An Oley Valley rediscovery

(A/N: This story ran in the April 15th issue of the Reading Eagle)

By: Rosalba Ugliuzza, Reading Eagle Correspondent

Nestled in the heart of Oley Valley’s luscious farmlands and rich history are its many small businesses ready to welcome the public with open arms this weekend.

Starting today through Sunday, April 17, “Rediscover The Oley Valley” community event will kick off with 15 area specialty shops and restaurants opening their doors to residents and out-of-towners eager to spend the day shopping, dining, or simply sight-seeing in the countryside.

“People can get breakfast at one place or visit an antique shop, then visit a gift shop, then go down to the nursery and see what they have,” said Stuart Kern, event organizer and owner of Evelyn and Harriette’s Gifts.

Although the participating small businesses are not all located on the same street, each of them provides unique merchandise, affordable prices and personal customer service.

The purpose of the event is to inform people about the small businesses in Oley Valley in hopes that they can spread the word to their family and friends.

“The people around this area are so receptive. They’re very friendly. We get a lot of customers that come in, consigners that come in and we just talk. People have lived here for many years,” said Karel Guinther, owner of Treasures Through Generations, LLC. “The biggest thing you’ll get from a smaller store and the privately owned is the customer service.”

A few businesses will also offer refreshments and snacks throughout the weekend.

Simplee Charming Boutique & Consignment will offer daily specials Friday through Sunday like 10 percent off on home good items (furniture and glassware), 10-percent discount on spring and summer clothing tops and 25 percent off pants and skirts and other items.

Sewers and quilters can visit Ladyfingers Sewing Studio and shop for top quality designer fabrics, quilting materials and supplies. It also offers an array of threads, books, patterns and classes for those who want to hone their craft.

Customers will get a blast from the past browsing through a plethora of vintage items like furniture, records, toys and even a bench made with antlers at Under the Sun.

“Just about anything you can think of. You can get something here for $1 and you can get something here for more than $1,” said co-owner Tina Landis. “Many people here are appreciative of the stuff. They cry with happiness not about buying but about the memories.”

Folks looking for some creativity can visit Glick’s Greenhouse where they will learn how to make miniature fairy gardens. Owner Dave Glick said this free activity has had a lot of interest from his customers.

“People have been asking for the last two years for them to plant their own miniature fairy garden,” he said. “So we are setting up a room with all the supplies and potting tables. We’ve made a display with six different stand-up posters and each one tells a different step.”

Glick’s offers a large variety of herbs and vegetables, including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and lettuce. There will be a 10-percent discount on gerber daisies and Martha Washington geraniums or pansy geraniums. Five-inch pansies will be on sale for 75 cents.

From noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oley Valley Organics, LLC will provide a tour of its 13-acre farm. There will be composting demonstrations, and visitors will get to see the farm’s 140-year-old oven that still bakes the breads.

Owner Barb Dietrich said they grow seasonal produce and a lot of garlic. She and her fellow certified organic farmers make and sell their own garlic powder.

“We’re waiting for the asparagus to come in. We grow salad greens, Swiss chards and spinach. Our season is getting underway,” she said. “The families are interested in growing healthy foods.”

Marsha Moser, owner of Woods Pub and Grill and Creekside Pleasantville Diner, said the Oley community stands out because “the people know how to eat good food.”

Woods Pub and Grill offers award-winning wings, prime rib cheesesteaks, charbroiled burgers and steamed clams. This weekend’s breakfast features at Creekside include eggs benedict, strawberry shortcake, French toast, banana foster pancakes, homemade quiche and spicy sausage patties.

Because Oley is so largely agricultural, according to Kern, it is not considered a shopping destination unlike Reading, Allentown, and King of Prussia. He hopes the open house will encourage more people to come to the area more often.

“Oley is a very stable community that does not have the influx of new and younger people needing access to commercial sources,” he said. “The two main roads that bisect the Oley Valley are Route 662 and Route 73 and act as conduits for people to travel through the area and not realize what is available just off the side roads.”

The number of businesses participating this weekend was “more than twice than expected,” said Guinther, who helped organize the event.

Organizers hope to offer the open house twice a year – one in the spring and the other in the fall. The success of the open house could lead to more businesses participating in local community events in the future, which would boost the local economy.

“We want to give back to the community in any way that we can. There’s a lot of history in Oley,” said Niki Miller, assistant director and treasurer at Clay on Main. “Just doing a driving tour of Oley is fascinating because of the architecture. Each store is unique and different. People can find what they like, and we want them to come back.”

 

“They’ve just assumed I would always be here”

(A/N: This story is about local ladies’s clothing shop that closed its doors for the final time in late July. It appeared in the June 23rd issue of the Reading Eagle.)

By Rosalba Ugliuzza, Reading Eagle correspondent

Janet Mutter has always been hands-on in helping her loyal customers look and feel beautiful. She will continue to do her job until the very last day.

For shoppers who didn’t receive a letter in the mail or email months ago announcing The Carriage House’s “Going Out of Business/Retirement” sale, they sure have gotten the memo now, as colorful signs clutter the store windows, indicating that after 17 years of upscale retail service, everything must go by Saturday, July 23.

The retail owner said her sad customers are wondering where they are going to shop now.

“We’ve tried to help them find a store that carries a certain brand that they like so that they can continue buying it,” she said. “They said they’ve just assumed I would always be here. It’s almost as hard for them as it is for me.”

The decision to close is bittersweet for Mutter, but she said she is ready to move on. Her lease expires in the beginning of August.

“It’s time for me to enjoy myself and to not have all the responsibilities,” she said.

In the meantime, shoppers can take advantage on buying anything in the store from clothing, accessories and fixtures to hangers and wall pictures. Discounted items range from 15% to 60% off. Formal dresses are currently 30% off and spring and summer clothing attire are 20% off.

The women’s clothing store is also holding a ticket drawing. Customers have a chance to win some fabulous prizes, including a Keurig coffee maker, a KitchenAid stand mixer and a 39-inch flat screen TV. Each shopper will be assigned a number and is eligible either by just entering the store, making a purchase, or referring a friend. The more times they come into the store, the more tickets they will receive. The ticket drawing will be held on Saturday, July 23.

So far, merchandise sales have gone far beyond expectation.

“They really have been fantastic,” said Mutter. “It was way beyond I expected … When I went to open, I was like, ‘Oh my God, what if nobody shows up?’”

Growing Up

Mutter’s passion for women’s fashion began as a young girl under the tutelage of her grandmother, Florence Gift. By age 15, the Boyertown native sewed flower girl dresses for the former Rose’s Bridal Shop in her hometown.

She took some sewing classes at Albright College. However, after graduating with a teaching degree, Mutter made a detour in her career path.

“I decided that while I was student teaching that I didn’t want to teach,” she said. “So I had to be creative and started interviewing for positions that my degree didn’t qualify me for.”

For 15 years, she worked in the human resources department at UGI Utilities, Inc. Working there provided an incentive for her future.

“I could take the skills I learned about the laws of having employees and benefits and apply them to my employees,” she said.

Two weeks after leaving UGI, she worked Robert Scott & David Brooks, a large outlet store that was located at the former Reading Station on Sixth Street. She quit in 1998 to begin her dream job.

“I finally decided that if I was going to do retail and if I was going to be doing the hours, I was going to do it for myself,” Mutter said.

The Beginning of The Carriage House

The Carriage House was opened in 1999 in West Reading. Mutter said she was pleased with the buzz it had received, but there was one major flaw: lack of parking.

“I didn’t have a location with a parking lot so my customers had to park along the street,” she said. “I heard too many times, ‘I was going to stop, but I couldn’t find a parking space so I kept going.’ That’s not what you want to hear as a storeowner.”

In 2010, Mutter resolved the issue by moving to its current location at the Village Square Shopping Center in Wyomissing.

Over the years, the retail business has been called the miniature version of Donecker’s, the upscale clothing and furniture store in Ephrata, Lancaster County that closed in 2008, because of its clothing merchandise made by high-end manufacturers like Pendleton, Ribkoff and Lyman.

“When I opened, that’s what everybody told me because they were still in business at that time,” Mutter said.

What has made her store different from other ladies’ clothing store is the quality customer service. Mutter and her four part-time employees have gotten to know their customers well. She calls them her “best advertisement.”

“We’ll check in with our customers in the dressing room. We’ll go out and get different sizes for them or say, ‘Here try these, I think they’ll look better on you,’” she said. “I always say if they feel good with what they have on they are going to carry themselves completely differently and they’re going to be a great advertisement for me.”

The retail business has created generations of customers. With weeks to go until the last day, Mutter knows how hard it will be to say goodbye.

“They’ve become like family,” she said. “I was very lucky. Very fortunate.”

 

 

 

Sweet Ride Ice Cream opens shop in W. Reading

(A/N: This article was printed in the July 13th issue of the Reading Eagle. http://www.readingeagle.com/ontap/article/sweet-ride-ice-cream-opens-shop-in-west-reading)

By: Rosalba Ugliuzza, Reading Eagle Correspondent

You may have spotted Chris and Angie Farrell’s ice cream bike at City Park.

Or, you might have caught a glimpse of their ice cream trailer at West Reading Fall Fest.

Now, the Farrells have parked their Sweet Ride at 542 Penn Ave.

In April, the Sinking Spring husband-and-wife team opened Sweet Ride Ice Cream at the former site of Yoas Services Inc. The West Reading shop is an addition to their current bike and mobile parlor business.

The name Sweet Ride culminates all the services the Farrells provide on and off the wheels.

“We want to make people happy when they’re visiting,” Chris said.

Ice cream aficionados of all ages can have an enjoyable dessert experience when they walk in the door. The super-premium ice cream comes from Nelson’s Dutch Farms, a family-owned business from Montgomery County.

While hand-dipped ice cream is its focus, with more than 20 flavors to choose from, the shop also has freshly baked cookies, chocolate marshmallows, floats, banana splits, sundaes, nondairy raspberry sorbet for vegans, sugar-free selections for diabetics, Philadelphia-based Peddler coffee and more.

The most popular flavors are the graham slam and coffee, while the ice cream-flavored milkshakes and banana-peanut butter chips are also doing well.

“We try to have something for everyone,” Angie said.

Sweet Ride Ice Cream is not your typical fast-food ice cream place. There’s a separate room for parties and other special gatherings. There have been three parties since the store’s opening.

Dose of nostalgia

Behind the counter is a 1946 soda fountain, where the sweet beverage is handcrafted with carbonated water and soda syrup. This vintage object – along with the shop’s classic ice cream mixer and black, white and blue decor – give a dose of nostalgia to the older customers.

“We just had an older couple, and they were like: ‘We love sitting there,'” Angie said. “They sit (by the counter) every time they come in. Another couple has said, ‘We feel like we are on a date.'”

“What’s nice is for the older generation when they come in the store, they’ll reminisce a lot,” Chris said. “They talk about the different soda fountains they went to around the city when they were young. You’ll hear young kids say to their parents: ‘Oh, we’ve never been to an ice cream store like this before.'”

Board games are available for kids and their families and friends while they indulge in delectable desserts.

Idea of opening

The Reading High School alums got the idea of opening an ice cream business while on a beach vacation in the summer of 2013. According to Chris, a 1990 graduate, a girl arrived at the dunes to sell ice cream to beachgoers.

“I’m a schoolteacher looking to make some money over the summer, so I said to Angie (a 1992 graduate): ‘Well, I should get an ice cream bike,'” Chris said. “I was just sort of joking. But the idea kind of stuck in my head when we came back from vacation, so I started looking into it.”

His research had found that ice cream bikes were popular at weddings and other formal events in England. This gave the couple an idea to try the same thing in the Reading area by purchasing a vintage ice cream bike from Worksman Cycles in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The bike is utilized for outdoor and indoor events, and serves between 100 to 200 customers.

“It’s always neat when we arrive,” Angie said. “It has the old-time bells on it. It makes a statement. It really adds a fun and unique dessert experience to the special events.”

The Farrells have sold ice cream at baseball tournaments, parties and Bandshell Concert Series at City Park.

It is a hit at weddings. After their ice cream bike service became a success, they decided to kick their business up a notch by getting a mobile ice cream parlor.

Their parlor is a trailer that serves super-premium, hand-dipped ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet to companies, organizations and special events. Fat-free, gluten-free and sugar-free options are available as well as sundaes, custom ice cream cookie sandwiches and floats.

“We were thinking: What can we do when we go to companies that have hundreds of employees, on a bigger scale?” Angie said. “With our mobile ice cream parlor, we have a window side just like a regular food truck, but then on the other side we have two doors that open, and we put steps out. For special events, we have customers enter the parlor.”

Customers can select what type of flavor they would like and then exit the trailer. The mobile parlor has traveled to places such as Harrisburg, West Chester and Philadelphia, serving ice cream at fundraisers, graduations, weddings and more.

“People really love that concept,” Angie said. “There isn’t anything around here like it.”

In April, Angie quit her job as a paralegal to manage the ice cream business full time. Chris is a full-time television and video production teacher at Exeter Township Senior High School.

When it comes to the ice cream business, Chris said, “I help out as much as I can.”

Chris and Angie, who have three sons, thank their families for their huge support and help in making their business come to life.

The Farrells hope their customers can have a good time at Sweet Ride, whether they are on a date, with friends or with family.

“Just enjoy being together, and be happy,” Angie said.

If you go

Co-owners: Chris and Angie Farrell

Location: 542 Penn Ave., West Reading

Phone: 484-987-7338

Hours: Mondays to Thursdays, noon to 8:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 10 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 8 p.m.

Web: sweetrideicecream.com

Facebook: facebook.com/sweetrideicecream

 

Book Review: “Rush” by Maya Banks

One of the reasons I love reading romance novels is that I get to live vicariously through the female protagonist page after page. It also gives me an added bonus to daydream! 🙂

“Rush” is the first book in Maya Banks’s “Breathless” trilogy, which follows three 38-year-old handsome best friends and hotel billionaire business partners —Gabe Hamilton, Jace Crestwell and Ash McIntyre. The men dominate both in the bedroom. Each novel in the trilogy explores the relationship of one of the men as he discovers the woman he will love.

The story begins when Gabe sees 24-year-old Mia Crestwell walk into the ballroom for his hotel’s grand opening. He knew he was going to hell for what he had planned. After all, Mia is his best friend Jace’s little sister. Except she’s not so little anymore. And Gabe has waited a long time to act on his desires.

Gabe has been Mia’s crush since she was a teenager. The fourteen year age difference doesn’t bother her. Mia knows he’s way out of her league, but her attraction has only grown stronger with time. Now an adult, Mia feels there’s no reason not to act on her most secret desires.

As Gabe pulls her into his provocative world, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know about him or how exacting his demands can be. Their relationship is intense and obsessive, but as they cross the line from secret sexual odyssey to something deeper, their affair runs the risk of being exposed—and vulnerable to a betrayal far more intimate than either expected.

Ever since the Fifty Shades phenomenon, there have been a lot of contemporary or erotic romance novels published. The romance genre is sizzling hot right now, but that’s another story for another time. Banks does a great job in providing details and fluidity to the plot. The chemistry between Gabe with Mia, Gabe with Jace and Ash, and Mia with Jace add substance to the story. In the beginning, Gabe is this dominant, stern alpha male who has no problem in getting what he wants, but on the flip side, we get to see a softer side of him that can melt your heart. I like gentle Gabe better than the domineering Gabe. I enjoyed the character development of Mia. She is a great heroine. She’s known Gabe all her life but is able to stand up for herself. She’s sweet and innocent yet spunky. She’s not afraid to tell Gabe what she wants and doesn’t want. Compared to “Fifty Shades of Grey,” “Rush” is a better read, and Banks is a better writer than E.L. James.

 

A summer of obstacles, a moment of courage

“I have been through a lot and have suffered a great deal. But I have had lots of happy moments, as well. Every moment one lives is different from the other. The good, the bad, hardship, the joy, the tragedy, love, and happiness are all interwoven into one single, indescribable whole that is called life. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so, either.” 

~ Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

I am probably one of the few people on this green Earth that is overjoyed that summer is over. Figuratively speaking, I have never been more ready to turn over a new leaf.  Summer 2013 will go down as THE worst summer of my life, particularly because the season began with the sudden loss of my mother. For those of you who don’t know, she suffered a massive stroke. She was only 68.

I still can’t believe it has two months. It seems like yesterday we were eating together at the family table, and she wasn’t complaining of any pain or disturbances. Since June, I have dug myself into this grief buffet of shock, guilt, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, worry, and more. I have cried, laughed, cried, smiled, cried, cracked jokes, cried … well you get the picture. Yet, this rollercoaster of emotions I’m riding on is completely normal, so I’ve been told countless times by my family, friends, and acquaintances. How do I get rid of this pain?

I lost more than just my mother. I lost my very best friend. I lost my confidante. I lost my sister. I lost a soulmate. We would finish each other’s sentences. We would know what pushed each other’s buttons. We would cry from each other’s insults. We would laugh at each other’s jokes. We would give each other strength and love through the acts of cuddling and deep conversations. One of the things my mother taught me was that love was precious, and our love was just that and still is.

My mother has said many times that I’m one of the most courageous person she ever knew and always wondered where I got it from. “You didn’t get it from me,” she said in her Sicilian dialect. Let’s examine the act of courage, shall we? Courage is one of the noblest elements of the human soul. Courage can mean taking a stand that sets you apart from your family and friends. Courage is doing what you say you will no matter how great the cost. Courage can be living up to your vows or principle even those around you are not. Courage is the ability to withstand the most painful moments without crumbling.

I am no stranger to obstacles. I have faced them for the past 30 years. I shit my pants every time I overcome one. OK, that’s gross and I actually don’t do that. But I do surprise myself every time I achieve something. As a person born with achondroplasia, overcoming an obstacle is an act of growing within myself.  But now, moving on with my life and accepting my mother’s death are the biggest obstacles I’m facing right now. I know it will take time for me to do the latter. But moving on is something that I’m forced to do, that I need to do, but part of me doesn’t want to do.

Since my mother’s passing, there have been certain things that I’ve set out to do. I’m learning a lot about myself along the way. I’m more resilient. I’m more expressive. I’m more  productive. I used to watch my mom do things around the house. I used to want to copy everything she did because I thought her way was the right way. I am beginning to realize that it’s not the case at all. Everybody’s different. I’m learning to adapt to certain things around the house. It’s not easy, but I’m trying my best.

I went to a former professor/good friend’s memorial service this past weekend. It was a wonderful service filled with poignant and loving speeches by friends, family, and former students. One former student said something that immediately caught my attention. He said that this beloved professor/good friend has not left us. His wisdom, advice, and guidance would always remain with this former student until his final day on Earth.

I started thinking about Mom and the life lessons she taught me and the things I’ve done so far. Because my mom was such an active person, I know she wouldn’t  want me to sit and sulk. Even though, I don’t hear her voice or feel her touch every day, little by little I’m beginning to realize that she is with me.  From now on, the best thing I can do is to be the most courageous person I can be and know that somewhere in Heaven, there is a Sicilian angel smiling down and guiding me every step of the way.

 

Mamma

Below is the eulogy I gave at my mother’s funeral yesterday. My mother passed away a week ago today. She was gone too soon. She was greatly loved and will be dearly missed.

“Before I begin, I want to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate my mother’s life. Mommy was a devout and wonderful woman. Standing up on the lector right now, I can already imagine her sitting at one of the pews on the far left side. Just like she did every Saturday night when we attended Mass together.

For the past 30 years, I’ve lived in two different worlds. There’s my American world, which includes my friends, my job, my dreams, and my education.  Then there’s my Italian world, which basically consists of the following: my household, Dish Network, Mommy’s hearty home-cooked meals, our spoken Sicilian dialect, and last but certainly not least, the unconditional love and support from my family, particularly my parents.

In writing this eulogy, I could not help but think back to about two months ago, when I celebrated my 30^th birthday with some of my friends from work. Mom had asked me if she could come along. I said, “Of course.” My milestone birthday was much a celebration for her as it was for me. It was also the anniversary that we, along with my dad, became a family. She was an instant hit with my friends, partly b/c she brought an Oreo Blizzard cake from Dairy Queen, but also because, as always, she showed immense pride for me. I will always be thankful that she got to share in that moment of joy with me that night. I was her “gioia,” which means joy in Italian. Words cannot express what a joy it was to be her daughter.

When I think about my beloved mother, I see an adventurer who left her small village in Sicily with her father to join her brother and sister in America and later began a new chapter with my father that was filled with unexpected blessings. I see a trailblazer whose world was shattered after finding out that her eight-month-old daughter had a major physical condition, but still found the hope and courage to give her baby girl the love and normal life she deserved. I see a warrior who overcame obstacles of her own, managed to get up every morning to do her daily activities without complaint, and cherished her quality of life until the end. I see a confidante who dropped whatever she was doing to help or to give a listening ear to any family member or a friend. Finally, I see a teacher who taught me to be strong, to deeply appreciate my sense of self and gave me a love of telling stories. She always reminded me to have a strong faith in God, to take things one step at a time, that anything is possible as long as I set my mind to it, and that what God gave me was never a physical condition or a disease but a gift.

There are many more nouns that I could describe my mother, but the most heartfelt things that I can say are that she will always be the bestest of my best friends and the love of my dad’s life. She was extraordinary. She is my inspiration. I am who I am today because of her (and dad, of course), and the life lessons that she has taught me. My mother’s gifts of authenticity, originality and possibility will forever hold dear in my heart. Her loving spirit will forever be nestled in my heart as well. To my dad and I, our guardian angel will forever be our amazing Grace.”

 

Cover Reveal: “Antithesis” by Kacey Vanderkarr

Hey everyone!

I am so excited to reveal this latest cover reveal for Kacey Vanderkarr’s new book: Antithesis, courtesy of Inkspell Publishing. I know it will be a great read! The book comes out on July 21!

 

Blurb:

My name is Gavyn.

Liam doesn’t care that I only have one arm. He actually likes my red hair and freckles. I might forgive him for kidnapping me.

My name is Gavyn.

I lost my Liam. I’ve lost them all. And now it’s my job to make sure they don’t show up again.

My name is Gavyn.

I had a life with Liam, but he couldn’t give me what I need. Then I killed his father. I don’t expect he’ll forgive me for that.

My name is Gavyn.

 

About the author:

Kacey Vanderkarr is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, crazy cats, and two bearded dragons. Visit http://www.kaceyvanderkarr.com for more information.

Twitter: @kacimari

Blog: www.kaceyvanderkarr.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kacey-Vanderkarr-Young-Adult-Author/128956043852072

 

 

 

Book Review: “Dwarf” by Tiffanie DiDonato & a Personal Reflection

Hate is a very strong word in the English language, and there are very few things that I hate in life. Peas are at the top of the list, but that’s another story for another time. But the one thing I hate the most is labeling.

I hate the word “midget.”

I hate the term “Little Person.”

And I hate the name “dwarf.”

As a girl born with achondroplasia, I refuse to define and segregate myself with that community and with those labels. I am merely a girl who is short.

Yet a couple of months ago, I browsed through the biography section at my local Barnes & Noble, and the word “Dwarf” caught my eye. I pulled it off the shelf, and after reading the back cover synopsis of Tiffanie DiDonato’s book Dwarf: A Memoir of How One Woman Fought for a Body and a Life She Was Never Supposed to Have, I knew I had to buy it, and I’m glad I did. I was meant to read this book not just because I could relate to her struggles growing up, but because people like Tiffanie serve as a positive role model for those who struggle to believe that life does get better in the long run with the concoctions of determination, patience, and tough love.

Tiffanie paints a very honest and detailed account of her life. She was born with a rare type of dwarfism called diastrophic displasia, which causes malformation of the joints and cartilage. As a young child, surgery became an integral part of Tiffanie’s life, beginning with her feet and joints in order to stand and then more bone-lengthening surgeries to extend her legs, thighs, and arms.

One can stupidly say the surgeries were all about looking good, but it wasn’t the case for Tiffanie. We are all guilty of taking the little things (no pun intended) for granted. There are some people that abuse some words in order to gain satisfaction for themselves. For instance, the word “independence.” Some people may interpret that word as a way to move out of their parents’ home. In Tiffanie’s case, the word “independence” meant having a normal life and doing things for herself. She didn’t want to rely on other people because she was just as strong and able as everyone else. She yearned for independence and always found ways to assist herself, even though sometimes they didn’t work to her advantage. The milk incident comes to mind. (Hint: read the book.)

Tiffanie’s mother, who was a military nurse, embraced her daughter’s lifelong goal of being independent. You can say at times, she acted like a drill sergeant when it came to pushing Tiffanie to reach her short-term and long-term goals. However, I fully understood her mother’s motives. Tiffanie’s mother was very supportive in her daughter’s decisions. Her tough love pushed her daughter to believe that she was no less than any normal sized person in the universe. Mrs. DiDonato always believed in her daughter’s full potential to be whoever she wanted to be. In my opinion, that’s how good mothers raise strong, empowered daughters. Mrs, DiDonato, I salute you. 🙂

Tiffanie’s bone-lengthening surgeries were indeed painful, and her recovery was difficult. But according to her, the fight with her doctors, the surgeries, and the struggles were worth it because she grew 14 inches, as a result. At 4’10”, she found the independence that she so craved. She’s also found her happily ever after with her normal-sized husband and adorable baby boy.

At times, the story becomes somewhat graphic when Tiffanie describes what she had to endure growing up. She underwent physical and emotional pain, but she used them to her advantage to belittle the negativity that surrounded her. Because of her decision to undergo the surgeries, she has been criticized as being “a disgrace to the dwarf community,” which I vehemently disagree.

This is a story about a woman who doesn’t like to be labeled. Like me, she doesn’t let her condition define who she is as a person. She is not a midget. She is not a little person. Contrary to the book title, she is not a dwarf. And for crying out loud, she wasn’t born with a disease. She is just Tiffanie, plain and simple. She is a source of inspiration that anything is possible as long as you believe in your dream.

Personal Reflection

This book really touched my heart. There were many moments where I had to stop reading because my eyes welled up with tears. I felt Tiffanie’s pain and anger. Fifteen years ago, I wrote an essay called “Someone Special.” In it I wrote about my own struggles as a short person. Though it was brought to my attention as a young child, I never opted to undergo multiple bone-lengthening surgeries. Like Tiffanie, there were a few ignorant people who told me that I was born with a “disease,” luckily they weren’t doctors. My parents taught me at a young age that my condition was nothing more than a gift from God, and that I am perfect in his eyes. It took me a long time to believe it, but I do. I didn’t choose to be short, but I am. I have my moments of sorrow, but I’m resilient. I wish we lived in a perfect world, but we don’t.

Through it all, I have fought to maintain a normal life and have learned to adapt. Do I still get stares from people whenever I’m out and about? Of course I do, though mostly from children. But I’ve learned to be like Victoria Beckham, put my oversized shades on and tune them out.

In addition to thinking about my own struggles growing up, I realized how far I’ve come. I can do many things on my own, and I’m amazed. I hope to follow in Tiffanie’s footsteps and find my happily ever after someday.

However in the meantime, I will continue to find my way by taking things one day at a time and being just Rosie. 😉

 

Cover Reveal: “Losing Hope” by Colleen Hoover

I am so, so excited that the cover of  Colleen Hoover’s new book “Losing Hope” has recently been unveiled.

I am at the edge of my seat to read this book, but as usual, I, like many of her dedicated fans, have to wait until it comes out. Don’t worry, ladies! According to Goodreads.com, the book is expected to come out on July 9. Mark that on your calendars!

“Losing Hope” is a follow-up to “Hopeless” and is told in Dean Holder’s point-of-view. In “Hopeless”, Sky Davis left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In “Losing Hope,” Hoover, a New York Times bestselling author, reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

This passionate story has melted thousands of hearts. If you haven’t read “Hopeless,” I recommend you read that first before you read “Losing Hope.”

 

A Mother’s Day Post: The Gifts My Mother Gave Me

For the past 30 years, I always believed I live in two separate worlds. There’s my American world, which includes my friends, my job, my errands, and my graduate education. Then there’s my Italian world, which basically consists of my family and my household.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my parents for giving me this Italian world, which includes of all of us speaking the Sicilian dialect to one another, my father watching Italian soccer games and variety shows at high volume, and my mother cooking up multiple delicious meals that could feed a football team. Mmmm, Sundays are the best because the aroma of her signature tomato sauce always permeates the entire house.  Out of the way, Giada! haha!

This Sunday is special, of course, because it’s Mother’s Day. Today is one of the few times in the year that my mother will not indulge in one of her favorite pastimes. Yep, you guessed it: Dad and I are taking her out. 🙂

In writing this entry, I could not help but think back to three weeks ago when I celebrated my 30th birthday. It was a wonderful occasion, and once a year, my mother writes words of encouragement and love to me in her native tongue.  This year’s milestone was much a celebration for her as it was for me. I was blessed that she got to share in the moments of joy with me and my family and friends.

When I think about my mother, I see an adventurer who left her small village in Sicily with her father to come to America and begin a new chapter of unexpected blessings. I see a trailblazer whose world was shattered after finding out that her eight-month-old daughter had a major physical condition, but still found the hope and courage to give her baby the love and normal life she deserved. I see a warrior who has overcome obstacles of her own and manages to get up every morning to do her daily activities without complaint. I see a confidante who will drop whatever she is doing to give a listening ear to a family member or a friend. Finally, I see a teacher who has taught me to deeply appreciate my sense of self and gave me a love of telling stories. To this day, she always reminds me to take things one step at a time, that anything is possible as long as I put my mind to it, and that what God gave me was not a physical condition but a gift.

There are many more adjectives that I could describe my Sicilian mother, but the most heartfelt thing that I can say is that she is the bestest of my best friends. She is extraordinary. I am who I am today because of her (and dad, of course), and the life lessons that she has taught me. Life hasn’t always been roses (I did inherit her stubbornness … haha!), but words cannot express how proud I am to be her daughter. Her gifts of originality and possibility are life lessons that I will forever hold dear in my heart. I hope I can be as good of a mother to my child someday as my mother is to me.

So to all the biological mothers, adoptive mothers, foster mothers, stepmothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, godmothers, and mothers-to-be, I wish you a very special and happy Mother’s Day!!! I hope you all have a wonderful day. You all deserve it! We are who we are because of your unconditional love, guidance, and support. We are forever grateful for everything you do and have done for us. Thank you so much for being the adventurers, the trailblazers, the confidantes, and the teachers in our lives.