Family | Peaches Prattlings

{May 26, 2015} Loss for words

I received some news tonight and I’m sad.

The really sad part of it all is that the text was sent at 3pm today and I didn’t get it until almost 10pm tonight.

A very close friend of mine has been going through something lately, they have been keeping me in the loop on what’s being going on, frustrations, highs and lows. I know that there is plenty that they haven’t shared, that is their business.

They have gone to doctors to find out what’s been bothering them and today, they finally got news. This news they shared with me earlier and I haven’t been able to reach them to talk to them, find out how they are, I called to let them know I am here, I love them and will do whatever they need and that is what I want them to know.

Please send your good and positive thoughts and vibes to this person, send it into the cosmos and I know it will do wonders.

My friend…I am here and I love you.

{May 25, 2015} Memorial Day…Thank you.

Today is Memorial Day.

Today is he day we celebrate and honor those who have given their lives for the freedoms we hold dear to us. It is important to honor all, and by all I mean men, women and canine, who have served in the military, both past and present.

People celebrate in many different ways, there are parades, concerts, memorials, some people visit cemeteries, to see their loved ones.

Others, who might not have affiliation with anyone who served in the military, use the day as part of a long weekend to enjoy time with their friends and families, among other activities.

However you spent your weekend, I hope you enjoyed it and took some time out of your day to say thank you, either in person or in spirit to the brave men, women and canines who have give their lives for all they have done for us.

To them, I say thank you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

{May 24, 2015} Lobstahfest…the beginning of summer on Spring Road

This weekend, being Memorial Day Weekend, for many, represents the start of summer.

At my sister’s house, it’s not only Memorial Day weekend, but its Lobstahfest [for those of you not familiar with the New England accent, it’s lobster fest, is that better?]

The way it works is that the neighbors pick a driveway, this year it was my sister and brother-in-law’s driveway, they set up several tables and chairs, each family is responsible for different foods, drinks, etc. Someone is responsible for getting the requisite number of lobstahs, which are already cooked, bonus and then the grill is fired up and there are burgers, dogs, chicken for those of us who don’t eat lobsters. There is more talking, laughing, drinking, having a good time.

After a few hours of eating, tonight, the corn-hole boards came out, then the dice, sometimes cards and we played until it was dark, turned on the lanterns, then there was a fire pit across the street, so we sat and talked and had a great time there until it was time to come in, talk to you and crash.

A great time was had by all!

{May 23, 2015} NE Revolutions vs DC United

Tonight we went to a futbal match, the NE Revolutions vs DC United.

GES and ACS we going with some friends and their kids to the NE Revolutions match and asked if we wanted to go, there was tailgating involved.

As PSM is a Patriots season ticket holder, he is no stranger to tailgating at Gilette Stadium. This was a first for me.

We got there and they were already set up and under way with digging in to some good food…burgers, hot dogs, sides and dessert.

There was toss and corn hole and laughing and catching up. Then it was time to go in and watch a futbal match.

We got to our seats and settled in and waited for the match to start. The match was slow going, but picked up in the second half and then it got really good.

The kids had a good time, the adults had a good time. ACS played futbal in school and still plays on occasion. EJS is playing and ACS coaches her team, GES and I both played against our dad’s teams when he coached.

It was fun to watch the match with the family, PSM and friends and after…fireworks!

I’d say a great evening!

http://m.revolutionsoccer.net/

{May 21, 2015} I got ugamugas today!

Yes, I know you don’t know what an ugamuga is, so let me explain!

You may have gotten a hint by the photo [and you also probably know that’s not a picture of anyone I know] what an ugamuga is, but in my sister’s family, it’s when MGS and GES rub their noses together and then give each other a kiss. It’s really cute.

Today, the house was quiet when I got back and then everyone started to come home. GES and EJS, I got hugs and kisses and…she scored her first goal in soccer yesterday! Go EGS!

Then ACS and MGS got home and I got smooches and hugs and “I love you” and then we were attached. Everywhere I went, she came with me and held my hand. We walked down the street to see the new house being built, she reached for my hand, we got her roller skates from the garage and skated down the block, she held my hand, we went to get a sweatshirt, you come with me! And reached for my hand. We went for a ride in the convertible, that was fun!

We got back and had something to eat and then just before GES went out for girls night, they did “ugamugas” and they announce it too. After ugamugas with her mommy, she looked at me and held up her face and announced “ugamugas” What? For me? Yes! I leaned down rubbed noses with my niece, then got a kiss. It was fantastic!

It’s something I’ve watched them do for a while and tonight, she turned to me as well, it felt so good! Sigh…

{May 17, 2015} It started with a run, ended with a brisk walk

This morning, there was a one mile fun run.

If you are panting, huffing and puffing, is it still a fun run? Doesn’t matter, we still had fun! ACS, EJS and I participated in a one mile fun run, proceeds to benefit prostate cancer research. EJS was a champ and let me tell you, she can run, her sprint at the finish line was really impressive!

There were a lot of familiar faces at the run, it seemed like the whole town was there! There was a 5k, a one mile run, then a one mile fun run, which we did, a 26.3…meter run/walk for the 0-3 year olds then there was a 100 meter run for the 4-9 year olds, a few kids running at a time and that’s what MGS did, those little tikes are so cute! Pumping their arms and running for all they are worth!

With t-shirts and medals in hand, we headed back to the house for showers and I headed to PSM’s to head out for a fun night. We hopped on the train and headed into Boston for a tribute to Pete Seeger by a fabulous choir and one of PSM’s physical therapists was part of the choir, even a fabulous mouth harp player. It really was a fabulous performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pZa3KtkVpQ

After the show, we hopped back on the train and headed back to his neck of the woods for dinner. We went to a nice restaurant called Za for pizza, cheese-less for me of course, it was quite tasty. We sat there for a few hours and talked, laughed and learned a lot more about each other, it was really great.

After dinner, walked back to his house, picked up my car and headed to the house where I got to chat with dad, GES and ACS, it was nice, a very good ending to a very good day!

{May 17, 2015} We have a FIVE year old in the house!

Someone…turned FIVE today!

Little Miss MGS turned 5 on May 16th, how perfect is that to have your birthday on a Saturday so you can have your birthday party on Saturday!

Any guesses to what the theme was? Hmmm…Frozen maybe? That girl LOVES her Frozen…well, everything! We had Frozen streamers, table cloths, table decorations and there were Frozen gifts for miles! Nope, not a Frozen cake, she picked out something very original, a really pretty white sheet cake with blue and yellow flowers and a Jewish star, that’s what she wanted and that’s what she got!

We set up for the party, it rained in the morning and we were worried it might rain all day, but I told someone that Mother Nature knew that Miss MGS would not stand for rain on her birthday and she was right!

People started arriving about 11 and they just kept coming, there might have been about 60 people here throughout the day, adults and kids included. The neighbors came, a few friends from school came, the usual suspects were here and the bouncey house, they love that!

ACS grilled the hot dogs and hamburgers, and a veggie burger or two, we had the 3 side snack that MGS had picked out, pretzel chips, cheese doodles and veggie sticks, pretty good choices, if I do say so myself. We had pickles and three different potato salads and deviled eggs, both made by AS and for dessert, there was cake, waffle cookies, popsicles and watermelon. No one walked away hungry.

I got to love on all the kids, there were some great “Auntie J!” and running and jumping in my arms, which I will tell you is my favorite part! Then there was chasing and tickling and falling down, sometimes not in that order!

Then…it was time for the Frozen piñata!!! MGS went first, she got 5 whacks, because it is her fifth birthday, after all! Then everyone got a turn with the bat and the last thing to happen was MGS pulled the ribbons and the candy came pouring out!

Now, my very clever sister had gotten Frozen treat bags and everyone had stickers and other Frozen goodies in there, but then they got to put candy in their bags, they cleaned up! Literally and figuratively!

By about 3pm, almost everyone was gone, a few stragglers, then Saturday proceeded as normal.

Let’s just say, this was a very successful party, put on by my sister and brother-in-law, but we expect nothing less and when I got back to the house tonight and went to kiss MGS goodnight, she was sleeping sideways, SO cute!

Happy, happy, happy fifth birthday MGS! I love you very much!

{May 15, 2015} It starts with a drive, ends with a fire and throw some cake in the middle

A pretty good day, crossed a few state lines, drag raced with my dad, had cake and lit some stuff on fire, sounds good to me!

Ok, now, you know some of that statement is not true, but what parts? I’m not telling!

The day started pretty well enough, got up on my own, before 8am, on your own is always preferable, even if it’s early, am I right? Got up, showered, dressed, then dad and I stopped at MickyD’s for breakfast. [I totally derailed my post for tonight, I was going to wax on the wonders of a McGriddle! I guess it will have to wait for another day]. Then on the road for Boston.

We kept up with each other pretty well, except for at the tolls, he had an EZ Pass and I didn’t, oh well. We stopped at a few rest stops, gas and potty breaks, then lunch, when he informed me that some guy had been following me all the way from NY, ha ha! We were making good time until we got to I95 and then it was a parking lot, great…

The cool discovery…at the Starbucks I stopped at they had coconut milk! Is that a sign of things to come? Wahoo!

But…despite the traffic and the two of us getting off the highway early and kind of blindly finding our way to GES’ house, we made it in time to pick up EJS for karate and be a few minutes late, I was getting EJS and dad was getting her outfit from the house. “I don’t wanna go, I want to stay and play” What? All that craziness for nothing! Oh well…

We get to the house and do a quick straighten up, the cleaners were supposed to come today, but their allergies kicked their butts and they had to cancel, we both know I don’t know what that’s like at all! Then turn around, pick up EJS, head out and get GES at the train,

Once we had everyone in the car, off to the Cheesecake Factory for a birthday dinner! Who’s dinner? I’ll keep you in suspense, but if you wanted to hazard a guess…she’s short, cute and is about to be the five! More tomorrow! It was the usual suspects, GES, ACS, EJS and MGS, then there was B&S S and myself and PSM, a good time was had by all.

PSM was very sweet, he wanted to cheer me up after the parking lot that should have been a moving highway and went to Tevana and bought me some tea, thank you!

After dinner, we went back to the house, got some things ready for tomorrow’s birthday celebration, then ACS lit a fire in the fire pit in the backyard, it was quite nice and relaxing. It was also funny that we were all outside enjoying mother nature and we were on our phones, go figure.

See…a good day, started with a drive, had some cake, then a fire, what more could you want?

{May 13, 2015} A drive and a great and relaxing visit

Today was a pretty easy day.

Got up leisurely about 6:30am, always nice to wake up on your own, both cats were with me, which is always a treat. Made a great breakfast sandwich, yum, then hung out with EJS while she waited for the school bus, took a shower, packed up the rest of the stuff I would need and headed downstairs.

Before I headed out, I made the most fabulous shake [frozen cherries, frozen pineapple and almond milk, oh my! YUM!] it kept me going on the trip. Got into my previously clean car, had it washed yesterday and the pollen found it last night, oh well, it’s Spring.

I hit the road for NYC to go to dad’s, I’m in a convertible and due to my allergies, top up, boo. The trip was uneventful, I only stopped once to fill up the tank and two more times for relief. Got to dad’s in about 4.5 hours, just like Google Maps said I would.

We went out for a late lunch, then went down to the boardwalk to sit by the water and talk, then off to Verizon because, go figure, something was wrong with my phone, but it was a nice drive around the Island of Staten, then we decided instead of going to the movies, we found some stuff on Netflix, made some popcorn and chilled out.

A perfect end to a good day.

{May 12, 2015} Taking your kids [cats] to the doctor [vet]

It doesn’t matter if your kids are two legged or four legged, taking them to the doctor/vet is not that much fun.

Dogs, from what I see and understand, love getting in the car, not so much for cats, you kind of have to trick them to get into the pet carrier, then carry them into the car and listen to the cries all the way to the vet.

Then into the vet’s office and the visit begins. On the scale, hold her in place, then comes the dreaded…taking of the temperature. At least with children, after a certain age, they can hold the thermometer under their tongue, babies and pets…not there!

That’s when I turn my head away or at least try to get out of their line of sight so they don’t associate it with me! Oh my but the look on their faces! Luckily, it doesn’t last that long and the memory is gone, fingers crossed.

Shots are worse, I always leave the room so I am definitely not associated with that pain!

The hard part is that with animals, a lot of times, we don’t know what’s wrong with them until they do lots of tests, since they can’t just look at us and say “mom, my tummy hurts”, that’s why I’m doing this or that.

And just like with our two legged babies, we would take the pain away if we could, wouldn’t we?

The best we can hope for is painless tests, quick diagnosis, easy treatment and speedy recovery, right, not much to ask for is it? Oh, and lack of memory, especially with us taking us there!

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