Christmas 2018 in Jefferson

Update - December 23 to December 29

-- Christmas Week 2018 at home in Jefferson Mass.

Santa spotted overhead

We knew there wouldn't be any significant snow for Christmas, so we had made some visits to the north where we could crunch through the snow and build up our holiday spirit. But, when it got close to Christmas day it was nice to be home and enjoy the decorations, the family visits, and the quiet of life in Jefferson. On Christmas Eve (afternoon) we had the family over. Baby Olive and her sister Lucy brought their mother Corinne and kept everyone entertained and on alert. Also, among the younger set were Leela and her brother Louis who also brought their mother, Kari.

Also visiting were my nieces, Paige and Lily. The other adults in the room included my brother Stephen and his wife Marna; Patti's brother John, and her sister Mary, plus her son Steve and her mate Ira. They had come down earlier and spent a few nights with us to enjoy the holiday. Patti's other brother, David, joined us for Christmas dinner. Nephew Steve took over the kitchen and was the head chef on the pork loin served on Christmas Day. Patti handled the potatoes and I handled the bar.

-- Gift Exchange on Christmas Eve

Leela, Lucy, and Papa as Artists

The sound of shredding wrapping paper filled the playroom, especially where Lucy was in action as she tore open gift after gift with an immediate eye toward which present was next? It was a lively event as the television played a Christmas movie, the children kept pressing the buttons that made the snowmen toot their horns, Baby Olive serenaded everyone with her crying, and everyone else tried to talk over the rest of us. It may have appeared to be nothing but bedlam, but it was a lot of fun too.

Fine China for Christmas Dinner

In more quiet moments, when Leela and Lucy wanted to do some drawing, we brought out the markers and the paper so they could be creative. Lucy has a current fascination with drawing monster faces. She indicates it's a monster as it has a down-turned smile. Happy people (not Monsters) have an up-turned smile. If Papa tries to be creative and add teeth, he is disappointed to learn that teeth are not part of the scheme and must be removed. There's more to being a Papa than I realized.

The featured player, no doubt, was the youngest, Olive, who everyone wanted to hold, feed, and cuddle when given the chance. Here are some more pictures from the holiday with an emphasis on the little ones.


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Scenes of Christmas: (Starting from top left) Patti is feeding Olive, Olive enjoys a brief nap, Richard and Patti pose in the living room, Lucy stockpiles some of her gifts and Lucy embraces Olive after nap time is over.

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READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)

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-- Olive and Lucy Visit on Thursday

Paige gets a smile from Olive

A few days after Christmas we had the chance to watch Olive and Lucy, so the nieces Lily and Paige joined us in the afternoon. Olive has been having a lot of distress after feeding with getting that big burp needed to smooth out her gastro tract. This has led to some uncomfortable crying spells in the past few weeks. But, today she seemed a bit less in distress and we got some big smiles from her.

It occurred to Lily that she had an urge to bake, so she set about making brownies. She pulled everything together in the kitchen and seemed pleased that I would know it was a 13 x 9 pan she would need. The brownies were delicious, or as Lucy has been quoted, they were "A delicious taste sensation." I believe she picked up that expression from Sponge Bob, but I'm not sure.

-- Not Your Average Joe's 

Not Your Average Patti

During the holiday week, Patti and I did some shopping and returning items to the stores. We took the opportunity to have a lunch break at Not Your Average Joe's restaurant in Westborough. We like the place and have found the food to be reliably good with helpful service. Patti is always aware that the large serving of complimentary bread tends to make her full before the meal arrives. Plus, if she has an exotic drink, it tends to fill her up before the entree too. So, as predicted there was a lot of leftovers; which is now something that she plans on at Not Your Average Joe's.

The food was delivered quickly by the manager, who could be spotted clearing tables and checking with guests. The waiter stopped by frequently to be sure all was okay. When we asked to wrap up the food he suggested that he could add some bread and oil if we would like it and to be honest, it's the bread and oil that gets Patti to come each time in the first place! We left a nice tip.

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Reading Update: I seldom have difficulty reading books as I do, in short bursts with a lot of interruptions, because I seem able to pick up where I left off not losing any of the momentum that the author has built into the narrative. For those of you who find it difficult to read a book unless you can go right through it without interruption, you might like to read something like, "I Wish I'd Been There," Edited by Byron Hollinshead. This book is a collection of essays by 20 different historians commenting on significant (and sometimes insignificant) historical events that they would have like to have witnessed first hand. In all cases, the historian knows as much or more about the topic as anyone but can certainly imagine what more they could learn if they had been there.

 Events such as Harper's Ferry, the Assassination of Lincoln, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the Scopes Trial are examples of persons and events that these historians would love to have witnessed. As there are 20 chapters, you could treat each as a separate topic and even skip one or more if you felt little interest in it. This makes it a perfect travel book, where you want to read something but know you will be constantly interrupted. I learned a lot about the events, even those I had some familiarity with, so it's definitely worth reading when you have the time.

Babysitting, Book Buying, Leaf Peeping, Shopping, and Lunch Out

Update - October 21 – October 27

-- Paige Visits to Help with Baby Olive

Paige Wright

My niece Paige has no college classes on Tuesday, so she asked if she could come over to the house each Tuesday to help care for Lucy and Olive. Patti and I agreed that it was a good idea and have encouraged her to come any time she wants. This Tuesday, Paige stopped by and immediately began helping with feeding, bathing, and rocking Olive to sleep. She also spent some quality time with Lucy including some effort guiding Lucy with coloring within the lines.

As Patti has spent over 40 years in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at UMass Memorial Hospital, she has the ideal technique for instructing anyone who wants to know how to care for an infant. In a mere moment, she can make any fussing or squirming by Olive turn into smiles and gurgles. Changing diapers, preparing formula for the bottle, and proper cradling for feeding are made easy for all. Paige has a light college schedule right now, so she has the time to visit and spend time with Lucy and Baby Olive. I know she enjoys it and it's always helpful to have additional hands around when one baby wants to sleep and the other wants to be outside trying out the bicycle. 

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READ my Blog "The Books of Richard F Wright" (Books, Bookstores, Writing)
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-- A Visit to Gale Library Book Cellar Yields New Treasures

Anything Named Olive Must be Great

Lucy has a large appetite for books, as I do, so I try to add one or more to her collection each week. At the public library bookshop, I can buy children’s books for 50 cents apiece; sometimes less. So, I keep my eye open for anything I think Lucy will like. This trip found two books; one was the Bunny Rabbit’s Assistant and the other was Olive and the Embarrassing Gift. I could not resist a book with “Olive” in the title. I read it and decided it was a fun story with a good life lesson, so I picked it up.

I also bought several other books for my own reading: Bridge of Spies by Giles Whittell; The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick; Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky; The New Russians by Hedrick Smith; The Yom Kippur War, edited by Moshe Davis; and Jerusalem by Karen Armstrong. My total investment, including the children’s books, was $12.

-- Learning About the Wachusett Reservoir

Patti and Old Stone Church

Patti had Friday off, so we decided to make a run to BJ’s Wholesale Club where we could find things in boxes and bags big enough for someone running a restaurant, or for our household lately. Why buy 10 rolls of paper towels when you can buy 24? I guess I’m still low on the learning curve as far as the value in bulk buying for a mostly retired couple.

As part of the run to the wholesale club, we included a stop for some further leaf-peeping and photo-taking. We stopped at the Wachusett Reservoir near the Old Stone Church to get some shots. I also took the time to read about the newly completed irrigation and run-off system installed around the reservoir to cut down on pollutants draining off into the reservoir. The whole concept and design were impressive and I’m glad to see that it was done in a manner that allows it to be instructional for visitors to better understand how the reservoir is being protected.

-- Lunch in Shrewsbury at Burton’s Grill and Bar

Lunch at Burton's

I was in the mood for fish tacos and Patti was hungry but didn’t know what she wanted. So, Burton’s Grill and Bar was a good choice. They have a big menu, so I knew Patti would find something she liked. It turned out to be the Mediterranean Chicken Risotto and I got the “street” tacos. Very good. She got some exotic drink and I got a glass of wine. We agreed we liked the service, the atmosphere, and the food, so it was a good visit. Burton's is in the complex of residences, businesses and retail services that took over space where Spag's used to be. It's sad that Spag's is gone, but I'm happy to see the area upgraded this way. 

-- Bonus Visit from Olive and Lucy on the Weekend

Lucy and Paige; Artists

Olive Helen Perras

Corinne had an appointment for Saturday afternoon, so, even though Patti had to work, I agreed to take both granddaughters for the afternoon. Paige volunteered to help, so she came over in the afternoon. It was a fun day for everyone. When Baby Olive arrived, she was at the peak of interest in being fed. So, I took charge of giving her a bottle feeding while simultaneously pulling out the potty seat for Lucy to take into the privacy of the guest bathroom. I literally had my hands full; first with a squirming, hungry infant, and second with a squirming, desperate, four-year-old looking for some relief.

Paige, Lucy, Lilly, Marna, Olive

Things settled down when Paige arrived so that between us we could keep everyone occupied. Lucy really enjoyed the attention she got from Paige when it was time to draw. Together, they worked at the table creating various bits of artwork to share with everyone.

When Paige was dropped off, her sister Lily and her Mother, Marna, stopped in for a while to visit with Olive. Lucy requested that everyone pose for a photo - with her in the middle (naturally). So the photo is included here so that she knows her Papa will comply with reasonable requests.

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Reading Update: I picked up "A Safe Haven" by Allis and Ronal Radosh quite a while back at Yes Books, a used bookshop, in Portland, Maine, but only just got around to reading it. I have always been struck by the fact Harry Truman was President when I was born and as the years have gone by I have come to realize he was actually a very good President. This book deals with the issue of how Truman coped with the pressures on him, the country, and the world as the Jews tried to establish a homeland in what has become Israel.

Despite a lot of promises made by many over the years, it was to finally land on Truman's desk to make the final push that allowed Israel to join the family of nations. The book reads like a fast-paced novel with intrigue, deception, bitter conflict, and recriminations that if it wasn't all true would seem like preposterous myth-making. It's no myth, Truman made the choices at the time that went against political expediency and international trauma, to finally help Jews around the world find a "safe haven."

Visits, Golf, and Southern Hospitality

UPDATE - September 2 - September 8

-- Monday Was Labor Day - Good Day for Visiting

Baby Olive with Patti

Labor Day was a special day because we had our first visit from Baby Olive. Only weeks old, she was prepped and ready for travel. In anticipation of her first visit, we had installed the playpen so that changing her and letting her nap would be as comfortable here as at home. Naturally, there was a lot of opportunities to take pictures, which we certainly did.

Nana Patti enjoyed the privilege of feeding Baby Olive and assorted other tasks including diaper changes and the sort. For the most part,
I reduced my role, to taking pictures and entertaining Lucy to some degree so that she wouldn't feel left out from all the attention.

Lucy has been assuming the role of big sister in very enthusiastic ways. She frequently offers to hold the baby and to teach her to crawl. I believe Olive will appreciate the attention from big sister soon enough.


-- Golfing for Tee Up for Tots Charity

New Bike for Lucy

The annual fundraiser on behalf of the newborn intensive care unit at UMass Memorial hospital was held on Tuesday, September 4, this year at the Charter Oak Country Club in Hudson, Mass. This is a private club that has been used over the past few years as the site for this charity event. Patti usually is part of a ladies foursome that is sponsored by the physicians in the unit. I made my donation and helped form a foursome to compete on the men's challenge.

Part of the fun includes buying raffle tickets for a wide array of prizes and this year was no different. Patti selects which prizes to go after and she followed my suggestion that we try for the two-wheel bike that looked to just the right size for Lucy. Much to our surprise, Patti had the winning ticket for the pink bike with training wheels! I can't wait to surprise Lucy with this.

The event used to be hosted by the UMass Foundation, but in recent years, one of the grateful families who had a baby cared for in the NICU has been coordinating the annual event. The Wright family (no relation to us) organizes the event, recruits the volunteers, and runs the whole show. It's well-organized and everyone seems to enjoy the day.

The Tee Up for Tots Tournament was Sold Out Again This Year

-- Southern Hospitality

Had to borrow a pot

We got the rare chance to experience true southern hospitality, not to mention southern cuisine, when Patti's scuba-diving friend from Louisiana visited - towing a cooler filled with shrimp and crawfish from back home. Terry and Patti spent a whole day cooking the food in preparation for the family gathering that took place on the weekend. Needless to say, we all ate too much, and we may have convinced a lot of folks that southern cuisine is delicious.

It became necessary for Patti to borrow another pot from a neighbor as we just didn't have enough of the cookware needed to get the job done.

-- Weekend Family BarBQ and Louisiana Crawfish and Shrimp Boil

Marna with Olive

Lily with Olive

The early guests on Saturday settled for hamburgers and hot dogs, but those with patience also got to try some real southern cuisine. Starting around Noon and running until the evening, the grill and the stove were in constant use. The combination Bar BQ, Fish Boil, and Meet Baby Olive was a big event. Brother Steve, his wife Marna, and the twins, Lily and Paige all visited and as expected Olive was the center of attention for everyone. Other guests included Patti's brothers and sister, traveling in from Maine and Connecticut. Other guests were Nephew Andrew and his wife Irina, also from Maine.

Reading Update: Although it was a busy week, with overnight guests and family events, I had a chance to finish a couple of books I have been reading. The first was Strategy for Defeat by Admiral U.S.G. Sharp. This autographed copy of his book was written in 1978, which gave enough time since the conclusion of the Vietnam war for him to put his perspective on the gross failures in use of air power and the consequent loss of the war. I was in the service at the time he was trying to get our national government to understand that the air resources were being wasted in Vietnam. My blood boiled during the years I was in college after being in the Air Force as I watched our military stumble in its mission to win the war. If you don't want to win; that's fine. But, don't handcuff the fighting soldier, sailor, or airman and pretend you want to win. The book is as relevant today as it was 40 years ago.



The other book I just finished was Three Days in January by Bret Baier. This provocative book, written last year, looks at what Baier describes as "Dwight Eisenhower's Final Mission." He refers to the challenge Ike felt to prepare his successor, John Kennedy, for the role of President of the United States. Ike gave a speech three days prior to Kennedy being sworn in and Baier reviews the years Ike was in the White House as the proving ground for Ike's concern for what he coined the phrase as "the military-industrial" complex and the plague it represents to peace for humankind. The book adds a dimension of understanding to the Ike story that has not been told so well before. 

The Wonder of Baby Olive

UPDATE - August 12, to August 18, 2018

This was a week everyone has been looking forward to for months. Patti's daughter, Corinne, was about to deliver her second child, Olive, this week. On Sunday, Patti and I spent time shopping for the things every modern baby must have: Too Much.

We shopped a lot of places and found someplace called Backstage, which is a discount corner inside Macy's. It was new to us and seemed to have a lot of things that suddenly seemed of great value to us with a new granddaughter on the way. We also visited Kohls where we found even more things that we must have for Olive. As for me, the lunch at Bertucci's was worth all the wandering around shopping. Among things purchased were sheets designed to fit the combo Playpen/Changing Station that Patti had ordered online. That was due to arrive any day now, so I'm looking forward to finding out how hard it will be to assemble it and not have too many leftover parts.

-- Lucky August 13th! Welcome, Olive!

The plan was for Corrine to arrive at the hospital Monday morning, get induced and have the baby

Nana and Baby Olive

arrive within 24 to 36 hours. She arrived Monday morning and Olive was born Monday afternoon! There was no reason, apparently, in her mind to wait any longer. Olive Helen Parras arrived and we got to visit and meet with Mom, Dad, and the baby. Even older sister, Lucy, got to meet Olive and welcome her.

Corinne has decided to take two or three months off from work to stay home and care for Olive. Nana and I plan to continue taking care of Lucy on Tuesday's and helping out whenever we can with Olive. My first challenge is the Playpen assembly. The box has arrived and now I have to assemble it. We'll see.

-- Home Delivery on Wednesday

Papa was recruited to pick up Baby Olive and mother at the hospital on Wednesday, including

Lucy welcomes Olive 

installing the new car seat. The pick up was smooth and the arrival in Northbridge was routine. The household, once everyone got inside, was a bit hectic. Lucy wanted to "hold" the baby, teach the baby how to "crawl," and to help change diapers. She's taking being a big sister very seriously.

-- Thursday at O'Connors

My friend Ray met me for lunch at O'Connors, which has been a traditional pastime of ours for years. It's a time to step away from the routines of our daily lives and catch up. Ray spends most of the summer on the Cape, so when he breezes through town, we get together. It's been years since I could rely on the Quiche at O'Connors. For some reason, they dropped it off the menu. So, now I get the crab cakes. Ray continues to eat things that have a lot of leaves and assorted greens. It's an homage to good health I think, but maybe not.

-- Golf at Holden Hills on Friday

Patti and I got an early tee time at Holden Hills Country Club, to stay ahead of the recent heat wave. We were paired up with two senior fellows, who it turned out we didn't know but had a lot of connections with. Mike's wife was a nurse at UMass and it turns out they knew each other. Dan, it turns out, used to work at WTAG, where my Dad worked for 33 years before he retired. So the local connections were pretty thick that morning. My golfing was not as thick, as I couldn't break 90.

Reading Update: I enjoyed the biography of Carl Sagan, a Life in the Cosmos, by William Poundstone as I view Sagan as one of the gurus of our time pointing to the real reality of where life came from and not the fake reality of false prophets and other jabberwocky that serves as intellectual gibberish for the ill-informed. He wasn't afraid to be out there challenging the conventional thinking about extraterrestrials and the notion of how the universe was formed outside of religious constraints. His early life was very traditional in the sense of seeking a research approach to scientific exploration but it was his move into popular science through television and the force of his personality that intrigues me more. The book confirms my every instinct that I would have enjoyed knowing and learning from Carl Sagan. We could all benefit still.