The pit stop

Whenever we drive to Virginia, we can all agree on one thing: Pennsylvania takes FOREVER to get through.  At least once per trip, we hear the following:

"Hey (insert name)...? What's the biggest pencil in the world?"

after no pause whatsoever, everyone inclined to answer says

"PENNSYLVANIA!"

Somewhere in the middle, we found a giant Cabela's store and decided to stretch our legs there.  I had never been to a Cabela's before, and initially it felt a little like wandering through a museum, with all of the animals on display.  The boys found a lot to look at (and touch).

We managed to stay together for about the first ten minutes, and then the guys became so engrossed in what they were doing, (ogling hunting stuff, mostly) the girls lost interest.

 I found it funny that the benches placed through out the store were filled mostly by waiting females. Usually, when you hit a large store or mall, it's the menfolk who do the sitting and waiting.

Not here.  Not this time.

breakfast and a fishtail

I love having girls who still ask me to do their hair.

holiday outtakes

Geography prevents the grandchildren on this side of the family from gathering too often. It seemed like a good idea to take a photo of the cousins during the Thanksgiving weekend.

 This was not a very cooperative bunch.  

 But they have fun together.

Jury Duty and maybe that's all

So..... I've been absent for a while.  Who knew that so much life would fit into such a fast moving chunk of time?  So much good and so little time for blogging.  It's been a lovely blur of family, traveling and holiday. Yesterday I waved my magic wand and wished simply for a smooth morning.  Off I went (before my youngest two left for school) to the Worcester Court house to do my civic duty.  There's been so much more than that... I did especially enjoy flying under the radar for a while, as the un-chosen potential jurors were dismissed for the day at 11:25 am.  The rest of my whereabouts and elusive activities may remain an undocumented mystery unless I am able to discover a slot of time big enough to blog delicious details.

The Last 2012 UMass Hurrah

We attended our last UMass home game at Gillette on Saturday.  It was a great game.  UMass was winning well past the first half.  Sadly, it didn't end so well; but no worries, the true ending is always the first class fifth quarter performance by the band.

After the UMass Marching Band performed a half-time number, guess who were part of a 3,000 student-strong half-time show?  Our very own Mesquite and Rooney. It was band day, and there were High School bands from all over New England participating.  It was fantastic having THREE family members playing enthusiastically on the field.

 Someone was up in the middle of the night bent over the porcelain bowl. It may or may not have been due to the overdose on concession stand foods...

 

 It has been an EXCELLENT season watching the Pride and Class of New England perform. We're already anticipating the 2013 season... Guess who's marching in the 2013 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Macy's 2013 Participating Bands:

• Concord High School Marching Band, Elkhart, Indiana
• Lakota West High School Marching Band, West Chester, Ohio
• Macy's Great American Marching Band, USA
• Marian Catholic High School Marching Band, Chicago Heights, Illinois
• Mountain View High School Marching Band, Mesa, Arizona
• NYPD Marching Band, New York
• Ooltewah High School Marching Band, Tennessee
• Tarpon Springs High School Marching Band, Florida
• Union High School Marching Band, Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Quantico Marine Corps Band, Quantico, Virginia
• University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, Amherst, Massachusetts

Well done Enrique and the rest of the UMass Minuteman Marching Band!

A Day of Rest

Sometimes by Sunday afternoon we're just grateful for a little rest.

Just me and my bud vase

This week I made a special trip to Worcester to visit a friend in the hospital.  Not record-breaking news, but it does take some minor managerial skills to fit this kind of an extra-curricular trip into the agenda.

 (as a side note, I cannot say the word agenda without thinking of my dear friends the Parsons, who dubbed me "A-JEN-da" one summer, because I helped put together the plans for a multi-family camping trip to upstate New York) 

I was on a timetable, and on the road to the hospital by mid-morning.  My favorite Relief Society President friend gave me a sweet little bud vase recently. I thought I would pay it forward and bring it with me.  Along the way, I spotted a row of trees with super cool red berries hanging on them, and decided they would be the perfect thing to put in the bud vase.  I pulled over, snipped a branch and continued on my way.  Red berries made me think of Christmas music, and I was momentarily sad that I didn't think to stash a few Christmas CDs in the little car.  Vanessa is already supplied with seasonal tunes, but she went off to Nashua with Mr. Dub this morning to get new tires.  I'll bet he wasn't listening to holiday tunes. 

I digress.

In no time my red berries and I made our way to the third floor and wandered the halls looking for the room number I had been given by a mutual friend.  After walking in a circle twice, I stopped at a nurse's station to ask for help. 

Summary: my friend was not a patient in that hospital.

No worries, I thought. There's another hospital only a few minutes down the road. My little bud vase and I were having an adventure. We parked, made our way into the second hospital and repeated the hall wandering.

Result: Strike two.

My window of opportunity was closing fast with one hospital left. I made a few phone calls, found her at the hospital I didn't visit, jotted down her phone number, made a note to call her on the drive home and met my sister-in-law "Aunt Candy" who treated me to an extended birthday lunch.

I became a little self-conscious of my bud vase offering after a gaggle of nurses gave it the eyeball in two different hospitals.  Nobody said anything--just the eye. I decided to take it home and enjoy it instead of worrying what others might think.  It reminds me of my quest to spread a little cheer. I laughed at myself, love the red berries and have come away feeling the most cheery of all, I think.

Geek to Chic: BOWTIES

It's time to come up with fun and original presents for your friends and loved ones.

Yes, THAT time of year.

For this reason, I share with you

Chic Geek Bow Ties 

 a web-based business my sister-in-law Alana is starting up just in time for your holiday purchases.

 Check it out!

Extended (family) weekend

 Over the weekend family came for a visit. 

 I forgot what it was like to have your kitchen cupboards spontaneously emptied...

but I liked it!

 I also liked

spontaneous cousin-stacking.

Everywhere I looked, there were

clumps,

clusters

and piles

of cousins.

Sunday Dinner

The Kid Table

A meal for the homebound

Today was BEAUTIFUL.

We hiked in short sleeves and stayed outside as much as we could.  We had to cancel an appointment with the dentist and the eye doctor (I can't find my car keys).  I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch, but she came to me instead.  She brought me a terrific turkey sandwich.

We sat outside for more than an hour and laughed and talked.  It was a great day.

If the first anniversary is paper, what is 23?

I love that we got married on Veteran's Day.

Our anniversary is a holiday every year.

 Happy Happy 23 Years Mr. Dub!

XOXO

rambling through Barre (pronounced "berry")

Today Leeli had a basketball tournament in Barre (Massachusetts).  We drove and drove and drove to get there.  In between games we went exploring.

We found a gnarly old tree and

a very welcoming goat.

Barre is beautiful.

We'll be back!