Google Me This

Google is an unbelievable tool. I have many different blog posts that come up when people are searching for something. Two of my most popular posts are; The Ankle Bracelet and Griot (Haitian Pork Shoulder). The names you use for your posts carry a lot of weight. I still get comments on the Ankle Bracelet post from women who grew up in New York City and remember the tradition.

When the people at our church found out Tom and I would be the new pastors they “Googled” us. I don’t know if it’s funnier that they “Googled” us or that they found things when they did. I’m grateful they only found good things like our Facebook accounts and our blogs.

What happens when you Google your name?

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

You’re All My Favorites

A member of our church gave me this sweet book, You’re All My Favorites. Why would she give me a children’s story?

It all started with a picture I took with one of the girls at our Ice Cream Social. It was put on Facebook with a bunch of other photos taken that night. She took the photo and created one that said, “Nadine’s Favorite.”

You can imagine it did not sit well with one of the other teen girls. What happened next was a back and forth that turned out to be hilarious. It was all in fun, but I went on record that my love for them was the same.

We love people in different ways because there are different types of love. A love for a parent or a child is not the same as a love for a spouse.

We all want to be special and think we are someone’s favorite. I’m my parent’s favorite and since I’m so much younger than my siblings, I believe they let me get away with that (and it also happens to be true). When my dad was alive he would agree with me.

Hurt feelings can ensue when people choose one friend over another or one child or a parent, etc. I’m grateful that God doesn’t do that. Sometimes it may seem because of our circumstances that God is choosing to bless one person over the other. It’s been my experience that His love holds no bounds and His love is intense. The more I put into the relationship the more I’ll get out.

We judge Him by our circumstances. He gets blamed for the all the bad in the world. God is good and He loves me – this I know.

Not everyone will be our close confidants. We don’t have to wear our hearts on our sleeves. We will always have deep relationships and those that aren’t but are friendly. People we work with don’t need to know our deepest darkest secrets. That’s not what I’m talking about here.

I want to go on record as saying, I’m sorry if I’ve ever hurt anyone’s feelings. If I made you feel less than. It was never my intention. My heart is that . . . You’re All My Favorites.

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

Over the Top

My friend Scarlet gave me an award for having a blog that was Over the Top. Sweet. Thanks Scarlet. Part of the award is to answer the survey below (using one word answers).

Where is your cell phone? Pocket
Your hair? Frizzy
Your mother? Sweet
Your father? Deceased
Your favorite food? Seafood
Your dream last night? Forgetable
Your favorite drink? Latte
Your dream/goal? Writer
What room are you in? Office
Your hobby? Writing
Your Fear? Mice
Where do you want to be in 6 years? Hawaii
Where were you last night? Bed
Something that you aren’t? Pretentious
Muffins? Blueberry
Wish list item? MacBook
Where did you grow up? Brooklyn
Last thing you did? Clean
What are you wearing? Clothes
Your TV? Small
Your pets? None
Your friends? Considerate
Your life? Full
Your mood? Happy
Missing someone? Kids
Vehicle? Old
Something you’re not wearing? Shoes
Your favorite store? Apple
Your favorite color? Blue
When was the last time you laughed? Today
Last time you cried? Yesterday
Your best friend? Tom
One place that I go to over and over? WalMart
Person who emails me regularly? Tom
Favorite place to eat? Anthony’s

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

My Nemesis

I enjoy games. Facebook has a game called Bejeweled Blitz. It takes one minute to play so it goes very fast and there is not much of a commitment. Yesterday a friend who plays the game had as his status on Facebook: Going to beat Nadine’s Bejeweled score if it’s the last thing I do.

It made me giggle because there are some of my friends that play the game and are very good. Every time I get a good score and I’m in the top 5, someone (my Bejeweled nemesis) comes along and beats my score. Actually there are about eight of them that do that, so I’m not naming names, but you know who you are . . . or do you?

Seriously it’s just my way of having fun. I laugh and sit there for the next twenty minutes trying to better my score.

Today, I’m sitting with Tom at the oncology office while he has his maintenance treatment of Rituxan. For the next two years, every six months for four weeks this will be what we go through. It’s not as severe as regular chemo treatments, but it does take up to six hours and it makes him really tired. The good news is that by the next day, he’s back to his normal self.

I love Tom . . . I hate cancer.

Since his diagnosis in 2005, we have taken this approach (or at least tried): Enjoy the good days, endure the bad, but keep moving forward. I know for Tom he doesn’t even think about cancer unless there is a doctor’s appointment or treatments.

My real nemesis is cancer. It is not a game, but real life. I hang on to the promises of God and hope for the future. We enjoy our time together. We treasure it. Even on days like these when I’m sitting next to him as he rests, I remind myself that God is good and He loves us.

Recently we picked up a plaque that had this saying on it:

Hope is the ability to hear the music of tomorrow: Faith is the courage to dance to it today.

May you all dance.

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

Happy Birthday to My Daughter

I can’t believe my baby girl is 26 today. It wasn’t that long ago they were placing her in my arms for the first time. I tease her that I’m too young to be the mother of a 26 year old. I’ve been saying that since her 25th birthday. The truth of the matter is that I couldn’t be prouder to be her mother.

She’s smart, beautiful and kind. She was always smart as a young child. I remember when she was four years old and I made chocolate cake as a treat for dessert. I didn’t do this often, so she was really looking forward to it. We told her she had to finish her dinner before she could have a piece of cake. This was her response:

“My food compartment is full, but my dessert compartment is empty.”

Okay, she got major credit for using the word compartment at four years old and a piece of chocolate cake for using it correctly.

She calls us often and a smile always comes to my face when I hear her ringer on my phone.

I love you and my heart’s desire is to be with you today, but since I can’t I will have to give you extra hugs at Christmas.

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

I've always loved that picture of her and Tom.

Inspiration

The dictionary defines the word inspiration as: a divine influence; action on a person believed to qualify him/her to receive and communicate sacred revelation; the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions or the act of influencing or suggesting opinion.

I’ve not been inspired in a while to write any blog posts. Why? I don’t know.

On my fan page on Facebook, I’ve been inspired daily. But those were little bursts of inspiration. Playing writing games have been lots of fun for me and those who participate.

Sometimes, I just need to slow down enough in order to put aside all the distractions so I can be inspired. I find when I stop to listen to what God has to say, I’m inspired. I get ideas and I’m able to express them in writing. Help me Lord to be more focused. My goal is to set time aside to be inspired.

So what inspires you?

© Nadine Zawacki 2009

I Want to Know What Love Is

Last week my hubby was away at a conference. Every night there was some activity or another to keep me busy. I taught a class on dreams one night and ran the book club another. I had a couple of young gals come over for a movie and the ladies from our church went to pizza and a movie. One of the ladies called me for a mani/pedi and lunch. The week seemed to go very slowly even with all that activity.

Tom is home now and I’m glad to have him back. We did lots of Facebook flirting while he was gone as well as talk on the phone. If you are on Facebook with your husband, I highly recommend Facebook flirting. We wrote messages to each other and how much we missed each other. He even posted a love song on his page. I love him. I don’t mind telling the whole world.

Love after 31 years together gets stronger. I can honestly say I’m more in love with him now than I ever was. We are often mistaken for newlyweds when we are out. I think it’s the way we stare in each other’s eyes. When I want to know what love is, I look in Tom’s eyes. Not only do I see his love for me, but I see his love for God. It’s that love that gets us through the tough days and makes the good days great. It’s that love that grows and becomes stronger.

I hope you enjoy this video by Mariah Carey and the song Tom dedicated to me last week. Here’s the thing about this song – you can easily sing it to God as well as a loved one.

© Nadine Zawacki 2009