Our family as a group decided not to exchange gifts this Christmas.
I, as the Matriarch,chose to ignore this request and proceed with my own plans, especially in regards to Gustav, who is a real kid this year.
So the Grinch is not stealing this Holiday from me.
We are having bells and whistles and Roast Beast as usual, wrapping paper and games and toys, candy and cookies...and a Birthday celebration for Zak who is turning, ..Gulp...40.
So Welcome Christmas. Bring it On!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Preparing for Christmas
It is exciting for me to be preparing for Christmas this year.
Oh, I haven't even started on the baking, or even the decorating yet.
I've done most of my shopping on line so I haven't been out and about the mall or any of that stuff.
I have been busy redecorating the house by refreshing some things, and finally having the new counter top installed AND the new dishwasher.
I am in the process of painting the" MAIN?" bathroom to give it a face lift before we do the real job of punching the wall out and removing the tub etc.
The other bath in the back room now has had a tile floor, been repainted by moi and has totally new fixtures IE a Jacuzzi toilet and a pedestal sink.
If my husband would cooperate, we could have excess furniture removed and make more room for our guests, whom I am so Happy to entertain.
The big projects should be done by early next week.
After cleaning (sad face). with furniture rearranged, I can then concentrate and have some fun with the outdoor decorations and cookies and pre making appetizers etc. etc. etc.
I am so looking forward to this holiday and having the family together, especially Gustav who brings joy in my heart when I see him.
Love to all
Oh, I haven't even started on the baking, or even the decorating yet.
I've done most of my shopping on line so I haven't been out and about the mall or any of that stuff.
I have been busy redecorating the house by refreshing some things, and finally having the new counter top installed AND the new dishwasher.
I am in the process of painting the" MAIN?" bathroom to give it a face lift before we do the real job of punching the wall out and removing the tub etc.
The other bath in the back room now has had a tile floor, been repainted by moi and has totally new fixtures IE a Jacuzzi toilet and a pedestal sink.
If my husband would cooperate, we could have excess furniture removed and make more room for our guests, whom I am so Happy to entertain.
The big projects should be done by early next week.
After cleaning (sad face). with furniture rearranged, I can then concentrate and have some fun with the outdoor decorations and cookies and pre making appetizers etc. etc. etc.
I am so looking forward to this holiday and having the family together, especially Gustav who brings joy in my heart when I see him.
Love to all
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Pre Turkey Day
Just relaxing before T day. Last year this time we were all in Atlanta to celebrate with the entire Hugel clan and friends.
It was really fun to have everyone together for the day, including little Goose who was brand new but it was a lot of work co ordinating the food and oven space as usual
This year we are staying home and I am making a special dinner for us. I really don't mind as I am so absorbed in projects that I am looking forward to the extra day to work on something.
We are having a big Christmas this year and that is what I am grateful for the most. Having everyone together again, if only for a day or two is my joy.
Oh, I know we will have our moments of dysfunction, who is sleeping where and who used the hot water, but that is what it is all about. There will also be fun and laughter, which I sorely need, and Games to play, and conversation and lots of food. And we also get to celebrate Zak's Birthday with Sue and David, John, Rob and Shannon, and maybe again later in the week. I can't believe he is 40.
It seems like only yesterday he was a little kid.
It seems like only yesterday he was a little kid.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Ocean City Memories
When I was a teenager, I wanted to work in Ocean City for the summer in the worst way, but my parents were totally opposed to this notion. I was grateful that we vacationed for a week there, sometimes 2, with other families from our neighborhood who also had teenage kids. The grown ups would take turns driving us to the boardwalk in the evening, and picking us up around midnight.
Oh the excitement of the Ferris wheel,the Tilt a Whirl, the roller coaster.. exotic foods like Lombardi's pizza and Thrashers french fries with vinegar....Ernie's hot fresh glazed doughnuts, Fisher's Caramel corn, Kohl's frozen custard.....
At least one night during the week We would go to the Pier Ballroom which was a dance hall and where Buddy Deane and the Committee (the basis for Hairspray) performed occasionally, although never when we were there.
There were some really cute boys to dance with and fantasize about, romanticize about. Dancing to the Theme from "A Summer Place" was heavenly (I dreamed that I was Sandra Dee) and fast dancing to all those rock and roll songs was just plain fun. I fell in love many times over, every summer.
Then there were the endless games like Skee Ball, Pin ball, and the infamous Claw machine at which I became quite proficient. It only cost 5c and I won 30c packs of cigarettes about every 3rd try. Of course we all smoked while we were on the Boards because it was cool and so were we.
The problem was hiding the packs once we got back to our apartment, especially after I got busted when my Mom went through my laundry. The next batch I hid in a hedge outside.
After a few years, this group stopped going on vacation together.
There was a hiatus.
My Best girlfriend at the time Mary Ellen and I were desperate to go "Downy Ocean Hon" (a true Bawlamer saying) and somehow talked my Mom into meeting with her Mom (who drove a very cool 1957 Chevy Impala Convertible) and planned a mini trip, just 3 or 4 days. By this time some of my friends were actually living in O.C.working and sharing apartments.
The first summer went well, so the next year we decided to rent a place for a week.
You have to remember that there was no Internet, just brochures and a telephone. Also, Aunt Nellie was joining us, one of M.E's crazy relatives.
We rented unseen a tiny little house with no closets but Mary Ellen and I were in heaven. We ran off every day and night to hang out with our friends. My boyfriend Paul was working in a restaurant and spent the night with us once. My Mother made us keep the light on all night.
One morning she was in tears. We were sleeping late and she wanted us to go to the beach with her. ME's Mother and Aunt Nellie were still in bed after a big night.
My Mom liked to party but they were way out of her league, and in a trashy way. They would sit in the Irish House, a landmark bar on the boards which is now long gone, and get a load on, then walk down the boardwalk and try to get a "Hootenanny" going, sort of a jam session in the folk music days. They even bought kazoos and tambourines at the 10c store and were making quite a spectacle of themselves, stopping people along the way to join up with them.
My Mother was MORTIFIED, to say the least.
I don't exactly remember what happened next, but somehow Aunt Nellie left Ocean City in a cab and went back home to Lutherville MD. a 170 mile trip. Nice fare.
We finished out the week, went to the beach together, sometimes with Paul, and came home tan, happy and exhausted.
I guess I don't have to say that we never tried to vacation together again, and that I was forbidden to mention any thing to my Father about the trip.
Oh the excitement of the Ferris wheel,the Tilt a Whirl, the roller coaster.. exotic foods like Lombardi's pizza and Thrashers french fries with vinegar....Ernie's hot fresh glazed doughnuts, Fisher's Caramel corn, Kohl's frozen custard.....
At least one night during the week We would go to the Pier Ballroom which was a dance hall and where Buddy Deane and the Committee (the basis for Hairspray) performed occasionally, although never when we were there.
There were some really cute boys to dance with and fantasize about, romanticize about. Dancing to the Theme from "A Summer Place" was heavenly (I dreamed that I was Sandra Dee) and fast dancing to all those rock and roll songs was just plain fun. I fell in love many times over, every summer.
Then there were the endless games like Skee Ball, Pin ball, and the infamous Claw machine at which I became quite proficient. It only cost 5c and I won 30c packs of cigarettes about every 3rd try. Of course we all smoked while we were on the Boards because it was cool and so were we.
The problem was hiding the packs once we got back to our apartment, especially after I got busted when my Mom went through my laundry. The next batch I hid in a hedge outside.
After a few years, this group stopped going on vacation together.
There was a hiatus.
My Best girlfriend at the time Mary Ellen and I were desperate to go "Downy Ocean Hon" (a true Bawlamer saying) and somehow talked my Mom into meeting with her Mom (who drove a very cool 1957 Chevy Impala Convertible) and planned a mini trip, just 3 or 4 days. By this time some of my friends were actually living in O.C.working and sharing apartments.
The first summer went well, so the next year we decided to rent a place for a week.
You have to remember that there was no Internet, just brochures and a telephone. Also, Aunt Nellie was joining us, one of M.E's crazy relatives.
We rented unseen a tiny little house with no closets but Mary Ellen and I were in heaven. We ran off every day and night to hang out with our friends. My boyfriend Paul was working in a restaurant and spent the night with us once. My Mother made us keep the light on all night.
One morning she was in tears. We were sleeping late and she wanted us to go to the beach with her. ME's Mother and Aunt Nellie were still in bed after a big night.
My Mom liked to party but they were way out of her league, and in a trashy way. They would sit in the Irish House, a landmark bar on the boards which is now long gone, and get a load on, then walk down the boardwalk and try to get a "Hootenanny" going, sort of a jam session in the folk music days. They even bought kazoos and tambourines at the 10c store and were making quite a spectacle of themselves, stopping people along the way to join up with them.
My Mother was MORTIFIED, to say the least.
I don't exactly remember what happened next, but somehow Aunt Nellie left Ocean City in a cab and went back home to Lutherville MD. a 170 mile trip. Nice fare.
We finished out the week, went to the beach together, sometimes with Paul, and came home tan, happy and exhausted.
I guess I don't have to say that we never tried to vacation together again, and that I was forbidden to mention any thing to my Father about the trip.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
I am dead tired after helping Gabe and Trin fix up the house in Baltimore. It wasn't my idea of Labor Day Weekend, but I was glad to be useful in my limited capacity.
It was also a great opportunity to spend time together, see Goose and later hook up with the family. The Pizza, Steamed Shrimp. salad. fruit and cheese buffet was a huge hit, followed by a practice birthday cake for Goose.
It was fun to see Ben and talking to John, Rob and Shannon, and hearing stories about how their lives are going. The conversation was so much more stimulating than the dinner talk we had with our friends last night.
I really am starting to feel like I am from another planet. I like to hear and discuss books, movies, current events, not Judge Hatchett and Peoples Court. Anytime I began a topic, it was immediately brushed off by something more important like how beautiful the dog is and how smart and how many toys she finds on walks.
Maybe I am just being paranoid but it feels like I have nothing in common with our old friends. It seems they were not interested in any thing I had to add.
I finally just went to bed because I was bored and tired of drinking
It was also a great opportunity to spend time together, see Goose and later hook up with the family. The Pizza, Steamed Shrimp. salad. fruit and cheese buffet was a huge hit, followed by a practice birthday cake for Goose.
It was fun to see Ben and talking to John, Rob and Shannon, and hearing stories about how their lives are going. The conversation was so much more stimulating than the dinner talk we had with our friends last night.
I really am starting to feel like I am from another planet. I like to hear and discuss books, movies, current events, not Judge Hatchett and Peoples Court. Anytime I began a topic, it was immediately brushed off by something more important like how beautiful the dog is and how smart and how many toys she finds on walks.
Maybe I am just being paranoid but it feels like I have nothing in common with our old friends. It seems they were not interested in any thing I had to add.
I finally just went to bed because I was bored and tired of drinking
Monday, August 31, 2009
I wonder why I still get the Back to School Blues?
It's the end of August and the shadows are growing longer as the Sun shifts slowly away from me.
The temperature has suddenly dropped into the 70's, and the Sunday paper has nothing but "Back to school" ads.
As a kid I absolutely hated this time of year, even though it meant seeing friends again and meeting new people. I was the end of summer, of running barefoot and playing hide and seek until the street lights came on, sleeping in and reading only for pleasure, playing Monopoly and Scrabble on a big screened in porch.
As a teenager It was even more stressful, all of the Jr. and Sr. High school angst with dating, and wearing the right clothes, having the perfect body, mixing with the IN crowd, Not to mention the challenge of the Academics and trying to concentrate with all of these other distractions.
As a young Mother, it was a blessing. After a long summer, it was a relief to have structure again, especially when I was working full time.
Then came the Boarding school years and College and after the initial excitement wore off, and as my boys grew into men,the feeling of sadness started creeping back in little by little, year after year.
It was a sense of loss, a harbinger of days to come with separation being the status quo.
Now everyone is grown and married, and too far away to drop by for dinner.
I heard the little yellow school bus drove by this morning and before I even opened my eyes, I knew it was once again that dreaded time of year.
It's the end of August and the shadows are growing longer as the Sun shifts slowly away from me.
The temperature has suddenly dropped into the 70's, and the Sunday paper has nothing but "Back to school" ads.
As a kid I absolutely hated this time of year, even though it meant seeing friends again and meeting new people. I was the end of summer, of running barefoot and playing hide and seek until the street lights came on, sleeping in and reading only for pleasure, playing Monopoly and Scrabble on a big screened in porch.
As a teenager It was even more stressful, all of the Jr. and Sr. High school angst with dating, and wearing the right clothes, having the perfect body, mixing with the IN crowd, Not to mention the challenge of the Academics and trying to concentrate with all of these other distractions.
As a young Mother, it was a blessing. After a long summer, it was a relief to have structure again, especially when I was working full time.
Then came the Boarding school years and College and after the initial excitement wore off, and as my boys grew into men,the feeling of sadness started creeping back in little by little, year after year.
It was a sense of loss, a harbinger of days to come with separation being the status quo.
Now everyone is grown and married, and too far away to drop by for dinner.
I heard the little yellow school bus drove by this morning and before I even opened my eyes, I knew it was once again that dreaded time of year.
Friday, August 21, 2009
If only you got to know me, you'd be sorry for all the missed opportunities we had to share our hopes and fears .
If only you tried to know me, you would see how funny I can be, witty and compassionate, and what a strong shoulder I have to cry on.
If you even made an effort to know me you would see what a loyal friend I am and a worthy companion to spend time with.
If only you knew me you would know that my heart is as wide as the sea, and as open, but fragile and easily broken,
If you really knew me you would be aware of the hardships I have survived, the courage I have had to muster and the accomplishments I have acheived.
If only....... you wanted to......
If only you tried to know me, you would see how funny I can be, witty and compassionate, and what a strong shoulder I have to cry on.
If you even made an effort to know me you would see what a loyal friend I am and a worthy companion to spend time with.
If only you knew me you would know that my heart is as wide as the sea, and as open, but fragile and easily broken,
If you really knew me you would be aware of the hardships I have survived, the courage I have had to muster and the accomplishments I have acheived.
If only....... you wanted to......
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