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Labor Day weekend is over and I guess that means summer has ended.

To see a larger version of any of the pictures here, just place your mouse over the pic and click for the full size.

With that, Marissa’s visit also ended after what seemed like a very short three weeks. Before leaving, she attended my art group for her third visit and Mary set her up with her own easel, pallet and paints and encouraged her to do a “study” of VanGogh’s “SUNFLOWERS.” She did an incredible job! Before bringing her home, we matted and framed her masterpiece and Lisa and Chris were very impressed .

On Friday morning we left for D.C. where we were to spend the night with James and Shana after going to the club where James’s band, Brother Seamus, was playing. She was very happy to have the opportunity. If you look really closely at the background, you can see some of the bouncers… guys Marissa found very intimidating!

Before the show began, she was invited to meet them all in the “green room.”

She enjoyed the show, stood at the base of the stage and danced the night away. We wanted to hear ” Weathervane” but liked Todd singing “Josephine.” Hope you enjoy it, too.

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Saturday morning the four of us (me and Jim, Marissa and James) piled into the car and headed for Northampton. It was NOT a nice ride. What should have taken about six hours, took over 11. Labor Day weekend is a less than perfect time to drive but the worst of it was being stuck in traffic waiting to cross the GW while Yankee fans yelled out their windows at us (Yes, I have a BoSox magnet on the car!) Oh the things I wanted to yell back but the “lady” in me held my temper.

After a good night’s sleep, we headed out to the “3 County Fair” in Northampton. It’s only a short (1/2 mile) walk, or in Jim’s case - buggy ride from the Mattogno home.

James and I had planned to get a henna tattoo but by the time we decided, there was such a line that we just ate fried dough. The girls had their faces painted - Marissa was a beautiful tiger, Ann-Marie an adorable dalmation and Lily an adorable gray kitty. Unfortunately, my camera died before I could get a shot of Annie being painted.

There a few more pictures at my Picasa site.

Then, after the fair there was supper. Chris had started cooking his special ribs early in the day and when we got home they boys set to the final preparations on the grill. What a great spread we had…

Ribs that were to die for, corn bread, fresh corn on the cob, cherry tomatoes stuffed with feta and a yummy tomato/mozarella/basil salad. We had visited the garden earlier in the day so everything was as fresh as it could be.

There we were again! Another summer, another trip to the Cape. Annie and I arrived just as Jim and the Russos were unloading and getting settled. This year we were in a cottage that we had several years ago - bigger than the others and much nicer, I think.

Good thing it was bigger ’cause we had a lot of company. In addition to the Russo clan, (Rennie, Jeannie, Laura, Dara and Andy and their baby, Isabella, Rennie and Kelley, Lauren and Joe and, of course, Vito), Mary-Eileen, Kenny, Nathan and Sophia, Chris, Lisa, Marissa, Anne-Marie and Lily, and James and Shana were also there - not everybody, every day BUT we were never empty!

My first priority was to get some really good fried clams WITH BELLLIES!!! Mr. Dave at WJ’s Toys in Raleigh had suggested that we try Seafood Sam’s and, since he was a Cape person before coming to NC, we headed there for lunch. It was wonderful. The clams were absolutely perfect - yummy.

On Tuesday, we had our annual “Lobster Night” at Shuckers in Woods Hole. Each year, the wait staff is amazed that little Anne-Marie cleans her plate of twin lobsters. corn, steamers ans muscles.

Annie (we can call her Annie IF we use Anne-Marie most of the time) played with Isabella in the pool.

Over the middle weekend we had a full house. It was great to have all the grandkids together and they really had a lot of fun with their cousins. Click on this link for Lisa’s blog for some more great pictures of the kids.

There was beach time, shopping, kite flying and real good food. On Sunday, with everyone at the house (about 25 of us) we had a “seafood fest” with lobsters, steamers, salmon, corn… it was a lot of fun and, I think, everyone had his/her fill. On Monday James, with Chris as his sous chef, cooked another wonderful meal of marinated steak, baked beans (made with root beer - interesting), stuffed tomatoes, corn…

We left NC and drove to Berkley where I dropped Jim at the Russos and headed for a day in Westford . I had made plans with Mary Roy to spend the day together on Friday and it was a great day. We got together early, spent a few minutes chatting at her house then headed out. Shopped at Christmas Tree Shop in Nashua then had lunch at The Weathervane. I was a little disappointed that the lobster roll wasn’t “all you can eat” but it was sooo good!

After lunch, we headed up to Portsmouth where we had plans to meet Lisa and her dad, Carl and pick up Ann-Marie for her annual Cape trip . Annie and I had reservations to spend the night at the Marriott Residence Inn in Westford but before we could even think about sleep, we had to make a trip to Kimball’s Farm.

On Saturday morning, we got an early start and a quick breakfast then Annie and I went shopping with Kathy. I was saddened that we couldn’t spend more time with her but we had to start the drive to the Cape to meet Jim and the Russos at the cottage

Big Day on Thursday the 31st of May - Nathan and Sophia graduated from K-Ready at Heritage Childrens’ Academy.

Since this year they were in different classrooms, there were two separate ceremonies. At both, they filed in to “Pomp and Circumstance” which almost made me cry - almost. I just kept remembering how much the Metcalf’s tuition bills will be going down and the tears started to dry up.

First Sophia’s class sang and signed “I Love You” (the Barney song). I took a short video of the performance so y’all could see her signing BUT when I tried to post it and went to read the “how to” ( I know for a fact that the words were in English) it looked like this to me.

國際託運,簡單化

憑藉每日超過2,000次航班達至超過200個國家及地區,指定時間派送選項,每分鐘更新追蹤資料,及對清關法規的專業,UPS讓國際託運變得從未如此簡易

So, you’ll just have to trust me that in this still, there were, in fact, singing and signing.

Nathan’s class sang two songs - the first about how much they have learned in Pre-K and another about the excitement of going to Kindergarten. Once again, you just have to trust that there is a song being sung here.

Each child received a “ploma”, carefully rolled and tied with a blue ribbon. Keep in mind that there are 4 and 5 year olds. It didn’t take long before the diplomas became telescopes, swords, dada horns or anything else the minds could dream up.

One of the dads even made a yearbook with pictures from when the kids first started at Heritage. All in all, it was a pretty good celebration!

In April we went to Mass. to visit the Mattogno clan. Lisa has written about it on her blog.

They also have undertaken a new gardening experience which they call Seed Niave

Chris has a blog of his own, too.

If you haven’t seen it and might be interested, my art group has a site called Benejam Student Artists.

Last week Marissa had a hair cut and made her 4th donation to Locks of Love. Hard to believe that a nine year old’s hair can grow the way hers does.

Before:

After:

Finally, I have been posting pictures on Picasa. They are there for you viewing pleasure

Sunday morning we planned to have a little brunch with the Metcalfs.

This time, James did not cook - well, he was in charge of the sausage which was fresh from the farm. Can’t let him off the hook completely! After a taste of Mimosas (yes, more adult beverage!) we sat down to eat. When finished, it was bubble time and everyone went into the yard for a bit of fun. Uncle James and Auntie Shana played with Nathan and Sophia and their giant bubble blowers.

Finally, With James, the kids took turns taking pictures of each other on the wall.

I have been very lazy about updates here but maybe this a “new beginning.”

James and Shana were here for a visit this weekend and we had a very nice time. On Saturday, we went to the NC Farmers’ Market. It really is a great place and quite crowded on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in May. We skipped the floral and produce buildings and went for the homemade foods, etc. The first place we stopped was In The Red Farm from down near Jacksonville (NC). We tasted and bought some great tasting goat cheeses - one with rosemary (yummy!) and another with dill.

Made a great snack before dinner.
There was a whole lot more for gazing and grazing and we did both. One of our all-time faves is Moravian ginger snaps. If you have never had one, the are incredibly thin and absolutely delicious cookies. There are flavors other than ginger but…

From the Farmers Market, we drove to Wilson, NC (about an hour away) because we had heard that Parker’s BBQ had some of the best Eastern NC “Que.” They have received great reviews and we liked it as well. One thing I noticed was that the chop was a lot finer than most I have had.

Once back at home, we rested for a while while munchin’ on the cheeses then James made dinner. I had not planned on having him cook but he brought his own knives and had picked up some vegetables at the F.M. so what could I say? He grilled some tasty marinated chicken and veggies. Very European, we had dinner around 9pm.

Shana and I enjoyed my first attempt at Mojitos . I have found it necessary to find new ways to use my motar and pestle as well as the huge mint plants that are growing on the grilling porch and what better way than in preparing an adult beverage?

Here we are, home again after a few short, fun-filled days in Florida. The weather was not all we had hoped for but we had, at least, packed for the chilly days and nights.

While at “The Villages” we drove with Pat and Sal to see some of the tornado damage and it was unbelievable. It’s so hard to imagine what it must have been like that night.

Jim played golf twice with Sal and his “crew” and Pat and I did a little shopping and walked through a couple of Open Houses - seeing how the other half lives.

Tuesday was Mardi Gras and, of course, “The Villages” had celebrations at several locations. There were stilt-walkers,

beads (NO, nobody asked me to show anything!), crazy costumes like they guy I called “Fanny Man”

and entertainment including “The Village Stompers” a group of cloggers. What one needs to remember is that “The Villages” is a retirement community so the cloggers are men and women all over 55 and, for the most part, a lot over. They were very impressive.

Kathy and Tommy had a pretty full social calendar but we did manage to see them one evening for wine and cheese and we met for breakfast one day. They are really enjoying their new winter schedule. Before heading home, we also met Jim’s fraternity brother/AF buddy John and Shirley for a nice lunch. Like us, they have given up their motor home. We missed thye chance to gert to JAX to see one of Jim’s other friends, Lynne… maybe next time, Lynne.