Home Again!!

I had a marvelous time in Sunapee but it is great to be home.  I was so surprised to come home to a pristine courtyard and garden.  I hired someone to prune trees and bushes and just look in while Sim was also away.  He did a great job and cleaned up all the leaves and weeds.  Here are some pics of the area.

Last week on vacation

The last few days days at Sunapee were full of good food and cheer. We had one last dinner of the deep fried beer-battered chicken with buffalo dipping sauce at the Flying Goose. Jeff and Charlie arrived Tuesday morning. Ned and Royal brought us lunch at noon. The Browns and we went to a Latin-American tapas place in Hanover for dinner - Tuesday taco night with churros to die for.  We hosted a cocktail party Wednesday evening with the Brown cousins and a final cinnamon roll Thursday morning before da girls, Sim and I left for PA.

Sue and Steve had a tight schedule for us in Garnet Valley including Moscow Mules, dinner, and fountain show at Longwood Gardens. It was a fabulous light show, better than fireworks.  Some of the fountains actually had fire in them. They also had a special lumenary night which really brought the crowds out. 

Friday we drove down the Delmarva Peninsula and across the Bay tunnel and bridge to Va. Beach. Da girls were the stars of the boardwalk charming all passers by. We had sushi on the boardwalk before returning to our motel.

Saturday, we had lunch with Ester and Larry at their home.  Ester made us wonderful Filipino dishes with plenty to bring home.  Only took about 4 hours to drive home.  All was fine.

Sim's granddaughter, Nicole, gave birth to a healthy baby today. Maxwell Robert was almost 8 1/2 lbs.

Summer Progress 2017

Da girls and I started driving up on July 20 after my jury duty requirement. We spent the first night with the Perkinsons in Greenbelt MD where we enjoyed being with Mary Marshall and Richard for dinner at Mary Lew's. After placing flowers on Moody and Mary Lew's markers at St.  A's we headed home and got up early to drive all the way to Lake Sunapee NH. It took all day but we got there. Da girls were so happy to play with Maddy. The next day I drove back to VT to attend the VLOG concert at Mt Snow. I spent the night talking with Ned and Royal. Sunday evening most folks had left and a few of us went for Chinese food before the restaurant closes for good. Monday I returned to Lake Sunapee.

Jeff came up for a week and had great fun chopping down trees that interfered with his panorama. After he left some of Patti's friends came up for a week. There was lots of shopping as we gave them the highlights tour of Hannover, VT, and Lebanon. It ended with the craft fair at the mountain. After Clara and her sister left, my friend and former neighbor, Mary, spent one night with us so we could go to the fair and out to dinner.  The next day we made greeting cards before she had to return to VT.

Later that week my brother, John, and his wife, Carol, drove up from NJ on their way to folk dance week in Maine. Sim flew up the next day and the four of us drove to Brookfield VT for one last meal at Ariel's. Sim's daughter, Lee, and her husband are selling the restaurant and moving to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico in the Fall to start a BnB business. Sim and I stayed a few more days to see all his children and grandchildren. We returned to NH to take Zoe  and Zelda to the Vets. Each has her own problems but neither is much better after 5 days. Now they keep throwing up their food!

Jeff and Charlie come tomorrow night for a nice visit. We are hosting a cocktail party Wednesday evening before we leave the next day to drive home. We stop one night in PA to visit Sue and Steve and then one night in VA Beach were we will visit the Bileks. We hope to drive home Saturday night. 

I have enjoyed many theatrical productions while on my progress including 2 operas (Madame Butterfly and La Belle Helene), 2 musicals (West Side Story and All Shook Up), and a Broadway tunes concert, and a film (Dunkirk). We went out to eat lots including the Flying Goose, Suna, 74 Maine, Lou's, Ariel's, etc. Ned and Royal are coming by this week before we leave for lunch.

I read several engaging books including "The Red Tent" and the "King's Curse". The final monograph read was written about shtetl life written by Sim's father, who emigrated from the Ukraine in 1924. It's like watching Fiddler on the Roof without the music.

Most days I read while Patti sews and then she takes the dogs to the lake. I rock on the screen porch. We watched some Poldark, some tennis, and some baseball. I got to see Matt and Molly as well as Vi and Marty. Molly and Matt are in Nantucket for my time share week this week, I'm so glad they got to enjoy it.

Gingerbread cupcakes with lemon curd filling - Yum!

Hiking down to the lake

Zoe retrieving the rubber fish

Maddy and Zoe waiting for the rubber fish to be thrown

Pizza dinner with Dubermans in Brookfield, VT

Noah made the pizzas, Yum!

Sunset Lake in backyard of Lee and Richard's house

Patti and Jeff with some of the furry friends