Martha Thinks

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Remember 16?



Ah, 16. Just entering junior year. That carefree time just on the cusp of SAT's, college applications and worrying about the future. Not quite the "senior" top of the heap, but it's a long look down at the incoming freshman. They don't even know what they don't know but they think they've got it all figured out. We moved here when my oldest was entering 6th grade. Not an easy time to start all over in a new town, new school. But one by one these kids found him and they've all been together ever since, this bunch. Bright futures for all I predict, but for now, just enjoying the last days of summer crunching some Italian ice pilfered from my freezer.
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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Beach Week 2009

Cape Porpoise, Maine.

Happily buying lobster, steamers, corn. Is it real or a movie set?


hanging with Grandbabs under a shady tree


...some time for knitting...


took a fun art class at the Goose Rocks Beach Association


mom always brings paints and brushes!



and had lots of fun with Uncle Rob, Aunt Karen, cousins Bobby and Carly!


the view from our cottage, no kidding.


hanging with my guy. This kid loves the beach! This stretch of the beach is near Timber Island on Goose Rocks Beach and reminds me of the Bahamas. The sand is soft as baby powder and pretty warm water this time of year. What a great way to spend a week.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

A Room With A View


We hitched up the ole' Lexus covered wagon and headed on down yonder to Gillette Stadium for CountryFest to hear tell of them there country and western singers. Thanks to friends in high places it was also my first experience in a luxury box and luxurious it was. Well done, Mr. Kraft. Private bathroom, delicious food on real dishes, wet bar, comfy seating and flat screen tv's to go around. Wonderful! Oh yeah, and the show. 60 thousand strong to hear Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Sugarland and Kenny Chesney.
He sang "Boston" and you could have heard a pin drop. If you don't know what that is, you don't know Kenny. Another summer night, another awesome show.

Sweet ladies Kate & Julie, square dancing their way through the night.

and what do you know that little lady danced her way right into a photo with that cute as a button Mr. Chesney, and she was kind enough to bring her nephew along to the dance.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Royalty Owed!


Well, I guess my memory isn't full of cobwebs yet. I just pulled this ad out of my new September 2009 issue of House Beautiful. And I thought "that's the exact same picture that Donna took of me!!!" And while I live with 91 magazines (Carter counted) and the endless selection of Pottery Barn pillows, paper work and lots of CD's that are always on one counter or another and in no particular order...I can indeed pull a rabbit out of my hat in a moments notice. And so I went to the 2nd drawer of the marble-topped chest of drawers and voila found the stored away photos.

Donna took this picture of me on Revere Beach in 1987 and had it enlarged and gave it to me on my birthday. I was 27 that year. Sorry, but I look FABULOUS. Right? Those Ray Ban's. Wow. Everyone should have such a picture. Thank you Donna! Ok, so back to this
uncanny resemblance. At the bottom of the ad it says:

"NESCAFE and TASTER'S CHOICE are registered trademarks of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A. Vevey, Switzerland."

Donna, I'd say you have a royalty coming your way.
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Monday, August 10, 2009

Salz Boyz this Summer


We herald the return of our trumpet player, Brady. The weary but happy traveler, made it back from the DCI Drum Corps Championships at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis. His group, Citations, came in 3rd up from 6th place in 2008. He was gone for two weeks!


Happy 15th Birthday Carter!


Glued to Ronan's hand this summer. Bad mommy, I know.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Rock of Boston

August 11, 2009 will be the last day of WBCN, The Rock of Boston, 104.1 on the FM dial. Of course, I must say that it hasn't actually been a station I've listened to in 15 years, but back then it was everything. The station defined cool. It lead me to bands and music I'd never heard before. It swaggered around Boston in its' tight jeans and black boots. It hosted lunchtime rock band parties at local clubs where the bars were open and serving and everyone left with a happy beer buzz. The Rock 'n Roll Rumble was a chance to see bands compete against each other for a week or two until the champion was crowned and sent off to record their magic. Mission of Burma, Til' Tuesday, Treat Her Right and Me and The Boys (hi Brian!) all part of the soundtrack.

But we loved the Del Fuegos. They were "our guys". We followed them to every watering hole from Boston to Connecticut. Their 8x10 glossies were on our walls, we knew every word to their songs.

"and I don't want anybody
who don't want me
I'm sick and tired of running' round
tryin' to figure out how it should be"

We loved that those boys rode around in their worn out van from gig to gig. So bohemian! When will they ask us along???

For me and my happy group of friends, the city was our oyster. I lived in what can only be described as a mad, wonderful, revolving door of an apartment in Somerville. A futon for a couch and a television set that was rented by the month. I worked at a radio station, one roommate an advertising agency, another a magazine. Catering jobs were taken as second jobs and there was always some leftover function food in the fridge and plenty of bottles of wine. Another friend booked talent at a club. There would be vistors from Ireland, sailors from the stormy sea, poets and bartenders; guys we wished were boyfriends and guys we'd never see again! We were at any moment, "6 degrees of separation" from any one in Boston. We went to all the shows, we followed all of the bands. We wore white shirts with tight blue jeans and bolo ties. The uniform.

Life is full of transition. Those fabulous days in our early twenties were left for marriages, children and more important jobs. Before we knew it we were 30. Our digs got a little more upscale, i.e. we actually bought our own tv's! But now, as I tell my teenaged boys about all of
this I can't believe how nostalgic I get for those heady days of Boston Rock where seeing Peter Wolf on the street would be talked about for days and where DJ's like Charles Laquidera and Mark Parenteau were total celebrities. Long gone is The Channel, this gal's most frequented nightspot on Friday and Saturday nights. This patchwork of nightclub where the "farthest" bar room in the back looked out over Boston Harbor was the epitome of those times, a little grunge, a little country, a lot of rock.

Was I ever cool enough for 'BCN? I don't know. I never actually owned a pair of Doc Martin's. But maybe that's the way it should be left. As this great place; the holder of the backstage pass; the coolest kid in town.

Friday, August 7, 2009

A Magical Summer Night


Last night I took Carter to see Sir Paul for his 15th birthday present..We have started going to see shows on each other's birthdays just for fun. He was up for Paul McCartney, though, honestly didn't know much of the Beatles collection.

IF you ever get the chance to see him, run don't walk...seriously...this was the best show of my life. We didn't get tickets until yesterday and just by pure luck got seats up in the Roof Terrace. While it may have been far from the stage, the video screen technology is so AMAZING that it felt like we were on stage.

There we were, breezes blowing high above Fenway, our own table and chairs, our own "boardwalk" with the pretty young things encouraging everybody to dance (those are the party girls in the picture!), Roof Deck bar with no lines...and then the music.

Paul McCartney is transformative. Relaxed, amiable, happy, handsome, fit, talented and his voice is so lovely in person. Lady Madonna, Paperback Writer, Long and Winding Road, Hey Jude, Something in the Way She Moves ("I wrote this for Linda"), Give Peace a Chance, Live and Let Die, Back in the USSR, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (LIVE, I MEAN WHOOSH!!!), Yesterday and on and on and on.

Whatever your own personal history with the Beatles, it comes rushing forward when you hear him sing in person. I jumped right back to Jenny Lou Morabito's bedroom, playing cards for hours while we kept picking up the arm to the record player to hear "Let It Be" over and over again until we knew all the words.

He played for 3 hours by the light of the full moon.
Pure joy, Carter was overwhelmed by the whole thing.
A magical, unforgettable summer night.
Peace Out!
Martha