Category: My Life

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!

And…here we go!

1. How can I finish packing and load the car up, when I am so very tired? Guess I will have to figure it out.

2. I don’t like sea weed and never have.

3. My hair is a little wild and crazy right now.

4. I’m going to my High School reunion on Cape Cod, so I can enjoy the beaches and spend some time with my cousin.

5. My favorite summer fruits watermelon. I love to cut it up into chunks and chill it and serve! Yum!!!

6. Quite often, the dogs bark, scare me and have me wondering…what was that?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to an afternoon on the beach and drinks on the Cape with some former classmates and my cousin Janet, tomorrow my plans include going to the beach, and to the reunion dinner and Sunday, I want to go to the beach one more time, before Janet and I head home!

I’m counting down the days until I leave for a trip to Cape Cod. You all know that I grew up there, and mostly I do not think about it. I don’t miss it. But for some unknown reason, this year I have found my heart yearning for the Cape, for Falmouth, where I spent the first 20 years of my life, and gave birth to both of my children.

Monday morning I climbed up into our attic and found my long forgotten beach chairs. I mean, who uses beach chairs in the mountains of New Hampshire? I found my beach blanket, and I scored my beach umbrella as well! I have a great cooler, and plan to spend as much time as I can on the beach with Janet. Of course on Saturday night I go to my High School Reunion, and I want to drive by the houses I once lived in, but most of all, I want to be at the beach.

My beach! Surf Drive Beach!!!

Growing up it was a quick five minute walk from my house and of all the beaches in the world, Surf Drive Beach is my “Home Beach”!

It’s where I learned to swim, played freely and wildly, learned to dive off the raft and later as a teen, it is where I met up with my friends and boys I went to school with. I took my girls there as well, when they were babies.

I got out my suit case and started to pack it, giving Hubby a fashion show of my new dress. He loved it! I love it as well. I feel really pretty in it!

Can you tell I am excited?

Our host is Gattina. Come join us and tell us what YOU did this past weekend! After all, you never know when you will need an alibi!

***************

Since I do not want to relive Friday night’s nightmare dinner, I will simply say, see below for a recount of my cooking disaster.

Saturday was a really fun day. Each year I do to the local Greek Church and help with their Greek Festival. The day was bright sunshine, warm temperatures and a gentle breeze that kept us cool.

My job is to sell the fruit bars and the apple and cherry turnovers. I got there early and there were already people waiting to be served. I donned my apron, and  started filling up boxes with my goodies. We had lemon, fig, raspberry and date squares. All hand made by the ladies of the church. Hubby’s favorite are the lemon, so I put one bar away for him right at the start!

Also on our line up of dessert type foods was, Baklava, Kourabiedes, Melomakarona, Kataifi, Bougatsa, plus Spanakopita! People had their boxes filled until there was no more room and then a new box was filled.

As soon as they finished with our line they got into another line for lamb shanks, sliced lamb, rice and gravy, Pastichio, stuffed grape leaves, greek salads and Greek sausages! All made by the men and women of the church! And all very delicious!!!

I see the same people come back each year. That’s one of the nicest parts. Remember when you were a child and there various types of festivals that you would attend in your home town? I loved those so much, and sadly it seems there are fewer and fewer as the years go by.

I arrived home, exhausted, but happily so, and Hubby and I had a small, late dinner. The end of a perfect Saturday!

Sunday found me trying to get into gear. I had cleaning and laundry to do, as well as pick vegetables in my garden. Once picked I had roasted eggplant for lunch, and then blanched, dried and bagged 3 pounds of green beans to freeze for the winter!

I’ve got a small steak for our dinner tonight, a few green beans and maybe a baked potato. Something easy, as I still have ironing to do, as I get ready for my Cape Cod trip at the end of the week!

On Friday night I was humbled by a cooking disaster. I had worked hard to make the baby back ribs, but it turns out they were cut unevenly, so when I cooked them my special way, they did not cook at the fat ends, all the way through! One rack was not affected this way, but sadly the other ones were. I was so mad at myself. I should have seen it and I should have cooked them longer.

My next disaster was trying to make a blueberry cake and having TWO of them only raise up 1 inch! I couldn’t figure out what was wrong! Then it dawned on me…I haven’t baked in three years because I am on Weight Watchers. Chances are very good my Baking Powder was flat.

The one good thing is that my potato salad came out very well, and our fresh green beans tasted so sweet and yummy! Still I was angry that the other two items were not my best effort.

Saturday I woke and after breakfasting, off I went to the Greek Festival, where I work every year helping my neighbor. We had perfect weather, a large crowd and at the end of the day, there was almost no food items left!

I came home feeling tired and happy, and sat down with my feet up, sipping tea. Just one more thing left to accomplish today (dinner for Hubby), and then I am off for the rest of the night!

And…here we go!

1. Summer is is flying by.

2. The love in my heart is unchanged and those I love may not realize how much they are loved.

3. Aargh! I opened a cabinet door into my mouth and cut my lip. (Just a little!).

4. I get up, making the coffee and walking the dogs in the morning.

5. Seven: UP.

6. Love is all that matters, don’t you think?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to grilling baby-back ribs with friends, tomorrow my plans include working at a Greek Festival with my neighbor and Sunday, I want to collapse!