Summer in April

What a fantastic weekend. Saturday and Sunday were well into the 80's and it felt great. Greg took Friday afternoon off so he could enjoy the weather. On Friday we picked Derek up at 6 p.m. He wanted to stay at school a little longer so that he could continue to practice. His girlfriend Sarah has been in Germany for the past week with the German club and will be gone for another week. I know he's missing her especially because they can't even talk on the phone. He only has a few weeks left of school so he seems very intense now trying to pull it altogether in his head and on paper.

We woke up Saturday to two Mallard ducks lazily floating in the culvert in our back yard. There's a fair amount of water in it from the recent rains we've had. Greg and I hit the road early to go to Sam's Club to replenish stock items. The rest of the day we were outside as much as possible, me doing yard work and Greg doing his annual repainting of the deck railings. He even put the hammock up in the area Mark has built by his gazebo. Mark likes to chop wood in his spare time. I sense that he is homesteading on the property. He took off early to Maine in his search for land. It has been his long time dream to live in Maine with scenic views. He saw a lot of views but still isn't ready to take that plunge.

Emily had her boyfriend, RJ over for the day. They walked into Topsfield and enjoyed ice cream and the wonderful day. Yesterday we got a few groceries first thing. We had an early dinner so that Derek could eat with us before he went back. The grill is up and running and we enjoyed Century House steaks. They are the best. Prior to dinner Emily had a friend over to work on her environmental project. They have been monitoring a vernal pool all year and we paid our final visit to it. While they were taking photos I did a trail walk. I took Derek back to school after the meal was cleaned up and Greg went with Mark to look at trucks. Mark's other dream is to get a truck but he still hasn't found the right deal.

As always the weekends go fast but the beautiful weather and being able to be together made it ever so special. It didn't hurt that the Red Sox swept the Yankees either... the icing on the cake.

Rivalry and Great Weather

What a great weekend ahead. They are predicting record temperatures with low humidity, I don't have to work, school vacation is almost over and the Yankees are in town. It's always big news when the Red Sox and Yankees go head-to-head. The lucky fans will also get to enjoy some of the best weather we've had in a long time.

I love when the weather is like this because we get to turn the heat off, put the screens in and enjoy the fresh air. It's such a welcome change from all the doom and gloom in the news.

The Boston Marathon

Today is the 113th running of the Boston Marathon. It's a cool day for spectators but a great day for runners. The start time has changed somewhat. When we first came here it started at 12 noon with the wheelchairs starting slightly ahead. Now the wheelchairs start at 9:22, the elite woman 9:30, the elite men and wave 1 at 10 and wave 2 at 10:30. The number of participants has grown so over the years that this is their attempt to maintain a level of control over the race. Here is a link to the official website: http://www.baa.org/BostonMarathon/113thMarathon.asp

You can find all kinds of history and info if so inclined.

The marathon always has some great stories but one of the best is that of Rick and Dick Hoyt:

Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father-and-son team from Massachusetts who together compete just about continuously in marathon races. And if they’re not in a marathon they are in a triathlon — that daunting, almost superhuman, combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.

It’s a remarkable record of exertion — all the more so when you consider that Rick can't walk or talk. For the past twenty five years or more Dick, who is 68, has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over hundreds of finish lines. When Dick runs, Rick is in a wheelchair that Dick is pushing. When Dick cycles, Rick is in the seat-pod from his wheelchair, attached to the front of the bike. When Dick swims, Rick is in a small but heavy, firmly stabilized boat being pulled by Dick.

At Rick’s birth in 1962 the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child’s development.
"It’s been a story of exclusion ever since he was born," Dick told me. "When he was eight months old the doctors told us we should just put him away — he’d be a vegetable all his life, that sort of thing. Well those doctors are not alive any more, but I would like them to be able to see Rick now." This expert was taken from Team Hoyt at http://www.teamhoyt.com/history.shtml

To see a clip about them check out:

http://multimedia.boston.com/m/22114033/hoyts-ready-to-run-in-boston-marathon.htm

Can't Judge a Book By It's Cover

You've probably heard about Susan Boyle by now but if you haven't please follow this link to YouTube.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_xFNa7YKDw

So often and I include myself in this, we look at something and someone and form an immediate response. Susan is a wonderful reminder to all of us that it is a mistake to do that. She is also a triumph for the ordinary person. Enjoy, I did.

The Lines of our Lives

I'm pondering life today and how we are all traveling on parallel roads, sometimes they come together for a bit like the last few days with Amanda and the kids visiting. I'm thinking how nice it is to spend time with family even if it's only for a little while before the roads separate again. It's so easy to go along every day in the same old routine. A big thank you to Amanda for taking the initiative to come and visit us. I really enjoyed their visit. It's nice to get outside our little box for awhile. I hope that more parallel lines in all of our lives will travel together. Hopefully we can again this summer.

Don't Mess With Tradition

Sunday Special Coffee Cake

Streusel Mixture:
1/2 C. brown sugar
2 T. flour
2 T. cinnamon
2 T. butter
1/2 C. nuts, chopped

Batter:
1/4 C. butter or margarine
3/4 C. sugar
1 egg1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Combine streusel mixture and set aside. Cream butter and sugar, stir in egg, then milk. Add rest of ingredients. Spread 1/2 of batter in a greased 9″ square pan, cover with 1/2 of streusel mixture. Add rest of batter and top with rest of streusel. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes. Drizzle with powdered sugar glaze. (optional)

Stick with the tries and true

Okay, what's wrong with this picture? I tried an experiment today seeing that we have company, a new coffee cake recipe. The picture on the left looked so good, hmmm, what happened to mine. I followed everything it said, even worried extensively that it would come out of the pan without a mishap, but it just doesn't look the same. Could it be false advertising, a touched up photo like in all the magazines with models or should I have just stuck with what works. It didn't taste too bad, a slightly nutty flavor which got mixed reviews here. It was a bit fussier than my usual recipe so my verdict is stick with what works.

The Easter Bunny Came

Ahhh, the poor Easter Bunny is all tuckered out after his long night of Eastering. Here he is exhausted... Actually Joseph, our long time rabbit pretty much looks like this all the time.

Opening Day at Last

Opening Day took place this afternoon. This time the weather cooperated. I didn't watch the whole game but I did watch the opening festivities. For me the high part was watching Ted Kennedy throw out the first pitch. He rode out in a cart with another person. He walks slightly stooped now and with a cane. He seemed frail but very happy to be at his beloved Fenway Park. The gleaming Kennedy teeth shown proudly as he smiled ear to ear. They drove him close to the mound and he handed his cane over to someone because he wanted to walk on his own. His throw was weak and not very far but it managed to make me tear up a bit. The Kennedy family is royalty especially in Massachusetts and Ted has faced a lot this past year. I admire his courage and tenacity. In the end the Red Sox won 5 to 3. We're on our way to the pennant.

Opening Day and other April Favorites

Today is Opening Day for the Red Sox at Fenway Park, but it looks like our weather may push the festivities to tomorrow. April weather can be cruel in eastern New England, but there are a few annual events in addition to Opening Day that always make April a little easier to take.

One event I enjoy each April is The Masters Golf Tournament. The course always looks like it's in full bloom, providing a preview of what we can expect next month here in the northeast. The commercial free coverage of the competition for the green jacket is always good too.

We also have a local Monday holiday in April, Patriots Day, to commemorate the first battles for freedom at Lexington and Concord. It is also the day each year when the Boston Marathon is run. This year marks the 113th running of the race. Diane and I attended our first Marathon in 1981 and have followed it ever since.

Each of these events has a long history and strong sense of tradition associated with them. They recur each April, through good times and bad, and I'm glad they do. (As a post note, the news just alerted us that opening day is postponed until tomorrow. The first pitch goes out around 4)

Kids and Lost Weekends

Another weekend gone and I'm sitting here wondering where it went. Let me recap. Friday I worked, came home for a few hours and then it was time to pickup Derek. Greg came home a little early so he could come with me. When we pick up Derek on Friday's, unfortunately it's at the worst possible time, 5 pm. He has ensemble practice until 4:20. He has to move his drums back to his practice room and usually has to make it a mile back to the dorms on the east campus. The traffic is horrible at that time but it is what it is. This past Friday was a horrendous rain storm with some thunder and lighting thrown in just for added fun. The main thing is we made it back uneventfully be it ever so slowly.

Saturday was a full work day for me. Hopefully Greg got some relax time. He attended a juggling show at a nearby college in the afternoon. He seemed to enjoy it. Our typical Sunday routine starts at 7 am at the grocery store. It was a little different today because they are starting a new program. If you want to you can grab a computerized scanning gun at the start, scan and bag your items as you go and turn the gun in at the end to pay. It was interesting and we'll probably try it again. Next on the agenda was taking Emily for a driving session. I have to say it's one of my least favorite things. I find it absolutely unnerving to hand the keys over to someone with no experience. Emily has been a very hesitant driver needing to be pushed to go out. Today was the first day we ventured out onto the road. We had been doing parking lots prior. She did okay. No speeding tickets there as she barely made it past 20 mph. We need to get more practice in before she can go with the driver's ed portion. They want the kids to have at least some experience. So think of us every Sunday morning.

This afternoon was time to take Derek back. I told Greg I would go so he could relax. At least the traffic is better at 2 pm on a Sunday. So off we went. We got to his dorm without any trouble. Derek headed in with his clean laundry and other belongings. The plan was to go to south campus so he could practice his drums. A few minutes after he went in he came out carrying his stuff. When I saw his laundry bag I knew that wasn't a good thing. He had forgotten his dorm key. So I called Greg and we met half way to give us the key. He went back home to recapture his peaceful Sunday afternoon and I tallied on with my mission which remained uneventful.

And there you have it a weekend at our house.

April Fool's Day 1997

April 1st, a time of spring and joking around but we have a different April 1st memory. It happened 12 years ago, the worst blizzard we can remember. Here is a link to a story written on the 10 year anniversary. 10 Years Later

Greg managed to get into work that morning but coming home was more challenging. I recall the wind whipping violently and Mark going out into the yard to check it out. He came running back in because he heard a loud crack at the same time that the lights went out in the house. He had seen a large tree bring down power lines. There it was 3 kids, us, a dog, a well and septic tank in the worst storm ever and no power. We all went to bed early that night and the next day woke up as pioneers. We had a little camp stove and began the task of melting snow so that we could raise the water levels in the toilets to flush them. It seemed like the day was spent doing survival tasks. By the afternoon Greg had had enough and we piled into the minivan and headed to Sam's Club. We bought a generator. We now felt like we were living in luxuary as we could hook up the microwave, a small heater and a tv to see what was happening in the world. In the end we had several feet of heavy snow and were without power for 28 hours.

I'm very happy to report this April 1st is of a more traditional nature.