Belated Birthday Wishes...

Dear Nancy,

I'm sorry if this is late, but on behalf of both Ellen and I we wish you the happiest of birthdays and hope that your new career has helped to make it so. Since you come from a long line of long-lined people, you can consider yourself only half way there! Have a wild, wonderful second half!

Love,
Aunt Mary Ellen and Ellen

Little Bro Chimes In

Dear Nancy (my oldest sister and Godmother),

You were 13 when I was born, pretty young for a Godmother, but you took on the responsibility wholeheartedly. You have ALWAYS been there for me and I will ALWAYS remember that. Here's a great picture of you from a few years ago at Cayuga Lake. You look pretty darn happy in this shot and it makes me smile. Love ya! Thanks for always being there!
Paul

And One More From Mom & Dad

Dear Nancy,

Happy 50th Birthday! While we can't fit 50 years of memories into this blog, I can touch on a few of the more momentous ones.

You were our firstborn and the eldest of five siblings. You were very forgiving of the mistakes we as new parents made and grew into a cooperative and willing helper through the years of our young family. Always a help to me and dad, I can still see you carrying logs through the snow into the house to feed our wood stove. You kept your wits about you when the boat you and dad were in overturned and managed to rescue his precious fishing tackle. How about the dog sitting business you started as a teen? Remember chasing Prince through the streets? And the beagle Fred around the court? And here you are now, running your own dog-grooming business. We should have known! Then you were off to college -- SUNY at Plattsburgh, then SUNY Stony Brook. You took everything in stride, and you continue to do so, surviving the valleys as well as rejoicing in the peaks.

And now you're on to a new phase. With Steve as your love and companion, may you continue to gather more memories. We pray that God will continue to bless you with all good things.

Much love from your Mom and Dad

From Little Sis

Wow! Fifty years! Who'd have thought we would ever be old. It doesn't seem that long ago that we were playing canasta in the back of the Suburban, driving through Chicago during a tornado watch, on the way to Madison, Wisconsin. We have some great memories from our many camping trips and we learned a lot about rocks.

But seriously, you have always been a person I've looked up to. As the youngest of the 3 girls, I was almost in awe of you a lot of the time. You always seemed to have it together. And, even if you didn't, you never lost your cool. You were also one of the first people I felt took me seriously as a teenager. I remember you talking to me and treating me as a peer, which I greatly appreciated as a 9th grader among juniors and seniors.

You have lived through some wonderful times and some unbearably difficult times. Throughout it all, you've shown grace, poise, and amazing resolve. Enjoy every moment, every day, every month. Time goes so fast and it's so easy to take things for granted. I hope that the next 50 years are full of love and peace and joy.

love,

Carolyn

Love from Your Nieces

Dear Aunt Nancy,

Remember when we came to visit you? That was 4 years ago! We have all grown a lot since then, but we still think you're an Awesome Aunt! You're super-nice, you love animals, and you have great taste in jewelry! You're fun to be with and a lot cooler than our parents! Have a fantastic birthday - we'll be around to help you celebrate the next 50 years!

Love,

Sarah, Chelsea, and Alana

More Ithaca Friends

Happy Birthday Nancy! Once again, helping friends. You are such a wonderful person!

Cheryl Jewell

I'd like to wish Nancy a very Happy Birthday with special thanks for welcoming me into her circle of friends.

Best, Christine Karatnytsky

It's about time you got to our side of the hill. We love you. Happy Birthday!!

Cheryl and Erich (who is now home)

Happy 50th Birthday Nancy!!! Enjoy Your Special Day!!! :D from Esther Grace

A Few Words from Kelly

I have known Nancy for probably close to ten years. Nancy impresses me with her strength and her bravery. She never seems scared or uncertain and she decides what she wants to do and does it. Whether it is a job change, going to grooming school, starting her own business, going on a quest, or facing life after her best friend passed, she does it all with determination and grace and never shows signs of indecision, panic, uncertainty, or any other negative emotions that seem to plague me on a daily basis. :) She is a wonderful person, very giving and very kind with a good sense of humor.

I have attached a photo of Nancy after she finished grooming school. The “Thursday Girls” bought her a dog kennel to get started and lots of towels. We tied the towels into animal shapes. Most of them resembled rabbits, but it's the thought that counts.

Love you Nancy! Have a fabulous 50th and 2012!

Kelly Tillotson

From Some Ithaca Friends

Nancy worked for me for a while in summer of 2009 I think, helping to dig trees for replanting in a wetland, she and I and two of my twenty-something worker guys. They were really impressed with Nancy. "that old chick can really work," they said. And so she can.

Happy Birthday!

- Jim and Amy

Chalk up another decade! I remember "40." At Day Hall we never let a birthday slip by us. What a decade it has been! So here's to the next ten. Sometimes life just gets better with age (speaking from one who has been there).

From Carol Eichler

Nancy was the first friend I found when I moved to Ithaca in 1988… or was it 89?

We were painting & refinishing an old building downtown for Ithaca Rentals and Renovations. We were both from Long Island... actually everyone on that site was a former Long Islander, who migrated upstate to live in the country. We all had an instant bond.

Many years have passed since then...along with many houses, cats, dogs, and loves. But the friendships made that year are everlasting.

Happy Birthday Nancy.....with much love and joy,

Wendy Kenigsberg

Nan,

Will always love when you make your "badger face", and your belly laugh - with grace, and courageous heart, you light up a room with your smile - my brilliant, beautiful, funny and tenacious friend, i wish you the best of best wishes for the next 50 years (or 60 or 70 or??) full of love and luck and cannoli...
hugs,
Wa

A Blast from Your Past

Nancy and I decided to pair up for the three-legged race for Black and Gold night. We practiced for days up and down the hallway leading to the chorus room. We were REALLY good at it. We were always in step with each other and would FLY down the hallway. We were confident we would win.

So, the night of black and gold arrives. The three-legged race competition is about to begin. We had tied our legs together and we were all ready to go. We were filled with determination. The bell was rung and we tore down our lane in the gymnasium. One lap, two laps; who remembers. What I do remember is that we WON!! I KNEW we would win. We had practiced and practiced and had mastered the skill. BUT, "they" (and I believe it was Mr. Griffin - the english teacher) had called a false start. Someone had jumped the bell and the race had to be re-run. We were disappointed but we KNEW we would win it again. During all that confusion, our cloth had come untied, so as we were in the process of retying it, "they" sounded the bell. "WHAT? WE AREN'T READY," I screamed. To no avail. The race continued without us and low and behold, we lost. I don't remember WHO won and it doesn't really matter, does it? In our eyes, WE won that race, no matter what "they" say!!! LOL - but I'm not bitter!!

Just retelling that story cracks me up. I wonder if you remember it?

With MUCH Love,

Gary Alaimo

To My Big Sister

Happy Birthday Nancy!

My oldest sister. Lover of horses. Woman with really red hair. You were always the mature one, you had to be, because you were the big sister. It seemed to fit you though. Sometimes I think you didn't want it, but you realized you had no choice. Reluctant acceptance I guess. You've had some hard times the last decade, but have come thru it better than most would. I'm proud of all you've done, and to say you are my sister.

Happy Birthday!

Love Charlie

From Dennis

Dear Nancy,

Happy 50th!!!! It's hard to believe that you have reached this important milestone in your life. I'm so happy for you and I wish you a long,happy, healthy, and joyous life filled with the love of family and friends.

One of the things I am grateful for is that we are related not only by blood (you are the first second cousin I ever had), but also by a bond of friendship. It has been said that we can't chose our family, but we can choose our friends. I am grateful to God that over the years we have become close.

I know you've already been through a lot in your life, and I admire you for the way you have handled the suffering and traumas that have come you way with nobility and grace. After all, your very name, "Nancy," I am told, is a derivative of the Hebrew word for "Grace." And I think I once told you that people with red hair of Sicilian heritage are thought to have noble blood running through their veins!!! I said that with a smile then, and now I would like to say that as you face the future, and as you hair turns from red to gray, I can still sense in you a deep nobility of heart running, if not in your veins, then certainly in your spirit.

We love you, Nancy! And we wish you God's choicest blessings through all your life. On a personal level, I wish to thank you for all of your warm thoughts, prayers, and loving notes that you have send me during my illness.

Although I don't have any pictures of you to put up on this blog, I have many fond images of you planted deep in my memory that are a cause of great joy and happiness for me.

So Happy Birthday, Nancy! May the Lord bless and watch over you. May He bless you and shed his Grace upon you!

Blessings,

And much love,

Dennis

A Message from Your Godfather

My Dear Nancy,

I wish to extend my best wishes as you reach another milestone with another Birthday. I am extremely happy for you as I understand you and Steve have found happiness and companionship. Isn’t it wonderful to have someone to come home to, buy a Valentines card for and enjoy a movie with? Life experiences can be difficult at times, but you have been blessed with a wonderful family, offering you support and guidance through it all.

I am excited for you as you meet the challenges of a new life filled with joy and happy days. Please remember that I will always love you and that I am only a phone call and e-mail away. Enjoy your Birthday with friends and family as that’s what it’s all about.

Love you always…

Uncle Bob

Here's to You!

Three hour trip to Ithaca -- 10 gallons of gas

Touring the finger lakes wine country with you -- much fun

Watching your business prosper -- makes us proud

Having you for a daughter for 50 years -- PRICELESS!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Wishing you much happiness, love, and laughter.

Mom and Dad

In the Beginning... from Cindy

In honor of this special occasion, I went through some old photos and arranged them here for all to see, so get ready for a little trip down Memory Lane…

I’ll start with my favorite photo of the two of us together, and we certainly had many photos taken together, especially when we were little girls. I guess I like this one the best because it reminds me of our carefree, childhood days, and special times spent outdoors at Open Woods Lake, and many campgrounds and parks on LI and across the country. It also reminds me of how, although I have a fiercely independent streak as seen here by my little pout, I also depended on you a lot growing up, and still do. It was always a great comfort to me when I faced the next milestone, to know you had already faced it and survived, so I would probably survive too. I also had the benefit of your experience and advice.

Here is another funny photo I found. It might have been Christmas or your birthday, but as you can see, you’re holding up some little homemade object or doll. I’m guessing it’s something I made for you as a gift, and you’re obviously thrilled with it! Lucky for me, you continue to be thrilled whenever I shower you with my homemade gifts, no matter how amateurish and unprofessional they may be! I am also guessing the lovely purple and white crocheted vest was also a gift, and you wear it so well! Don’t you also love the groovy swag lamp in the background? Amazing we survived the 70s with some small measure of personal style and taste!


On to the 80s! Here we are singing together in the high school follies. It was great that we were able to maintain a close relationship despite all the drama of high school.
Here are some more photos from those years, including some talented friends and our special Chorus teacher, Mr. Blunt. These were from our trip to Philadelphia. Look at the Liberty Bell – it’s walking away!

I also came across these pictures of a surprise party. Was it your 16th birthday? What great times we used to have!


And now we have parties that look more like this:




But as always, you’re right in the middle of the action with all the kids. You’re a super Aunt as well as a great friend and sister. I’m betting we’ll both be there for each other for the next 50 years, offering a shoulder to cry on or a listening ear, or someone to share a good laugh with. Happy Birthday and many happy returns!
Love,

Cindy