tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-374228502009-07-15T19:20:48.445-04:00Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.comBlogger460125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-70586003768802755112009-07-14T21:24:00.007-04:002009-07-15T19:03:27.234-04:00

I mentioned in my last post that we'd recently been farm touring.Over the 4th of July holiday we took the kids to visit Bobolink Dairy in New Jersey. I stumbled upon their website when I was searching for u-pick berry farms close to where we spend weekends. I revisited their site several times to read more about their operation. I had no idea they sold their cheeses and breads at the farmer's

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-85356038169577785482009-07-13T21:19:00.002-04:002009-07-13T21:23:39.883-04:00

Bike riding. Gardening. (This sorry patch of dirt became my perennial gardenbut I forgot to take an "after" picture. Duh.) Watching the brothers pitch a tent.It must be nice to have a back youngenough to sleep on the ground. Thinking about Thanksgiving..... Farm touring... Celebrating Indpendence.

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-87553995776869224332009-07-07T15:26:00.000-04:002009-07-07T15:29:41.958-04:00

We recently attended Family Scout Night/American Girl Night/Facebook(?!) Night at a Brooklyn Cyclones game. This was the first baseball game the kids have ever been to.First there was patch distribution. Then my kids complained about dying of hunger. But by then it was time to take the field and march in the scout parade.Then it was time to schmooze with the players and take photos. Next, the

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-70161285299803566822009-07-06T22:02:00.010-04:002009-07-13T22:21:03.464-04:00

We're back from the Killer Fun Weekend and a week spent camping. Now that the photos have been downloaded from the camera I can consider myself officially unpacked.Before I show you what we've been up to lately I want to say I stand corrected on a few facts listed in a post I did a few weeks ago. The Achilles Track Club is not solely for wounded soldiers. They are a non-profit organization that

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-62944055298129234052009-06-27T22:26:00.002-04:002009-06-27T22:50:09.289-04:00

This is what our weekend is looking like:Friday 4:30 pm - Saturday 10:00 pm Slumber partySaturday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Birthday partySunday 8:30 am -10:30 am Achilles RunSunday 4:00 pm Girl Scout Parade at Keyspan parkSunday 5:00 pm Cyclones vs. Hudson Valley Renegades (Girl Scout AND American Girl Night; American Girl post-game movie shown on field; bring blanket, doll)In between there's been

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-69512266296891657682009-06-26T13:27:00.006-04:002009-06-26T15:08:56.154-04:00

Today is the last day of school. Usually, kids count down in anticipation of the last bell of the school year but Sophie spent the last few weeks months dreading this day. But don't let this picture fool you. There was no joy in mudville today.Sophie's class has spent two years together as first graders and now as second graders with the same teacher. They loved it and were together for 364 days

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-55066036358601141812009-06-22T16:26:00.003-04:002009-06-22T16:55:27.803-04:00

We've gotten a lot of rain in these here parts. Out of the first 19 days of the month of June, 15 were rainy in one way, shape, or form. 15! It was brilliantly sunny about an hour ago. Now it is pouring. Louie, the guy that owns our local pizza shop told me "I donna know. Alla thisa rain. I maka me feel.....ya know....moosh. Lika I no wanna work. I no wanna do nothing. Moosh. You know?"Totally.

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-3272455113618665762009-06-17T06:52:00.001-04:002009-06-17T06:52:00.322-04:00

I'm still at the ex-job and it's been really busy. There is more work coming up and I'm acting like an immature jerk whining about having all this employment lined up when it was just a few months ago when I was succumbing to Bread Line Hysteria. It's all good though, just a bit tense at the moment but I'll have a couple of weeks off between gigs to relax a little.Next week I will attend the 2nd

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-66255632791976005072009-06-16T06:11:00.001-04:002009-06-16T23:02:00.124-04:00

Take three parts Ralphie..... Add two parts Harry Potter....Add a smidgen of Groucho...Mix well.....

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-33621696863510178382009-06-13T09:28:00.003-04:002009-06-13T09:40:54.255-04:00

Many of you know that our friend Tom Deierlein was activated in late 2005 to active military duty. He served in Sadr City, a Baghdad slum, helping establish basic services like water, electricity and to the city of 2.3 million people.This was not an easy task but he took the work on and was beginning to see the fruits of his labor benefit the Iraqi people when he was shot and seriously wounded by

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-13388965307651437602009-06-11T06:22:00.001-04:002009-06-11T06:22:00.441-04:00

I can't stop listening to this song or watching this video. The fact that there's something very Beatles-esque about the drummer probably has something to do with it.

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-5726343790156350352009-06-10T06:49:00.007-04:002009-06-10T10:25:58.608-04:00

We're taking care of Frances, our upstairs neighbor's cat, while her humans are out of town getting married. I took this shot of the backyards standing on their fire escape last night. It's interesting looking at the view you see every day from a completely different vantage point. It's like my bizarro backyard. I also learned a lot. Apparently one of our neighbors has built a roof deck and I've

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-22524577293673320432009-06-09T06:26:00.004-04:002009-06-09T06:45:46.210-04:00

This impromptu water fight broke out when we returned from swimming on Saturday. Harry never has the upper hand in situations like this, as you can see from his location off on the side line. But when no one's looking...watch out!

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-91741036228595531362009-06-08T23:26:00.007-04:002009-06-09T06:46:49.667-04:00

I rarely find myself with unexpected spare time on my hands but this was the case on Saturday when we went to the camper to take care of a minor problem which was easier to fix than anticipated. So I stood with my arms akimbo and thought "how could I spend the rest of this Saturday morning?" I headed to dear old dad's, borrowed a shovel and set forth to get the hard, rocky soil in a small garden

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-37126515566113816042009-06-05T12:37:00.003-04:002009-06-05T12:49:41.152-04:00

I started my work day yesterday as I usually do, taking the subway to work. Then a fire broke out in the tube and filled the station with smoke, which then made a passenger sick.I ended my day getting flashed by a homeless man. This morning, nothing ignited during my commute, so things are looking up already. Here's hoping everyone can keep it in their pants.

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-25829091544612082342009-06-03T06:05:00.003-04:002009-06-03T06:05:00.455-04:00

1: Number of magic themed birthday parties attended.2: Number of times I've requested our son to cease inserting the magic wand obtained at magic birthday party up the cat's nose.3: Number of swim suit shopping trips taken.1: Number to swim suits purchased.3: Number of times during said shopping trips that I requested my son stop licking the fitting room mirror.56: Number to times I've wondered

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-22805554481379831402009-05-28T06:27:00.000-04:002009-05-28T06:27:00.390-04:00

We finally heard back on whether Harry was assigned a spot at our neighborhood school. He was! There were a few days when I wore myself out thinking of what would happen if he didn't get a seat. There was the "I will appeal the decision to no end and perhaps write a large check to the PTA" line of thinking. There was the "That's it! We're moving!" line of thinking, as well as the ever popular "I

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-17993214760336857122009-05-27T06:26:00.000-04:002009-05-27T06:26:00.785-04:00

This blog has been neglected lately. I know this because I sit down to write a post and can't think of a single thing. Then I start writing for the sake of writing something and I realize that no one wants to read about whatever lame thing happened recently. And thus I have spared you the gory details of my hangnail. You're welcome! Instead I will just say things have just been plodding along.

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-60870688449921554162009-05-17T21:58:00.004-04:002009-05-18T09:38:07.704-04:00

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-91650409099285559752009-05-15T08:53:00.002-04:002009-05-15T08:53:00.331-04:00

We are anxiously waiting to hear whether or not Harry has a spot in the pre-k class at our neighborhood school.Because of the mini-baby boom New York is experiencing, he is not guaranteed a spot just because we've applied. There are roughly 8000 kids (or 4,000+ parents) vying for 77 seats. OK, I exaggerate on how many are vying for the seats but you know, that's how it feels. Suddenly I can see

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-83324465345925845562009-05-11T18:39:00.003-04:002009-05-11T18:52:58.251-04:00

Harry is at that age when just because he thinks things should go a certain way they automatically do. And if they don't, he likes to insist, relentlessly, until you either give in or get through to him that it just isn't happening. Like when I was trying to buy a box of tampons yesterday and he insisted he "must! have! THIS! Thomas! Video!" and I explained that he already has too many videos so

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-40642787281934329612009-05-09T08:58:00.004-04:002009-05-09T09:24:41.416-04:00

It has been raining for over a week. There have been a few breaks of sun but mainly lots of clouds and drizzly, Seattle-like rain. It's been a bit of a mood-killer and I'd like my hair to stop frizzing. Yesterday morning right before I left for work, the sun broke through for a few minutes and I happened to look out into the backyard and good lord is it ever green. A bright, healthy, verdant

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-65912601045594258872009-05-06T19:15:00.003-04:002009-05-06T19:31:16.864-04:00

Yesterday I celebrated Cinco de Mayo by having tacos at a Mexican bodega on the far West Side of Manhattan. It's a grocery store in the front but has a window all the way in the back where two women cook authentic tacos, Mexican sandwiches and quesadillas.Yesterday I washed three pork tacos down with a Boing! Mango drink, which I decided would be awesome in some summer cocktails.Here's what I

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-33204020058943534022009-05-04T06:47:00.003-04:002009-05-04T07:07:27.154-04:00

This is Whitey. He is not the cat responsible for the Blue Jay massacre last week but he is one of the strays that roam the yards in my neighborhood. And when I say "stray", I mean a cat with no permanent address, with not one, but two neighbors who feed him. One of those neighbors even makes regular vet appointments for him and he is the picture of health. And obviously content. (Oh, and the

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37422850.post-26391568081537508202009-04-28T11:00:00.004-04:002009-04-28T11:12:56.052-04:00

I have some work lined up starting Friday. At the ex-job, of all places. The HR lady, the one whose shoes I didn't throw up on almost a year ago, will be calling me later today to make the arrangements. It is hard to believe that I have not worked there in nearly a year. I'll be working in a different group, on a different floor with a different boss but with people that I love so much it hurts

Meredithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866053796647681141thischarminglife@yahoo.com4