tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47914155672720310752011-08-29T11:33:54.702-04:00Spare PartsA Study in Living...Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.comBlogger1241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-63114280251333968192011-05-24T23:16:00.017-04:002011-05-24T23:59:24.701-04:00On Life's Journey with OprahAs Oprah Winfrey counts down the moments to the end of her historically innovative television show, revisiting her more poignant guests and topics, I can’t help but look back at the role she has played in my own life.Everyone has an Oprah episode they can’t forget – Oprah wheeling 67 pounds of fat on stage and ripping off a roomy robe to reveal a svelte shape in her Calvin Klein jeans. Oprah Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-21725158015770119922010-07-27T20:42:00.011-04:002010-07-28T21:36:04.209-04:00Acts of ForgivenessIt's been such a long time since my last blog, that I am almost embarrassed to crawl back here.I feel like I have failed as a Catholic to uphold one of my sacrifices. The one about going to confession. That awful feeling of having to show up in that little curtained booth and proclaim to the faceless priest across the filigreed wood panel: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been {{{{Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-63774297009178243662010-04-27T11:28:00.017-04:002010-04-27T12:24:58.958-04:00Countdown to the End...
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-13866108440498194002010-04-21T12:47:00.021-04:002010-04-21T13:45:23.193-04:00GLEE-fully Yours
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-45396100293933784652010-04-20T11:26:00.011-04:002010-04-20T12:22:32.649-04:00Last Night on 24...There is a simple mantra Jack Bauer has always followed: “I only take orders from the President of the United States.” So it stands to reason that when said president, be that Charles Logan or the current President Allison Taylor, acts in a less than honorable way, for Jack all bets are off.So it came to pass last evening that the respect most viewers had for President Taylor fell by the waysideMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-35643237746907054392010-04-16T08:45:00.015-04:002010-04-16T11:25:08.242-04:00IDOL: The Forgettable YearThere is a reason I haven't written one thing this season with regard to American Idol. Truth be told, I am forcing myself to watch this year purely out of a sense of loyalty for a show I have been a fan of since its inception. But you know, the honeymoon is definitely over.Sure, it is the first year Idol is on without Paula Abdul and I could use that as an easy excuse, but that isn't it. She Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-32689925472280236832010-03-17T22:41:00.016-04:002010-04-08T13:57:09.310-04:00River...Water...FloodWe never thought we would have to say this twice in a lifetime: We lost our house in a flood.It is an awful experience the first time around. It is beyond comprehension a second time. On Tax Day - April 15 - of 2007, just eight months after we moved into our first home and eight months after I laid my mother to rest, a Nor'easter slammed through our house. As unwelcome as illness, the flood Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-39915859297265877222010-03-04T11:13:00.006-05:002010-03-04T13:38:28.234-05:00Uncommitted<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-marginMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-49647100519353817642010-02-09T13:04:00.007-05:002010-02-09T16:27:53.426-05:00Mabel Knickerbocker - Short Story - FictionShe wasn't paying attention. That's what happened to Mabel Knickerbocker the day she died. On the eve of her 50th birthday, she was, as usual, doing things for other people. It's how she lived her life. It's how she died, too.By the time Timothy Knickerbocker could talk, his mother Mabel had already had five other Knickerbocker children. Each one a right mess of problems with talking back and Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-28151085469530694752010-02-03T10:00:00.010-05:002010-02-03T13:26:02.454-05:00The Ghost of Tamara ParkTamara Park is set against the backdrop of a small city skyline with big city envy. The name of the small city is also Tamara Park, which leads one to believe that someone didn't have a lot of imagination when they named the playground at the city's center.Aside from the four rusting hunter green benches that serve as both resting places and a separation barrier, there is also a three-child swingMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-72504833099920620662010-01-22T13:37:00.016-05:002010-02-03T10:00:23.425-05:00Getting Some ‘nook’-ey
Disclaimer I’m in no way qualified to review a new gadget. However, I can bring one thing that those in “the gadget know” cannot bring: A real point-of-view opinion from a regular gal.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> Starting Line As far as gadgets go, I’m about as savvy as a third-grader entering high school. Attempting to review a new technical device is a first for me. Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-52528325251969972692010-01-07T10:37:00.000-05:002010-01-07T11:45:05.969-05:00Fancy Free: Meeting the Spirited Author"There’s a crack (or cracks) in everyone…that’s how the light of God gets in."~Elizabeth Gilbert ~About two years ago, I picked up a book that I had been seeing in the hands of countless people both on my daily commuter travels and at bookstores. People, mostly women, engrossed so thoroughly in its pages that I felt I had to know what the big deal was about. I picked up the book, and like so manyMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-55500476675720784012009-12-24T11:53:00.000-05:002009-12-24T12:22:17.719-05:00David and Sean: Conclusion of a Saga
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Tahoma; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1627421319 -2147483648 8 0 66047 0;} @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-32342478217772012352009-12-16T14:08:00.000-05:002009-12-16T14:26:07.096-05:00The Novena: A Childhood Memory<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-77820989062876980402009-11-28T01:54:00.000-05:002009-11-28T01:56:46.961-05:00Do You Remember the Time?<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 48 0 524447 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Batang"; panose-1Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-85588350241574577622009-11-09T14:18:00.001-05:002010-04-19T16:14:29.592-04:00A Magical Tale of Mystical PorportionsOn Lira Daisy Bloo’s bureau there is a locked magic box. Inside, Lira Daisy keeps all of her family’s most treasured secrets. She has never been permitted to open it.For her 16th birthday, Lira Daisy’s mother has told her that she will be given the key to unlock it. However, Lira Daisy is warned that once she unlocks the magic box, things will never be as they are, or ever were and things will Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-82969759311071356452009-11-01T16:00:00.000-05:002009-11-01T16:31:28.044-05:00MJ's Last Curtain Call
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 48 0 524447 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Batang"; panoseMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-15162560178323777402009-10-18T02:41:00.001-04:002009-10-18T03:12:03.944-04:00At the Café - Short Story
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-32081204433101165462009-09-27T02:19:00.000-04:002009-09-27T03:11:31.459-04:00The Fall Guy - A Short Story
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-23850317032612758482009-09-21T22:46:00.000-04:002009-09-22T13:34:35.580-04:00Gone From Memory - A Short Story“I can’t really tell you what it was about Heather Laurie and Janine Vega that I loved the most. We were all different, yet alike in so many ways. The three of us were inseparable soon after we met in junior high. When we went on to high school, even some of the teachers at Martin Van Buren referred to us as the Three Amigas. Well, that was a long time ago. Either way, they were my best friendsMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-72808628259432240152009-09-04T21:19:00.002-04:002010-04-19T16:42:49.068-04:00Canine - A Dog's Tale
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 48 0 524447 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Batang"; panose-Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-15466172028543002562009-09-03T11:25:00.000-04:002009-09-04T09:53:20.682-04:00The Lost Sheep - Short Story
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-35277529125110265272009-09-01T11:38:00.000-04:002009-09-01T13:58:15.081-04:00Brandi's Last Dance - A Short Story
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-91506999628525679222009-08-28T09:35:00.000-04:002009-08-28T12:56:05.752-04:00Sleepless Mind - The Chaotic State of AwakeI believe I have been an insomniac-in-the-making since I was a very little girl. I believe this because I can vividly recall episodes where, rather than sleep contentedly at an assigned bedtime like other children, I preferred to stay awake late into the night worried, or worrying about things that were far beyond my young reach to change or comprehend. While everyone else retired to rest their Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-92131051555793706152009-08-17T08:20:00.000-04:002009-08-17T21:46:33.297-04:00Juggling Relatives - The Busy, Busy Weekend!
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1 -369098753 63 0 4129023 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5473054190428535042009-07-30T12:05:00.000-04:002009-07-30T13:06:30.242-04:00Dan Brown Walks Among Us
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss;Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-76915270655280233292009-07-23T14:16:00.000-04:002009-07-24T10:07:31.047-04:00REVIVAL! “West Side Story” on BroadwayYou know the theme as soon as you hear it:Ta-da-da-da-daaa *snap snap* Ta-da-da-da-daaa… <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--> In the moment the light’s dim in the theater, the stage transforms. It goes from dark curtained platform to New York City’s tenements in the 1950s. A group of young men fill the stage in a precisely choreographed streetwise ballet to illustrate growing Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-68585233158762850592009-07-18T23:14:00.000-04:002009-07-18T23:50:24.779-04:00Little Treasure: A Safe and Happy Read
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 48 0 524447 0;} @font-face {font-family:"\@Batang"; panose-Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-91932876571775998032009-07-14T16:25:00.000-04:002009-07-16T22:25:11.631-04:00Gathered and Grateful...At the MulligansI am sending this out now because last weekend is about to be a memory now that a new one is upon us.
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-89432492236019647742009-07-10T13:11:00.000-04:002009-07-10T13:28:23.090-04:00Watch DogThis morning, as I stumbled about the house in a state of drowsy unrest, recalling the routines of my working self, my dog Obie kept a watchful eye on my every step. He remained just a few paces behind me at all times. He settled himself on the threshold of the bathroom to watch me put on my make-up and do my hair. He watched me pack my bags, make the bed and walk a few laps around the house Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-26677852546344951792009-06-26T10:47:00.000-04:002009-06-30T12:58:10.635-04:00Losing Michael Jackson
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-10622757254261667592009-06-20T00:16:00.000-04:002009-06-20T00:25:14.456-04:00You Can Watch Only So Many “Golden Girls” EpisodesIs anyone with the semi-usual 9-to-5 schedule aware of The Hallmark Channel and the WE Network’s slightly obsessive preoccupation with episodes of “The Golden Girls”? Is there nothing else for these two cable networks to broadcast? Who is running the show at these stations? Or is it just a clever marketing ploy aimed at the target audiences of the daytime life of nursing homes across America?HereMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-64321921897152075262009-06-12T16:55:00.000-04:002009-06-12T17:44:59.092-04:00Paging Dr. Feelgood to the OR - STAT!<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-marginMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-82360495773058611232009-06-03T22:11:00.000-04:002009-06-04T09:01:20.300-04:00The Painter’s Secrets: A short story by Marilyn Lara PuccioAmanda rocked back and forth in the old, wooden chair on her breezy porch. She inhaled deeply the smell of the salty winds that rolled in haphazardly, caressing her bare shoulders and blowing her wispy curls away from her face. Her ears filled with the sounds of the surf reaching shore, recoiling again, and returning once more.She let her bare feet graze the porch boards as she rocked. She Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-85947052783559574562009-05-31T22:11:00.000-04:002009-05-31T23:36:04.341-04:00Antiquing...How MTV Made Me Old
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Batang; panose-1:2 3 6 0 0 1 1 1 1 1; mso-font-alt:바탕; mso-font-charset:129; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1342176593 1775729915 Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-72583257441102297162009-05-21T12:00:00.000-04:002009-05-21T13:18:50.229-04:00Show Stoppers: At American Idol 2009 - A Twist Just in TimeIt was like a great KRIS-mas morning on last night’s American Idol finale. The hundred million votes cast resulted in Kris Allen from Conway, Arkansas being crowned our 2009 American Idol winner. I guess sometimes your votes really do count.But let’s back track a little.Last evening’s 2-hour finale was a feast for the senses. Just when you thought they couldn’t pull another rabbit out of that Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-28660943243167732352009-05-19T08:12:00.000-04:002009-05-19T12:49:57.752-04:00Conclusions...'24'<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-46894632491439850852009-05-06T22:35:00.000-04:002009-05-06T23:40:42.932-04:00Idol is Down to the WireWell, well...Tonight's American Idol episode sure did have it's ups and downs. It was like a roller coaster, only faster. (As an FYI...I am home resting for a couple of days. I hurt my back at work in the most bizarre way. Don't ask, I have no answers).So, we're down to three contestants as the finale of Idol is fast approaching. The so-called 'rocker' teen, Alison Iraheta, finally got her Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-81332710730168030822009-04-28T11:49:00.000-04:002009-04-28T12:54:39.545-04:00This Just in!Last night, after ingesting one too many minutes of news, I commented to Joe that this whole world sucks and I could not believe what we’re up against. There is so much to be down about these days that it is a miracle we don’t all have to be medicated for depression. In an effort to stave off boredom, I will touch upon just three stories – two of which are really in the white, hot light of our Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-75382884249790067512009-04-20T14:12:00.000-04:002009-04-20T16:20:06.231-04:00Encore! Rock of Ages and a Party of 13Last December Joe and I saw an Off-Broadway musical. There’s nothing really remarkable about that statement. However, the little musical that could actually did turn out to be one hell of a hit show. And now Rock of Ages has landed itself on the Great White Way amid fiercely popular shows like Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago and pretty much anything with the name Disney slapped onto it. <!Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-88788745743725886422009-04-14T12:18:00.000-04:002009-04-14T13:31:40.244-04:00Oz Revisited: The Case for a ClassicWhat is it about The Wizard of Oz that is so enduring? How come a 1939 movie, derived from the L. Frank Baum book written in 1900, is still relevant? I have often wondered what it is about this movie that I love so much. I count it among my top five favorite films of all time. I can still recall the first time I saw it as a young child, on CBS broadcast television before cable, before VHS and DVDMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-61401133169756809172009-04-09T13:49:00.001-04:002009-04-09T13:57:34.834-04:00Beam Me Up, Scotty!
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-64792215274762269782009-04-01T13:07:00.000-04:002009-04-01T21:19:20.124-04:00Total Idol RecallFolks, we are on our way to the finals. No, not really … but the race has clearly begun.With just nine contestants left (eight after tonight’s results show), it’s time to start picking the favored and the favorites from the bunch. Who is slated to take it all in the end?Well, my fine-tuned opinion gauge tells me that just as last year’s finale, this season 8 of Idol will also end with the last Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-23675339914454161612009-03-24T08:30:00.000-04:002009-03-24T10:05:21.350-04:00NYC's MTA: A Jagged Little Pill<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Verdana; panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 0 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-80239130165431418482009-03-19T10:50:00.000-04:002009-03-19T12:41:35.436-04:00A Beauty's Heartbreaking Departure
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.MsoBodyText, li.MsoBodyText, div.MsoBodyText {margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-79327268593778397482009-03-17T17:34:00.000-04:002009-03-17T17:49:47.289-04:00Why I Never Kept a JournalYou would think that with all of the medical adventures and misadventures in my life and with all of the countless hours spent in hospitals, waiting rooms and dialysis centers, and with all of the drama that ensued following my diagnosis and daily existence, I would have had the wherewithal to keep a journal.Well, I did not. I did not keep one for the same reason I hesitated to start a blog. I amMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5627414279356035402009-03-06T09:38:00.000-05:002009-03-06T09:53:08.974-05:00The Saga of Tatiana Del Toro
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5463987490738110842009-02-24T15:30:00.000-05:002009-02-24T16:54:19.907-05:00The Baroness of Bookville: Short StoryAlong the walls of her aging home, crowded with small reminders of a life long lived, the Baroness perused her expansive collection of books. In every corner, on every wall, bookshelves rose proudly from the plush red rugs to the arched blue ceilings. The shelves were separated by grandiose windows where sunlight and moonlight competed for equal time, when the heavy draperies were not pulled Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-41633560302036603012009-02-19T17:24:00.000-05:002009-02-23T10:00:59.860-05:00Visit to the Southland<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.8in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-37799068981371616232009-02-11T09:50:00.000-05:002009-02-11T10:09:18.672-05:00Good Summer ReadIn June of last year, I blogged about my friend Sarah, a soon-to-be published author of young adult novels. Her first book, entitled Twenty Boy Summer, is slated to drop into bookstores in June of this year. However, having the kinds of connections in the book world that I have, I was able to come across not one, but four fresh-off-the-presses tomes that were mine for the taking. I gave the Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-80176432924798276532009-02-05T13:02:00.000-05:002009-02-05T14:02:25.619-05:00The Prince of Union Square
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.8in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-23654128401653777842009-02-04T12:02:00.001-05:002009-02-04T16:09:44.095-05:00Ellie, The Little Mermaid and Broadway!
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-72450709835379547852009-01-29T15:42:00.000-05:002009-01-29T17:31:25.634-05:00THIS...Is American Idol
<!--[if !mso]> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Arial Unicode MS"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-69381786259466844622009-01-22T15:52:00.000-05:002009-01-22T16:41:41.368-05:00On the Dawn of a New DayWhat a week!When I woke up this morning, it was with the knowledge that a new president was waking up, as well, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Along with his wife Michelle and their two little girls, Malia and Sasha, I imagine this little family is as perplexed by their reality as we all are by our recent choices. I imagine they are smiling and we are, too.It is just two days post the January 20,Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-85506079698082038372009-01-19T12:48:00.000-05:002009-01-19T13:55:04.130-05:00Jack is Back!
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-83205283393341299442009-01-09T12:28:00.000-05:002009-01-09T14:02:23.878-05:00Dignity of the DancerIn 1987, a low budget film entitled Dirty Dancing took to movie theaters and created a small revolution. Since its release, Dirty Dancing has become a cult phenomenon, seen countless times on cable and released for personal ownership on DVD and the long forgotten VHS. The movie, a cheeky, somewhat corny tale about a couple of kids from different sides of the track who fall in love through Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-81082816873684047112009-01-06T12:27:00.000-05:002009-01-06T13:14:03.907-05:00The Outsiders
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-79702256266412108102008-12-30T15:48:00.000-05:002008-12-30T16:09:44.941-05:00Curtain Call - Good-bye 2008There is something serene, yet overwhelming about the closing of another year. As the last few days of 2008 come to an end - the hours of another year dwindle - we are brought again to beginnings, from which we hope to gain new opportunities to do better by others and ourselves. Aside from the 12 grapes and the yellow underwear - silly traditions that have somehow followed me throughout the yearsMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-63064172372299217262008-12-22T10:49:00.000-05:002008-12-23T10:04:06.500-05:00Memory of an Unfortunate Loss
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-66824879644653147652008-12-20T23:30:00.000-05:002008-12-22T10:43:23.713-05:00ROCK of Ages: A Nostalgic, Comical Trip back to the 80sHere's the thing: I honestly did not think I would enjoy an entire stage musical of 80s hair band songs. I mean, seriously, how good could this possibly be? But oh, how wrong I was!Today, despite the ice cold, post snow-day weather, Joe and I headed into Manhattan for what was one of his early Christmas gifts from yours truly. If you know Joe, you know that he isn't one to get excited about Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-37312466828265402662008-12-16T11:21:00.000-05:002008-12-16T14:29:11.715-05:00WaterloggedOn Friday, when I returned in the early evening from a bit of shopping, I noticed that water was puddling heavily along Lincoln Blvd., which feeds into our street and is the only way to get to our house. Of additional concern was that the water, seen dark and thick in the beams of light from the front of my car, was moving rapidly from right to left. River water! It's as if I said a curse aloudMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-22021556083888187712008-12-11T10:54:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:45.513-05:00It's a Great Day for a Holiday Luncheon!**Disclaimer** The following entry is not, in any way inclusive of everyone I work with. Most folks are great and dandy and I enjoy working with them. For the others...you know who you are!***Today is my company’s holiday luncheon. Outside it is absolutely dreadful! Cold and rainy with darkening clouds and an overall depressing feel to the day. It is making it an unhappy commute for everyone, Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-31953106569266472872008-12-09T17:51:00.000-05:002008-12-09T17:55:57.584-05:00Sleepy Heads<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.8in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-83360032576614483032008-12-09T13:16:00.001-05:002008-12-09T13:59:11.154-05:00Hello, Long Good-Bye
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.8in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-marginMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-61395463730950206312008-12-04T16:53:00.000-05:002008-12-04T17:49:52.444-05:00Mind your Manners, please! The frustrating thing about people who call corporate offices is that they seem to forget that they're calling a professional establishment. They lose all semblance of manners and decorum when they find they have reached "an actual, live person" - as I have been called on many occasions. Instead of being thrilled to pieces, as I would imagine I would be, should I encounter a similar Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-13931278832173218802008-12-03T13:18:00.000-05:002008-12-03T15:44:00.324-05:00The Splendid RunnerLast night I had one of those moments that will remain with me indefinitely. Of the things I am grateful to my job for is the opportunity I have to meet authors I admire. For the record, I have met Mitch Albom, Rosa Guy, Edwidge Danticat, Julie Andrews and, last night, Khaled Hosseini. Dr. Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. I attended the book signing, which turned outMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-80209157382864543222008-11-26T13:41:00.000-05:002008-11-26T13:44:08.526-05:00Birds of a Feather Endure Together... On Giving ThanksGathering around a table of abundance has become somewhat of a memory in these times of economic woes and worries. Though Thanksgiving is again upon us, it is with a heavy heart that thousands of American families will sit at their tables with less to enjoy and, sadly, less to be thankful for. During these trying times, as we await an historic transition in the early days of 2009, so many of us Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-16024152055289977972008-11-12T16:58:00.000-05:002008-11-13T14:33:51.278-05:00Reflections of the Day“Rosa sat, so Martin could walk, so Obama could lead…” Written by a child, on poster board with markers, at home in Teaneck, NJ on November 4, 2008Fine. So I admit that I have been rather lazy in keeping up with this blog. So sue me! Still, after all that has happened since my last entry on Halloween, I thought it was time I pulled myself up out of the writer's rut, hunkered down for a good, oldMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-85498688797010341302008-10-31T12:49:00.000-04:002008-10-31T14:22:35.603-04:00Happy Halloween!We didn't get dressed up this year...Boo hoo! No costumes were fussed over and no make-up will be applied. The last time we went all out on Halloween was about two years ago. Joe went as the Tin Man and I went as Dorothy, Toto-in-basket and all. I was absolutely giddy that year because, if you know anything at all about me, you know that I adore The Wizard of Oz. Joe was such a good sport, Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-25467495163516433342008-10-20T09:46:00.000-04:002008-10-20T10:13:30.521-04:00This Will Be a Hard OneThrough tears I cannot show and pain that isn’t visible, I am mourning. This is my mother’s third birthday in heaven. I am trying to visualize the kinds of things I would be doing to celebrate her birthday. I am wondering what kind of card I would be getting her and what kinds of gifts I would be wrapping. Instead, I need to come up with ideas to honor her life, so that I can try to get through Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-10196293540483527282008-10-14T17:18:00.000-04:002008-10-15T10:22:56.516-04:00The Old Man Who Missed His LifeMy Dad is 75 years old today. I am happy that he has reached this age with wonderfully good physical health, if a somewhat poor outlook emotionally. I excuse him because, frankly, I know that this would have been a much sweeter milestone to celebrate had he been able to share it with my mother.Now, as a widower, this day just doesn’t carry the same kind exhilaration and joy. When I called him Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-60713095316623326342008-10-14T12:42:00.000-04:002008-10-15T08:33:02.320-04:00Ants in my Pants and Thoughts in my HeadSomething's bugging me. I can't actually pinpoint it, but it's that kind of antsy feeling you get when you know in your gut that you should be doing something else right this second in your life, but your busy doing what you're doing, knowing damn well you shouldn't be doing it.When I woke up this morning, my head felt like it was locked in a haze of warm fog that moistened my skin and rattled myMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-53514451645469385762008-10-08T14:18:00.000-04:002008-10-15T09:06:00.524-04:00ConnectivityRecently, my sister-in-law turned me on to Facebook, a networking site similar to MySpace, I guess, but more grown up. I purposely don’t have a MySpace page. I was wholly against becoming one of those people who feel it is necessary to access a site to maintain or create friendships. I have friends. I made them the old fashioned way. I think I did a pretty good job. Thank you!So then, you can Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-28186452003890767912008-09-30T17:00:00.000-04:002008-10-15T09:39:30.341-04:00I am the City Dweller“I am one…“I am love…“I am home…”So ended my unexpected jaunt through the city streets this afternoon. Though it was not in my immediate plan, when I saw how beautiful the day had turned out, I ventured out on a longer than intended stroll to streets and places I’d not been by before. It was then that I came across the lines above and found them to be ripe for writing about. They spoke to me, or Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-30605066690885087522008-09-23T13:58:00.000-04:002008-09-23T14:02:16.882-04:00Keeping SecretsIf you have ever heard the question, “Can you keep a secret?” then you are fully aware of how titillating a statement it really is. There was even a book by Sophie Kinsella titled, “Can You Keep a Secret?” It is such an intriguing concept, this secret-keeping habit, that someone wrote a book about it! You know that when someone asks you to keep a secret, the first thing that pops into your headMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-39958262790243748002008-09-19T15:44:00.000-04:002008-09-19T15:47:45.715-04:00Going to Market: MosaicIt is Wednesday afternoon and I take to my lunch hour ravenously. It is not because I plan to eat, but because I need the outdoors. I am shackled to my desk since 8 a.m. and I know it is a gorgeous day out. I want to take advantage of summer’s remaining golden days before the landscape becomes frigid from winter’s ugly frost.The elevator can’t reach the street fast enough for me. I hit the Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-81252629299986249612008-09-10T14:03:00.000-04:002008-09-10T14:17:12.556-04:00An Unexpected Commuter Smile**Forgive me readers, for I have sinned. It’s been seven days since my last submission. At long last…an entry!**For a couple of days now, I have taken to using the open-aired streets of the City to circumvent that atrocious walk through that dreaded and often talked about 8th Avenue Tunnel. I sort of miss the interesting cast of characters I sometimes find down there, but not enough to endure theMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-11041405997896276312008-09-03T21:51:00.000-04:002008-09-03T21:56:17.386-04:00What's in a Face?This morning’s walk in from the Union Square subway station yielded only one interesting encounter. Though I am more asleep than not when I am just stumbling in to work, I was able to notice a pair that, given a poor opportunity to come up with a clever description, was truly an odd couple. Connecting them, I caught a glimpse of a deeply sweet and rooted relationship between a privileged boy on Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-63999472224937636952008-08-25T20:25:00.000-04:002008-08-25T22:02:07.341-04:00Storytelling...*The following are two short stories of fiction. They were written straight out of my head and strictly for my own amusement. Do not attempt to attach any similarities to events real, or imagined and let go of all preconceived ideas.No one was harmed in the telling of these stories.And Betty Makes FourWhen Albert’s mother called that Thursday evening, he checked the Caller ID and took a deep Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-91327714796193586982008-08-22T11:56:00.000-04:002008-08-22T12:10:32.917-04:00An Open Letter to My Younger Self
About a year ago, Oprah asked some prominent women to think about what they would say to their younger selves, if they were given the chance to talk to the girls they once were. She published their letters in her magazine. Among the women were Hillary Clinton, author Edwidge Danticat, Maya Angelou and Maria Shriver. It got me thinking about some of the things I would say to my younger self withMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-86773331796634575012008-08-19T12:34:00.000-04:002008-08-22T13:18:06.049-04:00Passing for Normal on an Ordinary DayHere’s a secret. I have never in my life felt like I fit in in New York City. For as long as I have had to come here, I have felt like an outsider. There has never been a comfort zone where I found my place. Instead, there has always been a feeling of separation and suspension, as if my body is sprawled, arms and legs wide open on a glass orb where I am merely afforded an opportunity to peek in Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-8408140202648112252008-08-14T12:25:00.000-04:002008-08-14T12:26:45.048-04:00On Rock and Rolling with the PunchesMy ears are still ringing from Tuesday night’s metal show at the PNC Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. It’s a yearly summer ritual Joe and I have attended since I can recall us dating. What makes up the metal/hair band tours are bands I refer to as has-beens and which Joe might refer to as…amazing? They are the groups who ruled the early days of MTV with their debauchery and decadence as rockers with Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5515267048772664252008-08-01T16:37:00.001-04:002008-08-01T16:52:45.963-04:00Fear Itself"We have nothing to fear but fear itself" ----- Franklin Delano RooseveltWhat a visionary and prophetic statement. I think about that phrase a lot. Mostly because of how I think it applies to me in so many instances in my life. At the moment, it applies to my fear of failure. Fears come in many forms. Some fear is good because it makes you cautious of things that could harm you. For Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-6565814780664921432008-07-29T14:23:00.000-04:002008-07-29T14:36:24.992-04:00Miracles and Other Stories...On Monday, July 21st, my cousin Karen gave birth to Sarah, her second daughter. The next day, her sister Kathy gave birth to Lucas, her fourth child, and her only son. These are our miracles - babies born at this time that my mother will never meet, speak to, or hold. They are here to breathe new life and stand at the threshold of new beginnings for a family battered down by sadness and trying Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-37040302769273175112008-07-28T11:57:00.000-04:002008-07-28T12:55:51.197-04:00An Earful of BeautyThe sound filled the air gently. I heard it as soon as I turned the corner to walk the 8th Avenue tunnel. As soon as the music came, I was somewhere else in another place and, more importantly, in another time. This is new, I thought. The sound was so consuming, so enveloping and so tranquil. It seemed misplaced, but also perfectly situated. I walked slower than I usually do, when I race this Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-26918613541849072462008-07-25T16:35:00.000-04:002008-07-25T16:44:51.145-04:00The Magazine Queen Lets Go!Every month, when I get my Oprah magazine in the mail, I am given another opportunity to read through the stories that – for the most part – make me truly think, feel, learn or realize something new. What I love most about that magazine is that it deliberately deviates from the usual magazine fodder that has become so banal and transparent. Although I do receive quite a few magazines at home eachMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-14915468240792855462008-07-24T11:01:00.000-04:002008-07-30T00:25:44.324-04:00Raining Like Gatos and PerrosHoly moley! What a storm!I made it in on time this morning purely by the grace of God. There was an accident on the bus route and we sat for a while as it cleared out. It seems to me today that the gates of Heaven have opened up allowing torrential rains to pound the earth mercilessly. It has been almost non-stop since yesterday evening. Before I say another word on this, just as an FYI, No! We’Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-55355880862279571872008-07-22T16:03:00.000-04:002008-07-22T16:30:48.268-04:00The Gasoline Crisis.....of 1979I’ve been a bad girl! There have been no new writings in my blog in days! I was on hiatus! OK, I really wasn’t, but I feel the need to lie. Before that, I was away. That part is true, though. I want to say that the blissful state in which I returned to work a week ago, following my visit to the Hershey Spa, is to blame for my inability to write, but why lie (I did that before - look up!). Truth Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5378448142300700712008-07-15T14:27:00.000-04:002008-07-15T14:33:54.429-04:00Writing for Dollar$A while back, before I was married and when I was more heavily involved in writing in my every-day existence, I spoke with a young woman on the phone that was a freelance writer. Freelancing is a nice gig, if you can get it. Although she was supposed to be interviewing me for a piece in a medical journal, in typical Marilyn fashion, I was doing most of the questioning. Inadvertently, I was Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-47570889981176126072008-07-14T15:45:00.000-04:002008-07-14T16:28:16.020-04:00Hershey + Chocolate + Spa = Bliss…After a full and very welcome 10-day separation from the office, I am unhappily back at work. In the interim, I was completely separated, as well, from Internet and my blog. However, I am back to reality and this is the first entry. Sit back and relax – this will be a long one!Joe and I spent the time off traipsing through the beautiful state of Pennsylvania. Accompanying us this time around wasMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-21501356722651079802008-07-06T21:02:00.000-04:002008-07-06T21:14:29.968-04:00On Vacation...On the road again! Joe and I are off to see the beautiful state of Pennsylvania! Hershey! Lancaster and the like! No blogs until I return!~~~~~~ xoxoxox ~~~~~ xoxoxo ~~~~~~Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-37821269795543087662008-07-06T02:40:00.000-04:002008-07-06T02:50:09.720-04:00It’s My Birthday and I’ll Write If I Want ToOkay. So here it is…my birthday…July 6, 2008. ***Disregard the date above - This blog is on some strange Pacific time*** It is just about two hours into it. First thing I can attest to is that at 38 (yes, there, I said it!) I have yet to master sleeping. Of course, I sleep. However, I am not a good sleeper. It’s like this elusive skill other people seem to have that I lack. So it is exactly 1Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-78523527314880672092008-07-02T11:07:00.001-04:002008-07-02T11:31:07.977-04:00Coffee Snobs!“Starbucks run! Any takers?”It’s just a few minutes after 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon and I have come to expect this announcement almost daily from one of several people in the department. In fact, I gauge the time by it so much so that I don’t even need to look at my watch on our about three o’clock. Personally, I am not a fan of Starbucks coffee in the least, so I disregard the coffee mating callMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-393133043166456482008-06-30T23:24:00.000-04:002008-07-01T09:07:25.590-04:00Rice in the Caldero: Lessons en mi CasaI am sitting in a new nail salon on Sunday afternoon. The owner is too cheap to have air conditioning on even though it is hot and muggy outside. I sit there sweltering and trying to fan myself with a magazine. The place is packed. It’s in a nondescript strip mall similar to so many others in New Jersey. What makes this one different, though, is that unlike so many of the nail salons by where I Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-5696255622040871722008-06-30T14:07:00.000-04:002008-06-30T14:31:23.783-04:00My Sweet Old Town of YesterdayI was at work last Friday and a coworker, who is too young to remember the Rubik’s Cube, let alone the Magic 8 Ball, was “reading” the paper, loudly commenting on the stories. I excuse her because she is too young to know any better. It had been a particularly bad week for the borough of Queens. The pages were riddled with crime after crime, one more violent than the next. There was the small Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-7470440111614763772008-06-26T16:24:00.000-04:002008-06-26T16:38:27.705-04:00The Fan That's TakenA website called NYROCK states the following on their site: “Rob Thomas’s charismatic stage presence and catchy tunes have made Matchbox 20 the music biz’s latest greatest stars.”I agree 100%!I love the band Matchbox 20. I love the lead singer, Rob Thomas, even more. I always have. From the first time that I heard the song 3 A.M., I was hooked. One day I read that the song was dedicated to hisMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-2300710575140789232008-06-25T11:06:00.000-04:002008-06-25T11:11:27.425-04:00The Mixed TapeThis morning, while deeply involved in my current read, The Namesake, I came across a familiar term that brought both a flood of memories to mind and a sweetly funny realization.The book’s female author, Jhumpa Lahiri, weaves this tale with precise accuracy and realism from the viewpoint of the story’s male main character. The Namesake is a book my friend Rebecca recommended with such fervor, Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-49462759197406797592008-06-23T11:44:00.000-04:002008-06-23T12:33:50.609-04:00Exit FunnyHere we are again! It’s another week, another dollar – or in my case – barely another dime. I don’t know anyone who will openly claim that they are paid enough at their current jobs for the amount of work (or crap) they do. I don’t know J.Lo personally, but I suspect she wakes up and thinks; another day, another 2.5 million. Must be nice.Mondays suck!When I got up this morning and reached over toMarilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-60134119792575422562008-06-20T10:52:00.000-04:002008-10-28T10:35:12.150-04:00The Swollen BellyThere is very little in my life that I am not extremely thankful for. I am thankful to the people who have passed through like angels and are instrumental in my rebirth over and over again. I am thankful that it is 2008 and I am here still enjoying life, though there have been times in the past when there was a good chance it would not be the case. I am thankful for Joe and Ellie. I am thankful Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4791415567272031075.post-16903420773580456232008-06-19T09:34:00.002-04:002008-06-19T09:45:28.648-04:00Media Frenzy!Yesterday, popular and respected journalist Tim Russert was laid to rest. Russert, the host of NBC's political stage show "Meet the Press," died Friday of a heart attack. He was only 58 years old.Although I respected Mr. Russert as a journalist, I was not a big fan of his Sunday morning show because the chatter and bicker of politicians, as well as their feigned camaraderie bore me to tears. Marilyn Lara Pucciohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14116768928081908828noreply@blogger.com0