Some Good Out Of Bad

The Bright Side

Even though our last few days have been sad, there was also some good stuff mixed in. 

Here's a few.

There is finally a decent hotel in Yonkers. The Marriott Residence Inn was lovely, clean, and convenient.  The staff was very nice including Maria (with sister Di), who had earned 4 stars before we even arrived.

The rooms even had a nice sitting area (and a kitchen with full size fridge) where we enjoyed Cocktail Hour and a toast to Bo upon our  arrival.



The rooms also had a seriously comfortable bed.

We got facetime with Uncle Bobby (my Mother's baby brother) and Aunt Joan.

We had even more facetime with people we love including Tina and Gina......

..........Di and Choppy.

Jesse made us all laugh (like grandfather, like grandson).

We got to do google eyes with our old pal Gav. Don't ask.

We had a glimpse of the city from the GW.

There was blue sky above us on the upper deck.

Took a ride through the old neighborhood in the Bronx, past my off-campus apartment. 35-92 was still standing. The same couldn't be said for the Stella d'Oro's house which was now an apartment building.

Drove by Van Cortland Park where my Grampy Dignam used to play cricket on Sundays. Cricket or soccer? Hmmmm, now I'm not sure, but I'll go with cricket. It was probably both.



We miss New York and wish we were closer or at least got to visit more. We'll have to work on changing that.

Do you miss someplace special? 

ttfn,

It's All Over So Soon

Another Christmas Gone

Hi all.  Sorry I've been scarce, I've had a rotten bug since before Christmas and it just won't give up the ghost. 

Despite feeling lousy, I had a great holiday. I hope you did as well.

Thursday night, the neighborhoodlums stopped by.

Joanie brought Lucan a chewable Christmas card. Sandee and Gerry baked their yearly 'Coogans'........cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. Joanie and Tom gave us a new pine bench (see it on the left?) Tom made with native wood he milled himself. It's awesome.

Missed getting a picture of Gerry, but he was here.

Gar was nice enough to help me with our Christmas baking so it was ready to give out when they stopped by (more on that in another post).

Christmas Eve we were off to sister Gloria's, as was the whole famn-damily.

Great nephew Cayd had tupperware on his list to Santa. We were happy to oblige with a big bin full of the stuff.

While he was busy getting the Santa hat he wanted out of one of the tupperware containers, great niece Sophia danced up a storm with Glo's lifesize singing and dancing Santa with help from Auntie Cait.  She didn't stop all night. She just kept dancing, and dancing and dancing.

Once Cayd got his new Santa hat out of the tupperware, he gave out some Christmas lovin'.

Our family friend Donna and niece Nicole chatted in the kitchen. 

Niece Maddie got a great travel bag from Grammy and Grampy. I had my eye on it.

However, I had my own presents to open. Please excuse the same sweater and shirt I've had on in every picture since November. I really do have other clothes.  Feeling as lousy as I did, it was all about comfort Christmas Eve. 

Some of the girls were styling and smiling.

Nephew Pat was happy to get a Kittery Trading Post shirt from Grammy and Grampy. Now he's officially one of the big boys. Right Pat?

Niece Maddie made Grammy mittens she upcycled from a sweater! Awesome!

Cayd was still busy with his Bin O'Tupperware.

He was enthralled by the sandwich bags that were in the bin and were also on his list. He was pretty psyched about the spatula too. Funny stuff.

He took a break to help Great Grammy and Great Grampy open their big gift from the gang......a brick. I know, it doesn't sound exciting, but it was.

It was a replica of the brick with their name on it, that is now part of Fenway Park! Even the Yankees fans present (me and Gar and brother Mike) liked this one.

Though I may have been even happier with my new Stanley Cup Champions Bruins Winter Hat. I know, I'm ever the Fashion Plate.

Got a picture of Mom before she got me. Take that!



Nephew Pat horned in on his niece Sophia's 'dancin' with Santa' territory.

As we left Briar Road, it started to flurry. Perfect timing just in time for Christmas.

It continued on and off the next morning.

We enjoyed our annual Christmas Mimosas as we opened our presents and stockings.  Again, please keep in mind I was not a well girl and it shows.

I spent the rest of the day pretty much under the afghan on the couch, cozy by the fire.  Not a bad place to be.

All in all, another wonderful Christmas gone by. I hope yours was as nice.

Are you ready for the New Year?

Me? Irresistibly Sweet?

That's not exactly how I'd describe myself, but that's how Jamie over at My Favorite Things blog described Mercantile Muse when she gave us this fun award! Woohoo, my first blog award. It's actually just a fun way to get to know me a little better. Thanks Jamie!


So the gist of the award is this, I have to:

*Share 7 things about myself

and

*Share the love by awarding 7 other bloggers the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award!

About me:

1. I have crooked fingers. Both hands. We're talking weird crooked-they kind of have a 'swoop' towards each other. Very unique. My sister has them, my niece has them and my nephew have them. They came from my Gram, Beatrice Dignam (nee Bracewell). She's on the left in this picture taken in 1918 in England and carried back to my grandfather who was away in the war (a friend who was on leave brought it  back to him). Gram is with two of her three sisters- Flo and Dora. Love Gram's necklace. I don't know if her sisters had the crooked fingers too.

2. I am addicted to M*A*S*H and LOVE Alan Alda, and Hawkeye too. Gar got me tickets to a sold out book tour Alan Alda was doing a couple of years ago and he was just what I expected. Gar shares my M*A*S*H love. If you haven't read his book Never Have Your Dog Stuffed, read it. Great memoir of growing up in an acting family, though it's not all happy and funny. What memoir is?

3. I am a rocker chic. That's not to say our music collection doesn't include Pavarotti, because it does. I was a punk rocker chic in college, still am in my heart. Turn on some Billy Idol and Steve Stevens (one of THE best guitarists ever), and you've got me when you hit play.




4. I'm an American mutt- Italian, Irish, English and I think even a little Scottish thrown in there too for good measure.  This is my great grandmother on my mother's side.....my Grandma Cocciardi's (nee mcguinness) mom Catherine McGuinness (nee Horan).

5. I went to college in the Bronx at the College of Mount Saint Vincent and my classmates and I are known as 'Mounties'.  We're known as Nuts too, but we prefer Mounties. Got a problem with that? Here we are at Stratton Mountain, with a couple Mountie sisters in the mix for the hell of it.

6. I am the youngest of 5 children (and knew all my grandparents- I know that will make it 8, but hey, it's my award.)









That's Brother Mike- It's his B-day today........Happy Birthday Big Bro!! And Brother Bill (with his daughter Maddie). And the Three Sisters (me, Dianne and Gloria). No  chronological order for those pics. :)

7. I always wanted to be on Broadway. I think it was all those years of Marie Patent and her Seacoast Civic Dance Company, and that I like to sing. Still love to dance and sing. But don't think I'm heading to Broadway anytime soon.  Though I am always forcing someone to take a spin around the floor with me, like my niece 'Carolina' (she's really Caroline, but I call her Carolina) a few years ago.  If there is music on, I'm bound to be dancing and singing.



Enough about me, but feel free to share 7 things about yourself. And here are my 7 blog picks:

Kerry at Seventy Tree

Lori at Automatism

Jane at Finding Fabulous

Tarissa at Pixel Berry Pie Designs

Laura at Design Share

Jill at My Printastic Designs

Bianca at Goodnightlittlespoon

I always wanted to give an Oscar speech, so here it goes....... Cry, cry. Wipe tears with tissue. Sniffle. "I'd like to thank Jamie at My Favorite Things, and shop owner of Madi's Treasures for being the first to recognize the Irresistible Sweetness of Mercantile Muse. I couldn't have come this far without her support."

Have a great Tuesday in your world.