Maybe I'll take up dance lessons...

... you ever reach a point in your life where you feel like you've 'stalled' your engine?
Taken a wrong turn & now find yourself staring at a dead end?
No, this isn't about my beautiful Ruby, she's about the only thing RIGHT I've ever done in my life, make no mistake about that.

I'm talking about when I was younger, I had visions of where my life might take me & where I might 'be standing' at age 30.
I mean, don't we all have those 'day dreamy' fascinations of where we might be in ten years? twenty?
Well, I'm pretty sure it was 7th or 8th grade, one of my girlfriends asked me where I thought I'd be when I was 30. My first response was 'UGH, WHO CARES, we'll just be OLD then...!" After that tid bit of kid fear about growing up, I do believe my answer to her was something along the lines of, "Oh, who knows, but I DO KNOW I'll be married to a great guy, with a big beautiful house with a fenced in yard & at least one child or one on the way... etc. *cough/bullshit/cough*

Well, as I sit here & type, I'm a 34 year old single mother to probably one of the most stunningly beautiful children I've ever laid eyes on. Her spirit shines like a rainbow after a storm & her laugh is infectious.
I am blessed to call myself her mother... but what about her 'father'?
Is there someone out there for me? For us?

In 8th grade I was 'POSITIVE' that 'he' was out there & I'd meet him eventually.
Funny how as children we just assume that everything will work itself out eventually.
Now, rather than being the happy 'wife' to mister 'so&so', living in a big beautiful home with a fenced in yard & that child or one on the way... I'm the happy single mother to the sweetest little short person I've ever met and instead of a house, I live in a cozy little two bedroom apartment that I rent from my parents.
Funny, just how things don't always end up the way you had thought they would.

I still have hope though, that 8th grader's spirit still lives in me & she still believes that the 'one' is out there somewhere, but she just yelled at me tonight & said " if you don't ever leave the house you'll never meet him you know, he isn't gonna just show up on the front porch!"

You ever get yelled at by your younger self? Your inner child?
It's not fun!
You think that I'M loud, man, you should meet the KID Amy, SHE'S WORSE!
(just ask my Mother!)
hee hee

So I was thinking that I might take up dancing lessons. It'll be good exercise, it would get me out of the house, hopefully weekly, and maybe, JUST maybe, I might meet someone nice.

I dunno, it's not a done deal yet but it's definitely something I'm tossing around in my head. Any thoughts?

(now, if any of you have a cute single brother/cousin/friend/nephew/uncle/brother-in-law/ etc, FOR GOD SAKES, WHY HAVEN'T YOU SENT PHOTOS YET PEOPLE?!)
*grin*
ALWAYS accepting applications... cuz you never can tell what's around the corner.

The power of prayer...

... I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very religious, but I am spiritual.
That said, I would like to call upon each & every one of you who read my blog. Regardless of religion or creed, please find it in your heart, this very moment upon reading these words, to keep a very dear friend of mine in your prayers...

... they are much needed tonight & for the next few days.

Thank you all in advance for taking a moment to do this for my dear friend.

I won't go into detail, but once we're out of the woods, I will be sure to update & let everyone know that the prayers & well wishes were worth the minute or two it took to send them her way.
From the bottom of our hearts, Ruby & I thank you all!

-Amy & Ruby Cate
XoXoXoXo

The Shower...

Ever have one of those showers where right when you feel like you could stand under that hot water for the rest of your life & never get out,
the water pressure shits the bed & diminishes down to a sad little trickle.

UGH!

I was seriously considering changing my address to 'steaming hot shower', Boston MA.

I really could've lived in there, maybe not forever, but AT LEAST FOR TODAY!

Oh well, now I'm clean & cold & about to do the whole
Bath & Body Works routine...



I recently was told I smelled 'yummy' & 'delicious'...
hee hee nothing wrong with hearing THAT once in a while!
Plan on hearing it again in the very near future...
*grin*

Small World...

So I was checking my stats counter & noticed that, just this morning,
I had TWO hits from China!
One from Taizhou, Jiangsu & another from Beijing!
Made me realize what a small world we live in if people from so many miles away can peek into the world of this single Momma & her precious Ruby.
Whoever you are in China, PLEASE feel free to leave a comment next time you visit!
We'd really love to hear from you!

So then I started thinking about everything China & clicked on the 'information' link that my counter provides for every location that's visited & the following is what I saw... pretty staggering some of those numbers but just makes you appreciate all the more the process that led you to your destiny. Of all those people & of all the babies, I was blessed with Ruby and I could not be happier!

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

Geography Top
Location: Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam

Geographic coordinates: 35 00 N, 105 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 9,596,960 sq km
land: 9,326,410 sq km
water: 270,550 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than the US

Land boundaries: total: 22,117 km
border countries: Afghanistan 76 km, Bhutan 470 km, Burma 2,185 km, India 3,380 km, Kazakhstan 1,533 km, North Korea 1,416 km, Kyrgyzstan 858 km, Laos 423 km, Mongolia 4,677 km, Nepal 1,236 km, Pakistan 523 km, Russia (northeast) 3,605 km, Russia (northwest) 40 km, Tajikistan 414 km, Vietnam 1,281 km
regional borders: Hong Kong 30 km, Macau 0.34 km

Coastline: 14,500 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north

Terrain: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m
highest point: Mount Everest 8,850 m

Natural resources: coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest)

Land use: arable land: 15.4%
permanent crops: 1.25%
other: 83.35% (2001)

Irrigated land: 525,800 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence

Environment - current issues: air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion and economic development; desertification; trade in endangered species

Environment - international agreements: party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note: world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US); Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak

People Top
Population: 1,306,313,812 (July 2005 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.4% (male 148,134,928/female 131,045,415)
15-64 years: 71% (male 477,182,072/female 450,664,933)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 47,400,282/female 51,886,182) (2005 est.)

Median age: total: 32.26 years
male: 31.87 years
female: 32.67 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.58% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 13.14 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.12 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 24.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 21.21 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 27.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 72.27 years
male: 70.65 years
female: 74.09 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.72 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 840,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 44,000 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.9%, Zhuang, Uygur, Hui, Yi, Tibetan, Miao, Manchu, Mongol, Buyi, Korean, and other nationalities 8.1%

Religions: Daoist (Taoist), Buddhist, Muslim 1%-2%, Christian 3%-4%
note: officially atheist (2002 est.)

Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.9%
male: 95.1%
female: 86.5% (2002)

Government Top
Country name: conventional long form: People's Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhong Guo
abbreviation: PRC

Government type: Communist state

Capital: Beijing

Administrative divisions: 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)
: provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang
: autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang (Tibet)
: municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

Independence: 221 BC (unification under the Qin or Ch'in Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Manchu Dynasty replaced by a Republic); 1 October 1949 (People's Republic established)

National holiday: Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China, 1 October (1949)

Constitution: most recent promulgation 4 December 1982

Legal system: a complex amalgam of custom and statute, largely criminal law; rudimentary civil code in effect since 1 January 1987; new legal codes in effect since 1 January 1980; continuing efforts are being made to improve civil, administrative, criminal, and commercial law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003) and Vice President ZENG Qinghong (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Premier WEN Jiabao (since 16 March 2003); Vice Premiers HUANG Ju (since 17 March 2003), WU Yi (17 March 2003), ZENG Peiyan (since 17 March 2003), and HUI Liangyu (since 17 March 2003)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the National People's Congress (NPC)
elections: president and vice president elected by the National People's Congress for five-year terms; elections last held 15-17 March 2003 (next to be held mid-March 2008); premier nominated by the president, confirmed by the National People's Congress
election results: HU Jintao elected president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,937 votes (four delegates voted against him, four abstained, and 38 did not vote); ZENG Qinghong elected vice president by the Tenth National People's Congress with a total of 2,578 votes (177 delegates voted against him, 190 abstained, and 38 did not vote); two seats were vacant

Legislative branch: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,985 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held December 2002-February 2003 (next to be held late 2007-February 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - NA

Judicial branch: Supreme People's Court (judges appointed by the National People's Congress); Local Peoples Courts (comprise higher, intermediate and local courts); Special Peoples Courts (primarily military, maritime, and railway transport courts)

Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP [HU Jintao, General Secretary of the Central Committee]; eight registered small parties controlled by CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders: no substantial political opposition groups exist, although the government has identified the Falungong spiritual movement and the China Democracy Party as subversive groups

International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SCO, UN, UN Security Council, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Flag description: red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner

Economy Top
Economy - overview: In late 1978 the Chinese leadership began moving the economy from a sluggish, inefficient, Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented system. Whereas the system operates within a political framework of strict Communist control, the economic influence of non-state organizations and individual citizens has been steadily increasing. The authorities switched to a system of household and village responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprises in services and light manufacturing, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, China in 2004 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still poor. Agriculture and industry have posted major gains especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan and in Shanghai, where foreign investment has helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. The leadership, however, often has experienced - as a result of its hybrid system - the worst results of socialism (bureaucracy and lassitude) and of capitalism (growing income disparities and rising unemployment). China thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals. The government has struggled to (a) sustain adequate jobs growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force; (b) reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and (c) keep afloat the large state-owned enterprises, many of which had been shielded from competition by subsidies and had been losing the ability to pay full wages and pensions. From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs. Popular resistance, changes in central policy, and loss of authority by rural cadres have weakened China's population control program, which is essential to maintaining long-term growth in living standards. At the same time, one demographic consequence of the "one child" policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Another long-term threat to growth is the deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table especially in the north. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. As part of its effort to gradually slow the rapid economic growth seen in 2004, Beijing says it will reduce somewhat its spending on infrastructure in 2005, while continuing to focus on poverty relief and through rural tax reform. Accession to the World Trade Organization helps strengthen its ability to maintain strong growth rates but at the same time puts additional pressure on the hybrid system of strong political controls and growing market influences. China has benefited from a huge expansion in computer Internet use, with 94 million users at the end of 2004. Foreign investment remains a strong element in China's remarkable economic growth. Shortages of electric power and raw materials may affect industrial output in 2005. More power generating capacity is scheduled to come on line in 2006. In its rivalry with India as an economic power, China has a lead in the absorption of technology, the rising prominence in world trade, and the alleviation of poverty; India has one important advantage in its relative mastery of the English language, but the number of competent Chinese English-speakers is growing rapidly.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.262 trillion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 9.1% (official data) (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 13.8%
industry and construction: 52.9%
services: 33.3% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 760.8 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 49%, industry 22%, services 29% (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate: 9.8% in urban areas; substantial unemployment and underemployment in rural areas; an official Chinese journal estimated overall unemployment (including rural areas) for 2003 at 20% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 10% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 30.4% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index: 44 (2002)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (2004 est.)

Investment (gross fixed): 46% of GDP (2004 est.)

Budget: revenues: $317.9 billion
expenditures: $348.9 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)

Public debt: 31.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products: rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed, pork, fish

Industries: mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals; coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles and satellites

Industrial production growth rate: 17.1% (2004 est.)

Electricity - production: 1.91 trillion kWh (2003)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 80.2%
hydro: 18.5%
nuclear: 1.2%
other: 0.1% (2001)

Electricity - consumption: 1.63 trillion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports: 10.38 billion kWh (2002)

Electricity - imports: 2.3 billion kWh (2002)

Oil - production: 3.392 million bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption: 4.956 million bbl/day (2002 est.)

Oil - exports: 427,800 bbl/day (2002)

Oil - imports: 2.414 million bbl/day (2002)

Oil - proved reserves: 17.74 billion bbl (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production: 35 billion cu m (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption: 29.18 billion cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2002 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves: 2.23 trillion cu m (2004)

Current account balance: $30.32 billion (2004 est.)

Exports: $583.1 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, plastics, optical and medical equipment, iron and steel

Exports - partners: US 22.8%, Hong Kong 16.2%, Japan 12.4%, South Korea 4.4%, Germany 4% (2004)

Imports: $552.4 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, oil and mineral fuels, plastics, optical and medical equipment, organic chemicals, iron and steel

Imports - partners: Japan 16.1%, Taiwan 10.9%, South Korea 10.4%, US 7.7%, Hong Kong 7.4%, Germany 5.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $609.9 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external: $233.3 billion (3rd quarter 2004 est.)

Currency (code): yuan (CNY)
note:: also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)

Currency code: CNY

Exchange rates: yuan per US dollar - 8.2768 (2004), 8.277 (2003), 8.277 (2002), 8.2771 (2001), 8.2785 (2000)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Top
Telephones - main lines in use: 263 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 269 million (2003)

Telephone system: general assessment: domestic and international services are increasingly available for private use; unevenly distributed domestic system serves principal cities, industrial centers, and many towns
domestic: interprovincial fiber-optic trunk lines and cellular telephone systems have been installed; a domestic satellite system with 55 earth stations is in place
international: country code - 86; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific and Indian Ocean regions); several international fiber-optic links to Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, and Germany (2000)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 369, FM 259, shortwave 45 (1998)

Radios: 417 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3,240 (of which 209 are operated by China Central Television, 31 are provincial TV stations and nearly 3,000 are local city stations) (1997)

Televisions: 400 million (1997)

Internet country code: .cn

Internet hosts: 160,421 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 3 (2000)

Internet users: 94 million (2004)

Transportation Top
Railways: total: 71,898 km
standard gauge: 71,898 km 1.435-m gauge (18,115 km electrified)
dual gauge: 23,945 km (multiple track not included in total) (2002)

Highways: total: 1,765,222 km
paved: 395,410 km (with at least 25,130 km of expressways)
unpaved: 1,369,812 km (2002 est.)

Waterways: 121,557 km (2002)

Pipelines: gas 15,890 km; oil 14,478 km; refined products 3,280 km (2004)

Ports and harbors: Dalian, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai

Merchant marine: total: 1,649 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 18,724,653 GRT/27,749,784 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 362, cargo 696, chemical tanker 38, combination ore/oil 1, container 135, liquefied gas 30, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 81, petroleum tanker 246, refrigerated cargo 30, roll on/roll off 11, vehicle carrier 10
foreign-owned: 9 (Hong Kong 4, Japan 2, South Korea 2, United States 1)
registered in other countries: 872 (2005)

Airports: 472 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 383
over 3,047 m: 53
2,438 to 3,047 m: 116
1,524 to 2,437 m: 141
914 to 1,523 m: 23
under 914 m: 50 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 89
over 3,047 m: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 32
under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 15 (2004 est.)

Military Top
Military branches: People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (includes Airborne Forces), and II Artillery Corps (strategic missile force); People's Armed Police Force (internal security troops considered to be an adjunct to the PLA); Militia (2003)

Military manpower - military age and obligation: 18-22 years of age for compulsory military service, with 24-month service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service; 17 years of age for women who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2004)

Military manpower - availability: males age 18-49: 342,956,265 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 18-49: 281,240,272 (2005 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 13,186,433 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $67.49 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 4.3% (2004)

Transnational Issues Top
Disputes - international: in 2005, China and India initiate drafting principles to resolve all aspects of their extensive boundary and territorial disputes together with a security and foreign policy dialogue to consolidate discussions related to the boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, and other matters; recent talks and confidence-building measures have begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir, site of the world's largest and most militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; about 90,000 ethnic Tibetan exiles reside primarily in India as well as Nepal and Bhutan; China asserts sovereignty over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" has eased tensions in the Spratlys but is not the legally binding "code of conduct" sought by some parties; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord on marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; China and Taiwan have become more vocal in rejecting both Japan's claims to the uninhabited islands of Senkaku-shoto (Diaoyu Tai) and Japan's unilaterally declared exclusive economic zone in the East China Sea, the site of intensive hydrocarbon prospecting; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen rivers are in an uncontested dispute with North Korea and a section of boundary around Mount Paektu is considered indefinite; China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of thousands of North Koreans; in 2004, China and Russia divided up the islands in the Amur, Ussuri, and Argun Rivers, ending a century-old border dispute; demarcation of the China-Vietnam boundary proceeds slowly and although the maritime boundary delimitation and fisheries agreements were ratified in June 2004, implementation has been delayed; environmentalists in Burma and Thailand remain concerned about China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province

Refugees and internally displaced persons:: refugees (country of origin): 299,287 (Vietnam) estimated 30,000-50,000 (North Korea) (2004)

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle; growing domestic drug abuse problem; source country for chemical precursors and methamphetamine

Top 10 "Amy'ism's"...

Here are the top 10 quirky things that make me, ME:

1. I have to CONSTANTLY have water with me 24/7, no exceptions.

2. I sleep only on my left side or my back. (Stomache hurts too much from track marks due to MS injections & right side, dunno... just never liked it, ever.)

3. I sleep with my bear, William Bear EVERY NIGHT NO EXCEPTIONS, yes, that means he goes WITH ME wherever I go... Cayman Islands, brought him, Florida, brought him, Road trips anywhere, BRING HIM... Reason being, he sleeps either dead center of my chest (that sleeping on the side business is comfy until gravity tries to intervene... that's where William comes in...) and if I'm on my back, he doubles as a toasty pillow. Yes I'm 34, and yes I still have my childhood bear. GET OVER IT!

4. My room has to ALWYAS be COLD, summer = AC, winter = cracked window, if the room isn't cold, I can't sleep. I need to want to curl up all 'nest style' under the covers or I can't sleep. You people who can sleep with just a sheet in the summer or with NOTHING? HEAVEN FORBID! Never understood you folks...

5. If someone touches me on one side of my body but NOT the other side, IT FREAKS ME OUT, CUZ I'M TOTALLY UNEVEN! If they don't 'even' me out once I insist, I have to do it myself... NO LIE!

6. I always have either an elastic or a hair clip with me so I can pull it up off my face. I don't mind the long hair but I DO MIND IT attacking my FACE! That's OUT!

7. Every morning, without fail, I normally have Tea & some form of toast, be it actual bread, or an english muffin, or a bagel etc... creature of habit, what can I say.

8. I only use Bath & Body works lotions in lieu of perfume's... always found that perfume's are a bit too strong for my liking, where as those lotions are so yummy & subtle smelling, that it works to your advantage... if the guy you're with wants to smell how good you smell, he's got no choice but to get CLOSER. *wink*

9. I use my good china every day, I DON'T DO PAPER PLATES! My mom is a big fan of them & that's ok for her but I don't see why good china can't be used EVERY DAY. When people say " Oh I have nice stuff but I'm saving it for a special occasion... " that just never made sense to me. You know what, I woke up this morning, I'm breathing, I'm happy, I'm healthy, I have a beautiful little girl singing happily in her crib to Bear, IT'S A SPECIAL OCCASION IN MY BOOK! Break out the nice dishes & ENJOY!

10. I've only EVER driven STICK SHIFTS, NEVER ONCE owned an automatic! (ugh... perrish the thought!) When I drive a car I like to know I'm the one in control, not the other way around thank you very much...

Now, I'm leaving this an OPEN TAG to all who read my blog... I challenge you all to come up with your 10 you'isms that make you YOU! Don't dissappoint now.... I'll be reading!

UNCLE STEVE ROCKS!!!

CLICK ME! <------FOR DOING THIS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!

We love you!

-Amy & Ruby Cate (& Bear too!)

Ruby Red...

... so I'm sure you've noticed the new look of the blog. My 'spring colors' theme, although cute, was getting slightly old, as it is the tail end of summer & my FAVORITE SEASON is nearly upon us... FALL!
So, I figured what better way to welcome my favorite time of year than with a glorious color change!
(Ruby Red of course...)

You may also have noticed that I downsized my links as well, if you find that yours has dissappeared from this list please do not TAKE OFFENSE to this as I still read those blogs EVERY DAY (they're permanently in my favorites on my browser...) and was just trying to streamline the look of my blog.
If I only post once in a day, it just looked silly to me to have this little 'post' at the top & then several miles of nothing but links as far as the eye can see.

The ones I kept were ones that I may read several times a day, because I'm silly like that.
Not necessarily a stalker, but more a passionate voyer with a need for a fix. ;)

I assure you that everyone who was on my blog before, just because you don't see your link there anymore, doesn't mean that I don't check in daily with your blogs.
*here's the thing, once addicted to blogs, ALWAYS addicted to blogs!*

Now, that said, I hope you all enjoy the new look.
Oh, and I also got rid of the Ebenezer virtual puppy & some of my own links that I had up, like 'Flat Ruby Cate' & 'Flat Bear' etc... so see, even my stuff dissappeared. I just kinda like the look of 'less is more' to be honest.

If only I had photoshop so I can color ONLY the bow in Ruby's hair in the header pic, I'd love for the whole thing to be B&W and have that PUNCH of RED stand out through the bow in her hair. Perhaps my good friend Karen *cough, cough, hint, hint* might be able to lend a hand with that sometime soon. *grin*

Ok, nuff babbling for now, I'm headed to bed... g'night all, sweet dreams!

XoXoXo

Momma's friend Matty...

... is LOTS of fun!

He came over tonight for a visit...

... and it was the first time I had met him even though he had seen lots of my pictures.

Momma says I'm a big flirt...

... but can ya blame me? I'M CUTE!
hehehehehe

(and Matty didn't seem to mind either,
he told Momma that I was adorable & he would be CORRECT!)

Nine months ago today...

... I landed in Beijing China with my friend Ronayne (Ruby's Auntie Nayne), and didn't know WHAT to expect. I just kept thinking to myself "holy shit, I'm seriously here, I'm IN CHINA!"
No more 'dreaming about it', no more 'talking about it', no more 'waiting for it' ,
WE WERE THERE!
I WAS THERE!
We were standing with the other 14 families that made up my travel group as we waited for the bus to come get us & take us to our hotel, and I just felt like I was in a dream & perhaps someone was going to wake me up any moment.
You guys think the 'wait' is long, trust me when I tell you that the TRAVEL feels longer than any wait you've ever had to endure. One plane, then another plane, then a layover, then another plane, then more waiting then another plane etc... it takes everything you can muster to get there without losing your mind, I promise you that.
And don't get me wrong, I was psyched to finally be there, but at that moment of touchdown, after 30+ hours of straight travel, all I wanted was a BED! It didn't matter what hotel, hell I'd have even curled up on a bed that a kind man on a street corner offered me to be perfectly honest with you, I was tired, I was spent, I was emotionally drained & it hadn't even truly begun yet.
For those of you who know me, you know that I
HATE!
TO!
FLY!

Now, those of you who don't know me personally also are privvy to this tidbit of personal info, I really REALLY would much rather take a road trip ANYWHERE than take a plane.
Since that wasn't possible with China, I did what I had to do... after all, I had this cute little chubby cheeked angel waiting for me, I was going regardless of HOW MANY planes I had to get my butt on, Ruby, Momma's coming baby!



We left Boston on wed nov 16th, arrived Beijing thurs nov 17th & toured for the 18th, 19th & then flew to Ruby's province the 20th.
When I tell you that like a BAZILLION things were packed into those two days leading up to going to Jiangxi... I am not over exaggerating!



We saw the great wall, the pearl place, the jade place, the clossionne place, tienamen square, the summer palace, the this, the that... etc, etc, etc...

I JUST WANTED MY BABY!

Oh, and what they tell you about the beds in china, oh it's true. Like sleeping on a big stone block with MAYBE one teenie feather under your tush... thankfully for me God has provided me with my own personal padding that travels well, so bring on the cement beds, made no difference to this Italian girl, I was comfy. LOL

We landed in Jiangxi and my first thought was,
"OMG, I'm going to see Ruby today, HOLY SHIT!"
We piled all 14 families onto another bus with our guide & headed to the hotel we were to stay at.
My first impression of my daughters birthplace was, that it was really polluted.
It made me sad.
I mean REALLY POLLUTED, as in the air quality was so bad that within an hour or so of being there, I lost my voice & sounded like a frog.
Hmmm, maybe that's why Ruby cried when we first were united, wouldn't you?
Some lady you don't know from adam picks you up & sounds like something out of a horror movie? Nice... it's ok baby, cry it out... once you get over my horrible voice you'll see that I am also the lady with the TOYS and the BEAR and the SILLY ANTICS that would eventually (45 minutes after meeting) bring you not only out of your shell shock but produce the most glorious smile I've ever seen.

I know that today isn't the 9month anniversary of the day Ruby & I met but more the day the journey began, but I am going to share a photo with you all that I simply love! And I'm sure I may have shared this already in the past on the blog but I'm sharing it again because it's the moment after Ruby she knew she could trust me, after she knew I was going to care for her & not harm her, after I had peeled off the thousand & one layers of clothing she had on her only to put on a sweet little yellow sweatsuit that her Nanna bought for her...
... it was her first moment with Bear and she held him lovingly as if to say,
"We both get new Momma's today pal, and I'm yours..."
She was still a little guarded, I know,
but she somehow just knew that everything was going to be ok.

The shirt underneath the yellow guy was the shirt she came to me wearing, it was the bottom most layer of clothing and it was such a traumatic event taking all the other layers off her, that once I reached the shirt, I let it be & just put on her sweatsuit.
She's holding one of those 'sassy self feeder' spoons and a little ball that I bought for her.
She now uses the spoons to feed herself & never drops a bite!
The ball she still plays with but mostly the twins now enjoy it because of it's holes & ease in grabbing & holding on, even for small hands.
And we all know the love affair that happened between my daughter & that Bear of hers.
Those two are NEVER APART!
Just like her & I... it's a good fit.
It just works.
And I'm happy to announce that we're ALL IN LOVE!

Man that's a good feeling...
*smiling*

Why I prefer MBE over USPS...

... at M.B.E.: they are kind, they are nice, they are friendly, they smile at you, they know you came out of your way to give them your business and are aware that you'll be paying extra for the convienence of their help, but they also know that you keep their business thriving, so they LOVE you coming in.

... at the USPS: they are rude, they are ignorant, they are disinterested, they are of NO HELP, they demean you, they ignore you, they don't want to be there, they hate their jobs & most likely hate you at the moment of your visit.

Today, Ruby & I went to mail a package to a friend. I was very happy to do this as we adore this friend & can't wait for her to receive her surprise that our OTHER friend so lovingly & graciously picked out & planned so as to surprise her.
I am all for a surprise... so off we go to mail it.

Now NORMALLY I ALWAYS go to MBE, but today I thought, just once, let's go to the post office since it's closer, it's getting close to dinner time & I wanted some buffer time to be able to bring Ruby to the children's room at the local library.

So, here's today's lesson boys & girls:

NEVER DEVIATE FROM THE PLAN!

Ever.

The line was long, ok... so theres a long line, we can handle this, we've waited together through MUCH WORSE than this, my daughter & me.
I am NOT joking when I say I have NEVER mailed anything from the post office, period.
Having been a nanny now for as long as I have I hardly EVER was out on an errand solo, more like with several short people in tow, thus the need for some friendly assistance & help when it counts.
So... we make our way to the front of the line with said gift to be mailed. I put Ruby up on the counter in front of me & hand mister 'GRUMPYASS' the gift & show him an address & say, very pleasantly:
"Hi, I'd like to mail this gift to this address please..."

GRUMPYASS looks at me with disgust & says:
"well what do you want me to do about it? I'm not going to wrap that for you and you're not even ready yet, move aside please... NEXT!"

I looked at him & said OUT LOUD for the ENTIRE LINE TO HEAR ME:
"Excuse me but I am BEYOND APPAULED AT YOUR ATTITUDE WITH ME... I am a PAYING CUSTOMER and I have not ever ONCE used the post office to mail anything, I normally go to MAIL BOXES ETC and PAY the extra amount for FRIENDLIER, MORE HELPFUL SERVICE!
I'm sorry if you've had a rough day but I'm going to guess you've never ONCE had to do anything with a toddler in tow... AND you never ONCE asked if you could HELP ME, which is, I'm pretty sure, WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR SINCE YOU'RE BEHIND THE COUNTER
& I'M THE ONE OUT HERE WITH MONEY IN HAND...
Whatever happened to customer service? Not everyone knows the protocall to how things get done in here & YOU should be the FIRST PERSON to OFFER HELP!"

By now, everyone in line was not only looking for obvious reasons, but more to the point, looking frightened of me...

(ask me if I care?)

Me: "Now, if you don't mind, I'll go over and FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF and if you THINK for ONE SECOND that I'm going to make my child get back into that long line & wait a SECOND TIME to end up right back HERE again with the likes of YOU, YOU ARE SORELY MISTAKEN! I will wrap this package and I will march myself RIGHT BACK UP HERE & YOU WILL MAIL MY PACKAGE and I will also need your NAME SIR because I'm pretty sure it's not what I'm now referring to you as in my HEAD, and I'd like the name of your superior as well!"

GRUMPYASS didn't have a clue what to say in response to that... he merely looked at me & rolled his eyes, to which (had I had my nice big wooden italian spoon handy in my purse) I'd have KNOCKED THOSE EYES RIGHT OUT OF HIS ABNORMALLY SMALL HEAD, but since I DIDN'T have that wooden spoon with me, I managed to give him the Italian 'EVIL EYE'.
(works every time, don't doubt it!)

So, I mail the package & it's on it's way to our friend who I hope will be happily surprised with it's contents... just knowing that she'll be happy was worth a DOZEN GRUMPYASSES!
I'd do it again for her in a heart beat.

(and yes I got his name & yes I'm going to be calling first thing in the morning & NO I'll never ever go back there for anything, EVER!)

MBE for me, thanks.

*To those of you who work or know of someone who works at the USPS, my sincerest apologies as I'm sure that not everyone conducts themselves as GRUMPYASS did today but one bad experience can leave an even WORSE taste in the customers mouth, thus my venting here & my choice to NEVER bring my business back there, period.*

A GREAT read...

... so I've blogged about this BOOK before,
apparently now it has it's own BLOG!

One of the many blogs you'll find inside, is:

PostSecret
PostSecret is an artistic project that encourages people to mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard.

Wanna see more? Buy the BOOK!

My next tattoo...?

Judging by my last serious relationship I was involved in,
my skills to find a decent, well rounded man were apparently nonexistant... LOL
Perhaps I should have this little number turned into a tattoo & have it smack in the center of my forehead!
Any thoughts?

This morning, I woke up to:

Ruby in her crib shaking her maracas with a fierceness & giggling, gotta love that monitor, who needs an alarm clock-
A toothache that hurts like hell-
Both my arms nearly completely numb but as I got up & walked around,
they started coming back slowly pins & needles style-
Birds chirping outside my window-
The sun shining-
A horrendous cough I STILL can't shake-
Feelings of indifference & frusteration on a personal matter-
The realization that some books were meant to be closed permanantly,
even if you original intention was to read it out in it's entirety & find the happy ending-
A chapped bottom lip, don't ask, I don't know why-
My cell phone beeping that I had two voicemails-
Four emails, two from friends, one from family & one other-
Leftover italian risotto in my fridge, mmm yummy-
And just now, thoughts of a good friend of mine that made me smile, so very very happy for her... it's her turn-

Now, time to go make breakfast...
Oh, and what are some of the things you all woke up to this morning?
Thankfully for me, it wasn't that pesky alarm beeping in my ear pushing me to the point of grabbing it & CHUCKING IT HALF WAY ACROSS THE ROOM! lol
(hate that damn thing...)

I don't care how I get into this jumpy guy thingie...

... BUT I'M GONNA GET IN IT ONE WAY OR THE OTHER!
(A big fat thanks to Momma for *not* helping me accomplish this but just watching & waiting to see if I'd end up cracking my head wide open...
Truth be told it was AUNTIE KAREN who came to my rescue but NOT before managing to snap a shot of my REAR END!
Lovely, I can see this coming back to haunt me sometime near senior prom... ugh!)

hehehe

More reasons to smile today...

... so Ruby had her weekly visit with Lisa from E.I.
and it went SO GOOD!
Today they worked on, what else? WORDS!
My kid is truly becoming the Italian I know she can be!
hee hee

Here's a list of the words she said today, LOUD & PROUD I might add, during her visit with Lisa:

Knock Knock
Moo
Turtle
Fish
Orange
Hat
Horse
Birds
Eyes
Dow --> Down
Mouse
Choo Choo
Dup --> Up
Moon
Cat
Car
Apple
Lemon
Grapes
Duck

WOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO
GO RUBY GO! KEEP TALKIN' BABY!
PRETTY SOON YOU'LL GIVE MOMMA A RUN FOR HER MONEY!
*big cheesy ass PROUD MOMMA grin*

A funny thing happened...

... on the way to the blog.

Well, not funny so much as it was 'unexpected'.
I had composed a long overdue post on something tht I felt very passionate about & I was literally seconds away from hitting the 'publish' key, when *bam*- my phone rang.
I was taken aback by who was on the other end, and didn't know what to think, but was happy to hear that familiar voice again.
I waited for that phone call and I knew in my heart it would eventually come
but just didn't know when.
I find it all too funny how just when I was about to post about this person &
my thoughts on the situation, they choose that exact moment to make my phone ring.
Is that fate? Is it conincidence?
Or is it a higher power at work just coaxing us 'little people' along until we do what's right?
Making us say things our heart knew all along
but our mouths wouldn't always cooperate?
I don't know what it is, but I know I was happy to hear that voice again.
I was happy at the words that were spoken to me.
I was just happy.
I don't know what it means & honestly I don't really worry all too much about it, because in the end, even if it means nothing, yesterday- it meant everything.
And life is good...
Thank you for reaching out & saying what you did,
you'll probably never know what that meant to me, period.
Thank you for not only doing what you knew was right, but doing it even though it was clearly difficult & akward to do.
Thank you for keeping myself & Ruby in your thoughts, even if they are here & there.
Just, thank you.
You can be a fly on the wall of my life anytime you want, we're welcome to have you-
and for the record, anytime you wanna come down from that wall & come inside, you'll always be welcome here.
Always.

-Amy & Ruby Cate
(& Bear too...)

Memories...

... like the corners of my mind.
Misty water colored memories, of the way we were!

(psst, Karen- my risotto MISSES YOU!)

Ok, since you know you WANT to try this...

Italian Sausage Pepper & Onion Risotto

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked risotto
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large clove garlic (minced)
1 large spanish onion (diced)
1 large red pepper (diced)
1 package (4 sausages) Italian Style Chicken Sausages
(made by Al Fresco, they're fully cooked sausages, ready to cut & eat)
Freshly ground black pepper & salt to taste
Italian seasoning (one generous handfull- Italian measurement system, deal with it)

Directions: On medium heat in large sauce pan, cover the bottom nearly completely with olive oil. Add minced garlic, onion, pepper, sausage & let simmer until onion's become slightly transparent.
Then add italian seasoning, salt, pepper & uncooked risotto & stir well. Continue cooking until risotto becomes slightly transparent.
(won't be as noticable as the onion... maybe five minutes or so)
Then add chicken stock, 1 to 2 cups at a time. Stir well & let slowly absorb into risotto.
You'll want the risotto to slightly stick at bottom of pan. Once sticking occurs, it's time to stir once more and add the next two cups of stock.
Continue cooking until all stock is absorbed & risotto is thick & the house smells so good you want to lick the walls.
(Don't laugh, just trust me on this one, or better yet- ask Karen!)
Turn off the heat & let sit for five minutes to cool.
Serve warm with freshly grated Imported Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese on top.
(please trust me, that kraft shit in the 'ready to go shaker' WILL NOT CUT IT, my Nonna will roll over in her GRAVE at the very thought!)

Serve with your beverage of choice & enjoy!

To cut or NOT to cut...

... this is my question?

So? What does everyone think?

(It's long enough to twist around several times
&
slap up in that clip with all the excess hanging over!)

Peek-A-Boo...

... I SEE YOU!

hee hee, silly girl!

Out of the mouths of babes...

Here is a list of words that miss Ruby Cate can ACTUALLY SAY ALL BY HERSELF in no particular order, well that's not true, it's the order in which my mind was able to remember them all. LOL Bear with me:

1. Momma
2. Nanna
3. Nonno
4. Bear
5. Moon
6. Ball
7. Red
8. Blue
9. Bath
10. Go
11. Book
12. Tea
13. Cheese
14. More
15. Please
16. Cup
17. Gentle
18. Dog *& actually howls too*
19. Moo
20. Meow
21. Gen (Gwen)
22. Kiss
23. Car
24. Pool
25. Corn
26. Milk
27. Sippy
28. Ahoooo (love you)
29. Phone
30. Pate (plate)
31. Pay (play)
32. Cone (because the child eats plain ice cream cones like they're going out of style)
33. Tank Ooo (Thank You)
34. Baby
35. Bruce (my uncle who was just recently here for a visit)
36. Momo (Memmo, my cousin in Italy)
37. Socks
38. Shoes
39. Pants
40. Shirt
41. Hat
42. Sun
43. Stars
44. Plane
45. Puffs (gerber veggie puffs, she LOVES THEM)
46. Turtle
47. Shish (Fish)
48. Birdie
49. Charlie (our neighbor)
50. Peep (a show she loves, peep in the big wide world on TLC)
51. Maisy (another show she loves from Noggin)
52. Top! (Stop)
53. NiNi (Night Night)
54. Water
55. Banket (blanket)
56. Hi
57. Bye
58. Ceeral (Cereal)
59. Shickss (her musical sticks she bangs together)
60. No
61. Bow
62. Brace (bracelet)
63. Frog
64. Gape (grape)
65. Uhoh
66. Whasssat? (what is it?)
67. Isssis aboon? (is it the moon?)
68. Bap (help)



Now I know there's probably more but for now that'll have to do.
Yes my child can talk & yes, she's ITALIAN!
*grin*

Top 10 reasons I love my Auntie Jen...

1. She's cute!
2. She married Elvis, LITERALLY!
3. She can find ANYTHING that Momma wonders 'out loud' about.
4. She's going to be my 'Godmother' once Momma gets off her lazy butt and has me baptized.
5. She always surprises me with neat things, LIKE REALLY KEWL BOOKS!
6. She let's me splash in the pool & doesn't mind getting wet.
7. She is always there for Momma whenever she's feeling sad about something.
8. She LOVES THE RED SOX TOO!
9. She brings her adorable doggie Ellie down for visits and it's nice to have a dog around now that Ebby had to go to doggie heaven. I miss Ebby.

And the top 10th reason why I LOVE MY AUNTIE JEN?


Well, cuz she buys the CUTEST OUTFITS FOR ME!


CHECK OUT THIS GORGEOUS PINK TURTLE OUTFIT I'M SPORTIN'!



AND, not only is it cute, IT'S EDUCATIONAL!
Momma says you all get ONE GUESS as to the new word I learned to say today...

hehehehe

I'd like to share with all of you...

... some wonderful moments of Ruby's 1st night HOME!


It was overwhelming to say the least, thank GOODNESS for BEAR!


Once she calmed down, she took a look around at her new digs...


... met her new dog Ebenezer, who left us all too soon unfortunately.
(Rest in peace old friend, we love & miss you SO MUCH!)


She ate some calzone with Auntie Tracy...

... stacked blocks with Auntie Krista...

And as long as Bear was right by her side, she was ok.

I'd like to thank her Uncle Steve for emailing me these precious photos that I didn't know existed until tonight. Thanks Steve for bringing back some of the most incredible moments of my life thus far. I just can't believe how LITTLE she looks with that sweet 'baby' face!
And how amazing to get that picture of Ebenezer... tonight, cousin - you touched my heart. Thank you.

You know...

... despite being a shut in in my own home, feeling like crapola, looking even worse... I realized something:
This birthday is better than any birthday ever so far.
Why?

(It may have something to do with this fantastic HAT that Karen bought for me while she was visiting, I JUST LOVE IT & I'm gonna wear it EVERY YEAR on my birthday, and so will Ruby! She just doesn't know it yet... hehehe)

But on a more serious note...
This year my birthday is the best ever because:

Last year, I thought for SURE I'd have had my referral in time for my birthday, it just had to arrive as my gift.
It didn't.

Last year, I sat in my house sad & weepy for days leading up to, during, and after my birthday because all I wanted was my daughter.

Last year, I dreamed & hoped & prayed that I could close my eyes & wake up & it would be August 12th, 2006 & Ruby would be here with me.

And you know what?
It's August 12th, 2006, and Ruby is here with me, runny nose, nasty cough, beautiful smile & amazing sounding giggles & all...


... and I could NOT BE HAPPIER!

Ruby is the best thing that ever happened to me, period.


And to be able to be here, in my own little 'sick house' with my own beautiful 'sick child' who loves her very own 'sick mother', despite all the ickky things about today, the only thing that matters is that we're together.
It's kinda like a marriage... for better or for worse
(and trust me, there have been some WORSE times for sure)
and in sickness & health.

Today is our sickness, so big deal, we'll make it through, it's just bronchitis.
I've had it before, I'll have it again... only now every time I have to deal with something like this, I get to enjoy life with my daughter, my best friend- right by my side.

And isn't that just the best?!

*smile*

Ruby, Thanks for making this birthday the BEST ONE EVER BABY GIRL!
Momma loves you SO MUCH!

XoXoXoXo

Happy Birthday to me...

... happy birthday to me,
Not only am I older,
but I'm sick & so is Ruby.

No lie, check this out: Bronchitis

We BOTH have it!
I hope that it goes away soon...
I have lobster to eat later.
*sigh*

Sputtering out sentence fragments...

... NYQUIL is a beautiful thing, isn't it?
*cough* I recently caught a *cough* nasty cough *cough* that is currently *cough* kicking my ass *cough* in the WORST *cough* WAY!

And as I'm *cough* sitting here trying to *cough* breath normally, *cough* I started to let my mind wander about a few things... *cough* & in no particular order, here they are: *cough*

- I wish this *cough* damn cough would just *cough* GO AWAY!
- I'm sad that my sweet Ruby caught it *little Ruby cough* from her Momma
- I'm over the moon in love with this little beautiful coughing creature all snug in her crib with her best friend Bear.
- As of late, my arms have been going numb when I knit- ah, the joys of MS.
- I can't believe my daughter is less than a month away from becoming TWO YEARS OLD!
- I love being a Momma.
- I miss the days of sleeping as late as I wanted.
(No lie, 2pm or later! If sleeping had been an event in the olympics, I'd have placed GOLD!)
- I need to lose more weight, eat more salads & less carbs.
- I really would love to learn to play the beautiful steinway piano that sits in my mother's parlor & never gets played unless my uncle Bruce is visiting.
- I HATE 'fwd's in my email... H.A.T.E. them!
(You wanna send me a mail? That's fine but send me a mail FROM YOU, not a generic forward that everyone & their grandmother has seen a dozen times over already... UGH. Trust me, I have seen ALL the jokes & don't particularly find ANY of them funny in the least. Let's face it, I'm far funnier than any email, period.)
- I miss Karen & Gwen being here. It was nice. It was relaxed & felt like they'd been here all their lives.
- I am sad that today when Ruby was playing with her new toy, she paused, looked up at me & said "Gen" ?
(roughly translated, means Gwen)
- I love that my hair is getting longer but am not particularly fond of the snarls & knots that I have to brush out every night seeing as how by 8pm or later, my hair resembles that of 'ooom foo foo the bush bitch'. God does have a sense of humor doesn't she?
- I'm completely excited about saturday, not because it means I'm that much older, but because there will be LOBSTER TO BE EATEN! *drooling & grinning*
*cough*
- Have I mentioned that I hate this cough?
*UGH*
-I miss being in love with someone, it was comfortable & familiar & I would like to find it again soon... here's hoping.
- I plan on making it a point to do two specific things this weekend, 1. mailing Sparky's gift to her since we missed her this past tuesday at Rebecca's... and 2. taking that black & white photo that Karen took of me & Ruby to be BLOWN UP & FRAMED for my living room wall.
-I miss Ebenezer. I feel him sometimes & know he's still here in spirit, but it's tough to hug a memory.
- I wish that Johnny lived closer or vice versa, cuz I think he'd be really kewl to just hang with.
- I love seeing butterflies.
- Every morning when I make my tea & toast, I make 4 pieces.
1 for Ruby, depending on how hungry I am, 1 or 2 for me, & the rest gets broken up to feed the birds. They know that it's Amy's buffett, it's sweet to watch. Who needs a bird feeder, you just need a generous heart, a handfull of warm toast & an open window.
- I don't forget about the squirrells, don't worry. I throw them cinnamon cookies broken in half. They share.
-It's 11:29 pm & I should be in bed right now but I *cough* can't stop coughing. *cough,hack*
- Attractive isn't it? NOT!
- Today Ruby said 'Bruce' for my uncle, his visit was the first time she's ever met him & hearing her say his name, made him smile.
- My aunt (Ruby's Nanna T.) celebrated her birthday today, Happy birthday Leggy!
- I am sad that I missed 14 months of my daughter's life.
- I am thankful that God saw fit to unite us as Mother & Daughter, we make a good little team.
- I LOVE target, HATE wallyworld... always have.
- Nothing better than a steaming cup of tea, anytime, ESPECIALLY when *cough* my throat is THIS SORE!
- I'm glad I'm nearly 34 & still am blessed to have my parents.
- I'm blessed that Ruby is getting to know her Nanna & Nonno.
- I love that my father only speaks to Ruby in Italian. Never once in English, ever. It's good stuff... she's literally the small asian human SPONGE! My smart little girl!
- I'm psyched to be going to see Josh Blue with cousin Steve in Sept! GO BLUE! Funny ass bastard he is, I LOVE HIM!
- My mother got beautiful flowers delivered to the house today from Karen & Gwen... they made her smile & she proudly displayed them center stage of our table tonight at dinner.
- They came from Ward's, like I suspected they would.
- I have the makings of 'S'mores' in the house but don't want to a. get off my butt to go make one, and b. eat this late cuz it'll just be more efficient to staple it to my ass, it's where it'll end up anyways.
- My favorite color is red.
- My favorite number is 13.
- My favorite season is fall.
-My favorite holiday is Halloween.
- I can always smell the first snow before it happens.
*yes, snow has a smell*
- I wonder when I'll hear from whoever has Flat Bear & Flat Ruby Cate next? I'd like to post their pics & update their blogs.
- I wonder how many of you are still reading this & how many gave up after the third *cough*.
- I'm shivvering right now & am fully dressed.
- As I type this, my left arm is slowly going completely numb.
- I hope my right arm doesn't follow suit...
- I think it's time to drug up & haul my ass into bed.
(I hope this wasn't boring for everyone... what are some of your late night sputtered out sentence fragments? I'd love to hear some of you share... ESPECIALLY YOU LURKERS! )
*cough* grin.
G'night.

WE MISS YOU KAREN & GWEN!!!

Well, a wonderful time was had by ALL! These past few days were fantastic with Karen & Gwen visiting our little corner of the world. Not only was it great to spend days & night with them both but it was a blast to show them a few of my most favorite 'special' spots around the north shore.
She tried the popcorn from Salem Willows and ATE MORE POPCORN THAN I'VE SEEN ANY HUMAN CONSUME IN A SINGLE SITTING, NO LIE!
She had several of 'Bert's Horrible Cookies' from Gourmet Fare located in Salem's Historic Pickering Warf.
We went to Salem Beer Works, but uh... don't ask about that night, aside from delicious sour cream & chive fries and us knowing that we were happy to be there together, our two short counterparts were LESS than excited & SHOWED IT.
*not so much fun if ya know what I mean*

My Family ABSOLUTELY ADORES THEM BOTH & can't wait till they visit again soon! Especially Nonno who is happy knowing that little miss Gwen not only warmed up to him finally, but was just plain SILLY & GIDDY with him & they rolled around together on the floor & laughed & laughed & laughed!
It was really sweet to see.

I know that my mother must have a ton of pictures from their visit but I need to first A. see them for myself since I haven't seen a one yet, and B. send them to Karen and THEN & ONLY THEN can I share on the blog. Only with Karen's prior permission of course.

To say that my house is too quiet right now is an understatement.
It just feels a little empty tonight. It's wonderful to have friends visit but it's tough to see them go, that's for sure.
Karen & Gwen, thank you BOTH SO MUCH for coming to spend some quality time up here in Bean Town with me & Ruby Rubes... we loved EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

*hugs*

-Amy & Ruby Cate

ps: Bear sends his love to Bunny... XoXoXo ;)

One month & counting...

... that's right, today my Ruby turned 23 months old. In exactly one more month we'll be celebrating not only her 2ND birthday, but the one year anniversary of my referral!
Seems really hard to imagine but it's so true that so much can change in a year it's unbelievable!

I hope you all enjoyed the photos from our day at Salem Willows,
we all ate way TOO MUCH POPCORN! *drool*

Now I'm wiped out & gonna head to bed, Karen's zonked out in my toasty chair in the living room...
and YES I snapped a pic of that but NO I won't be posting it to the blog.
LOL
(even though the evil little voice in my head is telling me DO IT, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO... DO IT!)
I love my friend Karen too much to do that to her.
*evilgrin*
But don't think that I won't hold onto it for blackmail purposes.
hee hee
JUST KIDDING KAREN!

We've really been having a blast together & my family simply adores both her & Gwen.
Ruby & Gwen together is just like nothing I've ever seen, those two play & dance & act silly... it's just so neat to see!

Ok, shot night tonight for moi, I gotta go shoot up & then hit the sack.
Tomorrow Karen & I are headed to our friend Rebecca's house to meet up with Sparky & relax & enjoy each other's company.
(& I'm told there will be much swimming as there's an in ground pool, BRING IT ON!)

I absolutely LOVE TO SWIM! *grin* hehehe
Oh, and NO no bathingsuit pics of me on the blog, PERIOD!
So don't ask.

Well, g'night for now & I'll post more tomorrow once we're home.
Oh, and to those of you who know & have access to Karen's blog, check it out for more pics of our day & adorable shots of little miss Gwennie Gwen,
my new favorite short person next to Ruby!

hehehe

Snackin' at the Willows...

... first we'll start with a little applesauce appetizer,

& wash that down with some good ole' H2O!
Mmmm Life is GOOD!

(Thanks to Nance (aka: 'SpaceMom') for taking these shots today
of my darlin' daughter stuffin' her face!)
hehehehe

Drivin at the Willows...

... without a licence!

(look Momma, NO HANDS!)

Ruby & Bear Snoozin'...

... in the car.

Ruby & Momma Smooches...

... are THE BEST KIND!

Sharing with Bear...

... doesn't everyone eat popcorn with their noses?
*giggle*

Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday Jennifer!
AUNTIE LOVES YOU!
XoXoXoXo

A little girl...

... with very high hopes.

(psst, check out Ruby's Nonno in the backround, babysitting Bear! hee hee)

Over the moon in love...

... with my daughter & her bear.

(Thank you Karen for taking this amazing picture of us, I absolutely LOVE it!)

Ruby & Gwen...

...friends forever.

A letter to a soon-to-be single mother...

Dear Krista,

You are MORE THAN WELCOME! Trust me when I say that we may not be walking in identical shoes, but they sure as hell pinch in the same places don't they? LOL We're a rare breed, the 'single mother by choice'. It's scarey, amazing, wonderful, unreal, mind blowing etc... the list goes on and on. But the two biggest things it is is BRAVE and IMPORTANT! We're single soldiers doing our 'hearts work'.

People ask me why I chose to adopt, and honestly, adoption chose me. Originally I was going to adopt an older child through the state of Massachusetts via MARE. (Mass Adoption Resource Exchange) I had found a little girl, Maria, she was 12. She loved to color, sing, play games, play sports outside with her friends, she liked school etc... she was a mixed race beautiful little girl & I was going to give her a chance at a better future & she was going to give me the gift of becoming a mother. Only, when I made that decision, it was Sunday & Mare was closed. So, I went to bed & figured "I'll call first thing in the morning."

That night, I had a dream of me walking through the mall holding onto this chubby little hand & when I looked down to see who'se hand it was I was holding, it was Ruby's. Chubby cheeks & all was smiling up at me & she said "Momma".
I woke up that next morning & KNEW my daughter was in CHINA. I called 'MARE' and asked about Maria, and they said " Maria was adopted a week ago, I'm so very sorry..." but I was happy to hear that she had found a forever family & I knew that things clearly are happening for a reason.

So call it fate, call it divine intervention but whatever you call it, I knew in my heart that my daughter was waiting for me in China. Not only waiting for me, but literally CAME & CALLED TO ME in my dream & got my attention. I heard you loud & clear Ruby girl, Momma's coming.

And the rest is history. I officially started the process in april of 04'. Paperchased until Dec 04' & my agency had my dossier put together & sent Jan 14th, 2005. I received my LID Jan 31st 2005. Then, I waited... and waited... and waited... and when I THOUGHT I'd receive my referral (july/august), I missed the cut off by ONE DAY! A HUGE BLOW! But I'm here aren't I? So I survived...

Trust me when I say, things really DO happen the way they do for reasons that we just can't understand & may never know. All I know is that when Sept 7th rolled around & my phone rang & it was Eric from my agency, I nearly fell off the couch when he wished me a 'happy birthday'. I laughed ("Eric's cute but he must not be that bright" I thought...) "Uh, Eric, it's not my birthday, my birthday's in August... " to which he said " IT'T NOT? Oh yeah, that's right, it's RUBY'S BIRTHDAY!" *THUD* my ass was on the floor in SECONDS FLAT! It was the best day of my life... one that I knew I was blessed to be experiencing.

It's a long journey not for the faint of heart but again, remember we're single soldiers... we can absolutely do it! But it helps to have a network of other single parents to lean on... so with that said, Krista... if you ever EVER need anyone to vent to, questions you want to ask, or just a shoulder to cry on, you use this: ***-***-****, anytime.

And remember, soul mates come in all forms, and I'm here to tell you that Mia, your soul mate, will take your BREATH AWAY, just like my little precious Ruby Cate did nearly one year ago.

Take care hon! *hugs*


-Amy & Ruby Cate
Mother & Daughter- Nov 20th, 2005,
Officially a forever family- Nov 21st, 2005.
Beyond blessed to have found one another- Every Day.

What a difference a year makes...

(This was the very first time Ruby ever set foot in her new bedroom...
is it me or is she just the teeniest little punkin' ever?)

Seems wild to even try to think that one year ago today was my very first entry into this world we all call blogland.
Funny kinda, back then I could never even comprehend that a year would pass, nevermind the things that would happen to me during that time.
Crazy.

It's wild to think that today is the first of many 'year anniversaries' that I'll celebrate. First this, the blog... next, the day that changed my life forever, my referral.
Not only was it the best day ever for me, but it was one year to the day that Ruby was born into this world. It's neat to think that things happen in 'year incraments' for us.
And not only will Sept 7th this year be my referral's anniversary,
BUT it'll be little Miss Ruby's 2ND BIRTHDAY!

I just don't have any words for that.
Soon, it'll be the year anniversary of Got'cha Day and then Adoption Day and theLong Trip Home etc... it's just mindboggling.

But you know what? I wouldn't change a thing.
Life is good!
*smile*

Sometimes...

... after swimming in the pool with Momma,

I get a wee bit sleepy from all that sun,

& I need a little nap.
Wake me in an hour Momma... g'night!

CALLING ALL FLAT BEAR LOVERS!

Little mister Flat Bear is still hanging out in Virginia but would very much like a new destination on his agenda... SO, I'm asking all the readers, (THAT MEANS YOU TOO LURKERS!) who of you would like to host Mister Flat Bear at your place for a short visit? As before, the first person to comment on this post will be the winner & then I'll get your address & 411 from you so that Flat Bear can be on his way!

WOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO

A new calendar month...

... is such a BEAUTIFUL CLEAN PAGE IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!
If you guys could only see the crap written on my calendar for the month of July you'd be dizzy from trying to read it all- let's just say I'm glad to now have a NEW page up with NOTHING written on it except family things to do to genuinely look forward to... things like:

LOBSTER FEST 06'


*DROOL*

I absolutely ADORE LOBSTER and once a year, every summer usually falling in August, my family has our annual Lobster Fest & invites our friends from NH down to enjoy it with us!
As if that wasn't fabulous enough, this year it happens to fall on my birthday and I just can't think of a better way to spend that day than eating lots of LOBSTER, lots of fresh native CORN ON THE COB, and FRESH BREWED SWEET TEA!

Maybe getting another year older doesn't have to be so bad if you've got good food, good friends & all your family around to enjoy it with you.
Oh, and lots of melted butter don't hurt neither!
*grin*
(yes I know that wasn't proper english... DEAL WITH IT!)
hee hee