This Is Me Thursday--Looking Way Back

This is the 12th week of "This Is Me Thursday." This is also the last week. Not only have I gotten tired of talking about myself, I also don't want to bore all of you anymore. Don't worry, I'll think of something else to do a weekly post about.

The year is almost over. I know I'm rushing it a bit, but it's already the end of October and there are only 9 more weeks of 2011. I started thinking about how the older I get, the quicker time flies. I mean, just yesterday I graduated from high school! OK, maybe not yesterday. It's been more like 31 years since I left the hallowed halls of Bayonne High School.

(Big school, huh?)

I think back on how even though I didn't know what I wanted to be, I felt so ready to take on the world. Boy, was I naive. After three decades of scrambling around, I finally found my passion. Better late than never, I say, but I can't help thinking that I wish I knew a little bit of what I know now, back then.

Do I want to go back in time? Absolutely NOT! I was shy and lazy and so unsure of myself. Plus, I couldn't possibly live through Earth Science one more time. But if it should happen that I somehow got caught in a swirling vortex that took me back to high school, there are a few things I would have done differently.

I would have...

1. been a much better student.

2. gotten involved. In something. Anything other than just hanging out with my friends.

3. not started smoking.

4. not wasted two years with that guy who swayed me from what I had wanted to do. Long story. Sad ending.

5. made a conscious effort to keep in touch with friends after graduation.

6. put more serious thought into my teacher's suggestion of going for an Art Degree.

7. taken a mechanical drawing class.

8. been more outgoing.

9. read those books I didn't think I would like, instead of getting the Cliff Notes.

10. written down all those poems and stories that rattled around in my brain.

What about you? Would you go back and do it all over again?

This Is Me Thursday--I Wish

• There were two more hours in the evening and just one more day in the weekend that I could devote to writing. But then, the weeks would drag.
• My washer and dryer were upstairs. I wouldn't have to intrude on my son and his girlfriend when I want to do laundry. But then, I'd have nothing to bitch about.
• We had sold our home before the real estate market plummeted. We could have been semi-retired and living down South, with money in the bank. But then, I'd miss the rest of my family.
• I had gone to college when I was younger. But back then, I didn't know what I wanted to be.
• I wasn't so tired all the time. No 'buts' about it.
• I could win multi-millions in the lottery. But then, I'd have bigger worries and numerous false friends.
• All my wishes could come true. But then, I'd have nothing to dream about.

Never mind...

This Is Me Thursday--I Love

I LOVE:

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• To laugh. That stomach-tightening, nose snorting, tear-streaming kind of laughter.

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• The smell of babies. So fresh and new and powdered.

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• The sound of wind chimes. I especially like the wooden ones.



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• My family. Every crazy, dysfunctional one of them. Even the ones I refuse to speak to anymore.



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• Shoes. Funky flats, sexy stilettos, strappy sandals, boots, sneakers, flip flops, I love them all! Except crocs. Ewww.

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• The feeling of sand on my bare feet. I like to sit on the beach and burrow my feet as if digging to China. I know. I'm weird.

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• Magazines. I like Entertainment Weekly, Time, Real Simple, and Cosmopolitan. But I LOVE O Magazine and Good Housekeeping. I like how there's a little bit of everything in those two magazines and they're nice and thick, so I feel like I'm getting my money's worth.

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• Finding a new author to love. Diana Gabaldon is my latest favorite. I just want to lose myself in her books.

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• Coffee. I drink it night and day. Not too strong, not too weak. No flavors necessary, unless I'm drinking one as a dessert, and then I want whipped cream and caramel on top. Usually, it's just with creamer or 1/2 and 1/2. Mmmm.

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• My semi-new kitchen. No, I'm still not done with the finishing touches but you just can't always find the perfect wall clock. Don't worry, the pictures are coming soon.

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• The color RED. It's bold. It's hot. It's flashy. It's the way I feel inside but opposite of the 'me' you see.

This Is Me Thursday--I Miss

I Miss...

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• The big family holidays we had when I was young. After death, misunderstandings, and relocations, our family has gotten so small.

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• Looney Tunes. Bugs Bunny was my Saturday morning mentor for classical music, and how to be a smart-ass.

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• Hearing my daughter play her instruments. She played flute, fife, tenor saxophone, trumpet, euphonium, and marching trombone. She's been so busy with the military and college, she doesn't play any of them.

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• Doing crafts. What started as a hobby turned into a part-time business with my husband's niece. Eventually, life got in the way and we stopped.

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• Being a stay-at-home wife and mother. I just don't have the time to keep the house clean, make home-cooked meals, breads, and desserts like I used to.

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• Getting a weekly paycheck. Having your own business means doing without sometimes.

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• Family vacations down the shore (before Snooki and her friends got their manicured claws into it) and up at the lake. I always thought the process was stressful but the week of relaxation was worth it.

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• When my daughter was a little girl and seeing the wonders of life through her eyes.

This Is Me Thursday--I Believe

• In ghosts, spirits, fairies, and other magical and supernatural creatures.

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• We are not alone in this Universe. We shouldn't be so cocky to think otherwise.

• In God. Whatever her name is.

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• In Karma. What goes around comes around. I've seen it happen.

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• Meditation.

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• Someday I will have a published novel.

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• In the power of positive thinking.

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This Is Me Thursday--I Know

It's Thursday again. Have you noticed that the older we get, the faster the days fly by? Well, lately, they drag while I'm at work which is a good thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to do my blog posts. Well, here goes:

I Know:

• Someone who works for Tiffany & Co. He gets great discounts and he and his wife give great gifts. I wrote this blog post with my Tiffany & Co. silver pen. Yes, I'm bragging.
• My husband loves me even though I drive him crazy most of the time.
• I've made my share of mistakes, but I raised my daughter the best I could and she's turned out pretty well.
• The theme song for the original 1970's PBS children's show, 'Zoom.' I even remember their mailing address to send them letters. "Write, Zoom, Z double O M. Box 3-5-0. Boston Mass 0-2-1-3-4."
• I can count on my family.
• I've made a difference in some people's lives. Sometimes good and sometimes bad.
• I have an addictive personality. Smoking, eating good food, collecting crayons and buying office supplies are real weaknesses. I wonder if they have a Crayola support group?
• I can accomplish almost anything I put my mind to.
• Writing is hard work that takes a whole lot of determination. I like things that don't come easy but I wouldn't mind a few more acceptances every now and then...
• How to play a fife. It's like a small wooden flute that makes high-pitched sounds. It's been awhile since I've played so I'm not very good at it. My cat is glad I don't have time for it anymore.
• Someone who knows Lady Gaga.
• Finally, what I want to be when I grow up.

This Is Me Thursday--I Want

I Want:



• Peace and serenity. I don't do drama anymore and I won't tolerate it.
• Good health and well-being. I struggle with this one. I'd rather eat double-stuff Oreos than whole grains. I just can't help it.
• To be organized. I try, but I think I have too much stuff. (ie. crayons, craft supplies, and fairies.)
• Everyone in my life to be happy. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way. I need to realize sometimes I can't always fix things for them.
• An obscenely large chef's kitchen with state of the art appliances. I want every cooking gadget available, Gordon Ramsay cookware, a set of chef's knives and a large boisterous family around a massive farm table. Oh, and of course, a made to clean up when I'm done cooking. Is that too much?
• More time and energy to garden. Maybe I'll have my tulip garden and fresh vegetable garden when I retire...or maybe I'll just keep going to the local gardener. :\
• My children to be proud of themselves. I want them to know that we love them unconditionally and it doesn't matter what other people think.
• A house with a wrap-around porch, large enough to hold two rocking chairs, a porch swing, a dozen hanging flower baskets, and a table to hold pitchers of fresh-squeezed lemonade.
• My MTV! No, but really, do they even make music videos anymore?
• A dragonfly tattoo. I'm just too scared to do it.
• More hours in a night and longer weekends. Who do I call about that?

"This Is Me" Thursday--I Dislike

I Dislike:

• Snakes. The hair on my neck stands up while I look at that picture.
• Peas, beans, or anything else in the legume family. Just not a fan of the consistency.
• Cleaning the bathroom. I have two of them in my home and two of them at our shop. I know it's a necessity, but I don't have to like it, do I?
• Men who think I'm John's secretary. I'm his partner. I sign the checks and I make out our invoice, Dude.
• Know-it-alls. You can't possibly know everything. There's too much to know. Shut up and listen.
• Extreme hot or extreme cold weather. I don't have a pool and I don't do winter sports. 'Nuff said.
• Fruity things. Give me fresh fruit anyday but don't mash it up and mix it in with other things--especially meat.
• When people pronounce the "th" sound at the end of the word, "HEIGHT." The H is before the T. There is definitely no H at the end. I know the word is frequently used with LENGTH and WIDTH but can you see? THOSE words have an H at the END. HEIGHT does not. Height rhymes with light, might, right. There is definitely a hard T sound at the end of the word. Look it up in a dictionary. Heck, listen to the pronunciation here:  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/height. Ok, sorry. I'm sorry. It just gets my panties in a bunch, every time.
• The smell of body odor. I dislike it even more on women. I can smell it a mile away. It may be natural, but it's offensive. Don't want to use deodorant? I'm sure there are natural ways to get rid of that smell. Please, find one.

There are a ton of other things I dislike but those are my top 9.  What are some of the things you dislike?

"This Is Me" Thursday--I Have

I Have:



• A wonderful home in the country. The house and the property (6 acres!) is always a work-in-progress, but the same is true for anything we value.
• A supportive and loving husband. John wants me to do what I love and feel happy and successful.
• A loving, caring family and a small group of dear friends. Who could ask for more?
• Two great kids. They're still finding their way in this crazy world (aren't we all?) but they are both hard-working, respectful, and generous. We love them.
• A 1998 Chevy Cavalier. Sure, it's old but it has a new engine and transmission and a fresh shiny black paint job. My little car looks and runs like new. (Without the monthly car payments, which leaves more money for--office supplies.)
• A cat. Her name is Cashmere because she is so soft. She's a bit of a bimbo but she's a good girl and really, really cute.
• A short attention span. Which could explain my problem with writing novels and my compulsion to write short stories and poems.
• A wonderful group of writing friends. Although I've never met them face-to-face, I feel as though we're all family.
• A very large Rubbermaid tub filled with unused Crayola crayons. But most of you knew that, so let's move on...
• A fairy collection. They flutter inside the curio cabinet John bought me one Christmas. Sometimes, I talk to them but they don't seem to listen. I also have a collection of fairy books. They're so beautiful!
• A fascination with dragonflies. They fly into my office whenever I leave the door open. I tell them it's OK for them to reveal their true identities (fairies, of course!) but they act like they don't know what I'm talking about. Oh, well...

"This Is Me" Thursday--I Am

First of all, I'd like to welcome my new followers. Thank you for stopping by. I hope I can keep you entertained and perhaps share some valuable information along the way.

One of the blogs I follow is written by a young lady whom I admire. At 21, she's profound and quite sweet. Every Friday, Julie Rose Sews  posts a "Fill-in-the-blank" entry and I thought it would be fun to do a series like that here. So, for a while at least, Thursday's will be "This is Me." I'm hoping to tell you a little about myself and at the same time, become self-aware.

Please feel free to comment and share. We'd like to get to know you, too.

I am:

• A mother, step-mother, wife, daughter, sister, cousin, and friend. Someday, I'd like to add 'aunt' and 'grandmother' to that list but I can wait.
• A published author and poet and an aspiring novelist.
• A partner in a small business. Our automotive repair shop has been in business for 15 years and we're still going strong!
• A student at the Institute of Children's Literature. I received my diploma for their basic course and am now enrolled in the novel course.
• 49 years old. Believe it or not, I'm looking forward to turning 50.
• A Gemini. A true Gemini. ;)
• My mother's oldest child. I have a younger sister and brother and we're all extremely close.
• Part Blackfoot Indian, Italian, Polish, and English. Call me a mutt but I embrace it all.
• Proud of myself and all I have accomplished so far in life. But...I'm not done, yet.
• Denise Marie. I've had three different last names in my life but I'll always be me.

Who are you?