The Celtics' rolling rally

I didn't make it to the rolling rally but got these cool photos off Boston.com (credit goes to Globe photographers David Ryan, John Tlumacki and Bill Greene).

We didn't get a birthday party every year...

...but when we did they were memorable! Step aside Martha Stewart--Nan Patton had us decorating paper plates and making hats long before the arrival of your magazines filled with nifty birthday party ideas!

A brown lunch sack made a perfectly respectable "goodie bag" back-in-the-day!

I'm proud to be a Celtics fan!!!

What a game! It was fun to watch (and to listen to on the radio while I drove home from visiting some friends). It's extra nice that they won at home! Way to go, Celtics, WAY TO GO!!!

Dressmaker, Dressmaker, make me a dress

Last year I offered to make my friend's daughter Zoe a dress to wear after she was baptized. Zoe picked out the pattern and fabric and after the dress was made we discovered it was too big. [Do I even need to say that I never took a pattern fitting class...?] Sunday before last Zoe came running up to me after church and she was wearing the dress! It looked so cute on her and she was beaming. A few minutes later I was talking to a friend and her daughter started whispering something to her and then said to me, "Would you make me a dress?" I'm such a sucker for baking and sewing requests! I told her I would and a few days later went over to measure her. When I got to her house her mom said that her younger daughter was asking if I'd make her a dress too. Of course I agreed. I measured the girls and asked what their favorite colors were. The twist in the story is that these girls are moving on Thursday. I bought patterns and fabric on Saturday. I cut the dresses out Sunday. And tonight (it's Monday) I made the dresses. I still have a few things to finish on each one but when I go to visit them tomorrow (Tuesday) we'll know if the dresses fit or not and if they don't fit I sure hope the girls like cloth napkins!

Happy Father's Day!

The next to leave

These friends are moving to No. Cal. I was hoping he'd find a job in Boston but he got a sweet job in California so they'll be surfin', enjoying the sun and wearing flip flops year round while their good friends in Boston will be missing them.

A regular day

I ran lots of errands today: car wash, library, grocery shopping, taking care of a vacationing friend's mail, getting a new watch band, buying patterns/fabric for some sewing projects, ordering and picking up reprints for photocards, etc. Here is one of the photos I ordered reprints of. I wish gas was 47 cents/gallon.

Note: I took this photo in Oregon a few years ago. I asked permission and the man was very intrigued that I was interested in taking photos of his old gas pump. I thought it was pretty cool.

Fire&Ice

I went to dinner with friends tonight at Fire & Ice in Cambridge. It was such a nice night; cool with a slight breeze and it's always fun to walk around Harvard Square. We weren't celebrating that our friend is moving (are all my friends leaving Boston?!) but going out on the town one last time together before she moves to the wild, wild west.

I want I want I want

Another goodbye

After work I stopped to say goodbye to more friends leaving Boston (I'm not kidding about all the people that move away from this great city). Soon after they got married, they moved to Boston and into the Arlington Ward. Two moves, two kids and two masters degrees and now they are headed to Houston where he will attend medical school. Boston's loss is hot Houston's gain!

Our modern world

Strawberry Shortcake has a new look.  I prefer the curly red hair to the long pink locks.  And she does not need a cell phone.  What next?  Fred Flintstone using a Bluetooth while driving a Prius and Pebbles and Bam Bam with hipster hairdos?

A well spent $99.99

My friend is moving next week. She's trying to go through all their stuff, pack things she needs to take with her, prepare to close on a new home 3,000 miles away, tie up loose ends in Boston, and get things ready for movers. And she's got kids ages 9, 6 and 20 months.

Last week she bought one of these. Her kid throws his toys in and jumps around for long enough stretches of time that she can get some things done. What kid wouldn't love their own bounce house trampoline?

Call of the Islands

I went to a work party tonight complete with delicious food and fancy drinks but someone forgot the Slip 'n Slide.

Tess turns one!

Tess is one of the "21" and her first birthday was today! After the basketball game we celebrated with cupcakes. Her mom thought she'd cry if we sang "Happy Birthday to you" so we didn't.

The Celtics aren't the only team in town

Tonight I went to watch 21 play and they WON their first game (their last game of the season)!!! I must be their Lucky Charm!

Two down, two to go

You know what I'm talking about.

Mirror, mirror on the wall

My friend gave me this mirror that she got at the Brimfield Fair. Thanks, Anna! I hung it in my living room today and I'm feeling a bit shabby chic!

Homemade gifts

What newlyweds don't need cloth napkins? My friend's kitchen colors are aqua and red so I whipped these up for her bridal shower today.

Commencement

East vs. West

I was born and raised in Los Angeles (the suburb of Van Nuys to be specific). We were Lakers fans. I remember back in 1972 hearing they had won another game and another and another and following their 33 game winning streak.  I remember going to games at the Fabulous Forum.  I remember listening to games on the radio, with Chick Hearn the play-by-play announcer for the Lakers, and cheering for Wilt Chamberlain, Pat Riley, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Happy Hairston, etc.  

One day we saw Wilt heading north on the 405 freeway and my mom followed him to his house in Bel Air (we were paparazzi minus the cameras) and we watched in awe as he drove his sports car into the driveway, the electric gate closed behind him and he got out of his little car (all 7' 1" of him).  

The east vs. west rivalry existed way back then in Van Nuys.  I'm not sure why, but my brothers HATED all of the Boston sports teams (well, they still do).  We had a neighbor who LOVED all the Boston teams and my brothers would "trash talk" non-stop with him.  They probably pegged me as disloyal when I moved to the east coast. 

When I moved here 20 years ago of course I started cheering for the Celtics.  One of my friends had one ticket for half of the Celtics season. He worked nights so a few times offered me his ticket. I jumped at the chance to see the Celtics play in the famous Boston Garden! I took the subway into the city by myself and thoroughly enjoyed the games (and it was a good seat--5th row on the floor; baseline between the Celtics bench and the basket!). The Garden was old and dirty and didn't have air conditioning. But it did have a lot of championship banners hanging from the rafters! And wild fans! And plenty of history.

Game #1 of this year's NBA championship series is tonight and I'll be cheering for my Celtics.

Tomorrow's lunch: Broccoli Salad

I love this salad! And I know I've asked at least three different friends for the recipe and never made it until tonight. This time I got it from my friend Rachel's "More than just noodles" blog. I had to go to two Stop & Shops to get sunflower seeds (what's up with that?).

I'm lookin' forward to lunch!

I wanna take him home tonight...

...to wash my window and hang my quilt.

Watching '21'

I don't mean the movie. I mean the basketball team of women from the three wards that meet in our building. They play Monday nights at 9:00pm. The reason they are called '21'?! If you add up all the kids they have, it totals 21!!! I went to watch them play for the first time and had a blast cheering "GO BLUE!!!"

[I've got some sweet video but I need assistance to get it on my blog so stay tuned.]

Blessing day

This week the adoption was final for my friend's little boy and he was blessed today! It was fun to take pictures for her and celebrate with a luncheon after church. Congratulations, Eileen!!!

Colorado is paging Dr. Mower

My friends the Mowers are moving to the wild, wild west. Matt finished dental school two weeks ago and they are leaving Boston. That's one thing about this area that is tough -- lots of my friends leave. I've enjoyed getting to know the Mowers and have been so impressed with them. They have endured trials with maturity and grace and have made the most of their time in Boston. I will miss them but am glad I can call them late at night!