My kindof Saturday.

Saturday--indoor soccer for Son and then off to a play date.

Daughter helped me string lights on the deck and drag out the Christmas stuff.

In  the afternoon Queen Mom and the crew came over.  It was so much fun and relaxed. We both cleaned out our frigs and and put everything on the island.  

We ate and visited for several hours.

we were sad when it was time for them to return to their farmhouse.

Second Favorite Movie

Last night we watched the Family Man--love that movie!

Nicholas Cage, Tea Leoni, 

If you haven't seen it --a must. It is a little like It's a Wonderful Life.  

I can identify with parts of it. Hubby and I went are separate ways after dating for 5 years.

We reconnected over Christmas--after a year apart.  

Misty--if you haven't seen it--rent!

Happy watching

A New Tradition

Every year on Black Friday ML and I went shopping. It set the mood, got us ready.

This year I am doing something different.

I got in touch with some friends and we are doing brunch.

Thanksgiving

Yesterday we read a story about Thanksgiving in School.  

Did you know:

1. They did not have potatoes at the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims though potatoes were poisonous.

2. The second Thanksgiving did not take place until 1678--in June. It was in Charlestown Mass and the Native Americans were not invited.

3. George Washington started the tradition of having a national day of Thanksgiving but Jefferson did away with it.

5. Lincoln finally put it into law after a writing letter campaign by a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale.  It took her 40 years.

6. FDR switched the date twice. He wanted to move it to the third Thursday of the month to extend the shopping season. The public did not like that so, he changed it back.

7. There were no pies at the first Thanksgiving--they did not have flour.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Day Before Thanksgiving

Twas the day before Thanksgiving and there is  much to do.

It's off to the store for last minute purchasing , bread, and cranberries too.

With rooms to clean and turkey's to stuff

I think that today might be a bit rough.

I will try to remember why I am doing it

Because it is that holiday that comes in the fall.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours

And remember to open your doors,

to  all that you love.

The ones that are here 

and the ones above.

Wondering Out Loud#4

Why is it right before Thanksgiving a stomach bug goes round?

Is your stomach making room for all that food?

Hallelujah

Daughter had a concert this afternoon. It was with their parent choir.

The concert began with 200 adults singing Mozart.

Next the Junior Choir ( 9 and under) sang two songs.

Then the Concert Choir sang two songs.

And finally the concert ended with everyone sing the Hallelujah Chorus.

It was amazing!!! 

250 multi generational singers. And an organ...

Now that is powerful!!

One Year Ago

One year ago all of us were in Plymouth for Hubby's middle brother wedding.

One year ago the kids were swimming in the pool at the hotel and Papa and Grammy were watching and laughing.

One year ago Son and I had a nice quite lunch with Papa at the hotel restaurant.

One Year ago I drove with Uncle Steven to the wedding.

One year ago we sat together as a family and eat breakfast and dinners .

One year ago we had a family portrait done.

One year ago we were celebrating a beginning.

But that was a year ago.

Now Uncle Steven, Papa and Grammy are gone.

It was just a year ago.......

Brown Rice

We are trying to eat better.  

Over the past few months we ate  lots of junk. 

We have started to eat more brown rice--cleans out everything!

Lunch -brown rice , diced tomatoes and beans.

Dinner- brown rice roasted vegetables with pine nuts.

Why were there empty bowls of cereal on the counter this morning?

Jim's Big Ego

Jim's Big Ego ( group) sings this song--LOVE WHAT'S GONE.

It is so fitting to this Thanksgiving season.

I think he wrote it about his dad who passed away.

It sounds like his dad was sick for awhile.

Here are the lyrics  to the chorus.

I don't think I like this game,

I don't think I understood all the rules.

Do you just go on?

Love what's gone.

That's exactly how I feel.

You can hear some of his songs for free at  free.bigego.com

PJ's

ML taught me the importance of having nice PJ's.

They make you feel pretty when you don't feel pretty.

They feel wonderful to put on after a hard/ bad day.

They help you feel sexy--enough said.

They let you know that you are worth it.

Today I bought a new pair of PJ's.

They are white and silky. They looked like the kind Kathrine Hepburn  would wear.

I needed to feel close to ML--it helped.

Traditions #1

On the third weekend of November, Hubby goes on retreat. He has been doing this for 15 years with the same 20 guys.

About 7 years ago the kids and I started our own tradition. 

We go to the local christmas shop and look at all the decorations. We pick out ornaments and a piece for our Christmas Village.

This morning I discovered that I get grumpy when we do this--I guess that is part of the tradition.

Another thing we do is drag out the Christmas movies.  Hubby does not like Christmas, so this gives us a chance enjoy the movies without comments from the peanut gallery.

My favorites; Santa Claus 2, It's a Wonderful Life and Prancer.

And so the tradition continues.

Look who is turning 8 today!!!

November

You can tell it is November because the leaves have fallen off the trees.

You can tell it November because the pumpkins are rotting on the porch.

You can tell it is November because the Halloween decorations are replaced with Thanksgiving ones.  ( ok I have yet to do that--this weekend I promise)

You can tell it early November because the kids don't want cookies or pudding for dessert, they want their Halloween candy. 

You can tell it November because you have run out of excuses not to rake the leaves and now you are just lazy.

You can tell it is November because the heat/ wood stove/ fireplace is on all the time.

You can tell it is November because it gets dark at 4:30.

You can tell it is November because you are looking for mittens, hats and boots.

And this year you can tell it is November because;  several radio stations are already playing Christmas music!!!!

Freckles and Gulliver

Gulliver( our dog)  has lead a rather peaceful life,     until now.

Enter Freckles.

Freckles likes to play and nip at Gulliver's feet. Gulliver does not like this.

Freckles is small and can pick up the pieces of bones that fall from Gulliver's mouth.

Gulliver does not like this.

Freckles gets treats every time she poops and pees outside. Gulliver does not.

Gulliver has a bed by the fire. Freckles likes to sleep there, not in her new bed.

Freckles want to play. Gulliver does not.

Gulliver's life has changed!

Erma Bombeck was right

I remember reading somewhere that Erma Bombeck had said that if she could do one thing over in her life she would have more people over and not wait until the house was clean.

I decided to put this idea to work this past weekend.

We had family staying with us for the memorial service. The house was a mess. What little effort/organization I had started in September--GONE...  

And I had no energy to do anything!

Then I remembered Erma's saying.  

I made a list. What HAD to be done.

Bathrooms, kitchen floor, make beds, be able to walk through rooms without tripping.

So I hired someone to clean the bathrooms and kitchen. 

I took a morning and cleaned the kids rooms.

I took Friday off thinking I would finish the rest of the house but I forgot about food shopping. I forgot that the programs had to be printed and folded.  So nothing else got done.

Everyone slept in clean sheets. 

Juls slept in a room piled high with Hubby's dad's stuff. 

She did not complain. 

Hubby's uncle  ( who had NEVER been to our house) slept in Son's room surrounded by teddy bears and Red Sox posters. 

He did not complain.

After the memorial service, everyone showed up at our house. I had been gone all day and did not know what shape the house was in. 

No one cared.

We were out of food,     food appeared. 

And you know what my favorite part about the weekend was--when we were all together here at our house.

Dust bunnies and all..

There is a reason Family begins with F

ML had a series of disagreements with her sister in law, Jean. Actually they haven't spoken in several years. This occurred right the death of Bud's middle son. Jean was very upset that ML was in the receiving line, and asked her to step out.

Before ML memorial service, Bud wanted to throw a brunch for all this friends that had arrived from out state.  

Now, this was the kind of thing that ML would have loved to have hosted. And if she were still alive, she would not have let anyone help her. Her house, her party.

BUT, since was not here I know she would not want Bud stuck  hosting. She would him with his friends. So,Juls and Mary ( my sisters in law) and I hosted.

Everything was going well until Jean arrived. 

Jean had not been to ML's new house and as soon as she walked in she walked around the house to figure out where everything was. And then started giving tours of ML's house.

She did not address me by name-  proceeded to point put things that SHE thought needed to be done.  In other words she treated me like the hire help.

Not once did she offer her condolences. 

At the end of the brunch she, she told Juls and I, " we did a nice job". 

We told her we were glad to do it for Bud.

She asked us how we knew Bud .

" We are his daughter in laws."

Jean turned and walked out of the room.

That's family?

The Grandchildren

On Saturday we did the internment of ML's ashes.

My wonderful sister in law Juls, came  up with a great idea to get the kids involved.  We knew it would be overwhelming to have them involved in the service but thought it was important to have them do something.  Grammy would have wanted that and it was important to the kids.

ML's aunt used to take them on "treasure hunts".  She would wander the beach picking on treasure. It was one of her fondest memories of her aunt.  This summer got a chance to go one one last treasure hunt with each of her grandchildren.

So, the kids put together one last treasure hunt for Grammy. We got a white canvas bag and had each of them draw a picture/ write a message on the bag. Then each one of them placed a treasure inside. Daughter painted a picture, and wrote a note on the back. Nephew had a rock form the beach where he went walking with Grammy.  Son put in his 3 best pieces of sea glass. Older Niece wrote a letter and include a picture with a doll that Grammy had given her and littlest niece had a shell.

The treasure was buried with Grammy's ashes.

Afterwards the kids all sang a lullaby that Grammy sang to them--Pigeon House.

Grammy would have been proud!

Getting Ready

ML's memorial service is this weekend.

A lot of people will be there. Two of Hubby's uncles will be coming--they were brother in laws from her first marriage.

Taking the day off to get ready.

There is a feeling in my gut--can't put my finger on it.

something is brewing.....

The real story

So Hubby comes home from his walk on Saturday and says " I have puppies on the brain. They are selling Goldendoodles down the street."

Then he walks over to the computer puts up images of Goldendoodle puppies and leaves.

But " My wife wanted a puppy" is what he tells everyone.

I am not buying it,   

are you?

Hope

What an exciting night!

YES WE CAN!!

Boy, I needed to hear that!

Introducing........

FRECKLES

The newest member of our family

Yes, we are crazy

Missing.......normal.......routine......

Everything is hard.

I start something and get distracted from something else.

The dishes are half done, the laundry is half done, the house is half picked up, the mail is half sorted.

I am missing the "new" routine that we fell into while ML was dying.

On the weekends I would stay with ML while Hubby and Bud walked the dogs.

That was our time together.

Before hospice ML would be at home, drinking coffee while the "men walked the dogs", and I would go grocery shopping--trying to get in and out before the college kids get up.

This Saturday when Hubby left to work the dogs with Bud, I burst into tears.

Now, I have only been staying with Ml during this time , what 6 weeks? That twelve times.

How does that happen? how can I miss something I did for only a short time?