Momma’s Day weekend….it’s all good, even when it’s not May 9, 2011

My daughter's note to me...so very sweet...

Mother’s Day means many things to many people…I know a lot of moms who simply want to be left alone a little bit…so they can read a book, take a nap, have a glass of wine, take a long bath…unmolested. You know what I mean. And I know others who want a messy breakfast in bed,  prepared by little sticky hands who will also help them eat it, right after they spill the orange juice…been there. Hopefully you got a modicum of what you hoped for….and I hope you were remembered.

Yoga in Patterson Park!!

My weekend was pretty busy….the yoga class in Patterson Park was ab fab…really, the weather was perfect for yoga.

Ace ready for yoga....downward dog!!

As we all did our downward dogs….a little dog named Ace…did the most natural one…He came over an sniffed my ear during one pose which almost made me collapse with giggles..you can’t get that in a regular yoga class.. . The outdoor series will last all summer..sponsored by lululemon…maker of wonderful yoga gear(and they now have a store on Aliceanna St. in Baltimore)…my daughter, writer of sweet notes,  gave me a pair of their yoga pants for Momma’s Day. Adore them!

Where else but Baltimore would you see this????

Downtown traffic was a bear though….with a race that closed off several streets…wish I’d know about it(I mean, come on, I do work in news)….and there was even a parade with the strangest assortment of homemade floats…loved it.

Blackboard specials at Regions...love the lanterns....

Tried a new restaurant for dinner Sunday night….Regions in Catonsville-here. I’ve been meaning to get there for a while, but when it new, you really couldn’t get a reservation. So I just waited a while…and the menu rocks it. My latest ordering routine is a couple of small plates, instead of a starter and main dish…that’s usually too much food.

The Mad Hatter....yumm...

The risotto with scallops,  and beef tips with ratatouille stuffed ravioli(called The Mad Hatter) were perfect, though I ended up bringing some of that home too-quite rich, both of them. But a great meal. Oh, and Regions is byob…which as you know I adore…and there is a wine store on Frederick Road in Catonsville if you forget.

And I spent part of the afternoon, just reading on the back porch with my Nook….and enjoying the birds feast at the feeders. So relaxing, and too too rare…the chance to just sit and read, and observe nature. Hope yours was lovely too!

Breathless from Ballroom….Donna learns to dance… May 6, 2011

In my dreams...

Ok, let me say..if you think the picture above in some way depicts what my first lessons have been  like…it does not.  Let’s start at the beginning….I was asked by an acquaintance to be part of a fundraiser for The Tuerk House-here, a non-profit substance abuse house in Baltimore. These folks do really great work, and provide many, many services to recovering addicts. So it’s hard to say no to those who do good works. And when Lucy Henningfield asked if  I would learn and perform a ballroom dance(something I have NEVER done)….I agreed. Because it’s a good cause, sure. But also, we all get to a point in our lives where we are comfy…and we like comfy. This was absolutely not in my comfort zone, so before I could say, “Ummmmm, no“….I said yes. Let the lessons commence.

Again, not me...yet...

My teacher John McCraw is at the Arthur Murray studio on York Road…beautiful, light filled studio.  I enter with great trepidation…I mean, I have pretty good balance, I do yoga, but I don’t have any sort of dance background(which was I think, pretty disappointing to my instructor….my Mom really let me down). “Ballet, tap, anything?”, he asked….nope,  just a big old blank slate. But he is very patient(thank God).

We are doing a bolero(for those of us who are ignorant of bolero-here’s one)…which I am told is a combination of a waltz and a samba. Is it hard? Yes. And you have probably seen enough Dancing with the Stars to know how some of those practice session go, especially at first. Yeah.  Next week I will share some video that we shot at a practice yesterday…I just don’t have time today to get it together. You’ll see what I mean.

Love outdoor yoga!

It’s a busy weekend tomorrow, have a doctor’s appt at 7:30 Saturday morning(I know-who does appts at 7:30 on Saturday?), then an outdoor yoga class, followed by a dance lesson(doing the bolero, of course), after which I hope, there is a nap…..then onto the Center Stage Gala that evening, for which I have to figure out what on earth I’m going to wear(it has to be something in my closet-I’m NOT going shopping). Whatever you do, have a lovely Mother’s Day, and if your Mom is still living…enjoy her, I miss mine so much. Cook something tasty for her or take her out, and just let her know you care…that’s what she really wants. And come home safe, ’cause we miss you! ♥

High tech Momma’s Day…help me…. May 11, 2010

Studying my Blackberry instruction book...

My daughter was able to spirit away my phone this weekend without my knowledge, and take it toVerizon to exchange it for…you  guessed it…a Blackberry. So sweet and so thoughtful…I’m looking at it right now . There’s a little red blinking, and I’m not sure what that means. I have a phone call? An email? A SMS message(and what does that stand for anyway? I know I will probably get used to it, but I think I may need remedial tutoring. I can make and receive a phone call, look at and reply to an email, and send a text message. That’s it. I can’t initiate an email, and while I can take the picture, I don’t know how to send it(Lisa Robinson, also a Blackberry newbie, sent the picture above for me)…I just don’t find the device very intuitive, and perhaps I’m not either. Sigh. Maybe by the end of the week we’ll be better friends.

On the other hand, a device I have wanted for a long time…an e-book reader…is now mine. I got the Nook instead of the Kindle,  a big surprise from my husband….and I learned how to use it in no time, and have been on a rampage downloading books(my AMEX must wonder what’s going on)….and am currently reading one called, “Little Bee“. It was suggested by a couple of friends, and I love it so much already, I’m suggesting you might enjoy it too…via paper or ebook. What’s next on my reading list?  South of Broad by Pat Conroy, all about Charleston, one of  my fave cities…and Dead Until Dark….the first in the Sookie Stackhouse vampire series, on while the HBO series True Blood is based. Can’t wait….vampires are all the rage. Oh, The Girl Who Chased the Moon, bu Sarah Addison Allen….it’s a story  about a quirky Southern town(is there any other kind? I’m just sayin’), wher two very different women discover how to find their place in the world. “Here are rooms where wallpaper  changes to suit your mood“….whah? This was a whimsical download…I’ll let you know how good it is.

I promise…pics by the end of the week or bust. You’ll see.

What a great weekend… May 11, 2008

This is what I got for Momma’s Day. Some great olive oil (artisinal of course) and some 25 year old balsamic vinegar. (You’d think they could have sprung forsome new….jk) I love it, and a little viniagrette hand mixer that you can also store the vinaigrette in…Thank you!

You know, there are times I just feel so fortunate. I know that I am, really, in so many ways, but today I feel especially thankful and so blessed. Had a terrific time with my son and the lovely Jennifer this weekend… just really enjoyed each other’s company. It’s not always easy to make that transition to friends from mom and child. But we have, and I like it…a lot. And we ate good cheese (we all love good cheese), and drank some wine, and laughed a lot, and we saw two movies….Iron Man…what a neat flick that is with Robert Downey Jr., and at the end you know there are more to come. Good. Even saw a 2nd movie that was quite a ride, at home.  Netflixed Cloverfield,a monster movie set in New York…yikes, a big horribilis is eating everyone! Ok, ok, you’ve seen it before in other forms and so have I, but it was a fresh take seen through one young man’s video camera…fun, good suspense and scary!

 

 

The Dream Mother’s Day…. May 9, 2008

Yep, there they were this morning…The Today Show with a kid-friendly Mother’s day breakfast. Wait a minute, isn’t it supposed to be  mom-friendly? It’s interesting to hear what women say they really want for Mother’s Day….some are happy with a card, others need some face time, others want a really nice (jewelry) gift, while one woman here at WBAL, who shall remain anonymous, said, “What I’d really like is for my husband to take the kids somewhere and and just leave me alone.” Now that sounds a little more harsh than she meant it, but I know exactly what she means. The one thing moms don’t get very often, is some time for themselves, by themselves, to do whatever they want. Alone time. Read, garden, listen to music, watch a movie you want to see….with no one there, fixing you what is usually a terrible breakfast and serving it to you, way too early  in bed, while they watch you eat it, and you have to ooh and aah over it, too.

What many would really like, is a morning to sleep late, in a peaceful, quiet house. Get up when you like, wander to the kitchen, where there is fresh coffee made and waiting for you, maybe a plate of croissants artfully arranged with some nice jams and some fruit, and a pretty bouquet of flowers. Some soft jazz is playing….can you hear it?  The card would read, “I have the kids at a movie/Science Center/The Harbor/a ballgame…and we won’t be back until later, and we’ll have dinner with us, so enjoy your day. Call if you get lonely, and we’ll come home, but otherwise, you do what you’dlike to do. Oh, and I picked up a couple of movies you might enjoy…they’re on the dvd player. Relax, you deserve it, sweetie!”

Have any of you ever received such a gift? I have not, and for most women it’s not likely to happen. Not sure why, except that many guys don’t really wantto host a whole day of the kids, and make your breakfast….so the first morning I spoke of , is the one that usually happens. Here’s your “breakfast”, here are your gifts, ok, now it’s business as usual. What’s for dinner, honey?

Now don’t get me wrong…there’s something beautifully sweet about the terrible breakfast served by anxious little hands….there is. And I’ve had quite a few. But every once in a while, maybe something different would be in order, something kinda decadent, so that when everyone returns from their big day with Daddy…you’re really glad to see them.  Now that both my kids are out of the house, I get plenty of alone time, so when one of them comes home for Momma’s Day (and one of them is), it’s a treat. And I won’t get breakfast in bed…but we will eat brunch at home….then my son and the lovely Jennifer will drive back to New York, and we will attend the funeral of a wonderful and much-missed neighbor that afternoon. just a reminder how quickly life goes by…and to enjoy it, whether you get burnt toast or not. Happy Momma’s Day all you  mommas out there!