Marmee's Thoughts

CONDO CONDO

2007-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

Condo, Condo,
Why are you not selling?
Please why,
Why aren't you telling?
Just a clue,
I'm not a fool.
Just a small one,
Tis not any fun.
Time for a buyer,
Won't go any higher.
Tell me true,
Just right tis for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frustrations on the condo not selling. Can anyone tell? It is a really bargain now. Need to move and get on with life.

Last weekend was special. Saw my girls and their families in Connecticut as Jess & Bill's little ones were Christened. Was a very nice day. We don't see each other often enough but we do value those times more because of the sparce visits. The children had a great time on the train in the back yard. I can hardly wait to see them all again, hopefully soon, and hopefully soon in our new home.

Tommy Is "5"

2007-04-02T03:56:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend we all had in New York. It hardly seems possible that little Tommy is "5" now.

Sweet Little Tommy
Growing tall and straight
His Nana does so love him
It will forever be his fate.

I remember so well the day he was born. His mom and dad are wonderful parents and he such a terrific little guy. He has grown taller and now calls me Nana instead of Nina, but he is the same sweet adorable little guy that we all love so very much! It was so nice that all 3 of my girls and their precious families were able to attend. The youngest and the oldest grandchild were both there. Dal, now 10 and little Alana, now 3 months. What wonderful children they all are, 1 brunette, 1 red head, and "10" blondes. Must be the celtic and norwegian ancestors are pushing the blondes. It is always nice that the Landry family lets Nana ride with them. Everyone was happy and tired on the way home and we all rested up for another busy week. Easter is on the way and along with that comes the bunny too. HAPPY MONDAY!

SPRING

2007-03-24T14:04:00.000-07:00

The recent upward spirals of temperatures have prooven that spring has officially made it's arrival. This combined with the sounds of birds chirping and Nana sitting in her chair on the deck totally add to the verification. Toby and Percy were basking in the sun this afternoon as well. One can only hope that the weather forecasters with their doom and gloom forecast of 5 inches of snow tonight are totally in era. We shall only allow temperatures to dip below freezing at night in order to enhance the capture of the flow of the sweet swap from the maple trees.

We need the condo to sell and the sooner the better. My fury friends and I are looking forward to moving in to the new Landry home this summer. This condo is a wonderful home for someone who dislikes shoveling and mowing but loves the quiet and peace in this country space.
I shall miss my sweet neighbor Barb but hope that she will have a nice neighbor move in to keep her company.

Winter Weekend Fun

2007-02-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

The Cuddy family came to New Hampshire to help celebrate sweet little Brooke's 1st birthday. First they attended the "Bowfire" concert Friday night. "The best concert we ever saw", was both their happy observations after the concert. Nana and Tom hung out together and kept things very low key. The next morning we were off to enjoy Brooke's party. Everyone had a blast. We did miss Jess and her family and Andy and his. Sick little ones kept them away. Both families were sad to miss the gathering but the adults all know that with little ones and winter in combination health is always an uncertainty. Saturday night found Amanda opening tables full of pesents for her her soon to be little addition, Olivia. Amanda is bubbly and happy as usual. Susan, as always, did a terrific job of putting on a wonderful shower for her sweet daughter. The weeks meager snowstorm left just enough snow for a Sunday sledding outing. Brady and Tommy were flying down the hill on the inflatable snow tube and Dallas was showing his skills gliding down the bank on his snowboard. This weekend we have much more snow but alas they have all gone home! House hunting and showing has taken the forefront for this weekend. Hard to believe Brooke is "1"!

ICY DAY

2007-01-15T15:03:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. day...how many really do know what an incredible difference this man has made? So many do but more really should. His death was noted by many but not touched by enough. Do we really get it? Will we ever get it? There is so much that humans will never get. They could if they really tried. In order to "REALLY" try they need to know and believe. If we never make mistakes we are not trying hard enough. That seems to make it all make a little bit of sense for a moment.

A terrible ice storm has gripped New England and other parts of the country. One can only hope that all will arrive home safely to their family tonight. No snow for sledding but plenty of ice for slipping. Spending the day thinking but not really accomplishing much. Back to the grind tomorrow. Hope the driving will be better for all.

NEW YEAR'S EVE DAY

2006-12-31T10:02:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a year! What a month! Three new grandchildren this year. All girls this time. Beautiful and healthy little girls. Just spent the last couple of weeks enjoying the holidays with my growing family. All the little ones are growing and enjoyed the holidays. New little Alana is beautiful. Seeing signs of the Calhoun, Lee, and Campbell influences. She is very petite but knows how to let one know when too much noise or something else is bothering her. Jess and Billy have their hands full with three under three! They made Nana's Christmas very special this year.

The weekend before Christmas was wonderful as Andy and family came for the weekend. Beck stopped in with her family and Sarah and her family made the treck over the mountain to join us for the annual Lake family gathering.

Sister Sal is doing better now. Her terrible accident left us all shaking and scared but she is rallying back now and we hope that she continues to improve and will be 100% back before the next busy holiday season. She is a trooper.

New Year's Eve will be uneventful here but that is okay as this ole gal is no longer a party person. Probably will wake up just before the stroke of mid-night to have a small sip of bubbily and then nod off again until daylight. Dick Clark will amaze us again and provide hope for these old bone to carry onward and upward for another year. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE ONE!

2006-12-06T20:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a birthday!! The best birthday present ever arrived via a phone call from Billy tonight. I shall be forever sharing my special day with a very special new granddaughter. When I talked with Bill and Jessi the wee little one was only 4 minutes old. Not weighed in yet but doing fine. Jess sounded very tired and understandibly so. Bill assured me all were well at that point. He sounded pleased and relieved. Will wait until tomorrow to find out more details. Just so pleased that all is well. Hoping that Jess will be feeling better now. Wish I could see little Liam and Caelyn's face when they meet their new baby sister. When I didn't hear from Jess on my birthday the thought did cross my mind that she might be busy becoming a mom again. I even mentioned it to Beck and Scott when they were here. Had a very special birthday. Talked with all my children and now can turn in very happy on the 1st day of my 57th year.

THANKSGIVING

2006-11-26T10:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving weekend has come and is just about over. Spent Thanksgiving afternoon with sister, Bon, and my Mum in Chesterfield. Bon cooked a nice turkey and we had all the trimmings with it. It was very tasty. We came home with contented tummys and some turkey for sandwiches. The weather tried to throw a couple of twists into the day but to no avail as we carried forth with our plans.
Friday was a shopping day outing but, mind you not just any ordinary shopping day. Beck arranged for Bon, Brooke, herself, and I to all take a very nice chartered bus to Quincy Market to shop for the day. We had a very nice day and Brooke was truly wonderful and very tolerant of all our stops. I think she may be a future marathon shopper! She was the recipient of many returned smiles and waves as we strolled along looking at wonderous colors, lights, and folks. She certainly didn't seem to mind the day. It was a nice day for all.
Now, to end the weekend I must finish some chores. Would rather just relax but guess I have done my share of that already.

Weekend Thoughts

2006-11-12T15:04:00.000-08:00

Another weekend which yet again has flown past much too quickly. The condo was looked at but haven't heard how that went yet. Toby and Percy didn't seemed to be un-nerved at all after having strangers wandering around their space. They are such luvs.

While out passing time yesterday I did find something that I haven't seen since my offspring were small. I picked one up for Tommy and may try to go back and get 2 more sets for Liam and Brady. Color Forms...a treasure from the past will be part of their Christmas gifts from Nana this year. Not just any Color Forms mind you, "Thomas The Train" Color Forms. Other Christmas gifts have started to arrive and I need to begin my wrapping. I purchased all the wrapping supplies Thursday on my way home and am all set to begin.

Should be an interesting and very busy week at school. It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only just over a week away.

November

2006-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

November has made it's presence known. The shivers of cold have successfully cooled my bones and made me far too well aware of the time of year. Percy and Toby did find some fine sunshine to bask in the window in and even take a short scurry around the deck. The sun has made a glorious exit for the day and with it the weekend is fast leaving. It will atleast be a short week as we honor Veterans with Veteran's Day on Friday. My Dad always took part in the ceremonies honoring those who have served our country and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing so. It is truly a day that goes on without many Americans giving it the full appreciation for what it stands for. I shall try as between my Dad and my children's father I experienced in my own way what it meant to them.

Tupperware rich or Tupperware poor, that is the question. I keep getting rid of Tupperware and yet it still continues to invade my storage space. Why is it that something I haven't used in over 5 years is so hard to throw away? Well, atleast I am slowly succeeding in doing so.

Talked with all my children this weekend and that always makes me feel good. To know that they are all well and happy is all that a mother can ask. They have all made me very proud and I love them all so very much. They are afterall, my reason for being.

Catch-Up Weekend

2006-10-29T15:00:00.000-08:00

Terrible weather outside! Howling and Creeking!! Perfect for the pre-Halloween festivities. No festivity planning here...just fall resting up for another busy week. Finally managed to down load some pictures that I took last weekend of my wonderful visitors. It is always fun to look back at other past pictures taken too.

Will be a very sad week at work. Why do some have to be here such a short time? A sweet little boy will need lots of comfort as he just lost his Dad. So young to have to try to understand how cruel life can be. Hopefully he will also come to understand how wonderful and supportive his family, schoolmates, and others can be. This will be a reminder to others who have also lost someone they loved so much. We are afterall, human, and thus we shall feel the pain as well.

Looking forward to bringing Professor McGonagle back to school on Halloween. This day will help us all lighten up, atleast momentarily.

Fun Weekend With The Cuddy & Landry Fams

2006-10-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

Wonderful fall weekend with Sarah, Brian and little Tommy. Tommy loves the kittys and they are most definitely warming up to him. When we weren't observing Percy's mischevious side or trying to find Toby we were enjoying their little antics. Tommy had a wonderful train track built in the living room and we tried very hard to keep Toby and Percy from dismantling it in their frolicking. The Cuddys and Landrys all enjoyed the great "Pumpkin Festival" yesterday but Nana opted out of the multitudes of onlookers. Too bad, all the hard work of so many didn't break their own record. Hard to believe that "26,000 plus" pumpkins doesn't break a record. Boston stole our idea and of course with all their folks in that city they were able to beat our old record with over 30,000 pumpkins. Somehow it doesn't seem such a feat for them as they have so many more folks to begin with. Maybe Keene should start asking an admission fee of 1 pumpkin per family to attend the festival. I mean, afterall, they did say that over 80,000 people attended. Seems like 1 pumpkin per family would have put them over the top.

Tommy, Brady, and Brooke all had fun playing together today at Nana's home. Little Brooke is really getting around now. Brady and Tommy always have a great time playing.

Now that everyone is safe at home Nana will try to get back in the mind set of accepting that tomorrow is another work day. Oh bother!!

Busy Busy Busy

2006-10-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

This was, afterall was said and done, a productive weekend. After locking myself out of my own home yesterday I was not sure what the rest of the weekend would bring. The wind blew my door shut so fast it left me standing in disbelief. Upon hearing the loud slamming door I realized immediately that I was locked out. There I stood in disbelief and clad in a light shift with the wind and cool air laughing at me. Luckily Barb was home and let me in to use her phone. Thank goodness Beck was home and also that Scott was able to come over and let me back in. The only other way back in would have been to borrow someone's ladder and try to scale the balcony and get back in through the open slider doors. Can you imagine what the neighbors would have been thinking. Proably they would have called the local peace enforcers and they would have carted me away to the funny farm. When Scott let me back in Toby and Percy were still trying to figure out why I left them alone in the house with the sliders wide open.

I was afterall trying to be productive and empty my window boxes and straighten up the deck. In the end that was accomplished. I also managed to do my fall cleaning and prepare for a visit from the very nice real estate agent, Colleen. She came this afternoon and I have now put my lovely condo on the market. Here is hoping that all goes well with that adventure. More to come on that topic in the weeks and months to come.

Talked to my 4 wonderful grown children this weekend and they are all well. Another weekend in the books. Next weekend will be a fun one as expecting a nice visit from the Cuddy family. I do so look forward to their visits. I wish we didn't live so very far apart.

Weekend With The Cuddy Family

2006-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend found a little blue subaru and it's Nana heading over the hills and mountains thru Vermont and to New York. It was so much fun to spend time with little Tommy and his Mom and Dad. We had a nice trip to the cider mill and picked out some pumpkins. Saturday we decorated our pumpkins and helped Tom's mom to make some "Halloween Chocolate Lollipops". After a trip to the Christmas Tree store we all had a very nice lunch out. After SJ and Brian headed out to their long over due dinner theater "DATE",Tom and Nana had fun telling and reading stories. As Tom says, "Goldilocks was a naughty, naughty girl". Though we couldn't find Tommy's copy of "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Nana remembered her Dad's version well enough to relay the humorous tale.

Why is it that Vermont drivers tend to not have a care in the world, atleast when they are on the road? One has to wonder how low their blood pressure is, compared to ours of course....maybe they have something there. Nana tried very hard to try to enjoy some of the glorious fall colors on the way back over the mountains to offset some of the terrible Vermont drivers that she found very frustrating on the way home. When all was said and done the drivers didn't matter as she will always remember another wonderful time with little Tommy and his Mom and Dad.

PAINTING, PAINTING, PAINTING!

2006-10-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

The walls have been needing some painting for a while now. Finally, after hours of searching and comparing, I found the right color to touch up the walls and woodwork. Saturday morn found the rollers and brushes moving right along. As work proceeded it became clear that the color match was not perfect and touching up a small area meant having to do the entire wall. Because of a great roller which I purchased a couple of years ago it went faster than I thought it would. About a pint of paint is poured into the roller and that was a real time saver. At the same time I purchased the roller I also purchased a smaller roller with a trimmer attachment. That made painting alot less frustrating. The fact that I have had the painting equipment for a while now shows how much I was dreading the process. It was a cool day but one would not have known it by watching me drip as I painted. The best news is that it came out pretty well and I don't know why I procrastinated for so very long.

Today was closet day and I went thru my little pantry area and then headed upstairs to my winter closet. After filling three more very large bags I was able to store the air conditioner in the closet with out much ado. There is still the means to fill many more bags and I shall continue to do so. Next weekend I will be with the Cuddy family so fall cleaning and weeding out will have a weekend off. I am looking forward to watching our sweet Tommy while his mom and dad have a night out.

These old bones are telling me that this weekend has taken a toll on them. Tomorrow is bowling night and that should be a challenge. We shall see =)

Great Weekend With The Cuddy Family

2006-09-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful weekend with Sarah, Brian, and little Tommy. We all had fun at Dal's 10th birthday party and then to Tommy's delight they joined the Landry family for a fun game of golf. The snake grabbing Tom's Mom and Dad seemed more fun than scarey. This morning we all went and watched an exciting football game with our own Dal as, among other positions, quarterback. He had a good game and an especially nice pass completion to one of his receivers for a touchdown. Dal came back with us and visited for a while before his folks came and picked him up. We ate Chineses food and watched a full afternoon of baseball and football. The Red Sox won, the Patriots won. Tommy worked out and blew lots of bubbles. You couldn't ask for much more. They have just started their long journey back and I shall miss them but am very greatful for the time we had together.

This Nana would like to include a picture but will have to wait until tomorrow night to do that. There is still another game to get in tonight.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2006-09-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Today prooves to be a true football day. The NFL is in full swing and Dallas has another game. I will miss Dal's game as it is too far away for Nana to go. I will however soak up some couch time and catch some NFL games. Of course, I always having Toby and Percy to watch. They are the best tacklers any team could have. Toby would be a great running back and Percy the best tackler.

Yesterday was a good day to catch some rays and I really couldn't pass that up. Between football plays I will probably try to catch a few more today. Really looking forward to next weeknend with the Cuddy family. Surely do miss seeing them more often. Dal's birthday will mean a visit and time to catch up. We all might even get to see one of his games on Sunday. Can hardly wait for next weekend!!

LABOR DAY

2006-09-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Another long Labor Day Weekend in the books. Nothing exciting happening this year. Remembering years past when our family hosted the Lake family barbecue and swim fest. Usually about 30 Lake family members showed at Sunnybrook to enjoy Dad's burned weiners, yummy burgers, steak, and many assorted salads and a large variety of beverages. The canoe came out and had another few more trips around the pond. The badminton net somehow miraculously stayed up and croquet balls were recovered many times after being hit over the front knoll into the blackberry bushes. Some even enjoyed a September swim. Everyone left tired but having had a good time. Some were sporting sunburns and mosquito bites but no one seemed to really mind. We celebrated sweet Sarah's birthday and had a wonderful time.

Grammy Lee was able to be at many of these summer ending events. Somehow they were never the same for me without my sweet Grammy. She was not just "My Grammy" but my very best and dearest friend in the world. My boss watches me at work apologize to Gram each time I have a bad thought or say something that I think inappropriate and Gram would never have said. She even apologizes to her now as well. I miss her everyday of my life and always will. My best friends now are my children. I am so grateful that all my children grew up knowing their very special Grammy Lee and will have her memory to comfort them and share with their children.

2006-09-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Kind of a dull and cool day. Took the lousy weather to watch a new DVD, "Courage Mountain", and to bake a meatloaf and some baked potatoes. Enjoyed that as I plugged in another new DVD, "Christmas With The Cranks". Will watch the rest of that movie later. Percy and Toby were arguing for lap time so decided to come enter a tid bit in ye ole blog. Hope tomorrow brings a little more energy as there are a couple of tasks calling my name.

Almost There

2006-08-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

One more day and then a nice long weekend. Hoping to relax and recoup from an exciting yet exhausting first few days of school. It is nice to have all our kiddos back but was and extreme amount of work this year. New computer data program made it difficult as it wasn't ready to go soon enough. This made it very stressful for the school office people to get needed materials ready. True troopers though as we all made it happen. They are lucky to have such dedicated and capable folks on board.

Had dinner with the younger Landry grandchildren last eve. Beck made us noodles and we had ice cream for dessert. Brady misted all Nana's deck plants and Brooke enjoyed following Percy and Toby around. Nana talked Beck's ear off as she tends to chatter alot when she is tired. Dal and his Dad were at football practice. No game this weekend so hopefully the Landry family will get a chance to relax and enjoy each others company this first weekend in September.

Mailed my loving younger daughter a nice birthday package today. Hoping she will receive it by her birthday. I only wish I could be there to help her enjoy her day.

Now Percy and Toby get a little TLC before we all turn it.

Saturday & Sunday With The Landry Family

2006-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last night was a busy night with the Landry children. Little Brooke becomes more and more beautiful with each passing day. Sweet Brady is just a love. Thank goodness Dallas was there to help Nana when Brady became upset because Brooke kept messing up his train track and wanting to eat his trains. Vanilla ice-cream with jimmies and chocolate sauce made everything all better.

Today was the first football game of this season for Dallas. We all watched in eager anticipation of what was to become an exciting and successful game for Dal.
After beginning the game as the kicker and starting quarterback he went on to help lead his team to a tie. As the announcer said at the end of the game, "You don't usually see this good a game this early in the season". It was a good game. Dallas ran in an extra point after a touchdown and had him self a great run for a touchdown as well. He had several nice runs as well as kicks. His parents, siblings, and grandparents were all in attendance and cheering the team on. Brady wasn't too sure what was going on and Brooke really looked very displeased at all the noise coming from the announcer's box as well as all the hooting and hollaring going on.

Well, Nana needs a little nap before she gets ready for a very busy week!

Saturday Reflection

2006-08-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

This saturday is the last Saturday before the new school year begins. The teacher were back last week and the students will return Wednesday. There is always more to do but enough is done to forge ahead and welcome them all in.

Tonight I will be watching the Landry little ones. This time I shall have big brother Dal to help. He shall need to get a good nights sleep for his big football game tomorrow. I shall need a good nights sleep to be ready for next week.

Monday night will be the first night that I have bowled in a league in atleast a couple of years. Will give it a whirl and see how it goes. Not a do or die league but one that enjoys bowling and friendship. I shall do my best.

2006-08-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Nana is feeding the Landry family guinea pig for a couple days. After feeding the little one this morning I stopped at the cemetary in town and cut back alot of the greenery around Angela's headstone. There was way too much growth and it had overtaken the stone. I also drove by Sunnybrook. There are another couple of new houses on the road. There is even a 2 story brick home pond-side. Seems a little over the top but to each their own. Not quite the same as when we lived there for 30 years, but given all it has not changed to the point where it is non-recognizable.

I am taking a vacation day today. The teachers are "due" back Thursday. Most of them have been in and out alot the last couple of weeks. I still have much to do to get ready for students as we have a new data program for students and staff and they are still tweeking some of the templates. Chomping at the bit as I am usually so organized and when others are not and it holds me back I get very frustrated. Time to retire and as soon as I can I shall.

2006-08-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

2006-08-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Fiday night I finished Shiloh's baby afghan. I washed and dried it Saturday. Today I took a couple of pictures of the finished peice to add to my blog. Percy didn't seem to mind me crocheting but Toby continually tried to help....uhm...big help! We finally finished though and it did come out nicely. I will try to post a picture of it along with a few pictures which I took of Brooke and Brady this week when they came over.

Percy and Toby are such terrific little fellows. Toby is the little one as Percy is actually rather large for a house cat. His disposition is much more mellow than Toby so they really offset each other well. There are times when the folks on either side of my condo must think I am raising racing rhinos and not little fury cats. Toby loves to entice Percy until he can't stand it any longer and has to run and chase him around the wall between the kitchen and the living room until one colapses or comes to a halt by running into the wall. They are really very entertaining.

It does give one comfort to realize that their pets are on duty guarding the homefront during the night. This morning as I reached the bottom of the stairs by the kitchen door my heart did a quick skip as I realized there was an abnormal dark shadow on the floor. At first I suspected possibly a leaf managed to find its way in. Upon closer examination my heart fluttered again as I saw that a little field mouse had come to his demise by my fury friends. I do love my 2 little guys!

Brady Loves Corn On The Cob

2006-08-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight Rebecca, Brady, and Brooke had dinner with Nana, Percy, and Toby.
Scott had a softball game and Dallas football practice. Nana found out today that Dallas is the starting quarter back for his team, The Mighty Knights. Brooke was under the weather today with a fever. She never complained but the thermometer told another story. The doctor said not to worry but it is hard not to. She is such a beautiful little red head. Brady watered Nana's deck plants and did such a nice job. He also decorated his Mom's new van with some of Nana's deck Basil =) Time to call it a day and try to stay ahead tomorrow.

Another Day Closer To A New School Year

2006-08-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

It seems no matter how hard I work each year to make a smoother entrance to the new school year there is always a road block somewhere to slow it down and thwart my efforts. I am ready but the new programs are not...oh blah, blah, blah! This to shall pass and we shall open on time and all will be well. Oh but a better way to thwart the invaders, but, alas I have not conquered there diabolical ways yet.

The good news is that Percy had his check up with his new down-to-earth vet and he is well. Dr. Donna tells me that the average cat weighs in at 7 to 10 pounds. Mr. Percy, the heavy-weight contender, weighed in at 11.7 pounds. He is just a major kitty load of love.

Nana & Brooke

2006-08-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

A summer weekend spent relaxing with Toby and our new pal Percy.
Just what we needed.

Talked with Sarah and Andy this weekend. Sarah and little Tommy are using their artistic talents well. The little kitty, mice, and bowl they made came out nicely.

Andy and Kara state that their new little daughter Shiloh is doing very well and all the children are over-joyed as well as in awe of her. Little Bea is helping to mother her already. Hope to take a trip with Aunt Bonnie to see them all soon.

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

2006-08-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ye ole Marmee today, Sunday, August 13th, 2006, joins the world of "Bloggers".
Never thought it would happen? Well, just goes to show that one is never too old to learn new tricks and to get with the program.