Cheering for Aston Villa

Nick says no. Squirrels say YES!












Can someone from the UK tell me what "acorns" actually is?

Oh, The Places She'll Go

Bye Bea. Good luck in college.




















If the processing date on the back of this picture is the same year it was taken, it was the summer that I graduated from high school. As a graduation gift, the Pratts gave me the Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, The Places You'll Go" and now some years later this sweet little girl is off to places of her own.

For 12 years and 363 days, I was the youngest grandchild and then Miss Beatrice arrived to bless our clan. It was the first time I had been around a baby and looked forward to our weekly visits when I would put her in the Snugli and walk her up and down the hall until she fell asleep. It's been a pleasure to watch this little girl grow into a bright and beautiful young woman. I'm going to miss having her right around the corner but she's got the world by the tail and I have no doubts she can do anything she puts her mind to.

I love ya, kid. Be good. And I think it goes without saying, but I will anyway, NO more mini-golf!!!

"And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van
Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"

~Dr. Seuss

Noticing a Theme

Gotta love a good self portrait!

Bea and Hope















Uncle Edward and Hope















Hope and Mom















Hope and Will















Hope and Maggie















Hope, Maggie and Mom

Princess Hope prepares for her crown.

Unfortunately for me, it's the kind of crown that costs $800 and aids in chewing food. I have to go to the dentist this afternoon for my second of three appointments to get a crown put on the tooth that I broke a month ago.

(I am still searching for a handsome prince so I guess the other kind of crown isn't totally out of the question!)

The Beauty of Summer

Taking time to smell the roses.













































Pictures by Hope
Roses by Jeanie

Monday, Monday

Another Monday; is it Friday yet?

I probably shouldn't complain. It seems like the weeks really do go by that fast anyway. I have a few more days to tend the crops before Dad returns. But for now, I'm off to the Y for my tri training. The pool is closed for maintenance this week so will just be biking and jogging in the meantime. Next week, I will hopefully get back on track with my training schedule, it's been hard to stick to it the past few weeks but I'm trying!

Happy trails, until we meet again.

Auntie Marion, Tamara and Samantha left early this morning to start the drive back to Florida, marking the final departure of a summer of guests. It's been a busy summer and with cooler evenings and Labor Day only a week away, I can't help but feel a little sad that summer is drawing to a close. Thanks again to all the family members that made the trek to New England over the past few months and for those that didn't, come visit sometime soon.

The Farmer's Daughter

Harvesting the crops while Dad's away...

Cabbage, eggplant (which no one in the family eats but Dad grows a plethora of anyway), peppers, tomatoes, corn and yellow beans.














Plenty of yellow squash too!



















The fruits of his labors...



















And finally, although an increasing number of squirrels on South Lane seem to be meeting an untimely demise, the squirrels on Western Avenue get first pick of the corn...

Snacking

Spicy pretzels, mouth burning...can't stop!

I'm eating Archer Farms Black Pepper and Sea Salt Savory Pretzels and they are a lot spicier than I expected them to be. BUT, they're really good and I can't stop eating them!! Available exclusively at Target if you like spicy snacks.

Revvies Match Tonight

Doug Warren starting against DC United.

Hopefully tonight will go better for Doug than last Saturday when he stepped into goal at the 55 minute mark. Being back-up to one of the best in the league doesn't allow for much playing time but I'm sure he'll give it his all. Here's proof that he's got what it takes...














This save essentially won the US Open Cup quarter-final match for the Revvies. The game finished in penalty kicks and this was the only save! And the best part is, I was there to see it!

(By the way, for the sake of my blog, DC counts as one word!)

What I Always Knew

Hope: Black sheep of the family.












Well maybe not black, but definitely the brunette sheep of the Pratt granddaughters. (The two granddaughters not pictured are also blondes!) So tell me, do blondes really have more fun???

Dove Promises Message

"You are allowed to do nothing."

Wish I'd unwrapped this Dove milk chocolate Promise yesterday. My lazy Sunday included: multiple loads of laundry, catching up on some work, an 8-10 mile bike ride with my cousin and walking Jak a mile and a half.

If you aren't familiar with Dove Promises, the inside of the foil wrapper has a message printed on it. It's sort of like a fortune cookie...but better since it's chocolate!

Sunday Morning

Drinking coffee while looking at pictures.

I'm enjoying the start of what I hope to be a lazy summer day. Thanks to Uncle Bill and cousin Cap for sharing your photos from last weekend. I didn't take many pictures over the weekend, well at least not with my own camera. I hear there's another gathering in the works toward the end of this week so I'll try to be better about snapping some shots.

The Revvies got beat big time last night in San Jose. Two key defenders were not able to play, one because of a red card and the other has just returned from Beijing. After 101 starts and almost 8,000 consecutive minutes played, Matt Reis came out of goal during the second half of the match last night. Supposedly due to injury, although nothing was obvious and details were not readily available. I'm sure Doug Warren, the back-up goalkeeper, is good in his own right, but Matt Reis is simply the best. I hope whatever took him out last night doesn't keep him out for long!

Looking Out For the Jackasses

The donkeys found their way home.

This is Jack & Jenny. (Jack is on Will's left, Jenny is on his right) Jenny is Jack's mom and during the day they are in the pasture (pictured) in Grandma's backyard. At night they go home up the hill to their barn at the Pratt's. Last night around 10PM I kept hearing one of the donkeys braying...an unusual sound for that time of day. I told my mom and her worry for their wellbeing got the best of her and off she went up the hill (in her car) to find out if there was a problem.

As it turns out, Jack had wandered off and when he does so Jenny brays for him. Before my mom had returned home, I received a phone call from Maggie to thank Mom and say that the donkeys had returned home safe and sound.

Another chapter closed on life in the country.

(Thanks for the picture, Cap!)

Growing Pains

A new hairstyle...or lack thereof.

I'm trying to grow my hair out a bit and it's starting to drive me crazy. I'm not growing it long again, just trying to grow into a new style but I'm not sure I will make. I'm about to cave and get it cut, however I'm trying to be strong. So for those who have seen me recently, no this is not how I want my hair to look, it's just the growing pains of a new hairstyle. For those who haven't seen me, my hair is as cute as ever!

Getting a Bit Squirrelly Around Here

Squirrels are taking over my blog!!!

Alina, I need your help...the squirrels have started commenting on my blog, what do I do???

At the end of the day...

It's all about the acorn butter.

It's a Cat's Life

Sometimes, one box just isn't enough.




















This is my mom's cat sleeping in not one, but two boxes. The "SuperScratcher" that was in the second box is the cardboard thing on the floor behind the boxes. That's where the cat pushed it to when he decided to remove it so that he could sleep in a box in a box.

"Who says you can't go home..."

"...there's only one place they call me one of their own."

I was listening to this Bon Jovi/Jennifer Nettles song on my way into work today and thought it was representative of the previously mentioned family weekend. The importance of family was sort of an unofficial theme this weekend and that is perhaps a legacy that my grandparents have left for all of us.

The family members from far off lands have begun their departures back to their homes, perhaps a little richer in nostalgia and little fatter from all the corn on the cob and dough boys (with even a little acorn butter thrown in). To all the weekend guests, thanks for coming and "y'all come back now, ya hear."

And finally, for those of us that the family homestead is a part of our daily lives, I would like to say a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to the 'proposal maker' for finding a way to keep the "Old Lilacs" together, the concessions you have made have not gone unnoticed.

Remembering Grammie

An hour to remember a lifetime.

Family Weekend

Welcome; thanks for reading my blog!

The first wave of family arrived safe and sound last evening. A second wave will filter in today and tomorrow. I found out last night more people than I knew are reading my blog, so thanks for dropping in. Feel free to give me a shout-out in the comment section anytime!

For the record...
Mass producing pies; not my specialty.

(And I used frozen blueberries which I haven't done before. If the pies aren't so good tonight my suggestion would be grin and bear it...then lie to the baker ;-) !)

Let the games begin...

Preparing for a big family weekend.

The first out of town family member arrived from England yesterday. Today they will be arriving from Utah, Texas and New York. Events are scheduled for this evening, Saturday and Sunday. Let the good times roll!

Also seems like there's some big sporting event starting. Let's see, what do you call it...oh yeah, I know, the Summer Olympics.

Let the games begin!

Two of the best in MLS.

Goalkeepers Matt Reis and Pat Onstad shake hands after the SuperLiga final that was decided in penalty kicks. At 41 Pat Onstad is the oldest active player in MLS. Just a few weeks ago Reis and Onstad actually played on the same team as they were the two goal keepers selected to play in the MLS all-star game.

Can anyone offer any background on the soccer/football tradition of swapping jerseys?

Check it out

Read third-graders' six-word memoirs...

http://www.smithmag.net/sixwordbook/sixword-storybook/

My Dentist

Dental orphan finds a new home.

Several years ago our longtime family dentist passed away unexpectedly after having some minor surgery. Out of loyalty to his assistant and his dental hygienist (also his wife), we followed them to another practice. This past February our beloved dental hygienist also, quite suddenly, passed away. Over the years she had become a friend and was one of my biggest supporters as I traveled down the road of adult orthodontics. We were very saddened by her passing.

So now, not feeling a lot of loyalty to the new practice but also not having another practice in mind, we've been left to wonder should we stay or should we go. On Sunday afternoon, I showed another sign of aging and broke a tooth. I called the practice we have been going to first thing Monday morning and was given an appointment with a dentist that was hired about a month ago. He was so nice, competent, polite, willing to listen and answer questions and most importantly treated his assistant with respect. And actually his manner in some ways reminds me a lot of my dentist that passed away. It was a bit of an adjustment to find out he's younger than I am but the way he carried himself certainly didn't show it.

And so, for the first time in a few (somewhat traumatic) dental years, I finally feel like I can once again use the term "my dentist".

Congrats Revvies!

Revolution beat Houston in Superliga final.

WOOHOO for my Revvies! Houston has beat them in the last two MLS Cup finals so this win comes with much satisfaction. Even though it wasn't an MLS match, this is the first time the Revs have competed in Superliga and went all the way to win the championship. The game finished in overtime and eventually penalty kicks.

Saturday night marks the Revvies return to regular MLS season matches after a month long break. Superliga matches were only shown on Telefutura (which we don't get) so I've had to listen online and I'm looking forward to SEEING the Revs play again. (And yes, I will be departing the corn roast early to do so!)

Finally, an apology to my mom for scaring her with my cheers of joy last night when Matt Reis made a crucial save during the penalty kicks. Sorry, I just couldn't contain my excitement!!

Point Taken

You can't save people from themselves.

A comment on my last blog entry has reminded me of something I already knew; you can't save someone from himself/herself no matter how hard you try. I recently had to adopt this approach with a family member or continually upset myself. And perhaps as was also pointed out, for some, sinking your ship may be the only way out of a situation.

That is the question...

To help or not to help?

If you know a friend's ship is sinking and he/she is oblivious to it, do you try to help and if so, how?? I've already tried the subtle approach to no avail which leaves being brutally honest. With brutal honesty comes injured feelings and bruised egos. It's also been my experience if someone doesn't want to hear something, you could jump up and down, screaming and yelling in their face and they still won't listen to what you are saying. I guess maybe the real question is, to get involved or not to get involved, since the situation only tangentially relates to me.

In an unrelated matter, I recently stuck my neck out and expressed concerns about a friend's upcoming marriage. This was basically done in a joking manner although ultimately I wasn't joking. I spent several days feeling as though I'd overstepped my bounds but finally decided that if someone asked me if I wanted to get married and I said "I do and I don't" I honestly hope I would be questioned about my decision. I spoke my piece (peace?) and I'll do my best to refrain from I told you so, should my concerns come true.

Weekend

Lost ambition; has anybody seen it?

So much to do, so little ambition to do it. I guess it's just a typical weekend. On the list today: housework, bike ride, walk the dog, trip to Target and all the other little things I remember along the way. I hope everyone is having a fulfilling weekend...either relaxing or being ambitious!?!

A Farewell

Goodbye Dumplin. We miss you already.














1997 - 2008