Family

 

The Kitchen of Grace Church,

Rutherford, New Jersey

 

Unknown Date

 

 

  

"I don't think anyone has a normal family."

~Edward Furlong~

I didn't grow up a normal life.
Then again what is normal?
I was the second child of my parents,
Who are both twins.

My mother is an identical twin,
My father a fraternal twin.
In the picture above is my fathers twin.
Yes that olive skinned brown eyed guy,
Is my pale skinned blue eye fathers twin.

Also pictured is my favorite great Aunt Louise.
We lost both of them years ago.
They both had such major impacts on me,
And losing them both made me grow up.

 As different as they were to each other
They encompassed everything my family was, is, and will be.
My Aunt much like her sister aka my grandmother,
Is a pillar of a modern women before her times.
She was strong minded but very loving.
She didn't take no for an answer or ever pay full price.

My Uncle is much like the men in my family,
Hard worker who took much pride in his job,
But still made time to be with family.
Oh and just like all the men in my fathers family,
My Uncle taught me how to laugh at myself.

As much as I miss my childhood of,
Uncles making funny faces,
Aunts telling stories,
Or cousins playing games.
I am glad I am the women they helped me become.

I will always love my family no matter what goes on,
I will always miss those who have gone before me,
And I will always look forward to the future of my family.



Apple A Day

 

Oches Farm

 

October 5, 2013

 

 

 

 

Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.

~Johnny Appleseed Grace~ 

 

So I've been away for a bit!

Well I've been here just not blogging.

Why you ask?

Many reasons but now I have tons to share.

 

Above in the picture is my niece Vickie,

And my best friends son Van.

Yes I was apple picking with double V's.

What a fun time we had.

 

I love spending time with them.

Its always interesting when you take

A 6 year old and 17 year old apple picking.

First of all they eat a lot of apples.

Second of all when apple picking on the side of a mountain,

Their voices travel.......far!

 

But we did have a great time.

We searched for the best apples,

A certain someone was up in the trees,

And being held up high to reach the right apple.

Oh and causing it to rain because the leaves were so wet.

 

By the time we left there our feet were wet,

We had more apples then planned for,

And V & V are now "best friends".

As for me I was pulling the wagon and laughing the entire time.

9-11-01

 

 

World Trade Center, New York, NY

 

 

 

"Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or working on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin' against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?"

~Where Were You By Alan Jackson~

 

On September 11, 2001 I was in New York State.

To be exact when I heard about the first plane,

I was standing in front of Ferdon Hall at Camp Glen Spey.

My father and I had woken early to head up and meet with the ranger.

 

I remember telling my father how amazing it was out that day.

The sky was so blue and not a cloud to be found.

We had just arrived at camp when the first report came through

The ranger told us as we walked over to talk.

 

At first my father thought it was a joke.

Country boy trying to pull a fast one on us.

Then his wife said over the radio

"Another plane hit the second tower"

 

I can honestly say my heart stopped.

I at this time had already been working in aviation.

I knew the flight paths around New York City.

I knew that I had friends flying around covering the first crash.

 

Then as we prepared to get to work when the unthinkable happened.

The first tower collapsed.

 

Our long day of helping fix things around the camp,

Turned into a long quiet ride home.

And as we came over the hill on Route 3 in Clifton,

The first signs that life had changed appeared.

 

Thick black smoke could be seen in the distance to the south.

And as we approached Rutherford the highway grew to a stop.

Fire trucks raced past us filled with volunteer's wanting to go help.

People crying in their cars as the reality hit.

 

When we arrived home a creepy silenced filled the air.

You never realize how much air traffic is over head until it's gone.

It was gone for a few days and I welcomed it when it returned.

 

And during all this our country pulled together.

We didn't let it destroy us,

We morn for those who were lost,

And celebrated those who survived.

 

Today we remember that day,

But we don't let that day control us.

We are stronger then the attacks!

 

Missing Pictures

 

 

Well Maybe!

 

Okay so there isn't just one picture on today's blog.

Why you may ask me?

Because my mind can't pick just one to type about.

And it's been to long since I've blogged!

 

Well maybe I'll show you what I've been up to.

 

Picking Wild Blueberries

 

 

Playing in the river

 

 

Running my buisness

 

 

Partying with the family

 

And that was all with in 8 days!

 

I am loving this summer, I'm loving my life,

and I love those who make it so special!

A Lost Mother

 

 

Montague, NJ

 

July 2013

 

 

 

"I'm an outdoors girl - I like to go fishing,

riding four-wheelers, hunting."

~Miranda Lambert~

 

Everyday we get a visitor,

She arrives alone,

Eats alone,

Leaves alone.

 

You can see the weight loss because of over population.

She will either fatten up or pass away.

Its is an upsetting sight to see everyday.

Especially since this spring she had a little one.

Then one morning she arrived alone.

 

The only conclusion I can come up with,

Her little one didn't make it across the street.

You see the amount of deer strikes by cars is amazing.

And this mom must have watched it happen.

 

I'm hoping this fall she meets up with others,

And starts to have something to live for again.

 

And yes my husband hunts,

We eat what he kills,

And I'm proud that he helps control the population.

This mother lost her baby not by a gun,

But by the most common weapon used against them,

Her baby was hit by a car.

MY LC

 

Pittsburgh PA

 

July 16, 2007

 

 

"It take courage to grow up and become who you really are."

~E. E. Cummings~

 

There are few people who come into your life that truly change you.

21 years ago one of my dearest friends welcomed such a person into this world.

His son has changed me unlike he knows just by being himself.

 

As I watched him grow up in pictures and rare visits,

This young man took on an important part in my life.

He is and always will be very special to me.

 

I remember our first conversation between just him and I.

It was New Years and I was laying on the sofa late at night.

He hadn't said much to me that night but finally he did.

No one else was awake and we got to know each other.

Over the next few days I slowly gained his trust,

And our friendship began to grow.

 

In 2007 he turned 16 and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

The seven hour drive was worth every mile,

Not only did I get to be there for his first tattoo,

We got to go to the zoo and go on the Just Ducky Tour,

And I took him out for a special birthday dinner.

 

Today he is turning 21 and I can't believe how much time flew by.

I'm so proud of the young man he has become,

And I know he is going to go far in his life no matter what he does.

 

I know life hasn't always been easy,

But know that I love you and will always be here for you.

Happy Birthday My Little Craig!

 

Country State Of Mind

 

MetLife Stadium

 

2011

 

 

 Well its funny how it's the little things in life

that mean the most
Not where you live or what you drive or

the price tag on your clothes
There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind

this I've come to know 

~Chicken Fry - Zac Brown Band~

 

Every once in a while someone has to remind me I'm in Jersey.

See I have a country state of mind and I love that.

To make things even worse go to a country concert at MetLife Stadium.

Located in the Meadowlands of New Jersey

Miles outside of New York City.

 

I got that chance a few years ago when I headed over with a two of my friends,

And my niece Daisy Mae aka Vickie.

What a great show it was even though it rained.

The concert was amazing and everyone had such a blast.

 

Its moments like those that I know I'm a country girl at heart.

See I grew up a mile from that stadium,

When it was Giant Stadium I saw amazing concerts

Such as Rolling Stones and Oz Feast there.

 

I still would go see those shows there,

But deep down inside country music has always been my favorite.

I was that girl that would blast Alabama and sing along

Meanwhile wearing my Ozzy tee shirt.

 

I'm proud to be a country fan!

I'm proud to be a rock fan!

Most of all I'm proud that my niece has a diverse taste in music also.

 

Long Road

 

Sandyston, New Jersey

 

May 2013

 

 

 

"Never give up and good luck will find you"

~Falcor- Never Ending Story~

 

I took this picture one day when I was going to meet up with Jeff.

I always loved the first leaf's of spring,

They have this lime green color and the tree bark is getting dark.

 

You have this amazing feeling driving through these woods,

The land is rough and wild and seems so untouched.

But 40 years ago houses could be found in these woods,

Towns existed and people had lives here.

 

Then our government decided to build a dam,

And flood all this amazing land.

But true American stubbornness won out.

And even though many families sold out and moved,

Some held on and got to keep their land.

 

Now it is a combination of private, state and federal protected land.

Land for us to hike on, fish on, and hunt on.

And as you wander through the woods,

You come across someone's home.

Jake

 

Kemah Lake, Hampton, New Jersey

 

Winter 2010

 

 

"You can be a good neighbor

only if you have good neighbors"

~Howard Koch~

 

In the winter of 2010 we moved next door to Jake.

He became one of the best neighbors a person could have.

 

We met him the day we moved in and through the winter he became a good friend.

Every time the sky opened and snow fell down,

Jake would be out plowing snow in the neighborhood.

As soon as I heard his quad I'd start a pot of coffee for him.

 

With out asking and never excepting money he would plow our driveway.

So I found a way to thank him for all the hard work.

A nice big cup of hot coffee and something to snack one.

 

But snow removal wasn't the only neighborly thing he did.

When our furnace was flooded he gave us fire wood,

When Jeff need help with something Jake was there to help.

We were blessed to have Jake and his wife as neighbors.

 

When we moved out we knew we would miss him very much.

Little did we know how much he would miss us also

Firsts

 

Island Beach State Park, New Jersey

 

Fall 2011

 

 

 

 

"Who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little."
-- Paul Carvel --

 

I'm sure every parent experiences plenty of firsts.

This picture was taken during Winnies first day at the beach.

She had never experienced walking on sand and how it moved under her,

Or waves that come crashing at her faster then she could run.

 

She is a mountain puppy,

Solid dirty below her feet,
And slow moving streams.

At about six months that's all she knew.

 

She had a blast on the beach that day,

She would dig holes looking for the bottom,

And then look at them as the filled with water.

I think it impacted her for life.

 

A few weeks later we got our first snow fall.

She went running outside to play in this weird white stuff.

I think she thought it was sand,

Because when she started to dig and hit dirt she ran away,

And barked at the dirt patch like it had done something wrong.

 

Now when we take her to the woods,

And she comes across water she approaches a lot slower,

Once she reaches the waters edge,

She starts digging and watching the water fill the hole.

 

I have many great memories of her firsts,

But the beach on the over cast day is one of my favorites.

Take the chance

 

Zuccotti Park, Lower Manhattan, NYC

 

1994ish

 

 

 

 

"If you want to experience all of the

successes and pleasure in life,

you have to be willing to accept

 all the pain and failure that comes with it."

~Matt Hoffman~

 

 

There isn't much I can say about this picture.

We had traveled the Path from Harrison to the World Trade Towers.

On our way to the subway we stopped for this.

Grimaldo was determined to hit the rail.

What is missing from the picture is one of the guys holding the rail.

The moment you put weight on it the things wobbled like crazy.

 

The park we were in I only knew as flat bench park.

Back then the name was Liberty Plaza Park.

Now it is Zuccotti Park the home of Occupy Wall Street.

It is also the home of many 9-11 memorial services.

 

To me though it will always be the picture above.

Another adventure with my biker boys.



GECYGS

 

 

Rutherford, New Jersey

 

2008 or 2009

 

 

 

"The trick is growing up without growing old"

~Casey Stengel~

 

When you are blessed to become a youth minister you become a teen again.

Well you get the chance to become a teen and be an adult at the same time.

Through out my 9 years of being a youth minister many kids have come and gone.

Each one effecting me in a different way.

 

The picture above is of two of my youth members,

They just as those before them have grown up so much.

Life wasn't always easy for them but they have become amazing adults.

Yes Allison and Adrian you are adults now sorry.

 

I'm proud of the scientist, accountants, hair stylists, and mothers they are all becoming.

Of all the youth members almost all have gone to further their educations.

They have inspired me to become a better person,

And I am so excited when I get to see each of them.

 

I have led them through service projects, fund-raisers, and on many trips.

I've spent hours talking to them about problems,

Late nights playing games with them such as,

Ultimate Duck Duck Goose or Man Hunt. 

 

I hope that I have lead them all to make the right choices in life,

And that they will not make the same mistakes I have.

I love all my kids even the ones who have grown up.

 

Sunset

 

Lakewood, NJ

 

Early 2006

 

 

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they almost seem as

if we are looking through the gates of heaven."

~John Lubbock~

This picture was taken threw the screen window at my parents house.

Not the house I grew up in but the one I found myself in as an adult.

 

Sunsets were always so amazing from the back porch.

They looked like oil paintings you would find in a museum.

I loved to stand and just look out at the beauty God gives us.

I'm still searching for those sunsets 120 miles north of there.

 

When I was trying to find myself in my 20's I traveled this great country.

When I had to rebuild myself in my thirties I sat and watched the sunsets.

I found peace with God and confidence in myself just from the simple beauty.

 

I still find sunsets to be peaceful,

They make me find my center,

They are pure magic and should be enjoyed.



1st Christmas Tree

 

Rutherford New Jersey

 

December 2009

 

 

"Christmas is the day that holds all time together."

~Alexander Smith~

 

This is our first Christmas tree,

All nine hundred lights and 40 ornaments.

If I had my way there would be more lights!

Of course Jeff thinks I'm crazy.

 

My entire life the tree has been the most important part of Christmas.

When I was a child my father and I would go and pick it out,

Dad would bring it in the house the day after my sisters birthday.

He'd get it all set in the stand and leave it for a day or so.

Once the branches had settled down he would go to work.

 

My fathers trees were famous for their lights.

I'm sure many of astronauts saw them from outer space.

It would take him two day to put on more then a thousand lights.

Then we would go to work placing each ornament.

 

I guess that is why I'm so particular with my tree.

Jeff just sits and watches me,

Says it's not worth trying to help,

I have it in my mind how I want it to look.

 

Our trees aren't as grand as my fathers,

But I've been very proud of each of them.

Our first is my favorite and probable always will be.

It's the firsts we will never get back.

 

New Family

 

 

Lancaster County Pennsylvania

 

June 2012

 

 

 

 

"Cherish your human connections-

your relationships with friends and family."

~Barbara Bush~

 

I was blessed with a ton of cousins,

But when I married Jeff I was blessed with even more cousins.

 

When one gets married just like birth the can't chose the family they get.

I knew I had great cousins that I love very much,

So I never worried about having cousin in laws I liked.

Yet I was blessed with such wonderful cousin in laws.

 

Jeff has 8 cousins on his mothers side,

Each one is very special to him.

 

In June 2012 we were lucky enough to travel to Lancaster,

Loaded up in a mini van with two of his cousins,

And one of their boyfriends.

We were taking them out to show them around.

 

We had a wonderful time showing them our favorite places,

Taking tours and watching films.

Jeff's favorite part was being with his cousins.

Mine was helping to form great memories.

 

We stayed over night and on Sunday morning

We took a horse and buggy ride through the back roads.

This picture was taken from that ride.

It was an amazing weekend and we look forward to more adventures with them.