Day 1 Saturday June 18, 2011 We're Off!

The house is in pristine condition! It hasn't been this clean since we left last year :). We left about 10:50 am. If we stayed any longer we would have found places that we could have cleaned better...so we decided to leave.

We said good bye to our good neighbors, Keith and Linda, and our sister in laws, Jean and Kathy. They will be here to tell us how our renters do this summer.

We head to Orleans to pick up Buddy from our friend Jane. Jane spends half the year in England and half the year in Orleans. She arrived on Tuesday night and offered to take Buddy for the last few days so we could rid our house of his fur. We needed those extra days...Buddy sheds a lot.

The day is clear and bright and high 70's. It promises to be a nice weekend. We stop in Holliston to visit our son Eddie, his wife Doriane and two children Lara and Edward. We don't see them enough and it was our chance to make sure the grandchildren don't forget us. Edward is delighted to have a dog around. His dog Jack had to be put down earlier in the year. Lara had a Gift Certificate burning a hole in her pocket and convinced mom and dad to let Grammy and Grandpa take her to Fiske's to spend it. We got a chance to see the old local store we were so used to for 20 years when we lived in town. Hasn't changed much. Still the place kids love to go to spend their pennies (or now, dollars).

After taking some pictures, we head to visit Ed's mom, Anita in Medfield. Mom has had a difficult year health wise. Until last summer she felt like she was 50 years old. Now she feels every bit her age of 87 and doesn't like it much. She was laying down when we arrived. She wasn't having a great day, but after visiting for a half hour or so, she rallied, showed us her yard--absolutely beautiful and one she use to enjoy being in all the time. She then felt good enough to go to dinner so we tried Noon Hill--a restaurant in the old train station of Medfield. Mom and Ed had HUGH hamburgers--Mom will have the rest of hers for dinner the next 2 nights!--and I had excellent fried clams.

Mom even felt good enough when we got home to teach us a new card game--Kings in the corners--and play a few rounds of Gin Rummy. And she won!

Anita Daniels--Mom

She can still stay awake later then I can!