Well, it's actually more of a work in progress, but I've decided to move my blog over to Wordpress. I'm going to be figuring out the ins and outs of Wordpress for a little while, but will no longer be posting here.
Visit my new blog here. You'll be able to sign up for email updates there, as well.
Thanks for reading, and see you at the new site!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Enough! Maybe.
I've been frustrated about some wonkiness wtih Blogger lately. That I can never get my occasional photos to look right (more specifically, look right with text) goes without saying, but even bullets, numbering and very basic spacing issues (like between paragraphs) have been driving me nuts for a while, now. I'm investigating moving this blog somewhere else and will (hopefully) have a new web address to share soon.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Catching up
A few articles and columns:
- Today's "Milton Makes a Difference," about Mary Beth Callahan, the preschool special education team chair in Milton.
- The August 1 "Milton Makes a Difference," about some teens from St. Agatha parish in Milton who traveled to Appalachia for a service project.
- "Milton Musings" from August 6, about another reason to love Cunningham Park.
- The August 8 "Milton Makes a Difference," about school resource officer Maria Poles, of the Milton Police Department.
- This past weekend's "Just a Minute," in which our heroine finally adopts a dog. Said heroine bears no responsibility for the column's headline, although it is kind of cute, despite groans I've heard from some readers.
I think that catches me up. I've also been writing features about camps all summer for the Milton, Hingham and Canton Patch sites, as well as continuing with my weekly wine column for the Milton site. Summer camps are winding down and soon I'll be back to my weekly school news columns for the three sites.
One side note: the kids are all done with their own camps now, and these past few days have been a reminder of just how hard it is to write with them around. Uninterrupted time is at a premium until school starts on August 31. Thank goodness Earl can be around enough to keep them occupied.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
No idea how I fit it all in there
I took inventory of my tiny little purse the other day, and found clues to my status as a mother all over the place. Read about it in this weekend's "Just a Minute" column.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Foster Care Article
Today's "Milton Makes a Difference" is about the Festa family, who have taken foster children into their home for the past two years. I am amazed at foster parents and their children, who make room in their families and their hearts for kids who have nowhere else to go. They're good people and I hope you enjoy reading about them.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Time Warp
Seriously? My last post here was July 10? Wow. I lost nearly two weeks in there somehow.
I do have a few "real" blog posts swimming around in my head, but have no time for that at this very moment. For now, you will have to make do with two recent columns:
1. Today's local humor column for Milton Patch. Everyone can use guidelines now and then.
2. Last week's "Just a Minute." Grease is still the word, but let's just leave most of the other words out of it.
I do have a few "real" blog posts swimming around in my head, but have no time for that at this very moment. For now, you will have to make do with two recent columns:
1. Today's local humor column for Milton Patch. Everyone can use guidelines now and then.
2. Last week's "Just a Minute." Grease is still the word, but let's just leave most of the other words out of it.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
The Ice Cream Man
This week's humor column for Milton Patch was about the Ice Cream Man. You know, the guy who tries his hardest to ruin your kids' appetites right before dinner? Read it here, and take a tip from a friend of mine -- if your kids are young enough, start calling it "The Music Truck." That might work for a few years.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Oh, No.
Currently NOT rocking my world is the lack of any sort of logical reason why the last post looks so horrible, no matter what I try. It's enough to make a girl think of defecting to Wordpress.
Oh, yeah.
Currently rocking my world:
- Freegal. It is the best thing ever, to look up long-lost favorites and get them for my iPod for free. Today's finds: Indigo Girls and REO Speedwagon (yes, I'll admit to REO. I won't disclose that the other download was Kenny Loggins, however.)
- A nice glass of wine with and after dinner.
- Kids playing outside after dinner (currently playing: "What time is it, Mr. Fox?")
- Happy kids swimming in the town pool this afternoon.
- Reading both the Magazine AND the Ideas section from yesterday's Globe while the happy kids were swimnming this afternoon.
- Clean sheets on the bed tonight, and a secret plan to finally watch "The King's Speech."
- Good news from a colleague.
- Having had the chance to visit with (almost) my entire family this past weekend.
- A beautiful, perfect, sunny summer day.
- The kids' summer camp. How could I almost have forgotten that? Day 1 was today and they loved it.
Ten is a nice round number so I'll stop there. Quite wonderful, especially for a Monday.
Food pantry article
Today's "Milton Makes a Difference" is about the Milton Community Food Pantry. It's great to have such a community resource and volunteer opportunity right here in town. Everyone there is so cheerful, too -- volunteers were all smiles when I stopped by to get a few photos. Smiles make for good pictures, too. Read about the Pantry's good work here.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Exhale.
I've been wanting to blog for some time, but haven't been able to sit down and do it. I've had that restless feeling of wanting to write, as opposed to the dutiful feeling of having to write, but no block of time that I felt I could afford to put toward this soul-feeding, well-filling activity.
But here I am, and although I'm currently responsible for five children (my brother and his family are visiting this weekend, and I'm watching his two kids this afternoon) it feels nice to just sit and put fingers to keyboard for a while, without a deadline breathing down my neck.
The past 10 months have been insanely busy. I am forever saying how busy I am, but since September, it's been a whole new level of scheduling craziness. Teaching school, teaching at home, rehearsing my church choir, cantoring weekend and funeral masses and meeting eight writing deadlines every week has been a challenge. But the school year is over, my private teaching is on a summer schedule, and the writing has eased up a bit, too. No wonder I can sit here and think out loud, or rather, in print.
My project for the summer is to take better care of myself, and I'm off to a good start. I had lost nearly 15 pounds, using SparkPeople, last summer, and started gaining it back in October (about the time the writing ramped up.) I gained it all back, with interest, and realized last weekend that I was within 5 pounds of my full-term weight when I was pregnant with Abby.
That was a wakeup call.
On Monday, I started using SparkPeople again, and decided that this was going to be the summer I prioritized taking care of myself. So far it's been pretty good -- I took a walk with a friend one day, another by myself the next, and have been to the gym three times, too. I'm not eating perfectly but am doing much better than I was. It feels good to place some importance on taking care of my own well-being, after such a long time of being too busy to put any time into it.
Health-conscious individuals might argue that there's no such thing as being "too busy" to take care of oneself, but they don't get it. That kind of pontificating does nothing to alleviate the problem and only creates guilt in people, like me, who go into what I call "survival mode" in order to just get through the days and weeks. People have to set priorities in order to manage their lives, and my priorities have necessarily been elsewhere for the better part of a year.
And now, without guilt or regret, I'm adjusting my priorities. To be able to do that is another blessing.
But here I am, and although I'm currently responsible for five children (my brother and his family are visiting this weekend, and I'm watching his two kids this afternoon) it feels nice to just sit and put fingers to keyboard for a while, without a deadline breathing down my neck.
The past 10 months have been insanely busy. I am forever saying how busy I am, but since September, it's been a whole new level of scheduling craziness. Teaching school, teaching at home, rehearsing my church choir, cantoring weekend and funeral masses and meeting eight writing deadlines every week has been a challenge. But the school year is over, my private teaching is on a summer schedule, and the writing has eased up a bit, too. No wonder I can sit here and think out loud, or rather, in print.
My project for the summer is to take better care of myself, and I'm off to a good start. I had lost nearly 15 pounds, using SparkPeople, last summer, and started gaining it back in October (about the time the writing ramped up.) I gained it all back, with interest, and realized last weekend that I was within 5 pounds of my full-term weight when I was pregnant with Abby.
That was a wakeup call.
On Monday, I started using SparkPeople again, and decided that this was going to be the summer I prioritized taking care of myself. So far it's been pretty good -- I took a walk with a friend one day, another by myself the next, and have been to the gym three times, too. I'm not eating perfectly but am doing much better than I was. It feels good to place some importance on taking care of my own well-being, after such a long time of being too busy to put any time into it.
Health-conscious individuals might argue that there's no such thing as being "too busy" to take care of oneself, but they don't get it. That kind of pontificating does nothing to alleviate the problem and only creates guilt in people, like me, who go into what I call "survival mode" in order to just get through the days and weeks. People have to set priorities in order to manage their lives, and my priorities have necessarily been elsewhere for the better part of a year.
And now, without guilt or regret, I'm adjusting my priorities. To be able to do that is another blessing.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Two pieces
"Just a Minute" ran this weekend in the Patriot Ledger. I'm looking forward to summer vacation this year (and mine starts today!) Find out why here.
Today's "Milton Makes a Difference" is about the Caring Circle of the Milton Catholic Collaborative, an association of the three Catholic parishes in town. They're reaching out to help people in need. Learn more here.
Today's "Milton Makes a Difference" is about the Caring Circle of the Milton Catholic Collaborative, an association of the three Catholic parishes in town. They're reaching out to help people in need. Learn more here.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Library volunteers piece
I don't think I usually link to my "Milton Makes a Difference" column on Mondays, but since it's my second-favorite weekly assignment (after my humor columns) I really should start. Today's piece is about the Friends of the Milton Public Library. They do great work and are preparing for a membership drive in the fall. Read about it here.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Run for cover
Last week, we had a tornado here in Massachusetts, and even my town, which was ultimately not affected, was under a tornado warning for a while.
If only I'd known that when we watched "The Wizard of Oz" a few days before. Read about our perfect family storm in today's Milton Musings, "Blown Away."
If only I'd known that when we watched "The Wizard of Oz" a few days before. Read about our perfect family storm in today's Milton Musings, "Blown Away."
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Family Humor Column
Here's one I can't let Abby see just yet. Enjoy today's "Just a Minute" column for the Patriot Ledger.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Last weekend's family column
The web person at the Patriot Ledger was on vacation last week, and my column was never published online (harrumph!) Here it is. For the record, the bad dreams seem to have passed for a while.
***
As a parent, I’m used to the pitter-patter of little feet. Said pittering and pattering is a normal, expected and welcomed part of the soundscape of our home. The exception is when the pits and pats come down the stairs between midnight and 5:00 a.m., as they’ve been doing a lot lately.
My nine-year-old never has gotten out of her bed at night in her life. (The exception: two bouts of sleepwalking, a creepy behavior which disappeared as soon as her tonsils were removed, which was, in a way, even creepier.) My six-year-old has been a very good sleeper, aside from a couple of bouts of nocturnal illness. My little guy, however, has gotten out of bed more in his five years than the fifteen years of the other two combined.
The boys’ bedroom is directly over my husband’s and mine. I’ve learned I have about 45 seconds from the initial thump of the feet hitting the floor to the apparition at my bedside. The ensuing exchange typically goes like this:
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?” (Maybe if I close my eyes again he’ll disappear.)
“I had a bad dream.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” Quivering voice and the start of sniffling are detected.
(Hoisting myself onto one elbow.) “Aw, buddy, I’m sorry. It was just a dream, though. Why don’t you use the bathroom and then we’ll tuck you back in.”
Off he goes to the bathroom. Now, for the most delicate phase of the operation: how to ensure that it’s my husband who gets out of bed, goes all the way upstairs with the little lad and tucks him in again, leaving me snug and cozy where I am. The trick is to appear to be mostly willing to make the arduous journey, but just slightly too tired and befuddled. Husbandly gallantry will prevail, if I can manage not to overplay my hand.
The first step is a slightly audible sigh. Sometimes a little moan can help.
Gallant Husband: “Is he okay?”
Me: “Yeah. The poor kid had another bad dream.” (Rolling over, slowly, facing husband. Direction is key; keep him engaged while simultaneously showing I’m too tired to get out of bed, myself.)
GH: “Man.”
Me: “Mmmm-hmmm…” (trailing off a bit.)
GH: “Do you want me to go up with him?”
Me: “Mmmmm.” (What a guy.)
Off he goes. If it’s almost 5:00, my husband will just stay up, leaving me to battle the alarm clock. If it’s much earlier than that, I’m usually in dreamland by the time he comes back down the stairs, no doubt smiling a little in my sleep.
Someday, my little dreamer will learn to shake off a nightmare and value sleep over parental comforting. In the meantime, my gallant husband will (hopefully) continue to answer the call of the pitter-pattering feet, and my heart, half-asleep, will go pitter-pat, too.
***
As a parent, I’m used to the pitter-patter of little feet. Said pittering and pattering is a normal, expected and welcomed part of the soundscape of our home. The exception is when the pits and pats come down the stairs between midnight and 5:00 a.m., as they’ve been doing a lot lately.
My nine-year-old never has gotten out of her bed at night in her life. (The exception: two bouts of sleepwalking, a creepy behavior which disappeared as soon as her tonsils were removed, which was, in a way, even creepier.) My six-year-old has been a very good sleeper, aside from a couple of bouts of nocturnal illness. My little guy, however, has gotten out of bed more in his five years than the fifteen years of the other two combined.
The boys’ bedroom is directly over my husband’s and mine. I’ve learned I have about 45 seconds from the initial thump of the feet hitting the floor to the apparition at my bedside. The ensuing exchange typically goes like this:
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?” (Maybe if I close my eyes again he’ll disappear.)
“I had a bad dream.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.” Quivering voice and the start of sniffling are detected.
(Hoisting myself onto one elbow.) “Aw, buddy, I’m sorry. It was just a dream, though. Why don’t you use the bathroom and then we’ll tuck you back in.”
Off he goes to the bathroom. Now, for the most delicate phase of the operation: how to ensure that it’s my husband who gets out of bed, goes all the way upstairs with the little lad and tucks him in again, leaving me snug and cozy where I am. The trick is to appear to be mostly willing to make the arduous journey, but just slightly too tired and befuddled. Husbandly gallantry will prevail, if I can manage not to overplay my hand.
The first step is a slightly audible sigh. Sometimes a little moan can help.
Gallant Husband: “Is he okay?”
Me: “Yeah. The poor kid had another bad dream.” (Rolling over, slowly, facing husband. Direction is key; keep him engaged while simultaneously showing I’m too tired to get out of bed, myself.)
GH: “Man.”
Me: “Mmmm-hmmm…” (trailing off a bit.)
GH: “Do you want me to go up with him?”
Me: “Mmmmm.” (What a guy.)
Off he goes. If it’s almost 5:00, my husband will just stay up, leaving me to battle the alarm clock. If it’s much earlier than that, I’m usually in dreamland by the time he comes back down the stairs, no doubt smiling a little in my sleep.
Someday, my little dreamer will learn to shake off a nightmare and value sleep over parental comforting. In the meantime, my gallant husband will (hopefully) continue to answer the call of the pitter-pattering feet, and my heart, half-asleep, will go pitter-pat, too.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Poof!
Remember that calm feeling I had earlier this week? It's gone. All of it. Or at least it was this afternoon, as I pondered how to catch Brian's Little League game, copy the programs for tomorrow's recitals and make three deadlines, all before we were to have a dinner guest.
But: I went to the game for a little while, got the copies made, and met two of the deadlines and got an extension on the third. Dinner guest and dinner were fine. Things are okay again.
I also managed to do something for myself today -- a long walk with a friend, something we're trying to make into a weekly thing. I did more than four miles and burned off about half of my pancake-extravaganza breakfast. Oh well; better than if I hadn't walked!
Tomorrow I have two masses to sing, and then the recitals, and then more dinner guests. I think I'll think about that tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, here's a link to today's Milton Musings. It is so, so beautiful here at this time of year. Enjoy.
But: I went to the game for a little while, got the copies made, and met two of the deadlines and got an extension on the third. Dinner guest and dinner were fine. Things are okay again.
I also managed to do something for myself today -- a long walk with a friend, something we're trying to make into a weekly thing. I did more than four miles and burned off about half of my pancake-extravaganza breakfast. Oh well; better than if I hadn't walked!
Tomorrow I have two masses to sing, and then the recitals, and then more dinner guests. I think I'll think about that tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, here's a link to today's Milton Musings. It is so, so beautiful here at this time of year. Enjoy.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Busy week break
The week of my annual studio recital is always interesting. On the one hand, Sunday afternoon will be a whirlwind, with a voice recital rehearsal, followed by my voice students' recital, and then my piano students' recital. An all-afternoon affair, plus there are some extra things I need to do this week to get ready, like create and copy the programs, check with the hall, etc. I also need to get all my writing work done early as I won't have that Sunday afternoon time to catch up.
On the flip side, however, most of my piano students are really just concentrating on their recital pieces this week, so lessons are moving quickly, leaving me with a little extra time here and there within my teaching schedule. It's nice to have a breather.
***
As busy a time of year as May is, things are starting to wind down. My classroom teaching only goes on for five more weeks; my studio teaching the same (until the summer schedule kicks in.) My church choir is quite busy for the next month but then will be done for the summer. Writing chugs along, but some of the school-based reporting I do will also be going on summer vacation.
I'm not panicked about the summer at all this year, really. My three kids are all registered for their enrichment programs (at least I believe they are...haven't received confirmation yet.) Our vacation plans are loosely set. I need to create my summer teaching schedule (after this weekend's recital) and then I'll have things more or less scheduled out until school starts again. I like the feeling of having things organized, and even though there are details to take care of, I'm feeling quite calm.
We'll see how long it lasts!
On the flip side, however, most of my piano students are really just concentrating on their recital pieces this week, so lessons are moving quickly, leaving me with a little extra time here and there within my teaching schedule. It's nice to have a breather.
***
As busy a time of year as May is, things are starting to wind down. My classroom teaching only goes on for five more weeks; my studio teaching the same (until the summer schedule kicks in.) My church choir is quite busy for the next month but then will be done for the summer. Writing chugs along, but some of the school-based reporting I do will also be going on summer vacation.
I'm not panicked about the summer at all this year, really. My three kids are all registered for their enrichment programs (at least I believe they are...haven't received confirmation yet.) Our vacation plans are loosely set. I need to create my summer teaching schedule (after this weekend's recital) and then I'll have things more or less scheduled out until school starts again. I like the feeling of having things organized, and even though there are details to take care of, I'm feeling quite calm.
We'll see how long it lasts!
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