Category: Holidays

Monday was Labor Day here int he States. Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.

What does this mean in reality? Most businesses are closed. It’s a long three (or four) day weekend. Many people go away to celebrate the end of the summer, as the school year usually starts right after this. (Some places start just before.)

People have gatherings cooking hotdogs and hamburgers or steaks on the grill, and frankly, a lot of cold drinks and adult beverages are consumed!

Traffic is heavy, motels and campgrounds are booked up, and if you are lucky and the weather holds out, there is swimming and frolicking in the surf to be enjoyed.

This year Friday, Saturday and Sunday were amazing weather-wise. Monday I woke to the sound of rain hitting the air conditioner! Rain? How could this be? But it was and it rained all day, so what did we do? We watched the US Open Tennis! Thankfully two of their stadiums are now equipped with a roof that they can close in the event of bad weather. Good idea, I think!

I did make three meals and walked the dogs in between raindrops, and basically it was a nice quiet day!

Happy Labor Day & Happy September!

Easter Sunday was a nice one. We all gathered at Mandy’s home and I finally got to meet their new puppy, Freya.

She is a rescue puppy, half Lab, half ? but probably something in the retriever family. She is sweet and loving and goes full on, before simply crashing, and falling asleep.

Since I am a seasoned doggy lover, I took Freya out quite a few times for her to do her business. But like all puppies, she did have one small accident while we were there. It is to be expected with puppy potty training.

Soon it was time to set the table and get down to eating the lovingly prepared Easter dinner. My daughter really did a wonderful job preparing the meal.

After dinner, we all sat around talking and sharing memories of Easter pasts. I’m so in awe of my daughter. She made a great meal, sat with us and enjoyed it, and then got it all cleaned up lickity split and never once did she ignore the kids, puppy or her guests. Mandy is quite amazing!

All too soon it was time for us to drive home and feed our own pups. But now before Oma had a chance to hug her little grand-puppy!

I think I was probably 3 years old when this picture was taken! That’s my big brother, Dickie, and my sister, Melodie and that little bit of a thing, is me.

I miss my brother, who died far too young, and every day in every way, I am grateful for having the best big sister, ever!

This was Easter 1961. We always dressed up in new clothes, new shoes and our baskets for the holiday. Both sets of grandparents came down and quite often my mother’s brother Bob and his wife Cynthia and their kids, Carl and Rikki and their families joined us. Holidays were always a big deal for us. In my mind the holidays still are.

Each year on Valentine’s Day Jack and I go out to lunch. It’s less busy in the restaurants, and we usually order nice appetizers, soups, and a meal. Today we did our usual Mussels in white wine, garlic, and cream.

A wonderfully yummy appetizer! Jack ordered his Baked French Onion Soup, and today I splurged and ordered Escargot. It was serviced with puff pastry and french bread to sop up the garlic butter!

I ordered a glass of wine, Jack got a beer and then our main meals were delivered. Jack got the Quiche of the day and I ordered a Cobb Salad.

Both of us are still so full that I think we won’t have a proper meal tonight. Jack says he wants more soup, and he may finish my Cobb Salad. I don’t feel like eating anything.

It was lovely and quiet and we entered a contest for a trip of some sort to one of their Spas. It would be lovely to win, but I never expect it. It was fun to pose and enter!

Anneliese is stable right now with her eye. I gave her a hair trim on her ears, around her eyes, and on her brow. I want to keep any and all hair away from her troubled eye.

All in all, Valentines Day was quiet and nice.

Looking back, New Year’s Eve, 1988 was a very special night. It was the start of my 31 years with Jack. We had a layover with Pan Am at the Parker House in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. We got our First Night pins and off we went to enjoy the celebration. The weather was cold but dry, and everything was wonderful that night. We were young, in love and looking forward to our April wedding.

This New Year’s Eve, we will be at home, enjoying each other and the lead up to midnight. I hope to make it, but my recent track record has not been good.

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New Year’s Eve found Jack and I going off to run errands and do a good grocery shopping. For some reason, Jack decided it was a good time to shop for food he will need while I am gone. I leave in just 17 days!

We bought what I will need to make him a big pot of Lentil Soup. One of his favorites. We bought Hungry Man Frozen Meals, Soups, and even frozen Breakfasts. He will be fine in my absence.

While we were at the Deli getting some cold cuts and a hunk of Liverwurst, I asked the girl for 2 inches of the liverwurst just cut solid with a knife. I use the liverwurst to give Anneliese her daily pill, and I simply scoop out what I need each morning.

The woman came back and showed me the piece. I kid you not, it was just one inch! I said, “I’m sorry, that will not do. I need a two-inch hunk. Could you please just slice it with a knife?”

Well, if you guessed that she never got it right and argued with me about the size of the slice, you would be right! I mean really, it can’t be that hard!

I finally gave up and left Jack to deal with it! I was simply not going to allow this woman to ruin my cheery disposition!

I had a few items I wanted to get for my trip and so I went off to get those. Some instant decaf coffee, Splenda packets, and some cheese and crackers and peanut butter crackers to have in my bag and our room if anyone needs a little snack.

I also went to a Verizon Store to buy a new Screen Protector. I was joking around that it should be a warranty item. Shockingly, it is! For the life of the phone! So the young man cleaned my screen and installed it for me. The only key is, you must have the cracked protector with you! I did because I wanted to show him what a good protector it had been. I was in luck all the way around!

One other very lucky thing was we stopped at my favorite store, Talbots, and I bought a couple of shirts, a pair of pants, and a new turtleneck shirt. Some of this will be for my trip. The deals were awesome!

When we got home, we got the groceries put away, walked the dogs, and now we will quietly ring in the new year. I bought a nice bottle of bubbly and I plan to make a Charcuterie Tray for our celebration as well as Shrimp Cocktail.

It was yummy and I served this with toast rounds and warmed pita bread.

As you celebrate with your family and friends, I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year! May you know great love and happiness in the months ahead.

Maribeth

I woke in the night thinking about 2019 and how wonderful the New Year will be. I have positive thoughts about the New Year and will work my hardest to make it the best yet.

A couple of years ago my cousin, Janet, had a little talk with me about thinking positively. She told me that sometimes I dwelled in the darkness and I needed to learn how to see the world differently.

In life, there are plenty of sad/bad/unhappy things. But if you look for the good and happy things each day, you would find you were living a much happier life.

She was right. I start and end each day with happy thoughts in my mind. I try to look for the positive in each situation and go forward. Yes, always go forward.

There was a lot of work along the way. It is not easy to simply change how one perceives the world around them. Especially when you’ve been a darkness dweller for a long time.

So, in the New Year, 2019 (Can you believe it’s going to be 2019 tomorrow?) my plan is to keep dwelling in the land of the light, looking for the good in this crazy world of ours!

Happy New Year!
Love to all,
Maribeth

For me, Christmas preparations begin the day after Christmas each year. I start looking around for little things to buy for the next Christmas celebration.

Sometimes I actually make it until the next Christmas, but quite often I give these little gifts to the person during the year, when they need a little boost.

This year I was all done shopping a month before the actual day. Which was good because Jack kept imploring me to STOP with the credit card! LOL!

Christmas Day dawned bright, and we actually made it out of here on schedule and arrived 15 minutes before we planned. Christmas 2018’s drive was so much easier than Christmas 2017, as it was beautiful and clear, instead of snowy and stormy!

I always feel like a little kid when we are driving down. “Are we there yet?” And so it was with this drive as we headed to the controlled chaos of Christmas morning!

The kids had opened their stockings (the size of Big Foots!) but everything else they had waited to open with us. We piled in, unloaded the presents (That took three trips) and then settled in for Mimosas! (I was happy about this, as I have a very painful tooth that will need attention tomorrow!)

Soon breakfast was done and cleaned up and we all headed to the family room to open presents!

Yes, there were an amazing number of gifts, but then there were a lot of us too. So, in the end, it all worked out.

A few months ago, Savannah mentioned to me that her American Girl Doll was lonely and had no playmates! Savi has never really asked me for anything before, so I found the doll she liked and I got it for her. I also hunted down a bunch of clothes that fit the two dolls and this was Savi’s big gift this year.

After she opened up the new doll, she picked up her other much loved American Girl Doll and held them in a tight cuddle together!

I was just thrilled. I always loved my dolls growing up, and I was happy to see Savannah also enjoying them!

Quinn kept busy opening all sorts of things. He loved the opening process so much, even when it wasn’t his gift! LOL! He was a great helper with this!

In so many ways, Quinn presented us all with the true spirit of a kids Christmas. Amazement and wonder at all he saw and experienced!

My darling Savannah was so sweet, and cuddly too and we played let’s get the selfie until we had a good one.

The table was laid with Mandy’s beautiful dishes, filled with turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, carrot casserole, and butternut squash. All wonderful!

After dinner we sat around the remnants of wrapping, watching the kids play until everyone started to go their own way.

Christmas was over for another year! How was that possible. Everything went so fast!

Jack and I drove home, in almost record time. I came in, talked to my sister, made Jack a bowl of soup and then went to bed. I felt like the little kid who woke before dawn with the excitement of the day ahead of them, and then came crashing down to earth, like the older lady that I am.

It truly was a wonderful Christmas!

Maribeth

From our home to Yours,

 ♥ Merry Christmas! ♥ God Jul ♥ Gledelig Jul ♥
♥ Glædelig Jul ♥ Hyvää Joulua ♥ Gledileg Jol ♥
 ♥ Merry Christmas ♥ Feliz Navidad ♥ Joyeux Noël ♥
♥ Frohe Weihnachten ♥
♥ Vrolijk Kerstfeest ♥ Καλά Χριστούγεννα ♥
 ♥ Buone Natale ♥ Blithe Yule ♥ Nollaig chridheil huibh ♥
♥ Nollaig Shona Dhuit ♥ Mele Kalikimaka ♥ Mutlu Noeller ♥
♥ Maligayang Pasko ♥ Selamat Hari Natal ♥ Sawadee Pee Mai ♥

Maribeth