WOO HOO!! Actually have a 5 question Friday on a FRIDAY!

Wow! I actually made it here on the right day!  Awesome.  That makes me feel good about the new year that is about to show its face!!  Here we go!

1. How long does your Christmas tree stay up?

 

Our Christmas tree usually stays up until after our Anniversary, since we got married with Christmas decorations on the altar.  Our Anniversary is January 12th...this year, we will celebrate 20 years!!!  Amazing how fast it went by.

2. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?

 

Yes, I have plans to go to my parent's house...not sure how late we will stay.

3. Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

 

To be more fit, spend more time with my hubby, save more $$, live more frugally, to be free of credit card debt.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve when you were younger?

 

I would be at a relative's house, usually, or have people over.  Usually always with family. :0)

5. What was the best way you've ever spent New Year's Eve?

 

The best way I've spent my New Year's Eve was the year we were in Ecuador for New Year's.  It was so amazing to see the way another country celebrate their New Year's Eve.  It was almost like Halloween, in that people dressed in masks and did funny things, like throw pots and pans out the windows.  It was wild....kind of scary, too.  They have scarecrow like "Viejos" (like old man...signifying the old year) and they dance with them, parade in the street, dress up like old women, beg for money...it's crazy.  I am grateful my parents took me to see it all in person!

For a better description, click here: http://www.examiner.com/international-travel-in-boise/new-year-s-eve-ecuador

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Blizzard!!!!!!! The great time halter....

Every year, we usually get the chance to be snowed in for at least one day.  I have to say, that I truly look forward to these days for many reasons.  Firstly, to take a true break from work,  and to get a chance to leisurely go about the house and deep clean closets with the kids or to organize parts of the house.  It also serves as a great reason to put all the electronic individualized distractions away and come together for a family movie.  This Christmas break has been nice in that we have had the time to squeeze in 3 or 4 movies in between family visits, (which thankfully, are very local.)  I am so grateful for some "down" time.  Now, for me, down time is relative, since my down time might be a full work load for others, due to the size of our family.  I am just happy not to be on a time schedule that has me running, running, running. Snow is good for that...slowing down everything.  Death has a way of doing that as well.  Did you ever notice, that when someone close to you passes on to the other side, nothing else matters and everything literally stops?  Rightfully so, it just stops. Nothing else compares to the immediate obligation to hold anything else routine and your only goal is to take care of what matters....the other person and everyone else left behind.  Another great reason to stop and linger a little more with the ones you love.

Happy Blizzard.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Christmas afternoon.....ahhh....the craziness is over, the clean up begins (and never seems to end!!)
It's hard to believe that one day I might actually miss all this craziness, but I think there is a chance I just might.  PLEASE note....I am not an expert at filming, so please forgive me for I am still learning!!  The unsteadiness of the camera adds to the craziness of the morning and gives you a feel of what its like when you are actually there!! :)
Loudly yours,

Alicia

On the Day before Christmas....

 Christmas is almost here.  The shopping is done. Baking is still a happening thing.  We are one hour from chaos time and its eerily quite.  I know its coming, but I love the little quite times, like right now.  Do I love the craziness? Yes and no.  Part of me is looking forward to it being all over, but the joy that the season brings, makes me want it to last forever....so you could say I am torn.  Torn that life always proves that it must have the good with the bad and that the good only will come all the time when we are eternal friends in heaven.  So, craziness, give me your best shot!  I can take it and look forward to a whole lot more.  

Merry Christmas everyone...and a joyous holiday season, too!

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Goober: our newest Christmas family tradition!

GOOBER is our latest family tradition; so in honor of the jolly, little elf, I will welcome him with a little acrostic poem.

G is for the name the children chose for you

Obviously one I would not choose

On top of the tree or on the shelf you sit

Bursting with joy, secrets from a happy kid

Everyone trying their best in your sight

Really glad to have you here, you're a delight!

I think the hardest thing to do is remember to help Goober move to a different spot and to make up an excuse as to why he did not move!! Usually, I would blame one of the kids for touching him and tell them that I would ask Santa to restore his powers.  (they are not allowed to touch him, lest his powers leave him)  Of course, my 14 yr old, not buying any of it, taunts me by touching the little elf right in front of the kids.  Coal in the stocking for that one!! Ugh!  Thankfully, the kids survived and their belief did not wane due to the loss of his power, as it was magically restored.  One of the tough things about having 7 is trying to cater to the different age groups. It's like I have 2 different sets of kids; the first set, which I practically grew up together with, (my first three, all boys) Then the 2nd half, my daughters and one little feisty boy in the midst. It's quite the sight. Thankfully, I have the help of one little elf to make the kids settle....a little.  Who can help being excited before the birth of the newborn king?  New life is always something to be excited about...just ask my Sis in law, whose baby is on the way! ;0)

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Tradition: Part two: The Advent Wreath

The advent wreath has been one of my favorite traditions.  I had an advent wreath as a child and I am happy to pass it along to my children.  This year, we tried something new and used tea lights in a tea light holder in place of the taper candles we usually use.  They are both beautiful and safe! It is fun to light the candles every night at dinner in anticipation of Christmas.  I also add a devotion from a blue book we get every year from church. It has a relevant story of the day followed by a reading from the bible.  Usually, the kids will get easily distracted, but they have come to settle down now and even the older kids take turns reading from the book.  It is a nice tradition I hope my kids will take with them when they leave the "nest".

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Tradition: part one: The Jesse Tree

Traditions are a favorite here at the Bozza home.  Christmas has to be one of the most traditional holidays there are.  I don't want to bore you all at once, so I am going to post them a couple at a time. Today's installment starts with the Jesse Tree. 

The Jesse Tree is an interactive tribute to the lineage of Jesus from the creation of the world to the birth of Jesus.  Each day has a reading that goes along with a symbol which is hung on the tree each day.  Every day, someone reads the reading and a Bozza kid gets to put the symbol on the tree. Each day is different; for instance, the 10 commandments are pictured at the top of the tree in the picture below. The reading is from Deuteronomy (in the old testament) and tells of how the 10 commandments were given by God.
The tree allows the kids to understand the true meaning of Christmas and see the Family Tree of Jesus.  I took shinky dinks and copied the symbols from a couple of different sites online in a thin permanent marker, then the kids helped me color the symbols.  I added the reading passage numbers, punched a hole in it and popped it in the oven to shrink. The little tree was purchased at a craft store or wholesale garden center. 


I detailed more of how it is done on this page;
http://www.ehow.com/how_4706474_jesse-tree.html
Be sure and see the RESOURCE page as it has the patterns there.


It's not too late to start this new family tradition yourself!

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Another 5 questions...

Hey there!  In a time crunch today, so in order to save time, I am yet again stealing the 5 questions from none other than Amy!

Here they are:

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

Depends.  On Christmas Eve, we open our presents from my parents, usually at their home and 

on Christmas Day at our home in the morning, then at Grandpa's in the afternoon.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)?

I love the cookie cake Christmas cookies that my Sis in law Christina usually makes. They are so yummy!!

3. What’s the worst Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

Probably a grab bag gift of some sort....it was bad enough not to remember.

4. Christmas song that you love?

Oh, my gosh, there are so many....It came upon a midnight clear, Go Tell it on the Mountain, O Holy Night....I can name more, but I will not bore you...

5. How many trees do you put up?

We put up one big one, that has the lights built into it (the best investment, ever!!) and our Jesse Tree, which I will tell you more about in my next entry...hopefully tomorrow~

Loudly yours,

 

Alicia

5 questions....

Here is a fun format I borrowed from my Sister in law, Amy.

1. What’s on the top of your holiday wish list and why?

The thing at the top of my holiday wish list is a flip cam so I could capture the kids and record songs for my Cherubs choir so they could rehearse at home.

2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?

My parents used to be able to find a way to get me most of what I was wishing for at Christmas, so nothing comes to mind as a kid opening  up gifts, but my favorite memory of a Christmas present was the year I started working and could afford to get my family a DVD player with a couple of DVDs.  I think I was more excited to have them open up their gift more than any other gift I have ever opened up, with the exception of my Daughter, Vianne, who was born on Christmas Day.  She was, hands down, my best Christmas gift. :0)

 

3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up?

If I had life to do over again, I would be a professional singer, singing on Broadway as a young person, then have my family and find a way to blend both my family life and my singing career together.  I am lucky enough to have venues in which to sing on a weekly basis.  Honestly, I did it backwards from what I would have liked.  I have my family and I am singing professionally, but not as big a venue as I'd like, but I am happy just having the chance to share the talent loaned to me from God.

4. When do you put up your tree?

Right after Thanksgiving. It allows us to enjoy the tree longer.  We usually keep it up until our Anniversary in January, in honor of our getting married with the Manger at Church.

5. What is your favorite Holiday?

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving since it is a time to be grateful, and it is not as stressful as Christmas.  Christmas is a close second, but with all the kids, it can get crazy, so Thanksgiving comes first. :)

 

Loudly yours,

Alicia

More or less.....

The other day, the kids and I took a little detour to peek at a house decorated to the max, similar to the one above.  I had to chuckle at the house next door, which was completely dark, not even a light on in the house. It was ironic, that the one house was over-done and the other empty.  The scene stuck with me and made me think about how sometimes, life is just that way.  

Driving near the street this morning, Vincent asked; "Mom? Why did you laugh at the house that had no decorations?"  I quickly turned down the Christmas tunes playing loudly on the radio, and explained that I was not laughing so much at the house because it had no lights, as to how one was over decorated and the other not.  I told him that maybe the family who lived there did not celebrate, or did not have enough money to pay for all those decorations;  how maybe that family did not like Christmas.  Vianne chimed in...."What!?  Who doesn't like Christmas?!?" I explained to her that they could be Jewish or that Christmas did not bring happy memories to some people...they hate Christmas because it makes them sad.  She was still confused, but I think my answer satisfied her for a second or two.  I told her that she was very lucky to have a family, Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles who loved her...that there are some little girls who don't even have a family.  

Its funny how life sometimes gives us a lot of "decorations" in our lives....how some have what looks like overabundance and others have none.  It would have been nice if the one decorated house on that street shared some lights so they both could shine. It would be a good lesson in sharing....but maybe the house wants to stay dark and I guess that's ok too.  Every house has its purpose, and maybe that house is not lit to let the other one shine. 

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Five Kernels of Corn....

It is the morning of Thanksgiving and I have stolen away for a quick entry before the craziness of the day begins.  Quiet is never a word you can use on this Thankful day, but at the moment, I have that luxury.  This year, our family is going to try a new tradition.  Let me give you a little background.  Last week, on the radio, I heard about another family's tradition of placing 5 kernels of corn on each plate to signify 5 things to be thankful for as well as to remember that the Pilgrims were thankful, even though they had as little as 5 kernels to eat a day.  Here is a great reference: The Amazing Mess.

I think it will serve well as a reminder for us to be thankful of the things that we have in life. The Amazing mess site shows what each kernel stands for:

Kernel 1: Bounty and beauty of fall
Kernel 2: Love for each other
Kernel 3: Love for family
Kernel 4: Friendship
Kernel 5: Freedom to worship God

I love it!

In honor of the five kernel story, I am going to practice what I will say at the table here.  

Kernel 1: I am thankful for the health of myself, my family and friends
Kernel 2: I am thankful for the love present in my life
Kernel 3: I am thankful for the love of my family and for their undying support
Kernel 4: I am thankful for the great friendships in my life that thankfully include my family
Kernel 5: I am thankful to God for all the blessings He has given me and my loved ones.


I am also thankful that even though having a large family of 7 children can get crazy, it is never boring and there is a lot of love to go around, even though it comes in spurts!!


I am thankful that Gavin is doing great on his missions trip.
I am thankful that Justin is happy in his senior year of school.
I am thankful that Nathan is adjusting to his Freshman year.
I am thankful that Rachael is enjoying Catholic School & is doing well.
I am thankful that Vianne is discovering her talent & doing well in school.
I am thankful that Vincent is excited about participating in sports and has the energy to do well at the sports he chooses.
I am thankful that Gabriella is very self motivated and thoughtful.
I am thankful that I have an amazing husband who supports me in countless ways.
I am thankful that I have a family who loves me.


I am blessed.


Happy Thanksgiving!!


Loudly yours,
Alicia

When its time....

One of the things I do appreciate about having 7 kids is the messages they bring to my life.  I tend to be a normal, selfish human being and I sometimes think God gave me 7 to teach me lessons 7 times over.  I sometimes will tell people that my kids are my greatest teacher and I am a very poor student.  Unfortunately, there is a great shortage of tutors of this "schooling".  

I am lucky to have an inner voice that speaks loudly enough for me to hear and sometimes, my kids set off the inner voice by their actions.  Let me explain.  

Once I was making one of the kids their breakfast and it was oatmeal that day.  I boiled the water and poured it into the bowl of dry oatmeal, all while she whined and moaned; "Mom!! Give it to me! I want it! I'm hungry! C'mon!!!  Please! Mom!!"  I held the bowl up above her head, fully knowing that the oatmeal would burn her if I gave it to her.  "Honey....its too hot! You can't have it yet!" "No! You have to wait!" Of course this would spur her to continue on...."but I'm hunnnnngrrry! I want it now!!"
All of a sudden, the voice came into my head: "See, if I give you what you want now, you will not be able to handle it."

WHAT!?!  Then, all of a sudden, it hit me.  I had been praying to God that he would bless me and make my direct selling business a success and He was telling me that I was not ready.  WAIT?! I had been in the business for so long.  Why would I have to wait longer?   

Who did I sound like?  Just like my child.  I think sometimes we, as Moms, get a little glimpse (just a minuscule sliver) of what God feels like toward us, His children both in love and frustration.  It would just overwhelm me sometimes, to think the God would love me (all of us) more than I could ever love one of my babies in my arms.  I remember adoring my infant babies and sometimes it would feel as if my heart were to burst from the love I was feeling for them.   The feeling is incredible.  

Fast forward to today....I am not as involved in that direct selling business, but God has blessed me with a business that has been able to afford me the successes I was seeking way back when.  I guess God was right after all....I wasn't ready back then.  I am glad I am ready now.

Loudly yours,
Alicia

About last night....

Last night was Tuesday night....a fun night for me.  I had a nice dinner with the family, topped off with a nice glass of wine mixed with crushed frozen fruit....a great way to end a night. I was ready for one more indulgence...Glee!  I have not seen it in a while since they ran a couple of re-runs, but tonight was the night for a new episode....goody!!  I settled on my favorite part of the couch, the chaise lounge, and was ready!   I especially love Glee for its song and dance side, being a "showy" kind of girl.  I just LOVE the musical numbers and how wonderfully they recreate songs as well as the talent that is sooo obvious. It just pulled at my heartstrings to see the under dogs of the show being put down so low and the compassion of the characters to try to make it alright.  While I do love all the "love" that is going around, it would be remiss to ignore the fact that my little girl lost some of her innocence last night when the kissing scene came on in the middle of the show.  I can take that sort of thing and put it into perspective, but I was not ready to have the scene exposed to my 6th grader.  Of course I was scolded by my older kids and spouse for allowing her to view the show, but it has become a popular show for the middle school aged kids in her school and I wanted to give her some fodder for lunch time conversation in the cafeteria.  If I had a clue that locker scene was coming, I would have not had her there to watch.  I struggle with the internal fight of allowing my little girl to grow up and trying my best to preserve her innocence.  I know she will inevitably grow up to be a woman, but I want it on her own time clock, not the time clock that Hollywood is presuming.
I guess that is why I will not be watching Glee at my home anymore without previewing it first.

More...more...more!!

Ahhhhhh....big sigh of relief as the Halloween raucous settles down.  Halloween on a weekend is such a chore for me as a Mom!  It's just too much craziness as there are several days of Halloween and not just one.  For me, just one day suits me fine.  Why does it seem as if the whole holiday fosters an orgy of unsatisfied people everywhere?  More candy, more houses to cover, more decorations than before, better costume...more leg?!?  I was appalled by the leg on one of the "naughty" costumes that came to my door this year.  She was in high school, for sure, but still!! First of all it was VERY COLD!  Second of all, who was she "treating" when men came to the door in the neighborhood?  Anyway, enough of the Brittany look alike, (just had to get it off my chest!!)

I was mostly in charge of making sure the bowl kept from being empty in between darting in and out of the house to say hello to neighbors, attending an open house next door and bringing the youngest to some neighbors near by.   At first I put out the econo bag of candy....the stuff kids like, but are not crazy over.....then, after those bags all ran out, I put the chocolate out.  I filled the bowl to the top and turned around to go inside for (seriously) one minute...and when I came back out HALF the bowl was GONE!!!!!!  I figured that since the kids had been behaving, for the most part, by taking one piece or two, it was no big deal to leave the bowl by itself....boy was I wrong!!  It was amazing how the behavior changed once the quality of the candy changed.  It was more desirable, (chocolate) and as if our house was the last one they would see for the day, the trick or treaters literally dove in and went crazy; causing us to rein it in for the rest of the night by bringing the bowl in the house.  Give them an inch and they take a mile!  Human behavior is so interesting to me like that.  My husband told me of a study that showed once a town widened its road to relieve traffic woes, it only was filled once again as people were given the gumption to move into the area since there was not as much traffic there; leaving it traffic filled once again!  Sometimes I feel the same way as a Mom.  I give and give and there is just more take and take and take.  That is where I have to put my foot down and administer a little tough love, together with guidance to let the kids know that they are getting out of hand.  I guess what we need are more Moms and Dads who give some more tough love and guidance. Maybe some kids out there would be different. Lord knows I know I am still learning how.

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Make Believe

In honor of Halloween, I thought I would post about make believe.  If you look very closely, some might say that we have Halloween every single day.  No, we don't dress up in costume that are totally out of the ordinary, every day, but there certainly are costumes that we switch on and off on a daily basis.  Every day, there is someone out there who dons clothing that does not define them, whether it be a budding teen that is hiding behind who they think that others think they are, or a corporate executive who just wants to be home with their kids hanging out in jeans!  Sometimes, we feel forced to put the "costumes" on, and others just want to stick out in the crowd.  Some people who dress in their costumes feel as if their costume defines them, which rarely ever does.  If there is one thing that I have found in life, it is that your costume does not define you!  Who you are inside is so much bigger than what you are wearing on the outside.  Take a close look around you and see who really makes a big difference in your life.  Does it matter what they looked like?  Not much.  I think back to the days when I was trick or treating at Grandma's house.  I always tease that the was as wide as she was tall.  She wore house dresses and aprons, but she was one of the most important people in my whole life as a kid.  She had influence on all of her 7 children and her influence helped them to be really great people who made a difference to those who they know.  So does clothes make a person?  Somewhat; in the world of perception, but not really.  It is who you are on the inside that makes the really difference.  Have fun this weekend and remember, its all just an illusion.

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Good things come to those who wait....

It has been a long month and this weekend, I decided to take off.  A well deserved rest.  It has been fun spending time with my immediate family and some extended, too.  Having this time also allows me to indulge some time with you in my blog.  :0)


Today is the day of the 1st annual Solidarity Walk for my kid's school.  I am not quite sure why they named it that, but I am sure I will hear a reason today from our wonderful Principal.  It is the PERFECT day for the walk and for that I am grateful.  Ok, now that we have the back story set, I was dressing my youngest and helping her with her socks (which she requested) and she pulled away from me and said "Mmmmmph! I want the pink ones!" and crossed her legs in retaliation while she was lying on her back.  I gave her a little pinch and showed her that they were indeed the ones she asked for, when she uncrossed her legs and allowed me to help her.  Now I say allowed, because if you know her, (she is a Leo) she thinks she is the boss, and until you let her  know she is not, she will continue to sit on the throne.  Anyway, as she was pulling away, I could not help but think how God feels when we pull away from Him and the things He is giving us.  We ask for things all the time through intention or prayer and what do we do?  We pull away! "Mmmmmph!  I wanted the (fill in the blank) one!!"  We think we know what's best for us and we get mad or upset or feel a little off when we don't get our way.  We must be so funny to God.  All of us, His children, spoiled (for the most part) and not as grateful as we could be.  It would be so much easier if we could just see Him, but that would be imposing and I don't think He would have wanted it that way.  I can tell you many times in my life when I wasn't getting my way and I was NOT HAPPY about it, only to find that there was something a LOT better was waiting for me, just as God planned.  I will give you an instance.  When I was waiting to hear back from the lending institution about getting the money for a condo we wanted in Morristown, we did not qualify, and I was SOOOO upset. I thought it was wonderful and after we were denied, I thought we were down for the count and we would never move out of the tiny apartment next door to my Mom.  I cried.....lay down on my bed and just let it all out.  What, was God ignoring me?!?  Several days later, another phone call came in.  ANOTHER place was available and guess what?  We qualified for it!!!  DOUBLE the space and brand new! Everything we wanted and more.  God was listening. I just needed to be patient and wait for it.  A lesson I still need to learn day by day.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

A true story......

I am posting this morning to follow up on the last blog where I may or may not have fooled you into thinking that you were in for a scare......well, while I truly do not have many (or any) stories that will scare you, I do have some that can make the skin of some crawl.  I cannot claim myself as a medium or psychic, but I truly have had some experiences that would make you go hmmmm.  Empathic, maybe to some degree, but I definitely do sense things from the "other side"and from time to time have "known" things that I could not have known on my own.  I can tell you many stories, but one that sticks in my mind right this moment is the encounter the a man who passed away and wanted a message sent to his wife, through, a messenger.....me.  Everyday I would drive by the house of this man, I would hear the voice of this man telling me..."tell my wife I love her." EVERY single DAY!!!  It went on for weeks.  Sometimes twice a day, since it was on my way to and from my home.  How was I supposed to go and knock on her door so this man from the other side would leave me alone?!?  What would she say to me?  "YOU ARE INSANE!!"  "GET OFF MY PROPERTY!!"  I dreaded it every single day.  The voice subsided on the day I decided I was going to tell her.....on the very day.  I decided to raise money to be donated to her kids, and when I got the desired amount to give her, I got up the courage, held tight to my little daughter's hand and made the very long trip up the trail to her house, my heart pounding harder with every single step.  Pound, pound...pound, pound.....  My hand lifts to ring the doorbell and I held my breath before the door was opened....by the housekeeper.....phew.  I got to wait a couple of minutes in the foyer that seemed like forever, then down the stairs came the wife, with a smile on her face, no clue about the message I was about to deliver.  She kindly introduced herself to my daughter (we knew each other in passing, but nothing more....she knew me enough to recognize my face) and we got her girls to come and play with her in the basement.  I told her that I was there to give her a donation in behalf of her girls and she gave me a CD that her husband had made that year which was a gift to any donors.  I was grateful to have it as a remembrance in honor of his life and talent.  Truth be told, it was the first time I was "meeting" him, as I did not even know what he looked like!  She invited me in for tea in the brightly lit kitchen and again, I got nervous thinking about how I was going to lay this one on her.

"I know you are going to think I am crazy, but I have something to tell you."  "This is really hard for me to tell you, but for the last couple of weeks, I have been hearing the voice of your husband telling me to tell you that he loves you."  Silence.  A look of disbelief.  "What else has he said?" She asked inquisitively, yet almost demanding.  "Nothing else. Just that he loves you."  Silence again.  "Well ask him why he left!?  We were supposed to go away together!!!" she protested in frustration.  "Tell him yourself.  Talk to him.  He is always with you."  I replied.  I apologized for upsetting her, explaining that he must have loved her very much to come through and give her the message.  She was grateful and expressed how much she missed him, talking about the plans they had made and where they wanted to go on vacation.  We sat in silence for a few moments and she thanked me as I finished my tea and we both went to check on the kids, who thankfully broke the awkwardness of the whole situation.  The girls loved my daughter and gifted her with a toy they were no longer playing with.  We thanked them, and off we went about our day.  I walked out, relieved that I survived the experience, unscathed and happy to have helped this woman financially and hopefully, emotionally.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

A haunting.....

There is a new song on the radio that has been haunting me lately.  Ever had that happen to you?  I really try to make sure that I listen to music that has meaning to it and I usually find it on the Christian music station.  It has come a LONG way. It is nice to hear the same songs sometimes on other stations that are not Christian like WPLJ.  Anyway, the name of this song is Lead Me. http://www.sanctusreal.com/ and it is so very true.  I think it really speaks to the plight of American families nationwide.  It serves for me, as a reminder to put aside what does not matter and keep my focus on what does.  It comes from the voice of a father to his family, but it is so easy to turn around to me as Mother, as I sometimes find myself chasing after things that are fleeting.  This song reminds me, as funerals do when I sing at them, that this life is short and that you can't take it with you, so chasing after things that do not matter is simply an illusion to distract us from the things that matter the most, our loved ones, who hopefully, we will spend eternity with in the afterlife.  Many times, as I sit in full view of the casket of a person and have the privilege of singing at their last public remembrance, I think, wow.  This is it for them.  They are leaving us, as simply as they came, penniless, weak, with nothing, but with that weakness, comes a power, a freedom to be free of this life and have things like they have never had them before.  I think of the legacy they have left, good or bad and where my legacy will be.  Thankfully, I have the honor of singing at many funerals and have the chance to reflect over and over.......I need it, since I am easily distracted by the lures of this world.  It is one of reasons why I love the song Lead Me so much. Its catchy and when it comes to my mind and I am humming it, it makes me stop and think about my actions and what I am doing in that minute.  Those are the kind of songs I cherish the most and the ones I will keep listening to the most....the haunting ones.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Preception is reality....or is it?

One of the commonly used phrase in raising my kids is "perception is reality!"  That phrase goes for them as well as for me!  I always have to remember that "truth" wherever I go to keep myself in line with what someone else might be thinking.  Recently, we have had some issues at school with one of my kids not being liked by a bunch of their classmates.  What is a "bunch" you ask? Oh 4 or so. There are only about 12 in the classroom (which I really do like.) Obviously, there is a perception problem with the kids in that they are placing judgment on my child before they even know much about her.  They are forming incorrect perceptions about her before they even get the chance to know her, really.  The good thing about this school though, is that we have a Principal who like a Guardian Angel who truly has her finger on the pulse of the school and is innovative enough to find a solution to the "problem" and who cares enough to do something about it.  We are truly blessed.

"Perception is reality" also works in our own heads, I find.  Recently, I was parked in a parking space that acted like a little "nest" (the asphalt was buckled) and you had to give it some gas to get out of the spot.  When I got back into the car, I. of course forgot that I had parked in my little hole and was a little panicked when I felt as if I was "stuck" and could not move the car.  What was wrong?  Why wasn't I moving? Was something wrong with the car? A little panic starts creeping in.....was I truly stuck?!?! No.....I was just in a rut and had to push through....ok....give it some gas....wait...still stuck!!  What the....!!!  What was wrong now? A quick look around...the parking brake.  Quick move of the hand, problem solved! A little pressure on the gas pedal and off we go!  Sometimes life is like that.  We feel stuck, in a rut....we are not moving....what the heck are we supposed to do?!?!?  PANIC!!!!!!  SCREAM!!!! YELL!?!?!?! Did that help us at all?  Not one bit.  It kept us in our rut and emotionally dug us in deeper.  This is a lesson I need to keep re-teaching myself....  "perception" is usually NOT reality.....and it usually is a LIE!  Life is not always what it seems and if we just push through, give a little gas, keep our cool, soon we will be moving forward in the direction we want to be.

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Brittany, Brittany, Brittany....

If you are a Glee fan (AKA GLEEK), chances are, you saw the last episode "Duets", aired this past week. As usual, it was hilarious.  My friends and I howled and hooted at our weekly Gleek party as has become our custom.  You may or may not have heard about the part of the episode where Britney and Santana, two of the "Cheerios" (cheerleaders on Glee) are lying on Britney's bed and Santana is kissing her neck; slated by some as "Rated X".  Where I would hardly call it "Rated X", there were some parts of the whole show that made me kind of sad and quite pensive.  My main bone of contention is the whole attitude of the Britney character about other people.  It seems as if her goal is to "do" every one in the school including girls and every boy in the school.  It made me sad how empty that way of thinking is.  Not a care of how the other person may feel or how that after "doing" everyone, she obviously is not satisfied.  She seemed so lost and it was sad to think of how many other girls are doing the same, except for possibly, another reason; looking for love.  The complete disregard for the love of self in the act of "putting out" is troubling since there are surely young girls out there who might look up to her and follow in her footsteps. Not knowing that self sacrifice is a gift in and of itself that is the essence of true love; the place where you find that the love you put out and give to others is one of the best ways to receive it.

It was really great to see Artie throw a proverbial Slushie in Britney's face when he confronted her about how cavalier she was about taking his virginity away and how he knew that she was using him for his voice (Oddly enough, ratted out by her "best friend" Santana, who used Britney for a warm body while her own boyfriend was in jail)
 It is that part of the show, where there is little care for the sanctity of life is one part I do not care for at all. That is the part of the show that echoes where a lot of society seems to be carrying on these days; doing whatever feels good at the time, and not giving enough credence to the sanctity of life, of other people, and what is best for all.  I can site many, many cases as examples, but I will spare you of it all. Just turn on the news and you will see plenty of it.

My hope is that they develop the character to truly realize that she is sacred and worth loving; that she is special and the gift of herself not to be given away like some cheap prize, but to honored as a precious jewel of this world.

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Mr. P

In the wake of all the stories and support/opposition of all gay and lesbian people in the world, I wanted to post my own little story about a time in my life when things seemed a lot more innocent (although I am no fool, I know it really wasn't but to me it was).  It was 1976. Belleville School Number 9. 4th grade classroom.  Into the classroom waltzes in Mr. P, tall and lanky, with amusingly colored suits and a funny way of talking.  My very first male teacher.  At first, it was weird for me, having only women in the classroom, most of them very nurturing; it was strange to have, well....a man.  After the initial getting used to, Mr. P was a funny man, who loved to be at the side of his classroom piano and boy did he teach us some great songs. "The Hilllls are ALIVE....with the sOOUnd of MUUUUSic!" 

He and his piano became one; and the sounds were delightful. A wonderful respite to the sometimes dull, droll of school life.  We planned a musical that never came to fruition, (The King and I...of course I dreamed of being Anna) but we did pull off a Sound of Music number (which I was able to get myself into as one of the children). Our 4th grade class (for me, anyway) became alive, like a Broadway stage and Mr. P was its star. 

It was a beautiful time with no labels or misgivings; an innocence that I sometimes long for in a world that seems to divide us more than unite us.  Mr. P was a teacher, not some man who had an alternative lifestyle who you loved from afar since he had to be held at arms length because of it. He was just Mr. P. and I liked it that way.  No one told me that what he was doing was wrong or that he was gay; he was just Mr. P.

Mr. P planted in me the seed of the love of Musicals and a special love of music that I still carry in my heart today; 
for that I will be forever grateful. 

Thanks Mr. P. .....You rock.

Loudly yours,
Alicia

Why we yell....

I have been thinking about creating this blog for about a year.  Why did I wait so long to start it? I am not exactly sure why.  Maybe because it's because I have 7 kids.........maybe its because I have an extremely full schedule, running 20+ miles on the treadmill a week, working full time (thankfully in and around my family), leading a children's choir, cantoring weekly Mass, funeral masses and weddings? Perhaps.......but the creation of this blog has been nagging at me and here I am with the inaugural entry to Why we yell.

So what with the name?  I come from a yelling background; half Italian, half Spanish, both typical yelling cultures. Plus, I have 7 loud children and I am, well....loud.  Do we yell all the time? No, but just a lot of it. We yell when we are happy, we yell when we are sad....then there are times in the middle where it is calm, but not for long....for the empty space just seems to not have a place in our humble abode.  Thankfully, my family is musical, so much of the yelling is musical or music related, so it is tolerable most of the time. 

I think I wanted to focus on the why of it and the joy of it at times.  We are an excitable bunch and we ride hard.  Plus, another reason I personally yell, is that I think my hubby (who accuses me of mumbling all the time) could use that super ear tool at the "As seen on TV" section.  Be clear on one thing...I may be hard on my family and at times critical, but I love them all just the same....and would never return any of them.

Loudly yours,

Alicia