I Am From...Baskin Robbins to mashed potatoes

I am from fireflies in a bug catcher, Baskin Robbins Rocky Road ice cream, Flintstones vitamins  and scabby knees from metal roller skates.

I am from cracked sidewalks with tic-tac-toe drawn in yellow chalk and double dutch jump rope. From  pigeons pecking hot pavement in the summer and lingering gray puddles of slush in the winter.

I am from the pine tree fort sheltering our screen porch from late afternoon thunderstorms and rose bushes lined along the sidewalk in attempt to beautify the urban. From the St Gerards Parish picnic at Cunningham Park to sunburned skin and riding the waves at Rockaway Beach.

I am from roasted chicken and mashed potatoes on Sundays timed around half time of the New York Giants. I am from Irish whiskey and freckles. From Murphys and O'Neils.

I am from 5 o'clock mass and Girl Scout merit badges. From scalding hot metal playground slides to splashing in the street under an open fire hydrant.

I am from metropolitan Queens, NY to the suburban utopia of New Jersey. From Gino's lemon Italian ice to the Hickory Tree Deli. From Michael Jackson, big hair and the Jersey Shore way before it became a TV reality show. White Castle Burgers and Friendly's Ice Cream.

I am from the junior varsity track team, the CTHS Gladiator marching band and an orange chiffon prom dress to match my date's rented brown tuxedo. From poison ivy to the hugest mosquito bites ever.

I am from a believer in Santa Claus to a believer in a Higher Power. From the wrath of Sister Ellen to being free to living one day at a time.

I am from the farms of Ireland to the shore of Ellis Island. I am from don't say bad words, sharing is caring and here's a dollar for the ice cream man.


I am from hardworking people. I am from family, tradition and the past. I am from the here and now.



This post inspired by Kat and her famous Writer's Workshop. I want to say that I met the famous Kat at Bloggy Boot Camp in Denver and she is as lovely in person as she is online!

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

It wasn't just an ordinary day. I was hoping it would be though. I was hoping that I wouldn't write about it. Yet two days after the anniversary of Sept 11, 2001 I need to write about it.

I had planned ahead of time not to get sucked into all the hoopla regarding the 10 year anniversary. I purposely wouldn't click on any videos that popped up on my Yahoo homepage. I purposely didn't read any stories or remembrance articles.

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

I focused instead of the NFL opening games of the season. I was excited about football starting. I was excited about our family Sunday gathering of football mania. I had my fantasy team researched and ready to roll. Chips, dips and sodas were already bought to sustain me through 8 hours of nonstop football. A day of no shower, staying in pj's and sitting on the couch cheering and checking my team's stats.

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

I woke up to a silent morning. Eerie silent. I tossed the immediate thoughts of what today was out of my head. I came down, turned on the tv waiting for my friend, Scott Hanson of RedZone to appear. Excited to see him start the new season. I logged on to Facebook and my brother was online. The brother who was in NYC that day. The brother that had a late morning appointment in the Trade Center that day. The brother I could have lost, like so many of others did. I im'd him asking who he was rooting for that day. Telling him his Texans might have a shot against the Colts. I didn't ask him if he knew what today was.

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

I sat down ten minutes before kick-off. Look over my fantasy team hoping that I have the right players starting. I click the unmute button of the tv. And I couldn't fight it anymore. I'm watching thousands of fans across this nation trying to make it an ordinary day. All dressed in their team fan wear, some with faces painted in team colors. All of them waving American flags. And simultaneously I'm watching professional football players in a half a dozen stadiums rolling out 100 yards of red, white and blue as jet fighters are flying above all to the background music of the national anthem.

I wanted Sunday to be an ordinary day.

I couldn't fight it any more. I held my puppy tight and just let the tears come. The sadness and horror and catastrophe that was a part of that day washed over me. A day that can't be forgotten or pushed aside. A day that should never be ignored.  I logged back onto Facebook and my brother was still online. I im'd him... "I can't forget what happened" and he said "Yeah me too."

September 11 will never be an ordinary day.....

This post inspired by Heather over at the Extraordinary Ordinary

Goodbye to Summer

Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It's hard to believe that Labor Day weekend is here and that summer is over. For me this summer was a very busy time with no breaks to enjoy all the goodies that summer brings.  As I look back over the past couple of months I can see that I didn't take the time out to go to the beach, or have a picnic or swim in a lake. Next summer will be different... and I look forward to that! 

Summer... come back soon!