A vacation to my mind

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, I chose the topic: In the movie Inside Out, Riley had islands that represented parts of her personality (i.e. goofball island, hockey island). What would be FIVE of your islands and what would be featured on those islands? (If you want to include more islands, that's fine too.)

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

I was inspired to write about this after I saw Inside Out for a second time. I loved the concept of the various islands representing different aspects of one's personality. I know everyone has more than five, but we've got to narrow it down somewhere. I know a couple of my islands are similar to Riley's, but still have their unique traits, since Riley and I are different ages and have different experiences.

My top five personality islands would be:

*Family: Being a wife and mother defines an aspect of my personality. My husband and children bring out my sense of humor and I am bursting with love for all of them. This island would also represent my parents and sister, in-laws, aunt, uncle, and various cousins. It would have tributes for my grandparents, as well.

*Friendship: Whether I've known someone forever or just connected with them recently, I thrive from my friendships. Friendship Island would be just one giant party with friends I know in person and online from near and far. There would be cameras everywhere so people could take pictures together and I would make sure that all my friends met each other and that no one felt like an outcast.

*Reading: This island would be a giant library for me, filled with all my books, along with a Kindle and a bunch of my favorite magazines. It would represent my favorite hobby and the thing that keeps me the most centered.

*Music: I can't be without music (except for that one week a year leading up to Tisha B'Av, but that's it). I love listening to my CDs, stuff on the radio, Spotify, Pandora, etc. I even sing whenever I'm in the mood (which is almost always). This island would be full of CDs and devices with which I could listen to them.

*Judaism: Being Jewish definitely is part of my personality. It has been even when I wasn't observant. There's my upbringing, the culture, the music, memories from youth group, prayers, my job, connection with Israel, etc. Shabbat is definitely front and center these days, so the island would feature a Shabbat table with candles, wine, challah, matzo ball soup and brisket.

So I'm going with six...

*Laughter: I love to laugh (just like the guy from Mary Poppins whom Bing Bong reminds me of a lot). If I go a day without laughing, something is seriously wrong. I try to find humor in everything I can. The other islands connect directly to Laughter Island, as each one has its own level of humor in some way or another. Especially when it comes to having inside jokes with family and friends. With Judaism, there are always good jokes. Why else would the dentist from Seinfeld convert?!? I love humor in a book and can even find it with music (think Weird Al or the Avenue Q soundtrack here). Laughter Island would have DVDs of my favorite comedy films (Airplane!, Moving Violations, Home Alone, etc.), as well as sitcom boxed sets (Friends, Modern Family, The Mindy Project, etc.) It would also have objects that remind me of various inside jokes. 

This guy makes me and my family laugh these days

What would be some of your Islands of Personality?

IMPORTANT: Google Friend Connect (GFC) & Blogger follower changes

I've noticed that on a couple of days, I've suddenly lost a significant amount of followers on Google Friend Connect (GFC). While you do tend to lose a follower here and there, the sudden loss of this many followers seemed strange to me. Another blogger recently googled to see if GFC was experiencing issues (back in 2011 they phased out GFC for non-blogger sites, so wouldn't be the first time).

Apparently, starting the week of January 11th, Google has been slowly adding this requirement: you now MUST have Google account in order to follow blogs through Google Friend Connect. If you follow blogs with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut, or other Open ID providers, you will lose your subscriptions to blogger blogs via GFC. 

Fortunately, if you'd like to continue receiving updates from me, you could do as they suggest and sign up for a Google account and re-follow your blogs, or you can follow Merrylandgirl on Facebook and/or Twitter. Thanks!

Here's the original message:

An update on Google Friend Connect

Posted: December 21, 2015

   

In 2011, we announced the retirement of Google Friend Connect for all non-Blogger sites. We made an exception for Blogger to give readers an easy way to follow blogs using a variety of accounts. Yet over time, we’ve seen that most people sign into Friend Connect with a Google Account. So, in an effort to streamline, in the next few weeks we’ll be making some changes that will eventually require readers to have a Google Account to sign into Friend Connect and follow blogs.

As part of this plan, starting the week of January 11, we’ll remove the ability for people with Twitter, Yahoo, Orkut or other OpenId providers to sign in to Google Friend Connect and follow blogs. At the same time, we’ll remove non-Google Account profiles so you may see a decrease in your blog follower count.

We encourage you to tell affected readers (perhaps via a blog post), that if they use a non-Google Account to follow your blog, they need to sign up for a Google Account, and re-follow your blog. With a Google Account, they’ll get blogs added to their Reading List, making it easier for them to see the latest posts and activity of the blogs they follow.

We know how important followers are to all bloggers, but we believe this change will improve the experience for both you and your readers.

Posted by Michael Goddard, Software Engineer

Thanks to Every Free Chance Books, Christina Reads YA, and Blessings of a Stay at Home Mom. (Information and language adapted from the latter two.)

A conversation with my kids

Recently someone posted these questions to ask your kids so that you can post their funny answers on Facebook. I decided to do this at my blog instead.

Original instructions, in case you want to play along on Facebook: Without ANY prompting ask your kids these questions. It's a great way to see what they think. Copy and re-post with your kids' ages....Post just the questions in the comments section for people to copy to their wall.

Kids:
E, boy, almost 10 1/2
M1, boy, almost 8
M2, girl, turning 5 in a month

1. What is something I always say to you?
E: I love you.
M1: I love you?
M2: I love you.

I can't help it! :)

2. What makes me happy?

E: Hugs
M1: Me or maybe the family
M2: Maybe look at hearts

3. What makes me sad?
E: When you have a lot of pressure
M1: Death
M2: Don't be your friend

4. How do I make you laugh?
E: When you do an inside joke
M1: Tickle me
M2: When you go to another place and another place and another place...

5. What was I like when I was a kid?
E: The helpful one
M1: Me
M2: A baby

6. How old am I?
E: 39?
M1: 39 about to turn 40 in a few months
M2: 4

Two out of three isn't too bad!

7. How tall am I?
E: 5 feet and 8 inches
M1: 7 feet something? I have no idea.
M2: So tall! That means you're so giant. *Stretching an arm above her head* You're like this giant!

E came the closest, but that goes without saying...

8. What is my favorite thing to do?
E: Bowling
M1: Cuddle with me and E and M2 and Abba
M2: Play games a lot

Have they not seen me with a book in my hands?!?



9. What do I do when you aren't with me?
E: Go to a book convention
M1: Go to work and stuff
M2: Go back home

I only wish I could go to a book convention every day!

10. What am I really good at?
E: Imitating Abba
M1: Cuddling
M2: Playing games

11. What am I not really good at?

E: No offense, but making pancakes from scratch because they're burnt. They taste good, but they don't look good.
M1: Ice skating
M2: Running so fast

I made pancakes from scratch once and it was the Passover version from a mix. I usually make French toast and get no complaints about that! The other two are right on the mark. I can't ice skate at all and I am a terrible runner.

12. What do I do for a job?
E: Work at a Jewish place
M1: I do not know.
M2: Fold laundry

E knows where I work but I am somewhat private about that in my blog. And if folding laundry were actually my job, where is the money?!? (The picture was drawn by M1 back in 2014.)

13. What is my favorite food?
E: Peppermint bark
M1: Could be pizza
M2: Pizza

Yes. Yes. And yes. :)




14. What do you enjoy doing with me?
E: Reading on Kindle
M1: Cuddling and other stuff like ice skating (kind of since you just watch while I skate)
M2: Doing a race with you. (Me: Because you'd win?) I love winning. When someone else wins, I be sad.

I used to read with E from my Kindle for PC. We read The Julian Chapter, which is a supplement to Wonder by R.J. Palacio. As for M2's comment...sometimes on Shabbat, M1 will push her in the stroller really fast and I'll try to keep up. If I get ahead of them, she freaks out.

Give a little respect...

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Moma Rock chose the topic: Respect

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged (included in 2/4/16 post)
Froggie
Moma Rock

The word respect can go so many ways, but today I want to use it for good, to talk about someone I truly respect. (In this case, the word means "admire.") Recently, I was given a writing prompt to talk about someone I consider a hero. I feel like revering (another word for respect) someone as a hero is close to idol worship, so I wanted to use today's topic to talk about this person.

First of all, I don't feel I need to use her initials because she knows everyone. (Even though she will debate this and say that I know everyone.) I will just refer to her by her first name, but chances are, you're probably friends with her already. :) If you're one of the 1% who somehow doesn't know her, I'd like to introduce you to Dana. By the time you're done reading this, you'll want to know her too! I met her a little over six years ago, as our kids were in the same school and have the same first name. It works out well that our son's last initials start with A and B. Makes it less confusing when we talk about them. Anyway, we instantly became friends and eventually started getting together, either for play dates for our kids or girls' nights out.

Those of you who watch The Goldbergs might know about the 12 year-old version of her. Yes, Adam Goldberg knew Dana when they were kids and he based the character of Dana on her. She even got to meet some of the cast when she was visiting the set of this show. I just started watching it, so I haven't seen her yet, but I'm excited to!

Anyhow, I respect Dana for a whole bunch of reasons. I'll list just a handful here or I'll never get anything else done.

*She started her own company to provide accessibility solutions for people with disabilities. She's well-versed in all areas of accessibility and answers questions about it in a way that is understandable to those who don't have as much experience in the field.

*With all the time she puts into her work and all the traveling she does for it, she still finds time to be an invested and caring mother. She does fun and creative things for her kids and gives them her full attention when she's with them.

*She's done some really cool things and is so modest about it when you bring it up. She got to be a sign language interpreter at a legendary musician's concert. (I won't say the name or you'll just get really jealous.)

*While she doesn't keep Kosher, she will make sure that when people from the community come to her house, all the food is Kosher. When she hosted book club, she even had a friend [who keeps Kosher] bring over their water heater for making tea and coffee. She's even kashered her kitchen to have friends over for a full meal.

*She's a terrific friend. Even with work, parenting, and other stuff going on (which I'll get to in a moment), she finds the time to meet for lunch, invite me over for tea, go out for karaoke, etc. And I'm one of her multitudes of friends, just in this community alone. Yet she makes time for everyone and also gives her friends her undivided attention.

*Last year, she injured her eye. From what she told me, she managed to keep control of the situation when it happened and then made lemons out of lemonade by using photos of herself in ads for her business.

And last, but certainly not least...

*She started Support the Girls, a charity for homeless women and teenage girls to provide bras and feminine hygiene products. It's grown exponentially since she came up with the idea last summer and is inspiring women all over to contribute. If you're interested in helping or learning more, visit Support the Girls on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

How does she do it all? Check out her post at The Balance Project blog. (And this was before she even started the charity!)

I'm just thankful to not only know her, but also to call her a friend. She's one of my favorite people and I hope this list gives you an idea of how great she is.

March 2015 at a banquet from my Shul. 

Super Special

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: An unexpected outcome

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

You may recall my fan fiction piece for The Baby-Sitters Club that I wrote back in 2014. Well, I've finally decided to write another chapter. I'm sure you didn't expect that, right? ;) (I will try to incorporate the topic in this chapter though.) Definitely read the chapter at the link above (if you haven't already, or if you want a refresher), before continuing here. I've decided to go with the format of Super Specials, which featured each character's voice in first-person when it was their turn for a chapter.

~Mary Anne~

The first thought that crosses my mind when I hear Stacey’s news is that I wonder if Alex will be at the wedding.
The second thought that crosses my mind immediately afterward is “Why am I wondering about Alex?”
I ponder both thoughts as I sit on the train, headed back to the Connecticut suburbs and my full house that somehow feels empty.
I met Alex before I started dating Logan. We were hanging out at Sea City and then we introduced his friend Toby to Stacey, once she got over her crush on that arrogant lifeguard. Alex and I stayed in touch as pen pals for a little while, at least until I met Logan. Then I will admit to slacking off on the letters until they became non-existent. I wonder if Alex even cared that I stopped writing. It’s not like he ever called me. So even if he were at the wedding, I don’t know that he’d be happy to see me.
And that brings me back to my other issue. Why should I even care what he thinks? I’m supposed to be happily married to my childhood sweetheart. Well, at least according to my Facebook posts. We’ve been together longer than I can even keep track of anymore and have five kids to show for it. So why am I even entertaining the idea of seeing a guy I only hung out with for a few days and stayed in contact with for a few months? What’s wrong with me?
It all comes down to Logan. I barely even see him these days. He works late hours and then I’m asleep by the time he gets home and I don’t wake up until long after he’s left the next morning. I only see him when Tanya wakes me up in the middle of the night for a feeding, but he’s sleeping by then. We send short e-mails to each other regarding stuff around the house or something to do with the kids. That’s been about it lately. I don’t even remember the last time I actually heard his voice aside from his outgoing voicemail message. This all led me to tell Kristy that I think Logan is cheating on me. I’m sure I’m being ridiculous though. I don’t recall a time he was ever unfaithful, even when we went to separate colleges. We still spent every weekend together, alternating who did the traveling each time. I immediately feel guilty for accusing Logan of cheating and for entertaining thoughts of reuniting with a guy from my past.
Then the curiosity gets to be too much and I open my Facebook app, seeing if I can first find Toby’s profile, which will lead me to Alex’s. I’m sure Stacey is friends with Toby on Facebook if they’re engaged. I’d be surprised if she didn’t update her relationship status as soon as she told us her news at dinner. And that’s another thing. When she told us about her engagement, I felt a pang of jealousy. That’s not normal for someone who has been married as long as I have. It can’t be.
I easily find Toby’s profile and am about to search for Alex’s when a text message comes in from Jodie, my 13 year-old.

When R U getting home? Dad said he’s gonna be super late again.

I text back that I’m on my way and ask if everyone is asleep.

Max is playing Legos in his room and Tanya is fussing around in her crib. The other 2 R sleeping.

I still don’t know how I managed to have five kids. Jodie was such an easy baby that she made me think I could handle another. Kate was born almost two years later. Then came the twins, Rory and Max, a few years after that. And now Tanya, whose arrival in my life was rather unexpected. Thankfully, the others help with her a lot. Max is outnumbered as the only boy, since Rory is a girl too. He is content to hide out in his room and play Legos though.
But where was I? I go back to my Facebook app with Toby’s profile open and look up the name Alex. I’m a bit fuzzy on his last name, but I think it started with a K. Of course, none of them have a last name with a K. For all I know, he and Toby are no longer friends. Or Alex isn’t on social media. I put my phone back in my purse and stare out the window, while my thoughts lead back to Kristy’s subtle hint at us working together again. I never really gave it much thought over the years. Kristy has a certain management style that would take some getting used to again. I also don’t know how I’d swing childcare. Maybe when Tanya is older and starts preschool, I could make it work.
Then something inside me snaps. I gave up on having a career when I first became a mom. I never even considered going back to my job as an executive assistant to a restaurant franchise owner after Jodie was born. Once I went on maternity leave, I knew I could never leave her with someone else while I spent each day in the office. However, part of me was itching to do something productive aside from feeding and changing diapers or tackling mountains of laundry. Logan convinced me that I was doing an amazing job as Jodie’s mom and that childcare would cost more than my salary, so what was the point of even working? He was making enough for the two of us to live comfortably. However, I’m tired of just spending my days shuttling the kids to and from school and after-school activities or lessons. The Mommy and Me group I attend with Tanya is so boring and I have nothing in common with the other moms, aside from having babies around the same age.
I pull out my phone again and text Kristy.

Are you still interested in me helping you with Nanny Corp?

I almost immediately receive a text back.

Are you serious?!?

I could find a way to make it work. Are you open to me telecommuting for now?

Let’s talk tomorrow. I’ll call during lunch.

Sounds good. Great seeing you tonight.

Same. Let’s make this happen!

Satisfied with my text exchange, I then open Google and search for divorce lawyers. And I don’t even find myself getting emotional about the possibility.
What’s wrong with me?

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday

One of my favorite blogs, Airing My Laundry, does a post every week that was inspired by a section of Glamour magazine. She invites her followers to do their own posts like this. I enjoy doing this a every so often, so I thought it's time for another list. Since I don't do this weekly, my list will be long.

It's okay...

*To have enjoyed the new Star Wars movie more than I was expecting to. I liked it better than the first six (even though the prequels aren't much competition). It's also okay to have a girl crush on Rey.

*To really, really, really want to see Hamilton, even though I know the chances of that are as slim as a unicorn coming to my house.

*If Parenthood decides to make a comeback... 

*To STILL be counting down to my birthday. Only 6 months or so.... (And if anyone wants to get me tickets to see Hamilton, I will NOT complain. ;)

*To have no interest in this Making a Murderer show. I don't care if it's the most talked-about thing ever.

*To have certain hang-ups when it comes to stuff that gets posted on Facebook. Thanks to everyone who understands why I have such hang-ups, and I apologize to those whom it offends. (Ex. My warning that I will remove comments or posts that include my kids' first names.)

*To want to use a new de-cluttering method. Recently heard about a 40 bags in 40 days program. There's also that book everyone is talking about. I did some work in the storage room of my basement, but still have a looooong way to go!

*To use a new tactic in trying to find an old friend. I guess I'll wait and see if it works....

*To sort-of want to see Lifetime's version of My Sweet Audrina, even though I'm sure they'll butcher it. What's a past V.C. Andrews fan to do?!?

*To get all hot and flustered (and even mustard won't help) over the remake of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I've said before, no one is meant to play Dr. Frank N. Furter other than Tim Curry. And I am not talking about stage shows here (as I've seen some fabulous Franks).

*To have no motivation to watch TV at the moment...at least until tomorrow. Season two of Younger!!!

*To sing along rather enthusiastically to the Rent soundtrack in my car. I will admit I even "moo."

*To not care that it's the final season of American Idol. I gave up on it years ago. The season after Adam Lambert was on was just lacking and Simon leaving after that was the final straw. I really only watched two seasons in full but kept up with it in previous years. Here are some past thoughts on the show.

*That my favorite memory of David Bowie is when he played the Goblin King in Labyrinth.



*To make challah French toast for dinner last week. I don't cook all that often, but when I do, I try to make it something everyone will enjoy. My daughter even said she loved it and she's not so easy to please.

When I see you smile...

Did you miss us? We took a couple of weeks off, but now we're back in full swing!

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about two years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

This week, Froggie chose the topic: The most beautiful smile I ever saw.

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.

Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

There are a few instances I would like to mention where I saw some beautiful and meaningful smiles. I'm sharing some excerpts from past blogs, since I'm too lazy to re-type everything....

When I was working at a Chinese restaurant during my high school years, I had a habit of giving the little cocktail umbrellas or fans to children so they'd be entertained while they had to wait for a table. The parents appreciated it, even though my manager got annoyed because the kids would tear them up and litter them all over the place. One time, a family came in with a girl who had severe disabilities, both developmental and physical. I treated her like every child there and gave her a little fan. Her entire face lit up and her parents were so thrilled. I had to turn away so they wouldn't see me crying. I still get teary-eyed just writing about it even now. (From "I Share Because I Care" June 21, 2012)

On my wedding day, there was a point before everything started happening where my husband and I got to see each other in our wedding gear without the crowd and excitement surrounding us. I think people would only get to see this moment if they watch our DVD. (My stepmother-in-law and my dad were the only family members who got to witness this in person.) My husband was facing the other direction and I was instructed to tap him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw me in my dress with my hair done and makeup freshly applied. His smile was so genuine and he made me feel so beautiful at that moment that I was laughing and crying at the same time. He looked so handsome in his tux and I was so excited that we would officially become husband and wife in a matter of hours. I know it's not customary for brides and grooms to see each other before the wedding, but it is different in Orthodox Judaism. Normally, we would have waited until the badeken (veiling) ceremony but everyone was nagging us to have pictures done together before things got crazy. We still got to have our special moment of awe and the badeken still was amazing. I was laughing and smiling from all the excitement of that. (From "Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!" March 25, 2010)

A few months after my daughter was born, we took her for her ABR (Auditory Brainstem Response) test. She failed the hearing screen when she was born and was at risk for having hearing loss, so we knew what we were up against going into the test. When we found out what we expected to hear, we weren't surprised or as upset as we were the first time around with our older son. However, having just met with the school staff for his IEP (individualized education plan), which was all positive and uplifting, we knew our daughter would be okay. We'd get her the cochlear implants and work with her on speech and language the same way we worked with him. What confirmed our feeling of confidence this time around was a smile. When our older son got home from school, we told him the news about his sister's hearing loss. His face lit up like we had just told him he was going to Disney World (then again, when we told him that news, he had a different reaction than we were expecting.) He was thrilled that someone in our family was like him and he immediately asked if she'd get to wear CIs, He had that smile on his face the entire time. Just thinking about his reaction gets me misty-eyed.

They're crazy about each other!

Hope these stories made you smile! I'd love to hear yours, as well.

I resolve to NOT....

I "stole" this from Airing My Dirty Laundry, as I liked the idea. :) Much easier than resolving to actually do something. :)

I resolve to NOT...

*Not eat the chocolate at my desk. I will just try to be better about eating so much of it. (And yes, that is Valentine's candy in the picture, which I know is becoming more available again...)

*Let the house become a complete disaster. Even if it means spending a little time each evening just picking up stuff that is laying around.

*Tolerate people who are rude to me. There's no reason for it! I've come to realize that I've been too easy on someone who blindsided me last year with their rudeness.

*Dwell on what I don't have. Gratitude is the name of the game!

*Give up on my book blog. There are times when I get overwhelmed, but I know I can make it less crazy. It's been doing so well at almost 6 years and I've met so many wonderful authors and read so many amazing books.

*Stop reading. I know this is also "stealing" from AMDL, but you know me and books! And along with that...

*Read books that don't interest me. I have enough in my TBR pile that do!

I finished all the books in this pile, but more have been added in...

*Watch any new shows until I'm caught up on The Big Bang Theory. Well, except for The Goldbergs, which I've only just started watching and it's only two seasons.

*Post about anything election related on social media. I will "like" other posts if I agree with them. This also has nothing to do with Israel and I will continue to post my support.

*Obsess about my weight. I know it's going to fluctuate, but I'm nowhere near where I once was and can get back to where I need to be, now that the holidays are over. I haven't even done MyFitnessPal in a while.

*Shop so much. Who am I kidding though?!? However, I haven't been to Target since sometime before the holidays as it was too discouraging to go with all the crowds. And my last visit to Value Village was in early November. So there's that. The most shopping I've done lately is of the grocery variety.

*Spoil the plot of movies, TV shows, or books for anyone. I will always warn everyone if I can't avoid revealing something.

*Stop believing. Hold on to that feeling... :) (Despite how badly Glee jumped the shark in later seasons, I still love this version of the classic 80s hit.)