Merry Christmas 2012

Just some photos of Christmas 2012...

Photos of our tree and presents, a photo of hubby on Christmas afternoon, and a photo of daughter and son-in-law-to-be (cute, aren't they?!)...

Sorry for the brevity of this post, but I'm posting it from my phone, not the easiest thing to do...

More soon... I want to talk about 2013, daughter's new house (yay!), my resolutions, my art, and lots more...

Merry Christmas and just in case I'm not back before 2013, Happy New Year!!!!

Found at Lafayette Village antique store

So many treasures, not enough money!

Beautiful wooden drawers
Old Kodak camera
Doors
Black and white painted cement floor
More doors
Remember shoe stretchers? (Betcha $5 there's a set in Mom's closet!)
Loved this cabinet but it was full of mold spores in the drawers
Rotary phone, anyone? Party line? Pilgrim 3-7407...

Lots to catch you up on...

I spent 4 days in Boston/Cambridge last week.  I traveled up there on business and for the first time, I found something that said spouses can't travel with you...  didn't want to get in trouble, and he was working anyway, so this trip didn't work out for a side trip to Cape Cod (sorry, D & A!).  He said for the rest of the summer, he's free to accompany me, so we'll see what, if any, trips I can schedule quickly...  Here are some photos from this trip, along with some notes...

This was my view from breakfast at the ArtBar in the Royal Sonesta Hotel, BEFORE I walked out without breakfast - 35 minutes I sat there, without even a cup of coffee!  And when I complained to the hostess, she stopped a waitress who looked right at me, shook her head "no" and didn't come over to take my order.  Another 15 minutes and I was outta there!

The waitress who refused to serve me...

The view of the lobby wall when the elevator doors open - I like those pictures!

South Street Station on Thursday, on my way home.

A mural on the wall, done with tiles, in the hotel, on the 2nd floor.  Apparently the hotel is known for having art on display all over the hotel; you can even take a self-guided tour of the art...  There were a few pieces that caused me to think, before I knew it was "art," "What on earth is that and when are they going to finish it??!!??"

Appetizer at evoo, in Cambridge:  Lourdes' Burratini with Drumlin Farms' Arugula, Kimball Farms' Cantaloupe, Cucumber, Red Onion and Toasted Pine Nuts

My hotel room at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.  Opposite the bed, to the right, was a corner window that let in a  LOT of light - loved that, even though the view was of the Galleria and PF Chang's...

On Sunday, August 7th, Mom turned 39 (again!).  I threw her a little surprise party at our house.  She knew I'd invited my baby sister and her family, but she didn't know I'd invited my cousin and his family, and my husband's family, too!  She was very surprised when they all arrived!  Here are some photos...

We put together an appetizer of tomatoes, roasted red peppers, red onions and mozzarella, drizzled with evoo and seasoned, on a bed of fresh basil. Personally I could have eaten that whole plate, and nothing else, and been perfectly happy!

We had cavatelli and broccoli, sausage with peppers and onions, mini sandwiches, cole slaw made from the red cabbage from our garden, three bean salad, potato salad, and a tomato salad my sister made.

My little great niece, at 13 months old.  Apparently we had to be sure not to draw attention to her barettes or they would be torn out of her hair! 

My SIL, mom and one of my nieces.

My sister and her beau.

My niece's hubby (she's the one in the photo above), my sister's beau's son, and the baby's daddy, who's married to my other niece (they're twins!).

Mom blowing out her candles - my sister got red candles that sparked colored flames!

Mom with my cousin - he's more like a brother to me than a cousin...  His family couldn't come, dang it - his wife and son were working, and his daughter was away for the weekend with some friends.  Yes, it's my fault, I left invites to the last minute...

Hubby and me!!!

Freshman Class

Here are a couple of photos from my high school years.

First, a b/w photo of the front of the school, a shot that was used as the liner pages in our yearbook...

And now a picture of my homeroom class from my freshman year.  10 points to the reader who finds me...  And since a few of you only know my by my married name and my maiden name is cut off in the photo, I'm in the first photo, seated in the front row, second from the right, in a stylin' shag and coke-bottle glasses!  Like a fine wine, I feel that I've improved with age...

Thank goodness it's over!!!

For the past two weeks I've been planning a surprise party for my husband - it was his 60th birthday and I thought that deserved something a little special...  To make it that much better, too, his friends D and A came down from Massachusetts for the party!  He teared up when he saw them.  I'm so grateful they took the time to come down for the party; the only thing that would have made it better is if we could have spent more time with them...

J and I talk about EVERTHING and for the last two weeks, since I last-minute-decided to throw this shindig, I've had to watch every word that came out of my mouth.  "Maybe I'll call T to join us for b'fast tomorrow..."  My instinct is to say, "Don't bother, he's in PA this weekend."  "How do you know?"  "He texted me to RSVP for your party."  Nope, that would have certainly spoiled the surprise...  "M called."  "Oh, where is she?"  "On Rte 3 en route to Bromilow's?"  "Why?"  "To pick up your chocolate motorcycle lollipops, the favors for your party."  Nope, probably not a great conversation starter unless I wanted to spoil the surprise... 

I HATE lying.  I know it wasn't really lying; it was just avoiding saying certain things.  Even his friend K struggled not to slip when they were talking.  D's birthday is a few days after J's - he wanted to call when we weren't home so HE wouldn't slip and he was planning on screening his calls when J called HIM so he wouldn't slip then...

That whole surprise thing is stressful.  Maybe had I started planning it earlier, I'd have been less stressed, just concerned with not slipping rather than worrying about every last minute detail...

Wish you all could have been there.  Rather than tell you all who was there, it would be easier if I just post some photos and add some captions....

Introducing... 

My handsome nephew J and my beautiful niece A... now if only he had smiled, with his eyes AND his mouth!

 My beautiful mom and J again

 My niece T and my darling daughter M

Our friends from Massachusetts, D and A

Our friends E and T - T was one of our best men at our wedding (we had 2!  Best men, not weddings!)

My sister C and her beau T - I think almost every photo I have of them is in a similar pose!

My niece C and my sister-in-law P

My great niece E and me - isn't E gorgeous?!?  She is SUCH a good baby - not a peep out of her and she was up WAY past her bedtime...

E and my daughter - how I wish the picture was clearer...

Me, J and M - nice family photo!

A and me in one of those self-portrait photos you take at arm's length...

E and her great uncle, the b'day boy himself

Tomorrow is J's Birthday...

... so of course, in the grand tradition of our family, we extend birthdays at least one day, maybe five (of COURSE that's not a hint of any kind!)...  Here are some photos from our 1st b'day celebration...

Grand-niece E's mommy made b'day hats for Uncle J and for the baby...

The cutest thing is when he's in the room, she has eyes for no one else.  Well, it's cute, but rather annoying since I'm totally addicted to her smile and love when she looks at me!!!

Apparently since she just turned 9 months old, she can have sugarfree icebox cake with Cool Whip, but she can't have any ice cream to celebrate J's b'day...  No dairy until she's a year old.  (Because I suppose, you can be allergic until the 365th day, but on the 366th?  All clear!!!)



I promised you a photo or two...

I promised you a picture of the banner J made and hung up in the doorway of our room while I was away...  I got home and there were hearts on the front door and on the inside French door, and this banner was hanging in our bedroom doorway...

And just 'cause she's too cute, I can't not post a photo of my baby grand-niece...  (Don't pay any attention to the bad grammar OR the bad photos of me - just look at how absolutely ADORABLE she is!!!)