Taking Creativity to the Next Level

I've gotten so many great reactions from my Countdown to 40 that I find myself thinking hard about what to do next. When I started my blog, I really started it for myself as a way to be creative and journal, since I've never been a great diary keeper.

In thinking about taking this blog to the next level, I realize that it will mean taking my photography and scrapbooking to the next level too. I love photography. I have since I was a kid. And scrapbooking is merely a venue for displaying my favorite photos.

My favorite photos don't have to be taken by my favorite camera. They just have to be taken. Here are a few that Ethan took this weekend of our front yard garden.

 

Here is a picture of my favorite muse.

Summer Summer Summer

Tomorrow is commencement at the College I work for. With commencement comes a very long weekend and the start of the summer "break." There are 15 weekends from Memorial Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. 12 of those weekends are available to me. 2 of those weekends I plan on being on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean.

For Memorial Weekend I don't have any plans outside of a little rest and relaxation. I am hoping to be somewhere in the Caribbean in June. And the last 3 weekends of the summer are really busy times for me at work. I don't plan on doing too much for those weekends. That leaves me with a nice round number - 10. 10 weekends to hang out and explore and be spontaneous, weather and finances permitting. And NY being the great place that it is has plenty of free and indoor activities, so I don't anticipate those obstacles factoring in too much. So here are the Top 10 things I would like to do this summer, in no particular oder. And you know I'll take my blog readers along with me.

1. Must hit the beach. I count it only once, but realistically speaking, I could go to the beach every Sunday, yes? YES! Sunken Meadow Park in Suffolk, LI is really nice and right on the Sound. It is much better than Jones or Orchard Beaches. At least in my opinion.

2. I really want to hit an amusement park this summer. I am thinking Sesame Place because Ethan really enjoyed it last year, but I am open to 6 flags or a water park. Ethan has come a long way in his swimming and I think it would be great for him to be out there practicing his backstroke.

3. I really REALLY want to get to a hot air balloon festival. There is one in NJ at the end of July. I have marked my calendar. And it will be great if I can convince Ron to get on with me. There's also one in mid-September in the Adirondacks. I might hit that one instead since I have some friends up that way. We'll see how it goes.

4. I have my Zoo membership so I'll need to take advantage of that donation.

5. On a rainy day, I'll take advantage of my memberships to El Museo del Barrio and The Museum of Natural History.

6. Way back when, when I was cuter, smaller and single, I would hit that Puerto Rican Parade HARD. You all know exactly what I am talking about. It was a lot of fun. But now that I'm 40, married and peri-menopausal (can't take the June heat the way I once could). I'll have to go in the opposite direction and stay on this side of the bridge. So PR weekend, I'll probably be at the Brooklyn Children's Museum or the Prospect Park Carousel. We love merry-go-rounds around here.

6. I have weekend plans in August with my partners in crime - "the girls." We're hitting Riverhead for some wine tasting and shopping. I'll have to check if it's a payday weekend.

7. I want to take a weekend trip to Timothy Lake in the Poconos and drag some friends along. My parents have a time share and the resort is so much fun for big kids and little kids alike. There's also some cool shopping - home made candle store and antiquing. I used to shop for shoes. Now I shop for antiques.


8. My son loves boats and helicopters. I think he's too young for the helicopter so I am thinking of taking one of those touristy boat rides along the Hudson. I'm thinking the speedboat over the Circle Line. I'll have to think that over.

9. I thought I'd try a day trip over to Governor's Island. I have a colleague who swears by it and recommended I head over there. Why not?

10. I want to take an overnight trip to Mystic, CT. I've already been to Norwalk's Children's Museum and Aquarium. So I think I will go further north and see what Mystic has to offer. I went once in elementary school. I bet there's a lot more now.

So that's the top 10 list. None of it is set in stone and I am open to suggestions. So bring it on. Now that I have written it down, you know what that means. I have to do it. Can't wait.

Have a great Memorial Weekend Everyone.

Countdown OVER - 0 days to 40

Well the countdown is officially over. I am FOR-TY! I feel the same. The bones haven't deteriorated. The hair is still mostly black. I haven't turned into a pumpkin either. This little 10 day journey has been a lot of fun and has allowed me to really reflect and appreciate what is really important. My outfit!

I couldn't even get too cute because the weather is awful. This is the first time in a long time that I remember May 17th being so crappy. I usually get pretty good weather on the anniversary of my birth. Though I remember one May 17th where it snowed in Albany. I remember b/c it was graduation weekend on UAlbany's campus. But I see that Mother Nature has other plans on May 17, 2011.

I think you will get a kick out of the next series of photos. I found photos of a few childhood bdays and the sweet 16. Very cute and very pink party in the hood. Sounds like a bad movie but it's true. LOL. Enjoy your day everyone and thanks for reading. I'll see how else I can keep you entertained with my blog as the year progresses. Enjoy the show. (It has music, so if you are at work turn off the volume. Oh and I couldn't figure out how to stop the loop or the music.)

Besos MiGente.
Rosann

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 1

May 16th - 1 day to 40

It's not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years.

Ain't that the truth? No doubt that i have lived life. I have had the good fortune to have traveled to some wonderful places, both inside and outside the United States. I have been fortunate to have gotten a good, no great education, from childhood into adulthood. In fact, the learning never ends. I've loved and lost and loved again, finding my life partner. I've had lots and lots (and lots) of fun. There are many witness especially in Syracuse and Albany.

In the past 9 days, I've talked about who I am, where I come from, and who I come from. I've discussed the events that have shaped the 4 decades I have lived through and what I am doing or not doing on my birthday. For the final day of the countdown, I thought I'd look at little bit at where I am going.

To be honest, I don't know. I have goals. I have expectations of myself. But it's not like when I was 25 or 30 where I was in graduate school with a clear finish line. I hope to move forward in my career in higher education, but that comes with years of experience. I've been in my profession almost 10 years so I am well on my way. I certainly hope to have another child and adoption is not out of the question. But that's a longer term goal. I look forward to continuing to build on my marriage and my parenting skills. And I want to still be a good friend, colleague, cousin, niece, daughter, sister, wife and mother. (I want to be an auntie but my brother is not cooperating!) So even though I don't know exactly what's around the corner, who does? I'll take it one day and time and embrace what comes and handle what doesn't.

Then there are the obligatory goals like  losing weight, saving more money and finishing this dam dissertation, being a better housekeeper (hahaha), reading more, creating more, gardening more. I'm not really interested in cooking more, however. Not my thing! Thank God for Ron. He'll make a grilled cheese sandwich gourmet just for the hell of it.

Yes people, shotgun wedding. Just in the nick of time too. Ethan was born 4 days later.

So I look forward to the wisdom and continued experiences that 40 (and beyond) will bring. I have been thinking about why I am so open to what 40 will bring. I hated turning 30. It was not a great time for me. And that of course is the key. I am going into 40 with a good job, great friends and a wonderful family and network of people who love me and accept me for  who I am. If you have been and/or still are part of that network, THANK YOU. I would not be who I am without support. I want to pay that forward and ensure that I am always there for my family and friends, even though their support is unconditional.

So 40 and fabulous, here I come. I hope you are ready for me.

Don't you love these old fashioned photo booth photos!?! So fun.

Countdown to 40 - 2

May 15 - 2 Days to 40

People have asked me if I am taking Tuesday off. It really wouldn't be worth it for me to do so considering the distance between my house, Ethan's school and my job. If I took Tuesday off, I would want to have time to myself. I would want to sleep in. I would not want to do any housework. Well, I'd still have to get up early to drive Ethan all the way to school. I wouldn't bother coming back home because that is just too much gas and too many tolls. And even if I splurged and came home, there is so much mess and housework to do that I wouldn't really be able to enjoy my "time alone." Not to mention it's a crazy time of year for anyone who works in higher education and I am 99% sure my boss wouldn't approve the time off. So, no, I won't be taking my birthday off from work. Don't you hate when life gets in the way?

I thought I'd keep it light today and check out what the symbols for May birthdays are.

The most obvious is the Zodiac sign. I'm a Taurus. Here's what Horoscope.com says about us Taureans:


Strong, dependable Taurus leads the way when it comes to reaping the rewards of hard work. Lovers of everything that is fine and beautiful, Taureans surround themselves with material gains. This is a sensual, tactile sign. Touch is very important in everything from work to romance. Stable and conservative, Taureans are among the most reliable of the zodiac. While sometimes viewed as stubborn, this sign will plod along on a task until the very end, ensuring that everything is up to standard. They're highly creative and thoroughly enjoy making things with their own hands.


Pretty accurate I think.




Birthstone - Emerald
Flower - Lily of the Valley
Zodiac - Taurus. Even under the supposedly new zodiac configurations, I'm still a Taurus.
Weird fun fact - Apparently whatever day of the week May start, means that no other month will begin on that day. So May 1st this year was a Sunday. None of the other 11 months have or will start on a Sunday. Same goes for June. Weird huh?!?

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous-3

May 14 - 3 days to 40

"Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future."   --- Gail Lumet Buckley

It's been really fun this week reflecting on the daunting task of turning 40. So what else should I talk about? I thought it would be a nice idea to talk a little bit about my heritage and my identity. Being the history geek in my family, I have a lot of good information about my relatives, especially on my mom's side. But I think I will focus a little bit on the two women who I was named after.

Baby Rosann (Yes, 40 years ago)

What's in a name?
As my parents tell it, they originally planned on naming me Irene. Can you imagine? IRENE? Ok, well I suppose I wouldn't have known any better right. For a while I didn't like my name. What kind of name is Rosann? And what's worse was that it was spelled so differently from any other Rosann...NO E's....Not in the middle or at the end. No one could ever spell it right.

One day, I expressed to my parents how much I disliked my name. Why couldn't I be named something more trendy like Lisa or Melissa or something? I have no clue how old I was. But that's when my parents explained to me that my name was important. I was named after both my grandmothers. I never disliked my name again.

I never got to meet Rosa, my dad's mom. But she was friends with my mom's family on Fox Street in the Bronx and I have one great-aunt (on my mom's side) who has always spoken very highly about her character and her looks. They lived in the same building and were friends.

This is Rosa Vizcaino Santos

I was very close to my maternal grandmother, Abuela Ana. I am often told we look a lot alike. I still miss her because people always talk about her in the family, about how cool she was. She couldn't speak a word of English but she could tell you how to get anywhere in NYC on the bus. She was funny and pretty and made the best bread pudding you ever had. Just ask Eric (my brother). He would devour it. I'm getting a little teary writing about her now.

This is Ana Pena Mojica

But these are the women for whom I am named and I am proud of that.

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 4

May 13th - 4 days to 40.

OMG, technology reallly messed me up today. But all is not lost. Here is today's post...FINALLY!

May 13 – 4 days to 40




Well it looks like technology is creating some glitches, but that won’t hold me back.



So today I want to talk about who I want to be like when I grow up. I have a lot of people I admire and most of them are people I know personally. I’m not much for idolizing celebrities, though Michelle Obama and Oprah are very good role models. There is one celebrity in particular, however, who has really made quite the impression on society over the past few years. She has reinvented herself to the nth degree and her appeal and notoriety is all over the demographic map. Who is this person you ask?

Let me just show you.



From this:

To this:

TOOOOO this:

REALLY?!? The woman is 88 years old and gets about 4.5 hours of sleep per night (according to Parade magazine). I’m crying about only getting 6 or 7. She loves animals and only drives herself around in Cadillacs.
So if I had to pick one person to be like in 40 more years, then Betty White is it – not so much fame and fortune, though I continue to play the lotto regularly – but in terms of her zest for life, positivity and energy. I mean have you seen the Snickers commercial or her host gig on SNL?! She’s even hung out with Jay Z a little when she went on the Letterman show. So don’t call me Marta Estewer (she’s been to jail). Call me Beh-tee Why. Or Betty Tannish-Brown works too.
The year is half way done, but I need to get this calendar. I’m sure it’s on clearance! FABULOUS!

Countdown to 40 - 5 (REPOST

Today I reflect on the popular culture and history during my 40 years of life. Some fun facts, some not so fun facts. I'll go decade to decade (only 4) picking out some highlights. But anyone who knows me, knows I love history, Jeopardy, trivia and a ton of useless information. I also enjoy long walks on the beach. LOL. So this post is long but fun. At least I think so.




Disclaimer: most of this is from wikipedia. I didn't have the time to verify everything especially little things. I do believe the historical events are in the proper decade though.



1970s





An 8 track tape for all of you youngins. - Goodbye 8 track hello cassette. Personally, I must qualify this by saying that I don't remember 8 tracks. I never owned one. But my dad and grandfathers had old ones rolling around the house so I know what they look like.

- Nixon resignation

- Recession and oil crisis (wait...sound familiar?!?)

- Andy Warhol and Freddy Mercury "came out"

- VCRs and Floppy Disks (remember those?)

- Lava Lamps, Disco, bell bottoms and platform shoes

- Space Invaders and Asteroids

- Rapper's Delight - Hotel, Motel, Holiday Iiinnnnn

-Roberto Clemente dies in an airplane crash during a humanitarian mission

- The 10 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Jaws, Grease, The Exorcist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, The Godfather, Saturday Night Fever, Rocky and Jaws 2.

- And Ladies, you know I have throw in some women's history. In the decade of the 70s many women made political strides. You may not have agreed with their politics but they deserve credit for making it in a man's dirty world of politics - Isabel Peron (Juan Peron's 3rd wife) became first, non-monarch, female leader in the Western World; Lidia Tejada became the first women president of Bolivia (she was interim but it still counts). Indira Ghandi in India and Golda Meir in Israel made important contributions to their nations. Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister of England.

- oh and most importanly, I was born!



1980s



Olivia Newton-John has 80s written all over her don't you think?-Nintendo, Commodore and Apple came on the scene (once you go mac, you never go back)

- Walkmans and Boomboxes

- Halley's Comet

- The Yugo (remember, it was a car)

- Tianneman Square

- The DeLorean (interesting fact: John DeLorean became a coke dealer to save his company, but got busted in a sting operation - who knew!?)

- War on Drugs: Just Say No

- Ronald Reagan becomes President in his 70s

- Berlin Wall came down

- Mt. St. Helena, Hurricane Hugo, Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl

- John Lennon, Indira GandhiMarvin Gaye, Anwar Sadat assassinated. Attempts on Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II (The 80s was crazy huh?!?)

- Bad fashion: Acid Wash Jeans, neone and Leg Warmers

- Great fashion: The wrap dress (hides it all). Thank you Diane Von Furstenburg

- Political Correctness, rejection of smoking and nukes and using Ms. came into vogue

- the Marielitos of Cuba and Operation Peter Pan (Pedro Pan) - come on look it up.Scar Face is an extremely fictional story about it. Bet you didn't know that! You talkin to me?

- Michael Jackson's leather jacket, glove and moonwalk

- Madonna and Duran Duran

- The 15 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest domestic grossing): E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, Rain Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Top Gun, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Back to the Future Part II, Crocodile Dundee, Fatal Attraction and Beverly Hills Cop. But let's not forget all the Brat Pack Movies (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink) and all the Break Dancing Movies

- Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Iced Tea, the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul (I LOVED THEM), Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, 2 Live Crew, Run DMC, KRS One, and the list goes on and on

- Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotlands (Syracuse University students on that flight)

- Corazon Aquino with all of her shoes becomes first president of the Phillippines

- the Jamaican Bobsled team (blut, blut)

- Mike Tyson, youngest heavy weight champion of the world

- Pac Man, Super Mario, Frogger, Tetris

- Oprah's On!



1990s



Kurt Cobain epitomized grunge.- Apartheid Ends and Nelson Mandela is given his freedom and eventually elected president of South Africa

- The Internet - wouldn't be writing this without it.

- End of the Cold War

- First attack on the WTC, Timothy McVeigh

- Monica Lewinsky (I like Bill Clinton, but he'll never live that down!)

- Legalization of cannabis in California (medical purposes only of course)

- NAFTA

-Welfare Reform

- Amazon, Ebay, Yahoo and AOL (the list goes on and on and on and on)

-CD rom, MP3, USB, DSL, Digital Cameras

- Saturn cars

- Dolly, the cloned sheep

- 1992 dubbed "year of the woman"

- Anita Hill (I believed her)

- JFK, Jr., Princess Diana and Mother Teresa die

- OJ Simpson, Columbine

-500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the Americas by you know who. He sailed the ocean blue in 1492.

- The 15 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Titanic, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Lion King, Forrest Gump, The Sixth Sense, Armageddon, Home Alone, Pulp Fiction, Ghost, Twister, Saving Private Ryan, Pretty Woman, The Matrix, Mission: Impossible, Dances with Wolves, The Mummy, and The Bodyguard

- Martin, Fresh Prince, Beavis and Butthead, The Simpsons, South Park and Anime

- Brittney, Mariah, Spice Girls

- Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, Sega

- Jennifer Aniston's hair, grunge look

-Boy Bands, Biggie, TuPac, Puff Daddy, Jay Z, Dr. Dre

-Selena



2000s





OMG! Lady Gaga defies definition. This is one of the tamer outfits I could find. - New Millennium

- Y2K

- 9/11

- Outser of Aristede in Haiti, Sadam Hussein

- katrina, Gulf oil spill

- Fidel resigned, Michele Bachelet, first woman president of Chile, Barack Obama, first black president of the US (born a US citizen)

- Benazier Bhutto assasinated

- H1N1, Avian Flu

- Recession and energy crisis (wasn't that in the 70s)

- online dating, google, myspace, twitter, facebook, youtube (remember MiGente and Black Planet?)

- Mars Rover, Human Genome Project

- climate change, tsunami

-Elian Gonzalez

- Virginia Tech

- The 20 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Avatar, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Spider-Man 3, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Finding Nemo, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Shrek the Third.

- Reality TV (Sarah Palin just won't go away)

- Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero, Grand Theft Auto

- Uggs and Crocs; Wedges and spiked heels

-Harry Potter, Twilight, DaVinci Code

- Vampires and Werewolves (True Blood, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Van Helsing, Underworld)



2011 - Barely half way there but Osama is captured and killed, Elizabeth Taylor dies, Donald Trump thinks he and his comb over can run for president, Newt Gingrich (just today) announces he is running for president, The terminator and Maria Shriver seperate, Mariah and Nick had twins, Betty White was on Hot 97, everything old is new again....I TURN 40!



This is me yesterday wearing a wrap dress.

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 5

May 12 - 5 days to 40.

Today I reflect on the popular culture and history during my 40 years of life. Some fun facts, some not so fun facts. I'll go decade to decade (only 4) picking out some highlights. But anyone who knows me, knows I love history, Jeopardy, trivia and a ton of useless information. I also enjoy long walks on the beach. LOL. So this post is long but fun. At least I think so.

Disclaimer: most of this is from wikipedia. I didn't have the time to verify everything especially little things. I do believe the historical events are in the proper decade though.

1970s



An 8 track tape for all of you youngins.

 - Goodbye 8 track hello cassette. Personally, I must qualify this by saying that I don't remember 8 tracks. I never owned one. But my dad  and grandfathers had old ones rolling around the house so I know what they look like.
- Nixon resignation
- Recession and oil crisis (wait...sound familiar?!?)
- Andy Warhol and Freddy Mercury "came out"
- VCRs and Floppy Disks (remember those?)
- Lava Lamps, Disco, bell bottoms and platform shoes
- Space Invaders and Asteroids
- Rapper's Delight - Hotel, Motel, Holiday Iiinnnnn
-Roberto Clemente dies in an airplane crash during a humanitarian mission
- The 10 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Jaws, Grease, The Exorcist, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman, The Godfather, Saturday Night Fever, Rocky and Jaws 2.
- And Ladies, you know I have throw in some women's history. In the decade of the 70s many women made political strides. You may not have agreed with their politics but they deserve credit for making it in a man's dirty world of politics - Isabel Peron (Juan Peron's 3rd wife) became first, non-monarch, female leader in the Western World; Lidia Tejada became the first women president of Bolivia (she was interim but it still counts). Indira Ghandi in India and Golda Meir in Israel made important contributions to their nations. Margaret Thatcher became the first woman Prime Minister of England.
- oh and most importanly, I was born!

1980s

Olivia Newton-John has 80s written all over her don't you think?

-Nintendo, Commodore and Apple came on the scene (once you go mac, you never go back)
- Walkmans and Boomboxes
- Halley's Comet
- The Yugo (remember, it was a car)
- Tianneman Square
- The DeLorean (interesting fact: John DeLorean became a coke dealer to save his company, but got busted in a sting operation - who knew!?)
- War on Drugs: Just Say No
- Ronald Reagan becomes President in his 70s
- Berlin Wall came down
- Mt. St. Helena, Hurricane Hugo, Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl
- John Lennon, Indira GandhiMarvin Gaye, Anwar Sadat assassinated. Attempts on Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II (The 80s was crazy huh?!?)
- Bad fashion: Acid Wash Jeans, neone and Leg Warmers
- Great fashion: The wrap dress (hides it all). Thank you Diane Von Furstenburg
- Political Correctness, rejection of smoking and nukes and using Ms. came into vogue
- the Marielitos of Cuba and Operation Peter Pan (Pedro Pan) - come on look it up.Scar Face is an extremely fictional story about it. Bet you didn't know that! You talkin to me?
- Michael Jackson's leather jacket, glove and moonwalk
- Madonna and Duran Duran
- The 15 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest domestic grossing): E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman, Rain Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Top Gun, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Back to the Future Part II, Crocodile Dundee, Fatal Attraction and Beverly Hills Cop. But let's not forget all the Brat Pack Movies (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink) and all the Break Dancing Movies
- Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Iced Tea, the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul (I LOVED THEM), Eric B and Rakim, Public Enemy, 2 Live Crew, Run DMC, KRS One, and the list goes on and on
- Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotlands (Syracuse University students on that flight)
- Corazon Aquino with all of her shoes becomes first president of the Phillippines
- the Jamaican Bobsled team (blut, blut)
- Mike Tyson, youngest heavy weight champion of the world
- Pac Man, Super Mario, Frogger, Tetris
- Oprah's On!

1990s

Kurt Cobain epitomized grunge.

- Apartheid Ends and Nelson Mandela is given his freedom and eventually elected president of South Africa
- The Internet - wouldn't be writing this without it.
- End of the Cold War
- First attack on the WTC, Timothy McVeigh
- Monica Lewinsky (I like Bill Clinton, but he'll never live that down!)
- Legalization of cannabis in California (medical purposes only of course)
- NAFTA
-Welfare Reform
- Amazon, Ebay, Yahoo and AOL (the list goes on and on and on and on)
-CD rom, MP3, USB, DSL, Digital Cameras
- Saturn cars
- Dolly, the cloned sheep
- 1992 dubbed "year of the woman"
- Anita Hill (I believed her)
- JFK, Jr., Princess Diana and Mother Teresa die
- OJ Simpson, Columbine
-500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the Americas by you know who. He sailed the ocean blue in 1492.
- The 15 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Titanic, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Lion King, Forrest Gump, The Sixth Sense, Armageddon, Home Alone, Pulp Fiction, Ghost, Twister, Saving Private Ryan, Pretty Woman, The Matrix, Mission: Impossible, Dances with Wolves, The Mummy, and The Bodyguard
- Martin, Fresh Prince, Beavis and Butthead, The Simpsons, South Park and Anime
- Brittney, Mariah, Spice Girls
- Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil and Final Fantasy, Sega
- Jennifer Aniston's hair, grunge look
-Boy Bands, Biggie, TuPac, Puff Daddy, Jay Z, Dr. Dre
-Selena

2000s



OMG! Lady Gaga defies definition. This is one of the tamer outfits I could find.

 - New Millennium
- Y2K
- 9/11
- Outser of Aristede in Haiti, Sadam Hussein
- katrina, Gulf oil spill
- Fidel resigned, Michele Bachelet, first woman president of Chile, Barack Obama, first black president of the US (born a US citizen)
- Benazier Bhutto assasinated
- H1N1, Avian Flu
- Recession and energy crisis (wasn't that in the 70s)
- online dating, google, myspace, twitter, facebook, youtube (remember MiGente and Black Planet?)
- Mars Rover, Human Genome Project
- climate change, tsunami
-Elian Gonzalez
- Virginia Tech
- The 20 highest-grossing films of the decade are (in order from highest to lowest grossing): Avatar, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Dark Knight, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Spider-Man 3, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Finding Nemo, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Shrek the Third.
- Reality TV (Sarah Palin just won't go away)
- Xbox, Wii, Guitar Hero, Grand Theft Auto
- Uggs and Crocs; Wedges and spiked heels
-Harry Potter, Twilight, DaVinci Code
- Vampires and Werewolves (True Blood, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Van Helsing, Underworld)

2011 - Barely half way there but Osama is captured and killed, Elizabeth Taylor dies, Donald Trump thinks he and his comb over can run for president, Newt Gingrich (just today) announces he is running for president, The terminator and Maria Shriver seperate, Mariah and Nick had twins, Betty White was on Hot 97, everything old is new again....I TURN 40!

This is me yesterday wearing a wrap dress.

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 6

May 10th - 6 days to 40.

Before I begin, I have to say that I am truly overwhelmed by the positive responses and comments that I have received. I love that this has become so interactive and that everyone has something to contribute. For those of you who are 40 or plus, thanks for being so welcoming into the 40 club. Happy to be here. When is the first meeting? haha.

So today, I read an email from one of my crafty membership sites that talked about God's creation of color. The author of the email was referring to colors as they appear in nature and how we often take flowers and animals and the blue sky for granted. Well I thought of taking this concept of color a step further.

God's creation of color and the colors that we as human beings come in are not always appreciated. So much of our identity is based on our color, no? So much so that we use black and white (names of colors) to define race relations. Well don't worry, this isn't going to be a manifesto on race and identity. Quite the opposite. So let me get to the point.

I completely identify as Latina. I have sub-identities like mother, wife, sister, daughter, Director, Dominican, American, Dominican-American. But I have to say that since I was about 17 or 18 years old, that "label" has been one that I am very comfortable with and happy to adopt. Of course there comes the burden of being the "in-house" Latina at your job or at your school (if diversity is iffy) or in your kid's play group. But I am really ok with that. I know, I know. My race is human. I get that as part of the big picture. But for me, Latina encompasses who I am. PERIOD! I like how it sounds. I like what it means. I like my color, my hair, all of it. It didn't happen over night. Took 40 years :) But that's why I am feeling more and more comfortable with being 40. It's fabulous to really know myself. I know who I am. I like who I am. I love what I do. I am happy with the people I have chosen to spend my time with. Don't get me wrong, i LOVED being 25 too. But 40 is a close second.

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 7

May 9th - 7 days to 40.

As many of you know, I am into scrapbooking and crafting. I love it. It's a very relaxing (though often messy) hobby. But it keeps me creative. Well I got this in my inbox today for a website I am a member of and I wanted to share it with all of you. It's the Paper Source Colorscope that tells you what it means if a specific color is your favorite - kind of like a horoscope but much more visually appealing. My favorite color is RED and I thought the description was pretty on point.

RED: You know who you are and what you want. Popularity, money and power are all yours. You are kind and generous to your friends.You love to have fun at parties,especially if you are in charge.You are also a perfectionist and you state your opinions boldly.

I think these are all qualities I have. Admittedly I am not quite the perfectionist I used to be. I had to let a lot of that go since there are only 24 hours in the day. I also don't need to be so popular anymore, but I definitely did like that. Money and power are arguable. I don't have any real money and power, well that's all relative. But overall, this totally describes many facets of who I am or who I was. 40 years is a lot of mileage and changes our perspective. I love to have fun at parties, but I don't last as long at them anymore. And I still have bold opinions, but I am much more filtered these days for practical reasons like not wanting to get fired. LOL. Anyway, check it out and tell me what your favorite color says about you.

Here's a little fun interview with myself. If you've known me a long time, see if you think anything has changed. I'd love to know.



What are my favorite shows these days?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Vampire Diaries and Hawaii 5-0. Can't miss those. I like Glee but I don't feel obligated to always watch it. NCIS wins over Glee most times unless it's a repeat. I have often thought of getting rid of cable so I can be more productive and save money. But I enjoy watching TV so much that I just can't do it. I mean True Blood is right around the corner.

What's on my ipod?
I'm all about podcasts and audio books these days. When I was first getting used to my commute and a crying infant in the back seat, audio books saved my life. I got through every Twilight book from itunes the summer of 2008. I developed a love for classical music too. It's amazing what Bach can do for your road rage and stress! I have a few podcasts that I really enjoy - Manic Mommies (it's a talk show of sorts for, you guessed it, manic mommies). Their tag line is "for moms trying to do it all, and then some! Does that sound like someone you know? They are really funny and you just know you aren't alone when you listen to them. They have some great topics and interviews that are quite relevant (religion, raising independent/free range kids, struggles with getting your kids evaluated for adhd or autism, etc.) Check them out on itunes or ManicMommies.com. I also have a craft podcast I listen to. It's very nerdy, I know, but it makes that one hour commute seem like 20 minutes. It's called paperclipping roundtable and paperclipping digi show. I have several audio books I haven't gotten to yet like Skinny Bitch, Oscar Wao, Siddhartha, and Reading Lolita in Tehran.

What is my favorite piece of technology right now?
iPad

What is the most important thing you have learned in 40 years?
I can't believe how hard I am quizzing myself. I guess this is what I would want to know about someone turning 40. I think one of the most important lessons I have learned is that there is always a choice. When people say they have no choice, it's not true. It just means that the best choice is the one that has the least negative consequences. I have a choice to say no to my boss, but are the consequences of that worth dealing with? I still have a choice nonetheless.

What do you want most for your child(ren)?
I only have one for now. I want him to be normal. If he ever finds fame and fortune, I hope he also maintains a sense of normalcy with all that fame and fortune come with. We just saw the royal wedding with a billion other people around the world. Princess Diana did her best to make a normal life for those boys. Even though their normal is most certainly not my normal, they seem pretty down to earth for people who have access to the crown jewels. Yea Harry drinks alot. But I know a lot of people who like to party like him. it's NORMAL at that age. Maybe I am just romanticizing life, but I do think there is something to be said about just being your average everyday person. That's why I married Ron. When people would ask me what I liked/loved about him, my response was always, "he's normal!" Little drama (let's face it we all have some). Down to earth. Doesn't feel entitled. Normal. That's what I want for Ethan. I want him to have everything he dreams of as long as he remembers his sense of self, hard work, down to earth-ness (not a word I know) and his sense of normalcy. Oh and I also want him to be the person who stands up for himself and others. I want him to be the popular, smart, athletic kid that doesn't allow a less popular kid to get pushed around. High expectations? Maybe. But I can try!

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 8

May 9th - 8 days to 40

Turning 40 means that there are people in my life (not including family) I have known for over 20 years, that is, half my life. I find that so amazing. I pride myself in the fact that I have significant relationships in my life that are long standing. Yes there is my husband and son, but I truly have a cadre of friends that have become part of my extended family. I am grateful for that.

Yesterday I had lunch with someone from my Albany days. It was so nice to reconnect and reminisce.  Friendships are often fleeting and of course there are lots of acquaintances, countless over 40 years. There is nothing wrong with that. We grow out of people like we grow out of fashion or music. It doesn't sound so nice to say it out loud or write it on a blog, but I really think it is the order of things. We choose a variety of paths in our lives, in 40 years no less, that connect us to people that make sense for us to know while on that path.  My oldest friend is someone I have known since 3rd grade. We were inseparable until High School and then we were on and off during my college years only to completely lose touch for about 10 years. Now, we keep in touch, not everyday, but we know how to find each other and that works.

I also have contact with 1 friend from high school. There are a few on Facebook,  but the contact has only been through Facebook. My greatest and longest friendships are those with the group of people I connected with in college. I still have a core of friends from my undergraduate days that I have kept in touch with regularly - weddings, baby showers, summer barbecues. And I love that. I also love being in my sorority. I have some great relationships that have come out of that experience.

My sorority sisters at my baby shower, 2007

I am also proud of the community I created for myself when I was in graduate school in Albany. I spent 10 years in Albany and I often miss it. But as time goes by, I realize that I don't miss the city of Albany, I miss the connections and the relationships that I was able to build and sustain while I lived there. I had a good life there. Life is good now, no doubt, but definitely a little more challenging. That's what happens when it's not about you anymore. And I am perfectly fine with that.

My mom comes from a time where too many friends wasn't necessarily a good thing. Your family members are your friends. They never turn their back. They are never fleeting. There is a sense of duty. That was then. We all know that family can be very unreliable and fleeting so there goes that theory. I love my family, but that comes from obligation on some levels. However I have managed to carve out some important friendships out of family members too. My friends are very important people to me. They are people who I chose to be part of my life and presumably they chose me too.

So here's to all of the friends I have made over the years and whose names and numbers and emails are still in my rolodex (there goes that rolodex again that only I still have). Thank you Syracuse. Thank you SLU. Thank you Albany. Thank you family. I am so lucky to have a strong support system from a variety of places to choose from.

"My friends are my estate." ---- Emily Dickinson

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 9

May 8th - 9 days to 40.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

So here I am again. 9 days until the big day. I woke up yesterday and thought, I need to go to the gym. I don't want to be 40, Fabulous and Fat. So I headed over to Court St. and Hamilton Ave. and joined CKO Kickboxing. Wow, what a workout. Fingers crossed that it will give me the motivation and energy I need.

This is a step toward de-cluttering the body. I have one resolution this year and that's it....DE-CLUTTER - the mind, the body and the soul. It's not been easy but I try to do something every week to bring me closer to that goal. I think I'll just spring for a cleaning lady to help me out with the spatial de-cluttering. The mind, well, de-cluttering continues to be a work in progress. There is so much I want to do that my mind is always racing.

TinyBuddha.com has some great quotes and words of wisdom. I found a quote that I have been keeping in mind lately to help me with my goal to eliminate the clutter in my life. "When you doubt your power, you give power to your doubt." (Honore de Balzac) So when I say I doubt I can lose 10 lbs in 2 months, I think about taking my power back from doubt. When I say UGHHH I doubt I can get all these chores done this weekend, I say, damn you doubt! I've got 1-800-Maids in my rolodex (does anyone use a rolodex anymore?) But you get my point.

40 means taking a cue from 1980s Janet and staying in CONTROL. It means taking Honore's words to heart and not relinquishing power to the mind games we play on ourselves, hence a start toward de-cluttering the mind. So I say Hail 40! The power is all mine (evil laughter).

Countdown to 40 and Fabulous - 10

May 7th - 10 days to 40.

What does 40 mean to me right now? It means taking steps to reevaluate my career goals. It means possibly having another baby. It means continuing to work on my marriage and other relationships that are important to me. It means being a good parent, a good friend, a good wife, daughter and sister. It also means being a better person and doing more for others, professionally and civically.

As I move closer to a new decade in my life, I have become more and more reflective about where I've been and I where I want to go. Sounds corny, I know! But it's true. We all approach milestones that makes us say hmmmm. It could be parenthood, the loss of a job or getting a new job, starting or finishing school. For me right now, it's all about turning 40. Many people don't think birthdays are a big deal - age ain't nothing but a number right? WRONG!? There are different expectations at home, at work, in society. HELLO, your body changes. Your abilities in certain areas decrease (liking staying awake past 10pm), while they increase in others (being wiser and better at a variety of things due to experience).

So over the next 10 days, I'll be reflecting about lots of things. I'll be reflecting on current events, relationships (past and present), where I find acceptance and I'll even be conducting an interview with myself. Hey why not? It's not like Oprah is knocking on my door wanting to interview your average girl next door. So I'll do it myself. I hope you will continue to join me on this little journey of self reflection. Feel free to comment and dialogue with me during this time.

Thanks for reading.

Without change, there would be no butterflies!

I want to write, but I don't want to write. Does that make sense? I feel the need to express myself, but I can't seem to put the proper words together. One of my newly favorite web pages is TinyBuddha.com. I love quotes and this site has good one everyday. Here is a quote tht really inspired me today. I hope it will let me articulate myself the way I wish to.

"We could never learn to be brave and patient if there were only joy the world." --- Helen Keller

I adore my family, nuclear and extended. They are all such a great group of people from the eldest to the youngest. Today, my family said goodbye to one of our elders. And sometime this week, we will be saying hello to a new baby. So, I find Helen Keller's words to be ever so fitting for me today as I put pen to paper or in this case fingers to keyboard.

Perhaps it sounds trite - the ever cliched terms - everything happens for a reason or God never gives us more than we can handle or time heals all wounds. Maybe! What I think is important about these terms is just that we grow and learn from every mistake, from every wound, from everything that brings us joy and from everything that brings us pain and sorrow. As long as we continue to be open to what lessons come our way, we'll be alright. Just as soon as we say ADIOS, we get a chance to say BIENVENIDO!