Trying to relax

This is Mark and Mason "relaxing" after dinner tonight. It didn't last long though. Two year olds aren't much for relaxing. Ha Ha!

Mission Impossible IV, Ghost Protocol

Monday, Paul's day off. We decided to go to Abington, MA. This was one of my Uncle Bob's pastorates and I have a project going to take pictures of all of them.

On the way we decided to have lunch at Kelly's restaurant in Jordan's Furniture in Natick (great roast beef sandwiches). While we were there we looked to see what IMAX movies were playing. Mission Impossible IV, Ghost Protocol, was playing and since we had gotten such a late start for Abington, we decided to switch plans and go to the movies. It was really good. We both enjoyed and it wasn't crowded at all like the last time we were there on a Saturday to see Avatar. Another fun day. I'm getting used to being "retired!"

Marley's room, before and after....

Marley asked me if I would help her clean her room. I told her the next Sunday that Mark, Janelle and Mason were not coming for dinner that I would. Today was the day! Toby and Kris made dinner, and Marley and I cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned.

This is before,



and this is after.



Marley was a real trooper. She worked right along with me the whole time. Later, on the way to Bible Quiz at church I asked her if she was tired. She said, "No." I was exhausted!

Her room looked really good though.



I think she was happy!

Scallops, the Beach, and Nancy Drew

Our goal today was to go to The Book Barn in Niantic, CT to look for Nancy Drew books, but to also go to Lenny and Joes, a seafood restaurant that my friend Joanie had told us about the last time we went to this area.

We went there for lunch, which was absolutely delicious.

Then we drove around Hammonasset Beach for awhile. We got out to see the beach but it was freezing and very windy so that didn't last long.







Then we drove down Rt 1 to the Book Barn. This place was huge. My friend Dora at my old job told me about it awhile ago. There are three locations in Niantic. One was, I think, the main one that looked like an old mill. There was Book Barn Downtown, and Book Barn Midtown.

All of the Nancy Drew books were $1 and they were having a sale so we got them for .70, all 58 of them! That should take me awhile. I'll be starting #12 in a day or so. Only 164 to go!



What a fun day.

****Another Post Office - Westbrook, CT


P.S. Today is my cousin Lynda's birthday. I sent her a card with this picture on it. It is of us at the 1965 World's Fair in New York. Good memories. Happy birthday Lyn!

Another Friday night with Marley, Mason, and the Babas

We added a new twist to playing with the "bugs." Mason asked if we could put the coffee table upside down (Paul did that with him a couple of weeks ago). We put the bugs in there and then got out the blocks and made a maze for them. What fun!



And yes...those are crayon marks on the bottom of the coffee table.



Imagine our surprise the first time we turned that over. That was probably done by our kids years ago. I had thought when our kids were grown that maybe we should refinish this table. I'm glad I didn't.

Grandma, I want a donut!

We took Mason to the grocery store with us tonight and he asked for a donut. Sometimes when he is at my house he says, Grandma you got any donuts? So, of course, grandma bought him a donut. It was a chocolate covered with LOTS of sprinkles.

Doesn't he look like he is enjoying it? He ate almost the whole thing.

Marley's 5th grade band concert

Tonight Marley's school had their annual Arts Block Presentations by the 4th and 5th grade students. There was Drama, Sports and Fitness (which we didn't go to), Dancers, and Band and Chorus. Last year Marley was in the Drama and this year she is in the Band and Chorus. She started out the year playing the trumpet but switched to the Baritone Horn two weeks ago. We all thought she did very well for only playing two weeks.





Mark is back in school so Paul and I picked Mason up and met Kris, Toby and Marley there. He was so good and sat through all of the presentations.



I love going to functions at her school, especially since I went to Junior High there. Believe it or not, the auditorium hasn't changed in all those years, except for being shortened to make another room at the end of it. It probably hasn't changed since my Dad and aunts went there!

We went out for our traditional ice cream afterwards. Such a fun night!

One more Instagram collage

I am now up to date with my Instagram collages. These little pictures taken on my iPhone are so fun to take that I won't be caught up long! Have I mentioned lately that I LOVE my iPhone?

Instagram Collage 2 and 3

Today was a really weird day. Paul is still not feeling back to normal (day 13 of a bad cold) so we decided to just stay in all day; the first Monday since I have been laid off that we have not had something that we have had to do or gone on a fun ride. I spend most of the day organizing my Instagram photos and making two collages.

I had made my first Instagram collage on December 15th, and today I did the second and third ones.

This one is with Christmas Instagram pics.



This one is with LL Bean weekend photos.



The reason it took me most of the day was because I really don't understand Photoshop Elements and it took me a long time to figure the template out, again!

Marley wins second prize!

Marley's Sunday School class has been having a contest this month. They have been saving their "pennies" for Pennies for a Purpose. This is to benefit The Jubilee Market that Missionaries from our church are involved in.



Marley won a prize for the second highest giver in her class. Her prize was this Sari headband, made by women in India. She was quite happy about this!

Bugs

For Christmas, Marley got a couple of "bugs" in her stocking. She brought the smaller one over on Christmas Day and Paul was really taken with this bug. The cats liked it too. Over the next week he bought several of them. People at work had him buying them. It was unbelievable! All they are is a little battery with a bug body over it. The vibration of the battery makes it move.

Today Paul put two of them on the floor and I decided to try to take a picture of the cats with them. I think they are a little afraid of them. Here are some pictures.







One of the bugs went under the dry sink.



This is Paul and the cats trying to see the bug.



Paul eventually "helped" the bug get out with a yardstick, and this is how it came out, still running - Ha Ha!!



At first, Mason was afraid of the bugs. He would have nothing to do with them. Now he likes to look at them but he still won't touch him.

We were babysitting for him for a couple of hours today. Mason got a new Lego table recently (that Marks says is now their coffee table - LOL!) It has a square in the middle that comes off with a net underneath to hold Legos.





Mason and I played with the bugs on the table. We started off with just one bug on an empty table,



but eventually we had both bugs and roadblocks all around the table to keep the bugs from getting off. Those sneaky little bugs kept going right through the roadblocks. Mason just squealed with delight when then fell off! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the roadblocks.





I just love this age. He is so much fun!

Tom....

"The world lost a superhero today." This was what Tom's son posted on Facebook on the day of his Dad's death.

Tom was only 61. He had been battling cancer for a little over a year.

The thing that I remember most about Tom was his big smile; he always had a big smile.

This picture is of (l to r) Mark, Andy, and Tom's son Jason in the summer of 1991.



This picture is of Kristen and Toby's wedding in 1995. Tom's daughter Heather (second from left) was in their wedding.



We went to Tom's wake tonight. Some things are hard to understand. All I know is that we have to trust that God has our lives in his hands.

Seeing Zeus!

Zeus was my Aunt Dot's cat. When she went to The Atrium, Zeus went to live with a co-worker of mine. It has been almost 8 months since I have seen him. Barb has been telling me how good Zeus is doing and tonight I got to see first hand for myself. He looked wonderful! I think he remembered me, he was very friendly. Then again, I think cats know cat-people.



I was happy to see how good he is doing; it makes me feel a little less guilty.

The Baritone Horn

Marley has decided that she is going to now play the Baritone Horn in the school band. She told me that she didn't really like playing the trumpet and her band teacher suggested the Baritone Horn. He said he had a couple of them available.

Today was the first day that she got to bring it home and she played what she knew for me tonight after church.

So....there is a band concert next Wednesday night. I'd say she has some practicing to do.

Look at that case.



She is going to get some arm muscles carrying that thing around!

It's beginning to look a little like winter

This morning we woke up to some snow, not much though. This is what my street look like during my walk today, slushy.

It is about 30 degrees warmer than it was two days ago. I think the high for Sunday was about 10.



It is supposed to rain today, so the snow will probably be gone by tomorrow. Mind you, I'm not complaining. It's just weird!

Spending the day with Marley....

Today, being a holiday, Marley spent the day with us as both of her parents had to work. We had plans to go to the Connecticut Science Center today, but Paul was on the tail end of a pretty bad cold and just wasn't up to it. We had a little more laid back day and went to the movies to see The Muppets. Oh my goodness, I loved it. We all loved it.



Then we went out for dinner at Local Burger in Northampton. Kris, Toby and Marley really like this place and so we decided to try it tonight. It was really good and fun to let Marley "show us the ropes."



I so glad that she still likes to spend the day with Grandma and Baba!