Hey All!

It seems as though I just started getting back here, and I'm off again. This time for happy reasons. We're going to head over to the coast this week for a little relaxation at the beach. We also might drive down to Sea World San Diego one day. We did that last year with the Little Ladies and they loved it.

I'll try to check back here again before we leave. If I can't make it, then I'll catch up with you all next week after we get back. Take care! Rochelle

I have been away from the site for a while due to personal issues, but see that others are making suggestions on the new layout. I would suggest that we please have a longer list of tracked blogs. Many of us (myself included) come here for blogging and tracking our friends' blogs. I know that I have missed many blogs by not having a greater list of tracked blogs. When I have tried to locate current blogs, I have found the menus to be very difficult, and have eventually ended up seeing friends' oldest blogs, rather than newest. A list of at least the 10 most recent tracked blogs would be greatly appreciated.

Hello and Greetings to my TV.com friends!

Life has been crazy lately. My darlings keep me running from morning till night. Between school in the morning, therapies in the afternoons and homework, there isn't much time for anything else.

So it had completely slipped my mind that today is my second anniversary here at TV.com. I happened to notice it on my profile page this morning. Sure enough, it was two years ago that I signed up and dove right into the ER forum. I am thrilled to say that many of the friends I met there are still good friends...both here and at other sites. A big thank you to Amy for being the first on this site to greet me and welcome me into the fold. Amy, your friendliness made me feel right at home.

And along the way, I have met some incredible people on this site. You are a wonderful, eclectic group of open-minded and open-hearted individuals. You have made me laugh over the years, and have shared both joys and sorrows with me. My life is definitely richer for knowing you all. So, here's to you! *raises coffree cup* Thanks for being my 'family' here. If I had my act together, I would have thrown you a nice party, but heck, I'm doing well to be dressed and functioning today.

In other news, the Hunky Hubby is celebrating a birthday tomorrow. He detests having a big fuss made over his birthdays, so we're just going to celebrate quietly at home. But, the Little Ladies have put in their request for party hats and noise makers, so Dmitry will just have endure a little fuss. I have known this generous and kind man for over ten years now. We've been married for nearly nine years. My oh my, how time flies! So, I'm also raising my coffee cup today to my husband...the birthday boy. *Lifts coffee cup*

I hope you are all finding little ways to enjoy your day today. Thank you for spending a part of it with me. Rochelle

In my family, decorating for holidays is not just something we throw into the mix a couple of times a year. It is an obsessive/compulsive way of life. It started with my Mum. As a child, our home was constantly decorated…everything from Thanksgiving to St. Patrick's Day to Flag Day. My sister and I tease her that she probably has some happy, stuffed rodent tucked away in her attic for Groundhog's Day.

When I became an adult, I threw out some Christmas decorations once a year and called it good. That is, until I had children. Since the Little Ladies have burst onto the scene, I've become more and more like my Mum when it comes to holiday festivities. And the decorations I most look forward to hauling out of the garage are Autumn decorations. Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. Probably because we live in hell, otherwise known as Arizona. By the time Autumn rolls around, we haven't had a breath of fresh air in months…not even in the evenings or early mornings. So, the first signs of Fall always fill me with a sense of expectation and well-being. Once more, we have endured and survived, and our reward is Autumn!

Although Autumn doesn't really set in for us until nearly November, I'm always ready to dig into the Fall boxes of goodies the day after Labor Day. Last year, however, that was difficult because of dark and scary things facing our family. It was one year ago today, September 11, 2007, when what we had feared was confirmed. My brother-in-law, Dennis, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Celebrating the coming Fall was simply the farthest thing from my mind. However, I had two four year olds who delighted in the pumpkins and scarecrows and cornucopias I drag out from year to year. And I was reminded of an ancient Proverb that says, "Seek peace and pursue it." I mulled that over for a while in my cluttered mind, and comforting thoughts began drifting in and out…the rich colors of Autumn, smells of spiced cider, my Dad singing James Taylor to me as a little girl.

So, while the Little Ladies were at preschool I turned on some James Taylor and dove into my Fall decorations. I found myself laughing at the pinecone turkeys the Girlies made in school. I was reminded to "Share the Harvest" by my door wreath. And cornucopias overflowing with corn and squash and pumpkins greeted me. I hung the door wreath and decorated the dining room table, as I went to Carolina in my mind with Mr. Taylor. I was running hard after peace the only way I knew how…through family traditions that cycle in and out of our lives year after year. I didn't know on that day one year ago that my brother-in-law would only live another 18 days.

This year, Dennis is gone. There is one less family member to delight in the coming Autumn. It was with more than a twinge of sadness that I once again pulled out my Fall decorations, and allowed James Taylor to serenade me while bedecking our house with the rich, warm hues of the season. And this year, when the girlies walked into our house and saw it transformed, they shrieked and screamed with laughter, running and dancing through the house as any proper five year old should…just like they did last year, and the year before. Just as Rhonda and I did when we were little girls, and just as my niece, Meggie, did when she was little.

Later in the evening as I was putting our Fall boxes back in the garage, Elena brought me a book and asked me to read it. "Sure Baby," I said, taking the book from her hand. A lump welled in my throat. It was a book called "Lifetimes" by Bryan Mellonie and Robert Ingpen. The girls' preschool teacher had recommended it last year at exactly this time, to help prepare the girls for their Uncle Dennis' death. "Are you sure you want to read this one Baby?" I asked. "Yes. We haven't read it for a long time," Elena answered. And so we read about the seasons and cycles of life. My voice was steady as I read to my daughters, "…lifetimes are really all the same. They have beginnings, and endings, and there is living in between."

When we were through reading, Larisa said, "Mommy, I'm glad my lifetime is sharing your lifetime."

"Me too, Baby. Me too." And I was thankful. Thankful that my girls are healthy. And thankful that they are delighted to be in their own home, bedecked with pumpkins and scarecrows and cornucopias and pinecone turkeys, sharing our lifetimes together. What more is there than that?

May the new year be blessed with good tidings

Til the next time I see you again

If we must say goodbye

Let the spirit go with you

And we'll love and we'll laugh

In the time that we had

Til the season comes 'round again

--John Jarvis and Randy Goodrum

Hey All! The Little Ladies spent the night last night with my Mum and Stepdad, so Hubby and I got to go out on a date. Oh Happy Day! We went to dinner and a movie and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. So now, I'm enjoying a lazy, Sunday morning. I saw that Karl posted a quiz, and realized it's been ages since I've done one of these. In the spirit of sharing, I blatantly stole this from Karl's blog.

1. Would you marry for money? No.

2. Have you had braces? As a kid, yes. Thank you for bringing back bad memories. *shudder*

3. Could you live without a computer? Technically, yes. But it would be a severe hardship. A computer is where I work and play.

4. If you could live in a different decade which would it be? Hmm, I'm spoiled by our modern conveniences, so I wouldn't want to go back too far. You could not pay me enough money to relive the 80's. *shudder* Maybe the 60's, if I could leapfrog over the 80's.

5. Do you drink enough water? I think so. I exist solely on drinking water and coffee. I do drink obscene amounts of coffee, but I always have a glass of water with each cup of coffee. Is that good enough?

6. Do you wear shoes in the house or take them off? My feet go commando in the house!

7. What are your favorite fruits? Ugh, I'm not a fruit person. I love vegetables of just about any variety, but fruit just doesn't do it for me. Oh, I know – avocados. Yes, they are a fruit. And I eat a lot of them with Mexican food.

8. What are the top 3 places in the world you would like to visit? I'm assuming we're talking about places I've never been before. Ireland!! Alaska. And, maybe Italy.

9. Are you photogenic? Bwahahahaha! Oh, that's a good one.

10. Do you dream in color or black and white? Color.

11. Why do you take surveys? I always enjoy reading other people's surveys. It's a great way to get to know people.

12. Do you drink alcohol? Rarely. I used to drink more frequently before I had kids. Now, when I have the occasional glass of wine or cocktail, I'm face down asleep within minutes. Okay, maybe not literally, but pretty close! Coffee is firmly solidified as my addiction of choice.

13. What is the most beautiful language? Well, I only understand English, and the bad words in Russian. I've always liked the sound of Italian, though.

14. Do you like being kissed when you are asleep? What sort of freaky pervs take this survey? If somebody started kissing me in my sleep it would scare the crap out of me. No thanks. Give me fair warning.

15. What do you like most: Sunrise or Sunset? Sunrise. It sounds sappy, but watching a sunrise makes me feel like the day is full of hope and new possibilities. And then the kids wake up and the insanity begins again.

16. Do you want to live until you're 100 yrs old? Oh Dear God, no! Most days I'm singing "Come Angel Band". HeeHee!

17. Is a flat stomach important to you? Never ask a woman who has reproduced about a flat stomach. Seriously. That's just cruel.

18. How tall are you? 5'6"

19. When watching scary movies are the lights on or off? I don't watch scary movies. If forced to do so, the lights would be on, and I'd be praying for Jesus, Joseph, Mary and all the saints to preserve me.

20. Do you believe in magic? I believe in miracles. This was Karl's answer, not my own, but I liked it so much I stole it!

21. Do you believe in ghosts? I'm not sure. I believe in the spirits of the departed, if that's what you mean.

22. Do you like to watch cartoons? I have children. I am subjected to cartoons on a daily basis. I long for the day when my life can be cartoon free! Actually, some of them are okay, but when you've seen them enough times to perform them as a one-woman-play, it's time to retire them.

23. At what age did you find out that Santa Claus wasn't real? At four. My older sister told me. Thanks Rhonda! Hmmph.

24. Do you write poems? No. I've always loved writing, and I used to write poems in my twenties, when I actually thought I could. Bwahahaha. Thank God that phase passed.

25. Do you snore? I don't know. I've never been accused of it. I do, however, crack my knuckles in my sleep.

26. You sleep more on your back, front, or sides? Side and stomach.

27. Would you rather have a poodle or a Rottweiler? Neither. I'm not really a dog person. Don't judge me.

28. Are you basically a happy person? Oh boy, you really don't want to go there. Generally speaking, I'd say "yes". But the hard days are really, really hard.

29. Are you tired? I'm a mother. Saying that a mother is tired is redundant.

30. Did you drink anything with caffeine? When? Right now? Yes. It's 9:00 in the morning, and I'm on my third cup of coffee; or, as it's referred to around our house, "Mummy's Happy Juice".

31. How do you take your coffee? Hot, strong and black!

32. How many landlines/cell phones do you have in your house? One land line with two phones and two cells phones (one for me and one for Hubby).

33. Do you get along with your parents? Thankfully, yes!

34. Do you smoke? No.

35. Do you have a kitty?No.

36. Have you ever had a birthday party? Not since I was a kid. I abhor birthday parties. I feel horribly self-conscious. When I was a kid I dreamt of growing up to be like Grace Kelly…kind of floating through life in pumps and pearls. Unfortunately, I turned out more like Carol Burnett, stumbling out of the bathroom with my skirt tucked into my pantyhose, dragging toilet paper under my shoe. Put me as the guest of honor, and I will surely implode.

37. What do you do when you're sad? Hide from the world for a while.

38. What do you need most now? Nothing really. I'm good today. That's a nice place to be.

39. What song are you listening to now? Um, nothing at the moment.

40. What are you craving right now? Pasta. Oh, what a love/hate relationship I have with pasta!

There you have it! Thanks Karl. Oh, and sorry the bold is all screwed up in the quiz. I went through the codes twice, and it's still acting up, so heck with it!