OMG – They are Back!

In the Flash Back Friday post, dated June 10, 2016, I mention the carpenter ant invasion from June 2014. I spoke to soon. They are back!

I have only seen one outside on our Kitchen porch but Mary has seen seven inside the house. She has been very low-keyed about the invasion because of a recent spider incident where I screamed many times (it was on my hand) and she didn’t want to further upset me. I’ve started a mantra “no ants, no ants” since Saturday night and it doesn’t seem to have helped.

I’ve called Kevin our “pest exterminator” and he will be over after 3:00 p.m. today at the earliest. I need to go into the study to post this and I’m hesitant to do so. If you are reading this you know I made the leap of faith to get this up and posted!

Until next time…

Mt. Tom B-17 Memorial Ceremony - July 9, 2016

Yesterday I attended the memorial for The Mt. Tom B-17 men who were killed on July 9, 1946 while landing at Westover Air Force Base. The weather conditions were not good and they missed clearing the peak by 30 feet. All 25 of the men killed were returned from having fought in World War II and were returning home to resume their lives prior to the war. They were never given that opportunity to do so.

This year’s memorial marked 70 years to the day of when the accident happened and also marked 20 years since the memorial stone marker was erected. To me, last year’s ceremony was very quiet and sedate while this year’s was very big in its presentation.

This year, there was a sign clearly marking where to turn in. There were young men in camouflage uniforms every 15 feet or so keeping the traffic moving to the old ski lodge at the bottom of the mountain for parking. There were cadets from the Civil Air Patrol that did the Presentation of Colors (U.S. flag and Stage flag).

Also presented were the: Opening Remarks by Robert Cahillane, Chairman; Kiernan Rushford who sang the National Anthem; Invocation by Father Robert Gentile from Blessed Sacrament Church, Holyoke: Master of Ceremonies, Al Stettner, nephew of Alfred L. Warm one of the 25 men killed; Welcome Speech by Alex Morse, Mayor of Holyoke; Remarks by Captain Timothy Tobiasz, USCG, Commander and Richard Lee, American Red Cross; Memorial Fly Over aircraft and pilots, 1940 Fairchild M62 Pt 19A, pilot August Gorreck, and a 1943 Boeing Stearman Pt 17, pilot Bill Kulle; Roll Call by Linda Abrams and Civil Air Patrol Cadet; Closing Prayer by Rev. David Whitely, Chaplain, VAMC, Leeds, MA; Benediction by Cantor Ellen Stettner, niece of Alfred L. Warm; Taps by Jake Roberts and Closing Remarks by Robert Cahillane.

A truly moving ceremony that was dedicated to 25 men who never had the experiences one does from returning from war. They are remembered every year thanks to all the efforts by the Stettner family which was their mother’s wish.

If you would like to read more about the ceremony I attended last year go to the July 13, 2015 posting and you will find more details.

Until next time…

Invasion of the Ants

I do not like the big-black carpenter ants. I have the house sprayed yearly to keep these pests at a minimum. The summer of 2015 and so far the summer of 2016 are uneventful but the summer of 2014 was not.

P.S. - The ants kept coming into the study behind our eight-foot bookcase. True they were moving slowly but I was killing many more than I should have. After taking all the books off to move the bookcase away from the wall we found a small crack in the ceiling where they were falling through. And, yet they still managed to make themselves known after an eight foot fall by walking across my braided rug. I hate to think how many dead bodies are still up in our attic. Yikes!

                                  ________________________

Friday, June 6^th – Many dead bodies later, a glass of wine and a visit from my wonderful “pest guy” and the herd has quieted down. Kevin did a major spray outside and down in the basement last night. They are still popping up here and there but he said that is expected.

He even sprayed the Oak tree by the study window and it may be the cause of the invasion. Some of its branches are resting on the house. I made an appointment for next Tuesday, no more oak tree, bye bye. The tree is in bad shape anyway. 

Kevin even sprayed the electrical, phone/TV cable wires coming into the house. It seems that is one of the many niffy ways for ants to come in to your home. Of course, they must climb the telephone pole which must take hours and hours before they hit the wire. High wire aerial act, would you ever have thought?

Saturday, June 7^th – News Bulletin: More reasons why I hate ants. I found one crawling up the side of my Mr. Coffee machine. Another was calmly walking across our check book on the kitchen table. ENOUGH!!!

Sunday, June 8^th – Still killing the suckers, go away NOW.

Monday, June 9^th – Every time I go into the study to work another pesky ant shows up. Yuck – I just killed another one. They are much easier to catch as they are moving slower and seem sluggish, so hopefully the spray is kicking their little old butts.

Wednesday, June 11th, will be the one-week anniversary of the invasion. By the two-week anniversary may this whole ordeal be just a distant memory.

To Hug or Not to Hug - That is the Question

Many years ago, there was an incident in my life that changed the way I view and handle the simple act of hugging. I had just come out and Mary and I were visiting her sister and family for Thanksgiving. We were so thrilled to be celebrating the holiday with her family that we hugged a few times during the afternoon. 

Mary’s sister saw this act of hugging as being very intimate and that it should not have been witnessed by family members. At the time of this incident she didn’t inform us of her feelings.

Fast forward to four years later when Mary’s nephew was graduating from high school. Mary wanted to go to his graduation party. Mary’s sister informed her that the two of us were not invited because of the hugging incident of four years earlier. She intimated that we were too physical with each other which wasn’t appropriate behavior. 

Mary was heartbroken. She adored her nephew and had always participated in events in his life. Her sister would not relent, and Mary never had a chance to participate in the celebrations for his graduation from high school or college.

How sad. How narrow minded some people are. Unfortunately, I didn’t handle it well. Hence, I was banned from going anywhere near their home. It ended up Mary wouldn’t go to family events unless I could come along as well. 

Over the year’s Mary’s great nieces and nephews were born, most of whom she has never seen, and many family holidays occurred that Mary didn’t have the opportunity to attend. It breaks my heart that something as innocent in our mind (hugging) would cause a great divide that affected so many people in Mary’s family.

To this day whenever I start to hug someone I ask for permission. I am afraid that people will misunderstand my intentions of what one of my hugs mean. That is not the way that hugs were meant to be given out. They are meant to be spontaneous, friendly and a joyful act of showing someone a warm gesture.

Until next time…

My Latest Obsession!

I am in love again - even though it is a physical object and not a living one. My newest hangout is Dobra Tea on Main Street in Northampton. Such an awesome place!

The first time Mary and I went there was on New Year’s Eve. It was a spontaneous moment – which is rare for us – but it turned out to be such an amazing experience! The atmosphere is Asian with low seating areas plus table-height seating as well. Their menu is the size of a small dictionary! It goes through all the teas available and what they taste like and where they originate from. There is even a section of appetizers and of course my favorite – DESSERTS!

This past Saturday I went there. Mary had an engagement with a psychic and I wanted to do something special for myself. I was there for over an hour and so enjoyed it! When I walked in there were people everywhere. I found a quite space in the back which worked out well.

I had two staff members wait on me and they were both very helpful. On our first visit, Mary and I ordered tea that was very spicy and it masked the wonderful tastes of the appetizers we ordered. On Saturday, Dylan, gave me a “Loose Leaf Tealist” pamphlet with all the teas available and he went over the different varieties. The little list maker in me (didn't know that about me, did you?) marked down what teas I had so far. I even made a little plastic envelope to keep it safe for future reference. I also picked a new tea to try out on my next visit which brings me to today.

I have the opportunity to not go home at noon time to let the dogs out – our beloved Cait – is doing that for me. So I’m planning to try the “Boston Tea Party Blend” tea for lunch. Also, having their Mediterranean couscous for my main course. Yippie Skippy!!!

From age one to four, I lived on a military base in Okinawa located off the coast of Japan. Dobra Tea reminds me of that time period. For coffee, Woodstar Cafe is the place to visit while in Northampton. It is obvious to me that Dobra Tea is the place to go for quiet and a good pot of tea.

Off to lunch shortly and I can’t wait. Also, I’m bringing my latest knitting project to work on while I’m soaking in the peaceful atmosphere.

Until next time.