My weekend was a fairly quiet one. Which for two reasons was very good. First, I wasn’t feeling too well. Nothing I could really put my finger on, but I felt tired, washed out, and headachey.  Second, it was so darn hot here! Just a hair under 90 both days and on Sunday, there was no breeze at all. Ugh.

I did manage to cook a steak on Saturday for dinner and Sunday was a rotisserie chicken. Nice meals and both fit in with my eating plan.

You know, I hate to say diet because I am not looking at Weight Watchers as a diet. It’s no quick fix. It is not going to miraculously turn me into a thin person. In fact, I will always be who I am. A woman who loves to cook and also loves to eat. So this new lifestyle is a way for me to learn about the good things to eat, while at the same time teaching me how to also enjoy a few treats occasionally.

It’s moderation, isn’t it?

I also got a little laundry done, and decided to clip Greta again as her hair had grown out. Poor baby, now with no double coat, her fur is almost like cotton candy and mats very easily. She has a little dry skin, and I am thinking a bath with a conditioning shampoo might relieve the dryness.

Monday’s Madness will find me bringing Lili in for her yearly shots, and Greta will tag along. She hasn’t felt well the last week either, so I asked if I could bring her in. I shall report in with the results tomorrow.

I have decided to start replacing the things that Lili chewed up during her first year with us. I know that she is now 4, but I was waiting until I was sure that her chewing days were over. I ordered a new magazine rack today. I’m looking for a new mudroom bench and moved my good dining room chairs into the kitchen to replace the four kitchen chairs that she chewed up. Oh my goodness, was Lili an aggressive chewer! My house may never be the same!

Hope you all have a great week!

Here are the five men, who shaped my life. In their own ways, they were my father or a father figure to me. They have all passed from this life to the next, but their memory and the love they gave me, lives on in my heart

My Dad. He was an amazingly talented musician and he passed along his love of music to me. Dad was devoted to our community. He played the organ at both the Congregational Church and the Catholic Church in North Falmouth.

He was the Music Director at Highfield Theater for many years. He also was a summer police officer in our town. And when we went to local parks for cook-outs, Dad was the burger-meister! He has been gone a long time now, but I still think of him often and miss his wry sense of humour.

My Uncle George. He was the father who taught me everything growing up. How to swim, how to dive, how to bowl, how to hike, how to play cards, and how to love unconditionally.

When I was about 7 years old I cut my toe badly at the beach and he carried me all the way home! And helped Mom drive me to the doctor’s office for stitches. He was not a loud man, but in his quiet loving way, I just knew that I was one of his special kids. In fact, when Hubby and I married, Uncle George walked me down the aisle. I miss this sweet, loving, wonderful man!

My Uncle Bob. He was fun to be with. But, he required that I act like a mini adult too. That was fine. I adored him and just wanted to spend time, quiet time, with him.

I did a lot of things with him and his wife, Auntie Cynthia. I remember being on his boat, or when they took me to their home in Quincy and to museums. And I recall my Uncle once got a monkey. Cute, but it didn’t last for long.

My Papa Fred. Another quiet man, who was quite old when I lived with him and Grandma. But he showed me something important.

What real love between a man and woman was all about. I would watch Papa and Grandma sitting on their sofa watching Lawrence Welk. Papa would hold Grandma’s feet in his lap and stroke them gently. He simply adored Grandma and had all of his life. When she died, he no longer had the will to live and passed eight months later.

My Papa Sam, my Dad’s Dad. I didn’t know him as well, but I remember him taking me to the Prudential Building in the summer to listen to the Barbershop Quartets sing.

I remember sitting on his lap and listening to him sing along. He had such a beautiful voice.

These 5 men helped to shape the woman I grew up to become. Each special in their own way, and now, each greatly missed.

Happy Father’s Day! I remember you all with love and many memories that make me smile!

My plans for Saturday are easy. I plan to do a little laundry and sit and crochet. I’ve been running around like crazy this past week and quite honestly, I am tired. So tomorrow, a movie or two, perhaps letting Jack watch some of the Golf and downtime.

I hope this will help to recharge my batteries and get me back on my feet. What do you do when you need some downtime? What recharges your batteries?

Have a great weekend!

Here we are, another week went by and it’s Friday!

So, here are the things on my mind, as this week comes to a close.

1. First on my list is traffic! How do people drive in heavy traffic, day after day, without losing their minds? I got stuck in a terrible traffic jam in, of all places, Nashua, NH. I literally went 5 MPH for almost an hour, only to find out that it was a broken down Public works truck in the fast lane. My biggest question is…why didn’t they move the darn truck so that the rush hour traffic could get through? It was very frustrating. What I did in the end, to escape the total madness, was put on some music and car dance! It got me the trough the traffic.
2. My doctor’s appointment went okay. I need more testing done before we decide what to do. This means two more trips to Nashua in the next 10 days.
3. This is the last weekend of Motorcycle Week. Mostly it has been okay, but I am quite sick of the constant drone of the motorcycles, riders that ride tandem, so that they take up as much space on the road as a wide load truck, and what I like to call the rockers. They ride their bikes down the road weaving back and forth coming dangerously close to the centre line, and even going over it at times. The news is always full of what automobile drivers should be doing to protect the motorcycles, but what about the cyclists taking care of themselves?
4. My daughter took this great picture of Savannah and me at her graduation. I’d gotten her a little outfit for her graduation gift.
   
5. Another great week at WW. I lost another pound. I am really loving the new Plan. I am finding it easy to stay on. I think because you really can eat anything, and many of the foods are part of the Zero Point foods. In many ways, I feel like I am finally learning how to eat correctly!

On Wednesday I drove down to Southern New Hampshire for Savannah’s graduation from Kindergarten! It was marvellous to watch our girl, in her little gown, get her medal and diploma for completing Kindergarten. My heart was full and I was so proud of her!

Her Class sand two songs. One in French and one in Spanish. It was wonderful to see these little children enjoying themselves as they sang their songs. And Savannah loves music and she was up on stage swaying to the music!

And then she got her medal from her teacher and posed so I could snap a picture!

After the ceremony, we gathered in her classroom and watched a short video. We also took a few pictures. Here is my favourite one of Savannah and her Mommy and Daddy!

Now it is Official! Savannah has graduated from Kindergarten and is an official First Grader! Wow!!!!

Today is the thirty-third anniversary of the accident that took my beloved daughter, Katie from our lives. Many years ago I wrote about the accident, and the things I could recall. You can read that post HERE.

The 13th of June is a somber day for me. and I think it always will be. At this point in life, I get quite angry that Katie did not live to grow up. Never knew her first love, went to a Prom, had children, or could be whatever it was that she wanted to be in this life. It was all taken from her, and from those of us, that love her.

Below you will find a montage of pictures of my darling little girl. While putting this together, I was struck by the fact that one of the hardest things as a parent is when you realize that a certain picture of your child, is the very last picture you have.

Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I’ll find my way through night and day
‘Cause I know I just can’t stay here in heaven
Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees
Time can break your heart, have you begging please, begging, please
Beyond the door, there’s peace I’m sure
And I know there’ll be no more tears in heaven
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven

Monday found me driving south for a medical appointment. It is a long way to go, but I like the doctor I am dealing with.

After the appointment, I headed to my favourite place. My daughter’s house, where I was greeted with big hugs and kisses from Mandy, Savi and Quinn. So much love! What a wonderful thing!

One of the best things about being with them on Monday was that I got to play with them on the swings and monkey bars, and we also played hide and go seek! I just spent the better part of an hour simply laughing and playing with the kids, and it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

Being surrounded by their love made me feel so blessed. I am so lucky to have them!

Best of all, despite the long drive for me, I will see them again on Wednesday and Friday! Wednesday Savannah graduates from Kindergarten, and Friday I am babysitting the kids as there is no daycare that day, and Mandy has an important work day. Long ride, but oh, so very worth it!

What a great way to start my week!

The weekend passed with the coronation of a new Triple Crown Winner! Justify joins an elite number of horses, (13) to have won The Kentucky Derby, The Preakness, and now the Belmont Stakes! Of these 13 horses, I have watched 5 of them win.

Justify is a beautiful horse. He is smart, likes to lead, and during a race, he seems to float over the track, in an effortless gallop to the finish line!

The Jockey riding him, Mike Smith, struck me as a man who truly loves this horse, knew what he could do, and over the years of training with him, had developed an ease, a oneness, with this horse. After the race, at one point, he leaned down, hugging this horse, and kissed his neck. I think I cried more at that moment than I did when they crossed the finish line.

Bob Baffert is an amazing trainer of horses. This man seems to know just what to do to get the most out of the horses that he trains. His comment about Justify was that he knew this horse was special the moment he saw him. And indeed, Justify did not disappoint!

Now Justify will have a good life. well, at least a good life for a retired Racing Champion, who will have many sweet Fillies coming to visit in order that his bloodline will be carried on. And so it should be.

Justify truly is magnificent!

On Saturday we caught a glimpse of The Trooping of the Colour in London, celebrating the Queens 92nd Birthday. As soon as I saw Duchess Meghan I knew the British Press would have a field day. What would be a lovely dress here in the States for a special occasion was immediately criticized by the UK Press. Why? Well, seems Meghan was baring her shoulders, at an event honouring the Queen during the day. A tremendous Fashion Faux Pas!

All the other Royal women (true blood royals or those who married into the family and have been around a while) were dressed in lovely dresses and coats. All with appropriate necklines and absolutely all of them covered their shoulders!

Oops! Well, I hope the British people will chalk it up to a learning curve and don’t continue to find fault. I also hope that someone will sit that girl down and explain the Rules and Regulations for being a British Royal and dressing like one.

All that being said, she looked amazingly beautiful, as always, and she and Harry looked very happy. One thing that would take all the pressure off of poor Meghan is if they announce she is with a child. Making Harry a Daddy will go a long way towards the country accepting her wholeheartedly.

Now doesn’t that sound terrible? It’s just that I read a lot about American Meghan and I wish they would stop all that nonsense and just be kind to her. Unfortunately, many people are only too anxious to find fault.

They did the same with Kate until she popped out a few kids, and now they actually refer to her as The Duchess of Cambridge and not Kate Middleton. Don’t worry Meghan, your time will come too!

I was devastated to learn about Anthony Bourdain’s suicide. Really devastated. I read so many people who said they weren’t surprised, he was a wild man, etc. The thing is, he was an extremely talented man, with more demons inside him than any of us could ever have guessed. And to commit suicide shows just how tormented he was.

I watched Tony for years in his much-loved show, “No Reservations“. The reruns were shown at lunchtime, and I would allow myself an hour to watch the two back to back episodes per day. You never knew where Tony was going to be, or what take he would put on the place.

My favorite of his guests were Erik Ripert and Zamir Gotta. His two dear friends, who loved him like a brother. I hope he knew that.

We, the audience, loved our Bad Boy. We laughed at his antics and smiled at his ease navigating other countries. Tony made every dish he ate, interesting to us.

Did he know? Did he understand how much he was loved by so many of us? Or did the demons inside of him rob him of the knowledge of how much we cared?

I am sorry for his daughter. For his close friends, and for those of us that loved his indomitable spirit of adventure!

Rest in peace Tony, you, my friend, will be sorely missed!