Thankful for…

I've shared before that Thanksgiving has always been my Mother’s holiday. As an only child that meant that everyone came to our house and there was huge excitement. As my parents have gotten older, I now bring the turkey and sides while my Mom makes her three favorite things and sets the table.

It is always a dramatic scene trying to get the cooked turkey to their house, but somehow we always work it out!

When my parents were first married – over 59 years ago –  the story exists about how my  Aunt made an apple pie. Now, I am not sure what went wrong but my mother couldn’t cut the pie. No really, the crust was so hard that she ended up getting a carving knife for my Dad to do it.

This of course is all while trying to play it off as if nothing was wrong. It happened before I was born, but the story is still shared over and over.

There is also the Thanksgiving that my Mother’s goddaughter was 5 years old and decided that she was only eating peas and pumpkin pie. In our house, we could care less as long as she ate something. But it was quite a sight with the peas and pie on the same plate.

My cousin’s wife said that it took years to get used to what she refers to as, “The Thanksgiving March." If the weather was nice enough, there was a mandatory walk after dinner, before dessert. Keep in mind, this was way before my FitBit obsession!

The men would leave the table and go for a walk around the property. The women would stay back to wash dishes and get the table ready for dessert. My mother didn’t care about the walk – she wanted them out from underfoot!

Another reason why (besides the fun family memories) I love Thanksgiving is because it is a holiday that everyone celebrates in America. We are taking a day to count our blessings and to say Thanks for all that we have been given.  You know that at the top of my list is to work with each of you. You are the finest, most caring and talented group of people. Your selflessness towards each other and our children is extraordinary.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Do you have funny Thanksgiving stories that you would share? Or something that you’re especially thankful for?

My Pie Secrets Revealed!

Let’s talk food. We’re approaching the holiday season and I know many of us can’t wait to try all the delicious dishes that will fill the tables.

Whenever I go to do a dinner party, my friends always ask me to bring a pie. See pie is my thing. It isn't something that most people make often, but when you show up at a gathering with a homemade pie it’s always a huge hit.

Fruit pies are my pies of choice. There are two very important "tips" that have been passed down in our family to ensure you have a great pie.

One I know came from my Great Aunt Doris. She was Portuguese with a warm heart, but she didn't ever have patience for nonsense. Her pie secret was touch the dough as little as possible or the crust gets hard.

The second for any fruit pies is to add a touch of nutmeg, whenever you are using cinnamon. The flavors go really well together. 

Below are some of the winning recipes from our 2012 pie competition. Do you have a favorite pie or a special recipe addition that you might be willing to share?

*Note: If you click on the image, it'll enlarge :)

Counting your blessings

When I was a little girl, I didn’t have my heart set on any one profession. Some children will say “I want to be a fireman” or “I want to be a teacher!” I didn’t know what I wanted to be.

Having the ability to help others solve problems and lead a better life was always my main driver, even if I couldn’t articulate it as a child the way I would actually do that.

As I write this blog from my desk, I am humbled at the chance to work with each of you and to be able to help so many children in New Jersey. It’s more than I ever imagined I could be a part of as a child thinking what I wanted to do when I grew up.

The question I often wonder is “How could I ever repay all of the blessings I have been given?”

We are approaching the Thanksgiving Holiday. It is certainly the time to reflect on that, but also to take stock on how you live that thanks every day. Whether it is helping someone lost in the parking deck in New Brunswick or collecting food for the soup kitchen that my church supports, I try to look for ways to demonstrate that I am well aware of the blessings I have in my life.

Many of the new families coming to our sites are afraid and unsure. But you immediately look to alleviate that fear and find ways to wrap ourselves around them; help them see what is positive about being at Children’s Specialized Hospital, not only the bad.

This time of year is also a reminder about the importance of our Children’s Specialized family and our own family for love and strength.

Are there ways you count your blessings? Maybe saying thank you to a friend in a special way? Sending a card to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while? Something else that you may want to share?

In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for letting me count on each of you and the chance to work side by side as one of the greatest blessings of my life.  

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe it’s because my family hosted it every year. We had a house full and my mom put out all of the best china, and fancy glasses let alone the great food. My cousins would come over and we would build forts out of the pillows in the living room until the "men" came in to watch football.

Yes, day in and day out, I feel the pressure of the things that aren't working as they should, but just taking that moment to identify the good things makes me feel a little lighter.

What’s on my list of things I’m thankful for?  My parents both being here in good health and happy; great friends; a church that brings me joy and perspective; good health; a job that has become my heart and soul; and the chance to work with each of you. Even when you are frustrated with me, yes I can see it on your faces and read your minds sometimes :-), I learn from you and you push me to be a better member of this family at Children’s Specialized. 

So what is on your list? Anything you would be willing to share that could help you feel lighter and share the joy you feel with others and have a little more insight into the things that matter most to you?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. My deepest thanks for all you give and do for your Children's Specialized family.

Thanksgiving Challenge

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not just because so much care goes in to the preparation and the gathering of family but because it is the one holiday that all Americans celebrate. It is a day that our forefathers created to make us purposefully stop and think about all the things that we have to be thankful for and especially for what people gave up to start this most amazing country.

I have been following the posts on Facebook of my friends who have taken a pledge of giving thanks for something each day. Some of them are serious, some of them are funny, some are memories of loved ones lost and some are thankful for the bounty they have been given. So, I thought it would be fun to start a thankful list on the blog. It could be big or small but I would ask that you try and relate it to something or someone you are thankful for at Children's Specialized.

For me, I have so much to be thankful for. Children's Specialized allowed me to jump onto this amazing wave that you had going. Seven years ago when I got here, you were a couple years into a strategic plan that envisioned growing outpatient services and building a new hospital at the same time implementing values that would help us through good times and bad. As I look back seven years later, we have done much of what was in that plan. We have had great people join our ranks; over 300 new people have come to CSH in the last seven years. We have said goodbye to some friends and welcomed some back. The days are filled with both a lot of hope for the future and a lot of work to be done. I am thankful that I was selected to come into the CSH family and allowed me to be part of the amazing work that we do.

And you?