Cancer, how dare you!

This past weekend I found out that my very dear friend Bonnie was diagnosed with breast cancer. She lost her mother to breast cancer 2 years ago. Deb, a friend of Bonnie and I lost her mother and a month later found out her breast cancer had reoccurred after 18 years! Another friend is fighting cancer and was recently given 2 years to live. Sam's friend Travis' Mother is dying of cancer. WTF!!!! For some reason Travis' mother, who I barely know, is REALLY bothering me. I think about her and her situation and I cry. I don't understand it. I pray for all my friends, and now say some extras for Bonnie, Deb, Denise and Travis' Mother! Nothing else I can do for all of them. how sad!

2012

I have decided that I am going to share my thought, etc.... I always have a lot going on in my head and I think it is a good idea to get them out. Be forewarned....some of what I have to say may not be very politically correct, so if you can't handle it, don't read it!

A Week in the Life- Day 2

I realized something today. This is going to be a very boring week in the life. I probably should have waited until the summer when I am off from work. Oh well....I started and I am going to finish! Maybe I will do it again sometime during the summer.

Here I am in the morning, before leaving for work. Bruce stayed home because he wasn't feeling well and I had to drive myself to work. I am such a spoiled baby because Bruce and I commute to work together. The only time I have to drive myself is when he is sick or has a meeting, if I have a meeting, or one of us has to do something after work. I shouldn't complain because I get dropped off and picked up just about EVERY DAY!! One good thing about driving myself today is that I took Bruce's car. He has XM radio and I was able to listen to XM44, Classic Alternative. That's my favorite radio station and I don't get to listen to it often because Bruce HATES it!

This is what I see all day at work, my computer and a wall of pics of my sweet handsome son!
The calendar helps me count the days... 40 days left till June 30th, but I will be gone before that. Something nice to look forward to.

Nice ride home today. We have been having a little traffic on RT 130, but today it was clear. Listening to some Depeche Mode made the ride a little more pleasant.

I was so tired when I got home from work today. I didn't sleep well last night and I just wanted to take a nap. Thankfully I prepared the lasagna yesterday so all I had to do was pop it in the oven.

A Week in the Life Day 1

Once again I am copycatting (is that even a word??) Danielle Taylor. She did a week in the life project. It sounded like a great idea, so I decided to try it too. I have no discipline but I am going to try my hardest to make it through the entire 7 days and post it here on the blog and continue on to finish the actual scrapbook.

So here goes...
I love to sleep late but lately I have been getting up early. Sleeping past 9 is late for me these days.


Got up, took a shower and did what I do every day, put my hair in the velcro rollers

It was such a beautiful day, and what did I do? Went grocery shopping.
It had been weeks since we did a real grocery shopping and it felt like it took forever. I treated myself to a special treat when I got home
Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake

Sunday is the only day I can really cook. During the week I throw meals together, but I love to cook and miss not having the opportunity to do it often. Most weekends we run around on Saturday and Sunday. It was nice to have a day where I didn't HAVE to do anyting. Sam asked for lasagna last week so I decided to make it for him.

The Dreamfields pasta is delish! Can't wait to eat it tomorrow night after Bruce and Sam get home from soccer practice.

Sunday is my favorite TV night. Amazing Race and Cold Case
I don't know what I am going to do on Sunday nights now. It was the Cold Case season finale, and next week is the season finale of the Amazing Race.

Assorted photos from the Orphanage

Sam and Sister Catalina. I don't know why this photo appears twice.

Orphanage visit

Don Wilson picked us up at 2:30 for our 3 pm visit at the orphanage. We had a wonderful welcome. Everyone was glad to see us and were very interested in our story. One of the volunteers, Lisa, translated for us. She was so nice and helpful.
When we first arrived Sister Catalina (the sister who runs the place) wasn't there so Lisa took us around with one of the other sisters. We visited the area where the babies live and went out to play with the toddlers. It was so hard to see all those babies and wonder what will happen to them.


Sister Catalina arrived and came up to meet us. She was so sweet! She loved hearing Sam's story and was really glad that he came back to visit. She was very grateful for all the things we brought. The economy there took a big hit like ours did and donations are not what they used to be. We spoke to Sister Catalina about the need of the orphanage, and what we could do to help. She thought for a while and then a big smile appeared on her face. She told us about a 16 year old boy, Jorge, who lived at the orphanage who is going to mechanic school. She said Jorge and Sam were about the same age and reminded her of each other. They needed funding to keep Jorge in school and to help when he was done. We thought it was a great idea. We had about $500 left from everyones kind donations and we had already spent about $500 on the stuff we brought. We decided to donate another $500 from my brother, sister and I. Michael ran to the ATM and took out the additional $500 and gave her $1000. Half of that money will go to take care of Jorges school and what he needs. The other half will be used for whatever Sister Catalina feels is most important. We got to meet Jorge. He was a very polit, shy young man. It's an amazing feeling knowing that you are making a difference in someones life.
Here is a photo of Jorge and Sister Catalina.


The staff was able to find Sam's file. Unfortunately there were no surprised in it. I already had all the papers that were in there.

Sister Catalina invited us into her office for a drink, (of orange soda). She must have know that it was Sam's favorite!



We took so many photos, I couldn't decide which ones to share. The slow speed of our internet access makes it a pain in the butt to upload a lot of photos. I tried twice to upload some, but keep getting failures, so I guess it will have to wait till I get home.

I am only one day behind on these updates. I can't believe that we are leaving tomorrow.
The spell checker isn't working, so please forgive the typos

The middle of the world!

Our driver, Don Wilson, picked us up at around 9:30am. Our first stop was el Panecillo to see the statue of the Virgin of Quito. Awesome views of all of Quito from there. Spent a little while taking photos and Janet and I talked about when the Amazing Race did a segment there. I have to look it up on Youtube now.

From there we headed north to Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the world. Bruce and I had been there before but now that they found that the actual equator was not where they thought it was, there is a new tourist area. It was really interesting. We had an english speaking guide and they give you a lot of history of how different indiginous people lived. They also have a bunch of demonstrations/experiments that we got to participate in. One was to show that you are weaker when you are right on the equator line, one showed how you couldn't walk a straight line along the equator because the north and the south are both pulling you. Another was being ab le to balance an egg on the head of a small nail. Out of our whole group, Sam was the only one who could do it. He got a special certificate






After that we went to the original equator monument. We took a lot of silly photos, but this one was by far the best.


Don Wilson took us to a great place for lunch that had an awesome buffet. The food was great and we had so much fun. As usual, Michael entertained us. He was dancing and had us and other people in the restaurant cracking up.

On the way back we stopped at the Centro de Salud #8, the place where Sam was found. The center was closed but we took some photos and he at least got a chance to see it. It was the first time I had been there too and it was interesting to see.


Next, the orphanage!

Rolling blackouts, etc...

It's been difficult to post. Between rolling blackouts throughout the city, running around and spotty internet access, it is really hard to get a chunk of time to do it.
Tonight, after coming back from the Cloud Forest I will (hopefully) update.

Photos from Saturday

My favorite photo of the day


At laguna de Cuicocha

Saturday

It's 1 am, so this is going to be short. I promise a long update tomorrow with photos (i haven't' downloaded them yet)
We hired the guy who picked us up at the airport, Don Wilson, to take us to Otavalo market today. We spent the whole day out, went to the market and bought some stuff. It was pretty amazing there. They have all these people selling just about anything that you could think of. From toilet paper to animals. We had a good time there and bought some nice things. From there we went to Cotocachi, a town not too far away that is well known for their leather goods. We didn't' even shop while we were there. Ate lunch at a nice place and then headed to lake Cuicocha, an ecological reserve. this is a crater lake and the area is very beautiful. We took a small hike here. I thought I was going to die. This was no easy hike. We had fun there making fun of ourselves (me and Janet) about falling or dropping dead! On the way back we stopped in Cayambe where they have determined through GPS the true equator. There is a research project there that has created an amazing sundial and we learned a lot about the equator and the earth.
When we got back to Quito we took a walk to look for some snacks to bring back and then went out to dinner at La Rhonda, a very nice Ecuadorian restaurant. There was an Andean band playing and it was awesome. Like the bunch of idiots that we are, none of us brought a camera.
Tomorrow (actually later today)Don Wilson is picking us up to go to el Panecillo, the Mitad del Mundo and then possibly the telerfico(sp?) He is picking us up at 9 so I guess I should get some sleep.

More tomorrow, including photos from today

We're here!

We arrived last night. I don't even know what time it was when we finally got to the hotel. Sam thinks it was around midnight.
We checked in, went to our room (#1 for us, #6 for Janet and Michael), and went right to sleep

Today, after breakfast we went to Quicentro Mall. My brother forgot the charger to his camera and we wanted to see if we could find one. Unfortunately we weren't able to. Enjoy walking around the mall. Had lunch in the food court, Sam had KFC-he is SO adventurous, Michael and Janet had Taco Bell and Pizza Hut and I had rice and shrimp from an Ecuadorian place. Michael and Janet both wished they had been more adventurous. Not sure what we are doing tonight.
Sam and I are going to the orphanage on Monday at 3pm.
Tomorrow we are going to Otavalo to the market. We are being picked up at 8am.

Day after tomorrow

Just wanted to share...
This is what 15 onsies, 18 boxes of bandaids, 10 coloring books, 8 boxes of 48ct crayons, 20 bibs, 5 pair of sweat pants, 20 4 packs of childrens toothbrushes, 50 pair of childrens socks, 21 pair of infant socks, 13 boxes of large crayons, 3 3 pc infant outfits, 16 bottles of childrens tylenol and 18 tubes of desitin ointment look like packed into a suitcase.

WOW! Just a few more days and we will be on our way to Ecuador. I've been busy planning and shopping and packing. I feel a little overwhelmed, but that's just me. Tonight we are going shopping for stuff to bring to the orphanage with the money everyone has so kindly donated. We are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives that care enough about Sam to donate so much. Thank you all again!
The orphanage staff did a great job of taking care of my baby while he was waiting for Bruce and I to come get him. I wonder if he stayed there a few days now they could kick his butt into shape. I remember that the sisters there took no nonsense from those kids. I guess thats how you have to be when you have so many kids and so little staff.

So keep checking here for stories and photos from our trip. Those of you who know my brother know there will be stories, and they will be funny!

10 days

Only 10 days left until we leave for Ecuador. I know Sam is getting excited and so am I. We have been collecting money from our friends and family to purchase items for the orphanage. We will buy some stuff here and will wait until we are down there to purchase the rest. If the orphanage needs something that we can buy, we will do it when we are down there. I'm sure there is a lot they need. Thanks to everyone who has donated already.

Getting ready for Ecuador

Bruce and I adopted our son Sam in Ecuador in 1992. On November 5th, Sam and I are returning to Ecuador for a visit. My brother Michael and sister Janet are going to accompany us. Unfortunately Bruce isn't joining us due to health concerns. The city we will be staying in, Quito, is at a VERY high altitude (almost 10,000 feet) and since Bruce had trouble with his lungs last year he doesn't think it is a good idea to make the trip at this time. We will miss him A LOT! My plan is to update this blog every day, at least once. That way everyone can keep up with what we are doing. I plan to share lots of photos and knowing my brother and sister, i'm sure we will have lots of funny experiences and stories to share.

I want to thank everyone who has responded to our request for donations for the orphanage. My brother Michael has been amazing with getting his friends and co-workers to donate. If you haven't responded and want to donate, it is not too late!!!

If anyone has suggestions on things to do while we are there, let me know. I am planning our activities and would love some suggestions to add to my list.

The LAST week

I am counting down the days. Only 1 1/2 days of work left. YIPPEE!!!!!!

Tonight I made one of my favorite meals. We call it Eduardo Pasta. Here is the story:

Several years ago I was the president of the local chapter of Stars of David, a Jewish adoptive families support group. I received a phone call from a woman from an exchange student organization who told me that she had found my name on the Stars of David website and she was in a bind and was wondering if anyone in our group could help her out. She was in charge of placing foreign students with host families in the United States. She had a young man who was scheduled to arrive from Italy the next week. The family that was was supposed to stay with were having some problems and couldn't take him. He has requested a Jewish family and she thought that someone from our group could help. It sounded like it would be really interesting, so I spoke to Bruce and we decided to host the young man, Eduardo. He arrived on a Friday, and we traveled to north NJ to pick him up. He seemed like a nice boy, and we had heard from the coordinator that he came from a VERY wealthy family. I remember googling his family and found out they had $$$$$$. From the time we picked him up he was on the cell phone to his father in Italy. We arrived home and he stayed outside for a little while talking on the phone and then Bruce and him went to the golf driving range.
We gave him his own room, with a sofa bed, and had explained to the coordinator when she came for a home inspection that we could get a bed in he was uncomfortable. To make a long story short, 3 days later I got a call from the coordinator asking me what was going on. Eduardo had been on the phone with his father telling him he had to get out of this "village". He said that our "village" was dirty, that we made him sleep with the dog, that "the boy" didn't speak English, and he couldn't share a bathroom with "that boy". Needless to say, I was speechless. I told her that she needed to get him out of our home as soon as possible. It was such a nightmare. The only good thing that came out of it was that he taught me how to make this wonderful pasta dish. It is so easy too!

Where have I been?

My last post was April 22. I can't believe it's been that long! We've been busy with Sam's soccer and baseball games. Tomorrow is the last soccer game of the season. I hope I remember to take some photos to post here. He's had a great season, scoring goals and playing really hard. We're really proud of him!
I've been keeping up with the recipe scrapbook page swap at my local scrapbook store, Scrappers Cove. Here are 2 of the pages that i've done. One was a Valentine's Day theme and the other was Summer Favorites.
I would love to get a another group together to do a swap like this. If you are interested, let me know and we can make arrangements.


On Wednesday at 12:00 I will leave work and won't return until September 1. I am looking forward to relaxing and getting some of my house projects. The first thing I'm going to do is paint the livingroom/diningroom

Bye Bye Saturn

After 16+ years I am getting rid of my 1993 Saturn. I know it's time for it to go, but I really love that car. Since it failed inspection for an exhaust leak. I realized that it was time to let it go to Saturn Heaven. There was no justification to invest any money in that car, even though it only has around 90,000 miles on it. I say around 90,000 because the odometer stopped working and it says 84 thousand something. We hardly put any mileage on it because Bruce and I commute togeter most of the time. So last night we bought a new car (well new to us). Its a 2008 Chevy Cobalt with only 17,000 miles on it and still has all the warranties too. Sam is so excited that he no longer has to drive the "piece of shit car". He said the best thing is that the new car has a jack so he can play his Ipod through the car speakers.

Earth Day

I figured it was time to post an update. It's a beautiful day, and it's Earth Day!
We are big Ironmen fans, thanks to my brother Michael. We love going to the games. We took the Mias to the last game of the season. Ann is a BIG Evan McNeeley fan and I tool lots of photos for her. I took a whole bunch when he was in the penalty box or as I once explained it to Alyssa Horana, he was in time out! I liked this one the best.
Our Passover Seder was very nice. The in-laws and the Mias joined us. I love cooking for family and friends. I really should do it more often. I love setting the table with my good china, sterling and crystal.

Bruce has not been feeling that great. The cellulitis in his leg keep coming back.(4times in 6 weeks) We've been to the ER a few times and he is now working with an Infection Disease specialist. Hopefully he is on the right track now and will get it resolved once and for all!

I'm counting down the days until I am off for the summer. I am going to look for some part time work (if you know of anything available, let me know).

Finally Spring

I really think Spring has arrived. There are buds on the trees and I am excited to see some buds on my hydrangea bushes in the front of the house. They looked so nice last year. I bought the 2 bushes at the same time, but for some reason one of them didn't want to grow. Its been about 3 years and the little one, which I call the baby, is finally starting to grow.

There are a few days, during the start of Spring, when you look into a wooded area and see a slight green haze. That is one of my favorite things to see. I think next year I am going to try to get some photos but for some reason I don't think that I will be able to capture it.

I participate in a recipe swap at a local scrapbook store, Scrappers Cove. Every month is a different theme. We make 6x6 scrapbook pages with the recipe on it and when we meet we bring the finished dish as well as the copies of the recipe pages for everyone. We have a lot of fun seeing the great ideas people come up with. We meet on the first Friday of the month. This month we used Spring as the theme and made dishes that were light (not diet type light). I made my White Chocolate Easter Cake and it was a hit. Here's a pic of my swap.