The best moments are these...

If I could somehow make everything stop in the world and make time stand still, this is where I would stop it. My baby girls and me squished up close - just the way I like it.  We spent almost every second together from the moment Tara stepped off the plane and it still wasn't enough.  Tara I miss you so much that my heart actually squeezes the breath from me.  Thank you for making this such a special Christmas for all of us. I love you to the moons of every planet, the stars of every galaxy and back ~ from my heart to yours, wrapped up in a bazillion pounds of love!

Tara's on her way to the airport for Christmas in Cyprus

And her little sister's are discussing which one gets to hug her first!  We've decided on a group hug :) 

Winter Solstice Celebrations

I really enjoy embracing customs from around the world.  While in Finland I learned of many, but my most favorite was on the Winter Solstice and the celebration of Light.  The above photo (that flame is looking a little heart shaped isn't it??) was taken in our Helsinki backyard to celebrate the coming of brighter days.  I wasn't too thrilled to have night time fall across the sky a little past 2:30 in the afternoon that day, and yet I somehow feel a strange longing for that moment today.  So in honor of the darkest day of the year, and brighter days to follow, I offer you a new ritual I have just come across today.  I especially love the sentiment of not berating ourselves for any misfortunes or unhappiness we may have to "burn" away at this time, but to celebrate the awareness of the what we have experienced and to make room for the wonder we can create for ourselves now as we bid one final adieu to the old patterns we no longer need. 

"Release is powerful medicine, a plumbing of the depths, fertilizing your foundation. This Winter Solstice, write down what you would like to release into the darkness. You can write as many thoughts as you wish, about a situation, energies, a person or a habit. This is a time to revere what has taught you well, not to revoke yourself for the past. Think about what you would like to release, as well as what you would like to replace it with. With your fire or candle lit, cast the written offerings into the fire, and as it burns, affirm this release by declaring what you would like to replace things with. After fully finished, let your fire or candle burn completely to the end, releasing that which is now gone. If there are any remnants of your ritual fire or candle, you can either keep a few ashes or a piece of wax to commemorate your releasing next year, and recall that which you have consciously "let go" of for 2010. Lastly, celebrate your awareness by enjoying pleasure! The long night has just begun, your fire is burning and there is much to treasure."*

*Quoted from Winter Solstice Traditions - Celebrating the Return of Light by Shannon Day

One of my all time favorite Christmas movies!

If this doesn't get you ready for Santa, nothing will!

Merry Christmas to All!

Mikayla Bliss

This one deserves its own space.  I missed all the action on the dunes since we had Arianna with us out there, so I am sooooo glad Mike was able to capture these moments.  The sun is about to set and they are up on top of a huge dune after some awesome dune diving. Just look at the purest joy!

Recent trip

We recently had the opportunity to visit Abu Dhabi while Mike was attending a conference. Mikayla was at the tail end of what we are pretty sure was a nice case of oink oink flu and we missed our flight out on Saturday so by Sunday I was actually ready to throw the towel in on the entire trip. The thought of traveling with a just recovering 7 year old and a 6 month old who was requiring us to have to take an additional suitcase for all the needed essentials had me trying to convince Mike it was just better for him to go this one alone.  I am SO glad he didn't listen!

We ended up flying on Etihad Air who supplied us with a bassinet that snapped in on the bulkhead wall as soon as we were up in the air and actually served us a choice of fantastic food that was served with actual silverware...in economy.  And, having missed the original flight meant that we no longer needed to have a layover. We flew straight through which is a definite bonus with kids.

The above picture is actually a domed-type window in the tunnel that took us from the hotel to the beach side of street adjoining our hotel. At night the glass reflected back at us and I just happened to look up and notice the phenomenal photo op!

The trip was absolutely, hands down the most relaxing trip I have EVER taken. Both girls slept in past noon each and every morning so I found myself dragging them out of bed twice just so we could make it to the best damn breakfast buffet I have known. Aside from the essentials like eggs, waffles and the like, there were fresh carrot juice stations that you could blend your favorite morning cocktail - I stuck with the carrot juice and I don't even like carrot juice usually. If you didn't want veggie juices then the fruit juice section was also available, as was home made breads, jams and honey's. I am definitely a breakfast kind of girl. In fact on the days we ate breakfast we couldn't even find the room for lunch. 

So, highlights from moi to thee, should you ever find a reason to visit:

Cultural Heritage Center

A walk on the Corniche (their version of a boardwalk)

Any of the malls - we liked the newest - The Marina Mall

A bike/trike ride with all the locals on the Corniche

Dinner at the "Lebanese Flower" for authentic yet simple delights

The Big Bus Tour - a hop on/off tour of the city

Mandoo's - A great one stop shop for all your Abu treasures (across from Abu Dhabi Mall)

The Grand Mosque - Exquisite!!!

Desert Safari - Belly dancing, sheesha pipes, henna tattoos, camel rides and for the extreme sports guy/girl in all of us - Dune Peshing (sp?) the craziest ride you will ever take in a 4WD vehicle!

We happened to be there for their 38th National Day which culminated on Dec. 2 and the largest fireworks show in the world (they hoped to make the Guinness World Record with 100,000 devices going off that night).  You could literally feel the electricity in the air all day as the excitement grew.

They were also hosting the F1 H20 water races in the Gulf across from our hotel on Dec. 3.  These boats look like space ships on the water and we were just meters from all the action.  Not sure who actually ended up winning but the French guy in our hotel had my vote!

Since we were traveling with kids I do not have any night life recommendations this time around, but, it is a non-alcohol consuming country, so keep that in mind when traveling there. We are glad we picked up a couple of nice bottles of vino in the airport on the way over. And of course, all the big hotels have fully stocked bars.

Viva la Abu Dhabi!

Made in Finland, Born in Cyprus

First plane ride was to Abu Dhabi last week where she got her first tooth on the First of December!

Congratulations Mike!

It's official...Mike has been selected for promotion to Master Sergeant...wooo hoooo!

Giving Thanks!

I try to remember to wake every morning with gratitude. My Nonna lived with us for many years and every morning (and every night) she would go on and on about how thankful she was for what seemed like everything - the good drivers, the beautiful leaves on the trees, the wonderful candy she ate that day. I would love it as a little girl and sadly, started to belittle it in my mind as I grew. "Oh, what a boring life she must have to think of all the small things she has to come up with to give thanks for."  NOW I get it.  So, although the official third Thursday in November Thanksgiving has come and gone, I would like to celebrate today and every day with an unofficial Day of Thanks!  THANKS NONNA, I'M STILL LEARNING FROM YOU! I LOVE YOU ENDLESSLY XOXOXO
Watercolor artwork done by the very talented Mikayla Reanne

Time travel

I never gave the concept of time much thought but with our recent travels it dawned on me that I was actually a time traveler – how flippin’ cool is that! No, I’m not going get all sci-fi on you, but seriously, did you ever just stop and think about this whole time thing? I read a very thought provoking book a couple of months ago called “The Power of Now” and I walked away with a fresh look on now and what that means to me. It was actually pretty amazing to realize how much time I wasted in the future when really it is always only now that we live in. Luckily, I’ve never really been much of a dweller of the past, so all I had to keep reminding myself was to stay focused on the here, the moment right now. Of course, as soon as something that I considered could affect my future showed up, as it always seems to do, I was right back to the future in my thoughts but catching myself gets a little bit easier every time I try to stay focused on it, and soon enough I now realize that until that part of what I think the future holds catches up with me, there really is no point in projecting my hopes or unfounded fears. “Right now, everything is cool,” I say to the future worrier me, and then I tell that bitch to get lost – I don’t need her around any more, just the now me can stay.
Anyway, as I flew away from Cyprus time, further into my future last week (you still need time as a reference I guess) it dawned on me that I was going to be another two hours ahead of my latest time frame, which then made me realize I kept cheating myself out of a little more time which was bringing me that much closer, that much quicker to my next birthday. Hah, not something everyone can embrace, but again, it sat on my mind and my mind said, no biggie, but this time travel thing here sure is pretty damn wild. Starting out my life in NY “way back when” I began cheating time by gaining about six hours when we moved to Hawaii. Then I lost those six and gained another six when we got to Finland, stayed the same in the move to Cyprus. and gained another two in Abu Dhabi, but you know what, nothing really changed except the numbers on the clock. Which brings me back to that book, that now seems to ring more truth than I even realized at the “time” I was reading it. You can’t control it, you can’t own it and you can’t undo it but you can live it and live it fully and live it totally with abandon of the happiness or whatever-ness of your choice. The choice is always yours, its that simple!

A gift of no gifts

I love my sisters! Sandi and Stacie have agreed to no gifts for Christmas and Stacie is going to make a donation to the Heifer Foundation in our family's name. Thank you, thank you, thank you - both - for the best gifts ever! Here's more on Heifer:
http://www.heifer.org/
Amanda...I'm coming for you next! I LOVE YOU ALL XOXO

God and Dog

Happy Sunday :)

Alternative gift ideas

Okay, not giving or getting gifts may seem a bit extreme for some of you.  Here's a few great gift ideas that require no paper wrap and still can satisfy your need to spend your money.

Massage gift certificates...if you have to buy me something, I'd always take this one!
Movie tickets - going to the movies with all the trimmings is a small fortune these days.
Brunch/Dinner gift certificates to your peoples favorite places.
Introduction to some kind of class (you pay the course fees) that you know the receiver would enjoy.
E-books instead of paper books - Save the trees.
A bag of "green" goodies - canvas re-usable bags, lunch box, water bottle...you get the idea - be creative

In fact, be creative in general. Your thoughtful gifts will be remembered far longer than those last minute, "damn I hate shopping with the crowds, let me just get this" present.

Another very cool gift would be making a donation/loan/investment in your gift receiver's name.  It's called Microfinance and I'll copy a little blub I found:

Microfinance is a simple but powerful tool that enables the poor to pull themselves out of poverty. Most commonly, it involves making small loans to the working poor in developing countries. These loans are usually less than $200 and are made by local organizations called microfinance institutions. The loans are used by the working poor to establish or expand small businesses that generate additional income for the family. This extra income allows a poor family to buy food, access healthcare, educate their children, put aside savings and lay the foundation for a better future.


Microfinance has emerged as an effective poverty alleviation tool because it is based on the fundamental principle that human beings are motivated to do whatever it takes to make themselves as well off as possible.

Consider the story of Puja Patel, a single mother who lives with her four children in a village in India. With a $50 loan, she bought a sewing machine. She made clothes, sold them for a profit, and repaid the loan with interest. She was also able to save some money to buy books and send her children to the local school. This is microfinance in action.

New to MicroPlace?


For the world's working poor, a $100 loan is often all it takes to make the difference between running a successful small business and begging for a handout.

Dara Mon used her $100 loan to start a business making hats. She doesn't want your charity. She wants a loan that she can repay with interest and dignity.

Check them out at : https://www.microplace.com/learn_more/microfinance
to learn more.

This is an E-Bay owned company, so you can research it more.  If anyone gets involved I'd like to hear and share it :) 

How to stay debt free in December

So, the Christmas season is upon us already - WOW!  Here's a link for the following certificate, the best present anyone can give and get!
http://www.simpleliving.net/ftp/gift-voucher.pdf

HOLIDAY GIFT EXEMPTION VOUCHER

This certifies that ___________________________________ is exempt from the exchange of holiday gifts with _______________________________ (by order of the Buy Nothing Committee)

Signature ____________________  Date ___________________

Senator Gillibrand's response to Aunt Cat

Aunt Cat...YOU ROCK OUR PLANET!

NOTE TO EVERYONE ELSE: Copenhagen is not looking good for the U.S. in terms of commitments this year - just one more reason to step it up and get your voice heard.   To put it in the simplest terms, our carbon load should be no more than 350ppm and right now we are well above those numbers.  It truly is crucial that we all do our part.  If we can't get our country to sign the pact, then we can start where it all matters most anyway - with ourselves. Do your research and find ways that you can stop wasting energy, making rubbish, buying more crap than you or any one else needs and keep letting your Senator's know that you want a healthy planet for your family to survive on!

November 16, 2009


Dear Ms. Torrice,

Thank you for contacting me about your concerns about global climate change. This is a critical issue facing the world community, and as your Senator, I am working to pass comprehensive climate change legislation that will promote the growth of a green economy while setting a framework to slow, stop and reverse the effects of global climate change. The evidence of climate change is clear. It is imperative that we take significant steps now to address this global threat for the sake of our environment, our economy and our national security. As the only Senator serving on the Environment & Public Works, Agriculture, and the Foreign Relations Committees, I am in a unique position to advocate for the State of New York during this upcoming debate.

I recently voted for the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power (CEJAP) Act when it was considered in the Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee. As the Senate continues to consider comprehensive clean energy and climate change legislation, I believe we must concentrate our efforts on breaking our dependence on foreign oil, increasing energy efficiency and the use of conservation technologies, and investing in the research and development of clean, renewable energy sources to power all sectors of the economy. New York is a leader in the fight against climate change, and it is critical that this legislation accounts for the actions that New York and other states have taken in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in conservation.

I have worked to ensure that the EPW legislation addresses the transportation needs of New York. I was a strong proponent of increasing the percentage of allocations dedicated to transportation projects, by way of the Clean-TEA provisions, from 1 to 5 percent. Additionally, I fought to include a Green Taxis provision, which will amend the Clean Air Act to allow local governments to set more stringent fuel economy standards for taxi fleets. Agriculture and forestry are also critical to achieving success, and I am working to ensure that New York's farmlands and forests can participate in an offsets program.

One of my top priorities regarding climate legislation is to ensure that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) retains its authority over our nation's oldest and dirtiest coal fire power plants. These plants, many of which are scheduled to be decommissioned, must not be allowed to continue to operate under the lax standards that they now follow. Under this bill, all new plants must meet rigorous emission standards, and if these plants are to continue to operate, they too should abide by the new performance standard.

It is also my goal to promote innovation and entrepreneurship as a key tool in addressing climate change; I have introduced legislation to advance development of the clean tech sector. I fought to ensure that the National Clean Technology Business Competition Act was included as part of the CEJAP Act. This program, within CEJAP, will invest $50 million through a new Department of Energy grant program to cultivate national clean technology business competitions. This proposal will not only create clean energy jobs in New York, but will also bolster the hard-hit manufacturing and financial sectors by spurring innovation and creating new investment opportunities. Clean tech business competitions in New York will also help retain talented engineers and scientists in New York State, like those found at universities and research centers from Brookhaven to Buffalo and everywhere in between.

This issue is too important to our nation's future to delay, and your passion and advocacy will be important in the coming weeks and months. Thank you again for taking the time to contact me to voice your support for the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. I ask that you continue to stay in contact with my office during this critical process. For more information and to stay connected to me during this important process please visit my website http://gillibrand.senate.gov and sign up for my e-newsletter.

Sincerely yours,
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator

If I could do this I would

http://www.zipcar.com/

We first noticed these cars in Rome and then they started showing up on the streets in Finland, along with these bright green bicycles with the same idea. Instead of owning a car, or bike, you just pay as you go. And now I see there's a company in the USA that is doing the same. Right now they are around the major cities and university campus areas, but I did notice one that was in Purchase, NY, so the smaller towns are pulling in too.  This is such a brilliant idea that if I had the money I would start a business here in Cyprus today. Check out their website and then think about who you know who may be interested...very, very cool!

Can you donate your miles for Children's Cancer?

http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6867,53234,00.html?jumpLink=%2Fbearhug

Please visit this site if you have United Miles you can donate.  And if you don't have any miles, then a regular donation will do.  Ryan would have loved this!

Our family grows...

After month's of guessing, our newest family member has arrived...and its a BOY!!!  This child is going to grow up with some of the greatest people on earth and loved and adored by all of us.  Welcome little Luca, we are so glad to finally have you here with us.  Here's proud mama Nicole's message I found waiting for me when I woke up this morning...

He's so big (8 pounds 4 ounces-


22 inches long) and beyond sweet.

I am madly in love.

Thank you all for your endless love and support. Luca and I appreciate

it beyond words.

Love you!!