Boater’s Beach – Time with Good Friends

Sally and I were fortunate to be invited to a party at “Boater’s Beach” in Westport, MA. Our hosts, Tanya and Bruce, really know how to throw a good beach party.

We started at a small dock in Westport where Tanya and Bruce awaited. Their Boston Whaler loaded and waiting. After meeting Al and Kelly, and their daughter Ava, we were off to the beach. Our chauffeur navigated the harbor and after a short ride delivered us to our destination. The beach was full of boats and beachgoers, but none could match the setup our hosts had prepared for us. Well stocked coolers, table, blankets, grill, and food.

We had a terrific afternoon and evening drinking (responsibly, of course), eating, frolicking in the water of the Westport River. But as sundown approached it was time to pack up (gotta cool the grill, however (see Bruce’s method below) and head home. Of course, our hosts had other ideas and convinced all concerned to join them at their wonderful home for some post beach libations and food.

We loaded up the boat, ladies in the bow, men to the stern, and I snapped this wonderful shot.

(I’m sure some are wondering where’s Una? She decided an afternoon with Nana and Gramps sounded more interesting. I’m certain it had nothing to do with the “brownies bribe” Nana offered.)

The evening turned to night, and our hosts just kept on delivering. A little wine, some espresso martini’s, and yummy dinner. The midnight hour struck and the finishing touches were put on a simply wonderful day. Tanya and Bruce, you guys rock. Kelly and Al it was such a pleasure to meet you (and Ava, too). We look forward to getting together again soon.

Thanks again…John and Sally

Swinging and Sliding

As you can see from Una's excited little face, she enjoys swinging.  This is actually the first time she's swung on a "big girl" swing.  

Sally and I went to Home Depot on Saturday to get some materials for creating a raised bed in our backyard.  While looking around, assessing how much it would cost, Sally wandered over to the do-it-yourself swing set area.  After a bit of review she said, "I'd really rather spend the money on something Una would enjoy."  

SOLD

Load up the kit, add a slide, and off to get the required 4x4s.  Load up the car, and...well, we have a new project.  

There was no time to start it on Saturday as we were off to Nana  and Gramps for a little grilling, but when we got home on Sunday it was time to get to work.  The "one hour" project turned into about four, when I finally gave up the ghost.  We finished up the set after work on Monday and Una officially broke in both the slide and the swings.  

Here are a couple of more pics. I'll add some video soon.

[Edit:  Click on the pics to really see how happy she is (and beautiful, too.)]

 

22nd Annual Sheepshearing Festival

Una and I had the good fortune of visiting the 22nd Annual Sheepshearing Festival at Gore Place in Waltham, MA.

Sally was busy with a baby shower and a DAR luncheon.

When Una and I arrived we immediately noticed the tents and period attired women and men.  She was interested, recognizing the yarn similar to what I used.  We sat and talk with the women and they were gracious enough to let Una help in the balling of the skein of yarn.  The picture above is Una holding the skein for the woman on the left to ball.

The festival was packed since it was our first really nice day (80+).  We watched hand shearing of Merino sheep, as well as electric clipper shearing.  Una got to pet an Angora rabbit, as well as a cute brown Alpaca.

Here's a picture of Una peeking in on a couple of young sheep.  There is a lamb in the pen just out of the picture.  The mother was a new one.

All in all we had a great day.  We were sorry Sally couldn't join us, but we'll all hit the RI Third Annual Fiber Festival at Coggeshall Farm in Bristol on May 16.  Should be fun.

 

Pawtucket St. Patrick's Day Parade

There is nothing better than a nice springlike day and a parade. Here are a few pics.  

Enjoy...John and Sally

Who Knew - I do windows

Well, I am in IT, but not that kind of windows.  I'm talking about real windows.  You know, the kind you should be able to see out clearly.  Key word there, clearly.  

Let me explain.  Sally and I bought our house a little over five years ago.  There were three things Sally really didn't like about the house:  

1. The wall-to-wall carpet
   
2. The draperies in the living room
3. The draperies in the bedroom

Well, we took care of #1 immediately after the closing.  Started in the living room, then the dining room, took a look upstairs and with Sally's best "can we?" look we pulled them up from upstairs and the stairwell.  I guess that's what happens when you have beautiful hardwood floors under the old dingy carpet.  Anyway, check-off #1

Sally has looked for the last five years for just the right drapes for the living room.  We've gone through two, maybe three sets in the dining room, but she never found anything just right in the living room.  Cleaning the drapes, as well as the shears, didn't help.  Well, Thursday Sally found just the right drapes.  Yesterday, she, Una  and Nana set out for shears and rods.  In the infamous words of GW "Mission Accomplished".  

So, this morning was 'let's install the drapes' morning.  Down come the old drapes, shears, and hardware (in these tough economic times we were thrilled to find out that our old hardware would work just fine ($140 savings)).  Now with the drapes and shears down what should appear?  Those crystal clear windows, right?  Well, drop the two adjectives and you'd be correct.  

So, while Sally pressed all the drape panels, as well as the shears, and then hemmed the shears with her bright and shiny new sewing machine, I tackled the windows, inside and out.  I picked one of the coldest days of the year to open windows for cleaning, but eh, what the heck, I got it done.  

We've now got new drapes and shears in the living room, and crystal clear windows, too.  Check-off #2 on the list.

Gotta run.  Off to see Arlo Guthrie at the Ziterion Theatre in New Bedford.

P.S.  Do you do windows?

Barre Run 2008

We made our annual run to Barre, MA on Sunday. This is something Sally's family has been doing for many many years. I've joined in for the last four (Una three).

Barre, MA is where Sally's great grandparents settled after her great grandfather completed medical school. He and his wife lived the rest of their lives in Barre. He, Merle, was the local doctor, his wife Blanche was an artist.

Annually in October we make the hour or so trek northwest to this quaint New England town. We drive by the old homes that Nana recalls fondly (one is where her father was born). We stop in the town center, walk past the WWII memorial pointing out Buppa's name, snap pictures, and this year let Una run around playing with leaves. It really is a beautiful town square. We grab a copy of The Barre Gazette and the next stop is the cemetery where both of Sally's great grandparents are buried. We carry on the tradition of leaving shells from Westport at the grave site, as Sally's great grandparents were summer residents of Westport and enjoyed the beach there.

The final stop is the Barre Mill Restaurant for lunch/dinner (I guess that would be supper to some). Three years ago when we did this run, it was Una's restaurant debut. Sally was recalling how fearful she was that little two-week old Una would disturb the locals. She did fine, as she did last year. Now this year...well, if the service hadn't been slower than molasses perhaps Una would not have lost patience with sitting quietly at the table. Oh, well. I guess some waitresses just aren't accustomed to serving families with children. Seeing that 80% of the people entering for the Sunday noon to 4pm specials walked with canes, maybe that's understandable.

After Barre, it time to drive back home, but with one stop. It's late October and we need pumpkins. Annually we stop at Howe's Farm in Paxton, MA. This year, after rousing Una for a nap in the car seat (she tends to like sleeping in the car) we picked out 72 pounds of pumpkins for Nana and Gramps, as well as for us.

They have some of the largest pumpkins in the area, and even have one that Una posed on. Isn't she the cutest!!!


Another wonderful run to Barre. We're already looking forward to next year's adventure.

Smith Castle

On Saturday after a couple of trips to the dump to continue our cleaning of the garage, we wanted to enjoy a nice Fall afternoon outside. Sally had seen listed in a "What's Going On" section of the paper or online, the fact that there was to be a Colonial Harvest Festival at The Smith Castle in Wickford. Sounded like a great idea, but what the heck is Smith Castle in Wickford. I know Wickford as a quaint little village in North Kingstown. I don't recall a "castle" there. Hmmm, let's take a look.

We packed up and headed out. Of course, it being about 12:30pm Una decided that the car seat was a wonderful place to take a nap. Rather than proceed right to Smith Castle we decided to cruise around Quonset Point. Wow! What a wonderful job they (Quonset Development Corporation) are doing in developing the old Naval Air Station into a fine industrial park. I've only been to Quonset once and that was to pickup an Admiral arriving at the terminal. We drove around and saw the marina, the beach, golf course, O'Club, and various companies doing business there. Quonset must be the off-load spot for thousands of Audi and VWs. There were acres and acres of new wrapped autos, and plenty of car carriers waiting to be loaded for delivery of the autos.

I was impressed. If you haven't driven around Quonset it's worth a couple of hours on a nice afternoon. Enough about Quonset. This is about Smith Castle.

We arrived at the signage along Rt 1 and immediately said, "UtOh" as there seemed to quite a few cars. Well, it was just that they had only a small parking lot along Route 1. The crowd when were were there was not overwhelming which made it kind of nice. What we did see was many docents dressed in period clothing ready to discuss what harvest life in the 1700s was like. We viewed spinners, outdoor cooking, candle making, large manual looms, a blacksmith. Oh, and the guy to the left with all his muskets. The Smith House was fun to stroll through. I know Sally and I will certainly go back for a more detailed tour.

We followed-up our visit to Smith Castle with a further drive South along Rt 1 to Wakefield. Sally was in need of a Mew's fix and I'm never one to shy away from one of their 69 microbrews on tap.

In case you haven't guessed it, it was a great day. Oh, more pictures of our time at Smith Castle can be seen on the slideshow on the upper right of our blog site (or linked here.)

When Work is Not Work

This blog is not about "work" as in my employment (I had previously written "job", but I am going to talk about my other job, as in the one I have at home.) Do not get me wrong, I've been at my employment for over ten years now, and I enjoy the job I have. Each day is its own challenge and I look forward to going to work (although I will admit I look forward to vacations more). But, it is "work".

This past weekend we had an opportunity to do "work" which I've put off too long. We had our roof replaced last week and we had a nice big dumpster sitting in our driveway. It was 3/4 full, but that meant we had a place to dump some stuff from the garage. You know a garage, a place for that 30 years or so of accumulated junk; a place for high school schoolbooks, hundreds of fantasy sci-fi paperbacks, college schoolbooks (in languages I could not begin to read -- Greek); and, treasured memories. Oh, and maybe a car? You think?

Anyway, I jumped into pitching anything not salvageable. What qualifies as not salvageable you might ask? Unfortunately, some things were not in such great condition thanks to leaving bird seed out in the open in the garage one Winter. Mice just love bird seed it seems, and mice need a home, and mice need materials to make a home from. You know things like paper from books (particularly paperbacks). Things like old running shirts you were saving from back in the day when you use to be thin and run? (Yeah, I did that). Things like college dorm clothes someone boxed up and had "Dad" look after.

When I was done the dumpster was full, and believe it or not, I could actually fit a car in the garage. Go figure!!!

I still have a ways to go...Jenn, you had alot of stuff. I have found some wonderful treasures which I hope to share in some future blog. For now I'm just enjoying the memories the treasures I discovered bring me.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what Sally was doing while I went through my junk in the garage, well she found her own "work", that being to tackle scraping and painting the front door and trim. We've been saying we're going to do that for ages, and Sally just went and did it. The front door now looks good enough to adorn one of those posters "Doors of [fill-in the blank]" I haven't seen a Doors of DaBucket yet...hmmm, now there's another project for another day.

Priceless

A morning at Baker's Beach: Zero dollars

Lunch from Lees: Twenty dollars

A sail through Westport Harbor aboard Ruddy Rye: Priceless


What a fantastic Saturday I had. While it started off with a huge headache thanks to a bit of over indulgence from Friday night, we managed to hit the beach by 10am. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. Even the life guard mentioned it was a 10. Una had her usual fun at the beach, although was not interested in getting into the water above ankle depth. She was content climbing on Nana and digging in the sand.

After the beach it was time for lunch and a grocery run was in order. More about the grocery run and reason later.

I'm sure you're not interested in my every hour recap of my weekend life, but I wanted to set the stage for the last half of the day. Plus, you can't play on the MasterCard theme without providing at least some details of the events.

Anyway, Gramps two years ago purchased a small sailboat at the Mass. Maritime Academy's yearly auction. He was able to launch the boat last year, but because of a failed engine, never really got to sail the boat. This past Fall and Winter, along with this Spring, Gramps has been diligently scraping, painting, re-fiberglassing, and whatever else it took to get the boat shipshape. He also enrolled and completed a sailing class in New Bedford. Gramps has a passion to learn. He never takes a new endeavor lightly. He is now probably more skilled as a sailor than those with many years of experience. He even baffled his sailing instructor (probably someone half his age) with his questions and knowledge of sailing terminology.

We launched Ruddy Rye about three weeks ago. It was quite an experience as the boat had no motor yet, and the day we launched there was a strong current. (BTW: the pictures shown here are actually from last year's launch.) Regardless, we got the boat docked. Now it was time for Gramps to find the motor that would be necessary if he was ever going to get anyone to sail with him. Two weeks ago he found the motor he wanted and he got it mounted. With the addition of the Town of Westport boat sticker, he now had a legal and legit sailboat ready to ply the harbor. Nana was convinced shortly after the installation of the motor to accompany Gramps on a "motor" run through the harbor. There would be no "sailing" just yet. So, you can imagine that Gramps was chomping at the bit to get on the water under sail. Saturday afternoon was that time and I was the lucky crew.

While I love writing this blog, and I know some enjoy how I write, I know I will not be able to adequately explain just how much Gramps and I enjoyed the inaugural sail aboard Ruddy Rye. I'll do my best just the same.

We motored away from the dock and down river just a bit to an area just off crack rock. During the ride Gramps pointed out the main, the jib, the halyard, the centerboard, etc. Despite my 21+ years in the U.S. Navy, I never took to sailing. I've probably only been on a sailboat three times in my life. The first experience left me blue - I think literally. The second I was more awestruck by the competency of the helmsman as he maneuvered a Shields through the mooring field in Newport Harbor. The third, was a pleasant ride around Newport/Jamestown harbor with our good friends Robin and Marvin, but due to mechanical problems it was mostly motor assisted (a good time none-the-less). Since that last sail Sally and I have purchased our own motor boat and I've become accustomed to the whine of the engine (when it's running, but that's another story which would make this blog way too long). Anyway, Gramps and I reached "Crack Rock". I handed over the main sail halyard and prepared to "hoist the main". He cut the engine, dropped the rudder, and we hoisted the main. Suddenly we were on the move without a sound. We dropped the centerboard and Gramps with tiller in hand, guided us towards the West Branch of the Westport River. As we cruised through the harbor Gramps explained theories of sailing, how to gauge wind direction, etc. We also both just took in the serenity of sailing. Ruddy Rye is only 17 feet in length so it's not a big sailboat. When seated in the boat your almost at water's level. The sounds were simple; the lapping of the waves against the hull, the flutter of the sail as the wind turns from point to point, the chirping of the sea birds who's flight path we were crossing. As Gramps said, "Aren't the sounds great? No engine noises. Is there anything better?" Probably not. It was a truly relaxing way to be on the water. While I was just crew and along for the ride, I could tell Gramps was enjoying his experience as well. He had the added bonus of feeling the boat with tiller in hand. I know it was relaxing for him as well.

We approached the harbor side shoreline and it was time for a tack. Tack we did and Gramps said let's put up the jib. I grabbed the jib halyard and hoisted away. The jib filled with air, and it was like the boat hit 5th gear. As Emeril would say, "We kicked it up a notch". It was really while under said with both the main and the jib that you could feel the power a light wind can create. It was thrilling. Gramps guided us through some beautiful ocean going sailboats. I'm sure they have their pluses in being able to travel to distant places, but I'm hard pressed to think the experience would be any better than the one I was fortunate to experience on Saturday afternoon.

Thanks Gramps. And, Nana the next time Gramps invites you for a sail you should take him up on the offer. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

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I mentioned earlier more about the grocery run. We needed to get all the fixin's for a good New England Clam Chowder. An old boyfriend of Sally's, and now a friend of mine, too, is scheduled for some surgery on Tuesday. I won't go into details, but surgery is a scary proposition. Sally wanted to show her support by having Dan and his wife to dinner on Sunday. She also thought it would be nice to invite some mutual friends to share their support, as well. It was all very last minute. It turned out to just be Sally's folks and Dan. Others wanted to join us, but schedules just did not permit it. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Dan.

My thoughts and prayers are kind of stretched thin right now. The wife of a co-worker of mine is facing some serious medical issues. Steve and Cathy, my thoughts and prayers were out there for you, too.

Any readers of this blog so inclined, please keep Dan, Ginger, Cathy and Steve in your thoughts. I know they'll appreciate it and I will, too.

Time. Where does it go?

It's been awhile since I've been able to find the time to post. Work has been quite hectic and my normal lunch hour time to write has been lost. I uploaded a few pictures last evening in the hopes that I could at least get something out there today.



Sally and I recently took the RIPTA ferry from Providence to Newport. This was an excellent and fun outing that our Office Manager (Robin) at work set up as the firm's Summer Outing. The plan was to take the ferry to Newport, enjoy the day in Newport with the Black Ships Festival ongoing, then ferry back to Providence. The event was planned for a Saturday in July which just happened to be in the midst of a five day heatwave. Knowing Una would not enjoy 8 hours in the stroller in Newport in 90+ weather, we decided that Nana and Gramps would get to enjoy Una for the day and Sally and I would enjoy some alone time.

We left Providence about 8:30am on a HOT day. Knowing we were going back to Westport to get Una that evening, we left a car overnight in Newport. Once we arrived in Newport we enjoyed hitting a few shops (contributing to the local economy, of course) and seeing many of the historic homes in the downtown hill area. (You'd think having lived in Newport for many years I'd know what that district is called, but I don't.) Anyway, we wandered around a bit, hit the outdoor Black Ships Festival, enjoyed a Dell's and then decided to take comfort in the air conditioned car we had left in Newport. While driving around Newport to Ocean Drive we noticed a sign for an auction going on at Fort Adams. We love a good auction so we decided to take a look. Five hours later we left with a backseat full of nautical prints and paintings. Having been in the Navy for 21+ years, I enjoyed seeing all the old nautical memorabilia. The auction was a benefit for the Newport Museum of Yachting and much of the 500+ items were donated by local Newporters or the NY Yacht Club (Headquartered in Newport). They picked an odd day for the auction since it seems that most of the Yachting Museum members who live in Newport were out for some kind of sailing regatta (we saw about five America's Cup boats leaving Newport Harbor as we arrived in Newport on the ferry.) Their loss was our gain. There probably were only 30 people at the auction, thus the bidding was not all that intense. All it all it was a great time. I now have a great print of the USS Constitution for my office wall.

Sally and Una have been able to spend lots of time at the beach with Nana this Summer. I usually get to join them on the weekends. Here's a recent pic of Una enjoying destroying a sandcastle. (Yes, the red tide was bad that day, but it's the first time this year. 100 yards to the left and the water was fine.) Una just loves the beach (she is her mother's daughter, after all.)








Here's a cute picture of Una washing her face after making a mess. Thanks Nana for showing her how to pick and eat wine berries. :-)












And, lastly, here's a picture from last evening while I was doing some gardening. Sally snapped this photo as Una smiled for the neighbor Mrs. G.

Taste Our SouthCoast

Gee, where does time go? I started this blog last Sunday and never got back to it.

We had a terrific weekend enjoying time with Nana and Gramps on Saturday, with dinner at the Candlewood. Sally and I got to escape for drinks on The Back Eddy dock. Was a really nice evening for that.

Sunday was suppose to be a washout, but we awoke to bright sunshine. Time for a beach run. Sally and Nana get to the beach during the week, so when I was able to join them on the weekend, it was really alot of fun to see Una enjoy playing in the sand and searching for "treasures". Una's not done much with the water this year, but I got her to get her toes wet and eventually sit with me with the waves lapping at her. She got a little frightened when a larger wave crashed on her, more so when the wave retreated and she felt the pull as I held onto her. She's enjoying the water a little bit at a time.

Sunday afternoon we decided to take in a little local flavor. Sally had seen that New Bedford (did I mention we love New Bedford) was having it's annual Taste Our SouthCoast. Nana joined Sally, Una, and I for the trek to New Bedford. We enjoyed sampling lots of delicious local foods from various SouthCoast restaurants. We also got entertained by Entrain. They are quite good. I'd certainly see them again. Una seemed to like the percussion sessions and watching everyone dance.

We like to support small less commercialized local activities such Taste Our SouthCoast. It's not a touristy thing, but rather real neighbors coming together.

That's it for now. Sorry this was so delayed. I'll work on getting my blogging more timely.

Clean Under Your Fingernails

More about the subject in a bit.

We had a really nice weekend kicked off with dinner at Siena on The Hill. It was a thank you dinner from my boss Tom to Sally and I, and Robin and Marvin, for the work we did in opening a new office late last year. Tom's wife Teresa joined us. It was great to get out for an adult night with friends.

Saturday we waited for the rain that was due any minute. You've probably guessed by that comment, that it never arrived. I did manage to get the lawn cut first thing in the morning. We also visited a day care as we're looking to get Una in on a part-time basis for the social interaction. She seemed to like the facilities we checked out, as well as the care-takers. We'll follow-up on that idea this week.

Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous day. Since Una made sure we were up early I decided it was time we built that raised garden I've talked about for 3 years. We also were motivated by the plants we'd purchased a couple of weeks ago at the Southside Community Land Trust. Since I had purchased the landscape timbers it should just be a matter of measure, cut, and assemble. Sally was kind enough to remind me, "Measure twice, cut once."

So, out comes the nice 10" compound miter saw (chop saw) that my in-laws had purchased for me for my birthday or Father's Day a couple of years ago. I'm happy to report, and I know Sally's thrilled, I still have all ten of my fingers. The cutting was as simple as I had expected it. Once assembled we had a nice 10' x 3' raised bed. It was time to head to HD for some top soil and some spikes to hold those timbers together. While we were there Sally picked out some nice plants for some planter boxes we had picked up previously.

As you can see from the picture to the left, Sally did a fantastic job with the planters.


Sally also did her fair share of the hauling of the top soil and the planting. (did I mention it took two HD trips and 24 bags of topsoil to fill in that raised bed?) Speaking of the planting, thanks to our neighbor Mrs. G. we now have an extra tomato plant, some lettuce, parsley, kale, and pumpkin. I can't wait to see all the plants and veggies grow throughout the Summer.

The afternoon was a visit to Westport to dine with Nana and Gramps. We had thought about taking a walk or SeaDog out for a cruise, but both Sally and I just wanted to veg. (Hauling topsoil is hard work, you know.) So, that's what we did. A relaxing afternoon / evening on the deck at Candlewood, including a great BBQ and too much desert (Nana's fault). Una enjoyed her time in the swing we'd gotten her a few weeks ago. It dangling from a strong tree branch in the back yard. She loves being outdoors and running around. She always sleeps well on Sunday nights. :-)


Oh, about that subject. It's just something I remember my Mom always saying to me after playing in the dirt. As I cleaned up after the planting session, it struck me and I immediately knew I had my blog subject.

Until next week (or perhaps sooner). Jeff, Jen and Emmett arrive Saturday and we are really looking forward to their visit. Something tells me Nana and Gramps are, too.

Memorial Day 2008

We did alot during Memorial Day weekend as we had a little mini vacation staying with "Nana and Gamps" in Westport, MA. Highlights include:

• Friday dinner with friends Dan and Ginger at Cork in New Bedford.
• Saturday a visit to see "Gamps'" new boat Dory Days
• Saturday was also "Gamps'" 60th Birthday Party celebrated at the Paquachuck Inn
• Sunday included a walk on the beach for Nana, Sally and Una, while Gamps and I took the first ride of 2008 in our boat, Sea Dog.
• A few BBQs with hamburgers, hot dogs, and ribs, of course.

I've skimped on the details because without the real purpose of the weekend, all of the above may not have been possible. On Monday we honored the true purpose of Memorial Day by attending the annual Westport, MA wreath laying ceremony and Memorial Day Parade.

As a former servicemember, I felt pride as I stood and watched servicemembers from WWII, Korea and Vietnam (and perhaps other conflicts, as well) honor those they may have served along side of. It was a small ceremony. Moving none-the-less. I'm happy we've initiated Una in honoring those that have served and given the ultimate sacrafice for what they believed in.

We moved from the ceremony to the parade. The pride I had felt previously that morning returned as I watched small town America turn out to honor America's Heroes. The parade included war veterans, police, and firefighters. There was a marching band made up of local schoolchildren. And, then there were the Scouts. Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts. Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, and Cub. Parents snapping pictures as their son or daughter passed by. More importantly, those parents cheered and applauded the servicemembers who proceeded their children.

I was moved by the flags, what they represent, and the honor shown them.

Well done Westport. You honored those that secured the freedoms that I and my family enjoy today.

Fantastic Finds

So, Saturday started off another dreary wet weekend. Ugh! "But Wait!" the weatherman exclaims. The rain is past and the sun is waiting to shine according to Doppler and PinPoint Weather.

Seeing that everything in the yard was wet from the overnight and morning rain, we decided to cruise around. There's a yard sale we need to hit. Cruise on up Hope St and low and behold a large yard sale on a church lawn. Let's give it a whirl. Sally and I both spot it. Let's take a look What? $10? Let's get it. Una will love it. What is it? Can you guess?









It's a Little Tikes Workbench.

We now have our very own Toolbelt Diva on our hands.








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Despite the near $4/gallon for gasoline (thanks GW aka Dummy), we decided to hit the road again for more cruising. While venturing around the East Side of Providence, Sally mentioned that the Southside Community Land Trust 16th Annual Rare and Unusual Plant Sale was going on today. I had hit the sale a few years ago on my own when Sally worked on Saturdays. I had found the plant sale a fun experience and Sally recalled that. So, off to South Providence we go. No, map, no directions, just a vague memory of making the trip a few years ago. Suddenly, we find it. Tons of cars, lots of people, all there for one purpose, herb and plant finds. We browsed the grounds and game away with 14 plants and herbs. All for the not so hefty total price of $48.

Here are the plants that will find their new home shortly when I finish (well, start and finish, actually) the raised bed I'm making. Sally stacked them on the fence for watering and it made for a cool photo.

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Okay, two finds down. There must be another Providence find to find. So, more cruising (thanks again Dummy). We cruised over to the Armory district and Federal Hill, experiencing some stunning Victorian homes. As we cruised Federal Hill it dawned on me that it would be nice to grab a bite at Venda Ravioli and perhaps picnic in DePasquale Plaza (seen here).

So onto Atwell's Ave we go. We find a prime parking space. This is turning out to be our day. :-)

It's graduation day for Johnson & Wales University so the city and Federal Hill are abuzz with graduates and their families. The outside dining at Venda is right on DePasquale Plaza (you can barely see the tables on the left in the picture). Rather than grab sandwiches we decided to take advantage of the cafe dining. The hostess seated us and to Una's and our delight, right opposite the fountain in the plaza. I think we had the best seat there. Our Picasa photo album of our lunch experience can be accessed here. Needless to say, we had a wonderful lunch. Una showed her good Sicilian heritage by enjoying her plate of cheese ravioli, and of course the Italian bread. Mmmm.

It was quite the day. We'll enjoy these finds this year and future years. The memory of lunch on DePasquale Plaza will be one we will cherish forever. The look on Una's face as she watched other children play at the fountain will be one I will not forget.

Mother's Day 2008

"Momma, huggg!"

This picture says it all. It's what Mother's Day is all about. A child sharing with their Mother all the love that the Mother has bestowed to them. It can be a handmade card or a craft. Una's way at this point is with a special hug reserved for special times. This was one of those moments.

Sally, you're a terrific Mom. Una and I are so lucky to have you. We love you -- more everyday.

Mother's Day 2008 was terrific. While at the Naval Base in Newport, RI last week for a haircut I had the bright idea of perhaps doing brunch at the Officer's Club (aka O'Club) for Mother's Day. Sally loves special occasions and a chance to dress-up. Una, being her Mother's daughter, does, too. I knew Sally's Mom had enjoyed the O'Club in the past. Her father and brother Andy were both Naval Officers. It would be the perfect choice. I'd get to please the two local Moms in my life (more about the remotes Moms in my life in a bit.) So, on the Wednesday before Mother's Day I called the IT&T (the base ticket office) to see about getting tickets. Sally and her Mom were heading to Newport on Thursday and perhaps they could pickup the tickets. "No problem," say the nice lady at IT&T. "They can purchase and pickup tickets on Thursday just fine." In the words of GW (aka Dummy) "Mission Accomplished". Thursday arrives, Sally and her Mom (Una, too), head to Newport and the IT&T office. The conversation went something like this, "We'd like to get tickets for the Mother's Day O'Club Brunch." "Sold Out!" "What?" "Oh, by any chance did your husband call yesterday?" "Yes." "Oh, thank goodness. I neglected to tell him to make a reservation. These tickets have been selling like hotcakes. I felt so bad knowing you'd be coming down to purchase tickets today. I put five aside for you. You've got the last five reservations." "Whew!" Now, unlike GW, I don't have to retract my "Mission Accomplished". Thanks nice lady at IT&T.

So, Sunday arrives. Una, being the good girl she is, not only lets Mom sleep in, but Dad, too. Una and I head out for bagels, and of course, flowers. We enjoyed a nice special morning for Mom.

Before heading to Newport for bunch I of course had to call my Mom. I ran across this picture and I think it's fantasitc. It has "MOM" written all over it. (not literally as I'm not yet into photo editting) Mom was always in the kitchen. I probably gave my Mom more cookbooks and kitchen gadgets for Mother's Day than I can remember. I must confess, I think I bought the "veg-O-matic" more for me than Mom. It was so cool to make homemade fries. I digress. Mom and Dad were enjoying the weekend in Pollock Pines when I called. Nothing huge planned for the day other than being with family. Dad was surely up at the crack of dawn and the coffee was waiting when Mom awoke.

Unfortunately, I called to early to catch my sister who I knew would be joining them. Here's a great pic of Marian with her grandson. It too reflects a mother's (or grandmother's) love.

Nana and Gramps arrive for the drive to Newport. I took the route that brings us over the Newport Bridge (Gramps normally coming from Westport doesn't get that view so he particularly enjoyed it). It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the ride was nice. Brunch at the O'Club was very nice. We had a nice table for five. Una was terrific and enjoyed the brunch. I think the bacon was her favorite menu item with the jello and whipped cream a close second. After brunch we got to enjoy the deck at the O'Club. The O'Club is situated right on the southern point of Coaster's Harbor Island. It overlooks the Newport Bridge and Goat Island. You get views of Jamestown, Newport, and the mouth of Narragansett Bay. The deck wraps around to the West for nice views of the historic Naval War College. With the weather so great, it made for excellent photos. The one of Sally and Una above was obviously taken at this time.

After brunch we had a nice leisurely drive around the historic Point section of Newport, down by the beaches, out to the Sachuest's Point National Wildlife Refuge, and then a drive on Indian Ave which faces the Sakonnet River (it's not really a river, but...). It was a terrific day for a drive.

All in all it was a GREAT day. I think Nana and Sally really enjoyed their day.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to personally wish the rest of the Mom's in our lives a Happy Mother's Day on the actual day. Here they are with hopes that their Mother's Day was filled with love and family.

Sister-in-law Jen posing with our darling nephew Emmett.

Grammie with Gramps on her visit to "da bucket" in February.

Jenn and Ashley's Mom, Tina. Ashley took this shot and it supposedly turned into a laugh-fest. While I knew both girls would wish their Mom a Happy Mother's Day it made me proud that they both took the time to call and wish Sally a Happy Mother's Day, too. Nice job, girls.

Date Night!

WooHoo, Sally and I got to have a "date night" on Saturday. Our friends Chris & Jen had invited us to see Chris' band "the 'mericans". The music was to start at 9ish so we decided let's get the sitter here early and have a nice dinner and music night. We were able to hit one of our "old" haunts, The Red Fez. There were seats at the bar. Sally and I enjoy sitting at the bar and we've not done that for a couple of years. We had a wonderful time, and as always the food at the Fez was great.

Onto hearing the music. The venue was a new one for us, and was really just a few blocks from our home in "da bucket". The Blackstone recently moved into the new Hope Artiste Village here in Pawtucket. It's an old mill building that has been converted into lofts, art studios and local retail shops. It was a first time to both The Blackstone and the Hope Artiste Village. We were impressed with both. The Blackstone was a large open nightclub. High top tables, a lounge with comfy looking leather chairs and couches, large wrap-around bar, pool tables, foosball table, pinball and jukebox. An outside deck, too (serves as a smoking lounge for those so inclined.) It was a big place and the 20 foot (or so) ceilings really made the place seem that much more roomy. There was a $6 cover, but the guy at the door ensured us that all the cover money went to the bands. Nice! Drafts were $4.50 for a good pint. Not bad. We didn't see anyone eating so we'll have to try out the food some other time.

Sally and I strolled down the old mill building and found closed entrances to many local businesses (it was 10pm so that was to be expected). One tenant space was empty but open and we could see the neat lofty look available. We could hear activity in one business, but could see no one. We did see some partially assembled pool table frames in there, however. All in all it looks like a very cool place to work and house a business. We would love to see what the living loft spaces look like.

Unfortunately, we had to leave before hearing the band we came to see, the 'mericans. There were two bands that played before they went on and we had to get home. We had promised the sitter we'd be back around 11pm. We met a few other friends at the Blackstone so our focus was not really on the bands, but I'd say they were good. The place is big enough that I did not feel the sounds from the band overwhelmed a conversation.

All in all it was a wonderful evening. I know I miss our nights out, and I'm sure Sally does, too. But, neither of us would trade our current parenting roles for anything in the world.

Touch-A-Truck

Unfortunately we had a very cold weekend this past weekend without much chance for outdoor activities. One event we did get to enjoy outdoors was the South Count "Touch-A-Truck" event in Wakefield. While it was only in the low to mid 40s Una, Sally and I enjoyed seeing (and hearing) all the trucks. Kids sure do like to pull on the air horns. :-) Besides the fire, tow, garbage, cement mixer, and dump trucks, Una got to experience both a South Kingstown police car and a RI State Police car. Oh, yeah, and the Channel 12 mobile pinpoint weather truck. Thanks to the Masons, we also put Una through the child identification program. I think she enjoyed the finger-printing the most. The videotape we made was a bit overwhelming. Una's a talker, but not when she first meets you. So, the audio portion of the tape is a bit quiet.

Here are a few pics from the event.
One of those air horns must have just gone off, Una looks startled.
This firetruck is about 40 years old. The owner bought it through an eBay auction. Was a great '60s firetruck.
A peek into one of the truck cabs. We're not holding our noses so it's not the garbage truck.

Spring has sprung?

Well, we finally had a nice weekend where we could get outside and do some work in the yard. Oh, did I mention we got a nice fence to keep our little Bucketeer safe? Yep. A nice stockade fence in the back for a little privacy and a nice picket from the garage to the house. Una now enjoys running freely around the backyard.

Saturday the Three Bucketeers hit HD for a few necessities; shrubs to go against the new stockade fence, a new screendoor for the back door, and a very cool pedestal sink for a later project. Oh, and landscape timbers as I want to build a raised bed in the garden. Believe it or not the rest of Saturday was spent on installing that damn screendoor. It could not have been more difficult -- Geez!!! While I slaved away at the door, Sally took care of scraping and repainting the two Andirondack chairs. They look great. The screendoor was completed close to 6pm, but I must say, it looks great. It adds alot to the rear entrance to the house.

Sunday was also a nice day so we spent about an hour or so Sunday morning painting the stockade fence. Chatham Fog is the color. We think it looks pretty good. After cleanup it was off to Westport to enjoy the afternoon with Nana and "Gamps". It was so nice that we were able to grill and eat on the deck. Fun time. Oh, and Una just loved her new BigBird. Thanks, Nana.

All in all a good weekend. If feels good to do something with your hands. Very rewarding. More work to be done in the yard, and I'm already looking forward to next weekend (or a little evening work).

That's it for now...John