Yes, I'm glad we got to meet. I'm having fun with all my Springfield friends. You guys are special!

top ten list of who i most like to have lunch with. yup, i was with one of 'em for some delicious thai food today. her smile goes through me. you're all on that list, just didn't happen today unless your name is lori. sweet kid. honest, too. laughed and cried. forgot about time.

Karen, talking about losing knives at Security, my son had a TINY (less than an inch) knife on a chain around his neck and got stopped at security at Burlington airport. They sent him back to the check-in counter and made him put it in his backpack and check the backpack in instead of taking it as hand luggage on the plane. No other airport gave him problems about that. They're pretty strict in Burlington. Once they took away all our batteries.

I'll be looking at schools but most of the positions I've seen have been working with behaviorally disturbed students and i don't feel up to that challenge right now. I'd like to sub for a while and see what building is the fun one! Believe not all school staff are there having a good time. Right Kathi? We have a good time together at my building and I'd like to find a similar climate.

So Richard I'm thinking about a the American Knife and wondering if a quart bottle of Schlitz might not be easier to pack?

by the way, i am an idea hampster and i have many more thoughts on swiss army knives for the global economy. obviously, the original has 22 tools that a practical swiss person uses daily. a french army knife would be the same for the practical french person and it needs to have 22 corkscrews (only). a japanese army knife should include 17 remote controls and the american version would probably just have a hand gun and a six pack of budweiser. just a thought.

hi pat. i hope transitioning goes well. i am concerned that my purchasing habits will be exposed if you work at the ll bean call center. does everyone need to know that i buy down-filled bikini bottoms (no tops) for that special someone? pretty sexy- am i right? also, if you ever have the chance, could you ask them to offer a swiss army house? forget about the knife with the corkscrew and toothpick. i need something to take on the road that folds out into a rock star's crib with a decent wine cellar and a refrigerator full of snacks. don't worry. i will figure out how to open the wine bottles and retrieve crumbs from my teeth without the current models they offer.

today was our staff in service day and tomorrow is the first student day. so we're off again. I have 23 days of school before I am officially retired. On Wednesday after school I have an inspector and an appraiser coming at 3:30. We had a 3 hour inspection of the house in Hermon, this guy up here say it'll probably be about 30 minutes. Isn't that odd? I'm glad I'm not a prospective buyer counting on information on this house in P.I. to help with my decision.

I think I'm going to work at the LL Bean all center for the holiday season. that is if they're still hiring when I get down that way.

I think I'm June actually, A time of year when roses would be in bloom. The calendar will be an 18 month-er because that's how many of us are in the group. The are fewer active members but when we decided to do the calendar it was surprising how many of us were involved. One of the members is doing all the photo shoots. I think we planned to have them available by Nov. It's really just something for a kick!

thanks for the nice comments you guys..........

You look really good with the roses, Patti!

oh behave!

This photo is me standing in my rose garden. My knitting group is doing a calendar; inspired by the movie Calendar Girls. However, we were not bold enough to do nudie shots so we chose to have our photos be of something we enjoy outside of our common interest in knitting.

Karen, so glad that you are back with us!! You are a good daughter-in-law! You'll get brownie points towards all the ding, dings we do!!
I can not believe that summer is almost over for me! Where did all the time go?? We went to a Inservice today...was interesting but not what I wanted to be doing already!! lol...did get to see the trailer that we will be in...construction all over....put on happy faces....it will be crazy until the school and playground are completed....so Pat...retirement sounds nice....just kidding.
The weather is perfect here today...80s with a little breeze. I think I am going to go out and read my book....yard work this weekend....Lori, have a great time this weekend with your family. Karen, I am sure you look great so don't get obsessed! I was going to loose weight before the wedding...but...it hasn't happened and I can't change it right now!!! I could tell you what the bridal dress shop owner told my daughter, after she screwed up sewing the wedding dress...drink more water.....but I wouldn't be so cruel to say that!!! You are beautiful and embrace it.....

Hi Lori, Yeah I'll be starting at 7:45 on Monday the 25th. I'm going to take off at noon on Friday and meet Dave in Bangor. Then we'll ride together to camp in NH for the long weekend. I'm anxious to get back there, I've really missed it these last weeks. I've sent in my resignation letter and gave Sept. 2 as my final day of work. If however, things progress here on the sale in PI then it cold be earlier. Once this house sells we're oughta here.

Too bad you couldn't make it this time, Patti. Kathi summed up the visit well. We had a really good time being together and laughing and talking about all kinds of things, and I hope we'll be able to do it again in the not too distant future. Are you going to be working for part of the year before you move to Bangor?

I have a in-service on Friday....not sure when we'll work next week. They are still doing major renevations to Union Street School...we will be in a portable classroom this year...and other teachers need to move out of their old classrooms into the new part that is finished, so school for kids won't start until Sept. 2...maybe....we'll see. It sounds like a stressful, kind of year....
Glad that you are feeling better.

Thanks for the photo Kathi it's terrific! So glad you all had a great day visiting. Next time I'll be closer too so it'll be easier and maybe I'll even come over before the summer is ending next year.

I spent a while at school today and felt better than I have in several days. Trying not to over do it though. I've had to turn in my resignation officially so that my position can be advertised. That was tough, but it'll be alright.

I'm going down to the new house on Thursday. We get to go in while the housing inspection is being done so it's a good opportunity. I'll take more photos and some measurements. Do a little shopping while I'm in Bangor. Got to get my first day of school outfit! We start on Monday, when do you go back Kathi?

I have tried this 3 times...I hope it doesn't eventually print 3 of the same thing....
Here are Lori, Janice, Kathi and Karen visiting in
Springfield today. Its great to get together with friends!

Hi Everybody,

Here we are...Lori, Janice, Kathi and Karen. We had a great visit....we all like to chat! Had lunch up at the Country Club, soaked up some sun and memories at Stoughton Pond, visited with Deb Young (who just got back from a trip to Ireland), heard about Linda Hayes wedding

3 weeks ago, congratulations Linda Stokes! Drove around Springfield..back to my house to more chatting and chocolate chip cookies. We caught up on memories and missed the friends who couldn't join us today! Maybe next time we'll have more people join us! Safe trips home everybody.

I'll post some pictures soon....hope you are feeling better Pat...we did miss you.

I can't believe there are no posts yet from those of you who met in Spfld. today. Boo Hoo..............

One can live with regrets or move on.....we all have them.

Remember, Tuesday, for any listening....

Having regret means we have to forgive ourselves, which is probably harder than forgiving anyone else.

i wasn't prying :-) i know that you and avi made a clear choice to focus and invest in what you have and i think the world of both of you for doing that. it really was a general statement. i only realized the day after writing it that you might take it as being more pointed than i meant it. sorry. none the less, i think it is an interesting insight that many things are really bad but regret is really, really bad.

Is that a general question or are you talking to me specifically? If you're talking to me, I AM committed to my relationship and am putting everything into understanding it and making it the best it can be. So is Avi. That doesn't mean we don't have conflicts (who doesn't?), but we're both committed to the marriage. For me, the worst possible situation is living in apathy. I wouldn't stay in a relationship where I don't feel love. Life is too short.

i don't feel like you were prying. it is odd that we are all special and relationships are not necessarily very special at all. here is an interesting question to ask yourself. if you continue as you are without more commitment toward what you have or if you continue without making a strategic change toward a new way, how will you feel in five years? will you have any regrets? will you feel like you didn't put it on the table when you should have been doing just that? being a victim is hard and it has nasty impact. having regrets is much, much worse.

Okay, that's enough. Sorry if it seemed like I was prying. I was just responding to your enthusiasm cuz it's encouraging to hear about good relationships.

she and i met when i used to be from springfield. she knows my life from then and has cared enough to remember. that's really all that there is to tell.

Okay, Kathi. Thanks for offering your house!

By the way, Richard, we're still waiting to hear your story. You didn't tell us about this wonderful girlfriend of yours who filled the house with flowers. Did you think we'd let you off the hook so easily? Don't forget, you're dealing with women here on this blog.

Tuesday, August 19th.....meet at Kathi's house around 11:00. We
will then decide where to go for lunch. Maybe a picnic at Stoughton Pond...
See you then!

well, madame shenk was not a fav teacher for me either. i did take a road trip with her to boston for i-don't-know-what and there was a memorable conversation that comes back like a slap to the face. we (some class of '71 chicks and me as the very interested listener) were talking about controlling how far sexual advances go. madame shenk stood firm in her belief that once breasts are being manually carressed, there is no turning back and that the players will engage in the final act without any intermission - when cooler heads might prevail. among the award winning cast from the class of "71 there were cameos that ranged from, "non, non, non" to beth's (don't remember her last name) soliliquy of "oui, oui, oui. viva la bon chance. etc."

Karen, I am so sorry about your little jewel. We just got home so I could respond to your email.
Pets are such a part of our families that its tragic when they die. Sad that it had to have happened the way it did. She knew you loved her for sure...remember that..not her tragic end.
She is pretty adorable in that picture...
We left last night at 7 from NC. We left Saturday night to bring the darling grandchildren back to their rightful owners. They were glad to be home..sort of...and very sad when we left last night. They will all be back up in a month for the wedding. Neil and I stopped in Astoria and picked up Suzanne. We will do girl wedding things tomorrow and Friday and then John will come up for the weekend. It'll be fun to be together...just us.
I haven't heard from anyone else about Tuesday...but if everybody wants to meet here...then we can decide where to go for lunch.
Karen, try to relax during your Florida trip....I'll talk to you soon.
Happy Thoughts..............

karen, i love her name- ANEKS Bijou Mignon. i had a cat whose name was mon petite bijou. obviously, she was bijou for short.

Sorry you're going through a hard time, Karen. She looks really cute in the picture. My brother-in-law's dog was also attacked a while back by some kind of wild animal. You wouldn't think that would happen in the suburbs of L.A., but...

i loved mignon and i am so sad. there are animals like fisher cats, which are vicious and cruel to pets. i am so sorry. my girlfriend's cat died in the same way. mignon was such a grand creature. i will say once again that the closest we come to looking into the face of God is when we look into the eyes of a dog.

Karen, I'm so sorry to hear about Mignon. That must have been such a difficult decision for you and you'll miss her very much.

Kathi, is it definite that we're meeting at your house on the 19th? Is it easier for you if we just meet at that restaurant in town?

Sorry it didn't work out, Patti. Hopefully, something better will turn up, and then you'll be glad things worked out this way.

complicated story but looks like we lost the house............

ditto what Lori said

Not a bad place to be. I'd like to be the cilantro who makes someone's African peanut soup perfect.

karen, imagine the things that could be named, "mixed emotions." here are the first five that occur to me. a drink that is both salty and sweet and is about 100 proof. re-aquainting yourself with a guy that dumped you but says he realizes what a fool he was to ever leave you. calling a guy that you dumped, but you just want one last look to confirm what you already know. having to pick between your son's class picnic and your husband's unexpected call to come meet him at a motel. deciding whether the cilantro is worth going back to get at the store to make your african peanut soup perfect. so, i am asking myself which of these "mixed emotions" comes closest to yours in regard to me and a great chick. i am only being honest when i tell you that i think i am the cilantro that makes your african peanut soup perfect. we will always have that, babe. okay?

Well, at least we know why he disappeared, Karen! Not that we bored him to death. I miss you here, Richard, but I'm glad you disappeared for a good reason!

Patti, congratulations on the house! Will you still be able to come on the 19th? So are we meeting at your house, then, Kathi? What time?

hello beautiful classmates. my life lately has been strange, busy, and okay overall. it is great to see that you guys are doing well. here is how it breaks down for me. my work gets too much of my time, my home is full of flowers and plants inside and out, and my cat is basically in charge- barks orders, asks for love, and continues as the hair factory he was born to be. did i forget to mention that i have a wonderful girlfriend? that is a special story for another day.

See, good things come to those who wait! I am glad that everything is getting into place, Pat!
I wish it would stop raining here. We had torrential downpours this morning...the kids and I went on an adventure to the library....we had to park on Mineral Street, walk up the street, out into the road to the library...they are redoing sidewalks...to the little wooden bridge in front of the library...listened to Mr. Ippolito sing songs, got books, played with other kids, toys and ventured back out into the rain. It did stop for about 2 hours this afternoon when we got outside to play. Yesterday I got the old red wagon out and we went for a long walk...kids thought it was funny that it was the same wagon their mommy had ridden in when she was little....doesn't take much to entertain them! Playdough and tv , too....how much better can it get.
Three more days until they go home...happy/sad!
We are getting together on the 19th...if we meet here, then we can decide where and what to do. Anyone else out there listening in is invited also....
Happy thoughts...

Oh my, just heard from the realtor and we have purchased (are purchasing) a house in Hermon. I 've spoken to my principal and unless someone is hired right away, I'll still be starting school on the the 25th. I just have to figure out in a few days what my ending date will be.
Boy, there is much to be done here on this end. Colin is on his way home to help get the house ready. Dave just can't do it on the weekends and we want to get on the housing market asap.

Thanks, Karen. The wedding was at the Skirball Cultural Center. They have rooms you can use, but we had the wedding in their courtyard. It was really nice having it outside. The ceremony was in that courtyard, and then we went to a different, smaller courtyard for the cocktail hour, and came back into the big one for dinner and dancing. That gave them time to take the chairs away and set up the tables for dinner and also the dance floor and DJ stuff, etc. Danit chose those colors of flowers. We were really happy with the woman who did the flowers. She was a nice person (besides doing a good job with the flower arrangements).

The "stress stage" is awful, but there doesn't seem to be any way of avoiding it. At least the end result makes it all worthwhile!

Lori, what a beautiful wedding! Your daughter looks like you. You did a wonderful job and everyone looks happy. We are at the "stress" stage! Suzanne and John were up this weekend...they were a big help with Caleb and Camille...the florist came over on Saturday...I have found my daughter to be very detail oriented, thinking of things I never would!
It has rained off and on here, showers everyday, with downpours in between for the whole weekend. We did get outside for most of the afternoon today before it started raining again. Everybody played frisbe and blew bubbles on these huge bubble wands...Hopefully, the little ones are tired out, I know I am!
My new refrigerator comes on Tuesday. The motor on this old one has run constantly for the past week...the constant noise is driving me crazy! It will be worth all the work to clean out the old one!
Pat, I hope things work out for you!

Thanks, Patti. It was definitely worth all the stress. We had a really good time and keep hearing from people about how much they enjoyed the wedding. There was a good atmosphere. Everyone was dancing--all ages and types.

Oh Lori, Danit is so lovely, and she has your eyes! I'm so glad it was a beautiful day for all of you. I think that's the first time I've seen a photo of Avi and of the children. Thank you for posting these.

Sorry, I didn't manage to post the pictures with labels. That first one is Danit and our son, Omer. There's a photo of Danit and her brothers, Rafi on the left, Omer on the right. Then Darren is posing with Rafi and Omer. One picture shows Kristine, Rafi's wife, and you can see me talking to Rafi and then walking down the aisle with Avi and Danit. We'll have better pictures sometime in the next few weeks.

Two more pictures.

I'm posting a few pictures from Danit and Darren's wedding--not the professional ones cuz we didn't get them yet, but just some of ours to give you all some idea of what we looked like on that day.

We're still waiting but we know that contracturally we have no contract. It's all quite confusing because it's a 3 hour time difference to this bank doing the deal for the foreclosure. It's sad for the family that leaving.

so, no luck. Back to living in two towns.

Guess I spoke too soon. It looks like we lost the sale. Unfortunately it is going through foreclosure with an out of state bank. The sale agreement had last Friday at 5 PM as the date and time of acceptance of the offer. That date passed and we were told it is because of the out of state bank situation and complications with the foreclosure. So we changed the date to today at 5. The other realtor is out of town on vacation and we are being told by our realtor that it could still be another couple of days. We don't want to be dragged around through this and want a decision made today.So....................we wait to hear from our realtor today.

The house looks beautiful, Patti! Is everything finalized then? Good luck with everything.

Congratulations Pat! Sounds like plans are in motion. I like the looks of the house. Where is Herman in relationship to where you are now?
This morning Camille and I made zucchini bread...she likes lots and lots of raisins in hers and not walnuts like Papa's. We made six little loaves and one big loaf. I went outside for a minute and when I came back in both kids were sitting at the table with a little loaf of bread in front of them, munching away. Nana, we needed a snack. Tomorrow, Neil has plans for us to take them to some kid amusement park up by Lake George....we'll see. We have completed one full week!!!
I am hoping that Suzanne and John can come up this weekend to see them again before we take them back! I call it more adult help!
I hired someone to scrape and paint our garage...I certainly don't have time and neither does Neil...and this way it will be done before the wedding....
Happy Thoughts...........

Speaking of real beer; break out the Guiness. We've been told that we are just waiting on some out of state banking institute to finalize the purchase of our new home in Hermon, Me. See photo. 90% set; just waiting for the phone to ring. Think I'll go out and buy myself some new chair cushions to celebrate. If something goes wrong then at least I'll have new cushions.
Karen V flew off to VT today. Welcome back to the east coast!

Kathi, I think I'm ready for grandchildren. Hearing your stories and also having my sister's kids here (they're so cute!) is making me want some grandchildren of my own.

We got back Friday from 4 nights of camping--2 in Sequoia National Park and 2 at a campground outside Yosemite. It was beautiful up there and nice waking up in nature. The only part I didn't like was the bathroom situation. I guess I need my own bathroom. It didn't help to see all those warning signs about bears everywhere. I was afraid to get up in the middle of the night to go pee. They give you bear-safe containers to store all your food in, but not just food--anything with a scent, like deodorant, sunscreen, lipstick, etc. Makes you kind of paranoid. I was picking up every kernel of corn that fell on the ground so the bears wouldn't come. We heard they were in the area, but we didn't see any. We saw a lot of deer and chipmunks! It was refreshing swimming in those cold mountain streams and lakes.

Sounds like you are going to be busy Karen...cleaning is something I need to do tomorrow. We went up to Lebanon today for Sunday at the Park. A free fun day on the common in the heart of town. Lots of vendors, ice cream , games for kids, balloons, face painting, jugglers and magicians.
It worked out well with meeting at my sisters house and walking over. Andrew and Amy came to meet us there on their way back to Concord. Neil and I went over to Best Buy to check out refrigerators...mine is 25 years old and runs constantly with frost up in the freezer. Hopefully, this one will last until next week the earliest they can deliver it. The kids are really being good especially the 3 1/2 year old who has never been away from her parents overnight. She is usually very funny. She told me she wants to stay with Nana forever....and I say two weeks! Which will actually be 3 weeks before all is said and done. My husband "forgot" to put in for the first week of August off and can now only get the second week off....so, that means I have them way too long!!!!!! haha....makes me wonder how I did it with three of my own and a fulltime business. Couldn't be because I am getting old! Anyways, I've bored you all enough and will go put the little darlings to bed.