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Gina DiMartino

~ An Asheville Foodie, Writer, Creator & Dreamer

Gina DiMartino

Author Archives: ginamd

Psalm 32

11 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by ginamd in Uncategorized

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Boston Strong, psalm 32

A great friend of mine reads a Psalm every day. He reads the Psalm that corresponds with his age. So this year, for both of us, it is Psalm 32. His faith and life inspire me in many ways. He has long been an example to me of a steadfast man of God.

This morning I was having a rough time. I was frustrated about my leg and my brother called me excited about all the great things they are getting to do now that they are engaged and apparently the most famous people in the world. Everyone wants their story because its is a beautiful story about taking a horrible situation and turning it into something great. They are inspirational and they deserve all the attention and recognition they are getting. This however is sometimes frustrating for me. Because I was in the bomb too. I too deal with its effects every day. I am not begrudging them their attention and their fame. They are amazing people and they deserve every bit of it. But some days it makes me feel very small. I feel like my involvement in this story gets smaller and smaller and when people think of our family and those hurt in the bombing, Peter and Rebekah are the ones at the forefront. I am being pushed back farther and farther. I am unimportant. And then I feel bad for myself. I don’t want people to forget about me. While they are swooning over Peter and Rebekah’s engagement and marriage and their amazing story, I am watching from behind the scenes and sometimes, only sometimes I am JEALOUS.

This morning I was feeling sad. Feeling like I was missing out. Small. Unimportant. I was praying and knowing that my attitude was WRONG and that the devil was trying to bring me down and fill me with jealousy and make me miserable. So I prayed and I knew I had to open my bible and read truth so I would stop believing lies. I decided that I would do as my friend does and read the Psalm that corresponds with my age. I opened to Psalm 32.

Blessed
is the one whose transgression is forgiven 
whose sin is covered 
Blessed
is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity 
and in whose spirit there is no deceit
You
are a hiding place for me
You
preserve me from trouble
You
surround me with shouts of deliverance

Steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous
Shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

I took a moment to be still and let it all sink in. How this Psalm humbles me! My sins are forgiven, I am blessed! God preserves me from trouble and I am surrounded with steadfast love! Fame and recognition are of no value. I only pray that I can remember these truths as I march along this road of healing. I am important in the eyes of the only ONE who really matters. He preserves me, delivers me, and surrounds me with love. That is all I really need. 

raindrops keep falling on my head

08 Tuesday Oct 2013

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javas

Javas sitting. Its raining outside. Huge drops, long straight streams of water falling heaving to earth. Inside it is warm and full. People come in and out. Umbrellas march apst the windows. Faceless. Turkish coffee is delicious. Warm, thick and sweet with a hint of cloves. Pour it into tiny cups and slowly sip its warm goodness. I see so many people I know. I should sit here more often. I would get more work done. Maybe. Why do I procrastinate so much. Why is it so hard for me to get any work done? I try so hard. No I don’t. I have no motivation and I am tired all the time. A man walks past with a cane. He is younger than me. WHy does he have a cane. What happened? What do people think about me with my leg brace and limp? Do I arouse similar questions in their minds? This whole experience has made me so much more mindful of people with disabilities and handicaps. They are no different from me now. Why even consider that they are . Yet I digress. The line ebbs and flows. People chat with the baristas, people wait silently for their coffee. In and out. Umbrellas up, umbrellas down. Come in dripping wet. Stay in to dry off. Go back out. Eastman students all preppy and dressed up carrying varing shapes and sizes of instruments. Acting like they are more important than anyone else. The elite of Gibbs street. But are they? Random thoughts. Javas sitting.

Forever Like That

19 Thursday Sep 2013

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Ben Rector, Forever Like That, video

This is super sappy, but I just love this song. I love Ben Rector. I love this song. That is all.

 

 

Toe off AFO

16 Monday Sep 2013

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Boston Strong

Exciting news today. I visited a new doctor today who approved me for a toe off afo. This means I will be shedding my huge leg brace and horrible boot and will be graduating to this streamline contraption which will allow me to again wear pants and a shoe of my right foot. Not cute shoes. But…at this point who cares. Pants are a big deal. I haven’t worn jeans since April! I get fitted next week probably so I’ll give more info then. This is a picture of something similar to what I will be getting. I’ll be sure to put up a picture once I actually get it!

216

What even do we do with those single people!

16 Monday Sep 2013

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I love this girl and her outlook on many different things. This post is awesome. Instead of focusing on who is single or not, lets just do life together. “Let’s journey together whatever phase of life that may be.”

jbbaughman's avatarEveryday Journey

I had planned on blogging about my awesome canning experience and showing off pictures from our garden harvest, but that was an epic fail. So instead, I’ll share on a topic I am familiar with. SINGLENESS. There, I said it.
One thing I appreciated (among many) about my life in PA was that there were many people who where in the same phase as life I was and many friends who I could relate to and commiserate with. Many in my church also supported me and invited me to be part of their families. However, in the heartland, I find, well many people marry their high school sweetheart at a ripe young age and off they go… Which honestly warms my heart and is indeed lovely.
Since the culture is a tad bit different here than on the east coast, I have found myself in more awkward, and sometimes humorous…

View original post 271 more words

Rochester Marathon

14 Saturday Sep 2013

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Boston Strong, dimartino family, Lindsay Kukla, Rochester Marathon

One week from tomorrow, amidst the cheers of hundreds of people, my good friend Lindsay will be running the Rochester Marathon to support our family. While I was in the hospital Lindsay visited me often. She brought me Thai food, watched movies with me, brought nail polish and even brought the kiddos that she nannies for so I could have some entertainment. She has been a great friend and a huge support throughout these past few months. I love her SO much!

Sunday September 22 at 7:30am we will be there cheering her on. Pretty sure I’ll be doing the last mile with her in my wheel chair. Haven’t figured out the details yet, but I want to cross that finish line with her! If you’re in the Rochester area you should come out and support the runners!

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You can donate to Lindsay’s fundraiser here:

https://www.giveforward.com/fundraiser/3tj2/running-for-recovery-funding-the-dimartinos?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=graph&utm_campaign=vanity_page

Aaron Niequist

12 Thursday Sep 2013

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A New Liturgy 5, Aaron Niequist, Here are my hands

New music for this beautiful Thursday. Shauna Niequist’s very talented husband, Aaron.

 

 

http://worshipleader.com/a-new-liturgy-5-here-are-my-hands/

32

11 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by ginamd in Uncategorized

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Boston Strong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned 32 this week…Yeah old. 🙂 Here are 32 things I have to be thankful for this birthday.


1. carrot cake
2. champagne
3. highland park diner breakfast
4. cupcakes
5. javas
6. painting pottery
7. dinner with the girls at Pomodoro
8. Roberts “reunion” with Kim & Sara (haven’t seen them in 6 years!)
9. I haven’t used crutches in over 2 weeks
10. today the doctor said I could ditch my leg brace
11. I am getting feeling back in my leg. I can feel pressure all the way down to my ankle!
12. Flower bouquets from friends with happy sunflowers
13. chocolate
14. big mugs
15. minty chap stick (thanks Hannah!)
16. Barnes & Noble gift cards (yes plural)
17. my brother made me a delicious dinner…pasta with goat cheese cream sauce with bacon and basil…yum
18. two birthday cards from my grandma…
19. its so HOT
20. corn on the cob
21. We finally got to Prince Edward Island after dreaming about it for years
22. I moved back up in the attic (hello my own space!)
23. face-time so Liz and Kim and Colton could be there for my birthday cake 🙂
24. I can now walk 1/2 mile in 14 minutes
25. my hair stopped falling out (THANK YOU GOD!)
26. fall is coming (APPLES!)
27. I’m officially back on the worship team (sitting at the keyboard rather than standing, but we make it work)
28. I’ve gotten an exciting little job offer…more on that later
29. Today I got set up on all the weight machines at the Y so I can start going to the Y on non-PT days (walk, swim, lift)
30. wonderful friends
31. even more wonderful family
32. I almost didn’t make it to my 32nd birthday. So I am thankful that because God chose to keep me on this earth, He must have important things for me to do.

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I am Boston Strong!

 

Photo by Ondrey Photography

her name is gina.

08 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by ginamd in Uncategorized

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Liz, I love you

 

her name is gina..

Prince Edward Island

28 Wednesday Aug 2013

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Boston Strong, Dalvay by the Sea, Prince Edward Island

I was born – praise to the gods! – in Prince Edward Island
The colourful little land of ruby and emerald sapphire…I like Ontario muchly but anyone who had once loved “the only Island there is” never really loves any other place…For there the fairies still abide despite the raucous shrieks of motor cars. There are still a few spots where one who knows may find them.
L.M. Montgomery

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We left Wednesday evening. Stopped in Chelmsford for the night and breakfasted with relatives before heading up the Maine and New Brunswick coast. We stopped in York, one of my favorite little beach/vacation towns. There we found the quaintest little pie shop called Pie In The Sky Bakery. The best blueberry pie you have ever had. I promise. It was unreal.

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From there we went to Bar Harbor and had a fabulous seafood dinner on the ocean. We crossed the border late in the night and slept in Saint John, New Brunswick.

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PEI was only three hours away. We woke up excited to finally be realizing one of our dreams. As we crossed the eight mile bridge to the red coasted island the theme of Anne of Green Gables playing loudly in the car we flew up on the wings of anticipation. It was BEAUTIFUL. Everything we had dreamed and more. Driving across the island to our cottage you could almost hear L.M. Montgomery describing the rolling green hills, the vast hayfields with big round bales of hay, the sandy dunes with tall grasses blowing in the wind, and yes, the red rocky coast with its high cliffs and sapphire blue water.

“Elsewhere are more lavish landscapes and grander scenery; but for chaste, restful loveliness it is unsurpassed.”

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Our cottage was perfect. We made friends with the owner, Monty, an adorable veteran who retired and built cottages on the ocean. Our porch overlooked a vibrant green yard, tall stately pines, and a glimpse of the blue ocean through the trees. The first day a bald eagle flew right through our yard!

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For the next three days we wandered the island. We visited the Avonlea Village, The Green Gables Heritage Place, relaxed on the beach, got up early for sunrise, watched the beautiful sunsets, and ate some of the best island had to offer.

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“You cannot get away from the sea down there.
Save for a few places in the interior, it is ever visible somewhere, if only in a tiny blue gap between distant hills, or a turquoise gleam through the dark boughs of spruce fringing an estuary. Great is our love for it;
its tang gets into our blood: its siren call rings ever in our ears;
and no matter where
we wander in lands afar, the murmur of its waves ever summons us back in
our dreams to the homeland. “

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Our last evening we drove the coastal road to Dalvay By The Sea. An old victorian hotel that was Montgomery’s inspiration for The White Sands Hotel. Stepping onto the terrace visions of 19th century vacationers in long white dresses with hats and parisoles flitted through my mind. This was where high class people came for the summers. They dined in the elegant restaurant and climbed the mahogany staircase in their finest clothes. It was like stepping onto the set of Downton Abbey. We ate dessert there. Sticky Toffey Date Pudding. They are famous for it. And for good reason. It was dense and sticky and caramelized and DELICIOUS!

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“When the evening sun is setting
  Quietly in the west,
In a halo of rainbow glory,
  I sit me down to rest.

I forget the present and future,
  I live over the past once more,
As I see before me crowding
  The beautiful days of yore.”

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/montgomery/alpine/alpine.html

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