Tag Archives: 2017

Over the Bridge

Railbiking The Adirondacks: My 40th Birthday Celebration Weekend Vacation Destination Review #3

On Turning 40. 😭😢😖

Let’s not go there, shall we?

Where/How To Celebrate? 🎉🎂

For my big 4-0, Mike and I had tossed around the idea of doing something different than our usual go-to weekend activities. Something special. Just the two of us. ALONE.

First and foremost, thank heavens for grandparents. Big shout out to Grandpa H and Grandma B for their willingness to take our little ladies for an overnight.

On our way to Chestertown!

And we’re off!

Obviously, Mike and I jumped (for joy) at the opportunity to have one whole day and night just to ourselves. But where to go? Our discussions frequently referenced the idea of celebrating in a novel, preferably non-home-esque setting. Maybe even with a pre-arrangement of evening activities that diverged from our standard “out to dinner, then home and Netflix and chill.”

And no, I’m not being saucy. Really, Mike and I watch Netflix, chill, and finally pass out in bed shortly after the movie or comedy show commences. We’re forty, remember? Continue reading →

Book Review #7: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading Move over, Nancy Drew, there's a new gal detective in town!

A First Foray Into YA

Welcome to my first YA book review! I’m very excited to delve into this popular reading genre for my seventh book review thus far! As a teacher and mom of pre-adolescents, young adult (YA) fiction has definitely been a part of both my work and home life for some time. Additionally, I also choose to enjoy YA books for my own pleasure reading, even though I am obviously not a ‘YA’ any longer! I’m more of a MAA, I suppose. (That’s “Middle Aged Adult” to you. ?)

Therefore, when I was asked to read and review the book Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading, I was quite excited to do so! Upon finishing, the story did not disappoint, either! It was a real page-turner from beginning to end. In this book, adventure and mystery take center stage. A generous sprinkling of history lessons top off a plot full of exciting twists and turns, altogether resulting in an engaging read for middle-grade readers and up! Continue reading →

Summer in Review #3: Our Lake George, NY Mini Family Vacation Vacation Destination Review #2

Facebook Says: I Have No Life

Time to get up off that couch and GO SOMEWHERE.

Last July, I was scrolling through Facebook, looking at my friends’ vacation photos that were popping up in my news feed. As I ‘liked’ various photos of my friends’ families out and about having fun, I realized that it had been a long while since my family last went on vacation together.

It was time to take a trip! Continue reading →

Summer in Review #2: Mother Daughter NYC Weekend: The Classic East Festival! A Trifecta of Summer Highlights: Part 2 of 3

Goodbye, Lazy Days

 

Hmm… she kinda does look like me. My ‘teacher look,’ immortalized in clipart. chrystalizabeth / Pixabay

This week marks week three of the 2017-2018 school year. So much for my proclamation that I would have all three of my Summer in Review posts up my first week back to work.

Yeah, right. I can’t even get three posts up in one week during summer break! Props for me for thinking that I could, however.

So, how’s ‘back to work’ going?

Pretty decently thus far! But I will miss summer 2017, as it was truly a wonderful time. Continue reading →

Summer in Review #1: Dual Birthday Party Day Success! A Trifecta of Summer Highlights: Part 1 of 3

Oh Summer, How I Will Miss Thee…

This week, the lazy days of my treasured summer vacation came to a close. The first ‘official’ day of school looms ahead next Wednesday for S11, and …for me.

Boo! Hissss…

BUT…

Soon enough, the math teaching madness begins. Numbers!! Holla!!
LadyBB / Pixabay

On the bright side, I’ve had an absolutely amazing summer! And though I’m sad to see it end, all good things… seem to do that. Such is life, amirite?

So today, on this pre-Labor Day Friday, the official last Friday of summer break here in NY (for 3 out of 4 of us here, anyway), I have decided to post an extended recap of my top three favorite summer moments for your reading pleasure. To avoid a ridiculously long, rambling post, however, said recap will consist of three separate posts, starting with this one. Continue reading →

Book Review #6: With Ballet in My Soul by Eva Maze An Extraordinary Life, An Extraordinary Woman

Memoirs, I Love Em

The genre of memoir has always been a favorite of mine. Somewhat ‘nosey’ by nature, I tend to enjoy intimate glimpses into lives and experiences of different kinds of people. A few standout memoirs I have read to date include Jeanette Walls’ The Glass Castle, Carly’s Voice by Arthur and Carly Fleischmann, and of course, Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles 1974-2001 by Don Felder.

Don Felder’s slide guitar and Randy Meisner’s bass are SO on point here. Where is my time machine? 1974, please!

Therefore, it comes as no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed the book With Ballet in My Soul: Adventures of a Globetrotting Impresario by Eva Maze. This memoir is a chronicle of Maze’s amazing life as a 20th century theatrical impresario for the better part of four decades. Continue reading →

No More Excuses. This Week, I Begin Running. Time to get my sorry a** in shape, yo!

Are You There, Motivation To Exercise? It’s Me, Jill.

That’s it. No more excuses. I have a date ….with a healthier lifestyle. Diet. Exercise. All that crap. Truthfully? I’m not looking forward to it. At all. Therefore, I’m giving myself just 1-2 more days to get used to the idea that my lifestyle and habits revolving around diet and fitness must change, and then I’m going to have to stop musing, and start doing.

Time to get my big ol’ a** in gear, folks.

What he said.

Starting ….well, whenever my Amazon Prime package gets here (which I assumed would be yesterday, and was somewhat gladly mistaken, I ain’t gon’ lie), I will be heading to my town’s high school track on a daily basis to (gulp) run. Well, more like walk, at least to start. Continue reading →

Book Review #5: The Conversations We Never Had by Jeffrey H. Konis A man's dream of a second chance, an author's tribute to a remarkable woman.

I’ve Been Waiting For This Conversation…

The book’s synopsis on the back cover.

Of all the books I’ve reviewed, none initially interested me to the degree of The Conversations We Never Had. Written by Jeffrey H. Konis, this ‘quasi-memoir’ is a unique hybrid of both historical fiction and autobiographical non-fiction. The storyline is told from Konis’ perspective as his younger self, a first generation Jewish-American law student living in Manhattan with his elderly Grandma Ola back in the mid-1980s.

This book is a fictional account of how a young Jeffrey Konis would have learned the details of his incredible family backstory, if he had asked his beloved Grandma Ola to tell him about it before she passed away. A descendant of Eastern European Jews, Konis has a thirst for as much knowledge of his family’s history as possible. But by the mid-1980s, Grandma Ola is the only relative left for him to ask. Why? I knew that answer right away. Us Jews always know why other Jewish families are quite often smaller than most. Continue reading →

The book Szen Zone

Book Review #4: Szen Zone by Gary Szenderski Enter Szen's Zone, and be the positive change you seek.

Now and Szen: A Synopsis

Szen Zone, the book.

When I first received the book Szen Zone: Reaching a State of Positive Change by Gary Szenderski, admittedly, I thought it was going to be all about meditation-type yoga stuff. I figured I’d basically be learning how to calm the F down in stressful situations, with the goal of freaking out less, and chillin’ out more. I perhaps expected to learn things like breathing exercises, oohmm-ing correctly, yoga poses, etc., with the end result a happier, healthier, less cray-cray Jill.

S2 and me, the perfect portrait of all things Zen, amirite?

However, to my surprise, that was not what Szen Zone was about, at least directly. Indirectly, reading this book did, in fact, lead me to a place of improved calm and increased happiness. However, the discovery of my own personal “happy place” was not due to any sort of “technique” or “exercise” learned in the book. Instead, as I read Szen Zone,  I found myself developing an increased understanding of how to look within myself, as well as out at the world in order to create the positive changes I desired in my life. Reaching said state of positive change is what would then lead me to become what I described above: a calmer, happier, more pleasant overall Jill! The thought is most definitely appealing. Continue reading →

Week in Review April 1-April 8: 4 Things I Loved Last Week A Fortnight of Fabulousity, Four Times Over

It’s April, and Much Like Spring, I Have Finally Returned

To start the lovely week, my wonderful husband bought me these flowers.

April showers bring May flowers,
That is what they say,
But if all the showers turned to flowers,
We’d have quite a colorful day!

–From April Showers Bring May Flowers, by Karen Chappell

I’m back, and SO glad that April is finally here! March is definitely the longest and busiest month of the year. Or maybe it just feels that way? Continue reading →