Sometimes it is the things that are left unsaid that cause the most problems

Picture Sookie Stackhouse shouting at Jason, "I can't believe you sold grans house!"

That is how I felt yesterday after talking to my grans. She was never "grans" to me, just Grandma. We have never sat down and had a heart to heart conversation. We have never gone to lunch together. We don't get together on weekend, holiday's or birthdays. We have never said, "I love you" but she is my grandma and I do, I love her. We talk at least once a week and at 95 years of "OLD" can hold a conversation like everyone else. My grandfather is still alive but I only get to talk to him once a year, maybe when they put a new battery in his earring aid. The other times, he is hanging up on me, after shouting "who? who?" into the phone 3 times!

Last night I tried to call them in their house in upstate NY but the phone just rang and rang. They still have an old rotary phone and it sits on a doily on my grandmother's dresser where it has sat since the 1940s.  It was my Uncle's 62nd birthday and I wanted to wish him well. So after not getting him at his apartment, I called Grandma thinking he might be there. He wasn't, but I got an earful.

It appears that my Uncle, their last surviving child, (after losing my mom at 34 years of age and my uncle David at 32), has decided that taking them up to their summer house, the house near this children's graves, the one that has been theirs for years is too much work.

When I asked her how she felt, (three times in our conversation), she just giggled. Like I said, we have never had a heart to heart. I have no idea how she really feels about anything. I know her as the sweet old lady who sends me checks for myself and the kids on our birthdays, Christmas time and my anniversary. The woman who was my mother's mother. The woman who didn't have a loving relationship with my mother. The woman who always had something nasty to say about my mother's weight, my sister's weight, my nieces weight. The woman who calls me when she doesn't hear from me. The woman who worried about me when I was in the hospital last year. The woman who love but have never told other than in a card. In my cards I write everything I would want to say.

While I understand my Uncle's position; he is their only, which means, he is their chauffeur, their shopper, their bill payer, their everything, I still don't understand why he has to do this now.

As a man who was never married, never had children, I don't think he can truly understand why I think he shouldn't sell the house. They live in Queens. They go upstate on the weekends. This is their life. Their children are buried up there. Even in their 90's my grandparents, garden, sweep, shovel, clean around their children's graves and enjoy being at their house. If he sells the house, they will sit in their Queens apartment doing what? Watching TV and napping?

I hope I have an opportunity to talk to him about this. I hope he listens to me. I hope he has an open mind. I hope she gets to keep her house while she is walking. I hope she gets to see her great-grandkids before it is too late. I've really got to get there.

Camera Critters - Farm Visit

Before school ended, I was able to go on a school trip with Handsome. It was such a great time spending the day with him. Fortunately, as a work from home mom, I am at the school often, and know most of the kids for many years. I loved it! It was nice to be there, take photos, sit with them for lunch and then be able to send their parents pictures when I got home so they could enjoy their kids having fun too.

Handsome petting a pig

Alphabe-Thursday - L Is An Easy Letter

When I started searching through my photos I found that "L" is a letter I have an abundance of. How about you?

L = Last Day Of School

Handsome and his teacher on the last day of school

L = Lake

On a hot summer day, the lake looks even more lovely, refreshing and inviting.

L= Laughter

Laughter really is the best medicine. These circus clowns were hysterical

L = Lifting


Ok, he wasn't lifting something heavy, but he was definitely "lifting"

L = Light

It's not mine, but a great photo op none the less

Harry Potters Fans, Get A Clue!!

Did the title pull you in? Are you excited about the movie coming out next week? I have one niece who I am sure is going to ball her eyes out. She has grown up with these movies and loves everything Harry.

This weekend while she was over, I pulled out the latest and greatest review product. We were so excited to show her because we loves boards and knew she would freak! She did! Who wouldn't?

What I Can Tell You:
The directions were long but thorough. There is a little set up involved. You have to punch out all these little Floo Powder tokens. There are 40 of them. Then we set up the game board by inserting the location wheels into the board. Easy enough but I didn't do it, it was my niece. 

We got our pencils and sat down to play. My 6 year old asked to play so we included her assuming it would be too hard but she did OK. There are Suspect and Item Tokens we would show her whenever we made an assumption so she could follow along and answer our questions.  The hardest part for her was filing out her form in the beginning after we dealt the cards out so my husband helped out. The egg carton is what we use to play Go Fish with her. She can't hold her cards so the carton does that.

We shuffled the cards. Selected the ones for the CLUE envelope. Dealt all the rest. Checked off what we had and proceeded to move. There are rules like you can only move horizontally or vertically. You cannot pass through a closed door unless you have a Alohomora Help card. If you land on a star symbol, you take a help card which can give you certain counter acts on the "dark" cards. You can pass through the fireplaces into different rooms by using Floo Powder. It was really fun with fun games pieces. The game board will surely have Potter fans happy.

All in all this was a great version of a classic game. We played three games this weekend and I can't wait to play again. 

ABC Wednesday - Y - Yellow

I know, I used this photo this week, but can you blame me. She is my little youthful muse and I love my little youngster!

The Reading Kingdom Perfect For Summer Reading Lessons

During the Summer, my kids MUST continue with academics. This year I gave them the 1st week off, but now, that we are officially in Summer, our "Mommy School" schedule is complete. Beside the worksheets, workbook, library books and websites and more, we have added The Reading Kingdom to the curriculum.

I signed up for my the free trial and started with Goddess. I entered her name, and age then The Reading Kingdom did the rest.


What I Can Tell You:
I sat Goddess down every day for five days, she loves computer games and was eager to start. Most of our computer games are geared towed education however, the kids just think they are playing. 

She didn't enjoy the first four days. Mostly she was asked to repeat the letters she saw on the screen and after a while she wanted off. This is an important part of the program. The Reading Kingdom is really trying to learn what the child knows and to make sure they understand how to use a computer.  This morning when she sat down to start Lesson 2. She was asked to hit words that the screen called out. There was also a prize if she got the word correct. She really liked it and didn't get off for an hour. Hopefully this program will have Goddess ready for the 1st grade before the end of summer. I have high hopes. 

I can completely see how The Reading Kingdom can help children learn to read or aid in their reading abilities. 

Budding Artist Tuesday - July 5, 2011

Do you have an artist in your house? One who is constantly drawing, creating and inspired by all things art? If so, check out this new meme for the summer called "Budding Artists" for kids age 3-18. 

I love blogging and I especially love when my kids are involved.

This drawing is by Goddess of her father wearing a dress. I love how sad he looks and the pocket book with the clasp. The big things in the back are fairy wings but she has no answer for the things around his shoulders. Any idea?

Interested? Come back Tuesday morning and link up your post starring your child's artwork. I can't wait to see it.

Mellow Yellow Monday - Beach Walkway

I headed to the beach with the kids this week and while the kids were playing I realized, I had the whole place to myself. It was beautiful, peaceful and sweet to watch my kids playing together.

This weeks Mellow Yellow is the stairs that led to the parking lot where my car was waiting for us. Only we were in no hurry to leave.

Shadow Shot Sunday - July 2, 2011 - Photoshoot For Headband

This week Goddess received a head band from a local merchant I do social media just because. She was looking at the headbands when the shop owner asked her which was her favorite. She said, "yellow" which I must admit shocked me considering there was a pink and a blue one. She loves both of these colors.

Here are some of the shots that I would consider outtakes yet fit perfectly in Harriet's Shadow Shot.

The Weekend in Black and White - Cybal

The Weekend in Black and White!

This weekend I headed out with my niece and left the hub and kids home to take photos of a friend's band.

It was a waste, we drove around looking for parking forever! Then when we got in, the place was so small that it was almost impossible to get a quality photo. These turned out OK!

Everyone waiting for the fireworks!

Zhu Zhu Ice Cream Social

This past week we hosted a Zhu Zhu Ice Cream Social to celebrate the end of the school year. This was also appropriate because this month is National Ice Cream month.

My kids were so excited to host and see their friends after three days of being off. When you are a kid, three days is a long time.

Thanks to Mom Select and Zhu Zhu we were given the opportunity to review and give out some Zhu Zhu's to our friends whose parents alone have been keeping the Zhu Zhu name alive and well in the stores near me. Whenever they come to a party at my house, they end up heading out that same week, to grab the latest and greatest that their kids played with at my house. Their Zhu Zhu collections are as big as mine.

What you have to love about Zhu Zhu is how they are constantly changing and updating their products. What will they come up with next. The Princess Castle came out before Prince William married Kate, now the ice cream shop and ice cream truck came out during the month when we consume the most ice cream. I am hoping for a school bus and school next.

The kids attached the Ice Cream shop to the Castle and waited for their friends. We were going to bring the whole shabang up but decided against it for time and space.

When the kids came, they were asked their favorite colors and were given pets closest to their favorites. Everyone including the moms were happy with the new colors and the ice cream truck got rave reviews because it plays music.

The kids enjoyed playing with all the Zhu Zhu's and having them order ice cream at the ice cream shop. They even pulled in their Littlest Pets to play too.

This little guy was taking orders at the window. The hat comes with the shop as well as the umbrella table in the background and stickers for ice cream flavors.

What we love the most about the Zhu Zhu's is how cute they are. We love the colors, the names, and how the interact with their surroundings. Very lifelike. In fact, so life like that one of my friends kids was watching TV when he noticed a Zhu Zhu Pet under the TV stand. It wasn't until it started running away that he realized his hamster had gotten out of the cage.

We highly recommend Zhu Zhu and look forward to the next addition to our Zhu Zhu collection.

Self Portrait Sunday - July 3, 2011

Hey everyone. I have been gone for a while. Life is slowing down as I gave up the weekend work and only work 5 days a week.

I took this photo last night while heading out to take photos for a friend and his band.

Hopefully everyone is well and I can't wait to see your smiling faces.

Destiny By Laura DeLuca - Review

What I Can Tell You:
This is the first time I have ever been asked to review a book by one of my readers. While writing to her to tell her I had forwarded her mailing address to a sponsor for a giveaway win, she asked if I would review her book. Shocking, I had been corresponding with Laura through mostly win emails and never knew one of my very own readers was an author.

I was excited and said yes but worried that I would have to write my very honest reviews. My readers know that I will always be honest. Like or dislike, I will let you know. I need not have worried though! The book cover makes you want to open it. Friends who came over saw the book on the table (sometimes amid a lot of other books) and always picked it up talking about the cover. Honestly, the cover is pretty spectacular but it is what is inside that will make you keep reading.

There are always a ton of books to get through and they all must be read them from cover to cover in order to write an honest review.

Destiny was started a month ago and I couldn't wait to dive in. It took a month because in the middle of life, I had to stop and read three other books even though Laura's is the one I wanted to read. It called to me. It is truly a book which can be read in 1 sitting, but I hardly ever have moments like that. The past 3 months, have been especially busy with my new life, jobs, kids finishing up school, etc.

So with all that said, let's dive in shall we.

The story:


The story is about Gabriella. It is a story of love, friendship, religion, triumph, believing, and good versus evil. Always remember kids, good always wins over evil.

Gabriella is in high school, she wants to be like everyone else but she isn't. She is very different. Her mother was murdered when she was a little girl and she lives with her alcoholic father. Gabby, as everyone calls her is special, but doesn't realize the full extent of her abilities.

Gabby's mother was murdered when she was just a little girl. Gabby knows that she is special, but is in denial and doesn’t want to realize who she really is.

Darron is a friend of her from school that she is set up with for a class project. He is a witch with his own set of powers. When he is visited by Gabby's spirit mother, she tells him that she and her friends were murdered by an evil warlock named Richard and that he is coming after Gabby because of her powers. She tells him to force Gabriella to know what she is, because she needs to be ready to fight him.

Richard will do whatever he can to get Gabby and Darron to join his coven and he is not against killing innocent people Darron and Gabby love.

Gabby and her friends, team up with Darron to overpower Richard and hopefully save everyone too. The ending is intense and leaves me to believe there may be a sequel. One can only hope.

Laura is a wonderful author who created a story that will be enjoyed by book lovers of all ages. She keeps the action moving, creates characters that are likable and the story enjoyable. As we approach the ending, it is like coming to the end of a roller coaster ride. All ups and downs, fast turns, and then peace and quiet, with the wind in your hair as your body comes down from the thrill.

Highly recommend. Great Summer read for ages 14+