Cool Christmas

Christmas has been great - very laid back and smooth.

Spent the weekend before Christmas up in New Hampshire skiing and hanging out by the fire. Dorothy passed on skiing and made a great pot of chili. Brownie loved chasing snowballs and hopping through two feet of snow like a shaggy jack rabbit.

We caught Entrain playing at Flatbread Company while we were up there. Great jam and what a cool spot - giant wood fired pizza oven, huge post and beam room...and just a three minute car ride from the house.

Here's Entrain playing Dancin' in the Light...



We also caught I am Legend at the movies. Will Smith was fantastic. Very interesting movie. Eerie to see New York with no one in it.

We got home on Christmas Eve in time to go to mass and then do our annual tradition - hot dogs cooked over the open fire. Don't ask how that started...but for years it's developed into a much-anticipated rite. The only hot dogs involved are the mini hots in BBQ sauce. Otherwise it's Andouille sausage, Roasted Tomato Chicken Sausages, Teriyaki Ginger sausages, a nice green salad and a vast array of mustards...and this year, fig and onion jam. Mmmmm.

For Christmas the kids got an XBox, Dylan got a MacBook so he could set up a mini sound studio for his music and the whole family got a digital videocam - so look for movies on Chautauqua soon!

Merry Christmas!

Neil

So I don't have many idols. But Neil Young is one of them.

Bob and Mike went to see him at The Orpheum last week. According to them, it was pure heaven as always.

I saw Neil in concert more than 10 years ago and it still remains one of the top 5 concerts of my whole life.

Here's a video from the concert Bob and Mike saw...

Reunions

Reunions are breaking out all over.

The one I wish I had been at was...



But this one would be fun too..

The one

Cabaret

This weekend Marblehead High School is putting on the musical Cabaret. Dylan has a handful of small parts - among them a waiter and a Nazi that beats up one of the main characters. The show was fantastic, and for those that saw last year's play Annie, Ariana Conte again played the lead - filling Liza Minelli's shoes incredibly well for a girl her age.

Here's the write up in the paper.

The play is a powerful statement about the rise of Nazism in pre-war Berlin and was artfully played by the students, many of whom are Jewish. In fact, Jamie Hark's great grandfather and his five sisters were all killed in Nazi concentration camps. Jamie played the lead Nazi. The director, Henry Dembowski did an amazing job bringing these teens through a very intense subject.

The show walked the line well given the adult themes. The girls were amazing...much to the delight of Dylan who enjoyed lots of rehearsals with the Kit Kat girls. Somehow Dylan managed to dodge dressing in drag - the guys that did so as part of the Cabaret show were hysterical. Everyone did great.

Dylan is already looking forward to trying out for the Drama Festival.

New Hampshire

This winter we're renting a ski house just outside of North Conway with Doreen and family. We've never done anything like this before so it feels weird and wonderful all at the same time.

The backyard overlooks Cathedral Ledge, a big rock and ice climbing destination. The house is cozy, but roomy enough. We won't be roughing it one bit.

Drew and I went up there this weekend for the first time. It's pretty great. Looks like we'll be exploring the trails doing a bunch of skiing at Attitash this year! In fact I hear they got a foot of snow last night.

Artiste

When we were back in Rochester for Thanksgiving we saw a great original painting by a hot young, up-and-coming artist. So we bought it on the spot.

The artiste? Our nephew Jon who is working hard at Fredonia State.

Today is Jon's birthday I believe.

Stop on by his blog and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Rat Race Press

Rat Race makes big news...


IGN home page story
Great MTV News article interviewing Rat Race chief writer/comedian Victor Varnado
MTV blog
1up.com

New braces!

Before


After

Guns

Once I actually marched in a protest against war toys. That was before I had kids of my own. Now I realize that boys organically invent war toys, no matter how pacifist the household is. A stick is a gun. A rolled up sock is a bomb.

In college I studied with great focus the negative impact the NRA has had on America and worked to support gun control legislation in Massachusetts. It kind of goes without saying that hunting has never been high on my hit list.

So when Uncle Mike, our family's hunting expert, took the kids out to shoot off a BB gun it made me a bit nervous...however the kids were totally psyched. Let me tell you - Uncle Mike rocked their world.

Hey, I'm good with shooting tin cans. I even get the whole bow-hunting thing Mike does. And it was cool to see them out in the woods doing that whole bonding thing that I totally get, now that I'm so deep into that world of boys.

But there is something about seeing my boys with guns that just makes me scared. Maybe it's that nagging thing about registering for selective service. Dylan is only 3 years from it. The idea of having him register so someone like George Bush could put him in some ridiculous war and then pretend to "support the vets" just about makes me want to pick up a BB gun and go hunting at the White House.

Other than that...I'm fine. Really.

Feeling grateful

I have so much to be grateful for. And this Thanksgiving really brought that home for me.

I didn't get pictures of everyone I spent Thanksgiving with, but here are a few of the people I'm lucky to have in my life.

And that's just the thing...these are just a few of them. There are so many extraordinary, incredible people in my family and in my world. Simply put? I feel blessed.

This year Dorothy was able to share a Welch Thanksgiving with us for the first time And that was great.

But you know what was really great? Dorothy had a really serious brush with death just hours from when this picture was taken...but she's OK now. And while it was happening the whole Welch clan really pulled together and supported us. So, yeah. I have a lot to be grateful for.

You've heard it said that life is filled with joy and sorrow. It's true. And sometimes you get a week like this one where you get to deeply experience them both. And it leaves me humbled and thankful and thoughtful.

Best Wedding Dance, Eva

Fall Song

Another year gone, leaving everywhere
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,

the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back

from the particular island
of this summer, this Now, this now is nowhere

except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle

of unobservable mysteries - roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This

I try to remember when time's measure
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn

flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay - how everything lives, shifting

from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.

by Mary Oliver

iPod Girl

I'm pretty sure that this is a pic of Marty's daughter Cady and her friends. And I think Cady is doing a GREAT impression of and iPod ad. Did I get that right Brenda and Marty?

Scenes from Britain

Bob's got a good Blackberry flashback up on his blog. This time, on a train leaving London.

Meanwhile, Jon's got a good list of ridiculous British laws.

Miranda July

Here's the best website I've seen in a long, long time.


Click here. It's brilliant.

And she's got a great name too. Now I'm going to have to read the book.

Thanks, Nathaniel.

NO braces!

Dylan has had braces on since 5th grade. And this week he got them off! YEE HA!

He posted his new pic to Facebook ASAP and changed his status to say, "hey...check me out...I'm pretty sexy..."

Oh God.

Halloween recap

Speaking of cousins, I heard from my cousin Matt from Los Angeles, proud father to Jeff Gordon and the Wicked Witch. Cool costumes!

I'm the proud mother of swinging 70's guy and Igor from Young Frankenstein.

Please note Dylan's hip hop bling says "Bob Jr." which is so, so true.

Cutest costume award goes to Logan Mulcahy...

My friend Seana adopted Logan from Honduras just a few months ago and this is his first Halloween. As Seana says "nothing like a spanish irish cowboy--how more american melting pot-like can you get?"

Birthdays

Happy 2nd Birthday Isabelle!

There's nothing better than cousins. I'm so glad Donna and B's kids are growing up side by side.

Oh and happy birthday B (tomorrow)!

Lord of the Dance

On the field:


On Letterman:

Sweet Caroline

Drew's school had a Red Sox rally that was AWESOME - check it out!



***Update***
The video caught the attention of the Red Sox!

By the way, no one knows why you always sing Sweet Caroline at Fenway Park in the middle of the eighth inning of every single Red Sox game. You just do. 'Nuf said.

***Correction***

The song at the very end is I'm Shipping up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys. They're the band that led the victory parade through Boston yesterday.

Here's a video of them performing the song:



Are you sick of my Red Sox posts yet?

Oh good...

Here's a Tessie/Dropkick Murphys/Red Sox video mashup:

Really scary

House check

B's house is getting there! Can't wait to see it when we're in Rochester for Thanksgiving.

Happy Halloween

My nieces and nephews are awesome.

Whoo hoo!

So good, so good

The rest of the news in the world is merely a footnote on today's Boston Globe front page...

Halloween partying

Halloween has always been big with us. And since Dylan's birthday is October 24th, we've got 15 years of Halloween decorations and costumes stored away at this point. And let me tell you, that's a lot of stuff.

This year Dylan turned 15 on October 24th and he's too old for a birthday party. And Drew, who will turn 12 on February 22nd said "Hey, can I have a Halloween party for once?" So what could we say?

Hey, how many more years do we have to celebrate Halloween with our kids? OK, don't answer that. It all goes too fast. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that Dylan has a deep voice and has hair sprouting out all over...oh and he's way taller than me.

We started out with seven 11-year olds at 5pm, including 2 girls. They had pizza and laughed and talked. Dan and Alicia came up for the festivities too - it was great to have them there!

Then we carved pumkins.


They played on the Wii.


And they played outside too. Then we unveiled the big project Drew and I had worked on all day.... the skeleton-shaped cake.

Hey - Martha Stewart's got nothing on me. My favorite part was when they all screamed out for which body part they wanted. When they all had cake, there were only arms and legs left!

Then we went to Chilling Tales at the Friendship in Salem. The Friendship is the largest wooden, Coast Guard certified, sailing vessel to be built in New England in more than a century. It's a reconstruction of the original 171-foot three-masted ship built in 1797. We boarded the ship and heard a bit of history and then went below to hear 3 separate spooky tales right in the hold of the ship. It was really cool.


The next day we went back to Salem with Dan and Alicia and took part in more of the Salem fesitivies. We've been in Marblehead for 15 years and every year the action gets bigger in Salem. It's huge! We went to a carnival...there's Dan, Alicia, Dylan and Drew on the swining ship:

Here's the view of Salem Harbor, with Marblehead in the background, from the top of the ferris wheel.

We went to a haunted house and as soon as they opened the door and Drew got a peek at the scary darkness, he RAN out of there!

Me, Alicia and Dylan got our Tarot Cards read at the Psychic's Faire. No new revelations, but it is amazing how those cards go. Fascinating.

So it's been a good run-up to Halloween.

Parking in Salem is selling for $25 a pop. We don't pay it, but out-of-towners do. Take a close look at the parking sign:

So now, I must go and watch the Sox go and WIN THE WORLD SERIES.

Jon's back!

Yay - Jon is back at blogging.

Check out his new artwork!

And did you know he has a thing for cats?

Rat Race on the way

Some press on Bob's new game Rat Race:
Super-Ego Looking to Inject Some Comic Relief into Gaming

They also got a blurb in Game Informer Magazine, but I can't find it online.

Red Sox Prayer

Please pray with me…

Our father, who art at Fenway,
Baseball be thy game.
They kingdom come,
Playoffs need to be won,
On Earth, then on to Cask "n" Flagon.
Give us this day, a perfect PAPI,
and forgive us our losses,
as we forgive those,
Like Bill Buckner.
And lead us not, into desperation,
but deliver us from any losses.
For thine are the power,
And the Glory,
to beat the Rockies,
Forever and ever .......the YANKEES SUCK

Amen!

GO SOX!!!

Thanks to Jen for the prayer.

And Jen, don't let those Yankee Stepford Wives in Connecticut get you down! There are bound to be some real people there - and you'll find each other. Miss you!

Love that dirty water

The Pats are unstoppable.


There are two incredible baseball games on tap tonight and tomorrow at Fenway and the weather will be perfect.


It's also the Head of the Charles.


Nice town.

Da Sox and Da Kennedys

When I was a kid growing up in Rochester, I used to love staying overnight at my Gram and Gramp's house. I can still remember everything.

The creak of the steps. The National Geographics all lined up on the bookshelf. Dinner at the kitchen table listening to the radio. Chocolate chip cookies...the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever made...in the cookie jar. Chicklets gum in the cupboard above. The marks on the doorjam where Gram would mark the growth of her three children and their many, many grandchildren.

My favorite memories are in front of the TV. First we'd watch The Lawrence Welk Show. I was always amazed at how much they loved it. I liked the bubbles.

But the real treat? Watching the Red Sox. Me and Gram would stay up late, all by ourselves, and watch the game. I'd sit on the floor near her feet. She'd work the crossword or her knitting and she'd call out to the game and we'd talk and talk - about everything.

At her knee I learned to love the Red Sox...and the Kennedy's....in that order.

No surprise I ended up in Massachusetts.

So tonight I'm calling on all my angels, but especially my Gramma Tones. GO SOXXXXXXX!!!!

11th inning

Yep. I stayed up until 1:50 in the morning just to see Da Sox get creamed in the 11th inning. I'm not proud.

Hey, at least I caught up on my blogging.

'Night.

Honk

We had a blast at the Honk Fesitval - A Festival of Activist Street Bands

It was the perfect combination of horns, drums, protest, dancing, art...ah....we were in our element. It was like punks and hippies meet drum corps or band camp meets Burning Man.

Here is some video we took...photos on Flickr.

What kind of reader are you?

Take the quiz!

I'm a Literate Good Citizen.

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Dedicated Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

What are you?

When I first met Bob he didn't really read that much. Now he reads more books than I do.

I've read gobs of books but lately I've slowed down. That's mainly due to working and blogging and being a mom...which means by the time I read a book, I'm usually dead tired...so I don't get that far. I look forward to trips - so I can read in the car or the plane. But I don't worry. Reading books will come back.

Books are anthropological, psychological, excursions into human imagination. I think I'm getting my fix for that every day with my job - which is helping to build an online social network. It's an incredible thing to be a part of - really, one of the most engrossing projects I've ever been involved in - and I've had some good ones.

The Peace Prize

Sometimes things go right.


If you haven't seen Inconvenient Truth...rent it.



Brilliant Op-Ed by Bob Herbert of the NY Times

Mr. Gore, who won an Academy Award for his documentary on global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth,” and an Emmy for his cable TV network, Current, knows better than anyone else how toxic and downright idiotic presidential politics has become.

He may be one of the most intelligent, thoughtful, talented men in America and remarkably well-equipped to lead the nation, but it’s Mr. Bush’s less-than-curious, less-than-distinguished son, George W., who is president."

"America does not need another prize, we need another president." - Brent Budowsky

Even kids get it.



Gore was the next president of the United States. His response to the biggest election heist in our history? He didn't give up. He never lost faith. He went to work. We have been waiting for a leader with the character and the vision to lead us - the thing is...we had one. And we blew it.

There's a hand-made sign on a fence here in Marblehead. It was made by a kid. It says "Draft Gore."

New York country song

If you haven't read Bob's New York Country post - you should. It's fantastic.

Finding that Blackberry Talk prompted Bob to mail away for the complete CD compilation of Todd Hobin, the guy who wrote the New York Country Song. Listen to it here.

We listened to Todd Hobin CDs last night and boy did it ever take us back...New York bars and road houses, freezing cold nights, cheap beers, lots of laughs. Todd Hobin was great live. It turns out he writes soundtracks for audio books now and his sons run a recording studio in Syracuse. Cool.

We've lived in Boston for more than 20 years, but we still call the Tobin Bridge in Boston the Todd Hobin Bridge every time we go over it.

Thanks, Todd, for all the songs. And here's to you Uncle John.

Polo anyone?

I've already discussed how we're not cut out to be yankees. But that didn't stop us from going to a polo match on my birthday.

It was a perfect indian summer day, so we packed up a picnic, the dog and the whole family and off we went to tailgate and watch the event - just for kicks.

Dylan didn't drink the wine, but Dorothy, Bob and I did. I like a sport where you can drink wine.

It was really relaxing. The horse owners were all yankees. And the horses and their handlers were Argentinian. Polo horses are small as horses go, so they can maneuver on the field. My friend Lauren says that polo horses are trained to go against all of their basic instincts so they can charge in a group, go after the ball and deal with those polo mallets flailing around. They apparently will do anything their rider tells them to do - sometimes to their detriment.

No wonder this is a rich man's sport. A typical polo horse can only make it through one round of play - called a "chucker." The match that day had seven chuckers. So you don't need a horse to play polo - you need HORSES.

Brownie was funny. He didn't mind the horses but if they came close to our picnic he'd get all ferocious and bark. Just trying to protect us, I guess.

The most amusing part of the day was at halftime where they invited all of the spectators to come out and stamp down the divits.

This is a divit.

But to me the act of watching a bunch of people wandering around randomly looking down and clumsily pushing the grass around looked exactly like a field full of zombies.

Sweet horses. I used to ride when I was younger. Made me want to do it again.