REMEMBER WHEN WEDNESDAY - RICK SPRINGFIELD

JUST THOUGHT I WOULD POST A LITTLE FUN MEMORY TODAY BEFORE HEADING OUT WITH MATTHEW.

HE GOT A BAD BOO BOO TODAY IN OUR DRIVEWAY SO I NEED SOMETHING TO MAKE MOMMY SMILE BEFORE HEADING OUT AND THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT!

K - I KNOW YOU ESPECIALLY WILL APPRECIATE IT!!

True Love - Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar - True Love

Pat Benatar - True Love
Music Video Codes By Music Video Code

Ok...Mommy is a mood today...a true love mood....and hey!!! Instead of a Manic Monday Mood. I couldn't figure out how to add it too my post, so I'll just leave it up for a week or so until my mood changes:-) Isn't she awesome?

Enjoy!

American Idol & Mommy's Early Singing Dreams

Ok...I wasn't going to post today because I didn't have the time, BUT......

Did anyone see Sanjaya tonight on American Idol??!?!?!?!?!?!?

I hate to be a horrible judge of someone, but really!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's time for him to go....that bandanna, the hair and the horrible rendition of Bonnie Raitt's song (who I love). Simon had it so right!!! BAD KARAOKE VERSION....

And after tonight, Jordin Sparks is my hero, singing my all time favorite song by my favorite country singer Martina McBride!!!

Now Melinda is in a close second.

And on a funny note: Matthew wasn't asleep yet, and he said "Mommy, Why do you like American Idol so much?" I said, "Because Mommy is living vicariously through them honey." He said "Why don't you go on the show?!?!?!" I said, "Honey, Mommy is too old, they won't let me on there."

I wish that it was on just a few years earlier and that the age limit wasn't a problem. My voice has suffered over the last few years with my neglect of not being able to practice for hours a day like I used to. My diaphragm isn't the same.

I need alot of work now!! I used to be able to sing Broken Wing by Martina McBride that Jordin sang tonight. Now It sounds like I'm killing some birds when I attempt it...It's funny, because I have always related so much with Martina's lyrics. They are so real to me and my life and she has always moved me. One day I'd love to see her in concert.

When I was in my late teens, early 20's, I had the chances to make my dream a reality and push myself at that time. However, growing up in PA, I was very naive and innocent and afraid of becoming famous. I wanted it, but at the same time I feared it more. I also feared more what the lifestyle of fame possibly could do to someone so young.

I was around 20 when I was in a recording studio with a guy who mentioned he worked with Barry Manilow and knew all the great recording style musicians. He loved my voice, but then he made this horrible pass at myself and my friend, a Really gross one. I ran out of there so fast. That fear of some men and what some girls must have went to for the promised future of fame stayed with me for a long time making me very untrusting of people who said they could make me famous.

That was the last time I had been in a recording studio until I married my husband and his brother had built an awesome one in his house. Unfortunately, he has now moved out of state.

Ironically, I was also naive to think that women who had babies and families couldn't do both, and at the time I wanted to be a stay at home mom more than anything in the world. More than a career at a college, I just couldn't wait to be a mom. And maybe later I would sing.
Little did I know that you could do both, and that years of waiting to get married and infertility would cause me to get a later start on my life's career path of being that stay at home mom.

I'll never forget my shock when I saw a pregnant Martina McBride singing in Washington DC for some Inauguration. I was wide opened mouth look at her, pregnant ready to pop and it's not hurting her diaphragm:-)

It's taking me awhile to grow out of my naivete, but hey I'm a slow learner sometimes.

The Sound Of Music with Matthew & a little Michael Buble for Mommy!!

Today will be the first less than cloudy or rainy day all week, so we will be making a trip out to AC Moore for some craft supplies. I found some really cute ideas for Easter, but eveytime I look at something, there is always something that I'm missing. Just simple things like paper plates, pipe cleaners etc. So hopefully, the distraction of that wonderful store will be an easy venture for us today and then later we can make some cute bunnies and Easter tulips.

Matthew has already had his craft moment today. He took out his playdoh and made me some "trophies". I will post the pics later. He is so creative and funny. He took his little animals, like dinosaurs, farm animals and underwater creatures and put each one separately in a "trophy" stand and gave them to me one at a time. They made a beautiful display on our granite counter top in the kitchen. Don't worry Daddy, I've cleaned it up already.

While Matthew was eating breakfast today, Little Einsteins was on the Disney channel. They were singing Do-Re-Mi....next thing you know guess who started singing the whole thing!!! I am so proud of him! He then ran upstairs to very proudly give Daddy his performance. Later, while doing playdoh I started singing it with him. He kept saying Do Re Si or Fi, so I was trying to teach him the words to remember by saying Do a deer, Re (a drop of golden sun) and then pointing to myself said Mi (a name I call myself)...he ran off distracted by something else.

When I went on YouTube I found Sound Of Music's version and he was looking at me singing with Julie Andrews like How Do You Know that song mommy? He was so impressed with my knowing all the words and knowing the song. He then walked off and went to play with something else, but now I have to get that movie. I can't believe it is one I don't have. It is definitely one of my favorites. Then I brought up YouTube's video of Julie Andrews singing with the Muppet's, The Lonely Goatherd and when I was yodeling with them, he kept smiling at me very impressed. He got a kick out of Kermit The Frog in the video.

Speaking of music, I was watching my favorite show American Idol last night for the elimination night. After Wednesday's performance, I really am pulling for humble and sweet Melinda Doolittle (her name is even humble and sweet). Her performance on Wednesday of Ive Got Rhythm was outstanding. I didn't think I would ever get chills from that show like I did with that performance!! It reminded me of watching Fantasia doing "Summertime" when she sat out on the stage and just belted it so soulfully. But Melinda!!! Looking at her, listening to her humbleness and then hearing that power, she deserves to win. So last night I was watching eliminations, waiting for Tony Bennett to perform because he was the prior nights performer that they had all worked with, and then Ryan Seacrest said "He has the flu, a friend of mine is going to sing instead please welcome, MICHAEL BUBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ok, I already knew that he has a new album coming out on May 1st, but I didn't know he would be popping into my little moment on the TV last night. It was like a special Mommy gift just for me. Thank you Mommy Gods!!!

There is debate today though on the American Idol message boards about his "so, so performance". All I have to say is I've seen him live, I've seen him on YouTube and listen to him everyday I'm in my car, he was a little like one of the contestants last night instead of the performer, BUT in his defense he also had hours notice of his appearance and his comic side and giving props to the band is part of his performing quality. Some people on the boards didn't understand that. They need to see him live to appreciate him, like me. (heehee) Thanks Dad BTW!!!

Last year, my best friend K and I saw Def Leppard and Journey on a Friday night in PA. When I got back to my father's house late that night, my father broke the news "How would you like to go to another concert tomorrow?" The Def Leppard/Journey concert was the first one for me since Vince Gill in 2001. Mommy missed going to concerts, and NOW TWO IN TWO DAYS (REALLY THREE IF YOU COUNT DEF LEPPARD CO-HEADLINING WITH JOURNEY).

My father went on to tell me he was at a local resort that night, where Michael Buble was staying and his friend who is a DJ's there, got him two mezzanine tickets. I didn't even know who Michael Buble was. My father mentioned he did Frank Sinatra music and so being the daughter of a man who sings better than Frank Sinatra and does his music for weddings, venues and has opened up for Lou Rawls, I couldn't say no. It would be fun. A nice father and daughter moment.

The last time we had gone to anything together like that was in the early 90's to a small Masonic Temple to see a 50's Reunion tour of real groups including The Tokens who did The Lion Sleeps Tonight. So, this was going to be a sweet night of just Frank Sinatra music with my Daddy. We went to Bennigans for dinner, had a pint of Smithwicks (to put some Irish into our night) and then we went to the concert.

Now the night before I had got way too made up overdoing my makeup and hair for my 80's revival moment with my friend K and her daughter. The rain and almost hurricane ruined my whole look, but I had tried to look pretty. I mentioned to my friend that I couldn't get over the way some girls these days just don't care about there appearance and couldn't get over the way some of them showed up to this concert! No make-up, no jewelery, pants hanging when they sat down to reveal things we don't want to see etc. I thought of my earlier single days going to see bands and although the Lycra mini skirts might not have been the best decision at the time, that was what was in style and I always did my hair and make-up and made an attempt to at least make a good impression. I even got to meet Tracy Guns from LA Guns (but that's another story).

Anyway, that night going to see Michael Buble I figured I'll just wear jeans, just going to sit in the upper mezzanine nose bleed section, no one will see me, just there for my moment with my Dad. I almost DIED WHEN I SAW THE girls lining up for the doors to open! Beautiful dresses from the 30's style over the knees, nice heels nothing to risque, so old-fashioned, well groomed young men and young women!! I'm talking teens, early 20's...all dressed up so nice!!! I was so impressed and felt so under dressed, like maybe this Michael Buble has a cult and they know ahead of time to dress this way? But I was also immediately impressed by the guys on the dates dressed so nice and coming to take their date out for a nice, Frank Sinatra night....there was hope for all MANKIND!!!!!! MAYBE IF I COULD GET ERIC ON THIS BANDWAGON, HE WOULD DRESS NICE AND TAKE ME ALL DRESSED OUT TOO SOMETIME TO SEE THIS GUY!!

We go inside and take our seat. The guy that gave my father the tickets, came to see how we liked our view. He asked me if I had ever heard of MB before and I said I had not but being a Frank Sinatra lover, I'm sure he will be good...AND THAT'S WHEN HE SAID..."Don't you know that song HOME that he does?" I almost died again....and almost couldn't breathe too. My mother's passing was just a few months fresh for me at this point and so every time I heard that voice on the radio singing about HOME, that almost John Mayer sounding voice I thought, I would only listen to a little and have to change the channel without tearing up. I missed HOME, I missed my family....I thought OK ..this is going to be good, and who better to see this with then my dad.

I AM NOW A HUGE, MAJOR FAN OF MICHEAL BUBLE AND AM SHOUTING IT TO THE WORLD!!! His performance live is spectacular, intimate, comedic, professional, outstanding vocal quality, charming with his audience women and even has the guys laughing, mesmerizing. And my father doesn't give kudos to other guys doing Frank, For him to like him you know he had to be good!!!

Gotta pull up someone's pants from going potty and get out of the house now! (and play a little Feeling So Good on the way)

Remember When Wednesdays!! What do you think of when you hear these songs?

Usually around 4 pm I crank up the music in the kitchen and Matthew will sing, dance and show me his new moves or get out his guitar's or little drums and we have an awesome time!! Today we danced to Grease and Saturday Night Fever Soundtracks. hehe

I don't know why I feel like doing this today. I've been listening to some of my music this afternoon and I thought it would be kind of cool to share what I think of when I hear some of these songs. Where were you or what do you think of? Let me know!!!

1. (just because I just listened to it) Grease Soundtrack!! -We Go Together! - I know when that album came out, my parents had just won on an AM radio station $100 worth of albums. It was 1977 and my brother "J" and I were allowed one album each. This was my choice. My brother chose Village People's YMCA 8-track!! (he is going to kill me for this). One of my favorite memories though of the song We Go Together though, just came back to me when I just listened to it. I was like..wait, didn't me and Donna (an old good friend of mine) sang that with me once at a party at my neighbor's house!!! Way before kids...and lots of alcohol involved. Another good memory on the same exact note was with another treasured and missed friend "P" on a girls weekend out, way before kids, in Lowell back in 1992!

2. Boston's 1976 album!! - the whole album!! - LCCC when I should have been in my classes, but skipped them to drive around and party (1986). That is one of the best albums for summer driving ever! My husband and I on our videos of our vacations where we are driving, we bring our own cd's on it. Both times we have vacationed in Florida, either Key West or Clearwater area, we rented a convertible mustang and this album was blasting during the whole vacation!

3. Led Zeppelin - I love Zeppelin...not enough space to write about every memory. Two favorites though were in 1980 or 1981, Stairway To Heaven started playing on the only two rock stations at the time where I grew up. My best friend "K" loved it along with AC/DC at the time and every time we would hear it on the radio, we would call and say 'STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" is on _ _ _ FM BYE!!! and then because we didn't have any recording devices at the time, would sit next to the stereo until it was done. I would literally put my ears right up to the speaker and turn it up real loud. My parents had this very long magnavox stereo and I would just sit on the floor next to that speaker until it was all done. ( 9 minutes later) My second favorite memory of this album was, my favorite Aunt at the time. She was the most wonderful, loving, kind, Italian family loving, always had pies on the table, with Avon books because she sold them. My father said she would love me these days because we both loved to take pictures:-) I miss her alot. In 1980 or 1981 to me being 12 or 13, all I wanted was Zeppelin's album more than anything. I thought I would DIE without it. So my favorite Aunt got it for me for Christmas!! All I saw was this package wrapped and of course being a big album at the time, I could immediately tell what was under that wrapping. My favorite Aunt went to Saint status at that time to me.

4. Journey - every album - Steve Perry was so much better. I saw them last year in concert not thinking it would make a difference, but it did. I thought the music is what made them awesome and yeah Steve Perry was unbelievable, but they must have someone who can at least make the songs sound as good....WRONG!!! The one good thing is it was the first concert K and I had seen since Eddie Money back in 1988 and Def Leppard was co-headlining with them and I always love them. Any song with Steve Perry, Faithfully, Open Arms, Separate Ways I am in PA driving in the mountains and feeling it come through the speakers...Separate Ways reminds me of K doing a Pom Pom routine she had learned and so we still have the routine embedded in our minds when we hear that song.

5. Def Leppard - Do you want to get rocked???? - My brother "J" and I got into them very early, from High and Dry's Bringin on the Heartbreak that I still get goose bumps to. I could sit here and type every single song, but my fingers would hurt. Last year to get ready for my their co-headling concert with Journey, I bought Rock Of Ages, The Definitive Collection Disc's one and two...Basically, they have been in my car CD player ever since. I'm addicted. And yeah it used to help in the 80's when Joe Elliot had his mullet and hole in his knees of his jeans, but now it doesn't matter, his voice is beautiful, there sound is beautiful, mesmerizing and harmonious. One of my fav's is Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad.

The next two kind of have the same memory for me, so I am going to combine them.

6 & 7 Irene Cara, Fame and the music from the sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The movie was Stayin' Alive and John Travolta got all built and sexy in a sarong for a dance move where he had to do these high kicks with Fiona Hughes. Both Fame and that song from Stayin' Alive (I have to officially find out the name, but every time I watch the movie, I remember), I loved and wanted to be famous some day. Whether it was as a model, a singer, a dancer I didn't care because I loved every thing about the arts. And I was the most obnoxious pre-teen, teenager and even adult you will ever meet. I know being a Sagittarius has alot to do with that. Anyway, for both of those songs, my friend "G" who was a guy (just friends though) and I would have a blast on our street. He would be on one end and I would run to him from the other end and then when we passed each other in the middle of the street with the whole neighborhood watching, we would jump and do those high kicks ....I know you all know the kicks I mean. One of my favorite memories:-)

Well, I've decided to do this every Wednesday. I need some theme's I think. How about Remember When Wednesdays???

BTW: I need one of those Ipod things, Debbie!! I don't have one and I think maybe that IS what I needed on Monday:-) Just Kidding hubby, I'm happy with my speakers in the kitchen.

Best Of Two Heritages - ITALIAN AND IRISH

Well, Mommy got her night out!!! Yeah!! Thanks to my good friend "TwinsMom".

We had a good time at the show. Cheryl Wheeler is so funny and her voice and guitar sound is so similar to Mary Chapin Carpenter who I love.

Before we went out, I visited with my friends mother in law for awhile and it was funny because on St. Patrick's Day, I found out she grew up in the North End of Boston. Little Italy. We talked about canoli's, ricotta pies and the just the wonderfulness of the Italian culture. I let her know I'm half Italian, half Irish, my maiden name means friend in Italian. This morning I emailed her my Grandmother P's recipe handed down to me from my cousin for what my grandmother called Easter Pizza.

The recipe was for 5 pies because she had 8 children and when the whole family got together during the holidays 5 pies was nothing. The recipe filling calls for 10 eggs, 3 lbs muenster cheese and 1 1/2 lb of ricotta:-) Talk about high cholesterol. The crust called for 8 more eggs!! LOL

It was so nice to meet someone who knew what that recipe meant to me. Someone who appreciates her heritage and the good food that comes with it!

One of the blogs that I love to read, that I just found the other night is about a nice Sicilian girl who moved from NJ to CA. She has a wonderful way of expressing her true self and her sense of humor is something too! We have alot of similarities in that she misses her hometown and appreciates little thing like the food in the area she is from. I miss my hot dogs with chili, fries with gravy and my mountains, not to mention my familia and also lost my mom in the last year. Visit her at http://www.acharmedlife.typepad.com/

Well, I told myself I was going to get us out today now that it is sunny, still only 25 degrees though! ugh!

I just wanted to mention though that the first thing Matthew said to me when he woke up this morning was, Mommy (smiling) I missed you!! Did you have fun with your band? LOL I reminded him that Mommy went to see another girl sing and that I wish it was Mommy and her band. It was so cute because he thinks when my father goes out when we are visiting him in PA, that he is playing with his band. (He can just be going out for coffee) And now he is thinking that with Mommy, yeah!!!!

I also wanted to mention that now that St. Patty's Day is over, I can also be proud to be ITALIAN!!!! OK....DAD!!! I know how my proud Italian father must have felt yesterday reading about Ireland, he wants us to go to Italy before we go back to Ireland.

67 degrees, then snow? Only in New England & Mom's night out

Well, I'm not going to be talking about that "d" word anymore:-)

Yesterday we got out for a little while and it was 67 degrees:-) Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We were so happy just to be outside and Matthew is really appreciating spring coming and living on the lake. He wanted to fish, but Daddy didn't have any rods hooked up so I told him next week.

So, he had fun anyway looking for worms under some logs we use as landscape edging down by the lake. He found a string and was so cute hooking it onto branches hanging over the water, telling me he was going to catch a fish. I didn't spoil his fun. He was just loving being out and enjoying nature. He even mentioned we had a sting ray and a jelly fish in the water. I tried to tell him it was algae and explain what it was. He kept asking if it was going to bite him.

I got a book the other day at the library on birds of the Northeast by James Audobon. Matthew loves this book and every time he heard a bird chirp, he'd yell" Mom, get my bird book".

Then last night, the weatherman said tomorrow rain and in the evening and Friday, possible nor'easter and snow/sleet! What!!! Listen, Mr. Weatherman, we are done with that season!! No more!! How am I going to explain to my son why there is snow again? And that it will be cold again!!

They say if you want to know when the weather will change in New England, just to wait two minutes. I know that this is happening outside of MA also, but I don't care. I'm sick of it. We just want sunny warm days at the park, zoo's, playgrounds and on the lake...is that too much to ask? LOL

I am looking forward to Saturday night. I am going with a mom/friend of mine who has been trying to get me to hear this girl in concert for over a year. We had tickets to see her in January and she cancelled due to Laryngitis and rescheduled for Saturday night. It has been a long wait, but we are going to have fun. The artist's name is Cheryl Wheeler. My friend burned me her CD, and she's pretty good. I love Jann Arden and she is similar in that she has a comedic performing intimate quality to her shows, so it will be nice to escape life in my mind for awhile.

Then on Sunday, we will go into Boston for their famous St. Patrick's Day Parade:-) Hopefully the weather will be decent that day.

Friends make the world go round

I am just going to type a little right now due to dinner time and Matthew is bringing in his toy food into the kitchen and interupting me so his toy food is overtaking the real food right now:-)

Today was an awesome day. We had some of Matthew's best friends over and a friend for Mommy so we had a really a nice time. It was a musical time. And the animals from around the area I'm sure were heading to my house, when they all played at the same time. But it was cute and they actually played better than in the past. The last two times Matthew has been with his friends, they all played awesome and we're starting to really see them all growing up. The twins turned 4 in December and Matthew is going to be 4 on Feb 7th:-( It's almost as old as 5 in my eyes which is half way to double digits..I'm hyperventilating just thinking about it.