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.

GO Blue Jays!

      In the last year we have been very busy.  We of course have the regular day to day stuff like kids, their activities, both hubby and I being in school as well as work, and blah, blah, blah.  In that time hubby graduated with his BA in bio. and chem. and went through the intense process of applying to PharmD (doctor of pharmacy) programs, got accepted to all he applied to and chose....Creighton University, go Blue Jays!  School is in full swing again for all of us and let's just say that the last few months have flown by.
      The medical grad school field is a very different world than that of the residential carpentry world that we have been living in for the last 15 years.  So here we go into a new endeavor that while is going to be a bit of a struggle for the next few years, will be very much worth it in the end. 
     I haven't been knitting as much as I would like to, but I have been doing more sewing in the last couple of weeks, photos to come soon!

       It has been proven to me that exercise is VERY bad for you, so is doing dishes!  Last week I decided that I would be getting up in the morning and getting on the treadmill to start my journey back into running.  So I got up thought I should clean the kitchen first.  Started with the dishes, and that was it.  Bent over to pick up a plate and my back went out.  So there I was, not moving off the couch for 4 days.  I was just getting back to where I felt good yesterday and again the thought of working out came into my mind.  NOT A GOOD IDEA.  I picked up a book off my bed and SNAP, back to where I was a week ago.  So what have we learned boys and girls...no exercise and no dishes!

Let Them Eat Cake, or brownies, or cookies......

      Remember when a bake sale at school meant there would be cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and a bevy of other home baked goodness?  Since my children started school these wonderful bake sales that kids look forward to, have now become "healthy snack sales."  Now, before some of you jump all over me, I am all for health eating, especially for children, but once in a while is not going to be the end of the world for them.  But I digress,back to bake sales. 
      This has been kind of a pet peeve of mine since my children started school.  There's a group of parents that for some reason can not leave well enough alone and start these "groups" to put an end to things like bake sales.  They have turned them into "HEALTHY SNACK SALES" (and the ones in charge send home a list of what constitutes "healthy" in case we were too stupid to know).  They always have the same reasoning....."it is SOOOO unhealthy."  "Sugar is soooo horrible for these children", "do you know how hard it is for them to concentrate when they have had sugar in the last ^ months (inserts sarcasm here)."  You get my point.  That is all fine and well but what happened to letting kids be kids and have something yummy once in a while?
      If I hear one more mother tell me about sugar highs and how bad some of the kids act after having sugary things I think I might scream!!!! The only kids that are going to be affected with the no bake sale/healthy food only crap will be kids like mine that already eat very healthy everyday.  My kids eat their veggies and fruits and I make sure that is what is in their lunch boxes everyday.  The kids that have "problems" with sugar are the kids that are bringing a soda to school for lunch in kindergarten or maybe that 7 year old that I saw with a cappuccino in her hand last week as she went into school.  I don't think that them having a cupcake will really change that.    I will let you all in on a little secret, (not that much of a secret if you know us) my kids and my husband eat cake and cookies for breakfast. That's right! SWEETS!!!!! My husband always has and for a while I tried to fight it with the kids but I finally gave in.  In all honesty my kids may start with a brownie but they usually have fruit with it.  How is it any different then giving them pancakes and syrup? It's not.  I love to see other mom's reactions when I tell them this.  They usually say stupid things like, "well they aren't hyperactive", "they aren't fat", "they're really smart", or "really, you would never know!"   Crazy isn't it!!!! My kids are some of the healthiest kids out there and I am told this every time they go to the pediatrician (and yes he knows what they eat for breakfast, he just says we doing something right).  These are also the parents that tell me what picky eaters their kids are and can't believe that mine will try anything and have been taught to eat what is on their plate (when at other people's homes).  Stop trying to feed them crap that 1) is nasty and 2) no one has ever heard of.  (Oh and usually organic.)
     The bottom line is, let you kids have a brownie from the school bake sale.  Bake sales are supposed to be something kids look forward to.  No one wants to go to a bake sale and get celery!

 
  

Downton Abbey.......where are the tissues?

                                               http://wallpaperen.com/downton-abbey.html
            
    By now all of the die hard DA fans have seen the season 3 finale.  WHAT?!?! REALLY?!?!?! Is this how we are to be left until next January.  One dead daughter, one dead son-in-law/heir, two new babies, and one very lonely, sad chauffeur/son-in-law. As one of my friends stated, is there some connection between the creators ad the anti depressant companies?  We are all surely going to be taking them after this season.
    I have to say that while it is very tragic that Matthew is now among those we have loved and lost, I was not as torn up about it as I was about Lady Sybil.  I was devastated when she was taken from us at such a young age. (my greif for fictional characters is at times great)  I think it was her and Tom's true and undying love that they had for each other that made her death so much worse then Matthew's.  Tom Branson's panic when she was near death was heart wrenching.  He truly loved her.  I can see that Mary will be upset, but in true Mary fashion, she will go on and find someone new to make sure that Downton goes on as it should.   I see the conversation that Branson had with Mrs. Hughes was far more moving then the car accident.
    Ahhh, anyway, back to reality for me. As much as I would like to just sit back and pretend that  nothing else that matters in the world then if Tom ends up with the new nanny or how will Mary deal with the death of Matthew or will Anna and Bates ever have a baby, I have to go clean the bathroom....where is the housemaid when I need her.

New Year's Sweater

    Ahhh, a new year. Kids are off to school, hubby off to work, I kind of have the day off since I don't have to be at the salon until later this afternoon, but until then I am thinking about all the things that I would like to do this year.  Of course the same as many people, I want to get in better shape, be a better parent, don't swear so much, fold the laundry as it gets done in the dryer, blah, blah, blah.  But the things that I feel like I have better control of are my knitting and sewing.   Like finally putting together the sweater that I made for myself that is sitting in 4 pieces in a basket in my room.  It is a beautiful orange/red staghorn cabled pattern. I will be honest, the getting fit goes along with this.  I started it about 2 years ago when I had lost a good amount of weight and in the last few months put some of the weight back on (not all, thank God, but some) so I fell like all my hard work may be in vain.  Knitting work that is.  And we all know what it's like to put on something that doesn't quite fit the way we want, depressing.  So I guess it's a mental block that is keeping me from blocking it. LOL.  If I lose some more weight then I will put it together, right????  UGH.  So I guess with that sentiment I leave you all to go get on the treadmill.  Maybe I will find some very mindless telly to watch.

New Year

          It has been proven that odd numbered years are better for us.  I know that sounds stupid but all the best things in our lives have happened in odd numbered years, married:1999, baby boy:2001, baby girl:2003.  There is more but no need to go on about that.  So I look forward to 2013.
           
          In the rest of the world there are a couple of things to look forward to this year.  A new season of Downton Abbey starts January 6th.  What's not to like about that???  Of course I can't forget to mention the impending arrival of the Royal Baby.  I am predicting that if a girl, they will name Elizabeth. 
           
         So to all of you, Happy New Year!!! My wish is for all of you to have a happy, healthy, and peaceful year.

Winter is here!

So it has happened.  The first real storm of the winter is upon us.  I don't really love the snow but I don't really hate it either.  As long as I don't have to be anywhere or it doesn't interfere with any plans, the snow and I get along quite well.  Today has been a VERY lazy day, a great deal of knitting and television watching and yes.... eating has taken place. 

The Brook

 

There were some visitors this morning, about 16 wild turkeys.  Once the dogs caught sight of them it was GAME ON!  Poor George just kept looking at us with a look that was just so sad, as if to say "please, please can I go see what they're doing."  Of course I'm sure all that would happen would be that we would end up with turkey for dinner.  And I'm pretty sure that's not quite a legal way to get it. Needless to say the bird dogs were very sad and excited for several minutes.

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat.....

All 3 geese are getting fat to be more precise! Lexie, Hector, and even Molly, our transgendered goose.  That's what I said, transgendered.  When she hatched we were sure she was a girl but as she got older the grey on her back stopped coming in and she is pretty much white.  Hector, our male Pilgrim goose is the typical all white, and let's just say HUGE.  Lexie, I got her from a friend/neighbor that hatched her, she is the grey Pilgrim, beautiful bird.  The problem is that Molly does seem to be a bit smaller like Lexie but mostly white like Hector, and has yet (in the almost 2 years here) to lay an egg.  So since she knows her name we call "her" Molly and continue to refer to her as a "HER."

Anyway, knitting projects seem to be finished for the holidays and I have now started to do a few things for myself.  I am sure none of which will get done in a timely manner.  I finished a sweater for myself in September and have yet to block it.  UGH! 

Shopping is done and the baking should be started soon but that little thing called work is in the way. Family is starting to arrive.  My new niece, Kimberly, arrived in town last night, she brought her parents with her too.  She was born in September in Alaska so we have yet to meet her which to me means I have yet to get my hands on her!!! My brother should arrive Friday and then the fun shall begin.  My father's birthday Saturday, my nephew Parker and niece Kimberly will be baptized Sunday with myself as the Godmother to handsome Mr. Parker. Monday bringing Christmas Eve and my family Christmas, and of course the day itself Tuesday.  So the next week shall be a little busy, but really it would seem odd if  wasn't.

I would just like to mention that our hearts and prayers are with all that have been affected by the horrible events of Friday the 14th in CT.  God Bless.

Looking for Bullwinkle

I know I have been gone from the blog world for a while but here I am.  One of the things that happened this summer was my son got a moose permit.  Now this might not sound like a big deal or very exciting but for sportsmen all over the US it is a VERY BIG deal.  In order to get a Maine Moose permit you must apply (and pay) to be in a lottery style drawing to get the permit.  Then if choosen you have to pay for the permit and your regular hunting license and take a week off of work in the fall to hunt these creatures and there is no garuntee that you will get one.
The state gave out 3,725 permits this year, some for bull (boys with antlers) and some for cows (girls). The state is broken up into zones and you are assigned to a specific zone to hunt in.  People from all over the United States apply to get these permits and many Mainers apply their whole lives and never get one.  With this being said, I, yes me the Duchess of Fabulous Fowl, has gotten not 1 but 2 permits.  My husband on the other hand, never a one.  Come to think of it no one in his entire family has ever gotten one.   I had no interest in ever doing it again but this year I applied once again because my son is now legal hunting age.  (There are 2 people on each permit and if I had got one he would be able to shoot it if I let him.)  So on a rainy Saturday night in June thousands of people waited by their computers to see if they were one of the lucky 3,725.  Low and behold there was my little boy's name.  He had a bull permit for the zone that we have a hunting camp in, thank goodness. 
So begins the months of prep, new gun, new boots, another freezer, the list goes on and on.  Those who say that it's great because of all the meat you get and it costs almost nothing, is DEAD wrong.  I can buy a lot of meat for what it costs to hunt moose.  (You do get a huge amount of meat and it is soooooo good.) I make it sound bad but really it is a very exciting thing.
 This moose season started Monday morning at 6:12 am.  It ends Saturday night at around 6:25pm.  The first day of the hunt was unsucessful for us but there are 5 more to bag the big one. 

Big George and the Boys



boy 1

boy 1

Daddy George

boy 2

boy 2

DID YOU KNOW??????

So here is a little of the useless knowledge that rolls around in my brain.....About 20% of Sweden's police stations are closed in the summer because most people are on vacation.