The Times in Which We Live

We had the privilege this weekend of spending quality time with our Uncle Fred. He came down from Rochester for a Volkswagen show here in town, and stayed with us Friday through Monday.

For such an unassuming man, we certainly sing his praises to the high heavens. Our Uncle Fred is easygoing, hilarious, and downright cool. He is beginning to look more like my dad, I think, but there are still marked differences…for one thing, we always have to comment on how young Uncle Fred and Aunt Stephanie look, and we attribute this to their non-existent children. With kids, we’ve decided, come laugh-lines and worry-lines, gray hair and gravitas. Since our aunt and uncle have no children, they are missing those facial characteristics, which lends a carefreeness to their general presence.

Anyway, we all enjoyed having our dear Uncle Fred with us for an entire weekend. I say “all”, becaue over the course of the past week, Mr. & Mrs. Bartos II (that’s Greg & Morgan) graced us with their presence just about every other day. It felt like old times, having them here so much. Also, I took the opportunity to loan out my room to Uncle Fred, and joined my sisters in their bedroom for the weekend. Aside from the fact that I no longer have a bed in there, that really did bring back all kinds of memories. Lots of fun.

And so life slowly circles onward, as we continue counting our days. My mother’s daughters (one has to wonder, is that really the easiest way to say it? I can’t use “Squicciarini girls” anymore, because one of us isn’t, and “Squicciarini & Bartos girls” isn’t true either, because Greg has a sister…”Squicciarini girls + Morgan Bartos” works, but it’s a little awkward) are accompanying her to the spa today for a massage. That was our Mother’s Day gift, and it’s finally been scheduled! We’re all hoping that she feels pampered and indescribably soothed after this experience. We’ll see.

Remember that Memorial Day is less than a week away! You might want to look it up and do some research on why we call it that, and what we’re celebrating – turns out over half of our country doesn’t know. Be one of the ones who does, ok?

[today is thirty-five days of the Omer; that is, 5 weeks]

Cherry Trees & Aviator Sunglasses

I doubt my sister Christine will sit down a write a post (it’s just not her style), so I’ll go ahead and talk about her behind her back (or, as my brother is quick to point out, in front of her back).

Christine is turning 20 tomorrow! That’s right – my tall, gorgeous sister of infamous pouty lip and artistic excellence is stepping into a new decade. She is leaving her teen years behind, embarking on what is believed to be the best years of one’s life. We spoke about this transition as a family last night; it turns out that during my mom’s 20s, she got engaged, got married, moved three times, bought a house, had two children, and switched jobs upwards of four times. When asked what she was doing when she actually turned 20, as Christine will be doing tomorrow, she grinned and said, “The same thing I had been doing before – getting into trouble!” [Our mom was a real wild child.] We are all looking forward to seeing what Christine accomplishes in this new decade.

She started the celebrations last week with a birthday dinner at Cowfish, among friends. Cowfish was recommended by Morgan, who had gone with a friend and enjoyed her meal immensely. It’s a SouthPark restaurant specializing in sushi and burgers, oddly enough. Their menu is a veritable book, and the choices are endless. Eating kosher is a little tricky, but Christine printed off the menu for us before we went, so that we could pore over it, Sharpie in hand, and cross out anything we couldn’t have. Worked like a charm. Christine strategically invited some friends to join us, and it was a really fun time. Mary was snapping pictures non-stop, so we also have some good memories.

Tomorrow evening, we will be spending time as a [complete] family – Greg & Morgan will be here with us, eating Christine’s favorite dish, salmon, and helping us celebrate the fact that we have Christine. She’s a special lady.

In Judaism, birthdays aren’t such a huge deal. However, I like to think of them as a day we can each set apart to look back on our lives and thank G-d for all that He has allowed us to do, and where He has allowed us to go. It’s an opportunity to thank G-d for those who have influenced our lives for the better, and pray that we merit to do the same in the lives of others. B”H, He will enable us to continue to walk in His ways and touch the future.

In honor of Christine, we pray:

G-d of days and years, Author of life, our times are in Your hand. We thank You for the blessing of life and for all that enriches our lives. We gather today in special thankfulness to share in the happiness of Christine Squicciarini. Be with her always as the joy of her life.

May she be blessed in health and happiness, and with the strength to overcome sickness and sorrow. May we have the joy of coming together for many more years, united by mutual reverence and love. Then will our lives be filled with abundance and blessing.

Amen! So may it be. Happy birthday, Christine! We *all* love you.

 

[today is twenty-eight days of the Omer; that is, 4 weeks]

Where Have All the Good Posts Gone?

by Julianna Squicciarini

It has come to my attention that *I* am the only one writing anything on this blog. Or at least, I’m the only one posting to it since the beginning of the year. Scary, you know? I feel like the single sailor trying to keep the ship afloat…

No, not really. But if you’ve wondered where we went and what’s going on in our lives, here are the Highlights of Our Lives for the past few months, and our mysterious absence from our blog.

• First of all, the efforts of the main authors of this blog (that being my sister Morgan and myself – no offense to any of the secondary writers) have been focusing their attention on building a more spiritually-based blog centering around our faith and connection between other young women around the globe. You can check it out at http://www.candlelighters.wordpress.com. As our personal community grows, so is our online presence, and it is so encouraging – and amazing! – to see what G-d has done for us.
• As to our physical lives, you know that Morgan is now engaged. Because of this all-important fact, you can well imagine how her life has gotten busier over the last few months, during her courtship. Now that she is offically engaged, life will probably be getting even busier! That’s a good thing. If you want to stay updated with her life, feelings, plans, details, etc., be sure to check out her personal blog at http://www.torahgirl.wordpress.com, where she will posting things like that.
• I have been starting to implement my 10 Plagues Project – a community service idea to fill my summer with profitable and meaningful activities. Interested in what exactly I mean by that? Feel free to leave a comment asking for more details (it’s kind of a long story), or email me and I’ll send you my PDF explaining things. Anyway, to that end, I have signed up yet again to walk with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on their October Light the Night walk here in Charlotte. If you live in the area and want to walk with us (no donation necessary!), please join our team at http://pages.lightthenight.org/nc/Charlnc10/Squicciarini. Clicking the red “Join” button at the bottom of the page will add you to our personal team and you’ll be signed up to walk with us on October 16. I’d love to have you with me!
• My sisters and I have continued to volunteer at the USO in the Charlotte Airport. Curious about what the USO is and does? Check them out at http://uso-nc.com/. It’s really cool being able to get through security easily and serve our military from right here in our hometown. We go about twice a month, usually in the early morning on a weekday or on Sunday afternoon.
• You all know about my Valentine’s Day luncheon – third year in a row! If you haven’t read it yet, check out my write-up at http://squicciarini.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/hugs-kisses-the-valentines-day-luncheon-2010/. Not only was this year’s luncheon a smashing success (and probably the best year yet), but I also entered a contest a few days later, competing with a few other girls for the best Valentine’s Day event (in a do-something-for-others spirit), and won first place! It was very exciting. Prizes came flooding in. It was incredible.
• My father’s business is doing very well. Flourishing, in fact. New customers have continued to call, even in this recession. Our father had us schedule set work hours, so we do actually get things done. I’m a schedule freak, so that’s fine with me. Plus, he still allows us to be very flexible. We are now in the process of cross-training, since it looks like our Chief Operating Officer might be moving out and starting a new life soon…!
• Peter is still taking piano, but his final recital is coming up. He’ll be performing Saturday afternoon, May 8, at Mt. Harmony Baptist Church (moments from our house). Email me if you’re interested in coming. This is going to be fantastic.
• My mother and Mary have both had birthdays, which were celebrated accordingly. The post on my mother’s birthday can be read at http://squicciarini.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/thinking-happy-thoughts/.
• I’ve been busier than ever with piano lessons, as I have acquired another four students since my post about them (http://squicciarini.wordpress.com/2010/02/03/play-it-through-to-the-end-and-repeat/). That’s seventeen students! Even I can’t believe I have that many.
• Christine has been on the endless search for a car. This search has been on the side of the road, in car lots, CraigsList, and eBay. She actually went and saw one yesterday – a manual, yellow MINI Cooper – and something might actually happen with that. I’m sure you can easily see Christine driving a yellow MINI. We all can.
• Speaking of cars, Morgan updated her look with a new car, as well. She traded in her bright yellow VW bug for a 2008, vanilla VW convertible. It’s smooth and sleek, and drives like a dream. Drop by sometime to see it.
• We’re planning on opening our pool in very early May. If you’re interested in helping with that, and thus adding yourself almost permanently to our pool-party guest list for Summer 2010, comment below or email me. We’re always looking for willing helping hands, and cold beverages will be complimentary.
• I really do plan to go skydiving for my birthday – want to come with me? Comment below or….email me. (You should know the drill by now <wink>). It will be sometime in June, and you’re welcome to come along just for the ride and the view, if you want.

Well, I think that’s about it. Put down on “paper”, it doesn’t look so busy. But as I was recently telling my dad, sometimes it feels like I don’t have time for anything! Like I work all the time, or something! While that’s not exactly true, life certainly is jam-packed. In an extraordinarily good way! Please pray that G-d continues to bless our family so abundantly.

Thinking Happy Thoughts

by Julianna Squicciarini

Today is a very special day. Today, my mother is turning 39. No wait – actually, she’s 58. Haha! No, no. Just kidding. 42. Or maybe it was 37? 29? She’s been telling everyone different numbers, so it’s hard to keep it straight. They say, you know, that her age is the only thing a woman is morally and socially allowed to lie about.

My mother, like any great wine or cheese, has matured with age. Her “flavor”, her joie de vivre, has intensified throughout the passing years. We hear stories of her younger, rebellious, teenage days…we all know how she met my dad – and how he wasn’t her type AT ALL…we know she majored in Urban Forestry, which, for anyone who knows my mom, is ridiculous…we know how she pretty much had to turn herself from a turtle into a social butterfly, because of our father’s penchant for hospitality and networking. Her own sphere of influence has widened and deepened as her life has lengthened. She is now surrounded by women of all ages, and at least four of the younger ones are looking to her for a good example and much-needed guidance in their lives. <grin>

And you know what? She handles it with aplomb. She laughs and puts on her sneaky smile when we mention how much we rely on her opinion, and, being the very direct Northerner she is, she tells it like it is, whether you wanted to hear it or not. I love that about her, even though I sometimes dread hearing what she has to say. You understand.

So without further ado, here’s a birthday blessing for my mom:

G-d of days and years, Author of life, our times are in Your hand. We thank You for the blessing of life and for all that enriches our lives. We gather today in special thankfulness to share in the happiness of our mother, Allyn. Be with her always as the joy of her life.

May she be blessed with health and happiness, and with the strength to overcome sickness and sorrow. May we have the joy of coming together for many more years, united by mutual reverence and love for her. Then will our lives be filled with abundance and blessing.

My mother is my role model, my mentor, my teacher, and my friend. She is my inspiration! I love you, Mums – happy birthday!

26

by Julianna Squicciarini

For those of you who didn’t know, our parents celebrated their 26th anniversary earlier this month (the 8th, to be exact). To the average American children, parents’ anniversaries come and go with barely a second thought. Who cares, anyway? They got married – a long time ago – good for them. Right? But if you think about it seriously, you wouldn’t be here if they hadn’t. So this is an AWE-FILLED, STUPENDOUS, EARTH-SHATTERING event. Besides, as the years continue to add up, they join an ever-narrowing minority. Divorce is predominate in this country.

On that very serious note, we, the Squicciarini 5, put our heads together to figure out what to do in honor of our parents’ 26th anniversary. No – not to decide what to get them or what to do for them; our parents are the ultimate romantics. They do enough for each other. On top of which, they actually “kicked us out” of the house for that evening, so they could make dinner together and enjoy it in solitude. This was fine with us – we just needed a great plan to fill four to five hours.

We came up with a list of 26 things to do. This list was a great list. I mean, the creative juices that were poured into it would astonish even the artists among us. It included mundane things, like driving for 26 miles. It included more spicy things, like drinking 26 ounces of water. It included over-the-top things, like releasing 26 balloons from the top of the Ballantyne Village Theater. Are you laughing yet? On the edge of your seat, wondering what we did? Overwhelmed by the ideas? Good. Keep reading.

Obviously, we are ambitious. Set the bar high, or it won’t be any fun trying to reach for it. So yes, we tried for 26 twenty-sixes, and some we got – some we didn’t quite attain. But it’s the thought that counts, and it certainly felt like half of Charlotte knew it was our parents’ 26th anniversary by the time we arrived back at The Residence. Here’s what we did:

• We visited 8 places. I think 8 counts, because their anniversary falls on the 8th of October. <chuckle>
• Our first stop was the Allison home, because Mr. & Mrs. Allison also celebrated their 26th anniversary this year. Congratulations to them. While there, we stole Rachel and took her with us, to be our photographer. As a result, we have tons of excellent pictures to remember this day.
• We spent exactly $26 at the gas station, getting gas for this amazing drive all over Charlotte. Christine is surprisingly good at getting an exact amount at the gas station, and we have the picture to prove it.
• We definitely drove 26 miles.
• We interviewed people on their thoughts on marriage. Anniversaries are the perfect chance to do this. Our questions (each of us had one to ask) were things like, “Do you think age matters in a relationship?” and “What do you think is the biggest contributor to the ever-rising divorce rate in America?” I have to say, that last question is quite the tongue-twister if you’re trying not to look at the paper when you say it. Can you tell which one was mine?
• We traveled with a group of 26. Since we only invited one guest to join us on this adventure, I’m sure you’re wondering how we got that number.
• We. Took. 26. Group. Pictures. Are you impressed?
• We chose a word, near and dear to our hearts, and tried to use it in conversation – naturally – 26 times. We made it to 16 without looking too obvious. The word, just so you’re “in the know” was…<whisper> cucumber.
• We had our in-house senior technician cut us a CD of great songs to which we could rock out while doing all this driving. 26 tracks, of course.
• We gave 6 hugs. And no, they weren’t all to the same person.
• We made a Roundtable List of 26 words that describe our parents and their marriage. It was epic.
• We made 7 toasts, mostly to ourselves, our parents, and the day in general.
• We broke into 7 [loud] rounds of applause – in public.
• We drank 26 ounces of water.
• We were going to leave our waitress at 26-cent tip, but that seemed a little cheap. I take that back. It was ludicrous to even think about it. So we had our in-house senior technician figure out what $0.26 SQUARED would be. That still seemed cheap. So we did $0.26 CUBED, and it was perfect.
• We froze for 26 seconds every 26 minutes. ALL NIGHT. Do you know how cool that feels? The four of us who own cell phones all set alarms to go off sequentially, and when we heard them, we all immediately froze and started silently counting. It was incredible.
• We released 6 balloons from the top of the Ballantyne Village Theater parking deck. It was sunset, and the beautiful reddish-pink sky in the background made this event so much more special. We shouted, “HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!” and let them go, our hearts swelling with love for and gratitude toward our parents. <sigh> That was really the highlight of the evening.
• We went to The Cheesecake Factory and ordered the 26th cheesecake on their menu. It was Caramel Pecan Turtle, in case you were wondering. Very tasty.
• We stuck 26 tall, spindly, sparkly candles into that one piece of cheesecake, lit them, wished our parents a happy anniversary (again), and blew them out. We very nearly started a small bonfire in the restaurant. But we didn’t get in trouble. <sigh of relief>
• And – get this – we made a list of 26 things to do. HAHA!

Thus ends one of the most wonderful celebrations of our parents’ anniversary. We had such a fabulous time, and I feel like we did honor them, even though we didn’t get them a gift, or spend the evening with them, or anything like that.

We’re so proud of our parents! I know that sounds a little backwards…but it’s true, anyway! They’re an amazing couple, and their lives and marriage are a testimony to everyone around them. May all five of us follow their example!

P.S. – not counting the title or this sentence, bet you can’t guess how many times I used the number “26″ in this post…

Traveling in Style

This week Mom and I headed up to Bristol together to visit my grandparents at their magazine-worthy mountain house. You may not know it, but my mom is the most sophisticated traveler. She plans her outfits in advance, and since the clothes in her closet all magically match each other, she always looks perfectly pulled together. She’s just effortlessly stylish. For the road trip she’ll wear gray jeans and a chic sweater, leather ballet flats and cool Brighton sunglasses with silver accents. She’s so cultured – she’ll remember to bring accessories like lavendar-scented pillow spray and miniature packages of Ocean Spray dried cranberries. She spreads her stuff out on the bathroom sink in neat green mesh zippered bags filled with cute travel sized products. Her travel bags are Vera Bradley, in a fashionable black and tan print. Her purse is always a classic Coach bag or something similar. She’s the kind of person who takes along a “wrap” … you know, one of those wide scarves, and then not only wears it but even manages to look naturally elegant. It’s… inspirational. That’s all I can say.

Dinnertime Conversation

My grandfather (HFS): You should consider renting a porta potty when you have all those people over every other week.

Mom, Nana, and me (in unison): Ewwwwwwwwwww!

HFS: No really, it’s a good idea.

Me: Well, we’d basically have to buy one, don’t you think?

HFS: No, just rent it! They’re not expensive.

Mom (AMS): Um, Dad… women don’t use those.

HFS: Sure they do!

AMS: No… I don’t use them.

Me: Neither do I.

AMS: I’d never use one. Kathy, would you use one?

Nana (MKS): No! Never!

HFS: Yes you would – you’ve used one!

MKS (aghast): I Have Not!

HFS: I’VE SEEN WOMEN COMING OUT OF THEM!

Me: Yeah, well… they weren’t using them, take my word for it. 

HFS: <shakes head with resignation>

 

Trivia: according to wikipedia, “portable toilets are referred to colloquially or sold under such brands as port-a-john, job johnny, port-o-let, port-a-loo, sani-privy, port-a-san, porta-potty, tidy john, John To Go, Biff, toi-toi, J-Jon, P-Unit, and porta-kybo.”

Let’s Raise a Glass

A wave of fitness has swept The Residence recently, as our matriarch has thrown herself into a whirlwind of activity into which the rest of us cannot help but be swept. She is a blur of action these days… running around town, walking around the neighborhood, swimming around the pool… and I marvel sometimes at the extent of her influence on our family (though I know it’s no surprise that a mother could have the power to affect change within her own family), because considering that we are a group of lively, determined ‘young adults’ it seems unusual that almost all of us, in one way or another, would so easily alter our habits or routines in accordance with the example set by a parent. She has set a personal course toward a well-balanced, physically active, healthy lifestyle, and we find ourselves moving in the same direction, voicing encouragement and agreement, wondering silently why we had not taken these steps sooner, knowing the answer is that even as grown-up and self-sufficient as we like to think we are, we still require a leader with initiative. My mother answers this need with quiet wisdom, motivating by patient example. We love her, care for her, and yes… we follow her.

My Father’s House: Part 5

To wrap up my extended review of the Wisconsin trip, let’s see… where was I? Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were full days (especially with Friday being the actual holiday of Shavu’ot)… by Sunday morning we were more than a little sleep-deprived, but enjoying ourselves immensely and sad that the conference was almost over. After a fantastic class by Daniel Lancaster early Sunday afternoon about the Temple as mentioned in Hebrews, we literally ran out of Beth Immanuel, shouting goodbyes over our shoulders, jumped in the car, and started our drive home.

It was Decided (note: not by me) to change our watches to Eastern Daylight Time as we drove out of Hudson… the assumption being that this would help us easily revert to our own timezone. My objections (1. just because you tell me it’s 5pm doesn’t change the fact that where I am right now it’s only 4pm; 2. my super smart phone gets the right time from satellites or something, so I can’t change it; and 3. why make time go by any faster than it has to… I was planning to use that hour!) were overruled by the majority opinion.

So we made Rockford by 10pm (but it was really only 9pm) and found our hotel (and I say “our” because  we stayed there on the way up/north and chose to return to the same place on our way down/south… loyalty being our defining characteristic). Not surprisingly, the staff recognized us. I do believe it was Mr. Rogers’ southern charm that made an impression on them.

The whirlpool was just as good as we remembered. =)

We dragged ourselves down in the morning at an ungodly hour, as my esteemed father would say, and watched Mr. Rogers cheerfully consume several bowls of cereal (drivers need to be well-nourished, you know). It took all day to get home. I think we only stopped 3 times… although it may have been 4… but in our defense it is very important  to prevent blood clots by walking around at intervals during road trips. And this comes straight from Mrs. Rogers herself.

We pulled into Asheville around 9pm, said goodbye again, this time to Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, with whom we are now on quite intimate terms… and drove to Charlotte. “Meanwhile,” as they say, “back at the homestead,” the family was setting up the most elaborate cheese party I’ve ever seen. They kept texting us about their preparations… and it was everything they described. I love coming home. We were greeted with flowers, and hugs, and a really incredible spread of food, considering that it was after 11pm. And so we sat on the floor around our glass table and compared notes about the week… they told stories about amusing incidents at the Shavuot party here, and we told them stories about amusing incidents in Hudson (yes, Boaz Michael, I’m talking about you… ) and finally we went to bed…

And that is the story of our trip to Hudson.

The End.

My Father’s House: Part 1

Or more accurately, “without Dad in a hotel room…”

A scarce 24 hours after the guys returned from their camping trip/mini vacation, three of us left for Asheville to rendezvous with our ride to Wisconsin, Steven and Darnell Rogers. Mom, Julianna, and I spent Monday night in the Rogers’ lovely mountain home and left early the next morning to begin our week long “trek” to Hudson, WI for the annual FFOZ Shavuot Conference.

I say “trek” because 4 total days of driving is no joke, especially when you’re used to quick flights (like me) or occasionally get carsick (like me) or need 24/7 internet access (…like me).

As you might have guessed, 18 hours in a car with friends will make you really close friends by the end of the trip! Or… well, we won’t consider the alternative. Julianna and I had no choice but to come up with a list of what we’ve learned about Steven Rogers, our dependable chauffeur:

• He’s full of those incredibly valuable pearls of wisdom, like, “What can I say? Part of being smart is knowing what you’re dumb at.”
• He is superhuman. On Tuesday, we started driving from Asheville, NC shortly before 6:30am, and made it to Rockford, IL by 5:30pm local time. That, for the uninitiated, is a solid 12 hours of driving. No real breaks to speak of, either. The 7-minute gas stops (both of them) don’t really count, in my mind…
• If you are habitually quiet, people actually listen to you when you speak. You should try it sometime; Mr. Rogers is an expert.
• He is a true Southerner… in accent, style, and gentlemanly behavior.
• He has a deathly fear of MSG (“torture” would be going a Cracker Barrel) but will eat ice cream or beef at almost any time of the day or night.
• He prefers to be addressed as “Mr. Rogers, sir.”
• His long-term vision is to own a farm and be self-sufficient.
• He’s always on the lookout for a Dick’s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro Shop, or Walmart… in other words, a place where he could buy ammunition.
• He has handled being the only man in a car full of women with remarkable aplomb. Our hats are off to him. =)