Kippah is Home!

Today was the day. The kitten that we fostered and kept as our own for a week and two days, has a new home with my great-Aunt and great-Uncle in Philadelphia. Today, my maternal Grandma, Grandma Rose, and her sister came to our house to pick her up. We talked to my Aunt about what she likes to play with, when she eats, and how she likes to cuddle. Kippah is a big cuddler. We sat around the parlor and watched Kippah play with a red ribbon. It's hours of fun for both the kitten, and us, watching her spaz and jump all over the place.

I was pretty anxious up until about two or three hours ago. We got a call that said that they were home and doing fine. I'll still be pretty nervous. It is going to be weird cleaning out and removing her cage without her in it, meowing for attention. Good news though. We get to cat sit her during Thanksgiving when my Aunt is out of town. I have to say that I feel, for the first time, what it was like to have a cat. I never would have thought that we would be able to domesticate a feral kitten as friendly, loving, and low maintenance as her. If I ever dreamed of having a cat, without the allergies, or the fear that Quincy would eat her, she would be the one. I have never known a cat to look directly into your eyes. She came to our front step for a reason. We have not seen our Aunt for a while, for family reasons I won't get into, and I believe her purpose was to bring us together again. Kippah was our bridge. God work in mysterious ways.

These photos were taken right before my Aunt and Grandma left with Kippah. Bittersweet.

Kisses!!! Going to miss her!! KISS KISS KISS!!!!

My Aunt bonds with her new baby! ♥

This video was taken last night. I love this one! She was so energetic that night. It cracked me up. I have a feeling I will be watching more of my videos of her until I don't miss her so as I do now. This video is a bit lengthy, perhaps to some, but I really love this video and will watch it over and over.

Kippah the Kitten vs My iPhone



She was the lucky one. A very lucky kitten and sweet spirit that found a loving home. I can only hope that we can do the same for all the rest of the cats in our backyard. I worry about their fate. For now, I will thank God for our sweet kitten coming into our lives, and to bless all the other animals whose darling faces I must fast forward on the ASPCA commercials before I cry. Heartbreaking and inspiring. C'est la vie. ...Meow!

Kippah Gets a New Home Today!

Today is the day that Kippah, our kitten, will have a new home with my great Aunt. I made a vlog with my iPhone last night. I also posted some random videos of me playing with her. What a special, darling, kitten!



I apologize for our messy basement. We have our laundry there.



She cracks me up!



I love how playful and loving she is. I really do believe she came to us for a reason. I am so glad she will be with someone we know so that we will be able to visit her. We are still going to miss her though. God bless her!

xoxo
Katie

Mewing, not Meowing

Since I figured out how to change features on my blog, I figured that it is high time for a revamp. I hope you enjoy it. I'm trying to be more diligent with my blog posts, however it has been difficult to really “vlog” anything lately because when my hard drive crashed a while ago, some of my programs were lost, including all the Microsoft Word programs and my Dell Web Cam Central. Until I find an easy way to get a web cam video recorder program back on my computer, I'll have to improvise other ways to vlog. I really didn't think it would be that hard to re-download Web Cam Central. Apparently there are drivers and scans...blah! It's not like Skype where I downloaded that in a second for free. Don't know why this is more difficult.

By the way, Mom is doing well with recovering from her hip surgery. She has moved on from her walker to quite a stylish cane, and a few days ago had her staples removed. She has been stiff and been in pain, but taking it slow. We pretty much all are, because we have all been sick. I just got over bronchitis and now I caught my sister's cold. My mom had a fever the past two mornings, but has been feeling ok. Hopefully she will not catch anything. Luckily if anytime she were to get sick, at least it was not around the time of her surgery. That would have made the recovery process a bit more harder. Plus, we were on high alert the first few days she came home after her procedure because a high fever can be a sign of a staph infection. Luckily it stayed at a fairly normal level. Currently though, our family is keeping NyQuil in business.

Recently we have noticed that in our backyard, there has been an out of control cat problem. It has been this way for a few years. During the winter when it got colder, the cats found a home underneath our shed. One cat kept getting pregnant and there were litters of cats that would year round find shelter under the shed. This summer we were able to board up the gap underneath the shed to prevent that from happening. We have been doing the most humane thing we can do. In the past we have used humane traps borrowed from the SPCA to catch the cats of all ages. Some of them were tiny kittens and some were adult cats. Almost always have they been scared, aggressive, and feral. That is why we came across a very interesting case a couple nights ago.

It was Tuesday night and Quincy and Tucker, two of our three dogs {the ones who can hear}, were barking like mad at the front door. {Poor Shadow is 14 and deaf =( } We thought it was because our dad was home and they were reacting to that. As I walked to the front door I heard a very high pitched mewing, not meowing, outside. Right there on our front step, no less, was a very tiny kitten. Usually they would never come near the front door, especially with the dogs barking as they were. When we caught them, we could do nothing but hand them off to the SPCA and wish them well. With a feral cat at an adult age, it gets harder and harder to allow them to be domesticated and adopted. Erica, my mom, and I went outside and noticed that the kitten was hiding under the car and not darting away into the dark. Once coaxed out, Erica was able to grab her by throwing a light blanket over her and gingerly picking her up. We used one of the old cages once used for Tucker. She was very tired that first night just slept. Gradually she was able to walk around Erica's room and then on her lap. She eventually warmed up to all of us and is the most loving, trainable, and friendly feral cat I have ever seen. Despite the dogs barking from inside, she still came to our front door. She can't be more than six weeks old and is so tiny. I believe she either wandered away from her mother, or she was kicked out. Sometimes that happens when the mother gets pregnant again, she just abandons her babies. So sad.

I don't know what it is about this kitten, but she is special. We have kept her because we are just not comfortable handing her over to the SPCA or another shelter that might be a kill-shelter. We have been asking work friends and Facebook friends so that we may possibly be able to hand her off to someone we trust and might be able to get updates about. However, we still have an out of control CATastrophe {sorry haha}in our backyard. Despite blocking them from making a home under our shed, they are still reproducing and finding shelter somewhere. We are looking at several rescue organizations. We are really at a loss because some of them are booked up and can't take anymore cats. Seeing the strays constantly roaming and rummaging for food is absolutely heartbreaking. Our little kitten is the lucky one.

Emotionally, we did one of the worst things you could do at this stage. We named her! She has a patch of orange fur on the top of her head that looks like she is wearing the orthodox Jewish head cap called a yarmulke (Ya-Ma-Kah). When Erica mentioned this, I said that as yarmulkes are the more commonly recognized term for the sacred head cap, it is also called by another name in Hebrew which is a Kippah (Key-pah). I had only mentioned this in passing from what I had recently learned of the Jewish culture from a very informative man from the YouTube channel ronennachman770. (I am very interested in learning about all faiths) My mother perked up after I had said this and said, “Kippah! That's a wonderful name for her!” We cannot keep her unfortunately. My mom and I have cat allergies, and we have three dogs. Plus I am pretty sure Quincy could swallow her whole.

The praying has paid off because we have recently found her a good home. My Grandma Rose convinced her sister, our great Aunt Dorthy, to adopt her. It's looks like a perfect match. She does not have any other pets. She was actually cleaning out her basement and found a litter box. She decided not to throw it away for some reason. When I emailed her the picture of the kitten, she literally got goosebumps. I'm so excited and happy, but will still be praying this all works out fine.

I'm extremely excited for October. Hopefully I'm going to have some job interviews lined up now that companies may be looking for seasonal work. I'll definitely be posting entries on my Halloween costume for my friend's birthday/costume party. Shh! It's a secret. I'll show you when I'm all finished. Be prepared though. It will be gruesome! {Evil laugh} MUHAHAHA! Seriously, the end of the year is always my favorite time of year. In about two weeks, we get a visit from some of my best friends, Dan & Ally Auch and their two adorable children Lilianna and Rowan. They are stopping by Pennsylvania as a quick stop before they moved back to Idaho for school at BYU. I miss them so so much. Lily's birthday was last month and I have a special handmade gift for my adorable 2 year old goddaughter. However, since Mrs. Alyssa, my darling friend, also follows my blog, that must also remain a secret. Sorry! I'm so excited on how it will turn out, though!

In the meantime, I have been keeping myself busy with scrapbooking, my favorite hobby, and I also have retaught myself how to crochet. I am very proud of myself. It's like playing an instrument you used to play when you were little. It just comes back to you. I forgot how fun it used to be. My friend Kayla Levan and I are always looking for the next thing to craft. Pinterest is a great website to feed that addiction. Seriously, she showed me that website once and I'm hooked. You make boards and pin photos of your favorite things! Brilliant! Will be keeping you all updated on the kitten, and of course, Mom. Thanks for checking in.

XO...♥

10 years ago on September 11th, 2001...

It has been over a week since the 10th anniversary of September 11th, 2001. I had written this a while ago, but was not able to post it on the actual 10th anniversary which was last Sunday. I almost didn't post this at all. However, after some thought, I decided I was going to post it anyway. September 11th, 2001 is not one of those days we should just remember on an anniversary of that day each year. It is important that we always remember. We all knew where we were. Forever will these images be imprinted in our minds. At only twelve years old, there are things I will never forget from that day. No matter how different my story is from one person's to the next, it can never compare to the horror of those felt in line of fire during those pivotal hours in our American history.

It was a sunny Tuesday morning and the second day that week that we, as 8th grade children, had to take our PSSA tests. Early on, as the day started, we jumped right from homeroom into our tests. After a long test that started the day was completed, we were permitted to take a break. I wandered over to the window to take advantage of the warmth of the sun that was shinning in, and probably staring out at the playground counting down the hours until recess. The rest of my classmates were talking and created a white noise of laughter and chatter. I heard the sound of my teacher's radio. Above the chatter, I heard a single word spoken from the radio, “planes.” It was a passing word, in a brief splice of sound that I found innocuous at the moment. The hum of the classroom and my own juvenile daydreaming was what filled my ears and mind. However, not long after I heard the radio, it was clicked off and my teacher was furiously on and off the phone that hung on the wall at the front of the room.

As I was already separated from the rest of the class for silently and independently taking my break time alone, I quickly was more aware of the tension and urgency that the rest of the adults seemed to have. I believe we were told that testing was being postponed, for whatever reason that was given. Teachers quickly rotated between the classrooms, as we were instructed to stay quiet and take this time as study hall to read, write, or do homework. Soon more and more children were being called away from class to go home. My sister and I were also called to the office. Both of our parents were waiting to pick us up. At the time, my dad worked in a very tall building in Philadelphia and took the train into the city each morning. However, with more prominent skyscrapers on city horizons fearing that their building would be the next target for another plane, my dad was told to go home.

I give so much credit to my parents. As scared and confused as I am sure they were, the understanding of what happened that day was slowly and cautiously translated for my sister and I. I remember passing a growing oak tree as we were leaving the parking lot of the school that day and my dad pointed to the tree and said, “Girls, today was a sad and very serious day. With as many leaves are on that tree, are how many people we lost today.” I remember that sticking in my mind and odd enough, still remember the image of that tree. September leaves preparing the colorful transformation of their death all seemed very metaphorical. Still green with life, but winter coming too soon.

We were in between houses during that time, and lived with my Dad's mom, our grandma Mary, until we could move into our new home later that year. When we got into the house, the TV was already on relaying the horrifying images in New York. Just two days earlier, during the weekend, our grandma Rose and our great Aunt took us on a day trip to New York City. We went to many of the popular tourist attraction destinations; Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty, Time Square etc. I remember distinctly being on the ferry that took us to Ellis Island and for a few moments staring back at the island of Manhattan. My eyes were starring out and locked onto the twin towers of the World Trade Center. A great and large characteristic that was the New York City skyline. As the boat moved and my perspective changed, one of the towers would appear to be moving. As one tower slowly started to hide behind the other, it gave the illusion that the tall steel bars were undulating like waves. I remember this little memory in my mind so distinctly. I don't know why I remember such a silly and small detail about that day. Nothing else seems to be as prominent of a memory as staring back at the last images I would be able to admire of those buildings.

I could watch no longer. Sitting in the living room, staring in horror, I remember my mom thanking God that we were not there today, or else she would not know what to do. It hit me that I was there a mere two days before the city was attacked, and that this was really happening. In my twelve year old mind, I didn't know when this wold stop, and if every major city, down to our small residential home was going to blown up or attacked. I ran upstairs and went to my room. I closed the door behind me and began to cry. I looked at my wrist and remembered, for probably the first time all day, that I was still wearing a bracelet that I had gotten at one of the gift shops in New York that weekend. Without releasing the latch, I ripped off the bracelet and threw it across the room in a rather dramatic fashion. I cried heavy tears of childish confusion and fear. I must have cried myself tired because I woke up later that afternoon wishing that it had all been a nightmare and I would not have to figure out why things like this happen. It was not a dream. All the children of the parents that died that day rang out in my head. I cried and hugged my mom and dad so tight that night as we sat around the kitchen table, with some of us still unable to find sleep or understanding.

One of the lasting, most horrifying images that still stay in my mind are the hundreds of lives that plummeted to the ground from the World Trade Center buildings. Hundreds of people who figured that they were never going to make it, and jumping was the better option. I've heard it put very sensitively that in a way, it was their final decision on how they would perish. I can't imagine the thoughts that would go through one's head as they are free-falling to their death, or if by some great mercy of God, there was not pain or worry felt as they were ready to be embraced by heavenly light. I believe no merciful God of ours would ever make suicide, especially in this situation, a sin.

The next day, my disposable camera pictures that were sent through the mail that weekend, was shipped to my grandmother's house. On the back of the photos wrote out “printed on Sep. 11, 2001.” We flipped through the pictures as many of them showed the twin towers mere days before they would stand no more.

It is something that we cannot ever forget. For the respect of the tireless and unflagging work that was done in order to save the lives that were spared that day. We remember so the lives lost were not in vein. The incomparable bravery from the police, fire departments, and EMT who walked into the crumbling building, and into fire. We remember the talented angels called nurses and doctors who treated the injured and saved many lives that day too. I spoke to a young fireman recently and he mentioned how now is a time that we focus on “thanking a solider,” which is something we all must do, but we cannot forget all the work that is done to keep us safe and protected here at home. Allow yourself to think about this day. Allow yourself to cry. Absorb it into your heart. Hug your loved ones a bit more. Devastating things happen when actions are motivated with hate instead of love. Love your-self and love others.

Hello again friends!

As you may have noticed, I have changed the background of my blog for a patriotic entry I am about to post. It has been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog or my YouTube Channel, CiarloneShow, vlog. There are not a lot of vlogs there, but I am working on that. For the longest time I was going to post an entry about my trip to Washington, D.C. where I saw Kathy Griffin preform her stand-up at The Kennedy Center. There were a few videos, as well as pictures, that I was going to piece together into one video, but had trouble converting the videos into a format that Movie Maker would accept. I finally got frustrated and just posted the videos in parts on my other YouTube channel, MissKTTV, if you are interested. Really, it's nothing spectacular. It's my mom and I at Starbucks, in the Taxi, etc. The pictures of Kathy didn't come out very well and I have an extreamely short snip-it of video of her on stage. This was all the way back in February of this year so it almost seemed irrelevant. It was still a ball for my mom and I to go there and spend time together (what a windy day that was!) and to finally watch Kathy Griffin preform live on stage. That was a thrill!

Finally have a bit of time off from school so more blogging/vlogging ahead. YAY! FINALLY! I have been sick a lot lately which regrettably has been affecting my grades. Currently fighting an upper respiratory infection. I'm not worried about me, however, my mom has a hip replacement surgery tomorrow on Monday the 19th. Praying all goes well for her and that the surgery goes smoothly. If you are reading this, a quick prayer from you would be greatly appreciate and I will love you very much for doing that. =) Thanks! It really kills me that I cannot help her in the hospital, but I cannot be in the hospital coughing up a lung and sounding like I do right now. haha. I'd just be a horrible germ carrier into an extremely sterile hospital. Yuck!

This week will be very busy and I am praying that my mom heals fast and recovers with ease. You will be sure to see more blogs and vlogs soon, so thanks for sticking around. I appreciate your well wishes and prayers SO MUCH that I have read from my facebook friends and my tweet-hearts on twitter. I read them to my mom, and she was very touched. Thanks all so so much and I will keep you all updated on her condition. Until then, time to submit the next blog post, and map out serveal more blogging and vlogging ideas. Staying positive and emitting only positive energy! =D

Love,
OXOXOX
♥
Katie

Harry Potter World!

Trying to take another crack at blogging again. Despite being in between jobs right now, you think that I would have been blogging more. Unemployed I may be, but many things have been going on and have been keeping me busy, including working on my college degree. This is a temporary state, but I must take it as a blessing in disguise as my grades are undoubtedly improving. It's a shame that I was laid off because I really liked my job and I am hoping to get into another medical billing position as soon as possible. I'm doing what I can now which is searching, applying, resume revising, and collecting unemployment this time. Something I was a bit embarrassed to do, but has really helped with paying for physical therapy, doctor's visits, and insurance payments. For the time being, it will have to do. At least I am sustaining my well being.

Last month, our family went to Orlando for a week. We had been in the Disney World Parks before on previous trips to Florida, however this trip was a week devoted to Universal Studios. The main attraction, if not the whole reason for the trip, was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! What made the trip even more spectacular was that the very last last LAST Harry Potter Movie, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part II, otherwise known as HP7, opened the week we were down there. (More on that in a bit.)


This video is the first night that we were in Florida. During the week we had a batch of horrible thunderstorms. I have never heard lighting so loud before in my life. Out of nowhere at 38 seconds it was like a BOMB went off. Startled me so much, the camera shook. HAHA! Poor Erica was not having any of it. She hates storms.
Luckily no horrible storms while we were actually in the park. There was a passing rain shower during one of the days we were in the Harry Potter Park, but it was brief and honestly, refreshing.

Can't wait to get into Harry Potter World! Waited so long for this! Just look at that excitement on her face! =D


We referred to it as Harry Potter World when my sister, my fellow Potter fans, and I realized it is shorter and easier to yell, “HARRY POTTER WORLD!”, when you realize that it's that freaking awesome. The scenery was so fitting and everything felt like you were really walking through a magical realm of a world you came to love through your entire childhood from the book and movie series. Every little detail, the architecture, the convincing snow laden rooftops and crocked chimneys of Hogsmeade, (which really made you wish for snow, or at least a pleasant breeze in the Florida heat), the exteriors of the shops, and of course the Hogwarts castle was absolutely mind blowing. When you stepped back from the hustle and bustle of the tourism, which I allowed my self to do from time to time, and just quiet everything around you and take in the complete awe of it, you find the peaceful childhood bliss with everything you grew up with. Looking up at the Hogwarts castle made you want to get your wands ready (which I have a wand now, thank you very much) and transfer your credits to a new school.

The Butterbeer was delicious, but kinda not what I thought it would taste like? I expected more of a butterscotch or butter like taste. Especially since the original recipe calls for real butter. It really tasted like frothy, thick, vanilla cream soda. Nevertheless, it tasted great! What I really enjoyed more though was the pumpkin fizz, pumpkin juice, and pear cider. We ate a hardy and scrumptious meal at The Three Broomsticks. There were a few rides inside the park, but the one that we had waited this whole time for was The Harry Potter Experience ride. The wait was an unbelievably hot two hours. But once we finally made it inside and through the castle, it proved to be all worth it. Each sight was more “spellbinding” than the next. The ride was incredible and unlike any ride I have been on. A magic broom flight that swings you through actual sets and in front of a convincing projection type technology that has you believe you are flying high above a Quidditch field with Harry Potter himself. Looking back, I'm still baffled with how realistic that technology worked.

A capella singers within the park


What you get when you combine Glee with Harry Potter

...Probably safe to say that the Hippogriff song was stuck in my head for quite a while.


The pièce de résistance was being able to watch the movie that the trip was for. The night the movie game out at midnight, there was a line stretched out the walk, so much so that the local news came by to cover the story. We, however, were not amongst that crowd. The people who were there for the midnight showing, which I can't imagine how much ahead of time one would pre-order those tickets, were treated to going to the Harry Potter World park after the movie until 5am in the morning! There had to be no lines for anything! And all the butterbeer one could drink...jealous. But we went the next night...or later that day...if you want to be technical, and joined in the spectacle. There were those who dressed up, even a motor chaired, bearded Hagrid was in our theater. I wanted to dress up too, however when I realized that the cloaks, each with their own appropriate coordinated house colors were $100 each, I decided not too. I had my wand which was good enough for me. I bought the Luna Lovegood wand. It is in the design of a petite flower and I thought the delicate craftsmanship of that design suited my personality. Erica got Voldemort's wand. Not the Elder wand that he uses in the last films, but they had that one as well. I wish they had Bellatrix's wand. I'm a Helena Bonham Carter fan and I want Bellatrix's wand someday. (I'm a dorky fan, I get it. XP I don't care! hehe!)

The most bad-ass looking wand. EVIL!


I am not ruining anything for those who have not seen the series end by saying that the ending was a perfectly satisfactory, nostalgic ending to one of the best long running movie series in history. I loved our crowd. When the opening title blasted on the screen, Erica let out a WHOOT and set the whole audience into cheers, whistles, and clapping. It was a joyous connection, but one that we all knew was the end. From then on, at every appropriate joke, kiss, diss, or triumph, it was met with equal cheers and of course, audible sniffles and tears at the end. I admit, I cried! It was part nostalgia or part of just being in the moment and letting a movie with all of it's emotion take you back through your childhood to that moment. It was amazing, and that is all I'm going to say. You won't be disappointed. They were happy tears...honest.

Erica is not so happy that it is all over =(

I could go on about the rest of our excursions through the different parks within Universal Studios, but really the whole trip was so great. I got to spend time with my family and we explored other attractions in Orlando including Ripley's Believe it or Not. We also went to some pretty cool restaurants. “Joe's Crab Shack” was so great! Can always appreciated a restaurant that will gather all their waiters and waitresses around to dance to their own version of Thriller. Random, but entertaining as hell. As well as the doomed birthday customers including a guy that had to wear coconut bra and forced to do his own little dance. Hah!

The thing that I loved most, next to Harry Potter World, was that there was a tiny museum and gift shop devoted to I Love Lucy! I was in heaven, snapped a ton of pictures, and just went ga-ga! Last week in fact, Lucille Ball would have been 100 years old on August 6. Ever since I was little she has been my idol and she really was an amazing woman and not only because she was hilariously funny. She was a supreme businesswoman and a pioneer being the first female television mogul. She was the first woman to run a major television Studio. Desilu Studios was home to shows like Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Mission: Impossible. She was meticulous in her craft, always honest with her audience, and a master of her art. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCY!

Lucy gift shop! WHOOO!


The rest of the trip was relaxing in our condo and down at the pool. I got so burned the first day we went to the park, though. (Lesson learned. You can get burned just walking around in 98 degree weather. DOY!) We swam in the pool often meeting fun characters and for me, be able to pool side read. I finished an entire book on my trip. Not to mention that I also finished (and passed) my course in psychology. I felt bad if I had to ask them to put my studies on pause, afraid of what catching up I would have to do so late in the course. I toughed through it and was actually proud of the work I got done while vacationing. It wasn’t easy, but I still miraculously got time to pleasure read.

After sending out the postcards, (some from the Owl Post post office within in the park) packing up, and obsessively checking under the bed ten times, reality was hitting that we were going home. To tell the truth, I was getting pretty home sick toward the end of our trip. I missed seeing our dogs and felt weird that I couldn’t completely relax knowing we weren't there for them. Shadow is old, Quincy is our new and rambunctious puppy, and Tucker...well Tucker is a basket case. I was afraid that Quincy may have thought that we had abandoned him. I was hoping Tucker and Shadow would fill him in on the situation. Ha. It was fantastic for all four of us to lay on the floor and watch them go wild with kisses and roll all over the place with us when we returned home.

I hope you enjoy the tiny snip-its of videos and pictures from our trip. I promise that I will be more diligent with writing as soon as I can. Thanks again for reading!

Katie
xoxo

Baby Names & Family!

I apologize for how long it has taken me to post anything. Both a blog and a vlog. I have been very busy with my schoolwork and I am very excited because I just started my new job this past week! My first day was last Monday. I work in processing medical bills. It is data entry and it is repetitive so once you get into a rhythm, it becomes fun. (Wow, did I just say that? Haha.) It really is though! That is how my mind works, in formulas, patterns, and lists. I’m still learning though. I have a lot of generous new friends I am making that are very helpful in showing me the ropes. But really, I’m so ecstatic to be working and at a job that I really enjoy working at again. I have my very own cubical! I have to start decorating it cute for Easter!

But as for this vlog that I finally came around to recording, I was inspired to do this favorite baby names tag from one of my favorite Youtube channels that I follow, AnastasiaRuby. Her name is Stephanie and she posts videos all the time about baby names and everything about them. Videos on their meaning, by theme, by letter! I love watching her channel and I love getting new ideas for not only what names that I like for possible future children of mine, but also names for characters when I write.

Mariska Hargitay and her new daughter, Amaya Josephine

Speaking of names and babies, and since I do mention Mariska Hargitay on this blog quite often, I could not pass up the chance to mention the fact that she has adopted a beautiful brand new baby girl named Amaya Josephine. Amaya is Japanese for night rain. I love the name Josephine as well. I have a second cousin named Josephine. It's a family name. Our great grandmother Josephine and great grandfather Leo were two people who were children of Italian immigrants who were from a part of PA known as Johnsontown. You wont find it on a map, but it was a place the local Italians and my family knew where it used to be. My great-great grandparents used to own that town until a few greedy businessmen ripped him off. Anyway, Great Mum-mum Josephine and Pup-pup Leo fell in love and raised a family in Downingtown making this big BIG numerous Italian family possible. Josephine means “God will increase” so that he did. Haha. So Josephine is family name passed down to her. She's precious and over a year old now. This photo was taken at last year’s Easter. I wonder how adorable she will look this year?

Baby Josephine Marie Trancucci and me! =D

Easter is such a big deal with our family. Firstly, the majority of our family is Roman Catholic. Secondly, we have a huge traditional Easter breakfast that takes place every year, no matter what. Lots of food, lots of blessings, and lots of family. I mean a lot too! Probably the biggest get together I have ever been to had to be over 250 people. But my family, I love them!

It makes me think a lot about bringing my own family to these family gatherings someday. As much as I would love to be pregnant and have children of my own and yes, selfishly and concededly to look like me, I have always wanted to adopt as well. Probably since I was 13 and I saw a special on Oprah about baby girls in China. But it is also a fact that there are many children here in America that need to be adopted as well, which is just what Mariska did, a domestic adoption. I don't know how I would ever want to do it in the future. My parents certainly considered it at one point as well. It is all how God answers your prayers. No matter what, a baby is always a gift.

Oh, by the way! In the video you will also meet our new puppy, Quincy. He is 3 months old now and so cute and trainable. However, his teeth are razor sharp and he has yet to differentiate the distinction between play nipping and biting everything in sight, which include our toes, hands, and face. He is darling though, and we now have three dogs in the house. We have Shadow (14), Tucker (7), and now Quincy. We got him to howl today. It was pretty funny!

I must wrap this up now. I will post as often as I can. School is my main focus when I come home so I will try to check in as soon as I am able! Thanks for reading and/or watching!

Love,
xoxo
K

Formspring-ing

Sorry I have not updated since my anti dating violence Valentine’s Day post. I have been meaning to post the videos of when my mom and I saw Kathy Griffin perform in Washington D.C. on February 25th. I promise those will be posted as soon as I can. I am working on changing the video format so I can edit it into a longer vlog video.

Technology…grrrr.

In the meantime, I made a formspring.com page. I made one because I needed to make one to ask questions of this page I follow www.formspring.me.anastasiaruby. I watch her Youtube videos on her channel AnastasiaRuby otherwise known as Stephanie, the Baby Name Guru. Not that I am planning on having a baby anytime soon, but it is really fun making lists of your favorite names. Just like I remember doing with my girlfriends in middle school. Plus I like writing fictional stories and it is fun to find interesting fictional names to write with. She gives great ideas on theme names, trendy names, nicknames, and she has even gone through the alphabet with lists of popular names from each letter. She is from the British Columbia in Canada, is very pretty, and her videos are fun to watch and are very helpful when looking for the perfect name(s). Check out her channel!

I created my formspring to ask Stephanie questions about names and such. I don’t know why or what questions anyone would ask me, but I figured that since I have not submitted a blog post in a while, I’d update it with something interesting. My formspring username is LadyKathrynLC. Ask away if you would like. I would love to know how I should change up my blog or what you would like me to write about. Want me to promote something of yours? Have a fundraiser or charity you want attention for? I don’t know. I’d love for you to ask me questions and for your feedback. As always, please follow this blog and thanks for reading!

My formspring: LadyKathrynLC

My YouTube Channel: CiarloneShow

Katie
xoxo

Prevent Dating Violence this Valentines Day, all February, all the time!

Being that February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month and that today is Valentines Day, I thought today was a great opportunity to raise awareness on the prevention of something that effects 1 in 3 teens. The statistics are shocking and sobering. Take that teenage girl when she grows up and add her to the adult female pool of statistics that 1 in 4 woman will be sexually assaulted in their life. These numbers are scary, yes, but there are ways in which we can recognize the signs of an abusive relationship. Abuse does not only come in physical form and it doesn’t have to leave scars. Abuse can be physical, emotional, mental, sexual, and digital.

I recently came across a new developing blog through twitter called To be Fearless in which their entry explains exactly what teen dating violence looks like, the signs, and prevention. I highly suggest you follow their website as well as their twitter. They are continually posting moving and encouraging stories, educating information, current news stories.

There are many websites and resources that offer information and education on topics such as teen dating violence as well as sexual assault, rape, self-harm, suicide, and many more. Here are a list of helpful hotlines to call when you are in need of immediate assistance.


Love is Respect
National Dating Abuse Helpline: 1-866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org

Domestic/Relationship Abuse
National Domestic Violence Hotline
www.ndvh.org
800-799-SAFE

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

Abuse/Violence Child Protective Services: 1-810-412-6109

National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-HOPE

Safe Horizon
www.safehorizon.org
800-621-HOPE

Cutting/Self-Abuse Finally Ends (SAFE)
www.selfinjury.com
800-DONT-CUT

Alcohol and Drug Helpline: 1-800-821-4357

National Eating Disorder Hotline: 1-800-248-3285

National Suicide Hotline
1-800-SUICIDE

Gay and Lesbian National Hotline
www.glnh.org
888-THE-GLNH (888-843-4564)

LAMBDA
A non-profit, gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender agency dedicated to reducing homophobia, inequality, hate crimes, and discrimination by encouraging self-acceptance, cooperation, and non-violence.
www.lambda.org
208-246-2292

National Youth Crisis Helpline: 1-800-999-9999

National Teen Emergency Hotline: 1-800-448-3000

Teen Line Hotline Help Center
www.teenline.org
714-NEW-TEEN (714-639-8336)



Here are other websites that I have found in my search that are helpful resources and educational sites to raise awareness and offer information.



Break The Cycle
Break the Cycle's mission is to engage, educate and empower youth to build lives and communities free from dating and domestic violence.
www.breakthecycle.org

Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
Search for counseling centers by zip code.
www.rainn.org

The Joyful Heart Foundation
Joyful Heart's mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues. Orginally started as a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of sexual assault through dolphin-human therapy.
www.Joyfulheartfoundation.org

Endthebacklog.org is an effort created by the Joyful Heart Foundation to shine a light on the existence of the rape kit backlog across the United States. The site is designed to serve as an educational platform for those who wish to educate themselves about the backlog and efforts that are being made across the country to eradicate it.

To be Fearless
A blog recently started to educate people on issues like rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.
www.Tobefearless.wordpress.com

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
National Institute of Mental Health
www.nimh.nih.gov

Eating Disorders
National Eating Disorders Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
website: www.nida.nih.gov

Alcoholics Anonymous
www.aa.org

The Well Project
For Women with HIV or AIDS
www.thewellproject.org

The Cool Spot (for teens)
www.thecoolspot.gov

The bottom line is that love shouldn’t hurt. Someone who loves you should respect you. Dating violence or relationship abuse can happen at any point in a person’s life and abuse does not discriminate. It can happen to a man, woman, black, white, rich, or poor person. There is a certain stigma of shame attached to being a victim that needs to be removed. Being victimized can happen to anyone and there is no shame in asking for help. And please, if you know someone who is in an abusive relationship, don’t allow the bystander effect take over. With knowledge to empower and educate us, we can have a chance to change that statistic. There is hope for a brighter future for everyone. Take time today to show your loved ones how much you care about them, love them, and respect them.

Happy Valentines Day
Love Love Love To All,

Katie
xoxoxoxo

Dress for a Good Cause

Hey Ladies!!!!

Do you have any prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, or other formal wear that you know you are never going to wear again? Care to do a little early "spring cleaning" and do the world some good at the same time while helping those in need? Well listen up and get out some bags and boxes!!!

A friend of mine has started a fundraiser and it is called “Dress for a Good Cause.” Established in 2009, this fundraiser raises money by selling formal wear to young girls who may not be able to afford expensive formal wear and rather be able to wear the dresses that you provide such as a dress for a girl for prom this year, or a graduation dress this June. These items are sold at rock bottom prices to those who need it and the money raised by the fundraiser pays for projects at slavery survivor rehab centers around the world.


So what is needed and what and how can you contribute, you ask?

What is needed are gently worn, used dresses and jewelry. Any size, any color, and any style! Dresses can be from prom, graduation, weddings etc. On March 26, 2011 at the Westtown School in West Chester the fundraiser of selling these dresses and items will begin. Not only will this money help young girls in one part of the world, but you are doing doubly good by helping those in another part of the world as well. The fundraiser this year currently supports two rehab centers in India, but there are many rehab centers that need help worldwide including Haiti, Thailand, Ghana, and even right here in the United States. The more money that is raised, the more places can be helped. The money raised for these rehabs and shelters provides important materials such as cooking utensils, sewing machines, and solar lamps and panels. Previous events raised enough money for a motorbike and SUV for a boys’ rehab center and a small herd of cattle and a bio-gas oven for a women’s shelter in India. This year’s goal is a pavilion-type outdoor shelter at the center for survivors of human trafficking and sex slavery in India. Let’s make that happen!





You are also keeping dresses out of landfills and keep them from being thrown away. You will be helping girls in need here at home and also provide necessities in a safe haven in a place for girls who have been through so much in their young lives. You will be doing so much just by donating a few items that you know is just wasting space in your closet or collecting dust in your attic. You know you are never going to wear that dress again and it is going to help someone like these girls.




READ: The creator of this fundraiser also has a blog, Author for Change. Her name is Carol. And you may contact her if you have any questions about donating any items for the fundraiser. You may also ask me any questions and hand me your donations and I will gladly pass them onto Carol.

Thank you so much for your attention and please consider helping out in this great cause. (Start looking in that closet! =D)

Lot and lots of love,
Katie
xoxoxoxo

SVU set on location aka "The Mariska Hargitay Birthday Project Mission"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GORGEOUS!


On Thursday January 20, 2011 Jess and I made our way to our first visit, (first of many we hope!) on location filming of our favorite show, Law & Order: SVU. Jess runs the website www.mariska-online.com. I know I have mentioned it before. It is a great website for Mariska Hargitay news and I started following her website a while back. We have been tweeting, blogging, texting, all this time about everything Mariska & SVU. We found that no one that we know shares the same obsessive behavior that we do for this show or our shared adoration and love of one of the stars, Mariska Hargitay! Every Wednesday night when our show is on, we are furiously tweeting and texing away about how much we miss our little Calvin and how much that look that Elliot just gave Olivia SO means that he digs her. Oh yes...E/O for sure! HA! I know...It's an unhealthy fixation. I need to get a life. But it is such a damn good show!



Through Jess's site, she rallied together a collection of fans and pulled together this project that all of Mariska's little devotees have been working on for a while. The Mariska Hargitay Birthay project 2011 was started well in advance back in 2010 and in the end she collected 171 submissions of scrapbook pages, including mine. A video was also made by some fans through this project.






(My scrapbook page submissions. I love scrapbooking.)


The first time I met Jess was the morning of the 20th of January after my bus from Philadelphia dropped me off in Manhattan of New York City. We met up offically at Penn Station and started to walk to the subway since the filming was in Brooklyn. And so started our adventure.
We make our way to the subway and bought our metro cards which are not bad in price when you consider taking a cab to Brooklyn. $2.50 for a single ride. I passed my card through the card swipe and the gates unlocked. Then Jess did. The gates were locked. So here we were, still in Manhattan, me on one side of the gate and her on the other. She called the service box to which he was giving her several varying instructions that were so hard to hear with each passing train. He had told her about a red or black door to which we were both so confused to what he was talking about but we figured it out later. (You'll see what I mean) She finally jumped the gate and we found our way to the E train. Haha. I cannot tell you how many times to and from we got lost, going the wrong way uptown or downtown, and on the wrong line, both to and from Brooklyn. I had a handy iPhone app all about New York and the transit feature in that app saved us so much! I love technology. Except by midday with a fully charged camera after leaving the set, the battery decided to die, and my phone finally died by the time I was on my way home back to PA. Ugh Electronicals!
We finally made it off the train and started walking down the streets to where we saw from a distance, set lights and some traffic cones. We rounded the corner with such excitement not only realizing that we had found the right place, but that all that walking was actually for something and we did not get lost. It was like the ultimate achivement. The promise land. Haha.















Two very sweet and friendly girls with charming Australian accents walked up to us and introduced themselves and began excitedly chatting about how they had just met and took a picture with Christopher Meloni aka. Detective Elliot Stabler. (swoon) We talked and girlishly giggled for a long while. They told us Mariska was filming in studio. Damn! And not minutes before did I mention to Jess I had a feeling, after all of this, she would not be there. Chris was not in his trailer at the time that we all were semi-stalkishly standing outside of it and around the entire street. The girls showed us around and where exactly they were filming. It was inside one of the buildings. They loved the book that had been put together by the fans. After talking a bit we were about to split off as I noticed a public bathroom right in the park on the corner of that street that I desperately needed to use. haha! Just then I look over at Holly, one of the girls, who is waving incredibly emphatically in our direction. I see three men far off walking towards us. I think to myself. "I recognize that man's head shape...OH MY GOD THAT'S CHRIS MELONI!"
He is nearing closer and closer and we quickly wonder who is going to say what and then he is almost right in front of us. I nudge Jess!
“Chris, can you take a picture with us?” She asks sweetly
“Sure.” Chris quicly agrees, probably more than used to it by now. He seemed extramly focused. He wraps his arm around Jess’s shoulder to which I’m sure her heart stopped or missed a beat, Ha. You’ll have to ask her.


(Quick quick! Someone get some handcuffs!)


The picture was snapped and he started to walk away. One of the girls asked me, “Didn’t you want a picture with him?”
But as he was walking away, that was not my number one concern. I look over at the heavy bag that is now weighing down my starstruck new friend and I start briskly walking after him.
I gulped hard. I had spoken to celebrities before, and I’m sure if I were talking to Mariska no words would have found there way out, but I managed to calmly and cooly ask, “Excuse Chris, I don’t mean to bother you, but we were wondering if you would be able to give our birthday present to Mariska?”
Half of his body now vivislbe outside of his trailer door. “What do you want me to do?” He asks shortly
One of the girls quickly responds that we have a birthday gift project from a collection of fans for Mariska.
Just as I thought I may have made a mistake by breaking his concentration or pissing him off as another SVU geekazoid, a woman walks next to me and Chris says, "She will be able to help you out more."
“Oh!” I said as I turned to the petite young woman who was talking into the walkie talkie device. I quickly turn back to Chris and say "thanks!" Haha! Thanks. THANKS! Like he had just given me directions to the next subway back to reailly. With my Thanks, he flashes me the biggest, brightest, smile that I swear stunned and dazzled me and lit my face up in an instant refleaxtion. I smiled my dorky and cheesy huge grin back as he ducks back into his trailer and I turn to our destined messenger. Jess explains the details and we finally make the hand-off and our mission comes to an end.
I finally get to use the bathroom. haha. (Very scary) We didn’t hang around too long afterwards. Chris was snug in his trailer, and it just kinda felt a bit awkward waiting for them outside their trailers for hours. Haha. I had a bus to catch just a few short hours later and we figured we had our fill and we were surly on some kind of adrenaline high that would last. We thought that with all the trouble finally getting to Brooklyn, we would need that margin of error because we were bound to get lost on the way back to Manhatten.
And we were right. Not only did we get lost on the subways but not even getting to the subways, we nearly got lost in Brooklyn. We made a big circle, square really haha, and when we saw the trailers from the SVU set and the park again we were like, “No, NO, NO!!!!” and started breaking out into hysterical laughter. We turned around and realized already That our margin of error time was obviously needed. But once we did get to the subway, not only could we not figure out which line to take, let alone transfer to the right one back, but our credit cards woulnd’t process our transactions at the kiosks, and the metropasses wouldn’t register. I love New York and most of the time the people are really nice. I am a person that loves to be nice and smiley and avoid confrontation if I can. But something about the subaways in Brooklyn that day brought out the bitch in me.(Not to Jess, of course. haha) I’m sure that the Metro tellers get about 100 annoying rings from the call boxes all over the city and we were just annoying call #101, but nothing was working and I seriously wanted to cry my feet were hurting so bad. Unlike myslf, I argued with the guy over the box about just opening up the black gate for my friend. I told him when we were in Manhattan, they opened the gate for us and I have a bus to catch. I don't have time for this! He told me to walk down two blocks to where he was to figure this out. When we finally made it down there, we showed him the metrocards we purchased, he just ended up opening the black gate anyway. What a waste of time and yelling. Something for Jess and I to laugh about though when we let out a big sigh when we knew we were finally on the right line to get to Manhatten. Realizing that it was almost 4:30pm and we had not eaten anything all day, we starting making eating plans. Probably running on a diet of sheer adrenaline, we probably didn’t even notice that we were hungry. I dind’t even eat the muffin that I stashed in my backpack for the day and wasted a dollar on a cup of coffee this morning I held on the train to Philadelphia that my stomach was too excited/nervous to handle. We made our way back to Penn Station and ate in one of the restaurant food courts. Cramming a personal cheese pizza down my gob, I had to remind myself to slow down as my stomach was just remembering how to digest for the day. We sat there and talked some more about our families and such. We mentioned how it was funny how this is the first time that we have met but for some reason, it feels like we have known eachother for a lot longer. After we ate I looked at my phone. It was about to die. We wandered around the station a bit trying to look for an open electrical socket to plug in our devices. Unfortunately we were running out of time. I wanted to give myself enough time to get to my bus, which turned out to be late anyway, (p.s. muffin finally came in handy) so Jess and I parted and said that we definatley needed to do this more often. Oh, and right after we parted I actually did find a ecetrical socket to plug my phone in for about 5 measly minutes. It still died on the bus and I had to borrow someones phone at the 30th Street Station to call home to let my parents know the bus was really late and I was catching a later train back. That was actually a funny story. Most of the people I asked to borrow a cell phone either didnt have one or didn't want to let me borrow it. I saw a man use his girlfriend/wife use it and then nicely asked and explained I needed to call home. He coldly said no and flew around and was off. Whatever, if you are in a hurry, I get it. People can be so rude though. A short few mintues later I'm at the pay phone and I'm digging through my wallet looking for some change to make a call. A nicley dressed young man, probably around my age, sweetly asks me for just two dollars for a bus ride. Before he is even finished telling me his desparate story, as I know it is not the first time he has had to recite it, I am already fishing in my wallet. Just getting rudely rejected by that guy, I didn't want to pass that on. The adorable kid thanked me and grined wildly.
"No worries." I said "I've been there."
As he walked away he turned to me, looked me in the eye and said. "Just gorgeous!"
"Thank you!" I bashfully giggled as I watched him walk away with a little bit off his shoulders.
Now it was only two dollars and I couldn't imagine him using it for anything other than for what he really needed it for. For some reason, in all the chaos that was that day, getting lost, running around the city, meeting Jess, meeting Chris, there was that one moment in the day that God told me to slow down. Call me crazy, but I could feel the truth through the goodness of his soul. I encourage everyone to make tiny connections like that everyday with people. Not particularly by panhandling per say, but embrace the things in life that encourage us to make connections to each other as compassionate human beings. Pass on a smile, ask someone how they are doing today and really listen to their response, or give two dollars to someone who may really need it. Hey, or even let some (Ahem!) borrow a cell phone to make a call home! haha. All I am saying is that I am so blessed when I look around at the people that pass through my life even in one day whether it is making a new friend like I did with Jess, or the boy at the 30th Street Station. Sorry if that got a little sappy but I love moments in life like that really catch you out of the blue. Plus if I could pay someone two dollars to call me gorgeous all the time, I'd be doing that a lot more often...and be broke. haha!
It was the first set trip for both Jess and I and we cannot wait until we visit again. I had so much fun making a new friend and thank her so much for allowing me to come along. Hopefully next time we will have the chance to spot Mariska? So being that the 23rd of January was her birthday, I hope she had a good one. We all hope that she recieved the book and video that was part of our mission. Haha. I watched a lot of YouYube videos of all different submissions that were made that way too. She is such an inspirational woman and is loved by so many. Happy Birthday MH!

Jess's website trip day details.

A birthday tribute video Jess put together that can be found on www.mariska-online.com




As Always...

Katie
OXOX