Sweet family time Eight months longingly waiting Finally here now. Belgium opens arms Gives us a huge hug, surprise We have a wedding! Meeting the in-laws Join, a bigger family Happy days ahead!
Archive for November, 2008
28
Nov
08
HAIKU Friday- So Many Thanks
20
Nov
08
Celebrate! We are on our way…
Two hours from now we are on the plane to BELGIUM…time to PAR-TEE…
I was thinking of scheduling posts for the blog while we were gone…naaaaaaah….see you in 11 days folks! I’ll be back *sob*…
Oh and…..well, Cabanadad and I are celebrating our birthdays this weekend…I’m Friday and he is Saturday…so in his honor, I found this ditty on YouTube….god, I hope it is the right song! It’s supposed to be Happy Birthday in Dutch 
19
Nov
08
Tomorrow
‘Nuf said!!!!!
18
Nov
08
THANKS A2EatWrite!
What a wonderful surprise I received tonite! I was going through my blogroll and checking in with some folks that have been quiet for a few days and lo and behold, I got an award! This is a very special award because it came from someone other than my beloved daughter Lilacspecs whose award was given to me to make me feel good when I wasn’t.
Jen’s (A2EATWRITE) award not only makes me feel good, it makes me feel meaningful! Thanks JEN!!!
Now, I have to figure out how to get this puppy on my sidebar…help!
Also, there were some rules that went along with this lovely honor, so now I will follow the rules.
Here are the rules:
1) Add the logo of the award to your blog. done
2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you. done
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs. done
4) Add links to those blogs on your blog. done
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs. done
My nominees are (envelope please)…
A MommyStory for her wonderful Haiku Fridays…the challenge of coming up with weekly Haikus has really engaged me in a way that I haven’t been engaged for awhile!
CamiKaos because she is so honest in all that she writes about and her Friday Strangelove podcasts can be a hoot!
xbox4nappyrash because this man has a way of ALWAYS tickling my fancy even in times of great disappointment and sadness…he rocks the house (and is going to be the best daddy in the world one day soon, I KNOW).
Magnetoboldtoo because this sassy Aussie can write some of the most incredibly hilarious material in the world. If I need to laugh, this is my number one go to blog. Kelley’s awesomeness is legendary!
April (It’s All About Balance) already received this award from Jen, but I am giving it to her too, because she cares so deeply about so many things and worries so much about things that she need not worry about because she is so grounded and just a plain wonderful human being!
Lucrece at Even Stilstaan (her blog is in Flemish Dutch but worth reading as best you can—Babelfish kills it!) because this lady is strong, very strong, and is a survivor, and I like her a lot and am looking forward to meeting her soon!
Bubblewench because she has become one my loyal followers and I appreciate her a ton for that and all her comments!
So, there you go. Thank you again Jen for your kindness, your comments, and the award!
In case you missed it TWO days to Belgium!
17
Nov
08
OK, I gave you a countdown break
I figured you might be getting tired of just seeing a countdown, so I took a break….LIE! I had so much stuff to do that I just honestly forgot to post the countdown.
OY…I have been washing clothes, buying stuff to take, doing some last minute little things that I wanted to have to take with me, grading…ARGHHHHHHH….grading my butt off to make sure that everything that my students need before I leave, they will have….
Like, what if I decide I’m staying in Belgium?!?!
I’ll tell you what…find me a teaching job in the Hague, Netherlands and I’m all about being there….even with President Obama.
I already can’t imagine going another several months without seeing Specs and CB and I haven’t even set foot in Belgium yet.
This is why I get counseling…I think too far in advance…ALWAYS!
So, this was just a little diversion for you…thanks to everyone who has made such nice comments about my upcoming trip. I wish some of you lurkers would speak up too…it is interesting to see the number of hits to the site and compare that to the comments….I’m thinking I must be a bit of a boring git or something….
Anyway…back to the countdown…
t.h.r.e.e. days to Specs and CB land…
15
Nov
08
Haiku Friday – Belgium
13
Nov
08
What the ……?
Wondering what I’m doing? A COUNTDOWN for heaven’s sake! Since I OBVIOUSLY could not embed a damn countdown counter into my WordPress (they didn’t allow it)…for those of you following me for almost 8 months now…I am 1 week away from visiting my daughter in Belgium. I have not seen or touched my daughter for 8 months…
Folks, that is a frickin long time to not see your child.
Funny….when she was looking to go to college, the first words out of her mouth were, “NOT in Pennsylvania”…okey dokey…we looked at colleges all over New York and Ohio….AND
She went to IUP which is a wonderful university 50 minutes from our house.
When she graduated, oh, no! We were NOT going to live in Pittsburgh if we could help it. Uh-huh. She lived in a rathole (I still love you honey, even with this choice of living arrangement) across town for a year and then moved to a cure little apartment across the street from her grandpa (never vistied though…Jewish mom guilt trip there)….and then moved HOME (OMG!) when Cabanaboy seriously entered the picture.
Then, it happened. She moved. Across. the. world.
It’ll actually be a year that she moved to Belgium on December 25th…figured Christmas day was a great day to travel for a Jewish kid.
The happy couple did visit in March, but I haven’t had the all important TOUCHING THE CHILD thing since then.
I CANNOT WAIT to give my daughter a huge hug and a huge kiss and I hope she knows that I will likely cry while doing it!
So, folks, bear with me…huh! I am counting down…like Bubblewench says..IT IS ALL ABOUT ME!
7 days to happy feet in Belgium with Specs and Cabanaboy.
12
Nov
08
8…7…6…5…
8 days to Specs and Cabanaland
11
Nov
08
9…8…7…6…
Final countdown….
9 days to specs and cabanaland
10
Nov
08
Words of Encouragement
I’ve had some heavy conversations with a number of people lately. I’m not sure whether it is the weather (getting cold, days are shorter, skies are gray), or the time of year (multiple holidays, almost final exam time, end of 2008) or the condition of the country (banks and businesses failing, layoffs, fear) or just maybe a general malaise. People seem to be bummed (aside from the gloriousness of the Obama win which made many millions of people very, very happy).
This song has always carried a deep message for me…I kind of ignore some of the religious overtones and pay more attention to the meat of the lyrics…if you are feeling bummed, I hope it will do the same for you.
I Hope You Dance…Lee Ann Womack
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances
But they’re worth taking
Lovin’ might be a mistake
But it’s worth making
Don’t let some hell bent heart
Leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out
Reconsider
Give the heavens above
More than just a passing glance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you’ll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
Dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance
(Time is a real and constant motion always)
I hope you dance
(Rolling us along)
I hope you dance
(Tell me who)
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
I hope you dance
(Where those years have gone)
(Tell me who)
I hope you dance
(Wants to look back on their youth and wonder)
(Where those years have gone)
10 days, just 10 tiny days; can you tell I can’t wait til Specs and Cabanaland?
