Eat and Runny Pie

I tried to make a pie for the Men's night at church today. I followed the recipe. I'm not sure what happened. It looked more like chocolate pudding than chocolate pie. We all have our talents. Baking is clearly not one of mine and I'm OK with that.
So when you can't cook well, make sure you find places to eat where they do! ....like the Olive Garden. The three younger kids and I had a nice evening there with Anthony, Laura and the kids. They're here for their lightning fast October visit to attend the annual Pig Roast of Laura's Grampy Hammond. Mom, Dad and Alex Burgoin ( who's flying out with Dad to MO on Monday) joined us. Jubal and Jim had to decide between the already planned Men's night, complete with steak and plenty of pie, or seeing family that you'll see at Thanksgiving anyway. I suspected that Jim would choose the pie. I was right. And finally, if Alex and Dad are in the house, the night is likely to end up in a game of Catan. It did. Jubal won.


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Freezing In Fryeburg

In recent years we've been spoiled by the mild temperatures during our annual excursion to the Fryeburg Fair... not so this trip! Wednesday's weather was reminiscent of some of the early years when our family would be sure to break out the winter gear once the warmth of the sun was swallowed up below the horizon of the Western Maine mountains.


Touring the livestock barns was saved for later in the evening when we could enjoy the natural heat emissions produced by the animal population.

Somehow we missed the goats and hogs buildings, however.. How did that happen? I love the goats!

The dip toward 40•F in the mercury prompted us to leave a couple hours earlier than usual but did not diminish our enjoyment. I am fairly certain, however, that Dad would have preferred for Mom to have told him at the beginning of the night, that she had packed his hat and gloves, rather than 20 minutes before we left the fairgrounds.



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October Rain

Rain on Thursday canceled Jubal's soccer game. Rain on Saturday canceled Atira's soccer game. On Sunday evening the rain followed us to the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee in NH for the wedding of my cousin Jessie, to Tyler Moul. Atira, who appreciates the beauty of a wedding, came with us. Relying on my memory, because my invitation was lost in the vortex months ago, I thought that the ceremony began at 5:00. I was aided in this belief by a text from my cousin Greg, who told us that the wedding was at 5:00. We left with 45 minutes to spare but promptly encountered a clogged 295 right below the Brunswick exit. That, combined with Jim's generally slow driving, the rain factor and a bathroom break, whittled away our extra time and we arrived thinking that the wedding would be starting in 5 minutes. I was relieved to see that Papa and BauBau were only just arriving with Uncle Frank, Aunt Cheryl and Uncle John. As it turns out, the ceremony wasn't until 5:30. Knowing that we are chronically tardy, Greg had taken the liberty of lying to us, ensuring our timely arrival. The rain did nothing to dampen the spirit of the lovely wedding. I thought, instead, that it was an appropriate symbol of the spiritual refreshing and renewal that took place a couple years ago in Jessie's life, which brought her back to the Lord and eventually to this godly man.


At this moment, I hear that the rain that carried us into October has subsided, making way for a crisp, autumn day.

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I Get the Message

After my last post I realized that my toilet bowl chipmunk had entered the house with a friend. The next day, in an attempt to fight off my cold, I took an afternoon nap and was disturbed in my bedroom by the second rodent as he scrambled onto my cedar chest just under the window. I suspected he saw the great outdoors and was longing for freedom. I opened my ground level window and the back door while closing access to the rest of the house, in hopes that he would find his way out. I believe my plan worked. I haven't seen or heard him for a couple days. I wonder if he left a "Rodent Vacancy" sign on my house as he left? That very same night I spotted a cute little mouse scampering across the mud room floor by the back door. Cute or not, I set the traps, baiting them with a bit of granola bar. These are a completely enclosed trap, designed so I don't have to see the poor dead creature when the deed is done. I went to bed, hoping to be rodent-free by morning. Peering into the trap opening in the morning, I did indeed see something......mouse droppings. What is the mouse trying to tell me about my useless traps when not only does he eat all my granola bar, but then poops on the trap before he leaves? I get the message....crappy trap.


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Not Doing So Well

I woke this morning with the beginnings of a cold and it took hold as the day progressed. I managed to get only a couple hours of schooling in before calling it a day and comforting myself with some chicken noodle soup and fresh, warm, homemade bread.

Though I felt progressively worse as the hours passed, my day did not end as badly as it did for one of the chipmunks that resides in my yard. I noticed, when returning home from Atira's soccer practice, that the back door had been left open all afternoon. This happens frequently and I've often thought that it's surprising that we don't get wild animals wandering into the house. Well, tonight we did. As I walked into the downstairs bathroom I thought that someone had neglected to flush the toilet but upon closer scrutiny, it was in fact a poor little chipmunk who had drowned in my toilet. I'll pass on showing a photo of that one.......

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In"tree"gued

Early last week I had a conversation with Jubal and learned that he needed a Spanish-English dictionary. Apparently, in one year he had managed to destroy the one that had sustained me through my high school days and twenty years beyond. Well, being a necessary item and no longer having a handy Borders up the road, on Friday, I headed to my local liberal hippie-run bookstore, Gulf of Maine on Brunswick's Maine St.. I made this assumption based not so much on the pony-tailed old man in flannel at the counter, but more so by the lack of an appropriate History section and the prominence of the Gay-Lesbian one by comparison. Another clue was the large edition of Marijuana Horticulture among the gardening books. Though the Foreign Language was small, they thankfully had what I needed. Then, while browsing the Maine books, I happened upon an excellent guide to Maine Forest Trees and bought that as well.



The kids and I put it to good use today as we spent a couple hours identifying and labeling our tree types in the yard and surrounding woods. Our exploration came to an end when Tell tripped in the underbrush and scraped his stomach on a jagged stump. I think Nolan was glad for the end of our tree-tagging time. Atira and I, however, quite enjoyed it and may do it again very soon.


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My Favorite Season

What a great start to the Patriot's 2011-2012 season! The Monday Night Football opener against the Dolphins produced a (franchise) record-breaking 517 passing yards for Brady and made for a cheerful Tuesday wake-up for me. As I drove past the church at 7:15 am, after dropping Jubal and Nate off at the Brown's, I left a short note in the church office door for my pastor. He grew up in Florida and Miami is his team. This has naturally produced a friendly football rivalry between us. My note basically stated the following:

Pastor Blundell,
I thought you might be feeling a bit sad this morning after last night's game so I thought that I would write and encourage you by telling you how happy I am!
Your friend (even through football season),
Rachelle

This afternoon's home opener at Gillette, against whiny Phillip Rivers and the Chargers, was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.


What fun to watch big Vince Wilfork's tip, interception and slow sprint down the field and the Pat's Defense prevent a San Diego score on a 4th and goal...I feel a winning momentum for this season in New England!







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