What I Did On My Summer Vacation

When you were a kid returning to school each September, was one of your first assignments to write a composition detailing what you did on your summer vacation?

I remember those early autumn days… sitting in a slightly too-warm classroom, when summer refused to end simply because school was in session again.

There we’d sit – all spiffy in our first-day-of-school outfits. Most of them involved a sweater (think sweating!) or possibly some corduroy – not the coolest of fabrics. Actually, it wasn’t cool in any sense of the word, but I won’t get into the angst of peer pressure, at this juncture. 😉

While we sweltered, we had to wrack our brains for a scintillating summation of the preceding couple of months. Our essays would be read aloud eventually, which of course added even more pressure.

Little did we know then that these annoyances would look pretty unimportant in hindsight. Funny how the lens of experience allows one to remember – no cherish! – all of the little details of our youth . . . the kindness of a particular teacher, the sharing of a snack with the student who sat beside you, new notebooks, freshly sharpened pencils with still unused erasers, the freedom to play in the crisp fall air after school was out for the day. All these things and so much more . . .

We’ve had a taste of fall weather here, lately . . .

It always takes me back . . . 😀

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Will you share your autumn memories?

Hugs,

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Still Windy After All These Years

As I prepare this post, it’s Saturday afternoon and we are awaiting Hurricane Irene, which is on track to hit here tomorrow.

We may lose power and, if so, it could be several days before it’s restored.

Funny how things go in cycles, or circles, or to be more trite – how history repeats itself. Hurricane Irene will arrive tomorrow – our 40th Wedding Anniversary.

Amazingly, there was a heavy storm on the day we married, too (our wedding story here). We had no clue at the rehearsal dinner the night before that we’d awake to gale force winds. Of course, the technology was not as advanced then – no doppler radar, no computer models for storm tracking, no frantic weathermen updating us hourly.

Tomorrow…. when the storm arrives, it will surely seem familiar. We’ll be reminded of that day we promised to stay together through thick and thin, sunshine and storms! We’ll spend our 40th experiencing yet another adventure together.

We’ve stocked up on batteries, extra water, and non-perishable food. Oh, and one additional item. Champagne. It is an anniversary. 😉

Hugs,

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P.S. Thank you so much for the birthday wishes and also for your comments for Sir Beads! It was a real treat for me to have a “guest” writer. (Hope he’ll do it again some day!)

And Happy Anniversary to Carol (belated), and to Kelly and to Clenna, who also celebrate this week!

Crystal’s Day Off


Crystal deserves a day off!

It’s her birthday this week, so today’s post is penned by yours truly, Sir Beads.

Given the fact that Crystal and I were married within a year after we met, and next week is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, this is the 41st Crystal’s Birthday that we have celebrated together. Where does the time go?

I’m sure that some of those birthdays did not involve having a day off from anything. (Sorry, Honey.) But then sometimes I, or the kids and I, would make a meal or pick a chore or two off the list that we wouldn’t normally do. I really hope those efforts made her day a little more fun and enjoyable in those years.

Now that I’m retired and home a lot more of the time, I’m realizing that the list of chores for a wife and homemaker (not to mention businesswoman and blogger) is much longer and more time-consuming than I figured!


Note to Crystal:

Darling, count me in to help out where I can.
And Happy Birthday!
Love,
Sir Beads

She’s Got the Music In Her

You know I mention my family from time to time (especially my husband, Sir Beads) but it occurs to me that in the 3 years I’ve been blogging, I’ve seldom featured my kids.

There’s a reason for this. You see, I’m very proud of my two daughters and I’ve been afraid that once I got started, I’d never shut up! I wanted to spare you that. LOL

But, I did write a post (quite a while ago) on my oldest daughter (found here) so it’s only fair that I spotlight the younger one, today. When you consider that I’ve written close to 700 posts, I think my “proud momma” percentage is pretty reasonable. 😉

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My younger girl LOVES music. She studied the flute during her school years. When she plays the “Waltz of the Flowers”, or “Dance of the Blessed Spirits”, I never cease to be amazed at how beautiful a flute can sound.

These days, however, she’s having fun playing the drums!

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She’s in a band with 3 of her friends and they usually have a monthly gig in a local pub.

Sir Beads and I try to make it to most of their performances. We enjoy their music – a blend of folk and rock – and although we are often the oldest in attendance, they make us feel very welcome. 🙂

The band played again last week and for that show, there was a special treat awaiting our daughter. Her uncle (Sir Beads’ brother) and aunt had driven 750 miles to surprise her! Their plan was to get here shortly before the performance and then to be just casually sitting in the audience. 😉

So, on the night of the gig, we smuggled them into the venue before the band arrived. We had them sit with their backs to the door so that our daughter wouldn’t notice them when she entered . . .

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She arrived, arms full of drums, and saw nothing at first. After a few minutes, she spotted Sir Beads and me. She began to wave at us, then suddenly her face went from big grin to loud gasp as she discovered her aunt and uncle at our table. It was a wonderful evening for all of us – a memory to cherish for sure.

‘Til next time,

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Buy Me Some Peanuts And Cracker Jack

If, by chance, you were born and raised in Boston, you know there’s no escaping a genetic predisposition towards a fervent love for the Red Sox.

I developed this affliction as a young girl, so I can testify – it’s true! 😉

The passion of a Red Sox fan is legendary . . . he FEELS every win, every loss, every injury.

If asked, he’d enthusiastically tell you that the best way to spend a summer day (or evening) would be at Fenway Park watching his beloved team play ball.

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Last weekend, Sir Beads and I were lucky enough to score tickets for a game.

It was an especially beautiful July evening. The temperature was perfect with a soft breeze blowing. Just before twilight, the sun bathed the park in golden shadows and the crowd nestled in for a night of fun.

We were in our seats well before game time to take in the full flavor of the event – including batting practice and field prep. Speaking of flavor, we can never get past the food vendors (stationed just outside the gate) without getting a grilled sausage roll. The aroma is absolutely hypnotic I tell ya!

Add onions, peppers, and a dab of mustard… and oh my, absolutely delicious!

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Before the game, there are always a flurry of fans jockeying to snag an autograph from the players who are warming up on the field.

This little fella, pen in hand, looked on hopefully but as you can see, he didn’t have much of a chance of being noticed . . .

That is until his Dad hoisted him to a higher elevation! 🙂

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There’s an art and a science to getting the field ready. These guys are quite the well-oiled machine. Everything has to be perfect – even that line to first base, which will surely be messed up pretty quickly once the game begins. 😉

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If you remember my post about our lucky number (found here), it won’t surprise you that a random glance at the scoreboard showed 2 balls, 2 strikes, 2 outs – or 222!

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As my Mum likes to say, “The Sox don’t have to win EVERY game – just the ones that our family attends!” Luckily, the boys DID win!

It was a wonderful evening. 😀

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‘Til next time,

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