It was Jane’s dog Ryder’s 3rd birthday.  January 30, 2005.  I was standing in Jane’s kitchen in Rhode Island and we were singing Happy Birthday to Rydie while circling her with a little cake. My cell phone rang… showing a call from Audrey who was living in New York City with Matt and 4-month old William. I will never forget [...]

When I pressed the key to register for my first marathon, my heart both soared and skipped a beat, simultaneously. I didn’t really know if I could do it… run 26.2 miles, that is. I knew I could run 13.1.  I knew I could train for an endurance event.  I knew I had the mind to compete.  I just didn’t [...]

My grandson Benjamin turns 3 today. My sweet, darling, precious, beautiful, funny, loving, curious, caring, kind Benjamin. My Benjamin with the biggest blue eyes… the kind you just fall into like a magnificent river, lake or ocean. His eyes are all Time and Love and Life! Benjamin with the sweetest voice… he has the voice of an angel and we [...]

I’m not a pack-rat. I’m certainly not a hoarder. But I do (some may even say “unnecessarily”) save things. Take this little number, for example. It’s a Martian Cereal Spoon Sitter. He’s blue. He’s dressed in a molded blue uniform, space helmet and all. His little antennae went missing some time over the 5 or so decades I’ve been carrying [...]

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 [...]

Lives are made of moments. Small ones. Big ones. Moments that blend seamlessly into the next and moments that change everything. Many, many of my life’s moments have happened while watching my children play. Quiet play. Noisy play. Play that seamlessly passes time and play that once-in-awhile changes everything. Play that combines the ideals of the individual with the ideals [...]

Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee! OK. I stole that from Grease. But Sandra Dee did star as Gidget in the late 1950′s movie, Gidget. And I remember, as a young girl, wanting to be Gidget so much. Gidget had all the fun. Gidget went to Hawaii and Rome. Gidget went Parisienne. Of course, Gidget went surfing. Gidget even went [...]

What question comes after this statement, “The snow is gone from the driveway, Grandma…” when it comes to visiting grandchildren? Why, of course, it’s… “So can you get out the pogo stick?” Ah. The snow has all melted. The January day is fairly warm, as warm January days go. I have promised to get the pogo stick from the shed [...]

When is the last time the words climb, pull and spin created panic?  Toss in body inversion and put it all to heart pumping-music, sensual strobe lights and a pole… and what’daya got? Yep. One Grandma hen and 9 spring chickies at a pole dancing class. Pole dancing is #2 on my List of 57 in 52.  “Why pole dancing?” [...]

Grandma’s List… minus 1. Today, I turn 57. Today, I jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet and did a 40 second freefall at 120 mph… then my awesome tandem skydive guy Justin at Skydive Newport deployed our parachute at 5,000 feet above the ground for the most spectacular parachute ride over the magnificence of Newport, Rhode Island and [...]