Dear Friends,
Hope that all of my readers had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day like we had.
Linda and I are so glad that the celebration(s) are over. I asked Linda before we went to bed last night what time that she wants me to wake her up this morning. She responded by saying "Never!" I am hoping that no one calls our house until after 10 AM.
Last night was another night of our head hitting the pillows after midnight. It will be so good to get back to a less busy normal schedule.
Every function which we attended from the 4 PM Mass for deceased members of the Irish American Club right through the house party at the home of our Irish Sister City President was wonderful. There was much food, fun, and merriment every place that we attended except for the Church.
We do have to leave the house for a 2 PM meeting today, but that shouldn't last for more than an hour. The rest of the day should be a free one for us.
I did visit dad yesterday. His cold was getting better, but my sister was the sick one. Usually the cold just gets passed on from one family member to another. I tried to keep my distance, and I hope that no germs got passed on to me.
I am going back there this morning. I will be bringing another loaf of my Irish Soda Bread. As a matter of fact, dad was eating the last couple of slices of the last loaf which I brought.
I dropped off a loaf to our neighbor's home, and they sampled a few slices almost instantaneously.
I am glad that I did my yard work before this busy weekend began. All the neighbors were out doing yard work on Saturday, and they will be at it again today. I will be relaxing and waiting for the grass to grow, and for the tulips to pop up.
Linda and I can't wait to see the Tewksbury grandchildren. They arrive on Tuesday and depart on Thursday. I do have to get down some baby sized devices for Piper Lee who is only one month old. Linda wants me to get the booster chair for Max, but he wants to sit like his Mom and Dad at the dinner table in a regular chair.
We still have a busy week coming up with less partying than we did this week. Linda will be playing her regular Tuesday Mah Jongg, going to one of her two knitting group gatherings. I have a Monday night UNICO membership meeting. We also have a table reserved for the Thursday night's Polenta Dinner at the ITAM. I have a UNICO volunteer activity on Saturday during the day. The beat goes on! When I create my morning blog that is the only time that I sit still during the day.
Oops! I almost forgot that we are hosting another corned beef and cabbage dinner while the Tewksbury grandchildren are with us. Our son will not be joining us because he has to run is restaurant. One of his high schools friend's and his lady friend will be joining us for the Tuesday night dinner.
It appears that the partying in our lives, even if there is no official holiday, seems to be never ending. In casual conversation yesterday, I mentioned that when I depart this earth, I want it to be when I am doing something that I enjoy. The person I chatted with said that he had a client who died on the dance floor while dancing the Polka. What a way to go!
They finally caught the local women who has been robbing convenient stores while armed and mask in Pittsfield. Once they broadcasted the video of her robbing the last store, many tips were given to the police. One tip said that she was going to do the robberies in another town in the Berkshires. the police caught her before that happened.
The alleged robber is a 49 year old woman who used to be a nurse. The judge in this case better send this woman to jail for many years.
Well, I have to do some quiet tasks before I get dressed and head off to visit dad which includes dropping off a loaf of Irish Soda Bread to my sister.
The golf courses were filled with golfers yesterday. I have to go by the Berkshires Hills Golf Course on the way to my sister's house. I was tempted to pull into the parking lot and play at least 9 holes of golf.
Have a great Sunday.
I will be hydrating for most of the next couple of days. My body is crying for water instead of Guinness.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Happy St. Patrick's Day
Dear Friends,
Over the past few days, the Curley's have had much trouble figuring out which day of the week it really is. I thought yesterday was Saturday, but it was Friday.
Yesterday was a three event day. My head hit the pillow a little after midnight, but Linda stayed up a little longer. Since we have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day starting on March 1, 2012, I am beginning to realize why the confusion has set in.
Last evening went very well starting off with the Irish American Club of Berkshire County's Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at the Elks Club. The corned beef at this dinner was the best so far except for the crock pot corned beef dinner that the Curley's prepare.
I also found out that my Irish Soda Bread might not be number one when we have the Irish Soda Bread Contest at the Pittsfield Ethnic Fair in August. The treasurer of the the Irish American Club provided the Soda Bread at last evening's function. He uses the light and dark colored raisins and caraway seeds in his soda bread. My soda breads have less stuff in it, and sometimes "less is more." I think that he uses a recipe that was passed on to him by is mother. His soda bread last evening was moist which sometimes is not always the case as I have observed and tasted on other occasions.
I did forget to mention that event at the Elks also honors the Irish Person of the year. This person is paraded around the banquet hall lead by a person playing the bagpipes and accompanied by the Irish American Club President. The winner was Bill Godfrey who was one of the original founders of the Irish American Club. The Club is 50 years old!
We left the dinner and headed off to the Colonial Theater. The band playing there was called Danu. They had everyone in the theater clapping their hands, and singing along with several songs. Everyone left theater feeling like they got their money's worth from this very entertaining band.
The night didn't end after the concert. A bunch of us headed off to the Sideline Saloon. One of our Irish Sister City friend's is related to the owner. How could the Curley's say "No"? As the clock struck midnight, we called it a night.
Well there is no rest for the weary once again this evening! We have another three event evening! We begin with a 4 PM Mass at Sacred Heart for deceased members of the Irish American Club. Our second event is a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the nearby Italian American Club on Newell Street at 6:30 PM. Yes, you heard that correctly! The Italian version of corned beef and cabbage also includes chicken and pasta. Our third event, is a house party at our Irish Sister City President's home which starts around 8 PM. Oops! I almost forgot that we might stop at Patrick's Pub after the Italian American Club because an Irish Sister member and his band are playing there.
I think that Linda and I might need a day of rest on Sunday! We have a 2 PM meeting, but it is not related to any Irish activity.
The corned beef dinners continues next week, but it will take place at the Curley's. Our two little Tewksbury cherubs and their mom will be with us on Tuesday and Wednesday before they depart on Thursday at some point. We continue with our busy life style again next week, but there aren't any 3 or 4 functions per night days.
Well, I don't have time to think about politics or any local news. I have to bake my last bunch of Irish Soda Breads until the Ethnic Fair or until I get any special requests for making loaves for loved ones or close friends.
I also should stop in and see how my dad is doing at my sister's home. I am hoping that that the sickness which I saw the other day has decreased.
Have a great St. Patrick's Day!
Do you think that I might take an afternoon nap so that I can make it through all the events on our social calendar?
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad
Over the past few days, the Curley's have had much trouble figuring out which day of the week it really is. I thought yesterday was Saturday, but it was Friday.
Yesterday was a three event day. My head hit the pillow a little after midnight, but Linda stayed up a little longer. Since we have been celebrating St. Patrick's Day starting on March 1, 2012, I am beginning to realize why the confusion has set in.
Last evening went very well starting off with the Irish American Club of Berkshire County's Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner at the Elks Club. The corned beef at this dinner was the best so far except for the crock pot corned beef dinner that the Curley's prepare.
I also found out that my Irish Soda Bread might not be number one when we have the Irish Soda Bread Contest at the Pittsfield Ethnic Fair in August. The treasurer of the the Irish American Club provided the Soda Bread at last evening's function. He uses the light and dark colored raisins and caraway seeds in his soda bread. My soda breads have less stuff in it, and sometimes "less is more." I think that he uses a recipe that was passed on to him by is mother. His soda bread last evening was moist which sometimes is not always the case as I have observed and tasted on other occasions.
I did forget to mention that event at the Elks also honors the Irish Person of the year. This person is paraded around the banquet hall lead by a person playing the bagpipes and accompanied by the Irish American Club President. The winner was Bill Godfrey who was one of the original founders of the Irish American Club. The Club is 50 years old!
We left the dinner and headed off to the Colonial Theater. The band playing there was called Danu. They had everyone in the theater clapping their hands, and singing along with several songs. Everyone left theater feeling like they got their money's worth from this very entertaining band.
The night didn't end after the concert. A bunch of us headed off to the Sideline Saloon. One of our Irish Sister City friend's is related to the owner. How could the Curley's say "No"? As the clock struck midnight, we called it a night.
Well there is no rest for the weary once again this evening! We have another three event evening! We begin with a 4 PM Mass at Sacred Heart for deceased members of the Irish American Club. Our second event is a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the nearby Italian American Club on Newell Street at 6:30 PM. Yes, you heard that correctly! The Italian version of corned beef and cabbage also includes chicken and pasta. Our third event, is a house party at our Irish Sister City President's home which starts around 8 PM. Oops! I almost forgot that we might stop at Patrick's Pub after the Italian American Club because an Irish Sister member and his band are playing there.
I think that Linda and I might need a day of rest on Sunday! We have a 2 PM meeting, but it is not related to any Irish activity.
The corned beef dinners continues next week, but it will take place at the Curley's. Our two little Tewksbury cherubs and their mom will be with us on Tuesday and Wednesday before they depart on Thursday at some point. We continue with our busy life style again next week, but there aren't any 3 or 4 functions per night days.
Well, I don't have time to think about politics or any local news. I have to bake my last bunch of Irish Soda Breads until the Ethnic Fair or until I get any special requests for making loaves for loved ones or close friends.
I also should stop in and see how my dad is doing at my sister's home. I am hoping that that the sickness which I saw the other day has decreased.
Have a great St. Patrick's Day!
Do you think that I might take an afternoon nap so that I can make it through all the events on our social calendar?
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad
Friday, March 16, 2012
Hello on Friday
Dear Friends,
I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep. Maybe it was my body telling me that I should visit Retro Fitness more often. I will be heading out the door to be with the 4:30 AM crowd in less than an hour.
Thursday went as planned. I am so happy that the snow blower and my ice-fishing gear have been moved from our garage to the storage shed. I also decided that my bird feeder on the deck should be taken down. The bears in the Berkshires on the move looking for an easy meal, and they are familiar with the Curley's bird feeders. There are a lot of children in our neighborhood, and I don't want to be responsible for bringing any harm to them. I might put out bird feeders during the day, but I will have to take them down at night time. The only problem with that is that we often have evening activities to attend. The day I forget to put away the bird feeders will be the day the bears will be in our back yard.
Speaking of evening activities, the UNICO Celebrity Bartending function went well last evening. We will soon get a report of how much the event took in at our next meeting.
Several of us left the Heritage Tavern, and went off to Patrick's Pub to listen to the local Irish Band called Rakish Paddy. A friend reserved a small table of 8. Last night was one of those nights where he could have reserved a larger table. Linda and I were the first ones to leave around 10 PM, but our seats were taken by an Irish Sister City couple who came from the Colonial Theater. They attended and Irish Comedy night that Linda and I would have gone to if we didn't have the celebrity bartending fundraiser.
While at the Heritage Tavern, I did get a chance to say "Hello" to my Castronova cousin from Lee and his lady friend. The brother of his lady friend was the guest musician for the evening. This local born Musician has made it to the big time.
While Linda was at her Knitting Group gathering at Dottie's Coffee shop from 3 to 5 PM, I went off to visit dad at my sister's home. My dad was in bed dealing with a cold. My sister was coming down with a sore throat. I felt like I was in the sick ward of a hospital. I did drop off a loaf of my Irish Soda Bread. Even if you have a loss of appetite when you are sick, you can still eat a couple slices of the soda bread.
Speaking of Irish Soda Bread, I whipped up four loaves of the epicurean delight before I did my outdoor projects on Thursday. I am trying to figure out how to give all of our friends who we will be with over the next few days a sample of the bread. Some of our friends want more than a sample of my Irish Soda Bread, but I will have to make another batch in order to give each of them a whole loaf.
Social Calendar -- We are off to a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the Elks' Club this evening. This is an Irish American Club function where the Club honors the Irish Person of the year. The dinner will be served at 5:15 PM because after this dinner, many of us are going off to the Colonial Theater for a concert performed by an Irish Band called DANU. I am not sure if we are going directly home after the concert. I am also wondering if I should bring a loaf of Irish Soda bread for the table which we are sitting at. In the past, I was asked to make a couple of loaves for this event for the dessert table.
The police have been out in force these past few evenings. Drinking and driving will not be tolerated at all. There are Police road blocks all over the Berkshires so make sure that all of you have a designated driver during this St. Patrick's Day weekend (actually all the time). There has been a rash of DUI incidents including some deaths in the Berkshires over the past month. The police are working very hard to get the drunks off of the road.
Well, I am going to skip any political discussions, or any of the not so good news which is happening in the United States, and the world in general.
I want to think only happy thoughts for the whole weekend. Linda and I can't wait to see the Tewksbury grandchildren who will be arriving at our house on Monday.
Life is Good!
For us mature people, waking up each morning is a major joy in our lives.
Have a great St. Patrick's Day weekend. Everyone is Irish this weekend!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
I woke up early and couldn't fall back to sleep. Maybe it was my body telling me that I should visit Retro Fitness more often. I will be heading out the door to be with the 4:30 AM crowd in less than an hour.
Thursday went as planned. I am so happy that the snow blower and my ice-fishing gear have been moved from our garage to the storage shed. I also decided that my bird feeder on the deck should be taken down. The bears in the Berkshires on the move looking for an easy meal, and they are familiar with the Curley's bird feeders. There are a lot of children in our neighborhood, and I don't want to be responsible for bringing any harm to them. I might put out bird feeders during the day, but I will have to take them down at night time. The only problem with that is that we often have evening activities to attend. The day I forget to put away the bird feeders will be the day the bears will be in our back yard.
Speaking of evening activities, the UNICO Celebrity Bartending function went well last evening. We will soon get a report of how much the event took in at our next meeting.
Several of us left the Heritage Tavern, and went off to Patrick's Pub to listen to the local Irish Band called Rakish Paddy. A friend reserved a small table of 8. Last night was one of those nights where he could have reserved a larger table. Linda and I were the first ones to leave around 10 PM, but our seats were taken by an Irish Sister City couple who came from the Colonial Theater. They attended and Irish Comedy night that Linda and I would have gone to if we didn't have the celebrity bartending fundraiser.
While at the Heritage Tavern, I did get a chance to say "Hello" to my Castronova cousin from Lee and his lady friend. The brother of his lady friend was the guest musician for the evening. This local born Musician has made it to the big time.
While Linda was at her Knitting Group gathering at Dottie's Coffee shop from 3 to 5 PM, I went off to visit dad at my sister's home. My dad was in bed dealing with a cold. My sister was coming down with a sore throat. I felt like I was in the sick ward of a hospital. I did drop off a loaf of my Irish Soda Bread. Even if you have a loss of appetite when you are sick, you can still eat a couple slices of the soda bread.
Speaking of Irish Soda Bread, I whipped up four loaves of the epicurean delight before I did my outdoor projects on Thursday. I am trying to figure out how to give all of our friends who we will be with over the next few days a sample of the bread. Some of our friends want more than a sample of my Irish Soda Bread, but I will have to make another batch in order to give each of them a whole loaf.
Social Calendar -- We are off to a corned beef and cabbage dinner at the Elks' Club this evening. This is an Irish American Club function where the Club honors the Irish Person of the year. The dinner will be served at 5:15 PM because after this dinner, many of us are going off to the Colonial Theater for a concert performed by an Irish Band called DANU. I am not sure if we are going directly home after the concert. I am also wondering if I should bring a loaf of Irish Soda bread for the table which we are sitting at. In the past, I was asked to make a couple of loaves for this event for the dessert table.
The police have been out in force these past few evenings. Drinking and driving will not be tolerated at all. There are Police road blocks all over the Berkshires so make sure that all of you have a designated driver during this St. Patrick's Day weekend (actually all the time). There has been a rash of DUI incidents including some deaths in the Berkshires over the past month. The police are working very hard to get the drunks off of the road.
Well, I am going to skip any political discussions, or any of the not so good news which is happening in the United States, and the world in general.
I want to think only happy thoughts for the whole weekend. Linda and I can't wait to see the Tewksbury grandchildren who will be arriving at our house on Monday.
Life is Good!
For us mature people, waking up each morning is a major joy in our lives.
Have a great St. Patrick's Day weekend. Everyone is Irish this weekend!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Hello on Thursday
Dear Friends,
Another day went as planned in Curleyworld. I accomplished half of my outdoor tasks. The manual labor of raking the front lawn, raking and bagging leaves in bushes, and taking them to the recycle plant was enough for me to do in one day. I did this manual labor from 8 AM until noon.
I am going back to the outdoor tasks today around 8 AM.
It is going to be another spring like day with warmer temperatures than it was on Wednesday. I did shut off the heat in the house, but the current outdoor temperature of 28 degrees chilled the house too much. I turned the heat back on to take the chill out of the house before shutting it off again.
Today I will put away my ice-fishing gear back in the storage shed as well as the snow blower. This sounds like a simple task, but I have to empty the storage shed first.
Linda has a busy day on her social calendar. She has a mid morning body maintenance procedure and a Knitting Group gather from 3 to 5 PM at Dottie's Coffee Shop. She will meet me at the Heritage Tavern for food, fun, and merriment at the UNICO Celebrity Bartending event. My 45 minute shift begins at 6 PM. We are going to dine on Pub food after my shift.
I didn't go visit dad yesterday, but my sister did call me to say that dad has caught a cold. I am hesitant to go there now because neither of want to get sick because the Tewksbury grandchildren will be coming for a visit on this coming Monday and Tuesday.
Even if you don't like sports at all, I heard that a professional basketball player would resign from a team if the player's contract didn't have the stipulation that the player be part of the coach selecting process. It is like the inmates running a prison. This is a first! Who would want to be a coach on a team like that?
The coach of the New York Knicks basketball team submitted his resignation. He and one of his star players picked up from a blockbuster trade last year that the coach was not in favor of can't get along. The coach can't coach the team like he wants to coach the team because of the star player. Management is taking the side of the player. Oh Darn!
This coach is good enough to coach anywhere in the league.
As our society has changed with respect to the family unit, it would appear that the breakdown has permeated even the sporting world. Police have lost their authority. Teachers have lost their authority in the classroom. Coaches on sports' teams have lost their authority too. When will it stop?
On the local scene, a Landlord in a nearby Vermont town was arrested for incinerating a neighbor's cat in an outside boiler. A tenant let her cat out, and the Landlord claimed he threw a log at the cat to scare it. Well, the man crossed the line when he killed the cat and tried to hide the evidence. The police found the charred cat remains in the boiler. Could this landlord be fined, imprisoned or both?
Also, on the local seen, there is an article about a local exotic pet business located in the Berkshires. They sell exotic snakes, fish, insects, etc., including poisonous frogs. I was thinking about what happens when one of these creatures escapes from the person who purchases these creatures. Florida is having an awful time with pythons which have escaped from their owners, or just released into the wild when the owner realized it was too difficult to take car of a python. These pythons are disrupting the natural habitat of Florida. Floridians have to be conscious of the alligators, but now they have to worry about pythons too.
Why can't animal lovers stick to purchasing dogs, cats, and tropical fish?
Since I am up so early, I am going to make a batch of Irish Soda breads. Linda was telling her Panera Bread Knitting group about the Irish Soda Bread that I make. She is going to give each one of the knitters a couple slices of the Irish Soda bread to take home next Wednesday.
Have a great Thursday at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad
Another day went as planned in Curleyworld. I accomplished half of my outdoor tasks. The manual labor of raking the front lawn, raking and bagging leaves in bushes, and taking them to the recycle plant was enough for me to do in one day. I did this manual labor from 8 AM until noon.
I am going back to the outdoor tasks today around 8 AM.
It is going to be another spring like day with warmer temperatures than it was on Wednesday. I did shut off the heat in the house, but the current outdoor temperature of 28 degrees chilled the house too much. I turned the heat back on to take the chill out of the house before shutting it off again.
Today I will put away my ice-fishing gear back in the storage shed as well as the snow blower. This sounds like a simple task, but I have to empty the storage shed first.
Linda has a busy day on her social calendar. She has a mid morning body maintenance procedure and a Knitting Group gather from 3 to 5 PM at Dottie's Coffee Shop. She will meet me at the Heritage Tavern for food, fun, and merriment at the UNICO Celebrity Bartending event. My 45 minute shift begins at 6 PM. We are going to dine on Pub food after my shift.
I didn't go visit dad yesterday, but my sister did call me to say that dad has caught a cold. I am hesitant to go there now because neither of want to get sick because the Tewksbury grandchildren will be coming for a visit on this coming Monday and Tuesday.
Even if you don't like sports at all, I heard that a professional basketball player would resign from a team if the player's contract didn't have the stipulation that the player be part of the coach selecting process. It is like the inmates running a prison. This is a first! Who would want to be a coach on a team like that?
The coach of the New York Knicks basketball team submitted his resignation. He and one of his star players picked up from a blockbuster trade last year that the coach was not in favor of can't get along. The coach can't coach the team like he wants to coach the team because of the star player. Management is taking the side of the player. Oh Darn!
This coach is good enough to coach anywhere in the league.
As our society has changed with respect to the family unit, it would appear that the breakdown has permeated even the sporting world. Police have lost their authority. Teachers have lost their authority in the classroom. Coaches on sports' teams have lost their authority too. When will it stop?
On the local scene, a Landlord in a nearby Vermont town was arrested for incinerating a neighbor's cat in an outside boiler. A tenant let her cat out, and the Landlord claimed he threw a log at the cat to scare it. Well, the man crossed the line when he killed the cat and tried to hide the evidence. The police found the charred cat remains in the boiler. Could this landlord be fined, imprisoned or both?
Also, on the local seen, there is an article about a local exotic pet business located in the Berkshires. They sell exotic snakes, fish, insects, etc., including poisonous frogs. I was thinking about what happens when one of these creatures escapes from the person who purchases these creatures. Florida is having an awful time with pythons which have escaped from their owners, or just released into the wild when the owner realized it was too difficult to take car of a python. These pythons are disrupting the natural habitat of Florida. Floridians have to be conscious of the alligators, but now they have to worry about pythons too.
Why can't animal lovers stick to purchasing dogs, cats, and tropical fish?
Since I am up so early, I am going to make a batch of Irish Soda breads. Linda was telling her Panera Bread Knitting group about the Irish Soda Bread that I make. She is going to give each one of the knitters a couple slices of the Irish Soda bread to take home next Wednesday.
Have a great Thursday at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Hello on Wednesday
Dear Friends,
Hope that people had a chance to get out and enjoy the 70 degree weather in our area. Golfers were out swatting the white ball at the Berkshire Hills even though there were temporary greens. People weren't allowed to use the greens even though they look pretty good. I still think that it is amazing that people are playing golf in the middle of March in the Berkshires.
When the snow birds hear that we are enjoying a pretty much snow free winter, they want to come back to the Berkshires earlier than planned.
Speaking of snow birds, a couple of friends spend three months during the winter in Florida every year. They are not having a good time. The elderly man in the room above them uses a walker. The thumping of the walker takes place at all hours of the day and night. After a couple of weeks, this couple wished that they hadn't signed three month agreement. Knowing that we had a snow free winter in the Berkshires made them more upset.
Yesterday went as planned in Curley world. Good thing the gas men came into my dad's home in Lee to replace the meter. A leak was detected in the line going from the cellar to the street. The meter was replaced and the leak was fixed.
Our crock pot corned beef dinner went very well even though I forgot that I was supposed to grill a rack of those "ready to eat" ribs outdoors. Linda thinks that I am starting to lose it. I sometimes forget things that Linda and I discuss. She thinks that I have some signs that I could be an Alzheimer's patient in the near future. I contend that it is selective hearing between a husband and a wife. Yesterday reinforced her suspicions. I returned one of three books that she picked up for me last week at the library. I returned the book that I haven't read yet. Oh Darn! Well, the three books were siting on a coffee table, and I grabbed the one closest to where I sit on the couch without looking at the title of the book.
Linda's Mah Jongg session at a friend's house went very well on Tuesday. She has such a large network of girlfriends that I can't keep straight which ones she is hooking up with on a particular day or evening of the week.
I visited dad at my sister's home before taking an afternoon nap.
When I woke up from my nap, I went off to the Berkshire Hills and filled out one of the NCAA Basketball forms for the upcoming tournament. While I was making my selections at the bar, I found out that the center for the Orangemen of Syracuse was declared academically ineligible. Of course, I was going to pick Syracuse as the winner of the tournament. When I arrived back home, I had to go on line and change my picks because I made the selections for this free of charge contest a couple of days ago. Syracuse was my online choice for the WEEI Bracket contest.
CNN News -- The only thing that I read thoroughly was about the soldier who went rogue in Afghanistan. What he did to those Afghan's, one family in particular, was pretty horrible. It is another example of how war can really mess up the minds of military personnel who we send into battle. We train people to be killing machines, but it is not easy to go from warriors back to being civilians.
Politics -- The Republicans are still duking it out. There will be no winners in this battle because I don't see any of them beating President Obama. I can't figure out why Mr. Paul and Mr. Gingrich are still hanging around while Rick and Mitt win some and lose some States.
I read an article in our local newspaper about an Indian Tribe in Wyoming who was granted permission to kill two Bald Eagles for religious purposes. We in the Northeast are trying to preserve Bald Eagles, and we could get arrested for doing so.
Stock Market -- Yesterday, the market went over the 13,000 range which hasn't happened in 2007. In this not so great economy, somebody is making some money in the stock market. I hope that it is not just the Rich getting Richer. Could the stock market be gearing up for the bottom falling out once again? I suppose that you have to ride the wave when you can!
The local Catholic High School (St. Joseph's) from Pittsfield made it to the Division III Championship round yesterday. I am always amazed that such a small school puts out so many winning teams. Could they have God on their side too?
I read the obituaries this morning, and I saw where a man from a neighboring North county town passed away. He was a member of the Berkshire County Chapter of Retired Educators. He was only 75 years old which is young in this day and age.
Social Calendar -- Linda has her Panera Bread Knitting group today. My free day will be spent outdoors doing yard work. I am going to give the front lawn a good raking which I didn't do in the fall. Raking the lawn actually stimulates growth and aerates the soil. The tulip bulbs which Linda planted in the fall will be popping up soon.
Thursday starts our busy social calendar which goes right through the weekend. Monday the Tewksbury grandchildren arrive. Linda and I can't wait to see them.
The jet stream is in a position to bring in warm air throughout most of the country. Spring has arrived in the Berkshires!
This means that I am going to put my golf clubs in the back of my car as well as my fishing gear. I would have used my fishing gear yesterday as I left my father's home because I saw some of my friends who I grew up with in Lee fishing at an ice free Laurel Lake.
The temperature will only reach 57 degrees today after a 36 degree start which is good for working outdoors.
Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
Hope that people had a chance to get out and enjoy the 70 degree weather in our area. Golfers were out swatting the white ball at the Berkshire Hills even though there were temporary greens. People weren't allowed to use the greens even though they look pretty good. I still think that it is amazing that people are playing golf in the middle of March in the Berkshires.
When the snow birds hear that we are enjoying a pretty much snow free winter, they want to come back to the Berkshires earlier than planned.
Speaking of snow birds, a couple of friends spend three months during the winter in Florida every year. They are not having a good time. The elderly man in the room above them uses a walker. The thumping of the walker takes place at all hours of the day and night. After a couple of weeks, this couple wished that they hadn't signed three month agreement. Knowing that we had a snow free winter in the Berkshires made them more upset.
Yesterday went as planned in Curley world. Good thing the gas men came into my dad's home in Lee to replace the meter. A leak was detected in the line going from the cellar to the street. The meter was replaced and the leak was fixed.
Our crock pot corned beef dinner went very well even though I forgot that I was supposed to grill a rack of those "ready to eat" ribs outdoors. Linda thinks that I am starting to lose it. I sometimes forget things that Linda and I discuss. She thinks that I have some signs that I could be an Alzheimer's patient in the near future. I contend that it is selective hearing between a husband and a wife. Yesterday reinforced her suspicions. I returned one of three books that she picked up for me last week at the library. I returned the book that I haven't read yet. Oh Darn! Well, the three books were siting on a coffee table, and I grabbed the one closest to where I sit on the couch without looking at the title of the book.
Linda's Mah Jongg session at a friend's house went very well on Tuesday. She has such a large network of girlfriends that I can't keep straight which ones she is hooking up with on a particular day or evening of the week.
I visited dad at my sister's home before taking an afternoon nap.
When I woke up from my nap, I went off to the Berkshire Hills and filled out one of the NCAA Basketball forms for the upcoming tournament. While I was making my selections at the bar, I found out that the center for the Orangemen of Syracuse was declared academically ineligible. Of course, I was going to pick Syracuse as the winner of the tournament. When I arrived back home, I had to go on line and change my picks because I made the selections for this free of charge contest a couple of days ago. Syracuse was my online choice for the WEEI Bracket contest.
CNN News -- The only thing that I read thoroughly was about the soldier who went rogue in Afghanistan. What he did to those Afghan's, one family in particular, was pretty horrible. It is another example of how war can really mess up the minds of military personnel who we send into battle. We train people to be killing machines, but it is not easy to go from warriors back to being civilians.
Politics -- The Republicans are still duking it out. There will be no winners in this battle because I don't see any of them beating President Obama. I can't figure out why Mr. Paul and Mr. Gingrich are still hanging around while Rick and Mitt win some and lose some States.
I read an article in our local newspaper about an Indian Tribe in Wyoming who was granted permission to kill two Bald Eagles for religious purposes. We in the Northeast are trying to preserve Bald Eagles, and we could get arrested for doing so.
Stock Market -- Yesterday, the market went over the 13,000 range which hasn't happened in 2007. In this not so great economy, somebody is making some money in the stock market. I hope that it is not just the Rich getting Richer. Could the stock market be gearing up for the bottom falling out once again? I suppose that you have to ride the wave when you can!
The local Catholic High School (St. Joseph's) from Pittsfield made it to the Division III Championship round yesterday. I am always amazed that such a small school puts out so many winning teams. Could they have God on their side too?
I read the obituaries this morning, and I saw where a man from a neighboring North county town passed away. He was a member of the Berkshire County Chapter of Retired Educators. He was only 75 years old which is young in this day and age.
Social Calendar -- Linda has her Panera Bread Knitting group today. My free day will be spent outdoors doing yard work. I am going to give the front lawn a good raking which I didn't do in the fall. Raking the lawn actually stimulates growth and aerates the soil. The tulip bulbs which Linda planted in the fall will be popping up soon.
Thursday starts our busy social calendar which goes right through the weekend. Monday the Tewksbury grandchildren arrive. Linda and I can't wait to see them.
The jet stream is in a position to bring in warm air throughout most of the country. Spring has arrived in the Berkshires!
This means that I am going to put my golf clubs in the back of my car as well as my fishing gear. I would have used my fishing gear yesterday as I left my father's home because I saw some of my friends who I grew up with in Lee fishing at an ice free Laurel Lake.
The temperature will only reach 57 degrees today after a 36 degree start which is good for working outdoors.
Have a great day at work or play!
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Hello on Tuesday
Dear Friends,
It definitely was a spring day in the Berkshire on Monday. I should have been out in the yard doing work, but we retirees have a tendency to procrastinate which is what I did.
I finished savoring a book, and weaved in an afternoon nap before heading off to a UNICO Board meeting. The board meeting lasted over an hour and one half. We had a lot to discuss. Also I have to add some event to the Curley Social calendar. The volunteering never ends.
One of those volunteer events will betaking place at the Heritage Tavern in Lenox on March 15, 2012, Thursday evening. This is our Annual Celebrity Bartending night where we UNICAN'S act as bartenders. All the tips go directly to UNICO which will go right back into the community. I think that our own Berkshire grown David Grover will be our guest musician for the evening. I will be part of the first 45 minute shift with two other close friends of mine. The Curley's will be going early for some food, fun, and merriment and Keno before our shift starts around 6 PM. If any of the people on my blog are local, you are welcome to join us. We are planning to be there at 5 PM.
CNN News -- Besides the residual affect of an Army Sergeant going rogue and killing innocent Afghan Villagers, the news wasn't that exciting.
One item that did jump out at me was that the consumption of too much Red Meat decreases a person's longevity.
I was just thinking of doing a crock pot of corned beef before I left the house this morning. I was going to put in the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage in the same crock pot for ease of cooking. I don't have any cabbage in the house right now, but I could cook that separately just before supper time.
I stop writing this email, and loaded up the crock pot with a corned beef and vegetables except the cabbage which I will do separately.
This evening we were supposed to have an Irish sister City Committee meeting, but we Irish folk have been meeting so much at social events that there didn't seem to be a need to have a meeting.
On the local seen, there was an article about burning permits being available right now. You are allowed to burn brush, but no stumps or leaves. You can start the fire 75 feet from your house. At the 75 feet mark is the Curley storage shed, and the neighbor fences. You are supposed to have a garden hose available while burning. You are not supposed to leave the fire unattended. Can you visualize me starting a fire in the back yard? The neighbor houses are all around us. I could possibly set the whole neighborhood on fire.
In Pittsfield, we have our trashed picked up. Years ago, as a cost cutting measure, we lost the two times a year pickup of yard waste. I can wait to read about the damage to structures that these brush burning fires will be causing. The good thing is that we have an excellent fire department which might have hoses a little bigger than a garden hose.
Unbelievable sports story -- In Springfield, Massachusetts, which is an hour east of Pittsfield, an irate father punched a coach and bit off portion of his ear (which had to be surgically repaired). This all happened while the 5th and 6th grade basketball teams were shaking hands at the end of the CYC game. The 34 year old dad was arrested on felony charges. I guess this father didn't realize that these are just children who are supposed to be having fun while being good sports too.
Social calendar -- Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until a little after 4 PM. I am doing some things for dad at the family home in Lee, paying some bills, picking up mail, etc. I am leaving for Lee pretty soon. The Gas Company wants to install a new gas meter.
Speaking of dad, he is doing quite well at my sister's home. He keeps on telling my sister that he is ready to return to the family home in Lee. My sister has to remind him that he is not that self sufficient to do so right now, but things are heading in a positive direction!
Linda gave me a haircut yesterday. We could have done it outside so that the birds could use the cut hair for their nests, but Linda was still in her sleepwear when she decided that my hair needed to be cut. She does an excellent job cutting my hair even though the scissors were dull due to me trying to sharpen them with one of my devices. I should have read the directions on how to sharpen scissors before I threw them out. Oh Darn!
We will be having another nice day temperature wise, but some thunder and lightening are a possibility too.
Have a great day at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
It definitely was a spring day in the Berkshire on Monday. I should have been out in the yard doing work, but we retirees have a tendency to procrastinate which is what I did.
I finished savoring a book, and weaved in an afternoon nap before heading off to a UNICO Board meeting. The board meeting lasted over an hour and one half. We had a lot to discuss. Also I have to add some event to the Curley Social calendar. The volunteering never ends.
One of those volunteer events will betaking place at the Heritage Tavern in Lenox on March 15, 2012, Thursday evening. This is our Annual Celebrity Bartending night where we UNICAN'S act as bartenders. All the tips go directly to UNICO which will go right back into the community. I think that our own Berkshire grown David Grover will be our guest musician for the evening. I will be part of the first 45 minute shift with two other close friends of mine. The Curley's will be going early for some food, fun, and merriment and Keno before our shift starts around 6 PM. If any of the people on my blog are local, you are welcome to join us. We are planning to be there at 5 PM.
CNN News -- Besides the residual affect of an Army Sergeant going rogue and killing innocent Afghan Villagers, the news wasn't that exciting.
One item that did jump out at me was that the consumption of too much Red Meat decreases a person's longevity.
I was just thinking of doing a crock pot of corned beef before I left the house this morning. I was going to put in the carrots, potatoes, and cabbage in the same crock pot for ease of cooking. I don't have any cabbage in the house right now, but I could cook that separately just before supper time.
I stop writing this email, and loaded up the crock pot with a corned beef and vegetables except the cabbage which I will do separately.
This evening we were supposed to have an Irish sister City Committee meeting, but we Irish folk have been meeting so much at social events that there didn't seem to be a need to have a meeting.
On the local seen, there was an article about burning permits being available right now. You are allowed to burn brush, but no stumps or leaves. You can start the fire 75 feet from your house. At the 75 feet mark is the Curley storage shed, and the neighbor fences. You are supposed to have a garden hose available while burning. You are not supposed to leave the fire unattended. Can you visualize me starting a fire in the back yard? The neighbor houses are all around us. I could possibly set the whole neighborhood on fire.
In Pittsfield, we have our trashed picked up. Years ago, as a cost cutting measure, we lost the two times a year pickup of yard waste. I can wait to read about the damage to structures that these brush burning fires will be causing. The good thing is that we have an excellent fire department which might have hoses a little bigger than a garden hose.
Unbelievable sports story -- In Springfield, Massachusetts, which is an hour east of Pittsfield, an irate father punched a coach and bit off portion of his ear (which had to be surgically repaired). This all happened while the 5th and 6th grade basketball teams were shaking hands at the end of the CYC game. The 34 year old dad was arrested on felony charges. I guess this father didn't realize that these are just children who are supposed to be having fun while being good sports too.
Social calendar -- Linda has her Tuesday Mah Jongg session from 11:30 AM until a little after 4 PM. I am doing some things for dad at the family home in Lee, paying some bills, picking up mail, etc. I am leaving for Lee pretty soon. The Gas Company wants to install a new gas meter.
Speaking of dad, he is doing quite well at my sister's home. He keeps on telling my sister that he is ready to return to the family home in Lee. My sister has to remind him that he is not that self sufficient to do so right now, but things are heading in a positive direction!
Linda gave me a haircut yesterday. We could have done it outside so that the birds could use the cut hair for their nests, but Linda was still in her sleepwear when she decided that my hair needed to be cut. She does an excellent job cutting my hair even though the scissors were dull due to me trying to sharpen them with one of my devices. I should have read the directions on how to sharpen scissors before I threw them out. Oh Darn!
We will be having another nice day temperature wise, but some thunder and lightening are a possibility too.
Have a great day at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad
Monday, March 12, 2012
Hello on Monday
Dear Friends,
Our afternoon in Northampton went very well on Sunday. We did a little window shopping until we went into have supper at Viva Pasta's located on the main street in Northahmpton. Linda and I have been to this place several times, and we always had a great meal. The other friend's at our table were first timers, and they loved their meals.
We were at the lower level of the restaurant. Our reserved table was all set for us at 5:30 PM. It was so quiet for the first 10 minutes that we were there. All of sudden he place was packed and the noise level increased. There was another table next to us, and it was set up for almost 30 people. I had to find out what organization that they belonged to. The table of elderly people belonged to a local Nothampton based organization called "Grannies for Peace". They told me that they want all the killings in the world to come to an end. I said that I am not sure that it would happen soon.
Well, when I read the local newspaper this morning, I soon ralized that no one might be listening to their plea.
I read where a United States Army Staff Sergeant must have lost it and went door to door in some Afghan village, and shot and killed every one.
Talks broke down in the Syrian conflict. There were some Gaza / Israel air strikes which left at least three People dead.
On a happier note, the Saw Doctors concert at the Calvin theater went well last evening. The boyfriend of the people who we were with spent the whole concert in the Mash Pit with hundreds of other people singing and shouting his way through the whole evening. He lost his voice by the end of the concert. The three us decided to sit during the concert.
You can bring beverages into the theater and mash pit. The fans who were groupies of the band, and who were in the mash pit, were jammed in like sardines. Many of them got unwanted beer baths. Several of our Irish friend's who were in the Mash Pit said that the floor was a sticky mess by the end of the concert. Linda and I are too old to have become part of the mash pit activities.
My head hit the pillow last night around 12:30 PM, and Linda 's shortly after.
Linda told me not to wake her and bug her at all. She has a totally free day, and she wants to enjoy it. She hasn't recovered from the busy week that we had.
Well, the business continues for the rest of the week through the weekend.
Next Monday our Tewksbury grandchildren and their mom will be with us for a couple of days.
The following Monday we will be in Tewksbury getting ready for a trip to visit our Southern Georgia family. Our next free day might happen during the middle of April. Oh Darn!
I am the only one socially engaged, and it happens to be this evening. I have a UNICO board meeting at 6 PM.
We have friends who like to live a quiet life. One person even admitted that she is a home body, and she enjoys that calm life style. After what I have observed through my parents as they aged: the trips back and forth to the hospital, their stays in nursing homes, observing the patients in nursing homes, we will be part of the calm life when we are 6 feet under. I don't plan on dying in my recliner.
Have a great week at work or play!
Our week will be mostly playing, and that is the way we / I like it!
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad
Our afternoon in Northampton went very well on Sunday. We did a little window shopping until we went into have supper at Viva Pasta's located on the main street in Northahmpton. Linda and I have been to this place several times, and we always had a great meal. The other friend's at our table were first timers, and they loved their meals.
We were at the lower level of the restaurant. Our reserved table was all set for us at 5:30 PM. It was so quiet for the first 10 minutes that we were there. All of sudden he place was packed and the noise level increased. There was another table next to us, and it was set up for almost 30 people. I had to find out what organization that they belonged to. The table of elderly people belonged to a local Nothampton based organization called "Grannies for Peace". They told me that they want all the killings in the world to come to an end. I said that I am not sure that it would happen soon.
Well, when I read the local newspaper this morning, I soon ralized that no one might be listening to their plea.
I read where a United States Army Staff Sergeant must have lost it and went door to door in some Afghan village, and shot and killed every one.
Talks broke down in the Syrian conflict. There were some Gaza / Israel air strikes which left at least three People dead.
On a happier note, the Saw Doctors concert at the Calvin theater went well last evening. The boyfriend of the people who we were with spent the whole concert in the Mash Pit with hundreds of other people singing and shouting his way through the whole evening. He lost his voice by the end of the concert. The three us decided to sit during the concert.
You can bring beverages into the theater and mash pit. The fans who were groupies of the band, and who were in the mash pit, were jammed in like sardines. Many of them got unwanted beer baths. Several of our Irish friend's who were in the Mash Pit said that the floor was a sticky mess by the end of the concert. Linda and I are too old to have become part of the mash pit activities.
My head hit the pillow last night around 12:30 PM, and Linda 's shortly after.
Linda told me not to wake her and bug her at all. She has a totally free day, and she wants to enjoy it. She hasn't recovered from the busy week that we had.
Well, the business continues for the rest of the week through the weekend.
Next Monday our Tewksbury grandchildren and their mom will be with us for a couple of days.
The following Monday we will be in Tewksbury getting ready for a trip to visit our Southern Georgia family. Our next free day might happen during the middle of April. Oh Darn!
I am the only one socially engaged, and it happens to be this evening. I have a UNICO board meeting at 6 PM.
We have friends who like to live a quiet life. One person even admitted that she is a home body, and she enjoys that calm life style. After what I have observed through my parents as they aged: the trips back and forth to the hospital, their stays in nursing homes, observing the patients in nursing homes, we will be part of the calm life when we are 6 feet under. I don't plan on dying in my recliner.
Have a great week at work or play!
Our week will be mostly playing, and that is the way we / I like it!
Talk to you soon! The Curley Lad
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