Birthday Wishes for Granma!

We're home now and today is an 'in between' day. In between day seems to happen often here during the summer for sure! What is an in between day? This represents the one 'free' day we have in between two busy days (or visits in this case). We spent this weekend traveling home from Rhode Island, unpacking (still more to do) and yesterday we celebrated my grandmother's 86th birthday. Tomorrow Aunt Amy and cousin Aaron will arrive for a week of family time. So today..we'll be hanging out and catching up on household chores (bummer).
Let me pay respect to the coolest 86 year old woman I know..my grandma! She rocks! All of my life she has been the ideal best dressed Southern woman I know. She and my grandfather walked their lives together for over 50 years (my other grandparents did too!) and she was the ultimate housewife. Clean house, dinner on time, attention to detail and family gatherings fit for royalty! One of the more endearing stories is that when they got married she woke up an hour earlier than he did just so she could be dressed, hair fixed and make up on before he saw her. That lasted longer than you'd think! As a 20 year old she was gorgeous with dark hair and a dynamic smile. I have to think that my grandfather was dazzled by her smile and those flirty eyes. He too was a looker, very handsome and she adored him. Together they raised 2 daughters and to them family was everything. He died over nine years ago and she is still very much married to him. His passing left her reeling and it took her many years to figure out how to live in this world without him. But yesterday she celebrated her birthday surrounded by the family she lives for. Dressed in her full length dress, strappy, shiny sandals and jewelry (always jewelry) she brought in her 86th year with style...like she does everyday! When asked what her plans were after our luncheon she said she hadn't decided. I asked if someone was taking her out, would she be getting into any trouble. Her response, with a grin, was "noone can keep up with me". She is like a tall glass of iced tea..sweet southern iced tea. She is refreshing, she is comforting, she is just what we all needed on her birthday. My favorite part of her is listening to her. Her southern drawl makes me smile. It paints pictures of a white wicker swing on a plantation porch. Sun bonnets and peach jam. Tall glass of sweet tea and honeysuckle vine. It rolls off her tongue in a melodic way. Every now and again I get to visit with my Aunt Sara, her sister. Sara visits my grandmother (Dorothy) every couple of months and sometimes I get to see them chatting together. It's such a treat. Those two with their whisky slow cadence. It wraps you up, a warmth that soothes your senses and heightens your curiosity. Dorothy(Darathey)...Dot...Mom...Granma. Here's to wishing you a year full of all things good! And a prayer of thanks for you and all that you have blessed us with.

Block Island

Today we headed over to Block Island. This island is a mere 13 miles away from Galilee..Point Judith, RI and by way of ferry takes approximately 50 minutes. So we packed our backpacks..3 to be exact and caught the 9:30 a.m. to the island. The ferry ride was a surprise for my girls as they had no idea what to expect. Their dad took them to the front of the ferry and they both leaned forward, as if Rose on the Titanic, in response to the whipping wind and the sea spray. They loved it! I enjoyed sitting quietly watching the Atlantic and all it's beauty.
Once we arrived we immediately set out sight seeing. We found a grassy path that meandered up a hill and so we followed it. This path led to a beautiful ocean view and a hidden path to the shoreline. We took in the sight and made our way back to the main loop. We found a little book store and cafe with outdoor seating. The girls hit the book store for new reading materials and post cards and the boy scoped out the menu. Before we knew it we had all plopped down at one of the outdoor tables and began reading/writing postcards and just lounging. Just like that..the island vibe had us lulled into relaxation. We sat there for over an hour! Enjoyed a few dishes from the cafe and loaded up on drinks. Then we decided we better find a beach..so off we went. We wound our way through the shops,stopping frequently.. until we found the state beach. Once there we laid out a few towels and the girls immediately began their competition of building the best castles ever!! Two hours passed before we knew it and we were packing up and hailing a taxi back to the shops. We picked up a few souvenirs, enjoyed ice cream and bought snacks for our ferry ride home. The ferry ride home was just as fun as the morning trek, but we were all feeling a little drowsy from all of that relaxing!
Tomorrow we head home and the girls are excited to get back to their own beds. I'm sure they'll be happy to see their toys too! They ask for their animals..Annie, Happy and Mr. Frank Jenkins nearly every day. I think it's safe to say we have had a blast here in Rhode Island! Nina is top notch vacation guide for the whole state and was always (ALWAYS) thinking of fun stuff for us to do. We ran out of time to do it all, but no one is disappointed. We'll just add it to our list for next time. And next time we'll have baby brother to share it with!

Wickford, Westerly, Watch Hill....and more!

Once we finally slipped on our shoes yesterday we had already lounged away half the day! The rain had created a cozy morning indoors and allowed us the guilty pleasure of tossing all potential plans aside and enjoying a morning full of nothing but time. Ahh.. But alas..the rain stopped and our wandering ways kicked in. After little discussion we all piled into the car and headed to one of my favorite of all favorite places...Wickford RI. Of course it's loaded with boutiques, on the water and pleasing to the eye. But beyond that, The Grateful Heart store is located in Wickford. There was a picture taken of me and hubby nearly 14 years ago outside of The Grateful Heart store that is now on this blog and thus the name of this blog was retrieved. This time around I have 2 extra reasons for my grateful heart and we all stood under the sign for a new pic. One I'm sure to post as soon as I get home! We wandered down the flower filled streets, some of us window shopping while others were puddle jumping. We wound up by the bay feeding three very friendly ducks. My grateful heart was feeling quite content!

Today we roamed the Southern end of Rhode Island. We started off in Westerly. This little town was one of the first we took our girls to during our last visit 2 years ago. We loved the pizzeria and the Westerly Park. Hoping to duplicate the day we stopped first at the park. There we looked for the 'fairy tree'. It is a very old, magical looking tree whose branches sweep the ground. If you step through the branches you are welcomed to a canopy of shade and declarations of love that have been carved into the bark by many who no doubt thought the privacy romantic. My girls agreed, if Tinker Bell lives in Westerly RI this would be her tree. One of the highlights of our last park trip was the beautiful pond, full of water lilies and ducks. Unfortunately the pond had been drained. With many workers on sight we hope to see the pond in all it's new glory next year! After the park we decided not to have pizza but to seek out lobsta! We found ourselves at a local dive called Two Fishes where we plowed into fried clam strips, lobster bisque, warm lobster rolls and fried scallops. Though we were not raving about our experience we all agreed that they were generous with servings and the price was more than fair.
Next stop..Watch Hill. If you have any preconceived idea of what a historic New England town should look like, Watch Hill should live out your dreams. The homes are spectacular. Big, beautiful and breathtaking. The town is quaint and is home of the last flying horse carousel in the world. We enjoyed frozen treats and carousel rides. Took a stroll through the shops and many pictures around the docks. Every time I see a sail boat I want a picture of it..why is that? Luckily we got lost on our way out of Watch Hill and enjoyed an extra 20 minutes of beautiful scenery!
Once we found our way out of Watch Hill we then headed over to Quonochontaug Bay (say that!)for the kids to go clammin'. Earlier in the day Brian had been advised by a local to hit this area for easy access to clams and ease for the girls to maneuver. Low tide was 6 pm, we arrived at 4 pm. But there were many already walking out, so the Roy's joined. Another great adventure...clams, snails, horseshoe crabs, hermit crabs, the marsh...the girls really enjoyed seeing creatures from this coastal classroom!
We packed up and headed home, sandy and hungry. We didn't bring home quite the loot clammin' as we had crabbin'. But that's ok. Now we know what it's all about. Look out clams, we'll be back!

Rhode Island RULES!!

This week we are visiting Nina (aka Brian's mom) in Rhode Island..truly a beautiful state! We flew in Sunday and the girls enjoyed the plane ride so much they wanted to do it again!! Lucky for us their grandmother was waiting for them, a golden carrot that lured them off their 'carnival ride'. Right away we found ourselves on an adventure. Nina had heard rumors of a farm opened for raspberry picking and away we went. I must say that the farms in South County Rhode Island are like none I've ever visited. In Tennessee we have a few wonderful, fun pumpkin patches we visit in October..maybe I should go during the summer and check them out? But really, the farm we went to Sunday (the Farmers Daughters Farm) was artsy and ornate, full of flowering plants, herbs, fruits, veggies..really over the top! Can't wait to post pictures. We left three overflowing pints heavier and $15 lighter. One can only guess how many raspberries left the vine and went straight into the bellies of the pickers..we gladly paid for the berries!
On Monday we headed into Massachusetts, Foxborough to be exact. Patriots Place was the destination..and what a destination indeed! Who needs a football game to go to a stadium when it shares a parking lot with some of the best shopping and eating around? We all had lunch together and then the two obsessed Patriot fans (the apple doesn't fall far) dropped the other 3 off at the movie theater while they toured, slack jawed, the Patriot's Hall of Fame. Those two were elated to experience that together, and I couldn't have been more relieved! The girls and I visited the most luxiourious, plush movie theater I've ever witnessed and settled in for 90 minutes of cartoon comedy in the movie Despicable Me. After the movie and the Hall of Fame, this car load headed over to reunite with an Aunt and 2 cousins.
What a fun night that was! We were greeted at the door with a cute little Grace yelling "Mommy...Kendall and Mallory are here!" Leave it to a kid to break the ice! Tears and laughter, smiles and hugs greeted everyone at the door. And then there was food! and food! It was such a nice evening. Brian reconnected with his cousins and they shared stories..old and new. Nina and Aunt Ethel were able to relive some old memories and though they are not sisters by law anymore, their memories were fond and their friendship runs deep. My girls were elated to meet another cousin, as was I. And did I mention the food? Let me brag on Aunt Ethel's culinary skills. Italian through and through, she woo'ed us with her antipasto and wow'ed us with her homemade meatballs. You know when you look forward to meeting someone new you tend to pray for something in common? Well..God gave us that and much more! I couldn't be happier for Brian and Kerin and David...for "Aunt Mickey" and "Aunt Ethel", for the newest in this story line Kendall, Mallory and Grace. I've said it before and I'll say it again..there is nothing so sweet as family. Nothing. We left happy and stuffed. Most importantly we left feeling blessed.
Tuesday was a day of new adventures. We lounged in the morning, then slipped on our swimsuits and headed for the beach. Toting chairs, blankets, towels, sunscreen, sand buckets and chicken legs...what? Yep, chicken legs..raw. Brian took the girls crabbin' and they had a blast! Dozens were caught with Brian's chicken leg tied to a piece of twine technique and the girls swift use of a net. The rain ended our day and sent us to the docks to buy lobsters (lobsta) and little neck clams. We brought home our loot (9 blue crabs they caught too!) and were treated to a feast fit for royalty! Kendall loves the clams! Mallory liked the lobsta..but she wanted most to play with the crabs. Once she realized she could pick them up (they had already seen the inside of the crab pot) she picked 2 to play with. What the heck..we let her. Where in Tennessee will she ever get a chance like that again right? And once again, another night of going to bed overstuffed and happy!
So today we're approaching lunchtime and everyone is still in their pj's! It's a rainy day and we've vetoed the trip to the aquarium. I'm sure there will be a trip out, just not sure where yet. Do not fear though..hungry we will not be! We have a long list of restaurants just waiting for us to visit...today will not disappointment!!

Lessons from a 7 year old

My oldest seems to always find ways to stop me in my tracks. Most of those times it's to 'redirect' her behavior, if you know what I mean. But there are those moments that I find her to be the teacher and I am just excited to be privy of the lesson. Take yesterday for instance, lessons were plentiful! There was something that sparked her interest in making paper airplanes. Being the girl she is, there was detailed decorating and naming of the fleet. As they took their first whirls through the vast space known as the Land of Livingroom, both she and her little sister cheered with excitement. We went to the library, because if I'm nothing else I am definitely supporting an activity that means I can be a spectator, and we checked out an origami book claiming 'very easy' airplane directions. So much for hands off...our fleet then grew by half a dozen. By the time my husband came home there were 3 M.I.A.'s, 2 teetering on the edge of the ceiling fan, 2 more hiding behind the t.v. and many unrepairable. The kitchen was strolled with scrap papers and the super durable wing mender..aka scotch tape. We went out to eat, returned and sat outside at 9:00pm giving the survivors one last flight of the day. I was reminded how very easy fun can be. No computers, no t.v., no packet with 1000 pieces. Love that imagination!
Before the airplane obsession we met a few of my friends at Chik Fil A for lunch. Of course my girls went straight to the play structure, play first..eat last! They played for an hour, stepped out to let their waitress know their order (that would be me if you are confused) and then came out for a quick 10 to scarf down their chicken and fruit. Another 45 minutes later and Kendall steps out to tell me her friend Amber is leaving. "Oh really? Who is Amber?" I ask. "My new best friend, we've been playing together. She's Great!" Again..I investigate "Do you go to school together?" "No, just met her here." Best Friend?? Then she says, "Amber is coming over to meet you." Polite, must have a good mother, I think. Sure enough, cute little Amber comes over and gives Kendall a necklace, the same necklace she has around her neck. This child who met my child maybe 1 hour ago is giving her a parting gift!! She gives K a hug, K hugs back. Feeling caught up in the moment I whisper to K 'maybe you should give her one of your silly bands?' K looks at me like I've just grown a third eye and I realize that mother's shouldn't always take the glory...or be at fault. Nevertheless, the girls left Chik Fil A being changed by each other. What a great lesson. It doesn't take much. Everyone can give of themselves, one way or another. Your time, your ideas, your help, your laughter, your friendship, your necklace! Just to clear Kendall's name..she only had 2 silly bands on and each were given to her by her two bestest buds. She did say if she had others she would have shared. I'm going to just have to believe that...
So this morning we were getting ready for our day. The girls had eaten ice cream before bed last night and they had to wash their sticky hair this morning. K jumps in the shower and washes her hair. When it was time to condition I asked her how she was doing and she said "Just fine mom. I'm getting more mature you know?" Assuming she's watched an episode ICarly I just agree. Then she gets out and is drying her hair. I say "good job". She says "Yeh, I'm definitely getting more mature." Now I'm paying attention. I second that "I do believe you are." Ten minutes later as she's walking through the kitchen brushing her hair I hear her say to little sister "I'm getting mature." I'll bite. "What does mature mean?" I ask. She says "It just means I am getting older, growing up. Soon I'll be an adult."
I smile. She's right. But first I pray for more days of paper airplanes and 15 minute best friends..please. Mature, she's working on it. Phenomenal...she's got it.