Has it really been a year since I’ve posted here? The evidence points to “yes”. Yikes. It has been a very eventful year. I started back to school, so all my free time (and some not-so-free time) has been focused on achieving a lifelong goal of completing my college education. I have another year to go, so don’t get all excited and expect that I will start blogging again on a regular basis, but i will do my best not to disappear again.
Since I evidently don’t have anything that can resemble a personal life, I need to get all my excitement from…you guessed it…technology! I recently bit the bullet, removed every semblance of an excuse, and got myself an iPad.
If the truth be told, I think I’m in love. This little gadget does so much more then I expected it would. Here are the top features that I am excited about:
- My Nook is now being retired. The online chapters of my school books would not convert properly to the Nook (one of the main reasons that I purchased it). The iPad will take these in beautiful pdf format and I can read my school chapters to my hearts content.
- I have access to Dropbox from the iPad. Yay!!
- I have the ability to view and deliver presentations from either Powerpoint or Prezi directly from the iPad. wOOt!
- ios5. If you are familiar with ios5…nuff said!
- I found a cool RED iPad cover.
Even the puppy can’t resist being a part of the action!
Until next time!
Posted in Pet, Technology, Uncategorized, college, iPad, reading.
By Barb Jacobucci
– October 16, 2011
…are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and thought I found true love.
You met another…
and…
pfthhh you were gone!
So, where ya been? How ya doing? What’s goin on? It appears that I have been MIA for quite some time. I will confess that it has been a very busy summer. Summer, you say? We had a summer? Did I miss it? Drat…it appears that I missed it.
As I was talking to a co-worker this week, trying to come up with a good excuse (heck I’d even take a weak excuse) as to why I hadn’t blogged lately, the song that you see above popped into my mind. It was all I had. I had no good excuse, except for I’ve been really busy working, but you all know me well enough to not let me get away with that…
So…your mission…should you choose to accept it…is to tell me where that song comes from. Recognize it? Even sang it yourself a time or two? Let’s hear it. Where do you know that song from? hmmmmmm…..
Well, off to more work. I am currently on an airplane really groovin on this slick new thing called in-flight wifi on Alaska Airlines. There used to be a time when traveling was a chance to catch your breathe. Not so anymore.
Ciao!
Posted in alaska airlines, busy, co-workers.
By Barb Jacobucci
– October 8, 2010
It was inevitable. The first of my daughters friends have gotten married. Two weddings in two weekends. As she and her friends graduate from college and begin their careers, the next obvious step for them is marriage and family.
This weekend, I had the pleasure of witnessing one of her friends getting married. This wedding wasn’t just one of the first, it was actually special to me for other reasons. That is because this bride was special to ME.
My daughter became friends with the bride back in junior high school. They were both part of this large group of friends that hung out with each other over the years. These friends, both guys and gals, spent many happy times together. They always seemed to move in a pack. Every school play, school dance, school sports event, whatever the occasion…they hung out together through it all…always remaining the closest of friends. Even as they separated to attend different colleges, they always managed to keep in close contact.
So, from this large circle of friends why is the bride so special? That is easy. We developed a special relationship early on. I remember many times when she came to the house to visit with my daughter, that we would get into the best conversations. She was never afraid to talk to me about what was on her mind. She accompanied us on many shopping excursions, and even joined our family for my daughters high school graduation trip to Hawaii. I knew that visiting Hawaii was a dream of hers, so it made perfect sense to ask her join us on this celebratory trip.
I clearly remember the day when she called and wanted to drop by. She had been living on the other s
ide of our state, attending college, but she had someone that she wanted me to meet. Wow…this was new. It was easy to see how much they cared about each other, and it was clear what a wonderful young man her beau was. I knew immediately that “this was it”.
As I arrived at the wedding location, I saw her Mom, who told me to go visit with her as she was waiting for the ceremony to begin. As I walked into the room, I took one look at this young girl who was definitely all grown up now…and I immediately burst into tears. Of course, every bride is beautiful on her wedding day, but she was stunning! All those years of watching her grow into this beautiful young woman, listening to her dreams, sharing her hopes…I knew that this was right. This was the beginning of her future…of their story.
Congratulations to the beautiful couple. I am so happy for you, and love you both dearly!
Posted in children grown, daughter, friends, friendship.
By Barb Jacobucci
– August 8, 2010
After 15 years, 5 homes, two teenagers, and one puppy it was finally time to retire the living room furniture. My kids will soon be moving out and will provide a happy home for….
BEFORE
I have recently adopted and given a good home to…..
AFTER
Hmmm….notice the red? Not sure how THAT happened!
Posted in Uncategorized.
By Barb Jacobucci
– July 24, 2010
During my trip back to Colorado last weekend, I got to see my brothers and sister. We took a ride out to the family farm, where my brother is holding down the fort (quite nicely, I might add.) The first thing I noticed is that my Dad immediately got into a conversation with my brother…asking questions, giving advice.
Then we went to a restaurant that we frequent, the Blue Parrot, for my favorite spaghetti. What happened? My Dad got into a conversation with my other brother…asking questions, giving advice.
It really struck me how things never really change. I remember this scene playing out over and over again, between my Dad and my Grandfather, when I was growing up. On the farm, in a restaurant, at their home after Church on Sunday. There were always questions, there was always advice. The cycle repeats itself.
Posted in family.
By Barb Jacobucci
– July 21, 2010
Ring. Ring.
Hi Barb! How are you? Are you coming to Denver for Joy’s retirement party?
No…I’m so busy, things going on, gotta keep working.
By the end of the 45 minute conversation with my dear friend, Angela, there was no doubt.
Angela, I’m coming.
Why the sudden change? It was for Joy. Talking with Angela brought into clear focus what is really important in life…The cherished friends that you meet along the way.
Joy had been my boss. But that really doesn’t give the full picture. 
Joy was my boss, my teacher, my mentor, my cheerleader, my support network, my coach…my friend. But most of all, she believed in me. I am a better person for having been in Joy’s world. She gave so much to all of us that had the luxury of being on her team.
So, off to Denver I went to join the rest of her fan club at the Surprise Retirement Party. It was such fun. Not only did I get to visit with Joy, but I was surrounded by many, many of my old friends. I didn’t realize how much I missed them, but we jumped right back in without missing a beat.
Am I glad I went? Absolutely. The work waited for me, the world didn’t end because I took some time off. It’s all good. Thank you, Angela, for making that phone call and reminding me of what is REALLY important!
I love you, Joy! Have fun on your next big adventure. I will be cheering you on!
Posted in friendship.
By Barb Jacobucci
– July 19, 2010
If it seems like I have been MIA…well, perhaps I have been. I have spent the last two weeks celebrating my birthday. I think I will continue celebrating for a while, if you don’t mind.
In the mean time…I received this photo today from Tammi and Adam. It’s a photo with my sister and Mom from the wedding in NYC last November. It reminds me of what a wonderful time I had with my family that weekend…and of how much I love these two women. This will easily become one of my favorite photos of “the girls”.
Posted in 50th birthday, family, sister.
By Barb Jacobucci
– June 22, 2010
When I first started publishing on this blog almost two years ago, I wrote the story of how I came to name my blog “Nice Shoes and more life observations”. Well…I only told you half of the story. It is now time that I reveal the other half.
Yes, my grandmother often commented that you can tell a lot about a person by the shoes that they wear. But then 
along comes her son…my father. For those of you who know him, you know that his sense of humor and fun loving nature are legendary. There is always a smile on his face and a wisecrack ready on his lips. He teases..he pokes fun…he jokes…he’s funny. (I like to think that I inherited a small part of that too.)
There has been a long standing joke in our family about my Dad and his appreciation for “nice shoes”. This joke was another reason that my blog got its name. I never put this story in writing as I didn’t feel that the written word would translate well enough. I got the luxury of spending some time with my folks over the weekend as we joined my daughter in celebrating her college graduation. It was over our birthday dinner celebration for my Mom (Happy Birthday Mom!) when he told the story of how this all started. I now feel that I can share this story with you.
It was the late 60’s or perhaps the early 70’s. My sister and I were pre-teens, and were hanging out with my folks one evening as they were watching the Rockette’s kick up their heels on television. My Dad does have an appreciation for a beautiful woman (good thing he married my Mom…a true beauty!), so he felt the need to comment on the line of beauties that were smiling out at us through our TV set. Knowing that his young daughters were within earshot and thinking that he had to be discrete, he said to my Mom, “Hey Joanne. Look at those nice shoes!”
Well, as the story goes… my sister is one sharp cookie. She caught on immediately to what my dad was actually saying. She wasn’t quite as young and naive as he thought and, if truth be told, she inherited that sense of humor early on. Much to my Dad’s surprise, she called him on his comment. But…she didn’t let it go there. She began teasing him whenever we were in public. “Hey Dad, check out those nice shoes.” If you can’t beat em, join em. The whole family was soon in the loop to this little joke.
Here we are…40 odd years later. As we are sitting at the sidewalk cafe enjoying a wonderful dinner, he looks up and watching a lovely lady walk by he says, “Hey Joanne. Look at those nice shoes!”"
Posted in growing up, laughing, mom and dad.
By Barb Jacobucci
– May 18, 2010
I’m a very proud Mama. Connie crossed the stage on Sunday at Whitworth University graduation ceremony. She graduated cum laude! Congratulations CJ. We love you!
Connies Graduation May 2010
Posted in college, parenting.
By Barb Jacobucci
– May 18, 2010
The greatest role of a parent is to give their child the foundation to go out into the world and handle whatever comes at them. As the years move into fast forward, I am reminded of these lessons again and again. This past week I got to watch this in action with my sister. 
She had been working towards a goal for many, many months. She prepared, she prepared, and then she prepared some more. She went into the final stretches towards the goal with everything that she had. She had a large cheerleading section behind her…”there is no way you can miss on meeting this goal”…”you are obviously going to make it”…”you can’t lose”. These were the shouts of encouragement that we smothered her with. She was the one who kept us all grounded with “its not a done-deal”…”you never know until the end”…”nothing is guaranteed”.
In the end, she didn’t reach her goal. She came so close, but we never attack a goal with the idea of being the runner-up, do we? We were so disappointed for her. Well, guess what she said?…
“My mother always taught me that things happen for a reason. I learned so much on the way, I gained so much, I’ll be ready for the next time. This is actually a good thing, Barb, cuz now I can plan my trip to visit you for your birthday!”
Really? She is able to take the disappointment with grace, and then turn this around to make ME feel better. We have been plotting a weekend when she could fly out to join me for a big 50th Birthday party celebration, but had put the decisions on hold pending her goal. Within seconds, she was looking past her disappointment and looking forward to what is next. My hat’s off to you, Mary. You are my hero. When I grow up, I want to be like you!
Mom and Dad, you did your job well.
Posted in 50th birthday, being a better person.
By Barb Jacobucci
– April 25, 2010
