Memorial Day

        Every year we go to the Memorial Day parade in our town.  Usually because our children are in it in some capacity or another.  This year was no different.  There is always a gentleman in every parade no matter what and I have always felt it was kind of neat but never really gave too much thought to it.  But in the last few years I have been even more awed at his presence.  What is amazing about this man is that he is a Pearl Harbor Survivor.  There are very few still living and each year the number drops. 
        So on this Memorial Day please take a moment to remember those that gave their lives for this
country.

Who do you think you are?

      I love this show and would love to be on it, the only problem is that I am not famous.  Much to my dismay, and I have yet to be given the royal title that I feel should be bestowed upon me.  But rest assured I keep looking and waiting for that to happen.  Anyway, I do find genealogy to be a very fascinating thing.  In my many hours, too many to count, of searching through information to gather the names and stories of all the people that ultimately make up who I think I am, I was able to discover that I had an ancestor that fought in the American Revolution.  Yes, that means that I became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, pearls and all.
       This was something that I thought would be one of the most fabulous things ever.  I mean really, not many people can be a member and I never thought that I would be able to, so of course I wanted to be a member. I had always thought that my "people" were far too new to this country. My great grandparents on my dad's side were either born in England or were first generation from Ireland.  On my mother's side my grandmother's parents were born in Canada and my grandfather's mother came from Sweden at the age of 7, and his father's family had been here a while but we really didn't think that there was anything there and were sure that there wouldn't be any good records to track that side down.  Oh was I wrong!  Not only was I able to find records but they went on forever, literally, I think forever, I have more to look at but have looked as far back as 1045 (and I'm not done).
        I was able to find not only one American Revolution ancestor but three.  My mother and I joined under the one that shares her maiden name and are working on the other two as (what we in the DAR call) supplemental ancestors.   Recently I have found a direct link to the Mayflower and will work on getting that proven but that will take a great deal of time and will deal with that later. 

This is my great-grandfather Edward Lufkin, it is his line that I have been able to trace so far

       So for my birthday my parents got me the DNA kit that Ancestry.com has.  I was so very excited!  I was fairly certain I knew what it would show but wondered what it would show.  I had always thought that I was primarily Irish but who really knows.  Well I do now.  34% from Ireland, it may not seem like a lot but that's the largest percentage from one single country.  I'm 38% Western Europe which is many countries together, some of which is also England and Ireland.  So it came as no surprise to me that I am 100% European.  There were some interesting things like Poland and Belarus but still all European.  I still find it all fascinating.  So who do you think you are?

What size?

         
       I am not sure why it is that women, thousands or probably millions, of women wear clothes that are at least 1 to 2 sizes too small!  Now I'm not a size 2 by any means but I try to wear pants in my correct size.  I look at these women and all I can think is "that can't be comfortable" but for some reason they continue to wear these things.  I figure that when they get home they must pop that top button and just breath a sigh of relief.  I would hate that!
       The moral of this story is: just because it zips doesn't mean it fits.

How do buy an Easter dress in Maine

      The stores have been filled with Easter dresses for a while now and when you have a daughter there is the need for a new dress every year.  I used to find this an exciting time.  I would enter the stores with the feeling of exhilaration and end up leaving feeling very defeated.  You may ask why.  I will tell you, it is not warm, sunny, or even a pleasant time of year here in the great north east.  In fact it is cold, dreary, and if we are lucky muddy, but this year that will not be the case for it is to be snowy.  That is not unheard of but still not pleasant. 
      So not one of those beautiful dresses that are hanging in the windows of the stores will be at all useful to us.  So we go through what we have and try to make it look a bit more spring like.  Maybe a hot pink shirt with the black pants or skirt, or maybe a pastel scarf with a sweater, the same sweater that we have been wearing to church all winter.  And yes, boots will be worn.  Not beautiful new riding boots that go great with our new spring outfit but L.L. Bean boots.  Which are fine but really people it's April.
     So for all of you that will be able to enjoy those beautiful dresses and sandals this Easter, I hope you are enjoying yourself and think of us just a little up here in the north where the children will hunt for eggs INSIDE the house rather than out in the lush, green grass.

           
Baby Girl and I went to see Cinderella this weekend.  I know what you're thinking, of course I would see it with not 1 but 2 Downton ladies, but that was not the only reason.  Yes I was happy about that but I have always loved this story, it is my very favorite of all time. I went in with a bit of cautious optimism, knowing that often these remakes don't really make me all that happy.  And we all know it's all about me!  Anyway, it was fabulous and if you get the chance GO!  Really it has to be one of the best films I have seen.  I can see a new DVD joining my collection in the future.
         

And Now We Melt!

        This is the view from my entryway window this beautifully sunny morning.  What is it?  Well that is Hubby's size 14's heading to the roof, dealing with an ice issue.  Now that all of this fantastically wonderful snow and ice is starting to melt we have a leak that started in my kitchen and it now in the entryway.  I am not a happy mama.  He keeps saying it's not a big deal he can fix it.  And yes this man built the house and it is one of the most beautiful homes in the area (if I do say so myself) but....as you may know, before Hubby was a pharmacy school student he was a home builder.  (Kind of an odd leap of careers.)  One of the best in our state for that matter.

Hubby on the ladder to the roof!

   He has built some very impressive homes however, I live in an unfinished home.  You know the whole shoemaker's kids with no shoes.  Now don't get me wrong, I knew this would be the case when we built.   What we have been building for the last 10 years is quite fabulous, come on why wouldn't it be. HA HA. We have most of it done and I really don't care.  With that said, I do have a few rooms that are done and my kitchen and entryway are two of them.  He certainly can fix them and they will be wonderful when they are done and probably with some up grades because that is how we roll,  but he just doesn't have the time and I know that for the next three years (just a guess on time) that there will be a hole in the ceiling of now two rooms. I know it is a very incredibly petty thing to be upset about, but I am. 
P.S. He is always in need of a haircut so the whole carpenter's house never done thing goes both ways in this house.  A hairstylist's family always needs haircuts.

LOVE or HATE......

    I have heard from many a mother that the first time your adolescent says "I hate you" it really sucks.  Now my lovely daughter has yet to say that and I think it is because she is a bit dramatic and she has to put her own spin on it and that spin goes a little something like this...."why do you hate me so much Mom?" (insert the crying here).  The first time I heard this it did make my heart break into a million, scratch that, a billion pieces.  But now I am thinking it is done for effect.  She is a very wonderful, beautiful, and CRAZY smart 12 year old.  She says that I yell at her everyday, and I will admit that I do raise my voice far more than one should but here is an example....A couple of weeks  go she forgot (yet again) her lunch on the table and then as we were sitting at the bus stop, now keep in mind I had asked her no less than 3 times if she had her lunch and each time the "Yes MOM!" got a bit more sarcastic, so there we were and I could see the bus coming into view and she yells, "I forgot my lunch!!!" That was when I put it in reverse down the driveway like a crazy woman and I was all "WHAT, I asked you 3 times!"  So as I approached the garage She, my darling wonderfully SMART daughter, starts to get out of the car while it is still moving!  So yes, I lost my %*#@.  In the trying to keep my child safe kind of losing my *@!#.  Of course what I see as a way to let her know that she CAN'T just out of a moving car she saw as me being mean and "hating" her.  UGH.
    There are the things that I do get upset about like her constant wanting to put a huge amount of salt on her food, everyday!  I am a good cook and when I cook I do use spices but for some reason she feels that before she actually tries it she needs to completely douse her dinner, whatever it is, in salt.  I have for just about 9 years been all "No salt...that's enough....no more...you don't need it."  So each and every night she tries to sneak it or if I let her use it she continues to try to get more when Hubby and I aren't looking and each and every night she gets caught.  And that usually consists of  "STOP...you know better, etc.?" So I ask, "why do you keep doing it when you know you're going to get in trouble," response, "I don't know."  Complete frustration is all I can feel at times.  So for now I guess I will have to take solace in the thought that someday she too will go through this with her children.

Mom, What's for dinner???

As we were eating dinner at yet another basketball game tonight I was thinking about how nice it would be to eat a meal that I cooked and was eaten at a table at OUR house. I thought that tomorrow night would be the magic night and I even had dreams of making an apple pie. Then Darling Husband just annihilated those dreams for me by reminding me that I have a class tomorrow evening and child #1 has basketball practice at the same time.  That's what you get with life in the fast lane I guess.    There was a time when I would knit at least a little everyday and cook all the time and Friday was usually pizza and movie night, now every night seems like pizza night and I would love Friday to be just plain home cooked meal night.  Now I seem to carry my knitting bag everywhere yet nothing ever gets taken out of it.  Now Darling Husband is a full time PharmD student and working full time, yeah full time that's what I said because he is the most awesome man I know (don't tell him I said that), and I am a full time student and still spend many hours a week at the salon and the kids!  I have certainly come to the realization that their schedules run the show, who gets dropped off where at what time and for how long, these are the questions that D.H. and I are constantly asking each other.  2 kids in 2 different basketball leagues then there are the games at least 3 a week it seems like, then the other things like before and after school activities and then they want to do things on weekends! How dare they! LOL! This weekend will consist of D.H. working all weekend, I will work a bit then child #1 wants to go to cheer on his friends at a school event a couple of hours away and I said yes.  I guess I won't be eating at home Saturday night either.......Maybe I will pick up a box of cereal on the way home.

Bon Voyage Mr. Branson

 


































          As we all watched the season finale of Downton on Sunday we saw two more of our beloved characters leave the show.  I am very sad to see Tom leave for America, but pleased that at least they didn't have him die, it does leave things open for him to come back and visit us from time to time at Downton.  Darling husband tried to reassure me by saying that at least he was coming here. Very humorous, I know.
      I hate that we now must wait ten more months for the next installment.  I am never very anxious for January to come back around except for the hope of what wonders Mr. Fellowes may have in store for us. So until then we shall all have to watch reruns and wait for Call The Midwife at the end of March.