Sunny Summer Day

It is a perfect summer day today. That is really nice as Isabelle is playing with Amy - my neighbor's daughter that I have hired to babysit once a week for a couple of hours and play with Isabelle so I can get some work accomplished. Have I ever mentioned how challenging it is to work from home with a toddler? I thought the corporate workplace was tough. No more. Nothing like trying to get a press release prepared or a flyer finished with a toddler pulling your arm or playing with your PC. Alas, it is a wonderful challenge to have!

Speaking of which, a couple of weeks ago I went to dinner with some friends at a wonderful restaurant in Nashua - Unums (http://www.unums.com/). The food was outstanding. I ordered a seafood dish and it arrived in the largest bowl anyone has ever seen. I had to have the ocean in it (see picture below). Needless to say, I could not even begin to finish it. The restaurant is really charming and the food wonderful. Everyone had a great time...if you are ever in Nashua, check it out. Reservations are recommended.

That same weekend, Al and my friend Dan went go-karting with the car club. Funny, I help plan the event, and do not attend. For one thing, go-karts are not me and for another, the thought of a toddler in 100 degree heat on a tarmac all day did not seem like a good plan. But, overall, everyone had a great time. (See pictures of Al go-karting, Al and Dan and the line up for the group for Al and Dan's group.) There were about 7 groups of 9 people. And Famous Dave's BBQ catered the event. If anyone is interested, you can check out all of the pictures at the club's website (http://www.whitemtn-bmwclub.org/).

Al racing around the track. His best time was a couple seconds slower than some of the seasoned racers of the club - car racers that is....pretty good for a guy who does not race!

Al (on the right) and Dan chatting before the fun!


The line up before the race. Al is #9 and Dan is #3.

Fun with Isabelle

Today Isabelle and I had some fun - the old fashion kind of just hanging out at home and doing silly things. I took a short movie (love digital cameras!) of her playing in the dining room. Overall, what else can one do on a hot and humid day before a major thunderstorm?

Also, I did some baking. I was so impressed with how this dessert looked, I had to take a picture. The filling uses fresh blueberries from our yard. The previous owner had planted three blueberry bushes, and they yield many a blueberry! (BTW, it was yummy!!) If you'd like the recipe, just leave me a comment.

Fun, funky and intellectual websites

How fun is it to find a website that tests one's mind or just makes fun at a higher level than the base stuff found in print, TV or other media? IT'S LOTS OF FUN!! Just in case anyone didn't know the answer ;-)

So here are two websites that I have found to be intellectually fun. One even helps people - how can that be wrong?

www.spogg.org - this is a grammer site.

http://freerice.com - this is a site that tests your vocabulary, and each try they will donate one grain of rice. So play often and have fun.

July trip to Connecticut

Isabelle and I are in CT until Monday - our only trip this month. Lots of stuff happening while here, and never enough time to do them all! Today we are heading into West Hartford to meet a long-time friend of my mom's, have lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (never been) and finally head over to Toys'r'Us for a little something for Isabelle. Did I ever mention that the first grandchild is always spoiled the most by the family?!

We have a tentative date in July for Isabelle and her friends to go to Charmingfare Farm (Candia, NH). That should be interesting. It's sort of a Zoo, farm, Oakhurst (milk people) Dairy and so much more. May it not rain!!

Remember to smell the roses today! Life is just too darn short not to do so!!!

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

A blast down memory lane! For some reason, Al and I were chatting about crazy shows we liked growing up, and we both said Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. What a great show that was! It came on after Walt Disney's Magical Kingdom and was well before the new shows of today regarding wild life. If you want to check out some old clips, visit http://www.wildkingdom.com/nostalgia/, and click on Classic Clips. Oh, they are too funny! And, I discovered you can get them from Netflix - that and Bullwinkle and Rocky. You know what is now in my queue at Netflix.

Isabelle and I are taking care of our neighbor's dog this week. We were getting ready to head over, and I took some fun pictures of Isabelle. Being a modest Mom, I think she looks like she belongs in the Hanna Andersson catalogue....mind you she is wearing all Hanna today - like most days. (Love Hanna and Etsy items for children!)

Post holiday news

Another week is upon us and my work with CAI-NH is in full swing. The Fall is our busiest time of year regarding events. It contains the chapter's two largest events of the year - golf tournament and trade show. Word of advice - golf tournaments are pains in the tushy to organize. And, with everybody doing one, the competition is steep regarding attracting golfers. This may be the chapter's last year in doing one...I truly hope so!

The holiday weekend was wonderful. We stayed in NH, Isabelle played with her new toy (found on Craigslist) - an 8-in-1 climber from Little Tykes, and a lot of little projects around the house were completed. Amazing what one can do with some extra time!

Love this picture of Isabelle. I had to convert it to B&W as it was too wonderful. I am partial to B&W photos! It is of Isabelle on July 4th.

Summer is here and almost over

Yesterday I was talking with my sister-in-law - who, btw, shares the same name (Cassandra) - and we were discussing the summer and how it feels like it is almost over. Our plans make for less than relaxing moments and before you know it, summer is over, school starts and Fall is in the air. She even noted that some stores have winter coats for sale. YIKES! I remember summers as being lazy fun days growing up. No plans, no camp. Just wake up, eat breakfast and do whatever I wanted. That usually consisted of getting together with the kids on my street (Jimmy, Matt, Mabel, Tony, Lynn, myself and my sister) and figuring out what to do. We used to put on plays. The house next door to my parents was the home to the church's nuns, three to be exact. They were wonderful. Our terrible plots and acting were tortured upon them. How could they say no?! Seriously, any sins they may have committed were wiped away bearing with our requests with a smile.

Speaking of my childhood summers, I did spend one summer with a woman who took only a handful of children (no more than five) and teach them art. I *LOVED* being with her. I remember she had a huge yard - felt like it went on for miles - and we would spend the afternoons in her backyard painting. The mornings were spent drawing, learning to work clay or learning about colors. Of all of the "organized" activities my mom ever sent me to do (done them all: golf, tennis, camp, swimming, etc), I loved this one. The others were boring. By nature, I do not like being told what to do or when to do something. I spent one day at camp. Hated it. Everyone had to pick what they wanted to do all day - normal. I just did not like being told that I could swim only at this time, do arts and crafts at another. So, in typical spirit, I didn't. I would wander from activity to activity deciding which I wanted to do and when. Needless to say, the camp counselors were not pleased. Nor my mom. I called to have her pick me up as I was bored. She arrived to discover no one knew where I was. They didn't even know I called her. Luckily, I never went back!

May some fun childhood memories of summer flood your mind today!!!