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.

From First Ride to First Drive

 In September of 1994 our son AJ took his very first ride in our brand new Ford F-150 Pickup truck.

Sixteen years later, he is learning to drive in that very same truck!

Blue Ridge Parkway Folk Art Center

While on vacation this past summer,  Eddie and I drove on a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  We stumbled on this folk Art Center that had amazing works of art from local artisans.  We weren't allowed to photograph in some of the galleries, but I did get a few shots of the center.

My New Car

We have not had a car payment in 11 years.  It was time to get a car that was dependable.  When Eddie had to tow me home from work one day in August, we decided we needed to just admit we needed to get a new car.  We bought it one week before we took it on vacation to North Carolina.  We put over 3000 miles on it in less than a month.  I guess we broke it in well!  I love it and it is more than worth the payment!

Wood Engine Carvings

We thought these carvings of engines were amazing. They were at a truck show we went to last month in Ballston Spa, NY.

Window Frame Bottles

When my husband and I were on vacation this past summer, we stopped at antique shops.  This was an idea we saw in a shop and I knew I wanted to try it. We used one of our many window frames and some of the collected bottles we have.  It looks so cute with flowers in it. 

Cute Mop Ghost

I made this adorable halloween decoration out of a mop when I was in college. My mom was making cute mop dolls and had a pattern for this one and I loved it.  It has been one of my favorite Halloween decorations since then.