Wonderful Weekend -- and We're Only 1/2 Way Through!

We have had a truly wonderful weekend. The best part? It is only Sunday morning!

Michael had Friday off and I left work an hour early. We went out to dinner with Pat at Wildwood Steakhouse in Marlborough. Dinner was excellent. As we sat there eating, a giant -- and I mean, giant, cake went by us. It was probably 12" in diameter and 5 layers high. We were shocked. We asked the waitress about it, and she told us, "Oh, that is our chocolate cake. We cut it into 5 pieces and serve it." What?! Pat and I agreed, we had to share a piece of this cake.

Isn't that just amazing? We each had about 15% of the piece and took the rest home.

After our wonderful dinner, we went back to Pat's house and put up her new Christmas tree. It is very pretty. We decorated it together, then headed home.

Yesterday was especially fun because it was mostly spur of the moment. Michael, Pat, and I went down to the Reed & Barton factory in Taunton for a big sale. It was amazing. There were all kinds of deals to be had and the shoppers were very serious. I look forward to going again!

We went to the Erskine Open House in Paxton next. Pat got to see the Scottish Highland cows and the new sheep. Louise's glass shop was going full tilt, and everything was lovely. We were thrilled to see Alison (with her dogs Kaylee and Flash) and Rick and Vicky, too. It was a nice mini-get together of camp friends. I think Michael's mom enjoyed meeting everyone and getting into the Christmas spirit.

We stopped at a nusery on the way home and picked up our Christmas tree. We'll put it up today. Then we finally headed back to Northborough. We took Pat home, but we didn't go home yet.... Oh, no.

It was now time for us to run errands. A stop at BJs garnered some needed supplies. Then we refortified at West Side Grill. While there, Mike and I stragtegized our remaining tasks. We wanted to go to the adult superstore, Target, and Lowes. Mike creatively put it this way: "Toys for Tarts, Toys for Tots, and Toys for Mice." See what I mean? His powers of language and observation crack me up every time ;)

We finally made it home at 8:30 pm and began a nice evening of relaxing.

I hope your weekend is as fun as ous has been! Smiles -- and Merry Pre-Christmas!

Happy Birthday, Helen and Paul!

Friday was the official Happy Birthday for Helen and Paul!  Our Polish twins (from different years and different parents, but never mind that) are officially one year older :)

We found this card that is perfect for Helen (thanks to JaneSays over at Etsy).

We also wanted to help Helen decorate her office at work (she mentioned she need to get more things in there). We asked Annya, also at Etsy, to help us with this by making a custom painting. Check it out:

The black kitty is Annya's signature character. The cow is the background is one of the herd that [Steve and] Helen care for at the Erskine Farm. As you can see, kitty is feeding the cow an apple. I think it is so cute! You just can't go wrong with gifts from Etsy!

Happy Birthday, Paul and Helen!

Have a great day!

Last Day in Puerto Rico and Wrap Up

I spent Tuesday at the beach on the Condado, but was back to the hotel before Mike and ready to have a nice evening. We went out shopping before dinner and he bought me a beautiful Coach bag (you'll see it in the photos below). We had a little wine & cheese at the manager's reception, then went out to dinner at Dragonfly. It is a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant that serves tapas. It was yummy!

We had a couple of hours before our flight yesterday. We started our free time with a quick run through El Morro, a Spanish fort constructed in 1539. It was an impressive site that deserved much more time than we were able to afford it. The fort has 6 levels, all with amazing views and history. Next we stopped at El Galpón so I could buy a hat I found on Tuesday. It is very pretty and suits me better than the typical baseball hat.

Here are some photos of Tuesday and Wednesday:

Finally, it was time to leave our trip behind and head home. The flight and drive home were uneventful.

Wrap Up

We had a lot of fun on our trip to Old San Juan and Culebra. Here's a wrap up in case you find yourself on the island in the future.

Hotels

• El Convento: In the heart of Old San Juan, this hotel is charming and unique. The rooms are relatively small. The views outside the hotel and in its courtyard are amazing. It is a gem, and worth staying there at least once. The downside: customer service on check-in was unacceptable. Do not expect rooms to be ready by 3 pm checkin.
• La Concha: The "sister" hotel of El Convento where I went to the beach. Mike has stayed in this hotel on previous trips. It is sexy New York chic. If you want a beautiful hotel with modern, luxurious rooms and beach access, this is the place to be. The Condado has some high end shops to enjoy. The downside: You may get bored with the offerings on the Condado. Old San Juan is a taxi or bus ride away. The taxi is ~$25 each way. The bus runs about twice and hour and is easy to use (route B21 to Old San Juan, then 10 minute walk to shops; bus C53 from bus station to come back -- no fare through December 31, 2008).
  

Restaurants

• Aquaviva: Located on Calle de Fortaleza, this restaurant specializes in Latin/Seafood. We at there Saturday night and were very impressed. See here for photos or here for the Frommer's review.
• Patio del Sam: Located on Calle San Sebastian, food is basic and priced well. We ate there Sunday night and had a fine meal.
• Dragonfly: Located next to Aquaviva on Calle de Fortaleza, has excellent tapas in Latin-Asian fusion style. An upbeat atmosphere and great food. See here for photos or here fro the Frommer's review.

Shopping
Since Old San Juan is a popular port, there are many outlet (and regular) stores in the area. You'll find Coach Outlet, Ralph Lauren Outlet, Harry Winston, Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry, and more.

Culebra

• Getting there: We flew Air Flamenco ($105/pp/rt). The flight is about 25 minutes long. The plane accomodates 8 passengers.
• Getting around: We rented a Jeep through Carlos Jeeps ($65/day). It was a great way to see the island on a day trip.
• Beaches: We went to: Playa Zoni (see video here -- not ours), a beautiful quiet beach on the east side of the island; definitely my favorite. Playa Tamarindo Grande, good for surfing and solitude; we ended up there when searching for Playa Carlos Rosario. Playa Flamenco is the most popular beach on the island.
  

I guess now we are back to the real world of working, etc... Have a happy day!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Friday was Steve's birthday.

As you may realize by now, I usually do birthday posts after the big day, unless we've given our gifts before the birthday. So, my wishes online seem belated, even though they are pretty much on time in person. Glad I explained myself!

We began the quest for the perfect gift by asking ourselves the question we ask for each of our friends: "What would _______ like for their birthday?" Steve opened a store on Etsy in May to sell jewelry he makes, vintage jewelry, and other specialized items. Check out some of his items below.



Getting a store set up from scratch can be a big deal. It is done in stages, as each store owner has time. We wanted to help Steve customize his store front, so we made him a banner (the actual banner is larger, but has been downsized to fit this blog)

and an avatar.

Store owners usually include goodies with their shipments. We thought it would be fun to get him some Mini Cards from Moo so he can include samples of his other work, along with his contact info.

Aren't they pretty?

Of course, every gift needs a card (not that boys care too much about that). This one, from Miller Manor Designs, suits him well. What man doesn't love his tools?!

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Smiles!

Go Red Sox!

Connor got Mattie a special birthday gift. Isn't it cute?

The lengths we go to as Red Sox fans...

What Fiona really wants is for Mattie to wear a tutu like Ballet Kitty.  I found this image online. It isn't Mattie, but maybe we can convince her...

 

The little guy named Zimmy also dresses up as a cowboy...

I think Mattie should be counting his lucky stars that all he had to wear was Red Sox hat!!!

Smiles!

Music Outside!

We did it! We now have music outside, thanks to the joint work of Mike and I. He did the mounting and wiring outside, through the foundation, and up through the wall. I connected the wires to the speaker and set everything up for our Zone 2, which can play different music than the main zone inside and has its own volume controls.

Not exciting for you, but it is for us!! Here's a video so you'll know what we're talking about...






Thanks a million to Mike's mom, Pat, for the wonderful birthday gifts. I LOVE THEM!

Have a great day!

Fabulous Fourth

Happy 7th of July!

We had such a lovely weekend!  We went to camp Thursday after work.  It was a nice drive up and lots of people were there for the weekend.

First thing Friday morning, Steve helped Mike replace a piece on the awning.  The repair seemed quick and easy.  It sure made putting the awning up/down easier for Mike.  Steve and Sherry had a fish fry on Friday afternoon.  It was a huge hit, with [it seemed like] 70 people in attendance. There was a dance Friday night that was well attended.

My mom sent us a beautiful holiday greeting -- photos of the lilies in her pond.  One of the photos is below.


Pretty, huh?

We celebrated Jean's birthday [early] on Friday, too.

The Outta Hand Band played for us Saturday afternoon.  They ended up playing in the clubhouse because of the intermittent rain.  The music was good.  We're looking forward to having them play at Spaghetto this year.  Steve and Helen invited us over for dinner on Saturday night, along with a small group of friends.  Dinner was yummy!  We made Cheesy Beef Casserole for the first time.  It turned out well.  Mike says we should add it to the recipes we make regularly.  There was another dance Saturday night.  It was surprisingly well-attended given the band and random revelry throughout the day Saturday.

We had a lovely 6th of July celebration with Nana Meow Meow yesterday.  She graciously took care of her grandcat over the weekend.  He is getting very spoiled.  The weather was better yesterday than any other day of the weekend, so it was perfect for our cookout.

Mike and I ended the night by watching National Treasure: Book of Secrets.  It was ok.  As my mom would say, "Better than a poke in the eye!"

Have a happy day!

Happy Birthday, M!

I am back from my whirlwind trip to Kansas City. Along with my father's big event, there was another very important event last Friday: my friend Melissa's 35th birthday!

Melissa and I have been friends since 2nd grade. We remember all the silly things we did together throughout the years, including our teen years. We've had lots of fun, as well as some learning experiences as teens, and came through it all as friends. What more can you ask for? I look forward to her emails throughout the week and really don't feel the gap between here and KC...

Anyway, I wanted to do a little something special this year for her birthday. April at JaneSays made me a custom card to give her

insert image

I asked Leesa at handgrown Pottery to make Mel a special plate.

I think it turned out so cute!

I hold all of my friendships dearly, especially this very special one.

Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Celebrations and Miscellany

What a nice week it has been!

We had dinner at Texas Roadhouse Wednesday night with Paul and Deb. We had a lovely time catching up on our camp and theirs. We sure miss seeing them on the weekends... We exchanged birthday gifts while we were there...


Deb got me this beautiful necklace and earrings from Fire and Thyme (an Etsy shop in Northborough). Aren't they fabulous?! Thank you, Deb!




I got her this pretty dish from handmade Pottery and this cute card that coordinated from JaneSays (of course both Etsy shops, which I have mentioned over and over because I love them!). It was pretty fun to celebrate an Etsy birthday!

We are taking today off for an early start on the Memorial Day weekend. Four days of relaxing will be nice!


Every time I walk by my Anniversary roses from Mike, amazed that they still look so fabulous.


Yesterday I cut their stems and put them in a different vase. They are now a more petite arrangement. I can't believe they look so good after 19 days!

As you may have surmised, this is another post of miscellany... I got a new hair dryer back in March. Mine had been getting hot in the electrical cord (never a good sign), then sparked and went "PFFFFT" while I was using it one morning. This caused quite a scene as I screamed, threw it to the ground, then attempted to explain to Mike when he came running. Anyway, I got an Elchim Professional 2001. It was a little pricey (though I paid $67 compared to the current price of $80), but well below the suggested retail of $125. I know, I know, that is a lot of money... I was crossing my fingers that I would like it.


(Mine is all black) I have to say, I have been using the new dryer for 2 months now. I absolutely love it. It dries my hair in half the time any other dryer has taken, and has caused so much less damage. I have been wishing that either a) there was a travel version, or b) it was way cheaper, so that I could get one for camp. I just can't justify the cost for the estimated 35 days of usage a year... I definitely recommend it if you have thick hair (like I do) or curly hair (like I don't).

So, enough of that little plug!

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

Something Store

Sometimes in life I want a little surprise. Often I want to surprise someone else... So, when I got this news article from Fresh Trend, I though, "Huh?"

We were so enamored with one of our most recent BlogAd sponsors (see the far right column) that we decided to share a little more about them.

SomethingStore.com could possibly be the most unique, weird gift you could possibly give someone, or on the flip side, it could be the lamest thing in the history of the world (although we doubt it). The reason it could go either way is because you don’t exactly know what you’re giving, but you are giving something.

For just $10 they’ll send something to someone. Vague but fun. If you’re a little apprehensive give their SomethingTracker a peek and you can see some of th recent gifts that have been shipped.

One final note, SomethingStore is the first ever gift idea that falls under every single category that we cover, since well…you never know what you’re gonna get.

I am always game to try something new, but didn't want to tell everyone about it until I knew if it would be supercool or superstupid. I ordered myself one something (price: $10 with shipping) on May 6. According to the site I would have my something in 5 days -- May 13 by my estimate.

In reality, my "something" shipped on May 14 via USPS. I was out of town anyway, so who cares?! It arrived on my doorstep (figuratively, since it was delivered to my office) on May 19.



As you can see, it came in a padded envelope... Hmmmm.... What would it be?! It could be cool, it could be dumb. Open it already!!!!



Turns out, my something is really COOL! It is a leather wallet on a string kind of thing, with room for keys, ID, credit cards, etc... They didn't even know I am a girl that would like this, so it is really perfect!

Leave it to me to take a chance on a $10 mysterious gift... I am so glad it worked out, though who knows for the next time :) Now I have to start thinking of who'll I'll start randomly sending gifts to...

Have a Happy Day!

Where Oh Where Did My Little Cat Go?

Oh where, oh where can he be?
He's chasing the mice on the weather-vane,
There's no better place he would be...

Our friends Steve and Helen surprised on Sunday night with our birthday gift. Steve's talents know no boundaries, and he and Helen are very thoughtful when it comes to birthday creations.



Isn't this the coolest weather vane you've ever seen?



Look at the mice climbing their way up the legs...



And the kitty watching the one on the top, just waiting to pounce!

They know Mattie for sure! This is not the final location for the weather vane. When it finds its permanent spot we'll plant a climbing flower underneath it.

Thanks Steve and Helen! Have a Happy Day, Everyone!

Inside, Outside, Music All Around

So, you know I love music... All kinds of music -- Jazz, Rock, Classical, Country... I am not an aficionado by any stretch of the imagination and my tastes are pretty varied (i.e. anyone who like Rachmaninoff, Depeche Mode, and Dixie Chicks -- whew!).



Ever since Dad and John gave us an iPod for Christmas it has been my best friend.

The birthday fairy knows me very well. She flew right in with some outdoor speakers for our patio. My installation expert (Michael) is going to mount them under the eve of the house and wire them into the third zone of our A/V receiver.



We'll be able to listen to CDs, DirecTV music, or our digital collection (stored on the Mac mini that is also hooked into the system) inside and/or outside at will! The fairy even got me an outdoor rated volume control so we can control the volume outside, independently of the volume in the house. Cool, huh?!

Once we get the setup, well, set up we'll take some pictures and/or a video to share. You'll probably see that in a few weeks!

Smiles!

Mother's Day Goodies

Happy Mother's Day to all moms, especially my Mom and Michael's Mom!

I did my shopping for Mother's Day so far in advance that I've been itching to share the fun things we got. I had to wait for the actual day to pass; now that it has, here goes!



We started out with a pretty card to celebrate the day. Thanks April at JaneSays!



Mom and I have been told that we are very much alike (I suspect you'll agree if you know us both). We thought this dish was a perfect way to commemorate that. Thanks to Leesa at handgrown Pottery.



We all need something pretty, and you can't beat earrings. Jo at i dream i can fly Artisan Jewelry hit the mark with these.

Michael got his Mom a whole host of cards. The sneaky guy sealed up the ones from him before I could photograph them!



This is the card from both of us.



We also got her some flowers. Aren't they pretty?!

More than anything, Mother's Day is about saying I Love You and letting your mom know she is special. Moms -- You're the best!

Happy Hibiscus

Deirdre and the kids gave us Hibiscus plants for our birthdays. They always make me think of warm places like Florida, Hawaii, the Caribbean...




The red ones were for Michael.



These are pink (no blooms for the photo) and are for me.

I didn't know about hibiscus, so I did some studying about them. Did you know that a hibiscus bloom usually lives for only one day? I won't feel bad about cutting them for the house now!

According to Wikipedia the hibiscus is a national flower:

The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Bunga Raya or "Chinese hibiscus") is the national flower of Malaysia.

The ma‘o hau hele (Hibiscus brackenridgei) is the state flower of Hawaii.

The Hibiscus syriacus (Mugunghwa or "Rose of Sharon") is the national flower of South Korea.

The Native Hibiscus is a national emblem of the Stolen Generation of indigenous peoples in Australia. Its colour denotes compassion and spiritual healing.

Interestingly, the Rose of Sharon is also a hibiscus. We have a purple one and a white one and always look forward to their blooms. I never would have guessed them to be hibiscus :)

I also studied up on the care of hibiscus in northern states. When left potted they can survive year round. I am crossing my fingers that I do things right (I am pretty confident that I can) and have plans to put them in the basement with artificial lighting over-winter.

I am sure I'll post more about these pretty plants in the coming months.

Have a Happy Day!

Office Decor and Anniversaries - Updated

Michael surprised me with these beautiful roses today...

Aren't they beautiful?!

Today, May 5, is our anniversary. I got Mike a very special card from LittleBitFunky. I just love this card!



Part of Mike's promotion in January included getting a real office (with walls and a door). He is in that real office now and enjoying the change of scenery. One of the problems he found with having walls was that they were so empty, blank, boring.

I set about trying to help in his decorating endeavor. Too bad I didn't tell him first, but hey, that is how it is sometimes. His anniversary gift this year is framed art. I will say, though, that it is really cool framed art.

Northborough, MA Panoramic Map - 1887

I found this map of Northborough from 1887. It cuts off a little too soon, otherwise you could see our house. What a shame. It would be near the lower left corner. It's still neat to have such an old map of the town. I originally found a print on canvas for sale on ebay ($175). This is just as good for a fraction of the cost.

Revolutionary War Map - 1775

It seemed appropriate to have a map of New England, since that is Mike's region. This Revolutionary War map is pretty cool. The Town of Northborough, originally part of the Towns of Marlborough -- then Westborough, was incorporated in 1766 and became a full-fledged town with the right of representation at the Great and General Court of Boston in 1775. As you can see, the map was made just before the finalization of our town and it does not show as its own entity.

Clark College MA Photo 1910

I thought it would be fun for Mike to have a map of Clark University (1910) since it is his alma mater. I had no idea the thing would be so small! At 3"x17" framing was tricky...

Town of Boston Map - 1769

Since Mike works in downtown Boston, it seemed only appropriate to include a map of the city streets. This view from 1769, includes the "new streets" (see image); hopefully Mike can find his way around.

Wealth Distribution USA 1872

Finally, it just seems obvious that an Assistant Regional Census Manager (ARCM, that is Mike) should have a map of the Census. This one just happens to be from 1872, showing wealth distribution using data from the ninth census.

I know, I know. These are all old maps. But he can make a map of what things look like now. And you know what else? I bet no one else in his office has these :)



I ended up giving these gifts to Mike early. We hung them in his office on his birthday after out dinner out.

Happy Anniversary, honey! Watch out, because I have a few more "tricks" up my sleeve!

Mike's Birthday, unveiled... And the weekend

We celebrated Mike's birthday at McCormick and Schmicks at Fanueil Hall.



I told them it was Mike's birthday, so they made him a special menu. Isn't that sweet?!



Mike unwrapped his gifts when got home (warning, I did not check the viewfinder before filming, so this is a little off).



He loves everything and says "Thanks to Everyone!"

The rest of the weekend was quite eventful. We cut some tree's at a friend of Mike's and had lunch with him and his family. Gifts from his family and a birthday dinner at O'Connors followed.

He decided to check into the emergency room Saturday night, because his calf (injured April 24) was bruising and extremely painful. He was diagnosed with a partially ruptured achilles tendon (at the top). Recovery will be natural, requiring 8-10 weeks time and some physical therapy. As he we being discharged he had a vasovagal syncope. This resulted in quite a scene with the code cart being used and 8 doctors and nurses working to stabilize him. Needless to say, he was readmitted and taken to a room. His heart has been thoroughly checked out and deemed fine. He was seen by a team of doctors throughout the day and released this afternoon.

I won't be complaining about a dull weekend if one ever comes our way (not that I have in the past).

Smiles

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Well, the day has arrived. Mike is officially another year younger. Yep, younger. Why get older when we can keep having fun being kids?

That thought worked toward the inspiration for Mike's card... I didn't make it; I didn't have to. Crystal over at LittleBitFunky does such a beautiful job, I'd rather buy her cards :)



In one of our late night chat sessions, Mike and I got into a long discussion about The Red Balloon. It was my favorite movie as a child and his favorite book. It seemed fitting to get him something he loved from his past to enjoy in his future (besides me, of course).

I did a couple of other little things yesterday to get him warmed up... He is officially a member of Red Sox Nation now.



I also ordered a Fenway Park Scoreboard message (below is a sample) that said, "Happy Birthday Mike Horgan. Love Tracy"



That seems to be what a true Sox fan would do :)

He has a few other small things on the way, too...

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!

Happy Birthday (to Me)

Today is my birthday! I thought to myself, "Self, maybe it would be silly to blog about your own birthday." Self replied, "Naw, do what you want." Ok, I didn't really have a conversation like that. I did think it through and decided, what the heck! I can say it is my birthday :)

Mike and I celebrated my birthday yesterday. Why a day early? Well, we have town meeting tonight and feel it is our civic duty to attend. Since we leave for work at 6:15 am, and will only have an hour tonight between getting home and going to town meeting, it made sense to do my birthday early.

Here are my gifts before opening:


Mike and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to use our new camcorder (our joint birthday gift) to make a video --warning, it is kind of dull if you are not me.



I got these beautiful gifts! From left to right: handmade soap, tea, and a handmade mug from Melissa; a handmade bag and matching wallet, huge soup cups, and beautiful matching bowl from Mom and Brian, and a lovely card (and money) from my Grandparents.



Thank you so much everyone! I appreciate your thought and love.

After gift opening, Mike took me out the restaurant of my choice: The Sole Proprietor. I had a delicious meal of Tuna Steak Sashimi and Mike had North Atlantic Haddock Newburg. Both were fantastic.



He insisted I get desert. I ordered Flan and look at how beautifully it was presented. What a great job -- I never could have written Happy Birthday so nicely :)

We spent the remainder of the evening relaxing (my choice) and recovering from the busy weekend -- more about that tomorrow.

This morning I awoke to beautiful and thoughtful e-cards from Mom and Brian, Melissa and Serena, Deb and Paul, Jean and Bob, Nicky, Debbie, and of course, My Honey. What a lovely start!

As I was getting ready, looked outside to see two bunnies sitting in the yard. They were hanging out -- I think protecting their nest -- and I felt they came to wish me a special day... Something funny about the photo...



This is third in my series, taken at 5:58 am. It was not that dark to my human eye.



I did extensive manual editing in one photo package, then did some auto-correcting in Picasa. What an amazing difference! Thank goodness for computers!

I am sure the rest of my day will be splendid. My moods so far can be likened to weather: sunny, partly cloudy, and lightening. I am blessed with being a woman on my birthday (you know what I mean) and the accompanying moodiness. I am looking forward to a sunny forecast!



And last, but certainly, not least, Happy Birthday Father Roger! We share this date and hold each other dear.

Smiles!