Home is Where the Molly is

Last night was my first night at the condo. (As you can see by the photo above, I've done a little decorating for Christmas). The movers disassembled and then reassembled my bed, then moved the sofa, armoire, table and chairs into my new condo. That's it, all the big stuff was moved and only the small stuff remained in my former residence. Actually one of the biggest things was moving my cat, Molly.


Molly lived in my old apartment about 6 1/2 years. She was rescued from a trailer park in New Hampshire when she was 6 months old. So she was not too happy at all to be moving. I tried to bring some of her toys and a couple quilts that were her favorites. When I first brought her to the condo, I put her in the bedroom with the door closed while I brought more things in. When I finished I opened the bedroom door and eventually she did the tour of the place.

With break neck speed, she ran from room to room, investigating and sniffing. No familiar smells here. Poor kitty was so overwhelmed. During the night, she woke me up every hour. By the morning, I was mighty cranky.

Over the past 24 hours, Molly is doing better. She is a little more relaxed. I've actually seen her sleep a bit today. She is obsessed with a mirrored closet door and she is afraid of ceiling fans. I think she thnks they are going to swoop down and attack her.

Last night, I did not feel like this condo was my home. It was 4 degrees outside and cold inside the condo. ( My old appartment was toasty warm ). Then this morning. I couldn't get the hot water in the shower to work. Today when I came home from work Molly was at the condo. It felt more like home. And tonight when I went back to my old apartment and I opened the door there was no Molly to greet me. I looked at the space where the couch was and the now empty space that occupied my huge bed. And I realized this isn't my home. Home is where the Molly is.

Insights

Michelle from Chocolate and Marmalade Tea asked me to blog 6 things about myself and she also wrote some very kind words about my blog. I enjoy reading her fun and informative blog so check it out.


I remember or sort of remember a line from the movie You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan is sitting with Tom Hanks and she says her email friend has 152 insights into her soul or something like that. Anyway, I had to think about the 6 things I'm calling insights into my soul.

So here are 6 insights into my soul. Quite the buildup isn't it?


1- I am a Starbucks addict. Since I just bought a condo, I was thinking I could save money and you know pay the mortgage by cutting out my once a day Starbucks habit. But, I think that's just wrong. This is a joy in my life. I guess it's kind of a routine and to quote my sister, "Routine keeps us sane." I might go insane without my Starbucks. Will it be a grande ice no room Americano or a no whip Cafe Mocha? I have many happy memories of times spent at Starbucks with friends. Last year, I even gave the Starbucks staff at my favorite store in Reading, lightup Christmas pins, which by the way really perked them up. Hah, no pun intended!


2- I am a total animal lover. Case in point, when I was a teenager, I came home in the afternoon to find a squirrel drowning in our swimming pool. It was Fall. The squirrel had ripped the pool liner and he was swimming but failing fast. I ran and got the net we used to clean the pool and I fished him out. I thought if he didn't drown he might freeze to death. So after I got him out of the pool, I got a towel and wrapped him up in it and brought him to my neighbor who said an eyedropper of whiskey should warm him up. Poor thing was shivering or nervous or both. She gave him the whiskey and I took him home. Yes, I brought him inside the house! Good thing my mother was not home. Once inside the house, I used the blow dryer on him to dry him off before I released him. He was still in the towel. Anyway, I got him dried off and I put him outside in the backyard. He was still wrapped in the towel. I went inside the house and later I went to check on him and he was gone. I was thrilled that he was able to move. Of course, he was probably drunk! So you see I will go to any length to save an animal.


3- I think one of my talents is.... I am an excellent gift wrapper. I always receive nice comments on my gift wrap when I give someone a present. I keep snippets of ribbon, old buttons. silk flowers, recycled cards, etc in a hatbox. When I need a package tie- on I go to the hatbox to find something interesting for the top of the present.


4- I love reading magazines. It is a form of relaxation for me. My absolute favorite is Victoria Magazine. When they went out of business in the early 2000's I was depressed. I am so thrilled they're back in business. The subject matter, the photography, the shopping resources, fabulous!! I also enjoy reading Romantic Homes, Yankee Magazine, Country Living, and Country Home. And of course, Martha Stewart Living.


5- I love to ice skate. When I was younger, I took figure skating lessons. I followed amateur skating as a spectator too. In fact, I was at the 1994 National Championships in Detroit when Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Tonya Harding's henchmen. I also attended the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. A trip of a lifetime! My sister was my travel partner when we went to the events. I skated as recently as last year. I still love to feel the cold on my face and the wind through my hair when I skate. I have a friend who bought new skates for the season so I am hoping to do some skating this winter.


6- I collect sports memorabilia. In my new condo, I am going to have a sports room. Finally, a room to house my Boston Garden chairs, my Tom Brady autographed football, and my Olympic pins. This has been a dream for many years. I finally have my sports museum.


Wow, I really enjoyed reminiscing and making this post all about me. How self centered am I?


So, I am supposed to send this off to 6 blogging friends but I don't know who to send it to as everyone I know has already been tagged. I think I will do this instead. Leave me a comment during the week of Dec 1st and tell me something you think you do better than anyone else. Tell me about your special talent then I will draw a name at the end of the week and give away a mystery package inspired by my love of living in New England. This will be my first giveaway!


It's Sunday night. Enjoy the upcoming week and think about your special talent. Looking forward to reading your comments.

It's Thanksgiving!

I am not cooking today so I have time to blog. My sister and I are going to the home of our "Italian Mother" today. Clara already has eight children so what's two more at the table. She is a lifesaver. Since my mother's stroke in 2004, Thanksgiving has not been the same.

Mom is in a nursing home and doing pretty well, and my dad has noontime dinner with her. The powers that be at the nursing home decided two years ago that they would institute a two guest rule for holiday dinners. That means that one of the three us would not be able to eat dinner at the nursing home on Thanskgiving. Our solution is to have dad eat with mom and my sister and I join Clara's family for their Thanskgiving celebration. After dinner, we go to the nursing home, my dad takes a break and then he spends a little time with us, then he's back to the nursing home to be with mom during the evening.

Oh well, that's the way it has to be, so we deal with it. We are very fortunate to have Clara and her family in our lives. She calls us her "Irish daughters". We love all the commotion that goes on with a big family celebration. There is an abundance of food and laughter and the noise level!
Well, you can just imagine.

Clara lives in a fabulous old home with a tin ceiling in the dining room , several stained glass windows, a walk in pantry, and a fabulous wrap around porch. The home is located in a section of town once known as Nobility Hill. It is the perfect setting for a holiday meal.

So I have much to be thankful for today. My real family and my adopted family are both doing well. I am looking forward to the meal, the company and the football.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blogging friends!!

What happened to Thanksgiving??

I pose the question what happened to Thanskgiving because I am really getting tired of all the Christmas hype so early in the season. It's still Fall. The most beautiful season of the year, at least in my opinion. Poor Thanksgiving gets merely a mention.

In the stores, it's Halloween and then immediately thereafter, it's Christmas! Thanksgiving is the best holiday of all. There's great food, time spent with family and friends and football! Can you think of anything better?

I saw on TV today that Walmart is open all day on Thursday for their Thanksgiving Sale. And
Starbucks is open 7AM-4PM on the holiday. I heard one barista say she has to work all day so her family has to delay their Thanksgiving meal until 5 o'clock.

Thanksgiving should be about savoring the gifts of the season. Feasting one's eyes on the rich autumnal colors on the table, enjoying the wonderful smells of the cooked turkey and the apple pie, hearing the voices and laughter of our loved ones, and making memories. Thanksgiving is a treat for the senses. It is unique.

I urge you to relax this Thanksgiving, enjoy every moment. The hustle and bustle of the Christmas season can wait, at least until Friday.

Cooking School

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I was attending cooking school today. I signed up myself and 12 friends from my afternoon tea group for a class on Comfort Foods. The class was held at the Stonewall Kitchens Cooking School in York, Maine. Our instructor, Linda Driver, waa fabulous! She was so knowledgeable and relaxed. She interacted with us and created a cozy atmosphere on a very cold day.

The first course she made was a squash soup topped with beets and creme fraiche. Linda demonstrated how to make each course and then we all got to eat it! This soup was the perfect texture and absolutely delicious. Doesn't it look inviting?

This kitchen is too die for. Imagine having a kitchen like this one! Cooking would be such a joy!We not only learned how to make each course, we also learned some interesting tips to make cooking easier and safer.
The second course was grilled ham with fruit compote. The fruit compote consisted of pears, pineapple, apples, apricots, and honey. My taste buds were in heaven! A potato dish was also demonstrated and then served along with the ham. We ate scalloped potatoes with three cheeeses (cheddar, parmesan, and gorgonzola). I loved the potato dish. I am Irish and a potato girl.
Here's the ham and fruit bake with the potatoes before I devoured it!

For dessert, we had brownies with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The perfect finale for a wonderful and delicious learning experience. I have to say the staff at Stonewall Kitchens was top notch. Each step of the process went smoothly from my first phone call in September when I first booked the class to the last phone call last week. I begged for 1 more seat because I had incorrectly counted the number of reservations I needed. The class was sold out but they still accomodated me.

The women who served us during the class were as sweet as could be. They all looked genuinely happy to be there assisting us! When is the last time your server was truly happy to wait on you?

And there was Richard who took care of us from the minute we walked in the door. He made sure we knew we could get 20% off at the cooking school and the store. He was there to answer any questions and he was as upbeat and personable as the ladies at Stonewall.

Here's the outside of the store. No matter the season, it is always gorgeous.Inside the store,there is a cafe, bakery, and an array of jams, chutneys, sauces, oils, and unique gift items like a sconce made of snowshoes. Most of the time when I visit Stonewall I buy their coffee caramel or mocha espresso sauce. Just add vanilla ice cream and you are all set. There are also many varieties of hand soaps and lotions. I picked up a bottle of White Pine hand soap for my new kitchen. I also bought a beautful basket made of birch bark.

I know you all want to check out this store's website so here it is http://www.stonewallkitchen.com/ .

If you buy one of their jams or sauces, type in the name of the item on their website and it will pop up with recipes you can make with your particular item.

I hope if you live in the area you will visit Stonewall Kitchens and if you have the time, take advantage of one of their cooking classes. My friends have already mentioned they'd like to go back to take another class perhaps next time we can learn about appetizers or desserts.

While I'm on the subject of food, I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with

family, friends and great food. Blessings to you all!

Time Out

Come Saturday, I was just plain tuckered out from working and then packing up to move.. All week I had been busy at work by day and then doing a lot of heavy lifting at night.
So I decided to take it easy this weekend. The wind chill was in the teens and it was no fun
moving boxes into and out of the car. By 11 o'clock in the morning I was ready for a break.

So, I decided to go out for breakfast. Frannie's is a neighbothood breakfast place. The staff knows all their customers and the customers all know each other. It's a great place to go for a bite to eat by oneself. I decided to catch up on some magazine reading and treat myself to a cheese omelette, a hash brown patty, and a grilled english muffin.

It was toasty warm inside Frannie's and while they were preparing my breakfast, I was diving into some of my favorite magazines. I had Romantic Homes, Country Living, and Yankee which is a New England based magazine. I got lots of ideas for Christmas decorating and for gifts.

One idea was to use ice skates in your decor. I just love decorating with ice skates especially during the winter holidays. It adds a touch of whimsy. When I was younger, I was quite the avid skater. I even took figure skating lessons. I did go skating once last year and I really enjoyed it. So I am hoping for a good skating season this year.

Tonight, I was once again boxing up my possessions. But I did not bring them out to the car yet because it was 18 degrees outside and with the wind chill it felt like 6 degrees. It can wait until
tomorrow when it should be a litttle warmer. And to think last Saturday it was almost 70 degrees here!

Tomorrow I'm going to Maine for the afternoon and then it's back to the dreaded packing.
Enjoy your Sunday!

Harvest Dinner

Last night was the night of our annual Harvest Dinner, a tradition I started with my friends and family several years ago. We've had Harvest Dinners in either late October or early November for probably ten years and it is one of my favorite events on our social calendar.

I have to admit, this photo was not taken by me. I actually brought my camera to the dinner but the memory card was still home in my laptop. Hence no photos from last evening. This photo was taken from www.countryliving.com . I think it depicts the feeling of the evening.

We had the best time last night. Five of us gathered for a dinner starting with a cup of hot spiced apple cider. We dined on turkey, stuffing, gravy, cream cheese mashed potatoes, butternut squash. mini corn muffins, and for dessert, oh my. My friend Mary's unbelievable two crust apple pie with vanilla ice cream, pumpkin bread made with Stonewall Kitchen's maple pumpkin butter, and gingerbread cake.

We had soft music in the background, and lots of good conversation and laughter. And to think, we actually thought of skipping it this year. Two of the friends had a home renovation just completed and I am in the moving process and it seemed like getting together was quite the inconvenience. But, it was so worth it!

Now really, do I care about the five pounds I packed on last night? No I don't because I have another wonderful evening to add to the memory bank. Thanks to Mary, Don, Debbi, and Sheila.