Turn Around, Sunrise Sunset

What is it about the lyrics in a song that ring so true.  "Turn Around, Turn Around, Turn Around and she's/he's a young girl/boy heading out of the door" Sunrise, Sunset "I don't remember growing older, when did they?"

I am being very nostalgic today, Danielle (my first born) is 29.  Where did the years go?  Early this morning, I was pouring over her baby albums, and looking at how young Donnie and I were (21) when we had her. The thing that really struck me, is truly...I don't remember growing older, so how can it be that my baby girl is 29 today.

When Danielle was born, she had 4 grandparents and 8 great grandparents.  Today, she is still blessed to have her four grandparents and her 102 year old great grandmother.  I looked at the pictures of my parents and Donnie's parents holding Danielle, and I thought, "How young they looked", but to me, my parents at 75, and Donnie's parents at 73 are still young.  Even Great Grandma is young at 102, so how can Danielle be this beautiful 29 year old woman, when we are still those 21 year old kids that had her all those years ago?

Truth is....Love is ageless, and watching your children grow into adulthood, and "head out of the door", is what the Circle of Life is all about.  You love your children, guide them when they are young, and when the time is right and they are ready to head out on their own, you pray for their happiness, and wish them well.

Danielle left home when she was in her early 20's and took on the Big Apple city of New York.  She had her share of ups and downs there, but through it all she persevered.  She is a strong, capable, loving and beautiful women, and no matter where her travels take her next, she will head out that door and take it on with aplomb!

Life is a Hallmark Movie

Recently I posted that life is a Hallmark Movie, and that I loved watching them.  I have not blogged in quite awhile, but tonight I find myself wanting to share.

I love Hallmark movies, I love Hallmark card commercials, I love that all Hallmark movies have Happy Endings.

Last Holiday season, two weeks before Christmas, I ended up getting a torn retina, and almost lost my sight in one eye.   For two weeks as I was recovering, I was only able to listen to the Hallmark movies, but they helped me get through the two weeks of not being able to get up from the same prone position for 23 hours a day.  This Holiday season, a week and a half before Thanksgiving, I find myself drawn to the Hallmark movies more than ever.  In the last year my family has faced a lot of ups, and quite a few downs, and if watching a Hallmark movie brings me to a feel good place, then I am not ashamed to say, that they make me smile.

I think the real theme of Hallmark movies is just that....they are movies to make you feel good and bring a smile to your face.  Unrealistic though they may seem, I am particularly grateful, that even in the ups and downs, good times and bad times of my life, I like to think that my life is a Hallmark movie.  Its a Hallmark movie, because I am grateful for my life, the love of my wonderful husband, the gift of having my children all safe and secure, my parents, siblings, in-laws, friends and relatives. My life as a Hallmark movie is still being written, and it is my wish today, and during this Holiday season, where family and love are in abundance, that my Hallmark movie, like all Hallmark movies, has a very Happy Ending.

I Have..

I Have God
I Have my Husband
I Have my Children
I Have my Parents
I Have my Siblings
I Have my In-Laws
I Have my Sister and Brother in-laws
I Have many Nieces and Nephews, and cousins and relatives in abundance
I Have a Roof over my Head, and Food to Eat

I Have So Much, but what do I really Have?  I Have "Today" and today is a gift I will relish and not take for granted, because no one knows what tomorrow will bring....

Live for Today, it is a gift to be cherished.

Les Miserables

Tonight is the opening of Reagle Music Theater's production of Les Miserables.  I am proud to be a part of the ensemble of this beautiful Musical directed by David Hugo.

This show holds so many special memories for me, and at the mid century of my life, I feel blessed to be able to perform in this show.

My family has always been a family that drives together on family trips.  We enjoy driving together so much, that even now as grown adults, whenever a holiday or trip comes up, we all squeeze into the family station wagon, and sing. 

It all began with our family trips to Disney World.  We usually drove 24 hours straight through to Florida, and the thing that kept everyone content and happy was listening to Broadway Musicals.  In fact I think my youngest daughter Jane's first songs weren't children songs, but the music of Rent and Les Mis.

We would play Les Miserables on the way to Florida and on the way back (several times), and all five of our children knew every single word to the entire recording.  It was truly one of the family's favorite musicals.  So by the time my son Michael was a junior in High School, it did not surprise me at all when he was cast as Marius.  Marius was second nature to Michael, and he played it so beautifully.  My husband and I went to every single performance, and felt the pull and love of this spectacular Musical every single night.

When I went to the first rehearsal of Reagles Les Mis, and we did the sing through, my heart filled with so many memories.  Memories of my little Mary and baby Janie singing together Castles on a Cloud, Danielle belting out Eponines songs, Michael singing the part of Marius and my son Ryan, my husband Donnie, and myself singing all the choral parts...(of course I always sang Fantines part)  The Music of a People (my people my family) filled our car with so much love, and joy. So as I sat there singing along with a room full of talented and amazing performers, my heart filled with even more love and joy.  The joy of my memories from the past, my memories of the present and a love for the future to come.

David Hugo said that this Musical comes down to Love...(To love another person is to see the face of God)
Whether you believe in God, a higher being or whatever you choose to believe in....Love is the truest gift.  I have been given the gift of being able to perform in this show, a show that I hold close to my heart.  My blog has always been about being grateful, and today on opening night, I feel Love and enduring Gratefulness. 

30 Years Ago today

Thirty years ago today, I married my best friend. 

The boy I met in Junior High and started dating at the age of 16.  We were 20 years old and about to embark on the best adventure of our lives. 

Today, I wake up and am planning to go get my hair done, my nails done, put some makeup on, and then put on a pretty dress for our dinner date tonight.  Then after our dinner date,  we will spend the night at a hotel in the same city where we spent our Wedding night 30 years ago.

30 years and so much has changed and yet so much is the same. 

The "same" is that my husband is still my best friend.  The "same" is that I still feel like that 20 year old bride, getting ready for a date with her soon to be husband.  The "change" is that I don't look like that 20 year old bride any more, nor does my husband look the same.  We have graying hair, our bodies are not as lean as they were 30 years ago, and we have life lines etched into our faces.  But the most important "change" is that after 30 years, my love for my husband continues to grow stronger, and I can honestly say, that I love him even more today, than I did on  July 2, 1983 Thirty years ago.

So, today as I get ready for our Anniversary date night, This 50 year old woman, staring back at me in the mirror is no longer 20,  but she still feels like that bride to be.  I am giddy, anxious and excited to be getting ready for a date with my husband.  Hoping that when he sees me, he sees his bride of 30 years with the same look of love and anticipation that I saw on his face as I walked down the aisle so many years ago.

 So much has changed, yet so much is the same, but if I had to go back 30 years and do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing!

You are still my best friend Donnie Naugler.  Thank you for the best 30 years of my life so far, and I look forward to many more years of loving you.  Happy Anniversary

Happy

It's been a while since I have blogged.  I was looking at a picture of my kids when they were younger, and the smiles on their faces reminded me of the innocence of youth and how quickly the years go by. Their smiles made me Happy.

 My father used to say that Happy was just a word, but I totally disagree. Happy is not just  a word. To me....  Happy is......being grateful for the things you have and not stressing about the things you have not.  It's about attitude, positive not negative. It's about perspective, and how we look at our lives.  It's about passion, and living life to its fullest.  It's about ying and yang and finding balance in your life.

H - Have and Have Nots
A - Attitude
P - Perspective
P - Passion
Y - Ying and Yang

Happy is more than just a word.  It's many words, with many different meanings.  It's filled with emotion, and it is a choice.  I choose to be happy, I choose to be grateful, I choose to look for the definition of Happy in each new day.

HAPPY

Table for Two

We started out at a table reserved for two,
and over the years that reservation grew.
One pound of pasta,
soon became two.
Danielle, was joined by Michael, Ryan, Mary,
and little Janie too,
Oh the memories we have made, are many more,
than just a few.
Tonight, almost 30 years later, I set our table,
just for two,
Empty nesters we are now, but Donnie,
I'm so happy sitting at this table just reserved for two!

My Garden

 How does my Garden Grow?  Well I never claimed to have a green thumb, but I think my Garden is beautiful.  The soil is rich and the flowers are all budding and continuing to blossom with each new day. 

My Garden of Life has not always been a bed of roses and raising 5 budding children has had its fair share of growth challenges.  So my bed of Roses has had some thorns, but those same roses, thorns and all  are still so very beautiful!

Like any flower that blooms, they all need a different kind of care to flourish, and my children are a garden full of beautiful blossoms. Some of them need more sunshine than others, and some of them are content to grow peacefully in the shade.  The soil from which they came, was watered, fertililized, and tended to with great love and care.  All these beautiful blossoms came from the same soil, and yet they all have their own unique beauty, and they all have different needs in order for them to grow.

It doesn't just take watering your flowers to make them grow.  It takes, time, patience, weeding, warmth, and even talking to them to make those blossoms come to life.   Each Season brings its challenges to the growth of these beautiful flowers, but I love the challenge and I hope one day, when I look down at my thumb, it will be the most beautiful shade of green.  For then I will know that all the time and care I put into my garden produced the most uniquely different and beautiful array of blossoms. 

Blast from the Past

Last week I turned 50.  I'm now a 1/2 a century old, and I feel so blessed to have my health, my husband, my parents, my children,my friends, and so much more.  Donnie and I decided that since we were both turning 50 this year, and all our High School friends were turning 50, we should throw a party.  We talked about it for months, but it wasn't until a High School friend of ours died in a tragic car crash in January, that our friend Svein said to us...Let's do it, lets throw that party, and celebrate Life.  We opened the party to any of our friends who were turning 50, and to any of their family and friends that they wanted to invite. 

The hall could hold about 150 people, but in the end we had about 65- 70 people who showed up.  A Friday night is not always easy for people to make, but no matter, it wasn't the number of the people who showed up, it was the atmosphere of the party.  We had a blast.  We sang Karaoke, We Ate, We Socialized, and We Danced.  We personified the quote "Live, Love, Laugh".  It was one of the best Birthday Presents I could ever have received, just having my friends and family all there. 

Another surprising gift came from the reason, I named this blog a Blast from the Past.  The past came to life last weekend with the party and our High School Friends, who were our past, are still our Present and God willing they will be our Future.  But an interesting Blast from my past came on my actual birthday 3/20.  I received a Birthday card from a girl, I went to High School with, (we weren't really friends in H.S.), but she ended up being my roommate my freshman year in College.  When I arrived at Westfield State College in the Fall of 1981, I saw on my dorm room door the names, Donovan, Doucette, and Dougherty.  What was really strange is that the three of us went to High School together, graduated in that order, and we never really knew each other in High School.  Anyway....I digress.  I only stayed at Westfield for one semester, but in that time, I grew very close to Beth Doucette, and I even sang at her Wedding in 1993.  We saw each other from time to time up till that point, but after she got married we lost touch completely.  I often thought of her over the years and I tried to find her, but it seemed like she just disappeared, so when I received her Birthday Card randomly out of the blue for my 50th Birthday, I could not have been happier.  It truly was a Blast from the Past.  We have reconnected through a few e-mails, and we are going to be calling each other today to catch up. 

Life goes by so quickly and people come and go, but it truly is a gift to blend your past, with your present and hopefully your future.  Sometimes we lose touch with people we care about, but this Birthday year of 50 taught me, that it is never to late to reconnect with people we have lost touch with, and that we should appreciate the friends we have had, the friends we have and the friends we are yet to make.  The "end" in Friendship, doesn't have to mean the "end" it can also mean a new beginning, a reconnecting, and just a true appreciation for a "Friend" old, or new.

Traditions, La Famiglia, and Top of the Mornin' to Ye

What an amazing weekend, full of family and traditions.  We began our weekend on Friday night with a surprise visit with Donnie's sister Elaine who came in to celebrate Carnivale on Saturday with the Vaudo side of Donnie's family.

Carnivale...a tradition that is over 80years old.  It all began with Donnie's grandfather and grandmother, celebrating the onset of the Lenten season with a feast of homemade raviolis.  They began this tradition with their oldest daughter Josephine, and then with their daughter Regina, who was born 9 years later.  The tradition continued and now more than 80 years later, Donnie's 101year old grandmother, still resides at the head of the table as her family of 2 daughters, multiplied into: 9 grandchildren, (and their spouses) 20 great grandchildren,(and their spouses) and 8 great great grandchildren .  Some years there can be as many as 65 people surrounding the table, eating homemade raviolis, meatballs, sausage, and so much more. (This year there was 523 raviolis made, 160 meatballs and 100 homemade sausages!)  We gather together eating, socializing and singing.  Donnie's Auntie Jo, many years ago, wrote a song to the tune of "MacNamaras" band, and each year in the song she recaps the years events.  We all get kazoos, and the chorus of the song is: "Ohhh Raviolis, Meatballs and Sausage Holy Smokes, Carnivale a'skunzalata (spelling is probably way off, but thats how it is pronounced", and Grampa's donkey joke, Ohhh we eat a lot and we laugh a lot, and do everything that we can....a credit to Old Carnivale is Gradnpa Vaudo's Clan"

What an amazing tradition, that all began with two people, their two daughters, and a family that is still growing today, more than 80 years later.  May the tradition continue on through the generations.

On Sunday, we celebrated a not as old as 80 year old tradition, but a tradition none the less.  St. Patricks Day, Dougherty style!  My parents make many pots of Corned Beef and Cabbage, and my siblings who live in Massachusetts, their children, and other friends who are considered family, all gather to feast on this amazing boiled dinner, wear our Green proudly, and in true Irish fashion, we are loud and boisterous.But the louder we are, the richer we are in health and love. It's a younger tradition than Carnivale, but both traditions bring to my children a Heritage, that is strong and proud.

I feel so blessed to be able to share these traditions with my husband,  our five children, our daughter-in-law, and most importantly, my parents, Donnie's parents and Great Grandma.  How truly fortunate we are to have our elders, still with us and so fully present in our lives.  As I turn 50 years old this coming Wednesday, I realize, that I too, am now an "Elder" (not that I feel like an elder!!) but I feel the responsibility to carry on these family traditions and to continue to keep our children's Heritages alive and strong!

No Matter what your heritage is, don't ever take it for granted.  Embrace it, cherish it, pass on the history of your families, and continue to create new and celebrate old Traditions....It is the foundation of who we are.

Rabbit Rabbit March 1st

Is it really March 1st today?  Where have the months gone? In 19 days from now, I will turn the Golden Age of 50.  Golden age = Gold.  Gold = Being Rich.  I am a wealthy woman.  I have riches in abundance.  My riches are not the monetary kind, but the kind that make turning 50 feel like I have won a lottery.  I have my health, I have my parents, I have 5 amazing siblings with wonderful spouses and children, I have my in-laws and in-law siblings and families, I have my friends, I have my high school sweetheart, who after almost 30 years is still the love of my life, and I have five healthy children, and a beautiful daughter in-law.  What more could a woman ask for?

If I had to live these past 50 years over again, I would not change a thing.  Good times, Bad times, Highs and Lows....God has been good to me.  My life is not perfect.  Is any one's life ever really perfect?   I think if we just take one day at a time, and appreciate the gifts we are given, and love unconditionally, then life can be as close to perfect as one can get.

When I think of my husband Donnie's grandmother at 101years old, I know that she lives her life this way, and everyday is a gift to her and she never takes life for granted.  If I am blessed to live as long as Great Grandma, and I embrace life and the loved ones around me the way she does  then I will be beyond rich.  But even if I don't see 101 years, I will continue to be golden, because each day if full of the riches that surround us, and I am grateful to be turning 50, and having so much in my life to be thankful for.

Thank you Mom and Dad for the gift of life, Thank you siblings and your families for being a part of my life,Thank you in-laws, Thank you friends, Thank you kids for enriching my life, and Thank you Donnie for being the Love of my Life.  I embrace turning the Golden Age of 50.

Will You Still Be Sending Me A Valentine.....

Happy Valentines Day.  Today, I had the honor and privilege to perform at a Senior Center with my daughter Danielle and my friend Meryl.  As the Residents were being wheeled in or coming in with their canes and walkers, Meryl, Danielle and I circled the room greeting our audience.  We were going to do an hour show about "Love", with songs like, "Our Love is Here to Stay", Kiss Today Goodbye, Always True to You, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, and many more.  The residents took their seats, and prepared for us to entertain them.  There was Mazie, who was 103, Matilda who has lived there for 5 years, a couple from NYC that now live here to be closer to their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and many more men and women. 

One couple in particular touched my heart this Valentines Day. I did not learn their names, but none the less, they were a truly memorable couple.  The husband came in shortly before the performance, and was a little frazzled, because he was waiting for his wife, and he wanted to make sure there was a spot for her wheelchair next to his seat.  In this Senior home, some of the residents need full time nursing, and live on a different floor.  This man's wife lived on that floor and he lived in the main building.  He was frustrated and worried that she would miss the performance, because the staff was late in getting her dressed.  Thankfully, she made it on time for the performance, and as she was wheeled in I saw in her husbands face, happiness and joy that she was there to sit by his side and enjoy the show.  I looked over and they were holding hands throughout the entire performance.  It was the best Valentine's Gift.  Seeing their clasped hands and hearing them hum along with our songs,  filled my heart with so much joy, and I could feel the love that radiated from this couple.

The couple have been married for 65 years, still holding hands, still each others Valentine,. and even though they live in separate parts of the Senior Home, and she speaks little and is confined to a wheelchair, their love was a shining beacon of what Marriage and Commitment is all about.  I brought them some coffee, and cookies after the show, and I told them, that I hope I am as lucky as they are, and that me and my Valentine will still be holding hands when we are married 65 years. 

Happy Valentines Day to my husband Donnie.  Will you still be sending me a Valentine, Will you still be my Valentine 35 years from now?  Let's hold hands, and celebrate not just Valentine's Day, but EVERYDAY and I hope as we get older, you will always make sure to have a seat for me, right next to you.  XOXO

Twenty-One

Today, my fourth child Mary Rose turned 21.  Three years from now Jane my youngest will turn 21.  To the five of my children turning  21 meant that they were now legal to drink.  To me, turning 21 was one of the best years of my life, and it wasn't because I became legal to drink (legal drinking age in my day was 20).  It was the year I became a mother for the first time.  It was when life changed for both Donnie and me, in ways that we never even could have imagined.  21 to me, was the beginning of an amazing sense of joy, and a journey, that I have never regretted taking.  Donnie and I chose to get married young, and we chose to start our family young, this path we chose has been the right one for us, and for me it was the best choice I ever made.

As I celebrated Mary's 21st Birthday tonight, I saw her smiling face, and realized that even though she and I chose different paths to take at the age of 21, her path would be bringing joy and healing into so many peoples lives.  She is in her third year at Boston College studying to be either a Nurse Practitioner or a Midwife, but whichever she chooses to be, she will be amazing at it, because she has a loving and giving nature, a love of learning, and she is a true nurturer.

Danielle, Michael and Ryan, have seen their 21st birthdays come and go, but they are all on their own personal paths of life, and I am proud of each of them for following their hearts and dreams.  Jane is not far behind them, and she too will choose the path that is right for her, one that will follow her heart and dreams.

I know the kids sometimes think that I wished that they would all be married at 20 and having babies young like me and their Dad, but that couldn't be further from what my real wish is and has always been.  I have been living my dream since the day I met their father, married him and had these five amazing children with him, but my wish for them,  is that whatever their dreams are, whatever age they may be, wherever their path may lead, I wish them Joy and Happiness, because that is what they have always given me.  "21"  If I could go back and turn 21 again, I wouldn't change a thing!