Memorial Day

We went to the world's shortest parade this morning, haha! It was in the next town over, and a lot of people came out to see it! We met up with my friend Caryn and her family, who live just down the road from the parade route, so that was fun. Here's a picture of Gus and Nikos, but you can see Caryn's husband and the two kids behind Gus.

And the parade got off to a great start! There was a Revolutionary War drum group:

along with a group of guys in Civil War costumes, some veterans in old cars, all the local scouts handing out flags, etc. And... then it was done! I think it was less than ten minutes long! To be fair, the plan was to parade down Main Street to the farthest cemetery, do a ceremonial salute and reading there, and then work their way back up Main Street to four other cemeteries, doing the same thing at each. So it took quite a bit of time, actually. It's just that the parade part was very, very short. We didn't see the ceremonies at the cemeteries. Instead, we took the kids to the playground right there, along with everyone else in the vicinity who had small children. It was getting close to lunch time, so we said our goodbyes and went to head home... only to find the road was still blocked. Sadly, we were forced to go out to lunch. It was just terrible. :) Back at the ranch, we did some gardening and some playing outside. Maya picked me flowers:

I also felt inspired to try an idea with the kids that I did with Nikos a few years ago-- when he was definitely too young! You cut the bottom off of an empty water bottle, attach a washcloth around that end with a rubber band (or in my case, wire), and then dip it in a dish soap and water solution (mostly soap). When you blow through the mouth of the bottle, it makes these awesome bubble snakes! Gus even enjoyed it. He made this one, which Maya promptly ran over and destroyed.

We dined al fresco again, since it was the third day in a row of absolutely beautiful, picture-perfect weather. And then we fired up the fire pit so the kids could roast some marshmallows. I have a feeling I am going to be going through a lot of marshmallows this summer! But it's okay... They are having a great time! I also got out my camera and forced them to take a family photo with me. Not too terrible!

Gus is still out by the fire pit, even though it's getting pretty dark and there is a thunderstorm rolling in to the north of us. I'm sad that the weekend is over, and tomorrow Gus has to go back to work. If only every weekend could be like this one!

My Garden

Once we really got going today, the bulk of our efforts focused on my garden. We realized earlier this week, during the heavy rainfall, that there were no gutters on the section of house right next to the garden. As a result, the water was running straight off the house and into the planter box, pummeling my poor tomatoes. I solved the problem temporarily by moving the tomato plants, but we really needed to get a small chunk of gutter installed. So that was what Gus did. Hooray!!

Meanwhile, I moved my plants around (again), cleaned up the dirt-caked back wall of the planter, and installed bird netting over the top of the entire thing. The design of the planter is really cool, because it allows me to make a sort of roof over it by using skinny PVC pipes (which are easily removed-- they just slide into some segments of thicker pipe that are attached to the inside of the planter). Oh, and I also planted some alyssum flowers around the edges, since the kids picked those out for me on Mother's Day. The kids were very eager to help, so they dug the holes for me. So cute!

This is what the garden looks like at the moment. I still need to trim and secure the bird netting better, and get cages around my tomatoes. And of course, there is still a lot of space for the plants I am starting from seedlings inside the house. My lettuce is already going bonkers! I can't wait to get it into the ground!

We finished up our work just in time to head to my friend Caryn's house for a cookout. It was a lovely afternoon and evening! The kids played and got filthy, just as they should. We had yummy food, a reasonable amount of alcohol, and everyone had fun playing out in the eighty-plus degree heat. The kiddos even got to make s'mores again! Nikos was very adamant about the fact that he knew how to make them already, haha! But it was a great time, and the late bedtime for the kids meant they crashed pretty much as soon as we got them in bed. Everybody wins! :)

The Great Outdoors!

I'm not sure what it is about living here, but it's brought out a different side of me. I love being outside again!!! Maybe it's because I lived in urban areas for too many years, but I had sort of forgotten what fun it can be to play outside all day getting sweaty and stinky, haha! But here, it's just different. In the winter, it was so much fun to run around in the snow and sled down the hill. And now that the whole state is pretty much green and lush and beautiful... we're outside all the time! I can't get enough!

We started our day with a trip to the farmer's market in Barre, which is known as one of the biggest and best farmer's markets in the region. It's still pretty early in the growing season here, though, and there weren't any fruits or veggies for sale. Most of the booths were filled by local craftsmen, though there were a handful of places selling plants. I bought a six-pack of broccoli plants, which made me very happy! Yay for home-grown broccoli!

We didn't stay for too long, since there weren't many vendors. But it was our first time in downtown Barre, and it was really quaint! Much like our town (and all the others nearby), the streets were lined with American flags for Memorial Day. And the Barre town hall had this HUGE one! As Nikos said, "That's a REALLY big flag!!"

Since the farmer's market didn't take as much time as we had thought it would, we made a spontaneous decision to go for a walk on a section of trail we had passed while driving to Barre. I *think* it was part of the Rail Trail, but I am honestly not sure. There are miles and miles of walking trails in this area! Anyway, we had driven past this area before, and noticed that there was a cool bridge over a creek that the kids would enjoy. So, we checked it out! We also saw a tree that a beaver had clearly been working on, some interesting mushrooms, and lots of places that moose might live (but no sign of them... though we KNOW they live here!).

We (and by "we," I mean "everyone but me") started to get hungry for lunch, so we headed back home. Gus ate a quick lunch, and then took off to pick up our new fire pit and patio set. Meanwhile, my little helpers helped me plant my broccoli plants in the garden and then give them some water. Nikos was VERY careful to make sure that every plant got a little drink from his watering can! We had lunch and, soon enough, Gus was back with the stuff. I made it my mission to assemble everything, while he chopped firewood for the fire pit.

We actually bought the fire pit over a week ago, and Gus immediately went out and got an ax so that he could chop wood from our yard. We have plenty of fallen branches and whatnot, so there's no shortage of wood to cut! However, the minute he brought home the ax, Nikos was asking when he'd get to chop wood. He even announced this morning that he wanted to be a lumberjack when he grew up! Anyway, he could not WAIT to chop wood today! He ended up finding it a little frustrating, but Gus was very patient and let him try (safely, of course!). Ultimately, he enjoyed stacking the wood pieces and making sure I admired the growing piles of kindling, haha!

Once the wood was chopped and stacked, Gus finally mowed the lawn! Woohoo! It was getting pretty bad. The kids hung out with me at our new table until Gus got closer, and then we ran inside until he was done.

As soon as he was done, we went back outside. The kiddos played football with their daddy while I pitched our tent! We just got it for our camping trip next month. I wanted to make sure I knew how to put it up. And it was pretty easy! This thing is MASSIVE, though, haha! But I am excited. It has three rooms: one for the kids, one for us, and one in the middle for our clothing and whatnot. It may be huge, but it will make camping that much more comfortable. Plus, the kids already love it!

Eventually, we had dinner outside (hot dogs and burgers on the grill, oh yeah!), and then broke in the fire pit by toasting marshmallows and making some s'mores! Excellent practice for next month's camping trip!

And then Gus gave the kids their much-needed bath, and it was off to dreamland for them! He and I went back out and enjoyed the fire pit some more. Words cannot describe how much I love sitting in our back yard! The fire pit makes it just that much more awesome!

And that was our day! We were outside almost non-stop from morning til night, and it was fabulous! We have a cookout tomorrow at my friend Caryn's house, so we will be outside even more. I can't wait!

Just Two

Pictures, that is! We had a playdate this morning, and spent the rest of the day outside, too. It was so beautiful!

The best part of the day, though, was first thing in the morning! Nikos has been waking up earlier and earlier. He has the darkest bedroom of them all (for exactly this reason!), and yet he seems to sense when the sun is up. And it comes up early these days! Yesterday, he climbed into bed with me at 5:30, telling me it was time to get up. No, it wasn't! Not even close! After much discussion, he promised me that if I got him a clock "with green numbers," like ours, he would stay in bed until "seven-zero-zero." So we made a deal. I bought him the clock, which he was very excited about. And this morning, he STAYED IN BED! Maya was actually the first one in my room at 6:45, and that was only because she needed to use the bathroom. I had to get up to help her out, so I checked on the video monitor to see what Nikos was up to. That kid was lying in bed with his lamp on, reading library books! Furthermore, I sent Maya to tell him he could get up now, and he wouldn't do it! Because it wasn't 7:00 yet, and we had a deal! He ended up convincing Maya to get in bed and read books with him. I got back in bed for another ten minutes and just enjoyed waking up slowly. Here's hoping for a repeat performance (or better yet, LOTS of them!). :)

Last Day of Preschool

Well... the next time Nikos goes to preschool, he will be taking Maya along with him! I'm not sure which I have a harder time believing: that my baby girl will be in preschool in the fall, or that we only have one more year before my big guy is a kindergartener! At any rate, today was the last day of school, and they did all sorts of fun things for their teddy bear picnic. And, to celebrate, we went out for lunch at Friendly's. Nikos was VERY excited about his ice cream sundae, though you wouldn't know it to look at this picture. What a stinker!

We spent most of the rest of the day playing outside. It was another gorgeous day! And, despite looking like it would rain all morning, it never actually did. While the kids were outside, I went to take a picture of a Sweet Briar Rose. It's not the best picture, but you get the point! Sadly, a lot of the flowers were pummeled by the crazy storm yesterday afternoon, and there are petals all over the ground. So sad! But there are lots of buds still on the plant, so there is hope for the future!

While I was out there, I discovered that we had a ripe strawberry! The first harvest from my garden!! Though that is totally cheating, since the berry was already on the plant when I bought it (and already turning red). Still! The kids and I split it three ways. It was SO sweet and wonderful! I can't wait for its little friends to grow and ripen!

Later on, when we went inside for a brief snack-and-beverage break, I was struck by inspiration. I cleaned ALL the winter stuff (snowsuits, boots, hats, mittens, etc.) out of our hall closet, loaded them into some rubber tubs, and got them up into the attic. I think it's safe to say it won't snow again for at least a few months, haha! It's been so beautiful lately-- it's already hard to remember what the trees looked like without leaves! So weird! But my closet looks much nicer now. It's just loaded with rain boots, umbrellas, and rain coats!

And that was our day! Let the summer begin!

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On a totally different note... Having lived here almost exactly six months now, I feel the need to document my observations about life in Massachusetts, and how it compares with California! These are things that just pop into my head from time to time. Some of it is completely random. But they are the things you don't really think about when you move across the country, haha!

1. Public restrooms here hardly ever have toilet seat covers in them. I don't know why, since they are available nearly everywhere in California! This is honestly something that irritates me, particularly since my kids aren't tall enough to "hover." I've become very adept at laying strips of toilet paper on the seat. And, for the record, the TJ Maxx near us has bathrooms with seat covers. It was so unusual that I actually NOTICED it!
2. Green onions are apparently called scallions here. I had no idea! And you don't invite someone over for a barbecue; it's a "cookout." Liquor stores are "packeys." There are lots of weird little things like this... I get corrected a lot! I can't even think of them all!
3. It blows my mind how quickly plants grow here. Short growing season = insane super plants!
4. There are cemeteries EVERYWHERE. I feel like they were so much more hidden in California-- lots of people buried in newer "mega-cemeteries." Here, there are tons of old, small ones, along major roads, everywhere! And they are not spooky, haha!
5. The hot dog buns here are different. I didn't think much of it at first. I thought that was just the way they did them at Friendly's. But then the kids had hot dogs at other places, and they had the same weird buns. And then I went to BUY hot dogs and buns at the supermarket, and they ONLY sold the weird buns! They are called "New England style rolls." And they taste the same, so it's totally not a big deal, but I thought it was funny that we had our own regional hot dog buns. I had no idea!
6. Massachusetts drivers have the reputation for being the worst in the U.S., but that has not been my experience at all. I think California freeways are way scarier! I do notice a lot more police officers out patrolling on a regular basis, so that may be part of it. But I tend to think that the horrible driving reputation is due more to the HORRIBLE road layouts in the older cities (Boston, Worcester). They were so not designed with cars in mind, and it is insanely confusing! So if people mess up, then I know why!

...and that is all, for now. Good night! :)

May Flowers, etc.

What a great day we had!

We began our morning with a trip to Home Depot. I finally returned some tiles that I have been carting around in the back of my car for two months now, so that felt good! And with the money I got back, I was able to get a bunch of things for the garden! I got bird netting, bamboo stakes (to hold the netting up), tomato cages, another tomato plant, AND... two more blueberry plants! WOOHOO! The blueberry plants were an impulse buy. They were selling one-gallon tubs for only $4! And these already had leaves and berries on them, plus I was able to get two different varieties (Bluegold and Bluecrop). I dug up the bare root bushes I had planted the other day, and put the new bushes in their place. I should see berries a lot sooner on these! In the meantime, I put the bare root plants into the pots that the new ones came in, so they can still grow and do their thing. I am SO excited for blueberries. My kids can easily eat a pint (or more) at one sitting, so it will save us a ton of money to grow our own!

After we came home and planted our new purchases, we played in the yard for a bit and had some lunch. And then it was time for story hour at the library, which is always fun! I really feel like I am getting to know everyone there-- it's sort of a second home for us! The staff is amazing, the senior volunteers are always so friendly, and the moms that bring their kids to story hour are so nice (and many of them are former teachers... go figure!). But, this was the last story hour... they don't do them over the summer, though they do offer different programs (which we will definitely be a part of!). I think I need to make the leap and invite my new mommy friend over for a playdate. Otherwise, it will be months before we hang out again! Ack!

When the story hour ended, I hung back for a bit and chatted with the librarian about the summer reading program. And then she said, "Hey, I didn't realize that you guys were the ones that bought that house [insert detailed description of where our house is]!" As it turns out, she is very good friends with our one-and-only next-door neighbors, who we have yet to meet. To be honest, I had sort of written them off, after trying to wave and make contact with them during the billion times I've been out in the yard. But she assures me that they are nice people, and that their youngest, an eighth grader, will be a most excellent babysitter in a few years! Good to know! And I guess I will give them another chance. It would be nice to know their names, at least! Everyone here has been so friendly, but they just seem to keep to themselves. Oh well.

Anyway... we went home, and proceeded to play outside for hours! It was eighty degrees and very humid (just look how curly Maya's hair was!). The grass was soaking wet from days of rain, so the kids wore their rain boots along with their summer clothes, haha! While they played, so did I... with my camera, of course! I used my macro filter and took pictures of things around the yard. Some of these things were just tiny little weeds in our grass-- but they are all so pretty! So many little wildflowers! You can also see in there one of the Sweet Briar rosebuds, a few of my blueberries, a strawberry in my garden, and some raspberry blossoms. I LOVE our yard, SO much!!

Meanwhile, the kids kept themselves entertained. The MOST entertaining things in our yard right now are the maple seeds. You should've seen the look on Nikos' face when I showed him how they turned into little helicopters when dropped! He and Maya probably spent an hour dropping them from the back deck. We have a LOT of maple trees around here!

Eventually, I got tired of photographing flowers and things. I sat on the semi-dry grass and made a little flower wreath for Maya's hair. These were the same types of flowers (weeds!) that I did the very same with when I was in middle school! As soon as I saw them, I knew I needed to make her a little wreath. And she loved it. My little flower child!

Meanwhile, Nikos moved on to playing with his glider... which I bought for a buck at the supermarket. Best dollar I've spent-- he loves that thing!

I got one other pic of my girly, just as she was climbing down from the play structure. Gosh, she is beautiful (inside and out!)!

Moments later, it began to POUR. It literally went from warm and sunny to dumping buckets on us! So we ran inside. It was time to start thinking about dinner, anyway!

I checked my email, though, and was so excited to see a reply from the photographer who did Nikos' school pictures! I loved how they turned out, and asked if she would give me a low-res digital file to share (not to print). And she did! Look at my handsome little man! That's his "real" smile, which is the best part of the picture. He can be so silly... but she really did a nice job. YAY!

I Hope I Don't Kill Them...

My plants, that is! I am so, SO excited to have a beautiful garden, just steps away from my kitchen. History tells me that I am not very good at taking care of plants. But I am really hopeful that the wetter climate here will help me out a bit! I can't tell you how many times I bought plants in California, only to forget to water them. OOPS!! I think it will also help that I am home a lot more, and can take the time to work out in the garden with my two enthusiastic helpers.

Anyway... I got some plants in the ground today! I had bought seed packets months ago, and was planning to start everything indoors and then transplant it. It didn't exactly happen. And I was never sure when the planter would finally get built. Anyway, I had to do some research to figure out which plants I needed to buy, and which ones I still had time to start from seeds. As it turns out, I am still in the window to plant quite a few things from seeds! I could have planted them outside directly, but decided to give them the advantage of germinating indoors in a sheltered environment. Right now, I have 66 little seedlings-in-progress: a variety of lettuces, cucumber, green beans, yellow onions, carrots, and spinach. YUM!! I will get them into the garden bed in a few weeks' time.

I went to the store this morning in search of tomato, broccoli, and bell pepper plants (which I also had seeds for, but it's too late to plant them that way). I came home with a cherry tomato plant, two bell peppers, and a large strawberry plant (the kids wanted it). I got those in the ground, along with the basil plant and green onions I had been growing in my kitchen window. OH!! I also found some incredibly cheap bare-root "Blueray" blueberry bushes!! I planted them alongside the house. I really need to get another variety of blueberry for cross-pollination, but I'll get there eventually. Right now, I just want to see if these plants survive! They look like little twigs sticking out of the ground! IF they live (and that's a big if!), we won't have any blueberries for at least two years. I'm excited nonetheless! They were $3 each-- you can't beat that!

On a different note... When we went out shopping this morning, we also picked up the ingredients to make s'mores. Because-- brace yourself!-- we are going camping next month! I haven't been camping since whenever the last time was that I went with my parents... a billion years ago. We used to camp a LOT, but it's been a very, very long time. Gus and the kids are very excited that I have finally caved and planned a family camping trip. And I won't lie-- I am excited, too! I think the kids are at great ages now, and we will really enjoy it. The campground we're staying at is only a half hour drive away, and not far at all from supermarkets, etc., in case we need them, haha!

However, I will not eat s'mores. I am just telling you all right now. I had a bad experience on a Brownie camping trip on Mt. Diablo when I was a kid, and I have never looked at s'mores the same since (funny, since I have no problem eating the three things separately!). I will gladly toast marshmallows, though. I can't wait!!

Glorious Day!

It finally feels like spring (or summer, even) has come to Massachusetts! We still have quite a few rainy days ahead of us, but the temperatures are pretty steadily into the seventies and eighties. Plus, we're getting thunderstorms, which is pretty cool!

Anyway, this weekend was absolutely perfect. Warm temperatures, clear blue skies, and beautiful forests surrounding us in every imaginable shade of green. I already liked living here for a number of reasons, but I officially love it now. We were outside almost nonstop today. The kids are getting tan lines already! Love it!!

We started our morning with a nice long trek on the rail trail. We parked at the place where we usually turn around, and made that our starting point so we could see a new section of the trail. It headed into the state forest in our town, and it was SO lovely! It was already really warm, but this part of the trail was densely forested and very shady. The mosquitos and flies were out in force, though, so it was a good thing I brought the bug spray! On a side note, I got a mosquito bite on my ankle yesterday that is driving me insane! ACK!

Once we got back to the car, we decided to surprise the kids and take them out to lunch. When we finally got home, it was nearly time for Gus to take Nikos to Little League picture day at a local field. Gus went outside and was working on my raised garden bed while I got Nikos dressed. And then I took a few pictures myself, since he was so cute! I wish I had realized that he had his glove on the wrong hand, though. He's a lefty! Oh well, it just makes him even more adorable!

While the boys were gone, my girl and I played outside. We also had to season the new grill before using it, which took a few hours. When the boys got back, they worked hard at finishing up the planter box. Nikos was adamant about wanting to help. He was so proud of the finished product! I can't wait to get some plants in there this week (assuming I have time in between thunderstorms!). It's right next to the driveway, and just steps away from the kitchen. I need to decide what I want in there-- ack!

After Gus finished up and put all the tools away, it was time to break in the new grill! We had some delicious ribeye steaks and corn on the cob, while the kids had hot dogs. We even ate outside, since it was so nice! The kids are particularly obsessed with watermelon lately, so I bought them some at the market (I really don't like it. I realize this makes me some sort of freak of nature.). It was a great way to cap off such a glorious day! I can't wait until our fire pit gets here (sometime this week). It would have been a perfect night to sit out there and enjoy a glass of wine after the kids went to bed!

And that was our day! OH! But I also made an amazing discovery! When we got home after lunch, I noticed that a plant by our driveway was suddenly covered with beautiful flowers (you can actually see the purple flowers by the corner of the house in the photo where Nikos is working on the planter). Well, wouldn't you know it-- they are Sweet Briar roses!!!!!! I think that is SO super cool! And another sign that we were meant to be here. Yay for unexpected treats!

A Little Local History

If you had asked me back in high school what my least favorite subject was, I would have said history. I hated it so much that when I needed to take a history class in college, I put it off for as long as I possibly could. I ended up taking a class about the French Revolution that completely changed (revolutionized? ha) the way I looked at history. It all suddenly clicked! And everything suddenly appeared interconnected (which, of course, it had always been). The class talked quite a bit about the American Revolution as well, since it sort of paved the way for the French to follow suit!

Fast forward to today, and I LOVE history! And after teaching fifth grade for a billion years, I have a particular affinity toward the American Revolution. And hey, we live in an old town in Massachusetts now! People here were actually involved in the revolution! There is evidence of it everywhere you go! Crazy!

Anyhow, there was a sign up on Main Street not too long ago, advertising a "Tour of the Five Forgotten Cemeteries" taking place today. I got onto the town historical society's website, and it sounded interesting. I only knew about two cemeteries in town. One of them is very large and much newer-- they still bury people there. The other is right next to the library. At any rate, I was curious about the others! So, after lunch today, we met up at the historical society's headquarters and headed out, caravan-style, to explore the cemeteries. Most of the people there were senior citizens, and I was a little nervous about how the kids would handle it, but we knew we could leave at any time. And as it was, I think a lot of the older people got a kick out of the kids. We all had fun!

The first stop was the cemetery by the library, which is the original town cemetery (just as I thought!). The town was incorporated in 1722, and quite a few of the headstones from the later 1700s are still standing! There are quite a few people buried here who died in the Revolution, as well as the French and Indian War. Here's one headstone, just for kicks. This fellow, James Smith, died in 1787 at the ripe old age of 63. Not bad for the eighteenth century!

The next stop was a smaller one on the edge of a lake. The locals were saying that this cemetery used to be where you had to go to get to the old rope swing that went out into the lake, haha! This particular cemetery was very private-- I never would have known it was here! It was owned by a small group of families. One headstone (actually, an obelisk) memorialized a young man who died of diptheria and tuberculosis at the age of 22. Thank goodness for modern medicine, right?

After that, we went to the most hidden cemetery EVER... with the most interesting story to go with it! We parked on the side of a major road, right by someone's driveway. No sign of a cemetery. There was a tractor parked there, with a trailer and hay bales inside, to carry the people who were too old (or in our case, too young and too tired) to walk down the quarter-mile, densely-wooded path that was nearly invisible next to this person's driveway. If you ask either kid, this "hay ride" was the BEST part of the day, haha! It was pretty fun, actually.

As an aside-- the woman in the red shirt was talking to us as we drove down, and she looked SO familiar. It was driving me insane, because I just couldn't figure out how I knew her. I finally asked, and we figured it out-- she works at the farm stand (where we buy our milk) every Friday. So I have seen her there a handful of times-- including last week! It really was driving me crazy.

Anyway, we got to the end of the trail, and still couldn't see a cemetery. Ruth (red shirt lady) actually stood up in the hay trailer and talked about it for a while. It was the Putnam family cemetery, which is a name I had seen around town quite a bit. But two things were especially interesting. One is that the Putnams still live in town (they are like bazillionth-generation residents) and Ruth's grandchildren are among them. The second, and MORE interesting thing, is that the Putnams were key players in the Salem witch trials. After the trials were over, the remaining family members left Salem and settled in our town. You can read about Ann Putnam on this website. Crazy, CRAZY stuff! But they continued to a be a prominent family in our town, even after that. I repeat: CRAZY! We got off the trailer and hiked about 100 yards up a hill to see the very small cemetery, but the history part was just so cool!

The next cemetery I don't know much about, because that was when Maya announced that she needed to go potty. When we were in the middle of nowhere (yet surrounded by people-- nearly 50 people came out for this event!). I did get this picture moments before she made the dreaded announcement, ha!

We ended up getting in the car and driving down the road a ways, until I found a trail leading into the woods where I could take her. Yes, my girl-child went potty in the wilderness. AGAIN! Still something Nikos has yet to accomplish, haha! Anyway, we got back to the cemetery just as everyone was leaving, so we got into the caravan and headed off to the fifth cemetery. This one was not too far from our house, nestled in the trees alongside a road I travel on a regular basis. I had no idea it was there!

The presenter here was very good, and was herself a descendant of some of the people buried there. She talked about this end of town (the East end), and how it was mostly populated by Scots-Irish immigrants back in the day because 1) the English didn't want them to be involved in political decision-making (so they wanted them farther from the town hall), and 2) they were considered "expendable" (as well as good fighters), and acted as a buffer between the town and the Native Americans nearby. I've said it before and I will say it again: crazy!!

At that point, it had been over two hours and we were all pretty beat. The final stop on the tour was the farm stand where I buy our milk. When we got there, the historical society paid for everyone to have a dessert and a drink! I was shocked! We're not talking about a cookie and a cup of water... Gus and I each had a brownie sundae, and the kids each had a scoop of ice cream (from a local dairy). Other people enjoyed slices of homemade blueberry pie, apple pie, or strawberry-rhubarb cobbler. It was SO GOOD! And so perfect on this warm spring day!

While we ate, we got to talking with a few of the historical society members. As always, they knew exactly what house we were talking about, when we told them where we lived. They were very excited about it, haha! One lady told me that a Dr. DuFault used to live in our house, and that he was the head doctor for the state sanitarium nearby (which has long since closed down). I guess the historical society has made it their mission to compile histories on all the homes in town built before 1900, but they haven't gotten to ours yet (at least, she didn't think they had). But they were all so friendly, and I totally plan to pop in and check out their files sometime, to see if they have ANY information on our house. It was built in 1830, so there must be something-- old pictures, records, anything. I think it would be so neat to have the "full picture" of this house's history. I can't wait to learn more!

Anyway, it was a great day, though we were exhausted by the time we got home. We had planned to break in the new grill for dinner, but we weren't even hungry, after the amazing treats we got at the farm stand. Oh well... Tomorrow is supposed to be just as warm and beautiful as today. We will grill then!

Barbecue

I assembled a barbecue today. It was miserable! And I am GOOD at assembling things-- I do it all the time, it seems! But this little barbecue literally took me 4 hours. There were five billion little pieces, and just a bunch of poorly-drawn diagrams with no written explanations. And no labels on the parts. You get the idea. I am tired now!! But it's pretty. And I can't wait to test it!

On the plus side, the kids got to play outside the entire time I was working on it, and they had such a great afternoon! They played so nicely together, inventing games and "missions" and just generally enjoying the outdoors. I bet they will sleep well tonight!

I am literally too tired and sore to type much more, but I just wanted to share this picture really quick. I drove down the road next to our house and took this, just for fun. Compare it to the ones in my post from January 5th! Crazy!

Spring Showers

I now understand the concept of "spring showers." After living in California for 33.5 years (and Southern California for 15.5 of those), I admit that the concept was kind of foreign. But the weather lately has been rainy, and warm, and humid, and, well, really nice! I am still getting the hang of dressing for these WARM rainy days, but I will figure it out! In the meantime, I've been taking lots of pictures, since the yard is so lush and green and gorgeous, and the skies are overcast enough that the lighting isn't as harsh. A photographer's DREAM!

Also, I took a picture of these wild strawberry plants growing under our balcony tonight. They ARE strawberries, are they not?

Our day was great, but I am wiped out. We had a play date all morning, followed immediately by story hour at the library. I am making another mommy friend there, so that makes two moms there that I really talk to a lot and connect with. I love having interaction with other adults!! And the children's librarian is just about the nicest person on the planet. I love her! And then we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening enjoying the warm weather out in the yard. Oh, and I painted the powder room yesterday. Busy, as always!

P.S. Gus is asleep, but we are finally getting lightning!!! And the news says we might get hail tonight, though it looks like it will be slightly north of us. Crazy storms!!

A Few Things

1. Mouse traps REALLY hurt when they close on your finger. I learned this the hard way, when I was setting a few in the garage. Charlie killed another mouse a few nights ago (Go Charlie!), and we have since filled in the hole, but I think they were getting into the wall via the garage. So I bought a few traps and set them out there. And yeah. My finger is all purple and sore. OW!!!!

2. We pulled the trigger and made some exciting purchases today! With the weather finally getting warmer, we have been wanting to enjoy our outdoor space more. So we bought a barbecue, a fire pit, and an inexpensive patio set. Gus is very excited about the barbecue, since half of it is set up for charcoal, while the other half is propane. We're both excited about the fire pit, and can't wait to roast marshmallows with the kids, or just sit out there and enjoy it in the evenings after the kids are in bed. And the table is great, because we can either put it on the screened-in porch (which will soon actually have screens, haha!) or out on the grass where our deck will eventually go. And it breaks down nicely, too, so we can store it inside during the winter months, if we want to!

3. Speaking of the porch... we submitted that project to "Ask This Old House." It's a long shot, of course, but wouldn't it be cool if the crew came and helped us fix it up? I figure our odds are better now that we live in Massachusetts and have an old house! It seems like the sort of thing that they would pick for an on-air segment, but who knows? I will keep my fingers crossed. It has to get done at some point in the not-too-distant future, but it would be way more fun to be on TV!

4. I can't believe how green our yard is. Seriously, it's crazy! Look at these two pics... one from a few months ago, one from this evening. And there are still new plants popping out of the ground and new leaves unfurling on different trees!

5. It was rainy and warm today... I loved it! In between showers, I opened the windows and the whole house had that wonderful rainy, green-growing-things smell. Heaven!!

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope that everyone had a fantastic day!!! My day started out very nicely, with breakfast in bed (Gus' "signature meal" of cinnamon rolls and mimosas, haha!). Maya snuggled against me while I ate, which was very sweet. Eventually, I got up and went downstairs, only to find that the kids had each picked out a six-pack of flowers for our not-yet-existent garden. The plan had originally been for Gus to build me a raised bed for a vegetable garden, but he wasn't able to get it done yesterday for a variety of reasons. So I got sort of an "IOU" for my Mother's Day gift. I was a little disappointed, but am hopeful that I will get to plant my garden next weekend. Fingers crossed!

After lunch, we decided to go for a walk on the Rail Trail. It was over eighty degrees, and SO nice outside! And, believe it or not, Gus had never been on the trail before. I think he likes it! He told me I should take a picture of this, because it was so pretty. And this was before we really got far into the trail-- it gets even more beautiful!

The critters were out in force today, too! We saw a ton of frogs, including this guy:

And Gus spotted these turtles, which plunked into the water seconds after I took this picture!

We also saw a bunch of geese crossing the trail right in front of us, moving from one pond to another. Really, it was a very nice walk!

Back at home, Maya quickly fell asleep in front of the TV. I waited for a while to give her time to rest, but I really wanted an "official" Mother's Day picture with my babies. So I woke her up and, naturally, she was kind of ticked off! Which is why she is making that face in the first picture I posted. Doh! Nikos, on the other hand, was very happy and surprisingly cooperative. I took this picture after I let Maya go back inside. And besides, this is the face that made me a mommy four and a half years ago! I can't believe how much he has grown!

Anyway, I really hope that all the mommies and mommies-to-be in our lives had wonderful days. Cheers!