At the end of the day, it's time to relax on the patio. Greg and Laurel host the best ever Labor Day picnic. I look forward to it every year.

UPDATE IN PROGRESS 12-19-09

I'm updating. Finally! For those of you who are visiting my BLOG to read about our year, as suggested in our Christmas card, I am in the process. Posting pictures slows the process so it's taking longer then planned. Please come back and check the updates. I hope you find the BLOG interesting, as I tend to put lengthy notes. It's the writer in me, can't help it. While in the process, please know that we love all of you. Blessings for a safe and peaceful holiday. Remember the reason for the season. Wishing all the best in 2010.

I'm ready for the fireworks at the Camden waterfront on New Year's Eve.

On another note: I just discovered that if you click your pointer on the penguins, they flap their flippers (or whatever those are called, arms???) So, besides them following your pointer, you can make them wave. You can also put the pointer on them and move them against the other penguins. I had a March of the Penguins thing going with two adults and a kid. haha Have fun! It doesn't take much to amuse me.

OUR MINI VACATION TO EASTHAMPTON, MA in the beginning of September.

Yeaaa!!!!! We finally get to take a vacation. It is most special to me because I took Anita and Antonio to Easthampton, MA to visit my Aunt Bea, to see my childhood haunts, and to meet my cousins. I miss my cousins and don't see them often enough. We were able to visit with them and catch up on old times. It was especially warming to my heart to see my dear Aunt Norma. She holds a special place in my heart. I feel very connected to her spiritually. When I was 10 and 11, we lived in the upstairs apt. at her and Uncle Joe's house with my Grandma Ramsey living downstairs with them. I used to play with my cousin Susie, their first born, and such a cutie. She was a toddler then. Now she's the mother of Heather, mother-in-law of Elias and grandmother of Isabel, Ariana and Mateo, pictured here with me and Norma. Susie has more children and grandchildren who we did not see on this trip.

We moved to NJ a couple of months before I turned 12. There's a piece of me that is still in Easthampton and with my relatives who still live there. I miss all of you. God Bless and keep well. I am hoping to make another trip this summer. It does not do my heart good for the visits to Easthampton to be so far and few between. Family is everything. Cousins and aunts matter hugely to me. I'm so glad that we got together.

Much to our delight, there was a Bearfest in Easthampton which, we took pleasure in touring. We didn't have time to see all of the bears as we had a date to visit my cousins. Also, it was very hot and we were getting tired and thirsty from all of the walking around we had been doing that day. I did find a cd of the bears when I stopped in at the Town Hall to get a copy of my birth certificate. Besides looking at the bears, we drove to Nonnatuct Park where I played as a child. I spotted an old slide that looks like it has been there since my childhood. The bike rack you see here sits in front of the library, which we toured. It appears to have been there since my childhood as well. The view of Mt. Tom was taken from the center of town. That's how close the town sits to the mountain. Easthampton is literally at the base of the mountain. Anita remarked, "I wish I could take all of my family and friends that are in NJ and move them and us here to Easthampton. I love it so much!" I think the sharing of my childhood memories and seeing the town itself, plus my cousins and aunt, made it very appealing to Anita and Antonio.

When I go to Easthampton, I take in all of the places that hold warm memories from my childhood. Look Park in Northampton, MA, just four miles from Easthampton always gives me warm fuzzy feelings. I was so excited to share the park with Anita and Antonio. We played miniature golf, we rode the paddle boats, we fed ducks, we rode the train twice, visited the wild animal zoo near the train station, then got a cold drink 'cause it was hot. Then we went over to the picnic area where we walked the picnic grounds, walked on the covered bridge, posed for pictures with the river behind us and Antonio played on the playground equipment. The rectangle stone enclosure, I remember as being a wading pool when I was little. Anita performed on the stage of the open air theater. I put the chipmunk in because I love the little creatures and, was lucky enough to get a picture of this one. I could have stayed longer but, we still had to head back to Easthampton to check out the painted bears in town and, we had a much anticipated scheduled visit with my cousins. They work, so we planned our visit for the evening.

We went up to Mt. Tom Reservation and Aunt Bea was thrilled to come with us. She hadn't been up there in 30 years, since Uncle Donald died. They used to walk up on the mountain. As kids, we went to summer camp up there, had picnics and went hiking. Easthampton is at the base of the mountain; Aunt Bea's family farm at the very foot of it. We enjoyed a very sun filled, relaxing and memorable time. Aunt Bea and I chatted and laughed while Anita and Antonio played in the nearby stream. They caught a salamander, a frog and watched bugs swim on top of the water. I can still smell the cedar wood that was piled in the bin to be used for campfires when I was a kid. Ahhhh! Memories.

Here's a partial shot of Aunt Bea's dining room where many wonderful meals were served to us. While visiting we had fresh corn, tomatoes, and fruit that came direct from the farm the day they were served. Aunt Bea made a special trip to get these tasty and very much enjoyed goodies for us. YUM! The great thing about Easthampton is that it's a small town so, the farms are close. One, in fact, is across the road from the farm where Aunt Bea grew up. Her nephew, Jonathan, lives at the family farm and is Aunt Bea's chauffeur. We are grateful for his part in our receiving fresh veggies and fruit. Aunt Bea, Your cooking is the BEST!!!!!!

Anita is packing up in the living room. On the front of the fireplace hearth there are two frames (one is hidden) that held silhouettes of me and my sister, done when we were children. On my Mom's last visit, she decided that she and Aunt Bea weren't getting any younger so, she thought it was time for us to take possession of them. Now the frames hold replacement pictures. Aunt Bea made every braided rug in her home, of which there are many. One of the largest is seen here.
I could kick myself for not taking a picture of my favorite place at Aunt Bea's house and that is the back screened-in porch. I attribute that porch for being the reason that I've longed to have my own screened porch for as long as I can remember. We ate out there during our visit as the weather was warm enough in September. Over the years, we've eaten out there, played cards out there, and visited and laughed so often. I hope to go back this summer and again, enjoy it. Aunt Bea, expect a visit from us, God willing.

It was the hardest thing to leave my Aunt Bea when it was time to return to NJ. She (95) and my Aunt Della, who has passed on, gave me so much love when I was growing up in MA. That warm fuzzy feeling is still with me. Aunt Bea is the sharpest 95 year old I know. She was raised on a farm and is a sturdy, and strong person. We had great moments of talk and laughter while we visited. I felt right at home with her and needless to say, Anita and Antonio fell in love with her. I'm thrilled that they had the opportunity to know her. She's one sharp lady! Aunt Bea, I hope you know how much we love you. You are imbedded deeply in the warmth of my heart. I hope we can visit again soon.

On our way home, driving through CT, we saw many painted horse statues. Easthampton had painted bears and Granby, CT had horses. We took several pictures of these beautiful specimens. Here are three examples.

Reminiscing again. I just received a loving e-mail from my cousin Kevin. If you go back in my blog you'll see Kevin with the cupey doll hairdo, at one year old, standing at a fence in our old neighborhood. Now I'm sharing a picture of our Grandma Ramsey with you. She's holding another cousin on her lap. The front porch is just a few houses down from where we lived and right next to the coal yard. My cousin lived next door to our Grandma in the row house. Grandma Ramsey was the most loving grandmother a child could have. I'm positive that she's an angel in heaven. She could be a saint. As my cousin Kevin reminded me, Grandma Ramsey used to sing to us and she always loved to hold us. Ireland released her as a teen, we kept her all the rest of her life and cherished her. I still think of her often even though she's been gone from us since I was 12 years old. Her last living child, my Aunt Mary, is an example of her mother's love and charity. We are all blessed to have Aunt Mary to carry on where her mother left off. I love you so much Aunt Mary. God Bless you! Kevin is my Aunt Mary's son.

Crystal Cave, Kutztown, PA/Tour of Amish country, Lancaster County, PA

A week ago Friday, we decided to take one of the trips on our "to do" list. We went to Crystal Cave in Kutztown, PA. This picture isn't very clear and the reason that I'm only posting one picture. It's difficult to explain the formations when the lighting is not that good. This formation is known as "Jack Frost." Can you make out his face? It's the dark part of the picture. I decided to go on a weekday, thinking it would be less crowded. However, I didn't account for the kids from summer camps. They were a bit noisy inside the cave, making it difficult to hear our guide. Aside from the noise, it was interesting and fascinating. I enjoyed the stories of the cave and all of the information we learned. After the cave, we went in search of Amish food. Lo and behold, the Kutztown Fair, a fair which I've long wanted to attend, was in town. We drove over there only to be disappointed by the small size of the fair. Soooooo, I said, "what the heck, let's drive to Lancaster and see the Pennsylvania Dutch country." We did just that, found the city of Lancaster too busy, checked our map and headed for the Intercourse Pretzel Factory. That is where we noticed that we were in the heart of Amish country. We did the pretzel thing, found an Amish buffet for dinner (yum, yum is all I can say) and then set out driving around the countryside. Pictures and comments of that venture below. We want to go back and see more! We had a very full and great day. We left home at 9am and returned at 11pm. Went one way, came back another.

We arrived in Amish country and right away we had company on the road. As I stated further down in the blog, these horses are fast and it's difficult to get a good shot of a passing buggy. But, this will give you an idea of what the traffic is like. One must be very cautious when driving on the road with Amish on scooters, Amish walking on the side of the road and all ages of Amish in all types of buggies traveling on the road with you. It's a wondrous thing to see. We want to return to learn more about these fascinating people. Oh, I almost forgot. We went to the Intercourse Pretzel Factory and learned how to make pretzels. We twisted our own. Not quite ready yet to open a pretzel shop.

Venturing into Amish farm country we came upon a large number of Amish people pulling their buggies into one farm. There seemed to be a gathering of some kind. The faces of the two Amish ladies in the lower left of the picture are reflected in my sideview mirror. Antonio was taking pictures from the back seat of our SUV. I think the reflection is cool!

This is one end of an Amish farmhouse. The houses get bigger as young couples, in the family, get married and the parents add on to the house for them. Right as we got to this farmhouse we saw hot air balloons going up in the sky. Due to the haze, it was difficult to see the colors of them so I decided to leave them out. And, much to my delight, two piglets escaped from their pen and ran across the highway. Traffic stopped dead for them. Soon, an Amish couple came running across the road to gather them up. We have goose crossing, the Amish have pig crossing. It was tooooooo cute for words! The great piglet escape...maybe they know what their future holds.

While driving around we came across this very long covered bridge. The bridge is listed in the National Historic Registry. There's a campground next to it with a stream running through it. Really beautiful. The campground was also very full. I'm not surprised that it is popular.

We park cars in our garages, the Amish park their buggies and their horses. One of my kiddies asked, with much surprise in her voice, "The Amish play basketball?"

This is an example of a typical horse that pulls an Amish buggy. Notice how long legged it is? The horses we saw were regal and gallant. They are fast, which we noted, when trying to get a picture of a horse and buggy passing by us. You have to be quick. They are truly beautiful creatures. I imagine they cost plenty.

A young Amish couple in an open buggy which is used for courting. This picture was taken in the town of Intercourse, PA. This town and the town of Bird-in-Hand seem to be the center of Amish activity in Lancaster County.

An Amish farmer is plowing his field. I thought I cropped this picture but, guess not. Anyway, the countryside is plush and green. The farmer and plow are being pulled by horses. It was hazy all day which explains the grey sky in the background.

I wish we had gotten a better picture than this. These are Amish men's clothes hanging on a clothes line on a front porch on an Amish house. We had to hurriedly pull over, with traffic on our tail, so we couldn't position ourselves to get a proper picture. I loved seeing all of these clothes hanging on the lines!

We stopped at the store to check out the Amish scooters. Antonio was hoping to buy one. The bright colored ones are not used by the Amish. The storekeeper convinced the Amish builder to make these in colors for her to sell. The dark color is what the Amish use. We saw young Amish girls riding their scooters barefoot on the edge of the highway. We also saw many Amish children using them on their farms. Adults use them as well. Great exercise! This merchant directed us to the dairy farm mentioned below.

Antonio with his new friends, the calves, on the Amish dairy farm. We almost didn't make it to the ice cream store in time as we got lost, even with a highlighted map given to us by a merchant in Intercourse, PA. We were racing with the waning daylight as the merchant told us he thought the dairy farm stayed open until dusk. The darkening sky was chasing us.

Homemade ice cream from the Amish dairy farm, mmmm. It was so hot and humid that there was steam coming off the ice cream (notice the steam to the left of the ice cream). The merchant who sent us there was soooooo right about how good the ice cream was. What was fun was seeing the Amish buggies pulling up to the drive through window to buy ice cream.

Antonio loved making friends with the calves. There were a lot of them. He thought the feeling of this calf's tongue was weird. Antonio was fascinated with all of the cows on the dairy farm. There was also a miniature pony and a couple of peacocks. Oh, and a cat and a dog. I was fascinated how the calves played with an Amish woman who cares for them. They were like puppies, wanting attention and mooing to be petted.

This just tickled me. Two young Amish lads in their kid size buggy, buying ice cream at the drive through window at the ice cream store. The local merchant who told us about the ice cream store on the Amish dairy farm did us a great service as we had an enjoyable time there.

As promised, the aforementioned "Blubby"

This is the aforementioned "Blubby." Note it is filled to the brim with water. Thankfully, we have a picture of "Blubby" as now, "Blubby" has gone to the great garbage can in the sky.

"Blubby" led a fun life as it frolicked in the water with the children who played with it. "Blubby" provided much joy to those who encountered it. Farewell "Blubby", you were fun while you lasted.

Broadmead Swim Club

This is the swim club, owned by Princeton University, where we are members. It's great because it is practically in our back yard. The kids are lined up with some of their friends as they are getting ready to jump into the water together. There are a couple more friends that you can't see. Just recently, the kids filled a beach ball with water and named it "Blubby." I was present on the day that they finished filling it. It took five and a half hours to fill it over a two day period. I learned that when it was half full, they carried it to the woods near the pool and hid it so they could pick it up the next day and finish filling it. I asked them what they planned to do with it now that it was full and they told me they were going to roll it home. NOT! So they left it and other kids played with it after we left. Today, the kids received a text from their friend who was already at the pool, telling them that "Blubby" was alive and to bring tape to patch a small leak. That's the last that I heard about "Blubby." I just checked with the kids and learned that "Blubby" is fixed and still at the pool. Story to be continued.