It's been way too long, friend.

No, not you. I think I'm speaking to myself, here.

I told myself that come 2010, I would be back on the blog. Things have been up and down around here but honestly, it's all good. The short news is we are all healthy and we have the two best kids on the planet (well, they are mine, I am allowed to say that). So what's new in the last (gulp!) 9+ months?

• We have a C of O for the house! This is recent news. Oh yes, you'll hear more about the house.
• O is in kindergarten! Officially 67+ months old, as he puts it. Still my little old man, my baby boy. Much more of a boy, with boy things and boy sounds.
  
• G is turning TWO this weekend. Seriously. She is a mini-me, cubed (poor thing). Such a trip - demanding, hilarious, goofy, dramatic. Beautiful.
  
• C is still a great husband. :-)
• I lost some weight. (I did have a 20th yr reunion last July, people.) And hell, it was time to ditch the baby-weight anyhow. Not a lot, but it doesn't take much on my frame.
  
• I like to cook even more than before. Trying lots of new recipes, techniques, ingredients.
  
• I'm trying to be greener, inspired by a client of mine. Buying in bulk when I can, reusable items, watching waste.
  
• I have an updated client roster...yes, still consulting (woohoo! I AM NOT GOING BACK!). This is mostly what's been keeping me distracted. They are inspiring, wonderful and unique in different ways...I'm very lucky. And good people, most importantly.
  

So, stay tuned, if you still have any interest. I still don't shut up all that easily.
xoxo
N

So If You Actually, Really, Check in Now and Again...

Go ahead, follow me. I know, I've pointed out the Twitter thing before - I don't really think many of you have taken me up on that, which is totally fine. But now I've added the "Following" module down thar to the ol' blog.

So help me not be embarrassed by having only one fan (bless your heart, K) and please show some love. You're not required to comment, don't worry. :-)

Cheers.

Begin the Day with the Thought that the World is Good

I can attest to that. You hear enough crud out there that it's not...but I do start the day with, and teach my kids the idea that people are generally good. (Ok, I do make sure they know that bad people are out there too, but most likely something made them like that.)

First, let me let those who've checked in on us know that we HAVE gotten A/C on the first floor. The top floor is steamy, but getting better (as I write this immediately following some major thunderstorms). So it is tolerable living here, and during the day the kids are with J and stay downstairs. Cool.

A lovely new neighbor--I shouldn't say new, she lived here before I did!--who has been introduced to me by a friend, reads this blog (and I, hers). We haven't met yet, but I expect to soon, and we typically correspond through postings and email.

She called me out of the blue and opened her home to me and my family in the heat. Welcomed us to come over to enjoy her A/C. It was so thoughtful and generous of her. And the reality is...she is not the only one. We've had a good handful of friends that know the situation offer to take care of us...we even got treated to dinner in our friends' A/C'd house this weekend.

I don't know if we're just lucky, but that can't be true as often as I think it.

Thanks everyone, it really means so much.
xoxo

Are you reading?

I just changed the "comment" option on this thing...anyone should be able to comment now if you've been reading and are feeling so inclined.

My bad, I think I had the wrong setting. Live and learn.

My first game of tag in e-world

My new friend P at pve design is a lovely local design guru that I have yet to meet in person (hello, e-world...and she even lives in our 'hood!) and has just given me my first blogger "tag". I'm in. Please check out her blog, she has a great eye and always finds a lovely daily visual or two to get you thinkin'.

For the uninitiated (as I was recently), when you get "tagged" you are asked to post specific info and then pass the tag onto others so they do the same. Since my audience is pretty small (hey...can some more of you start commenting, please?), I'll have to fudge the pass-on a bit. Forgive me, P.

(P came to me via my lovely neighbor K, of Kwana Writes fame.)

Here I go.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

1998...ten years ago I was getting ready for my wedding on August 29 (holy cow, that went fast, didn't it, C). C and I were living in Manhattan on 14th Street between 7th and 8th Aves, Apt 5B, a walk-up. Lots of good shindigs in that abode. I was still working my rear off with long hours at my first big agency job at MVBMS on crazy accounts like Select Comfort, Fox News Channel, and Hallmark. I'd walk to work every day (unless it was raining) and I made some very good friends from that position...many I keep in touch with today.

2. What are five things on my list for today?

• Cross my fingers and do anything in my power to make sure O stays feeling better today (he is, amen)
• Come home early to feed Ginger as I am still rotating out of the breastfeeding thing
• Head to work where I contemplate my fate while trying to drag it out as long as possible in order to ultimately find that elusive dream situation of working from home full time...
• Pick out G's christening invitation, even though I have no idea of exactly when it will be yet
• Talk darling C into cooking dinner when he gets home
• (I have so many more things than five!)

3. Snacks that I enjoy?

Chocolate! Dark chocolate; milk doesn't do it for me. Rich hot chocolate. A tall cold glass of milk with...something chocolate. Berries and raisins. Angel food cake. Those little sesame snacks that you find in bar mixes....they sell them at Trader Joe's. Fage yogurt with honey. Lastly, those new Sunmaid raisins that are covered in...you guessed it...dark chocolate yogurt.

4. Things that I would do if I were a billionaire?

First things first...I'd quit work so I can spend more time with my kids. And put away more than enough for their college educations, their children's college educations, and their grandchildren's college educations.

Then I'd realize I still have the desire to work, so I'll have to start a non-profit.
I'd donate a lot to education.
I'd make sure my family traveled the world and appreciated all the differences that are out there and tasted every food type there was.

I'd buy a lot of shoes.
I'd make sure I had fresh flowers around...all the time.

5. Places I have lived:
...I realize I haven't been all that adventurous, here...
North Branford, CT
Guilford, CT
Fairfield, CT (college)
Upper East Side, Manhattan
West 14th Street, Manhattan
Ardsley, NY

6. I have tagged each of you or anyone else who likes to play fair and square.
Kwana Writes

finkipedia
Okay...so I have a very short list of blog friends (hey, I'm still somewhat new at this!)
If you're reading and don't have a blog...please feel free to comment (click "COMMENTS") and post your answers. I'll post for all. Thanks for playing along!

On Blogging and the Female Persuasion

I just got this in my inbox today (some of you may be very interested to pass it along to pals if you haven't seen it already...):

http://blogs.mediapost.com/research_brief/?p=1702

The title?
"Women Would Sacrifice Almost Anything But Chocolate for Blogging"

Wow. Seems pretty intense, doesn't it? That's a major statement.
I have to say while I am a newbie at this blog thing, it does provide a wonderful outlet for me. With that said...let's see how I agree with the general population of BlogHer.

Women are so passionate about blogging, says the report, that large percentages said they would give something up to keep the blogs they read and/or write:

• 55% would give up alcohol
• 50% would give up their PDAs
• 42% would give up their i-Pod
• 43% would give up reading the newspaper or magazines
• only 20% would give up chocolate

I would not be giving up wine or chocolate. They are just too much a part of my life. The PDA can go. The iPod...I could live without it. Newspapers and magazines. What, no NY Post Page Six? No SuDoku? No Cookie Magazine? Mmmm....well, I guess I can read it all online. So, okay.

Makes you think about what you would give up, period, if life was a series of trade-offs.

Maybe that's a good way to look at my life today. Let me think about that.