Fitzgerald gives herself a pedicure .......
Fitz found my missing lipstick!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
A sailor's knot, worn as a necklace or used as key chain. These are made by our kids. They are taking orders now. $6.00 each in a variety of colors. During our summer with friends, the 4 kids started a business named "Cataumet Knots." The kids have been invited to appear at The Cape Cod Children's Museum this week!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Our hour
Sleep. That's the greatest gift of daylight savings time. We just don't love having our days end so early. It's a wierd change. It's hard to adjust to the darkness. The days fly by. The night seems to begin....after lunch. Darkness. I crave sunshine...always. We'll adjust. We will all adjust. For now, I'm just happy for the hour.
Homecoming
It's late. We're all ready for bed. Tonight we're all grateful for daylight savings time and and extra hour of sleep. Life is busy as we all know. We've gone from Halloweenmania last weekend with Election Day off from school to this weekend filled with hustling and bustling for the homecoming dance. Now that everyone is safely tucked into bed I can breathe again.
T.J. barely acknowledged the crazy hype of the homecoming happenings. He brought his money to school to purchase a ticket to the dance. After school, he said that his freshman friends had all decided not to go. It didn't seem to be a big deal. Lots of the boys' moms had no idea about the dance. It may have slipped by us had we not had our social director, Grace keeping us on our toes. When T.J. came home with the news that the guys had decided to pass. Grace was not surprised. Last year the freshman boys didn't bother either. It's a guy thing. My mom thing was relief. T.J. has to be up and out early to get to sailing tomorrow. Thankfully, he was just as happy to be home tonight.
This week has been a blur...Biff had travel here and there,...I had it noted in my phone calendar. At one point during the week when we spoke I was surprised to hear that he was on his way home. His plans had changed the here and there of the travel and my brain was still in the here without making it to the there where he had already been. Did you get that? I'm still not sure where he was! JK as Grace says. "Just Kidding"....kind of.
My plans changed this week too. My new blog group was meeting Thursday night. T.J. arrived home from school with headache, sore throat and ready for bed. I wasn't far off from that either. Biff hadn't arrived home. I saw my library blogging friend on his way to the gathering. I let him know that Murphy's Law had just come into play. I had to go with that intuitive feeling, be home. Be quiet. I did. T.J. slept through til the morning. Me too. Grace went to sleep early. Biff was exhausted. We were a family who needed peace, quiet and sleep.
Quiet is good. We all need it. Some days I crave it when I'm least likely to make it happen. I try to stay tuned in to my own needs. Sometimes as a mom it seems to elude me. But there are moments that can save me. My ever peaceful Maxwell House moment....even though that's not my brand...I remember the commercial. That quiet moment sitting with my coffee. Biff is still not sure whether it's the coffee or the moment that makes my day....I know that it's the moment.
That quiet moment is like the pulse of the day. If I get that peace in those few moments, I'm taking care of myself and feel fueled for the rest of the day. Fueled with quiet and calm. Other days are more like chasing that calm. Days when my life is up to everyone else....even if I try to grab for some control. It's just the ebb and flow, the yin and yang, the black and white ...
So, now I have quiet. It took awhile to get this quiet. Busy-ness. Just lots of people to see and places to go and dogs to walk and life to live and E-bay to mail and cough drops to buy and groceries to gather and phones to charge and trash bags to fill and laundry to do and showers to scrub and..........blurrrrrrrr. Friday T.J. was home sick. Grace home from school and keeping me informed of the plans, changing with every text and phone call. Biff was home. Friday night I began painting a bathroom. Note to self: keep the black and white kitty outside of the room we're painting.... I painted the whole thing while Biff and T.J. watched a movie. Grace popped in and out with more planning and possibilities. Grace paraded through trying out her heels. We woke up this morning with Daisy's big eyes suggesting it was time to go outside. Fitz was ready. Biff made coffee.
That's when our dance began! Early this morning. Taking care of life. Lots of details of life. Things. Stuff. Life. The kinds of things that fill up a day....but when anyone asks what you did today, you can barely answer....unless you go on a roll with stream of consciousness.....until their eyes roll back in their head. Kind of like when my mom used to give me a blow by blow description of her transactions at the grocery store. Loved her but couldn't keep it from her that she was boring me to death with details of a bruised tomato! We laughed about it....but she told me her long, draggy story anyway. I think we all do it. Just to validate our pathetic existence up to our elbows in some of the minutae of life.
Isn't that my blog. Oh my gosh,...I have just described my blog. Blah, blah, blah...blog. I love my blog and I want it back...excuse me but Fitzy is gettin into some leftover Halloween candy. Lots of rustling ....for real. This dog should have been a bomb sniffer. She stopped. It must have been wrappers. She's already eaten a pumpkin today.....oh, and another lipstick. It's all a blurrrrrrr.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Vote!
Here we are. We've made it to the big day! We've made it to Election Day! Hooray! Sadly, I'm not thrilled because I have the right to vote....a true priviledge. I'm delighted to know that we will no longer have to watch these negative advertisements. It's like eating Cheetos. After a million...and one extra Cheeto....I'm just fine without having one for another year or more.
Same is true for these advertisements. The cutting down, dredging up and throwing out every little mistake, misjudgement and family drama makes me depressed. Really, our teens comment on these advertisements and the people who are running our country. It's hard enough for us, with voting priviledges, to see these people on radio, television and print ads for months at a time. It's kind of sad to have our kids see that these adults, who could be role models, are cheaters. liars and spouting polital speak.
Political speak is a little like teen talk. They may be great people who mean the best....they just leave out little details and lie by ommission. As a mom in the "mommy mafia." as our kids call it, we're on to them. Hopefully we think to ask the right questions. Thankfully, there are enough moms and dads around to keep asking.
Last weekend we had some of our favorite kids over. The plans were spontaneous. We knew that our kids wanted to have some fun on mischief night, the night before Halloween. I never even knew about "mischief night"....because either I was such a wonderful child or because Catholic School kids were left out of the loop. After all, the nuns were more concerned with the day after Halloween, All Souls Day....a Holy Day in the Catholic Church. Another sad tidbit....I really thought the day was to recover from our Halloween antics! Don't tell Sr. Maria Nicholas!
As parents, we're not troubled by mischief night with our kids. Their mischief is here in the neighborhood and innocent enough to have our neighbors still willing to hand out candy! That's how we know our kids will keep their "mischief" in line. Candy is a great motivator of behavior. We went out with our little mischief makers in training....while a friend taught them how to create mischief with boundaries. That little training has gone a long way.
Saturday night, one of the moms checked in with me before dropping off her sweet daughter! As we spoke about the get together, it came to our attention that she was lacking one piece of the puzzle....the mischief! We laughed. Her daughter is a good kid. A very good kid. Yet, she failed to mention one little thing. Her mom was o.k. with it....even though she went to Catholic School too!
The only problem that we had with mischief night....which lasted about one half hour....we're lacking bathroom tissue!
Grace and T.J. had the kids back to the house for popcorn and a scary movies. I loved having them. I love the kids being here. Biff and I enjoy our kids and really enjoy their friends. It's so nice to have them. It's nice to get to know all of them. That's all we ever wanted...having a house where everyone's welcome.
The good news...even though the space set up for Grace and T.J.'s friends was quite literally washed away by the flood in April.
Thankfully it works out....they can take over the family room and still have a great time. Thankfully.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Out and about
What fun it is to have dogs. We love all of our animals, but dogs get us out and about! My mom always used to say, "You never know who you'll meet when you're out and about." It's true...especially with our dogs. We walk our dogs in the woods, in town, on the beach, along the road near our home and anywhere that gives us pleasure.
Somehow, with dogs, people are open to saying hello. They stop us to ask their names. They shout out from their passing car,"THOSE DOGS ARE BEAUTIFUL!" They pull over to the side of the road to ask their ages. Once in awhile, we'll meet a dog kook who has a litany of information to share....the proper leash, having 2 dogs, Golden Retriever history, their dog's issues whether they be food related, allergic reactions, social anxiety...whatever!
You never know who you'll meet or what tid bits (of information since sometimes it seems to be an unspoken rule not to offer their doggie a treat...without asking since they (the doggie) may be dieting, on a strict food plan or like Fitzy, the dog may want to follow us home for more treats!
You never know what friends you'll meet. We have dog friends. Friends who love our dogs. Friends who like to meet for dog playdates and other dog friends who walk on the same schedule. Kids who live nearby who are entertained by our dogs.
We met a dog friend of the two legged variety while shopping one night. Like long lost friends, we chatted about our dogs and their latest adventures. We used to meet Lucy, the German Shepherd, in early morning as we meandered along the trails in the woods. They moved last spring and now they're no longer on the same route. They had big news. They adopted a new dog and named it Ricky. Get it? Lucy and Ricky! Gotta love dog people. Really, with dogs, you have to have a sense of humor.
Thanks to Fitzy's frequent getaways to their house, we were grateful that they were of the nice dog people variety. It was like the call of the wild when it came to Fitz and the love of that family....really the delicious trash stored at their back door....but Fitzy, ever the actress could show affection to gain love rather than a scolding. Lucy seemed to be thrilled to have company arrive on the scene. Lucy's owner was understanding and always gave a call to let us know Fitz's whereabouts. Some days, we would see Fitzy escorted home in luxury in the back seat of a blue Volvo ...talk about nice dog friends.
Today, as we approached the woods, a lovely woman stopped her car for a moment to pet the dogs. She was loving their gentle nature. She had no food in her car so Fitz was on her best behavior!She told me about their family days with German Shepherds.
This morning we met Cay, a lovely woman of 76 years who was delighted to take a moment to stop her car, pet the dogs and chat. She loved their gentle nature. She had no food in her car so Fitz was on her best behavior. She had just had a piano lesson. She said she wants to keep trying new things in life.
She talked about her age. At 76, she wanted to stay active and attempting some of the things that she never had the opportunity to do in her life.
As she pet the dogs, we laughed at their delight. She asked about their age and their names amd their personalities. She was such a lovely lady with a calm, sweet voice that the dogs sat quietly as she spoke. We talked about our town. She has lived here for almost 50 years. Cay talked about her late husband, her 5 children, her life growing up and some of her travels. She told me about her lunches with her kindergarten friends that still get together for lunch once a month. They call themselves "the lunch bunch,"
We may have chatted for 15 minutes, maybe a little more. I was just out to get in our walk...just the dogs and I....out for exercise, fresh air and some time in the woods enjoying the beauty of the fall colors.
I got much more than that. I met a lovely woman of another generation who was interesting and interested. She had a different perspective at her age. She was with it. She had the confidence and strength of a woman who had rich experiences in her life. It was a pleasure to spend time with someone who has lived and seen so much.
Cay changed my day. She opened my eyes. She shared. She smiled. She laughed. She told some stories about her life and family.
We said our goodbyes as it began to rain. Daisy, Fitzy and I walked into the woods. I was filled with a new perspective of a woman of my mom's generation. She changed my day. It's wonderful to step out of our own world once in awhile and hear about someone elses. As mom said, "You never know who you'll meet when you're out and about." Thanks to our dogs, we meet lots of nice folks.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Kisses
Halloween. Buy candy. Check. Why do I do that to myself? Every year it's the same. Candy. I'm out shopping in mid October. I see the Halloween displays everywhere. I am absolutely horrified that these stores are beginning holidays earlier and earlier. I don't remember when I first saw Halloween in the stores this year. Who knows? When we were on the cape? Not so crazy. Yet, somewhere in that mid October moment I think.....better get it now.
Why. I know that before the end of the week I will dip in....just for a treat. I don't even keep this kind of stuff in the house. So, if I buy it early I know to hide it. But isn't that ironic....I am the one hiding it. Yup. I hide it well. I also remember where it is....within moments I'm crinkling the bag and opening it even if it takes teeth. I'm not proud. By this point, I have to have it. I'm like Fitzy. I would scale tall buildings to get to it. I may not invade neighbors' barbeques like Fitzy but I get at that candy. Did I mention that I buy the kind that I like but would never justify buying otherwise.
Well, this year the plan was right on target. Candy. Check. Hide. Forgot where....very unusual. How have I come up with it now? The week before Halloween? I put all of the candy, still in grocery bags, in the garage.
I was outside the other day with the doggies. Fitzy is now on a very long training leash. Hah? Training? Surely we jest. I was organizing (don't laugh...I need encouragement, not mockery!) some of our garage obstacle course. While in up to my elbows, I turned when I heard a rustling of plastic.
I dropped my Rubbermaid tub. I ran. It was Fitzy, snoot first in the tub filled with Halloween goodies. I pulled her back. I scolded her. "NO," I barked. "LEAVE IT!"
The good news. Fitz didn't get to all of it. There was more for me. I didn't have to rip the bag open with my teeth! Oh....I did have a few Hershey's kisses....and took one out for later.
Political speak
This political speak makes me laugh...this has absolutely nothing to do with the my political opinions, likes or bias. This is fabulous political speak. I fills my love of linguistics and semantics. It's fun to close your eyes and just hear the words on there own. We laugh out loud when this ad comes on...the whole family laughing....it's worth it!
By the way, I think this is a clever tool for discussing politics, communication, lying by ommission with kids.....it gets everyone thinking. This debate has given our family many opportunities for learning!!!
Quotes
"Fear not those who argue but dodge" -Marie von Ebner Eschenbach
This made me laugh...especially while we are living through so many political debates these days.
In Connecticut, there is and advertisement that speaks to us. In this case, it is audio playing from a debate of the 2 candidates just days earlier. I have to share. Not because of my political views, but the reality of politics....it all sounds the same at this pre-election time of year. Pay no attention to Republican vs. Democrat, Woman vs. man or the issues. Just hear what I hear at the end of every voting season.....this ad says it all...generic political speak that we all must endure!
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