If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
Today is Day 6/28: PEACE
Cathy
“Memories…like the corners of my mind”…..Oh no…not so dramatic! The mission of this blog is to be a collective of friends, fifty years strong & still climbing. Having met in first grade & still sharing all that life has to hold, let us continue to share our laughter, light & insight as this is what carries us through life. Let’s see…“Friends are like bras: close to your heart and there for support.” There, that’s more like it!
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
A Gentle Reminder
A gentle reminder….we elected the government officials to work for us. Should you wish to contact an elected official for any reason such as the national debt issues, here are some websites for your convenience.
We are fortunate to have this freedom available to us. God bless America.
Cathy
Friday, July 29, 2011
Splices of Life
I’ve decided to use the word ‘splice’ as in a fragmented sliver. A ‘slice’ of life would be a nice, neat, perfectly cut slice of pie in my mind’s eye. A ‘splice’ is a memory out of context but permanently glued into a place of mind that doesn’t fall in sinc with my mind’s recollection. Now, mind you…we were both in the same place at the same time, creating the same memories.
A recent conversation with my son went something like this.
Son: Remember that time we went to Reno.
Me: No, we never went to Reno. We went to Laughlin to visit friends.
Son: And we drove over to Yosemite.
Me: No, we went through Bryce & Zion Parks. We’ve never been to Yosemite.
Son: And the Grand Canyon too.
Me: Yes, but that was five years earlier.…two different vacations.
Son: Are you sure?
Me: Yes, I was driving.
Son: That was a great time, wasn’t it.
Me: Yes. Which one?
Son: Does it matter? I enjoyed it.
Pause
Son: What did we eat there?
Me: I dunno. I remember you throwing up.
Son: Where?
Me: Scottsdale.
Son: I don’t remember that.
Me: It was the first one, not the second.
Son: First what?
Me: Vacation, five years earlier.
(Heavy sigh)
Fracture, fracture, brain cramp. He did enjoy it. (Both of them.) Granted he had fond memories. I think. I guess it’s time to drag out the old photo albums. Refresh the old memory cells & close the gaps. At least he didn’t confuse them with Disney World. (Another story for another time!)
Just a splice of life.
Does this sound familiar to you? So, how did your family’s conversations go this past weekend?
Cathy
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Snap, Crackle & Pop!
No. You guessed right. I am NOT talking about the breakfast cereal. I’m talking about our knees, ankles, elbows, jaws, knuckles & whatever other joint seems to be disjointed at the moment and goes snap, crackle & pop!
I had this rude awakening the other day, at church, when attempting to genuflect, and it didn’t go as well as planned. No, I didn’t tip over like the little guy on the bike from Laugh-In. I like to think I saved myself from embarrassment by holding on to the pew for dear life. My memory wants to believe that no one noticed. Whew! (Hello Grace!)
I know we never had this problem fifty years ago when attending Mass. We were young & agile. Our only concerns then were keeping our hats straight, our hands folded and our eyes towards heaven. Keeping the missals & rosary beads in order were secondary, but never did we consider tipping over while genuflecting. There were the occasional incidents of being fidgety while kneeling and sliding off the kneelers. Kids did that. Nuns gently strolling up & down the side aisles, so as not to be noticed were well noticed by a mere glance to prevent the wiggles from continuing.
We have passed the age of being a good kid at church. (Did you behave at church today? Yes, Mom.) We have passed the age of being a good example at church for our kids. (Sit still. God’s watching!) We have entered the age of a “second childhood” at church; remembering to lower the kneeler without distraction, hoping to hit the kneeler each time, being wiggly again while hoping there’s no one in the ladies room in the church basement!!!
Cathy
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
28 Days of Peace
It takes 28 days to make a change. It doesn’t matter what the change is in your life. Any change for the better. What matters is the commitment to make a change. State your intention and stick to it for 28 days.
7 x 4 = 28
For the next 28 days, I choose to commit to PEACE. Rather than paying close attention to the news and the negativity that comes across the airwaves, I choose to commit to PEACE with the intention of sending PEACE throughout the world. This PEACE intention will join with all who also choose PEACE. The PEACE intention will also affect those who do not know PEACE in their hearts yet.
Today is Day 1/28: PEACE
Cathy
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Guilt Free Zone
The Guilt Free Zone? Where? How do I find it? You knew about this and didn’t tell me? Does the line start here? Where do I sign up?
The Zone…let’s find it together.
Summer is here and in full swing. The large holidays are past till Labor Day. Some vacations are over. Now, what have you done for yourself lately? It’s time for some self-indulgence. It doesn’t have to be big although big can be nice! Before the summer is gone let’s get our personal ‘to-do’ list together. Think of it as the adult version of ‘what I did on my summer vacation’. You don’t want to say ‘nuttin’, do you?
The zone is in a little place in the back of the mind. You must first move away the clutter, dust off the cobwebs & let in the light. There will be a door with a golden lock & key. Forget about this door, walk around back & climb in the window. It’ll give you a new perspective! We seldom use this part of our mind that says, yes, you’re worth it. Take some time for yourself. Here are some ideas:
Quiet time (mandatory)
Bubble bath
Favorite cup of coffee or tea
Get a new mug or china teacup…just for you!
Bestseller book
Magazine
Manicure
New hairstyle
New houseplant
Tai chi, Qi Gong, Yoga or Zumba
Go to the movies
An ice cream sundae with all the toppings! (Don’t share!)
See a new exhibit at a museum
Start a new hobby
Buy a new CD (your favorite artist)
Trip to the day spa
Pedicure
Bouquet of flowers
CHOCOLATE!
Go to a concert
Start a journal
A walk in a park
Etc, etc, etc…you can fill in the blanks. Just be sure you don’t come up on the short end of the stick come the end of the summer. No regrets allowed! You must be nice to yourself from time to time. R & R is needed to refresh oneself. It’s good for the soul.
So what are you waiting for? Go spoil yourself. NOW! That’s an order!
Cathy
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Good Humor
On a recent hot summer day, I purchased a single ice cream bar from a local store. There was not great thought to it, just a quick snack on the run. As I was eating…’darn, this IS good!’ I looked at the wrapper & saw it was a “Good Humor Chocolate Éclair Bar”. YUM! Instant flashbacks came with memories of ice cream trucks & the tinkling tunes they played.
Ice cream trucks were a reason to drop everything and run. They were the reason we picked change out from under the sofa cushions and picked pockets for pennies. On a hot summer day they were our oasis amid our neighborhood streets. Just think of the number of vehicles catering to our educated summer palette: Good Humor, Jack & Jill and Mister Softee. It was as if these people knew & fulfilled our every dream. Frozen confections with every possible topping, chocolate drizzle, and surprises inside must have been created by geniuses! These treats made us swallow our childish pride, beg our mothers’ forgiveness for whatever it was we did, and promise to do extra chores. Oh, it was worth it to flag down the ice cream truck!
Ice cream trucks have there own page on Wikipedia…not just the ice cream manufacturers. There are ice cream vehicles in almost all countries around the world and in all shapes & sizes from trucks to motorcycles. If you were looking for a common denominator around the world, it would appear to be ice cream. Who doesn’t like it? Look at the effort to distribute the sweet goodness that guarantees a smile. They are the good will ambassadors that warm our hearts worldwide. Cooooool!
Cathy
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Sandscapes
Grab the pail & shovel. Now go to the beach. Start digging. Scoop, scoop, scoop some more. Just the right amount of sand & water. Turn over, tap & voila! You have the start of a sandcastle, a future masterpiece. This is how we begin our beachside architectural education as children with our parents: one scoop at a time. From here we usually graduate to the free-style digging & burying a parent or sibling… always a favorite summer hobby. Don’t forget to drape the seaweed over the head of the buried body. It’s so much more delightful when they can’t chase you! BUT… if they do start to chase you, have extra pails of water ready for the full and final family assault! Don’t forget to bring in reinforcements; the more hands & pails, the better. Now, lets build a castle & dig a moat. Sit & stare till high tide comes in & washes it away. At just the right moment, jump on top of the dissolving castle; cover yourself with mud & dive into the ocean to clean off. This is summer fun, family bonding at its finest.
There are some (many) in this world who have chosen to follow their hearts to the beach regularly and make sand sculpting their passion in their life. Recently, in our neck of the woods, Revere Beach & Hampton Beach had sand sculpting contests. Each sculpture is a fleeting work of art, a slave to the elements, worthy of being permanently cast in bronze or cut in marble. Their memory must be honored in our hearts & mind. If we are fortunate to witness the event we may capture a digital representation hoping it does justice to the medium.
Please celebrate the Sandscapes on the following videos & websites. They will surely bring your childhood memories to the forefront as we witness the human touch on Mother Nature at its finest.
Enjoy.
Cathy
Friday, July 22, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Fascinators
The “Royals” have been in the news a lot lately. With their history, family and the Paparazzi in tow, so their fashion influences flow too on a daily basis. It’s not like we have no fashion sense or awareness, it’s just that the British have a unique sense of style. Lately, this unique flavor is savored mostly at weddings with their hats and fascinators. It’s very possible that more attention has been given to the hats attending the recent ‘Royal’ wedding than to the wedding gown itself. Even the wearers of the hats were barely mentioned.
The question is…do the hats exist for their exhibition because we are fascinated? Are we looking because they are beautiful like a work of art or silly and nonsensical? I like to think BOTH! What a delightful point of controversy…fashion and fun! Isn’t that what it should be? Why wear something because you hate it? That’s pointless. Add a splash of fun & color. Enjoy it! It should be this way every day. I like to think comfort is right in there too. Why wear something uncomfortable? We don’t want to back-peddle into corsets & girdles, do we? Not I.
Fashion itself is fascination. We love to express ourselves with our personal choice of clothing. Should dress codes even exist at all? Work places have relaxed corporate attire expectations by having a ‘casual Friday’. At least men can have other options than just changing the color of their ties! Now men, go express yourselves! Opinions abound based on the occasions that fashion serve. I believe an element of fun should be present at all times to make us smile.
The ‘Fascinators’ do just that. And yes, we are fascinated by them. If we didn’t care, would we be left looking only at their shoes? Oh, be still my heart! Don’t get me started on shoes! I love them like a sugary food group!
So, just for fun, say this 3 times fast…
“Fey fashionistas fetched a farthing for a frilly frock from famous folk while fine-tuning their forehead by foregoing a fedora and a fez for a fresh, flashy, far-out fascinator! Fantastic!”
Cathy
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The question is…do the hats exist for their exhibition because we are fascinated? Are we looking because they are beautiful like a work of art or silly and nonsensical? I like to think BOTH! What a delightful point of controversy…fashion and fun! Isn’t that what it should be? Why wear something because you hate it? That’s pointless. Add a splash of fun & color. Enjoy it! It should be this way every day. I like to think comfort is right in there too. Why wear something uncomfortable? We don’t want to back-peddle into corsets & girdles, do we? Not I.
Fashion itself is fascination. We love to express ourselves with our personal choice of clothing. Should dress codes even exist at all? Work places have relaxed corporate attire expectations by having a ‘casual Friday’. At least men can have other options than just changing the color of their ties! Now men, go express yourselves! Opinions abound based on the occasions that fashion serve. I believe an element of fun should be present at all times to make us smile.
The ‘Fascinators’ do just that. And yes, we are fascinated by them. If we didn’t care, would we be left looking only at their shoes? Oh, be still my heart! Don’t get me started on shoes! I love them like a sugary food group!
So, just for fun, say this 3 times fast…
“Fey fashionistas fetched a farthing for a frilly frock from famous folk while fine-tuning their forehead by foregoing a fedora and a fez for a fresh, flashy, far-out fascinator! Fantastic!”
Cathy
Monday, July 18, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Sea Treasures
If you are fortunate enough to be at a beach at low tide you may find a sand bar with a tidal pool. Personally, this is my favorite moment when at the shore, especially if alone on the beach. Very often the newly exposed wet sand is hard, firm and smooth under your feet. The larger rocks & jetties are within full view showing their coat of barnacles. My feet are relieved with the sure footing! As you stroll along looking for sea glass amongst the seaweed, you come to the clearest water of the ocean…a tidal pool.
Here, spread out before your eyes, is an entire underwater city fully visible without a magnifying glass. Walk gingerly to not disturb the residents left to attend their homeland. Periwinkles seem to cling for their lives. Micro-mini schools of fish appear confused but comfortable traveling in large numbers. I don’t think a fiddler crab gives a fiddle. Hermit crabs just scurry & burrow being true to their reclusive nature unaware of the other crabs. A rogue fish or two patrol the perimeters. Starfish shine in daylight. Clams squirt as you exit their domain. A stroke of luck if you find driftwood. Abandoned seashells are collected. Should jewelry be made from them or perhaps wind chimes?
These are the treasures that the sea holds in the rented space of the tidal pool. It’s not permanent. It will never be the same again. Living in the moment is what they do. You, being there, give a permanent connection to them, forever…a solitary moment of perfection.
I don’t always feel like carrying a bucket or bag for these ‘fruits de mer’. On these days, upon arriving home, I contemplate the amount of sand & seaweed I bring home in those personal nether places best not mentioned! I have seaside residue where I didn’t know I had places!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Still Trendy After All These Years
In perusing the Internet I have come across some fun sites…some of which I can reference for this blog! Ha! With summertime in full swing I looked through some sites for ‘fashion of the sixties.’ While finding some wonderful trends from our youth, I discovered that we were quite the ‘fashionistas’ then. Things that are tried & true will always stand the test of time. In observing the sixties I immediately realized that some of the very same styles are quite ‘en vogue’ now.
Take for instance the following: bell-bottoms & boot-cut jeans, tie-dye tees, empire tops & dresses, headbands, cuff bracelets, gladiator sandals, tunic tops, clogs, peasant blouses, Capri pants, crochet sweater coats, shag haircuts, Dr. Scholl’s sandals, necklaces with peace signs. It appears we have come full circle: fashionable then, a brief hiatus, and fashionable once again.
As I look through my closet, these styles are all there now…. not in the same size of course, but there just the same. The spirit lives on. Groovy! J
Please review the following site, the source of inspiration & the artwork. Enjoy!
Cathy
1. Pocahontas headbands - in! The curlier the hair, the better!
2. New place for beads, beads, beads!
3. Gaucho, gaudy and great!
4. The wider the collar, the better!
5. Medallions - a must for today's meditative maidens
6. Fringe benefits from leather
7. Embroidery enters fashion scene
8. Belts - start collecting!
9. Skirts staging comeback
10. Join the chain gang
11. The bold leg for campus
12 The new boot look
2. New place for beads, beads, beads!
3. Gaucho, gaudy and great!
4. The wider the collar, the better!
5. Medallions - a must for today's meditative maidens
6. Fringe benefits from leather
7. Embroidery enters fashion scene
8. Belts - start collecting!
9. Skirts staging comeback
10. Join the chain gang
11. The bold leg for campus
12 The new boot look
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Close Encounters
Recently, in my travels, I met a man I shall call Ted. (Not his real name.) He immediately struck up a conversation…’nice day…my name is…what’s yours?’ ‘Guess how old I am.’ I guessed, fortunately on the safe side as numbers go. ‘I am _ _ years. Today’s my birthday!’ He was celebrating already. He couldn’t contain his excitement.
Ted was very amiable and proceeded to talk about his daily routine. Now according to ‘society’s standards’ he fit into a ‘special needs’ category in both speech and physical demeanor…. yet, he was quite articulate in all ways. He expressed himself beautifully. He was coming home from work. As he continued he explained that he really didn’t ‘work’ like other people. Rather he did volunteer work. Without specifying the fine details of his past, Ted explained that he has received help from some people and it was time for him to return the favor. He volunteered to stuff envelopes for a company. Admittedly, it was quite boring by his standards, but it was a way of paying them back. It was what he could do. ‘My life is about making this world a better place’, he said. ‘It’s really not about the job itself.’ I adjusted my sunglasses to prevent him from seeing the tear falling from my eye. As my voice caught in my throat I told him how important the job of making the world a better place is. It sounded as if he was already doing a great job. ‘Thank you. That’s how I see it. I’m so glad you see it that way too. Thank you.’
It was a pleasure meeting you, I said. We departed. The odds of us ever running into each other are slim to none. My life is better for having met him. He did my heart good. The world is truly a better place with him in it.
As we go through life, we should take note of the people we run into each day. Lessons are presented to us with each person we meet. If we all tried a little harder to make the effort to make the world a better place each & every day, as Ted did, the world would indeed be a better place. Pay it back and pay it forward in the same intention would definitely get us there.
“Unless a life is lived for others, it is not worthwhile.” Mother Teresa
Ted’s life is SO worthwhile. I hope he truly knows how much he is contributing to the world…. more than my words alone could say. I hope all whom he encounters acknowledges his efforts for these are ‘close encounters of the best kind.’
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Change
Change is a funny thing. It does have a cascading effect. This blog was started about one month ago. I have done more writing, photography and
artwork in the last month than I have in the last year. I now have a new computer. It’s much faster. I
hope I can keep up with it! :-)
Cathy
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Penny Candy
How many times have we heard or said,…”Well for 2 cents I’d…!”
Well, I know what I did!
Back in those childhood summer vacations you could create a dream come true for 2 cents. If we left the house, meandered about the neighborhood scouring for a Coke bottle tossed to the side of the road, we could turn it in for 2 cents. It was fortune hunting at its finest. Two bottles would be hitting the mother load. You must realize that this little jaunt would traverse only two blocks. With bottles in hand, (yes I hit the mother load), I walked to the local variety store, family owned, very small & oh so convenient to turn in the candy collateral.
These were the days of penny candy…. a worthwhile trip if ever there was one…and only little variety stores carried this precious cargo. Two cents could work wonders, four cents worked magic. Penny candy was more than its worth. Back then, you could get two-for-one cent. That’s right. Two pieces of candy for one penny! There were banana splits, squirrel nuts, mint juleps, fireballs & licorice whips. Then for one whole cent we entered into the higher line of confections such as wax lips, mustaches & teeth! You could chew on those all day. Well worth a penny for sure! The ever-favorite candy-buttons, colored sugar on paper, was another great buy. Two cents would buy a candy necklace. The food color dye ring around your neck from the necklace was a mark of pride. Well worth the price of two cents!
I didn’t leave with just candy. I left with a treasure trove. Some could be eaten immediately while others were saved. Some were savored, lasting a long time like the gob-stoppers. Occasionally they could be worn all at one time like the family jewels…. a sign of a child’s royal heritage…. the nouveau riche of the neighborhood!
Penny candy is truly a combination of lovely & delicious. Most small variety stores in the area are gone. I don’t know if they even have penny candy by the piece anymore. Most corners have been bought up by pharmaceutical conglomerates with large packages of very nice candy, but it’s just not the same. The magic is lost. It’s just as well. If I wore a pair of red wax lips today, I’d look more like Mrs. Potato Head!
Cathy
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The SMFs Class Trip
As summer permeates the mind, new memories come floating to the surface. It must be the heat!!! I have fond memories of beaches & family fun about Boston & the Cape, but it dawns on me that the SMFs had their class trip at Paragon Park. This was the place of places. The definition of ‘paragon’ is ‘a model of excellence’…. and it was. This was the amusement park to go to for fun!
My immediate memories of the class trip are fuzzy at best. I do remember that for me, having had walked to school every day for 8 years, just getting on the school bus with the entire class, boys too, was an event in itself. There was no precedence for behavior for this…’who do I sit with, what do we talk about, do we break out in song, this will never happen again, there’s pressure to make it worthwhile & memorable, did you sign my class journal, where’s the camera, are we allowed to sit near the boys and do we want to?’ We suppress our emotions. Barely a giggle escaped. We arrive. This place we know….a comfort zone of fun.
Across the street is a beautiful beach, Nantasket Beach, with the whitest sands & warmest water around; beautiful year-round. The park had a penny arcade for skee-ball, pinball machines and other games. There were stuffed animals to win & tickets to collect for more games. Great fun! And it had the best assortment of rides: a magical carousel of hand carved horses, the largest roller coaster around, tilt-a-whirl, Ferris wheel, Kookie Kastle, a fun house, (with mirrors that made you look tall & thin…wish I had one now!), Jungle Ride…our version of the tunnel of love boat ride, bumper cars and miniature golf to name a handful. WOW!!! Then there was a boardwalk too. Food stalls ran the entire length of the beachfront…fried clams, cotton candy, ice cream, pizza, popcorn, hot dogs, hamburgers and salt-water taffy. YUM!!!
Our photos are gone, but not the memories of the heart. Fun times live there.
Years later during my college days, my roommate & I needed to make the most of a Memorial Day weekend. What to do, what to do? As we scraped together pennies for gas & our daily expenses, we had to decide where to go & what to do on this limited budget. Our spirits needed a lift. What would be memorable? There was only one place to go…Paragon Park. We spent our money for one ride & one ride only on the giant roller coaster. It was that good and that memorable!
You see it was more than just a place to go; it was a place to make memories, a place to be young & playful regardless of age. This place held our hearts for a lifetime with family, friends & schoolmates. Even now when we are alone with these thoughts, we smile. We are young at heart once more.
Now, back to the class trip. I’ve said all that I can remember. I know that the nuns chaperoned us there. I don’t remember them hovering over us. It was time for them to let us go. I hope they had some fun. I suspect that they were probably standing near the entrance to the Jungle Ride…. our ‘tunnel of love’…saying lots of prayers!
The carousel remains, the park does not. The arcade & boardwalk are less than before. Condos have risen; new people enjoy the beach & view. I drove through this area a few years ago and thought sure I could hear the sound of the rush of a roller coaster with people shrieking in laughter. Good vibes still live on!
I have found some wonderful sites on the Internet by people dedicated to the history of Paragon Park. It has even been noted in Wikipedia! Please enjoy these mindscapes. They serve our memories well & enliven our hearts. Please have a look & enjoy. They made me smile! J
Cathy
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Potholders & Gimp
As a child, the last day of school was the true first day of summer. From there we spiked up to the Fourth of July….summer at its finest. As out-of-school-emotions settled, the rest of summer fell into routine. Back then (in the dark ages!) life was SO much simpler. The daily routine was to go to the playground. That was pretty much the daily plan. Simple.
Our town had many playgrounds spread out throughout the neighborhoods. They consisted of the usual fare of industrial playground equipment: swing set, slide, jungle gym, monkey bars, merry-go-round, teeter-totter, sand boxes, several water fountains, picnic tables, bicycle racks and a baseball field. Each playground had baseball games with tournaments against each other at the end of the summer. Fieldtrips to various local ponds were anxiously awaited.
On a day-to-day basis, my local playground, just 2 blocks from home, was the center of my world. By 9 AM, I had my fluffernutter in my brown bag, & was heading off for my daily adventure with an unleashed dog meandering behind. A nickel in your pocket would get you a Popsicle from the ice cream truck for an afternoon snack! Along route, the rest of the neighborhood kids were collected as we passed their homes. This consisted of ‘Fairies’ & PSKs too! Lots of kids in my neighborhood!
Creative projects were taught by our ‘Leaders’. They seemed so much older & wiser than us. I’m sure they were high school volunteers, but I never did question the source of those I was entrusted to. Daily activities included drawing, checkers, pick-up-sticks, potholder weaving & gimp! I’m sure if you search high & low in your house, you’ll find a hand-woven potholder of unique coloring in the classic plaid technique, stuck in the back of a drawer or closet. Also in the far reaches of a closet you will find an ancient wire coat hanger covered with gimp or a lanyard for your house key. Oh, don’t you say ‘no’. I know you have them tucked away somewhere for sentimental reasons! :-0
At the end of the day, about three-thirtyish, having helped the ‘Leaders’ pack up the gear & crafts, we would wander home through the woods of about a dozen or so trees as if it was Sherwood Forest. More adventures awaited us in this shady glade: rocks to step on, logs to jump over and a blade of grass between your teeth. Like Robin’s merry men, we filed through the trees. Again, a dog in tow on a lazy summer afternoon. Two blocks to return home & it was suppertime.
I’m sure the neighborhood troop always made a grand entrance as each entered their home at the end of the day. A grinning ear-to-ear smile on each smudged face, overlooking t-shirts with ground-in dirt and Popsicle drippings in our favorite flavors. Knees were skinned for assorted reasons. Occasional splinters made their way home too. Sneakers were emptied on kitchen floors with enough sand to fill our own sandboxes by weeks end.
“So, what did you do today?”
We proudly turned over our day’s hand-made treasures of potholders & gimp.
“Lovely!”
A successful day!
Cathy
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Fireworks
Nothing exudes emotional excitement like fireworks. Most of us must wait an entire year to see them. (Only the lucky few that work at Disney World have the luxury of seeing them often.) Then there’s the anticipation of waiting all day till nighttime. We amuse ourselves by day by eating red, white & blue foods while lighting firecrackers & sparklers; BUT the real deal comes at night with the fireworks!
As you sit on the ground or on the hood of a car parked as near as it could get, you share in the excitement of those all around you. Flags are waving, horns are blowing, kids are squealing in semi-controlled eagerness. Occasionally we stare at the night sky imagining what’s to come. Maybe we’ll get to see the first test shot! The anticipation builds!
The moment arrives. …one, then another, and another! The sparks fly and colors burst. This one makes swizzeling sounds, others pop and others BOOOOOM! Some make smiley faces and stars. Some fill the sky in one spray of light and sometimes we get to see an array of many types at once.
“This is my favorite!” “Well, maybe this is my new favorite!” “I like them all!” “I like the noisy ones. The noisier the better!”
Have you ever seen anyone just sit there? Have you ever seen only one person show up? No, never! You are there for a ‘celebration of light’ to be shared with the masses. “Yup, I was there!”…a badge of honor! It’s the same for young & old alike.
Whether you’re there in person or watching on TV, it’s a great moment. You are participating in a national celebration. Me? I have the luxury of looking out the window to see the local display of fireworks while watching the Boston Pops on TV. Life is good!
Cathy
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Happy Fourth of July Weekend!
Happy Fourth of July!!!
There are few days that we wait for all year through. “The Fourth” is one of them. We suffer the long winters here for a glimpse of the summer’s freedom. Heavy coats are out of sight, out of mind. Boots are collecting dust in a closet. These staples of New England life are gladly traded for bathing suits & flip-flops.
Vacation time is finessed into a delicate balance: stay home, go away, rent a cottage, head to the ‘Cape’ or visit family. Plans are sometimes made a year in advance. The week of the fourth is worth its weight in gold.
As family & friends are gathered, the traditions of this day are held dear to our hearts whether you’re celebrating at home or away. Usually there is a parade in town. Hand decorated floats maneuver down the streets. The local teams & organizations are well represented as they pass on flatbed trailers wrapped with red, white & blue bunting. The High School Marching Band never disappoints us with “Stars & Stripes Forever”, a tribute to both the USA & John Philip Sousa. The crowd roars as they pass by. Usually there is a crepe-paper decorated convertible with a selected “Miss” with a delicate tiara from a local pageant waving to her admirers. Clowns walk the sidelines handing out candy and blowing up balloon animals. Kids on bikes trail blaze along the route as they participate in the parade in their own manner. The crowd is bejeweled & bedecked in every possible combination of red, white & blue conceivable with a flag in every hand. WOW! It just doesn’t get any better than this…. until the food comes!
Barbeques are fired up. Corn is husked. Out come the potato & macaroni salads. Hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster boils & ribs are the order of the day. Until the desserts come! Strawberry shortcake, brownies, ice cream sundaes, cheesecake laden with patriotic berries are all consumed with delight. No calories are counted on the holidays!
As if it still couldn’t get any better, the evening usually hosts a band concert serenading the crowd anticipating the fireworks. What a perfect finish to the day.
Enjoy this day in your favorite fashion. As you celebrate, please remember to also honor those who serve/ have served our great country. This day is ours to celebrate because of them.
Cathy
BOSTON: http://www.july4th.org/
Friday, July 1, 2011
Fourth of July Preparations!
Fourth of July Preparations
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If you have the 4th of July for a vacation week, you’re packing the car by now or you’re already putting the petal to the metal down the highway. For those chillin’ at home for the patriotic festivities, here’s a few websites to help you make the most of your last minute plans.
Have a safe & happy 4th everybody!!!
ENJOY! ENJOY! ENJOY!
Cathy
Local Activities:
Recipes & Food:
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