Thanksgiving 2009

Here are some pics from our Thanksgiving visit to RI. Click on the pictures to make them bigger. Enjoy!

We Got Away For The Weekend

Sean and I went to Camden for the weekend. It was so nice. The cottage we stayed in was on the shore. We would wake up and see the ocean. Took a lot of pics. We had dinner one night at the Village Restaurant. The meal was great and the view of the harbor, inspiring. Also checked out the Flea Market and an antique/junk barn, both fun places. I found a camera at the flea market. The kind with the big viewfinder on top. When you see the old looking photos, those are the ones I took through the old camera. The price on it was $24 and it was the end of the season so, he had it marked 1/2 price. I asked if he would take $10. He did. YEAH! Anyway, we had a great time. Oh! And, we stopped at Perry's Nut House before we left town. You'll see those pics at the end of my slide show.

Family Reunion

We had a great time in Mystic, CT last week. It was so good to see everyone, and get to spend time with so many.

Click on the album to see all the pictures from the week.

Camping in CT 09

Summer Cookout At Mom & Dad's

So much fun at the cookout at Mom and Dad's.
Everyone was there. Had a chance to play with all the kids.
The weather was perfect for swimming in the pool all afternoon.

Can you guess where Jo was? Here's Logan trying to break into the pool and Declan, his partner in crime.

Brenia had a good time controlling Guncle. They were funny.

Olivia, what a beauty.

Couldn't resist this picture of Sophie looking through the fence.

All the kids having fun in the pool.Sharing trains.It was a lot of fun seeing everyone!

Fixing up the porch

My latest project was to fix up the porch.

My rocker had seen better days. It was ruined from being out in the weather.

After 2 used cans of paint +1 new can...

I had a brand new looking chair. I love it!

This new chair was my $5 yard sale find. I gave it a fresh new coat of paint and at some point this summer, I will recover the cushions. It's a rocker and very comfy.

So there it is. The porch by the river.
Doesn't it look inviting?

Big Fish

Sean was down at the river this morning and came home with this.
He caught it with his bare hands.
No kidding!

Cobra Power!

Riley joined her first lift competition.
Sean was one of her spotters.

She bench pressed 100lbs.!

Since then she maxed out at 110! Sean wasn't in the competition but he maxed out at 265!

It's Spring. Let's Go To The Beach!

Sean and I had a day to ourselves today. This doesn't happen very often. Okay, it never happens. We were thrilled to just go where WE wanted and not have to listen to any whining or complaining.

We took a ride down to Bath and stopped at Beale Street Barbeque. The BEST meal I've had in so long.

All fresh, local food cooked to perfection. Delicious!

Then, it was off to one of our favorite places. Reid State park. It was a partly sunny day and pretty cool at the beach but, surprisingly, there were a lot of people there. I guess there are others like us that just can't wait to get to the beach. (There is still snow on the side of the road.)

Next, we had a chance to play with my new Christmas toy. At first, we were both very shy, then, we got a beep. How exciting! And so quickly!

We dug, and searched, rechecked and dug some more.

We ended up with a pocket full of pennies.
Okay, we were hoping for more but, it was fun trying.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We started our day with green pancakes this morning.

The family thinks I am weird.

But....they ate every bite!

Riley Meagan wore her green today but was not ready for pictures.

Happy Oatmeal

Yesterday morning, I cooked my oatmeal in the microwave. When I took it out, there was a happy face. Maybe we should call it in to Letterman. "The Wal Mart happy face appeared in my oatmeal!"

Snow Day Fun

Monday was yet another snow day. We decided to make soft pretzels. It turned out to be a nice way to stay warm and cozy. To make this beautiful, soft as a baby's bottom, dough, we used this recipe for

German Soft Pretzels:
1 pkg dry active yeast
1 cup warm water
2 1/2-3 cups flour
2 T melted butter
1 T sugar
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 1/2 cups flour, butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes to make a smooth batter. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and satiny (about 5 minutes). Place in greased bowl. Turn to grease top. Cover and let rise until double (about 1 hour). Punch down, divide into pieces. Roll and shape. Place on greased baking sheet. Let rise for 1/2 hour.
Fill pan, 1/2 way with water. Add 6 T baking soda and bring to a boil. Place pretzels in pan one at a time. Let simmer for about 15 seconds on each side. Return to baking sheet. Brush with egg wash made from one yolk and a few drops of cold water.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake at 425* for 12-15 minutes.
These must be eaten while they are still warm, soft and chewy.

Mmmmmm.....