We woke up early on the 4th to prepare for the ” Horrible Parade” which is a tradition in Winthrop. The family home is on Grand View Avenue which faces the Boston Harbor and what a “grand View ” it is ! All we had to do was decorate ourselves appropriately, walk outside and sit on the sea wall and wait for the parade to come by.
But first, Uncle George pulled up in a beautiful red Thunderbird convertible which lured us out into the street ..
We could hear the parade approaching in the distance….
no parade is complete without the bagpipes…
The photographer wanted to get into the picture
I am still cursing that #$%@! little blue balloon …
Lovely girls taking a “spin” in the Thunderbird ….
Uncle George and Bonnie taking a real spin in the Thunderbird…
The parade was followed with a barbeque and pool time and of course some “jumping” pictures Second cousins Christina , Laura Jean and Haley , although only meeting a few days ago for the first time had an immediate bonding and it was as if they had known each other their whole lives.
Back to Grand View Avenue for Fireworks …
As we waited for the show at the end of our block to begin, we looked towards Boston and saw the fireworks in the city..
Everyone had been talking about the experience of a Winthrop firework show and how nothing could ever live up it once we had seen one and I have to admit… it was the most memorable one I have ever seen….
Despite predicted continuing rainfall, Friday was a beautiful day just as Haley’s mother Emily had predicted!
We settled in and took off to explore Winthrop, a beautiful New Eangland coastal peninsula 1.6 miles in size, My brother Bruce , his wife Linda, their daughter Laura Jean, Haley and I took off for a hike on Deer Island and saw a cruise ship heading out to sea.
Haley in the backyard of the family home.
My brother Bruce and his wife Linda ..
Later that day we celebrated Linda’s birthday
And then the preparations began for a New England 4th of July beginning with patriotic fingernail painting by the girls
We took the shuttle to Oakland airport at 9:20 on Thursday 7/2 and were very excited as we pushed our luggage cart towards the jet blue counter. Haley confided that recent news reports had made here a little apprehensive about flying and I reassured here the way a grandmother would … I must say that I giggled to myself as anyone who knows me, knows that I have been on the receiving side of the reassuring talk many times so to be giving it was a considerable sign of growth for me ..
Boston has been plagued with record breaking rain numbers recentlyand yep you guessed it … we were told our flight had been delayed three hours to start maybe more … Sooo this is how we spent our day !
We exhausted the batteries on every digital appliance we had … but at around four ocolock we were cleared to fly…
Wednesday 7/1/09 I started out with my niece Chelsea to San Francisco to pick up Haley and spend a little time with some relatives from Southern Californina before heading out of Oakland to Boston the following morning … It was a beautiful day in the city and a nice way to spend the evening before taking off on a long plane across the country .. So we start our adventure here…
Two girls heading off on a journey to remember …
A warm goodbye to Mama …
A little reunion in the City ….
A picture perfect postcard of Chelsea Ambria , Haley and myself to remember the day ..
Our long awaited trip to my hometown of Boston begins today ! I will be leaving shortly to go to San Francisco to pickup my Granddaughter Haley. Her parents have been kind enough to loan her to me for this trip ! We have lots of activities planned starting today ‘well first meet up with some Southern California relatives in San Francisco for dinner and then spend the evening at Oakland Airport where we will fly out tomorrow morning to Boston.
The first part of our trip will be spent in Winthrop with with family and then the two of us are of to the City! We will walk The Freedom Trail , see a Red Sox game at Fenway Park, take photo walking tours and lots lots more … Stay tuned to my blog over the next 10 or so days as this is mainly how I will be updating friends and relatives of our adventure..
The picture choice above of Haley and I getting ready to get into a teeeny tiny airplane is one I came across the other night and thought it appropriate as it is one of the last REALLY BIG adventures we went on together , a trip to Alaska! Haley is 10 now and I too am several years older !
After a month of feeling under the weather, I really thought I would be home alone sick in bed Christmas eve and Christmas Day but somehow somewhere deep inside after loving encouragement I made my way to San Francisco for a picture perfect Christmas…
Barbara Ann Bolster December 23, 1931 – October 27, 1979
It seems this is a hard week emotionally for me every year.. The holidays are always filled with memories and today would have been my mother’s 77th birthday… She died at 47 from gliobasta multiforme, a deadly brain tumor.
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold
Playingforchange.com AWESOME idea and I love how we all have the ability to connect through music… Please take the time to watch and hopefully support this wonderful cause… Thanks to Jeff for passing this onto me..
During a recent trip to Boston , I was given these photos of my brother and myself by my stepmother Bonnie. I was 9 and Steve was 11. They were taken during a summertime trip to visit my Dad.
It’s so nice to have these pictures and remember. Looking at these pictures; I remember games of solitaire, sitting around the kitchen table, Bonnie always fixing my hair either curling it or combing it, cooking grilled cheese sandwiches amd making tomato soup, riding in the back seat of the Volkswagen and boy do I remember that bathing suit and how much I loved it! I remember my big brother pestering the heck out of me and I remember a little half brother with the biggest brown eyes I had ever seen, trying in vain to sit up. I remember my father always running around with a camera wanting to take our picture and telling me to suck in my tummy!, I remember crazy midwest sayings like ” do you think the rain will hurt the rhubarb”.
It was last year at this time that I became reacquainted with my Boston family after too many years and I will never let a distance grow between us again.
So as I pack to head off for a visit to Southern California to visit Aunt Ruthie. I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to you all…! Create lots of wonderful memories this year and remember to take lots of pictures! They trigger the mind to so many wonderful memories !
