It seems just yesterday that our beautiful granddaughter Maddie slipped on her little pink ballet slippers and tiny, sparkly leotard and tentatively discovered First Position… Maddie was our little ballerina. Those little pink ballet slippers and tiny, sparkly pink leotard created some magic in Maddie’s heart… magic that has twirled and swirled and allegro-ed and brise-ed Maddie to movement so [...]

Ten years ago this month, on June 30, 2001, my daughter Audrey married the man of her dreams, Matthew. Ten years ago, Barry and I had 2 grandchildren… 2 beautiful little girl cousins… Taylor and Maddie. For her wedding celebration, Audrey had 2 little dresses designed for Taylor and Maddie… 2 little white and butter-colored dresses that matched her wedding [...]

When I woke up 33 years ago today, I knew that I was going to have a baby that day. I had gone into early labor the morning before… 6 weeks before my due date.  Fortunately, my husband Barry and I taught at the same school where the early labor began (while teaching a class, no less!), so off we [...]

My beautiful Maddie turns 9 today… and I wrap my heart around all the wonder and beauty and kindness and creativity she brings to our lives and to our planet. It is no coincidence that Maddie came to us in the Spring, the time of earth’s colors and scents and amazing renewal. This is for you, Maddie: The first time [...]

This past weekend was pure sun, warmth and blue skies in New England… and a couple of days worth of great running races for my family and friends. Saturday was the Providence St. Patrick’s Day 5K, and on Sunday the New Bedford Half Marathon. I ran the St. Pat’s 5K on Saturday with Audrey, Keith and Adam. (I did my [...]

9 years ago this morning our world forever changed when our first grandchild, Taylor Jane, was born… everything was magnified a zillion times.  The joy.  The beauty.  The power of life.  The first moment I saw Taylor, with her raven hair and perfect face… I fell in love.  What we would see come from that beautiful little baby girl is [...]

A little while back, I wrote about #7 on my List of 57 in 52.  I said,  “I want to ice skate in white figure skates at the Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. I want to wear tights and a twirling skirt (not too short!)… and I wish to do this with my two granddaughters, Taylor [...]

I don’t remember where I got the little dark blue felt skirt with the big white ice skate applique on the front of it. I only remember loving it. As I think about it, it was most likely a gift from one of my aunts back in Boston… one of my Mom’s three sisters who sent little gifts to us [...]

Yesterday was Jane’s birthday. Jane isn’t one to ask for things, even wish-list sorts of things for birthdays and Christmas, so I was pleasantly surprised when she told me last week that she really, really needs a vacuum cleaner for her NYC apartment… something small and light and easy to store for a, well, small studio apartment. Ah, a light [...]

Yesterday, Barry and I took our granddaughter, Taylor, on a little birthday outing.  It didn’t seem to matter to Taylor that her 8th birthday happened in JANUARY… and the promised outing came in SEPTEMBER. Ah… time. It has a way of checking off minutes and days and weeks and months. But back to Taylor’s special day.  She requested the Mystic [...]