Friday

Did I mention that Jim Kyte has been far away this week. Nope, probably not, cause I am afraid to let the internet know when he is away. Silly. I am uneasy when he is gone. He was away for Zach's surgery and I did not like that at all. Jim brings a calm stability to everything. Big strong Jimbo makes me feel safe! Anyway...he is home again....yip!!! I had my first good night sleep since the weekend and I feel GOOD!
Summer has officially arrived and we are gearing up for this weekend. Family barbecue at John and Cassies on Saturday. I am in the kitchen this morning and expect to be there most of this evening too. No worries cause I love to do my part when it come to cooking.
3 summer days off is stretched out before me. Perfect.
Hope you all are having some simple summer fun too!

Tough Day

Many years ago Zachary was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cyst that grows in the jawbone. It has been removed twice over the past five years. His doctor was semi-optimistic that it would not reoccur, but unfortunately this May it came back with a vengeance. The options for removal and treatment were limited and quite scary. At the suggestion of his oral surgeon, we sought a second opinion at the UConn Medical Center. They gave us 3 options...one was very aggressive and involved removing a section of his jawbone and all of the teeth in that area and then putting a bone graft in, the next option was less aggressive and included root canaling the healthy teeth in that area so they could scrape at the bone and roots during surgery and removing two or three teeth, and the least invasive was just to remove the tumor again and hope for the best. We went with a modified version of the second plan and chose a surgeon that Zachary felt the most comfortable with. He had his root canals two weeks ago and this morning had the surgery in the hospital to remove the tumor and hopefully enough of the jawbone to prevent recurrence. The doctor removed only one tooth.
All went well and the doctor feels hopeful. So now Zach will recuperate and over the next six months the bone will regenerate. Then we watch the area very carefully. It is something that will have to be watched for the rest of his life.
I am relieved that everything went so well. He is home and snugged into his own bed. His throat is sore from the anesthesia and he is loaded up with pain meds and ice packs. I am right here if he needs anything. Whew, I am glad this day is over

Back in recovery. Happy to have the surgery behind him.

Zachy doodle still smiling

Friends

Chris and Mike D. were visiting Ct for a few days and so Karen had us all over for dinner on Monday night...the kids too. It was such a fun night.
Rather than talk about Monday, I thought that I would just share what these friends mean to me.
A long time ago by way of a miracle, I got connected to a group of ladies who wanted to learn more about and grow closer to God. It was a pretty big group. Some of the ladies were Catholic, some were Protestant, some were in-between churches and some were just searching. It was a very large group and we met for bible studies at their houses. Somewhere along the way someone organized monthly get togethers that were themed parties and we all took a turn hosting.
Time passed and as is the way of the passing of time...things changed. People drifted away from the group, one of the ladies husbands started a new church and those ladies started their own group. And so our group evolved into a small group which now included husbands. We met on a weekly basis and grew even closer to God and each other. I am condensing a big passage of time here...during all this time there was a Sunday night group and a Marriage group on Saturday nights. It was all pretty awesome and my head is spinning trying to remember it all.
Anyway, through all of the changes and time passing, these friends have remained. Which is after all what God intended all along. Chris, Karen, me and Nancy. Chris has moved far away and Nancy is well on her way in that direction and so things have continued to change. I don't see them as much now and unfortunately there is no organized group meetings or bible studies on the agenda for awhile. But thank God these people are now so much more than just friends, they are family. They know the nitty gritty of my life and still they remain. They have stood beside me in scary times and rejoiced with me in prayers that were answered. I have literally been on my knees beside them. I could call them in the dead of night (and I have) and they would be by my side physically and in prayer (and they have been). I love and pray for their children as I know they have done for mine. It is pretty amazing to have people like this in your corner. The true example of a blessing from God.

Random Monday

Want to see something that makes me smile at work. Everyday I open the mail and there is a smattering of envelopes that look like this.
Senior citizens like to decorate their envelopes and they are patriotic. Love that!

I think that I have done a few Father's day tribute's to my Dad and Jim here on my blog. So I thought that I would just write a bit on how we spent the weekend.
Not many people know that Jim calls Kate and I "his girls". I am pretty happy to be included in that small group and my heart still does a little flutter every time he says it. Anyway, he spent the better part of yesterday with his girls. Jim wanted to go to this old fashioned church bazaar in Woodbury and so it was decided that we three would get up early and have a hot breakfast out and then go to the fair. I was up around 6 and much to my surprise Jim joined me in the kitchen around 6:15. When I asked him why he was up so early...he told me that he couldn't sleep because he was so excited about spending the day with his girls. Sweet.
We were at Dotties bright and early and beat the Saturday morning crowd. After breakfast we made our way up into the heart of Woodbury and had to park a bit of a ways from the fair. It was fun to walk down Main Street and look at all of the historic homes and businesses up close. Unfortunately, we didn't find any treasures at the fair, but we had a bunch of fun just being together. Jim drove us to Starbucks and Kate and I got our favorite coffee's and did a little shopping in Southbury.
Jim worked out in the yard all afternoon and Kate and I went for pedicures. I tried out some new recipes and made this and this for dinner. I tweaked the pasta salad a bit to make it something that Jim could have (low fat mayo, cheese and milk, whole wheat pasta). It was a mini-miracle that both recipes were liked by everyone because that rarely happens.
It was sure a great day!
Today, I am cooking one of Jim's favorite meals and even made some dark chocolate brownies to go along with some vanilla bean frozen yogurt for a special Father's Day treat.
Kate is off to the beach and Zach is playing basketball with some friends in town. Jim and I are sitting in our chairs in the family room. The TV is blessedly OFF, a cool breeze is coming in the windows and I hear the neighborhood kids out in the street playing kickball. A perfect ending to the perfect Father's Day weekend!

Rainy Saturday, boo hoo. Oh well...no work today and that makes everything ok.
I finally got all of the gardens set and containers planted last weekend and I have not had to water anything since then. Hot, sunny, steamy days followed by stormy evenings. Ok with me, because if you are a gardener you know that no amount of hose water can do for your plants what rainwater does. It is the perfect drink for anything green.
The yard is pretty much Jimmy's domain, but years ago he gave me a little patch out by the deck to put in tomatoes and herbs. I have seriously outgrown that space. I would like a "real" garden. The kind that you rototil every year with a white picket fence surrounding it. When I was a kid, all of our neighbors had huge vegetable gardens. Everyone. And if the family was Italian...the whole backyard was a garden. Of course everyone planted more than their family could eat...and so we shared the bounty with each other. (Mom...remember Joe's big garden?) I have one neighbor now that has a vegetable garden. Sad. No one seems to have the time anymore.
Anyway,I was feeling pretty good about all that I accomplished last weekend until Jimmy told me that John's tomato plants up in Massachusetts are 3 feet tall. Sigh. Mine are barely a foot. We will be waiting until September for home grown tomatoes.
I just love that John has such an interest in growing things. It makes my heart happy. When he has his own place, I know that he will have the garden that I dream about. Meanwhile, I have been working on Jim for a bigger spot next year.


No pictures of the veggies yet. They are just too small and pathetic right now. These are the flower beds. I just weed and mulch and it looks like this every year.

Seriously, Thank God it's Friday!

Wanna smile?

clickhere!

Good Morning

Right now, right this second as I type this, I am sitting in my favorite summer spot. Front porch, old wicker sofa. Yip.
We scrubbed and rinsed down the porch this past weekend and yesterday Zach and Jim brought out all of the furniture.
The birds are singing and I hear the hum of our neighbors air conditioner, and a crow across the street that sounds pretty angry and whoops a morning dove has just chimmed in. A cool breeze is blowing. This is how every day should begin. :0)

52

We are celebrating Jim's 52nd birthday this weekend. Birthday dinner last night with Kate and Jeff, Nick and Bre, and Zach. Jim got his favorite chocolate cake. Having stuck to his meal plan for sooooo long he certainly deserved a big piece! Happy Birthday Jim!

Sometimes I loose who I am. I just get caught up in the day to day. Get up, laundry shower, work, cook dinner, TV, bed....repeat....forever. Weekends, clean, errands, church, cook dinner. I forget what I enjoy. Forget what makes me take a deep contented breath and let it out with a happy sigh.
But last week I found a bit of me because I took the long way home. I went for a haircut and had to do some shopping in Southbury. I stopped for a quick dinner of steamed vegetable rolls...yummy bundles of crisp veggies, wrapped in cabbage and steamed. I parked my car by a stand of pear trees nestled in some fresh cut grass....opened my windows and took my first happy breath in weeks. After dinner I went over to Starbucks and got myself an extra hot, decaf, no whip, mocha (my fav) and made my way home...the long way.
Hello again Patti Kyte.

Pictures taken while driving are not only illegal but unclear. If you live near me you will recognize this way home from Southbury. Through Woodbury and Middlebury and on into Naugatuck. So pretty.

White picket fences and old New England colonials.

After all the rain last week, the grass has become so green and thick. Everyone was out on this night mowing their lawns. I had all of the windows open and the heavenly smell of fresh cut grass filled the car.

Middlebury green

My favorite farmhouse. Oh look they left the light on for me.
The backyard

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Home again.

First Day

This past Monday, Zach began his internship with the Ct State Police, major crime unit. His excitement was contagious and we could not wait for him to get home so that we could hear all about the big day.
I had anticipated that they would use him for filing and other office tasks. To my surprise...he is actually working on a cold case. Of course he cannot discuss any details at all, but he is getting a real picture of his chosen career. I am so excited for him.
Many of you know that he is home for good. By his own good decision, he will finish out his last year and 1/2 commuting to UNH. It will save a ton of money and also...Zach just likes being home. We are thrilled to have him back home. It is so great to see Kate and Zach hanging out together again. They go to the gym every night after work. I find them in each others rooms, just talking. It makes my heart happy to see their closeness.
So congrats to Zach on this new adventure and WELCOME HOME sweety!

Front porch shot

Relaxed and ready to go.

Spring

The lilac outside of our back door is filling my kitchen with the most wonderful fragrance. I wonder, are their any fragrances better than the ones created by God? I don't think so.

Palm Sunday

I wrote a post a few weeks ago and wanted to put up a link to our Pastors sermon. It took a few days for it to go up on the website and then I forgot about it. Anyway...here it is.

PalmSundaySermon

Amy and Alfred's Wedding Weekend

Cape Cod was in FULL bloom this past Friday. Every fruit tree in sight was showcasing it's beautiful blossoms. The spring bulbs provided color down below and the scent of lilac and ocean filled the air. The sun was shining and big puffy white clouds marched across the sky.
It was against this beautiful setting that Amy and Alfred said their wedding vows. The happy couple has been together since high school and so the day was a culmination of many happy years together.

Hello Cape Cod

Time to get pretty. Kate got a pretty updo.

My Mom got her short style jazzed up a bit. So pretty.

About an hour before the wedding we discovered that Macy's had left the big plastic security thingy on my Mom's dress. Yikes! We had to drive back to Hyannis in Friday afternoon traffic and it was a bit tense for awhile. We did not have time to go back to the hotel and get Jim so he had to call a cab.

Arriving right on time.
Here come the Grandmothers.

Mother of the bride, my beautiful sister Debbie.

Youngest sister Megan.

And middle sister Kelly.

Big sister Nicole, the Matron of Honor.

All smiles!

Her gown was beautiful. Lace and crystals...my favorite combo.

The reception was at the Wequasset resort on Chatam's Pleasant Bay. Clickheretosee It was so beautiful.

A sweet ending to a wonderful celebration of love.

The next morning, we took my Mom out for a Mother's day breakfast and ride around the Cape. She chose "Grumpys" resaturant in East Dennis. Usually there are long, long waits for breakfast...but we were lucky to get a sunny table right away.

I had my favorite, eggs benedict. My mom had an omelet stuffed with homemade corned beef hash. Yum!

I cannot tell you how many times that I have visited the Cape and not even glimpsed the ocean. Not this time. It was a gorgeous sunny day and we went for a nice drive after breakfast. First Skatet beach on the bayside. Soft powdery sand and calm turquoise water.

Then a stop at the cemetery in Orleans. My Daddy's resting place. No family celebration is the same without him. It makes for many bittersweet moments. I placed the starfish favor from the wedding there.

Uncle Bob and Aunt Meme, my mom's sister.

Then off to the "real" ocean. Beautiful Nauset beach.

Ocean air is like the best kind of happy drug. Really, it has that effect on me.

My sister threw a surprise 50th birthday party for my brother-in-law Michael. Her gift to him was delivered mid-party. A trailer with this inside...

He is in total shock here, and he kind of remained that way for the rest of the afternoon.

Holy cow...a shiny, black, brand new Harley.

As a motorcycle enthusiast himself...Jim was very interested in hearing the instructions that the Harley guy was giving Mike.

Big hugs and kisses of thanks!

So cool. Mike has not been owned a motorcycle since the eighties. What a thrilling gift.

And off he goes for his maiden ride.

We stayed until cake and coffee were served and then headed home to Ct. It was such a fun weekend and as always, hard to say goodbye.