On Sunday my daughter Becca surprised me by showing up at Alison's house (Alison knew she was coming). Becca was here for a "working interview." She is hoping to transfer from the restaurant she works at as manager in Destin, FL to the same one here in Atlanta. She worked for 10 hours and said she LOVES the staff and the entire set-up. She joined Alison, Michael and I at Maggiones restaurant last night after work and said all seemed to go well. We are just waiting for her to get "THE CALL." She drove back to Destin today. My fingers and toes are crossed in hopes that we hear really soon that she and Phil will be moving here to Atlanta, GA. The best part is that she and her sister have gotten very close and all four are excited about the prospect of Bex and Phil living closeby. For me it couldn't be better. I get to Atlanta as often as I can (at least once every two months, sometimes more often than that) so I will get to see all of them when here. It's a 10 hr drive to either Destin or Atlanta for me, but it's twice the price to fly to Destin than to Atlanta. Come on everyone... cross your fingers and say a little prayer that our wish comes true!!

Looking Better!

My face has healed so well in the week since I was bit. I have a bump on my nose that can't be seen, only felt, and it's sore but with the force of that bite I am sure it will take time to heal. The only thing to be seen is a scab on my upper lip and a very slight bump. Again, time will make it better and I should only have a little remembrance. All in all, I was VERY lucky!!! I didn't want to post my face as it looked the first day but I am happy to post how it looks today, one week later.
(oh... Donna S. ... I don't know your blog address or e-mail and often would like to respond to your comments - you are SO sweet to make them. So if you would, please send your info to: jesr621(at)aol(dot)com.

Being a Grandma Rocks!!

I am having such a wonderful time with Avi. He is now 25 months old, talks constantly and is so much fun. He LOVES books and wants to be read to all the time. Not baby books either. We read books that I would read to my kindergarten class. I brought him about 7 books. He loves Caps for Sale and Tikki Tikki Tembo, and can tell me parts of the story. I also bought him books as Hanukkah gifts, which he was thrilled with. I play, read and run around with him all day... good thing he takes an afternoon nap - I do too! Alison and Michael have been putting together Avi's "big boy room" and so I occupy Avi while Alison sews and Michael puts furniture together, hangs pictures, etc. The room is done and it's beautiful. Tomorrow they will work more on the coming baby's room. The furniture is in place but Alison wants to work on curtains, bedding and accessories.
On Tuesday evening they had invited some neighbors in for Hanukkah. Their neighbor Deb made latkes and Alison made homemade applesauce. The Ryans came with 6 yr old twins Johnny and Tori. Avi had ball playing dreidle with them. On Xmas day we went to a friend of Alison and Mike's for a Festivus for The Rest of Us brunch - something for all their Jewish friends who don't celebrate Xmas. It was very nice - a house full of thirty-somethings, some with kids, many pregnant, all very friendly. The food was wonderful - everyone brought something yummy.
Today Alison, Avi and I went to Walmart and Target to take advantage of some after Xmas sales of wrapping paper and such. It was a pretty successful trip.

I Really Should Stick to Kissing Princes!

I am spending my entire two week winter break with Alison, Michael and Avi in Atlanta. I left home on Monday, planning to make the 10 hour drive in one day with a stop in Ocala at my ex husband's brother and sister-in-law's home for lunch (divorced the man, NOT the family). Their daughter Maureen was visiting from NY and I wanted to get to see her too. I had a really nice visit with them and was about to leave. They have a "new" 4 yr old rottweiller dog, Nicki. She is about 100 lbs or so, very sweet (or so it seemed). As I ALWAYS do, I put my face to hers to let her lick me, and she did. I sat up, bent down again and she licked me - and then she decided to take a bite - out of my face! I heard her teeth chomp and felt the pain on my nose but I didn't panic (my sister-in-law Pat did that enough for both of us). As soon as I saw blood when I pulled my hand away from my nose I thought, "Don't get blood on the sweatsuit!" - the crazy things that matter at these times, huh? I was perfectly calm through it all. We went to where my nephew Michael works. He is a nurse practitioner. I saw that it was some cuts around my nose and a tear above my lip that went through to the inside of my lip, but my nose was in place, not broken, and I knew that I couldn't get stitches for a dog bite. Michael cleaned it up and they put steri-strips over the 1/2 inch upside down "V" flap on my upper lip, gave me a tetanus shot and a prescription for antibiotic. (As I was leaving we noticed that, while all the damage was on the right side of my face, there was a nick under my left jaw - guess the dog had really taken the whole bottom part of my face into her mouth). Pat was ok ( she was sooo upset and worried that I would hate her for what the dog did) and I was too. I went back, got my car and did the rest of the drive up to Atlanta, getting in around midnight. Luckily my mom doesn't read my blog because I haven't told her. It will be easier to tell her when she is looking at a perfectly healed face - I can show her a pix of me taken after I left Ocala if she feels compelled to see me battered. I feel fine and it's healing well. I am eager to see how it looks when the steri-strip falls off. I know there will be a scar, I just hope it's flat and not lumpy - and if so, I will look to have plastic surgery on it. It could have been SOOOO much worse. Luckily for me the dog just "nipped" me. If she was being aggressive she would have taken half my face off.

Another Mini-Accomplishment

I did an 8 mile walk/run today. I really didn't want to but I forced myself to do the whole thing. Then I treated myself to a soak in a hot tub (which I have not done in about 4 or 5 years). I am so proud of me. I hope to do 8 miles each weekend in December (still doing 3 - 4 miles Tuesday and Thursdays)... 9 in January...10 - 11 in February, and then the race in March.

The Dancing Queen

No - not ABBA... Not Mamma Mia....but... ME!!! I started taking dancing lessons at Fred Astaire Studio in Delray Beach a few weeks ago. I LOVE it!!! I went right out and bought "real" dancer's shoes and wore them last Thursday night. I have always been a dancer but I want to perfect my steps, technique, etc. I am learning ballroom dancing. I wanted East Coast Swing, which is a big part of the lessons, but I found that I really love the Fox Trot. We also do salsa, rumba, cha cha, tango and more. My instructor Richard is really good and funny, too. After the lesson a few other students come and we have a practice "party" with the instructors. Tomorrow night I am going in for just Tango. What fun!!!

Another Sad Day

Yesterday my brother-in-lw Pat died. He was Gerry's oldest brother. He was 78 and had some health issues - diabetes, overweight, bad legs, etc. On July 3rd after going to the ER for a stomach ache he was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and given 6 months to live. Of course, the family was devestated, as they were all watching Gerry on the downslide. From the time Pat was diagnosed his wife Carol and I began to speak often, as I offered the support I knew she would need. She was also very fortunate to have this wonderful family around her. The Devine's are a close-knit family, which is what you need at a time like this. Now, 5 months from the time of diagnosis, Pat succumbed to his illness. I felt so sad for his family and the rest, but mostly for my brother-in-law Eddie (the brother we had been closest to). Eddie lost his second oldest brother Donny 4 years ago to liver cancer, Gerry in July and now Pat - two brothers within 4 1/2 months. Aside from the youngest, a sister who extranged herself from the family about 10 years ago (and was given EVERY opportunity to come back into the fold), Eddie is the last one. I did not go to the funeral as I am in Florida and they were in NY. I probably could have found the funds to fly up (though no one expected me to) but after attending a bar mitzvah three weeks ago and crying through most of it (because I knew how much Gerry wanted to be there) I knew that I couldn't go through Pat's funeral and mostly I couldn't sit and watch Eddie go through it. I just hope that this is IT for illness and death, at least, for a little while!

Thanksgiving in Destin, FL

What a wonderful Thanksgiving! My mother and I flew to Destin, FL (in the panhandle) on Wed. night. Alison, Michael and Avi flew in from Atlanta, GA. They got in earlier and so when we arrived there Alison had already baked two pies and a delicious maple/pecan/pumpkin crunch concoction. On Thanksgiving Day Avi saw his first Macy's parade.
He loved the dancing at the beginning when the Broadway performances were on. He and I danced around the living room. A few of the balloons caught his eye but that was it. He does not watch TV at home. In fact, aside from seeing TV on in a restaurant or in someone else's house, Avi did not watch any TV until October when his father let him watch the kickoff of a Gator football game. He doesn't "miss it" either. Avi LOVES to look at books and be read to. I brought him 8 books and we read them over and over. I was amazed that he really picked up on the pattern of the book That's Bad, That's Good. It's a kindergarten level book and he loved it. During the day Alison, Becca, myself, Phil and Michael pitched in to make the dinner, and it was wonderful!
On Friday Avi had a fever and his nose was congested. He was so uncomfortable, especially sleeping. That night and the next he woke more than several times so we didn't get much sleep. I tried to pitch in to help out and let Alison and Michael get a little more sleep. Friday night we did get to go to PF Changs where Becca is a manager. The meal was fabulous and Avi was so good. Aunt Becca gave Avi the "grand tour." Later that night Phil took Alison and I to J. Crew where we got a few good bargains in the sale.

On Saturday we went to the dock on the Gulf side to show Avi the boats. We had so much fun, and even got to see a pod of dolphins popping in and out of the water. We ate at McGuire's, an Irish pub/restaurant where the food was soooooo good. Later on when Avi was napping Michael stayed back to watch him and the rest of us went to the outlet center to shop. The only real bargains were in the Children's Place where we picked up a few little hats, shoes, etc.

Sunday was travel home day, and after some delays with the flights, we all made the trek back home. It was SUCH a wonderful weekend with my kids and Mom.