Beautiful Sunday . ..

And the miners with their pack animals walked up here in all kinds of weather!

Yea, the sun is out in all its splendor! I thought we had been forsaken. Had to hit the ATM for gas money for the Saturn. After Mass we'll be off to Providence Performing Arts to see Rain, A Tribute to the Beatles. Middle child can't make it to the play today because she's all hyped up about Richoni's opening tomorrow. So . . . Puppy's Pop will come with me. That's cool. I hope it's a good show. I'll go bright and early tomorrow to Groton to help out in any way I can to get the lounge functioning. I'm sure it'll be an interesting day . . . or two . . . or three!

Now to settle in with The Providence Journal before going to All Hallows.

Quote: Circumstances! --I make circumstances! ---Napoleon

Make believe . . .

Grandson, with Grampa's help, put this moving parts Lego tractor together. I was amazed at the patience of both. It was done in three sittings but that little kid really paid attention and found the parts and followed the diagrams. Over 100 parts!

Train meeting train in Skagway.

I've decided to pretend I'm sick (slight cold and tickle in throat) so I can just laze around today. I'm in the mood for soup and crackers so that'll be it for supper. Grandson picked out which puzzle I should spread all over the kitchen table so I'll be making a nice train scene. Along with a cup of Earl Grey I should recuperate very well, thank you!

Quote: The unspoken word never does harm. ---Kossuth

Gloomy Friday . . . (not Black, we don't Christmas shop!)

Look carefully and you can see a road.

Delicious Thanksgiving Dinner yesterday, best turkey yet, at middle child's home with six adults and four kids. Took home the carcass and have already boiled it up, removed the good meat and gotten it ready for soup. Probably make the soup tomorrow. Needed some celery so we stopped in at the little grocery near Lizzy B's; veggies fresher than Big Y's! And. . . wonder of wonders the Providence Journal is back in Connecticut. Just started up again a few days ago. The nice little lady owner is going to save me one on Sundays. Right now they are only dropping off three a day. But she's supposed to go to twenty on Sundays. I'm looking forward to my Sunday Journal. I've really missed it. The Day just doesn't hack it.

Quote: He who accustoms himself to buy superfluities, may be obliged, ere long, to sell his necessities. ---C. Simmons

Heel of Orion . . .Gov. Wilbur Cross . . . 1936

Quote: Time out of mind at this turn of the seasons when the hardy oak leaves rustle in the wind and the frost gives a tang to the air and the dusk falls early and the friendly evenings lengthen under the heel of Orion, it has seemed good to our people to join together in praising the Creator and Preserver, who has brought us by a way that we did not know to the end of another year.

In observance of this custom, I appoint Thursday, the twenty-sixth of November, as a day of Public Thanksgiving for the blessings that have been our common lot and have placed our beloved State with the favored regions of the earth -- for all the creature comforts: the yield of the soil that has fed us and the richer yield from labor of every kind that has sustained our lives -- and for all those things, as dear as breath to the body, that quicken man's faith in his manhood, that nourish and strengthen his spirit to do the great work still before him: for the brotherly word and act; for honor held above price; for steadfast courage and zeal in the long, long search after truth; for liberty and for justice freely granted by each to his fellow and so as freely enjoyed; and for the crowning glory and mercy of peace upon our land; --that we may humbly take heart of these blessings as we gather once again with solemn and festive rites to keep our Harvest Home.

Happy Thanksgiving With heartfelt love to all and sundry.

Yellow lines . . .

Doesn't seem possible that this refers to President Buchanan of the mid 1800's but I believe it does.

Got up this morning and we had yellow lines painted down the middle of our street! Went out for breakfast and there were yellow lines being painted all over the place! Pretty nice. Maybe some of the people will see them and realize that they're supposed to stay to the right of said lines. Starkweather looks beautiful with its new blacktop and yellow streak.

Found a delicious Chardonnay when I was out with middle child yesterday. It's by Estancia. Perfectly yummy. Middle child and hubby will be driving me to drink (more.) They are so wired up for the opening of their Lounge that it's catching. They are opening at a crazy time of year and it's such a new adventure I hope I survive! Bringing the Aero bed to Groton because I'll stay overnight a couple of times during the wild ride this month will bring. Keep your fingers and toes crossed that all goes well.

Quote: He who receives a benefit should never forget it; he who bestows should never remember it. ----Charron

Have you eaten . . .

Still going up.

Puppy's Pop and I tried out the new Italian restorante in Killingly yesterday and gave it an A for food but the service was a bit spotty, though they meant well. They've only been open a little over a week and were very busy for a Monday lunch. The pizza crust is salubrious! I had a pinwheel which was pizza dough wrapped up with cheese and pepperoni and cut into a pinwheel. It was way too much and I brought half home which Puppy's Pop ate for supper. He had a hero sandwich which was made on a very fresh sesame type roll filled with meatballs and sweet roasted peppers. He asked for marinara sauce on the side and also had french fries which, I think, were cut fresh and were really quite good. They make their own breads and soups. I checked out their deli before we left and was surprised at the number of Italian sausages, cheeses and pasta dishes they had for sale. Their breads looked fantastic and the deserts were so scrumptious looking but I was too full to buy anything else. I'm not sure but I think Nuccio's is a chain from the Virginia's. It looks as if they are starting off quite well. Their small pizza is about the size of the large pizza in a normal restaurant around here. The large is enormous. You can also get it by the slice. Pretty neat place.

To top that off I went out with middle child to P.F Chang's for lunch today at the West Farms Mall. She had received many gift certificates when she left her job and P. F. Chang's was one of them. We had a delicious lunch before heading back to Groton. Then I ate supper, Lloyd's ribs! Needless to say I don't think I'll have to eat for a week or so but Thanksgiving will be here in two days! Perhaps if I fast until then I'll be OK. We'll be off to Groton for a late afternoon dinner Thursday. I'll make a fresh bread in the morning and an apple pie. Should be a good time and great dinner.

Grampa got his suspenders from LL Bean today and hopefully they'll help him out. It seems that his belt is causing some of the sciatica problems so he's trying suspenders. They look good, loden green. Gee, it's no fun to start this aging thing. Gotta be on your toes! I just bought some new Skechers Shape Up sneakers that are supposed to help me exercise and walk better. They do feel great but I doubt they'll help me lose weight!

Quote: Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants. ----Epicurus

Nous nous sommes tres bien amusees . . .

See the highway across the divide.

What a wonderful time Mme G and I had at Le Foyer in Pawtucket, RI. We went to a conference sponsored by La Societe Historique Franco-Americaine based in Manchester, NH. A gentleman from Connecticut presented his dissertation in English about the "Danielson affair." It seems that in the late 1800's St. James parish didn't like the non-canadian priests being sent to them so they complained loudly and often, even getting to the Pope. Eventually they ended up with the La Sallette Fathers who still serve the parish to this day. What was so interesting was the discord in the parish between the Irish and "les Canadiens" even when the church was sent a pastor from France they were not happy! How great is that. It made the papers and eventually even the courts in the State of Connecticut got involved.

The second part of the afternoon was given to M. Gregoire Chabot a French-Canadian author and actor. He presented a monologue based on the changes many older French-Canadians have faced as their culture declines. He was an excellent actor and I must admit brought me to tears, which I held back, yes I did. On December 5 Mme G and I will go to Le Foyer once again to enjoy a French Canadian Christmas program, French Canadian music, bien sur. I'm so pleased that I can enjoy my French again. I've even been talking to myself in French just to see if I remember enough to get around! I'm not that great but certainly passable.

Will get Puppy's Pop to bring me to a new restaurant on 101 in Danielson for lunch. It's near Zip's Diner and was just opened by friends of Mme G.

Quote: Language is the amber in which a thousand precious thoughts have been safely embedded and preserved. It has arrested ten thousand lightning-flashes of genius, which, unless thus fixed and arrested, might have been as bright, but would have also been as quickly passing and perishing as the lightning. Words convey the mental treasures of one period to the generations that follow . . . ------Trench