A Foundation for Happy Siblings

People often ask me how at 13 years apart our children are so close, so bonded, so happy as siblings, so thoughtful with one another.

From the moment we told our 8^th grade son I was pregnant, we made his comfort level & happiness our #1 priority.

I told him he would be her Superhero Big Brother! I also pointed out that the 

benefit of the huge age gap was that there would be no sibling rivalry ever – she would never want his big teen guy stuff & he would never want her tea sets and Barbies. It was just easy from the very beginning.

I also put him in charge of the baby shower gift registry. Phillip showed him how to use the zapper in the baby section at Toys R Us. He took great pride in our confidence of his decision-making as he compared & contrasted each item. We also let him zap a few goodies for himself so he felt extra special, too!

The baby shower was a big party not just for ladies – we had family, friends…girls, guys, kids. We three opened the packages later that evening. Phillip read the cards, I wrote the list of names & we had our son open the packages. It was exciting because every present was so beautiful and HE chose each item himself. When he found a bonus package here and there for 

himself, it was like a birthday or holiday. We made that shower so fun for him.

The following day, he & Dad built the crib, changing table, bassinet, play sets & anything else that needed assembling. Our son felt accomplished & connected!

On the day of her birth, he waited with my Doula, opening a surprise gift from his soon-arriving baby sister. He spent the time reading the instructions for his new IPod & testing all the cool features! What a sister!

When he first held the baby, he noted how tiny & delicate she was. He was in awe.

The Bright Spot – Our son has lived up to his incredibly important role as Superhero Big Brother! He was there for each milestone & helped teach her how to walk, go down a slide, tie her shoes & zip her coat. He saw her 1^st missing tooth, took her on her 1^st sleigh ride and taught her how to ride her bike. For every 1^st, her Superhero Big Brother was there!

For a monumental event in our family’s life, click this link: BHUp   

Click here for The Making of a Superhero: Superhero Big Brother

The Dauntless Chronicles ~ Teen Interview

#1 International Bestseller in 2 categories and #1 US Bestseller & #1 Hot New Release in 3 categories on Amazon ~ The Dauntless Chronicles!! Written by two 14-year-olds, this multi-planetary, multicultural universe is filled with epic adventure & young romance as narrated from the perspective of teen aliens who crash land on Earth.

From exceptional technical descriptions of the spacecraft, locomotive and ships, and from dragons to ice planets, war to secret missions, these young teen coauthors produced riveting plot twists, intense action and suspenseful turns while incorporating the powerful themes of family, friendship, loyalty, and love.

An exciting escapade & intergalactic treasure for readers of all ages! The Dauntless Chronicles – Book 1 (454 pages) – go to TheDauntlessChronicles.com for more info or to submit FanArt!!

Willow & Anthony talk about worldbuilding & lore, gods & goddesses, etc., in this short interview:

  The Bright Spot – This book is riveting! Visit The Dauntless Chronicles!

Our Soldier Surprises His Sister at School!

Our son is a Soldier in the Elite 82nd Airborne Combat Aviation Brigade.

Our B-e-s-t CHRISTMAS ever as he comes home unexpectedly & surprises his sister at school after being away for a year!

Starts off with a few kids, then hundreds gather to form a huge semicircle to witness the surprise! The Principal says he saw a horseshoe form with nearly 600 kids!

Thank you to all of the students who came up afterwards & thanked our son for his service! 

Credit: Buddy Brown, Lyrics: Daniel Brown, Album: Deep South ~ Stop When You See a Uniform

Click this video below:

So proud our son has earned the Meritorious Unit Citation, the Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Ribbon, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, his Aviation Wings, the Marksman Sharpshooter Award & he proudly wears the French Fourragere of the Ordre de la Libation awarded to the 82nd Airborne during the Historic Battle of Normandy. Then our Soldier surprised his Grandma ~ we love those outstretched arms!!A woman sitting at the next table cried during this reunion. It was overwhelming & beautiful for all.The Bright Spot – Celebrating the holidays together!!

Dress Blues

“A much-anticipated & well-earned graduation celebration…on this momentous day, these Soldiers join the ranks of the world’s finest Army. The Soldiers have been infused with the Army’s 7 core values: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.” (Fort Jackson graduation booklet)

Less than 1% of the US population serves. The United States has over 1.4 million troops including 865,000 in reserve.

Fort Jackson is the US Army’s main Basic Combat Training hub producing over 60,000 trained, disciplined & physically fit warriors per year!

The Fort is a phenomenon unto itself: 81 square miles – that is 4 times the size of Manhattan!! Yeah, digest that for a moment. 52,000 acres with over 1,000 buildings & 10,000 folks at any given time.

 

We had no contact with our son aside from (2) 27-second phone calls November till Christmas, then after the holiday break, click:(Boots in the House), there was zero contact allowed except letters so our family activity from January 3 – February 5 was to send him 24 letters.

Remarkably, the hardest part of those months was The Forge – which actually started on his birthday! THE FORGE: 96 grueling hours with less than 10 hours of sleep on little to no food * 54-mile walk with 80 pounds of gear within the 52,000-acre fort * live fire overhead day & night with simulated combat testing all limits of human endurance.

“Since 1917, Fort Jackson has carried out its sacred responsibility of “Forging America’s Army” by transforming civilians into Soldiers. These Soldiers are the lifeblood of the readiness of the United States Army.” “Basic Combat Training transforms volunteer civilians into Soldiers…ready for close combat…through realistic training…including marksmanship, hand grenade employment, and chemical, biological and nuclear survival [including radiological]…with field training and testing through The Hammer, The Anvil & The Forge.”

10% don’t pass. They must undergo training again…and clean the stadium after graduation!

 

 

  

         

    

Our son was one of the last 48 Spartans. After graduation, the Soldiers packed & left at midnight for their advanced training locations. Our son was transported to Virginia where he will train as a Black Hawk engineer and is commissioned to serve 8 years (6 active/2 reserve). He was voted by his peers at combat training most likely to stay in the military making it a 20+ year career. Sounds about right! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joint Base Langley–Eustis is the only Black Hawk training facility in the world! There are Soldiers from many different countries studying at this U.S. Army Aviation Logistics School.

                    1/3 of the advanced training Soldiers are booked for the Night Owl shift – school classes from 1am to 7am!! That’s what he was assigned.

Uh, let that sink in for a moment. Wakes at 9pm for breakfast, physical training & studying till midnight, classes 1am to 7am!!

Every class is intense & chock-full of information. If any Soldier misses a single class during Advanced Training, they are sent back to the 1st day. No exceptions. It’s like Chutes & Ladders on speed with every chute back to 1st place!!

Our son will be part of the 18th Airborne Combat Aviation Division, part of the      1^st-to-Deploy Emergency Responders Unit! Oh, boy.

 

But the good news is that his barracks are brand new – he doesn’t have to room with 60 guys now, just 3 to a room and we can Facetime him!!! 

Dear son, we are soo proud of you!! Congratulations & well done getting through the rigors of combat training & good luck on your studies! (See latest UPDATE below the video!)

What makes me so happy is that our son is very happy with his decision. Thank you for choosing to protect our country!! 

 

Here are highlights by Videorama Productions from this beautiful graduation: Click this video to enjoy:

Also, be sure to see the new UPDATE below following this video!

 

Update June 2019

Proud our son was selected as Master Sergeant of Leadership for a platoon at his base in Virginia. And with his outstanding performance during advanced training, he has now been commissioned to our nation’s premiere US Army’s Elite 82nd Airborne Division, regarded as the best-trained infantry on the globe. (Photo Credit: US Army / 82nd Airborne Division / Staff Sgt. Kissta DiGregorio)

Unfortunately, that also makes them the Department of Defense’s #1 responders to crisis contingencies worldwide within 18 hours. Scary, but we pray for peace for all! (Photo Credit: US Army)

 

Our 82nd Airborne Black Hawk Engineer has also been recommended for Flight Instructor.

Meanwhile, when he does have downtime, he’s relaxing with this adorable little kitty who belongs to his battle buddy & wife who live on base.

In July, he’ll move to North Carolina to the largest military base by population in the world with over 50,000 active duty personnel on more than 163,000 acres covering 4 counties. (Manhattan is 14,000 acres)

The Bright Spot – We are thrilled with all of your accomplishments, dear Son, and look forward to your wonderful future ahead!! 

The AA on the 82nd Airborne patch means “All American!” He just received it with his wings yesterday!! So proud!!

 

Boots in the House!!

Like Boots on the Ground, Boots in the House is what it’s called when your soldier is home!!! Songs like “I’ll be Home for Christmas” were so much more than a pretty tune. After our son’s decision to leave the comforts of home, great job and lovely girlfriend to defend our nation and commit to 6 years active duty (click: BHUp), we were so happy to hear the only time in the year recruits come home during their 10 weeks of basic combat training is for the December holiday season. We were so thankful especially since there was no communication aside from two 27-second calls saying he was there and fine.

Friends & strangers writing to me as a new Army Mom offering support often said he’ll leave a boy & return a man. It’s only been 4 of the 10 weeks and they were right. His stance, carriage, conversation, so confident, so strong. Army Strong! Mind-bogglingly, the Army has already spent $77,000 per recruit the 1^st 4 weeks on weapons, 80 pounds of equipment, supplies, etc.

The 52,000-acre Army Basic Combat Training hub at Fort Jackson, South Carolina with over 100 ranges & 1,160 buildings produces over 60,000 trained, disciplined & physically fit warriors per year!  

Our son left Fort Jackson with 6,824 other soldiers snapping this photo before heading out. He said it was like a sea of green flooding the hallways of the airport.

All the soldiers were given a message in a Coca Cola bottle & a young boy ran into the airport store and bought our son an ornament to thank him for his service. He said the public outpouring of American support was overwhelming and heartwarming. 

He surprised his little sister (click: Superhero) by walking into a coffee shop while she waited for me. I wanted so much to catch the moment but I stayed away or his wish could have been ruined. A neighbor’s grandfather saw it all for us. As this granddad, our son & daughter describe, he walked in the bustling shop and she looked at him for a long moment trying to comprehend what was happening. He looked like her brother, but he was not due. It took a few seconds to realize this buff, clean-shaven fellow with dark-rimmed glasses (Army-issued ballistic lenses!), standing tall before her was her Superhero Big Brother. She burst upright shrieking with delight as she leapt into his arms & they hugged for ages.

He arrived on my husband’s birthday, what a celebration! In a nutshell, here are some things we learned about. He didn’t sleep the 1^st 50 hours & didn’t have time to think of the sleep deprivation as they had the recruits moving constantly through the initiation phase including a 2-sided line of every vaccine imaginable for soldier warfare
warfare readiness including anthrax, typhoid, yellow fever, small pox, etc. 

The soldiers are up every day at 4am for 17 hour days except Sundays. The have 5 minutes to be ready. They have 5 minutes for meals. They learn to shovel down food no matter how hot & run back to training immediately.

Disciplinary Action – if one person does something wrong, that person does not get punished. Everyone else is punished and the person has to stand and watch. Yup, that’s one quick way to get everyone on the same page!! And yes, drill sergeants do yell at the top of their lungs as the rim of their hat hits your forehead.

2 challenging tasks included rappelling down the 50-foot wall & taking off their masks in a gas chamber.

Everyone has been so supportive of our son’s decision. There’s only been one person who balked when she found out. The problem is that he was standing right next to me and was going to leave shortly. He had no idea what he was in store for and she’d known him 10 years. Her reaction gutted me. If she were that anti, she could have told me privately. It was so sad because he was right there. I asked him how he felt when we were in the car. “Don’t worry, Mom. I stand by my commitment to defend this country and its freedoms, and I’d die for her, too. That’s what freedom means.”

Interestingly, visiting a friend’s home with him during this holiday break who is so anti-gun she helps run the campaign on a local level, she greeted him with a hug saying she understands the great sacrifice he’s making for our nation’s defense and introduced him to her grandson saying, “This is a real soldier.” She melted my heart.  

The Army has felt the latest generation of new recruits has often been undisciplined, disrespectful and overweight. A tougher regime of physical training beyond human limits meant to prepare for any combat situation has been implemented to ensure our American soldiers remain the strongest in the world.

• By Joseph Cranney jcranney@postandcourier.com April 8, 2018
• To cap the 10 weeks of basic training… Army trainees must pass …a final test â€” a simulation of a nighttime invasions staged in the woods of the 52,000-acre base.
• Over 4 days, the course tests recruits on virtually every aspect of their training — including patrols, obstacle courses, hand-to-hand combat and more than 45 miles of marching.
• The course is part of the Army’s response to a call from leadership for tougher, more physically fit soldiers …
• It’s also intended to address the Army’s concern that an emerging generation of trainees grew up with less exercise and are less attuned to discipline.
• The Army calls its new training course The Forge, akin to the final stage of hardening a metal. Like the similarly challenging Crucible for Marines, completing The Forge is now a prerequisite to becoming a soldier.
• Trainees leave their barracks at midnight and return after 96 hours of missions with light rest. They sleep on the ground in the woods…
• Army leaders said it stands to become one of the military’s most grueling tests.

Our son heads back for the final 6 weeks of combat training & The Forge before graduating & taking the walk above as graduate, team member, soldier. Then he’ll head to Virginia for training as a specialized Black Hawk Engineer.

The Bright Spot – He loves his decision & has no regrets.

I miss our son so much! It’s hard for a parent. Even the tree at our CVS looked camouflaged!

God bless you, dear son, as you head into your new future.

And God bless our troops here & abroad.

 

 

 

Black Hawk Up!

Today marks a monumental change for our family that affects all of us especially our daughter.

 

Her Superhero left home today.   

For a long time.

Click this link for: Superhero 

We are a particularly close family. This is big for us.

 

(Our son telling his sister the news)    
(Looking over the enlistment papers & his future career path)

An officer picked him up from the house; he will fly to South Carolina for the U.S. Army Aviation division.

He made the decision 3 weeks ago to defend & protect our nation & honor all those who have gone before him. 

 

 

 

 

It all happened quite quickly. He will become a Black Hawk engineer. The UH-60L Black Hawk starts at $5.9 million.

 

We thought it would just be for 2 or 3 years. He has been commissioned for 6 years!!!                                       

(Credit/3 photos: AlphaCoders.com  Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky Military UH-60 Black Hawk)

We celebrated Thanksgiving with him last Wednesday; he will be home for a few days for Christmas. We will have no contact with him except for 2-3 minute phone calls on a Sunday, only if earned.

On our last full day yesterday, 9 of us including his girlfriend and some friends enjoyed a memorable lunch & show at Medieval Times.    

Our family had breakfast this morning together and our children hugged their good byes. Our little one left for school with a brave face although her heart was breaking.

I’m glad for the hustle & bustle of the holidays so we can’t focus on the emptiness in our hearts during the coming weeks.

We thank everyone for the countless emails, texts, etc., pouring in. Here are a few:

From our daughter’s principal: “How proud of your son you all must be and I must say that I am too! I am sure this is difficult on all of you, in spite of the pride, but clearly your daughter will miss him tremendously. We will be sure to be of any support we can. Next time you speak with him please send him my best.”

Jane Fendelman, author, therapist & recurrent guest on “Let’s Talk!” wrote, “It takes a very generous heart for a mom to be happy for her son stepping out in a whole new way. His life is going to expand times 100.”

One of our daughter’s 6^th grade teachers wrote, “Tell your son thank you for his service – it takes a strong person to join the army. What an amazing role model he must be for his little sister.”

One of her 8^th grade teachers wrote, “My family is a big fan of Black Hawks! I have the utmost respect for her brother. What a selfless and generous decision.”

Our daughter’s 2^nd grade teacher wrote, “WOW! Proud mama moment! I’m sure you have a range of emotions with this one. Hang in there and know that his service is much appreciated.”

Oh, yes, the emotional pendulum is swinging, that’s for sure. Proud, happy, sad, nervous, excited, thrilled. He just left a few hours ago and we miss him so much already!

I suppose a uniform was always in our son’s future. From the time he wore the cap of one of New York City’s Finest to the moment the Associated Press captured this photo at the 9-1-1 Memorial at Yankee Stadium, he proudly wore his uniforms as a Cub Scout, Boy Scout, Volunteer Firefighter & Cadet at Valley Forge Military Academy & College. 

The Academy was founded in 1928 by Lieutenant General Milton G. Baker. The 1st cadet to enroll was Guy Wheeler, Jr., who graduated in 1934. He was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award given for outstanding service to the school.                          (Fellow cadet & our son long ago)

 

 

 

General Baker awarded this flag to Cadet Wheeler, Jr., for his services to the school. The flag hung in his office until his retirement. Following his death, he was buried next to the chapel at Valley Forge and the flag was given to his son, Guy Wheeler, III, an alumnus of Valley Forge, Class of 1968.

 

Mr. Wheeler presented this flag to our son on July 15, 2008 for his inspiring passion and love of VFMA&C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d like to say I’m prepared for what lies ahead, but, in truth, I am not.

It’s all happening so fast. I received an informational email with the Subject line: “Welcome to the Army Family – Pre-Ship Parent Information” followed

 by “I welcome you because as the parent of a soldier, you, too, are serving in the United States Army.”

Daunting. But the email is full of links, videos, seminars (one is tomorrow night – my husband & I will log into it to learn about the 1-2-3’s of the Reception Battalion and Basic Training before our son’s specialized training begins in his chosen field. 

The Bright Spot – Proud of our son. Proud of our country. Proud of all who serve. God bless America!

Well, here we go! Maybe you’ll leap right into something you’ve always wanted to do & see what new adventures lie ahead. Until we leap into his arms again, we will miss him with all our hearts. We love you, dear son!

See how our Darling’s brother became a Superhero, click here: Big Brother 

1st Literary Award

Our 11-year-old earned her 1st Literary Award in a competition she entered months ago. She submitted a mini version of her 1st novella. It’s the 38th year of this competition & is open worldwide.

When Phillip read us the letter aloud, she jumped with pure delight feeling the fruits of her accomplishment after having spent months writing. We are so happy for her and very proud of her!

Castles & Angels

This gorgeous English countryside was captured on my cell phone! Breathtaking. Lush. So British.

During our 2-week trip to Europe to visit family, we went with some good friends to Northumberland. The girls loved that parts of Downton Abbey and Harry Potter were filmed here at Alnwick Castle.

 Lots to do here including bamboo mazes, ventures through the magic fairy gardens, the famous Poison Garden and, of course, flying broomstick classes!!

  

  

 

On our way back to Grandma’s, we pulled off the highway to see the Angel of the North, a massive copper & steel statue in Newcastle Gateshead, believed to be the largest angel sculpture on the planet. The wingspan reaches wider than a jumbo jet and the angel stands 65 feet high, more than 4 double-decker buses! We’ve seen her on the hillside from the highway for over 15 years. This ride home, we actually pulled off the exit and made time to visit. Those are the life-changing things we have found we do facing this awful journey of cancer, click: Kicking Cancer!

Yes, actually seizing the day and doing what we wish at a moment’s notice because no one knows how many moments we all have.  More than 150,000 people visit each year. This year, we’re one of those people.

 The Bright Spot – Visiting family & friends…and pulling off the highway to really seize the day!!

Everyone Needs Their Mum!!

We had a 2-week window between Phillip’s last chemical injection and the start of his radiation. It will be 40 rounds of daily radiation from June through August. He wanted to see his Mum. Click: Amazing Grace. Everyone needs their Mum at a time like this!

So we took our little one out of school late May/early June for this family emergency and visited relatives in Europe. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, Godchildren, close friends, everyone we could see within 2 weeks.

Phillip’s mother was overjoyed! Her 89th birthday was in June and she said seeing her son was the best gift ever!

Naturally, everyone we saw wanted to know how treatments were going. We could not rehash the details over and over. Not only is it draining for us but we didn’t want these conversations to overwhelm or frighten our youngest. Most of the time, we can shield her from it but when you’re traveling from home to home – or pub to pub, as is the case in England – folks want to catch up and we’re very sensitive to little ears in range.

Plus, we have striven to reclaim normalcy in the household & beyond for our family. Playing with friends & doing cool things was a mainstay.

      And Legoland was awesome but laying on the grass topped all!! Why? Because there are no ticks or pesticides for ticks at all where Grandma lives and Darling was so happy!! It’s the little things, isn’t it?

 While staying for an overnight with dear friends about a hundred miles south of Scotland, we ventured with the girls to a nearby castle where parts of Harry Potter & Downton Abbey were filmed, click: Castles & Angels

Later, we drove nearly 300 miles south to Oxford to visit the university and delve into the history of this beautiful medieval city, click: Oxford 

And because our budding marine biologist, during these 2 weeks, would unfortunately be missing a highly-anticipated field trip to the beach to explore the biodiversity of the water’s ecosystem, we wanted to do something special for her and booked her for Seatrek at what’s known as Europe’s 1st Seabed Walk: SeaTrek

Her 5th grade teacher kindly allowed our daughter to give a full presentation to her class on the 3 adventures above & what made each so special.

And speaking of 5th grade, the Friday we left for the airport was the same day her class was split into just girls/just boys earlier that morning for “The Talk.” You know the one. Menstruation, growing bodies…

But unlike the lecture we had in school when I was that age – along with a cartoon movie with dancing flowers depicting our blossoming into young ladies – this talk was not only about girl stuff…but boy stuff, too! Would be shocking, but the school explained that with the advent of the Internet, kids see much more than we did at this age and need to know more material to educate and protect themselves.

Humm… Still found it shocking. But it certainly made for fits of laughter – of which we need much of these days – and especially with a silly 5th grader! as we passed by unassuming pubs like the Dandy Cock, or were served Nobby Nuts (salted peanuts) or when we read Spotted Dick on the menu – a British sponge pudding made with raisins & served with custard – but I mean, seriously, come on!

 

When we all revived in the car from laughing so hard, we arrived at one of Phillip’s oldest friend’s for a lovely meal. No, not at the Dandy Cock. We walked over buttercup-covered hills and along lakes & clifftops.

 

 

The Bright Spot – finding the hilarious things in life out of the simplest moments! And appreciating the glorious countryside with our loved ones.

 

 

 

 

Questy

Following the market crash & recession, we lost everything. Our cars, jewelry, livelihoods, even a 4^th miscarriage. It was a time of great loss. 

To say it was a bleak period is an understatement.

Even our award-winning vintage Adenauer, in the family for over 30 years, was shipped back to Europe as our hearts sunk.

 

We ended up with real clunkers & a car with water damage just to get around. THE very 1^st step to rebuilding our lives was the arrival of this magnificent surprise – rolling in sleek & gleaming…and best of all – smelling clean!! She wasn’t new but she was mine – shiny & safe for the kids!  See 1-minute video below:

A polished Nissan Quest that could hold 6 kids on trips to the beach, playground, anywhere. I was in Heaven! And how perfect – Quest – by definition, a journey, trip or expedition.

Very soon after her arrival, she earned her name Questy from the kids and referral by the feminine pronoun “she” like a ship. After all, she is like a rocket ship, spaceship, voyager. Even her navigation symbol looks like the red Rocket from Little Einsteins, a big hit when the kids were pintsized. A gliding tinted mini spaceship on wheels.

I was super thrilled & still am these 200,000 miles. From toddlers to teens, we’ve had the best of times cruising around to wonderful places. A memory-making kid mobile filled with music, movies, laughter, kittens, puppies & dollies. Perfect for luxurious travel with adults or sparkling with the happy vivacity of kids. 

     

   

  

   

  

                   And on occasion, Batman ditches the Batmobile to cruise in Questy who comfortably accommodates his signature cowl with the pointy ears!

Questy came with 5 sunroofs, 2 TVs, an awesome sound & DVD entertainment system, drilled performance rotors, run-flat tires, Bluetooth, comfy 2^nd row leather captain’s chairs and 65 other amazing features that would bore you if I listed them. You can look them up online.  

Oh, seriously, how could anyone be this excited about a minivan? Well, I was because there’s so much more to the back story but that’s for another time.

Ultimately, she’s trustworthy, reliable, great in the snow, with a super-sized, mega-view windshield, just an amazing vehicle all around with her airy cabin, polka dot rear cameras & rounded design, nothing boxy like a regular van. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And believe me, I know what I love in a vehicle! I’ve enjoyed wonderful cars throughout the years ~ my 1^st car at 16, a new Camaro Z-28 in sparkly midnight blue with a t-top & the coolest silver seats. Then my 1^st stick-shift 2-seater, a zippy MR2, followed by Mercedes’ in white, slate grey, black, ivory, green, maroon, champagne and even matching silver, BMW & Bentley Mulsanne. Questy floats like the Mulsanne.

      

 

And the lovely painted license plate, a gift from the Mayor of Wolcott, during my year: http://www.theletstalkmom.com/missconnecticut/ 

 

  People often ask how do I keep her so clean? It’s pretty easy really; I just ask the kids any time they leave the car to grab an item on the way out. And for wet skiis, sandy beach suits, muddy gear, I line the back with a large thin plastic party table cloth from the dollar store. A $1 covering in a pretty color, perfect. I keep a supply in the trunk.

And for Mother’s Day, I know a lot of women who might prefer Springtime flowers or a lovely luncheon. But my husband had something custom made for Questy – these gorgeous honeycomb mats ~ and I love them!!

 

The mats cover every part of the vehicle wall to wall, back to front. Love!! Perfect for this floating Goddess of the Road! Every inch of comfort is a necessity when you sit in the car as much as I do…nearly 200,000 miles…most of it waiting for kids to finish up school or heading to piano, track, ballet, summer camps, tennis, swimming, beaches & playdates and, with our youngest, countless hours back & forth to NYC for her career.

Questy is a rolling office, a spacious mobile command center loaded with every convenience from hot spots & Netflix to laptops, Smartphones, chromebooks, backrest Ipad holders, charging stations, you name it, she’s got it. The kids have been enjoying the space & amenities for years. Here are some pics of our daughter from 1st Grade, 4th Grade, and 6th – 8th Grades using these long commutes to complete homework & even write an award-winning novella. And, of course, Skyping with friends. I love the photo with the Intrepid in the window. In the night photo, she’s taking a class with a teacher via Facetime!!!

     

  

         

Um, yeah, that’s a ship surrounded by wild kraken in her hair ~ a cool October photoshoot with the amazing creative team of The New York Times.

With her many skylights, Questy is always bright & cheery even on rainy days.

I snapped these beautiful raindrops recently. They don’t even look real!!

If I won the lottery, I would have the entire engine & undercarriage made brand new so her odometer read “1.” I would also buy a new driver’s seat because 6 years ago I watched a <<mechanic swing out of the front seat breaking the frame but he wouldn’t fix it. I’ve been sitting on an uneven cushion & backrest for years. It makes my back ache and my hips & spine feel crooked now but apparently a motorized seat for that car with installation is about $3,000 give or take and when you’re coming out of a recession, you just tuck a big, thick piece of fabric under your backside & keep rolling.

There’s always a Bright Spot – the silver lining – I left that guy that day and that’s when I found the Service Department at Nissan City of Port Chester, New York and am so very happy!!

Don, John & Thalita take very good care of Questy and me. Vasco and Brian make sure every detail is covered so she’s running smoothly.

Ozzie, the owner of Nissan City of Port Chester, is simply marvelous and helpful and we are so fortunate to have found this golden dealership & service department!

And that keeps this Nissan-driving Mama happy!

Who is Hofinger?

Our son loves his car! L-o-v-e-s! Yup, that’s him playing in the snow.

He worked hard for it and earned it completely on his own. It used to be black. Last year, this high performance baby came home white ~ satin pearl matte wrap. That all sounds lovely but what I think is really neat is his appreciation for the fine craftsmanship of this Mercedes-Benz AMG.

AMGs are hand built by one specialty engineer. It’s known as the “One Man – One Engine” philosophy. When our son saw his 

engine was signed by Thomas Hofinger, he had the signature made into a slate grey adhesive that proudly – yet subtly – adorned the corner of his black hood. He had the signature remade when he changed the car to white.

One day, a father who was at an event we attended started a conversation with my husband who was wearing a baseball cap with the Mercedes logo on it. They started talking about cars when the man told him he worked for Mercedes. My husband said our family has enjoyed the brand for decades and showed him a photo our son took of his car with the signature. “Oh, nice to see how much he loves his car, why don’t you give me your address, I’ll send him something.” We thought a cool Merc key chain or pen would be a nice surprise for our son especially after all his hard work. 

Time passed and life continued its routine. Then about a month later, a large cardboard envelope arrived in the mailbox. We all nearly fell over! A letter & photo of Thomas Hofinger saying he was “honored and stoked” to see his name on the hood of our son’s beautiful AMG!! It was just so cool!! And so unexpected!! It made the car come to life even more. “Let her roar and soar!”

In my story, “Encourage & They Will Excel” (click: Excel), I explain my husband’s & my belief in not “pushing” our children, but rather encouraging them with an array of opportunities & unconditional support. When our son, an Operations Director at a national company headquartered in NY, said he wanted to start a photography business, we were excited for him. He invested in a great camera, lenses, Flickr, and we supplied accessories, tripod, URL, etc. 

He has a passion for cars and wanted to center his photo art on that industry traveling weekends to car shows and enjoying time with his car buddies. Our son named his company Geared Photography – decidedly apropos. 

     
Fast forward a few years of hard work and his pics have been seen in lots of cool places including DriveTribe, the new website for The Grand Tour.

To see some more photos, click: Geared Photography. (Please note: A friend of our son’s is nicknamed Saucy – he’s a fellow photographer & car buff, too, and the 3 photos he took of our son are watermarked accordingly.)

 The Bright Spot – Watching your kids grow up doing what they love!

Our love for Mercedes runs deep ~ my father in his cherished Adenauer long ago. He’d be very proud of our son’s diligence. Miss you, Daddy.

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