Category: My Life

Did you ever have a day that just plain started out bad and kept getting worse? Well, my Saturday has been like that, and at this point I am afraid of what will come next.

No need to fear, I just fell into Fritz’s dog food and smashed my knee!

Let’s go back to this morning and I will fill you in.

I woke about 4 AM in pain. My left hip is giving me trouble and it was quite sore today. I managed to rearrange the dackels, and go to sleep on my right hip. Then that hip gave out. I turned onto my back and was drifting back to sleep when Greta barked to go out

So up I got to put her out. All the dogs followed and my dream of more sleep evaporated!

I came out to make coffee and was emptying the dishwasher. As I began to load the dishwasher with dishes left over from last night, I started to lower the upper rack to accommodate the champagne flutes. That’s when the plastic mechanism snapped leaving my upper rack permanently down!

Now I love Hubby more than words, but when crap like this happens, he will say things like “why’s you do this?” Like I had any control over the sill plastic.

Then as I slid the bottom shelf of the dishwasher in…a wheel broke too!

All through breakfast I worried. How would I tell Hubby about my “plastics problems”? I really was worried.

We watered the garden and the potted plants, and I started to make chili to freeze for the winter. At least that went well. I seem to be able to slice and dice vegetables with little to no damage. (I mean we won’t count the time I nearly cut off a finger when I was boning a turkey!)

Around lunch time I decided that I need to break it to Hubby about the stupid dish washer. He actually handled it better than I thought he would!!! Parts have now been ordered and should be here by weeks end.

About the time I was ready to sit down to eat my lunch, Anneliese vomited on a throw carpet in the kitchen. Oh joy! I do not have a strong stomach! Usually it’s me cleaning it up, trying not to throw up myself!

I worked all evening on my report and have it mostly done. I will do a thorough rewrite tomorrow and make sure that all my i’s are dotted and my t’s crossed!

Now if I can just make it to bed before another thing breaks, or throws up, I will be doing well.

And…here we go!

1. The only question is what to do with my crazy hair? Do I leave it long and crazy curly or do I cut it short?

2. I need to take time to clean out my closet and do this all in one day.

3. Three things on my desk: my old laptop, a basket of note paper and a seashell paperweight.

4. I have a 5 page report to write and that is the one thing I HAVE to do today!

5. I love playing with my doggies! All of them. They are the most loving fur babies ever!

6. A day at the beach on Cape Cod overwhelms the senses.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hopefully finishing my report, tomorrow my plans include to finish the report if I haven’t already, and clean my closet and Sunday, I want to celebrate my daughter, Mandy’s engagement with her and Matt her fiancee!

Sometimes, life is just crazy-busy!

I had thought that once we got past my Reunion that life would slow down some, and give me a chance to catch my breath. This is not the case, and I have found myself busier than ever. Especially since both the vegetables and fruit are harvesting. So here we go with my Thursday Thirteen.

1. The Reunion is done and over with, and what a great time we all had.  I think I like the people we all have become now. Older, wiser, and more careful of each others feelings.
2. I still love my home town. I literally walked the streets of Falmouth, as place that I walked around, biked around and spent so much of my youth.
3. My BEACH! Oh it still warms my heart to be there.

   

4. Fried Clams and stuffed quahogs, are like music to my soul! Guess I really am a Cape Cod Girl!
5. I made my second batch of tomato sauce. Amazing! I think this year the sauce is even better than last. My secret? Large amounts of fresh Basil and fresh Italian flat leaf Parsley.
6. The fruit will be starting to ripen for picking as well.
7. First the plums, then the peaches.



8. This means Jams and Jellies!



9. This means fun!

   

10. I’d like to make apple sauce to freeze.
11. So much canning to do, and so little time!
12. I have a wedding to attend in September, my nephews.
13. Then we have a wedding to plan with Mandy & Matt!

1. If you could work for any one government agency which would you choose and why?

I would work for International Goodwill. I would travel with my entourage of dachshunds, spreading love and cheer and happiness all around the world.

2. How difficult is it for you to forgive someone who refuses to apologize?

Good question and one I do have an answer for. When my daughter was killed by the impaired driver, he never apologized for what he had done. Oh, it made me crazy for a while, until I finally understood that it wasn’t for me to forgive him. I could let it go and give it to God. Since doing that, I have leaned on God a lot and he helps me to walk away in peace.

3. What is your favorite meatless supper?

Spaghetti, or lasagna with ricotta, or pesto noodles!

4. Wednesday August 10th is National Lazy Day…will you be celebrating? If so, tell us how so we can be lazy too.

Oh gosh, no. I have Weight Watchers, laundry and cooking to do. Now that the tomatoes have ripened, I am making tomato sauce to freeze! I still have laundry to do from last weekend, and I want to attend Weight Watchers.

5. As a child did you have any special back to school traditions and if so, what were they? If you’re a parent did you carry on those traditions with your own children?

We always bought new shoes, new dresses (more dresses than anything because back in the 1960’s we wore dresses to school), and a few sweaters, and we would make sure we had boots and winter coats as well. Yes, I carried it on with my children, but now I have learned that you must also buy notebooks, crayons, pens, etc.

6. Write a summer tongue twister.

See sells sea shells by the sea shore!

7. Would you be interested in observing a surgery or do you turn away when the nurse brings out the needle?

I would not want to watch. I have a very sensitive stomach and even thinking about things can make me queasy and weak. No it is best left to the imagination.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I’m thinking about drastically changing my hair length. By drastically, I mean three or four inches off. What do you think? A shorter version of what I have now? I’m thinking yes.

Looking back over the past weekend I am really grateful for the time spent in my old hometown. Seeing this wonderful place with the eyes of an adult, made me appreciate it in a way that my teen-aged self never did.

Growing up there, I never would have thought to walk around town just looking at things. We drove. This weekend, I walked. Everywhere. Then I could stop and look at trees I used to climb, lanes I used to ride my bike on, and buildings where I once went to school.

I even stopped at the church where I went to Sunday School, and married husband number one. It’s a beautiful old church, made of stone. I so much wanted to marry Hubby number two there in the chapel, but the minister who was in residence would not marry us. I believe that the reason was, at the time he was going through a very bad divorce and so was prejudice against our union. After all, Henry VIII founded the Angelica Church, and how many wives did he have?

In any case, my grandparents are buried there and I went to their grave. and sort of visited with them.

Their grave site is overlooking a beautiful pond and knowing they are interned together makes me very happy. Grandma and Papa were truly in love. Grandma died in December and Papa followed along six months later. I still miss them very much.

The Reunion was that night and when we arrived this sign was showing for all to see.

The reunion party was super. So many old friends, and new ones as well. I think it is terrific that people that one was not exactly close to during High School, can become a friend after.

The food was terrific at the reunion. We had a Jamaican Grille, and the foods were all delicious. In fact, I cannot think of anything I tried that I did not like, except the collard greens, and I have never liked that.

However this, rice, shrimp in coconut milk sauce, jerk chicken, jalapeno corn bread, and fried plantains. They also had a fried bread and a dessert pudding that I cannot remember the name of, but which was very good. There was a man singing and playing steel drums, and I have to say, this was one of the nicest events I’ve been to in a very long time.

I hope that the next Reunion, in five years is similar to this one. Relaxed, fun and full of laughter. I’ve already volunteered to help with the computer work and mailing lists.

This was a truly exceptional weekend for me, as I went to my High School Reunion. It was the 35the year since we all graduated, and we all looked a bit older and I hope a little less serious than we were back then. I mean, life will either make you a better person, or you will become bitter and lost. Fortunately, those who attended were happy, and most had found their way through life just fine.

The party began on Friday night at a night club called the Casino. It’s a lovely spot on the cliffs overlooking Vineyard sound, and the views there are spectacular.  Janet was doing the driving and she came with me to this event.

I found a few girl friends from my youth and renewed our acquaintances, while enjoying a drink, and the lovely views.

Things were going pretty well, but apparently the management felt we were not buying enough (food as well) and they asked our party to leave! Heaven’s to Betsy, when they charge $15.99 for a Martini, who can afford to eat?

We left the Casino and went to a Pizza place called Papa Jakes, where we all ordered Pizza’s and Stuffed Quahogs. Now for those of you in other parts of the world here is what a Quahog is. It is the largest of clams that are opened, cleaned and then put together with a spicy bread stuffing, and baked. Then served! YUM!

After eating our fill, we returned to the motel, where i had my computer breakdown with the Wifi! I did eventually get the Wifi to work and left a very short and misspelled entry.

On Saturday morning Janet and I got up and had breakfast at Mary Ellen’s Portuguese Bakery! All I can say is…YUM!

I has Portuguese Sweetbread french toast with juice.

Oh my goodness it was wonderful!!! After we headed out to Stop and Shop to buy water and sodas for the day at the beach. Then we hit the beach!

I love the beach. With all the sea gulls, the sail boats and the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore.

I even caught this little dude chomping down his breakfast of freshly caught crab!

I watched and soaked up some sun, and I could have sworn that I had spread sun block evenly over my body. Needless to say, I missed a few places, but I would not know that until later.

I went for a swim, and I could taste the salt! Oh how I love the way the ocean tastes on my lips. I guess I’m a real Cape Cod Girl after all.

After noontime, we left the beach and went back up to the Tea Room to have lunch. We had the same waitress and she remembered us. It was relaxing and oh so pleasant!

Then we kept walking around the down town area. I was just in my beach sandals and my right foot began to hurt. A blister, I wondered?

Well, later I was to discover, that I had one sunburned foot and a sunburn in my cleavage. It was really pretty funny, if it had not been so painful!

I got backed to the motel, showered and then got myself ready for the Reunion. Hair…check. Make-up…check. Cute little sun dress…check! Slip on strappy sandals…check! And off I went.

Well, it is a good thing that I have a great sense of fun, because a fellow classmate and I chose almost the same dress to wear to the event! We both joked that we each had fantastic taste in clothes!

I will stop here because once again, I am pretty tired and this is already the length of a novel! Let’s just say, that it has been one of the busiest weeks in a very long time. A very happy and busy weekend!

Saturday started with a wonderful breakfast at Mary Ellen’s Portuguese Bakery. We had delicious breakfasts, before heading off to the grocery store to get some supplies, like sodas and water.

Afterward, we headed off to the beach!

It was still rather gray and cloudy when we arrived, but in no time at all the sun began to burn through and I could feel it beating down on my skin. I dove into the water, and cooled off, and then put on a ton of sun screen.

Now I have often heard tales of people missing spots, but never before has this been the case for me…until today! I missed the top part of my right foot and my…ahem…cleavage! How embarrassing, and painful.

I’ve just arrived back in our room at the motel, and it is late, so forgive me gentle reader as I sign off for tonight, and head to bed. I will write all about our weekend in tomorrows post, complete with pictures!

Sweet Mother Of God! I have just spent the last hour trying to get my computer online so I could write to you all. Unfortunately the Wifi Gods didn’t want me to send anything off, thus, the lateness of this post and my extreme frustration!

We arrived in Falmouth, Massachusetts just in time for lunch. We drove straight to Falmouth Harbor and Went to The Clam Shack! Yes folks. I had the most awesome Clam Plate ever!

I was definitely a happy girl! After our lunch, we headed over to our motel, checked in and dropped our bags, and we parked the car. The we walked all around my hometown! This is no small feet as the town is very large! But the weather was perfect and it made a great walk, where I could recall all the things that I so love about it!

This is me standing in front of the sign to my childhood home. I loved that house and really hated it when we moved.

This is the house I grew up in. It did not have the garage on it when I lived there, and gone are my Mom’s beautiful lilacs! They’ve also put this circular drive in and that just eats up the front lawn. I’m sad to say, it really didn’t look like my home any more.

As we walked we discovered a new place up town. A tea shop. Oh how lovely it was to sit and sip tea, have a scone and talk about our grandmothers.

And finally tonight, before the computer glitches, we went to a cocktail party. It was at a casino and was quite fun, until they threw us out! Why? So they could get more people in, who had to pay for their parking and drinks! Whoever heard of paying over $15.00 for a martini?

Here i am with a few of my class mates!

Well, forgive me for not chatting more. This blasted wifi kept me occupied for quite some time! Tomorrow is a beach day and I hope I will have more to tell you!