A belated Happy Birthday to Tracey, born a day after Brett. She's the happy little girl waving to the camera. Brett is the happy little blondie in the striped shirt. Tracey's mother was my room-mate in the hospital when Brett was born. We did not know each other and were surprised to find out that we only lived about half a mile from each other. Kathy was a great room-mate and we had such a good time together on the maternity ward. We both had partial rooming-in and every afternoon they would wheel little Brett and Tracey in the room so we could "goo goo" our babies for a couple of hours and then back they would go to the nursery so we could continue our partying! Brett and Tracey spent lots of time together growing up. They went to school together from nursery school through high school, learned the fine art of how to make baby chickens fly, went sliding and built snowmen, went to the circus together, played in the band, had shared birthday parties and did alot of driving around in Mrs. Fix's Big Van! Happy Birthday to Brett's first room-mate!

I AM CREEPED OUT.........

EEEWWWW.......UGH UGH. I have had it. I am really freaked out. A good project for a rainy day today was cleaning my basement. It really needs it. I was being really productive. I was sorting nice things to give to Good Will, lesser things to give to the Salvation Army and really bad stuff to throw away. I was feeling good. I was on my hands and knees sweeping stuff from behind one of the cabinets and what should I sweep into my dustpan...........a dried up baby snake. NO....NO.......NO. It can't be. Not in MY snake-free basement. What I want to know is where is the woman who birthed that snake and where are the other 99 babies that spew forth at birthing time in disgusting fashion? I cannot, I will not go into that part of the basement for anything except to do laundry, and that will be REALLY fast. I don't want to look up into the rafters. Are they coiled around the pipes up there or curled up on the ledge? If I pick up laundry from the floor are they going to drop out and wriggle off into some dark corner? Are they going to crawl into my freshly washed and neatly folded sheets only to reappear when I put fresh sheets on my bed? The basement is going to have to stay in it's disorganized mess because I just cannot, will not, go poking around those dark corners. My computer is also in the basement, but in a separate area. Is one going to drop down from the ceiling onto my keyboard?? Or will I feel one winding around my feet? Where are they?? What a nightmare...............

Safe and sound.

We took Damon to the airport this afternoon. He phoned when he arrived in Chicago to tell us he was on terra firma. Brett phoned this evening to say that he and Megan had navigated their car safely from Pennsylvania to Rhode Island. Kara is getting ready to settle down with a book in her new home in Albuquerque. All is quiet here. All mother's children are safely home. I can sleep well tonight.

Happy Birthday.........twice.

Happy Birthday, a day late, to my quirky husband......born on December 25, 1941. We grew up in the same town and went to the same school but I never had much to do with him as a child. He was 4 years older than I and always seemd a little scary. (Wouldn't someone who looked like the above picture frighten you??!) If I ever had to ride his bus, I would sit as far away from him as I could. He does not believe me when I tell him this but I can remember scouting out the seats as soon as I got on the bus to see where he was sitting (which was usually in the back of the bus with the "scary" guys).

After he left elementary school I didn't see him again until he came home after serving 4 years in the Air Force and was introduced at a PTO meeting as the new lifeguard at the local swimming hole......and it was literally a "hole". I remember sitting at the meeting with my sister Lauri and our friend Letha Ruth and we all agreed that there would be a good reason to go swimming that summer........wink wink. (No.....he did NOT look like he does in the picture above, thank goodness).

The first time I went swimming there that summer he came up and asked me my name. "Mary-Margaret", I answered. He patted me on the head (like a child) and said, "Well, Mary, would you mind watching these kids for me for just a second?". Just for a minute there I thought maybe he was interested in me! We've come a long way since then. We've loved. We've laughed. We've argued. He's a Pit Bull on the outside but a pussy-cat on the inside. We've been through fun times and through not-so-fun times, but we've always done it together. He fixes things for me. He helps me load the dishwasher every night. He can't cook, but he loves to eat my cooking. He has a really really big heart. He would rather stay home with me than go out for "a beer" with the guys. He's sincere. I've lived with him longer than I have lived with anyone. He's my very best friend. Happy Birthday to my favorite man.

.........and Happy Birthday to Brett, born on the day after Christmas 30 years ago. How great it was having a baby the day after Christmas. I got out of all that Christmas clean-up! He was such a cute little peanut, the smallest of my babies. He was a very alert little guy from the get-go. He would never sleep when I was nursing him in the hospital. He would just stare at my face the entire time, right into my eyes and my soul, with his beautiful big blue eyes. He was always watching. Even as a little boy riding in the car, he always had his little face pressed to the window, taking in everything that was out there. He was such a good little baby. He would eat and sleep, eat and sleep. He still likes to do that today. He eats and then he falls to the floor by the table and sleeps! He is kind. He is gentle. He is caring. He is creative. He makes me laugh. He's a hard worker and a good husband to his sweet Megan. I'm glad we decided to keep you, Brett! Happy Birthday.

The end of a perfect day.

"Do you think anyone will notice that there are toothpicks holding my eyes open and that I'm not really awake??"

We had a wonderful and busy Christrmas. We cooked, baked, ate, enjoyed a little wine, savored chocolates, sat in front of the fire, washed dishes, laughed, opened presents, had lots of phone calls, turned the "Hallelujah Chorus" up to an almost unbearable decible level while doing dishes, had friends in for tea. We're tired but happy and ready to retire to the upper chambers.

"A Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night"!

Faith, Hope, Love and Joy

A peaceful Christmas Eve to you all. My favorite night of the year. I went outside tonight and listened. I didn't hear the sound of a car at all. Most people are snuggled quietly in their homes. It is by far the quietest night of the year. Brett and Megan arrived here about 4:30. It's so nice to have them here. We had a relaxing roast chicken dinner which we followed up with ice cream and Megan's superb homemade cookies. Now we are all tired and ready for bed. But first Santa has to fill the stockings!



Damon took a picture today of the small display I set up next to our Christmas tree showing what I think are the four most important parts of Christmas...Faith, Hope, Love and Joy.

Faith is the manger scene, the center piece and THE most important part of Christmas. That is the essence of Christmas. Everything else is "fluff".

My little framed "Hope" is next, for without hope we would never be able to overcome our obstacles and look forward. Hope is what keeps you living from day to day. Christmas gives us Hope that miracles are possible.

Next is Love. Love is the little caroler candle, my remnant from Christmas past. It is a replica of a candle I had as a child. It reminds me that that is when I first felt love and where I was taught how to love.

Last is Joy. Joy is my little snowman. He depicts the snow that I love and the fun and the laughter and good feelings of Christmas. Those are my reminders of what Christmas is. And now I have to go spread some Joy and fill a few stockings because there are some people in this house who have Hope that Santa Loves them and their Faith leads them to believe this is so!

CHRISTMAS RUSH..........

There are two kinds of Christmas "rush". I"ve got them both.......

#1: The kind of "rush" where no matter how much you rush around you feel like your falling father behind. Presents spread out on the dining room table with a sheet covering them to prevent peekers from spying. When will I ever get them wrapped? Went grocery shopping after school for food supplies for the next 3 days. Spent almost as much on food for three days as I did for all Christmas presents combined. Still need to do "just a little" more Christmas shopping. Can I find a time to do it when there aren't any crowds? My house looks like the Torrington landfill. Will I ever get it cleaned up before Christmas? Forgot some really important vital ingredients at the grocery store for my Christmas breakfast. Now I need to fight the teeming masses and the bell ringers who accost again. My gift for Paul won't be here until after Christmas.

#2: The good rush, that heady "rush" you get when good things happen........ Damon flew in from Chicago today. He brought me a really cool ornament. Brett and Megan will be here on Saturday. I heard little Elizabeth say Mamamama on the phone today. I love my Christmas tree. We are all healthy. I didn't HAVE to put anything on my charge card for Christmas. There were lots of wonderful Christmas cards in my mailbox this year from people I really enjoy hearing from. I will be sharing Christmas dinner with my family.........IF I can get through those teeming masses at the grocery store for those forgotten ingredients. When I reflect on Christmas past I have really sweet memories.

IT'S A MIRACLE!!!

It's a miracle. They repaired our dishwasher today. It works. It works. It felt so nice not to have to wash dishes tonight. I had forgotten how FAST it is to load the dishwasher and press a button.

And miracle #2. Paul called Pentax about our camera not working yet again and they are sending us a brand new one.

Just finished doing my Christmas cards. I should have ordered more. I really didn't have enough to send one to every one I want to. I haven't wrapped ANY gifts yet. I'm tired. I'm going to bed and read The Mermaid's Chair. Great book.

The Blue Star.............................(and day 31).

December 1946.......my mommy and me in front of my very first Christmas tree. That means that when we erected our tree last night I had seen my 59th Christmas tree in either my home or my parent's home. That's a lotta trees! Every year we say "this is the prettiest tree ever" and this year is no exception. When the tree lights are turned on and warm up the tree, it smells so heavenly. There is not a smell on this earth that can make you a little girl again like the smell of a Christmas tree. For this reason alone I don't thnk I could ever exchange my real tree for an artificial one. When the day comes when it is too difficult for us to wrestle with a big tree and the stand and the lights, then I will settle for a tiny, easy to manage tree (but real)......just so I can enjoy the aroma that brings me back to those cozy, warm, exciting days of Christmas on the farm. And wrestle we did last night. From trying to get the darn thing straight in the stand (no no Paul.....more to the left. Oh wait...too much now. It looks good from this side but it's leaning too far forward if I stand over there........) to stringing those lights (there are always burned-out ones on the strings that were just fine when we put them away. If Paul had been in church his conversation would have been considered heavy praying). But the reward after all that work and frustration is so sweet.

As I sit and inhale the smell I can almost hear my father open the back door to the farmhouse while we children are bobbing up and down with excitement in the living room as the big moment nears. And in he comes...dragging the tree into the living room along with the cold air and the smell of snow and pine sap. His cheeks are red and his nose is dripping from the frigid air. The look of anticipation on his face was as great as ours. I wonder if he was reliving his youth as well??

We didn't have one of those new-fangled tree stands. That wasn't his "Thoreau" style. He would drill a hole in a chunk of wood and twist the tree right into it. Then we would slowly and carefully, while trying to keep our excitement in check, hang the ornaments on the tree. The glass balls. The tinsel. The "glow in the dark" icicles. The horn's of plenty that would be filled with candy by Santa. The garland. Someone always managed to drop and break at least one of those delicate glass balls but we were never scolded for that. Our tree was always white pine, because that is what grew on the land, so there were plenty of empty spaces to hang lots of stuff.

We never had Christmas lights. My father always said it was because the wood stove dried out the tree too much and he was afraid of fire. We had something we thought was far better. Each year we would culminate the evening of decorating by slowly and reverently pulling out the "blue star with glitter" that my father had made. You can see it at the top of the tree in the picture. It was a simple star he had made out of cardboard. I don't know if the cardboard was blue or if he painted it blue. He covered it with glitter so that it sparkled. I thought he had to be the smartest person on earth to make such a beautiful star. All mouths were quiet and all eyes were upon him as he fixed it to the top of the tree. And then the supreme moment of Christmas heaven........he put a blue light bulb in the ceiling fixture, turned it on and twisted it so that it shone on the star. We all let out our long held breath and sighed. Ohhhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhh. Now it was Christmas. Really really Christmas. It was so simple. And I was so happy. And so warm. And so loved. And so peaceful. And that is how the smell of the Christmas tree makes me feel. That is the real spirit of Christmas.

Three day weekend, crazy season, the right perspective..............and day 29 without you-know-what.

We woke up to sleet and freezing rain yesterday. It wasn't too nasty but enough to cancel school and give us our second 3 day weekend in a row. This is the BEST time of the year for something like that. I didn't get too many Christmas things done but I did do lots of cleaning. Many of the gifts I ordered on-line came which is good. The Fed-Ex man left a delivery half-way down the driveway, in the ice, leaning against a tree. That is not so good. It's a good thing we spied it. What is wrong with him?? His excuse: Our driveway scares him. I think he needs to look for another career. The Christmas photo-cards I orderd came but there were only 40 photos, not 40 photos that had been made into greeting cards. So back they go and they will resend me the order. So people may not get their cards before Christmas. Today, finally finally finally, our part for the dishwasher came. But........it was the wrong part. And our camera, which we have had repaired twice, is starting to act up again after being home for only two weeks.

I took some time this morning to do my last bit of Christmas shopping. I planned on stopping at the Torringon Post Office on the way to Canton to get some shipping boxes but the line of cars to use the post office was out to the road and beyond. Forget that. I stopped in Canton instead where the line was much shorter. Had about a 20 minute wait in line to pay for my pathetic 5 little boxes and the postal lady said, "Oh you don't have to pay for those, They're free". ???? That's funny. In Torrington they charge me for those things. Went to Borders. Stood in line forever. Three hours later I finally schlepped back home. Went out to choose a Christmas tree from the many that Paul planted for his tax deductable Christmas tree farm. Most of them have grown to tremendous proportions by now and Paul wanted to cut off the top of one and use it that way but that meant a tree with a base about 10 feet wide.


After a friendly discussion Paul let Midge look until she found the perfect tree. Looks pretty good, doesn't it? Can't wait to smell it in the house..........


Went to a Christmas open house at 5:00 with a vow that we would stay for about an hour and then come home and decorate our tree. But you know how that goes. Just as we got ready to leave they put out a delicious meal and we just couldn't leave THAT. So we finally came home at 9:00. Too late to do the tree thing. So tomorrow we will decorate and wrap and trim the tree.

I was feeling pretty frazzled after waiting in line after line today and fighting the traffic and fretting over whether I found the right Christmas presents and thinking of things not yet done. But as I was sitting in the slow moving traffic, listening to my Christmas music, I started thinking about last night. I went to a funeral home to attend the calling hours for a young man who died suddenly in his sleep. He was 28 and one of Brett's very good friends when Brett was in high school. He and Brett had a band, "The Sexual Chicken" with 2 other boys during the last two years of high school and they spent most of their free time together. They were almost like brothers. Thinking about what I saw last evening puts everything into the proper perspective. I can take the long lines, the packages left in the snow, the ailing dishwasher and camera, the things that don't get done. None of that matters a hoot because I have what is most important to me.....my children and grandchildren and little, quirky husband. They are warm and real and huggable. And that is the only thing that really matters at all in my little world.

Sleet's coming.............and day 27 without a dishwasher.

We have had two really cold days. Morning temps have been below zero. You would think that the older I get, the more the cold would bother me. But I really seem to be enjoying the cold more with my advancing age. Maybe it is just that my sensory receptors are becoming numb. I find the feeling of the cold on my face invigorating. I love the feel of coming into a warm house after stomping around in the cold air. The cold air feels fresh and clean. But I have to be dressed for it because if I'm not..........I am one stiff little old lady.

I'm waiting to see what the morning brings. The weather is calling for snow tonight changing to sleet, freezing rain and then just plain rain (oh ugh ugh ugh on the plain rain) during the day tomorrow. I think we will have either a delayed opening or no school.

Paul finally strong-armed the dishwasher fix-it folks into committing themselves to a date for getting our ailing dishwasher fixed. Fridays are their "Torrington" days so they said they would be here tomorrow, providing the part, which they overnighted, would arrive before Friday. Well, lo and behold, tomorrow is Friday and there is no part in sight. So now we have a promise of Monday, even though that is not their "Torrington" day. I don't want to go through Christmas without a dishwasher but right now things aren't looking too promising. This has been the longest repair process I have ever seen.

We need to get our Christmas tree this weekend. It's getting late.

Cold, Congratulations..............and day 25 without a dishwasher.

Brrrrrr........it really is a three-dog night out there tonight. Three degrees right now and falling. This is the coldest it has been since last January and may be on it's way to setting a record for this date. But our New England weather is known for being consistantly inconsistant and this is no exception. By Friday afternoon we will enjoying temps in the 40's. But I won't be enjoying the rain that will be coming with those balmy temperatures.

I want to say a BIG "congratulations" to brother Henry. He was recently appointed District Superintendent of the Adirondack district of the Methodist Church. A very exciting move for him.


Here are Henry and I at his ordination many years ago.......was it 26?? He looks so very young in this picture.....almost a little overwhelmed at the thought of the responsibility that lay ahead of him. It was the very beginning of his ministry. The Frueh clan had to travel into the upper limits of Vermont for this event. I don't remember the name of the town but it seemed as if we were going about as far as you could go without leaving the United States. We were traveling in the middle of the "gasoline crisis". Whoever owned the car with the best gas mileage was the "chosen" car. I think my car lost that contest and mother and I drove up in hers, with one eye fixed on the gas gauge. We would pray on the way up that we would find at least one open gas station. Remember how hard it was to find a gas station that actually sold gas back then and how scared you were that you would be stranded in the middle of nowhere with an empty tank?

I don't remember much about the actual service but I do remember having a lovely celebratory Frueh-ish picnic on the lawn in this very very rural part of Vermont. We were very proud of Henry then. And we are even more proud of him now. He has stayed the course. He has stayed true to himself. He has worked hard. He has many adoring parishoners. I know the people in his church will miss him but I also know that as District Superintendent he will be able to have an effect on the lives of so many more people. You've come a long way, Golden Child! I'm so proud of you.

A little bit of Christmas shopping........and day 23 without a dishwasher.

It was nice to have a surprise long weekend, but it's back to work tomorrow. Although...........there is another storm on the horizon for Thursday!! I did lots of on-line Christmas shopping on Saturday, which is almost as time consuming as shopping in the stores.

Today I drove to Barnes and Noble. There are some things you just can't browse for on the internet and books fall into that category. I spent 3 hours browsing. It was surprisingly uncrowded. There was only one person in front of me in line. That's pretty unusual for Christmas. There was other shopping I could have done in the shopping village but I had to HURRY home in time for the UCONN game at 2 o'clock. Nothing can keep me from a game. I ran inside and turned on the tv, only to find that it wasn't being televised to day. Sooooooooo back out I went, but I just stayed in town this time. I didn't encounter many crowds at all my second time out, either.

I got all ready to settle down tonight for my very favorite show, Desperate Housewives, and wouldn't you know.........it wasn't on tonight because of a Extreme Home Makeover special. This was just not my day for the tv world.

SNOW DAY.................(and day 21 without a dishwasher)

Oh happy day. I woke up this morning to this! And you know what that means......no school, turn off the alarm and cozy down in bed for a little while longer. I love a snow day on Friday. It means I can do all my Saturday cleaning on Friday and have a relaxing weekend to look forward to. I enjoyed my forced confinement today. I know feminists will not look highly on me for saying this, but I really enjoy staying home and busying myself with housework and cooking and generally making sure that things look warm and comfortable for Paul when he comes home. It snowed like crazy from about 5am to 1 pm. In that short period of time we had about 12 inches of snow. I would run outside, shovel, come back inside and when I looked out again it didn't even look as if I had been out shoveling at all.

By 1 o'clock the snow had stopped and the sun had come out. It's hard to believe that just one month ago we were raking the lawn and tilling leaves into the garden. How quickly the seasons change. How fast life goes by! I made some butternut squash soup for supper, and we ate it by the fire with our candle, Christmas music (NOT "holiday" music) and the sound of the wind. I love days like this.

Often my favorite part of a snowstorm is afterwards, when the sun comes out and it gets cold and windy. What a joy to watch the wind blow the snow across the pristine meadow. Snuggling down in bed with the wind rattling at the windows is close to heaven. If it snowed from now until April I would be content. It is always a thrill to see the transformation of your little world from boring brown to sparkling winter wonderland in just a few hours. It's magical.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.......

It was very cold today. It was very windy today. And I am loving the wind and cold. Maybe I love it because it makes coming inside to a warm fire and a hot cup of tea feel so good.

I went downtown after school to do a little Christmas shopping and as it got dark the wind started to really pick up and then we had a snow squall come through. It was so beautiful. The wind was howling and the snow was blowing. I bought a Christmas tape for my car and drove home through the wind and snow with Christmas carols filling my car and my heart and singing, badly but happily, at the top of my lungs. I drove through little streets that hadn't been plowed yet where houses twinkling with Christmas lights lined both sides of the street. All that snow and wind and music and colored lights. It was all very very very good.

I bought Il Divo's new Christmas CD and played it while I was making dinner. I can't even describe how great that CD is. They make such beautiful music. The most beautiful tenor voices I have ever heard. Several times I just had to stop what I was doing and drink it all in. It is definitely "turn down the lights, open the wine, light the candles, start the fire, put your feet up" music.

My favorite Christmas song.......always has been and always will be.....Silent Night. It is the most peaceful song. I can think of nothing that embodies the spirit of Christmas more than that song. It's a perfect Christmas eve song. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Books: I'm reading Anita Shreve's "Where or When". It's a short little book that captures my interest but I find it a bit unsettling. One of those "how could you do that?" books. Paul is reading Michael Crighton's "State of Fear" and can't put it down.

Snow storm expected on Friday. I'm hoping.

I think I'm losing it........................

Does this sound like I have a dangerous mind?? On Saturday I am in the basement doing the laundry. I pick up a load of dirty clothes and instead of putting them in the washer.....I put them in the dryer. That is a little scary, but understandable, given how busy my day is. The scary part is...........after I put the clothes in the dryer I begin looking all over the dryer for the soap dispenser so I can deposit my detergent and can't understand why I can't find it!! Now THAT is a bit unsettling. I am just thankful that my mind straightened itself out before I went upstairs and said, "Paul, can you come help me. For some reason I can't seem to find the soap dispenser on the washer". Can you imagine the look on his face if I dragged him down to the basement and he saw me poking all around the dryer for the dispenser?

My Christmas Saltbox

It snowed overnight. When I woke up this morning I lay in bed for quite a while just enjoying the view out my window. How I love the snow. The first thing I did after breakfast was head up to the attic and bring down the box of my window candles. Then I turned on some Christmas music and spent the next hour lost in my little happy world as I put the candles in the windows.

I have come to the conclusion that I have inherited some of the Frueh genes for reclusiveness. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I am really quite content to stay home and enjoy the little things around me. I had no desire to go out and fight the crowds at the mall so I stayed home and made myself a cup of tea, settled down by the fire and did some armchair Christmas shopping.

At this time of the year I love to think back on all the things that have made me smile in December. There are probably hundreds of them but here are just some:

Snow....of course. Waiting for the snow. Buckling my fathers boots (with Lauri) before he went out in the snow to do his chores. Sliding until dark. Cocoa after sliding. Sliding in the moonlight. Building snowmen. Slipping my cold hands in between the cow's udder and leg to warm them while playing outside. Senior Proms. Coming home from college. Surprising someone with a Christmas present anonymously. Christmas caroling with the MYF. Cocoa at the church after Christmas caroling. Church Christmas parties. Skiing. The smell of a Christmas tree. Stringing popcorn in the living room at the farm with Paul and Lauri. Christmas music. Bells jingling. Old Mr. Wildey taking us on a REAL sleigh ride. The quiet of Christmas Eve. Waiting for Santa. Hearing Santa on the roof and in the living room. Hanging stockings. Roast beef Christmas dinner. "It's A Wonderful Life". Handel's Messiah. Manger scenes. Having mother read the "Little House in the Big Woods" books to us by the stove. Listening to the snow plow drive by the house at night. Hearing school cancellations in the morning. Ice skating. The feel of cold air on my face. Birthing a baby the day after Christmas. Wind. Walking through the woods with Daddy to find the perfect tree. Putting the blue star at the top of the tree. The tree lighting ceremony in college. Decorating Agnes Howard Hall in college with REAL greens. Rosemary Foster's bubble lights on her tree. Bornemann's wooden tree decorations. Mother telling me there was such a thing as Santa, even when I was 21. And she was right!

There is so much more I love about December. Of course there are some not so great memories, like getting the measles on Christmas day! But the good far outweighs the bad. What are some of your favorite things about December??

Christmas Party Time

I went to our union Christmas party for all city employees last night. It is the only Christmas party I go to because I am a real bah hum-bug person when it comes to Chistmas parties. Are Paul and I the only two people in this world who hate Christmas parties?? There was a time when we went to so many Christmas parties that it seemed like we were constantly getting sitters for the kids and schlepping off to party after party. I really hated leaving them home and finally said ENOUGH. We started turning down invitations and instead spent the weeks at home before Christmas with the kids. I have never regretted it. I would much rather spend the afternoon or evening with my Christmas tree, some Christmas music, candles, a fire and a hot cup of tea than in a crowded room ho-ho-hoing and gobbling down all kinds of strange food and drink. Needless to say, we don't get too many invitations any more! People know what terrific scrooges we are. So.......the food was GREAT last night. The band was so-so. They played lots of country music that was unfamiliar and difficult to dance to until we complained and then they played a few more songs to our liking....songs from the 50's and 60's. Since most people don't come with their spouse there really isn't lots of dancing going on. So I was home by 10:00 and that's the end of my Christmas partying for another year!

Kara and Sean and family moved into their new house today. I talked to Kara tonight and she said she has no regrets what-so-ever about the move. She feels like she is finally in a "real" house and not a doll house. It feels great to have all that space. Even Eamon seems to have happily adjusted to the move.

I'm waiting for the snow to start falling. Only 1-3 inches tonight but a bigger storm is on the horizon for Tuesday. No school maybe???????

It's December..............

Happy December 1st......We are now officially into the Christmas season. I can finally start to think Christmas. I bought 2 wreaths for my doors today. I played a Three Tenors Christmas album during dinner tonight. I will start Christmas shopping this weekend. I will pray for snow.


And there I am, with my good college room-mate and three friends, getting into the Christmas spirit during my first Christmas season away from home. Can you guess which one is me?? We certainly don't look like the co-eds of today, do we? We were so thrilled to be celebrating a little bit of Christmas while we were away from home. We had just had a little Christmas party in Alice and Rose's room in our old, "creaky-floor" dorm. It was such an old dorm but I really loved it. We thought we were such hot spit with that metallic silver Christmas tree with the whirling disc that changed the colors of the tree from red to green to blue. We used to love to interrupt our studies to wander down to their room for a touch of that Christmas spirit. I wonder if they still make those things today?

One of the "big" events on the campus during the Christmas season was the door decorating contest in the dorms. We all were allowed to decorate the doors to our rooms and, thrill of all thrills, we had a set period of time when all students on campus were allowed to view our doors.......even the MEN. Yes, for a brief period of time they actually would allow the MEN beyond the boundaries of the "lounge" and walk the sacred inner sanctum of the dorm to check out our door decorations. BUT we had strict instructions that our doors were to be kept closed at ALL times and the men were not allowed to set foot in our rooms. But my room-mate, Jill, and I could not contain our naughty enthusiasm. When our boy-friends, Jim and Moose, came by we said, "Do you want to take a peek?" When we saw their eager little faces we opened our door for a whole 5 seconds and then quickly shut it. But not quick enough. Never hang around with me. Other people can do naughty things for years and years and never get caught. I do it just once and can't escape. So, of course, we got caught! We were put on the Irregularity Sheet for our little stunt. It certainly seems innocent by today's standards, doesn't it? It really was a different world back then, but I wouldn't change any of it. EVER.

IT"S BAAAAACK!!!

Our camera is back......at last. And there is my human dishwasher, hard at work! We are still a little nervous because the first pictures Paul took with the camera today had the same funny lines that showed up before we sent the camera away. The next few pictures seemed to be fine. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Our car came back today with a brand new radiator and the windshield washer is well and happy. I hope this is the end of our appliance/car meltdown. Every once in a while we go through a stretch where our appliances and "things" start falling apart, one after the other. Whenever that happens we always say, "Well, at least our health is good". And we're saying that now. If something happens to break down I would rather it be an appliance than my body.

It's spring!!!!!!!

Our Thanksgiving snow is gone gone gone, replaced by a foggy, balmy 60 degrees. I liked the snow so much better than the balm. We will have another day of this dreary warm weather tomorrow, with lots of wind and rain moving in from the storms in the midwest. Then it will be back to cooler weather and maybe, I'm hoping, a storm with snow for the end of the weekend.

The Thanksgiving decorations are down and ready to go into the attic, but I just can't bring myself to put out the Christmas decorations until the calendar says December. I looked at the Christmas wreaths (or should I be more politically correct and say "holiday" wreaths?) at the grocery store today and almost bought one for each door but something in me just won't let me do it until the Christmas month is really here. I do have to confess that it was a very quiet day in the media center today and because I can't stand to be idle I did put up some Christmas decorations.

We had a new radiator put in our car today so the car should be ready for another 50,000 miles, at least. We are still waiting for dishwasher parts so are doing our dishes by hand. Man, I had forgotten how long it takes to wash dishes. I had forgotten how hot it gets when you hang out by a dishpan. I had forgotten what strange things happen to your back when you lean over a sink. Or maybe that is something new now that I am so much older. I had forgotten what dishpan hands were. I will never EVER EVER EVER take my dishwasher for granted again. I cannot wait until it is repaired.

We have had two days in a row where nothing has fallen apart in this house. That is a promising sign. Will our luck last??

Goodbye to Thanksgiving 2005

Thanksgiving weekend 2005 is coming to a close. Damon's plane has landed safely in Chicago. Brett and Megan have made the drive from Pennsylvania and are now snuggled in their cozy little house. Kara and Sean are packing for their move to their lovely new and bigger house. It was a good Thanksgiving holiday this year. It was so nice to be able to spend it with so many of the people I enjoy.......two of my sisters, my brother, my mother, my brother-in-law, my 3 sweet nieces, my very unique husband and one of my precious children. I have a stash of delicious turkey soup tucked away in the refrigerator. We made some happy memories. We even had snow for Thanksgivng day. I have so many blessings to count. I am very lucky. And to end the weekend on a perfect note, Gail and Charlie stopped by tonight with the perfect solution for the question of what to do with Paul when he begins his eye-glazing political discussions at the family gathering table............



I really hope it's not too cold out at our next family gathering............

Repairs and Restaurants

Okay.......one more item for the repair list. Our windshield washer is not working. The fluid container is full but it seems unable to make it to the windshield and with the sloppy weather we are having now we really need to have the windshield washer working. So back to the car doc it goes on Monday. The radiator seems to have stopped it's leaking, for now. But I don't think I'll be taking the car on any long road trips for awhile. Paul put up a new cable today for the bird feeders. He's such a good fix-it guy. One of the feeders is very large and heavy. I was afraid when we lifted it off the ground we would find a squashed bird or squirrel underneath it, but there was nothing but clean white snow. I'm just lucky it didn't fall on MY head.

I was all set to make acorn squash stuffed with mushrooms and wild rice for dinner tonight but Paul wanted to go out. After an endless discussion of where to go we finally decided on a restaurant that just opened on Wednesday. The last restaurant that was there was absolutely horrific and only lasted a few months. We thought we'd give the new one a try and it was an "experience". Actually, the food was quite good. We had the misfortune to be stuck with a waitress who had a hard time getting those smile muscles working. She seemed like she would rather be ANYWHERE than waiting on us. It kind of makes you wonder if you did anything wrong when you walked in. She also had a cold and kept swiping at her nose with her hand which made me extremely nervous since all food is deliverd to us with those very hands.

Paul ordered "grilled pork chops with applesauce", so it said on the menu. The chops were excellent but there was no applesauce. After about 20 minutes of trying he finally was able to attract her attention and asked, "Do you have any applesauce?" "Oh yeah", she said, "Do you want some"? Well no not really.....just checking to see if you have any around. Of course we want some. It said "grilled pork chops with applesauce" in the menu. It took her forever to come back with the applesauce. Paul was being patient and said she was probably heating it up. But when it finally arrived, delivered with those nose swiping hands, it was cold and was just a tiny dollop in a little cup that looked like the itty bitty cups they use to transport your pills to you in the hospital. That is supposed to last through 4 pork chops?? The only thing they had for dessert was 3 different types of pies, even though there were other items listed on the menu. Paul called the meal "diner fare".

Oh well, at least I didn't have to cook tonight. But that acorn squash stuffed with wild rice and mushrooms sure sounded good!

And the repair list keeps growing...........

1. Dishwasher repairman came today. We need a new pump but, of course, it has to "be ordered". They never have these things with them. So it will be next week sometime before we see him again. He didn't explain what he is going to do about the fact that pieces of the inside of the door have come off and chunks of insulation are blown out into the dishwasher everytime it is washing. I guess he will address that when he comes back next week and will need "to order" another part.......like a new washer???

2. Paul had to plow the snow in the driveway with his tractor today because his truck was at the truck doctor. He slid off the edge of the driveway and had to have Charlie come and tow him out.

3. Before I went grocery shopping this morning Paul turned on the car to warm it up for me........the car we just spent megabucks on to have the head gasket repaired. I went out to get into the car and spied a bright green stream of anti-freeze flowing from under the car and down the hill. Uh Oh.........not a good sign. Paul used some Bars Leak. We'll see how that works.

4. Went out today to fill the two bird-feeders that we have strung on a wire between two trees. Dragged the old step ladder out, climbed up and filled both bird feeders full. Put the step ladder back, came in the house and heard a crash. What the heck was that?? Thought maybe the step ladder had fallen over. Looked out on the deck but didn't see anything unusual. Looked out in the yard and, uh oh, the wire had broken and both bird feeders were lying on the ground. The squirrels are going to think they have died and gone to bird-seed heaven. Another fix-it project for Paul.

5. Our two year old clothes washer doesn't seem to be spinning clothes out as dry as it should. Not a good sign. At least we bought one of those service contracts on that.

Damon is taking our other car to upper New York State tomorrow to visit Stacey. Should I be worried that something might happen to the car???

A HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving as much as we did. I woke up this morning to a lovely beautiful wonderful snow fall. It was so absolutely gorgeous. So silent and lovely. It looked just like Christmas. It was snowing just enough to be pretty but not enough to keep people away. When Liz,John, Mom and the little girls arrived they all walked in wearing a set of Billy Bob Hillbilly Gnarly Teeth. Oh my they looked so very very funny.



There's mother with her new set of teeth. When I was a little girl I always thought she had such beautiful teeth. I just never realized they were so big. And surprise surprise surprise......they brought a set for each of us to wear. We each put in our Billy Bob teeth and I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life! What a funny sight to see a clan of Frueh's suddenly transformed into simpletons. I would have loved to have driven the whole group of us to Wal-Mart for a walk-through right then.

There's Damon, Mr. Fabulous, with his new set of teeth. I'm proud of how intelligent they make him look. It's about time. He is thinking of wearing them to his next job interview. I think it would make a great impression. They would also be perfect when he and Stacey step out on the town in Chicago. After surviving the laughter convulsions from looking at ourselves with our new set of teeth, we settled down to a great great meal. I felt like I was running a marathon race just trying to coordinate everything to finish cooking on time but it was done (with mashed potato spatters on the wall and turnip drips on my sweater and gobs of stuffing on the floor.....Martha Stewart I'm not). There is nothing like settling around the table with the people who are the dearest to you. Ellen got up halfway through the meal and went into the kitchen and then yelled into the dining room, "Midge, did you want these beans on the table?" Ooopsssss....how could I forget my beans in the microwave?? So we had them as a second course. They were still good.

After dinner Damon took a snooze in his favorite spot by the fire while Paul and I washed and washed and washed the dishes. I have never seen so many dishes in my life. Now I know that the dishwasher is one appliance that I don't think I could ever live without. It took us almost two hours to wash all the dishes. Once we were done we joined everyone else in the living room where they were having a quite a laugh watching old family videos. It was soon time for the Sundets and Mommy to leave. It was so great to have them here for the day. After they left Henry and I took out our dulcimers and made some music together while Ellen politely tolerated our playing. Once our concert was over Henry and Ellen left for home, just as a little burst of a snow squall was starting. It was a REALLY good day. I am so thankful that I can spend Thanksgiving with such a neat family. We made some really nice memories today.

Happy Thanksgiving eve to everyone. My turkey has been in the refrigerator for two days and is still like a brick. Now I'm giving it a cold bath and that seems to be softening things up a bit. I hope it will be ready for the oven by tomorrow morning. There will be 12 of us here tomorrow. I wish it could be more but we will have a jolly time with the guests that we have.



So many years have passed since the first year that Paul and I hosted our first Thanksgiving in our basement Ithaca apartment. There I am sharing a bit of my Thanksgiving wine with the turkey. Could we look any more serious about getting our turkey basted?? Remember those bristley rollers with the little pink stick-pins? I can't believe I actually wore those things to bed EVERY night......and Paul still stayed with me!!

We didn't have a dining room in that little apartment of ours and our kitchen was far too small to host a large family shin-dig, so we set up a big table in the "garage" part of the basement, sharing the space with tools, car parts, cob webs and our old wringer washer. Despite the unusual dining conditions we really had a great time. It was the first time I ever hosted a large meal. I hated cooking then as much as I do now, but I was able to get everything on the table, still hot, at the right time. That's always a challenge at Thanksgiving. And it was all GOOD! Those 35 years have gone by so fast, but I still have a large and wonderful family with whom I can enjoy Thanksgiving day. I'm looking forward to another happy day tomorrow........if the snow, sleet and freezing rain don't keep everyone away.

Repair list.

Well, let's see......we found out the dishwasher is still under warranty so we will have it repaired. IF it is repairable. That's a big IF!! But, of course, they can't do it until Friday so we will have a real old fashioned Thanksgiving gathering around the sink doing dishes together. THAT will bring back lots of memories. I'm hoping that the snow doesn't keep everyone away.

We picked up my car from the car doctor today and took it out for a spin tonight and, what do you know, the check engine light came on. Oh dear. I guess it is back to the car hospital tomorrow.

Forgot that we had another casualty. Paul's hot water heater at the office crashed. So it was off to Home Depot tonight for a new hot water heater. Tis the season for breakdowns!!

Getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Lovely un-November-like weather today. I truly yearned to be outside but spent the day inside preparing for Thanksgiving. Since we don't use the dining room very much now that it is just us two I find the room makes a good catch-all for everything that I "will put away later". That includes all the baby stuff we had out this summer when Kara and Sean were here with the little ones. Car seat, baby swing, baby bouncer, Fisher-Price toys, trucks, riding toys........all that stuff fills up a room pretty fast. Hauled it all back up to the attic until next time and then vacuumed, dusted and polished the dining room. I have been having a problem with my right hand and the doctor told me on Friday to try not to use my right hand for a couple of weeks. Sure...........easier said than done. Easy for a man to say. I'm afraid I haven't been a very good patient in that respect. Maybe after the holidays.

We found out today that our dishwasher has a 5 year warranty on the pump. We think we got it less than 5 years ago so maybe we will be able to get this thing repaired. We're going to try because we really don't want to put the money out for a new one at this time. Paul went out and bought a dish drainer so now we are all ready for Thanksgiving day. I haven't had a dish drainer on my counter in 30 years!!

I keep hearing the word "snow" pop up in the forecast for Thanksgiving. As much as I like snow, I hope it holds off. I am going to be optimistic and buy a BIG turkey tomorrow!

Fix-it time.

Well..........2 weeks ago it was Paul's car. Last week it was mine. And now it's the dishwasher. I think we are getting into another "everything is falling apart" stage in our lives. As long as it's not our bodies that are falling apart I will be happy. Paul and I had to wash all the dishes from the dishwasher and our dinner dishes by hand tonight. I haven't done that since our newly-wed days in Ithaca. What a delightful bonding time we had tonight. The nasty thing is that I think we took out one cycle of poorly washed dishes from the dishwasher and put them away and ate off of them before we realized there was a problem. Ugh ugh ugh. I wonder what matter of germs and vermin I have taken in. I don't think this thing is worth fixing so we are going to TRY to find a dishwasher before Thanksgiving. If not, we will all have a joyous time enjoying each other's company at the kitchen sink. Just like the old days. Now I have to do some research on what is the best washer to get. Does anyone know any washers we should STAY AWAY FROM??

As I was cleaning up today I noticed that Paul had laid his favorite leather jacket on top of two bags of trash I was throwing out. I picked it up and put it on the rocking chair. As I came into the gathering room later this afternoon he pointed to the jacket and said, "I think I am going to have to get rid of that jacket. It's just getting too worn out." "Good, just throw it in the trash", I said, always eager to clean "stuff' out. He looked at it and said, "I don't think I can. You do it". No problem. I walked over to pick it up. "But that's Kara's old jacket", he said. I stopped my fast track to the jacket, looked at him and said, "Oh". That's different. I can remember when she bought it. It was the summer before she left for college. She and one of her running friends went to the mall for the day. I can remember Molly and her little sister picking Kara up in Molly's open (and of course, to my mind, VERY unsafe) jeep. I watched them as they zipped out of the driveway, laughing and having a great time. I prayed that she would be delivered back to me intact. When she came home she was so excited to show me the jacket she had bought. When she said "leather jacket" I thought it was one of those black studded zippered motorcycle type jackets and I told her "no no not a leather jacket, I don't like that. Not on you". But then she showed it to me. It was a lovely soft brown color and looked so good with her long, blonde hair. I don't think I will ever forget how pretty she looked in that jacket. Stunning. It was perfect for her. I remember she wore it on her first trip home from college, suddenly looking so grown-up. When she tired of it, Paul tried it on and found that it fit him. He loved the style. He loved the color. He wore it everywhere. When it became a bit tired looking he tried to find another of the same style but was unable to. So he wore it to death. And now it is time to get rid of it. But I can't quite do it yet. It's still sitting on the rocking chair. Maybe I can use it for a work jacket in the garden...................

Roller coaster ride!

Our weather is taking us on quite a roller coaster ride. Today was brrrrry cold, especially at school where we have our own little ecosystem. Right now it is down to 23, but by Sunday we will be enjoying temperatures in the 50's. The beginning of next week looks like a big storm is heading this way. They are not sure yet whether it will be rain or snow or both. I am hoping for the white stuff.

I found a movie to watch tonight which was fun and enjoyable. It was just a little PG13 romantic comedy chick-flick called "13 Going On Thirty". I had never even heard of it but it really was a fun movie to watch. It had alot to say about what is really important in life and being true to yourself and your friends and doing what is right and not what is the "in" thing to do. Fun movie. Good message.

Speaking of friends...one of my friends had an MRI yesterday. She had to take some anti-anxiety medication because of her fear of being in confined spaces. She was very hungry afterwards so her husband took her out to breakfast. She must have been one doped up lady because she remembers very little of it. Her husband said she kept telling him how hungry she was and by the time her food came she had used a spoon and eaten the jelly right out of five of those little Kraft jelly foil containers. She order a stack of pancakes and two scrambled eggs. She poured maple syrup over EVERYTHING, even the scrambled eggs (!!!) and ate it all. Oh yuck. She said the thought of eating maple syrup on scrambled eggs sickens her and she can't believe she did it. But she remembers absolutely nothing of this. The people in the restaurant must have thought she was a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

This weekend will be spent getting ready for Thanksgiving. I'm hoping the weather will cooperate so everyone will be here....including OUR CAMERA!!

A really warm day today for November. Close to seventy degrees. Tonight we are getting the weather that was out in the mid-west yesterday, but not as severe. We are having lots of heavy rain and wind and the temperature is dropping. I really really really want some snow. There is a mention of snow showers on Wednesday. We're getting closer..........

Today was picture day at school. I never ever ever ever ever ever had my picture taken for the year book because I really do not like to have my picture taken at all, especially for something like that. But this year all the staff was required to have them taken because we are going to be issued ID cards which will have to be worn in school. So I reluctantly walked down for my "photo shoot". First they asked me what color background I want. What color background?? I don't really care. I just want to have the picture taken so I can leave. Well, what goes best with my jacket, I ask. How about green, I ask. A look of shock and horror on the photographer's face.....oh no no no no. Not green. That's very bad. Not a good color at all. You wouldn't like it. I guess I failed that part of my photo shoot venture. She settled on blue (I look terrible in blue) and then took my picture. As she finished she smiled and said, "I used a soft focus on you". Oh?? Soft focus?? Does my face look that old and grizzled and tired out that we need to soften it up?? Was she taking pity on me?? She said, "We use soft focus on all the staff". Yeah. Right. I bet she doesn't use it on the cute little twenty somethings. I wish she hadn't told me about the "soft focus". Then when I got my picture back I would have looked at it and said, "Hot Damn.......I didn't know I looked so good!"

Off to bed to read while listening to the wind and rain. Reading a really good book called "Fragments". Memoirs of a Jewish man who spent most of his childhood in a Nazi concentration camp.

Let winter come. We're ready!!

We spent all day yesterday preparing for winter. I mulched the last of the leaves and raked those that I couldn't mulch. I finished cutting back the perenniels. We put the pool cover inside. Paul tilled the garden. We worked until dark. Just as I was finishing up I looked at the bare trees and thought how beautiful they really are, even though they are leafless. The shape and twists of the bare, bony branches moving with the wind against the darkening sky was quite a lovely sight. And then I saw the full Beaver Moon (as the full moon is called in November) rising in back of the skeletal branches of the Maple tree. Nature truly is heart-stoppingly beautiful sometimes. And quite romantic, too. I have a few more little odds and ends to do outside but we are pretty much tucked in for the winter. And basketball season has started. So let it snow!!!

Early this morning Paul took the car down to have the snow tires put on and while he was driving back he was suddenly enveloped in a cloud of white fog. Uh Oh. He drove it right to the car doc instead of home. The head gasket is gone. That is a pretty whopping bill.....$1500. But it's a one time fix and cheaper than buying a new car. I'd much rather have to spend money on fixing my car than my body. I have to count my blessings.

I just read on the internet that the Jones Soda Company has come out with a new flavor.........Salmon Soda. It has a smoked salmon taste. Oh, dear Lord. That is utterly disgusting. Is there anyone who will actually buy that?? Probably not, because this is what the owner of the Jones Soda Company has to say about it:

Asked whether he liked his new salmon soda, van Stolk said: "I cannot finish a bottle, I just can't".

Enough said!!

A fine weekend for a birthday.

We're having lovely weekend weather. Just right for that last push to get the lawn cleared of the dribs and drabs of leaves that are left, the garden tilled, the perenniels cut back and the last of the lawn furniture put away. It will all be just in time because the extended forecast calls for mixed snow and rain next weekend. Paul spent most of the day adding to our winter store of wood. He has quite an impressive collection to keep us warm and toasty this winter. I was invited to attend a Christmas church function at the Valley Community Baptist Church in Avon. What an impressively HUGE church it is. They even have their own full size gym. They had sold over 1300 tickets to this event. We started with coffee, tea and breads and then perused their Christian bookstore. Then to the sanctuary for a brief program. After that we went to the gym for a craft program. I actually became creative, followed instructions and made the craft item without having it look like a 3 year old worked on it. We did some Christmas glass etching on votive candle holders. Very easy to do but looks quite professional. Went back to the sanctuary to listen to a motivational speaker and then followed that up with a lovely, delicious lunch. A very pleasant morning with friends. By the time I got home it was 2:30 and I spent the rest of the day raking the darn nuts off the lawn. Paul has been wanting to test a new restaurant that opened down the road from us so tonight we took the test. I would say that they didn't do too well on the test. We both had an eggplant parmesan grinder but it was the strangest eggplant parmesan grinder I have ever had. I could hardly chew the pieces of eggplant. They looked more like the outer leaves of an artichoke. I tried to cut them with my knife and they looked like globs of fiber. Isn't eggplant always kind of soft?? I could chaw away on these things forever and still not have them suitable for swallowing. I wonder if it was an eggplant SKIN grinder?? I think I have taken in my share of fiber for the week or maybe even for the month.


Today I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little sister Lauri-ann Jane, Baby Ann, Lala, or Spaz. The girl with many names!

Mother wanted to have two children close together so we would be good friends and when I was 15 months old my new good friend suddenly appeared. I don't ever remember life without her. Our Aunt Mary sewed all our dresses and always made them matching. Daddy cut our hair and gave us the same hairstyle. We spent our first years looking like little twins. We were always together. At my birthday party we stood side by side next to the door to greet my guests. I grabbed my presents and she said to each guest what I should have been saying, "thank you, thank you, thank you". We would write plays and then perform in front of our very patient mother. We shared the same room and spent most of our young life playing dolls and school in that room. At night we would lie in bed and make up stories to tell each other. We called them "sick and throw up stories" so you can imagine what nastiness they involved. We were always trying to outgross each other. We would make tents with our bedsheets instead of going to sleep. Sometimes we would wind ourselves up tight in the sheet and ooze our way out of it and drop out onto the floor. This was a simulation of a calf being born, a game we called "coming out of the cow". (This fascination with bovine reproduction carried over to the thrill of sitting on a stool toghether behind the cow and watching the artificial inseminator do his work)

Mother would get so frustrated with our chatting and giggling and silly games when we were supposed to be sleeping that she would threaten to turn out the hall light if we didn't quiet down. We didn't and she did, despite our howls of protest. By the time we hit our teens things had changed a bit, as they usually do, and we had drawn an imaginary line down the middle of the room and misery came to whoever let their stuff drift over onto the other side. Up until we hit our teens we were constant companions and best friends. She still is my best friend. I only wished she lived closer. Thanks, Mom, for giving her to me!

Happy Veteran's Day

Today was pleasant. It was quiet. It was coooooollllllddddd. I enjoyed every minute of staying home. In my heart, I really do enjoy being at home. I didn't do anything exciting. I did some cleaning. I filled the bird-feeders for the first time this season. It is safe to do that now that the bears have settled down for the winter. I bought some wine and made a nice little pasta, tomato and asparagus dinner, which we ate in front of the fire after we made a toast to all the Veterans. Then we watched the movie, Patton. Paul's hero. It was a nice way to remember who we pay tribute to on this day and why.

I want to wish a very special Veteran's Day wish to two of my favorite veterans.



First to my Paul, who served in the Air Force from 1960-1964. He looks so young in this picture. This is the image of many of the young men who we have trusted to defend our country over and over again. They are the personification of bravery. How do they do it when they are so young and have hardly begun to live, or even shave??.................................................................

.............and my mom, who was a U.S. Army nurse during World War II. Proudly, her name is listed in the Women In Service To America memorial in Washington, DC. It goes without saying that our country would never be the place that we enjoy so much today if it were not for the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed forces. They are all my heroes because they do what I would never have the courage to do. My gratitude and thanks go out to them all. May they always be treated with the respect they deserve.

Was that snow I saw???

While doing bus duty this afternoon (which consists mostly of prying apart little pre-teens who are locking lips for one last smooch before leaving each other for the loooooong evening apart) I know I know I know that I saw a few flakes of snow. Our school is up so high that it has it's own little weather system, akin to the North Pole. It was bitterly cold and windy today and there really were a few flakes of snow flying around. I wish it were more but it will be here before too long.

It seems our political climate is changing in Torrington as much as the weather. In this very heavily democratic city our 22 year old Republican candidate ousted our 50-something two term Democratic mayor. It was really quite a stunning and unexpected result. This must be the year for young blood to take over for there were a couple of other mayoral elections that were won by really young men. I think the youngest was an 18 year old. Handling a city of this size will be difficult for this young man, but his mother is a state representative and his grandfather was too so I'm sure he will get lots of guidance. Interesting times!

I read in the Lakeville Journal tonight that the movie theatre that was so much a part of my young life, the Colonial Theatre in Canaan, has been completely renovated. It had been abandoned for many years and was close to making friends with the wrecking ball when it was thankfully bought by someone with a vision. He has completely renovated it and turned it into a cafe movie theatre, my favorite way to go to the movies. They have a scrumptious sounding menu, play Glen Miller/WWII music before the show while you are eating, have cozy burgunday and cream walls, frosted sconces and checkerboard floors. We are going to have to try it soon because it sounds like a fun (and nostalgic) way to spend a Saturday night. I haven't been inside that theatre for almost 40 years.

That was the theatre where I had my very first date when I was in the 8th grade. It was a pretty disastrous date. I could talk to this boy easily in school but on a date...........I froze and so did he. I think the only things we said to each other the entire time were "hello", "thank you" and "good-bye". That 15 minute car ride to the theatre and back again was the longest ride I have ever taken in my whole life. It couldn't end soon enough.

Some of my 8th grade girl-friends and I would often take the train from Falls Village to Canaan on a Saturday. We thought we were SO grown-up, away from parents for a day. We would go shopping at Hart's Five and Dime (usually for bras), go out to lunch for a hamburger and coke and then go to the matinee, where the admission was only a quarter. One Saturday they had a live show at the theatre. I don't remember much about it except there was a young, cute boy playing a guitar and singing. We screamed our little guts out........you would think we were in the presence of Elvis himself. Those were really simple days, but you never saw a happier group of girls.

When we were really really little, like 6 year old little, the theatre had a program for the local schools at Christmas time. The whole school would be bussed to the theatre to enjoy a Christmas movie. I remember we were all given an orange as we went in. They might as well have given me a gob of gold.......I thought it was so special. I somehow don't think that kids today would get that excited over an orange. They probably would be happier with nothing less than an ipod for each child.

No school tomorrow. It will be too cold to do much outside but there is plenty for me to do inside. And I can ALWAYS cozy up on the couch with a cup of tea and a book.

Nice day off.

It was a great day to spend at home. The weather was cooperative enough so that I could spend most of the day outside cutting back my flower beds. It was so nice and quiet out there. How nice it would be not to have to go to work and spend every day doing what I did today. Quite relaxing. But would I get bored and feel isolated after a while?? I don't think so. I have so many things I want to do that I could live for 600 more years and still not get them all done.

I was IM'ing Brett tonight and he said how he was thinking he might like to come to the Warner here in Torrington to see the Nutcracker. He had seen a performance on PBS and remembered how we used to go see it every year when he was growing up. I had almost forgotten about that and how much I enjoyed it. What a wonderful way to begin the Christmas season. The first time I went was when Kara was about 4 or 5. It was one of the first times the Nutmeg Ballet company performed it and they used the tiny little theatre at the high school. Kara was in awe. She loved the music. She loved the dancing. She loved all the pretty costumes. And she insisted I sign her up for ballet lessons. I did and it wasn't long before she tried out for a part in the performance and danced her little heart out as an angel and soldier and a mouse....albeit a dead mouse. I still get the old tears flowing when I hear the music that heralds the entrance of the soldiers on stage and think of my little blonde baby girl strutting out on stage, so proud of herself.

When Brett was about 4 I started taking him to see the show and he was equally entranced.....he sat straight up in his seat, eyes focused on the stage and didn't move a muscle throughout the whole long performance. When it was over he told me he wanted to take dancing lessons too, although today he vehemently denies that he ever said such an appalling thing.

Little Damon was less enthralled. I was sure he would be just as "into" it as his brother and sister. But he sat slumped in his seat and after about 10 minutes he pulled on my sleeve, interrupting my peaceful reverie, and asked in a disgusted voice, with his little teeth tightly clenched, "Doesn't this play have any talking in it?" When I told him no he flapped his little arms around and moaned and sank even farther into his seat. He is so much like his father.

One of these years I should treat myself to a Nutcracker evening. It's changed over the years. It has moved to the large stage at the Warner Theatre. The Nutmeg Ballet Company is now a professional company and has dancers from all over the world. They dance to the music of a live symphony orchestra instead of tapes that skip and stop in the middle of a dance. But it would be so nostalgic. I better make sure I come with a supply of kleenex.

The stars must be aligned just right........

It is a rare occurance for a mother with two or more children, but every once in a while there comes a fleeting moment when it seems that all your children seem to be having a good day at the same time! Today was one of those days. Nothing big or momentous happened. I just felt like they were all smiling together today. Brett's kitchen is in working order for the first time since May and they now have gas, water and electricity.......and it is looking GREAT.

After months of looking at furniture in his new apartment that consists of stacked up boxes, Damon has transformed his living room from a cardboard ghetto to a room that would rival something from House Beautiful. In addition to that he has a lovely girl friend who shares his enthusiasm for the fun of Chicago.........and is finally getting him to eat spinach instead of McDonald's Bacon, Sausage and Cheese breakfasts!

And Kara has a real good prospect for the sale of her house after only a little more than a week of it being on the market, which means she will be able to go ahead with the purchase of their new and bigger home. She talked to me on the phone tonight and neither of the little ones were fussing......they both seemed to be happy at the same time. Another mother who is having one of those fleeting moments of time when both children seem to be having a 5-star horoscope at the same time. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does it feels so good.

We have no school tomorrow. Election day. We are having local elections tomorrow for mayor. It is probably the first time I am not going to vote. I do not like the present mayor and I think the young man who is running against him has the potential of doing the job but I can't bring myself to vote for someone who is only 23. Younger than my own son! That seems a little young to be in control of a city of 35,000. Is this the best our city has to offer us??

Paul talked to the camera hospital today. Our camera is in the process of being repaired. Hopefully it will be back by Thanksgiving, you lucky people!

Nice weekend.

It was a nice weekend for working outside. Nice warm weather. Some of our leaves are finally falling so I spent most of Saturday raking some leaves to spread on the garden and then mulching the rest. What a dirty job. I was coated with leaf dust, even in my mouth. We were asked to go out to dinner at the Country Club by some friends and I was so grateful for that. It was so nice to take a nice shower and then relax with a good meal that I didn't have to cook after working outside all day. I had stuffed cornish game hen with apricot glaze that was SO good. Followed it up with a nice piece of medicinal dark chocolate cake! Paul had venison medallions. Not my type of meal ( I hate the thought of eating deer things) but he said it was terrific. Today was mostly a ho-hum day. Cleaned house. I looked at the area rug we have had in our gathering room for 17 years and decided I couldn't stand looking at that disgusting thing for one more second. I made a quick executive decision and rolled it up and threw it out the door. Gone. Done with. Put down a rug that we had bought at Ocean State Job Lots (we only shop at the best places!) for Paul's office but decided not to use because it really didn't go with his new linoleum. We have been carting it around in the car for weeks now because we had nowhere to put it. It really looks quite fine in the gathering room. Much better than the disgusting rag I took out of there. It is just a little big smaller than what I would like but at least I don't have a cloud of dust following me anymore each time I walk across the room.

Great week at work this week. Two days off and two half days of school.

"Green, green, it's green they say, on the far side of the hill."

Well........here it is November 3 and not only do we still have leaves on the trees, but they are GREEN. GREEN LEAVES IN NOVEMBER??? AWK!! What is going on here? This feels so strange. The weather is warm, the leaves are green. Did we skip winter and go right into spring?? The maples have suddenly turned their lovely bright yellow and orange and are really spectacular on the ride home from school when they sit against the bright blue sky and are back-lit by the sun. But they look a little odd sitting next to the green leaves of the other trees.

And speaking of riding home from school, I left school yesterday and was merrily bumping down the highway on my way to have my flu shot when my car stalled. Oh heck...what now? I started it up and went about 20 feet and it stalled again. Started it up and went 10 feet. Tried to start it up again and nothing but spinning engine noise. I am completely and totally and utterly lost when it comes to car problems and our cars ONLY die when I am alone, NEVER when Paul is with me. Of course. But praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord for cell phones......my precious link to my car help line, Paul. I know how much he loves to get these calls from me...."Paaauuuulll........ my car isn't working very well." I had actually driven Paul's car to work since mine was in the car hospital. It never rains but it pours. Paul couldn't come and rescue me so he called the car doctor who drove my newly repaired car up to get me and pushed the sick car onto a side street. I really hate sitting by the side of the road in a disabled car. I feel really and truly pathetic. I just don't want anyone I know to see me and stop and ask if I need help. I was so glad to get back into my car. I was even happy to be waiting for eternity in a line ever- so- long for my flu shot. It was better than sitting like a pitiful little soul in a loser of a car.

Kara said she can't publish her blog tonight. We'll see if mine works. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. I am really looking forward to the weekend.

Not again!!!

I can't believe this.......we just got our digital camera back and it is acting up again. Different problem. Terrible picture quality. If we bang on it it works for a while, but what good is a camera that you have to bang around in order to make it work. Soooooo, back it goes to the camera hospital. They have told us that they will put it on the "fast track" this time so hopefully it won't take as long to get back to us. I really would like it back by Thanksgiving.

Wonderful Indian summer weather today. Cathy's cafe was open for lunch. How nice to be able to sneak outside for half an hour in the middle of the day. A little mini vacation. Someone has reinforced our maxi-pad table and it shows promise of lasting us a long time. It doesn't look as if it is as likely to go tumbling across the parking lot when it gets caught by a gust of wind. The kids were all suffering from post-Halloween hyperglycemia in school today. They were carrying around bags stuffed with trick-or-treat candy and cramming it in their little mouths all day long, despite the no-gum-or-candy-in-school rule. The only thing in our favor was that it wasn't a Friday and a full moon. That, combined with the day after Halloween, is deadly.

I'm reading "Atonement". It was a little slow in the beginning. The author has a different style of writing that I'm really not used to, but now I'm hooked. A really good read.

Happy Halloweeeeennnn!!

Happy Halloweeeeennnn from University Drive!!

Halloween night always smells the same.......cold air, leaves and pumpkins. One of the first Halloweens I remember was when I was about 5 years old. My father was really nifty at making costumes. I think he really enjoyed Halloween, certainly more than I do. That Halloween he made me a really great witch outfit. He gave me a long nose complete with a wart. He loaded me into the car and took me to the Redman's Hall in the center of Falls Village. I can still remember walking across the road, holding his hand. It was windy and cold and I remember looking up at the sky, sure I was going to see a witch soaring around on her broom. Once inside the Redman's Hall he led me to the games on the main floor. I remember bobbing for apples but not much else. Then he wanted to take me to the basement where they had a haunted house set up. WELL...........I can remember standing at the top of the basement stairs and listening to the blood-curdling screams of terror coming from below. I grabbed onto his hand and froze with terror. It was so so so scary. There was no way I would go down those stairs. What in the heck was going on down there?? Being the sweet, gentle person he was he did not force me to enter that den of horror and took me home to my warm and cozy home instead.

Halloween is NOT one of my favorite holidays. I mean, this holiday really creeps me out. Is there any other day of the year when you would welcome a stranger with a mask into your living room?? It always seems like a pefect opportunity for some wierdo to gain access to your house for unsavory purposes. One Halloween when I was home alone my brother-in-law, Charlie, came to the door dressed up. I let him in, gave him some candy, and then he would not leave. He stood there staring at me and making strange noises. I had no idea who he was. I only knew that he was bigger than I was and I was really starting to get uneasy. It was only when I spied his trademark beady eyes behind the mask that I knew who it was. But it made me realize how much we let our guard down on Halloween.

Really now, would you want these ugly people in your house on Halloween!! That is me (looking like a man/woman), Kara, Brett and Damon all ready to go out on Halloween in 1983. Those are some pretty ugly folks, except for that cute little care bear in the front.

We don't get any trick-or-treaters anymore except for the occasional relative. I think our house is too far off the road and far too creepy. I wonder if the neighborhood kids think of us as "that scary crazy old couple who live in the really spooky house"?