It was quite possibly one of the strangest last days of Red Sox baseball I’ve ever witnessed. It was indeed a pleasure to bear witness to Derek Jeter’s last game of major league baseball today within the walls of Fenway Park. The ball park was teaming with #2 Yankees shirts, pin stripes, and New York fans. It was almost difficult to remember that we were actually there to wrap up a Boston season and wish them well as we begin to dream of a better 2015.
In true Red Sox fashion, the organization planned an impressive send off to the beloved Yankees #2 and it is one of “those” days that will be written down in the well read history books that make the Red Sox, well, the Red Sox.
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Jesse Dawaileebe from Rochester, New York scored the last autograph from Derek Jeter as he walked back into the dugout after his final farewell from baseball. Congratulations to him!
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I’m feeling a little down and out as the 2014 Red Sox season comes to an all-too-early-end this coming weekend. I find myself reminiscing back to Opening Day and the giddiness that comes with new possibilities, green grass, crisp white uniforms, cold beer, Sweet Caroline, the boys of summer, and magical nights inside the hallowed grounds of the one and only Fenway Park.
Opening Days, especially those that involve a ring ceremony, always give me the chills. I can’t get enough of the sound of the crowd, the vivid colors that blend together to paint a portrait like none other, and the goosebumps. I’ve been fortunate to breathe in the awesomeness of Opening Days from the field. To look up and around….to pan the crowd…and see it in almost slow motion. It may come as no surprise that I may possibly be the world’s biggest sap, but Opening Day gets to me in a way that I have trouble putting into words. So, it isn’t supposed to end this way. The years with no post season play feel like a year without Christmas, July 4th, beach days, and grapefruit beer. The horror.
For me, it isn’t just the baseball. The post season is about the camaraderie that is palpable while ordering your morning coffee after a late night win, while coexisting with strangers during mundane errands prior to rushing home for the first pitch, or while cheering on the Sox at a local bar. Never mind the 9 inning marriage of 37,400 fans cheering on the team inside the park! It is impossible to not feel like all of Red Sox Nation are immediate best friends come late September and October….if, that is, we’ve made it. Which, of course, we haven’t.
With no wild card run, American League Divisional Series, American League Championship Series….and, sigh, no World Series….I’m feeling like I’ve just arrived to a luxurious beach vacation and the weather forecast is calling for 7 straight days of torrential rain. And that, my friends, may be an understatement.
Sure, we’ll fill these fall days with plenty of fun…but, something will be missing for sure.
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Cape Ann Youth Hockey, along with some folks named the Boston Bruins, pulled off a fantastic event yesterday afternoon….all in the name of the Open Door Food Pantry. The Boston Bruins Street Brigade Clinic gave about 50 kids the opportunity to participate in some street hockey games, meet Blades (the Bruins mascot), and receive gifts from the Boston Bruins. In return, Cape Ann Youth Hockey and the Bruins simply asked that participants make a donation to the incredibly worthy Open Door Food Pantry. A win-win!
Another example of great things happening on any given day within our community!
A huge thanks to all of those involved! It is never too late to make a donation! Please consider.
So here’s some good news for parents of children with some energy to spare. In case you read that wrong….the children should have the energy to spare. Not the parents. On that note, are there parents out there with energy to spare, because I’m wiped.
Regardless…
Sky Zone is coming to Danvers SOON….at the Liberty Tree Mall.
The last official day of summer marks the date for what we consider to be one of our favorite fall events. And when I say “we” I really just mean myself and the boys, because my husband isn’t necessarily fond of being on tour for the entire fall season. But, he does it….so, brownie points there. This year’s Family Farm Day at Appleton Farm in Ipswich is happening on Sunday, September 21st from 10-3…oddly enough it may reach into the 80s. Sadly, the Schraffts will most likely be no-shows this year due to an 11:30 hockey game…go figure. But, you should all go!
Our fall days at an assortment of farms continue to be some of my favorite memories with the boys. We are, and always will be, “summer people” but, that having been said, there is something about the crisp weather, the pick-your-own abundance of super yummy fruit, the music, the changing leaves….the cider donuts, etc. that gives me super warm fuzzies. I am a stickler for tradition and there is something sentimental about the annual trip to each place that makes me happy. I love seeing how much the boys have grown from autumn to autumn and see what parts of each farm draw them in each season. My boys have also always been a bit obsessed with farm animals. There are no fewer than 50 goats, cows, and pigs that could tell you tales about a Schrafft boy’s finger being shoved into places they don’t belong. Primarily noses….but, there was that one time…. Bygones.
This year our Farm Tour will take a significant hit due to conflicting hockey schedules, but, we still have a few “must do” romps that I’m not willing to skip. Our favorite farm of all is Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. First of all, I kind of like that it is a bit of a drive. A little known secret is that I’m a wicked Sunday driver. Again, my husband may disagree that the ride is a bonus, and…if I’m being honest here…it did lead to quite a marital tiff one year. The words “remind me again what exactly is wrong with the apples that are 20 minutes away from home?” were uttered in traffic on the way home….and we may or may not have missed the first quarter of the Patriots game. I digress. Applecrest is a fantastic destination and if you take the back roads, the drive is stunningly gorgeous. If you check out their event calendar you may get lucky enough to catch their super cute “Story Book Hayrides” that are put on by the drama students of a local high school to help pay for their annual school trip. They also host car shows, a field plowing day, and other events in addition to the already excellent activities that can easily fill a whole day. I’m a giant fan of the petting farm (small barnyard animals, peeps….seriously) and the excellent blue grass music. The good eats don’t hurt either! There’s also some good shopping to be done in their barn. We always come home with some classroom snacks for the boys and some sinful treats for the house.
We have lots of close runner-ups when it comes to local farms, but I’d rather hear yours! So, with fall approaching, where do you and yours always head? I’d really like to know!
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You know what I don’t do nearly enough? Go to comedy shows.
Every few years a few of us get together and make plans to take in a show….and then, inevitably I find myself wondering, “Why don’t I do this more often?”
Who doesn’t need a good, honest, unbridled laugh every so often?
Last week I did just that. I laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
Somehow, a year has gone by since my friends opened Laugh Boston and, on the club’s 1st anniversary, it was finally time to cross it off this year’s bucket list. I am so glad that I did! The comedians were, well, hysterical and the club itself is, dare I say, the perfect combination of industrial yet cozy. Its fantastic location within the Westin Waterfront in Boston’s Seaport district doesn’t hurt either. Nor does its full bar and “light fare” menu.
Laugh Boston is, as they say, “the stand-up brother to the Improv Asylum, Boston’s improv & sketch comedy theater located in the North End.”
If you haven’t been there either….you are totally missing out. In contrast to Stand Up comedy, the Improv Asylum features incredibly quick-witted improvisation and sketch comedy. Which, in my humble opinion, takes a true artist to pull off. They can boast to over 10,000 shows since its opening in 1998.
So, dinner and drinks in the North End and then a riot of an evening at the club. Or, a trip to the Seaport District, tons of laughs at the stand up club, and maybe even a quick overnight stay at the Westin? With summer coming to an end, that’s two good excuses to get over not only the A. Piatt Andrew, but also, the Tobin Bridges!
A somewhat crisp, early afternoon on a late summer day….
Children gather all over Evan’s Field in Rockport, families in tow, with a rainbow of colors representing the various teams that make up our little Rockport Youth Soccer League. Couldn’t be sweater, really.
The boys and I took Marlin, our German Shorthaired Pointer, to Finn’s early morning Kick Start Soccer Program and let him sniff the other dogs and then have a good romp around the field once the youngest players had scattered. We took a stroll down the dirt road and waved to the horses grazing in the field.
With just enough time to get home, regroup, and grab our bikes….we were off for Game #2. The boys are new to riding their bikes across town. I’m not going to lie, I slightly panic that Finn is going to swerve, fall off the curb accidentally, and get struck by a car. I’m trying to be less nervous…and they LOVE riding down South Street, through town, up Broadway, past the train tracks, and to the ball field. So, we do it.
Thatcher is a hockey player first and foremost, but he’s been loving soccer so far this season too. He has a fantastic coach and is a totally different player than he was just one year ago. I was just settling in after getting Finn a snack and watching him wander up the hill to pat a super cute puppy. I was enjoying a bit of a “my boys are pretty awesome….and things are getting easier as they’re growing up a bit” moment.
And then, Thatcher and another kid collided. Thatcher tripped, totally fine, but was on the ground fumbling with his cleat that had fallen off. The other child was also fine…and kindly took a second to turn around to check on Thatcher. As I was thinking, “That’s sweet….good job….way to check out the other player” my thoughts were quickly interrupted.
The grandmother of the other player shouted, “Don’t look back to see if he’s ok. Who cares.” I was flabbergasted. My first though was, “He’s fine, your kid isn’t that tough.” My second was, “Shame on you, lady.”
Seriously….shame on her.
I don’t really straddle the fence of Helicopter Parentville. I’m, as many people can attest, a pretty tough parent. I expect my boys to be polite, I don’t tolerate too much crappy behavior, and I offer up plenty of constructive criticism. I love them more than I ever knew humanly possible, but I don’t sugarcoat, and I expect them to be accountable and good kids.
While I wan’t compelled for even a second to run down and check on Thatcher….because A) he was fine and B) it is more my nature to let the coach assess the situation and summon me if necessary… I was still horrified by her “Who Cares” assertion. I mean, really. Who cares? Is that really what any of us want to teach our children. That is exactly the type of response I hope that my boys NEVER have as they continue to grow and live their lives. I hope that they always care.
As a parent, as a teacher, and as someone who hopes my kids are, above anything else kind, sympathetic, and compassionate to their friends, their classmates, their teammates, and even strangers, I was sad.
What did I do, you may ask. Not much. I’ve been regretting my lack of reaction all weekend. I simply looked over my shoulder, made eye contact with the mother of the child, and said, “Wow.”
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My boys have been super excited about spotting Wicked Tuna boats all summer long. I have to admit it is pretty darn cute listening to the two of them talking about the boats, crew, fish, green sticks, the price per pound, fat quality, this pound test or that pound test, etc. While they’ve watched the show here and there during past seasons, they’re just a bit older this year…and hence, much more into it. Likewise, for whatever the reasons, the North vs. South episodes that are currently airing get them giddy.
They clocked some serious hours at the Blue Fin Blowout back earlier this summer and I was so proud of how long they sat patiently waiting for boats to arrive. They were completely riveted by the weigh-ins and the size of the fish. They couldn’t get down there fast enough for Day #2 of the action. A couple of weekends ago they got their “Wicked Tuna” on down at the wharf and thought they were the coolest cats in town when they got to haul their own little fish down the dock. And, worth mentioning, they both gobbled up the sushi like it was candy after helping my husband clean the fish. Finn hasn’t quite mastered the “Tails Up” yet though.
Despite witnessing their enthusiasm all summer, I was still surprised to see the journal entry that Thatcher wrote at school yesterday. Love that kid! I get that many probably find the fact that we let our 5 and 7 year-olds watch Wicked Tuna in the first place may not be the best of parenting decisions….but, I’ll take the learning opportunity and run with it. (insert shameless shout out to his amazing teachers at the Harborlight-Stoneridge Montessori School).
Just more proof that growing up salty is excellent and that this little slice of heaven that we call home is bursting at the seams with opportunities for the kiddos to find something unique that speaks to them and to be passionate about.
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You can keep on pulling on that anchor line, but I’m quite certain the boat isn’t going to budge.
There are worse places in the world to be stuck than the back side of Wingaersheek….and I’m fairly certain this guy knew that too. He got that sucker WAAAY up there. Assuming it was on purpose, he gets a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 How to Make Summer Weekends Last into September. If it wasn’t on purpose, well, he still gets a 10….but, on a scale of 1 to 10 How Much Do You Agree That Boaters Should Need Licenses to Operate a Vessel.
It ins’t over yet, Peeps!
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Well, this is one heck of a storm! Where are the Schraffts during the massive lightening and torrential rainstorms, you may ask? Setting a minnow trap of course.
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As if some steamers and a good drink at Halibut Point with a great friend isn’t excellent enough….last night I happened across a wonderful party of about 20 diners out to celebrate a wedding of dear friends. While we didn’t chat long, the happiness exuding from their large table was palpable and I was so happy to have had the chance to meet them.
The fact that I met them at all stemmed from the fact that some of the younger-than-me wait staff recognized one of the guests as a very handsome actor. Doing my due diligence as a GMG contributor (who happened to be wearing my GMG baseball hat…go figure) I introduced myself and got a bit of the scoop.
Yanic Triesdale, a Canadian actor, also adored in the United States as Michael on The Gilmore Girls in addition to other series and mini-series, is in town to celebrate the destination wedding of dear friends Isabelle Lafleche and very soon-to-be-husband, Patrice. While, maybe not as recognizable in person to those dining at Halibut, Isabelle is the fantastic, and incredibly beautiful, author of the novels J’Adore New York and J’Adore Paris. I can’t get to Barnes and Nobles fast enough. She also happens, as it turns out, to be good friends with GMG’s own, Kim Smith.
They were completely charming and talking with them made me smile. I was, for the record, incredibly happy to learn that my own dear friend, while recognizing that I was mildly intruding on a rehearsal dinner of sorts, bought the table a couple of bottles of wine in thanks for humoring me.
Excellent examples of friendship on both sides of my iPhone last night.
Cheers to friendship….mine, Kim’s, everyone’s. Cheers to Isabelle and Patrice on a glorious wedding and a lifetime of happiness. How special that they chose Rockport, of all places, to seal the deal.
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HOLY CRAP! Mid-shower, shampoo in hair, and caught a glimpse of this sucker running up the shower curtain!
Now look, I’m no fool…I’m not going to pretend that this hairy little arachnid wasn’t equally as horrified about running into me in the shower as I was about running into him, but the chances of him biting me are still much greater than me biting him.
Not many things make my skin crawl…but, this guy did. Call me a wuss, but I’ve eaten termites in the rainforest, stepped on the tail of a monitor lizard that was running out of my bathroom in Africa, and have shoveled bait and dressed big blue fins at the tuna wharf for several summers. That having been said, I’ll be checking under my sheets and sleeping with one eye open for a while thanks to this gruesome little monster. Yikes.
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Well, we’re back to school and that can only mean one thing…we’ll soon be back to the hockey rink too! Soon, meaning next week.
I’ve been known to complain about the cold, crazy hours at the rink, but…between you and me…I wouldn’t have it any other way! My boys love the game and being a part of Cape Ann Youth Hockey has been a fantastic experience for us all.
For any of you fellow hockey families, don’t forget about this great event! A win-win for sure. A win for the kids and a win for the Open Door Food Pantry who will receive donations from all registered players! Check out the link below for much more information! See you there!
