Smile!

I bet you didn't know that I'm a model... I must admit, it can be pretty annoying to have cameras going off in your face at any given moment... I didn't set out to become a model, but people just want me in their photos.. You see, every day at 5:00 pm I have to walk through Grand Central Station in NYC. If you have never had the thrill of walking through this super busy train station, let me tell you.. it is a full blown contact sport. Thousands of people dodging one another trying to get to their train on time! Not only do you have to contend with the commuting crowd, but the tourists as well! I don't know who told the hundreds of tourists to come to Grand Central at 5pm, but they are there... every day.. and they take my picture.. every day.

You see.. whether I want to be or not, I am photographed every day.... I must be in THOUSANDS of photos.. it could be just my arm, my leg, my hair, the back of my head.. but I can guarantee you I'm in those photos. In fact, a photo of me could be lurking in your best friend's mother's cousin's husband's nephew's facebook page... or a photo of me could be on their cell phone! If they have been to Grand Central Station.. I promise you I am in there. So, if your friend says they've been to NY.. ask to see their pictures and look for me!

It Has Been A While!

I hope you are still there.. I wouldn't blame you if you gave up on me. Life has just been busy so you'll have to excuse me if I haven't been blogging lately. I'd say "it's been the best of times, and the worst of times", but that line has already been used. Some wonderful things have happened in the last month... Chris started 2nd grade and playing soccer, Steve has started his own business and I now have a permanent full time job with benefits in NYC. And while it's been great to dance on the mountain top and celebrate God's goodness, we've also been down in the valley as our family mourned the passing of a beautiful 14 year old girl... my cousin John's daughter, Brenda, who unexpectedly passed away earlier this month.

It's funny because I am constantly thinking about blogging.. little tidbits that you will find funny, but somehow getting to the computer and putting my thoughts together takes a little bit more energy then I same to have these days. Hoping that will change soon!

You can do one thing for me.. say a prayer for me this Friday. I am having surgery to have my gallbladder removed. Should be a routine procedure, but the "s" word frightens me. So, if you could pray for peace and for a speedy recovery, I would certainly appreciate it!

Thought For The Day

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, or even touched, they must be felt with the heart."

Helen Keller

Bus Stop

It was an ordinary day at the bus stop. The usual suspects were lining up, checking emails, listening to music or sipping on their first cup of coffee. For the most part, the people keep to themselves. Being a morning person myself, I typically have to resist my desire to chat out of respect for those who do not share that personality trait.

Unexpectedly, the gentleman in front of me turned to me and struck up a conversation about the weather and, in particular, about the mosquitoes. The bugs were literally attacking him. I had a few by me, but they were seriously swarming him. He was wearing shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops and they were having a field day with him. It was my good fortune that today I opted for pants and a long sleeve sweater that had me covered from head to toe so those pesky mosquitoes could gain no entrance to my skin. Trust me.. I have my fair share of bites already.

Despite the raid on his body, this poor man kept up his cheery disposition for a full 20 minutes. He seriously was being targeted by these bugs and I’m not sure why. I felt so bad for him and surely thought if that was me, I would have hid in my car until the bus came. But, because the line can be so long and once it’s filled you could be bumped from it, he stood there and “took it like a man.”

Finally the bus pulled up and we all prepared to get on board. Only, the man in front of me did the most shocking thing… I watched as a woman got out of her car, walked up to him, kissed him and thanked him and she took his spot on line and boarded the bus. He walked away got into the car she emerged from and drove away. I was amazed at this act of love that I witnessed. This man, who was not even getting on the bus to begin with, endured a very painful wait (I can only imagine how many bites he received during those 20 minutes) all in the name of love for his girlfriend/wife. I thought that was such a selfless act.. so kind, so thoughtful and I wondered to myself how many other people would be willing to do something like that. Would you endure pain or even inconvenience for someone you love? Would you think more of their comfort then of your own?

It left me thinking about those I love and how I am serving them…how I am loving them. I have a new determination to think less of me and more of them.. not because I have too, but because I want to.

It's Over!

I woke up today thinking “I’m glad that’s over!” First the earthquake, then the hurricane which coincided with our move across the street. It was a stressful weekend, but it is done. We moved, we hunkered down, and now let the unpacking commence.

Just to give you a quick recap, it took me about 3 hours to get home on Friday night because everyone was evacuating the greater NY/NJ area. Saturday morning, we started moving. (I would like to offer a huge thank you to my brother-in-law, Ruben, and my nephew, Jonathan, without whom we would still be carrying boxes.) We worked until the first raindrops started to fall before calling it quits and hunkering down for the storm. Everyone slept great that night except for me who was clued to the live news streaming tracking Irene. Many of you were on facebook with me commiserating and that helped me so much! Thankfully we had no flooding in our new home although many of the surrounding areas weren’t as lucky.

On Monday, we hired a few guys to come and move the heavy furniture. Worth every penny! Today I am back at work -- it took over 2 hours to get here! Just grateful that we are all safe.

Here’s hoping that his week is not nearly as exciting as last week!!

Hurricane!

First an earthquake and now a hurricane. The entire East Coast is watching Hurricane Irene as it is creeping towards the northeast. I am hoping that all the models are wrong and that it won’t be anything major… especially since we are MOVING this weekend! Can you imagine carrying boxes and furniture in the rain? Either way, I know God has his hands on us.

For those of you with kids, how have you eased concerns or worries about storms and earthquakes. This week has opened up a whole new field of questions from Christopher. I think he was nervous about me when he heard the word earthquake, and I know he is less than thrilled that this upcoming hurricane has ruined our planned trip to Hershey Park. He was too little to remember the four hurricanes we rode out while living in Florida. I answered his questions as best I could and realized what he really wanted,was a task or job to do. Something to be responsible for so last night I assigned him his “hurricane tasks”.

1. Gather the emergency snacks and water
2. Gather pillows and blankets
3. Gather batteries and flashlights
4. Gather games for the family to play during the storm
5. Keep your favorite stuffed animals near your sleeping area.

It seems to have helped him cope a little better about what to expect. Most importantly, we just remind him that God is with us even through the storms of life… both real storms and other trials that come our way.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

All I can say is what a week! I didn’t think that at my age, I would still be experiencing many “firsts”. At this point, I pretty much have had the mantra of “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.”

Growing up in the Northeast, I am used to enjoying the beauty that the four seasons brings us each year. With each season comes potential weather issues such as blizzards, occasional tornado warnings, heat waves, etc. Well, this past Tuesday I was able to add tremor from earthquake to that list. I honestly never thought I’d feel an earthquake as long as I kept my feet on northeastern soil. I figured that was a “west coast” issue and one that I wouldn’t have to experience as long as I kept this body on this coast.

I was at work on the 32nd floor of a high-rise in Midtown Manhattan when all of a sudden I felt my chair and my feet moving up and down. For a moment I thought it was just me and I jumped up. I felt dizzy and thought I was sick or something. I sat down again and still felt it and very quickly sought out some other people who said they felt it too. At first, no one knew what to do. I grabbed my sneakers, my purse and cell phone and headed to the reception area. The Fire Marshall for the building made an announcement that they were “investigating the cause”. In the meantime, our cell phones were erupting with texts and social media sites were already telling us about the earthquake. We evacuated our office and were then sent home for the day which was another challenge in itself because my bus broke down on the way. At last, I made it home and just hugged my family for a while, just being grateful that it wasn’t something m ore serious.

I must say I was really annoyed by a few “friends” on facebook who were really putting us down over the quake. I know many people have made a big joke over this (and find it ironic that the majority of them were no where near NYC on 9/11), but to those of us who live and work in the NY area, especially with the 9/11 anniversary just weeks away, any hint of an emergency just fuels us to GET OUT! So, I make no apologies for evacuating at the first hint of a tremor and, if that’s amusing to you, well let’s see how well you fare if you were literally sitting in a high rise with the floor moving underneath YOU! Thanks to the many of you who sent me sincere texts and facebook comments concerned about my safety…I truly love you and value you!

Moving By The Numbers

I know I haven't widely broadcast this.. but we are MOVING.... yes, again! Thankfully, this move is not cross country, up north, down south or even out of state. In fact, this move is not even 30 miles from our home... our move is so close that we don't even need a moving truck! That's right, people.. we are moving onto the street! (Just kidding) We are literally moving ACROSS THE STREET to another town home on our block. Long story short, the owner of our current town home is selling our unit (and asking way too much money!) and our neighbors across the street just bought a home elsewhere but don't want to sell their unit because of the down economy. The win, win for us is that their unit is move in ready and has just been totally remodeled (and did I mention CHEAPER?! ) I chalk it up to another blessing from God. Sooo... because August has not been stressful enough with doctor appointments for pesky kidney and gall stones, we are moving on Saturday to round out our crazy August.

Here's where my head is out today....

8 - Number of years married

7 - Age of our son

6 - Number of days left until we move

5 - Number of times we've moved since we are married (see # 8)

4 - Number of people willing to help us move (I hope they show up! lol)

3 - Number of years we have been living back in NJ

2 - Number of parking spaces we'll have in our new driveway (compared to only having 1 now)

1 - Number of minutes before I am discovered typing and not packing. Bye, bye....

"The Help"

I just finished reading this book ("The Help"' by Kathryn Stockett) and thought her experience on just getting the book published was very interesting considering it's a bestseller and was made into a movie that is playing nationwide now.

Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller


If you ask my husband my best trait, he’ll smile and say, “She never gives up.” But if you ask him my worst trait, he’ll get a funny tic in his cheek, narrow his eyes and hiss, “She. Never. Gives. Up.”
It took me a year and a half to write my earliest version of The Help. I’d told most of my friends and family what I was working on. Why not? We are compelled to talk about our passions. When I’d polished my story, I announced it was done and mailed it to a literary agent.
Six weeks later, I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, “Story did not sustain my interest.” I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I’d gotten my first rejection! Right away, I went back to editing. I was sure I could make the story tenser, more riveting, better.

A few months later, I sent it to a few more agents. And received a few more rejections. Well, more like 15. I was a little less giddy this time, but I kept my chin up. “Maybe the next book will be the one,” a friend said. Next book? I wasn’t about to move on to the next one just because of a few stupid letters. I wanted to write this book.

A year and a half later, I opened my 40th rejection: “There is no market for this kind of tiring writing.” That one finally made me cry. “You have so much resolve, Kathryn,” a friend said to me. “How do you keep yourself from feeling like this has been just a huge waste of your time?”
That was a hard weekend. I spent it in pajamas, slothing around that racetrack of self-pity—you know the one, from sofa to chair to bed to refrigerator, starting over again on the sofa. But I couldn’t let go of The Help. Call it tenacity, call it resolve or call it what my husband calls it: stubbornness.

After rejection number 40, I started lying to my friends about what I did on the weekends. They were amazed by how many times a person could repaint her apartment. The truth was, I was embarrassed for my friends and family to know I was still working on the same story, the one nobody apparently wanted to read.

Sometimes I’d go to literary conferences, just to be around other writers trying to get published. I’d inevitably meet some successful writer who’d tell me, “Just keep at it. I received 14 rejections before I finally got an agent. Fourteen. How many have you gotten?”
By rejection number 45, I was truly neurotic. It was all I could think about—revising the book, making it better, getting an agent, getting it published. I insisted on rewriting the last chapter an hour before I was due at the hospital to give birth to my daughter. I would not go to the hospital until I’d typed The End. I was still poring over my research in my hospital room when the nurse looked at me like I wasn’t human and said in a New Jersey accent, “Put the book down, you nut
job—you’re crowning.”

It got worse. I started lying to my husband. It was as if I were having an affair—with 10 black maids and a skinny white girl. After my daughter was born, I began sneaking off to hotels on the weekends to get in a few hours of writing. I’m off to the Poconos! Off on a girls’ weekend! I’d say. Meanwhile, I’d be at the Comfort Inn around the corner. It was an awful way to act, but—for God’s sake—I could not make myself give up.

In the end, I received 60 rejections for The Help. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me. After my five years of writing and three and a half years of rejection, an agent named Susan Ramer took pity on me. What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60? Three weeks later, Susan sold The Help to Amy Einhorn Books.

The point is, I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected and put your manuscript—or painting, song, voice, dance moves, [insert passion here]—in the coffin that is your bedside drawer and close it for good. I guarantee you that it won’t take you anywhere. Or you could do what this writer did: Give in to your obsession instead.

The article was written by Kathryn Stockett

What Is Up With August

It has been a very busy month for me and my health. For those of you who follow me on facebook, you may have seen my posting about going to the doctor. About a month or so ago I started having severe pain in between meals… I mean SEVERE pains. I was nauseous and knew that I needed to get to a doctor. So, I set up an appointment with my primary doctor and, after discussing my symptoms, she sent me off for an ultrasound.

They discovered 3 kidney stones (one in my left kidney and 2 in my right). The urologist said that they will either pass or get bigger. Either way, I am sure in for a lot more pain before it gets better. So, I am drinking a ton of water and I’m on a low fat diet..just waiting until I pass these stones or for 6 months to pass.. whichever should happen first. If nothing happens in 6 months then I am back to the doctor for another ultrasound to see if they have gotten bigger and then he will likely blast them so I can pass them.

The other issue I am having is that the real cause of my abdominal pain was not the kidney stones, but rather the gallstones they found in my gall bladder! So, another visit with another physician.. this time a surgeon and low and behold my gallbladder has to come out on October 7th. So, if you could add me to your prayer list, I would greatly appreciate it.

August is just full of surprises!

Hey.. I've Been Here Before!

Have you ever wandered down a street only to have that weird sensation that you’ve been there before? Maybe you can instantly recall the first time you were there… who you were with… why you were there... what you were doing or where you were going. It’s funny how that happens in life. Maybe you visited your old hometown or a place where you used to live. It can conjure up all kinds of feelings-immense joy or intense sorrow depending on the situation.

I had such a sensation back in May when I found myself walking through the streets of NYC on my way to a job interview with a company I had worked for many, many years ago. The sights of NYC had certainly not changed all too much….tall buildings, check; lots of people, check; wearing sneakers so I don’t break my neck walking, check; musicians in the subway, check; mysterious smells, check. So much the same yet there was one very obvious change. One thing that was totally not the same as the last time I walked through here… it was ME…

You see, the last time I had worked for this company (one of the world’s largest executive search firms), I was a single gal searching for who I was. Just fresh out of college, looking to find my way. Still wondering what God’s plan for my life was. I worked here for about four years and trust me when I say that I was shy, insecure and searching for what would make me happy. I laugh because I honestly felt like the prodigal child who had come home my first few days here. To say I was welcomed with open arms is an understatement.. in fact, I don’t even think they called any of my references!

In many ways it feels like I’ve come full circle.. but yet I haven’t. Same company yes, but totally different person walking in my shoes. I thank God for that and for this amazing opportunity that he has provided for me and my family. I don’t know how long I will be here in this season of my life, but I just give each and every day over to the Lord to use me and know that he has his hand on me and my family.

Oh, and a side note for my Mary Kay customers, fear not.. I am still doing Mary Kay and plan to still be a Director. God will work it all out in his time.

Monday or Tuesday

Today must be a Monday…only it’s not. It’s Tuesday but I was so tired when I got into work today, I was convinced that it HAD to be Monday. I honestly didn’t know how I was going to get through today and was seriously contemplating a cup of coffee – which means I was REALLY tired.

So, I did my Mister Roger’s routine of taking off my walking sneakers, putting on my sweater and turning on my computer and prepared myself for what was going to be a very long day. Just as I let out a big sigh, my eye caught a glimpse of my Barbara Johnson daily calendar “Splashes of Joy”. God knows I needed a splash today. So, I flipped the page to today’s date to be greeted with: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;” Matthew 11:28. I instantly smiled and bowed my head and gave thanks for a loving God who gives rest to the weary. I gave all my concerns, worries and fatigue to the Lord and knew that the day was only going to get better. It definitely feels like Tuesday now.

Slim to None

The chances of me marrying someone that my mom knew was slim to none. That was how I felt nine years ago. She had passed away two years prior and I had accepted the fact that, if should marry, my future husband would never have met my mom. In fact, I was so bold to even put that request on my "wish list" to God. Basically praying, "God, if you can do anything, I would like my future husband to have known or met my mom."

Looking back, I often picture God taking my mom and Steve's mom aside in heaven on that day nine years ago and introducing them like this. "Liz and Lola, I want you to meet because today I am answering a prayer that had long been in your hearts. Watch as I bring your two children back together. Liz, you'll remember Steve because he came to your house one time. He knew your daughter Ruth at NYU. Beth prayed that she'd marry someone that you knew, Liz. On her wish list she thought that this was an impossibility and that I couldn't possibly do something this big or special for her. Today we prove to her just how much I care about the small things on her heart and that, with me, nothing is impossible. " Maybe he even clued them that their mutual good friend, Monica McKenzie, would marry us just nine months later.

I am very thankful for that special day nine years ago and if you didn't read the full story you can click here to get the details. To this day I am still in awe of how much God cares about me and provides for me and how there's nothing that is impossible for Him.

Thank you Lord for bringing Steve and I together in your perfect timing.

Flip Flop City

It's official! I've recently discovered that people in the Big Apple have the filthiest feet in America. Recently I started working in NYC (that's a whole separate blog). It's amazing how some things have changed and how many things have not. The official wardrobe of New Yorkers remains black. Everyone is still in a hurry to get somewhere. But the one surprise was that everyone is wearing flip-flops to get around the city! Really? Flip Flops? The thought of wearing a totally open shoe which is so flat and thin on the dirty city streets just didn't make sense to me at all. Do they realize what kind of grime they are "flopping" up onto their feet and legs? There are times you have to walk around mysterious globs of who knows what... trust me I am quite happy to lace up my sneakers or to wear a flat shoe. I love flip-flops at the beach and especially when wearing them on my way to get a pedicure. Because of some problems with my own foot, I don't find them comfortable for long walks. But maybe that's just me... maybe the more I work in NYC I'll understand the rationale behind the Flip Flop Movement.

One of the things I love about NYC is the people watching. Trust me.. there's a lot of things to see. So far I've enjoyed watching an Elvis impersonator buy a bus ticket (in full Elvis costume!) and I saw a women lunge after a quarter while on an escalator only to wipe out at the bottom of the escalator and wind up without the quarter lying on her back. My all time favorite was the lady in her business suit, with 5 inch high heels riding a bicycle with her Louis Vuitton handbag nestled into the basket on the front of her bike.

Yes, I believe I will have plenty of blog material for the next few months.

Happy Fourth of July!!

Stuck in the box

Isn't it funny how our plans are often derailed? ... What may have made good sense at one time led you to do something that, looking back, you would do completely different now? I found myself lamenting over china. Yes, china... Not China.. but my fine china. Silly... isn't it? Three years ago we had our beautiful china plates, saucers, serving bowls, beautiful picture frames, and other delicate trinkets boxed up in preparation of our move from Florida to New Jersey. I remember when I was packing my kitchen thinking to myself, make sure you only leave out what you are going to need for the next year... everything else that you can "do without" until we move into a more permanent home, can go in the two china boxes. So, in went my "good" glasses, pitchers, and silverware, some wedding gifts, photos, etc. Basically, I figured one year of entertaining without the "good" stuff would be fine.

Every time I open the closet in our basement, I see the china boxes. I remember thinking how sad that it's now been THREE years that they have remained unopened. What turned into a temporary move (we planned to rent our current townhouse for only 1 year and then move again), has turned into three years. Yes, I have survived without those material things ( and I guess I could write a blog about that alone), but what it really did was serve as a reminder to me that God's plans are not always our plans.

I know one day I will be able to open those two boxes and, trust me, I'm going to be like a kid in a candy store. I'll be pulling out precious treasures that have been undisturbed for years. I think I learned that whenever I have to move again, even though it would seem like a good idea to leave some things packed, that I want to take it all out to enjoy.

I'm so thankful for a God who directs our paths each and every day... and how awesome it is to serve a God who can see the bends in our road before we do.

The Biggest Mistake Of My Life

Yesterday I picked Christopher up from school as I do most days. After his name was called to meet me in the lobby, he walked quickly down the hall with his Spiderman book bag on his back, and what appeared to be a library book and a piece of paper in his hand.

When he reached me in the lobby, he said to me,
"Mom.. we have a big problem. You did something wrong today."

"What? How could I have done something wrong.. I wasn't even here in school today."

"Well... you put my library books in my book bag, but you put in the WRONG BOOK! You put in a book from the County Library.. it is not a book from the school library, so you get this note from the library teacher. It has the name of the right book on it that we need to bring back tomorrow."

"Oh.. well that's not that big of a deal, we'll just bring in the right book tomorrow."

"Oh no, Mom.. that was the BIGGEST mistake of YOUR LIFE!" I started chuckling at that point and told him, "I WISH that was the biggest mistake I ever made."

"Mom - I'm serious... we can not let that happen again." to which I said..

"You are right.. the biggest mistake I made in this little scenario is that I was the one who put the books in your book bag.. I was trying to be helpful, but I guess from now on YOU will be the one responsible for that task to make sure the right books find their way back to the school library."

He had to think about that for a minute... I think he is contemplating whether or not I can be trusted with the books or whether I'll make another life-altering mistake LOL.

Only in NYC

I love going into NYC because you get to see so many interesting things... and I'm not talking about the landmarks. When I was there in December, the greatest thing I saw was a guy in a taxi cab with a Christmas tree sticking out of the window of the cab. Today's visit to NYC did not disappoint...

1) Lou Dobbs walking out of the Fox News building.. in full make-up!
2) two guys dressed up like Buzz and Woody from The Toy Story movies -- happily taking your money to pose in a picture with you on random street corners in midtown

and last, but certainly not least.. today's favorite moment was....

a professional women dressed in a beautiful skirt and blazer, wearing 4 inch heels... riding a BICYCLE with her LOUIS VUITTON handbag in the little basket attached to the front of the bicycle... only wish I had a camera.. it was priceless.

Happy Mother's Day!!

Happy Easter - He Is Risen!!

Good Friday

Poem by Coren Burch

What makes Good Friday good?” you ask.
A challenge! A rather daunting task.
Some may dismiss it with a shrug and a smirk,
And consider it another day off work.
Others, religious, pious as such,
Take a few minutes for a mournful watch;
Merchants unlock their doors with glee,
Anticipating the pre-Easter shopping spree.
A bunny here, a chocolate egg there,
Symbols of a society that doesn’t care.
“Care?” you say, “Do you mean me?”
“What’s there to care; how can this be?”
It’s the cross, you forget, that rugged wood,
That makes Good Friday eternally good.
What’s so good about the death of an ancient man,
Who died long before my life began?
This man, who on this earth once trod,
Was not only man, but the Son of God.
That wood, that tree, that old rugged cross,
Was the symbol of gain and the symbol of loss.
To those who believe, it is the promise of gain;
The hope that, like Jesus, we’ll rise again!
For the skeptic, the doubter, the meaning is loss;
An eternal gulf, which no one can cross.
Good Friday is good, because of the death
Of Jesus the Savior, who gave His last breath
So you, friend, and I, could be cleared of our guilt,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb that was spilt.
Mourn not, my dear soul, for the death of the Lamb,
For that cross made the bridge to the Great I AM.
Christ paid the price, rose again to God’s side,
And brought us next Sunday: the Resurrection-tide!