Rainbows, Festivals & Lobster

This life of idleness is getting to me. I keep looking at projects around the house and then I tell myself that if I start something, I will find a job and never get it finished. Or there is the argument that time spent on a house project is time I should be job hunting. I will find a balance I am sure.

Being home allowed us to attend the 105th Annual Strawberry (shortcake) Festival. This is one of the big summer events here in Winthrop. I bought some raffle tickets for booze and wine and filled the tickets out with all the family names then proceeded to enjoy the shortcake. When I say this is a big event, I mean half the town turns out. Tables are set up in the yard of the Dean Winthrop house and the barn is used for the dishing up of the BEST shortcake ever. The weather was wonderful. A warm summer night with just a bit of a breeze.

Later that night the phone rang and the caller asked to speak to Yaar Stundza. Tom explained that would be difficult as she was running around the house with a ball in her mouth! Yes, the only winner of the raffle was little Yaar and she's too young to drink the bottle of Merlot. Dad will take care of that.

Tonight was Lobster night at the Cottage Park Yacht Club, where Tom is Secretary and we have no boat. Every Friday Night during the summer different members take over the kitchen and we have dinner.

Tom lives for lobster night! I get such enjoyment from watching Tom eat a lobster! Only my father-in-law, John and grandson, Josh could equal Tom in lobster devouring. We had a rain squall hit during dinner. You know, the kind where it pours but the sun keeps shinning. This makes for a beautiful rainbow across the ocean. It isn't easy getting a good picture in the rain but here is my attempt.

June Starts With Ups & Downs

Three graduations, getting laid off from the bank and a Vermont vacation made the first nine days of June a bit busy. The first two graduations took place in California and we were not able to fly out. The third graduation was here in Peabody, MA and was attended in 90+ degree heat. But we couldn't be prouder of the three grandchildren. All move on now to the next segment of their lives. Josh will be coming east to attend Merrimack College in Andover, Samantha will be attending Suffolk University in Boston and Jessica will be attending school in Seattle, WA, where her dad has just been transferred with the Coast Guard. Here is the only shot I have of the three grads.



Our vacation trip to Vermont was the best. With the help of our new GPS system (a gift from the Bank) which we named Desdemona after the maker of cosmic muffins in a Jimmy Buffet song, we saw parts of Vermont we never new existed! Desdemona says the best way from A to B is a straight line. This means up and over mountains on dirt roads with miles between houses! I just knew we were going to end up in some backwoods extremist camp!

I have put together a Smile book for you to see because there was too much to say for this space. I hope it works!

http://smilebox.com/play/4d7a63774e7a49794f413d3d0d0a

The house has it's new doors now and the siding should go up in a few weeks. You know how contractors are. SLOW. But I want him to be done with all his other projects before he works on our house, so waiting is the thing to do.

As for the getting laid off part...it was my turn I guess. I had made it through several of the downsizing sessions and sailed through unscathed. I have some good leads and plan to start being serious about job hunting Monday morning. I just needed a couple of weeks off.

I will keep you all posted on our lives and times in Winthrop by the Sea.