A Marchy March

 March was a time of celebration for us. The Saint Patrick's Day theme lasted throughout the month. We did the typical Irish American thing and ate corn-beef and cabbage talked about our Irish born grandparents and our own stories of the old sod, from our own experiences. My family lived in Galway and summered in Donegal, Ireland for a few years when I was a teen. I always hear people say that they don't eat corn-beef and cabbage in Ireland and that is an American custom. Actually, it is a, " living in the slums with the poor Polish and Jewish immigrants at the turn of the century and celebrating with the food they sold in their shops custom." The Irish celebrated the feast day during the Lenten fast with what they could find, unfortunately, it wasn't something good like filet minion. However, when I lived in Ireland they did sell corn beef and cabbage so that is what we ate in Ireland on Saint Patrick's Day. So Ironically, the custom that started here immigrated there and became the custom they are known for, that they really didn't have but now do. If you understand what I am trying to say.

 This is a picture of my two littlest cherubs. My baby is three months and is incredibly active and prefers to stand when being held. The four year old adores him. He will sit and play with for up to an hour. I am so happy they enjoy each other so much. I was concerned the four year old was going to resent not being the baby anymore. He really loves being the big brother and Mommy's helper. All holidays are fun with little ones around. They saw these little decorations (they are holding in the picture)at Michaels craft store and made me buy a dozen so they could stick them in different plants and vases around the house. Very sweet.

 This represents Irish culture to me.......Shamrock Shakes!!!......no, not really, not at all actually. They are cute to look at. My boys demanded we get some in exchange for helping with some projects around the house. I guess you can also order something called a Frozen Leprechaun which is half mint shake and half chocolate shake. I am sure there are people who add hard liquor to that and really have a part with their 1000 calorie, artificial color sugar overload. I can feel the brain-freeze as we speak.

 Here is some real culture, some contemporary  Irish folk music being played at a local tavern we frequently go for dinner. That evening, I had some amazing fish and chips soaked in vinegar, it was Friday during lent after all, no meat allowed. I don't think having a lobster roll or seafood platter is a sacrifice over a hamburger but hey, I enjoy the challenge of meat free dinners. I don't think I gained any brownie points for making sacrifices because I made a total  glutton of myself at the restaurant. The side order of onion rings was totally unnecessary.  I am only a weak human after all. I, totally deserved the lousy night sleep with persistent heartburn I was subjected to later.

 This was the sight out the window that evening, it almost looked like a sunset. I thought to myself, we are getting there, spring is almost here.The bottles seen here were dug out of the ground by my son. They are old apothecary bottles from turn of the century. They are pretty cool and look nice when the sun shines on them. The next morning, I woke up to Jack Frosts signature on the windows. I was disappointed it was so cold but thought it looked so pretty. Little leaves of ice crystals. Nature is amazing.

Finally, you can feast your eyes on this kitschy Saint Patrick's Day Cake. It is a simple design but man o man was it good. Dense, moist(I was told people hate that word), chocolate cake with a glowing Kelly green butter-cream frosting. It was a real crowd pleaser. March was terrific. Looking forward to next months Springy/Eastery magic!

February Feelings

 Introducing my newest little cherub. A true Bostonian supporting the team with his Patriots hat on.  There is nothing like having a new baby in the house. To see that little smiling face after waking up after a nap makes my day. I am not going to say I am not tired, I am and that is one of the reasons I haven't posted in such a long time.

 I collect anything vintage baby. I end up selling most of it but somethings I do hang on to. I love little vintage outfits and planters.  In the picture above, you can see white stuffed dog in the back there.  That is an autograph dog from the fifties. Moms were suppose to bring it to the hospital when having a baby and everyone even the Doctors and nurse were suppose to sign it. I toyed with bringing it to the hospital myself  when I had my baby but I didn't want to ruin it  if people had leaking pens or ugly signatures.

 Above and below are some adorable cards from a scrap book I bought. I love the scrapbook, what a treasure. It is filled with pages of vintage baby cards from the fifties.  I think it is sad that it ended up at a flea market, because so much time was put into putting it together. The mom seemed like a debutante type lady because there were even cards from "her help".  I would have cherished something like this if my mother made this when I was born. Maybe no one sent her any cards, That seems too sad, I am sure they are tucked away in some drawer.

 You can see by the picture below that the snow is piling high outside. It is at least four feet and keeps falling. I have really enjoyed the snow days with the kids. The cancellations of their activities have given me time to do the little things I have been behind in doing. Especially, drinking lot's of cocoa.

 In the midst of this winter wonderland, let's not forget February is the time for flowers, chocolates and St. Valentines Day. I was scheduled to have a little Valentine Day bridge brunch with Chick and other card playing gals but the snow put a damper on things.

 Below is a cheerful little table awaiting guests, that were snowed in at home. Such a disappointment, I guess I will have to eat all the delicious goodies I made, with my children. This winter weather is doing nothing for my waistline.  Take care, until I get my act together enough to touch base again through my very lack luster, low functioning blog.

Fab Fall

 It is Fabulous fall and we have been enjoying the beautiful weather. The leaves changing here in New England have no comparison.

 Here, my little guy is sitting in a leave pile. It is always such a fun fall past time, but it is hard to bag those leaves with little ones tossing them about.

 My friend, knowing what a cup cake enthusiast I am brought a delightful variety of Georgetown cupcakes to my home.

 They were all really good. I especially enjoyed the carrot cake which was surprising because I am usually not much of a fan especially if there is chocolate or mocha available.

 We did a little Columbus Day sight seeing down in Sandwich Ma. Here is a church in the town center that celebrated it's 375 year history this summer.

 Here, is an old mill. A beautiful setting for wedding pictures. We saw a bunch of kids going to Home Coming dances getting there pictures taken.

 Here, is my son at Lookout Farm in Natick, MA.  The weather was ideal. The perfect Indian Summer day.

 Here my son is picking Asian pears, yum! Below the two little cousins are posing with some gigantic apples they just picked. It took only four apples to make a pie. Great time of year!

Farewell Summer 2014!

 Here, are few little snippets of the summer. Today, I officially realized that fall is closing in. It is time to put away the pastel cotton frocks of summer and drag out the jackets, sweaters, scarves and  ponchos from boxes in the attic  and shelves in closets. We had a wonderful summer.  It was off to a cool start, which was actually nice because we were able to take a lot of little field trips. Above, you can see one of my boys sitting on top of a fake bull at Sturbridge Village here in MA. The Villiage has a lot of turn of the century sites to see.

 Here, one of my sons is proudly sporting a top hat and a smart, tailed over coat. He looks for like a chimney sweep than a respectable militia man. I guess back in the day every citizen who could hold a gun had to be part of their local militia, here in New England.  The ridiculous part of it was, not only was the position required but each man had to purchase his own weapon and uniform. Pretty unfair for poor farmers and tradesmen.

 Here, the lads are looking at some heirloom sheep, just looked like regular sheep to me. Below the boys are being silly.

 There was a lot of outdoor adventuring and hiking. The cooler weather made it perfect for picnics and kept away the usual annoying mosquitoes and gnats.

 There were lazy days of squirt guns and playing in the little pools at home and at friends houses.

 There were a ton of tomatoes in the garden this year. The little cherry tomatoes were the most successful. My boys would just take them off the vine, rub them clean and pop them in their mouths, when they were playing outdoors.

 There were a lot of nice days at the beach, fishing and summer evening walks.

 We attended the Cape Cod Canal 100 Year Anniversary celebration which had great music and good food. We were also able to attend the festivities at the nearby MASS Maritime College where historical boats and free battle ship tours went on through out the day.

 Above, there was a somewhat scary/pretty bubble blowing fish walking around. It just added another element of fun to the celebration.

 There was metal detecting and swimming at the ocean in Marshfield and several frosty treats to be had at the Dairy Queen. My little guy fell asleep after a long day of fun.

 In July, another son took second place in Wrestling at the Bay State Games, in Boston. He lost by one point which the video later showed was a bad call by the referee. Sounds like I might be still feeling a little bitter about it.

 There were a lot of days at the park and visiting local historical monuments and tourist destinations.

 Here, we can see the oldest known chair in the country which is on display at the Dedham Historical Society.

 There was definitely a lot to be thankful for.  However, it is time to say goodbye to summer and flip flops and hello to my favorite time of the year. Autumn. I hope I will be able to find the time to add something interesting to this otherwise lack luster blog.Right now, I have got to get started on my closets.

I love Disney!

 I love Disney World! I especially love Vintage Disney World. Above I have a picture of one of my favorite Disney Books. It is all about Walt Disney's vision for the park and different attractions.  I especially love the photos with people dressed in their Sunday best to go enjoy themselves on the amusement rides.

 Here we see an adorable girl is an adorable frock meeting Snow White. What a magical moment! You can see her brother holding the Mickey balloon is a little apprehensive.

 Here we have tin container of one of my favorite sweets, salt water taffy. This Mickey figurine just put a smile on my face.

 Here are several Disney character cups.  My personal cup is the Pluto, I feel like he is a classic unsung hero in the Disney franchise and they should really do more with his character. It seem everyone loves dogs these days.

 Here is a picture of a Mickey hand oven mitt, a coaster and some more little plastic figurines. I got these by going to a few seminars they were having at the park. You could earn these little toys when you asked or answered a question. You can also see a Victorian box of soap from the hotel Grand Floridian. That is one of my favorite spots at the park. I stayed there during my Honeymoon. It was very pricey but the high tae was to die for.

 Above and below we can see a variety of really fun Japanese candies and some adorable mini Hello Kitty stickers. They have a really fun part of the Disney park where you can visit small attractions from around the world in an international country showcase. I really liked the German Beer Garden's "all you can eat" buffet and Japan. The people that work in these different sections of the park are from the actual country and there is usually some customary performances going on.

 I love the candy sushi! One got a little melted. I also collect charms from the park. Here are just a few. I love the blue wizard hat. Below we can some assorted Japanese tea and bubble tea Tapioca pearls. I love bubble tea and it is hard to come by in Boston but it isn't hard to make assorted flavors yourself at home if you have the tapioca pearls.

 Here are a few of my boys meeting Mickey, what a thrill! I would strongly advise any one to take a trip to Disney it has something for everyone and it doesn't have to be outrageously expensive.For example, staying at a cabin in camp wilderness is a great way to cut down on food costs with their own eat in kitchens and barbecue grills. They also have camp grounds for tents and trailers. You are guaranteed to have memories that will last a lifetime.

A trip up North

This is the beautiful Von Trapp resort in Vermont.  It is a bit of a hike from Boston but well worth it is you love nature and beautiful scenic views.  It was home to the famous Von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame. I have been to Switzerland and the scenery here is very similar. I could see why a European family would want to make it their home. They had nice little gift shops and film about the history of the resort and the family. The restaurants were a little pricey but the condo had a full, beautiful kitchen so we didn't eat out much.

Signs for moose, deer and turtle crossing was not unusual. We were fortunate to see some of the local wild life from a distance. Moose are much bigger than I ever knew. There were plenty of bike trails and hiking trails not to mention the resort had a pool and tennis court.

This is a view from the balcony in the bedroom. Really quite breath taking and so serene to be sitting there with a big cup of tea and listening to the birds.

My children enjoyed it as well. Here are a few of my boys sun bathing. They were covering their faces because they didn't want freckles. Who ever said boys weren't as vain as girls haven't met my guys. We even managed to finish a puzzle we found in the cabinet of the condo. The puzzle picture was little winter-y but still quite rewarding, and good family fun.

The last two photos are just the boys hiking and getting ready to swim in this creek. It was freezing cold by the way. It was a great getaway.  Vermont has everything and it is an environmentalists dream. The people of Vermont really seem to embrace a good, natural, healthy quality of life. They are the home of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, yum,and some really great chocolate and cheese shops.Their bumper sticker says, " I Lovermont".........I have to agree.