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See you at the Fair

 I can’t think of a better way to start the fall season in New England.  Within driving distance we’ve got everything from a MEGA -Fair, which draws Saturday Night Band Talent such as the Charlie Daniels Band and Leann Rimes… to small town fairs that have all the charm you’de expect.  The kids love hooking up with their friends and we get to eat all that sinful food. 

There’s a certain elecricity in the air…the combined energy of good live music, the smell of woodsmoke and bar-b-q.. talent contests, agricultural exhibits and 4-H projects, the rides, the games, young lovers, families, gathering of friends old and new… it’s a love affair I’ll never outgrow.

His shirt said Ho Ho Ho.    I Believe.  

Guess I’m not quitting my day job…

 …just yet.  I was going to try my hand at storm chasing this morning, but Earl petered out. 

My favorite room in This Old House is the back porch. We spend alot of time out there…cool breezes off the fields gently caress even on the hottest day.
There are storm windows for what we hope is going to be three-season use.
While riding out the heavy drizzle today, I read this…the fall edition is a great issue….

Storm or no storm, that’s the question.

 The last real hurricane I remember was Gloria in 1985.  We took a beating here in Connecticut, without power for 7 days, trees felled everywhere.  Here’s a picture from Gloria archives along Long Island Sound.

As Earl heads this way… or not…. our public schools have declared a half day today, my daughter’s college cancelled classes and recommended students go home.  We’ve got plywood ready for that huge window in the family room and we’re taking in the lawn furniture. But you know… I think it’s gonna be a bust.
My friend Cindy and I were going to act like a couple of stormchasers,  bring the boys and the cameras to the Rhode Island beaches this morning and take awesome wave photos.. but the webcams look foggy and the waves are minimal. Not worth the drive.  Might head down to our local beaches tonight… I love a good storm…
as long as no one gets hurt   ðŸ™‚

Have Mercy

    Tomorrow morning at 8am my son will become a high school freshman.  
 My baby.   
 The Youngest.  
 The last baby I’ll ever have.  
(Yes, that thought occurred to me long ago, but still.  Hush.)
Honestly, this boy was independent from the get-go.  In his first day of life he stared out from his hospital bassinet, eyes wide open with wonder, not a peep of protest or cry for reassurance.  The nurses marveled at his gaze, at his ability to follow them around the room with his eyes.  “They don’t usually do that so young!”. said one.   He never did bother to crawl… he sort of just GOT UP when he was 9 months old and that was that. 
Tomorrow starts a new chapter. He will attend a private catholic high school and this in itself will be strange territory.  I believe firmly in a good public education and it’s how we were all brought up. My mother was a public school teacher for 39 years.  For several reasons we (and he) decided instead of our town’s public High School,  this was the route he would benefit from the most.
For him the workload will be two-fold.   It was his decision to attend, and it will be up to him to keep up and apply himself.  ( “Required Summer READING LIST?  But… this is my SUMMER!!)    Getting him to sit in the dentist chair for an un-novicained root canal would be easier.  
  For me the ironing will be TORTUROUS  truly a labor of love.  And so will the letting go… something I’m not very good at. For now there is still the boy in the young man… and I’m cherishing every minute.  For now, there are still bike rides and sleepovers and xbox and turtle tanks and smores by the fire.
  Last night  over Buffalo Chicken Pizza and orange and lime sodas  we discussed what they might want to do when they grow up.  Two of the three shrugged their shoulders, and my son replied in all seriousness…
 “ I’m going to be a Trophy Truck Driver”
Ok then.

18 Things

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing really stinks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

4 Was learning cursive really necessary?

5. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on number 4. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my own neighborhood.

6. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

7. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.
8. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. -such a sinking feeling…

9. “do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this…ever.

10. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring, Hello? Hello? but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

11. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

12. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

13. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand while cutting off circulation in major arteries than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.
14. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

15. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?   (welcome to my WORLD)

16. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in to get past at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters! HOLD that Tiger!

17. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far. -yep, this makes my blood run cold; been there, done that.

18. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch three consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Everybody needs alittle…

  That’s the slogan and I have a funny story.  Obviously, slogans are meant to be catchy..something to remember, perhaps even raise an eyebrow.   Coke is “the real thing”, Pepsi -“You’ve got alot to live and Pepsi’s got alot to give”.  The old Chesterfield cigarettes “Blow some my way”,  A T & T “Reach out and touch someone”.  Motel 6 “We’ll leave the Light On”.  Nike – “Just Do It” .

 Roba Dolce says….

…and that’s a simple enough statement. I like it, it’s catchy and it’s true.   But it’s a statement of a dangerous flavor when the containers are mistakenly filled by a machine to produce a  set of boobs effect. We opened a container from our local Stop & shop recently and what stared out at us was a choclate set of plump breast-like gelato, nipples and all. (you can imagine this in PINK) The  factory was called and the equipment was revised..it was merely a glitch in the system, but oh did I laugh. That’s a little too much subliminal advertising.
 To answer a few questions…
My two favorite flavors – Raspberry chocolate Almond and Dark Chocolate Chunk
Pistachio… it doesn’t get any better

The best way to eat this stuff is slightly thawed out of the freezer. I pop it in the microwave for 15 seconds.  I also like to wedge the raspberry chocolate almond between two chocolate cookies for a sandwich.

I left out a few bits of information…

Current flavors with more to come
Coconut Gelat
Dark Chocolate Chunk Gelato – for Chocolate lovers, it’s the bomb.
Raspberry Chocolate Almond Gelato – My absolute favorite
Pistachio Gelato- dreamy creamy
Wildberry Gelato
Blood Orange Sorbetto
Lemon Sorbetto
Mango Sorbetto
Raspberry Sorbetto

 The gelato and sorbetto can also be found at the following stores – I ommitted these in yesterday’s post:
(if you don’t see the Roba Dolce brand label in these stores, it means the product is under their private label)

Winn Dixie
Shop Rite
Harmons
Giant
Shaws
Frys
Kings
Negotiations are in the works with Target, but it’s not a done deal yet. Fingers crossed!

OK, getting off my gelato soap box now.

He might quit his day job…

 Mike has branched out into another business while he has watched the housing market slow to a crawl. So far, it’s going really well and the company has grown ten-fold in the past year alone.  A few years back he became a partner in Roba Dolce, America’s Most Italian Gelato.. A Rhode Island based family run company created by Mathew Olerio. This gelato is awesome..the  sorbettos are to die for too…AND.. they’ve just won a contract to sell their gelato exclusively at Patriots Stadium!

A frequently asked question: What’s the difference between gelato and ice cream?
Gelato is just the Italian word for ice cream, right?

Answer:  If you’ve ever visited Italy, you probably experienced creamy, delicious gelato. Many assume that the only reason it seems richer than American ice cream back home is because you are eating it right smack in the middle of the old country, not on your couch in front of the TV.

Ice cream legally has a minimum of 10 percent fat, whereas gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream, so it contains much less fat.  While ice cream is usually served frozen, gelato is stored and served at a slightly warmer temperature, not quite completely frozen and the flavor is more intense.

What I get out of that is… NOT AS FATTENING AS ICE CREAM!!!!.. and it tastes better.

 This is their new packaging…

This is the new mini cup…
If you shop in any of the following stores and you’re so inclined to try it, let me know what you think!
Good, bad or ugly, we want to know!
Costco (not all of them yet)
Market Basket
Price Chopper
Dollar General
Dollar Tree
Kroger
Patriots Stadium (Gillette)
Under Private Label (meaning under their store name) they are also available in
Stop & Shop (Simply Enjoy)
Aldi
Kroger (Private Selection)
Food Lyon
Hannafords
Weiss Dairy

Sundance

  This man could not have been more beautiful…although, I’m saddened to see what he’s done to his face in recent years.  Personally?..I think he should have allowed it to age gracefully.  Just sayin.

His beauty is more than skin deep though, and not everyone knows it.
 One of my favorite catalogs tells some of his story…
and the company itself is one of his creations.
http://www.sundancecatalog.com/
These are the things I’m coveting this morning….
Although it ain’t cheap, now and then I treat myself to
just one thing.  Today’s not one of those days, but there’s no harm
in window shopping,now is there?
Love these jeans, wish I could look that fantastical in them.
A beautiful scarf… love the color and pattern, but I’ve never been good at “wearing” them.
I wonder why some people do it well, and others look like they’re just trying.
Hand warmers!! Totally non-essential, fingerless, no less… but I love them anyway.
*love*
I’de like to have these in my closet for those days when
I feel like getting down with my bad-ass self. 
One of the most affordable pieces in this series, a simple ring trio
Now off to the real world. 🙂  Have a good day –

Laughter is definitely the best medicine

 Ok, not to make light of a sad situation, but since it’s me that had the sad situation… it’s OK to laugh now, isn’t it?  Cause this is actually funny…and I give you permission.

Today I was at work and I got a text from my friend saying she was going to the vet (my vet) with her injured dog.  SO…. I had a favor to ask…. read on in the link below.

http://catchjoyasitfliesby.blogspot.com/2010/08/it-never-ceases-to-amaze-me-how-one.html

This is me and one of my best buds, Joey. (the one in the above-linked post)  Let me tell you a story about the photo below.

   A long time ago in a far away land  (ok, this same small town, but whatever)  there were two women who’s paths never crossed.  They never crossed because… she was the ex of the new boyfriend I had when I moved to this small town.  And even though I had nothing to do with their break-up, I was still  the next one.  And, you know.. that’s kinda awkward.  Especially awkward for me because I was the new kid in this one-horse town, and they had been a couple for many years.    SO… I was alittle intimidated by her and made SURE we never crossed paths.  It didn’t help that he never got over her.

    Years went by and the guy and I inevitably broke up, a very good thing because it wasn’t a good thing. I met my husband and Joey met hers and we are still married to those men today.

      Bear with me here…

     From time to time I would see her… in the grocery store, in the hardware store… we had babies on our hips or groceries in our arms…and she’d glance my way but then turn away quickly.  A SNUB!   She hated me, Good God, she did.  But didn’t she know I didn’t even KNOW her ex when they had their great fall?            So I avoided her more.

      More years… more avoidance… and then… The CALL.  I was editor of a local publication.. and she had a business she wanted to advertise.  She called to place an ad.   GASP.   I called her back…..
     
     We got to talking,   because we had to,   you know….. and … I asked her if she knew who I was.  She said she thought so, but didn’t know that she had ever SEEN me.   We thought we’de meet at the Town picnic coming up and so we did….  Sure enough, she had no idea who I was… and that really makes perfect sense.   The reason I knew HER… was because he still had pictures of her plastered here and there when I arrived.    And truth be told?  She could have given two __________  because she was so happy to be free of that relationship. 
       
        We are now great friends with so much in common. The above picture was taken in Newport.   There were three of us girls on that trip. We rented a room on Bannister’s Wharf so that we could spend a full two days there shopping and browsing and eating.  Missy took one bed and Joey and I shared the other.  As we turned in for the night thoroughly exhausted ,  we turned out the lights…..and I said… “If you had told me 15 years ago I’de be sharing a hotel bed with Joey, I’de sooner believe Brad Pitt.”  

   To highlight the irony further, in this picture I am wearing a pair of Joey’s jeans, because I didn’t bring long pants and it was cold down by the docks. They fit me perfectly.  I still have them,  and I call them my Joey Jeans.        Who woulda thought.
   
       
  

Before and After – Upstairs bedroom No. 1

 We started with this… both the upstairs front bedrooms originally had fireplaces. Two kids – not happen’n.
and this bathroom used to be where the front hallway is now restored.
So this….
is now this.
Old wallpaper.. it was actually quite pretty at one time..
Yellow is her favorite color…
She actually keeps her room this organized, always.  When I was her age, well…no need to go there.
She makes me proud.
 

                                                                  Ben is not impressed.

  Totally unrelated, if you’re looking for a great and easy summer recipe to use up those excess tomatoes from the garden, my friend Joey just posted two easy and delicious recipes… see for yourself at
Catch Joy As It Flies By.     I’m drooling over here!…..