Pack up the babies and grab the old ladies

 ~ ~ ~ 

Our annual family camping trip was in Brighton state park in Vermont...it took forever and ever and ever 

to drive there and even longer to get home.

I read that Dolly Parton died on the morning we left so I listened to her music for the entire 4.5 hours it 

me to drive home.

~

My daughter, Hannah, chooses a site for us and this year did not disappoint.

Our camp site was right on Spectacle pond and was private so the kids could go swimming and we could 

see them from our site! 

~

My niece gave me her old twin size air mattress. She used it when she was in college but didn't need it 

anymore. It is a really nice one that she had only used a few times so I was very grateful. I brought lots of 

blankets and pillows so my bed was very comfortable. My 5 year old granddaughter, Natalie, shared it 

with me two of the four nights we were there which was so much fun even though she sleeps like

an octopus! The nights got down to the low 50s as we were up in the Green mountains and only about

a half hour from Canada.

~

Hannah spent a lot of time in the water with the children and they had so much fun playing with her.

She has a very playful nature and is a therapist that works with children so she enjoys them as well. 

The children call the American flag float, Gary. Earlier in the summer Verne was telling his sisters to

get on the ferry and he would pull them around in the pool but they thought he was saying the gerry. 

Somehow that turned into Gary and that's what we called it all weekend. 

Gary ended up in a lot of our pictures!

We also saw frogs, turtles, fish, and lots of loons on the pond. We heard wolves and coyotes at at night and  there were so many loons. They sounded so beautiful at dusk and sunrise. We even heard them in the night. It's such a haunting and beautiful sound. 

~

Our last day there was Bonnie and Dan's wedding anniversary!

~

Here are a few pictures of the pond which was very pretty.   The clouds, mist and fog hung up on the

 mountains and looked so pretty.

We did some reading, some knitting and crocheting, and Verne played his guitar for us as well.

We had a campfire every night and delicious coffee every morning.

~

~

And then it was time to say goodbye until next year. 

~ ~ ~

The way of beauty

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My brother has been heavily involved with the Salem Jazz and Soul Festival since its inception in 2007.

This year he invited me to his house to tie-dye T-shirts that will be sold on the day of the show. 

We did 100 shirts of various sizes. Yes...100!! 

I am very happy to be a part of this wonderful event that not only provides free music but also donates all proceeds (donations, vendors...) to local school music programs.

~

We have a small pumpkin growing in our tiny toddler house garden!!

Every day the little children come to measure its growth.

~

My grandchildren rode the old fashioned firefighters hand tub in a local parade!

They did not ride the top like this while it was moving!

~

Last weekend I made a delicious pecan banana cake using my grandmother's cake pan. 

~

We are so blessed to live in a world where there is beauty all around us.

With beauty before me may I walk

With beauty behind me may I walk

With beauty above me may I walk

With beauty beneath my feet may I walk

With beauty all around me may I walk

-The beauty way   

Navaho

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Family Friday

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My mum and I went to visit my grandson.

My daughter and son-in-law have just moved into a new place.

All of the grandchildren call my mum Reetsy 

and Verne (her only great-grandchild) is no exception.

He asked her to come down and play block with him.

She is 84 and had a hip replacement last year 

so she asked him if he would help her back up.

He said, "No, I won't."

He won't be 2 till the middle of October

but in the end he did offer her what help he could.

He and I played in the yard with a little yellow dump truck 

a bunch of sticks and a broken shell.

Last night was curriculum night at the family care center where I work.

In past years it's been a pretty low turn out

but this year we did things a little differently and the turn out was much better.

I teach toddlers and don't always get a chance to really connect

with the parents so it was nice to be able to talk to them all

and go over what we do in class each day.

I know that they won't remember me

but my goal is to inspire a sense of wonder, caring, and curiosity in them.

Tomorrow is the Autumnal equinox.

The weather has been cooling off! 

Autumn is my favorite season and I'm loving it!

 

Only a few more week till Verne turns 2!

I can't believe how fast he's growing.

Family Friday

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t

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go for to you I entrust my life.

Psalm 143:8

My daughter got married on 25 August!

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding.

~

I caught a wicked viral flu and was very sick on the day of the wedding.

I just barely made it to the ceremony

but had to leave for home before the party started.

The next day I was in the E.R. getting pumped with fluids and other meds.

Not going to dwell on how unhappy I was to have missed the wedding celebration.

~

I received an award at work!

I was pretty happy and proud of myself as I don't normally get those kinds of things.

~

My husband had to have a second thyroid surgery on 31 August.

He had half of it removed in June and they found cancer

so they had to take the other half out.

The doctor said everything looks good but I won't be happy

till we get the pathology report back.

~

I have a new co-teacher at work and I really like her.

I think we are going to do great together!

~

An InLinkz Link-up

Family Friday

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My daughter, Hannah, and I got together on Saturday.

We only had an hour before she had to get to work

but we had a nice lunch and the wonderful

company of each other. 

We didn't get a picture so I pulled this one of her from a few years ago.

Monday I  had the day off work so that I could babysit for my grandson, Verne. 

We had a wonderful day together!

My daughter and her husband, who are expecting a girl on Christmas Eve,

had to spend the day at Boston Children's hospital

because a cleft lip was found at the last ultrasound.

They had to have all kinds of tests done on the baby.

The wonderful news, praise God, is that she has nothing but

a very minor cleft lip.

Bonnie had to have an hour long MRI which was not fun for her.

But, she got these wonderful images of the baby (Little Fish)

My sister, Holly, came up to visit for a long weekend.

She was feeling a bit better so decided to take the drive down to my mum's house.

My brother and his fiance joined us all for a lobster dinner on Sunday night!

Holly, my mum, and I went to Mass together Sunday morning

and then out to breakfast afterward.

It was a lovely day.

My brother and his fiance told us funny stories about their adventures

on their recent vacation to Scotland....stories involved driving on the

opposite side of the road and a turbulent ride in a small plane.

I didn't get a chance to post last week but I was up at my daughter's camp

last Friday night for her bachelorette  party.

It was held at Camp Verne and just before she got there

the weather started to look pretty ugly.

But other than a bit of wind the storm passed us by!

We spent the evening painting rocks...#Bonnieanddan2018

It was fun!

The following day I went to a muster with them.

It happened to be pouring down rain...so hard.

Verne loved it though...

It was hot enough that he could get as wet as he wanted without getting chilled.

As you can see he wanted to get as wet as wet can be!

Please feel free to add your link to my Family Friday link-up.

An InLinkz Link-up

Family Friday

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Joe's mum and step-father came to visit.

They were here for Joe's birthday on Sunday

and they left on Tuesday afternoon after I went to work.

It was wonderful to visit with them!

We don't get to see them very often as they live in Florida 

and we are up here in Massachusetts.

~

I made strawberry shortcake from scratch for Joe's birthday.

I made the biscuits and I even whipped the cream!

Joey had never had it before....he liked it!

~

It's not very often that Joe and I get a picture of us together.

Joey took this one while we were walking the beach.

I got a new haircut and a color on Saturday.

I hadn't had it done in quite some time.

~

A few weeks ago I picked up a braided rug at Target.

It fits perfectly under my new kitchen table.

Verne loves playing on it.

~

The wild beach roses are in riotous bloom.

The whole island smells like roses and the salty Atlantic.

So wonderful!

Family Friday

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My girls and their boys

and Bonnie and Dan's dog Pippa.

She can never resist a snuggle on the couch.

It was my oldest daughter, Hannah's, 30th birthday!

We had a few friends and family over to celebrate.

I put out some old scrabble tiles and

some of us put some "Hannah" words together.

~

Joe and I got her a beautiful diamond necklace.

I wasn't sure if she would really like it but she loved it!

She put it on as soon as I gave it to her.

We walked on the beach together after we ate.

I love having my family together and it happens so rarely.

We are all so busy.

It was wonderful to be able to walk the beach with my daughters

like we used to when they were little.

Verne walked with us too.

He was sandy and wet by the time we got back home!

My mum made strawberry shortcake

and Verne was pretty into the strawberries.

He ate three bowls of them.

I love the picture on the bottom left...

"What do you mean there's no more left?"

Family Friday