The World

Sunday, July 9, 2023 by  

A mother picking up her child from a playdate once said to me, “I just came across your website and didn’t know you had a long career on television or traveled anywhere. And here I thought you were some Fairfield County shut-in Mom because you’re always with the kids and bake & craft and they come back home with cookies & stuff.”

I seriously had no comeback.

I just politely ushered her and her sweet daughter out the door, brownies & artwork in hand. It’s important to note here that this woman is an executive whose nanny usually picks up the little girl who’s been coming over for years. The Mom blurted her judgmental comment of which she certainly knew nothing about…ah, yes, one should never assume.

True, I’ve had an illustrious career distinguished by multiple journalism awards, blah, blah, blah. But being a mother has 

been & always will be my most important job. And true, I don’t send kids back home with their homemade goodies on a paper plate saying, “Susie was such a good girl and did you know I’ve been to more than 60 countries over 150 times on 5 continents? Have a nice night.”    

What riled me was that any Mom would think any other Mom was a “shut-in” just because she liked being home with the kids. All the kids, their friends and friends of their friends. Yeah, I like that! I like being home with my family & my pets. I’ve been fortunate enough to choose to stay home because I wish to. I’m grateful for it. I like that I only have to go to the radio station once a week & can write from home when the kids are in school. I don’t mind if a Mom works in an office, works from home, doesn’t have a job or doesn’t choose to keep working. Moms should not judge one another, they should support each other & their choices.  

That night, memories of my travels flitted through my mind… trains, ships & air on countless flights & logging tens of thousands of miles sailing through the Adriatic Sea, Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, Pacific Ocean, Andaman Sea, Denmark Strait, Red Sea, English Channel, Sea of Marmara, East & South China Seas, Gulf of Alaska, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aden, Suez Canal, Sea of Crete, Ionian Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, crossing the International Date Line via ship, learning preventive pirate safety measures through the Suez Canal, and giving a big thumbs up to our US Air Force pilots during a fly-by over our vessel in the Red SeaEnjoying cool places like Malaysia, Egypt, China, Russia, India, Japan, Ireland, Turkey, Venezuela, Scotland, the Philippines, Germany, former Yugoslavia, Taiwan, England, Mexico, Hong Kong, Denmark, Spain, Guatemala, Sweden, islands throughout the Caribbean, and most of our own beautiful States from the top of the Haleakala Volcano in Hawaii to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, to snowy Killington Peak in Vermont and sunny San Diego, California & most everything in between.  

Coming from a large multicultural family, I eagerly welcome different traditions, different people, different views, and my travel experiences are packed with wonderful memories & world lessons … with a handful I’d like to forget. Sure, those are the best stories but for another time…

I’ve been a dinner guest at Parliament, a special guest at a Royal wedding, and a Thanksgiving guest in Turkey. I’ve enjoyed divine spa treatments on the beaches of Malaysia and wretched at the sight of travel friends drinking snake blood in Taiwan for a dare. Ewww! (Yes, they became very ill!)

I’ve been to Tianamen Square before the ’89 crisis, to Berlin before the wall came down, to Sarajevo before the war, and to Cancun before President Reagan attended an economic summit there making that once-quiet getaway in Mexico a carousing hub for partying tourists. 

I’ve been stuck at the top of a pyramid in Chichen Itza & stuck in a remote beach bathroom in the dark in Marbella Costa del Sol when the door handle broke…and so did the light!

I’ve kissed the great-great-great-great-great…on-and-on direct descendant of Christopher Columbus, a duke, and a well-known European prince who kisses like a lizard. Yuck! Traveling can be good and not so good!

 

 

 

 

I purchased my 1st major piece of jewelry in Hong Kong along with 100 rolls of film. Yup, took a lot of pictures then, too!  I’ve been traveling to Europe & around the world since I was just a few weeks old. So let’s take a little photo journey throughout the years:                                 GERMANY with Mom

                       GIBRALTAR                                                                             BARBADOS

MALAYSIA – apparently I liked stripes!

 BERLIN WALL

JAPAN

INDIA

 

Stark contrasts in India, just a walk away

Beautiful Taj Mahal mausoleum on the Yamuna River, commissioned 1632. Sweet monkey.

And below is the Red Fort, Palace of the Mughal Emperors, AGRA, INDIA 

Great Wall of CHINA – Odd that we don’t notice these things when we’re younger but why am I standing over that mountainous edge just for a photo!?

Autumnal view through the Wall’s window, Graffiti on the Wall, and LOOK at those STEEP steps!!

 LONDON Summer Ball

HONG KONG                                                                BOMBAY

CALIFORNIA

TAIWAN

Kinsale, County Cork, IRELAND

        PHILIPPINES                                                  DUBROVNIK, YUGOSLAVIA (former)

    ST. MAARTEN                                                     ROYAL THEATRE LONDON

SOUTH CHINA SEA

SPAIN

    SEVILLA                                                                                 CADIZ

The GREAT EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS at sunset…breathtaking

GREAT SPHINX OF GIZA, sitting on the steps in a PALACE IN EGYPT

BEIJING UNIVERSITY

MONTREAL

St. Basil’s Cathedral. MOSCOW, RUSSIA  

ST. PHILIP, ATLANTIC COAST

I was able to photograph the bride during their ceremony at CHIANG KAI-SHEK’s MEMORIAL

     VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA                              PENANG

                                                                          BARBADOS                                                                        

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN

TURKEY

HUALIEN

JAMAICA

                             OSAKA                Great Pyramid – oldest of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World

GOETEBERG, SWEDEN

Beer from vending in KOBE….and 26 years later with my Hello Kitty backpack in SCOTLAND 

CHICAGO

My Dad getting us on the helicopter to see the Haleakala Volcano in HAWAII & later the waterfalls

KYOTO

        TAROKO GORGE, TAIWAN                                           LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND

ISTANBUL

 Getting stuck at the top of the CHICHEN ITZA Pyramid in MEXICO. Daddy saved me!    And we left the arena immediately in tears in VENEZUELA! 

            PUERTO VALLARTA                                                     TIANANMEN SQUARE

MARBELLA, COSTA del SOL

TURKS & CAICOS

CARIBBEAN ISLANDS (my Mom snapped these shots)

Attended Trinity College, DUBLIN, IRELAND… And visiting a hilltop monument in Ireland 

ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, Archipelago, Pacific Ocean

KIEL with my Granddad

NARA, JAPAN

  MT. KILLINGTON, VERMONT                                    THE GRAND CANYON

BERLIN

ASCOT, EAST BERKSHIRE, UK

ROYAL ASCOT

                             GUATEMALA                                                 DENMARK

BRANDENBURG GATE, EAST/WEST GERMANY age 9

DALLAS

LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH, WALES   Longest town name in the world!! This is the train station.

LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND

AMISH COUNTRY, PENNSYLVANIA

                   MARBELLA                                   A. EINSTEIN MEMORIAL, WASHINGTON, D.C.

                                  NEWPORT, R.I.                                                              ILLINOIS

WALES

                                 IOWA                                                            KEY WEST

   TEXAS

SOUTHEAST ASIA

         ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS                        OUTER BANKS, NORTH CAROLINA

6 bucks for this hostel in EAST ASIA

                               ENGLAND                                                                IRELAND

      KREMLIN, MOSCOW                          ADRIATIC SEA                                  SUEZ CANAL

SULTANAHMET CAMII Blue Mosque, circa 1609

            GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS, NYC                          PARK CITY, UTAH

If you know me, I’ve been snapping photos of kids or with kids for over 3 decades.

Look at these precious children from SARAJEVO & CHINA, simply beautiful!!!

               MONGOLIAN barbecue in ASIA                                  MILLENNIUM in EUROPE

NEW LONDON County

                         NEW YORK CITY                                                    ANDALUSIA

          WESTERN ASIA with my Mom when I was 5.                     EAST GERMANY when I was 9.

MAUI

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC                 SNOWBIRD, UTAH                                BERMUDA

DUSSELDORF, GERMANY for GRAND DEPART of TOUR de FRANCE

More CARIBBEAN Island pics with Mom eons ago

           BEAR MOUNTAIN                                  MEDITERRANEAN SEA                       CATSKILLS

                          BERLIN Zoo                                              BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

                        SOUTH AMERICA                                                        NEW JERSEY

GREENWICH Polo

                           BALTIC SEA                                                                          BAY OF KIEL

                    ARABIAN SEA                                                       ATLANTIC OCEAN

FLORIDA

Flying to MARTHA’S VINEYARD – our 9-year-old daughter co-pilots 🙂

DUTCH WONDERLAND

MEDITERRANEAN

VALLEY FORGE

VICTORIA & AUSTIN, TEXAS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Reagan’s Procession

NEAR EAST around age 5

THE PENNINES

                                  LABOE                                                                        MALAGA

CHEYENNE SPRING, COLORADO                                                     CANCUN

                    HAMBURG                                  HADRIAN’S WALL built by the Romans 122 A.D. 

                   TURKS & CAICOS GRACE BAY                                          LANCASHIRE, UK

NEVADA

             CORPUS CHRISTI                          LIME ROCK                                    KIEL-WIK

                                  CONNECTICUT                                                          PHILADELPHIA

                            INDIAN OCEAN                                                                             NYC

               VALLARTA return                          THE HAMPTONS                            SAN DIEGO

              SUEZ CANAL, built circa 1860                                            YORK, ENGLAND

                      THE EVERGLADES                                       Elvis’ home, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

             NEW HAMPSHIRE                                                  SNOWBIRD in UTAH

Photo taken from our towel on a Caribbean beach, eeek

Chillin’ in OCHO RIOS

       Old Capitol Building, WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA                                       ILLINOIS

                            SCANDINAVIA                                                 SAN ANTONIO

THE KEYS, PROVIDENCIALES, KOBE & THE BAHAMAS

bright spot flowerThe Bright Spot  – Home Sweet Home ~ As I’ve stated many times on-air, online and in person, my very favorite place to be in the whole world is home with my family & furbabies, feet up in my little white socks, a pony tail, Greek salad & a good family movie.

There are loads more places & photos, but this pictorial refutation has clearly served its purpose. The real point here is don’t judge people especially if you’ve never gotten to know their background. As my friend, Sara, so succinctly put it regarding the woman’s comment – “Honestly, some nerve!!” We laugh because, seriously, one can only chuckle at the mother’s unapprised statement at this point. 

Let me just say to that mother who assumed I was a “shut-in” because I like to craft with the kids & make their day magical – there is no greater job than raising the next generation of kindly world citizens, travelers & defenders of Earth & her gifts. That’s my gift back to this planet that’s been a joy to traverse, study, explore & relish!!    


Bianca

My Mom

Sunday, July 28, 2013 by  

Summertime, My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, summer fun

Thrown off a Connecticut beach for wearing a bikini, my Mom still rolls her eyes at that story & declares the beach keeper a crazy man.

Coming from a country where they play volleyball topless on the beach, they were lucky she even wore the bikini!

My parents met one evening at a beach club & married 2 1/2 months later. Mom & Dad's wedding photo, happy couple, starting life journey togetherSo it was no shock when I announced I was getting married after 4 days. “You know when you know,” she said. Bianca Tyler wedding, Bianca & Phillip, kisses from the groom, happy bride, American wedding, English weddingPhillip & I married after only spending 46 days in each other’s company and she was right.

Mom loves to garden, paint, My mother's ceramics, painting ceramics, kiln, fragile, delicate artwork, Bianca Tyler's mother, momdecorate & read, read, read! She’s like a walking encyclopedia.

She’s an incredible photographer, interior designer, writer & artist. I love her drawings, portrait paintings, and my favorite, this ceramic chess set she painted nearly 40 years ago.

Mom’s a fantastic cook and prepared wonderful, healthy meals for me the entire 9 months I was pregnant!! She made sure I had the best foods when I was a baby and did the same for my kids.

With my parents, loving family, My mom & dad, Bianca Tyler's mother & father, giggles, tickles, happy memories, happy childhood            My mom holding me 1960s, , Bianca Tyler as a baby, snuggles with Mom, enjoying the sunshine

Mom & me 1960s                         Little Petal & me 40 years later
Omi - Mom & me, original, 1a       Omi - Mom & Willow - replica My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy (38)  My mom & me at Easter, 1960s, young mother and baby girl, toddler, yummy, chocolate, chocolate eggs, Easter egg hung, Easter eggs, basket, Easter basket               and, of course, she gave me my 1st chocolates & Easter goodies…yum!

**********************************************************************************************************************

Folks who’ve met my Mom totally love her. She’s funny, talks straight and is the life of the party. She smokes, drinks, swears and gambles. She doesn’t apologize for any of it. She lives life to the fullest beating to her own drum.

Beach party, Mom and Dad out having fun togetherMy mom and best friend, dancing and silly times, Bianca Tyler's mother, Germany, carefree days   Parents with friends having a lovely evening, My mom & dad
Mom in the 60s, my mom (2)      My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, purple floor length     My mom and her friend, evening out, white dress, Bianca Tyler's mother

Time for a present, mom opens gift, 1970s, mom dad and sister

 

New York Yacht Club, Mom and Dad out having fun together Niagara Falls, mom & dad at Niagrara Falls

When she lost my father 15 years ago, it devastated her. Their love and building a life together for their children was unsurpassed. They were a team in everything they did.

Mom & Dad, having fun, dancing and celebrating, wonderful parents, loving parents, bianca Tyler's mother & father              My mom & dad, Bianca Tyler's mother & father, dance, enjoying the night together Mom and Dad enjoying vacation      My mom & dad, Bianca Tyler's mother & father, hugsMy mom & dad, Bianca Tyler's mother & father, celebrating with friends  Mom & Dad, happy memories (2)

Mom & Dad, happy memories (1)    Mom & Dad enjoying a celebration

Mom & Dad going out, big smiles, happy, fun evening    Enjoying an evening out, Dad & Mom with friends in the middle, big smiles, fun memories

My mom & dad, night out with friends, celebrations, Bianca Tyler's mom & dad, tux, tuxedo, bow tie, fun, joy, laughter, good times   My mom & dad, night out with friends, celebrations, lovely evening, great memories, Bianca Tyler's mother and father

My Mom’s parents absolutely adored her.

Family photo, my mom & grandparents, Bianca Tyler's mother, mom, omi and opi My mom, my mom and grandmother, Bianca Tyler's mother, kisses from Mommy, baby carriage, Mother & Daughter, sweet baby

Family hugs, family time, happy family, loving parents, happy child, sunny days Mom with her father, toddler tweaks dad's nose, beach fun, my mom and grandfather, summertime fun, family time

Those were some smoochable cheeks!!

My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy (54)      My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy, cherub, sweet darling, rosy cheeks, curly blonde hair

Young mom, like a little doll, so cute, bandana and curls     Toddler mom and my grandmother, Europe                                               Mom as toddler, cute boots    Family time at the beach, happy family, parents dote on little child, sweet family     

My mom, baby carriage, going for a walk, Bianca Tyler's mother, baby     My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy, Europe 1940s, happy memories, beaches, summer home, guest house, Pommern, Pommerania         My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy, baby carriage, 1940s, sweet toddler, old fashioned carriage      My mom rowing 3 men, mom grows up on the water, move over fellas, Bianca Tyler's motherMy mother grew up on the water (the Baltic Sea and with Aunties & her Mom above at their beach guest house in Pommern) and could out row anyone. When she was young, she liked to ice skate, bike, dance and travel.

Mom loved skating, Europe        Teen, Europe, biking with friends            And she always loved animals!My mom loves animals, sweet dog, darling child, cute curls, love of animals starts young

Mom was always very close with her parents, as were we all.

My mom & grandmother, Omi and mom, Bianca Tyler's mother and grandmother My mom & grandmother, Bianca Tyler's mother & grandmother

My mother & father taught me I could be anything I wanted to be. They supported my achievements in school, my activities,      Miss Connecticut dinner and dance, Muhammad Ali's signed glove,Bianca Tyler's mother, fun days, crazy evenings outmy music, my whims & fancies, my travels, my moves around the country for my career, and my exciting year as Miss Connecticut & all the wonderful memories of representing my native state at the Miss America…
Mom supports me at the Miss America, family love, family energy, family support and love (2)    Mom supports me at the Miss America, family love, family energy, family support and love (1)
…including helping me pack trunks & boxes & shoes and shoes and shoes for the 2 weeks in Atlantic City for Miss America.Mom helps me pack for the Miss America, shoes for Miss AmericaMom helps pack trucks and boxes for Miss America, Miss America packing

My Mom traveled with me to Vancouver to put me on a ship that circumnavigated the globe for 4 months. My mom & me, Bianca Tyler's mother, 1980s, a

Mom – who saves everything – threw away my clothes after a week’s caving trip…they were really dirty for her to have thrown them out!

My mom & sister, Spain, 1980s, how time flies, Mom & DaughterWe traveled around Spain, Gibraltar, Barbados & Germany together & tons of other places.                   (left with my sister)

Years later, Mom drove with my dog & me across the country & decorated a house I found for cheap…really cheap…only to find out it was a former drug depot…so I left the house a short while later along with all the painting, bordering, curtain-hanging and decorating she had done day & night the week she dropped me off for my new job.

Mom makes my costumes, Bianca Tyler costumes (1)           Mom makes my costumes, Bianca Tyler costumes (2)
Mom sewed countless costumes (above) for me and for my sister & my sister’s students.

My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mommy (57)       Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (6)
Mom (her passport pic)                            me (headshot taken by Mom)

She took photographs of my wedding in England when the photographer there slacked off and almost ruined the day. Mom takes a walk at the castle, Medieval castle, misty castlePhillip gave him an earful and my mother took the photographs and she and my sister created a surprise wedding album for me when I returned from England.Bianca & Phillip marry, beautiful children all around, flowers, moat, castle, roses, sweetness

My mother also saved hundreds of newspaper clippings, magazine articles and memorabilia from my Miss Connecticut year and painstakingly glued them into several beautiful scrapbooks to cherish always. She did it for a year and I never even knew it. Another wonderful surprise. You can view some of the clippings here: Miss CT in the News.

Halloween, bumblebee, gold sparkle antennae, My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother, silly memories

She’s always there to goof aroundGardens, flowers, happy home, loving childhood Mom, sister & me, happy summer days My mom & me, goofing around, hot weather, Bianca Tyler's mother, Mom & Daughter and she’s there for all the tears like when we just lost my Uncle recently. He is with Daddy now.  🙁  🙁

My mom & dad with my uncle, Bianca Tyler's mother & father & uncle, carefree days      My Dad & Uncle, brother time, enjoying time together, living far away Pregnant with my sister, Bianca Tyler's mother pregnant by the water                                                                                              (pregnant with my sister)

Mom has always been great at photography and even gave me her precious long-lens Canon in the 80s on the ship trip. A treasured item, so I was, indeed, very grateful.

She’s developed her own photography and taken headshots for actors & personalities over the years. Definitely helped save a bundle on my own headshots for TV over the years! Here are some snaps from Mom:

Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (10)   Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (9) Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (8)      Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (7) Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (5) Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (4)  Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (2)  Photos taken by mom, Bianca Tyler's mom (1) Barbados with Mom, Bianca Tyler, glorious day, soaring wrap  Bianca Tyler (1)    Bianca Tyler (3)   Bianca Tyler (2) 

Thanks, Mom, for making my life great growing up. Thanks for all you have done for me. I love you!

In tribute to her, I hope I captured my mother’s life in this pictorial. Please say a prayer for her. She had heart fibrillations recently and was rushed to the hospital. It’s been constant testing every day.

Seeing her weak & tired is unnerving. Fragile is not a word I would ever use to describe my mother. Sweet but tough, robust & resilient, soft-hearted but strong-willed.

Summertime, My mom, Bianca Tyler's mother

My mother prides herself on honesty and has never lied a day in her life. She is someone you can trust. She loves her daughters, grandchildren and animals. And we all love her.

The Bright SpotTM bright spot flower – I believe in the power of prayer. Please pray.

 


Bianca