Mom-mom Cappello

La Mia Famiglia

So, if you've read my previous entries, you'll know that my entire life has and continues to revolve around my family. I'm going to start this series with my grandmothers. The matriarchs of my family unit. They have an unbelievable amount of strength.  I watched them stand by their husbands while they were sick in the hospital and dying. I saw them stand resolute and reflective next to their husband's caskets at the funeral. I saw them continue on with their lives and support their family with unending love and devotion. I guess I'll start with the deceased and get the hard one over with first.

Helen

November 18, 1923- May 5, 2010



Picture was taken by my cousin's Mother in-law


Little Helen.. not even 5 foot tall, was a stubborn Pollock until the day she died. She grew up during the depression, and was put into an orphanage after her mother died. She and her sisters were eventually reunited with their father after he re-married (I think). From what I've been told, they had a rough life growing up. Something about a horrible stepmother and an alcoholic father. As a result she didn't drink and oftentimes came off as a tough mother. My father received no Christmas presents one year because he failed reading. Talk about a hard lesson to learn. If I'm correct, he was 6 or 7? or in 6th grade? Ok... you'll find alot of fuzzy details in this one since most of this stuff was talked about when I was a child and during mourning.


During World War II, she worked in a factory and apparently had a hand in building a piece of something to do with one of the A-bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan. Wow... I regret not getting all those details. She had her own war wound, but no Purple Heart. The tip of her index finger had to be amputated because of blood poisoning?... Maybe... That's another detail I should clarify with my father. Anyway... It's the injury that lead to a future nickname penned by my cousin who called her 9 3/4. :P (I think her friends might have had a hand in that. Not sure where it started)


As a grandchild, I only saw the smiling, loving side and know very little of the real facts about how she raised her children. She was very affectionate and would always rub your back or pat your leg when she was sitting next to you.


She was also quite funny. I'm not sure if it was because Polish was her first language or because she was old, but she didn't always understand our jokes. She would call my brother a "Sofa King" from the "Sofa King we tall did" joke (if you don't know what this is, you write it down and have someone read it. If it is said fast enough it comes out "So, fucking retarded."). Well, my brother did this and made her read it. She just didn't get it and it was hilarious! Whenever he did something silly, she would smack his arm and say, "Oh you Sofa King!" :P She also got some words wrong or flipped around. Her and my grandfather both loved to go to this restaurant near my parents' house called "Fuddruckers." Well, she called it "Mudder Fudders" and we still call it that. It's just too funny not to.


She was always proud of the smallest accomplishments, and would always tell us how "sharp" we looked even if we were wearing beat up old jeans and a messy ponytail. She loved to see her grandchildren living the American Dream. She was most proud with the completion of a college degree, the purchase of a house, or when she was given great-grandchildren.


Despite her rough childhood, and apparently sometimes rocky marriage (a youngsters perceived interpretation of what's been said. not sure how rocky it really was.), she had this life in her eyes. At her funeral everyone felt that she didn't look quite right, and it was all because we couldn't see her sparkling, smiling, blue eyes. She was the glue of the family after my grandfather passed away.  


Regardless of her past, she built a family full a love and respect. Her example allowed her children to be able to raise their own children to be successful, and compassionate adults. Now, as we build our families, we'll be able to create a happy and loving environment with a strong sense of family that sticks together through everything.


*This might get an edit... I don't think I have the writing skill to really do this woman any justice.

Got Me Thinking

So, my little award from Cyn got me thinking, "gee! If some of her faithful are going to check out my blog, I need to post something." Well, something more recent than last Friday's kitty pictures. :P So, I'm thinking... and I realized that during the 30 Day Blogging Challenge that got this blog going, I said that I was going to dedicate a blog post to each of my family members that had an impact on my life. So, I'm going to get started on that.

I guess I'll go from oldest to youngest? I'll just start with the ladies since I've learned the most from them. I'll have to really think about the men in my life and figure out who taught me what and decide if it's enough for a whole blog post.

1. Mom-mom Cappello
2. Mom-mom Brandt
3. My mom
4. Aunt Mary
5. Aunt Eileen
6. Aunt Monica
7. My sister

I'll get started on that and probably post the first one tomorrow.

Stylish Blogger Award

My girl, Cyn, at The Purple Goddess has picked my blog for a "Stylish Blogger Award!" Woots! Thanks, sweetie! If you haven't checked out her blog, I suggest you do. It's full of great photography, some witchy stuff, everyday struggles and triumphs and just has a great spirit.

There are rules that go along with winning this award. Here they are:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers, or less, up to you.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 Things About Myself (I'm going to try and come up with stuff I haven't already revealed here)
1. There are only 2 people in my life (outside of my online friends) that know that I'm currently on a non-christian spiritual path. My mom doesn't count. She thinks I'm agnostic and not exploring my spirituality.
2. I like going for bike rides with my husband, but hate trying to peddle up hill
3. I feel out of place when my husband and I go out to dinner with friends. Most of our friends are from my husband's workplace and they always talk shop at dinner, and I sit there and have nothing to contribute to the conversation.
4. I recently discovered my self esteem. I am slowly learning to love my body.
5. I am in an insanely happy place in my life right now.
6. I write down the dreams that I remember because I believe there is meaning behind them.
7. For the first time in my life, I am enjoying the discovery of my spiritual path. (yes right now this a big part of my life and is consuming my free time)

Alright... This is going to be a short list. :P And might just die with the people that I'm awarding them to. They aren't following alot of blogs, but they're great blogs none-the-less.

1. A Jersey Girl In Paris
2. Super-Shell Flies Again

uh... yeah... not much. Other than Cyn's blog, these are the only ones I follow that I jump to read when they've posted. :P

Good Hunting!

I stepped out my back door this morning to throw a poor lifeless flower out onto the "lawn" (if you want to call it that...). I figured that I might as well return it to nature and not to some stinking landfill. Anyway..... I notice that there were alot of birds chirping in the trees this morning. SPRING!! It's just a taste at the moment. Tomorrow the temperatures will go back down into the 40's... but BIRDS!! Things are looking up.

I return back into the house to notice a kitty on the widow sill...

He was chattering away at those birds. If you don't know what chattering is, it's this little meow accompanied by a fast clicking sound. He definitely wanted to have a go those birds.

If I let this guys out (which I don't. strictly indoor cats), I think they'd go ape shit on those birds. :P Well Gizmo (the orange one) would. I think Quincy is too slow and lazy to really run after them. Gizmo likes to chase but not catch. Quincy likes to catch stuff that comes to him. No chasing. Put the two of them together and we'd have one awesome hunting cat. :P

Happy Hunting, Kitties!

*I know these pics are a little fuzzy. I was rushing. Those two would not have stayed put if I had distracted them.

One Really Awesome Week

Aside from having the Best Monday Ever, I got ballsy and asked to be considered for the paralegal position opening up in my office. One of the paralegals quit, and since I told my husband about it, he keeps asking if I've talked to my boss yet. Today was the first chance I got. So, when I took him his mail, I decided to just ask. This is how it went:

Me: With C leaving, I figured it would be a good opportunity to contribute more here.
Boss: Well, what did you have in mind?
Me: His job. (yes I know... very blunt. :P)
Boss: Hmmmm... that's an interesting idea.
Me: I know I haven't been here long, but I would like to atleast be considered. (Only been here 7 months)
Boss: I'm open to it. It would be a smooth transition. I'm going to make a call to Philly as soon as you leave. I can't remember do you have a paralegal back ground.
Me: I have my bachelor's degree in Paralegal studies.
Boss: A bunch of stuff about needing someone who will just do things and keep deadlines without being asked.
Me: If I know what my responsibilities are, I'll get the work done.
Boss: Ok... Send me your resume in an e-mail with something in it stating that your interested so, I can send it to the Philly office.

I leave, sit at my desk... He's already making the call because he has the phone on speaker when he dials. Then, I spend the next hour in a heart racing anxiety updating my resume and writing one awesome email.... Keep your fingers crossed!

Also, the weather is going to be spectacular for the next few days. Today's high was near 50. Tomorrow's high will be in the mid 50's and Friday it's going up into the 60's! My husband and I took Friday off so we could have a 4 day weekend and enjoy what is going to be one gorgeous day! Looks like the groundhog was right.... Spring has come a little early!!

You Want to Do What?!

Ah... My wonderful husband... For months now, he's been saying that if it was just him in the house, he'd just pay for internet... No cable TV, no phone.... Hmmmm.... WHAT?!

He said we pay alot for the deal to get all three... But... How will I watch all those corny chick flicks that they play on the Family Channel? We would still have your basic channels, but the bulk of it would be gone. 

Then, I really started thinking. "Gee! Think of all the other stuff I'd get done if I didn't spend 2 hours a night in front of the TV." Not to mention, the entire days I waste on the weekend just vegging out in front of it... I could do any of the following:

• Work on any of a number of cross-stitch projects I've accumulated
• Read the collection of books I've bought and haven't read yet
• I'd be so bored that I'd resort to cleaning to occupy my time. :P
• I'd notice nice days and go for a walk instead of staying in the house.
• Paint and decorate the blank slate I call a house.
• Grow an herb garden and devise a system so the cats don't get into it
• Actually cook dinner instead of throwing frozen crap in the microwave.
• Use that money and go shopping! :P I'm loving it again now that I'm at a point where I'm almost comfortable with my body.
• Have a quieter, simpler, more peaceful life.
• Workout everyday
• Take dance classes again... but that might cost more than the stupid cable. :P

You get the point... The possibilities are endless! I spend 2 hours a night watching TV during the week. That's 10 hours a week for other stuff just on the weeknights! Might not be a bad idea now that I really think about it.

Best Monday Ever!

So, this has probably one of the best Mondays in the history of all Mondays... Well... ok... we'll just include my Mondays in that statement.

The weather broke! Well... for now anyway. The high for today is in the 50's! I checked the weather this morning and at 8 am it was 45 degrees out already. I was stoked! I was very excited to get outside. Like a giddy child, I opened my front door and left for work 10 minutes early because I couldn't wait to be outside not bundled up in scarves, gloves, hoods and a heavy coat.

Likewise, I was very eager to take my lunch break. I had a $50 off a $100 purchase for NY&Co. I intended to get that trench I wrote about a couple weeks ago. Well, I walked in there and saw these really pretty graphic t's and 3/4 length sleeved sweaters. Now, when I find something that I like, I get one in black and one in another color for when I'm wearing black pants. So, I got 2 of the t's and 2 of the sweaters, and a blue short sleeved dress. Since I've recently lost quite a few L B's, I'm not as self conscious with wearing snugger fit clothes. So, I opted for a nice figure hugging Small! I really think NY&Co runs big. However, the medium cardigan that my MIL got me for Christmas was quite large on me as well. I've never been a small before.... Anyway... I digress.... Shopping... The lady convinced me to use my NY&Co. card which I never carry with me. So, she gets on the phone and I need to re-activate it. OK... Fine... She really wants me to get the points. :P So, I do and it's an addition 20% off the purchase. HOLLA!! I save more than I spend.

I get back from lunch and I'm doing my thing.... Which isn't much. :P ProFlowers drops off this box.... "Who are they for?" I think... My co-worker got flowers from her boyfriend last week.... and Dave and I never celebrate Valentine's Day. It's basically a pointless holiday to us. We don't need a "special day" to show our love. I wasn't expecting my name to be on the box. It IS my name on that box!! I was giddy with excitement! I'll have to write it down that 2/14/11 was the last time my hubby sent me flowers. It's a beautiful arrangement of pink, red and white roses.

*When I said "later" before... I meant Friday. I swear! :P

This is from Friday morning... Yes... 4 days after I said I'd post a pic.

This is right after I opened them. They looked better on the second day, but I didn't take a picture of them on Tuesday.

All in all... The BEST Monday ever!!

It's the Little Things

Well... I had the basic, run of the mill weekend, but it was a great weekend. It was just me and David all weekend. We did simple things. Friday night we watched a movie. Saturday and Sunday were spent playing video games together or watching Mythbusters. We went out to dinner.... It was just Chili's and then picked up a few things at the grocery store. It was so simple, and I enjoyed every second of it.

It was all the little things that made this weekend feel special than all the others. We actually cuddled on the couch during the movie.  We talked all through dinner (nice since most of the time sit there just staring at each other). We joked and goofed of at the grocery store. Then, there were the "stolen" kisses and the little looks while playing video games.  It was the best weekend I've had in a long time.

Well then, What are you?

Recently, my mom asked if I wanted to go on retreat. Hm.... retreat... Christian retreat... Catholic retreat?... a whole weekend talking about God and going to church... She knows that's not my thing, but when she's making plans to go, she always asks if I want to come. That's when I just came out and said it, "Mom, I'm not a Christian." Her response was "Well then, what are you?" Uh..... Hmmmmm...... Well? Frankly, I really don't know. I just know that I'm not a Christian and am leaning toward a nature based spiritual system. (notice I don't say religion) Her response, "you're probably agnostic." well.. No... I believe in a supreme power.... God... Goddess... I don't believe that Jesus is my savior or that some unseen entity in heaven controls my destiny...

I believe that we control our own destiny. Deity is there for guidance which you can find through prayer or meditation. I prefer meditation as it is more attuning with the divine than talking to it. To me, there is no master plan, no pre-destiny. Shit happens. It's life, and we decide how we deal with it. You can let it destroy you or you can over come it.

Obviously, I'm not going to scream "I'M A PAGAN!" :P or neopagan... or whatever you want to call it.  I'm really just a Seeker that's currently on a Pagan path because it seems natural to me. I'm not looking for religion. I'm just looking for a spiritual connection with the divine energy that I feel when the sun warms my face, or when the breeze rustles through the trees. That connection isn't something I find in a church service.

Trying to figure out what I believe versus what I was taught to believe is hard. 20+ years of being told what is "right" is definitely difficult to change. It's probably one of the hardest things I've ever done. However, it's fun learning and reading and saying "Oh! That's what I've been looking for!" I find that instead of worshipping the divine, I am honoring it. For me, God/dess didn't create the Universe. Deity IS the Universe and everything in it.

I am an explorer on an adventure to find my unique spiritual path.

Spring is Coming

As I endure the bitter cold, I remind myself that Spring is coming. It's quite frigid here at the moment, but if the weather cooperates we could see the mid-40's on Sunday. Until then, I'll enjoy some colorful, springlike pictures.

My favorite flower. Very delicate and comes in almost every color you could imagine.

With a blanket and a book, this would be a perfect retreat on a warm April afternoon... *sigh*

Milestones

So, for those of you who don't read my Weight Watchers blog, I thought I'd post this here too.

Friday's mornings are my weigh day and what a morning it was! The first thing I did was text my always encouraging sister. We might live an hour away from each other, but we're on this journey together. Then, I posted it in my status on my WW page because without them, I don't know if I would've lasted this long.

So, this week I lost 2 pounds! The loss marks a few of milestones... for me any way.

1. I'm now less than 10 pounds away from goal
2. I'm 2 pounds away from a healthy BMI
3. I'm 2 pounds away from 25 pounds lost
4. It's a number I haven't seen in 4.5 years
5. I now weigh less than my husband (he's really skinny... 6' 140 lbs)
6. It puts me into the next decade.

130's!! HOLLA!! :P

I'm still not tracking on paper. Recently it's just a running tally in my head so I don't completely over do it. I eat alot of the same foods on a regular basis so I'm not guessing points values. However, this week there were no cookies or chips in the house so I wasn't eating as much junk as I had been the past couple weeks.

Next week, I'll probably have a gain because that's what usually happens after I have a big loss. However, being in the 130's at the moment might just be the kick I need. I definitely don't want to see a 14_ on the scale next week.

Who Needs Exercise?

So, as you know, I've been a little blue recently. The winter is taking its toll on me. So, obviously when I post said blues to my lovely friends on the Weight Watchers site, they suggest exercise, Vitamin D and a sun lamp... But you don't need that! All you need a RETAIL THERAPY! Who needs exercise when you can spend money? :P I didn't get much. Just a new pair of non-workout black sneakers at Payless and a Tropical Spice candle from Bath and Body Works... with a little holder the put the jar candle in. I'm hoping the fresh summery scent of the candle will lift my spirits... but of course, whipping out the debit card did that too. I'm going to spread it out. Next week, I'm going to New York & Co. for a trench they have to replace my old tan jacket that has seen better days... maybe I'll splurge on a new pair of pants too. YAY for shopping!