you did what?

For Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop this week I chose this prompt: You know the stories that are retold a million times at family gatherings? I call them Life Stories that you just never live down. List your Top 10 Life Stories. 

Family stories are most funny to the family that they belong to because we know the people, the personalities. I come for a large family with lots of kids many many cousins.We're all in our thirties, forties, fifties even sixties now and I have to say we never get tired of these stories.  There are so many good stories that are swirling around in my head that could be told about all of us. Here are some of my favorites!

• Once at a holiday dinner, I believe it was Thanksgiving, someone threw a piece of turkey  across the table and it landed in my cousin Genevieve’s soda , she sipped it not knowing it was there, then threw up on the table. ( my brother Paul swears it was stuffing not turkey, he had a front row seat, he was sitting next to her) We still don't know who threw the offending object!

• I took a walk with my cousins, Gen, Patricia, my brother Paul and cousin Mickey on the boardwalk once, I didn't want to be with the girls I wanted to be with the boys. They however had different idea, they left me by jumped off the boardwalk. I was eight years old and lost, I walked to this little beauty parlor which sat off the end of the boardwalk and sat there crying and crying until they came back later. They got in trouble! (I didn't know my address we were living at a summer house)

• We had a party at our house once and my cousin Yvonne mistakenly used a Clorox wipe thinking it was a personal feminine wipe. Ouch!

• Poor cousin Lorraine was locked in the car trunk in Brooklyn by her sister Yvonne and my brother Paul, my grandfather found her.

• My brother Gerard (aka, Gerry berry) stuck a berry in his ear, from the Christmas decorations.

• My personal favorite when at a family party my cousins threw my little shit balls from my diaper out the upstairs window at Uncle Charlie’s head since he didn’t have hair!

• While visiting my friends Flora’s Uncle Joe in Brooklyn he was commenting at the dinner table how beautiful my daughter Heather was, as the words left his mouth, she threw up on the table.

• My son Billy put a clothes pin on our cat Tinkerbelle’s tail once, needless to say they didn’t like each other very much. Once when staying with my parents Billy was sleeping on the couch, and Tinkerbelle  who traveled with us decided to get her payback, she climbed on Billy when he was sleeping and peed on his back.

• My cousin cut my hair after one lesson in hair cutting school; it was a disaster. Mom took me to the beauty parlor after to repair the damage, can anyone say pixie?

• I was walking down the street with my son Matthew and I was VERY pregnant with Eric, a utility worker was working in a freshly dug hole on some sewer pipes. As we turned the corner I said to my toddler son” look Matthew a big hole.” The man looked up at me and said” not big enough for you lady!”

I was a dog burglar

For Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Workshop this week I chose this prompt: Write list the names of five dogs from your lifetime, then write about why one sparks a stronger memory to you than the others.

• Major- German Shepard 
• Smokey-Belgium Shepard  
• Bane- Mutt 
• Cosmo- Lab mix 
• Charlie- Cocker Spaniel 

                               ___________________________

The cool water of the hose splashed on my legs and feet as I washed away the beach sand, I could hear the phone ringing in the house. My Mom popped her head out the door and yelled down the steps at me standing in the yard," throw on a t-shirt,"she said, "then go down to the bar, your Dad on the phone he has a surprise for you."

I walked out the gate putting my t-shirt over my head at the same time kicking it closed with my bare foot. Why? I don't know since we didn't have a dog to keep in the fence anymore. It had been a year since Major was put to sleep, old habits I guess, that and a bit of hope my parents would relent and let me get a new dog.

As I walked down the block I glanced at Eddie while passing his house I smiled, he waved. He was most forgiving considering not two years earlier I had broken into his house. I remembered going to my Dad and showing him that puppy I stole; telling him about the neglect being filled with one part self righteous two parts scared shit-less. I was fifteen and I was a dog burglar. First he gave that little girl puppy to his friend Richie, then Dad forever a cop made me tell Eddie what I did, and Eddie forgave.

It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust going from the bright sunshine and into the shade of the bar. I spied my Dad sitting at the bar with his friend Richie, and in Richie's arms was a cute little puppy. Then Richie said, "that adorable puppy you (and he cleared his throat) stole had puppies and I brought one for you."  "It's fine your parents said it was OK, take him.

 That gate at our house never contained my dog friend Bane (that's what I named him). He was a great dog but he had a mind of his own and he was really strong willed. Must have been his mothers influence; my life of crime and all! Bane lived until he was 18.

walk with me down memory lane

     Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writers Workshop prompt this week is to...choose a favorite post from each month of 2011 and share... 
      I've only been blogging for eleven months and I've evolved my way through two blogs in my short blog life so far. My first "Its all about me-Jen" then my now and fairly new blog called "We're living a full life". I hope you have a bit of time to take a walk down memory lane with me. 
Here are my favorite posts for 2011, enjoy!

• Jan 2011 things that bring me joy - take a little glimpse a what makes me happy
• Feb 2011- the letter said " please forgive me"- would you like to know how I came to forgive the man who took the life of my two children?
• April 2011- being with my peeps on Easter- a bit of what it's like in my house when the cousins and my kids-grand-kids descend  for the holiday's, chaos and fun.
• May 2011- solace - a very personal reflection of my experience coming first face to face with another mother/friend who lost a her child.
• June 2011- girls and indians  & June 2011- breathing in freedom - two pieces I wrote for  RemembeRed, and I just couldn't decide between the two.  (since I've only been blogging for eleven months I included two for June)
• July 2011- loyalty - this is another RemembeRed piece, a meme revealing a personal dilemma and the lengths I went to right a wrong.
• Aug 2011- party hats and other silly things we do- does you family have funny family rituals, we like to make the kids feel  special  like jerks for their birthdays! 
• Sept 2011- blog and release- there are some things that are so painful to a mother they cut right to the core, this post is about one such experience.
• Oct 2011- la la la la la- at this point I write about finding my voice in my blogging life, read about it here. 
• Nov 2011- thanksgiving plans & a peek at the past- thanksgiving with my family- pictures too.
• Dec 2011- santa's been reading my blog - a short post about my super fantastic early Christmas gift- say cheese.

I don't expect you to read each and every one (not that I'd mind) but I'd love to hear if you have one that you especially liked. 

love letter- love of my nights

This week for Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writer's Work Shop I picked the prompt in which I have to write a love letter to an inanimate object.

So here goes....

Dear,

Love of my nights.

I love your softness.

The way you feel against my skin.

You caress my face as I breathe in your freshness.

The pain I feel when you're not near is physical.

We're a perfect fit.

I cannot imagine getting thru a single night without you....

How I long to wrap my arms around you as I drift off to sleep.

I hurt without you.

I ache without you.

Especially my back and neck!

My dear soft lovely pillow.

things I've done

Last week I did a post linking up with mama kat on the things I've never done, this weeks task is to write a list of Things I have Done... so here goes.

I am 52 years old and I have:

1. swam in the Atlantic, Pacific and the Mediterranean oceans.


2. moved to a state 8hours away from my parents after marrying.


3 lived in a beach community.

4. learned to cook Chinese (cooking class)


5.  buried two of my children, a daughter and a son.


6. owned dogs, cats and mice as pets.


7. gambled and liked it.


8. worked with the poor and homeless 


9. cooked for a men's shelter.


10. played viola in the junior- high school orchestra.

11. gone on religious retreat with Nuns


12. been to therapy


13. gotten drunk


14.shot a snake

15. surfed


16. stayed out all night (in my younger days)


17. took sewing lessons 

18. went up the Hudson River (NY) in a boat past the Statue of Liberty.


19. saw two mountain lions walk across my neighbors yard.


20. worn green dresses in every wedding for which I was a bridesmaid.


21. turned grey at 35


22. fell asleep on the back of a motorcycle

things I've never done

Today I am linking up with Mama Kat for her workshop and her task is to write about those things that I've never done:

I am fifty two and......

I have never:


1. learned to speak a second language fluently


2. skinny dipped at night in the ocean without hearing "The Jaws Movie" music in my head; I hate that dumb music!

3.traveled to Europe


4. given birth vaginally 


5. acted in a play


6. gotten a ticket, speeding or other


7.  been divorced


8. taken a vacation alone, nice thought huh?


9.  done CPR on a person


10.  been able to grow long finger nails


11. been picked for jury duty


12. sailed on a sail boat


13. been arrested


14. climbed a mountain


15. attended college


16. cut my own Christmas tree


17.  been to the movies alone


18. participated in a public civil protest


19.  gone to Canada


20.  gone to the top of the Empire State building


21. flown first class


22. worn contact lenses

mama kat's - where I'm from

I've never done a writer's workshop before this is my first. It was also really fun so go on over to Mama Kat's and check out all the other writers they are fantastic 


I am from American made cars, always blue, from Dewar’s Scotch and warm beach sand.

I am from a white stucco, sun filled two story house with brick stairs and the food aromas always ever present.

I am from the sunflower plant, tall, strong, sun worshiping and top heavy.

I am from Santa on Christmas Eve and laughter, from Nana’s gifts in brown bags and Daddy and Popa.

I am from screamers and jokers and lovers no matter what.

From go out and play to don’t go in over your head.

I am from Catholic not public, and statues of Mary in the back yard.

I am from New York City and Ireland and some French, pots of soup on the stove and bread, beer and potato’s.

From the albums my brother Paul played on our Victorla in the living room, the box of forty fives and how Daddy used to sing along when he drank to much.

I am from tea sets displayed on my side board and family pictures around my house and stored in my closet and family silver that graces my table every holiday that carried wonderful memories of my childhood.