Sunday, November 24, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

    The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth Massachusetts in 1621.  The Pilgrims had landed in America during the winter of 1620, which made life very difficult.  The Pilgrims were starving, and Massasoit and the Wampanoag Indian tribe, brought them food and helped the Colonists survive. The next year, they had the feast to celebrate a successful harvest.  Having meat on the table meant hunting it. The meal would have consisted of duck, venison, seafood and vegetables.  The feast lasted about one week, and some meals were shared with the Wampanoags,  and some were eaten separately.
     I hope everyone gets to celebrate and enjoy a meal with family and friends.  I wish that we all feel peace and happiness in our hearts, and that joy extends through the remainder of this year. If you do not want to be alone,  invite people over for dessert.  If you are feeling lonely, pick up the phone and wish your friends a Happy Thanksgiving.  Send an email to your friends and family, and ask people to reply with something that makes them thankful.  It will surely lift your spirits.
     Work on a gratitude list this week.  Try and think of five different things each day, so that by Thursday, we actually feel blessed.  Reflect on the happiest occasions of the past year, and vow to be aware of the good times to come our way. When I am stuck in traffic, I say this quick prayer which always puts me in a better mood.   " I know you want me to be happy, and I know you want me to have enough.  I am ready for those blessings.  I promise to share my blessings with others."  
    Have a good week everyone....and the beat goes on....the beat goes on.......

   
   
     

Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Red Hats Visit the Irish Village

     I'm a member of the Improper Bostonian chapter of the Red Hat Society, which is an organization for women.  Most of us are over fifty, although younger members must wear Pink Hats.  Our group tries to get together once a month, and we always have a wonderful time.
    We spent Veteran's Day  weekend at the Irish Village in Yarmouth, on Cape Cod.  It has an indoor pool, and workout center, as well as a day spa, and excellent restaurant.
   I was related to seven of the eleven women who attended.  We usually go away each fall and celebrate all our birthdays.  This time, we celebrated me, as I will turn 60 in December.  There was a birthday cocktail made with Bailey's Irish Cream, and I received some very thoughtful and useful gifts.  At my age, I love to get things that I can enjoy and then use up, as I am trying to avoid  dust collectors.  Most of the items were part on our inside jokes, but that made them even more fun!
   There was Irish Music both nights, and I could barely hear myself think, as everyone sang along with the band.  We enjoyed some of the best seafood on the Cape, including award winning chowders and lobster rolls.  The hotel had scones, Irish breads, and a few Irish dishes on the menu.
    We were blessed with beautiful weather and we spent each day shopping and visiting the area.  We went to the Kennedy Museum in Hyannis, which chronicled the last summer of President Kennedy's life.  It is hard to believe that he was assassinated 50 yrs ago this week.  We all remember exactly where we were,  when we got the news that our president had been shot.  We drove by the compound, but it is not possible to get very close.
    We took some pictures of windmills,  some of the outside memorials, and of course the water and the sunsets.  We had fun in the shops, toured the baseball museum for the Cape Cod League, and even found a craft fair.  We all bought something to remind us of our special weekend....and I cannot wait to go to the next event...and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on......

     
     

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Boston Red Sox Rolling Rally

   Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, 2013 World Champions!  It has been an unbelievable story because the Sox went from  worst to first.  Last season, Boston owned the worst record in baseball, and this year they rank first !  The last time they won in Boston, it was 1918 and Babe Ruth was on the field. My sister and brother in law were at the game, and it was awesome!  It was even great for those of us watching from home.
   I was hesitant to be a real fanatic this year, because last year was so awful.  It did not take long though for me to embrace the team.  They were a bunch of hard working guys, and they seemed to have a knack for winning. There were lots of walk off wins, and late inning magic.  This team played hard every game, and never quit.   I'm convinced that attitude helped them win their series.  I know that the Boston Marathon bombing gave them all an immediate bond, and they played to give us something to cheer about.  Many of the players visited the victims in the hospitals, and continue to help them today.  They kept it quiet, and we will never know how much the Red Sox players and their families do for our community.
   The Duck Boat parade was held on Saturday morning.  We watched from home, and it was great to see the players and the fans celebrating together.  The parade started out from Fenway Park, and rolled  to the marathon finish line.  The shirts with "617" and "Boston Strong" that had been in the dug outs all season with the team,  were given to one of the businesses most affected by the bombs.  God Bless America was sung, and there was a moment of silence.  The duck boats then proceeded to the water for a swim, before heading back to Fenway.  The entire trip took about three hours, and it was a total love fest.  Fans lined the parade route, and cheered for  their favorite players as they rolled by.  Some of the loudest cheers went up for the bull pen cop who raised his hands when Papi hit the grand slam.  The players were tweeting about how touched they were to see all the people.  It surprised me to see them taking pictures of the crowds.  They waved relentlessly, and acknowledged  their screaming fans.  
   We were told that Boston has had eight different parades since 2001.  The Red Sox and Patriots each have had three, and the Celtics and Bruins have also won Championships.  New England sports fans have been blessed with hard working and successful teams.  All we ask is that players prepare and compete for the entire game.  It's been said that 85% of life is just showing up.  That sounds like great advice,  so that's what I strive to do....and the beat goes on.....the beat goes on.......