Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

I was out in the flower beds at 6:15 AM on Saturday. I woke the next door neighbor up. Her second floor bedroom window faces the flower bed that I was working in first. You might be thinking that how did I know that I woke her up? She closed her bedroom window because I was a bit noisy.

The final phase of planting flowers, and putting down mulch ended at 10:30 AM. We are now ready to entertain on our newly stain deck and screened in room on the deck.

This is exactly what we did last evening. We had an impromptu supper with another couple. After some cheese and crackers, and some grilled Kielbasa, I grilled some vegetables, boneless pork chops, and Linda made a delicious rice to compliment the meal.
After supper we played several hands of cribbage with the men versus the women. The men won the first three hands and were ready to quit, but the females wanted to play one more hand. They did beat us but the victory was a hollow one.

We are waiting the arrival of our daughter -in-law, and her girlfriend (and baby) for breakfast. They were at their 10th college reunion in Saratoga, New York on Friday and Saturday. It was a Skidmore class reunion.

Social Calendar -- We canceled our planned get away to Cape Cod for a few days. We were going to leave after serving our guests breakfast. The cool and unsettled weather on the Cape was the deciding factor.
Also, I haven't seen Mom in a couple of days. I will be visiting her at some point today.

News -- The Boston Police department was given 200 Military M-16 assault rifles free of charge. Mayor Menino doesn't want the patrol officers to be carrying such powerful weapons. I say the bad guys often have more fire power than the police. The military would even train the Boston police how to use the weapons. I think that the Mayor's position is a big mistake.

Sports -- The New York Yankees are now in first place in their division. The Red Sox have lost two in a row at Toronto. I should have listened to my Yankees friends who kept saying: It was "still early" as the Red sox were beating the Yankees.

Politics -- Let's get the confirmation hearings over so the lady can get to work.

Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Saturday Morning

Dear Friends,

My Friday didn't go as planned. I decided to skip golf with the seniors. The day went from wet and dreary to spectacular.
Since I didn't play golf, we did things as a couple. Our first adventure took us to Great Barrington to pick up an item which Linda purchased during the radio auction a week ago.
We did lunch at the Barrington Brewery. The lunch was wonderful.
We headed home so that I could get ready for the rescheduled downtown cleanup which started at 2:30 PM. I put on my work clothes, and loaded up my car, but I wasn't feeling that good. The ill feeling wasn't from the lunch food. One of the side effects of the antibiotics (generic), which I am now taking, was exactly how I was feeling. My leg where the wound was located was swollen also. I made a decision to go to bed instead of going to the downtown cleanup. After a two hour nap, I perked up a bit.
We headed to two places to do our final shopping for flowers and bushes. If all goes well today, everything will be planted. This means that the Curley's deck and yard will be in such good condition that we will be ready to entertain. Also, I will have time to return to the links to participate in a little golf.

By 7:30 PM, we needed some food since I started to return to normal. We hooked up with another couple, who usually has eaten by this time, for supper at the Shamrock. The place was mobbed compared to last Friday night. We couldn't figure out what the big change was that made people want to dine out.

News -- How about the pharmacist who shot and killed a masked teenage who was trying to rob a pharmacy in Oklahoma with an accomplice? As the perpetrator was lying on the ground,after being shot, the pharmacist pumped four extra shots into the robber. The NRA, and most citizens say that the pharmacist was justified in what he did. Any thoughts from my readers on the subject?
I say "chalk one up" for the good guys. I work too hard for all my possessions, and I have a right to defend myself, my property, and my family.

Politics -- The Supreme Court nominee is running into a little difficulty from things that she had said at a Latino festival several years ago. We have all said things in the past that we regret that we have said. This shouldn't hold up her appointment.

I am ready to put on work clothes, and get to the planting and the laying down of the mulch while Linda is still sleeping.
We have already decided where all the flowers are going. Linda is better at doing the two flower pots unless I decide not to wait for her.

Have a great weekend.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Friday morning

Dear Friends,

Our Thursday went as planned. Linda's two events went very well.

Me on the other hand, didn't accomplish all of my tasks. I had a doctor's appointment because a blister on my shinbone got infected (after I picked at it a week ago). I am on an antibiotic for ten days. I take a pill four times a day. I have to keep the wound covered bacitracin and and a Telfa pad, and keep dust out of it.
The blister occurred when I was staining last week when I had to use a ladder to stain the screened in room on the deck.
The blister was two inches long before I burst it last Friday.

Our senior golf this morning looks like it might be canceled. We have some morning rain falling right now.
This afternoon the rain will turn to occasional showers.
The downtown cleanup, which I volunteered to do, is still planned (rain or shine), but Linda is nervous about me getting dust in my wound.

If the golf, and the cleanup doesn't happen, Linda and I have a whole bunch of things which we have to do.

Politics -- It looks like the Republicans like the President's nominee for the Supreme Court.

Sports -- I did listen to most of the Red Sox 1 PM game, which they won, while working on shelves in the garage. I had to not only clean the shelves, but cut some left over decking material to reinforce some of the shelves. I did one set of shelves. Does the work in and out side the home ever end?

Our weekend forecast has changed from what was predicted earlier in the week. We are in several days of highs in the 60's after the current front exits the Northeast.

Have a great weekend as May comes to an end.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Thursday Morning

Dear Friends,

Our trip to the Christmas Tree Shops went well. I got weak after about 3 hours of perusing, and purchasing items in the store. When I say the words: "I got weak", this means that I was ready for some food. UNO had a very nice lunch special so that my weakness soon disappeared. By about 3 PM, we headed back to the Berkshires.
We stopped in to see Mom at the nursing home, but she was fast asleep.

Linda had fun at her BONCO session. By the time she arrived home, I was dosing off and on so I headed straight to bed.
I was trying to watch the Red Sox, but they lost another one in Minnesota.

Social Calendar -- Linda has two events today. Her first one is a brunch with the PHS retired ladies. They are traveling to a south county restaurant for brunch. One of the retirees has a grand son who owns a restaurant. He is providing a gourmet brunch for the ladies.
A bunch of us ate there before (Cafe Adam), and we thought that the food was excellent.
Linda is out again this evening for a retirement party of a female friend of ours. She is one of us baby boomers who stayed home longer when she had her children so she had to work a little longer to get her full pension benefits.
I have a couple of errands to do, and then I might attack the shelves in our garage. They are out of control, and we can't find anything. Actually, I am kind of embarrassed to let anyone come in the house through the garage.

Politics -- Newt Gingrich doesn't like the President's choice to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. I have a problem with Newt. It is mostly with his name. Every time I hear the name "Newt", I think of a salamander slithering from water to land. Newt has been slithering in the political arena, and he seems like he is gathering momentum at a run for the Presidency.

Have to go, and do some quiet chores.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Wednesday Morning

Linda had fun playing Mah Jongg with her Tuesday group of friends.

After my flower bed, and lawn project, I headed off to the Lee nursing home to see Mom a little after noon. She had just come back from getting her hair done (at the nursing home), and she looked quite nice as well as not looking like a 92 year old person. After a short visit, two therapists came in to take her to therapy. They are working on helping Mom get some up body strength so that she can move herself in bed.

Marie did get discharged from Berkshire Medical Center on Tuesday. With a restricted diet, she should be okay for a while.
Time will tell.

Politics -- The President's choice seems to be well qualified for a Supreme Court Judge. Did she pay all of her taxes?

Don't you just love how President Obama is at ease in front of a microphone? He reminds me a lot of the man who you Republicans called "Slick Willy Clinton" except that he is not a womanizer.

Sports -- My Red Sox lost last evening. It was a pitcher's duel until Jon Lester had his usual one bad inning which the Red Sox could not recover from.

Social Calendar -- Linda and I are heading off to the Christmas Tree Shops today. There are a bunch of items for summer time use which we have on our huge list. Linda has her once a month BONCO session this evening so we can't "shop until we drop."

Observation -- Sleepwear -- Do my readers have different forms of sleepwear? The temperature variations are so great in the Berkshires that I have three forms of sleepwear readily available. I have the summer weight short sleeve, and shorts variety, -- the long sleeve, and pants variety, -- and the heavy duty winter weight variety. Of course, there is the completely naked sleepwear that was used in the first few years of marriage, and before children.
Last night, it was so cool in the basement as I watched the Red Sox, that I actually turned the heat on. I know that some of you think that I am a real wimp for doing so, but who cares if a little happiness costs a few bucks extra.

Have a great Wednesday at work, at play, or at school.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Tuesday Morning

Dear Friends,

Hope that your Memorial Day went well. Ours did for the most part. We visited
my sister in the hospital. She did not appear much better than when I stopped in
several days ago. She was talking about being discharged today, but why if there
has been little improvement?

After the hospital visit, we came home to set up for the cookout before Mah
Jongg. This is where I embarrassed myself. I cooked hamburgs, and hot dogs. Two
of our guests wanted their hamburgs cooked more, and I tried to argue that they
were cooked enough. I sort of lost it. The hand crafted hamburgs were made from
lean beef, and I like to take them off the grill before they get too dried up. I
should have just done what my guests requested. If they wanted their hamburg
well done, then so be it. I violated my rule of "not sweating the little stuff."

The ladies did have fun playing Mah Jongg, and they did so until 4:30 PM. I
watched the Red Sox, and finished savoring a book that Linda bought me at the
dollar store while they played their games.

We had hot dog and hamburgs for supper. The grilling season has begun!

Social Calendar -- Linda is playing with her normal Tuesday Mah Jongg group. I
will be visiting Mom at the nursing home in Lee, and then stop in to see how my
sister is doing at Berkshire Medical Center. If I have enough time and energy, I
will be working on a flower bed or two.

Sports -- The Red Sox and Yankees won their games.

Politics -- North Korea had successful Nuclear and Missile tests. The rest of
the world is not happy. I think that North Korea would be better served if they
tried to unite North and South Korea.

Have a great week at work or play.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad

Hello on Memorial Day

Dear Friends,

Can having too much food, fun, and merriment for several days in a row be a detriment to a person's mental and physical health? My guess that the answer to my question is "No." Life is too short! From what and whom I have observed in hospitals, and nursing homes, there is no way that I /(we) will decline an invitation for a party.

Yesterday's party lasted from 2 PM until we decided to leave around 8:30 PM. I even squeezed in some time to watch the Red Sox win their game (Yankees lost their game). The appetizers, and main meal, and the desserts were wonderful. When you are in the home of Italians, there never is a chance of running out of anything.

There was one point in the party when I acted like a counselor to a friend of mine. We sat alone, and ate at the buffet table. He talked about his friend who passed away the other day. The deceased was the same person who had a daughter who attended St. Anselm's with the Brodeur Lad. I really didn't know the deceased.
My friend went to high school with the 62 year old man, and they were Vietnam veterans, and close friends. My friend shed many tears as he talked about his friend. He said that during the past few nights, he hasn't been sleeping well. He has been waking up in the middle of the night, and walking around the house, while thinking about his friend. This will be difficult Memorial Day for my friend.

This what I mean when I say: "Enjoy life, family, and friends, and don't sweat or complain about the little stuff." We don't really know why some of us are on this earth longer than others. Appreciate every waking moment that you are alive!

On a happier note, one set of Mah Jongg ladies are coming to our house for some hot dogs, and hamburgs for lunch. They need some home cooked food before the games begin. After I cook the food, and lunch with them, I think that I will head off to visit my sister in the hospital, and my mother in the nursing home. I might even cook Dad a nice steak supper with all the fixings.

Politics -- Everything is on hold until Memorial Day is over.
The killing in the hot spots throughout the world continues. Will we ever have peace in the world? Will there ever be an end to war? Can we have a world with just the "Good", and without the "Evil"?

Have a great Monday. Attend a Memorial Day parade if your town has one.
Thank every veteran, past, present as well as the men and women who are currently serving our country.
Talk to you soon. The Curley lad