Of bluebirds and socks . . .

We drove along Route 49 over Ekonk Hill to The Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center in Mystic yesterday morning. I wanted to see the place where Kiddo would be spending some of his summer vacation. What a treat even in the early Spring. On arrival I explained to the ladies why we had dropped in and they kindly let us roam around without charge. We didn't stay too long since they were so accommodating but I'm sure Kiddo is going to love his chosen daytimes at this summer camp. Since I'll be picking him up on certain days, I will volunteer to help out with some data entry or office work. This is going to be a good summer. Before we left we went into the little store and I found the neatest book, Helping Billy Bluebird. After bumming money from Puppy's Pop I bought it and gave it to him as a present when we got back to the Ponti. He liked it! Now that is really cool. The watercolors are just perfect and since the illustrator, Angie Falstrom, is from Lyme I don't think I'm wrong when I suggest that we drove by the home pictured in the book. It is also a signed copy by the author, Mary Ellen Caruso. Neato! We drove to Richoni's for lunch and since I had a driver I splurged and had Michael's super duper best Margarita. It's good to have a driver. Daughter made us lunch and we were back on the country roads to Moosup. Good day. Then for a good night I heard from older brother and younger brother; much laughter ensued. Life is good. The only complaint I have today is that my hand-me-down, youngest child knitted socks have worn out. Not sure if I can wrangle another pair but I'm going to try!

Quote: Learning makes a man fit company for himself. ___Young

Our preserve . . .

Doing the supper dishes around six yesterday evening and looking out over the hill I caught some movement on the upper wall. I yelled for Puppy's Pop to come quickly as the sleek red fox was gliding along the old stone wall. Fox stopped and slouched down and I saw movement below the wall. I thought is was a squirrel but it was a big fat woodchuck! The fox stayed put and the woodchuck ducked back into its wall hiding place. The fox then came down and ran across the top of the hill towards Ma Tante Blanche's. He had something wrong with his left front leg but was still beautiful and smooth as he scampered to the wall on the eastern property line. Fox stood there for a while and then lay down for a rest. I've never seen a fox that wasn't in flight. This was a first. I think that we've probably missed a lot of action on the hill because of the tamaracks. Now that they're gone I put out the lights in the kitchen almost every night so I can see the stars. We no longer keep the light on the garage burning so the hill is dark and the stars are brilliant. All these sights make me smile, even laugh out loud.

Young Mr. H. whose parents lived diagonally across the street has been laid off so he and a couple of his brothers are working on the old house. That is a big farm house and I believe that it is older than our home. The barn is in better shape than the house! Of course the barn had been turned into a home umpteen years ago and the present owners keep it immaculate and well landscaped. Not sure what Keven has in mind for his folks' home but it's nice to have them working on it. His parents always kept the property clean but one of the kids destroyed it after the parents died and he lived there with his kids and dogs.

Not sure what we'll be up to today. Maybe take a ride to Mystic?

Quote: Nature does not capriciously scatter her secrets as golden gifts to lazy pets and luxurious darlings, but imposes tasks when she presents opportunities, and uplifts him whom she would inform. The apple that she drops at the feet of Newton is but a coy invitation to follow her to the stars. ___E. P. Whipple

Nickel Creek, Fox went out on a chilly night . . .

Superior evening. . . .

Early evening yesterday was spent pleasantly in Oneco with old friends, wine, delectable hors d'oeuvres and relaxing conversation with a good deal of laughter. Left for dinner in Voluntown where we had excellent meals; two chicken Marsala, one Bourbon Jambalaya, one salmon. On our return to Oneco it was time for chocolate sweets and Lemoncello Crema. Not sure how we can find so much to talk about but it is nice to feel relaxed and comfortable with such kind friends.

When we returned home we watched the end of the UCONN vs Arizona game. Wow, that was a fantastic UCONN win. Today we watched the UCONN women come back from a terrible performance to beat a very good Georgetown. I was prepared for a loss and would not have been upset because they have been playing above and beyond expectations. But they survived with some really great coaching and kids who would not give up. No matter how the UCONNS end up in this March Madness they have given us a great show this year.

We don't usually watch a movie on a Sunday afternoon but Grampa had me buy The Straight Story and since it was sunny yet cold and windy as the devil we stayed in and watched a matinée. What a moving true story about a trip one elderly brother takes on his lawnmower to visit his estranged brother who lives over four hundred miles from him. It is slow paced but a beautiful tribute to humanity. Excellent, touching film.

Quote: Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant. ___Socrates

Eureka . . . Pussy willows . . .

I was so excited yesterday when I pulled in behind Richoni's and saw pussy willows starting to bloom in the wild backyard. I retrieved scissors from middle child and cut some for the both of us. I didn't ruin the bushes either, just took a few branches. Hope no one else finds this spot. I'll be in pussy willows forever. Oh, oh! Suppose they decide to pave the back lot? Not going to even think about it. As a matter of fact I don't think the back lot is part of Richoni's land. It's part of the paper road that goes back and connects to the road where they live. Good. That means I should have a safe stash.

I had to laugh on walking into the restaurant. The owners and kitchen help were eating lunch in the side hall and they were all astir as I came in. There were soda and ice cubes all over the floor and of course the only one moving to clean it up was middle child. After cleaning up after a couple of hundred kids at Sacred Heart it was nothing to help out cleaning up the mess in the kitchen hall take out area. On Saint Paddy's Day R.'s sister noticed that the clock above the table in the hall had not been changed to daylight savings time so she climbed on her chair, took it down, set it correctly and put it back up. I recall thinking I should mention that it wasn't put back up properly but decided not to look like I was criticizing anyone and kept my peace. Little did I foresee the comic consequences. As R. and D. plus kitchen help were just starting to eat the clock fell down, hit R.'s large glass of soda, which dumped into his French Onion Soup, sending ice and soda to cover all and sundry before finally ending up on the newly carpeted floor. Not sure my laughter was appreciated as I came in just at the end of the catastrophe but I helped to clean it up and we got everyone back to normal (whatever normal is?) I still see the cascading events as in a YouTube video and it keeps me smiling. I'm sure R.'s sister will never hear the end of the mess she made.

Returning to the restaurant later in the day so Kiddo could say good bye to his folks they sent me home with two fish and chip dinners. I put the fish and chips on a baking tray and put it under the broiler for about five minutes. Wow, the food was delicious and not at all soggy from the long trip home. Have to do that again. Grampa went to Riverview to get Kiddo his chicken tenders dinner which he scoffed up greedily. Later in the evening after some swashbuckling sword play, basketball, Frisbee, and badminton he ate two bags of popcorn while watching Star Wars with Grampa. Can't seem to fill him up lately. He comes in at four feet, fifty-two pounds and very slim. He's really pretty good at getting the ball into the eight and a half foot high basketball net. Lots of fun.

Quote: Bashfulness is more frequently connected with good sense than with over assurance; and impudence, on the other hand, is often the effect of downright stupidity. ____Shenstone

A la recherche du temps perdu . . .

It was spitting wet snow when I picked up Kiddo at school yesterday but he wanted to stay and play in the school playground. I like to have him outside playing as much as possible so I had brought my toque and gloves and although not too many kids had been allowed to stay and play there were six hardy souls. He had a great time freezing, running around, going backwards on all of the paraphernalia and bumping into all and sundry. While he was playing I spoke with a younger woman, still a grandmother, who had adopted her two grandchildren and is doing a wonderful job bringing them up. The parents of the kids were so heavily into drugs that she and her husband felt they had no choice but to take over their care. Fortunate kids, nice kids. As we spoke she was remembering the way she used to play outside in her neighborhood with all the kids around and no parental supervision unless someone broke the well known law. "You can't pick on anyone or hurt anyone." If you were picked on the older kids always came to the rescue and made sure the bully was bullied into submission. Parents rarely came out to see what we were doing. This is certainly true of my childhood. If things did get out of hand, rarely, Ma would send everyone home to cool off and the next day we would all be out playing cops and robbers, mother may I, run my good sheep run, cowboys and Indians, tag, circle tag, hide and seek, baseball, football, hop scotch, jump rope, double dutch, marbles, roller skating and all sorts of made up games. I've put up some pictures of three different gangs I belonged to when I was just an imp. Oh my, we had good times even when there was no money for gadgets or TVs. Wish the present day kids didn't have to limit their fun to organized games with adult supervision. Oh well, I'm certain we only recall the halcyon days of our youth when we reach the beginnings of 70 years. ( At 68 I still feel as if I'm not getting older but the times they are a changing, telling me that I certainly am beginning to see the past with rose colored glasses.) Our parents definitely struggled hard to make a living and keep us fed and well educated. Alors, plus ça change, plus c'est la même. Not sure I have that quote right. Man's character doesn't change just his circumstances. Life is still a wonder to enjoy.

Quote: Time is the warp of life; oh tell the young, the fair, the gay, to weave it well. __Tatler

Slip sliding away/ Lamentations . . .

Just when Puppy's Pop and I have figured out how to save money; tightening up the house, more careful use of our vehicles, going out a bit less, cutting back on groceries, the prices have sky rocketed and we're not saving. It's costing us more to do less. What the heck. Is this inflation? I certainly don't like it. We get no interest to speak of in bank accounts; there are, of course, no wage increases, only increases in our insurances. Somehow I don't think that there is an end in sight. And the politicians want more taxes so they can be the arbiters of who gets our money. Something dreadfully wrong here. Don't know what the solution is but I dare say we've got to kick out the lot of grubby, grubbing pols and just say no more taxes. Get the government out of our pockets and we may survive to eat some tiny bites of cake. Although it may be too late. The cake has been divided up and there are no crumbs left. May have to start from scratch. Tough going ahead.

Went for a walk up the street and was so dismayed. Someone had already stolen my pussy willows and none too gently at that. The poor bushes are all torn up, nary a pussy to be found clinging to a beaten branch. How sad. They won't be back next year if none are left to survive the terrible onslaught. I am stricken. I always left some so they could brighten our Spring days. Butchering is not nice. What a sad note.

So I'll end with a good visit to Preston yesterday where younger brother's wife and I shared coffee and played cards. It's always nice and comfortable at their home. Brother was out working in a friend's vineyards getting ready for the new season. His own vines are doing well.

Quote: Nature is an Aeolian harp, a musical instrument, whose tones are the re-echo of higher strings within us. __Novalis

Somewhat broken . . .

Somewhat broken and sore but not too badly! Decided to do some raking after watching UCONN women beat up on Jenn Rizzotti"s team in the first round yesterday. I worked up on the hill where I had planted many spring bulbs some years ago. It's crazy how many piles of dead leaves and branches have fallen this winter. I had trouble carting away all of the debris with my new wagon so I borrowed one of Puppy's Pop's big blue plastic barrels and stuffed it full of leaves then rolled it like the garbage men of old to my dumping ground behind the garage. There I had to struggle to empty it out. Not quite tall enough to grab the bottom and top of the barrel at the same time to shake it. But Puppy's Pop came to the rescue. I think we cleaned up about four barrelsful before I quit. Two hours of raking, clipping and dumping was all I could take. Must be getting soft in my dotage. The worse part is that I hardly made a dent in sprucing up the area near the top wall. Grampa had a burn pile going earlier in the day while I was watching the game and he got rid of quite a bit of winter junk including parts of the old closet, some stuff that sent out clouds of black smoke and the Christmas tree. He also saved two ornaments. I wonder how many ornaments I've lost over the years? A hundred years from now will they find those curios and wonder what on earth they have found? Probably won't be celebrating any Christian holidays by then and will have reverted to barbarism. They might deem it necessary to burn the entire area to cleanse it for the new order! Wicked thoughts! Out damn spot!

Just got back from Norwich before the snow. We went to breakfast early at Old Tymes. I enjoy their scrumptious Cinnamon Crisp extra crisp. Then we went to pick up some Soothe XP eye drops from the ophthalmologist's office. They have been pulled from the market and I can't understand why. Soothe XP have been the best dry eye drops I have used. I've written to Bausch &Lomb to try to get them back on track. My phone call didn't get me anywhere so we'll see how I do with email.

I have no team left on the right side of my NCAA bracket. Not very good at this gambling stuff. Son still has some teams left on both sides but I have about two more winning teams than he over all. I'll only count most winners chosen overall to see who gets bragging rights!

Time to get to work cleaning this old house once again. Hope middle child and the Kiddo are having a good day off together. Sacred Heart teachers are having an in-service day and daughter has taken a day off. That is just fantastical, beauteous and super!

Quote: We enjoy ourselves only in our work -- in our doing; and our best doing is our best enjoyment. __Jacobi {Debatable? I think so!}

Outwitted . . .

Sure it won't be the last time I'm outwitted by a six year old. It was such a gorgeous day yesterday and the Kiddo and I played basketball when we got home and Grampa went to get take out from Riverview. After a while I came in to set the table and he followed soon after to ask if he could pull out all of his "cars" ( various old trikes, bikes, and other salvaged vehicles) so he could get out the hose and wash them. I gave him an emphatic, "No!" It was too cool for washing his cars or anything else and I sent him back out to shoot baskets. After Grampa came home and we had eaten the guys went out to play. Grampa came back in very shortly thereafter while Kiddo was dragging the hose out into the driveway. When I asked what was going on the six year old explained that Grampa was getting one of the remote control cars and they needed water to do skids! He is so cool. Just the look in his eyes showed me that he had bested me again. Such a great character.

Youngest child has just bought a brand spanking new Mini Cooper D. It's a stick shift diesel and will probably get over 55 miles to a gallon (our gallon not the imperial gallon.) The closest we can get to buying a similar car in the US is a Volkswagen Golf according to eldest child. The Minis that are sold here are not diesels. What a shame. Having been driven around in England a few times I've been impressed with the zippiness of the motor vehicles and the good gas mileage. It'll probably be more than a year from now when we get a chance to cross the pond and see the new car! I'll be looking forward to it. Fingers crossed that daughter and her friend G. can make it to our side of the pond in 2012.

Puppy's Pop and I just returned from an invigorating two mile walk at the Yankee Flyers' Field. It's so nice to be out of the house and actually able to leave the kitchen door open so the sun can shine in! Plan to stay up late tonight to root for my Huskies!

Quote: A man's character is the reality of himself. __His reputation is the opinion others have formed of him. __Character is in him; __reputation is from other people __that is the substance, this is the shadow. __H.W. Beecher

Brackets are set in stone . . .

Sun is just peaking through the clouds at 11:20 am as I am getting ready to head out for Groton. Kiddo has a half day this Tuesday for parent teacher conferences. I think we'll go to lunch at Pizza Palace and bowl a few strings. If the sun stays out we may just practice dribbling and shooting! And speaking of dribbling and shooting I roped eldest child into filling out a NCAA March Madness bracket sheet just for kicks. I miss not taking part in the madness at KHS and my favorite lounge doesn't bother with setting up some kind of money madness so I had to force a play. Gives me more incentive to pay attention to the games. But I know that if and when UCONN falls from grace I'll be crest fallen. Mais, c'est la vie. Et c'est intéressant quand même.

The oil man just came and ruined my day: $3.78 a gallon. This is preposterous. It's more expensive than gas. Puppy's Pop has tightened up the cottage quite a bit; we're using less oil than in previous years yet the bill is killing us. At least the poor guy said he really liked the Ponti which I had left in the yard after I deposited the refund check from the grand old government. So I guess some good came of his visit. Hope Grampa is playing well at horseshoes in East Hartford. I know he'll snack well on the way home at the Hop River Café.

Quote: If idleness do not produce vice or malevolence, it commonly produces melancholy. ___Sydney Smith

Only a flurry . . .

Thank goodness we only got a flurry on this cold, gray day. 'Twas a good day to drive out to Lisbon to see Rango. Not sure if I really liked this movie, liked it, or was just amused. It is certainly fanciful and Beans reminded me of our son and daughter-in-law's middle child. (I liked Beans!) I don't think it can hold it's own on a TV screen but it's mind boggling at the theater. As a spoof it's pretty funny. The characters are very human animals and pretty well delineated. I think I might like the new Puss in Boots better. Perhaps I'm not a very good movie going person just as I'm not too great at TV shows either. The one thing I enjoy on TV are the UCONN basketball games, all of them. Hope both teams last to the end of the NCAA Tournament so I have lots of watching.

Quote: Men are but children of a larger growth; our appetites are as apt to change as theirs, and full as craving, too, and full as vain. ___Dryden

It's snowing . . .

Nothing else to say.

Starving at breakfast time . . .

It must have been because I stayed up late last night watching my beloved Huskies beat Louisville for the Big East Championship that I had hunger pangs this morning. May hap it also had to do with the time change. Whatever the cause I ate two super blueberry filled pancakes lathered with butter and grade A maple syrup and a side of extremely, very crisp bacon. Just for good measure I washed it down with four cups of fresh ground coffee. Ah, that was the devil of a heavenly meal. After Mass, where one of the Eucharistic ministers was already celebrating Saint Patrick's Day with his hair in a bright green Mohawk and a child screeched off key to the at one time sweet a Capella music, Puppy's Pop and I went for a nice long walk at the Yankee Flyers' field. All in all it has been a good weekend. We heard from or spoke with the three kids so life is just a bowl of cherries with some Lemoncello added to make it mellow and warm.

Quote: Always rise from the table with an appetite, and you will never sit down without one. __Penn

Oh what a day it's been . . .

My, oh my, it has been thoroughly glorious: 54 degrees, sunny, windy, open the doors and windows and breathe in deeply day. Played basketball after breakfast, walked in the woods searching out enemy combatants and returned Kiddo to home and hearth. On our return to the Moosup cottage we packed up and left for the Sterling School to get in some flying and walking. A young couple were enjoying spring training for fast pitch softball. The woman was pitching away and man was catching. They left as Puppy's Pop was getting in his second flight and a family came to practice hitting for Little League. Wow, everyone is outside raking, riding motorcycles, running, biking and just plain old walking. Feels like the Lenten Season is upon us. Tonight we go on day light savings time. Hope that UCONN men beat Louisville in regulation time tonight. We don't need anymore over times especially tonight. I did stay up for the 6 over times against Syracuse a couple of years ago and I'm not over it yet. (And of all the nerve, UCONN lost.) Think I finally went to bed at 1:45 am. Not as young as I used to be but I will stay up if I have to do so. Puppy's Pop is getting the El Camino roaring and ready to go. Yup, it's that kind of day.

Quote: Laughter is day, and sobriety is night; a smile is the twilight that hovers gently between both, more bewitching than either. __H.W. Beecher

Basketball Kiddo . . .

Second video is better.

The Spinner's return . . .

When Puppy's Pop came home last night from his Yankee Flyers meeting he ceremoniously brought out the long lost spinner. It flew away in early winter and I thought it had gone to Timbuktu but it had only gone into hibernation in the next yard. Cool beansies. It was a bit worse for wear but Puppy's Pop has mended it for now so I can still watch it spinning along it's merry way. He's been busy painting the library and it looks really nice. Now we have to figure out what kind of shelving we want to put up and where. He also fried up the best haddock ever cooked in this old cottage for our Wednesday supper. No leftovers! That's a plus. May have to watch UCONN men upstairs tonight as Grampa and Kiddo are in charge in the living room and that means a movie. Kiddo did have Grampa playing basketball last Sunday. They practiced passing and dribbling. We got him a youth sized basketball but we don't have a hoop, yet!

Grampa just told me the weather channel is counting down to a tidal wave hit on Hawaii. That's sound so crude, crass and downright nasty. Could they be less orgasmic in their reportage? It's got to be thoroughly frightening to know that monster waves are bearing down on you. Pray the people have the courage they need to pull through.

Quote: The block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong. ___Carlyle

Late winter horseshoes . . .

Looking for Puppy's Pop and there he is out playing horseshoes with a Diet Pepsi within reach, 41 degrees and pretty windy. He's so desperate to be outside he even went flying at the Yankee Flyers' airfield yesterday while I was in East Granby. Younger sister and I had a good sunny day for our little trip to Southwick, MA. We went to eat some sweets after our very good pepper and egg grinder in East Granby. I was amazed at all of the snow they still have on the ground. I was complaining so much about Moosup but they really got clobbered. The fields are still covered in at least 6 inches of the dirty, white stuff. Ugh. Can't wait for Spring to really get here so R and I can go back to Granville, MA to get the homemade ice cream and visit the farm animals. Wondering if the donkey will be back from his stud duties at UMASS?

Watched UCONN women clean up the Big East Conference yesterday and getting ready to watch the men beat Georgetown at noon. Quarter finals? Not sure, but I hope they find a way to win. Calhoun drives me crazy because he isn't using Niels Giffey the way I'd like. How about that for a no nothing trying her hand at coaching? I just want them to win and I don't really care how. I'm not fussy if they can pull it off. If not, I blame the coach!

Will leave after the game for Groton. Grampa will be making haddock for supper. That's cool.

Quote: Ye may trace my step o'er the wakening earth, by the winds which tell of the violet's birth. ___Mrs. Hemans

How Middle Child saves the day . . .

With Grampa in charge of Kiddo middle child and I left in the Ponti for our drizzly sojourn to PPAC. We arrived in fine state and I even managed to back into an easy out parking space at my favorite Snow Street lot. Blue Man Group was a lot of fun. We laughed, marveled, moved around and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. On our return to the Ponti I couldn't click to unlock the vehicle. Almost heart attack time. Used the key to open the door and the damn vehicle wouldn't start, nary a squeak. Daughter asked if I had left the lights on. I had to check. Yep, I had left the lights on. Boy did I ever get berated since the Ponti has an idiot proof system for the lights, an automatic light mode. In my pre Ponti days I used to turn on the lights on the Saturn whenever it rained and since it was sprinkling on our drive to Providence I automatically put the lights on thereby conteracting the auto light mode. So now we had a dead battery. The man in charge of the parking lot brought over his pretty old Chevy and jumper cables but it didn't work. Daughter called hubby who told her how to make things work so she expertly fiddled with the cables, got the headlights working on the Ponti and started it up. Phew, I decided I couldn't drive anymore and she drove us to The Corner Bistro in North Situate on Route 101 where we drank up heartily before having a beautifully prepared dinner. I really needed a double Black Russian but settled for one. Not certain how many more mess ups I'm allowed before Puppy's Pop sends me back for retraining.

Daughter also found and corrected a high pitched sound in the Ponti. I knew it was a loose window type sound that occured only at high speeds. I had opened and closed all of the windows and Puppy's Pop had removed the cross members on the roof rack but to no avail. Then middle child opened the moon roof, closed it properly and voilà, problem solved. Gees, I had forgotten it even had a moon roof and my very own jumper cables too. I figure that in about 10 years I should have all of the kinks out of the Ponti. My personal kinks may just worsen.

Just returned from Lowe's in Killingly where we bought the paint for the library. I have been banned from the upper storey. Guess I'll walk inside and listen to my audio book.

Quote: Call not that man wretched, who, whatever ills he suffers, has a child to love. ___Southey

Are we having fun yet . . .

Grampa's reprieve . . .

Can you see him?

I'll try to be brief. Middle child and I have tickets to Blue Man Group at PPAC for the Sunday matinée. Moosup great nephew has a birthday party scheduled Sunday afternoon at Mad Science with about 30 seven year old invitees. Kiddo is so excited because he's on the guest list. Dilemma: how can Mom be in both places? Solution: Grampa offers to bring Kiddo to Mad Science in Jewett City while Mom and Mémé go to Providence for our performance and fabulous meal at the Cheesecake Factory. Daughter and I really appreciate Grampa's most unselfish offer and so we're very satisfied.

Today daughter calls to say that great nephew's father and mother will spare Uncle P having to spend a few hours with 30 wild and woolly youngsters! They will pick Kiddo up at our home and take him to the party with their children and Grampa is free and clear. You should have seen the sweet smile on Puppy's Pop's face when I asked if the new arrangements were acceptable. I do love that man.

On another good note my new prescription sunglasses are more than fantastic. So everything is right with the world. Hoping that today will be the last day Kiddo will be able to go sliding. After all it is March and Spring should be in the air. Groton has already gone from white to brown. What can brown do for me? It can come sooner than immediately.

Quote: Science is but the statement of truth found out. ___Coley

Enough already . . .

Once again I adjure you to pay attention to the scenery.

It is sufficient to say that I am royally angry but the telling is for a time when I am calm, cool and collected. And . . . It has nothing to do with my neat vehicle. I've had to call an office manager because she has the most inept person working in her place of business. Of course the office manager is out sick but shall call me back, may hap tomorrow. That's all right. I won't forget a thing. It's all documented.

It is a fine, sunny glorious day and we should have some melt down.

Quote: Trust not him that hath once broken faith; he who betrayed thee once, will betray thee again. _Shakespeare