See you in October!

So, it's done - I'm walking. Well, I hope to walk. That is, I hope to get my team together and take part in the Avon Breast Cancer Walk this October in NYC. I've promised myself (and my friend Stephanie), for years now, that I would do this.

I'm not sure Jayne can do the 30+ miles in two days, but that's ok, one day, she will. For now, I'm hoping to reconnect with some old friends, get a team together and raise some money for Breast Cancer research.

http://walk.avonfoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_homepage

Stephanie left this world almost ten years ago - she was a twin. We both loved Italy and speaking Italian, we loved art and fashion, good food and wine. We both resided in the same places throughout our lives - NJ, RI and Italy! Stephanie was spunky and determined. She had a beautiful line of clothing , a great little botique and energy and creativity to fuel entire countries! I think of her so often. She was a fighter too. She went through painful battles with breast cancer and won. She won. She kept working and caring for her family. Her creativity never failed her, or anyone around her. Then, brain cancer found her. She didn't win that battle, she tried, but in the end, well, the cancer took over. It boggles my mind almost every day as to how and why - but I told her that the breast cancer walk, among other things, was something we would do.

So here I am - hopefully making use of this blog and gaining support - friends, family... here we go!

Interested? please post here! thanks!!!

(ps - in order to post, I believe you need to subscribe to the feed.. otherwise, an email to me is also fine :)

A Slide a day...

If it were up to my daughter, everything could happen on a slide and the world would be a great place! She's been taking on the "big kid" slides since she could walk and has no fear of a twist or turn or slick spot - down she goes, and viola'! like a cat, right on her feet at the very end!

She's learned manners on slides too - she knows she needs to wait her turn when other kids are there. She knows that you don't climb up a slide backwards (although, sometimes, that can be fun!). She's learned that you sit down first, hold on and let your body do the rest- that is, gravity, etc. I suppose a lot could be said for what I've learned watching her on these things. She teaches me something new every day. That smile alone is worth a few brisky afternoons of sliding ... Luckily, we're surrounded with these big plastic slides so she has her choice. She even has a few choices of slides at school - indoor and outdoor!

It's a pretty simple concept, but then again, maybe that's just another lesson I can take from her - the simple stuff can be quite rewarding too!

Morning Coffee...

ok, so this whole coffee thing is getting out of hand... I never thought, or considered myself "dependent" on it - guess it's time to fess up - I am! I'm experimenting, no coffee, just tea - love my tea too - but it's just not the same! ugh!

goonite moon...reminders

Mental note: my almost 20-month old daughter is too cute sucking her fingers when she's tired (nope, that's not her in the pic... some other poor two-finger-sucker...) ... BUT will the orthodontis bill be cute in a few years? NO!!! not at all!!!

ok, suck it up mom, no more fingers in her mouth - tomorrow, we begin! (Wed is good too of course...)

The Walking Path...

I took an amazing, and rather brisk walk with my daughter yesterday - the air was almost cleansing - which, can only be good. (As the daughter of an Italian father, you learn that air cleans everything all year long - open the windows when its 20 degrees - it's good - it cleans! -yes, I still believe it's true...)

We did about 3 miles, it was great. Lots of other people out there too...always nice too see.

There's just something about a good, brisk walk that makes you feel good - it's really something I try to make a part of my every day. Yoga is too - even it's 10 mins... although I prefer the 1 1/2 hr session in the studio - the 10-15 min version at home does help too. It's all about the breathing - go back to the breath, it's taught me so very much.

*Photos - since the birth of my daughter, well, actually, for most of my life - I've been a photo nut! But since my daughter has been born, I've been taking even more... The old polaroids and film of the '60s and '70s were dark, hard to read - just not 1/2 as easy as they are to do today! Who would have though I'd be printing and editing my own photos in my own home 25 + yrs ago!? Photos are part of why I started blogging too... If I send out one more Snapfish or Smilebox (which I love!) album - my family and friends will probably go nuts!

Example - this one: yeah, it's grafitti - but it's actually sort of pretty and has a nice message to it - "Make it Beautiful" - they're right, at least do what you do and make it beautiful! No, I don't think grafitti is "ok" - but this one hit a cord...

Then there's this one - small, I know - my daughter in pink looking after the geese - her new-found friends! I don't allow her to chase them, she knows better already - they were here first, be kind to them, they'll do the same for you :)

Copper Hoops begins...

I've been meaning to start this for some time now - blogs are big -and plentiful. I wanted in a piece of this blogging, writing scene too! I'm a mother, a wife, sister, daughter, teacher, student and then some - just like many of you reading this.

Why Copper Hoop? It's a bit long and detailed, but it's an important piece I wear around my neck from time to time (see image, thanks to museglass on etsy.com) - copper has a wonderful energy to it and the "hoop" - circle - is a cycle, it's life.

Favorite quote- I try to live by - "What you think, you become." Oh - I do have one more favorite, "See things differently and the things you look at change."

This weekend it's just me and my almost 20 month-old daughter - it's February, still a bit chilly out for a kid with a cold... My husband is busy , working... I have a ton to do - but I'm here, writing because it's been on my " list o'things to do" - do you have those too? I still have lots more on the list - like cleaning the house, laundry, yard work, etc... - but I wanted to use my "me time" more selfishly today :)

Things I love:

* lists! I'm a big list person, love to create them, and doodle on them - then find them somewhere else...

*More things I love (other than my daughter, my family and our 4 dogs of course ) - yoga, reiki, and Etsy!!! you have to give it a whirl! http://www.etsy.com/ for the creative types, it's a GREAT place to find some wonderful hand made stuff!!!! Yes, I have a shop up there too, I'll link it one of these days...

*Books o'choice - at the time, anything by Dr. Dyer - great stuff!

*I am grateful every day.