Cape Cod, Part 1

So, as soon as the 4th was over, I worked two days and then we headed off to Cape Cod. Our neighbors own a cottage that is a duplex. We try to get there every year or every other year when possible. When we go, we rent one side and someone from our family or some friends stay in the other half. This year my sister stayed on the other side and brought two of her granddaughters.

Here is the cottage.

The roses out front.

The dirt road that the cottage is on.

-This is very charming when we first get there. But by the end of the trip, it starts to get on everyone's nerves. The road can get washed out very easily by a good rain. Making for very rough terrain while you are driving. But, no one ever forgets "the road".

This year, my husband and the girls decided that we should go parasailing. I, of course, chickened out. Something was telling me not to. Probably it was my mother. I, on the other hand, was not so good of a mother. I let my two babies do this.

Yes, those are my girls, about 300 feet in the air. I should have gone with them. This is what happened next.

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Ok, these are not real scissors. I don't know if the guy thought the girls would see them from up there, but it definately made a funny picture.

In the Cape, each town has their own beaches. If you want to go to them, you must pay. $$ We stay in Eastham so we get their town pass. This covers beaches on the bay side of the cape and some of the fresh water pond beaches. This year we also got a pass for the Cape Cod National Seashore beaches. The beach in this pic is called Marconi.

This was at low tide. On the right in the picture is a tide-dug pond of sorts. The kids were playing in it. It was warmer and calmer than the ocean.

Father and daughter riding the waves.

Here is Marconi beach on a different day.

This time, the tide was very high and rough. The lifeguards would not let anyone swim. I guess there had been some dangerous rip currents for a few days. It was about 88 degrees that day and everyone was just laying there like a bunch of dead fish. People were allowed to surf. But that was it. The girls went and stood at the edge of the water hoping to cool off.

In the end, we had to go to a bay side beach to get into the water and lower our body temperatures. Our fav is Campground Beach. We go there a lot for sunset. I know, I know. Massachusetts is on the East Coast. How can there be sunsets? Well, the bay is large enough that you cannot see the main land of MA. Therefore, there is a western horizon over the water. It probably is one of the few places where you can see a sunrise and a sunset over the water. I have never gotten up to see the sunrise, but, if the cloud cover permits, we go "down for sunset" every day. Another beach we discovered is Thumpertown. This sunset picture was taken there.

Coast Guard Beach is part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. This particular evening was very foggy there.

The Coast Guard station.

The girls' matching airbrushed tatoos.

There were loads of surfers in the water that night. I never watched anyone surf before. It was really cool.

We are all thankful for beautiful beaches and sunsets. They both have made lasting memories for myself and my family. Also for our wonderful neighbors who have this place for us to go, and for them not charging a huge price for people to stay there. :)

It's here! (from July)

Hooray!

It's finally here!

My sweet and talented Daddy made me a new bench for my kitchen!

About five years or so ago, I grew sick of my ugly kitchen table and so I put it out in the screen porch, never to return. It was banished. In it's place I put a nice wicker and wrought iron setee I had out in the porch. It had a matching coffee table. I put pillows on it that had covers I changed with the seasons. So, now I've grown sick of having a setee in the kitchen and I want a table again. BUT, my Dad likes sitting on something comfy in the kitchen. So I figured a good compromise would be a bench like this with a cushion and lots of pillows to sit on at the table.

My Dad brought this over in time for the family picnic (I have it at my house every 4th of July). But, I was not able to make anything comfy to put on it before the big party. You see, I had given the original setee to my niece, Wendy and we then moved our all-weather wicker into the kitchen (due to the continued banishment of the ugly table). Well, on Father's Day, my husband moved it back outside so there was a big gaping emptiness in the kitchen. It looked like we couldn't afford funiture for the  room. So, my Dad to the rescue! I'm just like him. Things need to be a certain way.

The party preparations got underway.

The decorations hung in the kitchen with care.

The pool towels rolled up and placed over there.

The guests all arrived, dropped their stuff everywhere.

We ended the night with a dazzling affair.

Thank God for Freedom!

And Dads!

P.S. More June

Ok, I know it seemed as though June should be over, but I thought of some more things I forgot to mention.

First, when I was looking at the cherry tree picture, I remembered about strawberries. This is the second year we had a bad growing season for strawberries.

  

When I was a kid, my Mom and I would go strawberry picking after school was out. She would make the best jam. I wanted to make the same memory with my girls, but we haven't been able to go strawberry pickin' in two years. I haven't made strawberry jam in two years. So, I was hoping to freeze cherries and make strawberry jam or some kind of chutney from cherries and I have been denied. I was thinking maybe I need to find a different strawberry field to go to. I've been trying to keep tradition by going to the place my mom went.

  

That's ok. There are more fruits that will be coming out this summer.

I realized I forgot to post a picture of the jewelry I made with the estate sale carnelians I bought.

Here's how my set came out. I receive compliments on it every time I wear it. people love it. I wish I had more of them so I could make more. I also would like one more carnelian to make a ring. But alas, I am fresh out.

I also said I was going to try something with my parent's old cameras.

I was trying to take a picture with my camera thru the viewfinder of the old camera. I don't really know how people do that. I've seen some really great pictures taken that way. My camera would not focus. HaHa! It looks like I took a picture of the TV. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to keep trying.

Another thing that I love, love, love to do is decorate my house. I decorate for living, with funiture, fabrics, paint colors. But I also decorate for the seasons. I think I picked this up from my mother. She always had her collections, glassware, teacups, and milk glass placed very artistically around the house on furniture my father made. Now, I am doing the same thing.

My summer passion is seashells. For as long as I have lived in this house, I have pulled out my seashells every June to decorate for the summer. I have shells I've purchased, shells I've found, shells that have been given to me, shells other people have found.

Once we started going to Cape Cod, I began collecting sea glass. One beach in particular gives me a piece of glass every time I go there and look. Be it morning, afternoon, sunset, high tide, low tide, any kind of tide.

I keep it all in this jar. This doesn't include this year's haul. Plus I found something else that was very interesting. But I'll show that to you later.

These shells were my mother's. She brought them from England. She found them on a beach that I can't remember the name of. I love how tiny they all are.

You will be hard pressed to find a room in my house that does not have some shells in it. They are everywhere. Starfish are quite interesting to me. I've heard that if you put them back into salt water, they will come back to life. I don't know if that is true, but I will tell you that it was sooooo humid here last week that one of my starfish started to soften up and I could move its rays. Now it's in a different position than it was the week before. Very interesting.

I am so thankful for all the beautiful things I have. I was looking at all the pictures I took of things that interest me or that I blogged about. And I am really blessed to have all of it. Plus the camera! That is quite a special thing to own. I love taking pictures so much, it really makes me happy. Something I inherited from my Momma. :)

June Part 2

Sorry it has taken so long to get back. I had a work party at my house and I was doing all sorts of projects around here.

The girls had about 6 field trips at the end of the school year. It felt like it was only meant to drag school out. The kids were just wishing they could have stayed home and skipped all the running about. Especially since it was really hot out and they could have been swimming in the pool.

The cherry tree was covered with cherries. We were so excited. They were turning red so nicely. Then, all of a sudden, they started to mold. AGAIN. Just like last year. I really thought this year was going to be different. I don't know if it's something with the tree itself, or if it's the weather. All I know is we used to get a bucket full of cherries and now we aren't even getting one.

The last of the peonies was cut.

The last day of school came. Of middle school. Of parochial school.

Then, graduation.

Now, let me tell you that up until this day, I could not even mention it to my daughter, or anyone, for that matter, without getting choked up. She would roll her eyes and shake her head at me. I know, I'm a mushy, over-emotional mom.

I shed a few tears during the sign of peace.

But I totally lost it when we got outside afterwards and I saw my never-shed-a-tear daughter, with tears in her eyes.

Here she is with her teachers.

I think it's hard because all of a sudden, it's over. In like an hour and a half, the people you have been with since Pre-K 3, are all going different ways. Some you may never see again. Some you may not want to see again, after all, 11 years is a lot of time to spend with the same people. But mostly you will miss them. I don't know if she had even thought of it before that moment.

Here we all are with my Dad outside of church.

We went to a local restaurant and had something to eat and drink. The kids danced for a while because there was a dj there.

So, that was the end of school.  Now on to summer vacation.

A deer in our neighbor's yard. Better he eat her garden than mine! Lol!

The event we had been waiting for.

Sorry this picture is so poor. I had to take it with my cell phone. We are waiting in line at the "Twilight Saga: Eclipse" opening. Since the kids were out of school, we decided we should have a go at the opening day midnight show. The theater was very organized. They had everyone divided into lines by theater. Clearly they are used to midnight openings. We were lucky enough to be the first line of people they let in. We had an hour and a half less that we had to sit on the marble floor in the mall. Lol. The movie was great. We have already gone back to see it again.

Just want to thank God for 11 special years at our school that was a great foundation for my daughter. I'm sure she will continue to be a sweet, smart, funny, ambitious young lady. We are very proud of her.

We did have some sadness along with the good times in June. My brother's best friend, Danny, was killed in a motorcycle accident. They have been friends for around 35 years. He had three children. I am thankful for his friendship and his part in my life. I had a giant crush on him when I was a teenager. He will always be a part of my memories of growing up. He will be missed.

June, Part 1

Here is the start of June. I want to get something posted towards it, but I also have a painting project that I need to get to so this has to be brief.

First of all, the peonies opened! I was walking around the village here every day looking at everyone else's peonies and wondering why mine wouldn't open. But then I remembered that my parents anniversary is the 20th, so they must be late bloomers if I was able to use them around that date. Anyhow, they opened, and I was in my glory.

Can't you just smell them right now?

We had a million and one softball games, and somehow, much to her dismay, Little V wound up on the school team as a "fill in" and she also played on her own house team.

The girls made it through the playoffs to the championship game. Unfortunately, they lost this one. Only their second loss all season. Girls softball is not like it was when I was a kid. The whole team is built on pitching. If you have a great pitcher, you're in. We had good pitching, but this last team we played had a pitcher who could change up. Throw two balls, then when you stop to watch the third go by, she would throw a strike. It was something. Oh well, no matter, the girls had an amazing season and became close friends as they played. Most of them are moving on to high schools different than my daughter. So the last few games of the season were especially meaningful as she will not play with them again.

Oh, and my Dad got the "Most Loyal Fan" award because he didn't miss a single game. The girls all signed a ball for him. He was so thrilled!

In addition to 4-5 ball games a week, we had haircuts, dental appointments that kept being re-scheduled due to playoff games, final exams (that also needed studying time for), my brother's suprise 50th birthday party (which, of course, I forgot to take my camera to), my niece's baby shower (which, of course, I also forgot to take my camera to), and a wedding shower for Ron's cousin. This I took my camera to.

Delicious cake, and cookies with a hint of lemon in them. Mmmmm.

Here's Erin with her mom, Jeanne. The wedding is at the end of August. I can't wait for it because Ron's cousins from out of state will be there and we don't get to see them very often.

I'm thankful right now for a break in my thoughts so that I can go paint. Even though it's very humid and hot here today so I don't know how well the paint will dry. But, here goes.

Continuing...

Okay, so back to May. Softball season started and Big V played for school again this year. The team was fantastic.

After the team prayer and cheer, they all head out to the field.

My third baseman.

This was a hit, after the ball got to her. Lol.

We had a first communion.

My great-niece, and godchild. Punkin' face. : )

The 8th grade had their "Hope Ribbon" ceremony. This is best explained by a ceremony where each student is given a ribbon that they wear for the remainder of the school year. It symbolizes their hopes for their futures.

So grown up. It makes me sad. :( But happy that everyone is healthy and strong and able to go on to the next chapter of their lives.

My Dad pinned the ribbon on.

A wonderful breakfast and tear-jerking slideshow followed.

Also in May, my garden really started to open up.

Beautiful irises.

Columbines.

Allium.

And, the best of all, the start of my beloved peonies. I used these peonies to decorate th party for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. I have to have blooms on them. I freak out when I don't. Lol. Also, there is nothing, nothing, like the fragrance of peonies. I wish I could bottle the scent and keep it all year long. I love how the ants promote the opening of the buds. I have been known to find ants somewhere else in the yard and transport them to the peony buds to help them open. I'm so impatient.

 

The farmer's markets opened. We got lettuce and tomatoes for the Memorial Day party at my brother's house. I also found an extraordinary geranium.

The woman I bought it from said it was a rare, heirloom geranium. I believed her because I have only ever seen one in my perennial book and I wanted it as soon as I saw it. I bought it on the spot. This one will be brought into the house for the winter for sure. I will do everything in my power to keep this alive as long as I can. Each flower in the cluster resembles a miniature rose. It really is gorgeous.

Memorial day was quite warm and rain-free. My poor brother has had his share of crappy weather for this family party.

This year he lucked out.

We had our annual family softball game.

Then we all got eaten alive by mosquitoes, went in for dessert and headed home.

Oh, one more thing...

I bought a hydrangea at the farmers market as well.

So all in all, May was very busy and somewhat emotional. I know I was thankful for my girls being healthy and being able to play ball, go to school, have more birthdays. I also am thankful for God sending spring to us, finally, and for softball. I love the game. I can see why it (baseball) is the national past time. Everyone gets three chances and nine people try to get you out. Its so cool. I know, I'm weird.

Up next, June!