Fun at the Flea, my friend and me!

On such a pretty Sunday morning, off we went to the flea market.  Does it replace church?  Well, some find it quite spiritual and soothing so I guess it depends who you ask.  You certainly have conversations with many people from all walks of life.  You respectfully contribute to their "coffers" and you leave each other with a warm smile.  So I'd say it gets pretty close!

I bought this fairly "chippy" wrought iron stand.  In its former life it was a table, but my thoughts are to use it as a plant stand for my giant fern.  An excellent first project for my son returning home from college next week.  Scrape it down and paint it, son!
From the fellow who took this picture, the highest compliment when he saw my stand..."good pickin'".
Can't say anything nicer to a junker.

While all of this was going on, my tired (and filthy) Boy Scout returned home from a three day Jamboree at West Point.  Thousands of scouts attended, they spent the whole time outdoors, slept in a tent, cooked food over a fire, hiked and had to get up at 6 a.m. daily for PT (that's physical training to you and me).

The contents of his pack - which were not even allowed inside the house until the last wash cycle was done - was dumped all over the dog's bed.  As you can see Bono is a little confused.

Another goody from the market.  Just because it cracked me up.  For no other reason.  Now I have to decide where to put it.

Other than that it was a "girly" pick.  My friend Judy bought lots of scarves.  I bought a scarf, this retro-handbag and some cool vintage jewelry.  For a song!  That's what can make you so happy about the flea market.  You can have a ball and come home with a little jingle in your pocket for the next trip. 
Next Sunday, anyone?

Derby Hat Luncheon

We have had a very tough couple of weeks here in Boston and surrounding suburban communities.  The bombing has rattled us all and while the Marathon was in Boston, the injured and deceased lived in our suburbs.  Someone went to high school with someone.  Someone works with someone.  It hit very close to home.  Reading the newspapers and watching the tv reports make me feel like I have a wet wool blanket over my whole body that I can't shake off.  So when my friend invited me to this luncheon, I jumped at the chance. 

If you forgot your hat, no worries!  A table of crafty tidbits waiting to make a beautiful hat.

It proved to be the most perfect change of scenery.  A Kentucky Derby luncheon with fun hats and good company.

I didn't have a "Derby hat" ready to go, so I went to the craft store and bought ribbon and a feather clip-on and ta-dah, from a beach hat to a Derby hat.

Yes, there was coffee and tea served, but who could resist a delicious Mint Julep?  Not me. 

Women young and old getting into the spirit of the day.

Although the coverage is not over and the fundraisers continue, this was an afternoon to remind us that it's ok to get together and have fun.  In fact, I think it's exactly what will help us get on the other side of this.

Grown-up dinner

"Mom, the Scouts have a trip to West Point and I want to go", said the 11 year old.  At first I thought it was ridiculous.  He's never been away from his parents for 3 nights, I realized.  Not for any designed reason, but any extended time away by parents was individual, just one of us at a time.  Mom away with friends, Dad away for work.

But he loves Scouts.  He is proud to be a Boy Scout.  He is fully prepared to sleep in a tent, hike 5 miles, make and eat all meals over a fire and generally take in the whole experience.

So I bid him a fond adieu (hugging an 11 year old in a church parking lot is not cool), told Jackson's dad how much I appreciate him taking on this task of driving four hours each way, never mind taking 3 days out of his own life to sleep in a tent. 

So Rich and I were alone for dinner for the first time in forever.  A great sushi place opened up recently and so we totally indulged.

Yeah, pretty much cleaned our plates.  Grown-up sushi dinner.  So for my kid in Illinois and my kid in Indiana and my kid at West Point, I'll be thinking of you tonight from all corners of our universe under this beautiful full moon.

Ok, they're right.

 As I listened over the years to all the blah blah blah about oatmeal and your weight and adding fiber to your diet, I sort of blocked it out.  Not sure exactly why, but I thought it sounded bossy.  So now that 10 years have gone by while I watch the same number on the scale have a very hard time budging...

I am happy to report and mean this quite honestly, that I love my oatmeal.  But not only do I enjoy it with cinnamon, walnuts, dried cranberries and apples, I find that it totally "sorts me out" energy-wise and gets me right through until lunchtime very happily and with no cravings.  This is my favorite brand.
http://www.mccanns.ie/ 

Dogs and Dunes

Today on Easter we took a ride to the beach.  The dog, like us, has had pretty bad cabin fever.  When I walk him on the leash, it seems like I can never walk far enough to wear him out before I get worn out.  When I walk him in the Town Forest, he sometimes gets nippy with other dogs and he's already far away from me, so I am doing the run of shame, holding the leash, shouting his name, trying to get him to stop.

We've had a bad winter, let's just say.  So when my husband said he would come and take the brunt of any unpleasant doggie activity...I was very happy.  We kept him on the leash until he got used to the dogs coming up and sniffing and there was no growling to be heard.
 
 
And then what do you know...he was so DARNED HAPPY just to be out in a wide open space, he just galloped and galloped and played and played with all of the other four-legged furry friends and we had not a hint of trouble.  That is his bone just thrown, perpendicular in the air, LOL, go get it Bono!

Recently we've had some pounding coastal storms that have even taken out houses in a couple of beach communities.  Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester had a lot of beach erosion.  About 1/3 of the bridge got torn away.  When standing flat on the beach, the dunes were way over my head showing just how much sand was lost.

This wooden boardwalk is partially covered with sand many feet before the beach - which is in the foreground of the photo.

This pile of debris was pushed to the side by a backhoe filled with lots unpleasant non-beachy stuff like tangled bits of rope, paper bags, broken beach pails, etc.

But this being one of the prettiest beaches in Massachusetts and certainly one that carries so many memories on its shoreline, it will always have a fan in me.  And since this kid was knee-high to a grasshopper he's been going to the beach.  Now he's up to his father's shoulder.  Yikes, I did not really notice until today.  He's going through one of these mad growth spurts where every day he wakes up taller.
 
We all get bumped and bruised in life...a little dusting off and rebuilding and before you know it...ahhh, it will smell like coconut suntan lotion and we'll be grabbing an Italian ice once again.

Easter Mosaic

This year the colored eggs lasted only one day before being eaten.  Hey, as long as I got a pretty picture, I'd rather they are lunch today than hanging around for a week.

But when the eggshells were all left on a napkin, I was completely taken with how pretty they were even broken apart. 

An eggshell mosaic.  Beauty is all around us!

Another Snow Day

By March 19th, the thrill of another snow day is slightly tempered.  Now the 6th grader is full-on worried about how long they will have to go to school in June.  How many days will be added on?? he frets!

This time one of the college boys is home to help.  Thank you Brady.  That is until he gets on a bus to visit a friend in New York which he did about 30 minutes later.  We'll see him again in three days, for another two days, then he'll fly back to school.  It feels kind of hollow for a little bit after they leave and then life fills the space.  Just like I have heard it would.

Goodness, gracious, great balls of snow!

Back inside we took to organizing our new cabinet space. Oh this new cabinet space is quite a story.  I will get to that in another post, because it really deserves it's very own post.

I did the movies.  All lined up in neat little rows. Ah, the Virgo in me is very pleased with this new order.

Then I made giant cookies.

Then I watched "Giada at Home" where she made a lovely picnic for her husband and daughter to share on the Malibu shore while I also watched the rest of the afternoon snow falling down.
They say Spring is Thursday.  Ok, then.  Whatever they say.