My gift to you for Christmas:
Silent Night (Yes, B is one of the singers:)
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Observant Child
B and the Middle/High School choir have gone to the largest inn in town to sing today. I believe they were even getting lunch. Chatham Bars Inn is lovely all year, but they truly out do themselves at Christmastime. Their lobby boasts 10 foot high trees made from Poinsettias, they make a huge gingerbread display, there are ribbons and bows everywhere.....
Here are a few pictures from 4 years ago....
What I am trying to say is that the place is GORGEOUS! So what does B text me a picture of today?
The bathroom. That's right. With this caption "coolest. bathroom. ever."
Obviously, I have raised one with very high standards.
Here are a few pictures from 4 years ago....
What I am trying to say is that the place is GORGEOUS! So what does B text me a picture of today?
The bathroom. That's right. With this caption "coolest. bathroom. ever."
Obviously, I have raised one with very high standards.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
My New Daughter
It's been a busy month.
Yeah, that was an understatement..... anyhoo, what else is December, but busy?
Evidently I haven't been writing enough.
Well , here is the reason why....
I miraculously gave birth to an 18 year old AFS student from Chile!
P has been in town since Sept and is a friend of K's. Her first home was not working out for her, so now she is living with us for the next 6 months! We are very excited to have another girl to add to the Diva Den. Of course, with her arriving into our family the week before Christmas, she has been thrown into complete mayhem! She's met about 20 relatives, about 20 more friends and a whole church! She has been to one party and is going to another tonight! She is very sweet and has been such a good sport about us bringing her here and there.
I have to commend K and B for supporting the decision to "adopt" P into our family. We don't have the biggest house and can often be in each other's faces, so we really have to like each other. I am hoping that the next 6 months will be a positive learning experience for us all!
Yeah, that was an understatement..... anyhoo, what else is December, but busy?
Evidently I haven't been writing enough.
Well , here is the reason why....
I miraculously gave birth to an 18 year old AFS student from Chile!
P has been in town since Sept and is a friend of K's. Her first home was not working out for her, so now she is living with us for the next 6 months! We are very excited to have another girl to add to the Diva Den. Of course, with her arriving into our family the week before Christmas, she has been thrown into complete mayhem! She's met about 20 relatives, about 20 more friends and a whole church! She has been to one party and is going to another tonight! She is very sweet and has been such a good sport about us bringing her here and there.
I have to commend K and B for supporting the decision to "adopt" P into our family. We don't have the biggest house and can often be in each other's faces, so we really have to like each other. I am hoping that the next 6 months will be a positive learning experience for us all!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Singing Is Not Like Football
This past weekend B attended the South East Regional singing competition. It was called something along those lines. She and 3 other middle schoolers had been working since October on singing a specific piece. They worked hard and were excited about this opportunity.
Now mind you, my girls ask me NOT to sing. I am a closet singer and love to sing when no one is listening or in the case of having one too many, at a karaoke bar. I sang when I was little in my church choir. I only remember them labeling me an Alto and in my naivety thought that meant I sang like a boy. This on top of people thinking I was a boy until I was 14. (At 14, there was no mistaking that I was all girl.)
My high school was very much like the beginning of High School Musical, where all groups were segregated. It was a big enough school so the drama dept didn't need the jocks and vice versa. I was a jock and stayed a jock until college when I got to be a jock and part of the dance community. I digress....
So, being the type of mom I am, I planned on going to support B in her quest for music greatness. I offered to drive the troops, but 2 schools rented a bus instead. Supporters were allowed to go on the bus, too. On the bus were 11 singers (way back of the bus), 2 music teachers (front seats) and ME.
Yup, crickets.
I enjoyed not having to drive the hour away and was able to knit and eavesdrop on the girls and the teachers. The other school's teacher was talking about how she wished one of her girls would make it to the next level and B's music teacher said, "I think all the girls are successes just for having the motivation to commit to this program and practice as hard as they did." It was truly something I hoped he would say to the girls because it was so sweet.
We get to the HS and there were musicians everywhere: some with instruments, some with their voices. Some were very stereotypical, some were not. I was thrown out of the practice room and told to go to the cafeteria. In my head, I was thinking that I would miss the performance if I didn't keep track of B and where she was going so I waited in the hallway and told a dozen people where the bathrooms were. Finally they came out of the practice room and I followed her to what I thought was the auditorium, when I noticed the teachers were no where to be found. As I was thrown jackets, I was told again to go to the caf. and wait.
Instead of a championship game where the fans are an integral part of the package, these kids had to sing one on one with a judge in a room ALONE. What?
I didn't get to watch. Or listen. Or clap.
When the kids came to the caf. after their audition, they said how they did and that was it. We got back on the bus, hit Burger King and drove home with the girls singing Christmas Carols or anything else that came to mind. They had to wait until Monday to find out if they made it to the next level.
None of B's "team" made it. B didn't realize until 2 weeks before that she had to show that she knew how to read music. She doesn't know how to read music. Give her a note and she will sing it, but have her figure it out herself? Nope. Overall, the day was an experience in the unknown. I just hope the girls know how incredibly brave they were to sing one on one with no fans giving them the thumbs up or the thunderous applause that they deserved.
Now mind you, my girls ask me NOT to sing. I am a closet singer and love to sing when no one is listening or in the case of having one too many, at a karaoke bar. I sang when I was little in my church choir. I only remember them labeling me an Alto and in my naivety thought that meant I sang like a boy. This on top of people thinking I was a boy until I was 14. (At 14, there was no mistaking that I was all girl.)
My high school was very much like the beginning of High School Musical, where all groups were segregated. It was a big enough school so the drama dept didn't need the jocks and vice versa. I was a jock and stayed a jock until college when I got to be a jock and part of the dance community. I digress....
So, being the type of mom I am, I planned on going to support B in her quest for music greatness. I offered to drive the troops, but 2 schools rented a bus instead. Supporters were allowed to go on the bus, too. On the bus were 11 singers (way back of the bus), 2 music teachers (front seats) and ME.
Yup, crickets.
I enjoyed not having to drive the hour away and was able to knit and eavesdrop on the girls and the teachers. The other school's teacher was talking about how she wished one of her girls would make it to the next level and B's music teacher said, "I think all the girls are successes just for having the motivation to commit to this program and practice as hard as they did." It was truly something I hoped he would say to the girls because it was so sweet.
We get to the HS and there were musicians everywhere: some with instruments, some with their voices. Some were very stereotypical, some were not. I was thrown out of the practice room and told to go to the cafeteria. In my head, I was thinking that I would miss the performance if I didn't keep track of B and where she was going so I waited in the hallway and told a dozen people where the bathrooms were. Finally they came out of the practice room and I followed her to what I thought was the auditorium, when I noticed the teachers were no where to be found. As I was thrown jackets, I was told again to go to the caf. and wait.
Instead of a championship game where the fans are an integral part of the package, these kids had to sing one on one with a judge in a room ALONE. What?
I didn't get to watch. Or listen. Or clap.
When the kids came to the caf. after their audition, they said how they did and that was it. We got back on the bus, hit Burger King and drove home with the girls singing Christmas Carols or anything else that came to mind. They had to wait until Monday to find out if they made it to the next level.
None of B's "team" made it. B didn't realize until 2 weeks before that she had to show that she knew how to read music. She doesn't know how to read music. Give her a note and she will sing it, but have her figure it out herself? Nope. Overall, the day was an experience in the unknown. I just hope the girls know how incredibly brave they were to sing one on one with no fans giving them the thumbs up or the thunderous applause that they deserved.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
13! TaDah!
I love this smiling face,
I love that you are so strong and yet, still keep your toes pink.
I love that you love to swim (and the improvement in a year on the team? UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!)
I love that the movie you made about erosion 2 years ago, somehow has 1500 hits on Youtube.
I love your sense of humor, I love that you are friends with your sister, I love your friends, I love your attitude and I love that you will still snuggle with me on the couch.
Don't forget all that now that you are a TEENAGER!
Happy Birthday Baby! I love you :)
I love that you are so strong and yet, still keep your toes pink.
I love that you love to swim (and the improvement in a year on the team? UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!)
I love that the movie you made about erosion 2 years ago, somehow has 1500 hits on Youtube.
I love your sense of humor, I love that you are friends with your sister, I love your friends, I love your attitude and I love that you will still snuggle with me on the couch.
Don't forget all that now that you are a TEENAGER!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Baby Phat
K was the proud recipient of a Baby Phat hoodie last week. Baby Phat has a fun line of clothes from newborn to adult! This hoodie is in the girls' section.
What we loved most about it was the feel and the fit. The back flared out just a bit which made the whole thing sit so well! The hood in a different color which made it very cool!
The only drawback was, that for K, the emblem on the front was too big. I am thinking they were trying to design it after a school uniform type jacket, but for whatever reason, she did not care for it.
I would imagine someone on your Christmas/Hannukah list would love something from Baby Phat!
We were given this jacket to express our opinions. These are our opinions.
What we loved most about it was the feel and the fit. The back flared out just a bit which made the whole thing sit so well! The hood in a different color which made it very cool!
The only drawback was, that for K, the emblem on the front was too big. I am thinking they were trying to design it after a school uniform type jacket, but for whatever reason, she did not care for it.
I would imagine someone on your Christmas/Hannukah list would love something from Baby Phat!
We were given this jacket to express our opinions. These are our opinions.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Confession #236
I have a confession to make.
One that only came to my realization today.
I am a sour cream addict/whore/hoarder?
Who knew? I had always wondered about my sour cream buying habits, but never truly faced the facts.
Until today, after I went grocery shopping.
Whoops. This is what my refrigerator looks like:
That's right. 8- 16 oz conainers and 2- 24 oz containers. (Only 1 container of light sour cream). If we ate Mexican food every night, this might make sense; we don't. K eats sour cream with Tostitos. I bake a certain chocolate cake with sour cream. One chicken recipe I make once a month uses sour cream.
Why do I have this much sour cream?
Whatever. At least it is balanced off by two other things I buy in moderation....
One that only came to my realization today.
I am a sour cream addict/whore/hoarder?
Who knew? I had always wondered about my sour cream buying habits, but never truly faced the facts.
Until today, after I went grocery shopping.
Whoops. This is what my refrigerator looks like:
That's right. 8- 16 oz conainers and 2- 24 oz containers. (Only 1 container of light sour cream). If we ate Mexican food every night, this might make sense; we don't. K eats sour cream with Tostitos. I bake a certain chocolate cake with sour cream. One chicken recipe I make once a month uses sour cream.
Why do I have this much sour cream?
Whatever. At least it is balanced off by two other things I buy in moderation....
Friday, November 18, 2011
Frag'n Friday
*My underwear was pole dancing in the washing machine last night. I had to cut it in 2 places to remove all the laundry. If only I were that talented.
*My sister and some friends have been going back and forth on email trying to get together a group of us to go to see Breaking Dawn. They have been signing their emails, Team Edward/Team Jacob. Here was my response:
Let me know when you all want to go see the Muppets.
Love, Team Piggy
*I know why Ashton and Demi are getting a divorce. It's because he stopped washing his hair and shaving.
*If you want to feel good about giving to a good cause AND getting your kids that pony they've always wanted, check out this site. The folks at MyOwnPet Balloons will donate $5 of every purchase toward Canines for Disabled Kids. This is a group that trains canines to help children with disabilities feel more comfortable in society. Seriously, the cause is great and the balloons are ADORABLE!
*Anyone been watching the last week of Regis? It's really been cool looking back at all he has done.
*BTW, this is me. I am giddy thinking about Black Friday.
*Have a fantastic weekend!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Yeah, She is Really Cute!
I have been thinking a lot lately of topics to write about here. Unfortunately they often don't go past the first line.
I have my ex-dog for 2 weeks....
I have so many things to be thankful for during this holiday season....
What will the 99% protesters do for Thanksgiving?
39 days until Christmas...
Today, I had the joy of watching my niece for a few hours. And she is the perfect topic to write about, just look at her.
She spent about 45 minutes in this drawer (that goes under my coffee table and is full of toys) throwing the toys out. It was hysterical.
She also spent quite a bit of time trying to torment my ex-dog. The dog didn't know what was going on.
So one of these days, I will get past the first sentence on topics in my head, but in the meantime I will focus on the cute girls in my life.
I have my ex-dog for 2 weeks....
I have so many things to be thankful for during this holiday season....
What will the 99% protesters do for Thanksgiving?
39 days until Christmas...
Today, I had the joy of watching my niece for a few hours. And she is the perfect topic to write about, just look at her.
She spent about 45 minutes in this drawer (that goes under my coffee table and is full of toys) throwing the toys out. It was hysterical.
She also spent quite a bit of time trying to torment my ex-dog. The dog didn't know what was going on.
So one of these days, I will get past the first sentence on topics in my head, but in the meantime I will focus on the cute girls in my life.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Sundays in My City
I have written about Provincetown a few times, but can only find one of those times here. Anyway, my friend Faith and I, celebrated a day off of school on Friday with a trip to P-town. It takes close to an hour to get there. K and B both invited friends and Faith brought her son and daughter. (It was a FULL minivan!) Someday her son will appreciate the gift he was given to hang out with 7 girls, but lucky for Faith, I don't think it will be any time soon.
I had some brainstorm to do a scavenger hunt with the kids so they wouldn't be whining about the wind and that they were bored. To make it easy, I wrote the word, Provincetown, down the side of an index card, gave them a pen and put it in a big baggie. We split them up into 2 groups and told them to find (buy or take a picture) of something that begins with each of the letters. We let them go off for about an hour and a half and they had a blast! One group took all pictures and one group bought most of the things. Click on this picture to make it bigger and see some of the examples. I highly recommend this, they loved it!
Such a fun, beautiful day!
Happy Sunday!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Trapped in Jeans for 10 hours!
When did it become a chore to wear an outfit from 7am to 5pm?
I got up, showered and got dressed this morning in a pair of jeans, a tank top and a long sleeve shirt (that's as specific as I am getting). I even put on make-up this morning! I had to bring the girls to school, drive my nephew to school and go to a play at the middle school. I hung out at my mom's with my sister and niece. When I got home I did some computer work. This even included ordering my Christmas cards! (Hey, I had a Groupon that was going to expire!).
Picked up the girls, welcomed K's friend over, went to grocery store, cleaned up the kitchen, made brownies and dinner.
All the while, I am still wearing my jeans, tank top and long sleeve shirt. K's friend did not leave until 5:30. Don't get me wrong, I love having the girls have friends over. I love having my friends over. It's just that this particular friend hadn't been over in years and nicely reminded me that I had served her "hamster poop" one April Fool's day*. I didn't feel it was polite to put my jammies on even though I knew it was the one night I didn't have to drive to swimming. I was in for the night and prisoner in my jeans until she left!
So when did I become this person? How did I become this person? How do people work from 9-5 in skirts and pantyhose? You know what I am going to need to put on my Christmas list, right?
Either I am old or just really comfortable in my own skin. Now that's sexy, don't you think?
*Hamster poop is ground hamburger cooked. Just so you know. No need to call DSS.
I got up, showered and got dressed this morning in a pair of jeans, a tank top and a long sleeve shirt (that's as specific as I am getting). I even put on make-up this morning! I had to bring the girls to school, drive my nephew to school and go to a play at the middle school. I hung out at my mom's with my sister and niece. When I got home I did some computer work. This even included ordering my Christmas cards! (Hey, I had a Groupon that was going to expire!).
Picked up the girls, welcomed K's friend over, went to grocery store, cleaned up the kitchen, made brownies and dinner.
All the while, I am still wearing my jeans, tank top and long sleeve shirt. K's friend did not leave until 5:30. Don't get me wrong, I love having the girls have friends over. I love having my friends over. It's just that this particular friend hadn't been over in years and nicely reminded me that I had served her "hamster poop" one April Fool's day*. I didn't feel it was polite to put my jammies on even though I knew it was the one night I didn't have to drive to swimming. I was in for the night and prisoner in my jeans until she left!
So when did I become this person? How did I become this person? How do people work from 9-5 in skirts and pantyhose? You know what I am going to need to put on my Christmas list, right?
Either I am old or just really comfortable in my own skin. Now that's sexy, don't you think?
*Hamster poop is ground hamburger cooked. Just so you know. No need to call DSS.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Dinner, It's Not Just at 5:30 Anymore
How many people can say they ate dinner sitting outside the high school last night?
Because sometimes our schedules are so crazy at night; that is what I was reduced to.
Eating dinner at a dinner table is important. I fully agree. I love catching up with the girls and hearing about their days. Sometimes they even like hearing about my day. Yesterday, was more of a typical school day...
Girls went to school, picked up one while the other went to cheer practice, ran some errands, came home and put chicken in the oven at 4 so it would be done at 5. Picked up cheerleader at 4:30, came home, took out chicken and drove swimmer to swim practice (25 mins away). Cheerleader went out to dinner with team and then to student council meeting. Swimmer and I got home at 7:25, cooked rice and green beans, re-heated chicken and drove to HS where we enjoyed our dinner under a street lamp and waited for cheerleader to get out of meeting.
I have a feeling we are not in the minority in our crazy dinner time situations. What if I had more than 2 kids? I make a conscious effort to check in with the girls during the day because dinner time at 7:30 is usually spent trying to cram in a little more homework. Luckily we drive around a lot and I can talk to them in the car. Sometimes I even sit down while they are eating breakfast just to get in that family unity time.
The hardest part about this is planning what is for dinner, who will be eating it at what time and remembering to take something out of the freezer. Which reminds me, hmmm, what's for dinner tonight? (More importantly, where will we be eating it?)
Because sometimes our schedules are so crazy at night; that is what I was reduced to.
Eating dinner at a dinner table is important. I fully agree. I love catching up with the girls and hearing about their days. Sometimes they even like hearing about my day. Yesterday, was more of a typical school day...
Girls went to school, picked up one while the other went to cheer practice, ran some errands, came home and put chicken in the oven at 4 so it would be done at 5. Picked up cheerleader at 4:30, came home, took out chicken and drove swimmer to swim practice (25 mins away). Cheerleader went out to dinner with team and then to student council meeting. Swimmer and I got home at 7:25, cooked rice and green beans, re-heated chicken and drove to HS where we enjoyed our dinner under a street lamp and waited for cheerleader to get out of meeting.
I have a feeling we are not in the minority in our crazy dinner time situations. What if I had more than 2 kids? I make a conscious effort to check in with the girls during the day because dinner time at 7:30 is usually spent trying to cram in a little more homework. Luckily we drive around a lot and I can talk to them in the car. Sometimes I even sit down while they are eating breakfast just to get in that family unity time.
The hardest part about this is planning what is for dinner, who will be eating it at what time and remembering to take something out of the freezer. Which reminds me, hmmm, what's for dinner tonight? (More importantly, where will we be eating it?)
Friday, October 28, 2011
Frag'n Friday!
*The nice thing about living on Cape Cod is that it doesn't snow until it is winter. Not like everywhere else in Mass that is going to get slammed tomorrow night.
*I trashed or filed over 1000 emails this morning. Phew, that felt good!
*I am going to freeze my ass off watching one kid cheer tonight at a football game and then sweat whatever is left off tomorrow at a swim meet for the other kid. I'll probably be a size 6 by the end of the weekend :)
*There are a lot of elderly folks living on Cape Cod. Today I overheard 2 of them talking about the oxygen pump one was carrying around. "Is that liquid or gas oxygen?" Gah! Is that what we have to look forward to?
*I walked through Macy's last night where there were fully decorated trees and Christmas music. Not. Quite. Ready.
*Halloween is not my favorite holiday. If there was a Scrooge for Halloween, it would be me and I would say, "Bah Pumpkin". I do like the candy part though.....
*I am off to bundle up! Have a fantastic weekend and a safe Halloween!
Monday, October 24, 2011
My Homecoming Princess
I don't remember there being a big deal about homecoming in my high school. I think I remember them crowning a king and queen at a football game, but there was no dance and no fanfare. Maybe if I had been the queen, then it would have been more memorable with lots and lots of fanfare.
Evidently, on Cape Cod, homecoming is a big deal. Some schools have pep rallies, some have kings and queens and most all have dances. So while K is going to one school and cheering for another (yeah, it's complicated), she was able to experience a pep rally, a competition between the classes, a football game and a dance.
Evidently, on Cape Cod, homecoming is a big deal. Some schools have pep rallies, some have kings and queens and most all have dances. So while K is going to one school and cheering for another (yeah, it's complicated), she was able to experience a pep rally, a competition between the classes, a football game and a dance.
Then she slept for 13 hours straight.
"It's hard being a teen." Reverend Tim Tom (from the show The Middle)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Frag'n Friday
*It's bad enough that my appliances are playing beer pong. Now I have to worry about teens soaking gummy bears in alcohol. Yeah, that was on the news this morning.
*Speaking of appliances, I got a new washing machine! It's shiny and so is the floor under it! Little things are important in life :) And no, it will not being playing beer pong anytime soon, she's too young (um, new).
*It's homecoming weekend here, complete with dance and football game. Oh, yes, there will be pictures.
*Last weekend was B's first swim meet since March. She dropped 8 seconds off her 100 free! Yikes!
*It's also Octoberfest downtown this weekend and the chamber of commerce has set up pumpkin people in the park. Any store, family or non-profit group could make a pumpkin person. Here is ours (the Women of Fishing Families).
*A new Barbie has come on the market with Tattoos. Disturbing to a point, but I am surprised that she is drawing more heat than the name of her little doggy, Bastardino. The newscasters couldn't even say the dogs name on air. Oh Barbie, and we always thought Skipper was the tramp.
*Have a fantastic weekend!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
My Appliances Play Beer Pong
Remember when you were little and you imagined your stuffed animals playing while you were downstairs or in school? (Think Toy Story if you didn't have stuffed animals that played.) Now that I am older, I am thinking that maybe my appliances, car and camera all hang out, play beer pong and decide which one should screw with my checking account and break. They must have gotten really carried away lately because first it was the dishwasher who spewed water all over the kitchen floor. A few weeks later, the maintenance light in my car went on and I thought, "No big deal, I just need an oil change." Well, when I went into the Honda garage yesterday, the man noticed my 10% off coupon and said, "Oh, that will save you about $30." Thanks to my stellar math skills, I knew that meant I was going to be spending $300 on my "oil change" (read: major servicing at 55,000 miles).
I have been having dreams about my camera not working properly and have seen a lot of pictures on my computer that were blurry, so putting 2 and 2 together (see, stellar math skills), I am thinking that I have to send my baby away to get checked out. My camera is like an appendage, this could be very hard.
Last night, I was finally sitting on the couch surfing Facebook on my laptop while watching TV while the girls finished up their homework (yes, a Walton's moment), when I could hear water running into the washing machine. That would have been music to my ears, but I had moments before just heard the load finish. That's right, the washing machine must have lost at beer pong yesterday and it became the next major appliance I need to replace.
I hope the girls understand and appreciate their presents under the Christmas tree this year. B's present will be a picture of the dishwasher, K's will be a picture of the washing machine, mine will be a picture of my camera and the family present will be a picture of the car. Who knew I could finish my shopping by the end of October?
I have been having dreams about my camera not working properly and have seen a lot of pictures on my computer that were blurry, so putting 2 and 2 together (see, stellar math skills), I am thinking that I have to send my baby away to get checked out. My camera is like an appendage, this could be very hard.
Last night, I was finally sitting on the couch surfing Facebook on my laptop while watching TV while the girls finished up their homework (yes, a Walton's moment), when I could hear water running into the washing machine. That would have been music to my ears, but I had moments before just heard the load finish. That's right, the washing machine must have lost at beer pong yesterday and it became the next major appliance I need to replace.
I hope the girls understand and appreciate their presents under the Christmas tree this year. B's present will be a picture of the dishwasher, K's will be a picture of the washing machine, mine will be a picture of my camera and the family present will be a picture of the car. Who knew I could finish my shopping by the end of October?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Chatham 300
Chatham is celebrating it's 300th birthday next year. This has resulted in much fan fare and celebrations and historical research around town. I was asked to write a small blurb on something having to do with the fishing community for a book that will be published for the event. Here it is.....
I am blessed to live in a town where fishing has been one of the mainstays of the local ecomony. I feel very lucky to call the fishermen my friends. Fishermen have increasingly taken a backseat to the tourists and multi-million dollar homes in Chatham. However, the Chatham Fish Pier is the one place all those tourists love to visit in the summer.
The fishermen and their families have taken some hard hits from the government in the past 12 or so years. The restrictions have been so confining that many of the men have found other jobs, have been forced to sell their boats and their homes. Many of the men started fishing with their Dads when they were little. Many of the fishermen now, do not want their children following in their footsteps.
My favorite thing about the fishing community is how loyal they are to each other. No matter how much they jockey their positions out on the sea to get the best and biggest catch, they are one family in a time of need. I have seen men gather at the Pier when a fellow fisherman’s boat sank. I have seen them come together to prepare for a hurricane or large storm. The most touching times are when a fisherman or child of a fisherman is battling a life threatening disease. The families rally, donations come in and the community comes together as one to help. I have been blessed to see this happen over and over again.
My daughter(14) went fishing one day this summer with her dad. He bought her pink fishing boots and new Grundens. He picked her up at 4:30 in the morning and by the time I saw her at 11 AM, she was laughing, joking with the crew and rinsing out fishing totes. A highlight of her day was bantering on the radio with the men who had watched her grow up. These men (and women) are the salt of the earth and I am so proud to be considered one of the family.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
My Invisible Shield Rocks
So, I am in a corner stretching and pretending I am invisible. My "fierce" (read: slow) 25 minute walk on the treadmill has netted me a loss of 87 calories and a chapter of the latest Danielle Steel novel.
My "brisk" walk on the treadmill is the result of starting to work out a month ago. In my head I am 27, but somehow my body has aged quicker than my head. I hurt my good knee walking too rigorously on the treadmill in week 2. That has really annoyed me but, of course, has not stopped my day-to-day activities. Activities that include hauling little kids around, cleaning the house and carrying 40 lb camera bags around wedding ceremonies.
So far at this gym, I have kept to myself. I hop on my favorite treadmill ( 3 from the wall with a view of the parking lot) and read a book. I guess I trained myself to read on a treadmill a long time ago to fight the immense boredom of it. I haven't braved the stretching/mat area because it is right in the middle of the gym. Who wants to see a 44 year old woman doing sit ups? Poor planning on the gym's part. Plus the high schoolers on the swim team are usually in this area. Have you ever gawked at high school swimmers before? Beautiful, in shape, non-flabby bodies. Not people I ever want to work out next to.
So I stretch far away against a wall, next to a scale that basically taunts me and very close to a leg machine. Not room to do situps, but an ok place to stretch and observe for a few minutes.
What I see is older people walking on the treadmill, in shape older men cruising on the step machine, sweaty people, laughing people tatooed people, men with too much body hair, serious excercisers and the smiley lady that walks around and checks in with people. She's never checked in with me, though, probably because I have my invisible shield around me and she can't penetrate it.
One of the swim team moms, asked me to do a class with her because she noticed that I was working out in the gym (my shield must not have been working that day). This mom runs half marathons for fun. She must have mistaken the 'now me' for the 'best shape of my life college me'.
Hmm, if my invisible shield can alter people's perceptions of me, then maybe I can start doing those sit ups in the middle of the gym?
My "brisk" walk on the treadmill is the result of starting to work out a month ago. In my head I am 27, but somehow my body has aged quicker than my head. I hurt my good knee walking too rigorously on the treadmill in week 2. That has really annoyed me but, of course, has not stopped my day-to-day activities. Activities that include hauling little kids around, cleaning the house and carrying 40 lb camera bags around wedding ceremonies.
So far at this gym, I have kept to myself. I hop on my favorite treadmill ( 3 from the wall with a view of the parking lot) and read a book. I guess I trained myself to read on a treadmill a long time ago to fight the immense boredom of it. I haven't braved the stretching/mat area because it is right in the middle of the gym. Who wants to see a 44 year old woman doing sit ups? Poor planning on the gym's part. Plus the high schoolers on the swim team are usually in this area. Have you ever gawked at high school swimmers before? Beautiful, in shape, non-flabby bodies. Not people I ever want to work out next to.
So I stretch far away against a wall, next to a scale that basically taunts me and very close to a leg machine. Not room to do situps, but an ok place to stretch and observe for a few minutes.
What I see is older people walking on the treadmill, in shape older men cruising on the step machine, sweaty people, laughing people tatooed people, men with too much body hair, serious excercisers and the smiley lady that walks around and checks in with people. She's never checked in with me, though, probably because I have my invisible shield around me and she can't penetrate it.
One of the swim team moms, asked me to do a class with her because she noticed that I was working out in the gym (my shield must not have been working that day). This mom runs half marathons for fun. She must have mistaken the 'now me' for the 'best shape of my life college me'.
Hmm, if my invisible shield can alter people's perceptions of me, then maybe I can start doing those sit ups in the middle of the gym?
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Sundays In My City
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
That Awkward Moment When....
Yesterday at swimming, unbeknownst to me, B and her friend were playing the game "that awkward moment when....". From the lobby it looked like they would swim a lap and then crack each other up while they waited to start the next lap. The funny thing was is that the adults in the lobby were sort of playing the same game.
For the girls in the pool, it went like this:
That awkward moment when... your coach tells you you did a good job, but tells everyone else they did a great job.
That awkward moment when.... you pee a little in the pool while you are doing the breaststroke.
That awkward moment when.... you have to stop swimming to let half the lane pass you because you are so slow.
For the moms in the lobby, it wasn't that we were actually playing the "awkward game". It was just that we were listening to one woman tell us of her trials and tribulations with Match Dot Com. Combined with a few other dating disaster stories I have heard, I came up with this list...
That awkward moment when.... your date proceeds to nod off throughout dinner.
That awkward moment when... you realize your date has left his ugly sweatshirt in your car and you really were not planning on seeing him again.
That awkward moment when... on your date, you realize that you have a mutual friend in common and wonder why your friend has never tried to fix you up before.
That awkward moment when... you find out your date is a lot older or heavier or balder than his Match picture.
That awkward moment when... you figure out that your date is only visiting the Cape and really lives in NYC.
I got up this morning thinking of how I was going to tie the "awkward game" together for this post, walked into the living room and opened the curtain to look out at the lawn on this beautiful day.... and there it was, the clincher to this post...
That awkward moment when... you open your curtains to find a dead raccoon in the middle of your yard. *
*Totally not kidding and am still skeeved out by it! The girls and I got out the snow shovel and removed it to the unclear border between our yard and the neighbors' where there is lots of ivy growing.
For the girls in the pool, it went like this:
That awkward moment when... your coach tells you you did a good job, but tells everyone else they did a great job.
That awkward moment when.... you pee a little in the pool while you are doing the breaststroke.
That awkward moment when.... you have to stop swimming to let half the lane pass you because you are so slow.
For the moms in the lobby, it wasn't that we were actually playing the "awkward game". It was just that we were listening to one woman tell us of her trials and tribulations with Match Dot Com. Combined with a few other dating disaster stories I have heard, I came up with this list...
That awkward moment when.... your date proceeds to nod off throughout dinner.
That awkward moment when... you realize your date has left his ugly sweatshirt in your car and you really were not planning on seeing him again.
That awkward moment when... on your date, you realize that you have a mutual friend in common and wonder why your friend has never tried to fix you up before.
That awkward moment when... you find out your date is a lot older or heavier or balder than his Match picture.
That awkward moment when... you figure out that your date is only visiting the Cape and really lives in NYC.
I got up this morning thinking of how I was going to tie the "awkward game" together for this post, walked into the living room and opened the curtain to look out at the lawn on this beautiful day.... and there it was, the clincher to this post...
That awkward moment when... you open your curtains to find a dead raccoon in the middle of your yard. *
*Totally not kidding and am still skeeved out by it! The girls and I got out the snow shovel and removed it to the unclear border between our yard and the neighbors' where there is lots of ivy growing.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Happy Anniversary!
My parents have been married for 411, 984 hours.
Otherwise known as 17, 167 days.
Otherwise known as 47 years.
That's a lot of time for 2 people to be married to each other.
A lot of things have changed too, and I don't just mean the color of their hair.
In 1964, gas was .30 cents a gallon and a 1st class stamp was .05 cents.
Lyndon B. Johnson was President and the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series.
Movie tickets were $1.25 and you could see the likes of Goldfinger, Mary Poppins or My Fair Lady.
The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and Barbra Streisand won Album of the Year.
Theirs was an unlikely story of a girl from Winchester living in a Boston apartment under an apartment of a boy from Medford. The girl from Winchester was a nosy neighbor and would always get in her upstairs neighbor's business.
Thank goodness she didn't let up because this unlikely pair have been each other's rocks for 47 years. Through good times and trying times, they have stuck like glue. And thank God for that because they wound up with 3 great kids and 3 fantastic granddaughters (so far).
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Love you tons!
Otherwise known as 17, 167 days.
Otherwise known as 47 years.
That's a lot of time for 2 people to be married to each other.
A lot of things have changed too, and I don't just mean the color of their hair.
In 1964, gas was .30 cents a gallon and a 1st class stamp was .05 cents.
Lyndon B. Johnson was President and the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series.
Movie tickets were $1.25 and you could see the likes of Goldfinger, Mary Poppins or My Fair Lady.
The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and Barbra Streisand won Album of the Year.
Theirs was an unlikely story of a girl from Winchester living in a Boston apartment under an apartment of a boy from Medford. The girl from Winchester was a nosy neighbor and would always get in her upstairs neighbor's business.
Thank goodness she didn't let up because this unlikely pair have been each other's rocks for 47 years. Through good times and trying times, they have stuck like glue. And thank God for that because they wound up with 3 great kids and 3 fantastic granddaughters (so far).
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Love you tons!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Frag'n Friday
*I love that Mrs. Obama went to Target and shopped yesterday.
*I love Target.
*I have been taking some pictures of seniors for their yearbooks this past month. I took my nephew's the other day. He wouldn't let me post any on FB when I offered, but he didn't say I couldn't put them here.
In this pic he is laughing at K showing him one of her cheers....
*K has been into planking lately. Not extreme planking or anything crazy, but planking none the less. Here are 2 of my favorites.
*3 more weddings left in wedding photography season. (Not too many weddings in the dead of winter on the Cape.) Someone said to me today that I must have plenty ideas for my own girls' weddings (which will not be for many, many years) and I said, "yes, they should elope". I think she was a little surprised at my answer, but I was kidding (a little).
*Baby R went to her second parade ever a few weekends ago. The theme of the parade was cranberries. Cranberries are big on Cape Cod in the fall. Here is a pic of our friends "float". There are real cranberries in the front and gigantic cranberries on the roof.
Not sure which R enjoyed more, the parade or the lollipop!
*Have a great weekend!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Seriously. Christmas?
Two days ago, B announced that there were 3 months until Christmas.
Yeah, let that sink in.
Last night I had a dream that I had waited to the last minute and was running around late Christmas Eve trying to buy things. Many of the stores were closing, I really did not know what I wanted to get for everyone and I hadn't even gone to the grocery store.
Yikes, back to reality. I am actually a planner and always start my Christmas shopping way ahead of time. I love a good bargain, so if you receive something from me, you can bet that it was on sale. That's not to say that it isn't a meaningful gift, I just usually put the time into finding the perfect present and then finding the best price.
In my family, we always start talking about Christmas in the summer. OK, sometimes we start talking about it in January. We cannot seem to find a present giving solution for our family. We do not have a large family (2 parents, 3 kids, 2 spouses and 3 grandchildren). Seriously, this should not be a hard issue, but it is and has been for the last 12 or so years. Personally speaking, I would just like to get each person something meaningful. It doesn't have to be expensive and some years it will be something I make, but at least I am sharing my love with every member of my family. Some people in my family are against chatchka and do not want anything meaningful or not. Others are picky in what they like to wear. Others live in very small houses and cannot fit another thing into them. Some think that you cannot give anything "decent" for under $25 a person (aka chatchka).
So it is every year that we are pitted against one another to try to figure out how to spend the little money that we have. As I am writing this, I am seeing how pitiful this must sound to you. Soooo, let me wrap this up (get it?) by asking what your family does when it comes to Christmas or Hanukkah. Do you do presents? Do you just ignore the day? Do you take a trip instead? Would you like to invite me to your holiday celebration? I promise I will bring something and not wait until the last minute.
Yeah, let that sink in.
Last night I had a dream that I had waited to the last minute and was running around late Christmas Eve trying to buy things. Many of the stores were closing, I really did not know what I wanted to get for everyone and I hadn't even gone to the grocery store.
Yikes, back to reality. I am actually a planner and always start my Christmas shopping way ahead of time. I love a good bargain, so if you receive something from me, you can bet that it was on sale. That's not to say that it isn't a meaningful gift, I just usually put the time into finding the perfect present and then finding the best price.
In my family, we always start talking about Christmas in the summer. OK, sometimes we start talking about it in January. We cannot seem to find a present giving solution for our family. We do not have a large family (2 parents, 3 kids, 2 spouses and 3 grandchildren). Seriously, this should not be a hard issue, but it is and has been for the last 12 or so years. Personally speaking, I would just like to get each person something meaningful. It doesn't have to be expensive and some years it will be something I make, but at least I am sharing my love with every member of my family. Some people in my family are against chatchka and do not want anything meaningful or not. Others are picky in what they like to wear. Others live in very small houses and cannot fit another thing into them. Some think that you cannot give anything "decent" for under $25 a person (aka chatchka).
So it is every year that we are pitted against one another to try to figure out how to spend the little money that we have. As I am writing this, I am seeing how pitiful this must sound to you. Soooo, let me wrap this up (get it?) by asking what your family does when it comes to Christmas or Hanukkah. Do you do presents? Do you just ignore the day? Do you take a trip instead? Would you like to invite me to your holiday celebration? I promise I will bring something and not wait until the last minute.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Driving From the Backseat
My Grandmother was once a back seat driver. And that was when she was sitting in the front seat. Turn here, turn there, you're going too fast... it never seemed to end and somehow that is not what killed my Grandfather.
I am having that experience now with a certain little 3 1/2 year old. From the backseat. Sitting high and mighty in his car seat.
"Why are you slowing down?"
"Where are we going?"
"There is no traffic. You can go."
"Now where are we going."
"Look at that cement mixer, digger, 18 wheeler, bobcat, dump truck!"
"Why are you stopping?"
"I want to go _______."
"Can I have some goldfish?"
"That looks like Poppy's truck, that looks like Matt's truck, that looks like Daddy's car....."
"Did they take the bandage off your window? Why? How?"
"Where are we going?"
"Why are you going that way?"
"Hey there's Dunkin Donuts, there's the duck pond, there's the beach...."
I have to give the kid credit because he pays more attention to things going on around him than my 14 year old.
Maybe he will be world's youngest driver's ed instructor someday. Or maybe I will just make K take him everywhere once she gets her license. He can be her personal navigation system.
I am having that experience now with a certain little 3 1/2 year old. From the backseat. Sitting high and mighty in his car seat.
"Why are you slowing down?"
"Where are we going?"
"There is no traffic. You can go."
"Now where are we going."
"Look at that cement mixer, digger, 18 wheeler, bobcat, dump truck!"
"Why are you stopping?"
"I want to go _______."
"Can I have some goldfish?"
"That looks like Poppy's truck, that looks like Matt's truck, that looks like Daddy's car....."
"Did they take the bandage off your window? Why? How?"
"Where are we going?"
"Why are you going that way?"
"Hey there's Dunkin Donuts, there's the duck pond, there's the beach...."
I have to give the kid credit because he pays more attention to things going on around him than my 14 year old.
Maybe he will be world's youngest driver's ed instructor someday. Or maybe I will just make K take him everywhere once she gets her license. He can be her personal navigation system.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
To Fall or not to Fall....
My brother asked an intriguing question on his Monday question that he sends out to like 300 friends. He was rambling on about the pluses and minuses of fall/autumn and then posed the question "What is your favorite season and why?"
That got me to thinking (yes, a scary thought) and I realized that I didn't have a favorite "season". I have a favorite period of months. Let me explain...
I like mid August to the 30th of October. Not necessarily a season because it overlaps summer and fall. It also does not include Halloween because honestly that is one of my least favorite holidays. (Now that I am an adult I can have candy any time I want.)
I like this time because the Cape gets quieter, but not empty.
Cool crisp mornings and evenings with warmish days.
The leaves changing.
Wearing shorts with a fleece vest or pullover.
Picking apples.
Eating a fresh Macintosh apple.
Mums and pumpkins as decoration.
Beef stew.
Pencils, pens and paper on sale and on display everywhere. (It's a weird love, I know.)
Cleaning up the house from the hot sticky summer and organizing things.
Do you have a favorite season or do you need to split months like I do? Don't get me wrong, I love all the seasons for different reasons, but if I had to narrow it down, this made up season of "Sumall", "Mmertum", "Sufall" is my winner!
That got me to thinking (yes, a scary thought) and I realized that I didn't have a favorite "season". I have a favorite period of months. Let me explain...
I like mid August to the 30th of October. Not necessarily a season because it overlaps summer and fall. It also does not include Halloween because honestly that is one of my least favorite holidays. (Now that I am an adult I can have candy any time I want.)
I like this time because the Cape gets quieter, but not empty.
Cool crisp mornings and evenings with warmish days.
The leaves changing.
Wearing shorts with a fleece vest or pullover.
Picking apples.
Eating a fresh Macintosh apple.
Mums and pumpkins as decoration.
Beef stew.
Pencils, pens and paper on sale and on display everywhere. (It's a weird love, I know.)
Cleaning up the house from the hot sticky summer and organizing things.
Do you have a favorite season or do you need to split months like I do? Don't get me wrong, I love all the seasons for different reasons, but if I had to narrow it down, this made up season of "Sumall", "Mmertum", "Sufall" is my winner!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Frag'n Friday
Fragments on Tuesday, more on Friday. I guess it's been a short attention span week.
*First off, Tom Brady (New England Patriot's hot QB, as long as his hair is not in a pony tail) was quoted as telling the New England fans to lube up for Sunday's game. The spin the people at Gillette Stadium put on it was that he meant for the fans to drink lots of water. I haven't tailgated at too many football games, but I am pretty sure there is not much water consumed.
*I am very excited for season premiere week next week! Modern Family and the Middle are my 2 absolute favorites. The girls and I are bummed that "Better With You" was not picked up for another season. We still quote that show!
*So, I really should take a picture of the trees in town, but I will try to explain them to you. It's your science lesson for the day. On the Cape, Hurricane Irene was mostly wind. Therefore, the wind picked up the saltwater from the ocean and sprayed it on the south facing side of the trees (and leaves). There was minimal rain to wash off the sea water. So, now if you drive around town, the south facing side of the trees' leaves are brown and falling off, while the north side of the trees' leaves are green. It's pretty weird.
*If your child invites 2 friends over for a sleepover around 6, don't you think said friends should be here by 8:45? I'm not sure where one is, but one is with her boyfriend of 2 months. I told K let this be a lesson to her. Do not choose your boyfriend over your girlfriends when you are 14.
*On Nate Berkus last season, I remember someone redoing a closet into their "command center". The place where the schedules, school notes, etc would be out of the way to the average visitor. So, I made one for myself today. We have a little closet that is wide enough for a tuna can, that I changed into command central today.
To the naked eye, just a closed closet door and a phone from the 70's (yes, it would work, if we had a home phone number)
Open it and ..... ta dah! Command Central! We each have our own color and our own file folder. Cool right? Just say yes, because I thrive on compliments.
Have a great weekend! I have all of tomorrow off and am very excited!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Random Thoughts for a Tuesday
I have too many random thoughts in my head to wait until Friday for fragment day, so you are getting them today! Lucky.
Yesterday, K went to school in sunglasses because she has a large sty on her eye. She is tormented by these sties two or three times a year. What causes a sty? "poor eyelid hygiene" according to one website. Seriously? I need to rethink our family's eyelid hygiene. Basically she looks like someone has punched her in the eye. In elementary school and middle school, it was ok to look like Rocky. It is NOT ok to look like a prize fighter in high school. Well, not even thinking that sunglasses would cause a stir because there is no dress code in HS, her teachers questioned her on whether it was Hollywood day or whether she was stoned. Score 1 for naive HS mom.
After I took K to the Dr.'s to get some medicine for said sty, we stopped at a fast food burger joint (these are few and far between on Cape Cod). I had little dude and his sister with me and ordered an extra kid's meal for the toy and french fries, specifically. K opened up the burger to take out the pickle and it looked like a bite had been taken out of just the burger. Ewwww. I took it back in and asked for a new one and nobody seemed too fazed by it. Yuck.
The Patriots won last night. (Just had to put that in for Patty)
With all the 9/11 remembrances going on over the weekend, I hope you took or now take the time to watch this video. It is incredible.
Yesterday, K went to school in sunglasses because she has a large sty on her eye. She is tormented by these sties two or three times a year. What causes a sty? "poor eyelid hygiene" according to one website. Seriously? I need to rethink our family's eyelid hygiene. Basically she looks like someone has punched her in the eye. In elementary school and middle school, it was ok to look like Rocky. It is NOT ok to look like a prize fighter in high school. Well, not even thinking that sunglasses would cause a stir because there is no dress code in HS, her teachers questioned her on whether it was Hollywood day or whether she was stoned. Score 1 for naive HS mom.
After I took K to the Dr.'s to get some medicine for said sty, we stopped at a fast food burger joint (these are few and far between on Cape Cod). I had little dude and his sister with me and ordered an extra kid's meal for the toy and french fries, specifically. K opened up the burger to take out the pickle and it looked like a bite had been taken out of just the burger. Ewwww. I took it back in and asked for a new one and nobody seemed too fazed by it. Yuck.
The Patriots won last night. (Just had to put that in for Patty)
With all the 9/11 remembrances going on over the weekend, I hope you took or now take the time to watch this video. It is incredible.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Life is a Special Occasion
At BlogHer, Hallmark was there in full force. I have always loved Hallmark and have enough Hallmark ornaments to fill 3 Christmas trees (for once I am not exaggerating).
Hallmark also has the perfect cards for every occasion. At BlogHer, Hallmark was promoting it's life is a special occasion campaign. Their point was you don't need to have a birthday or an anniversary to celebrate. Anything can be a celebration. Why not?
Bloggers were able to write their reason for celebrating on a tshirt. My reason for celebrating was "going to BlogHer with my friends".
Our house is a daily celebration. Maybe it's a girl thing, but we look for excuses to celebrate (ie: get ice-cream).
"Hey, I vacuumed my room!" = "let's get ice-cream"
"Hey, I found 20 cents under the couch!" = "let's get ice-cream"
"Hey, I finished my summer reading with 1 hour to spare before school starts!" = "let's get ice-cream"
You get the idea, right?
Of course it's hard to put a little ice-cream into their school lunch boxes, so I sneak little cards in sometimes. (Hallmark calls these mini notes).
Sometimes other people need to feel special, so I run over to my local Hallmark store and pick up a card or a little gift.
Celebrating is contagious and fun! My friends at Hallmark and I would like to send you a special occasions tshirt and some cards. All you have to do is leave a comment finishing this sentence...
"_________________" is a special occasion!
Please leave your comments by Monday, September 12th at noon.
I am not getting paid or given anything for this post. I honestly love Hallmark products and am happy to offer you a tshirt and some cards courtesy of Hallmark!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Sundays in My City
Spent the last 5 days in Maine. There's a reason why their motto is "Maine: The Way Life Should Be".
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)