Treasure your moments...

Today, I stood in the snow at my grandmother's grave. My mother, as always, brought the sweetest arrangement of seasonal flowers and little ornaments for her mother and father. We always make a few comments about them and how nice they are... followed by comments on how disgusting it is that they will be tossed in the dumpster or resold by the jerks who take them away after a few weeks. For shame. 

I hadn't gotten a chance to change my boots from earlier in the day so I was naturally wearing inappropriate footwear for snow-trudging. We joked as the buckles kept coming unsnapped as I pulled each foot out of the mounds of snow. Foolish girl with zero grace. We cleaned off the grave stone, arranged the flowers and took our moments. It was in those moments that I had the best holiday montage play in my mind. It was of nearly every holiday that I'd spent with my grandmother for all of our forty years together. The images were so vivid. The happiness that I saw and felt was so pure. And at that point I was reminded that I hadn't really lost my grandmother. I lost the ability to make future memories with her. And, while that feels immense a lot of the time, it's always comforting to look back with such admiration on the countless times we shared together. 

I am always telling the girls that it's never about the things that we GET it's always about the time that we spend together with the people that we love. We could be doing the simplest thing together and that will be cemented in our memory forever. For example, one of my most treasured memories with my grandmother is of us watching a TV adaptation of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane on a Thanksgiving Eve. Part of the reason I think it stuck with me is because I was so happy to be allowed to stay up until it ended at 11 pm. Another reason is because Lynn Redgrave was semi-terrifying in that role. Either way, Gram and I shared a love for thrillers. I remember watching Hitchcock with her and sharing books like Rosemary's Baby. You'd never think it to look at her but she did love her a creepy tale. 

Holidays will never pass without me reminiscing. In so many ways Gram WAS our holiday. She would come to our house the night before and help prepare the meal. She always cleaned the turkey for Thanksgiving (because my mother skeeved it beyond belief). I can't tell you how many Christmas mornings I stood layering lasagna with her... I remember how she always took a little of the ricotta mixture for herself. 

It truly is the little things that make the fondest memories. It's not about getting that bike when you were ten. It's that someone ate the entire bowl of onion dip with their hands. It's about getting the giggles during Midnight Mass and possibly exchanging words with the people sitting in front of you while your mother sat mortified beside you pretending to shrink into her pocketbook. It's about anxiously awaiting the arrival of your Christmas Eve dinner guest, staring out the front window, steamy from when you'r mom drained the pasta. It's the joy on the faces of everyone you love. 

It's in those moments that we are most human. Let's have all of those moments this week, the week after that and every week following. 

Don't lose sight of what brings you joy. It's been a tough year no doubt - but even when the gatherings are small there are still big moments to cherish. 

Wishing you all the happiest of holidays. Cheers to 2021! Hoping it brings good health and joy to you all. 

(This one's for you, Gram).

With love,

Sheri 

Grinches. The lot of them.

I just challenged myself to write a blog post within fifteen minutes. I don't have a topic so let's go withhhhhhhhh....

"Why the hell won't you just watch The GRINCH?"

Alright so anyone who knows me knows that I love Christmastime. I start listening to Bing Crosby while putting together Halloween costumes. I stalk the aisles of the stores for the first sign of a wonky, red bow or those chocolate covered cherries that I only really notice during the holiday season. Do they really sell them year round? I begin tucking away ideas for what I want to put on the mantle or the dining room table. I search "retro Christmas" on Pinterest just because it makes me incredibly happy to see the results. I make lists of possible gift ideas, I DVR forty thousand Hallmark Christmas movies (which I later narrow WAY down because I typically despise the cast within the first ten seconds) and I peruse the lovely internet for the girls' holiday dresses.

The BEST time of the year, gang.

So, why am I not sitting by the fire with my family sipping hot chocolate and watching Frosty, you ask?  Well, because my children seem to boycott all things Christmas except when it comes to curating their list for Santa. MmmHmm. "Ughhh, Christmas music againnnnn?" Um. YEAH. For certain. Yes. It is nearly DECEMBER. You bet your boots you're going to hear some Perry Como while I do the dishes.

"You know what we're doing tomorrow?.... Decorating for Christmas!"

"UGHHHHH, Mommyyyy, enough with Christmas!"

Um. Excuse me? What child doesn't want to see festive little trees and Santas strewn about their living room? We have frigging sleigh bells hanging up for crying out loud. I don't get it.

I only have three minutes to wrap this up and meet my challenge so let me just end with this tale...

Just about every night I ask the girls if they will watch a "holiday special" with me. And every night the answer is a thundering NO. No Rudolph. No Frosty. No Grinch. No Garfield. (That's right, I took you way back). I don't know why they refuse so much. My best guess is that because we live in the age of digital tv and DVRs - nothing is actually "special" because they can watch whatever they want whenever they want. They have twelve shows that they adore and all of them have their own holiday episodes. Not like when I was young and if you missed Rudolph you would have to wait a full year to catch that special again. And you were bummmmmmmed.

The times they have a'changed. So help me, God, these kids will enjoy my favorites with a smile across their face by the time I'm through, I just need some Christmas magic. *wink.

Crap. I blew the challenge.
HA! xo

Happy Birthday ...

Today, December 12, is the birthday of a very special man. A man who passed away ten years ago this month. And a hundred years too soon if you ask me.

His name is Paul and I've blogged about him several times. I wonder what he would have thought about that. I wonder what he would have thought about a lot of things.

He was a dear companion to my grandmother, who just turned ninety-two on December 9th. She lost her husband when she was just forty-nine years old and she met Paul a few years later. They had so many things in common, their love of dancing was just one of them. Paul became part of our family and an important influence in my life. He always came to our home for the holidays and it really made them so special. I remember waiting at the window for his black El Camino to pull up in front of the house - hoping for a rain-free forecast so we could take our beloved after-dinner hike. On sunny Easter Sundays he would take my brother and me to play tennis at a local college court. Holidays simply have not been the same without him. Those truly were the days. 

Paul was an artist. He owned and operated a sign shop in Providence for many, many years. He hand-painted everything himself. {I cannot imagine what he would think about graphic design}. He painted plaques for my brother and me with our names on them - I still have mine tucked away for forever-keeping. He made us walking sticks with our names painted on them - I'm certain I'd still have mine had my brother not tossed it into a river when I was little. He also gave me a set of very nice paintbrushes and numerous sketch pads when I was growing up. I recently used those very paintbrushes to paint the mural in Scarlett's room.

When Paul visited he always asked to see what I'd been drawing or writing. He offered his thoughts, critique and positive feedback. And he urged me to continue doing what I love - to keep sharpening my skills, to keep learning, trying and bettering. Mostly, to keep enjoying.

I admired Paul so much. He was smart as a whip, up to snuff on all current events and could spit the newspaper back to you. He loved to watch hockey and tennis. He loved to go dancing and watch real entertainers like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. He was active - exercising everyday - walking, jogging, playing tennis. He was creative - a very talented sketcher and painter. He was a sharp dresser, always classy and neat. He was kind. The most wonderful gifts that he gave were not wrapped in paper or tucked in an envelope. They are the gifts that last much longer than a doll or a fifty dollar bill. He gave me insight, inspiration, encouragement and love. He instilled a drive in me that will last forever. He was like a grandfather to me, a mentor and one of the most special people I've ever known.

Sometimes I feel like I should stop trying to sell my rinky-dink artwork. Or quit spending so much time trying to create a Christmas card that people will glance at just the same as a store-bought one. It's in that moment when I'm about to pull the plug that I feel his encouragement. It's like I can hear him saying Why give up doing something you love? Do it because you love to do it - don't worry what anyone else says of it. He keeps me moving forward. He gives me that little nudge, letting me know he's always in my corner.

Oh, how I miss him and how I wish he could have met my daughter. He would be so amazed by her. He had a genuine knack with children - he was never upset or impatient with us - and he was always smiling.

Rest in Peace, dear Paul. And Happy Birthday.

 (an ode to Paul Marzullo - forever in my heart)

I got your merry...

On Thanksgiving night Gregg had the idea that we could decorate the house for Christmas after putting Scarlett to bed. We normally do it each year on the day after Thanksgiving. Gregg has to work this Saturday and Sunday which is when we would normally get our Christmas tree so this plan would free up our Friday to handle the tree festivities. I was pretty tired and looking forward to unwinding but I decided it was a great plan. So we merried up the place right quick - it only took an hour and a half! A new record!

We can't wait to see Scarlett's face when she walks into her little Christmas-town! We set out our Elf on the Shelf on Thanksgiving night and she saw him right away - and was pretty excited... "Mama, wook! The elf is here!" (I had been mentioning him over the past few weeks so she sort of knew what to expect).

She named him "snoozy" and is going to have a ball finding him each day! What a fun little tradition.

Looking forward to our tree farm trip this morning in the c-c-c-c-olllllllld temps. Hoping it is a fun day decorating the tree for the first time with our sweet girl. Last year she watched from the play-yard, drooling over the sparkly ornaments. This year should be a heap of glittery chaos! FUN!

Do the hustle ...

Easter. One of the three days of the year that has become more about hustle and bustle and less about lasagna and leisure. Yes, that's right, I view most holidays in terms of my mother's cooking and how long I can keep my PJs on.

As kids, my brother and I always had the pleasure of staying home in our pajamas for the holidays. We could sleep in if we wanted to. My brother never did, he always had to wait for me to rise and shine. We excitedly opened our presents (or Easter baskets) with our favorite holiday music, movies and specials on the television. Our parents enjoyed their slow cups of coffee. We took our turns showering and primping and awaited our dinner guests. After dinner we were able to play with our toys, watch a movie, play a new game or take that infamous nap that follows a large holiday meal. Occasionally on Christmas night we would go to my Godparents' house for a visit. Ahh, those were the days.

When I got married everything changed. You inherit another family. You learn to make compromises. Marriage is give and take. For the first few years my husband and I didn't even have dinner together. He went to his sister's house and I went to my parents' house. We would meet up later in the day. We eventually worked out a plan that would allow him to eat dinner with his family and I was able to have my favorite meal alongside my family while we are under the same roof and traveling in one car. It wasn't quite ideal as we had to hurry back and forth and essentially watch everyone eat while people asked us, "Why aren't YOU eating anything?" Nevertheless we were together, visiting our loved ones, scarfing our lasagna if you will.

Once Miss Scarlett came along I was sure I'd get my wish - to stay home on the holidays. We have double wall ovens and plenty of counter space. I have no reservations about cooking my mother's meal here. We would welcome visitors later in the day. It didn't work out this time. We went to my sister-in-law's house for one o'clock. Her husband was running around like a lunatic trying to finish all of the side dishes while grilling lamb and taking a shower. It was quite an accomplishment! My hubby had his holiday meal of ham and all the fixin's and then we watched our nephews and the rest of the young'ns chaotically (and adorably) run around during their annual egg hunt. Scarlett took just a mini nap, maybe twenty minutes and we were off to Grammie's house. I had my holiday meal - including my favorite, Eggplant Parmesan while Gregg fed the baby her din din. We reconvened in the living room for the first annual, thirty minute Easter-basket-opening ceremony. My mom went a little overboard! She was just so excited to do it. She can't help herself. S has lots of new summer clothes and a few new toys and even some sunglasses and shoes! Thanks, Easter Bunny. :) The one thing I was really looking forward to was finally having coffee and dessert with my mother and grandmother. It's just something from my past that I really miss and haven't been able to coordinate it in about nine years now. This year fell through as well. We were too full from eating dinner late and I had to get the baby home for her bottle and night-night time. Oh well, maybe for Thanksgiving... or Christmas.

The holidays are always wonderful when we get to spend time with family, eat good food, have a few laughs and enjoy ourselves a little bit more than we do on the day to day. I just want to slow them down a little bit. I want to take some of the agenda out of them and just relax in our home. A couple of cocktails, a hunk of coconut custard pie ... you know, the little things. Plus, not having to haul three meals for Scarlett and her favorite toys and gear would be nice too. We'll see about Thanksgiving! Hope you all had a nice Easter with your loved ones. Here are some of our pics ... sorry the ones of Scarlett Bunny are blurry, I couldn't help uploading them though, they're so cute!

stop the press!!!

I truly have nothing exciting to report ... as usual, but thought I would note what I have been busy with.

I have spent most of my time over the past few weeks doing my Christmas shopping. Got a whole lot done and now its just a few teeny things standing in the way of my being completely finished. I wrap everything the day I buy it or the day that it is delivered to my house, that way there is no huge four hour wrap session.

I have also spent a good chunk of the weekends decorating for Christmas. It's a bit like the North Pole in here. I love Christmas decorations. I think our tree is perfect again this year - we really enjoyed continuing our tradition of putting it up on our anniversary. Hmm I should upload some pics as a matter of fact ...

This is Fred!! 

Fred is the first ornament on the tree each year.

He is my favorite and has been in the family since before my parents were married.

I hang him in our bedroom all year long until his big holiday debut!! Haha. 

Also, I sometimes apologize to him for the hook that I stuck in his head.

  

 

 

And that's that. It's pretty festive in here these days. Some nights I light about 15 tealight candles, each glowing red or green or burning a chocolate peppermint scented wax tart. Mmmm ... North Poley.

Recently, we decided to have our 2nd annual Christmas Eve party. Last year we invited both of our families over for snacks and drinks and it went very well. It is the only time during the year where our families are together and we all had a nice ol' holiday time. I am now trying to figure out what cookies to bake and what cake or pie to serve and just how I shall decorate my cupcakes. Fun stuff, but I seem to obsess over it nonetheless. More importantly I am concerned with the chair situation. Twenty five people invited and I think we have seating for ten or twelve. HA! Oh well. Maybe I should tell them there's a dancing contest! Sitters lose.

I have been watching or DVRing every holiday special on television. From Rudolph to the Grinch, Charlie Brown to "the little mice with the clock one" hahaha. I thrive on tradition when it comes to the holidays and these shows make me more nostalgic than anything else. I can picture watching them with my mom from when I was a little girl until the year that I moved out of her house. She still watches them too. :o)

My sister-in-law had a Christmas party last weekend for my nephews and the family/extended family. Santa and Mrs. Claus were to show up at 7 p.m. All of the kiddies were running around with their big, bright smiles. Excitement. It was pretty adorable to say the least. Watching the kids climb up on Santa's lap, telling him just what they would like this year. Each received their own little gift bag (courtesy of my mother-in-law who organized the meeting with her friends - the Clauses). There were so many cookies and snacks, not to mention a slammin punch that was made for the kids but ended up in glasses of blackberry vodka instead. Hence my sister-in-law's hangover the following day. But MAN was that a good drink.

What else what else?? We celebrated my grandmother's 88th birthday on December 9th. She is in wonderful health and other than some yucky arthritis she's going quite strong. We got together for her favorite chocolate cake and some laughs.

 

And I guess that about does it. I am really looking forward to Christmas with Gregg and our families and just trying to finish up all of the running around and "prep work".

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday this year. Soon, it will be in the past so let's all take the time to enjoy it. Happy Holidays! Eat, drink and be merry and safe!!