ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the 24th Anniversary of my ( our) move to Massachusetts. I was so excited to move to the Greater Boston area with my husband and our two sons. The boys were 4and a half and 7 months old and I felt like it was the biggest adventure of our lives. We had lived in Massachusetts before: in the Berkshires in college and then in Boston and Newburyport before kids. What a fun time we had, but then returned home to Vermont to put down roots. When the opportunity came for a transfer to Boston I was elated. The day we arrived was hot, very hot as in 98 degrees and luckily my parents came down to help us unpack and get the boys settled in. Little did I know that less than three years later my life would crumble around me and I would be required to rebuild. But rebuild I did and here I am, standing proud and packing for my Mediterannean Cruise with the man of my dreams who dotes on me every single day. Life sure can be strange, but it surely can be good.

Love you,
Janet

AS PROMISED

Ok ladies, you have been oh so patient and I thank you for that and for hanging around during the perils of the house from hell. I love each and every one of you .

Drum roll please.......on May 8th ( 13 short days from now) Bob and I fly to Barcelona where we will begin our 7 day Western Mediterranean cruise . We depart Barcelona on May10 and spend one day at sea ( on our private balcony) and then we stop in Malta, Naples ( Capri for us), Rome, Florence and Villefranche ( Nice). Each day is short and we could make ourselves crazy trying to cram so much into so little time, but we have decided to forego any guilt about the "must sees" and just do as much or as little as we darn well please. Relaxation in the sunshine is the ultimate goal...that and spending 8 hours in the South of France. The South of France has been a dream of mine for many years and I can't wait to just soak it in, that and drink coffee and eat croissants and wander amongst the ochre colored houses, takes lots of pictures for my wonderful friends, go to the Saturday open air market and take in the soap factory if I have time.

The ridiculous part is that we are spending less money than we would to take a weeks vacation stateside and we have frquent flier miles ( although they are charging $300. to use them) for the airfare.

So....was it worth the wait? It certainly is for us...just a romantic getaway for the two of us after a very long, hard year.

Adios, Au revoir, Arrivaderci,

Janet

ps. if you have more than 7 years worth of checks/receipts/tax returns etc do your family a favor and shred them now!!! We have every receipt and piece of paper from 1957 until last December and I will probably be shredding until the cows come home and possibly the bulls too.

THE END IS NEAR

No, I am not talking about the Apocalypse silly, but the closing of the House from Hell on Friday. Let's see...I am the Realtor for the Buyer and the Seller ( disclosed dual agent), the daughter in law of the late owners, wife of the Executor of the Estate and Stepmother of the buyer aka The Hub of the Transaction. Perhaps when that is done I can get back to my own life again.

See you later (hopefully) ;-)

Janet

POCONOS

Well, what a pleasant surprise Stroudsburg PA was. No ticky tacky T shirts announcing the Poconos, no garish signs of touristy conspicuous consumerism, just a beautiful downtown area filled with unique shops and lots of casual dining options. But the best, by far, was the Olde Engine Works Antique Mall. What happens when a girl, who is already slightly hungry and has a bad case of ADD, walks into a huge space filled with aisles and aisles of antiques?? Heart be still and please try to focus...that's what happens. Should I do half the store and then go eat and come back? How should I navigate so as to not miss one single display? Where are the restrooms? Many questions running thru this cobweb I call a brain. It was Fun with a capital F.





No, I didn't take any of these pictures, they are blatantly stolen from a Newsday.com ( Long Island newspaper) because despite the beautiful surroundings it was cold, windy and rainy (kinda like Alaska in July) and I didn't bother to take my camera out of my suitcase. No, there were no Halloween displays at the Antique Mall, but it was the best picture to illustrate the fun. I did buy a white and blue ( as opposed to blue and white) Vermont plate for $4 and a cute little ginger jar w/o its lid for $3. Big spender, huh?

I think I am going back with Bob the end of May for another few days and further exploration.

Later,
Janet

PS. Yes, I *will* tell you about the May vacation soon, I promise, really I do!

MEDICAL WARNING

Important Women's Health Issue:

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?

Do you suffer from shyness?

Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas.

Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions.

Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live.

Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had.

Stop hiding and start living, with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:
Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration
Erotic lustfulness
Loss of motor control
Loss of clothing
Loss of money
Loss of virginity
Table dancing
Headache
Dehydration
Dry mouth
And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting.

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas. And to think I have been craving a Margarita lately...guess I need to have one or two! I love you all ;-)

Janet

OFF TO THE POCONOS

No, not here ( can you even dare to imagine!!), but a run of the mill hotel in the Poconos..no honeymoon package for this couple. Just business meetings for Bob and hopefully some window shopping for me. It was cold and rainy in Vermont this weekend and guess what? It is supposed to be cold and rainy in Eastern Pennsylvania this week. Should make the grass greener, right?

Later,
Janet

MUD SEASON

We are off to Vermont to experience a weekend of what is known as Vermont's Fifth Season...Mud Season and to meet my very own lurker aka Lisa the Lurker. I am so excited to meet her; we have been living parallel lives for years. What fun!

Later,
Janet