Hurricane Earl was heading toward the North East,They shouted, "This one's going to be a BEAST!"Some used plywood to board up their store, Some went crazy and used tape galore! The hurricane flags were flying from every mast,Stories surfaced of hurricanes of the past. The news reporters were here and in their glory, Not just one... they ALL had to get a hold on the story. The fishing boats were moved from their pier, To a much safer harbor, where the wind wouldn't cause fear. The theory was...

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4 quick fragmented thoughts to keep you busy on a Friday.... 1. Mrs. 4444's actually called ME this morning to make sure I was all ready for the big storm. How sweet is that??? 2. I got pulled over yesterday because my license registration had expired in July. At least it was July of this year. Plus it wasn't my fault, it was Matt's. The car's in his name. 3. A man came to look at the leak in my roof an hour before the hurricane is about to begin and tells me the leaking in my ceiling is...

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As hurricane Earl careens toward the Eastern seaboard, their is a slight hum going around town. This is the same hum that you can feel before a Nor'Easter (big snow storm). It's the hum of excited anticipation. I am not sure if this happens in other parts of the country, but I think New Englanders actually like the anticipation of a good storm. It's exciting. It's something to talk about. It's an excuse to hunker down, eat junk food by candlelight and listen to the wind blow around. My...

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It was my turn yesterday to see the whales that are as close as 1/2 mile off the outer beaches of Chatham! I have never been on an "official" whale watch before and this was really not official, but our purpose was to see some whales! We boarded Matt's* fishing boat with his brother(Timmy), our sister in law(Kathryn) and their son, J. I had the Giligan's Island song in my head, but hoped that our "3 hour tour" was going to be just that: 3 hours. Because K is a teenager, she was more concerned...

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This week, little dude's Mama had a baby girl. She is adorable (of course!). K got a new horse and named it Prince (Prince of Aces will be his show name). And to keep little dude out of the house and entertained, we took him to our barn to see the animals. I just love this picture of him with K. To see more wonderful photos from around the world, stop by Unknownmami's and tell her I said hi!

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The new swear word in our house is, dare I say it, school. That's right. We are not allowed to mention the word until September. I know some of you are already back, but as I have said before (way back in 2008), we don't start school until after Labor Day. While some parents are skipping through the aisles of Staples, we are trying to cram in a bunch of fun before the bell rings on the 7th. I will completely admit that I love having my kids home in the summer. The schedule is lighter, the...

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I watched the news this morning for 1/2 hour. Mostly to see if the rain was going to go away and bring Mr. Sun out, but I caught some of the actual news. First off, there is a traffic jam in China that started on August 14th. It is now 60 miles long. I have never been to China before, so I don't know, but wouldn't you think they would have exit ramps? The people living near the highway are selling noodles and water to the people stuck in the traffic. I am pretty sure I would have abandoned my...

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Please check out Unknown Mami for more inspiration on Sundays! Hi! It's me, B, writing a guest post for Sundays in My City. So yesterday I went on a whale watch on my Dad's boat with K and cousin J. Very cool. So I took the pics and I hope you like them!! This is the shot I got a lot. Very cool! Oh and by the way this was our (K, J and I) first time seeing whales this close. Cool shot with the tail and fin together. You can sort of see the blow hole water coming out from the whale. Cool...

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Would you board a bus if this was your tour guide? Of course you would if you knew the series The Magic School Bus! It was the one and only Ms. Frizzle who met the bloggers going to the Scholastic Brunch. She welcomed us aboard her "magic" school bus and away we went: whisked to Scholastic Headquarters! We were summoned up to the top floor where a delicious feast was waiting for us! But there was so much to see first, such as their creative centerpieces. (I love the David series by David...

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Thank goodness for Fridays and Mrs. 4444's. Gives me a chance to spit out some random pictures and thoughts into one nice, neat, little bundle of a post. *I met some very famous people, stars, wax figures in New York City. Here I am with the Jimmy Dean Sun.... he was HOT! (bahahaha, little sun humor there) Here is the Pillsbury Dough Boy snuggling up to Melisa and me. He squealed when I poked him in the stomach. Oh yes, I did do that. I did a news cast with Al and Matt. Well, yes, I did all...

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One of my opportunities from Blogher, was to go to a Christmas in August party sponsored by Hallmark. Hallmark was probably one of my first words when I was young. OK, maybe I am exaggerating, but Hallmark has been an important part of my growing up. My mom is a card person and has passed that on to my sister and me. We love sending cards for birthdays, holidays and just because. Also, we have so many Hallmark ornaments, we could start our own museum. My mom still buys us an ornament every...

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While in NYC for Blogher last week, Melisa and I took the round about way back to the hotel after our fabulous visit at Scholastic. We purposely walked through a farmer's market to capture some of the sites. As you can see, it was just beautiful! Even the "farmers" were photogenic! Enjoy and when you are done, stop by Unknown Mami's for some great shots from around the world!

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I was elated and surprised to be contacted by Liberty Mutual to do a special tour of Ellis Island while attending Blogher in NYC. About 30 of us boarded a bus at the hotel and drove to Battery Park, while getting a low down on all the different neighborhoods of New York by our tour guide, Tom. The man knew NYC and definitely knew Ellis Island and it's rich history! After going through security, we boarded a boat like this with a gabillion other people that were going to see the Statue of...

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It's Friday and another edition of Friday Fragments! Please stop by Mrs. 4444s, say hi and join the fun! *Add Flip Video camera to my girls' Christmas list. They went to a class this week on how to use them, download them and create movies on imovie. Of course, they now both want one. At least it will be one thing we won't need to read the directions for... *I was driving down the highway this week and was next to a 12 or so wheeler. The truck blew one of it's tires right next to me. It sounded...

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One of my favorite authors (other than my friend, Lisa Genova) is Jennifer Weiner. She writes such a great all around story. Today, Lisa and I, went to a luncheon sponsored by Where the Sidewalk Ends Bookstore at the Wequasset Inn and heard Jennifer speak. She was extremely entertaining! She is so comfortable talking to a crowd and had us laughing along with her. More importantly, she cannot tell a story without using her hands. (me too!) Her fabulous mom was there. She is a very good sport...

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I was fortunate enough to go to Blogher for the past 2 years. Both years were amazing, but you might be surprised why. Blogher to me is not about swag. It's a nice perk, and I don't refuse it, but the event is more than that. It is about opportunities that I do not have on an every day basis. I was able to hang out with a bunch of women who are "tuned in". It was not weird that we were on our crackberries or iphones constantly. It was not weird that we were all depending on wireless connection...

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Dear M&M World (NYC), I was born and raised on M&Ms. My Grandmother would keep a bowl of them out on her hutch whenever we visited. My Mom was forever making M&M cookies. Once and awhile she would kick it up a notch and put crushed M&Ms in peanut butter bars. M&Ms weren't just holiday candies, they were everyday candies. As an "adult" now, there is always an extra large bag in my refrigerator. I feel I am working my biceps by opening the fridge door and the abs by bending...

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Click on this to make bigger. Sophie died tragically a few weeks ago. She leaves 2 children and this yard sale is to help support them....

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Fridays are a time to collect all those bits and pieces and random photos and throw them into one post and call it organized. Yeah, I am organized. Go see how other Friday Fragmenters are organized too! *I always like to download my photos and find that "someone" (aka B) has been playing with my camera. Here is a shot of little dude after she set him up as a rapper. *This summer has been the summer of "Life". I am referring to Life the game. This is how I will find B, K and cousin J many a...

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I realized yesterday that I have an age chart for going to the beach. I knew you would want to see it.... Age birth-20: Go to the beach with family/neighborhood. Maybe sit a little apart from them, but basically mom makes lunch and you are close enough to hear neighborhood gossip. Sunscreen: Coppertone spf4. 21-30: Go with girlfriends or boyfriends depending on the day. Still go in water and make the occasional sandcastle. Bring beer. Also bring first aid kit, especially after friend has run in...

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