Tag: Family

Leap Year Baby

It’s an actual birthday for My Hero this year!
A few of his favorite things…
You know, I tried calling this young woman, the italian model in
this years superbowl Fiat commercial that Mike is still talking about…
.. I  had a simple request, really… would she visit and sing “Happy Birthday Mr. President”
 while he blew out  the candles on his oreo cookie birthday cake. 
Her people didn’t call my people back, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
 Happy REAL birthday, Mike.
May we share many  more….
Oh, and the only thing you’re getting from the above images is the cake.
Just sayin.
xo 

Saturday Junk Hunting

 We’ve just returned from a ride to the Putnam, CT  Antiques Mall
for a little junk hunting. For more info about the area, click here…

  Brought the manchild, but he was less than thrilled

due to the dose of poison ivy his face is sporting.
We picked up cannolis and scones from Victoria Station as a consolation prize.
I am proud to tell you we came home with nothing but those pastries.
No kidding.  You know, there’s just so much STUFF
I’m willing to keep up after, and I have finally realized
that every time I bring home STUFF, no matter how good the
bargain, it’s just one more thing I have to find a place for, dust,
frett over, or forget about until it gets in the way.
I think I just heard a hushed Amen from the mancave.
Anyway, there was some neat STUFF that I almost
woulda taken home if the prices were better.
LOVE this quilt, look at the work! 
But the price tag was $475. – not happening, but oh, did I love it so.   

 Would have loved this too, but where to put it…and another dust collector.
When did I decide to get so practical?  Another Senior moment?

Loved this truck too… but do you see that price tag? $250.
It was behind glass, sorry for the blurr.
I would have bought this in a heartbeat for my Fairy Garden project this summer…
but not for $75.00.

Loved this, no place to put it.


 ADORED this whole little kitchen set up…
how perfect for a little lake house…
or the back porch!!!  Alas, kinda pricey.  
If you can’t read the fine print, a 1907 $5 note, for $70.

 I love the beautiful colors of the broaches, pins, jewelry…

It’s clear the slow economy hasn’t brought down the prices much.
Once it was determined we didn’t need anything there today…
we did what we do best after junk hunting.


As we were leaving Victorias Station bakery and cafe, I noticed half the town had their pink boxes in hand.

My Happy Camper.  This is his good side.

The sky has been blustery and sometimes grey today,
snow flurries here and there… and bright sunny blue too.
You know the saying…
If you don’t like the weather in New England, 
just wait a few minutes and it’ll change.

Ben & Rudy’s Excellent Adventure

 What a glorious morning at the Beach.
Packed the two boy dogs in the car..
and cruised on down to the water.
You’re not making fun of his sweater, now are ya?
He lost it soon after.

 The sky was incredible…

  And something odd was discovered…
Red sand all the way down at the far end, near the southernmost Jetty….
I have no idea what it is, some sort of mineral?

Ben made a new friend.. we’ll call him Fabio.

Fabio with his Dad…

Heading back down the beach, I found some treasures… shells you don’t find here
when summer people arrive.

Rudy bound around the beach with pure joy, barking at the waves, jumping in and out of the foam…
if only we could all let ourselves go, exactly like that…

 Heading back to the Jeep, we deposited a bucket of shells and 
 about five pounds of sand all over the interior.
She is now broken in 🙂

My kind of day.  

My buddy Ben and Ipad App coolness.

  
Danes are just a different level of dog all together, I’m convinced.  They really do think they are exactly whatever we are… (that would be human)… and should live accordingly.  Ben will sit on the couch just as we do, he would just as soon eat at the table right next to us.  Maybe it’s because they are so big…. The expressions on a Dane’s face are remarkable.  You can tell when he’s worried.. when he’s afraid, when he’s curious, when he is SOOO happy to see you –  his whole forhead scrunches up and ears pin back and he SMILES, I tell ya.  And when you hurt his feelings?….oh, the wounded look.     He doesn’t like having his picture taken and if you are trying, he  will do his best to STAY, but he’s not really cooperating.

 This is the “I’m not looking at that camera”  look.
Nope, uh-uh.
  *sigh*
picture a doglike heavy sigh and eye roll, if he could.
And my no-makeup on a Sunday evening look,
because who am I trying to fool anyway 🙂

No drooling on the table, Ben!
This is the wounded look. Scolded for begging with face on table.
Because he can.

Since both chicks were in the nest last night…
we played with Ipad apps.  Heat Sensor camera. Pretty cool.

If you have apple products (ipad, iphone) have you discovered
Words with Friends yet?  it’s basically Scrabble, and you can
play it against anyone you are friends with on Facebook or Twitter .

I don’t do Twitter.  Am I the only one who thinks it’s a little narcissistic and silly?

No offense if YOU do Twitter, I’m just sayin.

So back to Words. You also don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it…

You can make your move..and your friend can take their turn a day later,
or whenever it’s convenient.
If the kids are gonna be on their “equipment”…
atleast they are learning something valuable, right?

Ivy and the Two Moons

 Great news tonight… a Rescue group out of Middletown, CT is pulling Ivy from the kill shelter and bringing her to a foster home in Vermont.  She will still need a forever home, but now she will know the nurturing of a home environment and the love of a family.  This is an example of when networking on the internet does some fantastic work. 

There are two moons here tonight…
A sliver up in the sky…

And my son’s head…
He tried to give himself a buzz cut today..and buzzed one patch right in the middle
with too short of a blade.  Off to the salon we went to get it fixed.
Turns out, getting it “fixed” meant taking most of it off.

Men roll with these things a lot better than women, don’t they.

 

Family and Food

A good day was had by all…
even though some of us look a little tired.
Time spent with family we don’t always see,
and food we don’t allow ourselves to eat frequently.
(hello, heartburn… my old foe)
At the end of the day I was more than grateful
for the opportunities we have to be together. 
That in itself is a gift.  
I hope you spent the day in whatever way rejuvenates your spirit.
To me, it’s what the day is all about.
That.. and a mountain of dirty dishes.
They’re calling me..I hear them.

Traditions

  Every year at about this time we pile into the car and trek over to the Yankee Candle Flagship store in Mass. to stock up on candles and eat lunch at Chandlers restaurant nextdoor (oh, the smell of sizzling steaks, apple brown betty and those  creamy rootbeer floats!) .   My kids used to love it.    Used to.   This year?  Not so much.  Grown up girl was plugged into her ipod and cell phone from the time we entered the Jeep, and Rising son plugged himself into his ipad and headphones alongside her.  Mike and I shrugged and sang old rock tunes with reckless abandon since no one in the back seat could hear us.  (I think we did Aerosmith proud with Dude Looks Like A Lady)

   Once we got there, the kids untangled themselves from their electronics long enough to trek through the stores begrudgingly, sniffing new candle fragrances to appease mom for about  two minutes and 37 seconds.  I counted.  We trudged through the snow village where younger kids stared wide-eyed in awe of the falling fake snow and train that choo-chood through the mountain tunnels below the ceilings.   We browsed the homegoods section where they perked up considerably because that’s where the check-out lines were.   And we were out the door in 40 minutes flat.  It takes an hour and 15 to get there, for cripes sake.

    A couple next to us saw me trying to coax my son to “Smell this!  It’s a new christmas scent!”  to which he replied in a bored monitone voice accompanied by a heavy, heavy sigh…”No mom, they just renamed it so you’ll think it’s new and buy it”.   The couple glanced at me with a commiserating grin and said “we left ours home this time”.

 What I’m learning? 
 Apparently some traditions are eventually outgrown. 
I’ll get over it.

And I bought the damn candle anyway.

A milestone

   I picked up college girl and all her dorm stuff  yesterday… for the last time! Because… she is officially graduating… with honors.   How very proud I am of this young woman.  I’m going to take a moment to brag – because this girl of mine had to climb Mount Everest to get to where she is today.  Not only did she climb, she planted her Victory flag at the top and is looking to the next horizon. 

 You’re not just a miracle, kiddo….
You did this with much hard work and dedication.
The best gifts I’ve ever been given, right here.