A Friend Indeed

♪♫  When you're down and troubled and you need a helping hand  ♪♫
and nothing, whoa, nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.
♪
You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call

and I'll be there, yeah, yeah,
♪♫  you've got a friend.  ♪♫

- Carole King

Just got back from spending a weekend away with a very close girlfriend. Someone that's meant a lot to me for a very long time.

No, we didn't jet off to an exotic location. No, we didn't head off to party-city. No, we didn't sail away to a distant horizon.

It was better than that!

We don't get to see each other much. Living 2 hours away from each other tends to get in the way. Email, texting and facebook keeps us connected. (Seriously - A big WHOOP! for modern technology.)

However....every now and then girlfriends just got to get together...in person!

So...a plan was hatched...

Love Newport Style! Chapter 2

Trains...check! Helicopters...check! Trucks...check!

So happy you came back for the continuing saga of my anniversary adventures in Newport.

And now please allow me to pick up where I left off...

Friday of our big weekend arrived. It's weird but I felt so excited, the kind of buzz I always feel on day 1 of a big vacation...the butterflies in the stomach just thinking about boarding an airplane to fun! Except this time, we were boarding hubby's pickup truck to travel a mere 45 miles from home.

Hubby and I packed up our suitcases and hauled them out to our pickup. We gave our dogs a cuddle and bid them adieu. (Probably the only downer part of the whole weekend...we just hate leaving them behind - and even worse knowing the hotel we were going to is "dog friendly" so any other time we could have taken them.) We pointed the truck south and headed off down the highway to the city by the sea...on Aquidneck Island...Newport!

Love Newport Style! Chapter: 1

33 years. That's how long I've been married. It seems both unbelievable and surreal - all at the same time. Depends on my frame of mind, I guess. My gosh, I can remember when I was 33 years old like it was yesterday so how could I be married for that long? And yet, some days I feel sooo old that being married more than 30 years isn't all that far fetched.

Since our big 25th celebration (complete with a gathering of the kids on the official date and the romantic honeymoon of our dreams to the exotic islands of Tahiti), we've settled into going out on our big day with just dinner at a nice restaurant and small gifts to mark the occasion. And that's ok.

But this year, hubby came up with an outstanding idea. He wasn't going for just a dinner date this year. We needed alone time. Get away from home time. Us time. With no distractions. This past year has been very stressful for both of us and boy did we need to get away for some r&r.

Usually celebrating our anniversary by going away overnight somewhere in the Northeast in bitter cold snowy February...sucks. Many of the local fun tourist type places are either closed or running on very reduced hours. Take the year we tried to indulge in a romantic weekend hotel package on Cape Cod. "Cuddle & Bubble" read the advertisement. Well, it sure didn't live up to its billing.
First - they were out of the bubbles. The champagne kind. So we were given a bottle of wine. Hmm, ok.
Second - we couldn't take part in the "other" bubbles...the kind for the bathtub. Seems they had a bit of a problem...no hot water. Ummm, not taking a cold bubble bath...nope. (And definitely wasn't about to take cold showers...on a romantic getaway? oh no no no.)
We headed out into the dark, dreary cold to find a local tavern we could kick back in, have a few drinks and a nice hot meal. Ugh...everything in walking distance was...closed for the season. Since we were out anyway, we strolled to the beach where we almost turned into human icicles. Brrrr...
And I guess that would be where the cuddle part comes in. We hugged each other close for protection from the icy wind that blew in from the ocean and stayed glued to each other throughout the long cold night in our room.

Ok - see what I mean? Unless you're into sporty ski weekends, New England sucks in wintertime. (And before you ask, yes, we did try those too. After we took lots of ski lessons cuz neither one of us knew how. Hubby did great...me? not so much.)

Which led to my skepticism and the raised red eyebrows I sent hubby's way when he pleaded: "No, no. Listen! This could be great." He described a winter festival taking place in one of our favorite cities, Newport. All kinds of fun events. "We should get a hotel. Stay overnight," he suggested. Ah, alone time.

No twisting my arm needed. I'm onboard with this idea, oh sweet hubby o'mine! Heck yeah!

I found a great weekend package at the Hyatt on Goat Island. Buffet breakfasts - included. Mansion tickets - included. Shuttle service to downtown (AWEsome! ever try to find parking in Newport during big events? then you'll know how happy shuttle service made me!) A few of the major festival events were taking place at the hotel: comedy night and Beatlemania! Yay!! for partying it up at hotel events with only a quick stumble back to our room. And to top it off: an outdoor bar made of ice with sweet tropical pineapple drinks to slurp and enjoy by the fire pit! Yum and mmmm!

But we did so much more than that!

I'll close for now...but check out my next post for all the juicy adventurous details!

Here's a hint ... trains, helicopters and trucks. ☺

My Backyard - Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI

Alternate title:    HANGING WITH A SLOTH

Do not adjust your screen...you read it right. We're going to be chatting about spending time with a sloth at one of the country's oldest wildlife parks - Roger Williams Park Zoo.

Once upon a time there were 3 little children. They begged and pleaded with their tired, worn-down grandparents to bring them to the zoo. "Puh-leeeeease?" they wailed over and over, day after day. Grandma and Papa heaved a heavy sigh in unison and knew they could not say no to those persistent little rascals.

The sun rose bright on the chosen day. And 3 excited smiling tots ran out the front door and piled into the family's station wagon for the quick ride to the see the wild animals that live in Providence.

My Backyard - 6 Reasons to Love the Pawtucket Red Sox

Baseball. It's part of our heritage. As American as apple pie.

Peanuts. Cracker Jack. 

Balls and Strikes.  Gloves and Bats.

Three Outs.  Nine Innings.
 

I love the game. All my friends and family know I'm a lifelong fan. I've been to many a ballgame, both in my backyard and around the country. Nothing like kicking back and enjoying a bit of Americana on a warm, summer afternoon.

 

The stadiums the boys of summer play in vary from city to city. Small quaint historical playing fields like Fenway. State of the art contemporary Marlins Park. Each team puts its own local flavor on their home. Though I've enjoyed games in many minor and major league parks, in my opinion one of the best places to watch the old pastime lies only a few miles from my hometown. In Pawtucket. McCoy Stadium. Home of baseball's longest game. Home to the AAA minor league affiliate for the best team in the majors, the Boston Red Sox. The reigning International League Champs.

The Pawtucket Red Sox.

My Music in My Backyard - Rockin' The Blues

Mixing things up today. Gonna get a little wild and crazeee. Get ready...I'm combining 2 of my fav blog topics: Music and Backyard. Whoa! Hope I didn't lose you there...hold on...you'll be fine.

Recently I got to enjoy some good ole time rock 'n roll at a local venue I had never been to before (but have been wanting to visit after hearing some really promising reviews).

Thanks to the generosity of NBC10 WJAR-TV, I won tickets to the "Rock 'n Blues Fest" at Park Theater in Cranston, RI. The show starred rock, blues and veteran Woodstock performers and bands: 

1. Canned Heat
2. Pat Travers Band
3. Rick Derringer
4. Edgar Winter
5. Ten Years After

What a lineup! What an exciting show! And what a nice theater!

Hold my hand...its time to step inside the way-back machine...groooovy...................

My Backyard - Oakland Beach, Warwick, RI

Have you noticed how life seems to always bring things 'round full circle?

When I was little, money was tight. Eight children seriously narrowed the options of where my folks could take us on outings. One usual excursion in the summertime was a 30-minute jaunt in our trusty old station wagon to Oakland Beach in Warwick, RI.

Ok, full disclaimer, for those who've never been to Rhode Island. Yes, we're called the "Ocean State". And I'm pretty sure that would lead most people to envision miles and miles of white sand Caribbean-style beaches. Um...no. While there are a few beaches that are pretty nice, they wouldn't be described as tropical-like.

Oakland Beach is more of a "diamond in the rough". As in its a bit rough around the edges. A little stretch of sand along a bay inlet.

Let me explain...

My Backyard - Seeing the World Through Helen Keller's Eyes

Inspirational. Amazing. Extraordinary.

So many words to choose from to describe Helen Keller. A woman who changed the world, changed how the world looks at and treats the visually and hearing impaired. A woman who personified hope, strength and determination.

I've been a fan of Helen since I first heard her story when I was a young girl. I was mesmerized with her tale, her struggles, her triumphs.

Now as an adult I decided to re-visit her story. And come to understand her in a different light. From an adult perspective.

My Backyard - A Portrait of Gilbert Stuart

Growing up in Rhode Island, I never knew the local history included the great portraitist Gilbert Stuart. Who's that, you might ask? To me, his name is not well known. His work? That's another matter. Everyone has seen one of his portraits.

 

Look familiar?

I'm sure it does. How about this?

Yes, that's a Gilbert Stuart portrait on that piece of currency.

 

I'm not sure why I never knew the history of Mr. Stuart and his connection with my little state. But once I realized it, I had to rectify the situation and travel to Saunderstown to see his birthplace for myself.

 

Wordless Wednesday - Paradise Found

I dream of this everyday ........

My Backyard - Museum of Work & Culture - Woonsocket, RI

"Embracing the Past to Inspire the Future"

Nestled in the center of this once bustling industrial city is a cultural gem. Housed in a former dye mill is the Museum of Work and Culture. The focus of the Museum is to present the story of Woonsocket's history, specifically the sacrifices and struggles of the immigrants who flocked to the city by the river and enabled it to grow from rural farmland to a thriving industrial region at the turn of the 20th century. 

 

I began the tour on the first floor where I learned of the origins of the first Canadian settlers who emigrated from the Quebec area to Woonsocket in the late 1800's. Interactive displays illustrated the rural life that the immigrants left behind to journey to an unknown promise of a better life in the United States. As I moved further into the Museum I found replicas of the spinning machines found in the textile mills where the immigrants toiled for long hours for meager pay in harsh, dirty, loud working conditions. I learned that Woonsocket once had many such mills, some were dye houses and others manufactured cotton fabric and woolen goods. Most of the city's population, including children, were mill workers.

Florida - Redux

Welcome back...I'm glad to see you. I just KNEW you'd be curious to come back to read the second part of my latest travel adventure.

And here it is............................

We left our oldest son behind and hit the road to the panhandle to visit our youngest and his wife and children.

Have you ever had the pleasure of being greeted after a long absence by little children? It's heartwarming, overwhelming and simply...grand! We got the best reception - lots of hugs and kisses all around.

The following days were fun but relaxing. Perfect combo. It was school vacation week - our son took a few days off so we could have plenty of time together. There were a few occasions to celebrate too - our son's and granddaughter's 3rd birthday, and Easter!

It didn't take long for the fun to begin:

On the Road Again - Exploring Florida

Can't help myself. Traveling is in my DNA.

Last week found me on the road again. This time Hubby and I made our way to Florida. Again. (I know. I know. I just went there a few months ago...but come on. This was for family - my boys - my grandkids. They need me!)

 

But the way we were looking at it, hopefully we'll both have jobs real soon. And with that comes the looong waiting period before we'll be able to vaca again. So we decided we better get some rambling done before we get tied back down. (Also didn't want to lose any points we've built up from previous trips.)

Our trip got off to a bizarre start...

Pay What You Weigh - A Heavy Dilemma

Travel. It's my passion. My hobby. From my backyard to Tahiti. And everywhere in between. I've probably been there or drove by the place or flew over it.

 

I try to keep up on the latest news about my obsession. And this week came this headline:

"SAMOA AIR TO CHARGE PASSENGERS BY WEIGHT"

Now we all know that there's been lots of discussion in recent years about expanding passenger girth versus shrinking seats and passenger space on board aircraft. I think we can all agree that airlines shouldn't discriminate on the basis of a persons size. But on the flip side, we've all probably experienced the tight squeeze when seated next to larger passengers and, truth be told, silently seethed in our misfortune. Don't deny it!

To date, the airlines' response has been to offer coach seats with more leg room, for a fee. Or they've demanded that our larger brethren pay for 2 seats instead of one.

Enter Samoa Air with an alternative approach to this situation. Set the fare price by the weight of the passenger and his/her luggage. Um, really?

What is your take on this latest attempt to address this weighty controversy?

Is this merely discrimination against larger passengers disguised as a business decision? Do you think other airlines will follow suit? I'm fairly certain this has captured their attention. We've read similar articles where one airline begins charging for something and others follow suit. There's a good possibility we'll be hearing more news stories about something like this in the future.

Or do you think this is an isolated situation - that comparing Samoa Air with the major airlines is like comparing apples and oranges? Is this honestly just a sound corporate policy? After all, the planes used by Samoa are very small and as the article states the weight variance is definitely a bigger concern for Samoa than for the major airlines. The article even suggests that passengers on this airline - under this policy - may even pay less for passage than they did before.

All I know is that this is yet another wrinkle in the cost of air travel.

Ok. Let's examine this closer.

Can you imagine? Instead of waiting for a sale on airfare, passengers will have the option of dropping a few pounds to lower their airfare. What a deal! With an added benefit - it could be just what we need to fight the nationwide obesity epidemic. At least for the frequent fliers among us.

Well, this is my wake-up call. Time to finally drop those 20 pounds that have been hanging on to my hips for dear life. I need to be ready, fit and trim that is, for when all the airlines jump on the "pay what you weigh" bandwagon. Now this is what I call incentive!

Adventures on the West Coast

There's no place like home. No truer words were ever spoken.

I'm home after an awesome week in California. The best part? It didn't seem to fly by like most of my vacations. It felt like it hit just the right note.
(Don't you just love it when that happens?☺)
We were busy, yet relaxed. We did a lot of fun stuff but also found time to just chill.

EARTHQUAKE !!!

This trip to the west coast has certainly been eventful. And no, I'm not just talking about all the fun things we've been doing.

I'm talking about the one BIG event that seems to be exclusive to the west coast. Something I've heard about for years. The dreaded ground shaking....EARTHQUAKE !

So I'm sitting in the backyard of my brother's home. It's morning. Enjoying my breakfast and a cup of coffee. Under a pergola. Two cats lazing at my feet. Beautiful day. Bright, clear blue sky. Warm, bright sunshine.

Suddenly a strange rattling of the pergola above me. Simultaneously the cats both spring a few inches into the air and run to the back door, crying to be let in. Strange. I look around. Nothing seems amiss. Can't figure out what caused the noise overhead. What spooked the cats?

Puzzling. But I shrug the shoulders, continue on with my breakfast and sip my coffee. I open my phone and surf the web until I find the day's news. And there it is....headline..."Earthquake Shakes Southern California"... what!?! When? I didn't feel anything. Shouldn't I have felt the ground move under my feet? Shouldn't there have been people screaming, running out of their homes? Mass hysteria? Sirens blaring?

I don't know. I've never been in this situation. I'm not a native Californian. This isn't something I've lived with. What am I supposed to do? To feel?

It slowly dawned on me. I DID experience the quake. It was in the shaking of the pergola. The strange behavior of the cats. It only lasted about 15 seconds. THAT was it. The EARTHQUAKE. 5.1

Wow. How crazy was that? Now don't get me wrong, I'm really happy the quake didn't cause any damage or injuries. But I think its cool that I can now add this to my list of fab stuff experiences. Like the tornado in Nebraska. The blizzard of '78. Batting down the hatches during a New England hurricane. The emergency landing at Dulles airport.

You just never know what lies around the corner in this life. Just got to be ready!

California Dreamin'.......

♪♫ All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey ♪♫

I've been for a walk, on a winters day

I'd be safe and warm, if I was in L.A.

♪♫ California dreamin'.....on such a winter's day ♪♫

I was. California dreamin', that is. Been thinking about flying out to the west coast for a long time. My brother, his wife and their his/her kids live out there, in the Los Angeles area. I love visiting with them. And it's been way too long since I have found the time (and funds) to make the trek out west.

Hubby knew how much I longed to see my west coast family. And how much I needed to take a break from my discouraging job search. So a few weeks ago he proposed that we should grab this opportunity to go. Thanks to unemployment, we have the time. We have points built up from lots of traveling, enough to cover the cost of 2 airline tickets. I, of course, agreed that he had come up with a great plan!! (Ain't he the best?!)

Flash forward:  We're here!! Cal-i-for-ni-A !!

We left New England right before a massive icy cold snow storm. (How convenient, eh? Ha!) Buh bye, old man winter....helllloooo sunshine! and warmth!

Gosh, we needed this. Time away from the daily fruitless job search drudgery. I'm really hoping the change of scenery will give us (at least me, anyway; hubby is a lot more upbeat and optimistic than I) a better frame of mind. Who knows? Maybe I'll find something here. I've wanted to live near my brother. There's just something about this part of the country that has always called to me. Again...is this an opportunity...or is it fate?

We're having a great time. Consignment shops. Girl talk with my awesome sis-in-law. Hubby played fireman with my super-hero brother. Dined at the local cowgirl cafe. Enjoyed great company. Introduced ourselves to the local wildlife. And taken lots of pictures of the beautiful scenery. Today we have plans for more shopping, movies and family time. And we're gearing up for even more fun activities over the next few days....I'm loving it!

Stay tuned for more updates..............

My Backyard - Marble House, Newport, RI

Ah, another day in Newport....another Mansion tour. And what a glorious one it was, too!

In a previous post, I told you about my adventures at the Breakers. I promised myself (and you, my dear reader) that I would return to Newport to visit another grand old manse. That opportunity presented itself last December. (Ok, so I'm a little slow in writing this post about it....been a bit busy....but i'm trying to catch up...honest!)

continuing on....Hubby actually brought it up. "Let's go see one of the Mansions this week," he said. "They should all be decorated for the holidays. It'll be a good time to go."

Ok....hmmm....let me think bout this...twist my arm...ummm...weeelll...Of course I'd go, and with hubby along, too? Heck yeah!

So on a cloudy, cold day we headed to Newport and chose to visit Marble House on Bellevue Avenue. We parked across the street and, after buying a ticket for hubby, we strode up to the massive entrance to the mansion. While grand, we immediately recognized that this place is nowhere near as large as the Breakers. But maybe that's okay. It actually felt a bit homier to me, more comfortable. (If you can call a large, stone mansion built in 1882 homey and comfortable.)

My Backyard - Quonset Air Museum; North Kingstown, RI

If you're a Rhode Islander you've probably heard of the National Guard Open House and Air Show. It's held every summer at the Quonset State Airport in North Kingstown; widely advertised and very well attended. Quite a lot of fun! Aircraft from all eras put on a dazzling display. There are vintage to modern warfare planes. There are skydivers. Demonstrations. Visitors can even get up close and personal to planes parked on the tarmac. There's always plenty of refreshments and interesting items for sale. It makes for a great family day!

At one of those shows, my husband ran into a former coworker who was talking with visitors about an old plane. He gave our then 2-year old grandson a thrill of a lifetime when he allowed him to go up into the cockpit with hubby. While we chatted, he mentioned he volunteered at the Quonset Air Museum. I think that might have been the first time I heard of it. We told him that we would make it a point to visit someday.

Flash forward 5 years. Someday finally came last month. I made it to the Museum. Let me back up a bit here and give you some history on how it finally came to pass.

My Backyard - Yankee Candle Village Shop

Are you a candle person? Do you search for just the right scent to please your senses or set a mood in your home? Do you mix and match or change them up depending on the season or holiday?

Ok, I admit. That's not me. Don't get me wrong. I DO like to use scented oils and warmers to enfuse a calming, feel-good warmth throughout my home. But when I think Yankee Candle, I think wax and wicks and flames and decorative holders to retain it all. It wasn't a store I normally would find myself in, unless I was looking to buy a gift for someone else,

All that changed recently, last Halloween, when my sisters invited me to accompany them to a local Yankee Candle store. While they oohed and ahhed over the latest in the "Boney Bunch" line of items, I perused the shelves and aisles and found much more than candles. I left the store with a bag full of goodies for myself and gifts for my daughter-in-law.

That got me thinking. I had heard about a very large Yankee Candle store. A Village Shop actually. In Deerfield, MA. Not too far from me. Maybe it was time for a visit. To find out what all the talk I'd heard for years about the place was all about.

Two months later, right before Christmas, I called my sisters with my idea. Let's plan a sister outing with our mother to the Village Shop. All agreed, a short time later, we set off on the two hour ride on a cold December weekday. We chatted and laughed like families do which made the hours seem like mere minutes.