Halloween Weekend 2010

On Wednesday, 10.27, Vicki and I just did "sister things" which included shopping for the dinner Vicki was preparing on Thursday for Rocky and Lorraine - and me, too!

On Thursday, 10.28, I peeled potatoes and did little else to help Vicki put together her spectacular meal.  She made the BEST Chicken Parmigiana I've ever had.  The sides were the requisite smashed potatoes and green beans, but Vicki also made Brussels Sprouts Polinaisse - they were wonderful.  We had such a good time with Rocky and Lorraine, but then we always do.  Lots and lots of laughs.  Here are Lorraine, Vicki and Rocky.

On Friday, we ran a few more errands and pretty much tried to get over our bugs.

On Saturday, we painted the rest of the foundation on Vicki's house as well as her front steps.  Her house is so warm and homey ala the 1940s.

After the Painting Party - and after the wind got nice and cold - we got ready for our Night Out.  We went to a local restaurant, The Crow's Nest.  Vicki had a nice Monk Fish Francaise and I had a Filet Mignon which was bigger than my head!!!  In all the years I've been going to the Crow's Nest, I've NEVER been able to finish a meal - they're so large and so very fairly priced.  No exception on Saturday.  Sooooo,  since Vicki and I were feeling MUCH better, we decided to go to Seekonk on Sunday and wouldn't the leftover Filet Mignon make a nice lunch!  It's a three hour drive to Seekonk, going through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and finally, Massachusetts.  We didn't even have to pull into a rest stop to have our mini-sandwiches.  We used cute little potato rolls and they were yummy.

Upon arriving in Seekonk, the aromas wafting from the kitchen greeted us.  Chef Matt was preparing a fabulous Autumn Dinner complete with pot roast and fall veggies. Matt took a few minutes for himself out on the patio.

Matt is a wonderful chef, having graduated from Johnson & Wales in Providence, RI several years ago.

Vicki was in charge of making Laura's hat.  Laura wore yellow and orange tights, a frilly orange skirt and looked very much like a candy corn.  Vicki got the "creative" gene in our family.  The hat was great!

Laura looked terrific in her little outfit . . .

and Josh was a perfect Native American.

After appetizers of California Rolls and seared tuna [provided by Carol's brother Mike and family], we dug into Matt's pot roast, and was it ever good.  The perfect meal for a perfect fall day.

TiTi Mary [Carol's sister] was assigned Door Duty and the rest of us headed out to gather candy.  The chilly wind blew Vicki and me back to the house before too long, but there was a kitchen to clean up and clean we did.  When the trick-or-treaters returned, they were allowed to select two treats and then bath and bed. It was a very nice Halloween - thankfully, we were well enough to attend.

This morning, we awoke and helped Carol get the kiddos fed and ready for their first day in their new school - The Teddy Bear Learning Center.  Laura was a little sad as she'd been in their old school for over four years and had many friends there, and Josh had been there since he was an infant.  However, the new school is much closer and will save Carol about an hour and a half a day.

So off they went and after getting ourselves ready, we did the same.  They'll all be back at Vicki's on Thursday for a long weekend, but I'll be gone and won't see them - except for Skype - until next October.  That fact alone hurts my heart!

Vicki and I are off for burgers tonight and then a movie tomorrow.  I'm also going to do some Christmas and birthday shopping for the kids to leave here at Vicki's - books, of course.

So, this is more than likely my last post from the Wonderful Northeast!  However, I'm going to try to be more diligent in the future - after all, I can TRAVEL around Dallas, etc.  When I get home, my new Nikon S8100 will be waiting for me, so in the future, my photos should be MUCH better.  I also have a Kindle waiting for me in Dallas and am so looking forward to using it!

Soc, again - ciao for now!

Vermont 2010

On Wednesday, October 20th, Vicki and I drove up to Seekonk, Mass.  It was a cloudy day but the temperature was in the 60s, so it was nice.  We had dinner with Matt, Carol and the kids and then [after watching a few innings of the Yankee win] went off to bed.

Thursday, it was rainy but we were Waterbury bound so we were happy.  Actually, I really didn't want to leave as Josh had crawled up on my lap while watching George of the Jungle.

We picked up Dina [Carol's mother] and headed northwest.  Even though we had rain most of the trip, it was a delightful drive - okay, "ride" since Vicki was driving, but she was doing fine.  Wonderful highways all the way and the foliage was still in tact for a good part of the way, and quite colorful.  Once we crossed over into New Hampshire, there's a state liquor store where we stopped to pick up necessities for the parties.  Even though we left Seekonk before Matt and his family, we ran into them there.  The temps had dropped considerably and it was quite chilly. 

After our purchases, we traveled on.  We got to Waterbury and checked into the hotel.  Dan had kindly offered to pick up Steve at Logan Airport on Wednesday night and they were already at the hotel.  We all got settled into our rooms and met in The Great Room.  The kids played and then Carol and Vicki took them swimming.

Dina joined them but spent a good deal of time in the hot tub.  Vicki joined her there after the kids wore her out.

Steve and Dan had pizza delivered, but I must say, Vermont pizza just doesn't do it for me.  However, it was fast, easy and the kids didn't have to leave their Fundom.  Jim and Sue stopped by and we had a nice visit.  I so wish I could see my family more often, but am so very grateful for our yearly gathering in Vermont.  Hopefully, Kathy will join us next year.

On Friday morning, we had a mix of rain showers and then snow showers.  The ski trails at Stowe were already covered in snow, but it doesn't open until around Thanksgiving.  We all went over to Waterbury Center to Cold Hollow Cider Mill.  This place is fabulous!  The freshly made [while you watch] cider is like biting into a crisp, cold apple.  And the cider donuts!  Delish!  Someone conned The Three of Five Cousins to have their photo taken:

That's Steve, Dan and Matt.  Chris and Pat still had classes so they didn't join us.  However, we were also able to get Laura and Josh to pose, as well.

After stocking up on all things carb, we headed into Stowe.  What a nice little town this is - totally geared to outdoor living - skiing, biking, hiking, fishing - with many historical sites.  This isn't one of them, but an example of the architecture.

We found this little setting along the sidewalk.

And in one of the stores, we found Laura surrounded by Mama and Papa!  She wasn't frightened one little bit.

Eventually, one needs more carbs so back to Waterbury Center to Ben & Jerry's we went.  We took the tour, were given a sample and shopped the gift shop [no, I didn't buy anything].  By this time, The Short People were in need of a nap as Dinner at Jim and Sue's was not far off and, of course, The Final Game  [as it turned out] of the ALCS!  So, naps were taken and adults were refreshed and off to Jim and Sue's we went.  Vicki, Steve, Dina and I were the first to arrive as we were ready and eager to see them all.

As usual, we were provided with wonderful fare.  Chris even made a couple of pizzas to snack on.  Note to Chris:  open up a pizza shop in Waterbury - you'd blow away the competition.

Pat, of course, offered encouragement.

We all enjoyed great food, great conversation and perhaps a libation or two - adults only, of course.  Since Chris turned 21 in March, he's one of us now.

Laura certainly enjoyed her dinner, and so did Josh sitting on Grandma Dina's lap!

Grandma Vicki was just enjoying the entire experience, as was I.

 Matt and Carol also had a wonderful time.

Jim and Sue get the award of Fabulous Host and Hostess, yet again this year!

This year was Dan's first time but it won't be his last.  He said he will definitely be with us in 2011 and he, along with the rest of the family, will try to convince Kathy to leave Florida for a while and meet us in Vermont.  I have a good feeling about it.

Before too long, the baseball fans that ARE the Five Cousins, headed back to the hotel's Great Room to watch the game on the big screen.  So after the rest of us had some fabulous apple pieS, we too headed back.  Steve and Dan are devoted Rangers fans and Chris and Pat are Red Sox fans.  Matt is the only Yankees fan and showed grace and dignity in the defeat of his team.  Steve was beside himself.  Dan grabbed my camera and snapped these two:

I snapped this one of One Happy Ranger Fan!

Vicki missed the game as she was back in the room, trying to kick whatever bug she'd come down with.

Saturday morning was glorious.  Bright blue skies with white puffy clouds.  However, it was cold and windy and I, too, had gotten whatever Vicki had - sniffles, sore throat.  We all had breakfast in the hotel and then went back over to another part of Stowe to visit the Trapp Family Lodge.  It consists of 2400 acres of sheer beauty.  We'd planned on taking a short hiking trail but the wind drove Vicki and me back to the hotel.  The rest of the clan went into Burlington but since I don't have photos, nor first-hand knowledge of the events that took place, I can't really comment.  I do know, however, that the Magic Hat Brewery was visited by a few.

I'd planned on having dinner with Dina, Sue, Carol and the kids at the hotel while Vicki slept, but after getting soup and tea for Vicki, I decided to stay in the room as well, so as not to spread whatever germs I had.  Lights out at 9:00pm for me!  Vicki had been sleeping since 2, except for her soup and tea break.

On Sunday [rain again] morning, we all went back to Stowe to McCarthy's for breakfast.  Wonderful Vermont maple sausages were enjoyed by quite a few of us.  After hugs and farewells, Vicki, Dina and I headed back to Seekonk; Dan drove Steve back to Logan Airport; and the Seekonkians checked out of the hotel and caught up with us on the way back.

It was a great weekend, except for Vicki's and my little road bump - it's always great getting together.

We spent the night at Matt and Carol's and drove back to New Jersey on Monday.  It's Tuesday, and we're trying to get an old desk into the house so we've been cleaning it and taking it apart.  We'll oil and polish it and then get it all set up with Vicki's things.

We're planning to go back to Seekonk on Saturday but if we're still coughing, we're going to cancel.

So, that's it for now.  Tune in again!

Mini Update

On Saturday, Vicki and I did pretty much nothing but cook.  We made a wonderfully delicious Polish Apple Cake, Pierogi Casserole and Stuffed Cabbage Casserole.  I think both of us were guilty of sampling along the way so dinner was just burgers on the grill and some of the potato stuffing and fried cabbage.

On Sunday we took said Polish Feast to Carmel, NY where John and Lizz McKinlay live with their daughters, Olivia and Jaclyn.  I've posted the photos on Facebook so I'm not going to repost here.  Olivia was outside with the dogs [their two and two rescued dogs] all day so she didn't get 'shot.'  Kristina [my cousin Laurie's daughter], her daughter Emelyn, and her friend Vic joined us for dinner.  Emelyn is an adorable little two year old and Kristina is a very good mother and Emelyn just adores her.  Melissa [Kristina's sister] had gone into NYC to save two Pit Bulls from euthanasia [she's a rescuer] and brought them to John's house in time for dinner.  Bella was the female [fawn colored] and Popeye was the male [white with a black eye].  Since they'd been picked up in NYC, they probably had never seen a yard so large.  They had a ball.  Melissa is taking Popeye to Pennsylvania to his new owner and Vic was thinking about taking Bella.  I should have taken photos but didn't.  Shame on me.

Prior to dinner, Laurie served some wonderful crab canapes - yes, I overate.  Then, dinner!!  I couldn't eat fast enough to get to the cake.  The wait was worth it.  YUMMO.  Definitely a 'keeper' recipe.

Today, after running errands, we had lunch at Bobby Flay's burger house - Bobby's Burger Palace.  Vicki and I split a Blue Burger - bleu cheese, red onion, bacon.  There's a carousel with various sauces every few stools so I tried the Jalapeno Sauce and the Chipotle Sauce.  Then I mixed them together - WOW, was that good!  BBP is definitely a 'do again' and I hope I can talk Vicki into going there again while I'm still here.

We're IN for the day now.  Vicki's got a little project on her front steps - going to patch with cement and then paint the steps red to match the foundation and trim of the house.

Not a big enough job for two, so I'm going to continue working on a shawl I'm crocheting for Vicki.  She's got a TON of yarn and I'm making her a shawl ala Joseph's Coat.  I started a little blanket for Laura's doll in the car on the way to the shore last week and finished it.  So, since we're off to Vermont via Seekonk, Mass on Wednesday, I'll have it finish Vicki's shawl before I leave.

Unless something earthshaking happens in the next few days, I won't be blogging until Vermont.

So, ciao for now!

October 11, 2010

We woke to another beautiful day!  Vicki, Denice and I went to Englewood to pick up Ginger.  Ginger acted as navigator as she lived in NYC and knows it quite well.  The drive took us over the George Washington Bridge and down the Henry Hudson Parkway with the river, the cruise ships, the Intrepid and, of course, the site of The World Trade Center along the way.

We got to South Street Seaport, parked the car [a king's ransom] and headed over to the Fulton Market to see the Bodies Exhibition.  We spent nearly two hours in the exhibition and was it ever informative!  Also, we met and spoke with some nice folks.  If you've not seen the exhibition, I recommend it.

After the exhibition, we ate at this little outdoor cafe and we enjoyed a wonderful lunch.  I had a terrific shrimp and avocado salad - really tasty and very fresh.

That's Denice and me.  She had fish and chips and said it tasted really good and was nice and crispy.

Ginger and Vicki also had salads - Ginger had a Chicken Caesar and Vicki had a Greek Salad.  Thumbs up all around.

After lunch, we walked around and Vicki ran into Michael Bolton - okay, a poster of Michael Bolton.  We walked the Seaport and did a little people-watching [which is always good in NYC], and a little shopping - well, Ginger and Denice shopped.  Vicki and I kept our heads!

I have no idea what this building is, but I saw it and liked it.  The weather was wonderful and since it's Columbus Day, lots of folks were out and about.

After much fun, we headed back over the GWB and dropped Ginger at her home.  We stopped at Trader Joe's on the way home but didn't find anything we couldn't live without.

At home, Vicki made a wonderful omelet for us.  A young man [42] with whom Vicki worked, passed away and Vicki ran out to the wake this evening leaving Denice and me to our own devices.

Tomorrow, Denice goes back home to Little Egg Harbor.  Vicki and I are going to return a sweater I impulsively purchased without trying it on [NOT flattering at all], and then maybe a movie.  We'll be resting the remainder of the week and believe me, we need it.  We've certainly been going and blowing since I got here!

So, probably no new posts for a few days since we're going to be laying low.

Ciao for now!

October 10, 2010 - Nyack, NY

What a glorious day!  When we woke up, it was 37 degrees and clear as a bell.  Denice came up from Little Egg Harbor.  Vicki made the plan to go up to Nyack to get a quick lunch, shop and enjoy the Hudson River.  When we got to Nyack, we discovered they were having a street fair so, of course, parking was at a premium. However, we lucked out and found a spot close to all the activities.

What a splendiforous event!  Food vendors galore! Art! Crafts! Clothing! Everything imaginable! Streets were closed for blocks and blocks.  Since we'd all had a light breakfast, we were hungry and headed for the food area.  We followed a wonderful aroma to The Pit Master BBQ.

Oh, my - was it ever good!  Vicki and I shared the three meat bowl - brisket, pork and chicken - with slaw.  The sauce was fresh peach mango habenero and was it ever fabuloso!  It might have been the best BBQ I have ever eaten.  And the owners were so friendly, I felt we'd known them for years.

After the BBQ fix, I found an Italian stand that was making Zepolles.  I'd never had one so I HAD to partake. Oh, dear! I had no idea there were so many.  I ate two and Vicki ate two.  It's kind of like a little donut but not round and not airy and COVERED with powered sugar.  There was a sweet family next to us in the park where we ate, so they offered to take them off our hands!

By this time, the temperature had risen and jackets were no longer necessary.

We then walked around and "shopped" and mingled and stopped and had wonderful ice cream.  Yes, I took a lot of photos but guess what!!!  No, my camera is not on the bottom of the Hudson River, but it should be.  I didn't bring my big camera this time as I wanted to "keep it simple."  That said, I'm now the owner of a new little digital camera for my purse.  It's now in the process of charging, so hopefully there will be photos tomorrow evening after our day in NYC.

Vicki is preparing a lovely dinner for later and a movie might be in order.  Tomorrow, NYC and who knows what else.

à bientôt

October 9, 2010

On Wednesday, October 6, Vicki and I drove to Long Beach Island which is an island north of Atlantic City. Vicki's friend Annette has a beach house on The Island which she generously offered us.  Who could refuse?
On Thursday morning, we went to Little Egg Harbor to get Denice and then to Absecon to get the train for Philadelphia.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day with nary a cloud in the sky.  I hesitate to admit how long it's been since I was in Philly.  Let's just say I wasn't old enough to get a driver's license!

Our plan was to tour the museum district.  Our first stop was the Franklin Institute.  It's a wonderful museum in and of itself, but is now housing the traveling Cleopatra exhibit through January.  Of course, we took the tour and found it stunning.  We then toured other parts of the museum and ran into . . .

Yes, that's Ben himself!  That's me, Ben, Vicki and Denice!

We stayed so long at the Franklin learning about the heart, electricity, etc. - it was just too much fun.

We decided we'd see the other museums at another time.  We then headed to the Reading Terminal for a mind-boggling treat!  When I was a child, my Mother and I used to take the train into Philly every week for classes and we'd get off in Center City at the Reading Terminal.  On the street level is a "market" the likes of which I've never seen before.  The Amish bring their goods in on Thursday so we were in luck.  This place is huge and has any type of food you can imagine.  Also, butchers, bakeries, candy makers, fresh beautiful local produce.  And ice cream - Bassett's Ice Cream which has been there since the mid-1800s.  Of course, we didn't have the ice cream until AFTER lunch.  Vicki and I split a Philly Steak Sandwich [no cheese] and Denice had an amazing pork [not pulled] sandwich with provolone and broccoli rabe. WONDERFUL!!!

This photo doesn't begin to give the scope and size of the Market.

After spending a great deal of time there, we started walking back to the 30th Street Station.  Vicki decided she NEEDED some Clinique so we went into Macy's.  This Macy's is one of the oldest department stores on the east coast.  It used to be a John Wannamaker's and that store was remarkable.  When Macy's took over 20 or so years ago, they kept the grandeur of the store. 

This is looking up 4 or 5 stories from the main floor.  If you're ever in Philadelphia, it's definitely worth seeing.

So back to Long Beach Island for a quiet restful evening.

On Friday morning, we got up and walked to the Point.  You can see Atlantic City from there but it's a long way across the water.  We walked the beach for a couple of hours, collected shells and sea glass.  Another beautiful day.

Vicki collected so many shells we had to run back to the house to get a couple of bags.  I picked two for myself.  The water was warm and of course, I had to roll up my jeans and get my feet wet.  I truly could walk a beach every single day!  It's good for the feet and does wonders for the calf muscles.  Here's Vicki . . .

and here are our Sister Footprints.  I carried my shoes - Vicki had her shoes on.  Gosh, but it was fun.

We had to leave to go get ready for the day.  Annette and Denice were coming over to the Island and we were all going out to dinner.  We ate at Stefano's.  Yes, I took photos of all of us AND the food, but again, my camera or memory card did not comply with my wishes.  More on that later.  The food: we all OVER ordered.  I had Steamed Littleneck Clams in a wonderful dipping sauce [YUM] - then a roasted beet and goat cheese on arugula salad [PERFECT] - then a wonderful flounder which I barely tasted [I finished it for dinner this evening and it was great].  All the food was terrific and the photos I took did it justice.  I'm getting a bit frustrated with all the issues I'm having.  Hopefully, it will be resolved before Vermont!

Anyway, back to the beach house!  Annette and Denice were staying over and we had a wonderful time talking until all hours like kids.

Today, we drove up Route 9 along the ocean and stopped at a few places. We had a lovely salad in Sea Bright at a sidewalk cafe Should I be fortunate enough to win the lottery, there WILL be a house in Spring Lake, Deal or Bel Mar in my future!.

We're having a terrific time and the next two days will be packed with things to do - Nyack, NY and NYC.  I sure hope the photo situation works itself out!

Ciao for now, mi amici!

October 4, 2010 - Recap

I arrived at EWR Liberty on time on 9.29.2010.  Of course, Vicki and I went to have a lovely dinner at The Geloks.  We lived next door to them and used to babysit their boys.  Lorraine is THE BEST and Rocky is quite the character.  Since I'd not unpacked, I was unable to memorialize our evening with photographs.  Rocky grilled some spectacular salmon and Lorraine came through with wonderful sides.  A ton of laughter was heard in the old neighborhood.

Early-ish on Thursday morning, we headed out to get some Polish goodies that cannot be found in the Seekonk area. The weather was humid, rainy and downright awful.  However, once we crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge, the rain stopped.  Unfortunately, the mugginess continued.

Seekonk:  Laura and Josh FINALLY got home from school and the fun and frivolity began.  Laura has grown a foot since last year!  And Josh!!!  Well, he's quite the little boy - absolutely all boy!

On Friday morning, the rain had stopped so Matt decided our jaunt to Cape Cod would be in order.  His sister, Darcy, lives in Falmouth so we stopped and visited with her for a bit, met her chickens and toured the house addition.  They live on a pond on Shallow Pond Road. Blissful.  We then went into Falmouth and the clouds began gathering above.  We strolled the streets and visited a few [not enough] shops and then the skies opened.  Luckily, we were two doors away from Liam Maguire's, an Irish Pub, where we'd planned to have lunch.  Matt said the Lobster Roll was world famous.  However, since they're HUGE, Vicki and I split one. It was absolutely wonderful - every bite!  Since it was still raining heavily when he finished, we didn't do any more walking - just a quick sprint to the car.  Matt drove us around a bit.  Darcy's husband is a Marine Biologist in Woods Hole, so we visited his facility.  On the way back to Seekonk, we stopped in Fall River at Patty's Pierogi's and brought home four dozen for Polish Night on Saturday. [They were good, but nowhere near as good as Vicki and I have made.]

Vicki and I were roused early by little feet so after playing with the kiddos for a while, we started getting the Polish Night dinner started.  We made fried sauerkraut and a boatload of stuffed cabbage casserole.  We used to wrap the rolls but we've honed the long, tedious process to a lasagne-type dish with all the same ingredients, sans pasta.  We also did cabbage and noodles with Polish sausage.  The neighbors from across the street were guests and Debbie courageously "googled" Polish desserts and brought a wonderful Placek z Jablka, which translates to Polish Apple Cake.  It's not really cake though, but a cross between cake and pie and completely delish!  Carol made a wonderful pumpkin pie and Laura put together two batches of brownies.

On Sunday morning, we HATED to leave but headed south and west at about 10:30 a.m.  We stopped in Wickford, RI and had a great time touring a street that has homes from the 1700s.  I took photos of the harbor, some flowers and then we went into the Wickford Market and took sandwiches with us to eat on the run!  No other stops until we got to Hackensack.

After unpacking [AGAIN] and getting into sweats [temperatures had dropped, thank you, God], I decided to get all the photos I took and put them on my laptop.  Here's where MY temperature rose!  I'd taken about 50 or 60 photos but only about 12 were downloadable.  It appears my memory card had become corrupt.  I'd taken such cute shots of Carol and Laura [Carol usually holds the camera] and lots of cute shots of the kids. Curses!!!!  Vicki didn't take as many of the kids as I'm usually The One.  She took several shots of flowers but you've seen flowers before.

So, we're heading back to Seekonk on the 20th and then on to Vermont on the 21st to replace the photos, if possible.

Today, we just did laundry, ran a few errands and relaxed.  Tomorrow, we're taking Lorraine to lunch and a movie [You Again] for her birthday.  There might be a little shopping as well.

Sorry about no photos but maybe Long Beach Island and Philadelphia later this week will provide fodder for my NEW memory card.

August 18, 2010 - HOME!!!

God bless Jay!!  He drove from Albuquerque with nary a stop for food.  Fortunately, I grabbed  some food before we left the hotel, and when we stopped for gas, we picked up road food.  Probably not good for us, but we got home in 9 hours.

Here are a couple of shots of the Hoover Dam Bypass that I promised yesterday.

 

I'm sorry I go on so much about the Bypass, but to me, it's just spectacular and MUST be seen coming in from the Nevada side to get the full impact.  Just took my breath away.

And here are a few shots from the Painted Desert side of the Petrified Forest National Park.

We really liked the Painted Desert even though I hiked off on a path while Jay stayed with the car.  I would definitely like to return to do more of the hiking paths.  Ditto for The Grand Canyon.

So, here were are in our home and with all our STUFF.  Jay's already planning our next trip.  I think it's going to be Carlsbad Caverns some time in the spring.  Then Vicki and I will head out to The Grand Canyon and points in between!