September 21, 2007

Eye Candy Friday

You knew it would be a mountain, right? I do love me a mountain. And, while my birthday posts in the past have been of a more personal nature, this one suits me just fine, too.

Happy birthday to me, Happy weekend to you.

Posted by Carole at 6:42 AM | Comments (103)

September 4, 2007

Birthday Results

Hannah was thrilled with all your birthday wishes yesterday. Thank you all so much for taking the time to leave comments, offer advice and extend a happy birthday to my girl. It means a lot to both of us.

And you know, your comments were truly just the tip of the iceberg for making Hannah's birthday a happy one. You see, it has become a family tradition to receive hand knit socks and yesterday I gifted Hannah with these new ones.

The yarn is Claudia's Handpaint and yes, they are from two different dye lots. That's a long boring story and I'm not going into it here but it was totally my fault.

I actually thought they'd look a lot different than they do - one is clearly darker than the other. But Hannah says she doesn't mind and I hope she wears them well.

There was one other thing that really made Hannah's day. Tori Amos tickets. Hannah had asked me quite some time ago if she and Jessica (my stepdaughter) could go to this concert together. I told her no and said I didn't think it would be good for she and Jess to go into Boston on their own. Man alive was she mad at me! She complained to Jess and Dale and her friends. It went on for days and it wasn't pretty.

Secretly, though, I had planned all along to get her these tickets. And while I still don't think it's a good idea to send my two daughters into the city alone, I'm planning on remedying that by going in with them. Dale and I will drop them at the show and then go have dinner and hang out and pick them up afterwards. Simple solution.

And a fabulous surprise.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (60)

September 3, 2007

Happy Birthday, Hannah

This is Hannah at age 15. New haircut, new glasses, new school clothes.

You know what's not new? Her sweetness, her friendliness, her gullibility, her sense of humor and her love for her family. Her personality hasn't changed much over the years and I'm quite glad about that.

Won't you all join me in wishing my baby a happy birthday? Thanks!

Posted by Carole at 8:10 AM | Comments (81)

July 10, 2007

Look Who's Two!

Before the Great Back Crisis of '07 and Fourth of July and the Tour de Fleece, there was a Birthday Party. Yes, that's a Birthday Party with a capital "B" and a capital "P" because it was the Birthday Party of our very special granddaughter, Ambrynn. It's hard to believe it, but she's TWO. And there's nothing, absolutely nothing, terrible about this two year old.

Look at that face! Nothing but sweetness there, I'll tell you.

And boy does she love her Grandpa. So does Patrick, as you can see. And the love is written all over Grandpa's face, isn't it? When Dale walked into the backyard and Ambrynn saw him she rose up on her little toes and said, "My grandpa's here! My grandpa's here!" And then she ran across the yard right into his arms. Made my heart soar, I'll tell ya.

Being a birthday party, there were presents. Lots and lots of presents. There was a guitar that she loved and a silly ball that she tossed around and lots of Wiggles themed things because Ambrynn just loves her some Wiggles.

We gave her a few silly gifts and a doll, along with the hat I knit for her - that she put right on her head. It's a bit small but I think I can block it bigger and she'll at least get the summer out of it. We also gave her (and her parents, truly) a Web Cam. The move to Florida is only a few weeks away and we're hoping this will help her to remember who we are.

Once the presents were opened it was time for cake. Ambrynn listened sweetly while we sang and then, as soon as the singing ended and the candle was blown out, she announced loudly, "Ambrynn needs a fork!"

And a fork you shall have, sweetheart. Enjoy your cake and Happy Birthday, with all the love in the world from Nana and Grandpa.

Posted by Carole at 7:40 AM | Comments (52)

June 26, 2007

You Say It's Your Birthday

Today is Dale's birthday and I can't think of a better way for you all to be a part of the celebration than by giving you the chance to watch a video clip of his band.

Happy Birthday, Dale! I love you. And I'm pretty sure all my readers do, too.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (69)

September 27, 2006

The Birthday Trip '06

The birthday trip of '06 was an overnight to West Springfield to attend The Big E. Dale went once many years ago (in fact, he saw his first reenactment there back in 1961) and I had never been so we decided a visit was overdue.

We spent Friday night lounging around the hotel room with beer, wine and room service. Not a bad evening at all. Saturday morning we headed out for our adventures at the fair. It took 90 long minutes to drive 2 miles. And don't even get me started on the idiots who don't merge when they are supposed to and then expect you to let them in the line in front of you. Grrrr.

Anyway.

When people say this is the Big E the emphasis really should be on BIG. As in huge. Because everything about the Big E is B-I-G.

Look at the horns on this sheep. Big.

And the size of these harnesses for the Budweiser Clydesdales. Big.

The pumpkin? Big.

The entertainment? Big. As in Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge. Okay, maybe not terribly big now but once upon a time? Big.

Cows? Big as sofas.

We managed to eat our way from one end of this big fair to the other, feasting on corn dogs and Italian sausages and pierogies and lobster rolls. And maybe a couple of big beers, too. There was a Mardi Gras parade complete with bands and floats and the throwing of beads. I'm guessing Amanda would laugh at a New England version of this event but it was a hoot. A big hoot.

And just in case you think that I didn't think of you guys, take a look at this.

Yup. Me in a pink cowboy hat standing by a stand of even more pink cowboy hats. I resisted the urge to replace the one I had on my trip to Estes Park in 1981. Yee Haw.

Posted by Carole at 6:10 AM | Comments (45)

September 21, 2006

What A Difference A Decade Makes

Hello to all you knitters, spinners, bloggers and other interested parties. Carole's husband Dale here. I get to be her guest blogger today because it's her birthday and she should get the day off.

Carole and I, September 1996. We were both thinner. And we both had more hair. Ahem.

This is the 10th time that I've gotten to celebrate this day with Carole. That's right. A decade of birthdays. I will not post her age (a guy can get in trouble for things like that) but I will remind you that last year she celebrated the big four-oh. You can probably figure out her age on your own, you're a pretty smart bunch, I hear.

Carole and I both believe that birthdays are a great time to celebrate with a night out, or a party, or even a weekend get-away. We've even been known to do all three of those things for just one birthday. And honestly, some of our nicest mini-vacations have been when we've gone away to celebrate a birthday. For instance, we met Norma on Carole's birthday get-away last year when we went to Vermont. And I'm sure Carole will be blogging about this year's birthday trip. I hear she's even planning a photo shoot with her new Moth shawl.

There I go, digressing again.

What I really want to do is reflect on birthdays in general and Carole's in particular. I think a birthday should be a time to look back over the past year. Truly, it's what you've done with those 365 days that's important and a birthday celebration should be two-fold. It should celebrate what you've done, who you've spent your time with, and where you've gone during the past year. And it should also be a time to look forward to the beginning of a new year in your life. A time to anticipate what you'll do, who you'll do it with, and where you'll go. It's kind of like your own personal Happy New Year!

I know that this last year Carole has had a ball and a very big part of that is because of all of you out there that are reading this. It has been a fabulous year for friends, new and old, and trips and fiber and spinning wheels and so on and so on. You've all been there for my Carole. You've cheered her on, you've offered advice, you've consoled her and supported her and you've been her friends. No one knows what next year will bring. But I do know, for Carole, that it will include all of you.

Thanks for tuning in and wishing Carole a happy birthday. Oh, and one last thing.

Carole? You're just as cute now as you were when this picture was taken almost 41 years ago. I love ya!

Dale

Posted by Carole at 6:00 AM | Comments (134)

September 3, 2006

Fourteen!

Top Ten Things About Hannah At 14

10. Hannah is now old enough to get a job in Massachusetts. She probably won't. But it still cheers me up to think about it.
9. Hannah doesn't trip over nothing quite as much as she used to. She's still a klutz, but it's sort of cute now.
8. Hannah and I went school shopping yesterday. We actually agreed on which sneakers are cool this year.
7. Which does not mean we agreed on which backpack to choose. Just saying.
6. Hannah becomes a high school freshman on Wednesday. This should go a long way in explaining the importance of #8 and #7.
5. Hannah mostly remembers to feed the dog. If she forgets, the dog is really good at reminding her.
4. Hannah is smart enough to have chosen mom's homemade chocolate cake to have for her birthday dessert. Everyone in the family is grateful for this decision.
3. Hannah is just as pretty at 14 as she was at 13. Maybe even prettier.
2. Hannah is a loving and caring daughter/sister/friend.
1. Hannah is loved very much by her Mom and Dad. This will be true no matter what her age.

Won't you all join me in wishing Hannah a very happy 14th birthday? Thanks, everyone!

Posted by Carole at 10:31 AM | Comments (81)

July 18, 2006

Amazing Grace

My father-in-law, Jack, turned 80 last Friday. He was the guest of honor at a party held at his very own establishment, Jack's Service. I may have had my reservations about throwing a party in an auto garage, but Jack's friends at the shop knew what they were doing. It was relaxed and fun in a very retro kind of way.

Now, Jack has a way of bringing together all kinds of people - and this party was a perfect example of that.
There was family. LOTS of family.

And friends. LOTS and LOTS of friends.

There was the band, of course.

And food. Cooked on a very nifty (and borrowed) grill by the coordinator of this whole she-bang.

Like any good birthday party, there was cake.

And the biggest birthday card I have ever seen.

Finally, there was a major surprise. This is Sleepy LaBeef.

Have you heard of him? He's also known as The Human Jukebox and he's a very good friend of Jack's. Sleepy was flown into town by the organizers of this party. His plane was delayed several hours but he finally arrived at about 10 pm. The look on Jack's face when Sleepy strode into the garage and walked up to the microphone and started singing and playing was priceless.

Most of us were rocking and rolling into the wee hours.

The title of this post, by the way, was inspired by Sleepy's closing song of the night. Yup, it was "Amazing Grace." And it made me think how we were all together due not only to the amazing grace of God but also the amazing grace of my father-in-law. A man who loves everyone and everything and always find joy in life. Happy Birthday, Jack. And many, many more.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (26)

June 27, 2006

Reentry

Here's something you may not know about me. I have a hard time with reentry. It doesn't matter if I've been gone overnight or for several days, I tend to flame on reentry. Just ask Dale. It doesn't matter that I've missed my family and can't wait to see them again. If the counters aren't wiped and the floors aren't swept, I'm going to bitch about it. And if the mail has been left to pile up for 5 days? And the dishwasher is full of dirty dishes because no one ran it
while I was gone? And the laundry's piled up and the lawn needs to be mowed (and these aren't even my jobs anyway), I'm really going to bitch about it. Let's just say that the first night home was a little rough.

Granted, I was feeling the let down of a wonderful trip coming to an end, but things improved as the week went on. It helped matters that Dale and I spent a few days together focusing on the things that make it nice to live in Massachusetts.

Like lobster rolls.

And streams I can stick my feet in without having cramps because the water is too cold.

And a husband who is sweet enough to bring me flowers when he picks me up at the airport. And wear the t-shirt I brought him from Utah the very next day. And not complain when I don't write him a birthday post on his birthday because I had to finish telling everyone about my trip. (It would be cool if you all actually wished Dale a happy 55th birthday today, even though yesterday was his birthday. Thanks, gang.)

Things like seeing the roof of my library and the sky from my topless Jeep.

And enjoying a granddaughter's first birthday party.

I guess it's not so bad to live in Massachusetts. Not to go all Dorothy on you, but there really is no place like home.

Posted by Carole at 7:00 AM | Comments (59)

September 2, 2005

Lucky 13

Remember how the prize winning comment was #213? And how I said that it was a random number? It wasn't. I lied. You see, it was representative of something major that happens tomorrow. My daughter Hannah will turn 13. Yup, my baby is a teenager. Sigh.

I could write a lot of things about Hannah and how fast she's grown and I could spend time contemplating where these years went. I could tell you that she's a great actress and she sings in the shower. I could mention that she has tried to learn to knit but just can't stick with it. I could tell you that she has lots of friends and a great personality. Or I could even talk about the time she tripped and fell over absolutely nothing. But I won't because I might embarrass her. And you guys know how easy it is to embarrass a teenage girl. And how long you have to suffer the consequences.

So, I'll just say Happy Birthday, Hannah. And then I'll spend some time contemplating how we went from this:

to this:

in the blink of an eye.

Won't you all join me and wish Hannah a happy birthday?

Posted by Carole at 7:51 AM | Comments (23)