A long lost Uncle and love...

Uncle Eddie and Ella July 2011

Today was an incredibly special day. I was able to see my father's brother, my Uncle Eddie after a 20 year absence. Losing my father 9 years ago on July 13th was extremely painful and it left many questions unanswered about his family, my family, our roots. To sit with my almost 81 year old Uncle and talk about dates and Puerto Rico and family was incredibly moving. His two beautiful daughters beamed as we talked about the times we shared and the crazy life they have lived with their father. My own father was loud, demonstrative and was never shy to curse. To hear my Uncle Eddie talk about beating up a 40 year old last year and having multiple girlfriends made me laugh. We live completely different lives and I wish that wasn't the case but here we are... laughing, loving and connecting in ways so many people could benefit from. We expressed gratefulness for one another and vowed we would see each other more. There isn't a lot of time but today made up for so much.

My beautiful cousins are reminders to me how hard life can be and how resilient we are as human beings. Their lives propel me to continue to do what I love. I do not take a single day for granted. I do no take my wonderful life for granted. I will never take my beautiful family for granted.

Reach out today to someone you love, someone you did love, someone who needs love. The result will be lifelong... Just do it!

Love rules,

Jordan

A Dead Mole, a Spider and Ambition

I am not a morning person. My ideal working hours would be from 8 pm to 5 am. Unfortunately, having kids, this can't happen. I smile through my mornings with anticipation of a great day. I try different things all the time to get me through the first few hours and then my hyperactivity gets me through the rest of the day.

On Thursday, feeling overly ambitious, I ran downstairs to do some laundry. There was a pile of clothes on the floor near the washing machine. The laundry basket next to it was remarkably empty (sigh). I picked up the clothes to have something drop out of the sheets. I pulled my dollar store eye glasses down from my head and onto to my face and screamed when I realized it was a dead mole. Yes, a mole. No eyes, long stout and dead, dead, dead. I did a little squeamish dance and realized I had to get rid of it. I grabbed a few dryer sheets, picked it up and tossed it in the toilet. So gross, I washed my hands and cursed those freaking cats holed up in my basement. After my heart rate returned to normal, I picked up the same pile of clothes to have a giant black spider sprint out like Carl Lewis. I was done. So much for ambition. I'm big on symbolism so I figured I'm not meant to do laundry and left Jeff a text message there was laundry to be done.

I shook it off, took a shower, walked the dogs around the lake and laughed to myself about the poor dead mole.

Poor mole probably started out her day ambitious as well... I just succeeded :)

Rock on fabulous friends...

Jordan

When the transmission blows...Laugh it wasn't the engine!

For those of you who know me, I'm a pretty optimistic person. Last year, my transmission on my 3 year old car went and I struggled through the process of $4,000 in repairs and thought, I need a new car. 9 months later when the same transmission backfired, the warranty was expired since I drive 10,000 miles a day. This time, the mechanic suggested I sue Nissan and sent me on my way. After a nice sleepover in Warwick this weekend and then another sleepover in the Berkshires, I headed home singing in my car on the top of my lungs with a great running car. Tonight, I wanted to make a special dinner for my great friend Norma's Mom who turned 81. As I raced up Rt. 280 with 3 kids in tow, WHAM, the transmission slipped and I was banging on the hazards. I pulled over, thought it over and realized, damn, 2 miles away. My son Noah stated he was praying and I told him, keep praying. We started to chant, "come on baby, come on baby" as we coasted in neutral down Eagle Rock Road. What an adventure! Our energy made that car go!!! We made it to Norma's. I cooked, we laughed and Norma's mom Catherine, gave me her car to drive back home. I reached out to my friend Lynn who has a truck I wanted to buy and she says, "I will leave the keys tomorrow, take it."

Love always saves the day and there is no one I know more grateful for the love in my life and the people around me.

Love rules. Happy Valentine's Day!
Jordan

Trust your instincts, mostly your best friend!

I was reminded today about love. Almost a year ago, it was around my birthday (March), I wanted a puppy desperately to add to our new addition of a crazy ass pit bull hell dog rescued from Brooklyn. My husband was hell bent on getting Matilda and I relented. Soon after, I knew, she needed a partner. I emailed, facebooked, blogged, everything I could to find a puppy (pit bull) to join freak, crazy Matilda. Finally, I received an email from Ramapo Refuge in Oakland and they said, "we are expecting two pit bull mix puppies, please come and take a look." Alone, I drove to Oakland and when I arrived, the woman at the desk said, "I'm so sorry. The woman with the puppies won't release them." I was so disappointed. I gave them my cell number and asked them to give it to the woman with the puppies. I went home feeling she would call. 5 days later, the shelter called and said the woman brought in the puppies. A male and a female puppy! I was so excited, I drove directly to the shelter. Once there, I saw two puppies... One was yapping and yelling and jumping all over and the other was calm and sitting and so sweet looking. I knew instantly he was mine. I held him and took a picture and my husband felt he didn't look like a pit bull so I forwarded the picture to my best friend Caroline and she said, "Jordan, that is your dog."

I will never forget it. She was certain. I trusted her and I said yes to adopting him. Today, reminded by love is because, Frankie, my dog, is amazing. He is loving, trustworthy, sweet, reliable, gorgeous and loves my kids.

I am grateful for intuition, I am grateful for shelters, I am grateful for best friends!

What? This is my life???

Many of you know, I am a mother to 5 children. My 2 step-children do not live me with physically although they are with me full time emotionally and I adore them. My 14 year old daughter was a competitive gymnast for 7 years. 6 days a week, constant travel, constant heartache. Last year she declared she could not continue another day with gymnastics and I obliged. 2 weeks after leaving gymnastics, she asked if I would take her to this gym in Fairfield for competitive cheerleading. I knew nothing, but wanted her to continue in her training in some degree. Day one, she loved it, they loved her, a new sport was upon us. Fast forward a year... Catherine is a level 5 open Cheerleader (level 5 is the highest) and her team has won every competition so far this season. We just got home from Atlantic City, where they won another first place. The responsibility and obligation for parents is amazing. We recently spent 4 days in Charlotte, this weekend in Atlantic City, next weekend Connecticut, upcoming, DC and Virginia Beach.

I love my children, I love myself. It's a fine line sometimes to carefully thread through what we feel as parents to be supportive and what is just too much. Instincts are our key!!!

Rock on Parents!
Sometimes say yes, sometimes, say no...

Blue Skies on a Cold Winter Day

It's amazing to live in New Jersey and experience all four seasons. It's also amazing to hear people complain about the snow every year as if it wasn't expected. Hello? We live in New Jersey. It's damn cold in January and February!

Although the warm weather is my absolute favorite, there is something fun about snuggling under blankets, making a fire and watching snow fall. Most people stay indoors more and fear venturing out because of the roads, the ice, the damn cold! I'm not exactly an indoors kind of woman so I always like to entice my friends and family to meet me places they probably don't want to go. A few tips for venturing out in the cold are a must:

• UGG boots are not snow boots
• High heels slide down driveways
• Saving the planet by not warming up the car freezes your ass
• Alcohol does NOT warm you up
• Walking two pit bulls in the snow results in falling
• Snow balls are really ice balls - Don't do it!
• Duraflame logs Rule!

Enjoy the winter, the cold, the snow... Be grateful you are alive and able to experience season by season. I am grateful for you and look forward to building an igloo in my front yard soon. Come join me inside and keep me warm!!

Warmest,
Jordan

Happiness! You Ready?

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are all in harmony." --Mahatma Gandhi

I thought long and hard about this amazing quote and agreed on all levels. I thought about the recent death of my amazing Mother and had contemplated that when she died, I believed my entire world would have to stop, rest, heal. Instead, the opposite occurred. Her love and energy propelled me to keep moving, keep creating. I felt her encouragement at every angle and when I felt like quitting, I felt her presence and it made me incredibly happy. So happy!

I was born to parents with limited means and not always "happy" circumstances. I wasn't always a happy person. In fact, being an angry teenager taught me so much and I am eternally grateful for my sisters, my girlfriends (their mothers) that knew, I was never meant to be unhappy! I am happy now. Incredibly happy. I choose to be happy. I make it the necessity in my life. One of the best compliments I recently received was from an amazing 12 year old boy who is now my friend. He was recently in my presence and I indicated I was heading out to the Spa for two nights for some fun with my girlfriend and my kids. He said, "Does the fun ever end with you?" I loved it. 12 years old and recognizing I have fun. I live fun. I choose fun. Do you? Fun doesn't cost money. Fun doesn't mean even leaving your home, although there are some great fun places!

Your life is full of choices. Don't choose to be unhappy. Choose fun, life, laughter... Join me to pick apples, ride roller coasters, hike mountains, have pink margaritas. Say yes! I promise, we will have FUN!

Warmest,
Jordan