Dana Daily

I wish I could have bottled this past weekend and kept it to revisit again in the future. Sal and I had the best time with Sarah and Emily. On Saturday we went to Ashtabula, Ohio to hang out with some of Sal's college buddies. The weather was perfect for being outside and the girls had a blast. They got along famously with some of the other little girls and played on a Slip N Slide, rode around in a battery-powered Barbie jeep, and did some fishing. They were go, go, go all day and crashed when we arrived home. They have never slept so well. On Sunday we went back to Ohio (Youngstown) for Sal's final two softball games of the season. He looked great playing third base and the girls had a couple other kids to play with there as well. Here they are waiting for the game to start. After the game we went to Eat N Park for dinner with one of Sal's teammates and his family. It was another long, exhausting day, but so much fun too. What a great weekend!

In late November I had dinner with a really wonderful guy. In one evening I knew there was something about him that I hadn't ever found in anyone else. I wasn't sure what he thought of me following that date, but I knew if he asked me out again, I was going to say yes. That first date did in fact lead to another date and another and another and here we are 8 months later. To celebrate he made dinner and picked up an ice cream cake. We have a shared appreciation for all things history as well, and he gave me a set of Civil War commemorative stamps.  He  topped the evening off with a private showing of Casablanca (which he once told me is one of most romantic movies of all time) and a really sweet card. This is a day to remember. . .

In exactly one month I will celebrate my 35th birthday. I used to get all fussed up about turning another year older, but lately I've come to realize how darn lucky I am to be as old as I am. Case in point, one of the guys on Sal's softball team has a 4 year old son with terminal cancer. He won't even get to experience Kindergarten. His parents won't get to teach him to ride a bike, let alone see him graduate from high school. His baby brother will only remember him in pictures. His 3 year old brother will wake up one day without a buddy and a constant playmate. I see this family week after week at softball games. I try to picture Sarah and Emily, one without the other, and I simply cannot do it. And, as a parent I cannot imagine losing a child. Even before a mother holds her baby in her arms for the first time, she dreams all sorts of dreams for the baby, for herself, for her family. How does one go on having hopes and dreams shattered? In an altered state, in ...

In one of our earliest conversations, Sal mentioned that he was interested in visiting Gettysburg. I've been there a few times, but there is still a lot I haven't seen. We put it on the list and this past weekend we went. Initially we planned on taking our bikes, but with rain and chilly temps in the forecast, we opted to leave them behind. I was disappointed, but it still turned out to be a great weekend. I thought I would briefly escape Sal's baseball obsession, but I should have known better. On Friday we rolled into town and had dinner at Gettysburg Eddie's . There is so much to see in Gettysburg, and of course it's impossible to do it all. We toured the battlefield. Some of the highlights were finding Spangler's Spring and " The Angle ". We went on a Ghost Walk which was so much fun even though we didn't notice or experience anything out of the ordinary. We wandered in and out of little shops on Baltimore Pike and Steinwehr Av...

July 17 is one of my favorite dates. These past two years I have gotten such a big smile on face whenever it rolls around. On July 17, 2010 (yes, 2 years ago!!!) I got a do-over. I ventured out on my own, two kids in tow, and took back my life. Last year on "Independence Day" I wrote about all the new, positive adventures the girls and I had over the course of the year. This year I can't help but think about how far I've come in 2 years. Two years ago I just starting to regain some footing after reaching the lowest of lows. Today I am the happiest I've ever been. The girls are doing well. I'm a homeowner again. I'm one class away from having a masters degree. And oh yeah, I am dating a really really great guy. Life is good. Cheers! PS - A huge HAPPY (wedding) ANNIVERSARY wish to one of my awesome roommates from college and her husband. If I remember correctly this is year number 14 for them. My how time flies!!!

Every year my sister and I merge our photo albums and create a calendar for my parents at Christmas. Every year we include pictures of their three grandchildren together. This year is proving to be the most difficult to date in the way of group shots. It's not that we are lacking opportunities. Oh no. We are lacking cooperative subjects. Sorry mom, this is the best I could do. Note: Princesses always wear heels to the playground. It's how we roll.

It was a whirlwind trip, 20+ hours in the car for approximately 24 hours at our destination. So, where did we go? One clue. . . I love the significance of St. Louis to the history of the United States. However, Sal and I went with the sole purpose of seeing a Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium. He'd like to visit all of the major league ballparks and I'm a willing participant in these adventures. However, before we got the stadium, we dipped our fingers in the Mississippi River, ascended 630 feet above St. Louis in the Gateway Arch, and visited the St. Louis Walk of Fame, all in triple digit heat. the stadium from 630 feet up obligatory picture at the park view of St. Louis from inside the stadium

My mom bakes awesome pies, but since she lives over an hour away I don't get homemade pie as often as I'd like.   It has occurred to me that maybe I should just make my own and so I put it on my birthday bucket list . However, the thought of making pie crust intimidated me. It looks hard. I've watched my mom make it a 1000 times (probably more actually). Sometimes it won't roll right, sometimes it cracks, and sometimes she has to add more water to the dough, sometimes more flour. I mean, HOW DO YOU KNOW?   Apparently making pie crust is a matter of feeling and not necessarily one of ingredients. It's a finicky thing, this pie crust.   Well, as fate would have it, I picked up a memoir by Beth M. Howard called Making Piece   the last time I was at the library.   And I loved it.   And I was inspired.   To make pie.   While peach pie is my all time favorite, peaches are not in season right now and therefore a litt...

Our Fourth of July in pictures 4th of July toes Silly Uncle Sam "Uncle Sarah" great day for drying clothes We went to the playground Wheeeeee! Ready for fireworks Red, white, and blue snacktime Happy 4th!!