I Gave You Wings, Now I Am Watching You Fly

inspiritedmama.com

Another milestone under your belt

My little girl is girl no more

I held on tight and would not let go

But your wings were ready when you were four

I have watched with pride your courageous ways

Often protecting you against your will

I have given you roots and wings to fly

Now I get to watch you glide up high

Prom 2014

“A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you. And then you have to put it back into the sky. And it’s the most painful thing you’ll ever have to do and that you’ve ever done. But what’s yours is yours. Whether it’s up in the sky or here in your hands.”
― C. JoyBell C.

 

Beauty Is In The Foot Of The Beholder

 

bstylo.com 

I am very self-conscious about my feet.  They ain’t pretty.  Even with the most magnificent neon color polish, they turn heads – in a yucky kind of way.

Yet, here I am posting pictures of them for all to see.  Am I crazy?  Well, yea, but there is a point to this post.  Keep reading and try not to cringe at the photos.

 

This is the “face” of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Thanks to the most narcissistic orthopedic surgeon ever, my left foot is now straight.  I hate to admit that this, “I am the God of Feet” pompous, swollen-headed, dingle-berry of a doctor, did a great job.  As brilliant a surgeon as he is however, I will not have my right foot operated on by him.  Ever.  Jerk.

Post-Surgery

 

I hope you are not eating while reading this…

As a result of not wanting to go under the knife again, because the recovery was one from the deepest infernal regions of the universe, my feet don’t match.

One of these feet is not like the other…one of these feet just doesn’t belong…

You should see how simple it is to find shoes that fit both feet.  After the fusion, the newly operated foot is now longer that the right foot.  Fun times!

So what is my point?  

My point is that someone out there finds these mis-matched arthritic footsies of mine, sexy!

Let me prove it to you.

Here is a comment left on an old post of mine where I featured my feet:

Hello. I just want to tell you I really enjoyed this blog post. I hope you don’t mind that I tell you that you have very beautiful feet. I have a foot fetish with a preference for bunions, and your feet are very exquisite to me. I hope these comments flatter you, your beautifully unique feet are very sexy. I hope you continue to post pics of your feet 🙂

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There is a God…

Why Life Is One Giant Sea of Sriracha Sauce

As soon as we are born, we are thrown right into this sea of foreign red-hot peppery liquid called, Life.

For the first couple of years, this concoction is watered down for us with an extra sprinkle of sweetness.  Yummy, yummy.  We are loved, cooed at, swaddled and protected. Giving us the illusion, that our future is filled with candied-apple goodness.

Succulent.  Addictive.

We  swim through it blindly, trusting that the years spent soaking in this delectable and  savory juice, will result in a well marinated promise of happiness.

When it’s good, it’s good.

It tastes like heavenly dreams topped with warm caramel.   Sun ripened and ground up.  Light on the tongue with a twist of lime.   A gluttony of gusto and zest.

A delicacy of sorts, adding to the flavorless and the dull.

Roping us deeper in to the myth.

Before long, we detect the bite.  Wait a minute.  What is happening?

The sweetness has turned to rawness.  There is a kick to this otherwise placid juice.  Sweet Mother of Cheeses, our eyes start to water.  We choke on our own saliva.  Ah!  There is a blazing combustible frat party going on right on our tongues.  Water!  This is not what we expected.

We ignored the warnings on the bottle.  We can handle anything, so we thought.

ign.com

Whoa!  It hit us hard.  We don’t deserve this, we are good people.

Soon,  the inferno has reached the bowels of our souls.  Turmoil has taken over our insides.  An unforeseen natural disaster attacking our every pore.  Darkness, pain and misery.  Nothing helps.  Nothing soothes.

They don’t call it a cock sauce for nothing.

funnyjunk.com

Miraculously, we weather the storm.  We dodge a scorching bullet. We persevere.

We paddle along this ocean of promise with bated breath, hoping to stay afloat.  

Keeping the faith that we may be stronger and better equipped to swallow that next piece of hot pepper, when it slips into our mouths. 

sweetumssignature.com

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I Got Published…Again?

I am currently in the very early stages of writing a book.  By very early, I mean I am still working on the first sentence (yes, you can judge me.)

This is not why I began blogging.  It was after I started spewing my thoughts on here that I felt compelled to write a book about a very trying experience.  One that has sadly been shared by many families and not talked about enough.  But, enough about that right now.

For years, I have been sharing my opinions, thoughts and commentaries with members of my community via our local newspaper.  Articles have varied in topics such as having raised $11,000 for The Arthritis Foundation while being an Ambassador, questioning our government-bashing motives, surviving college visits with your teens, preparing for an empty nest and more.

This is the kind of critical information I write about. huffingtonpost

I keep submitting my thoughts and the Editor keeps publishing them.  What’s up with that?  I am often described as a Guest Columnist and get my own little corner (albeit tiny), on a page.   Maybe he feels sorry for me or there simply are not many exciting things happening around here but, nevertheless, I am enjoying my words being read by a few many .  The feedback I get from the community is gratifying and makes me grateful that someone (not my kids), is listening to what I have to say.

So although it is not a book that got published, today, they published this silly article of mine:

W.E.B DuBois webcam

Glued to televised falcon family chronicles

AMHERST — If you live in Hampshire County you must have heard the buzz about the Peregrine falcon pair nesting once more atop the W.E.B. DuBois Library at the University of Massachusetts. It’s all over the news and social media.

The website, http://www.library.umass.edu, Facebook page and Twitter account @DuBoisFalcons have been trending.

Like many of you, I have been glued to this reality show since the first chick hatched. I will admit that there is not as much drama as there is in shows like, “The Real Housewives of … (Everywhere)” and no fast-paced action, but this show is raw and it is real.

There is no staging, editing or censoring by producers. In fact, some content (like papa or mama falcon breaking up their hunted prey into bite-sized pieces to feed the chicks) may not be suitable for all audiences. But hey, it’s nature.

My interest in the falcons began 12 years ago when my mate and his friend, a master falconer, noticed falcons flying around the UMass library. Since the library is a tall building that mimics cliffs, where falcons typically nest, they decided to build a nesting box out of wood and contact the UMass Physical Plant about putting it up atop the library.  UMass graciously agreed and the first box went up. Since then, that box has been replaced with a more sturdy rendition that can withstand winds and temperatures that high up.

As I watch this live webcast of these falcons taking care of their young, I am reminded of my husband and I, as parents.

The similarities are uncanny. Though we never actually sat on our children (for hours), we too have been and still are devoted to their safety and happiness.

Like mama and papa falcon, we have shared equally in all the parental responsibilities without hesitation and our chicks have always been our top priority.

Even the fact that mama falcon is a bit bigger than papa is relatable to me.  She and I have actually been the ones who have given birth to our chicks, thus explaining our wider frames.

She is my idol and new BFF.

What I would love to ask mama falcon, if she ever let me appear on her reality show, is how she deals with her empty nest year after year.

My nest will be empty this fall and I have yet to figure out how I am going to deal with it.

 

Mirror Mirror On The Wall…OMG, I’ve Become My Mother After All!

likemotherlikedaughter blogspot

 

10 Things That Make Me, My Mother

(which is not a bad thing)

1.  I always have lipstick on, even if I am not going anywhere

2.  I turn everything into a song, ie. “This egg is beautiful…to me, can’t you see”.

3.  I live in batas (bathrobes) – with lipstick on, of course

4.  My upper arms jiggle (sorry, Mom)

google

5. I love to spoil my kids

6.  I am a badass entertainer and can make even a white paper plate look beautifully set, on a table.

7.  I hum all day long (when I’m not singing)

8.  I too can’t wait for my daughter to have a daughter…revenge…

9.  I let my man think he’s in charge, but I am the NECK that controls his HEAD.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding

10.  I take life, ONE DAY AT A TIME (used to hate hearing that)

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There are many of her wonderful qualities I do not possess and that is ok, because there is only room on this earth for one amazing woman.  And that is her.

Feliz Dia De Las Madres, Mami!

Spring Makeovers! Take a Look at Your New Spring Look! You are Welcome!

Always wanted to be a blonde…

Ok, people.

 We have all endured  more than our share of horrid winters and mediocre rainy early Springs.

Enough is enough!

Time to feel refreshed and to showcase our new selves!  While it would have been fun to appear on the Kathy Lee and Hoda show to get makeovers, I took the liberty of doing the makeovers myself.

  Because I prayed knew that you would take no offense to these liberties,  plus, I was bored and needed something to do besides puke all day.

If you are not featured here, there is still time for your very own makeover.  Just leave me a note on the comments that you too would like a Spring Makeover.

I now present to you, the new YOU!

 

Talented Poet, Pam from, Year Round Thanksgiving Project. She’s a lovely red-head so I kept her beautiful color and  just gave her a funky cut.

You guessed it!  This is Guapo, of course, from Guapola.  I made sure to keep him in his favorite bathing trunks because he wears them…well!

This Wild Child needs no introduction, really.  But take a look at Susie’s new girls!  I did a little bit of nipping, tucking and enhancing and voilà!

What do you get a beautiful courageous woman who walked 444 miles of the Natchez Trace?  Well, new feet and toes, of course!  Andra  deserves a pedi for life.

This Spanish Señorita is Jill from, Pursuing a Passion for Writing.  She won the Spanish Test I gave and looks fab in Red.  She loves to dance the Flamenco.

Don’t let this little “Bug” Julie,  from BugBites fool you.  She is quite the weight lifter!  I thought she would enjoy a nice bob hairdo.

He is stronger that a Wolverine!  Jacklumen from, The Tao of Jacklumen has endured more pain than humanly possible.  I gave him some much-needed powers.

 Our creative and colorful Poet, Catherine is sporting a Springy Pink hairdo to go along with her fun child-like ways.

Princess Jess

This beautiful Bride-To-Be Princess, Jess from The Happiness Project,  will look stunning in this new bridal wear.  I’ll let you use it for free, Jess!

Though he “forgot” to mention me on his blog roll (ahem), I wanted Stuphblog to grow out his hair and wear a Hard Rock t-shirt while celebrating his 25 days 25 song challenge.

Oh, this Honey is awesome!  Shelley from Honey Did You See That just finished traveling around the US having more adventures than any of us can dream about.  I gave her a bit more hair (dyed the white patch for fun) and sent her climbing.

 Rachel always has something on her Table going on!  Now that she left her job, she will need more aprons in her collection.

 She may want a place to go wild quietly, but Alarna is powerfully quiet and can kick ass!  You can keep the bandana, Alarna.

King of dumbasses

 Although my amigo himself is NOT A DUMBASS, FearlessLeader reminds us how close we all are to being dumbasses.  I thought I would provide him with his own Ass. (de nada)

 Shannon at mrsugarbears is the sweetest thing on earth!  She loves to make the best out of life and knows how to have fun.  You wear this better than Miley, girl! 

 Phil IS New York City!  He says he is a regularguynyc, but there is nothing regular about him.  This makeover is a better representation of who he is.  You can keep the horse.

 Mark is a METS fan but if he were a player, he would definitely attend the birth of his child even if it meant missing a game.  So there!  You tell ’em Mark!

 Jackie, at To breathe is to write is missing her Texas Days so I thought I would put her back in the saddle and make her the Cowgirl she truly is.  Thanks for commenting often 🙂

This Hot Mama, Sherri from a View From My Summerhouse is a new amiga I met via the lovely, Jill.  She will be drying my tears when my daughter leaves for college.

Doesn’t Maurnas from Cursivity look great in her Rihanna cut?  I over did it on her spray-on tan on her face though, sorry about that.  This cut is on me, no more DIY!

Our very own Ninja, Aussa  from Hacker.Ninja.Hooker.Spy already had great hair (bea-tch) so she didn’t need much of a hair makeover.  I did give her new boots so she can kick some real ass the next time she goes to NYC.

Piper, from Bayard & Holmes and I, often talk about our trips to Cabelas’s and Bass Pro Shops so I thought I’d surprise her with a Camo Dress!  She looks amazing in it, doesn’t she? Can I borrow it for my daughter’s Senior Prom?

This beautiful Mother-Daughter team, Inion N. Mathair , two voices one thought, make the perfect mermaids!  Just in time for the warm weather!

This Mama from anewprespectiveperhaps, needs some R & R!  I’m sending her to the beach on her own to just lounge, read and frolic!

Here is  Nancy from myyearofsweat. I gave her a new workout outfit.  She is still sweating it out and making amazing goals for herself.  She recently got yelled out by moi for using the dirty F word, Failure. 

Kitt is a lot more than an innerwildkat!  She has been very busy writing her sexy novels and so I thought she could use a new whip and cat ears. Meow…

Now, Merbear may have been knocked over by a feather on more than one occasion but she’s a fighter!  I have given her this feather hat to wear to show her that feathers are not the enemy!  You go girl!

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Happy Spring!