Four Grandchildren Celebrate Lucy's Fifth Birthday

Update - March 17 to March 30, 2019

-- Lucy Turns Five

Lucy Displayed Some Cards

Fast on the heels of our returning from Tampa we encountered the whirlwind that surrounded Lucy's fifth birthday. As is typical with children today, there was more than one party, ours was a small version allowing Lucy to really be the center of attention without competing with too many other kids. The usual impatience expressed by five-year-old children is magnified somewhat for Lucy. She was ready for presents immediately.

Cousin Leela Helps

She felt it was out of order to have a meal, have cake and ice cream, knock down the pinata, or play pin the tail on the donkey. She wanted gifts first. But that was not to be. We maintained the traditional order of events with the exception of the pinata, which came after gifts had been opened.

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-- Gifts and Candy

The pinata had been filled with candy and it was my instinct that, while having not known about it in advance, I was now in a dilemma on how to hang the thing and let the kids take whacks at it with a small bat that had been provided. My decision was to remove the two cars from the garage and hang the pinata from one of the overhead door railings. I was able to adjust the dangling height to allow the kids to get a fair whack at it.

Finally, some cake

Ultimately, the pinata was burst open and the candy fell to the floor. All of the kids grabbed up as much as they could. We then turned our attention to pin the tail on the donkey. There are no "pins" as such, rather, the tails are stickers that you attach to the target. Lucy was incorrigible about peeking under the blindfold so her tail landed pretty much on target. Lucy hates to lose.

-- Where Did Five Years Go?

Sorting Candy

Now that Lucy is five years old she will begin regular kindergarten in the fall. We have only this summer to have her visit every week to spend a whole day with us. Since she was one year old and learning to walk we have had her on Tuesday. Now that Olive has arrived and will be one year old in August we hope to have her be a weekly visitor until she reaches grade school age. With both of them in the house, it has been an exciting challenge to cope with the pre-schooler and the near-toddler together. 


-- Torsion Bars and the Dodge Charger

1971 Charger

As a kid growing up I became fascinated with the torsion bar suspension on the Chrysler products of the day. When I bought my Dodge Charger in the 1970s it had torsion bar suspension and I was still fascinated with the technology it represented. No other manufacturer was using the design. While rummaging through some old files for something I needed for a client, I found this picture of my Dodge Charger. I bought it when I lived in Mystic, Connecticut. I used it to commute to Hartford and Norwich where I had offices. It was equipped with a CB radio, which was probably the highest tech, other than the torsion bars, that I had on the car. I wonder where it is now? Probably crushed. Too bad.

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READING UPDATE: T.S. Eliot: A Memoir is a revealing biography of the Nobel Prize-winning poet constructed from the writings of Robert Sencourt, who had left his work unpublished during his lifetime. After he died, the writing of Sencourt was edited by Donald Adamson and the result is a fascinating look behind the scenes of this important and eccentric poet. He was more than a poet; he was an editor, essayist, philosopher, educator, and a playwright. Born in the late 19th Century he was educated in New England, including attending Harvard. As serious as anyone can be when you are a literary figure even in your own time, it's fascinating that he was a prankster and maintained a longtime friendship with Groucho Marx.

Super Bowl, Teething Ring, Birthday

About to Pounce

Update - February 3 to February 9, 2019

-- Olive and Lucy Brighten Snowy Week

It's true that the Super Bowl was big news this week, (see next item), but our big news was Olive definitely finds the teething ring her top priority. That is a top priority after feeding, sleeping, and being changed. The teething ring is a tough plastic device that she has learned to grip firmly in her hand and which with some regularity she chews on for a while, followed by a brilliant episode of bopping herself in the head with the chew toy.

There are lots of other chewable toys around, some with noise-making capability, but she has demonstrated that the small blue ring is her favorite. I believe that's a result of it's perfect, easy-to-grip size and shape.



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Newest Patriot Fans

-- New Fans for the New England Patriots

We watched the football game on Sunday like most people and enjoyed it as much as anyone could considering the low-scoring nature of the contest. But, it was a win and it was the sixth Super Bowl victory for the local champions. At the hospital, where Patti works, all of the newborn babies were swaddled in "Patriots" blankets which made for quite a picture taken in the maternity ward at UMass Memorial. I only hope that all the parents in question were Patriot fans. I'm pretty sure there were no Los Angeles Rams blankets on hand.

-- Grocery Shopping Becoming a Joint Effort

White or Brown?

Since retiring I find that I'm invited on more shopping trips than before. Patti has her favorite stores and is always prepared with the appropriate coupons to get the best discounts. She will shop online and use printed flyers to identify the best bargains and make a decision on where to shop along the lines of the best stuff at the best price. When I tag along I am discouraged from adding to the cart anything that was not on the "list." The "list" is something Patti carefully prepares to not overlook any essential items. My view of the list is that it's a guideline, not a prescription. That may explain why she is reluctant to let me handle the shopping task. She is okay with me as a companion, but not as the point man.

Pizza for Everyone

-- Tuesday Became Pizza Night

Often, my niece, Paige helps us care for Olive and Lucy on Tuesdays, which is always well appreciated. We generally cook an evening meal so when Corinne comes to pick up the girls, she has dinner with us. This week, Steve and Marna were also in attendance and Marna brought pizza for everyone. It was a great change of pace for us and I know that Lucy enjoyed it especially.


-- February is Birthday Month for the Nieces

Hot Cake

Coconut Cream

In celebration of their 19th Birthday, Paige and Lily invited us over for dinner and to sample their coconut cream birthday cake they had made. It was decorated with "9" candles and "1" candle as a way to cleverly show age 19 and only use 10 candles. I'm not sure if they did it because they did not have the requisite number of candles, or they just felt inventive. In any event, the full song-singing, candle extinguishing, and cake-cutting took place as you might expect. The cake, although not traditional, was excellent.

-- World's Smallest Snowman

On Tuesday morning as a small amount of snow appeared on the front porch, Patti decided to build a miniature snowman. She knew that Lucy would appreciate seeing the little guy on the front step. Over the years she has helped her Nana make snowmen and even one of them had a featured role in a book written about her and Nana celebrating President's Day. But, sadly, by the time the sun came out later, the snowman disappeared leaving his twig arms and carrot nose in a small puddle on the stoop. We can only hope there will be another snowman day ahead for all of us.




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READING UPDATE: One of the most fascinating and complex human beings of the previous century has to be Winston Churchill. I have been interested in all aspects of his life and have read many books about him. In this unique review of Churchill's life, which I finished reading this week, "Churchill," by Paul Johnson, covers a wide range of events in his time. From his days as a cavalry officer until his later years as an elder statesman coping with the cold war, the author ties the events together through the involvement and leadership of Churchill. Other books have delved more deeply into the many monumental incidents and events of his life, but this overview gives a strong impression of the how and why of Churchill's impact on his country and the world.