KIDDIE POOL!!
Only a month after our last snow, it got into the 80s here on Memorial Day so Frank ran to the store for a kiddie pool for the little ones. Boy oh boy, were they happy!! …
From The Home Office
THREE GRADUATES!
Last Saturday, I held fast to a pile of tissues while we sat the nosebleed section of the civic center, watching our two oldest children graduate from college... …
10 Days of Rain
My mom, who lives in Texas, sent me a picture of her pond last week. It's almost gone, looking more like a large mud puddle than a sanctuary for sweaty farm animals. It's certainly not something their horses or even the local deer will be able to drink from much longer. In Maine, we have quite the opposite problem. Farmers are worried their crops will be ruined by all the rain we've been having. Whenever the sun does manage to peek out, we rush the children outside for some much-needed fresh air and Vitamin D, knowing they'll be stuck inside for days on end once another band of clouds approaches. The current forecast is another 10 days of rain...and the forecast only goes out that far so there could be more... …
Backwards Snowbirds? – Part II
I wanted to thank everyone who wrote in with opinions on safe (and unsafe) cities in Florida! I've made a list of the recommended city names that were sent in... …
BACKWARDS SNOWBIRDS?
A month ago, I wrote that we were considering becoming snowbirds, traveling to Florida in the winter. We are now seriously considering relocating to Florida and then RVing to the Northeast during the hot summer months. Why? Maine is absolutely gorgeous and we love it here. Unfortunately, the income taxes are ridiculous. Add in Maine's death tax (which can destroy a small family business), and the fact that Frank is graduating from high school next month, and it sure seems all signs are telling us to become backwards snowbirds... …
M’s Surgery
M's surgery was last Wednesday. He is recovering comfortably at our home. The first thing the surgeon (M's new orthopedist) said after the surgery was, "I sure wish I'd seen him two months ago. I could have done more for him." …
In Portland for M’s Surgery
I'm writing this on Tuesday afternoon. M's surgery is tomorrow. If all goes well, he should be released sometime later that afternoon. We're going to head back to Bangor immediately while he's still a bit woozy from the anesthesia. You see, at this time of year in Maine, the results of the frost heave are quite evident. There are huge cracks and potholes everywhere, making for a very bumpy ride. When we lived in Texas, we didn't have frost heave and I thought the term referred to men up north who drank too much on cold nights. Anyway, if we get a hotel room after the surgery, not only would M have to navigate his walker on sidewalks and in the hotel lobby and hallways, but he would also feel the bumps in the road far more the following day. Ali is driving in tonight from Bangor after she finishes her last class. Richard will stay in the hotel room tomorrow with Max and Mason while Ali and I sit nervously in the surgical waiting room at the hospital. M is, understandably, very nervous. He's never had surgery before. I told him it'll be a breeze. The doctors and nurses have to do all the work, the family has to wait and worry for hours, and he just gets to sleep. ;) This Week's Masonism: "Mom, I'm almost five. I need a job." Hugs to all Angela …
Hack, Cough, and FLOWERS!
It's definitely the flu season here. My neighbor said a local retirement home was discouraging visitors last week because so many of their residents were ill. Richard caught something last week, and then Mason got it, and then Max, and now me. I was sick two months ago and I coughed for so long (6 weeks) that they sent me for a chest xray, and put me on an inhaler. I tell ya, 10 days on that inhaler did the trick! However, I finished the inhaler just a week ago and now I'm sick again. Oh joy. …
SNOWBIRDING – PROS AND CONS?
Last Friday, on April Fool's Day, we got another 14 1/2 inches of snow. Sure, I go on and on about the glorious snow around Christmastime but it gets REALLY OLD this time of year! While my friends down south are talking about planting their gardens, we're still dodging falling icicles... …
Mischievous Mason
Only a month ago, I told you about Mason (age 4) logging into ebay.com and buying stuffed animals for himself. Just last week, I told you about Mason terrifying us when he hid under the kitchen table, resulting in a phone call to 9-1-1. I probably should have given birth to this one when I was MUCH YOUNGER! Anyway, Mason doesn't yet *appear* to understand the concept of money, or buying, or anything like that. However, I think he may be practicing selective comprehension because he definitely does understand which buttons he needs to push on an iPad or iPhone with the end result being the mailman delivering a box to him... …
Mason’s Vanishing Act
Last Friday, it was 60 degrees here in Bangor, Maine, the warmest day we've had in four or five months. Despite the mud, all the kids went outside to play, including our adult kiddos. I was working in the living room on my laptop, and getting quite a bit done due to the quiet, when Max (age 9) ran in and said, "Is Mason in here?" "WHAT?!" I squawked. "NO! WHERE IS HE?!" Max said, "We don't know!"... …
ACCIDENT UPDATE – We Have NO Idea What Is Going On…
As most of you know, our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision a month ago. For their privacy, I am referring to them as "A" and "M" when writing about the accident. The last installment of the story is HERE. We have been quickly losing confidence in A and M's orthopedist (Ortho #1), and desperately trying to get a new orthopedist (Ortho #2). Over the past month, Ortho #1 has told us she did not need surgery, she might need surgery, and, most recently (seven days prior), that it was too late for surgery. This past Monday, he scheduled a surgery date for her... …
Update on Accident Recovery + Pictures
As most of you know, our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision three weeks ago. For their privacy, I am referring to them as "A" and "M" when writing about the accident... …
A Mysterious Stuffed Animal Purchase?!
I received an email the other day that I suspected was an error. It was an invoice for a purchase made on my eBay account. I logged into my account and discovered it was not an error after all. Our youngest son, Mason (age 4), LOVES Shrek and the invoice was for a 27-inch stuffed Shrek doll... …
Kids Recovering From Head-On Collision
In case you missed it, last week we only published a News From the Home Office column because our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision. You can read the story HERE. I am once again not publishing their names for their own privacy. A's boyfriend, M, has more extensive injuries, with the broken foot, ankle, and ribs... …
CAR ACCIDENT
Our daughter and her boyfriend were in a head-on collision on Monday night. They are expected to recover but we have been in the hospital with them all week. I have changed their names below for their own privacy.…
Percy’s Dislocated Kneecap
Early Monday morning, our dog, Percy, started screaming. Ali and I both heard the racket and followed his yelps to the boys' room... …
The Case of the Stolen Tooth!
Poor Zach (age 24) developed a toothache last week. We took him to our dentist, who said all his wisdom teeth needed to come out... …
What To Do… What To Do…
Being stuck in the "home office" for weeks at a time during Maine's harsh winters can be pretty...depressing. On Sunday night, we were under a wind chill advisory, with the "chills" dipping to -30 to -40 F... …
No Ice, Please!
We received another 6 inches of snow last week and we're supposed to get a small ice storm tonight. Ug... …
Short Escape Before the Storm
We love snow around Christmastime but, once January's frigid temperatures set in and we are all homebound for weeks on end, the snow starts to get old really fast... …
What I Made for My Mom
We all recovered from the Christmas Stomach Bug. All but four of us caught it by the time if flew from our house and, undoubtedly, into somebody else's. This week, I wanted to show the you gift I needle felted for my mom for Christmas. I couldn't show it to you until now because she'd have definitely peeked... …
The Christmas Bug!
Caleb was sick on the 23rd with a stomach bug. I obsessively santized the house and, over and over again, but to no avail. Max woke up with it on Christmas morning. I took pictures of him opening his presents in bed. By mid-afternoon, Frank was sick and Rita and I succumbed by bedtime. On Sunday night, Zach was down for the count and Kimia (Caleb's girlfriend) sent me a text that she had it as well. Nobody has gotten sick since then so we are hoping everybody else in the house is immune. We had to postpone our Boxing Day party, of course. As I'm typing this on Monday, we are getting the big blizzard that's all over the news (14 inches by noon) and Ali is cooking a gourment meal for us in the kitchen while the adults are watching comedies in the living room, next to the Christmas tree. The Boxing Day party will be tomorrow and we're looking forward to a rip-roarin' good time! This week's Maxism: "Does Santa put hidden cameras in kids' rooms to see if they're naughty or nice?" Hugs to all! Angela …
Christmas Culinary Delights!
As I am writing this while sitting next to our Christmas tree, Ali (a Culinary Arts major) is in the kitchen making Chili Candied Nuts, Peppermint Bark and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I'm going to need pants with an elastic waist after this week! (Oh, wait...I'm already wearing some...) We're supposed to have a snowstorm on Wednesday and Richard's dad and step-mom are arriving on Thursday night. We really need that snow because the children are SO excited about taking Grampa and Rita sledding! We will have almost 20 people here on Christmas and our living room will be bursting. We are all soooo excited! I have a Masonism for you this week. Mason started having a fit in the bathroom the other day because he saw a fly there (he is terrified of flies). Having been down this road before, I went into the bathroom to conquer the big, bad bug. I looked high and low, but didn't see a fly while Mason kept pointing and saying, "He's over there! He's over there!!" While I was looking, I noticed the dog's water bowl was running low so I started filling it up in the sink. Mason shrieked, "Why are you making him a pool?!" We want to wish all of you a very peaceful, loving and FUN Christmas and Kwanzaa! :) Hugs to all! Angela, Richard and the entire WritersWeekly clan …
Wrapping Paper Cuts!
Our daughter, Ali, has always helped me with the wrapping at Christmastime. However, she's double-majoring AND in the middle of finals so she isn't really available right now. So, I've been spending any spare moment I can sorting gifts (out-of-town vs. other) and wrapping... …
Endless Uploading…
I've been spending my evenings painstakingly uploading more than 400 photos to Qoop.com, where I order our family photo books each year. After I upload, I must then type captions underneath each one and I try to be a bit witty...on a few of them at least. Those photo books can be pretty expensive (more than $25 each) but the grandparents sure seem to like 'em. I've also been working on a homemade gift for my mother. I won't be able to tell you what it is until after the holidays because she makes weekly comments about WritersWeekly. I figure that means she reads it. I've posted articles in the past about inexpensive holiday gifts you can make at home. If you're interested, see THIS LINK. I have a Masonism for you this week. This morning, Mason (age 4) hollered at me from the bathroom, "Mommy! I can make pee bubbles!" Hugs to all! Angela …
The Christmas Countdown Has Begun!
We pulled the decorations out of the basement on Friday and, by Sunday night, everything was up, including the tree and the outdoor lights. I always forget how which cords go with which lighted wreath outside so the puzzle must be re-solved year after year. And, each year, I swear I'm going to label those suckers... …
Thank YOU!!!
Today, we are thankful for each of you, our readers. It's a true blessing to have so many online friends. I enjoy the friendships and the comaraderie we all share and it's comforting to know that, if I need anything at all, I can fire off an email to my online friends, and receive an almost instant reply! So, thank YOU!!! :) …
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!
In order to more enjoy my December, I have decided to try to get my shopping done earlier this year. Last Sunday, I spent the entire day on my laptop, shopping online. I try to buy non-China-made items whenever I can and I also try to support artists. …
MEOW! THUMP THUMP THUMP…
I woke up last night because Zach, our oldest, had the TV on too loud downstairs. I didn't want to wake up the little ones so I didn't run on the front hall light as I headed for the stairs, intent on reprimanding Zach. I was walking down the stairs in the dark and, in a flash, heard a loud "MEOW!!!"... …
From Holiday to Holiday to Holiday…
The nice thing about this time of year is that there's always something to look forward to when something else has ended. On Sunday night, the boys were sad at bedtime because Halloween was over. I reminded them that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and, after that, Christmas will be upon us as well. When I asked if they wanted to help me make a funny turkey yard decoration for Thanksgiving, they were all smiles again... …
Pumpkin Harvest!
Awhile back, I was posting weekly pictures of our pumpkins, Monster, Half-Pint, Tiny and Punk. Last Sunday, with tears, Max harvested three of his four pumpkins. Surprisingly, Punk (the orange wart pumpkin) is still on a live vine. The three white pumpkins were on dried vines, and starting to attract slugs. The four pumpkins are the biggest we've ever grown and they are now being proudly displayed by Max in our living room. He does NOT want to carve them, however. He wants to go to a local farm and buy pumpkins for carving. He can't bear to cut into his babies. Isn't that sweet? :) Here's Max with three of his babies. Below that is a picture of Punk.
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Halloween Count Down!
Max and Mason are giddy with excitement, counting down the days until Halloween. Max has his own horror dolls and other creepy characters displayed on his desk. Mason (age 4) gives the desk a wide berth when he passes by... …
Fall’s Last Hurrah!
Our good friends Scott and Kelly left last Wednesday. On Thursday, we packed up the RV and drove to the KOA in Bar Harbor for one last Fall hurrah... …
More Guests Arrive!
Our friends Scott and Kelly chose to spend their honeymoon in Bangor this week, after getting engaged here last year. Romance is in the air! They allowed us to infringe on their time and we've had a fun week doing lots of driving and leaf-watching. We went to Cadillac Mountain (where they got engaged) and we even spent a night in Boothbay Harbor. Here are a few pictures from our fun week:
Bright Yellow, Burnt Orange and Bleeding Red!
Fall is the time of year when we get the most visitors. Everybody wants to see the finest Fall foliage and Fall in Maine is magical in its beauty. For about 3 weeks each year, the colors are so amazingly crisp and bright that we feel like we're living in a postcard... …
DAY 15: Fine Dining With a 4-Year-Old
We were pretty hungry after a long day of tire trouble, repairs and driving and we could not WAIT to eat some really good food. The Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York had quite an impressive list of restaurants to choose from. When we walked into the casino, Max and Mason were in awe of the lights and the slot machines (which they were only permitted to ogle from a distance). Max was looking in wonder at the actual casino and said, "I wish I was 18!"... …
DAY 14: Bulging Tire
We spent the day driving to Erie, Pennsylvania and, when we arrived, Richard did what he always does. He walked around the RV, checking the tires and everything else. He came back inside with bad news. One of our tires had a bulge. It could blow out sideways at any time. This was a repair item we couldn't ignore or delay... Read all the details (and see pictures!) here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com/day-14-bulging-tire This week's Maxism: "I like to get caramel stuck in my teeth because then I can lick it off." Hugs to all! Angela …
DAY 13: We Love Duct Tape!
When we get back to Bangor, we'll have the RV guys check: The windshield wipers (they keep stopping in the middle of the window when you turn them off) The quarter-panel on the passenger side (it came loose and is currently being held on with duct tape) The slides (they are squeaking, and probably need a good greasing) The air conditioner (the filters need to be changed) And, the big one - our huge plug that we use when plugging into the power at campgrounds is melting. Yes, you read that right... Read all the details (and see pictures!) here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com/day-13-continued-we-love-duct-tape This week's Maxism: "Can we buy dinner at the gas station?" Hugs to all! Angela P.S. WANT TO REMEMBER YOUR PAST, AND WRITE ABOUT IT? HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years, and record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook. Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography! **Also works for biographies and memoirs.** …
Another Dent in the RV (Oops….)
In the past week, we: Went swimming (twice). Saw a HUGE personal Star Wars collection. Visited a dinosaur museum. Ate Kelly's homemade stuffed hamburgers and gluten-free fruit pizza. Ate Cindy's homemade pork loin sandwiches and cherry pie. Ate the Garbage Plate at Frank's Diner in Kenosha, WI, which has been profiled on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Dented the rear slide on the RV (now, whose fault was that?!) And were shocked to discover the large electric plug on the RV had started to melt! Read all the details (and see pictures!) here: https://www.wirelesstrips.com/days-5-8-we-are-not-acclimated This week's Maxism: Conversation overheard in the back of the RV between Max (8) and Mason (4). Mason refuses to try eggs, and now probably never will. "Mason, do you know what eggs are?" "No." "They're big, squishy balls that come out of chicken's butts...and we eat 'em!" Hugs to all! Angela P.S. WANT TO REMEMBER YOUR PAST, AND WRITE ABOUT IT? HOW TO REMEMBER, WRITE AND PUBLISH YOUR LIFE STORY Using Angela's MEMORY TRIGGERS, recall memories that have been dormant for years, and record those memories in chronological order in your memory notebook. Using the memory notebook as your outline, write your autobiography! **Also works for biographies and memoirs.** https://writersweekly.com/books/4764.html …
DAYS 5 – 8: We Are NOT Acclimated!
On Saturday morning, I emptied my (rather large) purse and then re-packed it with sunscreen, bottled water, and an extra pair of clothes for both the boys... …
DAY 1: Backseat Giggles
We've once again taken the business on the road! We're currently on the trip we were supposed to take in May, which was postponed when Richard broke his leg. As soon as we hit the road today, Max and Mason made up a rousing game with their Mario and Luigi dolls, and were giggling in the RV for a couple of hours straight. They were making the dolls fart on each other (sigh...) …
Monster Update and a New “Baby” in the Garden!
Max and I were supposed to be extras in a movie scene being shot last Sunday. Max was pretty bummed when we received an email on Friday morning alerting us that filming of the candy store scene was postponed indefinitely. However, he got to see the "real" Thomas the Train that afternoon in Boothbay Harbor so he bounced back pretty quickly... …
“Monster” is GROWING!
I have somehow managed to get completely snowed under with work this week so my post today will be extremely short. First, Max and I got a call last weekend to be extras in the movie we auditioned for. Filming will be on Sunday and it looks like we get to be in the candy store scene! Yea! Max (almost 9) is SO excited! Second, I wanted to show you how much "Monster" (our pumpkin) has grown in the past 7 days. …
Is My Garden Warning of a Fierce Winter to Come?
When we first moved to Maine, I read A Year in the Maine Woods by Bernd Heinrich...twice. That book helped me learn about the intricacies of nature's seasonal dances in Maine, which are far different from those in Texas. One of my favorite passages from Henrich's book is from August 14th: "The fields are daily coming more alive with crickets and grasshoppers, a sure sign that fall is near." Max cocked his head suddenly and whispered, "Sssshhhh." Following his lead, I did the same and we both smiled at each other and said, "CRICKETS!" at the same time. It wasn't just one cricket. A cacophony was emerging... …