A visitation in Melrose?

I don't normally talk about religion on my blog.  But today, on Memorial Day, I am going to make an exception because of something I saw this weekend.  By the way, I should mention I am a Catholic.

On Sunday, my sister said she had someplace to take me.  She had heard about the appearance of the Virgin Mary at a park in Melrose.  Supposedly, there was an image of Mary on a stone monument. My sister wasn't sure when it first appeared but it has been at least a couple of months.  We checked the internet and saw nothing about it. We decided to visit the park and see for ourselves.

The monument honors Mary Foley of Melrose, a school crossing guard who was killed in a tragic accident in 1985.  The day of the accident she was on duty. She shielded the children who were crossing the street with her own body as a car headed towards them.  She was hit by the car and killed.  She was a true hero.

The park is across the street from St Mary's School and it is a peaceful place with benches and trees and irises on it's borders.  I started to take a few photos and then my sister decided to take her camera out of her purse. As she took the camera out we heard a clink. We looked down at the stone bench of the monument. My sister's medal of the Virgin Mary had fallen out of her wallet and onto the monument! We looked at each other and thought that it was another sign.  You can decide for yourself.

On Monday, my sister had gone to her studio. As she approached the back door she saw these tiny kittens coming up through some holes in the floor boards.  She said one by one they climbed through a hole and she thinks she counted nine!  She called me to come take a look. 

When I got there I only saw 5.  I am not sure if they all are that healthy. It's hard to tell and they retreat  under the floor boards if you get too close.  We have not seen Mommy yet.
They will need to be rescued soon.  It's a busy street and we don't want them wandering.

They sure are cute but I am definitely not taking them. Three is plenty!

As you can see, I had a full weekend filled with thoughts of pride for our veterans and troops now serving our country, the appearance in a park that honors a local hero, and bearing witness to new life.

And how was your weekend?

Paris Party

Today, I am linking to Anita's Blog, Castles, Crowns and Cottages.  She is hosting the Simply Irresistible Paris Party.

 I had my dressform Vivienne model the necklace and shawl I have selected for the Paris party. Vivienne always wears everything so well. I must say I am a little jealous!

 The necklace, a Sheila Foley original, was made for me by my sister in 2006. I was hosting a French themed afternoon tea and my sister thought this necklace might be a nice addition to my outfit.

 She used a tugua nut to resemble the ivory used in scrimshaw pieces. The beads are white, clear and blue.

Here's the back of the tugua nut.  This is what the front looked like before it was etched.

Here's the dress I've selected for the party.  It's by Chanel.  This neckline is perfect to showcase my necklace. 

I am ready to step out into the night ...

and trip the light fantastic!  (Photo credit- photomike07 at Flickeriver)

I'm thinking Rockport

Two people mentioned Rockport to me today and it got me to thinking.  It's definitely one of my favorite towns. My sister said, "Want to take a sister's trip there some night after work?" "Yes," I said.  I didn't hesitate because I can't wait to sit out on this deck and watch the sun go down.  If we arrive around 5:30, we'll have a couple hours of light and then a gorgeous sunset to view.

Or we could sit here and watch the boats and gulls from an oceanfront table.

We could got out to sea on one of these boats. Maybe a sunset cruise would be nice. There could be some great photo opportunities out at sea.

On land, there's lots to look at too.  The flora and fauna of this beautiful town.

Some cool window shopping or actual buying. Yeah those towels are calling to me.

Of course there is nothing better than just sitting and staring at the ocean at the end of the day.  Well maybe sitting and staring at the ocean from the deck of Helmut's Strudel shop with a warm apple strudel and an ice coffee in front of me would just be perfection.

Well I guess I am going to make plans to do just that next week.

A free Saturday

It's been a long time since I had what I call a free Saturday. You know a Saturday when

you don't have any obligations.  No work, no nursing home obligations, no photo shoots.

I was really excited about it.  The weather forecast looked great too.

I decided to sleep in. Molly decided to sleep in extra long. Before I went out, I opened some of the windows for the kitties to enjoy the warm air and sunshine.

I went to an estate sale in Reading and found a few things.  Afterwards, I went for breakfast at

Aroma Cafe and had my favorite Eggs in the Hearts with fruit and lacy potatoes. I caught up on my reading with a few British magazines.  Love them!

After leaving the estate sale, I spotted a house on the same road with beautiful flowers in front. I especially loved the wisteria hanging from the arbor.  Along this road there are so many lovely homes.

I love wisteria but it doesn't bloom for long, does it?

The flowers were so pretty I had to stop for some photos.

What a nice variety of flowers in this mini garden!

                                          Such delicate blooms with soft colors.

Here's the garden in full view. It does not look that impressive until

you really close in on it.

The wisteria was in full bloom and so gorgeous!

When I got home I unpacked my estate sale finds. I bought 2 teacups, a lacy tablecloth,

and 2 military trunks which are still in my car.

I really don't have many pink teacups so I picked this one up. It was too pretty

to leave on the table at the estate sale.

                    The other one is white with a pink saucer. The two cups make a nice set.

So the end of the world didn't happen and having thoroughly enjoyed my free Saturday, I am looking forward to many more.

It's the end of the world as we know it

I was getting my morning coffee at a coffehouse in Melrose today and there was a long line.  A few of the women in line ahead of me were talking about the end of the world which is scheduled for tomorrow.

I joked that I hoped I wasn't having my last Mocha. This coffeehouse makes the best Mochas and they use Ghiardelli Dark Chocolate, yum!

One woman said she was going to Maine because that would be a good place to spend her last day on Earth.  Another asked if it was going to be Judgement Day for her since she is Jewish. And one of the guys said if all the dead rise up at one time it will be a Zombie World.

It was an interesting conversation with strangers and it seemed to shorten the wait for my Mocha.

So what are you doing tomorrow?

My blog anniversary

Wow, this almost got past me.  It's my blogaversary! Can you believe it?  It's been 3 years since my first post.  My very first post was about Oscar. He was just a stray cat I was feeding back then. Of course, now he's my happy middle child and I feel so lucky to have found him.

Looking over the past year's posts all I can say is ugh! Boring! Where did the fun go? And the humor?  Gone!

You know, blogging is tough. It's really hard to come up with fresh material every week or twice a week.  I really can't imagine posting every day. But some bloggers do and they always keep it interesting.  I wish I could do that but I can't.

I would like to post every other day but sometimes life gets in the way.  Some days I am posting very late in the evening and I wonder if my words even make sense. 

I think I would like to get back to telling stories of things that happen in my life and to bringing my camera with me everywhere. Those spontaneous shots are always the best.

So here's to 3 years of blogging and the promise of a more interesting blog in the coming year. I'm celebrating with a cup of tea.

First Communion Photo shoot

So I attended the first communion of my friend's daughter on Saturday.  It was cloudy, windy and cool. I felt bad for the little girls in their lightweight dresses. Many of them were shivering during the outside procession.

This photo is not of my friend's daughter. I did not get her permission to post the photos yet.  I selected this shot because I thought it captured the most perfect moment of the day. Also, I found out that this little girl was wearing her mother's wedding dress.

All the children were so well behaved and they all looked so adorable. The boys in their white suits and the girls in their beautiful dresses and veils. They were a joy to photograph.

I hope to show more of the photos once I get the family's permission.

My next photography gig

 Tomorrow I have a  photography gig. My friend's daughter will be receiving her first communion. These photos are from last year's photo shoot for another friend's daughter.

 I took some shots of the daughter with the priest and with her family. But I liked spying on the girls and boys for some candids.

It's fun to see them all dressed up in their finest dresses and veils.  All in white.

The best part is seeing them before or after the mass when they are just being themselves.

The boys are dressed up too and usually looking uncomfortable.  You know those ties are coming off the minute they leave the church.

The girls looked like little princesses. And there every move was photographed and videoed.

This is my friend's daughter, the fairest princess of them all with her lovely updo and stunning
dress.

I am hoping I  have a good vantage point inside the church. Wouldn't want to miss all those precious little moments.

Blogger meetup and other weekend activities

I had a busy Saturday this weekend. First, I had a blogger meetup with Sharon from A New England Life and Susan of From Beyond My Kitchen Window.  I made the arrangements and we were meeting for lunch at Michael's Harborside in Newburyport. 

As I got ready for my meetup, I found myself primping and laboring over what to wear. I had to laugh at myself. You'd think I was going on a first date and wanting to make a good first impression. I ended up choosing jeans and a sweater and wearing no makeup. I thought I should just be myself and it would be fine. This was my very first meeting with bloggers.

I arrived in Newburyport a little early so I decided to explore the historic district. This church's graveyard interested me.

The old homes in the neighborhood were fabulous. I loved their colors, the doors, interesting gates. I wish I'd had more time to look around before lunch.

At noon, the weather was fabulous.  We could have opted for outside dining but I had reserved a table indoors by the window. The scene was beautiful from beyond our harborside table (that's for you Susan)!

The conversation flowed naturally between Susan, Sharon and I.  We talked about our families, kids, pets and of course our blogs! I was so pleased we all got along so well and we discussed doing a day trip to Rockport sometime.

By the way, the food was wonderful at Michael's Harborside. My lobster roll was perfect, not too much mayo, the right amount of meat, and the roll was grilled nicely.

Susan gave us a rosemary plant. The fragrant smell of the herb was wonderful as I drove home from lunch.

Susan had some other things to do Saturday afternoon so she went home and Sharon and I wanted
to do some exploring.  Sharon knew the area better than I did. As we were walking to her car we heard the rumble of thunder. We knew the rain was not far behind.

Sharon took me out by Plum Island and showed me some of the high points of the area. We also went to
Tendercrop Farm.  When we got out of the car, we saw an ominous sky and swirling clouds.

This cloud looked like the beginnings of a funnel cloud. The sky was very dramatic and Sharon and
I grabbed our cameras and started snapping the action above us.

Other people at the farm were also looking skyward to see if the weather was going to take
a turn for the worst.  Luckily, it did not.

It sure made for some interesting shots. A quick change in the weather from the sunny skies of
just two hours before!

I love to be near the ocean when there is a storm but I prefer to be inside!

Cute sign in the shop at Tendercrop Farm. I love the sentiment!  Nice soft color scheme in the display, very beachy!

Lots of flora and fauna on display at the farm and produce, home baked goodies, gifts.

A lovely display at the shop.  I have been looking for a chippy bureau like this for my bedroom.

The thunderstorms followed me home as evidenced by my smart phone.  I still had another party to go to.  I hoped the weather didn't get too bad.

My friend Debbi was having a Kentucky Derby party.  One of her friends brought her hat to the
party along with a rum cake.  Nice job, Linda!

So we all made our picks for the derby. For each dollar put in the pot, you could pick a horse. I, of course, had to go with Derby Kitten who did not win, place, or show.  Debbi is actually going to donate all of the monies (since nobody won) to a horse sanctuary.

Today is Mother's Day and my sister and I had lunch at the Nursing Home with my mom. We gave her an outfit from J Jill. My mom used to always dress up even to go shopping.  So we try to buy her some cute clothes for special occasions. She liked the outfit. She'll be comfortable and stylish in her raspberry sherbet colored tunic and gray pants.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms in blogland! Hope you had a fabulous weekend!