Zach's New Job

After a long and diligent search, Zachary has a new job. Today was his first day at Reliable Pools in Prospect. So far so good. He likes his boss. He will be working on outside jobs and in the store as well. Zach...I am so proud of the way you kept at the job search, checking back weekly with all of the places that you had applied. I know you were discouraged at times, but you didn't give up. Great job sweety!

Saturday Volleyball

This past Saturday Kate and her former Naugy teamates participated in a Volleyball tournament in Woodbridge to benefit Easter Seals. They play every year, and have so much fun getting back together to play a sport that they all love. They came in second!

L to R- Kate, Lindsey and Jackie Witkowski, Sam Hurley, Jackie Brenia. In front...Kristin Boisvert.

College Day

Saturday was "Accepted Students Day" for criminal justice and forensic science majors at UNH. Jim and I accompanied Zach to this fun and informative event. Zach is so excited to actually be a student there. I have to say after yesterday...I wish that I could go too.

The three of us got to sit in a mock class and have a discussion about an actual case that occured in CT several years back. A jogger shot and killed by a deer hunter out in Morris. The professor was awesome and it was so facinating.

After a delicious lunch provided for all of us, we headed to the campus store to purchase a hoodie and t-shirt for Zach. Such a fun day!

Book Worm

I love to read! I am reading a really good book right now and it came to me via paperbackswap.com. I have found creative ways to keep my "need to read" habit going, without spending any money. I have rediscovered my public library, and I found the coolest website... http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php
This is how it works. Once you sign up and create a profile, you can list books that you have that you are willing to part with (hardcovers also). Another member requests one of your books, and you mail it off to them, with a label provided by the website. When the member receives your book, your account is credited 1 point. You may redeem your points for books, which will be mailed to you in the same manner. 1 point=1 book. Initially, when you list your first 10 books they start you off with one free point. I have mailed out 4 books thus far, and have requested 2. It is the coolest thing and you only pay for the postage to mail out the books. I recommend it highly. Happy reading!

A Little Culture

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte1884-86, Georges Seurat



This is one of my favorite paintings. I used to have a large print of it hanging in our living room on Damson Lane. It somehow got lost in the move, or thrown out or left behind. I really miss it.

A few years ago I took the train down to spend the day with John in the city. We went to the Museum of Modern Art. I got to see the actual painting! I thought it was the coolest thing. I was so impressed...up close it was just a mass of paint dots that made no sense at all. (Motivated by study in optical and color theory, he contrasted miniature dots of colors that, through optical unification, form a single hue in the viewer's eye. He believed that this form of painting, now known as pointillism, would make the colors more brilliant and powerful than standard brush strokes...wikipedia) It was amazing.
I posted it up today because it reminds me of a Sunday Spring day in a big city park. Everyone has come out to enjoy the beautiful day, and they are dressed in their Sunday best. Beautiful.

Happy Spring!

It's really here! My "lawn obsessed" neighbors are already out de-thatching with their tractors. Yikes...it is the very first day of Spring and I already feel behind on the outside chores.

Family Traditions

I don't know how it is with other families, but my kids love tradition. If we do something more than once to celebrate a holiday or other special occasion...that's it, it is a tradition. I have seen one or more of them actually get upset if I don't do something exactly the same as the year before. I think it's sweet and really try and keep up with the traditions that we have started. I also think that it is good to have some things that you can count on staying the same, even little things. My Mom still keeps some of our family's traditions going to this day. I find that very comforting.

Anyway, I have a few Easter/Spring decorations that I put out each year. The kids really look foward to me putting out and filling "Grandma's Egg" , a ceramic egg shaped candy dish that Jim's mom used to put out at Easter time. I washed it and put it out on Monday, but had yet to buy any candy. I heard the clink of them checking it for the past few days, and yesterday they actually told me that it was a tease to put it out empty. Well, I filled it last night with their fav's...Cadbury mini-eggs and foil covered chocolate eggs and am wondering how long it will take them to discover this fact.

Home Office

Jim has been sick with a bad head cold since Monday. He will not take a day off no matter what. Here is his home office for the past few days...tissues and all.

An Irish Lullaby

Since I have Irish roots that run deep...my mother calls this my "name day". Don't worry Mom, I am wearing my green today! I hope my chickletts are wearing their green as well. We had the "traditional" dinner on Sunday to celebrate.

I have changed this post several times. This day means so much to me, so many happy memories. I decided to go with "where I came from" . I am posting a picture of my Irish grandparents. My mothers Mom and Dad. Margaret (Murray) Gay and Arthur Gay. My Grandpa and Nana. I don't have too many memories of my Grandpa, he died when I was young. I do remember that he was always laughing, he seemed very tall, and his hair was very white. I know that my Mom loved him very much, and she kept his memory alive for my sister and I by sharing all of her happy memories. I do remember my Nana vividly. She lived with us for quite a few years on Timberlane Drive. She was a great cook and baker, she was a tough cookie and always spoke her mind, she smoked like a fiend, and she sang to me. She sang with a brogue. It was beautiful. I remember snuggling up next to her in the backseat of our car on the way to church and her singing An Irish Lullaby (Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra). It is one of my favorite childhood memories. Happy St. Patties Day everyone!

Nana and Grandpa Gay, Daddy, Mom, and me

We Have a Winner!

Zachary spotted the first "Robin of Spring' on the way home from church this morning.

Grooming Day

We are all cutting back these days. The pup used to go for regular monthly groomings. Not the case anymore. The last time she got coiffed was back in December.

Here she is before. She looks a little ratty. Hey, can you do this with your tongue? Try it...no really TRY. I think you can do it and if you can send me a pic and I will post it right here on the blog. Oh and by the way, thats not a french fry on my bed. It's a sweet potato chew treat...Jim gets one every night before turning in ;-)

Here's the after shot. Ok, who are you and what have you done with my dog?

After running around and showing off her new, fancy, self...she settled in for a long nap. The grooming experience really takes it out of her.

Going...going...gone. Gotta love this pup!

Spring Tease

What a glorious weekend. 65 degrees yesterday! Today the sun is shining and it feels warm already at 8am. I have been cleaning all weekend and it felt wonderful to crawl into a fresh bed last night in a clean bedroom under a comforter that had spent the better part of the day flapping in the warm sun. Tonight...the kids will have that same pleasure as I am flying thru the rest of the upstairs today. Already their bedding is outside drying.
I remember when I was little, the tell-tale sign that spring had arrived were fresh clean curtains on my bedroom windows. White cape cods for winter and flowing shears for spring and summer. Each was special. The winter curtains meant chilly, cozy nights around the fire, Sunday roast beef dinners and all the comforts of home. The spring shears meant bike riding, swimming, and reading at night in my room as the curtains danced in the breezes coming in the open windows.
Isn't it the simple things that make us the happiest? I know that its true for me.
Happy Sunday everyone. I hope that your day is full of simple blessings that will make you happy!

Happy Day!

Do you ever have a day when you just feel like this...

I do! Especially on Saturday. The day just stretches out before me, so many possibilities. It makes me happy. I plan to spend the morning cleaning. Then head out to the laundramat to wash my comforter and get it outside in the sun to dry. Maybe some errands, Costco, library etc. Then I am making chicken parm for dinner with a new recipe that I found on-line. With all of my new-found spare time, I have been actively trying to liven up dinner around here. There have hits and misses, but gererally everyone has been very appreciative of my efforts. Looking foward to a productive day!

Buttery Fun

I always buy this when it is on sale. I get a kick out of it... one of the silly things that make me happy. Have a great day!!!

One a Penny, Two a Penny...

Tofu has two main interests in life. The first is, she needs to be as close as is physically possible to one of her human family members at all times. Because of this need...she has come close to being crushed on several occasions because she jumps up on a chair just as you are about to sit down. Her second interest is human food. This may have come about because of her time spent begging or foraging for food while she was homeless in Central Park. She is finicky about what she will beg for. She has a few favorites...anything made with cinnamon, bread, and her current favorite...hot cross buns. As soon as she gets a whiff of one out of the package...she goes wild.

The object of her affection.

She has the scent. The fun begins.

After several spins around the dining room table, she settled here to wait patiently.It was hard for me to hold the camera and bun...but you get the idea. How can I resist this face. I am a sucker and gave her a nibble or two.

Here Comes the Sun

Just a quick bit of randomness. We survived storm "Demi" (oh brother). I guess we ended up with about a foot or so of snow. Seems deeper because of the drifts. Jim headed up to Boston yesterday in the height of it all and arrived safely for "Corporate Athlete". He was really looking foward to it and I am so happy that in spite of the weather, he still got to go.
It is blustery cold this morning, but the sky is deep blue and the sun is blinding. So beautiful.
I lost my camera for a few days but found it last night after a concentrated search and will be putting up more pictures when I can. No more sightings of the mystery dog and it is just as well, I hope he found his way back home. I am headed off to work for a quick 4 hours. This is the week when my boss decides if we all get our regular hours back. I am not too hopeful. I sent out another resume yesterday to an internal medicine practice. We'll see...

The "Coyote" came back...

First of all I will share a little known fact about me. Basically, I am afraid of dogs. Not dogs that I am acquainted with, but the kind that bark and come after you when you are out walking. They may be perfectly friendly, but yikes, yikes, yikes. I want to cry when that happens.
Having said that, the "beast" from last week returned this morning with a vengeance. Tofu had just eaten and then scratched to go out. I was watching her and the beast appeared out of nowhere charging across our yard. In daylight I could see how huge this dog really was, it looked like a Great Dane but with floppy ears. Tofu high-tailed it up onto the deck to come in and the dog raced after her. I opened the door to get inside and the beast ran right into the house. Ok, I cannot say this word enough...YIKES! Now, I am on the deck and Tofu and the beast were inside. I did not want to go in, so I just called Tofu in the hope that the beast would follow. The beast came running into the kitchen and right to me. I put out my hand and when he didn't bite it off and started wagging his tail I felt a bit better. I grabbed his collar and dragged him outside. I was afraid of being bitten, but what else could I do. I got him out, but both of us were now on the deck. He jumped up on me and his paws were on my shoulder. I pushed him off and managed to squeeze inside. He tried to push open the door, but I turned the deadbolt. With nose and paws against the glass he threw back his head and howled. Then I felt bad. He was probably hungry and that's why he came in. I ran to the cabinet to get some food but when I went to the door, he was gone. My fearless protector slept right through all of the commotion. Nice.
On a quick side note, I guess we have a Nor'easter heading our way for later today. I'm excited! We are off to church, then to the train station to get Zach (he was with John this weekend), and then like all of the other fools...we will head to the grocery store to "stock up" on food in case we get snowbound for a day or two.