Cool,old playgrounds

I am the first to admit that some of the newer  playgrounds out there are pretty amazing. We have seen some that look like modern art with their color schemes and art deco designs. Funny that many of the new playgrounds have signs that say something like " this playground was built for children aged 5-12". Really?!?! So a mature 4 year old or immature 13 year old; where do they work into this equation? LOL

OK, but back to the title of this blogpost....old playgrounds. We have all seen them. They are total throwbacks to the 70's or earlier. They tend to have rusty metal pieces instead of plastic. The slides are like 30 feet high with no side protection. There are those funny bobbing animals that are falling apart with chipped paint flaking off.
Lead paint, most likely. They may have themes linked to old cartoons, like loony toones, yogi bear, Mr Magoo.
The next few pics are from our latest cool playground. I wonder if it will still be around in 50 years?

There is no place like home

These travels have taught be a wonderful lesson. No matter where you grew up, there truly is nothing like coming home.
People from NYC will swear the city is the best with all its culture and diversity. Folks from the country love the quiet and the trees. Ocean dwellers would never want to leave the water and views. Everyone who lives in warmer weather swears they could never live near snow. Northeasterners want their seasons come hell or high water.
So, who is right? Where is the best place to live?  Where should kids be raised? Where are people the happiest and healthiest? Who is right?
Everyone.
Most people live somewhere for their own particular reasons. They can't imagine having it any other way. And they are right.
We saw a lot of cool places on this trip, places that were more than livable to us. But....we thought about family and what home was for us. We thought about the trees and water and crazy seasons we love. We thought about how everyone comes together after a blizzard. We thought about being paid in free range chicken, knowing everyones name in town and being pulled out of a muddy road by the neighbors tractor. We know the smells, the sounds and sights of this place we have called home since birth;  New England.
We just don't want it any other way and it feels so right to all of us.

Small libraries are the best

We love the Haverhill library. We visited there this past Saturday.  Nanci and Anne greeted us with a homemade sign and coffee and hugs. The boys got out some new books. I am unbelievably grateful that Coltrane and Emmett grew up with this small library. It is so personal and sweet and will always be special to them.
Here are a couple of pics.

Hey there, blog.

I have totally ignored the blog. Life got busy and fun and exciting and I just plain forgot about the blog.
We have spent 3 weeks on the coast of NC since I last wrote.
Carl also got a new job.
We left NC quickly and headed through some states quickly to get to NH/VT for interviews.
We ended up accepting a job at White Mountain School in Bethlehem, NH. It is a cute town, a little bit bigger than Pike. The nearest city is Littleton in NH or St Johnsbury in VT. It is a great location.
Now we are celebrating the new job while staying on Lake Winnepasaukee. We also have to think about what we what to do for the next 3 months before his job starts.
We are open to any ideas.
We are low on funds now and considering just staying in the northeast. We have to hit up Maine and maybe we will jump into Canada for a bit.
Ideas? Suggestions? Thoughts?

More coltrane drawings

Coltrane loves drawing.  He does itu every night while I read his bedtime story.  He also does it a good portion of the day.
Anyway, he has been on a roll lately. I like to think that he works out the answers to his biggest questions while he draws away.
For example,  his drawing of God is interesting!  LOL
He also made a picture after I was in a particularly bad mommy mood.
Enjoy

St. Patricks Day.

Another holiday away from home. This is a biggie, being that I am a little Irish!!! LOL.
I made corned beef and cabbage yesterday. Threw in a little Guiness. It was goooood.
We packed up the kids and went to the parade in Wilmington,  NC. It was a nice little parade. You see,  I grew up going to the Holyoke St Patrick's Day parade in Holyoke ,MA. It is a huge parade and lasts hours.  Folks are rambunctious and loud and fun ( oh, and drunk ). It is a good time. I have so many fond memories of the Holyoke parade. We went every single year when I was a girl.
So I am missing western Massachusetts today. Eat drink and be merry all my Irish friends and relatives ( and all the non Irish ones too).
Erin go Braugh! SLAINTE!!!!

Leap Day 2012!

It is a leap year and seems appropriate to be on the road. We are in South Carolina driving in the rural towns in the south.
We just left Charleston which was an architectural marvel. Everywhere you looked there were amazing houses.
We are now headed to South of the Border, which may be the quintessential American tourist trap. I went as a little girl when my parents drove my sis and I down to Disneyworld. This would have been 1979 or 1980. It has changed quite a bit since then. They now have an RV park,  pools, mini golf, rides, etc. Kind of smart of them to build a RV park.  The longer a family stays,  the more they will spend on lucky rabbit feet and Mexican jumping beans.
We intend to buy both because we are total suckers and we love our children.