Working Vacation

We're on vacation, Jim's off this week and I'm off for two months. Here's how we spent time so far...stripping and restaining our cedar deck.

Harrison Ford: Protect an Acre

Yes, I want to help and here's a message from Indy and Conservation International!

MHC Video News - Science

Working with three Mount Holyoke College students and academic advisors I successfully shot, edited, and produced a series of video news clips for our Communications Office. I've got at least 60 hours of time invested in this project and now that I'm finished I feel a tremendous sense of pride. With that said, I truly appreciate the top-notch level of quality candidates our office selected to interview.

Check out Angie DiCiccio, she's got the power to change the world!

MHC Video News - Art History

My second video, in a series of three, focuses on the subject of Art History. Senior Elizabeth Petcu is one of my favorite people on campus. We worked together last fall on the Spa Night video. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Liz is an outstanding member of the MHC community. Staff at the Art Museum say she'll be the curator of her own museum one day.

MHC Video News - Psychology

My work at Mount Holyoke College allows me the freedom to be creative. I love the chance to develop new skills in video news. Working with the students and faculty inspires me. It was a real pleasure to work with Charisse Pickron to develop her video. I am fortunate to be surrounded by good people, doing good work to improve the lives of others.

Jimi Hendrix Cake

Special Jimi Hendrix cake by Carolyn's Sweet Tooth Bakery for my husband's 50th birthday party was a smashing success! This chocolate raspberry cake was delicious and the price was reasonable at $44. I brought a few illustrations of Jimi Hendrix to her and she designed a custom cake to feed 40-50 people. I highly recommend checking out Carolyn's fresh made custom cakes for your next event! She even does some lactose free and gluten free baking.



I'll post more pictures on Flickr and details of the event here in the near future. Stay tuned...

Everything in Moderation

The annual Holyoke St. Patrick's Day Parade is set for Sunday and Mother Nature promises to cooperate!

According to the Weather Channel temps are expected to reach 40-45°F by noon, even though a 19°F start to the day is predicted. True, we’ve endured past years of biting artic wind and blinding snow squalls all for the sake of St. Patrick and his marching bands, floats, and of course the popular Mummers. But those tempest days are done.

At my age, warm weather is the determining factor when it comes to spending any length of time outdoors. That and my days of drinking Peppermint Schnapps to numb myself from the cold are LONG GONE. So I hope for nice weather and the chance to get out to Holyoke.

To date I’ve only missed two parades. I feel a kinship to the whole “Irish Weekend” thing as I was born and raised in Holyoke. People come from near-and-far to partake in the hullabaloo.



But I gotta say that I miss those younger days when our friends lived on the parade route. It was a big white two-family house, plastered with banners and shamrock decorations, and a small front yard filled shoulder-to-shoulder with dedicated party-goers. There was Mickey Mouse, and Lucky the Leprechaun, not to mention a whole cast of Irish wannabes raising hell alongside the Paddy’s, and the Wagon’s, lest I forget to mention the Fair Lasses. Truly it was one shindig you didn’t want to miss. Even better, there was access to a heated indoor bathroom a mere 20 feet away.

Fast forward to the last time I attended the parade. The place was locked tight with no sign of life. Yep, our friends flew the coup and the new tenants evidentially want nothing to do with the parade scene.

Now I guarantee there will be no shortage of parties in Holyoke this Sunday, especially along the route. But somehow it just doesn’t feel the same when I know that 6am comes early on Monday morning and I've got an Italian exam to boot.

Childhood Easter Traditions

Waking up the whole house at 6am to scope out what the Easter Bunny left for me and my brother Steve.

Giant Easter Baskets stuffed with candy that lasted at least three months.

Chocolate bunny heads and jelly beans for breakfast.

Itchy, fancy, frilly dresses, hats, and gloves.

Mom insisting we avoid dirtying our new clothes, even if we were on a mission to find every Easter egg hidden in the yard.

Ham dinner followed by chocolate bunny feet.

Mom’s Kodak Instamatic camera and the multiple roles of film she shot while expecting nothing less of her children than to look like fashion models.

Stomach aches that prevented me from attending school the next day.

Sitting home and eating more candy while out of school.

Yeah, those were the days! Here's a shot of me and my brother from Easter 1969.

The Luck O' The Irish

My beagle "Bailey" is one lucky dog! I adopted her 11 years ago after three different owners had enough of her shenanigans. At the time her name was "Murphy" but she looked more like Bailey's Irish Cream to me. I love my old gal and feel lucky she's part of my life!

Chris Botti - Italia

BELLA CANZONE - Truly the most beautiful song I've ever heard!

Lyrics:
E passione forte che mi fa soffrire per amore
Ogni volta che io mi allontano so
che noi ci apparteniamo ancora un po di piu.
La strada dove io bambino restero
Dentro a questi sogni di musica
Libero di vivere la vita che vorrei.
La mia musica e per te immenso amore mio
questa melodia nasce dentro me sempre piu
la nostalgia che ho di te amore e dolce terra mia.

And now for those who don't speak the Italian language:
It's strong passion that makes me suffer for love
Each time I go away I know
that we belong to each other a little more.
The way I'll always stay (be) a child
Inside these dreams about music
Free to live the life that I want.
My music is for you great love of mine
this song makes me feel more and more
the nostalgia I have for you beloved and sweet land (country) of mine.

21 Accents

Just saw this aspiring actress on the Today Show and I love her schizo shtik.

Free Hugs to All on Valentine's Day

Clutter Free

Haven't much felt like writing these days. Sometimes I wonder why I live in the Northeast. I love every season except winter. Then again, if I dusted off my skis and hit the slopes I'd probably appreciate the snow.

No time or money for that though! Instead I'm organizing my paperwork and getting ready for tax time. I'm addicted to organizing (OCD). I actually enjoy de-cluttering especially this time of year (cabin fever). Truthfully though, I need my stuff to be where I want it when I look for it or I become panicked in frustration.

With last summer's tag sale hell in mind, resisting the urge to hoard and collect stuff is alot easier. Especially since every whack-job in the world showed up in our yard, and now they know where to find us. One woman came back five times in one day and tried to leave with stuff she never paid for, now that's thrift shopping.

One good thing came out of that horrendous experience, my husband is cured of his pack-rat behavior. It used to be that he'd load up the back of his truck and bring home everyone's junk on a regular basis. But now he agrees that we don't want a repeat of last year's visitor (stalker), so no accumulated clutter for sale ever again.

New Day, New Year

I love new beginnings and look forward to 2008 as a year of opportunity. Furthering my education and applying new knowledge of all things technical as related to my job are my major priorities. Oh and of course diet, exercise and monetary stability all sit high up on the list as well.

Last night Jim and I enjoyed our traditionally quiet evening at home. I cannot remember the last time we went out to celebrate New Year's Eve, but I'm guessing it was about 15 years ago. As a matter of fact, last night we weren't even awake at midnight. We hit the hay at 9:30 pm after watching the "Godfather". Jim was surprised to hear that I never saw the movie(s), so he borrowed all three of the series from my stepdad, the movie buff of our family.

Now it's off to my living room as we finish our movie marathon with Part II and Part III.

Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

Working Weekend

Home remodeling continued at the Cote homestead this weekend.







Thanks to our good friend Craig we saved money on the basement carpet installation too.

Just Another Day in Granby

Cows take the road home, while a police officer halts traffic and assists in capturing the bovine.

Moooovveee!!!

Friendship Forms

Photo taken of Kari (my new friend from Jamaica) and me, on the day we met through MHC's Crosscultural Connections program at Skinner State Park for a hike up the mountain and picnic lunch on the Mount Holyoke range.

September 11

Links Commemorating September 11
Prayers and Readings - Beliefnet.com
Ground Zero - AM New York
Portraits of Grief - NY Times
Seeing the Horror - Digital Journalist & American Photo

Up, Up, and Away

Check out my latest shots from the Northampton Balloon Festival where I shot balloons at dusk along with some classic cars during the first night of the event.

It's the journey, not the aggrevation!

I don't like remodeling. I like having remodeled. Painting, staining, rearranging everything in and out of rooms, tripping over stuff, and giving up my time normally spent outdoors in my garden to work inside on a ladder despite my fear of heights. What the heck have I gotten myself into I wonder out loud. But look at the bright side Jim says in that matter of fact tone, "think about the sweat equity we're accumulating by doing 95% of the work ourselves".

Meanwhile I'm roasting in 90-degree heat, forced to close up the house I turn on the air conditioner. And always, the smell of paint choking me as it settles in my throat along with the noxious toxins from the new vinyl and carpet flooring.

One thing I know for sure, there is no way to speed up our projects without sacrificing quality. So I have no choice but to accept the mess and stress of being trapped in a constant state of remodeling this year.

Funny thing is Jim doesn’t' mind tackling one project after another. His 'honey-do' list continues to grow yet he whistles while he works. Part of me resents him for it, and the other part is relieved that one of us enjoys the chaos and manual labor. The one with all the construction knowledge that is!

My mind never stops planning, even in my sleep I'm dreaming about completing our next project. Taming the concrete dungeon (a.k.a. basement) to build a new family room and bathroom. Which means more noisy evenings and weekends. Our neighbors must love us!

New Floors Installed

When we started tearing out the old linoleum we thought it would peel right up. Boy were we wrong.


It took 2 hours to remove the old linoleum in our kitchen with a heat gun and putty knife.


Vinyl Mannington kitchen floor is done!


Carpets are in too!

Painting Project

My living room walls are near done and I'm pleased to say I like it, I really like it!


Can we go out and play now?

Renovations Are Us

Jim removes the ceramic tile in the front entrance of our home to prepare for installing new beige tile.

Living room prepped for painting in the same shade as the hallway "tawny tan".



More pictures to come soon!

It Takes Every Kind of Music to Make the World Go Round

You know you're getting old when the top 25 new releases on iTunes are barely recognizable.

There was a time when I prided myself on my cool ability to keep up with all the new music. Today I am willing to admit, with some sense of relief, that those days are gone!

I'm not ashamed to say that "Forever Cool" by Dean Martin, and "Live At Radio City" by the Dave Matthews Band are just a couple new releases I recognize this week.

Then again with new hip-hop songs like "Freaky Gurl" and "Booty Bangs" who wouldn't prefer to tune into the classics.

Fortunately iTunes has a huge library of music and a great radio selection. Now back to listening to my '70s music station.

Lending a Friendly Hand

I'm really glad to hear that as part of MHC's Crosscultural Connections I'll become a host to a first-year student from Jamaica.

At the present time we're communicating via email. When she arrives on campus, where she'll live in one of the dorm rooms, I'll be here to help her get acclimated to the local area. This will be her first time living away from home in a foreign country.

I'm very interested in learning about her culture. I like some Reggae music and I visited Ocho Rios when I climbed Dunns River Falls on a day-trip off a cruise ship years ago, but that's about as far as my knowledge of Jamaica goes.

Here's to another learning experience and new friendship on the way.

Color My World

My life is consumed with home improvement projects lately. It all started last month when I picked out several delicious palettes of paint samples in French Roast, Java, Mocha, Biscuit, Macadamia, and Soft Apricot to name just a few.

After wrangling over the many options I decided on complimentary earth-tone colors to match my new flooring (yet to be installed) in the foyer, hallway, and living-room.

I check with hubby to see if he can live with the colors for the next several years. He gives a robotic nod without any verbal expression. Which increases my doubt as I know he's only doing what he thinks he must do in order to keep the peace. So I ask again to make sure that he's with me and he confirms that the colors will work well.

I get the first coat of Soft Apricot on the kitchen walls and I'm horrified to find what looks more like over-ripe cantaloupe. Jim comes home from work and tells me that it looks like a country kitchen. Great, my style has always been traditional and now it's turning eclectic.

Still, I'm determined to use the paint. So after a second coat to cover the paint streaks and bald spots the color begins to grow on both of us and we decide to live with it. Jim then put wood molding along the base of the ceiling and walls for a little extra touch and I place a rooster plate on the wall as a reminder of the free roaming birds of Key West.

Truthfully the hardest thing about redecorating is selecting colors and items I won't grow tired of in a few years. The way I see it, the painstaking process of redesigning a house shouldn't be done more than every 15-20 years.

I admire those ambitious types who redecorate and paint their walls every couple years just for the fun of it. I'll never be that type of person. As a matter of fact, my Eggshell colored living room walls remained the same for 15 years - walls I never painted. But all that changed today and I feel inspired by the Tawny Tan I've started to flow on my walls. I might even add a darker shade of brown in either Coffee Bean or Java to the largest wall behind my new sofa.

Meanwhile hubby looks at me like I've got two heads when I explain that it's a new style concept to paint one wall in a darker shade to accent the room. Then again what does he care as long as he doesn't have to do the painting, now that he's got me trained on how to cut, edge, roll, and feather out brush strokes.

Oh and I must mention that we're also remodeling the basement. Yes, we'll be busy for several months.

My appreciation for my husband's jack-of-all-trades skill level never ceases to amaze me. Jim's got a wealth of knowledge and motivation. He grew up surrounded by hard-workers who built their own homes from the ground up, so he finds it natural to tear down walls in the basement then rebuild new walls to create a family room and bathroom. While I, the city girl who grew up in an apartment where the landlord did all the work, feel stressed over every project we're tackling.

Last week we hung tongue and groove boards on the ceiling of our basement. Anyone who could see us in action would have laughed their ass off! I'm up on a small step-ladder attempting to hold pieces of wood in place while he's firing the air-pressured nail gun. The wood keeps slipping out of the groove, and he thinks it's because I can't judge how to hold the wood right.

Of course, the wood we purchased from our local home improvement store must have been seconds because it wasn't lining up properly no matter how hard I pushed it into place.

I'm still picking out the near invisible slivers of pine from my calloused hands, and even though my body hurts in places I didn't know could ache, I am learning and growing.

When I get the chance to catch my breath I tune into the DIY network or HGTV, and I read books and magazines on interior design. I am gaining the confidence to follow my heart's lead and the ability to cope creatively with the renovations.

Extreme Makeover

Home improvement projects are causing me anxiety and illness. Painting walls and staining woodwork is clearly not my forte, but since my husband Jim is a jack-of-all trades he refuses to hire anyone. So he took over the job for me this past weekend. Whew - talk about toxic overload I couldn't even see straight from the chemical smells.

While I'm all for saving money by doing the work ourselves, I've decided to hire a pro to wallpaper the dining room. Jim bought into my plan - yeah!

Of course, we don't always agree on everything. We visited the local hardware/home improvement store and created quite a scene as we stood there arguing over lights. Now I know we're not the first couple to do this, but when we left empty handed I knew that we hit a wall and it was time to take a step back. On the drive home we agreed how silly the whole argument was, especially since we share a similar sense of taste and design style.

It's been 15 years since we first built our home, and we forgot the pain involved in the process of selecting everything from light fixtures to door knobs. One thing we are now remembering is that time and patience is what it will take to remodel. We'll probably be at it for several months at this rate, but when the rooms are complete it will be well worth the blood, sweat, and fears.

Campus Tragedy

Before leaving for work this morning I watched GMA and learned more about the horrific news of the Virginia Tech shootings. At first I wondered if the massacre could have been prevented? Why didn't the administration at VTech call off classes right after the first shootings occurred? Why weren't the proper authorities (law enforcement) called to the scene immediately, or were they?

As the day went on I read that the shooter, a senior at the school, had a history of emotional issues uncovered when he wrote a violent paper/play. According to one report, the student was referred to counseling as a result. Looks like that plan failed. Should the college have released him, would anyone have been any safer if he was forbidden from attending classes?

While his motive remains unclear at this time, one is left to wonder how anyone can do such a thing. When will the brutality end? And what about the people who seem to be less impacted by this act of tragedy than Columbine, what does it say about the hardening of people's hearts?

I pray for peace now more than ever. I pray that every candle lit at every vigil and every tear shed will bring communities together in awareness to rise above evil.

God Bless!

That’s Amore'

Today is Valentine’s Day! In the spirit of the fun-holiday, hubby and I exchanged cards and gifts. We’re snow bound due to the first big storm of the season so we’ll cook a nice dinner and watch a movie. We're both grateful for the soulful relationship we share. It was 23 years ago today that we became engaged to marry. Wow, time fly’s when you’re having fun! Seriously though, the real key to success in our relationship is our ability to live in the present. Life does not exist in future predictions or past grievances; all we have for sure is right here and right now.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Goals, Not Resolutions

Every year at this time I take a close look at my life and reflect on the past and present. One thing I know for sure is this...New Year’s resolutions, although great in theory, usually don’t work out the way I want them to. Why? Because they are wishes and not goals. Without a plan I'll surely fail. So this year I've got a plan that includes the following goals.

1) Eat healthy – more fruits and veggies, less carbs and sugar.
2) Make the time to exercise – at least 30 minutes every day.
3) Continue to pay down all charge-card debt and resist the urge to live beyond my means.
4) Learn something new - continue to expand my knowledge through education.
5) Get organized - toss out everything I don't use, or sell it on eBay.
6) Meditate and remain grateful for the God-sent people who encourage me to follow my dreams.

It also helps to make sure my goals are measurable. I think the best way to do this is by writing down specific activities and scheduling time on my calendar. I also plan to chart my progress in my notebook journal.

I love new beginnings!

Welcome to 2007!

No rowdy New Year’s party for me. Even though I’ve always been a big “I love the nightlife, I love to boogie,” kind of gal, I find New Year’s Eve parties disappointing. Food service establishments herd customers in and out the door like cattle, and the fancy schmancy hotel/banquet package deals are highly over-rated and over-priced. So, I prefer a calm, comfortable, casual, New Year's Eve at home and love to wake up hang-over free on the first day of the year.

Last night, my good friends Sue and Steve came over for dinner. With the stress of the holidays behind us, we enjoyed the bright Christmas tree lights and festive decorations I've yet to pack away. We dined on Shrimp Cocktail, French Onion Soup Gratinée, Prime Rib, and Baked Stuffed Shrimp, followed by Chocolate Mousse for dessert. It was a joint effort. My husband and I prepared half the delicacies and our friends the rest. We thoroughly enjoyed every bite of our sumptuous meal without feeling rushed. The table was ours for the night! But we didn’t linger in the dining-room, instead we sat under the stars in the hot tub. Truly it was the perfect way to kick-off 2007!

Happy New Year!!!

The Night's a Treat

Today is Halloween a fun day for kids and adults alike? Here are some reasons why I love this holiday.

1) Playing dress up is always so much fun
2) Ghost stories and horror movies
3) The colors black and orange
4) Large amounts of candy
5) Joyful memories from my youth
6) Jack O'Lanterns aglow
6) Monster Mash and other goofy tunes
7) Another reason to party like a "Rock Star"

Remembering 9/11

I saw a memorial tribute today at work of 2,977 U.S. flags. That is the number of the deceased, as a result of the worst terrorist attack on American soil five years ago today. My prayers are with all the survivors. We will never forget!

Haber Wedding-Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

Last weekend Jim and I attended a wedding for Ben and Meghan. The reception was fantastic!!!

I set up 60 pictures on Flickr.com, so check out the Wedding Photoblog.

Please note, I tried to organize these photos, but Flickr won't give me full control over the display...sorry about that...but you'll get a few laughs anyway!!!

Flashback to the '60s

Went to the Stearns Square CityBlock concert to see Big Brother & The Holding Company (Janis Joplin's original band). Although the new lead singer was NO Joplin, the trip through nostalgia drew a large crowd. It was fun to reunite with some friends I haven't seen in years.

Big Brother & The Holding Company 1967 poster by Victor Moscoso

Nightshade Plants

Yesterday I had a conversation with two friends who expressed interest in certain foods and arthritis, in particular the night shade plants, so here is a list of hyperlinks on the subject.

Organic Food-CO-UK

The World’s Healthiest Foods – whfoods.org

Avoiding Nightshade Vegetables – Remedy Find

Tomatoes and Arthritis

I believe limiting nightshades can be helpful to persons with or without Arthritis. The proof is evident when I limit my consumption.

Time is On My Side

Earlier today I found a link to a site that helps you calculate your time left on earth.

According to Death Clock I will live to the ripe old age of 79.

This is comforting to know, especially since I escaped serious injury and possible death today on my ride home from work.

I was driving on a rural highway (Route 202) when ahead of me in the opposite lane a car drove out of control and sliced a utility pole in half. Power lines ignited into sparks of flames that shot out into the street. All this and I'm only about 30 feet away. But I wasn't worried a bit, because I know that I can count on my number coming up in the year 2042 not 2006. Geez, I wonder if social security will last as long as me?

Dog Days

Summer brings warm weather to New England. The heat doesn't bother me but the humidity does. These dogs don't seem to mind! My girl Tasha (left), and Jericho the neighbor's dog both enjoy the Dog Days of Summer. What spoiled lives these dogs lead!

Cruise Vacations

The most recent story about The Crown Princess cruise ship, tipping to one side and injuring dozens, makes me wonder if it is wise to tempt fate.

Funny thing is this ship was christened by Martha Stewart last month before embarking on its maiden voyage to the Caribbean. Is this a case of Martha's Revenge? Ready for another strange coincidence? Tuesday night's shipboard movie was supposed to be the "Titanic". Sounds like karma led to catastrophe.

The cruise industry has seen its share of troubles. I know of more than one cruise ship tipping incident. The trip I took in 1991 on Celebrity's "Mercury" with my husband, was a real thrill ride. We hit a tropical storm and the captain rerouted the ship through the Bermuda Triangle. But the storm hit us hard at 3 am with 25 foot waves slamming the side of the ship and disturbing my sleep. The ship tipped at least 20 degrees to the left, port side in nautical lingo. Luckily I managed to remain in my cabin while riding the storm out. The porthole gave me a view of the amazing sky in shades of blue and purple, unlike anything I have ever seen.

It was the last night of our cruise and we were all exhausted from so much fun in the sun. My sister-in-law and her husband were on the opposite side of the ship and fell out of their bed. Meanwhile my other sister-in-law slept right through the entire storm. My adventurous husband left our cabin to get a better view of the storm. He saw deck chairs fly out into the ocean. The ship was tipped to one side and he stood at the top of the ship in an enclosed area. The crew members weren't even brave enough to venture out into the open deck areas.

One frantic passenger went door-to-door in his life jacket knocking on cabin doors. He thought it was his role to warn the passengers of the storm and scare them out of their rooms. Someone should have given that guy a valium.

Luckily there wasn't the dreaded alert to assemble at our muster station. The storm passed minutes later.

Next day we were set to disembark in Fort Lauderdale. As we walked across the flooded ship on our way to breakfast we saw the crew was hard at work cleaning up the mess. Broken glass from the store windows and bottles of booze smashed to bits. I heard first-hand accounts from passengers with balconies that were ordered to evacuate their flooded cabins during the storm. The crew members told us the "Mercury" has sailed through worse tropical storms, we were lucky it happened at night when we were in our cabins.

Since then I have cruised on Carnival's "Legend of the Seas" and would love to partake in a group cruise next March. I guess it all comes down to destiny. If it's my time to go, it's my time to go. Then again - why tempt fate!

I am sorry to hear about the injured people on The Crown Princess. Godspeed and good luck recovering.