Snow Days

Tonight it started snowing here in North Carolina and my children went to bed in a happy happy mood. Although tomorrow is not a school day, there is something magical about seeing snow on the ground and being forced to deviate from daily activities. For me, it is magical because I get to have my family all to myself- all social obligations are cast aside and we are stuck at home together... And I guess that is where the magic happens.

Too often, we forget about the simple pleasure of being home and just enjoying each other. I realize that my girls will grow up one day and that this time I have with them is really very limited. Maybe I should start implementing "Snow Days" for us as a family every once in awhile!!! It is a chance to take a breath and just exist as a family with no outside intervention... Until the doorbell rings and the neighborhood kids want to go play in the snow, of course.

The Ramen Girl

Last night my husband and I watched an obscure movie called "The Ramen Girl". We had chosen the movie based on 1) we signed up for Netflix streaming recently and that was one of the movie selections (more on how this has changed our lives later), 2) Brittany Murphy was the lead and I am still saddened by her early death and 3) it was about food (my other love).

The movie turned out to be really funny and unexpectedly deep. The plot is about a young woman who followed her boyfriend to Japan only to be dumped as soon as she arrived. She ended up finding comfort in a ramen noodle bowl and making some decisions that changed the course of her life. Although in the end she found her way, she had to go through a lot of pain, suffering and disappointments before she could progress to the next level and evolve into the best person she could be.

I loved this movie because I remember going through periods of my life when I felt lost and defeated. However, like Abby, I did eventually find my way through a combination of faith, love and luck. I believe that we all face pain, suffering and disappointments because it is part of our journey to becoming a better person.

Required Reading: Thomas Moore's "Care of the Soul"

Channel Road Blueberry Bread

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any married mother, must be in want of a vacation by herself every once in awhile. Although I have stolen that line from Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (and more on that at a later date), the sentiment is completely appropriate for modern motherhood.

The following recipe is from one such vacation for me a few years ago when I met up with some cherished college friends in Santa Monica. The best part of this recipe is that you can do it all in one bowl with a wooden spoon. Easy and tastes like morning at a bed &breakfast on the California coastline.

(Channel Road Blueberry Bread)

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I sometimes add one extra cup, especially if the blueberries are fresh)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix in flour, baking powder and baking soda. Slowly fold in blueberries by hand.

Pour into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour.

Broken-Winged and Cannot Fly

It is critical that we remember and cherish our own dreams in our daily efforts to be a loving mom. After my second daughter Aly was born, I had a dream that has stayed with me until now. In my dream, I saw a young woman sitting on a chaise with her back towards me. She was lost in a daydream with a journal opened on her lap, and surrounded by sunlight. I had assumed that this young woman was me until she turned around and I realized that it was my daughter. The feelings I felt at that moment shocked me, because it was extreme sadness. Sadness that time has passed by and that I will never be that young woman again. Therefore, I always try to nurture my own dreams as an individual as often as possible.

I have enough life experience to realize that not all my dreams will come true, either because it is no longer possible or because I no longer want it. But for the dreams that remain with me, I have the responsibility to myself, my children, my husband and the universe, to make them come true. If my dreams are defeated, then I will truly be broken-winged and cannot show my children how to fly.

Hello from my laptop after everyone else in the house has gone to sleep...

I am so very excited about this new (tada!) blog, because it is all about modern motherhood- inspiration, reflection, shortcuts... Because we are all in this together and we have the biggest and most important job in the world: Being a mom.