Puzzled....

Tom and Cyndy sent Ian a puzzle of a castle. He well appreciated the irony! The puzzle arrived the day before his graduation party...the day of Chandler's graduation party and the day Hilary, Chuck and Joey arrived. Please keep in mind what I am like before any event that I need to prepare for.... there is not enough Valium or alcohol to keep me calm. Ian was so excited about the puzzle that he opens the box and dumps it on the floor of the front porch and starts putting the puzzle together. Like we have nothing else to do that day? OH MY GOD! I was mildly hysterical and made him pick it up.

When life calmed down and I could think clearly again, I brought up Cyndy & Tom's (and ours too) old kitchen table from the cellar and set it up on the porch for the puzzle. Ian thought it was a cool idea and started on the puzzle again.

But look who ended up doing most of the puzzle and finishing it! I had no idea Rob enjoyed jigsaw puzzles....

The Journey....

We followed them for several hundred miles, but they never led us to Jesus.

Alden Gallery

Lucky us! Rob had an opening at the Alden Gallery in Provincetown on July 10th so we HAD to take a trip to Cape Cod this year. The night was beautiful and the crowds were so interesting. As a bonus, Rob sold 2 paintings the night of the opening and 1 more on Saturday. Congratulations Rob and keep painting!

Provincetown...the architecture and views

Commercial Street runs the length of Provincetown and all properties are bordered on one side by the harbor. We have about a 3/4 mile walk from the hotel to the main area of town. I love every minute of this walk. I love to look at the architecture, the views, the historical markers, the gardens and the people. I never tire of this and learn something new every time. This year I found the house where Norman Mailer lived until his death. (The property is still owned by Mailer's and assessed for over 3 million....I love the internet.) Ian thinks I'm a stalker...I like to think it's simply curiosity.This was the summer home of artist Robert Motherwell. His studio was on the 3rd floor and his wife's studio was on the 2nd floor. I love the simple lines of the building and I would love to peek inside. I have never seen the drapes drawn.... The house is still owned by the Motherwell family and is assessed for $1,715, 200. Can you believe their tax bill is only $8782 per year?
I am moving!

I would like to live here so I could use this outdoor shower every day. What a view! (for me, not the unsuspecting person walking down the street)

I took many pictures of hedges this year. Ian was captivated by the entrance to this house....

Oh, to have the money to mimic the sea on your Cape Cod siding...

Just another beautiful view in the evening....
I love this parking lot! The best view ever and only $10.00. Whenever we have to drive into P-town we park here.
I want to plant hedges just so Rob can shape them like these outside the Art Museum....

This place is called Bayshore on the Water and actually has 6 studio or 1 bedroom apartments to rent by the week. Beautiful pictures on line, looks well kept with killer views. Only $3295 per week during the high season (August.) Cute little doorway next to the gallery leading to the harbor....

Beaches....

We arrived in Provincetown on Thursday afternoon, dropped Rob off at the gallery, checked into the hotel and Ian and I hit the beach. It was 3:30 in the afternoon and we still had to pay to get to the National Seashore, but it was worth it! We went to Race Point on that day and spent time walking in the sand, jumping ocean waves and feeling the sun...finally!

On Friday, we all went to Herring Cove, a much gentler ocean beach since it curves closer to the bay. More rocks than sand but that is OK because I love the ocean rocks. I look through thousands until I find the perfect rocks to bring home. Luckily Rob never puts a limit on my rocks and I can bring home as many as I want to carry. Don't tell Owen.

Ian and I went back to Herring Cove on Saturday. Rob was attending a painting workshop and we let him have the car and we took the bus. It's really only about 3 miles away from the hotel but too far to walk. The bus was an experience, but we had a fun day. Ian read, threw rocks and we had some great conversations. I was lucky to have this time alone with him. I am sure he would much rather he had a friend with him so he could do some boogie boarding and wave riding. He won't boogie board with me. You can ask him about it sometime.

On Sunday, I drove Rob to his workshop and Ian and I went to Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro. Beautiful ocean beach with very few people. The waves were beautiful, the sand was fine, the sun was warm and we went swimming. The posted water temperature was 59 degrees. The coldest of all the beaches so far. (Race Point was 62 degrees...at these temps does 3 degrees really matter?) You lose your breath initially and just when you think you are used to the water you realize your body is numb. Still fun!

If you look closely at this picture you will notice Ian is missing some hair below his belly button. Apparantly he wanted to know if he could use his knife to shave. The answer is yes. I hope that this doesn't become a normal part of his daily routine since Ian is never without his knife and I don't think being hairless has caught on except for swimmers, homosexuals and fashion models. He was watching for sharks so he could put the knife between his teeth and swim out to do some damage. Luckily we only saw seals...and he didn't have a club! (his words)

Dinner and shopping....

When we were not on the beach or in the many galleries, we were shopping and eating. Many of the locals recommended Fanizzi's By the Sea so we made reservations for dinner. The location was perfect....only about a block from the hotel. Perfect for Ian since he balked at all the walking we did this trip. This time his walk was interrupted by a good meal and he was able to continue on.




While waiting at the bar for our table, we were able to watch a couple married on the beach. The girl in the picture is the photographer.












We had a great table with a perfect view of the harbor. In this picture, Ian is dreaming about his dinner, Cajun Seafood Alfredo. It was delicious. We will definitely add Fanizzi's to our list of favorite Provincetown restaurants with the Lobster Pot and The Squealing Pig.

Provincetown is the place to buy cards, upscale clothes, art and just funky items. No trip is complete without a visit to Marine Specialties.

Ian was coveting this silver winter parka.Can you imagine him walking across Cornell campus in this? I would never have to worry about him getting hit by a bus...or having friends.

Perhaps he was still shook up about Michael Jackson's death.












They have the some of the goofiest items. I was coveting these high quality Czech dish towels. I am always suspect and checked them for "made in china" labels. But if you are trying to outsmart the purchaser would you pick the Czech Republic?



Ian took a lot of pictures in this place and will be creating his own post of favorite items.

Change of scenery....

We spent most of each evening on Commercial Street. During the day, it is full of bikers and delivery trucks and very few people try to drive the length...the street is narrow and crowded.

This "guy" was out each evening encouraging people to attend the an adult comedy show featuring the drag queen, Hedda Lettuce. We passed...but I bet it was fun.

Dogs are everywhere..in stores, bars and on the beach. I've been in P-Town enough to expect it but this woman walked around with her bird!

These two are chatting up Sarah Palin. Two guys walking behind me were overheard saying "that was so predictable!" I was surprised.
On our last night in P-Town we went to the late showing of Bruno at the Whalers Wharf Cinema. The theater only seated 70 and the place was packed. In case you are curious, the movie was well received by the 67 homosexuals in the audience. I think we laughed so hard throughout the movie because the audience was laughing so much. Definitely the perfect venue to see Bruno...not a good movie to watch with your 18 year old son. We survived and talked about it during the long walk home.

Graduation Party

I wish I had a "do-over." After planning and preparing for a month, the party was over so quickly.

Ian's graduation party was in our backyard but the day was shared with Jeremy Harding who lives across the street. Ellen (Jeremy's mom) and I shared all the planning and divvied up the tasks according to our strengths and our needs. Ellen took care of the beer and the food and I took care of the wine and the decorating. Perfect team! The food was delicious, the yard looked fantastic and we had plenty to drink.

I started the party camera in hand, ready to capture every moment and guest. This lasted about 5 minutes. I am hoping to get more pictures from Ellen's sister who snapped away all night.

I loved these memory boards! I'm guessing other people did also since there was always a huge crowd gathered around throughout the afternoon. Of course, I was attaching Ian's pictures about noon on the day of the party while Ellen's had been completed for weeks. I'm sure I was the driving force behind many a beer at Ellen's house during the month of June.

Rob is welcoming his brothers, Jack and Jim and his nephew Kevin to the party. This was my favorite part of the decorating and my best idea. I was trying to create a "welcoming" entryway and offer additional seating in case the back yard became too crowded. It worked and many kids hung out in this space later in the day. I wish I could have this space all year.
Do you think a pergola would be excessive?


A view of a small part of the backyard. I really tried to plant only maroon and white annuals but the plants were not always cooperative.

Alex came to the party for a short time. Here he relaxes with Hilary and Chuck. I'm guessing that Joey is in the pool. Joey was ALWAYS in the pool and he had a lot of company as the day progressed.
My dear friends from work came to the party. Carole (on the right) offered many suggestions for centerpiece arrangements throughout the weeks leading up to the party. Justin (center) lives only 2 blocks away and kept Ian in pocket money all year. He and his fiance, Erika, have a young boxer that needs walking on the days that Justin is giving piano lessons after school. MaryEllen (on the left) just returned from her son's wedding in DC and was happy to just sit and relax while drinking and not have to pick up the tab. Jim (in his Obama t-shirt for my enjoyment) picked out all the wine for the party. #1 in my book was a 2007 Grenache labeled BITCH. I had fun with that all night. "Who put the bitch in the ice?" "Who left the bitch on the ground?" "Where is the bitch?" You just can't go wrong with a bitch!

GRADUATION

Graduation was Thursday, June 25th at the John H. Mulroy Civic Center in Syracuse at 7:00. Ian received his diploma from Principal Leo Cosgrove without incident.

It's funny, but this photo makes the graduating class look so small. Actually, over 220 kids crossed the stage that night. We were seated in the 2nd row of the theatre. Although tickets and seating was supposed to be assigned randomly per a lottery system, I think being the PTSO President has its privileges. The rest of the board members with graduating seniors were seated close behind.

Ian, Perry Crain, Seamus Kirst, Kevin Gannon, Mary Callahan, Jeremy Harding, Nick Maklouf and Patrick Maxwell posing for pictures outside after the ceremony. These kids have been friends throughout their school years. Their strong, continuous friendships has been key to their success. Friends are so important in life.

Seamus (Brown) , Kevin (Hobart), Ian (Cornell) and Jeremy (University of Rochester)
These boys have grown up together. They live within blocks of each other, attended the same pre-school, elementary and high school and played on the same sports teams. I will miss the birthday parties, vacations and their parents as the boys move on and out. These are great kids.