Being open to change and compromise

Well, as I predicted, once I was back to work, the blog took a back seat.  I am really going to try to make this a priority.  Anyway, enough of the guilts. Last weekend, a large moving truck arrived filled with all of Glenn's furniture and other belongings that have been in storage. I have to say, after feeling like I was starring in an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive, I am handling this well.

I like my home to look a certain way and trying to incorporate someone elses belonging into the picture isn't easy for me.

Last week at the beach I was complaining to my friends (out of earshot of Glenn of course) that he wanted to hang a flatscreen TV on the wall and just let the wire hang down to the socket.  Nobody thought this was a big deal except me. I dislike the way electronic equipment looks. I think it should be hidden away in a nice armoire (like it is in my living room).

However, the room we are trying to turn into a cozy den, isn't big enough for an armoire. The advice from my friends? Compromise and think how lucky you are to have this terrific guy in your life.  I decided to take their advice.

Heading to Maine

Yesterday was another lazy day. I spent a few hours at the beach. There was a nice cool breeze off of the water. It really has been an amazing week of weather here in Winthrop by the Sea.

I just finished a great book called the 19th Wife by David Ebershoff.  It's historical fiction based on the diaries of Ann Eliza Young, who was the 19th wife of Brigham Young. Fascinating read about polygamy within the Mormon religion in the 1800's and forward to present day sects that branched off from the Mormon religion and still practice it today.

Apparently, the book was on the NY Times best seller list in 08. I missed it then. Glad I found it now.  Here's a link to the book/author's website.

http://www.19thwife.com/

Speaking of books, last night was our monthly Five Sisters at Forrest Street Book Club meeting. We held it on the beach. As usual, there was not much talk of books and much talk about men, love, food, drink!

This morning after the gym, I took Joe to breakfast at Nick's in Revere. Eggs, Bacon, Bread. Hey, I went to the gym first!

Today I am off to Maine to attend a commitment ceremony between my friends Bob and James. The celebration is tomorrow in Rockport, Maine. I am really looking forward to it.

More vacationing pleasure

The weather has been terrific this week, bright sun every day! I spent some time with my nephew John and son Joe at the pool the other day. I think this may be the most relaxing vacation I've ever had. There is something to be said about not making plans....and just taking it minute by minute....

I did meet my friends Ginny and Cynthia last night for dinner. We went to the Woodward Restaurant in the Ames Hotel in Boston. Apparently this boutique hotel has been around for a few years...glad we went. It's an historic building, reborn as a very funky, expensive boutique hotel (the elevator walls are purple leather).  Built in 1889, it was Boston's first sky-scraper at 13-stories high and the corporate headquarters of Ames Plow, a company that sold agricultural tools.

I can see that I may learn some things (perhaps interesting but useless info) with this blogging hobby.  However, this could be dangerous. My research led me to an e-bay posting of an original butter churn made by Ames Plow. Thankfully, it was already sold (for approximately $85) because a butter churn is most certainly something I can do without...

Back to summer....here's a few pics from the other day at the pool...

Joe looks as if he's saying: Really John? I don't think so.....

Good Friends and Mount Willard

Well, my day just opened up. I invited my cousin Gail and her twin boys (8 years old) to meet me at my brother's house today. He has a great yard with a big pool. She just called to tell me she forgot that the boys have hockey practice at 2:00 today so they aren't coming.  That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing them.

I just downloaded some pics from two weekends ago. I was in Conway, NH with my friends Gia, Bob and James. Gia lives across the street in Winthrop. Bob and James used to live in the apartment under me in Winthrop and now live in Rockland, Maine. This is the second time that this foursome has met in Conway.  We got together there for the first time, last fall.  We had so  much fun we immediately put a date on the calendar to do it again the last weekend in June. 

You know when a certain group of people just click? When it's easy and everything just flows? That's what it's like with the four of us. I thought about inviting a few more people on this weekend, but then decided against it. I used to believe:  the more the merrier. I don't believe that credo anymore and I've learned not to mess with a good thing. 

Anyway,  Gia and I drove up from Winthrop and met Bob and James in North Conway a few weeks ago on a  Friday night around 8 pm. We dumped our bags and proceeded to Mae Kelly's, a local restaurant/watering hole for drinks and apps.  It was a hot night, perfect for the back deck at Mae's and luckily for us, there was an open table.  The deck at Mae Kelly's has a great view of Cathedral Ledge.

The next day, we climbed Mount Willard in Crawford Notch. Willard is a small mountain and an easy climb with a million dollar view. These pics were taken from the summit:





Summer Vacation Day 1

So starting a blog was one of the many things on my list of things to do, during this week in July. The list has many things on it but this seemed like the most daunting so I'm tackling this first. Very unlike me. I usually prefer to check off all of the little things first. 

The other things on the list are:

1.  Put Glenn's name on the mailbox (he finally changed his address, I guess that means he's staying -- yaay!).

2. Find a recipe in which to use the fresh peas I have in my fridge.

3. Map out my road trip to Maine for next weekend.

4. Hang out with Johnny (my 13 year old nephew). I'm not sure he really wants to hang out with me though. He says he does but I'm not convinced.

5. Hang out with my friend Maria at the beach.

Okay enough of this list. Pretty boring huh?

I did happen to have an amazing weekend. Glenn and I were in the White Mountains. We spend a lot of time there. Hiking. On Saturday, July 7 we did the Zealand Hut Trail and the Ethan Pond Trail.  We clocked about 10 miles in 6 hours, counting two half hour stops. One at the Zealand Falls and one at Thoreau Falls. I'm not sure if that's fast or not. It was a beautiful day, sunny and hot, but not that humid.  This hike was not very challenging (except for the last bit up to the hut which was very steep -- and true to form, I slipped on the way down and landed on my left hip). Apart from my little tumble, the hike was enjoyable.

I didn't have to watch every single step I took, carefully stepping over rocks and stumps like I usually have to do. There was a lot of flat terrain with just enough up and down to make it interesting, lots of water features, and big rocks. I learned a new term -- glacial erratics. These are big boulders that some glacial occurrence managed to move thousands of years ago. We did this hike instead of hiking Mt. Jefferson which was the original plan.  I chickened out. Mt. Jefferson is 5,000 plus feet and I've never climbed one that big.  I changed my mind because Jefferson is mostly an exposed climb and there  was a threat of rain and lightening in the weather report. I really don't want to be on an exposed mountain during a lightening storm. 

Anyway, even though Glenn has his doubts, I WILL climb Jefferson this year. There, it's in writing and on the internet. I have to do it now right?

When we got home yesterday it was sunny and hot in Winthrop, MA where we live.  I immediately walked down to the beach at the end of my street to enjoy the last of what must have been a spectacular beach day.  Luckily for me, several of my friends and neighbors were there with their new toys: a kayak and two paddle boards. I've been kayaking before but never had the chance to try a paddle board. I gave it a shot. It was hard. Hard to stand up, hard to stay up and hard to paddle!

I got a few pointers from my friend Adicel. I'll give it another try. I think I prefer the kayak though!

By the way, speaking of the beach, the name of this blog comes from the five breakers just off Winthrop Beach. They are called "The Five Sisters". I'm really not sure how the name came to be. I can't find anything about it on the internet.  I did find out that there is a rather tony neighborhood in Burlington, Vermont called the Five Sisters.  

My neighborhood is not tony. But it's home and there is always someone to hang out with at the beach.

Well, it's time to knock off some of those other things on the list. At the very least, I'm hoping this blog inspires me to write something daily, even if nobody reads it.