Last Day of Summer

Today will be a glorious last day.

Yesterday I got out my winter shoes - a sure sign that winter is looming in the horizon.

Tha fall fairs will start next week here in Massachusetts and we plan to attend. The Topsfield Fair is a big one and we have never been there.

I am reading a book called "The Joy of NOT Working". Every day I get up and don't have to rush out the door is a gift.

There's a thrift store in Salisbury, the next town to us. It's run by volunteers and the money provides food for all the food pantries in our area.

My plan is to volunteer since we benefit from all their hard work. What an interesting store. It should be fun.

My quilt is nearly finished and I have hopes of learning to use the long arm quilting machine recently discovered in Amesbury. You can rent it by the hour. I'll have to add the backing and the stuffing, have a little practise time and then go for it.

We have a troublesome neighbor who has a drinking problem. Everyone knows you can't reason with a drunk. What to do, to do. Mmmmmm.

Fall is my favorite season in spite of what lurks beyond.

Lost Forever

Divorce is never easy. The grown children seem to have a tougher time coming to grips with the split.

It would appear that my son is lost to me forever - therefore my two sweet grandchildren will be lost to me as well.

I am unsure how to process this grief.

It's been eleven years since the big "D". I thought I did the right thing by hanging in there for thirty-three years until the kids were all grown and out of the house. Somehow it's never enough.

Our family is small and my only brothers are still in Canada. My CLS (common-law spouse) has family too far to see often.

How sad to be seventy-one and have to endure such a loss.

It's possible I may have more grandchildren someday; I can only hope.

At what price do we have to pay to make our children happy?

The Smell of Fall

We finally have a break from the awful heat this summer.

It's chilly, overcast with a hint of fall in the air.

Tomorrow we'll meet my son Chris for lunch in Manchester. I miss my kids and my grandkids.

My CLS has found some long lost relatives through Ancestry.com. No one can stay lost these days. I am reminded of that every time the phone rings.

We love going to the library here in town. It's a very busy place and I enjoy reading the local paper and finding a new book. Using the library helps keep the clutter to a minimum in our apartment.

I have more books to give away and wonder if they might like the Harry Potter series. I just had to see what they were all about and thoroughly enjoyed them.

It's a good day to bundle up and take the dogs on a long walk. Maybe we'll take them up on the new Clipper Ship Rail Trail. Gator doesn't like other dogs but I keep trying to socialize him.

The President is on vacation in Martha's Vineyard. I've never been there, but have always wanted to go. I'll have to put that on my "bucket list".

Monday Blahs

What a relief. Low humidity and 67 degrees. It sure has been a long hot summer.

Looking forward to my favorite time of year - fall.

I am starting to throw out "stuff" and reorganizing everything in this small apartment.

I emptied out the little freezer and threw a ton of food out. I have never disciplined myself to date food when I shove it in the freezer. Who the heck knows how old it is. Hopefully we will get rid of the freezer this week, making way for a better spot for the TV.

We enjoyed looking in the junk shops last weekend. We found a good one over in Salisbury with amazing prices. I don't have room for a thing, but it's a good place to get rid of stuff.

Saturday night we ventured down to Hampton Beach and enjoyed listening to the open air concert on the water. The biggest challenge is to find a parking space. We'll probably go again on Thursday, country and western night.

We have been walking a lot and I have absolutely no pain. It's a wonderful thing!

Holding steady with my weight, but now that the dog days are lifting a little, I want to lose another twenty pounds. That means I'll have to investigate the thrift shops for smaller clothes but I'll worry about that when it happens.

School is starting soon and I used to love to take classes. We might take a ride over to Essex Community College to see what they offer.

Who knows what's around the corner?

Dog Days

Glory be, this summer has been the hottest I can ever remember.

I turn off the AC's at night as I can't stand the noise. There is always a breeze here and it's 72 degrees this morning. It was 70 when I got up an hour ago.

The electric bill will be a shocker.

We helped at the Firehouse last night. They had a huge turn-out for a promotion for a product called "Juice +". Sounds like an Amway scheme to me. Hard to believe that folks still get sucked in thinking they're going to hit the big time.

My brother and sister-in-law are planning a visit in October. Horrah! I guess I have to "turn to" and get this place organized. Still too much stuff.

Remember Nan, one room at a time.

Had allergy testing yesterday and am happy I didn't react to anything. What a relief! I was particularly worried about mold.

We had a flood in the kitchen last week. The Nelsons upstairs over us left their facuet on in the kitchen and our kitchen was flooded. No telling what that water is doing up in the ceiling with this God awful heat.

There's a Chamber Music Festival this week at the library. Open rehearsal is from 10 to 1. What an opportunity. I particularly love the cello.

What a wonderful place to live with so much available at no expense.

Home

Our trip to New Brunswick was everything I had hoped for.

Every time I cross the border from Calais, Maine, I remember the poem we learned in high school. "Breathes there the man with soul so dead - who never to himself hath said, ""This is my home, my native land!"" - who's heart hath ne're within him burned, as home his footsteps he hath turned from wandering in a foreign land.

It's hard to think of the states as a "foreign land" but apparently Sarah Palin agrees.

My brother John had his 70th birthday and we celebrated with a wonderful fun party. My older brother Philip came for a visit and we three were together again for probably the last time.

Helena, my best friend of sixty-eight years remains steadfast and loyal. We know each other so well that we that we have an unspoken link that binds us together.

The cottage where we stayed with my cousin Pat and her CLS (common law spouse)was just like Anne of Green Gables house. What a spectacular view of the St. Croix River.

We made a point of going over the new bridge between Calais and St. Stephen. It's pretty amazing that it finally got built after years of haggling between the two countries.

The customs office on the Canadian side looks like a big train station. It's worth seeing. We've been told that the customs on the American side is more like Fort Knox in keeping with terrorists and other unsavory characters who might try to infiltrate the states.

The reunion with my old high school friends was nostalgic. Some are no longer with us and our days are counting down. Familiar faces are lined with age but I see them as they were in 1957 when we had so much to look forward to.

The night before we left, I visited Mum and Dad's grave and said goodbye.

Endings are sad but there's always hope for new beginnings.

Hot 'n Humid

Today we went to the Lahey. It's a pretty easy trip and only takes about 40 minutes. I had my fourth fill with the lapband. Apparently the average is about six fills in a year. I am right on track.

I need to focus more. I am so easily detoured. Bad Nan!

Physical Therapy for my back is coming along. I have exercises to do at home. I'll be going twice a week till whenever.

Walking is such a joy with no pain. I can't believe I was able to stand the pain for so many years.

I made a cake for my friend Dorrie's birthday. It's been a few years since I've made a cake. I think it had to do with the pain. I am so positive about so many things now.

My daughter's quilt is coming along and I have 25 blocks all completed. I laid them out in the common room on three long tables and had lots of help from the other residents. It was fun and we came up with a good pattern.

Our music festival in Newburyport was a little damp on Saturday. We stayed until it started raining. No guts! I guess there were a lot of folks who hung in till the bitter end.

The big weekend Homecoming will be the last weekend in July. We're sorry to miss it, but we will be in the Maritimes.

Cooler weather on the horizon.