Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise

It is that time of year where the traditional and non-traditional holiday concerts pop up everywhere you live. As a kid in a family of five, my parents tried to take us to at least one holiday events each year. Now as an adult I try to do the same thing when the holiday season comes along. I have a soft spot in my heart for Handel's Messiah. Why? Well in high school my orchestra & choir teacher (yes I had the same teacher twice a day for four years) loved this oratorio so much that selections of this oratorio were sung and played every year at the Christmas concert. I had the luxury to play the music for three years and was to sing it my senior year. I love love this large piece of music. In the mid-90s a group of Contemporary Christian artists created a group called "The Young Messiah" which took the original piece of Handel's Messiah and brought it to well the 90s making it a bit more up to date. It turned out amazing. This year in Cleveland, I saw an event that I had to go to. The event was called Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise. I said, "I have to go to this...and if it is done right then it will be very cool!"

The description of Handel's Messiah Rocks: A Joyful Noise that I read was more or less of, "Come join us for a night of Handel's Messiah put to rock music mixed with the traditional orchestra." I thought..."Sweet!!! I have to see this!" I had mentioned it to Rob and he didn't know what to think as he had never heard the original oratorio before. I told him that if this was done correctly it would be very cool, but if it was done wrong then it would be an utter mess. Below is a clip of what I should expect!!


The night of the event we sit in our seats at the Palace Theatre, located in Cleveland's Playhouse Square in Cleveland. I start looking at the information of the show to see which songs would be played or sung from the original oratorio. I look at the listing and they had changed the names of the songs. I was kind of in panic, but I told myself that they were just taking the songs to the next level and making them a bit more modern. The performers were described as THE TENOR, THE WOMAN, THE BARITONE and THE CHOIR. Just before the show starts, some of the cast members come out on stage to get the crowd riled up by starting the wave. I personally think that the "wave" is meant only for sporting events of large arenas. I was thinking, "Ok, this is awkward! This better not be a foreshadowing of what is to come." The lights then dim to notify people to take their seats as the show is about to start.

Part One: The Mystery of Faith
Overture
Comfort Yet
 He'll Come in Glory
He is Fire
Rejoice

First up, the Overture. A guitarist starts playing and it is not what Handel's Messiah Overture sounds like, but it didn't sound too bad at first until then the rest of the musicians started playing. Oye...this is not a good combo. The guitarist was not in key or was just really bad and I knew that this may have been a big mistake. The guitarist stops playing and the orchestra starts up and plays what the beginning of the original should sound like. The guitarist then steps in to try and do a solo which just really goes down hill. I looked at Rob and said..."What?!!" Next the Tenor comes out and sings one of my favorite songs of the oratorio which is Comfort Ye. This song won me back over just like taking in a good drink after having eating something bad. The next song, He'll come in Glory which was The Woman and the choir. By listening to the song I gathered that this was suppose to be And the Glory of the Lord as that is what would have came next if I was listening to the original oratorio. The next song I was very confused about. The title was called He is Fire. The images on the big screen were of fire and very dark images. I thought to myself, "I know that the original song, And He Shall Purify is written in a minor key and it a bit dark...but what I was viewing on stage was well really dark. Here I thought The Baritone was suppose to be depicted as the devil. I was very confused and really wanted to get up and leave, but I knew I had to sit through it until the end of the whole show. The last song of Part One was called Rejoice which was more or less, Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion. The Woman did an amazing job and I loved every song that she came out to sing.

 Part Two: The Power of Love
Behold
He was Despised
He Trusted You
King of Glory
He Is My Son
PIFA

Next up was the second part. I was hoping that this would get better, but it never did. Out of the songs that were sung the one that was probably was the one titled, He was Despised. It was very very dark and it didn't make much sense to be part of what Handel's Messiah, and didn't sound like any of what the original song was suppose to be. By this song I started to see people get up and leave. I think they had enough and just wanted out. I was really mad, but sat hoping that it could turn around. The song PIFA reminded me of the Pastoral, very mellow and pretty. 

Part 3: The Hope for Peace 
How Beautiful 
I Know My Redeemer Lives
We Will All be Changed
If God Is For Us
Amen/It is So
Hallelujah
A Child Is Born


By the time the third part was starting I couldn't wait for this show to be over. The song I Know My Redeemer Lives was amazing!!! If they could have sang this song and a few others that I liked over and over for two hours, I would have been satisfied!!  This song and Amen/It is So were awesome. I got goose bumps when these songs were sung. When the show came to the Hallelujah Chorus would probably be butchered and it was indeed, and when the last song was being sung I was in the process of trying to get my jacket on so that we could leave very soon. 


I walked away feeling ripped off and very frustrated. The Woman and The Tenor had amazing voices, though. I know that in the future, I will have to look for the traditional version of this Christmas Oratorio. I told Rob that what he saw was not a good depiction of what the original was and so still too this day he still hasn't seen Handel's Messiah. What I would love to find for next year (and if I were in Portland, I would totally go) is to find an event that is called "Sing your own Messiah". Portland did this for many years and may still be doing it where other Handle Messiah lovers come together in a venue and sing selections of the oratorio together. I have had friends who have went to something like this and said that it is very cool. Until then, I will just have to pull out my Handel's Messiah CD and my Young Messiah CD to listen to while I drive to and from work.
 

The best Turkey recipe...

I posted earlier that I was thankful for my very first turkey that I made this year. I wanted to share this recipe that I found while I was clipping coupons late last month. Now mind you I didn't use all of what was called for with this recipe and I will tell you that it still turned out amazing. I will be keeping this recipe for a very very long time!! 

Herb Roasted Turkey with Roasted Apples & Root Vegetables
Prep time: 40 mins (and yes...it did take about this long)
Cook time: 3 hours (I cooked mine at 3.5 hours only because I put stuffing in the bird instead of doing the root veggies and apples)
Yield: 10-12 servings (probably small servings!)

Ingredients:
1/2 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I used 1/4 cup of my Italian herbed bread dipping oil)
2 tsp Dried thyme leaves, crushed
3 tsp salt, divided
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika
3 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds, peeled and cut into 1" pieces)
4 medium parsnips (about 1 pound, peeled and cut into 1/4" slices)
2 large red cooking apples, cored, sliced and slices halved
3/4 c pecan halves (optional)
6 Tblsps firmly packed brown sugar

Preparation Directions:
1) Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray roasting pan (I just used the typical throw away roasting pan) with a no-stick cooking spray. Rinse, pat dry ans place turkey breast side up in pan. Whisk oil with thyme, 2 tsp. salt, garlic, pepper, and paprika. Reserve 1/4 cup for vegetables and 1 tablespoon to brush roasted turkey with remaining 3 tablespoons herbed oil. Roast turkey as directed on package. 3-3.5 hours until the meat is 165 degrees F.

**Now this is where I stopped...I actually used all the oil on the turkey making sure that the whole turkey was completely covered with the herbed oil. My mother inlaw had rinsed out the turkey and had rubbed salt on the inside of the turkey as she said it would make it taste better as well.**

2). Prepare vegetables about 15 minites before turkey will be done. Place sweet potatoes and parsnips in large glass bowl; cover. Microwave on High for 10 minutes, stiring once. Add applies and pecans. Spray 2 rimmed backing pans with no-stick cooking spray. Stir 1 tsp. salt and brown sugar into reserved 1/4 cup herbed oil; toss with vegetables and spoon into pan.

3) Remove turkey from oven, brush with reserved tablespoon herbed oil; cover loosely. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. and roast vegetables 15-20 mins until tender. Place vegetables round roast turkey on platter and serve.

So there you have it. Try this out and see what you all think as well. If you cook it just like I have typed out here for steps one...the meat on your turkey should be falling off the bone when you try to carve the turkey. I tell you it was the best turkey I have had in many years. I was told by a good family friend of mine that if you want a good juicy turkey breast, cook your turkey with the breast facing down. This allows the white meat to sit in the juices. I didn't do that, but even the white meat was nice and juicy for me. :) I wished I would have taken a picture of what our Thanksgiving feast looked like, but when I remembered I only had a picked over turkey carcass left.

Things to be THANKFUL for...

Happy Thanksgiving!!! I hope that you all are having a wonderful Thanksgiving with your friends and family. I had a pretty good Thanksgiving. I normally feel pretty homesick when the holidays come around, but this year I didn't have those feelings. I am thankful for that! Throughout the day I have thought about different things that I am thankful for. Thought I would share them with you in no particular order.

1. TURKEY
Ok...you are probably thinking, "Why on earth are you thankful for this?" Well, this year I made my first turkey!! I was really scared that it would turn out bad, but needless to say I will be keeping the recipe that I found one day while clipping the coupons out of the weekly paper. The meat was falling off the bones, it was that juicy! Even the white meat was pretty good!! This recipe called for a 10-13 pound turkey and so it only took 3.5 hours to cook.

2. JOB EMPLOYMENT
I am thankful for now having a job! I am really enjoying my Member Services job at Universal American (UAM). For those of you who do not know, UAM is a Medicare Part D provider, which is the prescription drug assistance side. Lots of things to learn, but I am really enjoying most of it. My training group was placed on the phones this week, and I was really scared once I started taking calls. I got through it though and my shift on Wednesday went a lot smoother. Then tomorrow is considered a "Floating Holiday", which means I will get holiday pay plus my regular pay!! Thank you!!! :)  I am also thankful that Rob found a teaching position at Cleveland State for the time being!

3. FAMILY & FRIENDS
I am always thankful for the family and friends that I have. I realize that I am one who really tends to lean on my family and friends for support. I don't know where I would be with out having the support system like the that I have!! This holiday I am thankful for a few things though. Thankful for my brand new niece who is just 2 days told today!! Madigan Ellen Nation finally graced us with her presence on Tuesday the 23rd. I am also thankful for the time I was able to spend with my Grandpa Morse. Earlier this fall he was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Even though it was a bittersweet visit to Nebraska earlier this month, I knew I had to go. I am thankful for my best friends who I have been able to keep in touch with, even if I am two time zones away. Oh some days how I wish I was living in Oregon, again.

There are other things that I am sure that I could list...but I am just going to stick with these. I really do hope that you had a wonderful day, even if you ended up spending it alone!!

How can we stop?

National Breast Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness, Stop Cyber-Bullying are just a few of the issues that October stands for. Out of these two of them stick out to me. I thought I would pick one today to touch on since it has been in the news quite a bit these past couple of days, which is this cyber-bullying. 

A friend from high school blogged about this a couple months ago and it really got me thinking. Then this week with all of these news stories of these young kids committing suicide due to being bullied, I have thought about this issue even more.


I do agree that today kids are being bullied more than ever. These days there are more outlets to bully someone using email, text messaging, instant messaging, blogs and various social network sites. I started to think about my life and thought that I am glad that I am not a kid in today's times with all this technology. I remember back when I was in I believe third grade it was a big thing to have 6 small Apple computers in the classroom at school, which were used to play games such as Oregon Trail on our lunch breaks. Now days schools have large computer labs for students to use for typing out papers and anything else.

I like probably any other child who grows up in the world, had my share of  being bullied or teased. I was pretty chunky for my age, didn't have a whole lot of money, extremely pale skin, not athletic, and had a speech impediment. With all of these issues I was a prone target for being teased. I would come home on a daily basis in grade school in tears because some girl had called me fat or asked me if I was stupid because I couldn't form one sentence with out stumbling over easy words like dog or garden. I didn't want to go to school in times and prayed on the first day of school that some of these kids who picked on me were not going to be in my class.

I look back now and still have one saving grace and that was my mom. She put me in speech therapy from Kindergarten through fifth grade to help with my stuttering, she gave me the support I needed when I came home in tears from being picked on, and she even had me look up words in the dictionary to use when others called me names. One of the words that I learned was "rhesus" which we all know is a monkey. Well when I started to call the mean kids these wierd names...they stopped because they realized that their picking on wasn't going to phase me.

Over the years of being out of school I have come to deal with what went on in school. At one my high school class reunion, the girl who picked on me in grade school came up to me and apologized for everything that she called me and did to me. I was just shocked and blown away, but I smiled and felt like it was good. She told me that her children are starting to pick on kids at school and she is trying to correct them.

As Dr. Phil stated this week, "If you are even an innocent bystander you are still part of the problem." I am sure all of us have been on the end where we have been in the group that has teased someone else. I know that when I was in high school a classmate of mine didn't bathe on daily basis and my group of friends one day had placed bars of soap under her chair in choir. Now as a kid this is innocent, but now looking back I feel awful that I would do such a thing.

But really, if I had to go through school today with all this technology I can see why kids are attempting or commiting suicide. This has to stop. The social work side of me comes out when I hear about these stories. There needs to be groups in the schools where it is a safe haven for these children who are being teased. There needs to be some coping skills taught rather than the "don't listen to it, don't respond, and tell a trusted adult". The three steps are good starting points, but in the mean time while the teasing and what-have you is still going on...these children need to know how to deal with it. I don't know what the answer is on this, but it is something worth looking into.

If you have kids...talk with them and lets help try and stop this issue.

A phrase that really bugs me...

Are there phrases that other people say to you or that you read or hear from someone and the phrase just rubs you the wrong way?? Or you walk away thinking, "Is the person really feeling that way or are they just being nice?" There are certain phrases that have been getting on my nerves lately. I can not really explain why...but I wanted to voice them and see what others thought. I appologize in advance if I offend you. None of these phrases are directed to anyone directly.

The phrase that really really bugs me 

right now is:

"I miss you" or "I miss you so much!!"

This has got to be the number one phrase that just irks me. Is our society really missing who they say they are missing or is it just something to say in social settings or internet sites?? Lately I just think that this word has been thrown around and it doesn't really mean anything. I tend to laugh to myself when someone tells me that they miss me since I have moved away. I wonder why this person is missing me since I rarely hung out with them outside of say my job or any other social setting. Someone just a couple years ago had told me, "I miss you so much!!!" A sick feeling just ran through my body once this phrase was said. I wanted to respond with, "How can you miss me so much when we have just been reacquainted after ten plus years with Facebook?" and "How can you really miss me, since we NEVER really spent time together as you were better friends with someone else!" I didn't say anything, though. I figured it was just a ploy to get me to feel good so that I would show up to their social event that they were having while I was in town. I had other plans though...so I didn't feel bad not responding to the message.

The only time I really take this phrase to heart is when I hear this from loved ones or my very small circle of best friends or close work managers. I know that when they say, "Hey Amy, I miss you..." they are truly meaning it. A close friend of mine asked me last week when we were chatting online when I was coming home to Oregon. I hadn't really thought about it and asked her why she was asking? She said, "Because I am missing you right now and could use a married friend right now who has no kids to relate to." It warmed my heart when I heard that. I told her that as soon as I knew when I was making my next trip to Oregon I would let her know.

I will admit that I have fallen under this trap and told people that I have missed them...but in reality...I probably didn't mean it. I am now trying to not just flip this phrase around all over the place...because it is a phrase that should be taken seriously. I now only tell this phrase to people who are in my small circle of close friends or family members. When I would tell someone that I missed them I tended to wonder later if I just missed having the memories with them. Such as, telling an old boyfriend that I missed him after we had broken up. There was a reason why we had broken up and so I didn't miss the drama that was with the relationship or even who the person had turned into. I had just missed being around him when we had first started dating.

I also, asked a couple friends of mine if I were crazy for having a problem with this phrase. They first agreed that I was already a bit crazy but yet they both agreed with me that this phrase is really tossed around. One friend even said, "It's the new thing to say when you have nothing else to say to someone!" Another friend said, "If I tell you that I miss you it is because I honestly do!" They said, "I tell people that I miss them because I miss having them around to just act normal to, or to have an amazing good time with."

So the next time you tell someone that you miss them...stop and and think about it. Do you really honestly miss them or do you just have nothing else to say and feel the need to fill in the gap?

Welcome to Fall!

Spiced pumpkin scent, crunchy leaves, mountain sides in full color of reds, oranges, and golds, corn mazes, hot cider, turkey, big chunky sweaters, and much more. These are some of the things that I look forward to every year to the fall season. 

Like many...I am one who enjoy the transition from summer to fall. This year especially. It has been quite a hot summer and so I am really looking forward to the cooler weather. I love watching the trees turn from green to the vibrant red, orange, and gold colors. This is one thing that I am going to miss for not living in the New England area. One has not experienced the full meaning of fall until you have seen a whole mountain side in full amazing color! I know...I have said that for the past several years...but if you have seen what I am talking about, then you understand. I will miss that this year since I am now in Ohio. I am sure I will find something here in Ohio to admire for this fall season.

Have you all went into Yankee Candle lately?? Well they have some good fall scents that are smell really yummy. I was good and didn't get any only because I have several scents at home that need to be burned before new ones can come into the house. I did buy a new scent from another candle place last month when I was out in Vermillion. The scent is a coffee scent. Smells real yummy. This candle is a soybean candle. It burns to liquid just like the other good candles.

So what your favorite part of Fall??

Busy Summer comes to an end....

Well like everyone else is saying...summer is coming to an end. What a busy summer Rob and I had this year!! I know it seems like every year I am saying that...but we really did have a busy summer, from moving to spending time with his family to attending various events that we both wanted to do.

Late June started the big move to Ohio. I am glad that after four trailer loads full of stuff, we are finally all moved into the house that we will call home for a year. For those of you who don't remember, Rob and I are in a western suburb of Cleveland until next summer. Rob has a one year visiting professor position at Cleveland State University. He was told to pretty much keep his bags packed, as he will not be there next year. *sigh*

This past month, Rob and I have been busy running around. I have been busy seeking employment and I have not had too much luck. Gotta love moving to a state where the unemployment rate is around twelve percent. But I hope to have something by the end of this month. We have been busy exploring the west side of town and even parts of Cleveland that Rob has not been to since he was little. We went to several county fairs, tractor pulls, baseball games, and even an NFL football game. By the end of this month we will have added a couple other county fairs, an Octoberfest, and another baseball game before the season is over. I have to say that I am truly blessed with what all I have gotten to do. 

I will admit that sometimes I forget all the things that I do and then get into a jealous mood when I find that other people are doing something cool. I have to thank my own mom for putting this all into perspective for me this past weekend. I really did have a hard time this weekend when I read the status updates over on facebook of all my friends back in Oregon headed out for one last camping trips and bbq's. I guess I was just feeling down and out since I don't really know anyone here in Ohio that is my age to hang out with. So I just had a bad attitude. I really miss being around people who actually enjoy hanging out with me. There is only so much that I can handle with spending time with Rob's parents. It's just not the same.

But I am looking forward to this fall. I love the color change of the leaves and the cooler crisper weather. So overall I had a good summer. Fall time for me equals to football, Octoberfests, and the start of the rainy seasons (well that is if you live in Oregon like where I grew up). I am sure I will have yet an eventful fall. :) Only time will tell!!

Meetup.com

Ever moved to a new area and not known anyone? Ever lived in the same location all your life and wanted to meet other people who share the same interests?? Ever just wanted to let loose or learn something new?? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I have the best site for you. It's called Meetup.com. 


Since moving to the Cleveland area, I have joined this great website that I just mentioned above. Rob came across this site and started looking around. He found a couple groups that I may be interested in, and so he sent me the links. One of them was called "The High Tea Society". It is a group devoted to tea!! The main purpose of this group is meeting other people who share your interest in learning new teas and visiting different tea houses in the area. I am really enjoying this group. I signed up last month for a tea event and loved it!! We all met at The Ashley Place which is a tea room located in Medina, Ohio. Four other women showed up for that one and we had a lovely conversation over some tea and food. I tried a raspberry flavored tea and found it to be ok...I am not too sure if I would get that one again. Today was another event with the Tea Society. I met up with four other women in Vermilion, Ohio which is about thirty minutes west of my house. We met at this small little tea shop called Decidedly Different. I tried a new flavor of tea again. This time it was a tea called Scottish Breakfast. If you are a black tea drinker who enjoys the Breakfast teas, then this is a must try! It is a bit strong and a bit bitter, but after putting two packets of sugar in my cup, I thought it tasted pretty good. 


Another group that I found is a Movie & Book lover club. They are a group well that views movies together and then also reads a book together as well. Last month, I met up with this group to see the movie Inception. After the movie we then went over and had a bite to eat and discussed how we liked or disliked the movie. I was in hopes of going to the event tomorrow to see the new movie Eat, Pray, and Love, but due to the time the movie is, it is a conflict with something else that Rob and I had planned. The book part of this club is just the same as the movie part. The current book is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I read this book back in middle school and so I was excited to hear this was the next book the club was going to read. I went out and bought the book at a half priced bookstore. I have started reading the book (ok, so I am just 3 pages in), so I need to get going on the book since the book discussion is in about a month. I have heard from other group members is that if you have read the book as a child, then when you are reading this book as an adult you tend to understand more of the adult roles in the book. I will let you know once I finish the book. 


Rob has found a couple social groups on Meetup.com as well. He found a hiking group and a couple others. He has yet though to attend any of the events that have had. He is hoping to try and go to one of the hiking ones soon. 


So I encourage you to go over to Meetup.com and check it out for yourself. It is completely free to sign up and you never know...you may find a great group just for you!!! 

Cleveland Orchestra!

String instruments, brass instruments, woodwinds, and percussion all make up an orchestra. I am sure I am missing something but it is late and so I am not thinking completely clear. I love the orchestra and have a passion for listening to good orchestras. I guess the passion started when I was in fifth grade and started to play the violin and it grew to what it is now. I was blessed in elementary and high school with some wonderful music teachers and I tend to silently thank them everyday.

Tonight, Rob and I went to a Cleveland Orchestra performance at Severance Hall. They were putting on a free performance and live recording of Bruckner's Symphony No. 8 in C minor. I figured since the tickets were free we would go. I am so glad that I did go!! I don't think I have ever heard any of Bruckner's music and I am now a fan!! This symphony is broken into four movements. Each one has their own personality and thoughts of Life and Death. I thought I would share them all with you since I found them over on YouTube. My favorite movement was the second movement and I felt like the third movement was never going to end. I did still enjoy all of it though. 

So if you have a bit...click on each one and take a listen and experience Bruckner for yourself!! 

Movement 1 - 

Movement 2:


Movement 3


Movement 4

New Phone!!!

Yesterday was the day I had been waiting for in a long time. It felt like Christmas as I knew I was finally getting what I have wanted for four weeks. Rob and I finally got our new phones that we ordered about a month ago. Which ones did we get?? We got the new HTC Incredible by Verizon.

Rob and I started talking about getting new phones sometime last year. We heard that Google was trying to buy some cell towers to offer their own cell service. Well that came and it never went, and so we were still sitting with our old phones. Then the latest craze of the smart phones and the androids started to appear on the market. Quite a few of my friends started getting these type of phones and so it was cool see what all of these different phones would do.

Right around my birthday we decided that we would get the Incredible. When we tried to go get one we realized that everyone was sold out and that we had to order them. When Rob made his first trailer load of stuff out to Ohio he checked with one of the Verizon stores and found that we still had to order them, so he went and put in an order for two phones.

This phone is very cool. Rob said, "You are basically holding a mini computer in your hands that just has a phone option." I laughed, but yet that is exactly what it is. It is fast, the picture is great, and it can sync to just about any email account. I just love it. I am still trying to get use to it, and I will tell ya...it is very addicting!!! The one thing that I will have to get really use to is using the touch screen.

You know you are eating out too much when...

• You know you are eating out too much when you get annoyed at the server who is trying to do their job.
• You know you are eating out too much when you feel like you are constantly being seated in the screaming child section of the dining room. 
• You know you are eating out too much when you have the local pizza place on speed dial of your cell phone. 

I am sure I am not the only who has had these thoughts!! Anyone else brave enough to raise their hands?? Well since Rob and I have moved to Ohio, we have realized that we need to cut back on eating out. When we lived in Connecticut we would average eating out (fast food, take out, or sit down restaurant) about 5 times a week for either lunch or dinner. This didn't count my "breaks" that I had at work where I would spend money on my 30 minute break for a snack. So yes we did eat out A LOT. We will both admit that, too. So now that we are in a new place we are going to work on eating at home A LOT more. :) 

So far we have done pretty good. This past weekend was a bit rough since he went to Connecticut with his dad to pack up the rest of the house where there is literally no food or cooking items left at the house. This last week though we did good. We had went to the store and purchased quite a bit of meat that could be frozen and then thawed out when needed. It has been nice cooking at home again. I may not be the greatest cook, but I am at least willing to try, though. Since his mom has been staying with me for the weekend, we did good about trying eat at home as well! Since Saturday, she and I have only ate out twice. Once for lunch on Saturday and then tonight for dinner. The other nights I have been creative on trying to fix meals here at the house for her and I. I was able to make a meal that she and I would enjoy that I would not normally be able to make when Rob is around since he does not like shrimp. 

But Rob and I have decided that we can not just completely cut the whole eating out thing. I see it as kind of like going on a diet or budgeting. While on a diet or a strict budget you still have to leave some give room or some reward room so that you do not fail. If you are use to eating out all of the time then trying to quit cold turkey it will fail every time. We have decided that we will eat out twice a week. Once a week we will treat the dogs to a car ride and dinner at a fast food place like Sonic and then once a week he and I will go out and have a meal at a sit down place. This way it feel more special than, "well where do you want to go tonight?" I know it is easy right now, but the real test will be when both of us start working. I am hoping that we can have a routine down before then, but it will be a struggle for awhile, I am sure. 

So for all of you lovely friends who cook...send me your favorite EASY meals that you like to cook. I am a picky eater, but I am trying to broaden my palate a bit. Rob and I tend to cook on a weekly basis: Chicken, Pork, and Beef. So feel free to send me anything with these meats in it. I would love to try some of your dishes!! 

85% moved in...

Since things are starting to kind of get back to normal, I feel that I can start blogging again. I have missed my daily blogging and I am going to do my best to start blogging more. We will see how this goes. I am out of sync of the daily blogging routine, so please give me a bit to get back into the groove of things. 


Well I am about 85% moved into the new house in a western 'burb of Cleveland. It is a little bit smaller house than what we had in Connecticut, but we are going to make it work. :) The bedroom I wanted to use as a "master bedroom" had to be changed, as our queen size bed will not fit up the stairs in the house. *sigh* So the two bedrooms with queen beds are on the main level of this new house and then the twin bed that we have will be upstairs in one of the bedrooms. I will have my own hide away room as well where I can set up a place just for me. I already have my books upstairs as well. I may move them over to the other bedroom, I have not fully decided yet. Besides the house though, I love the area that we are at. 


Why do I love the new area? Well I am about two miles from every shopping store you can think of that you would need on a daily basis and then if you want more of an upscale shopping experience drive about five minutes the other way and you will be there for those stores, too!! I have not walked through the upscale outdoor mall yet, but I will get to it! Maybe when the heat and humidity is lower I will go and have the energy to walk around outside. 


Rob and his dad are currently at the Connecticut house. They are in the process of packing up the remaining things and loading them into the trailer. They are thinking that they will be coming back to Ohio on Wednesday but I have been told that they may come back on Monday. I don't know. Why didn't I go? Welllll....since Rob told me that I needed to find a job as soon as possible...I have a job interview this coming week. So there! I guess this is one of the consequences of looking for a job while still trying to get fully moved in from one state to another. 


Here is a slide show of one of the moving trips and the first time I saw the new house in person. I hope that you all enjoy!! I am sure a lot of you have seen these pictures over on my FB page. If not...then please, enjoy!!

The packing has started...

Yup...it has now really become a reality that I am moving. Rob left today with his parents with a full trailer to Ohio. So where we moving?? Well it will be the Cleveland area for sure, just not too sure which house yet. Rob is going this weekend to look at two houses and possibly a third. Yay!!

The house is looking more like a house full of boxes and less like the house that is lived in. I really hate packing. Like really hate packing. But I don't know what is worse...Packing or Unpacking. If I had the money I would pay for people to come in pack up my stuff, move it to the new house, and then unpack it for me. But I live in the real world, I guess. hahaha

I am going to enjoy these next four days though, since Rob is gone. While trying to pack, I am going to enjoy the quiet that comes with just being in the house alone. I do have Sparky and Casey as Cindy went to Ohio with Rob and his parents. Friday will be my last day at AMC. Last days are so bittersweet sometimes, and I know this one will be the same.

We will be in the Cleveland area for the next year, though. Rob will be a visiting professor at Cleveland State University. He is still on the job market and he is looking everyday at the job boards to see if the schools have started posting job ads for the Fall of 2011 yet. The big schools will probably start posting in August or September. Hopefully something will come out...and we will know something in the spring of next year where we are going rather than playing this super late waiting game. :)

This is where we are at right now. Once I have a new address I will let people know so that they can update their address labels.

Change of Blog topic from moving to Adoption

I was going tell you all about how Rob accepted a visiting professor position at Cleveland State, but I ran across an article that is worth sharing. I can not remember where I found this article but it must have been from another blog that I was reading tonight. If I can remember which blog it was I will include it in with this blog to thank the blogger for bringing this article to my own attention.

Anyways, back in May of this year Newsweek featured an article called, "Why Birth Moms Deserve Respect". Click on the title to read the article. I am always ready to bite when I see titles like this. I didn't know where this article was going to go but hey...I didn't have much to do since I am sitting here listening to the hum from the computers in the sever room here at home. Ok...back to topic here. hahaha.

The article starts off saying how today's society really focus' on two parts of the Adoption Triad which being the adoptive parents and then the children, but tends to leave out the most important part of the triad, us birth mother's. When society thinks or even refers to us birth mothers they depict us as drug users, unfit mothers, or teens who don't have the maturity to care for the child on their own. But for those of us who are in the adoption world, we know that there are more of us every day people out there who thought that placing our child into another woman's arms was the best choice at the time for our child.

Society has recently brought the adoption themes into movies, books, and even television shows. The article as talks about this. In movies such as Juno or Knocked-Up it shows unmarried women as either some opinionated teenager or as cutesy blonde woman who is freaking out about being pregnant. Now don't get me wrong, I truly love both of these movies and Knocked-Up is not for the young eyes to see or really revolve around the adoption world...but it shows what we think when it comes to Birth moms. The article brings up the adoption plots in television shows as well. Glee, Brothers & Sisters, and even Friends have all had adoption themes, where only the child is the one involved.

By still making fun of the adoption world...people in real life still tend to look down at adoption. Even six years after placement, I get the odd looks and "oh's" when I tell people that I placed my daughter into an Open Adoption. I often wonder what they think about, but I know what they are thinking. "How could she just give up on her child?" But these people are the ones who are not willing to open their minds and see the whole picture.

I like a part of the article that says,  “Our society has lifted much of the stigma of single motherhood, but still finds it difficult to support a woman who is, as they see it, abandoning her child. These women are told: ‘How can you possibly give up your child? What kind of person could do that?’ So while adoption is listed as viable option, it’s a choice that’s rarely made.” I believe this is  a very true statement.  


I would hope that Adoption thoughts would become more real and not so taboo in today's society. If we look back in ages...we see open adoption but just not in full form with the name adoption. When a mother was unable to care for her child her family would step in and take care of the child and gain custody if needed. How is that not adoption? It is in my eyes. Even now with the majority of families being now "blended" families how is that any more normal or ok than adoption? 


So think about your thoughts and feelings about adoption verses some of the thoughts I have placed in here. I bet you have thought some of these yourself without even knowing it. You think adoption when Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie adopt a new baby, or when another celebrity adopts because it is the "cool thing to do" right now. You think of these movies and television shows that poke fun of pregnant woman who has to decide whether to parent her child or place it into a family. But what you really should think about if you were in the same situation or if you were an infertile married couple who would love to adopt a child and know how it feels to love a child. You should really think about the emotions that the Natural mother or Birth mother feels when every holiday, mother's day, or birthday comes around. 


So like the article says...Birth mother's deserve some respect in today's society. 

21 with 9 years of Experience

Sunday was my birthday and I am finally finding some time to sit down and blog about it. I wanted to blog it yesterday but well life got in the way, and I had to upload the pictures from the camera to the computer. *I must say that I do love the digital era where you have pictures instantly!!*


Anyways...I turned the big dreaded 3-0 on Sunday. Happy Birthday to me, right?! So how does it feel to be this number?? Well it's just a number right? At least that is what us women say when it comes to a dress size. Buy what feels comfortable and if you don't like the number then rip it out. So that is what I am doing with my age. I don't like the number so I am just ripping it out until well next year. People have told me (who are well into their 30's) that my life is just beginning now that I am turning 30. What does that mean? Does it mean that I will become more wise and have the knowledge that people wished they could have?? Or is it just that I will stop caring about what people think and just be myself. I think it is the last one of all of those. Well it would be nice to be wiser and have the knowledge that most people will want, but I think that I will just be gaining the wisdom and knowledge of mindless stuff that people will say, "How do you know what?!"


My birthday was a lot of fun though. It started out a bit crappy to say the least since I came home from work after midnight to find a Cindy-dog poo surprise for Rob and I to clean up. *sigh when will she learn?!* We didn't get to bed until about 2:30am. The alarm clock on my phone rang about 5 hours later and I was wondering why I agreed to go an early breakfast. So I got up and pulled some clothes on to myself decent for the whole world could see. Andrew and Mike were going to be at the house around 9am so that we could head out to Chip's diner. Remember that old post about pancakes well that is where we were going again for breakfast. Rob was going to go but since it looked like Cindy was still not feeling well he stayed home so that we didn't come home again to a mess.

While waiting for the boys to arrive I opened my presents that were sent by my mom. Mom made the majority of the gifts which gave it the extra touch of home. Thanks mom for your thoughtfulness!! She made me some greeting cards while using some of my little brother's photography, a little note pad with the same picture on it as the cards, then she sent some fun and bright socks to wear, a fun solar powered key chain that blinks my name, one of those stainless steel canteens that people all have now with a hand cut out template of a flower and a message on it, then to top it off she sent me some new fun body wash by Philosophy. 

Breakfast was fun and entertaining with Andrew and Mike. They told the server that it was my birthday and so that lead to the server bringing out my breakfast with a lit candle and a happy birthday song. It was fun as I have not had people sing happy birthday to me at an eating place for a long time. 

After breakfast we went to the grocery store so that I could pick out my birthday cake (I was going to make my own but since I didn't get much sleep the night before I really didn't have the energy to bake one) and a few other things that were needed. I was just going to have the bakery put "Happy 30th, Amy" on the cake but the boys didn't think that was sufficient. So with that being said the final quote that was decided on was, "21 with 9 years experience". Hey why not?! :) While shopping for the other items, Andrew went off and bought me Happy Birthday Balloons and put them on my car before I got back out the car. I laughed at the whole ordeal. Hey at least the balloons didn't end up in my hair! 

 My mom called me later in the afternoon and I caught her up briefly on everything since I hadn't spoken to her in a week or so. I thanked her for the yummy smelling body wash and rest of the gifts that she sent. She asked what Rob had got me and I told her that he gave me some quirky items. One was a set of post-it notes that are in the shape of the 10 Commandments, then a cookbook that is titled 101 ideas to cook with canned biscuits, then a little book that is about everything that a woman should know about, a menu planner pad (which will come in handy!), and then a pick me up type of pad that says, "ways to make me happy" and you check off the little boxes for people to read. 

 Around 5pm the rest of my friends started showing up for dinner. We were going over to Kobis Japanese Steakhouse for some Hibachi! Rob and I went there once before on a date and I knew exactly from that moment that is where I wanted to celebrate my birthday at. My two other friends arrived and away we went for dinner. What a fun experience to have with some friends who are not afraid to have some fun and a little bit of crazy at dinner. I had steak and shrimp for my meats. Everything is good and so it was hard to choose what to do. I had a strawberry margarita with my dinner in celebration for this new maturity I was suppose to be gaining. 

 After dinner we went back to my house and pretty much hung out. We had cake and played a board game called "Would you Rather...". We didn't really use the actual board game but more passed around the cards and read the questions to one another. I found that to be more fun than trying to play some game of it. :)

So overall I had a good birthday and birthday party. Thank you for all who came out for my party and I will remember this birthday for a long time!!

Cheers to the 3-0!

What a Wild Ride

I am finding that this summer it is hard to sit down and type out blogs. I guess I have too much going on and so when I finally find some time to sit and type out something I would rather just go to bed.

Rob and I are back in Connecticut. We got back early this week (on Tuesday) from Ohio. Our trip home was delayed by five days due to well my car getting submerged into about two feet of water while driving back to my inlaw's house from a day of rental house hunting in Cleveland. A big thunderstorm came through and flooded parts of the highway that do not normally flood. This is something I kept hearing over and over from Rob and his parents. I was kind of tired of it after awhile because it didn't help the situation of my car. The thunderstorms kept coming for close three or four days in a row and just dumping more and more water. I have included a slideshow from my Picasa album of the aftermath on my car and what the area looked like after so many days of rain and a small tornado coming through.



We finally set home on Tuesday though since I had to be back in Connecticut for a Safety & Security Seminar at work. Yes I have sat through this same meeting three times but it is mandatory for everyone to go. And hey...it was a good excuse to get back to my own house.

I have enjoyed pretty much an easy laid back week for the most part. I am just trying to get caught up on sleep and start to feel normal. I uploaded all of my Florida road trip pictures as well. Slide shows will be included as well for you to see. I just love how this is an option now on Picasa! I hope that you enjoy!!

Florida Trip Part 1


Florida Trip Part 2

Ding dong! Look who is kind of back!

Yes, I have been busy and going batty. Figure I should fill you in on where I have been lately and update you on how everything is going!! I have tried sitting down and typing this blog out several times...and I do not get very far. 


First, lets talk about the camping trip over the week of my third wedding anniversary (May 19th). Camping is suppose to be fun, relaxing, and enjoyable?? Right? Well the first day and a half it rained and rained and rained. Oye!!! In addition to all the rain, our camp site was full of goose poop. Yuck! That stuff is just as bad as dog poo or worse. Before even setting up our tent and all we had to de-poop the site, in the rain. Finally by the afternoon of our anniversary, the rain stopped and the sun came out. My inlaws told Rob and I to leave camp and go enjoy the afternoon doing something fun. Since we were only 30 minutes from Berlin, OH we drove over there to a local cheese company and walked through some tourist type of shops. We found lunch at a place called Chalet in the Valley which is a Swiss/German place. It is known down in the area and Rob thought it would be nice to take me to a place that he liked when he was a kid. The food was ok...but I was really hoping for something else. Oh well. The rain did stop that afternoon and the sun came out to play for the rest of the day. We drove back to the camp-site and hung out with my inlaws until it was dinner time. For dinner we drove over to Pizza Hut and picked up a couple pizzas, stopped at a grocery store to pick up more bottled water and also picked up some lighter fluid in hopes that the lighter fluid would get the camp fire going since a lot of the wood we had was wet from the rain. The next day of camping it was warm, sunny and just awesome. I had to actually change into shorts because of how warm it was. I loved it! The next morning we woke up to twelve Canadian geese honking and fighting at 6am!! I was not pleased. I had one more hour to sleep before the alarm went off. Needless to say since we were all up we started to pack up camp and get back to Rob's parent's house. Over the weekend while still at his parent's house we met up with our dear friends who were also in Ohio visiting family. We had not seen them in about two summers and so it was great to catch up with them!


Now to the good stuff. Monday (May 24), Rob and I left our three dog-children in Ohio to start our travel to Florida. We stopped off in Nashville, TN for a couple of days. I was hoping that the water damage buildings would be open but we found out that still not the case. I chose a hotel outside of the city since the Opryland Hotel is still closed. For dinner...we went downtown though and ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory and then walked around downtown. I was hoping that the Wild Horse Saloon would be open, but nope...it was still closed do to water damage. The next day though we spent exploring the rest of TN and went to the Jack Daniels distillery. What a cool and free thing to do! If you ever get a chance...you all should visit the little town of Lynchburg, TN! After doing the tour we drove another thirty minutes to the TN/AL border, and ended up eating dinner at Sonic over in Alabama. I had never been to Alabama...and so now I only have a couple other states to color in. 


Wednesday we got up super early and left the little town of Nashville to head down to St. Petersburg, FL. What a fun day, despite the twelve hour drive south. I finally got to see the city of Atlanta (before this...I had only been to the Atlanta International Airport)!!! Rob drove through Atlanta for me, so I didn't have to deal with the crazy drivers. You all think that Californians or New Englanders all drive fast...well you have not seen people drive in Atlanta!! All you can do is keep up with traffic and you will stay alive. If everyone around you is driving 85 mph...well you better do the same or you will run off the road. The highlight of that afternoon was driving through Macon, GA. If any of you are big country fans...then you will know about Macon, GA. 


Thursday was Rob's interview down in St. Petersburg. We will see if he got the job very soon. I seriously could live in the St. Petersburg area. It is so pretty!!! I spent the afternoon exploring the bay front shopping area of the city which was near the hotel. I didn't want to take the car out of valet and then have to fight for parking around the city. I walked down to the famous Pier that was well recommended by many different travel sites. I saw pelicans up close, ate lunch, and enjoyed a trolley tour of the city! I then went back to the hotel where I first attempted to type out this blog. Later on once Rob got back to the hotel, we enjoyed an evening of baseball at Tropicana Field where the Tampa Bay Rays play. The Chicago White Sox were in town and the Rays ended up winning that night. 


Yesterday we got up and drove down to Naples which was about two hours south. Such a beautiful city!! Rob didn't care for it as I think it was too upscale for him. I for one would go back there in an heart beat. The sand over at the beach feels as if you are walking in brown sugar!!! We didn't have a beach front hotel, but after dinner we drove over to yet another popular pier to watch the sunset. I played in the warm 85 degree F. Gulf of Mexico water for a bit. The sunset was pretty but not as pretty as some sunsets I have seen in Arizona. I have a feeling that if I came back in the winter time...the sunset would be better. The winter time is when you see the amazing sunsets in Arizona and so I am predicting that it would be the same there, too. I did enjoy it though. 


Today we drove up to the east side of Orlando. My good friend, Liz, who I went to high school with lives up here and so I was able to spend the day with her. She and I went shopping and then picked Rob up for dinner. Shopping was a good to me today, though!!! I found three pairs of cropped denim pants, and three tops. Lane Bryant was having a deal where selected capris and pants were buy one get one FREE!!! For all of you big girls out there....this is the time to go shopping at LB!!! Dinner was amazing though...as it was at Sonny's BBQ. When my parents were in Florida a couple years ago they stopped at this place and now this is their favorite bbq place. When Rob and I were driving down to Naples yesterday we actually stopped at Sonny's for lunch. Yes...it is that good that we went to one up here in Orlando for dinner. If you like pulled pork...this is THE place to get it. Sooooo yummy!!! 


So that is where I have been lately. Like I said, I have been busy. Tomorrow we will drive to Savannah, GA and stay the night there. Then Monday we will drive back to Ohio and head back to Connecticut on Friday. I am starting to miss my house, bed, and space!! I am loving this road trip and can not wait to share the pictures that we have taken over this two or three week period. The camera cord was left at home so that is why there are no pictures posted here!!! I promise I will get some posted as soon as I can when I get back to the Connecticut house.

Who is ready to be off the Power Grid?

Tent: CHECK, Sleeping Bags: CHECK, Small Camping Grill: CHECK, Dog Bones: CHECK, Warm & Cool clothes: CHECK! This is just a small portion of what is crammed in the trunk of my car!! We still have a few little items to put in the car tomorrow before we go. 

So where we going?? Well, tomorrow we are headed out to Ohio for a week or so. We are driving ten hours to Rob's parents house. The four of us and the five dogs are going camping this week starting on Tuesday. This should be fun, I hope. I have not been camping in a very long time and I have not yet had a major negative memory from camping. We will be camping at a camp-site (sorry, I am not one who camps out in the middle of the woods). The camp site is about an hour west from his parents house. 

I say that I am going off the grid, since I will probably not have cell service while camping and I will not be online until we get back from camping. In today's society...if you don't have these two items that you are considered off the grid. Rob though is taking his laptop with us to the camp site since he is in the middle of a job search. I though will be good and not use the computer to check my mail or even facebook. I have told Rob that he is only allowed to check his email twice a day and he is not allowed to be on facebook. 

Once we come back from camping which will be Friday...we will go back to my inlaw's house and get everything all washed up. A couple days later, Rob and I are taking a road trip down to Florida! I am excited about this as we are going down there so that Rob can have an on-campus job interview. Yay!!! **Everyone cross your fingers for this to go well!!!** Anyways...since this will be my first trip to Florida we are going to spend most of Memorial Day weekend down there. I booked hotel rooms today and everything is all set. 

When Rob is done with his day of interview, then we will drive down to Naples, Florida and spend the night there. I have heard there is lots of shopping there and it is just very pretty. I am hoping to spend some time on different beaches while I am in Florida as well. Then the next day we will drive up to Orlando and hopefully spend the day with my high school friend, Liz. She lives just outside of Orlando and we have not seen each other for about three years. The last time I saw her was on my wedding day in Oregon. After sleeping in Orlando we will then leave Florida all together and drive the two hours up to Savannah, Georgia! Yay!!! We will spend the day and then sleep there, then drive back to Ohio on Memorial Day. Then depending on everything, we will drive back to Connecticut that week. 

I am pretty excited though. So after tomorrow evening, you will not be able to reach me by cell phone. Where Rob's parents live there is no cell service. I will try and check my mail on Monday which will be the last day before heading out camping!! 

Card Drive for Noah!!

A dear birthmom friend, Coley...has a son who is autistic and has cerebral palsy. Late this month Noah will go in for surgery to help straighten his back. Coley has organized a Card Drive for Noah. The recovery is going to be long and so the cards will help Noah keep his spirits up.

I understand that a lot of you do not know who Noah is or even my friend Coley, but you don't have to. I have done card drives like this before and it is amazing how a simple card can lift a persons spirit. For awhile I was a member of Chemo Angels where I was assigned a chemo patient and I would send them cards and little gifts once a week. Now did I know this person? Nope...not at all. But I loved it. I loved knowing that I was making someone smile each day!!!

Below is the flyer for more information about Noah. Click on Coley's blog for more information.

Movie Theatre Pet Peeves

Ok...so this will probably be a long list, but things have been bugging me lately. If I don't tell you then if you are doing them to me or other people then you people will never learn. Hahaha. This past weekend I just happened to pick up on quite a few of them and I just wanted to cringe each time something happened.

• Handing me your crinkled up money when I tell you the total amount of the transaction, assuming that I will count it for you, and give you back what you need. I really just want to count the money and keep the extra as a tip if you are too incompetent to unravel your money and give me the correct amount. 
  
• Standing in a concession line for 5 minutes and still have no idea what you want when you get up to my register. I really just want to tell you to go back to the end of the line and then maybe by the second time you get up to my line you will know what you want to order. 
  
• Yelling at me that I told you that someone was in line before you, and telling me that you have stood in three different lines for ten minutes. What I want to tell you is that if you would be patient and stand in one line then you will eventually get served. But to continue to jump from line to line is  not my problem. 
  
• Annoyed at me that you are running late for your movie because you tripped over your dog, forgot your wallet, or what ever excuse you have to give me. Next time...try leaving the house earlier and/or have a back up movie planned just in cause the movie you want to see is sold out! 
  
• If you are ordering tickets or concession items, get off the phone!!!!!! I find it very rude that you assume that you can not hang up your phone conversation or put the phone down for just a couple of minutes to get your items. 
• When you are handing your movie ticket to me at a ticket drop location...don't continue to walk and assume I will chase after you to give you back the other half of your ticket. Just be patient, stand and wait until I have torn your ticket and gave it back to you. Also, if you have a large party with you, please have one person have all the tickets. This will speed up the process as well!   
  
• Pick up your own trash as you exit the theatre. This will help the usher crew get a theatre cleaned a lot faster, especially if you are in a sold out show!! 
  
• If you are under the age of 25, don't be offended if I ask for your drivers license if you are buying a rated-R movie ticket. If you are under 17, don't try and have your parent buy your ticket for you! We know that you are going to try and sneak into the rated-R movie after your first failed attempt and then get a PG movie that is "near" the desired movie. Stay in the movie auditorium that you have a ticket for. This makes everyone's jobs a lot easier! 

I kept the list short, I probably could have gone on for awhile...but these are the main ones that myself and other co-workers gripe about. I could probably make a list of what my co-workers and even myself need to stop doing...but that is for another post all together. ;) 

Happy Birthmother's Day

Happy Birthmother's day!! This post is for all of the birthmothers out there today in the world. Birthmother's Day is always celebrated the day before Mother's Day.

I am a member of Birthmom Buds which is an online organization that supports Birthmom's all over the country! I actually volunteer my time each month by writing different articles, collecting birthdays, and even prayer requests for the monthly newsletter.

This month's newsletter was centered around Birthmother's day. I wanted to share with you a poem that was written by another fellow birthmother. The poem was read at the annual birthmom day celebration. I will get to this celebration one year!! But I find this poem very fitting for a day like today. Once again Happy Birthmother's day, ladies!

These Women
by Leigh Harding
(read at Birthmother's Day 2010)

A sigh in the night
A tear down the cheek
The computer goes on
 Because she can't sleep.

The words come out
 As the tears flow
There is only one place
 She knows she can go.

 Where the words don't sound strange,
The language isn't foreign
And there is someone there
 Who has been where she is going.

 Because of their present
They may not know what to say
But the words that are written are
 Honest and true.

 These Women,
These Friends,
These Sisters.

 No matter what we call ourselves
We are tied to the one word
 that will always bind us together:
Birthmother.