Child Wisdom - Jan. 8th

I already knew I was dumber than the fifth graders, now it's the preschoolers turn!!??

A PRE-SCHOOL TEST FOR YOU:

Which way is the bus below traveling?
To the left or to the right?

Can't make up your mind?
Look carefully at the picture again.

Still don't know?

Pre-schoolers all over the United States
were shown this picture asked the same question.
90% of the pre-schooler's gave this answer.
'The bus is traveling to the left.'


When asked, 'Why do you think the bus is traveling to the left?'

They answered:

'Because you can't see the door to get on the bus.'

How do you feel now ???
I know, me too.

STRESS!!!!! Jan 5th

OK, today is not going to be “Pretty Picture” posting day!!

Did you ever have one of those days that by the end you could rip off a canaries head with your teeth?? Well today was one of them! I do not often feel stress to this magnitude but today it seemed no matter which way I faced there was an asshole there!! I do not want to go too much into details since a few of those derrières may read this post … no Pat it is not you!

It is the type of day when you can feel the tension in your neck and your back … they type of day when you TRY SO HARD TO REMEMBER THAT STRESS MANAGEMENT CLASS you took ….how are you handling conflict? … NOT FREAKING WELL …are you at risk of job burnout? …YES today I am!!!! …how happy are you on a scale of 1-10? … GIVE me the freakin scale and I’ll show you!!!

I took so many deep breaths today to calm down that I just about passed out from oxygen deprivation!

So I looked up some ways to treat stress on the net and found some clever ideas … so tomorrow I may just try a few of these!

I could learn to smile, talk about what stresses me, keep a journal and write about your feelings, Read a book that interests me…

… OR I COULD ……
Drive to work in reverse…Dance naked in front of my cats … Make a list of things I’ve already done … Bill my doctor for the time I spent in his waiting room … When someone says "Have a nice day!" tell them you have other plans … Jam tiny marshmallows up my nose and try to sneeze them out … Start a nasty rumor and see if you recognize it when it gets back to you … Thumb through the National Geographic and draw underwear on the natives …Get a box of condoms then wait in line at the checkout counter and ask a cashier where the fitting rooms are … Tune all the radios to a polka station; then turn them all off and turn the volumes to "10" … Re-dress the mannequins as you see fit … Put M&M's on layaway … When someone asks if you need help, begin to cry and ask, "Why won't you people just leave me alone?" … Get boxes of condoms and randomly put them in peoples carts when they don't realize it … Go to an empty checkout stand and try to check people out …

I am not sure what I will do to vent … I will let you know which form of stress relief I used !! Right now I need to find that dam bottle of wine!! Thanks for letting me vent!!

New York City ~ Jan 4

We were off to Times Square and to see the tree. Some of the old mosaics still can be found in many of the stations (click on pic to get a close up). Here is the hub-muffin waiting for a train, it was very quiet for christmas eve. The city is just amazing, deversity is all around you, the excitment, the people, the lights, etc.The we came upon these wonderful decorations. div>
>>>

Then onto Radio City Music Hall where everyone has been once or wants to go once. We have a family friend that was a Rockette, as glam as it looks these girls work grueling hours.

Then ONTO the tree In Rockfellar Center.








More to come ............

THE NEW - New Years Eve Ball ~ Dec. 31st

New Year's Eve in Times Square is a bona fide phenomenon, I only did it once and that was enough for me, but I did it!!!!

Each year, millions of eyes from all over the world are focused on the sparkling Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year's Eve Ball. At 11:59 p.m., the Ball begins its descent as millions of voices unite to count down the final seconds of the year, and celebrate the beginning of a new year full of hopes, challenges, changes and dreams.

The "New" New Year's Eve Ball On November 11th, 2008, The co-organizers of New Year’s Eve in Times Square unveiled a new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball at a press conference at Hudson Scenic Studio in Yonkers, New York.

The new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is a 12 foot geodesic sphere, double the size of previous Balls, and weighs 11,875 pounds. Covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals and powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDS, the new Ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect atop One Times Square.

The organizers also announced that the new Ball will become a year-round attraction above Times Square in full public view January through December.



“For one hundred years, the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball has attracted millions of revelers to Times Square on December 31st to celebrate the beginning of the New Year” said Jeff Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment and co-organizer of Times Square New Year’s Eve. “The new Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball will be a bright sparkling jewel atop One Times Square entertaining New Yorkers and tourists from around the world not only on December 31, but throughout the year.”

To ALL my new blogging friends ... I wish you all a Happy and Healthy New Year!

A Happy New Year! Grant that I may bring no tear to any eye when this New Year in time shall end. Let it be said I've played the friend, have lived and loved and labored here, and made of it a happy year.

Some Genealogy ~ Dec. 30th

Today I have been sitting here in my PJ's all day working on some of my geneaolgy (thank gosh for vacations!) Vacations can be nice, sip wine at night, sleeping-in in the morning, hanging out in your jammers all day if you want! YEA!!

So since I was doing some genealogy stuff I thought I would share some of my life with you.

I am of mostly of English and Irish descent, with a touch of French/German and a touch of Algonquain American Indian. Last year I went back to Ireland to trace some of my roots and was lucky enough to find more then I expected.

Here is GG grandma and grandpas house minus the thatched roof, it was actually in pretty good shape, the stones walls had recently been painted too. (Can you imagine living in this two room house with seven kids.)

My Great-Great Grandfather was Jeremiah (Darby) Leary b. 1830 d. 1905, he only spoke Gaelic (so the 1901 cesus shows) and settled in Mid-Ireland in the of County Tipperary, Ireland. He met and married Ellen Lewis b. 1834 d. 1920. They built their farm in ruarl Ireland near the Knockmealdown Mts. and they had seven children. I am sure they thought themselves and idyllic rural Irish family. Darby and Ellen had survived the great potato famine and must have had visions once again of a working farm, with their three strong sons to help, that is until their children decided to leave Ireland and go to America. My GG-Grandparents instead said good-by to five of their children, two sons and three daughters.

I can not even imagine the feeling of standing at the door of your home waving and watching five of your children leave. Hoping you will see then again but knowing in your heart you will not ever cross paths with your babies again.

So my G-GrandMother Margaret Leary ventured to the new world at only sixteen years old. Unbelieable rezliant woman. Here is GG Grandma's door.

Here is a view from that front door, the land has grown over but still beautiful
As the sun set, I had to leave the vacant farm and only wonder what their life was like in rural ireland.


My GG-Granparents (Peter's family) were from Northern Ireland, thier names were Owen Woods b. 1827 and Rose McNally b.1833, they were married in 1865 Roman Catholic Church of Keady, County Armagh, Ireland, they had two sons Patricks and Peter and a daughter Mary, who remained in Irland. Here is a picture of their old farmhouse.


Peter also left Ireland for America, I find his ships manifest as arriving in Boston May 27, 1889 and was naturalized in 1893. Here is his name on the manifest and the ship he sailed over from Ireland on:












So as the story goes Irish boy(Peter)meets Irish girl(Margaret)and live happliy ever after along with their twleve children.

This is their wedding photo which was taken from a Tin-Type so the quality is not very good. The lady standing is my G-Aunt Johanna Leary, the gentleman standing in a Leary cousin, bride and groom seated are Margaret Leary and Pater Woods.

....AND I AM LEFT TO TELL THEIR STORIES

Maxine Dec. 28th

Still working on my pictures ...

Just thought I would upload my of my favorite Maxine motto's!!

My Birthday! Dec. 27th

Our trip to NYC was great, saw the grand baby, rode the good ole subway, and of course one must always experience a NYC cab ride into Times Square! I will post pics once I upload them.

BUT TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!! I always hated having my birthday so close to Christmas, combined presents Christmas/birthday gift, no cup cake school parties ... I always felt I got jipped but then I think of my sister-in-law, she was born Christmas eve.

This is the day they brought me home from the hospital ... mom and dad and my brother

I was born in good ole Brooklyn New York during a ragging snowstorm, mom said she was not sure she would make it to the hospital in time! This is my first birthday without mom, she passed away this year.

These are my grandparents

...and here I am!!

Birthday Cake History
History of Birthday Cake can be traced back to the ancient Greeks who made round or moon shaped honey cakes or bread and took it to the temple of Artemis -the Goddess of Moon. Some scholars, however, believe that the tradition of Birthday cake started in Germany in Middle Ages. Sweetened bread dough was given the shape of baby Jesus in swaddling cloth and was used to commemorate his birthday. This special birthday cake later reemerged in Germany as a Kinderfest or the birthday celebrations of a young child. Germans also baked another special kind of a cake called Geburtstagorten as it was baked in layers. This was sweeter that the coarse and bread like cake that were usually made at that time.