Memorial Day visit to Revolutionary Cemetery, Salem, NY

Today we went to Salem, NY for their townwide garage sale. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. We saw a sign that said "burying ground" and decided to see what it was. It turned out to be the oldest cemetery in Salem. It was interesting to visit such a cemetery on Memorial Day Weekend. There were flags on the graves of the Veterans. I took a pamphlet from their information mailbox and the following is taken directly from it:
      "This is the oldest cemetery in Salem, established very soon after the first settlement of the town in 1764. The earliest date of burial recorded on a tombstone is that of Abram Savage who died in 1769 at the age of 18, and the most recent burial is that of John E. Gillis, born 1858, died 1923. The oldest burial is that of John McNish who died in 1821 at the age of 104."
     "Documents show there are 101 Revolutionary soldiers buried here. Tradition has it that after the Battle of Saratoga, the bodies of another 100 soldiers were brought to this cemetery and buried in a common grave.  More Revolutionary War dead are buried here than in any other Washington County cemetery."
     "Many fine examples of early American sculpture can be found here, including 32 stones displaying the rounded angel head style of Zerubbabel Collins, a master carver of the late 18th century who had a marble shop in Shaftsbury, Vt."
     "Number of Stones: approx 1,032.  Number of Veterans 100+"
    



Winter 2011 vs Winter 2012

February 8, 2011

February 11, 2012

This is the "winter that wasn't" so far. What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time many barns, houses and outbuildings had roof cave-ins due to the heavy snow load of the winter.  This year, we have had very little snow. We actually had more snow from a storm in October than in any other month. Every time it has snowed we got a dusting to a couple inches and it melted within a few days due to warmer temperatures. We live in upstate NY near the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains in the Hudson River Valley. This is the mildest winter I have experienced, other than the years I lived in Hawaii and Florida. There is still time for a blizzard, and I believe we will still get snow before May, but this has been very strange weather for this part of the country. It has been colder in the south more often than here.

Lake Placid Winter Olympic Museum

This past summer, Eddie and I took a day trip two hours north into the Adirondacks to Lake Placid, NY.  It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. He had never been to Lake Placid. The above pictures are all from the museum inside the Olympic Center. Since the winter Olympics were held there in 1932 and 1980 there was a lot to see from both of those years. More pictures to come in the following posts to show what we did during the rest of our day.

Our New Cat

This cat showed up in our yard one day in early July.  We think he was dropped off by someone and he was very skinny.  He was very friendly and loved attention.  Over the next week, we did not feed him because we thought he may have lived on the neighbor's farm and just wandered here.  After that week, it was clear he wanted to stay here and we started feeding him.  He acts more like a dog than a cat.  He follows us all over the property and lays with us when we have our fires.  He sits by my feet when I water the garden and he hangs out in the garage with Eddie. He loves being around people.  Eddie started calling him Homer before we knew he was staying.  The name has stuck.   Since I have a serious cat allergy, he will never be allowed into the house.  He has taken up residency on our back porch and seems to love it.  He is waiting outside the door in the morning for us to come out.  During the winter, we will be sure he has access to Eddie's heated garage for warmth.

Birdhouses

One morning we were having a fire in our pit and started talking about making birdhouses.  We decided to make some that day. I had a very relaxing time painting them after Eddie made them.  We had such a good time that I bought a book of bird house and bat house patterns. We decided that this winter would be a great time to get out to the woodshop and make some more for our yard.

AJ & Kirstie Prom 2011

AJ and his girlfriend Kirstie went to the Prom at her school this year.

Playing in the Snow

This is how my husband spent some time playing in the snow today.  He made this snow plow when we first moved back to New York.  He has made some modifications through the years, but it works great and it beats using a snow blower in our huge driveway and property in the back that needs to stay cleared for access to all of the shops and barns.

Future Couple

These pictures were taken at my third birthday party in November of 1967.  Eddie was a handsome guest in his red vest and bow tie.  Twenty seven years later we were married.  Now it's been 43 years since these photos were taken.  Who would have known at that time that we would be together so many years later?

Veteran's Day Salute to My Dad

My Dad, Walter J. Crall served in the Navy from 1961-1963.

He was an Electrician's Mate 3rd Class when he left the Navy.

He was stationed on the USS Thomas J. Gary out of Newport, RI.

USS Thomas J. Gary

Funny Veggies from our Garden

This year we had a few vegetables that we found a bit funny.  I loved these three especially.  Hugging carrots, cross legged carrots and a big nosed tomato!

Our Childhood Home

My husband and I went for a drive past our childhood home in Tomhannock, NY  this fall. The reason I call it "Our Childhood Home" is because this home belonged to my husband's parents and then my parents bought it from them.  It was Eddie's childhood home and then it was mine.  The three windows on the right of the house were bedroom windows.  It was Eddie's bedroom from 1st until 6th grade.  When they moved, it became my bedroom. I had it for 3 years while we lived there. For me it was 5th -7th grade. It makes a fun story to tell people that my husband and I shared a bedroom when we were kids and then explain what I mean. My mother and his mother were friends and neighbors in high school.  They remained friends after high school and Eddie and I met when I was born one year after he was.  We were childhood playmates. When his parents decided to move to Florida, my parents bought their home.  The rest of the story of how we wound up married is for another time!

My Boy of Fall

When I first saw the Kenny Chesney Video Boys of Fall  it brought tears to my eyes.  Hearing the song alone is nice, but the video is powerful. Everyone should watch it regardless of your interest in football. As a mom of a high school football player, I can understand the emotion these boys and men feel. Last night was the final game of my son's high school varsity football season. As my husband and I sat in the car before we got out to brave the chilly fall night, the Boys of Fall came on the radio. It got me choked-up and feeling proud at the same time. The game ended with a score of 28-14. Our team lost in an emotionally charged and controversial game. My son told us that the hour ride home on the bus from this game was long and full of tears. A loss in the play-offs is hard. Some of the seniors will never play the game again. Back at the school, instead of the boys coming right out, the team met in the locker room for a 1 1/2 hour meeting. They sadly turned in their equipment, hugged, and cried. They discussed this specific game as well as the season. They hugged and cried some more. At 12:30 they began coming out of the school and stood in the parking lot talking more, hugging more and crying more. These boys have spent at least 3 hours a day together since August. They share a passion, they share a strong bond. During a practice last week there were Senior speeches which gave the seniors a chance to share their thoughts. There were tears that day as well as laughs. I am looking forward to this coming week at the football banquet. This is the time where the parents can get just a little peek inside this club and hear what the coaches and students have to say about their season and each other. My son will be a senior next year and I am looking forward to another year of seeing him be so passionate and involved with such a great group. This is giving him great memories and a feeling of belonging. Here are some pictures of my #74 Boy of Fall.