Thoughts on a passing......

"As we all reflect and take a moment to honor the loss and memory of Steve Jobs, it is most important to remember his family and those closest to him at this time. Though he was known and respected by millions, if not billions, he was still just a man loved dearly by his family and friends, taken by a heartbreaking cancer that leaves a void nothing can fill."

                   ~ written by daughter #3

My youngest daughter posted this early this morning.  I think it is beautifully written.  I couldn't possibly improve on it, so I asked her if I could share it.  She graciously said yes.

Unfortunately, she knows only too well the pain of losing someone she loved to pancreatic cancer.

Another thought....

While chatting with a friend over coffee this morning, I shared with her about my suggestion of writing down things you are grateful for each day.  She said that she is grateful and keeps a running list in her head.  But what she also does, she says, is constantly tell herself negative messages.  As we talked, it dawned on us that what she needs to write down is not a gratitude list, but a list of the good things she has done each day.  Sort of like a mini-pep talk.  I think a lot of women can identify with beating themselves up, saying things like: I'm not good at anything, my hair always looks a mess, I can't cook, I shouldn't have bought that dress, and on and on.

So if you feel you already are tuned in to the good things in your life, maybe you need a daily list to remind yourself of how wonderful you really are.  I used to say in college, "Hey, pat yourself on the back if no one else does."  Maybe it's time to do it again!

A tip for Tuesday...

My daughters will tell you that for years I have preached to them whenever a crisis or problem has arisen about how things could be worse, or that they should be looking for the good that can come out of a situation. They're right - guilty as charged.  In my defense, I have found it a useful tool to try to find some lesson or benefit to come of every situation in life.  Then, at the very least, even the bad times can hold some meaning.  So when I discovered Sarah Ban Breathnach, her book Simple Abundance and the idea of keeping a Gratitude journal, I immediately thought she was on to something.

For a long time I merely kept a list in my head about the good things I encountered on a daily basis.  But when I went back to teaching several years ago, I thought I could adapt the idea to work with Third Graders.  It turned out to be an even more wonderful experience than I had hoped for!

Among the necessary items I asked my new students to bring each September, was a small notebook in which they would write.  On the first day, I instructed them that we would be writing down each morning three things we were glad about.  Then each student in turn would share with the class one of the items they had written.

I also kept a notebook and was the first to share each morning for the first few weeks, until the kids got the hang of it.  Among the things they would share: I'm glad my Grandma is feeling better, I'm glad my team won yesterday, I'm glad Mrs. G is my teacher, I'm glad I have a sister, and on and on.  I would share that I was glad my daughter got back safely to her college, or I was glad my dog was feeling better, or I was glad I had the best class in the school.

One of the most touching things to watch was the way the kids started to pay close attention when their classmates shared and little by little, would start to know them better.  They might realize that someone was worried about a grandparent or someone's Mom was expecting a baby.  Maybe they had been anxious about a test and were glad they got a good grade. Once and a while a child would have a down morning and tell me they had nothing good to share.  I would then get very basic and ask if they had legs and arms that worked, and eyes that could look at the world.  There were days when some of the kids were just so excited to share what they had written.  Some students would beg to share all three items.

As you can imagine, this practice turned out to be a wonderful tool for discussing some profound moments in our recent history - the Oklahoma City bombing, September 11th, and the war in Iraq.  There were numerous days that we all wrote we were glad that we, and the people we loved, were safe.

I have continued the practice, and write in a notebook every night after dinner.  I hope that some of my students carried on the practice, or at the very least kept their notebooks.  It would be interesting to look back at what was important to them in the Third Grade.

So that's my suggestion.  Keep a small notebook or journal and jot down anywhere from 3 to 5 things you are grateful for or "glad about" each day.  You may find as I have that you start to look more carefully around you during the day and find there is an abundance for which to be grateful.

Seasonal sweets

The enticing aroma of apple pie baking in the oven brings back memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas morning.  Those were the two days out of the year in which my mother baked her apple pie.  Which was a shame, really, because it was just plain fabulous! Her pies were extra large in size and bursting with apples.  Try though I might, I simply cannot replicate it.  She's given me her recipe but mine never seems to turn out quite the same.

Meredith Vieira offered her apple pie recipe several years ago and I have "tweaked" it a bit to satisfy my husband and I.  Unlike my mother, I try to make it as often as possible during the Autumn season.  For me it is pure comfort food!  And I like to justify it by telling myself how healthy it must be, eating all those apples. Something about "an apple a day keeps the doctor away...."

In case you are an apple pie novice, here is the combined recipe of my mother Ann, Meredith, and I:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

6-8 apples - Granny Smith and/or Macintosh  (I use Granny Smith - at least 8)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 small tab of butter
pie crust pastry (I use Pillsbury Pie Crust)
pie plate

Peel and slice apples into 8 sections.  Place in large bowl.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Roll out bottom crust on a floured board.  (I put a tiny amount of flour on the bottom of the pie dish)
Place bottom crust on pie dish and fit to size.
Pour cinnamon mix over apples and stir.  Then place seasoned apples on top of the crust.
Dot the apples with small pieces of butter cut up.
Roll out then cover the apples with the top crust.  Turn under the edges and either pinch or press down with the tines of a fork to seal.
Brush a little milk over the crust.  I then make tiny slices and pricks with a fork to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 50 minutes.

Savor the aroma and enjoy!!

A Super Sunday!

Come Autumn, Sundays in the US are generally set aside for NFL football watching.  Daughter #2 is a HUGE Giants fan and a fan of football all around.  My oldest granddaughter doesn't seem to share her mother's love of the game.  In fact, lately, she has been saying, "Ah Mommy, no more football!".  So her Grandad came up with a wonderful idea - why not have a special visit with Grandmom on Sunday afternoons.  And today was our first "special time".

I went down early to the house so I could visit with Baby C first.  Grandad popped in for a quick visit too. After he left, I gathered up some things for M and we set off to walk to Grandmom's house.  I scooped her up as we came in, to avoid the basset hounds knocking her down.  She giggled away telling the boys, "Get down, easy guys, you're ok, buddy".

M has a regular routine when she comes to Grandmom's house - with having certain areas she likes to check on.  First it's the kitchen and the collection of British cars and double decker buses.  We look at the photographs and play with the fridge magnets.  Then on to the living room and the special basket I keep with toys for M by the fireplace.  Next, it's my office - quick plunking of the piano keys, then on to the computer.  But there was an extra special stop planned today - baking!

After donning our aprons, it was time to fetch the step stool and get to work.  I was pleased M let me guide her hands through most of the steps in making brownies and kept her attention focused on the task at hand. While waiting for them to bake, we went and played with Grandmom's train set and doll house.  (I married a Prince - he bought those for me when it came up in conversations over the years I had always wanted them since childhood!)

We came back to the kitchen just as the brownies were done.  Naturally we had to eat some, just to be sure they were good.  We packed up the rest for M's Mommy and Daddy and walked back down to her house.  By the time we got to her driveway, she said, "Grandmom, I'm too tired to go up the steps."  I was happy to deliver her back just in time for a nap, so her Mommy could get a little more rest.

What a joy it is every time I am able to just sit and play with M, totally absorbed in the moment and what she is doing.  There never seemed to be enough of those moments when my girls were small.  I treasure every minute I have with her and Baby C!

and Army wins!!!!!!!

Just finished watching the game - Army won 45-6 over Tulane!!!

Have a great week, West Point Cadets!!

Go Army!!!

Now it may seem strange that I would be rooting for a college football team, since I never followed sports as a child and have raised three daughters whose main pursuits were ballet and gymnastics.  Truthfully, I don't know very much about the game.  But I have my reasons.

My nephew attended and graduated from West Point.  My mother used to make a great fuss over my nephew and his friends when they would stay at her home for weekends during the school year.  I used to ask her why.  Having lived through World War II, she said you had to look after the boys who would be protecting our country.  I used to say to her that in all likelihood, they would have cushy jobs over in Germany while serving out their time after graduation.  As it turned out, my mother was right and I wrong.

My nephew was in his senior year, part of the Bicentennial Class, on September 11, 2001.  The Academy was immediately put into lock-down that day.  The lives of everyone in my family and extended family changed dramatically that day, but that is for a different post.  One thing we knew for sure - the men and women of my nephew's class would be going to war.

We used to watch the football games on tv when my nephew was at the Academy, especially the Army-Navy game.  It's quite a sight to see, row upon row of all the cadets in the stands.  But I continued to watch and follow the games even after he graduated.  It just seemed important.  As I look at the young men on the team and sidelines, I know that it won't be long before many of them will be in a war zone.  So I hope for a win, for the cheers to go up, and for the men and women to feel joy and pride in their academy and fellow cadets.  I'd like to think that a win could carry them through their gruelling week until the next game, with a spring in their march.  I know it's just a game, but for the men and women of all the service academies, perhaps it's a bit more.  A chance for some happy memories before they go off to protect and serve the country they love - and those of us who know and love them.
   
                                                    GO ARMY!!!!!!!  BEAT TULANE!!!!