First 60 Days - Christmas in July

I brought children into this dark world because it needed the light that only a child can bring. ~ Liz Armbuster

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.  ~Rabindranath Tagore

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big thin back and realize they were the big things. ~ Robert Brault

July 17th is 60 days into my 40th year and it's the anniversary of the most important day of my life. I became a mother on the17th of July in 2007. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. There is no feeling like being a parent. Kids test every inch of you. They bring out every emotion you possibly have and a few you had no idea existed. Within 60 seconds, they can piss you off, scare you and make you laugh out loud - sometimes on purpose and sometimes without even realizing it. My friends and relatives with older kids tell me it doesn't get easier. It just gets different.

I have never been much of a worrier. I don't stress easily either. This year has really tested my self-confidence professionally, but that's another post. In any case, I have to say that a little piece of me is less trusting and more worried since the kidnapping and murder of Leiby Kletzky, very close to where I live. I couldn't write this post without talking about the effects of this news on me as my son turns another year older. I have always wanted to raise a free range kid. You can click for a full understanding, but in a nutshell, it's a child-rearing philosophy that is based on raising kids to be self-reliant. That can mean letting them pick their own wardrobe, making their own sandwiches or even sending them to the store alone or letting them get home on their own after school! While I still value this school of thought, I have to admit that the Kletzky case has left me a little uneasy about how to pursue free range childhood for my son. He is much too young to walk anywhere alone, but the time will come where his father and I will have to make these kinds of decisions. I most certainly do not blame the little boy's parents. All of the blame belongs to the sick individual who took him from his family. I think all parents deal with hard decisions like letting their kids walk home alone for the first time or taking public transportation, dating, etc. As parents we do the best we can in the world we have. I cannot think of this little boy's case without a lump forming in my throat. And it makes me so very sad that someone like me, who always sees the glass half full, is now reconsidering that notion.

On a brighter note, I often look forward to Ethan's adolescence, filled with athletic events, crushes and best buddies. But I don't want to lose the wet kisses and tight hugs that he randomly gives me in private AND in public of his own accord. I hear that will end some day for fear of embarrassment, and while I look forward to being that embarrassing parent, I never take his kisses  and hugs and quirky noises for granted. I firmly believe he is who he is going to be for the rest of his life...fun loving and affectionate with a serious mischievous streak and flare for drama! It's been a 4 year adventure that has tested me in many, many ways. And I have no qualms with asking for a break, leaving him with his father for a few hours or even overnight while I refresh alone or with girlfriends (who need to refresh as well).


So how did we celebrate our 4th anniversary as parents to this child? SESAME PLACE on Saturday and TOYS R US on Sunday. Has anyone noticed that Toys R Us is like walking into a time warp? The "new" toys are not new at all: Scooby Doo, Star Wars, Transformers, and Alphie. Remember Alphie, the talking robot?

Well that's what Ethan was into? Some fake tools, one robot, light sabre and $200 later, it was Christmas in July. It's was a great weekend, one that I will never to be taken for granted for we are not guaranteed another day. Kiss your babies goodnight, even if they aren't babies anymore.

I have to admit the toy shopping was fun.  That camera you see? It is cool for a playskool toy. It takes up to 1000 photos and you can download the photos using a usb cable. 

Who doesn't remember the Mystery Machine and Scooby Snacks?

I think Ron was really hoping that Ethan would like the chain saw. He was playing with that thing well after Ethan had moved on to a different toy.

Oh, and Ron was definitely into the light saber. I have to admit, I was swinging it around too.

I know this post has been a little all over the place, but that's the kind of month it's been - all over the place. That goes for the photos of the month I chose.

PhotoS of the Month

I have 2 photos that really inspired me this month. The first photo is the part of the Rocky Mountains that surround Salt Lake City called the Wasatch Mountains. This is a view from my hotel parking lot in Layton, UT at 9am in the morning. They were simply breathtaking. I felt like I could reach out and touch them.

My second picture is quite literally a world away from the one above. This is my brother-in-law, Erick "Arc" Elliott. He is an up and coming artist and I was privileged to see him perform at the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. I was so truly impressed by his stage presence, his music and overall performance. While my husband and I were quite easily the oldest people in the audience (even though we were the only ones who knew that - wink), the music has a wide appeal. It's one of things I love about hip hop - the storytelling aspect of the genre is applicable to all of our lives. We all have stories to tell and there are always others who can relate to those stories in some way. My husband was beaming with pride about his little brother who is 13 years his junior and whose diapers he helped to change. It was really nice to be part of his early audiences! We may never get a chance to see him in a small venue again. His star looks bright.

OUT AND ABOUT

New York city is such a cool place to live and work. You don't have to go too far to find something worth photographing, at least in my opinion. Here's a patriotic house off Flatbush Avenue.

 And lookie lookie here. I didn't need to leave home to see this little slice of life.  If this isn't the good life, I don't know what is. Talk about improvising? Who needs a mansion in the Hamptons?

 

Look how cute this little alarm/clock radio is with ipod attachment. I was doing all kinds of stuff around the house and I realized I no  longer own a boom box. So I hit target and got this, $29.99 and the designs can be removed and switched out. Once my neighbors brought out the DJ equipment 4 houses down, it wasn't worth leaving on. SMH

This picture sucks but I LOVE Butterflies. And this one landed right on the first floor window of my house. Probably on its way to my backyard where I have a butterfly garden. So cool.

 Bentley anyone? I've been seeing more of these around town lately, 3 this summer alone to be exact.Are they getting cheaper? Doubt it!

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the Lower East Side. 

Here are my new tenants. Apparently, they were born and WERE being raised in my backyard. They were evicted this weekend amidst a great deal of protest. Here are kitty and catty staring dead at me through a window as if I'm the one who didn't belong! Cute, yes but only for a few more weeks. The adult cats in this neighborhood are GANGSTA and I certainly don't want them thinking my backyard is home sweet home.

The First 30 Days

In counting down to my new decade I also thought about how I wanted to live my year. Needless to say, that was too much to think about all at once. So I have decided to write a post on the 17th of each month to reflect on my year as a 40 year old. It's really not about the age anymore. 40 is just a nice round number that has given me something to write about! It's now about continued reflection on how I live. What  I do, how I do it and what needs to change. It's a journey at mid-life. Isn't 80ish the life expectancy of a woman?

So here are a few things I did in these last 30 days as a newly minted  40 year old.

1. I made one of the most important purchases I have ever made.

Yes people. I feel like my hair follicles had a little switch that turned on and said, "oh wow, she's 40 now. Turn up the gray hair production." I should count myself lucky since my father has been gray since he was about 19 and I know plenty of people who started going gray in their 20s. But the influx in pigment-less, kinky grays right above my ears is nothing to celebrate.

2. I think I am going to try to finish up my doctorate. I've done all the course work and I just need to take my comprehensive exams and write the damn dissertation. Oh, that's all! But I've started the necessary paper work to get that up an running again. Fingers crossed.

3. I went cold turkey on any and all beverages. H20 ONLY! I  have had only 2 starches in the past 2 weeks and I have drastically shifted my eating habits. Pre-baby, pre 35 body anyone? Toes crossed.

4. I made our summer vacation plans. Punta Cana, here comes the Elliott crew. I think Ethan is old enough now to appreciate a resort.

5. Summer camp registration is a go. It doesn't sound like a big deal but it's not like I can take July and August off. The child needs something to do. So camp is all set followed by after-camp camp ie Camp Abuelo and Abuela. He's never going to want go back to school in September. Can you say spoiled rotten?

So summer begins in ernest next week Tuesday. If you don't want to think about your year ahead - might be too much for some - think about the next 2 months. What are your plans? Are you going away or planning a staycation? Maybe a little bit of both? How about some home improvements? Share with me if you'd like. Maybe I can get some ideas from you. Happy Summer!

Photo of the Month

I take hundreds of pictures a month and in trying to improve my skills, I am going to pick one photo a month as part of this post to share. Enjoy.

Continued Reflections

Today's post is inspired by a fellow blogger's latest post - Sweet Talk with Brooklyn's Sweetheart. So much talk about change and what different milestones in our lives inspire or measure change always inspire me or make me think. It could be graduation, a new job, a marriage, the birth of a baby, or even turning a certain age. Imagine that!

In my profession the "year" starts in July not in January. So for me, as July approaches, I start to think about what this year has meant for me and what I want to accomplish professionally for the upcoming year. It has meant, guess what, CHANGE. Specifically, I have encountered a great deal of professional change this year. I have always thought of myself as a flexible person who has always welcomed change. I surprised myself when I found that I was starting to resent some of the changes I was expriencing, not because I didn't want to see change happen. Instead, I began to feel that the change was overly personal - more about me and who I was than the overall institutional change. While I quickly got over that, and remembered how good I am at what I do, there is still a lingering after taste.

However, what I have realized is that the kind of change I experienced this year was necessary for me. Sometimes I think I lead a somewhat charmed life where I don't have problems with people personally or experience any drama. Every once in a while I'll get a kick in the butt telling me otherwise. It's karma's way of telling me, "Rosann, you were getting too comfortable with the way things are." I needed to go through this professional experience to become a better professional and while I don't think the changes are over or my choice, this year has better equipped me, especially mentally, to deal with what else might come. It has also made me start to think long and hard about what's next for me. I'm sure that I'll share that once I figure it out.

On a less serious change, the weather has drastically shifted and I am so ready for summer. I'm on vacation this week. And I made plans to hit Punta Cana in August. Oh man, I can't wait. I also always make the best of what our region has to offer and will be enjoying day trips with my son around town. You know what that means. Lots of pictures to scrap. :) Here are some of my latest therapeutic creations that were inspired by springtime.

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