Busy

Life's been busy and at some points overwhelming.  Since last April's A - Z Blogging Challenge, I have only posted a handful of blog posts.  I have to admit there has been an extreme lack of inspiration compounded with the day to day chaos of life.  I have to plead guilty to a little bit of situational depression brought on by a number of things, most stemming from cancer diagnoses of several close friends.

There were also some highlights in the past year including a trip to Washington, DC so the boys could participate in the Close-Up Program.  

I was also an extra in the movie Bleed For This a little over a year ago, which is about local boxer Vinnie Pazienza who overcame severe injuries in a horrific car accident to win a boxing championship.  Originally slated to be released in late 2015, it has been pushed to sometime this year in light of the releases of Southpaw and Creed.

Summer peaked here in RI in August through September, with some beautiful, hot beach days in September once the kids were in school.  I was fortunate to be able to drop the boys at school and head down to the beach to meet friends, enjoying the late summer sun and surf.  One particular day, a couple of friends and I walked over to Champlins, one of the restaurants by the water where another friend was tending bar.  The travel channel was there filming a segment for Bizzare Foods with Andrew Zimmern and we wound up eating some of the featured dishes and giving our opinions for the camera!  The show is actually airing this week, so we'll have see if we made the cut!

As March approaches, I've been assembling some thoughts on a theme to again participate in the A-Z blogging, themes to be announced around the end of March.  

Happy Monday!!    

Restaurant Week ~ Providence

Dirty Martini - Capital Grille, Providence

Providence, RI is well-known for it's wonderful restaurants.  Winter restaurant week took place in January and some of the restaurants actually offered their specials for several weeks, through the end of the month. 

I was able to visit Capital Grille and Circe for two amazing dinners.  A high school friend and I had dinner at the Capital Grille.  The prix fix restaurant menu offered an appetizer, entree and dessert.  I had a caesar salad, filet mignon with creme brûlée for dessert.  Pat had the wedge salad, the filet and creme brûlée.  We each chose a different side and split them, (Sam's mashed potatoes and french beans with heirloom tomatoes).  The meal was outstanding and the service was fantastic.  My new favorite drink is a dirty martini and Capital Grille did not disappoint.  It was the best dirty martini I had had so far, although I must admit a couple of other restaurants were very close.

The following week, my cousin Nancy and I visited Circe.  I had been dying to try this restaurant for a while.  Service was outstanding, our waiter was funny, flirty and was an absolute doll.  I had already known what I was going to order as a friend had gone the week before.  Nancy and I both ordered the short rib arancini with an au poivre sauce for our appetizer.  To be quite honest, I don't know why Circe does not offer this as a regular menu choice.  It was hands down one of the most delicious dishes we have ever had.  We both ordered the filet dinner.  The filet was fantastic, Nancy's was a little undercooked, but the kitchen promptly cooked it a little more and regarnished it.  We were thrilled with our dinner.  For dessert, I chose the chocolate lava cake. I thought I died and went to heaven!  Nancy got the bread pudding and was very pleased with her choice.  Kudos also to Circe for their dirty martini.  So smooth, perfection.  To this date, Circe served, hands down, the BEST dirty martini I have ever had.  I was so impressed I recommended Circe to another friend who went with her husband on the very last day of restaurant week.  They were totally blown away by the quality of the food and service, (ordering the same choices I ordered a few days prior).  

Short Rib Arancini - Circe Restaurant

Filet over Fried Polenta - Circe Restaurant

There are many, many great restaurants in Providence and you can't go wrong at either the Capital Grille or Circe.  Next time you're in Providence, be sure to check one out!

Back to School

Several months ago, after over-indulging in a bottle of wine and some tears with a friend, she gave me the extra push I needed to enroll in a couple of continuing education photography courses as R.I. School of Design (RISD).  I've completed a 6 week introductory pre-requisite course and am on my way to completing a photography certificate program.  I've also completed a couple of one day, 3 hour classes and have begun the pre-requisite computer based Digital Design for the Screen Course in preparation to get into the photoshop courses next fall.

One of our projects was Cityscape (B&W) and I shot my photos in downtown Providence.  These were some of my favorites.  What do you think?

RI State House

RI State House

RI Statehouse Dome with Independent Man Statue

Inside of Nordstroms Department Store

Heading into Downtown

Turkshead Building

Benches in Waterplace Park

Waterplace Park Walkway

Make Someone Smile...

In my daily travels, I've made friends at the local markets, bakery and pharmacy.  At one of my stops there is a lovely woman whose husband brings her into work every day she goes in. He even helps her set up before going home.  They are an old school Italian couple with grown children who do everything together.  I speak with her husband often and the exchanges are for the most part short and concise.  We discuss anything from the weather to families to holiday traditions and even politics and religion.   Nothing is off limits.  Most of the time we laugh, at ourselves and at each other.  I walked in one morning at 6am, with furry slippers, pajamas and disheveled hair, which was sticking up all over the place (the joy of curly hair).  He laughed so hard when I walked in and I was doubled over laughing by the time I went out the door.  

One morning a couple of months ago he told me he had cancer.  After extensive testing it was found to be stage 4, involving multiple organs.  Our conversations of late have been light and we both tread carefully on the illness talk, especially as it is particularly upsetting to his wife.  This morning I asked him how he was doing while she was not within hearing distance.  He said they told him he had 9 months.   He had a CAT scan last week and the doctors were very encouraged at his progress.  The two types of chemo he has been receiving are evidently working.  He looks great.  We talked a little about food and diet and as I got ready to leave, he kissed the back of my hand and said "I really enjoy our conversations."  I held my tears until I was in my car.

It is bittersweet, so happy to hear his treatment is going better than expected, but knowing there is a clock ticking.  What moved me was knowing that I am responsible for one of his smiles on the days I see him.   I think we all know there are people we make smile, but we rarely hear them actually express it.  We all should thank those that make us smile.  It is such a fantastically uplifting experience.  He was the reason I smiled all day today.

Oh Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

"We're kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols."         - Clark Griswold, Christmas Vacation.


We normally put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving, but this year, due to extremely mild temps, we decided to get our outside decorating done first.  


This afternoon, we will make the venture out to a cute little tree stand, a mile and a half away, to choose our tree. We'll cram it indoors, plop it in the stand and hopefully secure enough that it doesn't fall over, as it has every year.  

A couple of years ago, I wrote this poem, with a little help from my son.  I'm quite  proud of it as I am no poet, and I thought I'd share it again!

Twas the Week Before Christmas... (2013)

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house

My sons and I decorated, with no help from my spouse.

The stockings were hung on the rail by the stairs

The blankets and pillows decorated the chairs.

Unfortunately we tied the tree to the wall,

Because after a few days of tipping we feared it might fall.

Part of the village was set up under the tree,

And some even sat on the table near the TV.

The nutcrackers guarded the TV remotes.

To see the outside, we had to put on our coats.

Santa and Mrs. Claus looked out below.

At Rudolph's nose glowing right there in the snow.

A family of reindeer stood in the side yard.

Where at Halloween, there was a graveyard.

A moose and a wagon out front with a light.

The beautiful decorations lit up the night.

A snowman will welcome Santa, that jolly old elf.

When he comes here on Christmas all by himself.

But no, he won't be alone this year.

He'll have his sled and all the reindeer.

And after he leaves, and rides out of sight,

He'll say, 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

(this was composed with a little help from my 11 year old son)

Hello, It's Been a While...

HI...

Apparently, I have taken a hiatus from my blog since this past spring.  There was a ten day trip to Washington, DC then a perfectly blissful summer where other than relaxing and being a Mom, nothing much else got done.  

I was also able to spend some time immersing myself in recreational reading. I had denied myself this little pleasure in the past, but more than made up for it these past few months, finding great enjoyment from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.  They are quick easy reads and laugh out loud funny.  

And now all of a sudden we are in the middle of the holiday and political seasons.  The politics I can seriously do without.  I have a hard time even listening to the current lineup - I think they're all out of touch and in some cases certifiably crazy.  My heart is heavy over the recent attacks all around the world.  While I am an admitted Facebook addict, I find myself tuning out the political and depressing posts and gravitating to the funny pages with inappropriate jokes and find myself getting quite a kick out of some of the more naughty Elf on A Shelf ideas.  

Our outside decorations are up and I now have begun the task indoors which I hope to complete in the next couple of days.  

And I am still in the throes of writers' block   although I'm not really a writer.  I find my mind wanders to the fact that my older son will be starting high school next year and he needs to make a decision as to where he will go, and my youngest son will be 13 next week!  Where has the time gone?  







So as Christmas has thrown up in my living room, I will have to excuse myself to finish up some decorating!

We're Going to Washington!

Getting closer!

Baltimore Tunnel

My husband and I decided at the beginning of the school year to sign the boys up to participate in the Close Up program.  As stated on their website, Close-Up's mission is, "Close Up informs, inspires, and empowers young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy."  

He and I both participated in Close Up in the late 1970's, a few years after it had been established.  We felt it would be a positive experience for the boys as well, especially given the fact that both David and Michael love history and politics.  

Due to our food allergy issues, I arranged for my husband and me to go as well, requesting a room with a microwave and refrigerator, so I would be able to prepare food they could eat.  We also decided to extend the trip so we could see a little more of Washington, DC since we were going to be there anyway.

Since the Close Up program took care of the hotel arrangements from Sunday night through checkout on Wednesday, I had to make reservations for the Friday and Saturday night before the program began and the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday night after it ended.  We also drove instead of flying.  I was a little apprehensive about this trip.  This is the first time we've gone away where arrangements were made by someone else.  

I have found Trip Advisor to be extremely helpful in locating hotels.  While I usually book directly from the hotels' reservation desk, I scour the reviews and various hotels in an area.  The nights we were looking for were mostly booked for several sports events and college graduations in the DC area.  Add to that the fact I needed a microwave and fridge at a minimum.  The Close Up hotel was fully booked so I found a room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Silver Spring, Maryland, in close proximity to the hotel Close Up had booked.  Upon making the reservation, I noted we were driving and would arrive in the wee hours of the morning.  This detail was included in the email confirmation I received.  In addition, I called the hotel two hours before we left to remind them it would be a very late check in, most likely around 2 or 3 am, and a very friendly receptionist said, "thanks for reminding us, I will make sure everyone knows you'll be coming."

We drove at night and arrived at the Silver Spring Hilton Garden Inn at 3am as expected.  What we did not expect however was being told we had no room, especially in light of the fact that I confirmed less than 12 hours before we arrived!  There was a cooler in the car with some food and we had been driving all night. To say I was irritated would be an gross understatement.  The poor man at the desk wanted to speak with my husband and not me and to be perfectly honest, I didn't want to speak with him either!  

After a couple of phone calls, the guy at the desk found us a room in Bethesda's Hilton Garden Inn about 9 miles away.  His directions however were sketchy at best and a 15 minute ride turned into an hour.  By 5 am we were checked in, car unloaded and in bed.  And so began our Washington, DC adventure...

Hilton Garden Inn, Bethesda, MD