing (or should be doing as the case may be) when 1pm rolls around. all i know is that day in & day out, for those 2 hours, i would be perfectly content to just close my eyes & take a nice little nap.
so...if anyone needs me, look under my desk where i am likely curled up, peacefully snoozing. i think i missed my calling in life: i should have been my dog. =P
Just thought I would share a yummy little recipe for anyone who's ready for some Spring flavors to wake up their tastebuds. =)
Zesty Chicken with Spring Vegetables over Pasta
(bear in mind that this is a recipe for one serving so just increase the amounts to suit your needs)
1 good-sized chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small yellow summer squash cut into thin slices
1 small zucchini squash cut into thin slices
1 small to medium-sized plum tomato, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 serving of cooked pasta, shape of your choice, hot
Italian salad dressing
Grated parmesan cheese
Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour approximately 1/8 cup of Italian dressing (per chicken breast) into the skillet with JUST A SPLASH of water. Add pieces of chicken & sautee until no longer pink, maybe 3 or 4 minutes. Add in slices of yellow squash and zucchini; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked thoroughly & squash is desired tenderness. Add in tomato just for the last minute--you don't want it to be overcooked, just enough to warm through & absorb some of the flavors.
Pour hot pasta into a bowl. Mix in chicken & veggies. Top with 1/4 cup Italian dressing (per serving) & parmesan cheese to preferred amount. Toss together until mixed well.
I wish I had a ditigal camera to show you how yummy this looks. It's so bright & colorful, it is as appealing to the eye as it is to the mouth . =)
Considerate: (con·sid·er·ate) adjective1 : marked by or given to careful consideration : CIRCUMSPECT 2 : thoughtful of the rights and feelings of others
do you have someone in your life that always treats you with consideration? have you acknowledged & thanked them for it?
If ever a quote was meant for 2 friends, this one is it!
"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another 'What! You too? Thought I was the only one.'" (c.s. lewis)
Somewhere around a year ago, our aimless paths crossed. I don't know about her but I have NO idea what I'd do without her now. Well...I'd still be confused by where that missing third of my brain was hiding--and yes Andie, I would not laugh nearly as much! lol...
Speaking of missing thirds of brains. Let me just inform you, in case you were unaware of this phenomenon, that sharing one brain between 4 girls does not come highly recommended for the faint of heart. Or for anyone who wants a rational explanation for why the whole box of ziploc bags has taken up residence in the freezer. Or where the HECK those books went that you *just* saw.
Plus if you are paying attention, I said THIRDS...and FOUR GIRLS. That would mean that at least one of us is stuck without any brain to use at all (like it makes any real difference lol) or better yet someone is being a brain-hog & dancing around merrily laughing at the others stumbling around all silly.
I guess what I'm saying is that I would not only be short some brain cells without my girls but completely lost. Doesn't matter that I've known one of them for almost 26 years, another for a little over three...and one for less than 12 months. Fact is I've known them all my life & I just happened to stumble across them when the stars lined up and the time & place were right.
And this was the piece of the puzzle that snapped it all into place. You know, the proverbial reason for the rhyme. After all how many people can you say something completely insane to & their response is not "you crazy whack job!" but an incredulous "ME TOO!!" I don't even know why we are surprised anymore. I'm so glad I was lucky enough to find the "of course" that matches up with my "me too!"
andie! =) 
pooch cafe 3.17.05 
(hint: if this is too small for you to read, try clicking on the comic strip for a larger view!)
I love this comic strip. =) Hope you had a great day. Don't forget to live a little--even if that means a drink of blue water is necessary! LOL...
If Heaven
(click on the link for the "If Heaven" full length video...)
Yes, I know. It's country music. I know it's not for everyone. If you truly can't stand it & not even looking at the totally yummy guy who sings it can entice you to survive listening to it just once, then do a search & locate the lyrics for yourself. Better yet, click here--I've even saved you the trouble.
Ok so we're all on the same page now...well except for those of you who are enthralled by staring at Andy lol...will this help to lure you back here for a couple of minutes?
Anyway, as I was about to say...
This song makes me think. It makes me think about all those things--some little & others not so much little--that bring us some sort of happiness. Things that indeed would make the obscure notion of Heaven something we could maybe comprehend. Times & places & simple pleasures that could make our fumbling minds focus on the sort of joy that awaits us. Things that if "brought with us" could be our tangible, comprehensible source of joy & comfort for perhaps eternity, helping us grasp things that are well beyond our present understanding.
Have you ever thought about what your "if heaven" would consist of?
If heaven was an hour, it would be sunset over water, brilliant & spectacular & utterly breathtaking. Every glowing shade of intense color. Warm light washing over the whole sky, painting the clouds colors you didn't know could exist, reflecting its awesome beauty in the waters below it.
If heaven was a time in my life, it would be 1994, when I was unjaded by losing loved ones, the whole world stretched before me with endless possibility, love was not yet a scar on my heart but a glorious ideal.
If heaven was a place, it would be as pure & simple as being wrapped snug in the arms of the main I love, my head resting back on his shoulder & his smile warming me up from the inside out.
If heaven was a scent, it would be my Grandma's apple pie baking. Sweet & spicy, promising to delight all the senses when it emerged from the oven. There was laughter & a sense of home & togetherness & family that nothing else since has been able to capture or recreate.
If heaven...these are good things. Happy memories. And If that's what heaven's made of...
so treat your love like a firefly
like it only gets to shine
for a little while
("me & charlie talking", miranda lambert)
i have the world's softest heart. it kills me to see someone cry. i hate to know someone's feelings have been hurt. or worse that *I* hurt them. step it up a notch to knowing someone important to me is having a rough day & my heart just aches.
i wish that i could make it all go away. i wish i could bring a smile back to their heart, if not immediately their face. i wish i could hug away whatever is wrong.
this is the real world. i know that i can't. i know it's not that easy to fix bad days. the reality of it is, that doesn't stop me from wanting to do so anyway.
that's who i am. i like that about myself.
found this quote that i *love*:
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.
(Leo Buscaglia)
i hope my love is felt. regardless, i think that i'll try harder.
Life Colors
Something else I found to amuse myself. I am always "the blues".
You scored mainly in the Water-Sky quadrant. This 'Blue' quadrant highlights the water sign of your personality and your tendency to be cool and free-flowing in most circumstances. Water from the sky provides the necessary resources for growth and this is a feature of your approach to life. You will enjoy the freshness of new ideas and actively seek these out, either by talking to others or by reading.
People who map into this quadrant will enjoy examining problems or making discoveries. Consequently, you may sometimes tend to take your time in coming to decisions which affect your day-to-day life. If there are any uncertainties, your natural reaction will be to postpone things until you are sure.
You are unlikely to enjoy conflict situations which, more than likely, will create stress for you. In these circumstances you may well be a 'worrier' and this could affect your health. As a result you will usually move to defuse any potential conflicts well before they occur.
You will be a considerate person and choose your words carefully so that you don't upset others. Sometimes however, you may be so subtle that people don't realize what you are feeling about a particular issue. You may need to check that people fully understand your views and incorporate these into their decision making.
Being a sky person, you may well have a strong imagination which causes you to fantasize about the future. Future possibilities interest you greatly whereas the past is something you can readily put behind you. However, be careful that you don't live too much in the future. There are the realities of day-to-day living to think about.
Kinda interesting. This was right on target. At least for the way I see myself anyway. Well except for the past being something I can readily put behind me. Sometimes I wish that were the case but what are you gonna do right?
What's Your Birthday Color?
Found this cool site while lurking on another blog. Had to try it out. Here's my results:
Strart by clicking their link to "What's your birthday color?" Then you pick your birth month. (See?! I *told* you all I get a birthday month! Ha!!) Mine, of course, is October; my color: Cerulean. Peaceful. Posied. Balanced. The color for the month of October is Cerulean. Calm and soothing. Cerulean signifies love, beauty and balance. Cerulean embodies the essence of peace and serenity, while inspiring us to be strong and to take decisive action. Venus, the planet that rules the month of October, governs love and beauty.
Then you select you actual birth date. 12. Eggshell Blue. Popular. Clever. Expressive. Socially adept. People love you at their gatherings. You absorb data easily and your mind is quick as a whip.
Kinda cool. I know that Cerulean is one of my favorite shades of blue & I do most definitely thrive on peace, love, balance and serenity. Not sure that the Eggshell Blue commentary suits how I see myself though. I prefer to be one-on-one or at the most, in small groups. Certainly not the center of attention. And popular? ME?? lol...
Still a cool toy to play with...
I am not sure how this is possible but I don't have a photo of orange blossoms.
Huh? (I imagine you are thinking...)
I walked the pup this morning. I went outside to be greeted by what can only be classified as a perfect March morning in Florida. Warm breeze. Cloudless sky in the most brilliant shade of blue. And *breathe deep* the perfume of orange blossoms. Love this. I fell in love with them 3 years ago when I arrived & I live for every subsequent March. It's the only time the air smells this heavenly sweet with the scent of these blossoms. Every time it tickles my nose, I have no choice but to breathe it in hungrily & sigh.
Added bonus that the weather is near-perfect: warm, no humidity, just enough breeze--but only for the month of March. Something barometrical happens when Floridians flip the calendar to April. I swear. You wake up April 1st to "sticky" & Mother Nature is not fooling one bit! I digress. (Not surprised are you. lol...)
It's mornings like this, walking out into my own corner of paradise, that I wish the hardest to have a digital camera. Sure I could take a shot with my regular "film camera" but by the time I finish the roll & have it processed, I feel like the moment is lost & I am only trying to back-pedal & recapture it. I wish I could show you NOW.
My intent was to come in here & pop my ramblings out topped with a photo of my beloved orange blossoms. I am dismayed to go through my stack of photos, searching for the one to scan in, and find none. And thus the opening statement. Which reminds me, I need to go back outside with my camera & take some pictures for next time...
Brett Favre (photo from www.packers.com) 
I know, I know. What is the preoccupation, the obsession, with football? Can't help it. Words can't tell you how thrilled I am to have another season to watch Brett Favre play the game. I heard it described perfectly as I half-listened to Sports Center while I finished getting ready for work this morning: He may not be the best athlete ever, but there is a very persuasive arguement that he may be the best *football player* ever. I mentioned this way back in December. It's this passion that just consumes him. You can see that he loves what he does. I find a driving inspiration in that.
Witnessing passion in others just inspires me. I might see it in the way he plays football just as easily as I might see it in the way someone scraps a layout or captures their thoughts in a written format. You can just tell when a person is doing something that he or she believes in, when the craft, whatever it may be, wells up from a driving force deep within.
You don't see people being truly passionate about what they do very often anymore, and so I'm not ready to be finished seeing that kind of passion & I am happy for one more football season to soak it in.
It's haircut day! It's haircut day! I don't even know why I'm *that* excited. It's not like I'm going to do something new & shocking lol. I want to but I also want to keep it short & cute & "flippy" & not "weird"...and EASY. There are only so many options available to me fitting those criteria. And try as I might, I can't find a picture online anywhere of the way Courteney Cox had hers when she wore it short during one of the earlier seasons of Friends. Hey if anyone has any suggestions (with a photo example I can share with my stylist lol) feel free to forward them my way!
Until then, I stick with cleaning up the same-old same-old. And the excitement comes from 10 weeks since my last hair cut--I typically go every six--and I'm feeling a little too shaggy. Besides, when my hair gets this long, it gets a little to big for its britches & forgets that I should be the one controlling what we look like when we walk out the door. (Ha...who am I trying to kid? I've never been in control of my hair *ever*...)
Man would somebody just tell me to be quiet already today? LOL
by Andie 
Ok I kinda wasn't prepared for this. Got me all sniffly & teary-eyed first darn thing in the morning. I normally hate seeing myself in pictures too--like hearing your own voice recorded sounds strange, I always think I don't look quite how *I* see myself. But it isn't the horror of the pictures drawing up a stray tear or 2...these are happy. Nothing tops trying to be a good friend & having someone whose opinions you value tell you you scored dude! =) I didn't need the recognition girl. Just knowing I got your day turned in a different direction was more than enough for me. And I'll let you get away with posting a pic of me I guess. =P LOL...
Got those lucky (if you say so) fingers crossed for ya!!
Funny how time & distance change you
The roads you take don't always lead you home
You can start a love with good intentions
And then you look up & it's gone
("Me & Charlie Talking", Miranda Lambert)
3 years ago today. That would be 1096 days (if you're checking my math that includes the leap year in 2004--I know I'm bad with numbers but give me a *little* credit huh? lol...) that I have lived in Florida. Not too shabby for a girl who always lived within 15 minutes of her birthplace and who had never set so much as a toe down in the state of Florida before March 9, 2002! Talk about a leap of faith...Ok so some of it didn't turn out as planned but I must have forgotten to check my crystal ball that day. I like who I am now anyway & I'm happy here. It's home now. I've come alot further than that initial 1200 miles but the destination is worth it. There are a few special people I would like to transplant down here with me (you'd think they'd be sick of snow by now! LOL) but thanks to email, AIM & unlimited long-distance plans for Alexander Graham Bell's nifty invention, I've still got them close by in those long stretches between actual visits. And I have my Florida "support system" now (aka the Andi(e) show & a guy with a killer smile) & they make my sun shine even on rainy days like today.
I know I whine alot...but really...life isn't too bad. =)
I don't understand what's going on here. Three-time Super Bowl Champs. I can understand letting guys go who haven't been contributing to the team to bring in fresh players who *can* get out there & play for the money the team is spending. But why--someone PLEASE explain to me WHY--have they not picked up the option for Troy Brown?? I am pulling my hair out here! So what if he makes a little bit more money! It's not like he didn't play every conceivable side of the ball. He's earned his keep AND the respect of the team. He played his offense position well, in addition to stepping up & playing some mighty fine special teams & doing a bang-up job filling a hole on a very depleted defense. He's been with them for years and he doesn't *want* to go to another team. He's a team leader and they've already potentially lost another key to the morale of the team with the uncertainty of Tedy Bruschi's health making his return questionable at best. Not to mention losing both coodinators. I'm not feeling good about the 2005 season...
And why hasn't Brett Favre made his decision yet? Boys, you are *killing* me. I can't lose both the adrenaline rush of watching the Patriots come out & take charge AND no more Favre-ball...
I guess I have to wait & wonder...
cinderella castle 
There is something about this photo. I love the perspective. I love that it isn't the same photo everyone takes of Cinderella Castle. I love the way the late afternoon sun lights the tower. I love that it gives a true feeling of how small you are in comparison to it. I love that *I* took it...and sometimes I can't believe that I captured it. Me.
But more than that, I look at it and I believe in magic.
Now let's get something straight. I don't believe in Cinderella or think that there's a prince or a fairy god mother or a special glass slipper out there waiting for me.
But I believe in feeling the magic of loving someone way down deep in my heart. And I believe in that intoxicating, overwhelming sense when something much bigger than I am takes hold of everything that I believed was decidedly UN-magical & shows me that happiness is for real. And I believe in getting swept right off my own two feet when I was least looking for it.
It has nothing to do with this castle or this photo...but I *do* believe in magic.
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