The Fox family

Grampa took these early this morning before I was awake! Can't believe that this whole family came right to the house!

That was fun . . .

Youngest sister-in-law and I went to see Aluminum at Providence Performing Arts this afternoon. We had a good time even though the theatre was probably only about a third full. It was a fun and bouncy show, rather like a Blue Man Group with Aluminum! After the show we stopped at the Corner Bistro in North Scituate for an early dinner. Our meals were very good but the best part is that I found a new dessert that I really like, Panna Cotta. It's an Italian custard of sorts with fresh raspberries, black berries, whipped cream and a dash of balsamic vinegar. It was "délicieux." Although it was another gray, cool day it was perfect for our excursion. Hoping Puppy's Pop's Dodge will be fixed by tomorrow or Tuesday so he can pick up his brother's roto-tiller and get the garden ready for planting. I can't believe that I haven't put it in yet. Groton daughter got her tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers planted today. Hard to believe that the kids are so far ahead of "moi." Even though yesterday started out poorly I ended up at a great afternoon party for our four year old great niece who lives in Mémère and Pépère's old home. The property there looks great as does the house. We had a good time and there were oodles of kids. Kiddo enjoyed his day and since his Mom came to pick him up he was super psyched. Going to see my younger sister tomorrow so the sun will shine even if it doesn't. That's my latest philosophy. Make your own sunshine! Only way to survive this crazy Spring. I shall be amazed at what Summer has in store for us.

Quote: Where the speech is corrupted, the mind is also. __Seneca

And the rains are still with us . . .

Just managed to get in an evening on my mood swing when the heavens parted for the umpteenth time and the rains are upon us. Drove to Groton in the pouring rain this morning but when I left the school at one for lunch at Richoni's the sun was out and it was in the 70's and very humid. Humidity followed me home this evening but just a smidgen of sun took the ride North and now we're back to dark, cloudy and rain. We haven't been able to get the garden turned even though I've picked out our crops. I haven't bought anything yet but I'm hoping to plant next week. We shall see what the gods have in store for us after the Last Day, Saturday. Had a first today, never too late for a first of any kind. I was speaking with a nice lady at a playground and she spoke of the young girl she was watching as I was watching Kiddo play too. She said, "I'm married to her Mom and she wasn't too happy when I had to discipline her." Okay, I must admit I just took it in stride at the time but I feel sorry for the kid in some gut wrenching way. I just don't feel that kids should have to know about homosexual relationships so young. I wish they could live in a family with their very own Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters until they are at least 16 or so before they have to join the craziness of our selfish, TV, gadget lives. Sometimes it's hard to be an optimist. I never had to work at it before. It's disconcerting and uncomfortable. Life has changed so much since cave man days but I'm afraid that man himself never changes. He still makes the same errors as the earliest inhabitants of our beautiful planet. Man's happiness can never be fulfilled if he continues to act "me first." I wish I had answers to the callousness of humanity.

Quote: Teach me to feel another's woe, to hide the fault I see; that mercy I to others show, that mercy show to me. ___Pope

Just a bit perky . . .

This drab climate change weather has got to stop. At least I hope that youngest child is getting the beautiful Spring in Durham that we're not getting in New England! Just to liven up the days we went to lunch at Java Jive Sunday and had breakfast at Zip's today. The house is almost spotless, impossible to imagine, I know. Windows need big time cleaning but the pollen is so thick it is useless to try to shine anything. Puppy's Pop washed the Pontiac Sunday and it's already covered with pollen which is now stuck on it from all the rain.Want to open the four doors to let in the melancholy, drizzly light but it's only 50 degrees and I don't want the furnace to kick on but I may over rule the rules and open them anyway. I hate dark, cloudy, dismal days, so I'm making a bread machine honey wheat bread for Puppy's Pop and some stewed rhubarb for myself. It smells pretty good in here. I hear that aroma therapy is uplifting. I'll have to see if that's true. Received a best phone call today! Moosup niece, H, called to say she has a job waiting for her after she takes the state nursing boards in June. That is such great news. She and J and the kids have worked so hard for this accomplishment. I'll see them Saturday when Kiddo and I go for the little one's fourth birthday. Kiddo's Mom will come to the party to pick him up so it will be a super day. Another semi-plus: I had my first run in with an Amazon marketplace seller. She charged me $24 for a book which I was willing to pay but when the book arrived the invoice was from a different seller and the Amazon payment was only $6. So I went through proper channels and did manage to get an $8 refund, still not really satisfied but I'm the dodo bird that agreed to the $24 payment and Amazon said it was legit, just an accounting error on the seller's part so I accepted the refund and learned a lesson. I do a lot of buying from Amazon and I usually stay away from their marketplace sellers now I shall be more circumspect. Oh, merde! The oil man just drove up for our last delivery of the season. I don't think I'll even look at the bill, just let it go on the charge card and close my eyes when it comes time to pay at the end of the month.

Quote: Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does not need, is dear at a penny. __Plutarch

I quit . . .

Now the video, which was really awful and not centered, no longer exists. Hummmmph.

He is incorrigible . . .

As I walked out the door to accompany Puppy's Pop to his flying site at a neighboring town's sports fields I saw a stick and can near the door and asked if he needed it. He said, "Yes" so I grabbed it without really looking at what I was carrying since I don't wear my glasses when I go for my walk while Puppy's Pop flies. When we got to the field I dutifully helped carry the flight box and then came the realization that the can on the stick was orange spray paint to be used to paint a circle in left field. At control line contests a circle is generally marked so the pilot doesn't move around too much which would cause chaos if he strayed into someone else's circle or close to spectators. But this is a school ground in another town. You really can't paint an orange circle and expect maintenance to be thrilled about the left field markings! As it happened I walked while Grampa made use of a clover circle that fortuitously was taller than the grass and he managed to get in about 4 flights as I steamed my way around the soccer, basketball, track, long jump, shot put and baseball fields. I was picturing, Grampa caught on security cameras set up high on the school building; police knocking at our door accusing us of defacing public property; me explaining that I had already done community service because I always pick up the garbage left by others, stand up the garbage barrels that have fallen down, find the covers for said barrels in the far corners of the property where the winds seem to blow them, save soccer balls, softballs and golf balls. But for now we are safe. There are no orange circles except at the Yankee Flyers' Field. So I am relaxed for now. Allah Akbar.

Quote: Conscience! conscience! man's most faithful friend! __Crabbe

The video is horrible . . .

I've finally figured out how to get the video on here and it's not even centered!!!! What a mess. But I refuse to take it off. It was too much of a hassle. I may play with it again tomorrow and then again I may just delete the darned thing. It's not very good anyway and it's even worse like it is on the post because it doesn't show Kiddo. It just cuts him off. It won't even let me add these words to the journal part of the post. Super merde.