We've Moved

**********Breaking News****THE BLOGGING DAILY****Breaking News***********

POPLAR BLUFF, MO --- It's official, Heather Scarano's blog, Bella Vita in The Bluff, has permanently changed locations.  Scarano, citing her dislike of Blogger's clunky navigation and tools, as well as hearing about multiple readers' problems leaving comments on her posts, has moved her website to another blog host, Wordpress.com.

"I received several complaints from readers who were unable to leave comments, and heard from several others who had questions about whether or not they had the right email account to become 'Followers' of the blog," said Scarano in a statement released yesterday.  "So I decided it was time to move my site to Wordpress.com."

Wordpress.com doesn't discriminate between readers' email accounts, said Scarano, and leaving comments is a seamless process.

"When your mom has trouble leaving a comment, and she tells you about it more than once, you know it's time to make a change," Scarano added.

Not only is it easier for her readers to follow her blog and leave comments on Wordpress.com, Scarano said she also enjoys the ability, and flexibility, of mobile blogging.

"We don't have the Internet at home. I do pretty much everything from my Blackberry," said Scarano.  "So the Wordpress mobile blogging app was another important reason for making the switch."

Scarano says her blog has moved permanently.  Readers can now access her blog at www.nobluffing.com.

So what about the name change?

"Well, I also received some feedback that the name, Bella Vita in The Bluff, was a bit confusing.  I had people referring to it as Bella Vita in The Buff, which was really not accurate."

No Bluffing, she says, also provides her with a bit more anonymity.  Scarano said she wasn't completely comfortable with anyone who came across her blog having an idea of where she lived.  She also thought No Bluffing would be a name she could keep no matter where she lived, since she and her family move often.

Scarano encourages her followers, and "Followers," to check our her new website at www.nobluffing.com, and to sign up for the email subscription, which will notify users every time she composes a new post.

"I am glad I made the switch," Scarano said.  "I hope my readers will be, too."

***

*The Blogging Daily is a fictional publication.  (So was this news report.)

They Came, They Went, They Are Missed

They left Virginia at 8 a.m. and arrived at our house in Missouri at 10:30 p.m., exactly one week ago today.  Then on Sunday afternoon, they got back into their black Equinox to do it all over again. My parents, brother and their wild cockapoo (no, I'm serious, he's wild -- my sister and I are considering writing a series of books called "Rudy's Adventures") drove 29 hours roundtrip, to see us for just a few days over the holidays.

If that doesn't spell L-O-V-E, I don't know what does.

We didn't do anything special while they were here.  We ate well -- an Italian feast of penne, sausage and meatballs on Thursday night, Chinese food on New Year's Eve and on National College Football Day When Lots of Creepy Business Execs Get Rich off of Public and Private Universities and Their Unsuspecting Fans  New Year's Day, John Madden's beef stew.

We rested.  Played Uno.  Built fires.  Worked on a puzzle.  Laughed a lot.

We stayed up until exactly 12:01 a.m. on New Year's Eve, at which point we realized we had missed watching the ball drop (note to self: in the Midwest the ball drops at 11 p.m.), and so we stumbled to our beds, shut our eyes, and snored our way into 2011.

On New Year's Day my family cheered me on as I competed in my first 5K in almost a year, and my first ever not pushing a stroller.  It was awesome to see Joe and the boys, my parents and brother cheering me on as I crossed the finish line.   Even Brandy Rose was there.  Despite a lack of sleep and MSG-induced dizziness, I recorded my fastest time ever (a 9:56 minute mile), most likely the result of trying to impress my brother. (Or it may have been the blue running tights, not sure.)

We watched a lot of football since, as I previously mentioned, it was National Get Rich Weekend for Tostitos, Capital One, Outback, Hyundai, Auto Zone, Vizio and Many, Many Other Companies  New Year's weekend and there were college bowl games galore on TV.

(Last week I relented and finally called DirecTV in anticipation of the Big Visit.  I couldn't bear the thought of my dad and brother being deprived of football during their stay at my house.)

Of course there are practical reasons, too, why it's nice to have family visit. Mom helped me pick out curtain rods, helped me think about how to arrange furniture, and informed me that I have Oak and Black Walnut trees in my yard, and two very tall Rhododendron bushes (not Magnolia trees as I'd once thought -- oops) in back of our house.   She even bought me the matching bench to our new table that I had been eyeing for the last three months. Thanks Mom!

Dad assembled the new bench, hung the newly-purchased curtain rods, fixed two doors that weren't shutting properly, and gave important boy-scout-esque tips for finding dry kindling when it's wet outside.  (Inspired, I think, by "Grandpa's" work ethic, Joe cleaned the fallen leaves off the back deck and fixed the faucet on our kitchen sink.)

It was especially good to see my brother, Uncle Ben, who played Hotwheels, basketball, football, baseball, and LOTS of video games with Christian. It was encouraging to see that he is doing well, and feeling better.

Well, sort of.

Wait a minute.

Ah.  There we go.  See?  Isn't he handsome?

Best of all though, seeing family provides a sense of connection, belonging and self-worth that nothing else in this earthly journey can.  Being with my parents and brother was an important reminder that even though I'm in this new place, out here in the middle of nowhere, where only a few people know who I am, and even fewer really know what I'm about, that there are people who care, who know and who love me.

I belong to them. They belong to me.

Even if no one else in the world were to care about us, we would still matter to each other.

But now they are gone (*sigh*) and it's back to Facebook, Twitter and this blog, as I attempt to reestablish and recreate the connection that is lost in their absence.  The connection that is deeply desired and yet will never be duplicated by comments, wall posts or @mentions (though these help and are much anticipated).

Virginia visitors -- you are missed.  Your hugs and help, presence and presents were hands-down the highlight of my holiday season.

{What was yours? And yes, I really do appreciate comments.}

The Fun is Just Beginning!

Some of you may have already taken down your Christmas tree.  Maybe you've unplugged your outdoor Christmas lights, too.  The holiday wrapping paper is put away and you're nearly finished with the fattening eggnog in the refrigerator and the cookies in the tins on your kitchen counter.  Christmas is over and you couldn't be more relieved.

I talked with my mother-in-law today and she told me with a good laugh that ten minutes after her final guests departed on Saturday night she was taking down her tree and tossing it off the back deck.  She was tired of the falling needles and mess and couldn't wait to be rid of it. 

I can relate.  Our Christmas tree is getting barer by the moment.  It stopped taking water a few weeks ago and has lost so many needles it's virtually invisible on the bottom half.  The fact that we had to remove all of the candy canes and decorations from this part of the tree, to protect them from our two year-old, only makes the barrenness more glaring. 

Signs That You May Be Spending the Holidays in a New Place

1.  Instead of being annoyed when people ask for your address, you get excited because it means you may actually get a few Christmas cards at your new house.

2.  You wrapped most of your gifts using clear packing tape. It was readily available and besides, no one will notice, right?  The regular tape could not be located and you refused to purchase more because you were sure you remembered having several rolls somewhere -- seven months ago when you packed up your old house. 

3.  This holiday season is stressful in different ways. Like not knowing where to buy a box of donuts for your coworkers the last week of work. (Poplar Bluff really needs a Dunkin Donuts.) 

4. You were overjoyed to finally be out of all the boxes.  Until, a few days later, you were wrapping a pile of gifts that needed to be shipped in ... Boxes. 

Running an Obstacle Course

We all face obstacles when attempting to exercise. Just to get out of the door we may have to battle low motivation, uncooperative elements (wind, cold, rain), time that is limited or workout clothes that just really aren't cute enough to be seen in, in public anyway.  But I think some of us have especially difficult challenges standing in our way of a good workout.  Literally.  Challenges that could be described as shorter than waist-high with sticky, slobbery faces and poor manners. (Dogs, children, or both.) 

At least that's usually the case for me. 

But I have to be honest (not to brag or anything) that once in a while, I will have a great run.  Like this morning. 

I was alone in the frigid early morning air appreciating nature and thinking deep thoughts like, I wonder if the neighbors would call the police if I purchased a ski mask and jogged around wearing it?
 

Mommy Monster

(A game where I chase the boys around the house growling and trying to catch and tickle them.  Usually someone gets hurt, head-on collisions typcially, when one boy rounds the corner and finds himself face-to-face with the other boy, and running too fast to stop.)

Last night at the dinner table...

Christian:  Mommy, can we please play mommy monster tonight?

Me: No, honey, mommy is too tired to play mommy monster.

Christian: Aw, mom! 

Then, after some thought, Christian: Let's just play until someone gets hurt.

{Why are four year-olds so funny??  Share your kid's most recent funny line.}

Why I'm Not an Interior Designer

I was flipping through the December issue of Better Homes and Gardens the other night. 

 

Minivans, Magical Creams and the Mommy 15

I'm having a little blogging block.  So I'm posting something I wrote about two years ago, before I started blogging.  Happy Thanksgiving!

I knew I was getting older when, looking back at 2008, I realized my favorite purchases of the year were our seven-passenger Dodge Caravan and a facial cream called “tight, firm and fill.”

Sure, I may just be one birthday past that milestone of middle-age -- you know, the new 20? -- but age isn’t measured only in numbers. Age is calculated by the size of your purse (the largest Land’s End has to offer), the questions you ask yourself in the mirror in the morning (“Am I too old for these UGGs?”) and the items on your most recent Christmas wish list (teeth whitener, gym membership).

It feels as if I overslept Frau Watson’s first period German class and woke up a wife, mother of two, minivan-driver and thirty-something. In these difficult times, people losing their homes and jobs, I know I should be concerned with more important things. Problem is, I just can’t seem to stop asking myself, exactly when did I grow up?

You Know You're Married to a Baseball Coach When...

This one is for you Coach. 

1. You can tell the difference between an 82 MPH fastball and an 86 MPH fastball.  No seriously, I can.  Once after a baseball game Joe asked me what I thought of the team.  I responded, "Honestly honey, I thought our guy didn't seem to be throwing very hard."  "Well, yeah." Joe replied.  "He was only throwing about 82-84.  You're used to seeing 86-88."  Seriously?  I surprised even myself on that one.

2. Your four year-old son who is just learning how to play basketball says, "Mom, I just scored a run!" every time the basketball makes it into the goal.

Welcome to the Midwest?

Being new in town we've heard the phrase, "Welcome to the Midwest!" quite a lot recently.  It's awfully nice of folks to welcome us here, and yet I find the phrase curious and unexpected.  The Midwest? 

My mother is from North Dakota and my father grew up in Minnesota.  I started grade school in South Dakota and my sister Brooke was born in Wisconsin.  I have relatives in Illinois and Ohio.  My brother-in-law is from Michigan.  I thought I knew all about the Midwest.  Then we moved to Southeast Missouri.

Here in Poplar Bluff, people say "ya'll," not "you guys." Farmers in the region grow cotton, not sunflowers. It is 76 degrees today, and we are in the month of NOVEMBER.  Does that sound like the Midwest to you?

In the Midwest that I know, iced tea comes unsweetened, 50 degrees is considered "shorts weather" and November in Minneapolis? Well, let's just say those urban Minnesotans are thankful for the skyways.

An Unexpected Treat at Work Yesterday ...

Ok, so I when I started this blog, I was hoping that it would be a kick-in-the-pants for me to write, and an avenue for me to share my thoughts and musings about life as a working wife and mom living far away from home.  I did not set it up to be, necessarily, a "baby book" of my kids.  Not that there's anything wrong with this type of blog.  Actually I love, LOVE reading my friends' family blogs.  It's just not what I was trying to do with this blog. Plus, since this is a public website, I wanted to be careful not to "overshare" things about my children that might embarrass them or invade their privacy later on.  

BUT, (and you knew a 'but' was coming didn't you?) this was way too cute to pass up.  And even though it makes for the second mushy-gushy post about my kids in one week, I thought this would be a nice, uplifting follow-up to my Separation post. 

Some background information on the forthcoming video.  Christian spent about an hour with me yesterday at work, after his dad took him to a doctor's appointment in the morning and before my lunch break when I was going to take him back to school.  I set Christian up at one of the computers in the writing lab on the Thomas the Tank Engine website.  Christian sure brightened my day ... 



... I wish he could visit me at work every day.  

Of course this video, so publicly shared, may embarrass Christian in about eight or nine years.  And I suppose, being the responsible, respectful mother that I am, I will have to do something about that then.  But until that day, I am going to enjoy this clip, every second of  it. And I hope you do, too. 

God's grace is never ending.  His blessings come in all forms and sizes.  Shortly after I took this video, Christian came along with me as I ran several errands on my lunch break.  We went to the pharmacy and the Verizon store before I took him back to school.  Nothing fancy, but we had fun.  After Friday, missing Christian at work as much I had been, God gave us some special time together.  It was exactly what I needed. 

BOO!

I won't be sharing any intimate thoughts today.  Just some fun photos of our Halloween in The Bluff ...

Our Fireman and Dalmatian posing on the back of a fire truck Saturday night.  The college hosted a Halloween event in conjunction with a local radio station and an estimated 4,000 parents and children showed up.  It was wild!   

Henry kept being mistaken for a girl all weekend.  I guess he does look kind of pretty in his costume.

Ok, before we go any further with Halloween photos, I need to defend myself for a minute.  I ordered these costumes online. I ordered Henry's and I was actually afraid it was going to be too big because it was labeled 2T-4T.  Whoops!  Guess not! And Henry is a small two year-old!  I can't imagine a four year-old in that costume...

Autumn, the Medicine Months

I don't know if it's just us, but right now our kitchen counter is clogged with preventatives and remedies for the illnesses and ailments that seem to plague us this time of year --antibiotics for strep throat and sinus infection, analgesics for fever and aches and allergy medication for itchy noses and sneezes.  There's also vitamins and zinc drops, decongestants and throat lozenges, all of which our family seems to be downing on a daily basis.  I think the season of Autumn should be renamed, the "Medicine Months." 

I used to like Fall.  In fact, for as long as I can remember, Autumn has been my favorite season.  My birthday is at the end of September, and that has always been an important reason for my love of the season. Each Fall I look forward to bonfires and hiking, and rescuing my scarves and wool sweaters from their hibernations in my cedar chest. Of course, like everyone else, I also enjoy the changing leaves, the cooling temperatures, making a gooey mess carving pumpkins and afterwards, roasting the pumpkin seeds under a thick layer of seasoned salt. And after all, what's not to like about candy corns, the beginning of football season and the smell of beef stew simmering on the stove?  

But lately I have received little enjoyment from these once-anticipated Fall milestones.  This year I have been too sick to appreciate them.  My nose is too stuffy to smell the stew. My eyes are too itchy to see the beauty of the trees.  My throat is too sore to binge on sugary Halloween treats.  The hay rides make me sneeze.