I won't hesitate no more, no more...to clean, that is

My favorite part of my living room

 

I finally got around to spring cleaning today.

Sweet sassy molassey. It has been horrific!

I moved the microwave to clean under it and found some sort of tar like substance..it took me an hour to clean it off the counter. No idea what it once was.

I found my juicemaker. It's been missing for 18 months.

I listened to my entire itunes library twice. I now despise all of my music. Yes, especially you, James Blunt.

If I sound a little strange, its probably because I have been inhaling cleaning chemicals all day.

I decided to clean the burner pans on my stove and found some HAIR CLIPS under them.

Seriously, hair clips?? How did they get under there? Do I really want to know?

I am headed for the bathroom next.

Pray for me.

Lori Ann

But though you're still with me

Have you ever read one of those books where; when you look up from reading, you are disoriented to find yourself in your own house?

I just read a book like that. It's called "The Memory Keepers Daughter".

It wasn't a book I will read again. It's strange, gave me kind of a bleary feeling, but I won't ever forget it.

Is that what a good book is supposed to do?

Lori Ann

All I can say is that my life is pretty plain

Right now, I have no access to my office at work, so I am camped out in my friends office, with nothing more than my laptop and some chocolate covered pretzels.

Yeah, I'm living the life.

Anyway, I have to say that I have been reading 'those blogs' again.

You know, those blogs?

The ones that make you feel like a total slug because you are not out photographing the endless beauty of your life, while simultaneously hiking a nature trail and baking your "cute hubby" a three layer cake for his birthday?

Who are these women?

And where are they getting their drugs?

Because I want some.

Lori Ann

Cause part of you pours out of me In these lines from time to time

I know my blog has become a little depressing . Which is ironic because my life is actually going great! I am doing well at my job and I feel lighter and happier than I have in a while.

I guess its because, in the back of my mind, I keep thinking about how I am about to lose my four favorite friends. (my nephews and nieces) Well, not lose exactly. They are moving.

It won't be the same though, and we will never get these days back. It's the end of a chapter.

One of the best chapters of my life.

When one chapter ends, another always begins ..I'm excited to see where life takes me next.

 

Just don't forget me, ok?
 

Aunt Lori

Nothing Could change what you mean to me

I hope my blog has; over the course of the last week, reminded you all of how unglamorous your own lives are. That's what a really great blog does...makes you reexamine your own life and come up painfully short!

ANYWAY, following our exciting night as high rollers, Eri and I went home to see my parents in Pennsylvania for the rest of the weekend.

I've lived in 8 different states. I've been to 14 different countries.

Nothing compares to Pennsylvania.

I'm always surprised at how beautiful it is. I love the way it smells. I love the fall colors. I love even the not as attractive stuff- the one lane bridges, the humidity, the strange farmers markets, and the run down little towns.

I can't wait to move back there. To find some little community agency to work for and a cute townhouse to buy.

It might sound mundane or boring to someone else, but; to me, it sounds like heaven.

Lori Ann

Live Your Dreams

So...sorry for the wait. I really wanted the anticipation to build:)

Anyway, after our crazy drive, we arrived in Atlantic City. Erin used her hotel skills to get us a free upgrade, we checked into our mini suite (which was sweet!) and then off to the second most important part of our trip..

THE BUFFET.

I have to use all caps because this buffet was AMAZING. I tried 3 foods I had never tried before: crab legs, lobster tail, and beef wellington.

They were all good, but I really just do not have a refined palate. I will always be a mac and cheese and coke kind of girl. (Stop crying, Dad. It's not your fault)

So, after the buffet, we played the penny slots. Erin won 60 dollars and I lost 20. Sigh. We walked away before the gambling fever took hold of us. :)

Anyway, the next morning, I woke up and crossed another item off of my Life To Do List:

See a Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean

Lori Ann

Too late for second guessing

I am not a natural risk taker.

I love the whole "carpe diem" thing as an idea, but I am also a creature of habit.

It has been a few years since I've done anything out of the ordinary. I mean, these years have been the best of my life- spending time with my nieces and nephews and working on my clinical licensure. They've been productive and fun. Just not all that adventurous.

So, when I took off Friday and Monday to drive my sister Erin to Pennsylvania, we decided to do something different.

Instead of going straight home, we drove to Atlantic City. Atlantic City is the nearest beach to my parents house.

I'd decided to cross another item off my life ambition list- "See a sunrise over the Atlantic".

I saw a sunset over the pacific about 7 years ago and it has bothered me that I hadn't finished the other bookend of seeing a sunrise over the Atlantic.

It was a LONG drive. We got stuck on I-95 outside of DC and I think my sister had begun plotting my demise. It took us about 11 hours to get there.

I haven't been back to Jersey since I graduated high school 12 years ago. Literally. I left the day after graduation and haven't looked back.

I knew the moment we were back in New Jersey. I heard music I haven't heard since 98. It smelled like the ocean. There were rows of wooden beach houses, unchanged since the 40s.

Ahh...Jersey.

Part two to come tomorrow.
(Enjoy this story while its free, because its so riveting I am sure it will be published...then you'll all have to buy a copy! )

Lori Ann

Nobody knows it

Have you ever had a really crazy weekend?

I haven't.

Until now, that is.

My weekend included all of the following:

 

Getting Lost in Philadelphia

Trying Lobster Tail for the first time


Seeing a sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean and crossing another item of my "Bucket List"

Getting stuck on I-95 and seeing the Temple

Getting my hair to look like this!

Losing 20 dollars to the penny slots at the Tropicana in Atlantic City and remembering why its not a good idea to gamble!

More details to follow. Try and get some sleep, I know the excitement over hearing all the details must be killing you:)

Lori Ann

*this post is dedicated to my sister Erin. Thanks, Eri. For everything*

And as you move on, remember me, remember us and all we used to be

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."

Dr. Seuss

Lori Ann

You say One Love

Do any of you have a favorite song?

I have a thousand songs that I like.

About a hundred that I love.

Maybe 10 that I consider to be the "Soundtrack to my Life"

One or two that invoke strong amazing memories or feelings.

And then there is ONE.

One, by U2.

It's the song that kinda gave my life direction.

I love the lyrics:

We're one, but we're not the same

We get to carry each other

It made me want to serve. Serve a mission. Serve in my profession. Live a life of service. I love how it says "we GET TO carry each other". Not, we HAVE TO, but we GET TO.

I know that Bono wrote this song about his Dad and it might have a completely different meaning for him, but I reserve the right to make this song about what I want. So, take that, Bono! (because I know you blog stalk my blog!)

Lori Ann

Happy Mothers Day

I am a big fan of quotes. I have a quote wall in my kitchen and a quote wall in my office. Famous quotes, silly quotes, and; more than any other kind, inspirational quotes.

So, for this mothers day post, I set about looking for the perfect inspirational quote.

There are hundreds of quotes about mothers out there. A lot of them reference angels weeping, tears and kisses, or gentle hands and warm hearts.

My mother isn't an angel weeping tears, gentle warm heart kind of mother.

Good thing I found this proverb

God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.

~Jewish Proverb

My mother frequently cites a mothers role as being similar to God's, even going as far as to say that things like the Ten Commandments don't apply to mothers and they are free to do what is necessary for their children, legal or illegal.

The cool-slash-scary part is that I know she means it.

My mother is unlike any other person I have ever met. She is kind, strong, and just a little bit eccentric. She is everyone's favorite person to be around. The party can't start until she gets there.

She calls (or texts..my gosh, my mother texts) randomly to ask how I am. She bakes homemade cakes for every birthday. And even though she says it about me, she IS brilliant.

This mothers day I wanted to say Thanks to my mom. For a million things. For every sacrifice, for every package on my mission, for every night on your feet as a waitress, for paying off my tuition so I could go back to school, for teaching me to make chocolate chip cookies, for the hurricane lamps, for making a big deal out of little things, for surprising me on my 30th birthday, for putting yourself through nursing school, for giving my nieces and nephews the grandma we never had, for buying me Peachy, for taking Junior to Taekwondo, for sewing dresses for us when we were little, for EVERYTHING.

Thank you so much.

 

 I love you, Mom.

 

Lori Ann

You make me feel like I am home again

All this week in group therapy, I have been asking the kids to share their favorite memory of their mothers.

It has gotten me to thinking about what is my favorite Mom memory of all time.. I have a million great memories, but there is one that stands out to me for some reason.

I left home the day after high school graduation.

It was a sad, crazy, happy, scary time of my life.

One day I was just a kid and in high school and literally; a day later, I was an adult and I was gone from home.

I felt very lost and alone.

Anyway, my favorite memory of my mother was at this time. I was flying out to Salt Lake City to live with my sister before college.

My parents brought me to the airport and waited with me at the gate (that was pre 9/11). It was so strange for me to realize that this was not just visiting someone for a short time.

This was it.

I was leaving home.

My flight was called and I said a tearful goodbye to my parents. As I sat on the plane, I could see my mom's bright pink shirt in the window, looking out at the plane.

My flight was delayed over an hour at the gate.

My mom stood there the entire time. I could see her pink shirt in the window the whole time until we taxied away for take off.

Something about her waiting for me to leave gave me the strength that I needed to go.

She made me strong, just like she did through all of my years of growing up.

Lori Ann
 

I love you, Mom.

You make everything alright

What I learned from my Mother

The things I learned from my mother are more than I could ever write. From the small and simple (how to tie my shoes) to the serious and life shaping ( get a marketable trade), my mother has taught me more than she will ever realize.

I sign my middle initial with my name because she always did.

I tell all the kids that I work with that they are "brilliant". (because everyone is in some way). I say this because more than any other thing she said to me, I remember my mom telling me that I was brilliant and it motivated and inspired me.

I still call her with every major accomplishment, because nothing makes me feel as happy as hearing her say "are you serious? That's great, sweetie". When I can, I call my client's parents with the positive things that they do. I want them to have their "are you serous?" moment too:)

I work with a difficult population of people, because she taught me the value in helping those who society ignores or overlooks.

I want to send all of my clients home to live with her, so that she can make a big deal about them, tell them that they are brilliant, and be there to listen to every hurt and every moment of accomplishment.

A lot of what I have in me that is good and charitable, I learned from her example.

So, thanks for everything you've taught me, Mom.
 

It's made me a better person.

I love you, Mom.

Lori Ann

I get so lost sometimes..

It's almost mothers day.

No two holidays fill me with as much anxiety as Mothers Day and January 17th...also known as my mothers birthday:)

This year I am taking it to the next level..every day until mothers day I will blog about my mother.

Let's do this thing!!

First the basics..

Name: Terry Ann Hinsdale

Age: Over 40

Height" 5 ft 1 3/4 inches

Occupation: Registered Nurse

Favorite Era: Disco (that was an era, right?)

Most likely to be seen: Watching "Snapped" and giving my dad the evil eye

Most likely to be eating: elbow macaroni and tomato paste with Diet coke to drink

Hobbies: sewing, spoiling grand kids, reading murder mysteries, man hating, and (allegedly) harboring fugitives who agree with her political views (just joking..kinda)

Political views: Extremely conservative

Weird facts: Will shoe polish hair upon request, loves Cher, is a megalomaniac, is a cat napper (as in kidnapping cats), and finds bald men attractive

You may be saying.. "yeah, I know Terry now.. she's like a second mother to me" , but we still have 5 days until Mothers Day. There is alot more to come..

Brace yourselves!!

I love you, Mom.

Lori Ann

Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful Girl

I have been trying to write a tribute blog to my niece Katy, ever since her birthday on April 29th. The other kids birthday tributes came so easily to me, but I just can't seem to find the right words for the Katy-Kat.

So, forgive me Katy, if this is a little late..I wanted to find just the right words to say.

To my blue eyed muffin baby niece, on the occasion of her 2nd birthday-

Katy, I doubt that you'll remember

These years we've spent together

But I have a thousand memories

I remember:

snuggly baby moments

Dance parties while your mom was gone

Water spilled on the floor

And bedtime stories, laying on the lawn

In two years we already have

More stories than I can recall

I wish these days would never end

And that you'd never grow older at all

Because, to me, you are perfect

Wiggly, Giggly, Silly, Sweet

and Perfect

I am far from a poet, but I wanted to say something. Something that could express, at least in small part, the magic, joy, and love you have brought to my life.

I wish for you all the happiness in the world.

Love,

Aunt
"R-ree"