Girl Tripping To The End!

 It's been a really fun and adventuresome 8 days for our little girl trip crew.  We finished our last full day in Portland, Maine on Thursday and a half day while Midge was in dialysis, on Friday.  The weather has been warm but only a few showers one evening.  The food has been great, and Amy and Katie did a fabulous job of driving between here and Maine and back with side trips to Niagra Falls, Boston, and Salem, Mass. The weather turned perfectly cool and not humid on Friday, and we did get some final shopping done in comfort.  I brought home just a few souvenirs.  Some hand painted oyster shells, lobster magnets, books, Christmas ornaments, the mandatory sweatshirt with Maine across the front, and even a broom kit from Salem! Jack got a couple of items that I brought home for him.  He's not a tee shirt, sweatshirt dude so Maine wild blueberry jam and a figurine of a boyscout for him.   I collect those Lori Mitchel figurines and had never seen one of a boyscout but since Jack was a leader in scouts for 30yrs I thought it would be fun to get him one. (Maybe it was a little for me too? Ha!)  After Midge got out of dialysis around 2:30pm we headed for home with a stop in Syracuse, NY for the night.  That drive was a nightmare!  I swear the whole state of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York were on the road with us.  So much traffic. I'm from Chicago and have driven in big cities but this was ridiculous and tiring.  We should have gotten to Syracuse by 8:30pm but rolled in around 11. Whew! After a good night's sleep, we were off for home yesterday.  Thankfully the weather was great and no traffic problems.  We made it to the Pines around 2:30. Then the girls wanted to visit our cute downtown and check out some more shops.  We then had an early dinner and came back to make our broom kits into cute brooms.  Jack said we looked like a witch's coven putting those together. Very funny hunny!  A remark like in the 1600's would have gotten us burned at the stake!

When we were in Salem we had matching T-shirts that said; 'There's a little bit of witch in all of us"  I thought they were cute and was happy the girls liked them and wore them for the day.

Not to be out done we wore matching T-shirts with lobsters on them for our full day in Maine. We got lots of comments about those from folks wanting to know where we got them because they wanted some.  Again, they were cute!

We hit a few beaches.  Not really to swim, just see the ocean, wet our feet and grab some shells.  I always look for heart shaped rocks and found a couple there.  Midge found some smooth rocks to take home to paint. She's turning into quite the artist these days.

She's been taking a watercolor class and is going to try and do one of this lighthouse.  

Ella finding treasures and Midge enjoying the water. Notice the fog in the background? We were going to take a boat tour/whale watch, but it was cancelled due to fog.

Maine 25.  I guess you could say we hit that trip running!

You get 3 guesses to know where we are here..the first 2 don't count!

We had to stop by and say hi to George Bush since we were in the neighborhood.  He didn't even invite us in!  Talk about prime real estate! 

We are such tourists!

We bid a fond farewell to the streets of Portland tourist trap...I mean, area.  Thanks Maine! It was a wonderful trip, and I would love to go back one day and travel more up the coast. It's on the list!

Before I forget, here's our brooms. Midge made a big one...she has to fly farther than me I guess! I made mine small to fit on a spot on my kitchen fireplace. (Those matchy matchy shirts were not planned. Great minds thinking alike?)

We sure had fun and this morning when the gang took off for Chicago and their homes there were a few tears and lots of hugs and "I'll miss yous!"  Not sure when we'll be gathering again but thanks Midge, Katie, Amy, Ella, and Brooke.  I was happy to tag along!

They made it home this afternoon safe and sound and full of souvenirs, car snacks, laughs, and lots of memories! Love you guys!

It's Bewitching!

 Our girl trip adventure took us to a place i was reallt looking forward to. 

I would ask for guesses as to the destination but I already mentioned it before.  Salem, Massachusetts was on the list and we checked it off! This is a statue to Elizabeth Montgomery who played Samantha in the TV series Bewitched.  However,

Salem is a town full of history that isn't all about witches. The witch trials are an unfortunate part of the town's past but we took a tour that gave us a good Salem history lesson. It's a mariner town and the people here are very proud of that.

They have beautiful harbors.  The ship in the background is being refurbished. It's 400yrs old.  But what most of the tourist here are looking for is the witch history lesson. Salem brings in the curious and odd from all over to hear the stories of how gossip, speculation, and total untrue accusations brought terror and death to the innocent.

The witch memorial and cemetery was a humbling, almost spiritual experience. 

So sad.

I enjoyed taking a quiet walk through this cemetery that had graves that date back to the Mayflower.  As my niece, Amy, walked by the grave of the judge who sentenced the innocent to death, her ankle starting hurting and she

had trouble walking. Once past his grave she

felt fine. Hmmm..I report, you decide. Besides this part of Salem the movie Hocus Pocus has a fan base with houses that were used in making the movie.

If you've watched the movie you know this house. Any guesses? Very pretty in real life. We left Salem with a better understanding of this part of American history, some cute souvenirs, a yummy lunch on the harbor and a very bewitching day!

Girl Trip

Saturday my sister, Midge, my nieces Amy and Katie, their daughters,  Brooke and Ella arrived at the Pines. We celebrated Brooke's 19th birthday that night.

The #9 had a little accident! Sunday morning we piled into Amy's van and we took off for a road trip to Maine. We stopped first at Niagara Falls so the kids could see them .

After lunch we headed to Albany, New York for the night. The weather took a stormy turn.

Katie did a fabulous job of driving through that and getting us to the hotel safe and sound. A van full of us gals is full of crazy stories, lots of laughs, snacks and a few naps. It was pretty quiet through that part though! Monday we loaded up again and decided to stop in Boston and check it out. So dang crazy! Worse traffic than Chicago for sure. 

Sorry, all out of tea! Then it was full speed ahead to Portland, Maine. After getting settled we left Brooke at the hotel for a virtual college class and we went to dinner.

Pretty view from our outside table.

Me, Midge, Ella, and Amy. Katie was snapping the pic. We did bring food for Brooke to enjoy after her class.

Lobster roll anyone?

Oh bouy!  Thats all for now.  Tomorrow we're going to spend the day in Salem, Massachusetts.  Bye until the next adventure!

Family Celebrations

 Many families gather in the summer to have a family reunion.  It can be a time to reconnect with cousins, aunts and uncles, siblings and so on.  Our family hasn't done that in a while.  We've had gatherings for funerals..my mom's and my brother Greg's. Those occasions of sadness can be made more joyful by the sharing of memories and the support and love of those of us left to carry on.  But don't we all prefer the happiness of a great party instead?  Well, last weekend we traveled to Chicago to have a joyous gathering of family and friends at my sister's home.  She went above and beyond, with the help of her kiddos, to make it really wonderful.  Even the weather cooperated! Rain was forecast but the sunshine won out! It was a 2-day event.  Friday, we had Mexican night (although none of us are Mexican! We just love the food!)  and Saturday was Greek day and night! And we are Greek and also enjoy that food!  We had about 100 or more attend. 
The first night the food was catered but Saturday my sister and I made most of the grub with part of it bought from a Greek restaurant.  Many of the family brought desserts, and appetizers, and drinks.  So, we all shared a part as we all also have a part we play in a family. Tribute was paid to past generations in the form of photos, memories shared and even some things that were given to anyone who wanted them.  Those "things" were in the form of written family history books that were done by my sister for a reunion many years ago.  There were blankets that were made by my grandmother when she was a young person in Greece.  Those blankets finally found a home to those who wanted a little bit of family history and I'm sure my mom and her mom were smiling from above to know they were going to good homes! Here's just a few pics of those days.  I have more on my "real" camera but have to find a way to get the SD card printed.  Anway, as always just a glimpse of our fun!

My sister's new pool got a cute new deck built by her son, Bill.  It was well used by the kids on that hot weekend.  Even a few of us adults enjoyed a dip in it after the kids were gone!

Bill also built this little bar area.  It was a great shady place to sit until the splashing began.

Tables with umbrellas were set up in the yard but on the driveway a big tent and enough tables and chairs to sit 100 was the place to be to enjoy all the food.

This was taken before all the decorations were up.  We had decorations for Friday that had a Mexican theme and then redid it all for Saturday for a Greek theme! I'll have to get my other pics done to show that transformation.  My nieces really did a great job of putting all that together.

Here's shot from a different angle with Annabelle checking it all out.

My niece Katie is a police officer and this is Bandit, the police station comfort dog.  He and Annabelle had a cute little greeting.  Reunions aren't just for humans I guess!

Jack holding the trusty level and my nephew Eric. They had to level the port-a-potty.  Hey, with 100 or more folks, it's a must have! Worked well with all the kiddos!

Hi Ella!

Midge's yard looks so cute and festive. She really did a good job of making it a special time for everyone.

Even a cute blue and white stripe cabana for changing!

Our son Craig and his older brother, Jack. Let the gathering begin!

My hubby Jack talking with my brother, Jim. Nice hat James!

My brother, Phil and the back of his wife, Cilla.

Our son Jordan and his girlfriend, Brittany and her little girl, Hailey.

Lots of kids in the front yard playing volleyball. We even had a band playing Friday night but I couldn't get the video to load here.  Oh well, it was loud and fun anyway!

These are just little snipits of our fun weekend with family and friends.  It was so well put together and a truly great time.  My sister even put together baskets of goodies for everyone who was staying in a hotel.  She's amazing.  Thanks sis for the best reunion ever!

Speaking of hotel...Annabelle enjoyed her stay too! I think we wore her out!  I hope everyone had a great July 4th.  Ours was quiet but nice.  Annabelle wasn't fond of the neighbors having their own fireworks but thankfully that's all done now! 

Lighting Bugs Delight

 I posted last time on 6/12 so posting on 6/21 has me in reverse!  Being in reverse has me thinking of the past.  Summer has arrived full force at the Pines.  Our temps have hit the 90's along with humidity that makes the hair frizz.  We are blessed with A/C to keep us comfy.  Our son has a pool that he welcomes us if we want to take a swim. Tomorrow will bring some relief as rain arrives in the evening.  We're heading to Chicago on Wednesday for a family reunion this coming weekend.  What does all this have to do with the past?  Well, last night I let Annabelle out for a final pee run around 10pm.  I stood on the deck and felt the warm breeze and saw a light show from the lighting bugs, (or maybe you call them fireflies?)  As a kiddo I remember summer nights like that with warm, humid air that didn't seem to bother us and oh those lovely lighting bugs!  Out would come the old mayo jars or whatever we had, to catch them and watch them light up. Gross boys would smear them on their shirts to glow in the dark! Yuck! That memory brought back memories of the folks sitting on the front porch chatting with a neighbor or else my Aunt and Uncle who lived across the street while we played in the yard or across the street in an empty lot that became our baseball field of dreams.  Always a game being played or hopscotch on the road.  Not many cars came down our street then and riding bikes or playing in the road was OK. Dark time brought ghosts in the graveyard games or maybe statue maker.  The boys in the hood used to tease me that the bats flying in the sky would fly into my hair and get all tangled up in it! Scared me enough to head for home! (Probably that was their intent!) One of the older boys bet me I couldn't hop up the front cement stairs of his house on one foot. I said I sure could! Not only that, but I could also do it on one foot with my eyes closed.  And I did the hop but missed the stair and hit my head and ended up in the emergency room with stitches. Another story for another day!  I think I was in the ER more than my 4 brothers ever were!  Hot days running through a sprinkler, drinking from the hose, not coming home until the 6 o'clock fire whistle when off and we had to head home for dinner only to head out again until we were called in for the night. We didn't have A/C in our home, but that old GE oscillating fan was a welcome relief.  Mom and Dad eventually got an air conditioner in their bedroom and us kids would camp out on really steamy nights.  I was blessed with good friends, a safe neighborhood, a good family, and lots of good memories that come quietly and sweetly on a hot humid night as I'm back to my future with lighting bugs to greet me at the Pines. 

Sweer dreams all!

Swoon For June

 After a fairly cold and snowy winter and a fairly wet and chilly Spring, we are almost at the Summer Solstice and the brightest day of the year.  If Summer is your heart season, then you are probably loving the hot days and maybe that humidity too.  Me? Well, if you follow me regularly you know I'm a Fall lover but working in the garden, fresh picked tomatoes, farmer's markets and some travel has me enjoying this season just a little.  Work has been sporadic.  We've lost some physicians due to retirement or just moving on to bigger and greener pastures.  Rural hospitals can have a hard time recruiting young docs. Even though we're owned by University Hospitals of Cleveland, we still need docs down here in Amish country! So, with that in mind, I'm finding that I'm only working about 2 days a week or even just one day in a 2 week pay period.  But you know what?  I'm not complaining about that!  Jack and I find adventures to go on and lots of work to do here at the Pines.  I sleep later and enjoy that more! We're getting ready for a family reunion in Chicago at the end of June and then my sister, 2 nieces, and 2 great nieces, are going to Maine in July.  We invited Jack to come too but he decided he'd rather stay here with Annabelle and he and I take a trip East another time. Smart guy to avoid all us gals. Should be a fun trip but lots of driving. My sister has to get her dialysis in between so we're working on that schedule, and we only have a week.  Yep, Jack is probably the winner here instead of a fast road trip.   So, helping with the reunion plans from here and doing what I can has kept us busy.  Here's a few pics of life at the Pines this June so far:

My climbing roses are blooming.  I have a new one on the other side that's doing well but too small to see in this pic.  Hmm....pergola seems to have a little lean going on? 

Even the weeds in the Creepy Woods put on a pretty show.  However, all that walking in the wilds, and planting and mulching leads me to a nasty spider bite.  I get these about every other year.  I really need to wear long pants when gardening.

Ouch!  After an antibiotic and cortisol cream, I'm happy to report all is well. Dang bugs.

One of the nice things about a cool evening is a fire in the pit.  It was a lovely evening the other day and a fire was a nice way to end the day.  

I made a new to me Greek recipe called kalitsounia.  It's made with feta and ricotta cheese and eggs and some fresh mint. I wrapped the mixture in puff pastry in a muffin tin.  I took them to a church social and everyone seemed to like them.  They look cute too!

I decorate for the summer holidays like Memorial Day and also July 4th.  I found that picnic basket at a thrift shop on my trip to Chicago last month.  I think it's found a new home here!

One of my pleasures is walking with Annabelle and she always like to stop and say hello to her buddy next door...little Beano the Alpaca.  He comes to the fence every time he sees her.  Too cute.  Finally, this month has had me getting some pics made from slides to put on posters at the reunion.  This following pic is one that sure brought back some memories and makes me smile.  Me, Midge, and my brother, Jim.  Midge and Jim are only a year apart and could have passed for twins back then.

Midge has always hated her picture to be taken, even as a little kiddo so seeing her full on laugh here makes me love this even more.  Photos are a quick second caught in time that can bring smiles, or tears, but mostly memories.  My son Craig and my daughter-in-law Amy went to Europe for a few weeks to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.  My parents went to Europe to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary back in the early 70's.  He wondered if there were any pics of them on that trip that he and Amy could stop and take a shot at the same place.  Well, while looking at slides I found only one.  It's of my Mom standing by the Eiffel Tower. So, Craig did this:

 

I guess he did a google search from her photo to get the same spot.  There was a fence blocking him from getting any closer, but I know my Mom would have really loved this photo.  Moments captured in time.  This did bring a smile seeing Craig, and a wonderful memory of my Mom.  Thanks Craig! Love it!  Yep, just one of the things that makes me swoon for this June!