Wow, even with all the snow cover Spring is in the air . . .

In the good old Summertime, in the good old Summertime . . .

Such a clear, crisp, bright, blue, musical day here in Moosup, USA. Went to rehab and then stopped by a Lighting Store to see if I could fine flush fixtures for the living room similar to the light in the big bedroom.  I was so happy because they had just what I was looking for and even though I had been told no one would sell fixtures with pull chains, the lady said they would put them in!  Yay for this wonderful lady.  She'll call me when the fixtures get there from their RI store. I was sweating the small stuff unnecessarily. Hopefully no one will bump their heads in the living room any more!  With the new TV even P&D's Pop has been getting bonked because we've centered the small bureau on the wall so the new electrical outlets with all the wires don't show. In for a treat.  The fixtures are just plain white, nothing special therefore perfect for this old house.

Brought younger sister to visit with younger brother last Thursday.  It was good to get out and about.  We've all been suffering from cabin fever and although the ground is snow covered we're finally able to go out and appreciate the bright sunshine.  Kiddo and I enjoyed a good day yesterday playing basketball (I'm the gofer,) indoor soccer, snapping electric circuits and working on the very difficult erector set robot, bike riding and walking. My concert this week was top notch.  He played some songs for me that he hadn't even practiced so we went to Amazon and ordered an alto sax sheet music book of the Beatles.  I'm sure the songs will be too long as what he has in his practice book is just short melodies, but we could both agree on the Beatles music so we'll give it a try.  I'll get him anything he likes if it gets him playing and enjoying his music more.

Tried to help him finish his homework and am not at all impressed with his fourth grade math.  He has to multiply three and four digit numbers by two and three digit numbers but has not been taught how to set them up properly.  That's incredible.  I don't know how they expect these kids to learn if they don't teach them how to do the work correctly.  He knows his multiplication facts it's just a matter of lining up his work on scrap paper.  They seem to be making the kids guess at answers rather than actually figuring out the answers with paper and pencil.  He tries to do an awful lot in his head.  As I said, not impressed with the new methods.  His Mom has spoken to other parents who concur and are teaching their kids the way we were taught. Hell's bells why isn't education improving instead of regressing? Sick and tired of stupidity ruling all realms!

Gee, didn't think I'd go on a rant today since it is such a good day!  Will be going out for supper with friends.  Looking forward to good company and a nice Margarita too.

Quote: Preposterous ass!  that never read so far to know the cause why music was ordained!  was it not to refresh the mind of man, after his studies, or his usual pain?  ___Shakespeare

Poor old puppy . . .

Holy smokes!

Went to play cards with ma cousine S. before the snow hit us again this morning. Felt really heart sick for her and even for myself because her Samoyed, who was at least 10 years old, died yesterday as she was trying to bring her to the Vet's. She knew that poor old puppy was sick last January and was fortunate that with her care old dog lasted for more than a year.  Along with all of the medicines and great care, S. took  in a rescue Samoyed puppy and he put some life into the old girl.  The new puppy is about a year old and although frisky was really good with me in the house today.  S. was not able to have both dogs in the house when we played cards because the young guy would go bonkers. Today he was as good as gold.  I had to keep myself from petting him and getting him revved up.  It worked.  He just sat next to us or lay at our feet.  Nice new puppy. S. is sure that he understands what happened to the old girl who used to nip him and keep him in line.  Now he is king of the roost!

Amazing weather around Moosup and that's all I'll say about that subject.  Kiddo called and left me two messages yesterday because he was bored (no school) and he wanted me to came and play!  So, of course after P&D's Pop and I returned from Hog Heaven in Sturbridge and lunch at Java Jive I went to Groton to play!  We had a good time, me watching him sliding down the back hill and he eating all the snow on the way down!  We played board games, card games, indoor soccer, had supper at McD's and dessert at Dairy Queen.  Excellent. Back to the rehab grind tomorrow.  The APRN I go to for primary care called today with the results of all sorts of blood tests from a couple of weeks ago.  I'm good to go!  Yay! and Yay! again. Expecting to go get younger sister Thursday. She will come here for lunch before I bring her to younger brother's home in Preston where she'll visit for a few days.

Quote:  Every absurdity has a champion to defend it, for error is always talkative. ____Goldsmith

The good . . . the bad . . . the ugly (president & minions)

Kiddo sliding at sunset

The good - I visited with older brother and his wife this week and had a great time laughing, chatting and munching away on delicious desserts. Sister-in-law sent me home with a plate of cookies and fudge. I had told her that P&D's Pop doesn't eat sweets. Foolish me . . . he got hold of the goodies as I walked in the door and devoured almost all of them! Skipped rehab Friday because school was cancelled here in town and I don't go out if the buses don't! But since Groton had a late start I picked up Kiddo in the afternoon. He had a chance to go sliding after supper for about an hour or so while I chipped at the ice on the edges of the driveway. Before leaving a little early for the return to Groton this morning, because of the latest snow threat, he put on a concert for me. Wow, if this kid would practice he could play very well. He reads music well and plinks out the notes of his songs on the Yamaha too. But he was in a hurry to get in more sliding so after a half hour of music he was out the door.He played The College Song for me and I was surprised because I knew the tune well - Love Me Tender - the old Elvis song. I think I recall that Elvis had taken an old tune and turned it into a hit. In any case it was fun to hear Kiddo playing an Elvis song and not even knowing it!

By the time we returned from Groton it was snowing again. Grampa is on his was outside now to clean up for the second time before he calls it quits for the night. Getting sick of this white stuff. At least the new snow looks clean; that's about the only good thing at the moment! Watched the UCONN men beat Memphis this afternoon. It was a hard fought game. Both teams were playing well. Glad my team won. I think they could hear me yelling in Hartford!

The bad - I ate too many chocolates today. I was given candy for Christmas and put it in the freezer so I wouldn't indulge. Well, that didn't work - I just ate it frozen! Nuts. Shouldn't have done that. But damn it tastes good. Only have about five pieces left. Maybe I'll finish them tomorrow and then the temptation will be annihilated. Bonne idée. I like that logic.

Quote:  I have enjoyed the happiness of the world; I have lived and loved.   ___Schiller

Okay . . . that was fun . . .

He's a beauty.

After rehab (which sounds ludicrous) I stopped to see kid brother.  Had a nice visit.  All is well in the varying Caron households including ours!  When I returned home P&D's Pop hadn't had his close to noon snack yet so I cajoled him into going out for lunch!  We went to New York Pizza which is about a mile and a quarter from our home on Route 12 in Central Village.  My cousin LC had told me that his son Patrick likes to go there when he visits from Texas because they have such a fantastic beer selection and the food was good.  So we gave it a try.  Yes, yes, yes, another good place to eat close to home.  I like that, of course having a Margarita at lunch is probably not conducive to getting anything done today but this afternoon I shall watch our Smart TV and the Olympics I recorded on the DVR.  Feel as if we've finally entered the 21st Century!  Good way to spend  a bright but still cold winter day. The food was good and the waitress very nice so I think that New York Pizza would make a terrific walk during the summer months.  I would be able to walk off the Margarita on the way home.  That sounds like a fantastic idea!

Quote:  Call things by their right names.  - "Glass of brandy and water!'  That is the current but not the appropriate name; ask for, "A glass of liquid fire and distilled damnation."  ___Robert Hall

Lazy week . . .

Not yet completed cave.

Hard at work.

It's been a good week but with weather problems didn't get to Rehab one day and didn't get to see younger sister partly because of weather and she was under the weather! We've got sunny skies and 40 degrees in the sun. Kiddo had a blast Friday when we went sliding down the icy hill. My purple, plastic, monster sled went like a bat out of hell so he borrowed it, of course. It was faster than his saucer because of the thick icy crust. 'Twas hard climbing back up the hill; had to break through the ice! Then he stayed out for at least another hour or so in the 18 degree temperature digging himself a cave after supper. I loved it because I could bring the glider up to the kitchen window and keep an eye on him, making sure I could run to the rescue if the roof collapsed.

Just got a call from middle child. She has picked out and up our new 42" LG TV. They will come and install it later today after Kiddo's basketball game. They are also taking away the old Sony. Wow, that is tremendous. Glad she knows how to set it all up. She says it is a very cool TV. Yep, I'm excited. I explained to Grampa that this will be our Valentine's Day gift to each other. That works for both of us.

Time to get ready for our trip to Cutler Middle School for the last basketball game before the Tournament!

Quote:  Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl-chain of all virtues.   ___Bp. Hall

Improved with age . . .

Kitchen after I tried to make fried chichen - March 1967

View from our apartment - St. Patrick's Cathedral

Some of the flowers which filled the apartment.

I can vouch for us. Forty-seven years ago on a Friday (so we could have a two day weekend to celebrate)  P&D's Pop was working at Pervel and I was teaching at NFA. We finished our day's work, went to our respective homes to get ready for our marriage ceremony. We were married by Father Millette at All Hallows Rectory in the evening with my younger sister and P&D's Pop's older brother as witnesses along with my parents and his mother. Then we were off to our apartment in Norwich which Pa had filled with flowers. Auspicious beginning to these best years and yes, we have improved with age. Life has been good and kind to us.

Poor P&D's started out yesterday morning working with his planes and upon hearing a monster thump on the ceiling ran up to see what had happened. I had dropped the medicine ball! Just an ordinary day in our lives. We went to Twin Oaks in Cranston, RI for an early dinner and were seated immediately. That is a rare occasion but they had a nice table for two so we were ushered in before bigger parties. Started out with a mighty good Black Russian and Grampa claims the best bottles of Bud ever in a restaurant! I had six fantastic escargot in garlic butter, bien sur, and sopped up that delightful butter with excellent rolls. My lamb chops were good and for the first time ever I ate the mint jelly! Grampa's Caesar salad disappeared in two shakes of a lamb's tail, but his Men's Cut Prime Rib was sent back to the kitchen because it was tough. The second large slice of Prime Rib was only a bit better so today we've put it in the Crock Pot along with a chuck roast for supper tonight. It smells so nice in the kitchen right now. We skipped dessert and had Ballet of Angels when we returned home. We have two dozen red and yellow roses displayed on the marble and kitchen tables to brighten up this snowy day. I shall consider baking a sweet something because snowy days always make me want to bake.

February 3, 1967 - February 3, 2014 - Doing fine.

Quote:  Passion may be blind; but to say that love is, is a libel and a lie.  __Nothing is more sharp-sighted or sensitive than true love, in discerning, as by an instinct, the feelings of another.   __W.H. Davis

That was fun . . .

Lucky Horseshoe

Kiddo and I went to Benny's to get Monopoly Electronic Banking.  What a good time we had playing.  It is of course Monopoly but you play with credit cards and start out with millions! He has so much fun being the banker and it plays faster than the usual game.  I must admit I like it. We had to play last night and this morning before we took him home.  Naturellement he had to borrow the game and it is now in Groton!  But I reminded him that it's mine, mine, mine! We'll probably forget to pack it next week. He also worked on his biography of Michael Jordan.  I don't read what he writes so I hope he's on target.  It's due February 14 and he still has some reading and writing to go.

It was so mild today, up to 50 degrees, that P&D's Pop washed the Hyundai and the Ram.  The driveway is full of salt and sand. I even cleaned the inside of the Elantra.  It was filthy.  The roads are white with salt and we dragged it everywhere.  I had to damp mop the kitchen floor too because of all of the stuff we drag in.  House is looking pretty good.  Looks like we may be able to got out to eat at Twin Oaks tomorrow to celebrate our Forty-Seventh Wedding Anniversary. Because it will be Super Bowl Sunday we may just be able to sneak in for a nice early dinner.  They do not take reservations except for parties of 10 or more. If we can't dine there I'm sure we'll find someplace that'll have us! Super Bowl doesn't resonate with us even a little bit. I suppose if this were UCONN men or women playing in the NCAA Basketball Tournament that would be different. But the Broncos and whoever (?) aren't even close to interesting.

Had a nice visit with younger sister this week.  After a big breakfast for lunch at Dave's in Granby we stopped at an artsy place and I found a lucky horseshoe to put up in the kitchen where the clock used to be above the marble table top.  Looks good.  Even Grampa seems to like it! I'll still be looking for the right something to put up there but I've got it covered for now!

Quote:  Melancholy attends the best joys of an ideal life.   ___Margaret Fuller