Wondrous day . . .

Inexpressible delight, smiles, laughter, wonder going through Chiluly Through the Looking Glass. Man is so angelic at times. I wished the exhibit were more extensive but I was and still am smiling and happy after walking through twice. The colors are so strong you can feel them. I will certainly study the art of glass blowing in some detail just to really understand what Chiluly and his artisans have created. I relish the thought that Dale Chiluly is my age and he continues to create his beautiful blown glass creations for us to admire and enjoy. It truly is enjoyment to walk under the Persian Ceiling and look up at the colors, textures and even though there was no music, the music of the pieces. His putti ( I call them little angels) are sensuous, funny and I would like one! Perhaps when we win the big one I'll buy one of his creations. $6,000 or more isn't too much to pay so you can smile each and every time you glide by one of his putti coming out of the nest!

Our ride to Boston was perfect. Parking was perfect. MFA was perfect. Lunch was perfect. Only made three circles around Massachusetts Avenue to get home! Great day with my art teacher cousin.

Quote: The real truthfulness of all works of imagination, -sculpture, painting, and written fiction, is so purely in the imagination, that the artist never seeks to represent positive truth, but the idealize image of a truth. ___Bulwer

Early Morning Rain

Good stuff . . . Good stuff . . .

Don't even know where to begin! Found out yesterday that son and his wife will be coming home for our Seventh Annual Horseshoe Tournament! I'm so happy I'm fit to be tied! On top of that he has recorded a YouTube video that really tops all other news. He's using the 12 string Ovation guitar that he helped his youngest sister to buy when she was about 13 years old. I'm prejudiced, naturellement, but I love everything about the video. I even got a call from the youngest because I sent her the link to the video and she got a big kick out of it also. Maybe when she and G. get here next year son and wife will also make it and then we'll have middle child and her cohorts all together for the first time in too many years. I love looking forward to sweet happenings.

Saw my younger sister Monday and we had our usual outing plus I showed her the pictures of Christa's wedding and my older brother's 50 Wedding Anniversary. We thoroughly enjoyed our precious few hours together before I had to leave to beat the traffic on 91South. Am already looking forward to seeing her again in August. Weather today is downright perfect. I'll go to Big Y, pick the beans in the garden and then figure out what I need to get the upstairs cooled and ready for "la famille qui va venir." Not at all hyped up! Hoping to get to Boston tomorrow to see Chihuly Through the Looking Glass at the MFA with my artist cousin. I'll be doing the driving using my not trusty Magellan GPS. Should be a treat! Our new Garmin won't be in until Friday but I have a pretty good idea where I'm going. The only problem may be a Red Sox game! We'll leave by 8am and hope we beat the crowds to the parking spaces!

Quote: In the germ, when the first trace of life begins to stir, music is the nurse of the soul; it murmurs in the ear, and the child sleeps; the tones are companions of his dreams, --they are the world in which he lives. ___Bettina

All for free . . .

Dropped Kiddo off in Groton yesterday and headed up to Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, CT for their First Annual Blueberry and Bluegrass Blast. What a beautiful farm. We didn't take the wagon rides nor climb to the top of the towers to see the growing corn maze or the views of three states, nor did we visit the animals, nor gardens but we did stay under the tent to listen to Blackstone Valley Bluegrass play through three sets. That was so good. I've rarely had the pleasure of sitting so close to musicians having a grand old time singing and picking. Very versatile guys who clearly enjoy putting on a show. I ate my free red, white and moo ice-cream with blueberry sauce before I cajoled Puppy's Pop to go to the Fort Hill Store to get me a huge scoop of vanilla with more blueberry sauce. It took him a long time but he did return before the second set with my bowl and one for himself of chocolate chip chocolate. I now have a new place to go for my ice cream snacks and the next time I plan on walking all around the farm. I was so impressed with the work the Orr's have put into their farm. They seem like a young couple, maybe in their late thirties, early forties. They love the land and their work. All in all a superior day.

Quote: The earth is a stage which God and nature do with actors fill. __Heywood

Quite sad . . .

The Fox Family didn't do it. 94 plus degrees at approximately 2:30 this afternoon a big, monster gust of hot, humid wind knocked down half of the Mimosa. It was a very beautiful tree. It looks rather lean now because Puppy's Pop had to trim it and cut up the wood. Very sad. Think we'll have to tie the last two branches together for some strength.

Ah. . . .choo . . .

The sound reverberated through the neighborhood as I sneezed while cleaning off the porch before I sat down to breakfast on the glider. The answering "God bless you" came from across the street! It made me laugh. That was one heck of a dusty porch. Off of the Cipro and as of yesterday on Kefflex. Feeling much better. Think I just caught some kinda bacterial yuck. Went to see Mémère's patch of black-eyed-susans in Preston. J. and N.'s property is so pleasant. Their vineyard is beautiful and I believe they will be harvesting the Saint Croix grapes this year. N. beat me at cribbage. It only took us about an hour and a half for one game! We did a lot of chatting! Went out for a tuna grinder for lunch at the pizza house near Flemmings. Delicious. Kid brother had returned from working at Maugle Sierra Vineyards when we returned from lunch. Not sure how he can stand working in this humidity and heat. I picked beans this morning, pulled some weeds and fertilized the potted plants and that was enough outdoor work for me. I'm going to try to get Puppy's Pop to take me out for ice cream for lunch.

Had a nice but short visit from the G.'s yesterday afternoon. Puppy's Pop and I were sitting in the shade by the garage when they pulled up in a brand new coffee bean colored Equinox. Sue and I will probably go to the PCA get together in September. I haven't been in about 25 years. It should be interesting. Can't believe it's been 51 years since Agnes and I graduated from high school. Not too much happening here. We'll be picking up Kiddo in Mystic tomorrow in the late afternoon. He hasn't been here in a few weeks. Must admit we miss him! Oh, one last bit of news. I ate some bear/venison burger at the wedding last week and was surprised I liked it. I didn't eat a whole one, just picked at my brothers' food! Pretty scattered thoughts today.

Quote: I am persuaded that every time a man smiles, but much more when he laughs, it adds something to this fragment of life. ___Sterne

It's a hot, muggy . . .

Ryan Newman won the race and his boss came in second! We have really good seats now, almost on the start/finish line and in the shade ten minutes after the race starts, one, an aisle seat to boot! I finally ate to my heart's content last night on our return to Merrimack. It felt so good to have a Margarita too! First alcohol in about a week. To a-glass-of-wine-a-day person that was not fun! I ended up taking myself off of the Cipro because I suffered some adverse reactions to it especially on the third day. I expect to hear from my APRN today to see if I will have to go on something else. But I am feeling so well I weeded the garden, picked beans, cukes, squash, watered my potted outdoor plants and did a wash! Puppy's Pop has already mowed the lawn and is in Oneco mowing his flying circle on the side of the Town Hall! Looks like we might be getting some thunderstorms soon. It's very humid and cloudy.

Saturday, after supper we went to the Horace Greeley Park in Nashua so I could walk around and marvel at the beautiful community gardens. As usual I met a nice lady who was working diligently pulling weeds and cutting back plants. She was lovely, ungloved, barefoot and reveling in the dirt! The gardeners only pay $20 a year for their plots and the city provides water and tills it. Great pride is taken by most and many of the gardens are manicured but some people plant and never weed! We also got a chance to watch a Puerto Rican softball game. That was a hoot! As I walked around the back side of the gardens which is pretty dense with bushes and trees I heard a banjo picker practicing. What a neat place to have a home.

I was so tired last night I was out cold at 8:30. Slept straight through until early morning. We had a super breakfast at the Residence Inn. I was impressed with the choices and the goodness. I don't usually like the food put out by hotel chains but this was exceptional. We'll certainly book our suite there for the 2012 Lenox 300. Kiddo is in the swamps this week. Expect he'll give us a holler tonight and let us know what new stuff he saw.

Quote: We read history through our prejudices. __Wendell Phillips