Greetings From Boston...Day Three

Today was a very cold day.

You would never know it by the sun that shines but trust me...it was a very cold day.

We headed out...destination Chinatown.

Not so great...mainly restaurants...nothing like the Chinatown of New York or San Francisco, which by the way was my favorite and which I base all Chinatown's on. While walking in the cold and the winds which I swear were as close to hurricane strength without there being a hurricane...there were times we had to brace ourselves to keep from being thrown down by the wind.

So we figured that this day was a good day to hop aboard a trolley and see the town from a different view.

Here we passed by this building where on the third floor was John F Kennedy's voting address when he was elected President. The Charles River frozen with ice.

Fenway Park...the outside needs a make over...very old building

The monument of Bunker Hill but this was not the site of Bunker Hill

The USS Constitution....the oldest commissioned warship.

A view of Boston from the USS Constitution

The oldest Post Office

After a couple hours on our tour we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and head out to dinner.

We ate at America's oldest restaurant...we had lobster and it was divine.Behind us and to the side was a booth labeled "The Kennedy Booth" ...JFK was a regular before becoming president...he ate there so much that they gave him his own booth upstairs. Was very cool to be in such an old place where our founding fathers had ate and a President of our own time.

Greetings From Boston...Day Two

Today we had planned to do The Freedom Trail walking tour with a guide dressed in clothing as in the time period we were going back into....while waiting to start our walk there in the square was this Christmas tree that had not been takin' down yet, I guess because of all the snow they had received since Christmas.

Still amazes me that a cut down tree is still alive and perky as ever...just doesn't seem fair.

Below is our Freedom Trail Guide
The cemetery where many people in our history books are buried.
Normally you can go inside the grounds but due to snow and all still on the ground it was closed.

This is where Paul Revere is buried...in the very back in the middle of those 2 trees there is a white pillar between two round stones...that is Paul's grave.
And the grave of Samuel Adams

On the balcony of this building is where the Declaration of Independence was first read.

It is so neat to see old buildings standing next to new buildings.

This city is filled with history.

After our tour we headed out on our own to see in more detail things we saw on our tour and some things we didn't....along the the path I ran into this Red Coat outside The Green Dragon Tavern...a place our founding father's liked to hang out at.

And then the main thing I wanted to see...Paul Revere's home.

A statue of Paul Revere with the Old North Church in the back ground.

A beautiful church.

Inside the church

When we were done with our adventures we headed back to our part of Boston....on foot...it is a walking city.

While walking we kept seeing people carrying these boxes that said Mike's Pastry.

We eventually came upon the store and Fonda said it must be a sign...so we went in and got our pastry.

The place was packed and when we left they were lining up right at the door.

We were so tired that Mike's became our dinner ...we had a pastry...we took a nap...we woke up...we watched a movie and ate the other pastry...It was a very good day.

Greetings From Boston....Day One

February 17, 2011

Annual Grandma's Gone Wild trip found us this year in Boston.

Fonda and I made the trip alone this year as Stacy couldn't join us but she will be back next year or else!!!!

We got into Boston around 12:30 and was able to get a early check in.

We stayed at The Lenox...a very nice hotel and the staff was very accommodating, friendly and helpful.

Below is a picture of our room.

After checking in we decided to walk the streets near and around our hotel.

Two blocks over was the famed Newberry Street. I heard and read lots about it as a must do. I enjoyed walking the streets and loved the way it looked but none of the shops got my attention to draw me in.

Below is a picture...love the buildings.

We stopped and had lunch and then headed out to find Fonda a coat as she left hers behind in Texas.

I think it was 2 hours later we found the mall and a coat.
Malls are not the same there as here and believe it or not we walked around it but never knew it was there and when we walked out onto the street our hotel was 1 block away right next door....

CRAZY!!!!

We had tickets for a show that has been running 30 years....Sheer Madness...we got to the playhouse a little early so we sat at the bar to have a drink to kill some time....there we met the bartender who was from Baytown and had been living in Boston for a couple years.

As it was time to head to the show we took 2 drinks with us as your not suppose to get up during the show.

Not long after it started I turned to Fonda and said....

I think I'm drunk....those drinks were strong but good...so I didn't let them go to waste...after all we were on

Grandma's Gone Wild.

After the show...which was wonderful by the way...we got on a bicycle rickshaw and headed to Cheers.

The outside was the same, the stairs leading down were the same, the Indian by the door was the same but that's about it....so we had a little fun a little food and maybe I had another drink.

Afterwards we decided to walk back to the hotel and walk off some of our night.

It was kinda funny that on our walk at the end of February we would find wreaths hanging on gates and people's doors and they were just as fresh as could be.

How cool to have your real wreath hanging up for more than 4 weeks and with all it's needles .

Oh...and by the way...the walk didn't help wear off those drinks.

Sweet Dreams!

Congrats!

Say Congrats to me....Why??? I'm gonna be a Grams again....Let's all say "Thanks" to the parents to be...
Jenn and Paul as they will welcome their second child in August...What will little Liam have as his sibling? A sister or a brother? We will have to wait until the baby's arrival into the world as the parents have decided to not fine out.

It Was My Day

Yesterday two of my very best friends Fonda and Stacy took me out for the day for my birthday. It was all a surprise, I had no idea what was planned but that I was booked until at least 5 and anything after that was gravy.

I was taken to a day spa where we were pampered with a massage that was out of this world and after that a pedi and mani. It was such a relaxing time and the massage was well needed. The massage lady told me legs and feet where knotted pretty good....that's due to being on them a lot more these days.

Afterwards we went to Saltgrass for an early dinner (we had not had lunch) and drinks.

Then we went to the mall where I picked up a watch and Fonda did the unthinkable...she got her ears pierced. All these years she had never done it...they looked so awesome! Stacy opt to have her cartilage done and I call myself the older conservative one of the bunch (lol) and opt to do nothing. I was the picture taker...lol

Then we headed to Silverados. a bar, game room movie theatre. We had a few drinks before our movie started and then we went and watched Country Strong...I enjoyed the movie, but not the end, I left feeling I needed closure.

Then the night was over and it was time for Stacy and I to be taken back to our vehicles and head home. It was a most wonderful day with my girls. It was wonderful to be pampered and to feel so special. Thank you my girls...love you!

This So Called Life

Wow...trying to gain some sense of schedule and time is not as easy as it sounds.

January is almost over and if this month has gone by this fast .... 2011 will be over before we know it.

So far we have rearranged the store. I went out and bought new (used but new for the store). It was bigger and taller and helped fill in the wall space and create more area to display merchandise. I went out one day to just look and found just about everything I needed. Bought it on the spot and the next day it was delivered. I closed the store the day it was to be delivered thinking it would only take one day....NOT...had to close the following days as well. What a difference the furniture makes.

Then...Jenn and I have been to market to find new items for the store and believe it or not, order our Christmas items for Christmas 2011. Jenn headed to Atlanta a couple days before me, which was right after they had received their snow storm. We headed back to Houston for less than a 24 hour stay and headed to Dallas for 4 days. I actually think Dallas was colder than Atlanta.

And in between all of this I have been trying to find my happy medium...my time for me...my time for house chores...even time to go to the bank which I'm hoping to be able to do tomorrow. I know I've been out of the work loop for 20 years but how is all this gonna come together.'? How did I do it all when I had a family to care for? And now it's just me...you would think I would be a pro...after all I raised a husband and 3 children, this should be a piece of cake...right?

I've been a little absent on the blog but hoping to get a little better at posting more often...it's just when I have the time to be on the computer for any length of tome, I get tired and fall asleep.

So...all is good and the family is good too...hopefully I will have pictures soon.

Until next time.

Happy New Year

A new year...a time for resolutions...a time of reflections...

A time to look back and a time to move forward...

So much has happened this past year.I settled into a new home and I started a new business.

Yesterday I sold my beach house.

I look forward to see what 2011 has in store.

I'm hoping to figure out a schedule...

with going back to work the word

TIME

has a whole different meaning.

Happy New Year!