Happy Belated Birthday to My Brother!!

December was kind of a crazy month, so I am behind in my Brithday posts. So Happy Birthday, Jason! My brother's birthday was December 11th. And he turned 28. Let me tell you a story about my little brother.

When I was about 16 I decided I wanted to take up rollerblading. Which, if you know me, is funny for many reasons. I am not a naturally athletic person, so I asked my then 13 year old brother to take me out and give me some pointers. So we are skating around our block and I am trying to learn to stop without running into a tree. Suddenly a big, angry, barking German shepard comes running out of our neighbor's yard. So this dog is running around and chasing us and barking and I of course am freaking out. And my brother yells at my to stand in the neighbor's yard and hold still. So I do. And my brother takes off down the street. With the angry, mean dog chasing him. On purpose. My brother skated away to lure the dog away from me.
A couple minutes later my brother comes skating back around the block and the dog is gone. But there is blood dripping down his calf becasue the horrible dog bit my brother!! There were four fang holes in the back of his knee. But he didn't care. We skated back home and once my brother made sure I was safely inside he skated off down the block, to his friend's house.

I should have known then. I should have known that any 13 year old boy that would so selflessly save his big sister would turn out to be an amazing man. I didn't know then. But I know now. And so does everyone that knows him.
My brother is the guy that everyone counts on. He is a volunteer firefighter. He helps countless people with their computer problems. He changes the brakes on my car. He can build stuff, like beds and garage doors. He makes a mean pulled pork bbq.

I could not be prouder of him, for everything that he is. Happy Birthday, EP!

Love,
LL

Ink

So I got a new tattoo. I have been pondering what to get for a while. I wanted to get something to honor my Aunt Carole, who passed away two years ago. She was crazy and zany and fun and loved to yell and she always made me chocolate cooked pudding. Then I decided that I didn't want to get something that just represented her, because that would be kind of sad. So I decided to get something in honor of my mom and her two sisters - Aunt Carole and Aunt DeeDee. And I came up with flowers because they all loved them and every year they made an annual trip to the Philadelphia Flower Show. My tattoo is three flowers, the birth month flower for each of them. Violet for Aunt Carole, Daffodil for Aunt DeeDee and Lily of the Valley for my mom.

Here is a "before" pic of my naked foot.

I went the a place in Langhorne called Blue Velvet and my tattoo artist was a guy named Juan. I took him photos of the flowers I wanted and he drew this awesome design for me. This is just the stencil on my foot. No needles yet!

I don't feel like typing a lot right now so I am just going to summarize and put up some pics. Jeff went with me (ok, he nicely drove so I guess I went with him) to provide moral support and take pictures. Juan was totally cool and let us ask a million questions and take a bunch of pictures.

The whole thing took about three hours, probably because Juan kept stopping to talk and answer our questions. But I was glad for the pauses! It hurt more than I expected. Wasn't horrific, but definitely worse than my other two tattoos.

I'm looking forward to it being all healed and pretty!

Happy Birthday, Jeff!

Once upon a time, long, long ago . . . I was a waitress at Chi-Chi's. And I had a busser. But not just any busser. A blue-haired busser. Who would eventually become one of my closest friends. Jeff. And today is his birthday! Out of respect for Jeff I will try not to make this a super mushy post.
I drive Jeff crazy sometimes. Maybe more than sometimes. I'm always accidentally leaving stuff at his house. I don't know how to get anywhere. I ask him a million questions. But he just takes it all in stride. He returns my sweater to me, gives me directions to the Kimmel and tells me with a sigh when Grey's is new and when it is a repeat. My point is that he's always helping me out.

Jeff is hilarious and hands down the funniest person I know. No one makes me laugh more than him. I'm sure you all know that Jeff does stand up comedy. How amazing is that? Seriously, I think it just takes so much guts to go up on stage in front of all those people. It's just him, up there on stage. Doing material that he wrote. There's no safety net. No co-stars, no scenery or costumes or music to distract the audience. It's not just the funniness that I admire. It's the sheer bravery.Ok, in an attempt to avoid the mushy/me yammering on and on forever,the rest is the Cliff notes version:

My super-shy cat loves Jeff. He is so good to his family. He is my favorite person to go to concerts with. He totally has his act together. He is patient and generous. He has an awesome car and is my favorite driver and that is a big deal. He's a great friend to me and I wish him an amazing year.

So Happy Birthday, Spike!!

Happy Birthday, Kathleen!

Sunday was Kathleen's birthday. She was out of town and I am a slacker so this post is late but it doesn't mean its written with any less love. Kathleen turned 30 this year! I'm glad to have company in the third decade group, but it still seems weird. I swear in her old PHS gym uniform she still looks 17. And I mean that in a good way.


I can't tell you the exact day I met Kathleen. Maybe she remembers. It was 9th or 10th grade. That's right, people. About 15 years ago. I totally credit Kathleen for my awesome high school experience. Sure, Comp class and Chemistry were hell. But I had fantastic friends and that made all the difference. Kathleen made a real effort to include me in her group of friends and I will always be grateful to her for that.

Kathleen is the kind of person that makes you want to be what you know you should. She has strong convictions and she stands by them. She walks the walk. She believes in the power and duty of people to do the right thing and she is a living example of that. She inspires me. I think it would be impossible for anyone not to admire her. She's fiercely loyal to her family and friends and I know without a doubt that I can always count on her.
Kathleen loves the Phillies, kayaks, being fabulous, Phillip, her family and friends, being kind to the Earth and tea. I love her for all those reasons and more, but mostly and selfishly because she is such a fantastic friend to me. Happy Birthday, Grady!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom's birthday. Between Mother's Day and her birthday May is the month all about her. Which is fine. Because if anyone deserves a month of celebration, its her.

I wouldn't trade my mom for anything in the world. I think she knows that. I try pretty hard to let her know how great she is. You're probably thinking that I'm biased. Maybe I am, but I am still right. Everyone who knows her agrees that she is a fantastic person. I would find it very difficult to explain everything that makes her so great. But here are 10 things I love about my mom:

1. She taught me to love reading

2. Every year she makes me my favorite meal for my birthday

3. She has more patience than anyone else I know

4. She hums a random tune when she cleans

5. Everytime I go out she tells me to "have fun and be careful"

6. Her favorite outfits always include the color brown

7. She appreciates the concept of "presents just because"

8. She lets me talk for as long as I want

9. She always puts others before herself

10. She has no idea how amazing she is

Happy Birthday, Mommy! Love, WMPA

Happy Mother's Day, Mom

My mom is the best. I'm not exaggerating and I'm not bragging. She just is. She's a total sweetheart. She loves me unconditionally. She doesn't yell or nag. She's totally easy going. And I know she's has always done everything possible for me. Every day I'm grateful and proud that she is my mom. As she would say, I'm "blessed." Lol. Love you, Mom.

Happy Birthday, Penny!

Ok, remember when I said I planned to write a post about each of my special peeps on their birthdays? Well, that includes Penny. My cat. Today is her 4th birthday!!



I'm a big believer that things happen for a reason. On the day I decided I was ready to get a cat I drove towards the local ASPCA. On the way there I passed a house with a sign "Free Kittens." So I stopped and looked at the kittens. And they were cute. But they were all boys. And I wanted a girl. So on I drove, towards the ASPCA. And it started to rain. Like crazy. The wind was blowing. Tree branches were falling, blocking the road and there was so much rain I couldn't see where I was driving. So I turned around and went home. When I got home and told my mom what happened she handed me a tiny slip of paper, with a phone number. She saw a flier at the grocery store for a cat rescue group. I called the number the next day. And that's when I met Penny. She was super tiny, about 6 weeks old and just a little ball of fluff. She was hiding in the corner of a closet, very scared. I took her home and the rest history.



Penny is full of personality. She's a talker. And she's very bossy. She's also a really good snuggler. She is a hooker. Her lips are pink and it looks like she wears lipstick. Around her eyes is a line of white fur and it looks like eyeliner. She is scared of strangers but once she knows you she will remember you and be your friend.

So Happy Birthday, Penny!! And many more!!!