Woke up to some powdery snowfall to deal with, our first real snowfall of the season, although all told it wasn’t all the bad plus it’s nice that it fell over the holiday so everyone could get a handle on it all early. The worst part of it all, shoveling, uncovering the car, salting the walk, etc. etc. Had to do it fast before this all flash freezes and becomes hard as a rock over the next couple of days!
At least it was pretty quiet as it all fell overnight while I was fast asleep.
I spent some quality time with my mom and sister today before the snow comes in tonight. It was hard to believe it was going to snow, since it was warm and sunny for most of the day. We ended up having lunch at Upper Crust Pizza. We really like their thin crust pizza. Unfortunately, the two locations we used to go to in Harvard Square and Porter Square are long gone.
I finally got a chance to reunite with my good dog pal Lenny. I don’t think I’ve seen him in a couple of years now. It’s funny – I used to think he was so big but now that I’ve been around bigger dogs he seems so small now. He really is the sweetest bulldog I know. He does love to eat treats though, Like, crazy likes them. Here’s a fun fact for you. I was never a dog person having grown up with cats my whole life (at one time we had close to over 20 cats at one time living at the house, but that’s a whole story for another time – let me know if you’re interested in hearing about how that came about and the aftermath of it all later) but Lenny introduced me to what a dog can be. So now I kind of like dogs and it was hugely inspired by meeting this guy. You can click on the pics for some captions (can’t stand this new gallery plugin).
Been a busy couple of days with a friend coming over to visit for one of the days and doing a ton of baking and cooking things. Here’s some other shots from the last few days. January is usually slower time of year for me because I like to do outdoor things but it may be too snowy or cold to do so. That said, there does appear to be some cool things coming up that I am looking forward to.
Today actually ended up being kind of a crappy day, between LD needing to get to an emergency dental appointment this afternoon and has to go back tomorrow, to me waiting in two CVS’s for the prescription, to her car not starting anymore and probably needs something. Well, tomorrow is another day!
The Year in Review
In no particular order this year because how could I rank them, each one was awesome in it’s own way. Actually the last one I mention was probably the best. Can you guess what it was before scrolling all the way down?
I awoke, to my utter surprise one morning, to notice that three baby bunnies had been born in the same old flowerpot that previous generations of buns had been born in, running around the deck, in between the various pots. I suppose we were first alerted to their presence when we realized that Carson never came up to the bed last night. He was watching the bunny action apparently. We put out some carrot strings in the afternoon and by early evening, they were eaten, most likely by the one bunny that is still hanging around, although after today, I would imagine it will be on it’s way to it’s life’s adventure.
We had a “free” couple of days to stay at the Cape which we obtained last summer so we finally decided to use it up this weekend. So back down to Earth-3 we went. (Earth-3 being the place down the Cape that we regularly stay at – a time share that we have). So we arrived Friday night and we ended up using a gift certificate to a local restaurant that we’ve gone to a bunch of times and got rid of that. (The gift certificate was also a “freebie” since they messed up our later last time and this was the way amends were made). So that all worked out quite well.
Some other fun things we got to do on this mini-vacation was, as usual, our multiple visits to the Chocolate Sparrow, a place we love to get our treats from. We grabbed a brunch from a place called Grumpies and they weren’t grumpy at all. In fact, I’d say the food was actually really good. I would go back there. We got much needed massages from a lady we know down there who is amazing, and those felt really good. Late Saturday night LD got me a surprise experience, my first, being in a meditative salt cave. So that was pretty cool. The weather wasn’t all that great, a bit rainy at times and quite windy which made the air very cold, but nature is nature! We used the down time to catch up on some of our reading.
This was being back from a relaxing weekend getaway in Saco and Kennebunkport Maine. The sunrises in Saco were amazing and we stayed in the cutest little Airbnb right on the water. Would stay there again for sure! On Small business Saturday KPT had all these sales if you wore your pajamas so that’s what we did! Oh, we met up with our pal Em to hang out this weekend as well, and we got to meet Boomer and Pippa (not shown) again! A lot of shopping and laughs were had. It’s not as busy there as it would be during prelude but it’s pretty much the same vibe more or less so in some ways it’s better. Again, it was fun hanging out with Em, and the dogs with her pops, and again, the amazing sunrises right on the water. Thankfully it wasn’t even that cold, considering. It was nice to be able to have a little getaway to take a break from all the stressors of life.
You can click the pics below for a bigger version. There’s a new version of the gallery tool now even though I preferred the old one but that currently isn’t working with the latest update so I have to use this. The snow globe I climbed in could have been inflated more (thanks town!) and a quick side trip to OOB didn’t really add too much but KPT is always top notch. Ultimately it’s all about the views, the scenery, the friends and the laughs. Oh, the pajama Saturday shot of the three of us was actually taken by someone on the Chamber of Commerce pages for the towns of Kennebunk, KPT, and Arundel so we’re also on those websites. That wasn’t a planned thing, the lady just saw us and wanted to post us!
Oh, and yes, I am wearing Pac man pajamas and believe it or not, I actually got quite a lot of comments on compliments on then from many different people!
Finally got to revisit Nantucket, it had been about 10 years since the last time we went and never over top this particular side of the island.
I loved the Sconset Bluff Walk. This trail is truly loaded with beautiful views. It makes me so happy I got to walk along it! The experience is constantly changing. One minute you’re walking through a quiet neighborhood, the next you’re passing through a yard and the next you’re walking under a canopy of trees. Flowers, birds, pathways to the water, and places to stop and take in the scenery are in abundance. This walk can be quick or long, depending on how much time you have. It’s a great place for a leisurely stroll or a more invigorating hike. Either way, you’re sure to enjoy the stunning views. I sure did!
I have to also express my gratitude to our wonderful hosts who were so kind to invite us to spend a few days with them on this beautiful island. They were so kind and generous with their time and hospitality, and I really appreciate it. We thoroughly enjoyed the beach, seeing the sights, and all the great meals and places we got to see like the Brotherhood and Millie’s and Claudette’s. I hope we can repay the favor one day.
I’m also so grateful for the opportunity to visit the rose-covered cottages in Nantucket. The winding lanes and idyllic scenery transport you to a simpler time. Each cottage has its own unique blend of architecture and blooming roses, which make it a one-of-a-kind experience. The smell of roses and salty sea breeze (and it was pretty breezy at times!) is a relaxing combination that invites visitors to immerse themselves in the serene beauty of Siasconset. It was a perfect place to slow down and enjoy the beauty of nature.
So much fun! I was surprised at how fun it actually was! Then it was an afternoon by the pool, a night of grilling and doing a fire pit. Beautiful day! One of LD’s childhood friends came up and did it with us while she was visiting, along with some other activities over those few days in the summer.
For my Birthday LD and I got to check out some amazing sights in the beautiful coastal areas of Rhode Island. First up, was a drive down to the charming community of Charleston, RI, a place we had never been. We were there to see the trolls Greta and Erik. There’s a bunch of these trolls up in Maine at the Botanical gardens, which I may get to check out and some point, but these two are newer and closer. I had a little bit of a hard time finding Greta, but LD, with her amazing tracking skills, was able to locate her pretty quickly. A nice woman who works at the senior center there nearby gave us some great tips on where to go and find them! (Each picture below is clickable to see a larger version).
We were going to eat at a local place in Charleston but after a while that didn’t seem like the greatest idea so we headed over to Narraganset and ate at a place called The Coast Guard House, which amazing is literally right next to the Towers in a building that used to be a Coast Guard Life Saving Station back in the 1880s until the 1940s. The views there are amazing and the food was excellent, also the prices weren’t that bad! (I did get a little tipsy again on some drinks).
Then it was off the beautiful town of Newport to check out the installation of the elephant migration. We ended up going to the ones at Salve Regina University, although there’s some at the Breakers and a couple of other locations. The amount of detail on the elephants is truly amazing! We spent quite a bit of time there, plus it’s right along the cliff walk which is beautiful.
We finished off the day with a giant pizza! What a great day! Today I’m off to my very first ever reflexology appointment – we’ll see how that goes!
Oh, I almost forgot! I got some great gifts too! A Dunkins gift card from our friend Em, a foot massager, some capybara socks and a capybara shirt (I love capys!) , and some more fireflies to help light up the night in the back patio!
This game was amazing, have to see if one exists in our area and if so need to get some pals on board to challenge us!
Family came to visit this particular weekend. Sort of an impromptu visit but it was a good one. Friday night I grilled and we did a firepit as everyone got settled. Saturday we went to the DeCordova Museum in the afternoon to check out some sights, get some photo ops, etc. The hearts are the best thing there in my opinion but that slanted house which is a newer installation was also pretty cool. Naturally we had to pose with it, along with some other installations. Had pizza in the afternoon at the hotel, and then headed to the beach in the late afternoon for some swim time. I think the dog had the best time of all!
Sunday was another low key day, breakfasts and then I watched the dog while everyone went to the pool to cool off and/or exercise. I will say the dog was extremely well behaved and such a pleasure to be around. Such a sweet dog. Not sure how Carson felt about everything but he got through it. Late afternoon was another grilling session, LD and one guest helped with some amazing sides, and even had the landlady down the street over to join.
All in all it was a pretty amazing time! Go figure!
.I will admit, I am a little fried at the moment. Geez, it’s tough to get older!
Hanging out with these baby goats this afternoon at a place in Northborough, Massachusetts was simply, “Baaaaaaa-mazing!” The goat from the video below we were told was only 4 days old! He has quite a set of lungs on him! Another goat also got to biting my ear, which while kind of funny, also hurt a teeny bit! And then a third goat fell asleep in my arms- she was a sweetheart. We did get an amazing picture and video out of it all!
I’ll just link the entries here because this post is getting WAY too long!
We got to partake in an amazing experience, getting to cuddle and play with a pair of capybaras! I love them! Their fur feels like straw. I never thought in a million years I’d ever be able to play with a capybara, let alone two. I remember seeing this animal in a zoo a few years ago and only learned about their existence a few scant years ago. To me, they seem to be the next up and coming “big thing.” We also go to see a wallaby which had a baby popping it’s head out of her pouch every now and again, which was cool to see, and a special cat, some yaks, alpacas and, of course, some goats, but the capybaras were the stars of the show for me! We were lucky to even get into this experience as it is currently very limited but I hit it just right and was able to get us access. The location of all this wonder was down in Mattapoisett, a town down on the southern coast. It was a bit chilly.
I’m definitely going to visit them again this year and get even more interactive with them.
Some of the best books I read last year were:
I hope you all enjoyed looking through some of our memories from the past year, I know I have. Let’s hope 2025 has some good ones too.
If you still haven’t had enough you can check out some previous years:
Back from the holidays down along the Jersey Shore. Although not everything on this trip went according to plan, I did make a new bond with my nephew doggo (running with him along the beach pretty much cemented the deal) and there were some fun moments. One cool thing we saw was an InSinkErator hot water tap in a friend’s kitchen that we got to see while we were down there. That thing is pretty sweet. Instant hot water from a mini tap right next to the regular faucet. Visited a bagel place that had weirdo bagels like a Doritos bagel, an Oreo cookie bagel, etc. They weren’t that good actuallty.
Every year, you make a resolution to change yourself. This year, make a resolution to be yourself.
If you did me wrong, I forgive you. If we stop talking, I love you. If you feel I did you wrong, I sincerely apologize for it.
My heart will be pure & my head will be clear.
Only love ,gratitude, and positive mindset.
Currently Watching: American Nightmare (Netflix) and old One Tree Hill episodes. LD’s sister has gotten me into watching the series now having missed it totally the first time around. So Much Drama!
Check out this throwback photo. Our family photos are a little different than other folks. Circa 1996ish maybe?
Gametime: Mummy Maze! I remember this game!!!
Confession: I only did this to be entered to possibly win some free stuff. We’ll see if it happens. The idea was to snap shots of yourself while visiting the various businesses around the square. So that’s what this is all about.
Back from a relaxing weekend getaway in Saco and Kennebunkport Maine. The sunrises in Saco were amazing and we stayed in the cutest little Airbnb right on the water. Would stay there again for sure! On Small business Saturday KPT had all these sales if you wore your pajamas so that’s what we did! Oh, we met up with our pal Em to hang out this weekend as well, and we got to meet Boomer and Pippa (not shown) again! A lot of shopping and laughs were had. It’s not as busy there as it would be during prelude but it’s pretty much the same vibe more or less so in some ways it’s better. Again, it was fun hanging out with Em, and the dogs with her pops, and again, the amazing sunrises right on the water. Thankfully it wasn’t even that cold, considering. It was nice to be able to have a little getaway to take a break from all the stressors of life.
You can click the pics below for a bigger version. There’s a new version of the gallery tool now even though I preferred the old one but that currently isn’t working with the latest update so I have to use this. The snow globe I climbed in could have been inflated more (thanks town!) and a quick side trip to OOB didn’t really add too much but KPT is always top notch. Ultimately it’s all about the views, the scenery, the friends and the laughs. Oh, the pajama Saturday shot of the three of us was actually taken by someone on the Chamber of Commerce pages for the towns of Kennebunk, KPT, and Arundel so we’re also on those websites. That wasn’t a planned thing, the lady just saw us and wanted to post us!
Oh, and yes, I am wearing Pac man pajamas and believe it or not, I actually got quite a lot of comments on compliments on then from many different people!
Happy National Jukebox Day!
There’s something undeniably captivating about jukeboxes. They’re more than just music machines; they’re portals to a bygone era, where the thrill of selecting a song and hearing it burst to life filled the air with excitement.
Owning a jukebox isn’t just about collecting a piece of history; it’s about curating a personal soundtrack. Each record, each artist, each memory – it all comes together to create a unique listening experience for us. It’s fun to go find these 45s at various places in our travels, although we haven’t done so lately.
Beyond their aesthetic appeal, jukeboxes offer a tangible connection to the past. They remind us of simpler times when music was shared and enjoyed together. That’s an important point for us. In a world dominated by digital streaming, there’s something truly special about holding a physical record and placing it on a turntable. It’s a tactile experience that can’t be replicated. Plus, vinyl sounds so much better as long as it isn’t scratched!
These Jukes can be pretty temperamental at times though. What can you expect with a mechanical machine with 700 parts!?
Yesterday was quite the exciting day. Mollie the Cavalier and her guardians came over to visit us and Carson. Now admittedly I was a little apprehensive about these two meeting, you never know how those things could go. Would the fur be flying or would everything be copasetic?
Well, I am pleased to say that it all went pretty well. When Carson first came down the stairs he didn’t notice her but after a few minutes their eyes locked on each other. Mollie growled a bit and barked a little, whereas Carson mostly just watched. Actually we are so proud of Carson. He spent the time mostly just watching the dog with interest but otherwise did not engage or bother with her. Mollie eventually got distracted by chewing on her bully stick. Interesting side note, I never knew this not being a dog owner but the sticks are actually made from bull penises. It’s true, go look it up. Anyways, as a grade, I would have to give Carson and A+ and Mollie a C-. It would have been a D but I’ll give her some slack since she is pretty much still a baby.
For those keeping score at home I’m currently on Level 483 of Tomb of the Mask as of this writing. I think I can see the end though. It looks like it might only go to Level 550. That’s a lot of levels!
I’m back from a quick weekend trip to Jersey. Actually I came back alone since I have as stuff to address back here while as LD is going to spend a few more days there and come back by train on Wednesday when I’ll pick her up. Been trying to get a lot of stuff done and it’s been a lot of work. Stayed over at a cute little AirBnB nearby. Nothing to write home about and pretty small but gets the job done as it’s mostly just a place to crash for the nights, Anyways, we also got gifted a sweet rocking chair from a friend down there who wanted to part with it which I brought back and will use a lot I think.
This photo is from just outside Parsippany Hills High. We happened to be tooling around the area and noticed that all the spaces were painted different things by the students. I settled on getting this one with Venom from the Spiderman comics.
Currently Reading: Brothers by Alex Van Halen
Spent some time yesterday afternoon visiting the sanctuary. We have to get to know these new goats better sooner or later! Plus we had some food we needed to drop off for the animals. For whatever reason, this one goat named Dansa really thought I had something in my pockets. We didn’t stay too long though, we needed to get back because we were having some guests over in the late afternoon, and that went really nice as well. We were going to do a fire pit but by the time they arrived it started to get a wee bit chilly so we hung indoors and ate pizza and calzones and chatted. I’ll try to get to the firepit this afternoon perhaps. But first we have a reflexology appointment in the late morning to luxuriate in! Oh, one other thing. While I was at the sanctuary I was pleased to learn they still had Stardust the Donkey’s 50th birthday party shirts for sale, so I got one. I wanted to attend his birthday this summer but the schedule just didn’t align. I am glad I was able to get one. In fact, I think I’ll wear it out today.
Currently Watching (or soon will be actually): The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth . I have it all scheduled to record on the DVR on Wednesday night.
Currently Reading: The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi (review)
What a week! Started off by me wanting to get some autumn shots over at Mount Auburn cemetery, (one of my better shots now available) so much so that I went on two days, both Sunday and Monday. Tuesday was spent doing my usual Tuesday things where I also tried out a new burger establishment in town and it’s pretty good, especially the chicken sandwiches. Wednesday was meeting up with LD at the office after my dentist appointment checkup, who had been away on a solo trip for a few days. Yesterday was Halloween so we had to give out the candy – I even got a couple of shout outs from some kids about my shirt. Later in the evening though I sort of had a stomach ache, I think I just ate too much candy. It seemed to me we didn’t have as many kids this year but there was enough. Let’s see, my favorite costumed kiddies this year would have to be the Rubik’s Cube and a skeleton that actually had lights all over themselves and lit up. Of course, the best ones of all all the really little kids who are just so cute.
Overcoming anxiety, one breath at a time, to deal with my own mental health.
Things we need to remember, including myself:
You don’t have to have everything figured out today. Take things one moment at a time. You are allowed to protect your peace even if it means saying no to others. Your journey is uniquely yours and comparing it to others only takes the beautiful light away from your own Path. Whatever you’re going through, please remind yourself that hard times don’t last. Your mental health matters. Take steps to prioritise your self-care. You deserve love, kindness, and care – especially from yourself.
Got to swing by the the Ville for a little bit yesterday afternoon. After getting a photo op down by the old Assembly Row (kind of amazing how many new things are down there nowadays) I took a trip over through Malden to visit the grave of my grandparents. I hadn’t been there in quite a while. I also took my mom out for a quick bite to celebrate her birthday the other day.
Had to take some time off – trying to get back to some normalcy for the moment now.
Currently reading: There Is No Ethan: How Three Women Caught America’s Biggest Catfish. This is actually a pretty fascinating read, I’m digging it. Also after that going to try to dive into Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI. In the last few days I also had a chance to read and finish A Girl Named Carrie: The Visionary Who Created Neiman Marcus and Set the Standard for Fashion, mostly while I was waiting around this week.
Just me with another one of my masterpieces. This is actually one of my favorite shots. I tried something different than usual this time by having it printed on acrylic. I must say that I am very pleased with the results! I also went a bit large on this one so you could easily see all the little details in the image.
We’ve sort of decided that we might want to visit Maine in a moth or two and not do the usual Prelude thing that we’ve been doing for the last couple of years. Not that we don’t love it, but it’s just so busy around that event. Might be a little quieter earlier in the season.
Got a few more leads on some Dedham Pottery items. Once again, we’re always on the lookout for something different, and generally involving a bunny or two. The key is to get a somewhat unique bunny themed item that you don’t usually see and at a very good price. I saw someone selling these cute pins for cheap and it happened to be close by in Roslindale so this morning we went and picked them up. Plus I was jonesing for a Dunks so we stopped off at a drive thru to fuel my caffeine addiction. Later on in the afternoon LD saw a display plate she wanted in Ashland so I hopped on over out that way to get that. Not too much going on out that way.so it was a quiet ride up and back for about an hour or so. Always on the lookout! It was originally just because the colors of the objects matched the new kitchen colors so well plus it has the bunny theme but now it’s taken on a life of it own.
Last night we watched the Suns of the WNBA take game 1 of the semis against Minnesota. Very good close game. It would be amazing if they could pull off a championship. I think my fav player on the team (besides the daughter of LD’s trainer) would have to be Mabrey. Not only does she nail the long bombs and is super scrappy but she’s from NJ!
Damn my body aches…wtf? 
Today to help LD out from going stir crazy we took a ride to the beach! The weather was pretty nice with only a cool breeze passing through now and again. One thing we noticed was a fishing boat just a few feet out from the beach. After looking it up I discovered it was the Nemesis and discovered this interesting website where you could track all these vessels,. On the way back we ended up at a stand and got some interesting looking gourds and another pumpkin and got a great deal on a pot of some of the biggest mums we’d ever seen! I’ll have to put a pic up of some of the gourds later.
I braved the rains this morning and actually took the subway into Boston’s Back Bay this afternoon to check out the flower dresses. I hadn’t taken the subway since probably 2018. I did get to ride on one of the new red line trains which was pretty nice. I did it to check out the amazing Fleurs de Villes exhibition. Each floral installation this year is based off a famous work of art in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston collection. Swipe to see the different ones! Which one is your favorite? Thanks to Em who lived nearby and came out to meet up with me for taking my selfie!
