Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, July 27th, 2008, 4:42 pm

So Mom just left and we had a wonderful time together. Although rather unintended, we spent a good deal of time talking about how she could live a greener lifestyle as I showed her my life in NYC.

After taking a shower in my bathroom and seeing personal care products she didn’t recognize, Mom asked me about my natural beauty products. I introduced her to a few of my favorite brands: Pangea Organics, Dr. Hauschka, Nature’s Gate Organics and John Masters Organics. 

Last Christmas, I had showed Mom my new natural mineral makeup from Jane Iredale. She wanted to buy some so we walked to Cambridge Chemists, one of the few places in NYC that sells Jane Iredale’s fabulous products. We bought her Dream Tint tinted moisturizer and Just Kissed lip plumper.

Then we had lunch at Le Pain Quotidien - an organic café that supports sustainable farming and has several quaint, communal restaurants throughout the city.

Even our ritual trip to Bloomies included buying an organic cotton dress from Eileen Fisher.

Mom and I had dinner with my husband at Josie’s East, an organic restaurant with a wide range of yummy food such as organic brown rice sushi, organic grass fed rib eye steak and eco-friendly wild salmon.

We came home to find our weekly box of Urban Organic’s produce at our doorstep so my husband made us fresh organic carrot, apple celery juice.

On our last night together, Mom showed me how to cook rosemary and garlic crusted, grass fed, organic lamb.

When I found Mom painting her nails with chemical, toxic nail polish, I raced to open the windows, turn on the fan and show her my non-toxic, eco-friendly, organic Priti nail polish.

Since I know you are curious, Mom commented on how clean the apartment looked which prompted me to give her a tour of my Shaklee eco-friendly cleaning products. I think I may have even convinced her to switch!

My Mom has lovingly taught me so much about life over the years, and I got such pleasure out of giving back to her in just a few, simple green ways.

Mary Beth Gonzalez

Tags: organic, mother, natural beauty products

Posted By: emmaspirit on

Sunday, July 27th, 2008, 4:40 pm

So Mom just left and we had a wonderful time together. Although rather unintended, we spent a good deal of time talking about how she could live a greener lifestyle as I showed her my life in NYC.

After taking a shower in my bathroom and seeing personal care products she didn’t recognize, Mom asked me about my natural beauty products. I introduced her to a few of my favorite brands: Pangea Organics, Dr. Hauschka, Nature’s Gate Organics and John Masters Organics. 

Last Christmas, I had showed Mom my new natural mineral makeup from Jane Iredale. She wanted to buy some so we walked to Cambridge Chemists, one of the few places in NYC that sells Jane Iredale’s fabulous products. We bought her Dream Tint tinted moisturizer and Just Kissed lip plumper.

Then we had lunch at Le Pain Quotidien - an organic café that supports sustainable farming and has several quaint, communal restaurants throughout the city.

Even our ritual trip to Bloomies included buying an organic cotton dress from Eileen Fisher.

Mom and I had dinner with my husband at Josie’s East, an organic restaurant with a wide range of yummy food such as organic brown rice sushi, organic grass fed rib eye steak and eco-friendly wild salmon.

We came home to find our weekly box of Urban Organic’s produce at our doorstep so my husband made us fresh organic carrot, apple celery juice.

On our last night together, Mom showed me how to cook rosemary and garlic crusted, grass fed, organic lamb.

When I found Mom painting her nails with chemical, toxic nail polish, I raced to open the windows, turn on the fan and show her my non-toxic, eco-friendly, organic Priti nail polish.

Since I know you are curious, Mom commented on how clean the apartment looked which prompted me to give her a tour of my Shaklee eco-friendly cleaning products. I think I may have even convinced her to switch!

My Mom has lovingly taught me so much about life over the years, and I got such pleasure out of giving back to her in just a few, simple green ways.

Mary Beth Gonzalez

Tags: organic, mother, natural beauty products

Posted By: lsutiger-girl on

Monday, July 7th, 2008, 5:26 pm

After the wedding I had one of my braver bride'smaids to get my mother.  Mother walked into the ladies dressing area.  I had already changed into my going away outfit.  (Brides in the south do that!)  I didn't know what to say to her.  So I said something stupid like "You want to see my ring?"  I know, stupid.  But dang I was nervous.  She wouldn't look at it. We went to Canada on our honeymoon.  And all I remember her saying was 'Are you really going to canada?"  I just said "yes, we are." and that was it.  Somebody walked in the room and..... I don't know.  We never spoke alone again.  We never spoke again that night!

 A couple years later my first baby was born.   I called mother to tell her I was pregnant.  She said "oh, okay".  Then she said he had to hang up.  I was frustrated again but relieved the stupid phone call was over.  I'm always relieved when the phone call is over.

The baby was born.  Pink and perfect.  My mother came to the hospital.  She didn't (or wouldn't) hold him.  I remember the 2nd day asking the nurse to leave the baby b/c my mother hadn't held him yet.  Trouble is, I didn't know where she was!  Turns out, she'd gone back home already.  Oh, okay.

The baby and I went ONE TIME to visit my mother.  He was about 8 weeks old.  yes, it took that lone for me to be able to ride in a car!  Ugh the stitches.  I shudder when I remember them.  She was, of course, mad that it took so long.   Anyway this trip/visit was planned.  She knew exactly what time I'd be there.  Now, when you visit my mother you have to call her the night before to confirm you arrival time.  Then you have to call her as you drive across the city line.  Then I usually call her when I'm "5 mn from the house"  She likes that call "5 minutes"  Now, don't forget.  Or she'll be mad.  Well I did the calling.  And could never get her.  LEft messages on the machine.  Pulled in the drive.  No one was home.  I waited in the car for a while.  The baby was asleep.  After about 20 minutes the neighbor walked over and said my mother was running errands but she had left the side door unlocked. Now come on!  Are you kidding me?  DANG!  Running errands when she knew I was coming over for the first time with the new baby? Oh my gosh...... I did let myself in.  And I waited almost an hour before she got there.  (Days before cell phones)  I was furious.  But like always, trying to just hold the peace.  We kinda talked, ate a little lunch,  Then I left early.  Using the weather as an excuse.  I was so hurt.  Once again I wasn't a priority.  That's what hurt the most.

My baby girl was born 4 years later.  There are very few girls in my husband's family and we never dreamed we'd have a girl.  But we did .  And the surprised was DELIGHTFUL!  It was great.  We were so excited.  And then three years later I had ANOTHER girl!  WOO HOOO!  It was great.

But my relationship with my mother seemed to loom like a dark cloud.  Like distant thunder when  you're laying out at the pool.   I've had 3 babies.  Not one baby gift from my mother.  Not one.  Nada.  And no, it's not the gift.  It's the THOUGHT of the gift.  

So when I got that invitation today to attend a reunion I thought HELL NO!  I'd love to sit on the sidelines and gawk.  Find out what everyone is doing now.  Meet their kids.  But gosh it's too risky.  The humiliating feelings came rushing back just reading the crazy piece of paper.  I just can't do it.  And knowing that the invitee got my address by calling my mother and asking. How else would she be able to locate me?   That makes me naseous.

 I'm going to soak in the tub. 

Tags: mother, disappointment

Posted By: illinimomof2 on

Wednesday, June 11th, 2008, 2:38 pm

You would never believe that I am living this life.  We are both successfull college educated individuals and yet my husband can not kick the cocaine habit, even though he is in jeopardy of loosing his family.  I thought things were getting better and yet he used again and got himself kicked out of rehab and now thinks he can do it on his own. 

 I have a new born, and I am physically and emotionally worn out.  All I ever hear is that this is the last time, I love you and I don't want to loose you.  For me this is it.  Living on my own has got to be better than living like this.  Is there hope??  Does anyone out there have any suggestions on how to move on, to forgive and most importantly learn to trust?  Does trust ever really come back?

Tags: wife, marriage, mother, hope, cocaine

Posted By: lowhite103 on

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008, 9:19 am

I hope all of you Moms out there had a Happy Mother's Day! Those of you in the Northeast were certainly blessed with lovely weather to celebrate the big day. For the Olson/Ponticorvo/Bracciodieta family, it was the perfect day to kick off BBQ season and celebrate the coolest woman I know.

Not only did my Mother host a great party to celebrate Mother's Day, but she was also hosting her own 60th birthday party. This is largely the result of having two inconsiderate children - a daughter who doesn't have enough space to entertain and a son who won't divulge his new address for fear that we'll drop in to his Greenwich Village bachelor's pad.

She proceeded to feed us late into the evening, after my Dad cut out of the celebration early to embark on his annual week-long golf trip to Myrtle Beach with the rest of the retired WNY police force. How many wives would go for that?  

Two thirds of my gifts were a hit - Mother/Daughter pedis before we leave for Florida in 2 weeks and the Sex and the City box set - with all 96 episodes. The crock pot failed miserably, but what did I expect from a woman who hates to cook and gets squired to dinner 6 nights a week? That was really more a gift for my Dad, who craves a home-cooked meal. I think Mom was also secretly disappointed that I didn't score her a $200 ticket to the upcoming George Michael show at MSG. Oh well, I'm sure she'll just smile sweetly as I tell her all about it.  

Anyway, the box set prompted the ladies at the house - my Mom and her two younger sisters - to plan a night out when the movie comes out, followed by cosmos afterwards. I definitely plan to join that movie viewing party, as seeing it with my usual posse of sex-loving, alcohol-swilling, shopping buddies probably won't compare. I may have to revise an earlier statement - my cousin, Nicole, has an equally cool Mom.

So, as one last testimonial to Mom's coolness, I have to tell you what else was on her birthday list - a tattoo! Nevermind that when I offered to take her for said inking, she wimped out - I've done that many times myself. I'll just keep it in mind for her 61st.

Tags: mother, mom, daughter, cool