GPOYW

Cheers to middle age!

GPOYW

We are sharing a "cardamom and ginger shake", so I will give you only 1 guess where I am in this photo.  But, seriously people, look at how he has his hand over mine...I mean, are you kidding me with this kid?  I am so in love!

GPOYW

Lunchtime on the trail!

Mmmm....three day old PB&J on a whole wheat wrap.  Moist.

What those of you with a keen eye will note in this photo is the excruciating pain in my feet.  My bunions have blossomed in the intervening years since I last wore my boots.  That custom fit I worked so hard to achieve is for a much younger woman's last, no longer mine.  I ended up hiking out in my sandals.  Good times!

GPOYW

For my 16th anniversary, My Beloved* gave me 16MB of memories

in the shape of R2D2 and C3PO.

*He so gets me.

I Have the Internal BER

Oh, Blossom end rot! Thy name is villainy!

My precious ruby red, heavy-set tomatoes are filled with poisonous black pus.  Well, shit.

Years ago, I watched that PBS special on the farmer's wife.*  It was a fascinating documentary on being a farmer in the US, but mostly focused on the marital dynamic.  I was gripped by the story and convinced I do not have the patience to be a farmer or married to one.

However, the show did not convey the personal heartache from a failed crop.  My sweet, leafy sprouts that I have fawned and cooed over, excited by their promise, have led to naught this year.  My grandparents were farmers of several acres in Massachusetts.  How did they do this?  I am not cut out for the disappointment. I feign a cavalier attitude, but I am crushed: store-bought tomatoes for our house this summer.

My Grampa with his prized bounty, 1965.  

His green thumb decidedly did not rub off on his granddaughter.

* oh.  they divorced in 2006.

GPOYW

Me and two of my aunts

The one on the left sent me Christmas presents every year until I turned 16, including my favorite pair of gold stud hearts, even though I am one of >20-some nieces and nephews. The one on the right took care of my dying aunt and her family.  Then, she won the lottery.  (I heart karma.)

Seriously, people would pay good money for the kind of family I have!

GPOYW

Crazy faces on the merry-go-round!

Surprises

It began on Friday...

Sullen Nephew on California Screamin' about to go into the loop-d-loop

Followed by more on Saturday of the cute and adorable pictures of my nephews and niece and the Disney characters...

(is being a Disney character the best job in the whole wide world?!)

I was missing it all and I couldn't take it.  By Saturday night, I had cashed in 20K frequent flyer points, made my excuses to work, and packed my toothbrush.    

How could I possibly miss out on this hilarity?!

(those ears light up different colors and patterns depending which part of the park you go into)

Or the thrilling rides?!

Bugs Land

Or the opportunity to wrap myself up in Nephew Love?

If ever there was a time to call in sick to work and drop everything, this was it.  I'm so unbelievably lucky.  One of the best decisions of my life, hands down.  

GPOYW

Guess who visited the new Carsland in California?

GPOYW

So Norwalk, CT Aquarium

We're gonna need a bigger boat.

GPOYW

Getting to know the North Country and new & old family

Elliot

 From this...

...to this, in less than 4 years.

I'm so excited, too, my friend!

GPOYW

My Darlow's Enigma overflows.

The lettuces don't look half bad either ;)

I, on the other hand, look pained and pale.  /sigh

Happy Birthday, Little Creature

In 2004, she was barely an armful of baby girl.

By 2012, she's conquered the mountain!

Happy birthday, Little Creature!

Memorial Day

GOPYW

I get excited about Metro tickets, too :)

GPOYW

Me, Rasnoses, and Rocket bonding over picture books about cold, forlorn wildernesses.

GPOYW

My Beloved is not the only person who uses pay phones!*

I was walking towards the street corner to cross and noticed the pay phone. That hit my radar b/c My Beloved does not have a cell phone and jokes that he's going to put an "app" together (read: a book) with maps of all the locations of all the remaining pay phones in the world.  Then, I noticed this guy walking towards me with his hand in his pocket doing that jingling thing you do when you are trying to get a wad of change out of a deep pocket without bringing up a wad of pocket lint at the same time.  I thought to myself, "OMG not only have I just found one of the last pay phones in Philadelphia, but I found the only other Philadelphia resident aside from My Beloved without a cell phone!  Rarer than hens teeth!"  To document this sighting, I surreptitiously took a picture over my shoulder of said hen's tooth.  

GPOYW

Dogsitting 

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Easter 1981

(anyone recognize the blue gingham dress on the little one?)