Do you ever wake up in the morning and just know that something feels off….and kind of wait for something to happen…even though you have no idea what you’re waiting for?  That was me, on Thursday.

I woke up immediately all in my own head…making my lists (checking them twice), already running late before even really getting going, remembering the gas light came on the night before, and wishing that I had finished packing lunches/snacks before going to bed.  The puppy woke up the boys…as he does every morning…by nosing his way into their bedroom, jumping on the bottom bunk, stepping all over Thatcher, stealing a stuffed animal, and “climbing” as far up the ladder as possible to whimper to Finn.

Finn, in turn, wakes up the same way every day.  Immediately happy to see Minnow, stumbles into the living room rubbing his right eye with his right fist, and mumbles “Who won?”….because invariably, someone was playing something when he was shuffled off to bed.  This time of year he wants the Bruins update and tries to park it on the couch for game highlights…even though he KNOWS the deal is get dressed first.  Ground Hogs’ Day.  Mad…he stomped back into his room that particular day….and things went from bad to worse when he realized he was supposed to put on…HEAVEN forbid…a sweater.  Gasp. The horror.  His class was heading to the Nutcracker and I refused to send him looking anything other than “Theatre Casual.”  

He was grumpy and, for whatever reason, it made me mad.  The day was already out of whack.

During the somewhat quiet ride to Beverly I started having Mother’s Remorse.  Shouldn’t have gotten angry, should have given him a few choices of what to wear, could have struck a bargain, could have offered a change of clothes for after the field trip, etc.  And then, I started to remember the school bus accident last week that took the lives of several young children….and how horribly horrific, unexpected, and unfair it was.  And how those parents must be feeling.  And I vowed that there’d be no more arguing….especially over something so small. Because, what if?  I can’t even.  Image. 

Thatcher’s day was off too.  He sought me out on campus all teary about some social interactions.  Not the norm for him at all.  I was already feeling kind of spent and emotional and seeing him sad tugged at my heart strings a little more than usual.  Why?  I still, I soon realized, had that nagging feeling that the day was awry. Thatch and I took a walk and sat in the car for a bit….talked….hugged it out….and parted ways to head to class and head to work.  

The rest of the day was uneventful, I guess.  We left school at 4:00, I took the boys home to Freddy, and turned right around to meet a friend at her home just outside of the city…to go to a Bruins game.  With tons of traffic near the malls I started nearing late….but with the traffic soon letting up…I crossed over to a little bit early.  Which, I realized at the last minute, gave me time to make a little pit stop to get the boys a treat.  Back all in my own head again, I was already thinking about how late I’d be getting back to Rockport, about what I was going to use for a blog post the next day, and about the fact that I’d have to finish packing lunches AND get to work extra early on Friday as we had some important things going on in the morning.  After having had a rough start to our day I thought I could put a little smile on their faces the next day by packing a favorite special snack in their snack bags for them from a place that we don’t get to often…and expedite the snack packing process at the same time.  Win…win.  

I pulled into the parking lot at 5:59….they close at 6:00.  Would they be open?

There were two people just inside the door.  Coats on, bags in hand, the man digging through his stuff, clearly looking for something….and looking like they had just wrapped up work, were shutting down shop, and about to leave and lock the door. I used some sad excuse for sign language to ask, “Are you still open?” The girl looked at me confused.  I tried again and her eyes averted to somewhere else in the shop…towards an employee….which I then realized quickly they were not.  I tugged on the door and, in fact, it was still unlocked.  I stepped around the couple and walked to the counter….and was a bit intrigued (for lack of a better word) by the random items on the floor at the man’s feet.  A toothbrush, some ear buds, some wrinkled clothes, am empty soda bottle, etc.  I started to order….they started to fight.  Quiet somewhat censored whispers escalated to full on yelling almost instantly.  The woman at the register seemed unnerved yet made no eye contact with me….seemingly having decided that her strategy was going to be to ignore.  I, at the same moment, realized This was what my brain seemed to know was coming all day long.  Swearing started, crying started, some throwing and slamming started…..and I’m pretty sure I whispered, “oh, shit’ aloud.  

My little wax paper bag with the top folded over perfectly (which I remember thinking this is so absurd…she is taking the time to fold my bag perfectly while these two are erupting 15 feet to the left) was handed to me….and I knew I had run out of time.  They were blocking the door, I had no more business to do in the bakery, and it was time to decide which route to go.  1) Say “excuse me”, walk out the door, and move on with my evening  or 2) Get involved.  

As I turned, she, who had been quietly whimpering as he did most of the yelling, yelled back. “I don’t even need you!”   He, infuriated by that, used some expletives and stormed out of the shop.  Which left us, two strangers, face to face, for the first time.  I asked (ridiculous in retrospect), “Are you ok?” and she burst into tears and said, “no.”  She started telling me that she couldn’t do it any more and that she just wanted to leave. I noticed she had two medium sized yellow trash bags, one in each hand, and that, while her mouth barely opened when she talked, there was something wrong with her gums and teeth.  A weird thing to notice I guess.  Just as I was thinking, “What the hell am I going to do now?” she asked, “Can you please give me a ride?”  Shit.  How do you say “no”?….but, how do you say “yes”?   I have two young kids….can I really get more involved?  My mind was racing….she looked sad….and so tired….and so desperate.  And I really wanted to help.  Shit.  She just needed her check from Burger King….just down the street….could I take her to go get it….and then she’d find a hotel….

The door burst open…it was him again.  He started yelling, “I’m all you have, I gave you a place to stay when even your own family wouldn’t take you, I came to the hotel last night to save you when you called, Where are you going to go?, What are you going to do with out me?”  She just said, “STOP.”  She shoved past him and….before I could really process what was happening….climbed into the back seat of my Jeep.  Incredulous, there I stood….in a tiny parking lot…outside of a now closed bakery…in a nice town…next to a strange man….looking at a scared girl….sitting alone in my car.   Shit.   He started to tell her to get out, yelled a lot more, and looked like he was about to grab her.  She just sobbed, “Stop.”  I told him that he could not put his hands on her….and that he had to leave her alone….and look at her, she’s terrified.  And then I thought, Does he have a gun or a knife or is he about to grab my little SCOUT bag or my car keys from my hands.  Is he going to hurt her? Is he going to hurt me?  She’s sitting in Finn’s seat? What the hell….is she really sitting in Finn’s seat?  Is it safe to drive her somewhere? Then what? Shit.

He turned to me, now seeming more sad and desperate than mad and scary, and started detailing what “went down” the night before.  She called…he went….she was under a blanket shaking…empty bottle of Advil…he saved her…she has no one…trust me…I’d never put a hand on her…..     She just whimpered, “Please take me.”   He said, “Trust me, she needs me.” Shit.

I remember thinking about 900 different things.  Take her, leave her, she’s still in my car, I’m late meeting my friend, I have two young boys…. I KNEW something bad was coming my way today….  And, ridiculously, I remember saying, “Guys, I don’t know what to do, seriously, I was just trying to buy my kids a snack.”  It occurred to me that all three of us were desperate at that point.  She, suddenly seeming to sense that I couldn’t commit to taking her with me, jumped out of the car and ran away across the street, he followed.  My heart broke a little.  I really wanted to help her. But I was also relieved.  Could I really have helped her?  And it seemed he was just trying to help her.  What about him?

And then, thank goodness (I think), a police car came tearing in. The cruiser stopped not far in front of me.  An officer jumped out. The girls in the shop had called the police. I told him, “I really didn’t know what to do” and he told me “Well, they’re both going to jail now.”   And my heart broke a little bit more.  He ran off after them, I got in my car, wondered for a second Did she leave anything in Finn’s seat?, and then started to drive.  As I got to the next intersection and stopped at the light, two more cruisers came flying towards me….and went off to assist.  

I was relieved, but I wasn’t. They’re going to jail, but then what? What could I have done? And then, inevitably, came the cliche, but true, feelings of We’re so lucky, What went wrong for her? How did she end up on the street?  One wrong turn…..  I’ll never be mad at my boys again.  I thought about her all night.  I went to the game.  I had a great time with my friend.  #blessed, right?  Later that night, on my way home to Rockport, I kept thinking she was still in the backseat. I obviously knew she wasn’t.  Once home….I immediately checked on the boys… got ready for bed…and didn’t sleep.  I thought about her, and myself, and my boys, and our life, and everything else….all night long.  

I still feel horrible for not being brave enough….or stupid enough….to help her more.  She was so desperate and it is hard to think that I didn’t let her down.  But, maybe jail saved her? I don’t know. I’d like to tell you that I could wrap up this story with a neat little bow and a nice little moral, but I can’t.  Maybe you can provide me with one.  What would you have done?  

“Decorating the tree each year is like seeing a friend you’ve been missing”….or so says my older son, Thatcher. I couldn’t agree more. I LOVE some of our favorite ornaments….and it’s like, well…it’s like Christmas…unpacking them each year.

The other night was tree decorating night in the Schrafft house and I promised myself I’d be “in the moment” and not worried about lunch packing, laundry folding, email checking, work finishing, or even blog posting.  Not easy for me…sad, but true.

It is amazing to me that, at the fine ages of nine and seven, the boys already cherish these miniscule moments….the who always hangs what and the Oh! I remember buying this whens.  We have all adopted these quirky little practices of how the ornament boxes are placed in a row on the couch, which ones are gently unpacked first and who hangs which ornaments. It has played out organically over the years and without real intention, but each moment is special in the tradition that makes Christmas “ours.”

Even Santa likes a little bit of hockey.  But, while the zamboni is cool and all, I’m guessing he’s probably missing his reindeer.

One of the bonuses of having the boys out until 10:00 pm on a school night to see a holiday jazz concert was stepping outside of the theater, rounding the corner, and being graced with this magnificent sight.

I can’t lie, having been out of the theater for all of 30 seconds, my mind was already beginning to race with all that I had to get done until well past midnight, but this…this…put me at peace.

Pick #1:  Christmas at Castle Hill

Read more here .  Schedule of activities and Live Music at link

Get into the holiday spirit with Christmas at Castle Hill. We’re celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas with room decorations inspired by the classic song. Enjoy live piano music from Robert Allison, take a self-guided tour, or get a holiday drink from our cash bar.  Complimentary warm cookies and mulled cider included.

Friday, December 2  5-8PM

Cost:  Member: Adult $10, Child/Senior $5; Nonmember: Adult $20, Child/Senior $10; Ipswich Resident with proof of residency: $10.

 

Pick #2: Santa Arrives in Rockport by Lobster Boat and Tree Lighting Ceremony

Santa’s arrival and tree lighting ceremony.  READ HERE

From http://www.rockportusa.com

Where else can you see Santa arrive by lobster boat? Santa will arrive at Rockport’s T-Wharf on Rockport Harbor on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 1:00 PM, following a brisk lobster boat ride across Sandy Bay. Then Santa will climb up onto a Rockport Forest Fire truck and proceed along T-Wharf and Mt. Pleasant Street to the Old Firehouse led by Rockport cub scouts. This year Santa will be able to linger a while to visit and have photos taken with the children until the Tree Lighting Ceremony begins. Then Santa will ascend the platform to greet the crowd and kick off the Tree Lighting festivities, before climbing back onto the fire truck to begin his long return journey to the North Pole.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony will get underway at 4 PM welcoming Santa and the public at the Tree in Dock Square with carols and a stirring rendition of “Christmas in Rockport”.

Singers are invited to join the Dock Square Carolers to welcome in the season. A rehearsal for the carolers will be held at the Rockport Baptist Church at 2:30 PM prior to the ceremony.

The Chairperson of the Board of Selectmen will offer official greetings from the Town and then pull the switch to light this year’s Rockport Christmas tree.

Pick #3: Gloucester Stage Company’s Holiday Delights

This is actually happening NEXT weekend, buy you need to play ahead…still sell out quickly!

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE

Performance Dates Include:

Friday, December 9: 7:30pm

Saturday, December 10: 2:00pm

Sunday, December 11: 2:00pm

Photos courtesy of Gloucester Stage Company:

As always, for a more comprehensive list of family activities, visit our friends at North Shore Kid

Last night, at 6:00 Kim Smith posted an important blog post entitled, “Rare Tickborne Diseases Arrive on Cape Ann.”  I read it right away and, when doing so, realized that I never shared our experience with Lyme disease this summer….which I had intended to do.

Kim’s post is incredibly informative and important as, in my experience, Lyme disease and other tick borne illnesses are either misdiagnosed or left undiagnosed because, in the absence of seeing a tick or discovering a bite, the person determines they are simply run down or sick with a cold or flu.  Kim’s experiences give proof to that as well.

Read Kim’s entire post about her experiences HERE

Back in July, Thatcher woke up in the middle of the night on a Tuesday evening complaining about knee pain. He had no other symptoms and told me that he had knocked it on the side of the boat while out sailing. Just a few minutes later was sound asleep again, so I didn’t give it much thought.

The very next evening, he woke up in pain again.  Even though he was on the brink of tears, which is mostly uncharacteristic of him, he still demonstrated no other symptoms, so I naively figured it was due to the fact that he had gone paddle boarding for several hours (against the current in Jones Creek and the Annisquam River) and then gone to a 2-hour hockey practice.  The next morning he was totally fine.

Later that day, at Finn’s hockey practice, a friend looked at Thatch and asked, “Why are you limping?”  Thatcher answered, “I don’t know, my knee just kind of hurts.”  It was at that point that my mind began to race a bit but, seeing that I was getting worried, he assured me that it “wasn’t bad.” He was in perfect spirits and, otherwise, a pillar of health.  That evening he slept soundly.

Friday morning, even though he hadn’t complained of any pain during the night,  Thatcher’s knee looked a little swollen.  He had no fever and when pressed to think extra hard on the matter, he couldn’t remember any significant injury to it. As I replayed our week in my mind, he had indeed paddle boarded, skated, gone on long bike rides, sailed in his little opti, jumped off the Annisquam Bridge, played street hockey, taken the dogs for walks, and more. During any one of those activities, he could have slightly twisted it or banged it enough to cause swelling.  I wrestled with whether or not to go right to the doctor.  I considered the conversation we would have, the lack of all other symptoms, and the amount of physical activity Thatch had participated in,  and figured there wasn’t much the doctor could/would do. I figured we’d watch it and make sure no fever arose. The day progressed without much incident, but suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Thatcher’s knee was huge.

I called the doctor and they asked if there was a fever.  No, there wasn’t.  They asked if there were other symptoms, there weren’t.  They asked if it was hot to the touch….not at all.  The doctor’s office was closing so we made an appointment for 8:00 a.m. the next day.  They told me that if his knee began to feel hot or if Thatcher presented with a fever we should immediately go to the ER.  Neither of those things happened.

The next morning, however, Thatcher’s knee looked like this!

To avoid making an already incredibly long story longer….I’ll cut to the chase.  The doctor asked lots of questions….and they took lots of blood.  They sent us to the ER for x-rays to rule out drama or injury.  The x-rays showed no injury….which Thatch was thrilled about because, being young and naive to the other possibilities, he was relieved that he could still play hockey.  I, while not necessarily wanting it to be a bad injury, was more concerned with what the blood work would show.  A long three days went by until, finally, on Tuesday morning the doctor called back with the results.  Lyme disease.

By then, with lots of ice, wrapping, and resting (except for a trip to a Red Sox game) the swelling had gone down some.  Thatcher immediately began Doxycycline, and with the exception of extreme sensitivity to the sun, a pretty bad sunburn, and a really wonky issue with his fingernails and toenails growing super thin, turning white, and falling off (yes, yuck) he was on the mend.

Moral of the story is this….  NO tick was found, no bullseye or rash was ever seen, no fever ever presented, no other symptoms at all other than a sore knee that suddenly exploded into a massive swollen joint.  While, in retrospect, it seems obvious that we should have gone to the doctor earlier, it was all too easy to assume that such an active kid had simply overdone it!  I consider myself incredibly lucky that Thatcher’s knee blew up to the point that it could no longer be ignored!  With zero other symptoms it was solely because of the enormity of his knee that we knew it had to be “something”…otherwise we probably would have just continued with life as normal.  If it had been left untreated, things could have become much, much worse.

My little public service message to you remember that sometimes (often) you won’t even know you were bitten….but, in this neck of the woods, don’t allow yourself to not be tested.

Thatch did a four week regimen of the Doxy and is now totally fine….his unfortunate, crazy sunburn healed and his fingernails and toenails are almost back to normal.

It is that time of year again.  Time to renew my boys’ magazine subscriptions.  If you are looking for a gift that checks lots of boxes…think magazines.  I know it is kind of old school, but I love it.

What first began as an attempt to boost my children’s desire to work on their reading at home, soon turned into a way for them to learn about some of the things that they had developed an affinity for….  Boats, Cars, the Outdoors.

Each Christmas I renew their subscriptions and they look forward to receiving their new magazines in the mail.  It has been a great way for them to practice reading, spend time together, get off of their electronics, and learn more.   They have also cut up their magazines for school projects and to hang their favorite pictures on their wall.  The jagged and ripped photos taped precariously throughout their bedroom secretly makes me cringe a little bit, but they seem to enjoy it.

While they’ve had magazines like National Geographic Kids, Ranger Rick, and Boys’ Life in the past, right now they receive Automobile and Power and Motor Yacht. This year I’m also adding Sports Illustrated Kids to the mix.

Magazineline.com

Magazines.com

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!  I hope that you all have perfect days with friends and family!

 

There’s some good stuff going on this weekend…

Pick#1:  Gloucester Santa Parade and Tree Lighting

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting

Downtown Gloucester

Join for the festivities on Sunday, November 27, 2016 for the Gloucester Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. The parade starts at the State Fish Pier at 3:00 PM and travels through downtown to Kent Circle. The Tree Lighting activities will begin around 4:15 PM at Kent Circle.

Read More HERE

Pick#2: BLACK FRIDAY Shopping in Gloucester and Rockport

ROCKPORT:  http://www.rockportusa.com/event-festival/shop-rockport-black-friday/

Shop local on Black Friday! Rockport’s merchants will be opening early and staying open for extended hours, offering a delightful, relaxing alternative for you Black Friday holiday shopping.

GLOUCESTER:  Friday, November 25, 2016 ~ Saturday, November 28, 2015

Shop Local Black Friday

Downtown Gloucester

Starting with Gloucester’s reason to skip the mall, its very own “Shop Local Black Friday” on November 25th and 26th featuring downtown shops opening at 6:00am with special discounts

 

Pick#3: Charles Dickens Salem Trolley Ride

READ MORE HERE

Salem Trolley & The Griffen Theatre present… “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens Now entering into it’s 30th Season, this humorous & whimsical interactive performance reanimates Dickens’ timeless seasonal holiday classic. Experience Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with a twist. Ride along with Scrooge on the Salem Trolley as the classic tale is brought to life in a completely unexpected way. Shows sell out quickly and seats are limited. Tickets go on sale Monday, September 12, 2016.  Tour departs from Salemdipity, 86 Wharf Street (Pickering Wharf), Salem.  Please arrive 15 minutes prior to show time.  Show starts inside Salemdipity.

Pick#4: Open Bounce at Boston Bounce in Peabody

If your kids need to bounce off some turkey the day after Thanksgiving…or if they are simply bouncing off your walls…take them to Open Bounce on Friday from  .   Free admission for each child bringing a new unwrapped holiday gift.

Open Bounce & Toys for Tots Bounce

Friday, Nov. 25th . 1:00pm – 3:00pm

One FREE admission with each new unwrapped present

As always, for a more comprehensive list of family activities, please visit our friends at North Shore Kid

I’m not sure who is “home” and who is “away”, but one thing is for certain…there are too many geese on the field.

One week from today, unbelievably, the Schrafft family will make our annual day-after-Thanksgiving trip to The Beverly Tree Farm to cut down our Christmas Tree.  For us, it is more than just getting our tree…. it is about the atmosphere, the ambience, the donations that are made to charitable organizations each year…and the tradition.  Getting our tree at “the farm” is all that my boys know and it is always one of their favorite days of the holiday season…and maybe even the entire year.

All that having been said, I am well aware that there are gorgeous trees to be scored here on “the island”…so, I ask you, share where you get your tree.  Do you have a favorite place?  A well kept secret you’d like to share?  A bargain?  A favorite experience?  A place off the beaten path?  Let us know!