334/365 - Look alikes

I was looking at some old Christmas pictures today and I came across this picture of Mark in 1975, he was about 15 months old. I was struck by just how much Mason looks like him.

333/365 - A funny little story

Tonight Kristen called to tell me that Janelle called her. Janelle said that she was reading The Wheels on the Bus to Mason tonight. There was a picture of a lady knitting on the bus.


Mason pointed to the lady and said "Auntie." Janelle asked him, "Where is Auntie?". He pointed, again, to the lady knitting. I guess he has seen her knitting quite a bit! Isn't that just too funny?

I was looking for a picture of Kristen knitting; I know I have lots of them. This picture is from August 2005, taken at Janelle's mom's house. It was the first one that I could find. She doesn't go too many places without her knitting.

332/365 - "New" toys for Mason

Today, after Thanksgiving leftovers at my house, we all went to Kristen and Toby's to work.

Marley has been wanting us to clean out her playroom which never got unpacked from when they moved in. The plan, after the move, had been to move all the boxes up into the attic (luckily the stairs to the attic were in the playroom) and totally clean out the room. Then, later, after the room was ready with shelves and bookcases, they could bring down a box at a time, go through it and organize the room.

Well, at first after they moved in there was too much else to do. Then it was too hot, and so on and so on.

In the meantime, poor Marley has been waiting. We decided that today was the day. We actually got all the boxes and assorted "stuff" up into the attic and the room was totally cleared out.

We brought down a couple of boxes of Marley's old "Little People" toys. Mason was a little overwhelmed at first but had a great time playing with all the "new" toys (Marley had at least as much fun as he did).

331/365 - So much for our relaxing ride....

Today we decided to take a "relaxing" ride across Southern Vermont. We have done this ride many, many times. Paul said he wanted to get out early and be home in the early evening. We left the house around 9:30, went out to breakfast and then headed north. We took back roads all the way. I spotted a few little doors along the way (see this post).

This little door was in Plainfield, MA.





This one was in Charlemont, MA.





And this one was in Whittingham, VT.





Aren't they just so cute?


*****Mignonne, these pictures are for you. When we were going through Whittingham, VT we saw this sign.





We took the rode up the mountain and there was the monument to Brigham Young where I assume his birthplace was. It was freezing up there, and it was here that I noticed a few snowflakes.





This is the view from the monument. It was beautiful up there.



It started to snow around 2:00. At first it wasn't really sticking to the road. We thought it was just flurries.



It got bad pretty fast. We were at a pretty high elevation and it was as if it just fast-froze on the road.





By the time we got here, we were wondering why this truck was stopped in the road. Then we saw that a man was out of his car stopping cars when they got to him. He told us that a tractor trailer was down in the road a little ahead.



We decided to go home another way, but that road was full of hills and before we got too much further a cop had traffic stopped in front of us. He said the road was very icy and cars had been spinning out all over and he wanted us to stay put until the sanders came. That was about 3:00.



We waited for about two hours until the sanders came.



We were on our way again, but not for long. Another wait came up the road, this time for about an hour. Eventually we got to Brattleboro around 8:30. We hadn't eaten since breakfast (except for some animal crackers that I had taken with us in the car). We were starving and shaken. I don't think I have ever been that nervous. At one point we saw two wreckers on the other side of the road. I wondered whether they were just waiting for stuck cars, until I saw a car overturned in a ditch. Yikes, it was awful. We passed by a couple of motels. I wanted to stop but Paul wanted to keep going. When we got to Brattleboro (which is a much lower elevation), there was just a little snow on the grass and none on the roads. We were still two hours from home. We got home at 10:30.

I may never go to Vermont again (or at least not after October!)

330/365 - Friday night

Two coats hanging by the back door, Mason's and Marley's.

329/365 - Thanksgiving Day

Well, the Memo's Thanksgiving dinner was a huge success. We had originally expected 9 people, but my Dad and Marge weren't able to make it; Marge was not feeling well. So we were down to 7 people. Fred had ordered 12 meals so that we would have leftovers.

We had SO MUCH FOOD.

Paul picked it up in the morning. It came in tin foil pans with an instruction sheet for heating it all up.




Marley and Kris hanging out before dinner.




I was still nervous. What if it didn't taste good?

I had nothing to worry about. It was delicious. I think a new tradition has been born today!

I usually take the traditional picture of everyone at the table before dinner - much to the dismay of some (although I think they have gotten used to it and just smile; it's over quicker that way). One year Dot asked me why I take this picture every year, "It's always the same people." she said. It comes in handy, though, for Kris and Toby to remember where they had Thanksgiving as they switch with Toby's parents' every other year.

Anyhow, this year I forgot so I took it after we finished eating. Not as pretty, but I still wanted to take the picture.



Marley and Big Baba had a good time cracking nuts.



The cats got to watch Video Catnip.



I was done with the dishes by 3:30 and then we had dessert.



We were even able to watch a Christmas movie, The Muppet Christmas Carole. It was the most relaxing Thanksgiving that I have had in a long time. Thanks, Big Baba!

I have so much to be thankful for. Each year the holidays change a little; I am trying to learn to enjoy each year for what it is.

328/365 - We're trying something new....

This Thanksgiving we're trying something new. A couple of weeks ago on a Friday night, my father-in-law (Big Baba) came into the kitchen where I was and asked me if he had heard me say that I had to work the day before and the day after Thanksgiving. I said yes, and he said that he had a proposition for me. He had a piece of paper in his hand. He said that Memo's (a breakfast/lunch place that he goes to often) had a flier in the restaurant saying that they were going to be making Thanksgiving dinners for take-out. At first I was resistant, but then the more he talked, the better it sounded. I told him I would think about it. He said it would be his treat. I called Kristen the next day and asked her what she thought about it. She said, "Mom, what is the worst that can happen; it's awful and we hate it and we never do it again. I think you should go for it." Paul was all for it too. That settled it.

I'm a little nervous though.

I'll let you know tomorrow how it goes!

327/365 - Playing with actions

Today Paul and I, well mostly Paul, downloaded some actions to Photoshop Elements. I had fun playing with my pictures. Here are a few examples...

Original

Boost

Original

Colorized

Seventies

Original

Colorized

326/365 - Thanksgiving Day 2000

This is Nan (my grandmother) and Dot (my aunt) on Thanksgiving Day 2000. It was the last time that Nan was at my house. She was 99, and would turn 100 on January 12, 2001. She passed away a little over four months later. I miss her all the time, but especially on the holidays.

325/365 - Sunday afternoon

After church, before everyone came for dinner, Paul and Marley were outside and Paul came in and said, get your camera, I have a good blog picture for you. I went outside, and there was Marley in the tree KNITTING! Too funny. She is making a yellow scarf for Bebil (Toby's father. His real name is Tony but to Marley he is Bebil) for Christmas. I can totally see him in that yellow scarf.

Paul sat out there with her for awhile, reviewing the waffle machine instructions. He made waffles (with strawberries) for dinner.



This picture is of Mark and Mason, ready for the Patriot's came this afternoon.



This is Marley reading to Mason. She is so good with him and he just loves her.

324/365 - Janice's blueberry pie

Today I went to a scrapbooking crop. My friend Janice has been hosting crops at her house since 2005. We always have such a good time.

This picture was taken in 2008 before I started my blog. She had made a blueberry pie that didn't come out quite right. The bottom crust wasn't cooked through and the top had burned a little bit. The blueberries were good though. We were all hysterical over it. It's a good thing Janice is such a good sport!

We got talking about this pie today and I thought that the picture of Janice and her blueberry pie deserved to be shown.

323/365 - Marley's first babysitting!

Tonight was Marley's first babysitting job. Tomorrow I have a scrapbooking crop and I hadn't done anything to get ready. I told Marley that if she helped me with Mason, as in play with him, I would pay her. She did a great job (except for when he had a messy diaper. I was teasing her saying that she needed to change him. She said she was only a babysitter helper!).

When Marley was eating her cereal (her usual Friday night supper LOL), Mason wanted a spoon too, "poon." We gave him a spoon. Then he wanted some cereal out of the box. I thought he wanted to eat it. He started feeding Marley. It was so funny.

Another funny thing he did was when he heard Big Baba come in and say hi, he said "Baba" (we're still working on the Big), and ran over to the chair that Big Baba always sits in and patted the chair, just like he knew that he would come in and sit there!

I eventually got all my pictures ready to print, and guess what? I was out of ink. So, as I write this, Paul is out at Staples buying ink. I really wasn't prepared for this crop!

322/365 - Snuggling

It has been quite awhile since Mason has sat with Baba in his chair. He's usually too busy. Tonight, though, he was quite a snug bug.

321/365 - 1 year since we got Minnie

We have had Minnie for one year today. She has turned into the sweetest pet. She doesn't necessarily want to be held (although sometimes she does, but on her terms!), but she is usually always around us. She has a LOT of fur, but she keeps it meticulously clean. She has such a cute personality and we just love her alot!