New shoes

When I was little we always got new shoes as part of our back to school shopping. I would wear them the first day and come home with horrible blisters.  ( you know, the kind that bleed onto your socks).  I would then spend the next week limping around and wearing last years shoes.

School started on Thursday. I wore my new shoes to school-sandals the kind that has the thing between your toes. They are really cute--have a black and white flower design on them.  They looked so great and were so comfortable I wore them Friday too. 

Yesterday I woke up with blisters between my toes!  Who knew you could have blisters between your toes?  

Side note--Daughter wore new shoes on Thursday.  She has blisters on her feet.  Guess I have started another family tradition!

Bruce

When we lived South of Boston,  we owned a two family house. It had a small, one bedroom apartment in the back of the second floor. Bruce lived there for 5 years.  Bruce died on Sunday.

Bruce was my friend , a member of our family. He ate dinner at our house 2-3 nights a week. I talked to him everyday. He knew my moods, I knew his. 

Daughter grew up with him. She was 1 when he moved in and 6 when he moved out. She used to say his house "was sticking onto her house".   They had a secret knock they would do when she went to bed. When she was learning to use the potty chair, we made up a song about how everybody poops. Bruce was part of the song.

About 10 years ago there was an car crash at the end of our street. Bruce witnessed it. He stayed with the woman, held her hand and talked to her as she died waiting for ambulance to come. He said he  wanted her last moments on earth to be gentle.  He didn't even know her name.

Bruce is gone. 

How can that be?

I miss him!

Little of the old

When we moved to the Happy Valley I was a little nervous. I wanted a neighborhood. We were moving to a street in the  middle of nowhere.

We lived in a neighborhood in a town south of Boston. We did neighborhood things-cookouts, Easter Egg hunts, Christmas parties and watched each others children. My neighbors taught me how to be a mom. They introduced me to the world of birthday party planning, Fisher Price, Little Tykes, the mall with a stroller,  hand me downs and juice boxes. 

My kids had built in playmates.  At 4 o'clock  every afternoon,  all of us gather. The kids would play and we would take turns running into the house to throw a casserole or meatloaf in the oven. 

Would I  have to make play dates in the Happy Valley?  What was a play date? Who would introduce me to play dates? I was going to be living on a street not a neighborhood!

I lucked out!

My street is a neighborhood--just in  a straight line. We have cookouts, gather at the pool, the kids play with each other and  we watch each others kids. 

An added bonus -- these kids play  flashlight tag and the moms take a pilates class together.

A little of the old with the new.

First day

First day back.  Meetings all day.

Kids start tomorrow. I don't feel ready!

I did not sleep well last. Kept waking up every hour-- just like when I was a kid.

 I wonder if that will ever change?

Before or after

Tomorrow I go back to work.  I am a teacher. 

Here in the Happy Valley we start school before Labor Day.  Psychologically it is hard  but I think it is an easier transition for the students. Two days on, three days off, four days on and a weekend.  By then the kids are ready to work and so are the teachers. 

This year I think I still need several weeks off. 

August feels like one long Sunday!

Vanity

Today I got my haircut and colored... yes colored. My hair was several different colors. Primarily white and gray.  Thanks to the magic of Brenda it is now blonde and brown.  Not a speck of gray showing. I look 10 years younger than I did this morning.  Isn't modern day science wonderful.

My mom used to dye her own hair. As a result the walls in the kitchen had many black spots on them. Not sure if that added to the resale value of our house.

What did our grandmothers do?  Did they embrace their white and gray hair or did they wish they had access to today hairdressers?  

As I look at my newly color hair I have to ask--if I color my hair does that mean I am vain?