by Susan | Mar 4, 2019 | On My Mind
Today is the second Monday snow day in a row. We woke to a winter wonderland. As ‘Noreasters go it was somewhat mellow dropping about 15″ of snow – the most we’ve had in one snowfall so far this year. Through the woods and over the pond, the...
by Susan | Jan 20, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah has been returned to college and I once again have an empty nest. Paul braved the storm for the trip, plotting and planning his route while I sat home and worried. It’s amazing how quickly the past month passed. And it was a wonderful time –...
by Susan | Dec 25, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Another Christmas day is over. Although Hannah arrived home just a week ago, she still had final papers to complete and submit. It seems we pulled together this year’s Christmas together in just a few days. Bright and cold today – a short rise in...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2018 | On My Mind
The mad dash of Christmas preparations is over. My presents are wrapped – but don’t look in my office; the wrapping debris will wait for another day. After the debate of whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie, we’re settled in with a puzzle and...
by Susan | Dec 14, 2018 | On My Mind
The next leg of Operation Rescue Hannah begins tomorrow. I’ll make the 12-hour round-trip drive from my folks house in Pennsylvania to Granville, Ohio to bring her home for the holidays. I left Maine a few days early so I could spend time helping my dad organize...
by Susan | Nov 28, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Today is mom’s birthday. What does one get Granny Gadget? Everything she does revolves around her family and taking care of them. She has little space for anything and she can purchase all the gadgets she wants. That’s where my Christmas Angel comes in....
by Susan | Nov 3, 2018 | On My Mind
Hannah has a habit of leaving me sticky notes here and there. Happy little notes that make me smile. Sometimes I find them on my computer. Other times they’re stuck in my planner. Sometimes they’re written to music or rhyme. Sometimes they reference and...
by Susan | Oct 9, 2018 | On My Mind
What a beautiful evening. A week ago I broke down and turned on the heat. Today – a whopping high of 71 degrees – it was warmer outside than in when I arrived home and I threw open the windows. One of the things I miss the most with the fading of summer is...
by Susan | Aug 26, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
What a whirlwind the last few days have been since Hannah finished work for the summer. Back-to-school shopping. Every outing with her seems like an adventure. We explored Cadillac Mountain – something we see from a distance on our end of the coast. Smoke from...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
She’s 19 today. Hannah – the brightest star in my universe. There are so many things I love about this young woman. Her big heart. Her willingness to stand up for what’s right. Her work ethic. Her wacky sense of humor. Her sharp mind. Her fondness for crazy socks....
by Susan | Jul 19, 2018 | On My Mind
When your girl has had a miserable day and comes home feeling blue, there’s only one thing to do. Go to your happy place. A few minutes in the salty breeze, wading in the frigid tide and you could see her anxiety deflate just a little. I’d do just about...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2018 | On My Mind
June is the month of lilacs and lupines. Each year I eagerly await the arrival of the lilacs. They last only a week to ten days, but oh, how I enjoy them while they’re showing. And so does Squeak. They give him good cover in the yard. The Yellow Swallowtail...
by Susan | May 21, 2018 | On My Mind
The weather cooperated and delivered a fabulous day for our first beach walk of the season. Two beaches, two walks with lunch out sandwiched in between. The water was icy and tepid in turns. The incoming tide icy, the outgoing flow comfortable on our toes. By...
by Susan | Mar 31, 2018 | On My Mind
Another birthday has come. (Yay!) Not having Hannah home has changed the dynamics for the day. For the first time ever, Paul made a birthday cake for me. Even BH (before Hannah) he would buy one from the market. Last night when I walked in the door I thought I...
by Susan | Jan 6, 2018 | On My Mind
Plan for the worst and hope for the best. That’s what we were thinking going into this snow storm. At moments it was wild with blizzardy snow whipping around. The wildlife was a bit nervous gathering food while they could. I haven’t seen Goldfinches at the...
by Susan | Jan 3, 2018 | On My Mind
Bombogenesis. The word alone sounds ominous. The forecast is enough to have us all planning for a snow day tomorrow. We’ve had storms with more snow accumulation than is expected with this one, but hurricane force winds along with heavy snow and an astronomical...
by Susan | Dec 25, 2017 | Family, On My Mind
Just yesterday I talked about family treasures. Today I have been gifted with new treasures. A couple of years ago Paul and I took a class on carving and printmaking. He put those skills to use in his gift for me this Christmas. He created this wonderful woodblock owl...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2017 | On My Mind
All is right in my world today. Hannah is home from college. We sit snuggled on the sofa enjoying an afternoon of Patriot’s football. Cookies are baked. A Christmas eve dinner of yummy appetizers is underway. I’ve got a puppy warming my feet. It’s a...
by Susan | Dec 22, 2017 | On My Mind
This year has been a rush to plan for Christmas. With Hannah away at college, I had no interest in searching for a tree on my own. Last weekend I made the trip to Ohio run to bring her home for the holidays. With just days to go, Hannah and I made our annual trek...
by Susan | Nov 25, 2017 | On My Mind
At last! I finally got Hannah home from college for a glorious week. I made the three day round trip drive (13 hours of driving per day) to Ohio to pick her up and bring her home. We packed a lot into six days at home – shopping, movie theater, a hike, a beach...
