WALK(s) !!

Today I am feeling under the weather health-wise but my spirits are very high! I am not only super excited for this weekend, Mohegan Sun, Aaron Lewis & my beloved* all to myself (his phone will be turned off)! And exciting news events coming up, I am tired of seeing the 3-a-Day walk commercials, flyers, etc & just looking & moving on so I have decieded maybe not this year but I will do it! I asked friends for information about walk(s) to join in on & participate. All of these walks are going to be fabulous, not only will I be apart of way more (because helping Kolleen with her NEDA walk has made me want way more) the two walks I do myself are phenominal & I love them dearly but I need more for my fixation! So to prepare for the 3-a-Day which is 60 miles around the entire city of Boston I am going to do all of these other smaller walks & begin walking/running on my own to get myself in tip-top shape.
The NEDA walk on 02.22.2009 began my year! And thus far I have a few walks in the making (two are definite, they are mine)

• Walk for Hunger 05.03.2009 - 20 miles
• Take Steps (chron's & colitis) 06.02.2009 - 2-3 miles
• NSTAR'S Walk for Children's Hospital 06.14.2009 - 7 miles*

haven't decided if I was going to both of these or just one of them, there are no details on the walks only dates are posted so depending on their lengths who knows I may do both

• Frances F Morast Walk to beat Ovarian Cancer 09.12.2009
• WellFleet Walk 09.27.2009
• Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Awareness TBA - 5 miles*

also! If anyone has any information on a walk for the awareness of cervical cancer that one I would really love to jump on that one!! Also, a few friends have emailed me that they do small walks in certain areas but have yet to send me details one them, so there are two more in the making. And this morning I realized I need to set a date to seriously begin this training & even though it is the day before St. Patrick's Day I have decided that March 16th will be that day!! Ah man, does it feel good to be apart of something bigger than you & your daily life & that is an amazing cause! 2009, I said it way back when is going to be the year! I'm not sure what I am looking for but I feel good things coming my way, I believe whole-heartedly in karma & it works both ways. Do bad & bad will come back to you, but go good & good will come back at you! Well that is all for today fellow bloggers I have a lot of planning, recuriting, & organizing to do!! Wahoo, Happy Hump Day ya'll!

Questions.

So this past weekend I was insanely busy! Work Friday night, visiting the "in-laws" LoL yes they call themselves the "in-laws" LoL I love it, came home slept for a bit & then up & out the door ASAP on Saturday morning. Saturday was the fabulous Kung Fu Panda bowling party; I had to run & get wrapping paper & pick up the gift I saw for Carrie that I had to get her (which she loved) and then got showered & picked up Aidan & were off! My beloved* & I then had to have Aidan up at 9am (which I woke up late, I never do!) and were off once again. The fabulous Miss Kolleen had the 1st Annual NEDA Walk at 10a; supported, chatted, & once again were off! Grabbed a few items needed for me dearest Julie's wedding; showered, dressed (looked gorgeous pictures soon), and once again were off! Of course as soon as we got in the car it began raining, then snowing & just overall yumminess for driving 45 minutes in the  car! But I was not complaining at all because watching my dearest Julie say her vows to the man she loved, Walter (fabulous guy love him to death) just killed me! Uh! One of the dearests down another to go, LoL they're killing me with all of this emotion crap, I don't do the girly emotional crap! Blah! So this weekend was nuts, & today it is catching up with me, I believe I slept about 2/3 of the day! And next weekend will be yet another busy weekend, but this time it will be busy of fabulous events for my beloved* & I; we will be spending time with both parents, traveling to Mohegan Sun (wish us luck to win big) and attending the Aaron Lewis concert while we are there! Woot.Woot we need a weekend away for just us to get away, can not wait! But being at a wedding of course the females deal with the 'something borrowed, something blue & something new' the fact that the bride wears white, & just certain parts of the wedding that take place that are like huh? where did that come from? And of course Miss Nosey-Body over here needs to know the answers, LoL I actually google'd while at the dinner table arguing with one of Julie's cousins about culinary sh!t, had to prove him wrong! 4 years learning about culinary arts you'd think this kid would believe the words coming out of my mouth but no he had to be proven wrong! So my first question, why does a bride wear white? I mean some bride's wear white but we all know the jig is up, if you have a child we all know you are not "pure" LoL sorry sounds horrible & I am not judging in any way, shape or form but if you are doing it for traditional reasons, honey sorry but it's a complete (bad) lie! But http://weddings.weddingchannel.com tells me that 

Any bride may wear white. The white wedding gown is mistakenly thought to represent virginity; it in fact is merely a color of celebration (ancient Greeks wore white for their most important festivals) and a wedding fashion vogue popularized in the 19th century. Still, the second time bride might think twice about selecting the sort of "big, white gown" most commonly worn by first time bride, for fashion reasons, not etiquette reasons. If you've worn a white wedding dress before, it just seems trite to wear one again. Also, there's no getting around the widely held misconception about which brides can wear white, and so you may unknowingly be raising the eyebrows of some guests. If you've been married before, consider going for a more sophisticated, less elaborate look for your return to the alter.'

So that's that. But the veil? Hmm what's that one all about & the same website http://weddings.weddingchannel.com says:

The bridal veil, however, is traditionally a symbol of virginity and second time brides are encouraged not to wear a veil. At the very least, avoid wearing a blusher veil (the short piece of veil that "masks" the bride through the first part of the ceremony and then is raised by the groom when he kisses her).

So we had it backwards?! The veil is what symbolizes the "purity" of the lady. Hm, interesting! Now the something borrowed, new & blue that I found at http://www.ask.yahoo.com/ and they say:

Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. "Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings.

I love finding out where things came from, now onto, what I think if the worst & silliest part of the wedding the throwing of the bouquet, which by the way they did twice last night aiming for me!! Neither time did it even come close to me, LoL now I remember why we picked up soccer Julie! Now after getting information on this part of the traditions, it was a real stunner nothing I expected and honestly glad that this tradition started because what happened originally was nuts & I'd personally crack some skulls dressed up in my white "purity" wedding dress in front of my entire family easily! www.wisegeek.com told me that 

In medieval Europe, a bride typically did not expect to wear her wedding dress again, and the dress was considered good luck for other women, a type of fertility charm. After the wedding, single women chased the bride and ripped pieces off her dress, leaving her in tatters. Over the years, wedding dresses became more expensive and it became traditional for women to keep them, either as a memento or to pass on to a daughter for her wedding day.

To prevent guests from ripping the wedding dress, brides began throwing other objects as a distraction, one of which was the garter. Later, the bouquet became the most traditionally thrown object. The wedding bouquet is particularly suited to this use, as flowers symbolize fertility, and as perishable items, they are not something the bride would wish to keep. The bouquet is also a safer item to toss than the garter, as unruly and impatient wedding guests were sometimes known to try to take the garter from the bride while she was still wearing it.

Some modern brides and grooms do not like the tradition of throwing the bouquet and either modify it or do away with it altogether. Tossing the bouquet can be uncomfortable for unmarried female guests who do not wish to marry or who feel put on the spot by the custom. Also, competition to catch the bouquet can become a violent stampede. Some brides stage the event so that their maid of honor or a friend who is engaged catches the bouquet. Others choose to give a small bouquet to each of their bridesmaids, or to give each woman at the reception a flower from the bridal bouquet.

woah! imagine seeing that now-a-days instead of just the  throwing of the bouquet!? I personally would either die laughing or defending the bride?! (depending which side I was on) LoL absolutely hilarious. 

I guess I am done for the night, feeling exhausted & starting to feel coldy (getting a cold) I just needed some answers to all of my questions & after a few drinks google'ing on a tiny blackberry rather than dancing to the B-52s isn't really an option! LoL and my beloved* has a lot of answers to many of my questions but was stumped at a certain point so I needed answers!

Lots of Insanity

Today is a day full of sicky feelings, cold weather & lots of work before the busy weekend (for once) begins! But! this weekend is going to be jam-packed with lots of fun activities beginning tomorrow bright & early! Plus they're saying yet another snow storm fabulous! That's exactly what we need here in Boston, more snow! But back to this fabulous weekend that is coming up, I want to begin it with some Nirvana, who in their right mind does not love(d) them! I have no idea, three hot guys with long hair in the mid-90s just busting out with music we (better) all love. Here is one of my favorite's :
I'm so happy cause today
I found my friend . .
they're all in my head
I'm so ugly, but that's okay, cause so are you . .
We've broken our mirrors
Sunday morning is everyday for all I care . .
And I'm not scared
Light my cangles, in a daze
hey, hey, hey

I'm so lonely, but that's okay, I shaved my head. .
And I'm not sad
And just maybe I'm to blame for all I've heard
But I'm not sure
I'm so excited, I can't wait to meet you there . .
But I don't care
I'm so horny, but that's okay . .
My will is good
hey, hey, hey
awe. fabulous guys how we miss you. awe. kurt cobain how we miss you! the fabulousness of nirvana

i have my dear friend julies* wedding this weekend

( awe. one down one more to go this year . . who's next? )
the 1st annual NEDA walk is Sunday morning
( woot.woot to miss kolleen )

i am loving that after the wedding Sunday night my beloved* & i will be spending all monday in bed, comfy comfy bed/snuggle time

we also have a 5 yr olds kung fu panda bowling party

( i am wicked excited for, i heart bowling )

and of course, last but def not least my dearest val's 24th beeday which is Sunday, she would prefer to spend her bed & with her man so everything pans out perfectly. we will be doing a ladies dinner sometime next *(fyi. our dear friend stephanie is home from south american she's been gone 2 1/2 years now) AWE how grand 2009 & life has been for me.

happy weekend to all, enjoy the cold, nasty weather this weekend great weekend to be with your favorites, enjoy some good food/wine & snuggle time

Hi Ho. . Hi Ho . .

. . it's back to work I go. So today I am back to work after 3 days off kind of a bummer but at the same time will be the best of work, well rested & raring to go! So with that said I don't have much time to blog today, and I have no topic yet so I figured going thru with today & most of tomorrow I'll have a goodie! But doing my usual morning search around thru my norm websites I come across this fabulous blog http://ireadbannedbooks.net/ where a Second Ten Commandments was found, author unknown. I absolutely died when I read this; not only is it highly accurate to this day & age, but also felt like it was written directly for me! So here they are, enjoy & Happy Hump Day the week is halfway over!

The Second Ten Commandments

1. Thou shall not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
2. Thou shall not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
3. Thou shall not cross bridges before you come to them, for no one yet has succeeded in accomplishing this.
4. Thou shall face each problem as it comes. You can only handle one at a time anyway.
5. Thou shall not take problems to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.
6. Thou shall not borrow other people’s problems. They can better care for them than you can.
7. Thou shall not try to relive yesterday for good or ill, it is forever gone. Concentrate on what is happening in your life and be happy now!
8. Thou shall be a good listener, for only when you listen do you hear ideas different from your own. It is hard to learn something new when you are talking, and some people do know more than you do.
9. Thou shall not become “bogged down” by frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will only interfere with positive action.
10. Thou shall count thy blessings, never overlooking the small ones, for a lot of small blessings add up to big ones.
~ Author unknown

Bigger Person

So I want to say within the last year of my life, maybe a little longer I have heard the term "being the bigger person" all the g*d damn time, and honestly I am sick of that phrase. If I never hear it again it again I would be more than happy but not used towards me would make me ecstatic! I understand "being the bigger person" is not only a benefit  towards your character, ora & overall for yourself but in the heat of the moment to bite your bottom lip & just swallow that big pill called your pride is so hard it sometimes hurts! I was born with one of the best mixes ever, Irish & Italian but also probably two of the worst to be mixed together at the same time. Both Irish & Italians love their drinks & are easily temper-mental and extremely hot-headed, I am all of the above! So it took me a long time to become this "bigger person" but I am finally there and now being a novice to this way of life I am finding it extremely hard & not seeing the "bigger picture" or where I will benefit from this, cause come on we all can't just be this type of person all of the time not expecting for karma to shine a small moment of fabulousness on us, it's just inhumane. So still being on this fixation of needing to know where things begin, originated from & just why the hell these things ever began I had to go to that fabulous google website & get some answers. I mean honestly I understand why we do this but all the time, or more often than just speaking our mind the second we want to it is something I need to know, for my ability to continue this foreign way of life. The urban dictionary tells me that the

 "bigger person means : the person who is more mature than the opposite person, the person who makes more mature decisions."

So being the bigger person means that I can see that the person I am dealing with & make the "rash" decision even though they are being completely irrational. Okay I can agree with that, while thinking of different situations in my mind. Odd enough I got some more information for the website :http://martialarts4u.wordpress.com/ from a Sense Nick, he states that :

"We let it go and be the bigger person. By reacting to someone that is trying to hurt you or talk about you, all we do is become that person. And believe me, that is the last thing you want. Think about how that person has no confidence in them-self. Think about how that person wishes to see you suffer. Think about that person who is trying to make self look better by talking about you. These people are bullies. Today they are known as “Haters.”

What is a “Hater?” A hater is someone who is jealous of you. A “Hater” is someone who can’t stand to hear about your success. They spend countless hours trying to devise plans for your demise. These people are the opposite as leaders. Stay away from them, it is only a matter of time until they will ruin theselves. There is no need to waste your time with someone like this."

Of course somewhere someone wants to see someone else in pain, whether actual psychical pain or just emotional suffering, still some form of pain. So I can completely understand & see this, LoL we all do it please do not try and lie here, we're all adults. We all at some point in our life has wished someone didn't make the sporting team, get the award/medal they were going out for or just wished that they would get beat up or whatever, we have all done this! Now I must touch upon a highly touchy subject but it must be touched because we all have to deal with all different kinds of people & they may come across as people you wouldn't/couldn't be the bigger person with but there could be something actually wrong with these people?! So how do we deal with this? They may be mentally unstable, physically unstable (in whatever way) and can not preform, hold conversations we're used to or just may be completely internal in every aspect of their life, so what then? Even if we know this dealing with people in any of these situations can make it even that much more difficult to be the bigger person, and if we can not be the bigger person, we all have those days where we can't do it, what does that make us look like? Horrible monsters attacking people who try their best but can not (for a serious lack of better words, SORRY) not able to measure up?! (i need to invest in a thesaurus) 

It is hard enough to be able to be the mature person who makes these rational, mature decisions when others are trying to hurt us but how do we do this in these type of situations? I personally have had my favorite aunt have a moment of difficultly and being the bigger person with her was the worst/toughest thing ever, sometimes (only 18 yrs old at this time) I couldn't do it, I just couldn't I'd fill up with so much bitterness, anger & I would just want to dig right back at her. Does that make me a bad person? I mean in the heat of the moment, whether during a difficult time or a heated conversation it is hard for both parties to keep their composure &  be the bigger person, but once one of the parties has lost their cool & threw that thought out the window it is now that much harder for everyone involved. 

I tried finding the origination of the "being the bigger person" phrase but came up extremely short, I wanted to know maybe who was the first person that was able to actually pull this off & how it went for them & how the word of mouth got around & actually got through to people to actually try this out?! But no luck. I guess I am just stuck in a rut with my many questions, practice of being the bigger person & waiting for the sunshine of karma to give me a glimpse of hope that doing this is actually worth all the anger & grief that comes with these actions. I guess the fact that I can just do this without a pat on the back or acknowledgment is the real & sole reason of this phrase, there's no need for a reward or acknowledgment, if that were the case would it still be "being the bigger person" because there needs to be a reward? Who knows, but I can say this I am getting better at it, working on it everyday. Somedays are a lot harder than others but with the people me surrounding me, the situations that come up because of my work & just life in general maybe I can become the next level before life is over?! Well fellow bloggers, there is always some new topic to question tomorrow . . ciao*

Serious pondering here.

I am not sure if it's this time off I have or the fact that I am in a good place in my own life that I am wondering, questioning & observing everything around me but I want answers. Today, I did some everyday errands we all have to do and again, I am a huge people watcher (my beloved* catches me all the time) and I just wonder what's the deal, their story? Today, I overheard two little old ladies conversing but then as I pass them their conversation changes & it was blatantly obvious they were now speaking of me as I pass. Now I am not a huge "stand-outish person" but I do wear shirts with funny sayings, & layers upon layers. So today I walk by with just regular jeans (none of those hootchie momma jeans on, long sleeve shirt, pink tee shirt that says "BIG FUN in a little package" & white converse sneakers) nothing outlandish! And I personally think that shirt is PG and hilarious, that would be why I bought it! But apparently the clothing these girls wear today is outrageous! Yes, I got outrageous! Okay ladies, I understand we grew up in different times & I wouldn't be caught dead in what you grew up wearing but seriously! There are other "ladies" out there wear really outlandish, outrageous, crazii outfits! pppfft. Just astonishing! Then I come in of course & b!tch to my beloved* about what had happened, he laughs because it is just outrageous that these ladies think that I wear the outrageous clothing! So I was reading my book & ventured off into my thoughts, yet again & wondered where do each one of us get our different ideas of what is & is not appropriate? I know that our basis comes from our upbringing but we then grow up begin to learn about the world & see different things yet two best friends living next door to each other for their entire lives, same background, all the same can end up with completely different ideas of what is & is not appropriate?! Interesting, I guess that's what makes us individuals, but just mind boggling. LoL I guess I must be naive because I don't get a lot of things & have a million questions but maybe once you've really fallen in love you're eyes officially open up & you know can look at the world without any bias or clouded judgement, that you have no "hard feelings" or spitefulness towards anything and just tip your head and wonder "huh?" I know I do, about everything! And somehow go from 'what the heck am I gonna blog about?' to hell yea i need to research this, this & this & then blog baby blog! But I guess I am down rambling for the night/day and I am off to cook some yummie food for dinner so . . ciao* fellow bloggers. Maybe tomorrow I'll have a really interesting topic to ponder.

Men vs Women

So today my beloved* & I were discussing men vs women, this is a conversation we have often just thru observing other couples & the way they are with each other, interact & treat each other (not stating in any way our relationship is perfect but just observing & commenting we all do it) So continuing on this trip I'm running I google'd information about men vs women on a few websites & got some information. www.cyberparent.com states that 

The differences between men and women start at birth as parents and society begin the socialization process. The  need  to separate from "mother" and  become  an  independent self, causes different problems for boys and girls.Boys must separate from "mother" to  form  a gender  identity.  This causes boys to form a  set  of  defenses against  abandonment by "mother" and to form a strongly  separate sense of self. Because this separation of "mother" and boy comes before  the  ability to express complex  emotional  responses  in words, a man often cannot talk comfortably about what his  feelings mean to him. Emotions are dangerous and make him feel vulnerable. Reason and logic provide protection.A man then spends his life  torn between a desire for close and intimate  relationships  with  women and a defense  against  any  relationship where  intimacy  and intensity are strong enough to mimic the strength of the relationship with his mother. The girl child has less need to separate from "mother." Thus, she becomes a woman who needs relationships. Relationships offer safety while isolation offers  threats. 

While the website http://uk.encarta.msn.com/ states that:

While the term “sexism” dates from the mid-1960s and came into frequent use after the rise of women's liberation movements in 1968-1969, the practice of sexism has a long history. Many of the predominant cultures in the world today were founded on a patriarchal system (rule by fathers). The religions of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Confucianism—which together cover much of Europe, the Americas, North Africa, the Middle East, India, and China—have all produced patriarchal cultures. Traditionally, rights to property and nationality passed through the male line, with the result that women's legal status was generally inferior to that of men: until the 20th century, women had no voting rights, limited rights to property, and were, in most respects, subject entirely to their fathers or husbandsCultural media such as television and film may help perpetuate sexism by presenting uncritically stereotypical images of men and women. For example, a television drama might present women only as housewives and mothers and depict men doing exciting work outside the home, thereby implying that men have no involvement in their homes and families and that women have no interest in the outside world. To take another example, an action film might feature women who are physically attractive but who lack believable characterization. Such films have been criticized as demeaning women by presenting them as passive objects for the fantasies of male viewers. However, there are many writers and artists whose work makes a conscious effort to question sexist assumptions and to subvert genderstereotypes. For instance, “alternative” (non-subsidized) theatres have sought to give expression to women's and gay people's experience. In addition, some writers have developed children's stories that avoid narratives which endorse marriage or demean women by casting them as witches and wicked step-mothers. It is argued that it is important to introduce children to non-sexist culture and behaviour from an early age because cultural pressures within and outside the home mean that even very young children have absorbed sexist attitudes which affect the way they perceive themselves and other people.

In my personal opinion I feel sexism, women vs men & all of it so put in the trash with all the other garbage we just toss away. Why is it in 2009 this is even a topic? Have we not already fought these battles & kinda sorta no we did win! It just boggles my mind that men & even women still act this way & get away with it. I have women in my place of work that act like your typical 'emotional, b!tchy women' and when confronted or the fact they act this way in the business world people just tend to brush it off their shoulders or are like 'it's just so & so' wtf is that? I am not high up in my business but I am not one of the beginners, I am an Assistant Front Office Manager, who pretty much is the Front Office Manager. I don't want to throw out a status & have everyone 'aw' but seriously. I am (I hope) usually very professional & with the feed back I usually get I am, I am your typical emotional, craziied woman but this is work, not my house! I can't throw a temper-tantrum or b!tch people out & get my way, yet some women are & don't have anything addressed and things just continue to run this way! Why? And on the other side I see men who are living in the 15th or 16th century where women belong in the kitchen; cooking, baking & baby making! WTF is that. I don't consider myself a hardcore feminist just want equality all over but that is sh!t ridiculous! Yes, even today men still seem to somehow bring in more income & technically 'provide for the family' but women cook, clean, care for the children/pets & men just seem to pass thru life doing the bare minimum. Even if financially the couple isn't equal, things in the household/apartment definitely should be! Share the duties; cook together (it's bonding!), doing laundry, taking out the trash & just cleaning the place. No one wants to do it, these are the things that need to be done, we're all tired nowadays everyone is working so help out. And the way couples speak to each other is mortifying! My beloved* and I do cuss, yell, wrestle & get our frustrations out when needed but neither one of us is degrading, hurtful or just plain out mean we're just kidding around. Some women & men are so horrible to each other I wonder why they are even together, where's the joy in the relationship, is someone an acrobat behind closed doors? LoL And if so, how far can that take a relationship, I hope not very. I guess I am judging what I don't know, on certain occasions people may think the same of me, my relationship and my beloved* but I feel relationships; professional, friendships, especially relationships should have none of what I've been ranting about involved. 

I guess our discussion over dinner has started stirring up a million thoughts & questions in my mind. Maybe my age makes me naive to what life & people really are like, but I believe I have a good feel as to what goes on around me & honestly I don't like it. Maybe this is where I an stuck at; observing, munching on my thoughts & just questioning to no end? Who knows why things are the way they are, where they began, why they ever began in such a way? I may never have a full answer to any of my questions about men & women & relationships, maybe no one will but I will continue to ponder & research. That is all for tonight I guess, he's falling asleep & I have the urge to clean (my horrible sleeping habits are back this week) til tomorrow fellow bloggers . . hopefully some of you could shed some light on my millions of questions.

VALENTiNES DAY

So today is the double-edged sword holiday, Valentine's Day! You either love it or hate, there's no inbetween with this holiday & I personally love it! I never expect anything, except from my father! but I manage someone to have my beloved* smitten with me that he got me flowers, all my favs, daisies, lillies, roses, carnations!! Yummie. For some reason I am on the fixation of knowing what things mean, I am now a 5 yr old 'why? why? but why?" LoL so I investigated the meaning behind Valentine's Day. The website http://www.ethnic2020.com/ states that the meaning behind this fabulous day is::
But did you know that the origin of Valentine's Day, or Saint Valentine's Day, comes from the life and death of a Christian martyr? According to author Martha Zimmerman, the date traditionally celebrated as St. Valentine's Day finds it origin in the Roman festival of romance called Lupercalia, when the gods Juno and Pan were honored. It was a fertility festival or a lover's holiday looking forward to the return of Spring. In the fifth century, in an attempt to abolish the pagan festival, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia and its February 15 date to February 14 and called it Saint Valentine's Day. Even though the names and the date were changed, the emphasis continued to be on love.

BUT!!

Some authorities credit Geoffrey Chaucer with originating the custom of linking Valentine's Day with lovers. No link between the day and lovers exists before the time of Chaucer, thus leading some to conclude that it was this famous English author who connected the day with lovers. The fullest and earliest description of the tradition occurs in Chaucer's "Parliament of Fouls" composed around 1380. Since that time it has been traditional to connect St. Valentine's Day with love.

Either way, whoever is the creator of this day that you just need to whisper to your favorite person 'i love you' is a wonderful person & I thank you. How often do we really tell the one we love how much they mean to us or how much we love them? Not often enough! But here's to all you other sappy-lovers out there, hope your day is as fabulous as you are & enjoy your loved ones, I know I will. Happy Valentine's Day fellow bloggers

precious moments. my fav!

my beloved*

took me 23 years & a lot of frogs to find him, but i did & that's all that matters.

i honestly can say that no one has ever had my heart as wholely as he does, he has been an amazing man to everyone around him (even those who don't deserve it) and even more so towards me. and as many times as we hate each other ( LOL ) all in good fun, we know that this is it & we are done with our searchs we are lucky to found each other at all

he sent me my favs. thanks my beloved*

The 13th

Friday the 13th

So today is the supersitious Friday the 13th, spooky! I personally usually have good luck on Friday the 13th but others I guess not and as many of us in USA knows today the remake of the original movie Friday the 13th is coming out! I, unfortunately, working all weekend long. boo! But I was curious myself to find out why Friday's that fall on the 13th got such a bad rep and I came up with some interesting facts, all found by the website http://weeklyworldnews.com

• Friday the 13th traces back to a Dutch holiday where mischievous children would sneak into graveyards at night and defecate on tombstones. (( damn those kids ))
• In France, Friday the 13th often fell on the day after the Feast of Saint Imbibecus. Thus the day was often associated with terrible hangovers and poor choices made the night before. (( HaHa for Americans that'd be everyday ))
• The Aztecs brutally killed 39,000 in one day on Friday the 13th of August, 1539. This was done at the request of the recently arrived Hernan Cortez, who claimed to be a god seeking tribute. The next day he overthrew their empire. (( woah! ))
• One source says the number 13 has been unlucky since the Last Supper of Christ, where thirteen people were in attendance. (( they should have tried lucky number sleven ))
• Most skyscrapers do not include a thirteenth floor. Gregory Johnson bravely included a thirteenth floor in his designs for the Empire State Building in New York. Three days after its completion, on a Friday, the weight of the building caused it to buckle and it crushed the thirteenth floor. It has been structurally sound ever since.
• In London’s summer of 1865, seven prostitutes, two flower sellers, three secretaries and a nun were assaulted on Friday July 13th by a crazy man wearing an athletic mask. The assailant would jump out of the shadows and present them with literature supporting the Conservative Party. As the women screamed and tried to run away, they were asked for donations repeatedly, up to 18 times in one case. (( ladies were just trying to make a living man ))
• On Friday June 13th of 1952, Massachusetts Governor Kyle McArthur banned all private automotive transportation on the unlucky day. Nine overcrowded city buses crashed into each other in downtown Boston.
• Billy Ray Cyrus, Bobby Brown, and Michael Bolton all released albums on Friday the 13th. (( LoL love how that is one of the reasons that Friday the 13th got a bad rep ))

So there you go; some insane factors, some really funny ones on the list but overall some reasoning as to why the Friday's that fall on the 13th get a bad rep. Sorry! I tried to look for reasoning otherwise.

Ciao fellow bloggers. happy, cold weekend!

So This is Life*

I'm not sure what has put me on this "so thoughtful" phase but it is starting to get to me, I'm Italian & Irish we're stubborn, mean & cranky why the heck do I all of a sudden give a crap as to why things happen, or people are the way they are or what people think?! Pfft. I am not sure but I can tell you one thing I took a nice hot bubble bath last night, read a book & just thought (horrible flaw/quality of mine, double edged sword right there with me). So I got to thinking about what I've done thus far in my life, where I've gone, things I've seen & how I've changed. I mean we all do whether or not we like it, it happens. Think about who you are today compared to who you were in college or high school completely different people in every aspect! I personally have done a number of changes; looks wise, thought process, just a complete 180. And I honestly feel like I like the person I am today more than any other person I've been in my life, except maybe when I was 4 or 5 and was just a spoiled princess!

But thinking back, in high school I was the kid of person who could chat with anyone I wasn't friends with everyone had my own tight little circle but knew everyone & everyone knew me. I wasn't as out-spoken or dependent as I am now, I was more reserved & didn't really stand up for what I believed in as hard-core as I do today. I wasn't as confident in myself at all, was very emotional & could not hide it if my life depended on it! I was a cheerleader of portion of time, played soccer, I pretty much tried it all.
In college I was all over the place, extremely outgoing, outspoken, figuring out who I was. I went to college with a boyfriend & good friend from high school. Being that college kids go to school by seniority myself & my friend (who happened to be a guy, hi ryan!) went to a frat party , got trashed & I got alcohol posioning! Fabulous! A lot of other stories that were hilarious, silly & just college stories LoL But I spoke my mind, had a million questions, knew a bunch of people & even stepped into the role of RA, I was a lot more confident in myself.
Turning 21 was a huge learning process, that's what I'll go with LOL. I drank all the time, drank to forget people, situations, just to hang with the new crowd I hung with & just have a good time, come on I was 21. I had a new job, new friends, new ID that could get me to bigger, badder places. I just did what (I believe) every 21 year old does when they turn 21, just drink! Then I found my beloved* and I am again, completely different.
Now; I am completely out-spoken the only time I really hold my tongue is I feel it's not the place or time for it, believe in love again, even possibilities of me having a family! Something I haven't felt I wanted since . . . I don't even know when. I am more focused on my career, loved ones & just being way more positive than I have been since high school.
The point of todays blog I guess is just to have everyone look at themselves, seriously take a look, how many times have you changed? And have a good core of friends stood by each one of your changes? And if there has been those people (other than family) that stood by you & your changes, do you do it back? I am at a place where I really don't feel the need for drama or to deal with it at all. I know we all say that phrase "I don't want drama" but I really mean it. I work hard, play hard, do a lot of "down activities", hang with my family (which I haven't done in a long time) I still have time for everyone, just not everynight & I am happy, in love & moving forward with my life. Why is it that some people frown & scorn towards that? Hhhm. Well that is my thought of the day today, working my 16 hour weekly day maybe another blog later but I doubt it actually busy this weekend, yay* Valentine's Day for that. LoL I will leave you now fellow bloggers with pictures of the old me & the new me! Still the same lil ol' me just a little different.

The old me.

This would be me with dark hair & at the beginning of my "down phase"
And another, LoL madukes teaching me the luge.

HaHa only played games that involved drinking, Happy 3rd of July.

And the new me!

Hanging at home, with Aidan

(he doesn't always make such goofy faces, he's usually very handsome, just like daddy)

more babies in my life, LoL for someone who hated kids/babies I got em everywhere. Little Miss Rileigh Marie* here

More natural with the hair, makeup & even sporting my glasses more often & of course always sporting the man I love, my beloved*


happy thursday!

What's in a date?

So today being just another Wednesday in my life, there's nothing exciting or anything bad going on that I can really report about but I was wondering here what to blog about. I figured I'd mention the fact that facebook is fabulous! I love the fact that everyday there is someone new that finds me/I find from high school, college or just a person I know from somewhere! I love it. But thinking about what to blog about I was wondering what does today mean to everyone else, what has it meant to people in other countries, time periods, etc. So I went to the fabulous google.com (seriously where would we all be without the internet) and found of some really cool facts.


Today February 11 has meant a lot . . . here are some fun facts for you to chew on ::

• In 1937, a six-week-old sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.
• In 1945, President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II.
• In 1989, the Reverend Barbara C. Harris became the first woman consecrated as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, in a ceremony held in Boston.
• In 1990, South African black activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.
• Ten years ago: A federal jury in New York found several gun makers responsible in three area shootings for letting guns fall into the hands of criminals and assessed damages; gun makers were found liable in six other instances, but no monetary damages were awarded in those cases. However, the plaintiffs suffered a setback in 2001 when the New York Court of Appeals invalidated such claims.
• Five years ago: Wesley Clark dropped out of the race for the White House. A car bomb at an army recruiting center in Baghdad, Iraq, killed 47 people. Cable TV giant Comcast Corporation launched a hostile bid to buy The Walt Disney Company for more than $54 billion Comcast later dropped its bid.
• One year ago: The Defense Department charged Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other detainees at Guantanamo Bay with murder and war crimes in connection with the Sept. 11 attacks. Charges against one were later dropped. Yahoo Inc. rejected Microsoft Corp.'s unsolicited takeover bid. Tom Lantos, a 14-term California congressman who was a forceful voice for human rights, died in Bethesda, Md., at age 80.

Today's Birthdays:

Actress Tina Louise is 75. Actor Burt Reynolds is 73. Songwriter Gerry Goffin is 70. Actor Sonny Landham is 68. Rhythm-and-blues singer Otis Clay is 67. Actor Philip Anglim is 57. Actress Catherine Hickland is 53. Rock musician David Uosikkinen (The Hooters) is 53. Actress Carey Lowell is 48. Singer Sheryl Crow is 47. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is 45. Actress Jennifer Aniston is 40. Actor Damian Lewis is 38. Actress Marisa Petroro is 37. Singer D'Angelo is 35. Actor Brice Beckham is 33. Rock M-C/vocalist Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) is 32. Singer-actress Brandy is 30. Actor Matthew Lawrence is 29. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kelly Rowland is 28.

And today's headlines are ::

• Boy texts nude photo of 13-year-old girlfriend to friends
• Prosecutors drop murder charges against man
• A-Rod admits using performance-enhancing drugs
• Obama says financial crisis is real
• Russia may allow shipment of Afghan-bound US arms

Why is that today is so much more negative? We compleltely focus on negativity nowadays. Yes life is horrbile, hard, mean, cruel & a million other words sometimes but are we forgetting about the great things in life that happen all the time that people overlook so quickly.

For me personally, February 11, 2009 means to me ::

• Monday for me, when it's really a Wednesday
• It's been exactly 1 year, 1 month, 13 days since my beloved* & I deceided to be exclusive.
• It was about this time last year I realized that no one would take him from him, unless he wanted to go!
• Also this time last year Aidan finally started warming up to me, just warming up!
• About this time 21 years ago I had told my parents 'I was tired of having a brother & they could send him back now'
• Today is exactly 11 days until the first of my two dearests are to get married!
• And the second is only 65 days away!

So there is no real point to this post today LoL just a bunch of random facts for ya. I believe to be turning into a nocturnal person (as is my beloved*) and I slept a total of an hour (that's seriously hoping it was an hour) but I am running on pure caffeine & sugar today so I am a little wacky today. Ciao* fellow bloggers Happy Hump Day!

Who are you?

So today is now Feb 10, 2009 and where did you think you'd be at this point in your life? Did you think or imagine you'd be exactly where you are today, who you are & accomplished what you have thus far. What about the type of things you're into; did you see yourself being exactly who've you become, the things you've been thru & seen? 

Today I don't have much  to chat about; no complaints about anything really today (other than the cold weather) but I am at a good place & just thought to myself earlier, I've been thru/seen a lot of sh!t for being a 23 year old lady. The person I am today isn't you I saw myself being & ending up where I am. What about you? How do you feel about where you are exactly today?

I am 23, single, living with a man I believe to be the best man ever, financially okay, have a good full-time job & things are okay. I've seen a lot of heartbreak, failures, untimely deaths, and a lot of misplaced anger. I moved so often when I was younger that once I moved to Everett I thought I was done & that I'd be a "city girl" forever but love has brought me to the boonies, pretty much New Hampshire & I am  okay with that, I am dating a man with a child (never saw that one) but I am loving both of them, I didn't get my Bachelor's Degree but did finish my Associates & was one of those statistics where I didn't use my degree but love my job & what I do. I have a small-tight knight family of which I love more than anything. I am not the richest woman in the world but I make ends meet, have a little extra to have nice things in my life & do fun activities, I work hard to due the right thing & be a good person yet feel that it gets me no where. I am a hard-headed, serious temper carrying, strong-willed, outspoken, woman who could either be the best person to have in your life or can be the complete wrong person to screw with. Been thru the "girl drama" a few too many times & have finally learned, just now at 23, that the human race isn't to be trusted. My beloved*'s family is probably the most openly warm family I have ever "dated into" LoL loving that phrase, they are so genuine & loving to the right people & I am lucky enough to be one of them. I am a serious grudge holder & can never really get over things as hard as I would like to, I can forgive but I can never forget, sorry but if you need to be forgiven or have something forgotten you shouldn't have wronged someone in the first place! I have strong opinions on a lot of subjects some of which I probably don't understand completely but the beautiful country of America allows me to voice those opinions until the day I die. I hate hypocrites, why preach all this crap if you don't do it yourself or even worse give it a half-ass attempt & then give up yet still run your mouth? I am Irish & Italian, damn proud of it. 

I honestly had no idea I would be who I am today; I love who I love, do what I need to do & am probably better of a person than I thought I would be. I am now on my own two feet, which if you knew me I was one of those people who didn't ever feel the need to leave my parents house; no rules, come & go as I please & no rent LoL why leave? But I am on my own, with my beloved* & his son & moving forward. I honestly love who I am & where I am today & thank you to those who had a lot to do with it. 

So where are you today? And was it anywhere near where you would be/who you would be?