Grace And Our Favorite Pizza Man

My hometown...Grace talked about her favorite pizza place. They still remember us when we go back! The "pizza guy" has known us since way before Grace. He has seen our kids grow up...even though we're long distance customers...."How's Boston?"..."How's Connecticut?"...."Here's the girl with the big brown eyes!" Small-town. Hometown. Nice.

Road Trippin' With My Baby!

Grace drove today....2 hours straight...highways. bridges...traffic. Phew! Awesome girl....and driver. Mom or "wheels Gramma" as Biff called her...would be proud. I this k she may have been watching over us today! Phew! Breathe.

Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

Cleaning the Legos in the washing machine seemed like a perfectly genius plan. This was no impulsive thought. Although I may be considered impetuous to some, I also have a compulsive side to me....maybe not a side....a part of a side....a bit of a side...oh alright! ....a tiny tidbit of me that stops to things through. Okay. Maybe not all things. Maybe I could take an extra minute or two to consider the outcome.

That sounds like a plan .....for next time. You see, we have a gazillion Legos in our house. That may be less than the number we had last year at this time ...before the flooded basement.....but a few zillion missing legos can't stop our Lego-mania! It's a numbers game.

Legos in the gazillions take huge amount of little Lego people years to dust and clean the millions of houses, castles, ships and tankers...and even bakeries and beach houses and cars. After our immense Lego collection was reduced by an act of God....and the flood cleanup company....it seemed like a great idea to start fresh. Legos, no longer being an everyday activity, seemed to be crying out for cleaning...maybe it was the little construction men or Harry Potter or the scuba diver or fireman calling to.me...it seemed like a good idea to wash them.

I thought this over...intermittently....for a few months. I bought that mesh laundry bag with the long drawstring months ago. After doing every piece of laundry in the whole house. it seemed like a good time.

This morning I took on the whole Lego army......or one eighth of the battalion anyway. I poured them frm their organized tubs...into the large mesh laundry bag and tossed them carefully into the Maytag.

Did I know the mesh bag would be speared by a Lego tree or broom or ladder...and rip the mesh holes and end up in a washing machine free-for-all?

Oops.

Out of thw House

Today. Lots of ebay work today. Driving T.J to meet friends.dogs for a ride in car, a couple of errands. Out. Dogs out. With me. Windows open. Happy.

Fluffy Not Stuffy

Who's happier than me when the laundry is clean and folded? No matter who does it! Ahhhhhh.

See Biff

See Biff. See laundry. See Biff fold laundry. My hero. My sensitive new age man. We all do stuff. I can paint, mow the lawn, move furniture, use power tools, plunge a toilette, wash dishes and scrub the dickens out of our crazy white kitchen floor. Biff can do laundry, cook dinner, wield an axe, grocery shop, vacuum and bake muffins. We each just do what has to get done. No biggie.

That's just how we do it. Somehow, we figured out what works for us. Kind of. Sometimes we overlap.

I do laundry. Sometimes I can be a bit heavy handed with the bleach....oh....and then there's the matter of the lipsticks. Yes plural. If Fitz didn't eat it, that means it may have been in my pocket ....unemptied...and tossed. inadvertently into the wash. Not once. Not twice. I imagine we're into double digits by now.

Good thing Biff does plenty of work....at the end of our last century, someone thought to call a guy like Biff "hands on." I think my sensitive new age man may just be doing defense!

See Biff

See Biff drive. See Biff drive away. See Biff hit the gas to get out if the house. See Biff very motivated to get to his office "to work." Way back when, pre-parenthood, Biff and I were visiting friends with their new baby. Their first daughter, 2 years old, asked the mom, where does daddy go?" Our friend answered, "Daddy goes on vacation at a place called Pfizer." We all laughed. Then we had kids. Now Biff and I say Biff is going on vacation whenever he goes to work, leaving me home with kids....even if they're not new babies.

See Biff.

See Biff with computer case. See Biff run. See Biff run with computer. See Griff run with computer to his office. On vacation days like this, our house is not quiet. Can I go too? Please. We are all home. All of us...mom, dad, kids, dogs, kitties and goldfish. Snow is keeping us close to home...again. After a weekend of cleaning and working on eBay, I never left the house. Really. I love being home. Although, during vacation and time off from school, it sure is nice to get away. This year we hope to ski some more this week. It's that balance again....balance of time...money....work...family. We all try our best.

It's Snow Suprise

Biff

See Biff work. See Biff work at home. See Biff work on computer. See Biff work hard. See Biff desperate to have quiet so he can work.

PeekaBoo!

Cozy Jinx

He's a cozy cat. He's cool. He's King of our jungle. Or he thinks he is.

The End of a Busy Day for Daisy and Fitz

Scratch Paper

Lots of paperwork to do. That's Boo helping out today. As I reached for paper towels in the pantry today I found a roll that had rolled off the shelf. I wondered how it had gotten into such rough shape. The first 3 layers were in shreads. I knew I was "on a roll" cleaning this weekend with my trusty Bounty Towels..."the quicker picker upper." While Biff and I looked at the roll we realized once again, Boo was helping out. It wasn't that hard to figure out since he left a "paper trail."

Boo In A Basket!

Life. Creatures in our home make life so much nicer. Living. Always different. Always something. Personalities. Living together with our family, our personalities and our animals have lots of personality.

Boo In A Box

We never know where we'll find this Kitty. While in the midst of a cleaning frenzy I found Boo saddled up in the box of Selzer. He loves to be a part of the action ...always. If only he would help me clean. In his own way, I suppose he thinks he does lend a helping paw. He sits in the plastic Hefty bag while I fill it. He takes naps on some clean laundry, warm from the dryer. He also has an affinity for rolls of paper towels and toilet paper. Like everyone else who helps out around the house, I don't want to do anything to discourage him.

My Daisy

Always by my side. Loyal. Loving. Gentle. What a gift for me to have her as my very first dog.

Forget-Me-Not!

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Sweet Puppy Face

That's the cute face. Don't let her fool you.

Longer Days

Daylight. Just a little more each day. I'll take it. Funny how we're teased with a few mild days....and still, the weather report is calling for snow on Sunday or Monday? Good thing we like to ski!

Coffee Break Again?

Fitz can't keep her paws off of my coffee. I'd better start drinking decaf. The last thing she needs is caffeine.

Daisy Looks The Other Way

Whose side is she on?

Lips

Ever since Fitz came to live with us, she became one of the family. As with any other new adddition we all had to adapt and make room for our second Golden Retriever. An adorable Golden with a sweet baby face and a nose for mooching, thieving and loving. The loving is easy. Except for when she becomes desperate. A desperate needy girl is not a pretty sight. She, like all of us, loves to be loved. All of the time. Sure we do. Although she has tested us from the moment the other family left her with us and peeled out of the driveway, leaving only dust and their tire marks as they screeched into gear and hit the gas! No forwarding address. They may have gone into the Witness Protection Plan in order to start a new life, post-Fitz, anonymously. We'll never know but I think they may have changed their phone number just in case. Just in case......Fitz, her new name in our family, made a swift move the first night at our busy, yet peaceful, home. Not a good move as it was the dinner of the "master of the house"...Biff. I knew she had come to create havoc in our home on that night.....as our sweet, gentle Daisy barked to warn us and Biff shouted while running, sliding and tackling our new beast! Food. That's her issue! T.V.'s Oprah says she has food "issues".....but do her dogs? I think not. It's been a few years now...maybe 3? 4? It's all a blur. We all love her. We just can't trust her. In the last week, she has eaten 1. salad from the top of the garbage in the kichen 2. half a stick of butter from the kichen counter can before I could pivot back to her 3. she drank my morning coffee while I answered the phone across the room 4. She shredded one damp paper towel used to dry my hands after washing dishes 5. Don't tell T.J. but she licked the silverware in the dishwasher as I loaded it up.....and Biff wonders why my dishwashwer organization is so random! 6. Potato chip bag left behind in the car 7. My orange juice at coffee table height 8. Coffee grounds that spilled from the Starbucks bag. 9. Red hot cinnamon candy that spilled from car to driveway on Valentine's Day 10. A Revlon lipstick that was under the driver's seat of my car There's no accounting for taste. I still love her......and I still dream that I can change her. Lord knows, the others in the family are hoping too....certainly Daisy who has always gone by the rules. Well, the first winter, it was my Ugg boots. At least after all this time, it's just food. Oh! Did I mention the vet says that Fitz has allergies? To what? Dog food?

Case in Point!

Just in case you didn't get my point! Fitz and Starbucks - to - go. After all, she leads a busy life. Daisy isn't phased by another one of Fitz's score. Of course, I don't think Daisy cares for coffee. If it had been a pork chop, Daisy might have been right in there to catch the tidbits that would fly through the air as Fitz scarfed it down. Our sweet Daisy has caught on. Now she sticks close by to takes advantage of the situation.

Happy Beach Days Are Here Again!

Fitz and Daisy

Who's Happier Than Me?

Daisy and Fitz! Joy! Beach sniffing the scents that have been covered by snow and ice for months! Just as the sunny and somewhat milder day was a pleasure for me, I could sense their pleasure in pursuing plenty of uncovered beachy smells...not necessarily the same scents I would choose.

Daisy always takes a dip, rolls in the sand or some stinky old horseshoe crab or clam shell that the seagulls haven't snacked on yet while Fitz dances through the grass in the dunes.

Fitz loves her snacks...she finds them everywhere. Today she found a bag of potato chips...half full. I think she's going to be thirsty later.

Yesterday she got one candy cane....I was kind of happy about that....her dog breath was lovely. That was just one perk of her piggy-ness!

A Daisy Dip

And They're Off

Greetings From Sunny Connecticut?

It's not quite tropical but it's still the beach...with sunshine, seashells, sand, seagulls, sea grass and the Long Island Sound! Today the beach was delightful. The dogs frolicked while I walked along the shoreline taking in the sun and the scenery. The beach was quiet....no people ....no dogs. I love when it's just me and my dogs. It's peaceful. I had time to wander along the beach, playing with the dogs, taking in the colors of the grass, t he shells, rocks, sand and textures. Dreams of warmer days danced through my head! Those days aren't far off. We may have more snow to come this winter. Today much of the snow has melted down at the beach.....it gave me hope. Spring isn't too far off. I love each season but it's still exciting as the upcoming season approaches. And any day at the beach is a good day for me.....and Daisy and Fitz!

Fun and Funny!

Lots of ebay to sell! Once again, I marvel about the ebay customers, what they order and where they live! London? Why not just go to Marks and Spencer or Harrods? Nope. Ebay.  Funny to me.

T.J. is thrilled that he has sold his Abercrombie shirt. He is hungry to make his own money.  I like that. I hope it's not just a phase. The money seems to motivate. He also gave me some boots to sell.  They sold too. O.K. The shirt went to Brazil? Funny.  The boots need to go to Canada!

You just never know. I love to shop. But, really. I still find it all so amazing that someone wants to buy my teenager's boots! Think about it. Teenage boy. Feet. Boots. Really? Go figure, I can't.

I can understand the Coach shoes that are listed right now. I do relate to the Lilly Pulitzer dress, NWT, New With Tags.  Maybe, pre-owned. It's a dress. It can be dry cleaned or washed. Go figure.

I know the dinnerware, antiques and new clothing is something people love to buy. Still, other things amaze me. Not because I judge. Because it's the world we live in. Who knew that little Elvis pitcher would sell. Who expected the Brooks Brothers Madras Patchwork Pants would sell? Well, that really didn't surprise me....but, sending them to Las Vegas did....oxymoron.

Life is funny...and selling on e-bay is lots of fun for me. 

Sunshine, Steeples and Silence

I was moved by the spectacular scenep as I sat today waiting for Grace. The blue sky, the sunny day, the church steeples, the American flag, the sparkling snow blanketing the green......and that was it. No marching band or angels appeared....it was just beautiful. 

With so much on any mom's to-do list, it's always a surprise to realize Right where we are is magic. Today, waiting in the passenger seat for Grace....who was chomping at the bit to return to the driver's seat in order to do some more driving.

While sitting on the sunny side, with my window open, I made a conscious choice to sit....in the quiet. It wasn't very long before Grace appeared at.the door.

I was relaxed, rested and ready to let go and live in the fast lane....with my daughter at the wheel! We're in a whole new phase of our mother/ daughter relationship!!!!! Push/pull. Stop/ Go. Stop/ start. Steady we go.....slowly...carefully ....cautiously... 

Throughout these teen years...thar's all we can do. Watch. Offer advice and suggestions...quietly and carefully. Give feedback. Offer constructive criticism and hope it's taken the right way. Keep trying to stay calm, cool and collected.......even when I want to shout, "STOP!"

It's been that way since we've had children. We can't do it all for them. We can only teach them, guide them and trust them to do the right thing!

Or...I could do what my friend Catherine's mom did.... I could put my feet up on the dashboard and scream Grace's name with my head hidden between knees! It might be rather effective! Certainly no quiet... but effective!

A Valentine for T.J.

Hope for Spring/Hope Springs Eternal

A Glorious Day

Connecticut. So much beauty surrounds us. This is one of my favorite working farms in Connecticut. I love to see the different seasons. AND the cows make me laugh!

"Ladies in Waiting"

I get a kick out of these cows! All of theo little ladies lined up for their afternoon buffet. If only they could talk! I love the sign posted right by the trough ..."Ladies in Waiting." Gotta love a farmer with a sense of humor.

A Valentine for Grace

One More Time!

That blackboard wall paint that I used back in the fall added one more place in the house for some fun! Who could be happier to draw those classic girly puffy letters, write, doodle and decorate freely with chalk than 16 year old girls?

I loved watching the girls giggling and being their silly selves all dressed in their sweet dressed-up-out-to-dinner teenage skirts and dresses! It reminded that all of these girls are still the same little girls that were here for Grace's 6 year old dress-up party! I feel blessed to be able to see these children grow over the years. I still wonder... are we all still who we were at age 5 or 6?

Certainly it seems we all have the same spirit....even if some of us have it well hidden deep inside...I believe it's there. How about you....where's your 6 year old spirit? Find it and have some fun! Today. Share it. Ask your mom who she was at 6 years old..... I bet that's who she is today with just a bit more life experience!

Ten Reasons Why Boo,The Kitty, Loves Me

1. I feed him 2. I pet him 3. I wear the colors he likes to sleep on....all cats know how to accessorize 4. I try not to laugh when he makes a giant leap and falls short 5. Apparently, I'm comfortable. 6. He loves my 98.6 temperature to absorb my heat 7. I talk funny when I speak to him 8. He likes the dog beds that I chose.....apparently ....because I always find him sleeping in them while the dogs sleep on the hardwood floor 9. He likes me as his computer teacher and always arrives at the same I do.......apparently.....because he always arrives at the same time as I do.....and pokes at all of the keys. 10. He talks to me all day long.

Goldens and Sunshine..Golden Sunshine

Either way, it's a beautiful day for all of us! Sunshine and snow. Ahhhhh. The reflection of sun on the shiny white glaze seems to warm my whole being. Even Daisy and Fitzy are loving it...Daisy rolls over on the frozen snow as if to bathe in the sunshine and clean her coat...although I still check to be sure she's not rolling on a mouse or some other creature that has been dropped of at the house by Jinx as a proud offering to let us know he's taking care of us. Usually, his best work is done while Biff is out ....to let us know he's working hard to keep us safe Our little jungle keeps us jumping!

There is hope that spring will come. Life is good...it's in the air. 

Thank You!

Share The Love Everyday!

For Biff...

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Love. I love the flowers! I just love those shoes! We love the cape. We love sailing. I love the new color in the dining room. I love my blog. "Love" is one of those words we use frequently througout the day. Our priest reminded us of that on our wedding day.

I think of Fr. Bill Costello almost every time I use the word casually.

I say "I love you" to Grace, T.J. and Biff freely as we hang up the phone during the day.

I say it to lots of long distance friends, to family as I say my goodbyes on the phone too. 

Even my brothers....those big Irishmen who have been in my life for my whole life (obviously!) They may not show it outwardly but they show it in other very simple ways. For example, one sent me a text with a very old family photo. He's a long distance brother and we don't speak often BUT when he does something loving or thoughtful, just letting me know he's thinking of me.....that's love...that would be considered effusive! I'll take it. I will be happy that he thought to keep in touch....in a 2011 way. I'll take it! 

My other brother shows his love in other ways. He's always looked out for me.....for as long as I can remember. Even in December.....he knew I drove into the city with Grace to see his daughter. Later that night, he called to make sure my car hadnt been towed! Why? Because my niece happened to mention that I parked on Fifth Avenue.....upper 5th Avenue....for free! I loved in New York City. I grew up going to the city. I worked in the city. Yet, he calls. To make sure I'm safe! I'm how old now? Everyone shows it in different ways. 

Love is a gift. I say "I love you" to Grace, T.J. and Biff throughout the day. Is that too much? I say I love you to some old friends on the phone as we say goodbye on the phone. I say "I love you" to family. Is it too much? Not for me. If I mean it....why not?

Ski date...while the kids are away the mice will play!

STRATTON mountain