We celebrated Kathleen's birthday tonight with a dinner at Regina High School in South Euclid, OH. We had strip steak, mashed potatoes, corn, fruit salad, rolls, and beverages. Chocolate cake and a variety of ice creams were also served. Presents were opened. In a contrast to Amy Marie, the gifts were mostly gift cards. During the whole evening, we reminisced about family, trips to the Boston (Mostly Us) and Philadelphia (Not Us) areas, and religious traditions (Anointing of the Sick and Missals). The nuns learned a lot about us as a family. Incidentally, we were actually offered leftovers which we gratefully accepted. We had a nice time entertaining Kathleen's friends.
Before coming home via Kathleen's car, Bob treated Kathleen and me to ice cream from Honey Hut on State Road in Cleveland. Honey Hut was very popular, but we were able to get a table. It was a nice night to eat ice cream al fresco (Honey Hut has no indoor seating.), and the ice cream was delicious. We then went home and entertained Kathleen for about an hour. She then drove home. I am sure that she really appreciated us as we were the only family members who were available to attend tonight's party. This party will be one to remember for a long time.
In closing, I would like to wish a Happy 2nd Birthday to Amy Marie.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Hannaford Rules! (AKA Hannaford Is the One.)
In yesterday's post, Hannaford is the name of the store where I made several appearances during my visit to Marlboro, MA two weeks ago. They took over Victory Supermarkets several years ago. By the way, Officemax was visited in between Hannaford appearances. I provide this information because I like to provide location details for my adventures.
Amy Marie's Party and the Coronation of Emily
The title is based on the title of the story of Kendal's second birthday and the "official introduction" of Hayden to our family.
We celebrated Amy Marie's second birthday this afternoon in the Warren, OH area. It is really tomorrow, but Patty and Dan SR. have to go back to Lancaster, MA because Patty has jury duty starting on Monday. Maybe she and Bob can swap notes as he had jury duty in Cleveland a few months ago.
We ate hot dogs, pulled BBQ pork, pasta salad, strawberries, grapes, cake, and ice cream.
Before dessert, Amy Marie, with the assistance of Dan JR., opened presents. She received a lot of toys, but her favorite presents were a little pink guitar, a mailbox, and a tricycle. I hope that the future present(s) that come out of the Borders Gift Card that Bob and I gave her give her (and her parents) just as much joy. By the way Dan SR. played his guitar and a harmonica during the opening of presents and the singing of "Happy Birthday."
Once again, we enjoyed the presence of the collection of Sweeneys, McDonnells, and Grahams, among other names at the party (No Goldbergs or Schmidts (I plan to see them on June 13 at Kendal's 3rd birthday party.)). Emily attracted attention, of course, but Amy Marie was the real star today.
After the party, Mike, Maggie, and I went to St. Columbkille's Church in Parma for a Pentecost Mass. I then came home. It was a nice day to enjoy the outside, but most of us stayed inside until the group was more "adult." I hope that Kendal's party is just as enjoyable.
We celebrated Amy Marie's second birthday this afternoon in the Warren, OH area. It is really tomorrow, but Patty and Dan SR. have to go back to Lancaster, MA because Patty has jury duty starting on Monday. Maybe she and Bob can swap notes as he had jury duty in Cleveland a few months ago.
We ate hot dogs, pulled BBQ pork, pasta salad, strawberries, grapes, cake, and ice cream.
Before dessert, Amy Marie, with the assistance of Dan JR., opened presents. She received a lot of toys, but her favorite presents were a little pink guitar, a mailbox, and a tricycle. I hope that the future present(s) that come out of the Borders Gift Card that Bob and I gave her give her (and her parents) just as much joy. By the way Dan SR. played his guitar and a harmonica during the opening of presents and the singing of "Happy Birthday."
Once again, we enjoyed the presence of the collection of Sweeneys, McDonnells, and Grahams, among other names at the party (No Goldbergs or Schmidts (I plan to see them on June 13 at Kendal's 3rd birthday party.)). Emily attracted attention, of course, but Amy Marie was the real star today.
After the party, Mike, Maggie, and I went to St. Columbkille's Church in Parma for a Pentecost Mass. I then came home. It was a nice day to enjoy the outside, but most of us stayed inside until the group was more "adult." I hope that Kendal's party is just as enjoyable.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Amy's Wedding: Beyond the Wedding
On May 15, 2009, we left for Boston from Akron-Canton Airport. The group consisted of Bob, Kathleen, Maggie, Mike (her husband), Tim, Lois, Mandy, and myself. The flight took off late, but it went relatively smoothly. After collecting our luggage, we took an Avis shuttle bus to pick up our rental car. We waited a long time because our original minivan only seated seven. Fortunately, they found a large GMC Yukon that seated eight. Unfortunately, it was very uncomfortable because there was very little room in the back for all the luggage that we had. We had no trouble finding our hotel in Marlboro, MA, thanks to Mandy's cellphone GPS. Following our respective organizations, we went to a nearby Wendy's to grab a very late dinner (close to 10:00 p.m.). We then settled in for the night.
The next morning, we took advantage of the complimentary continental breakfast at our hotel (The Embassy Suites). It consisted of Made to order omelets, fried potatoes, cereal, juices, milk, fruit, breads, cottage cheese, and beverages, among other things. Although Bob and I went down independently, we ran into loads of family. In addition to my traveling caravan, we saw Dan SR., Patty, Patrick, Aunt Rita, and her son Johnny. It was , nice to catch up with relatives who we don't see a lot. Eventually, some of us (I don't remember all the participants for this portion.) went to the nearby R.K. Center to do some shopping. I personally looked for local newspapers and soda for our time in the hotel room. I found an acceptable deal on the soda until I discovered there was a deposit of five cents per can. Since we don't have that surcharge in Cuyahoga County, OH, I was not amused. I found the newspapers on a return trip to the store. We then picked up some takeout lunch from Wendy's. Once again, I was not amused to find that takeout food was taxed (Not just soda, as it is in Cuyahoga County). I told the clerk about being either from Cleveland or Ohio. He was "speechless." We eventually prepared to attend the wedding. Bob and I went with Johnny and Aunt Rita to relieve the congestion in the "minivan". Thanks to Bob's navigation from the directions provided on the wedding website that Johnny printed out, we made it to St. Michael's Church in Hudson, MA. Eventually, the wedding began about fifteen minutes past the scheduled 2:00 P.M. start, but it was over before 3:00. We then congratulated the bride and groom and the bride's parents (I met the Groom's father the next day.). We then went back to the hotel to relax. Bob and I were going to make a cameo appearance at the "pre-reception" at the hotel, but we ran into family members who wanted to be on the early shuttle to the reception in Stow. Fortunately, although we were supposed to register a month in advance, we were all able to take advantage of it anyways. It kept us from getting lost in the dark. Darlene did an exceptional job in chauffeuring all of us to and from the reception. We then relaxed at the hotel. Since I didn't dance, I wasn't too tired.
The next morning was an encore of the continental breakfast. Eventually, Maggie, Mike, Bob, Mandy, Kathleen, and I went to Solomon Pond Mall. It was nothing special. I almost ate lunch at D' Angelo's in the mall, but since Tim and Lois expected to want to go to lunch, we went back to the hotel. As it turns out, Tim, Lois, Maggie, and Mike (Who got food from Wendy's on the way back from the mall) all wanted to relax, so Bob, Kathleen, Mandy, and I walked down to
Five Guys Burgers in the R.K. Center for some food. I learned a lesson about Five Guys. The Veggie Sandwich is not a Veggie Burger. It's just all the Vegetables you want from the available toppings. It wasn't too unpleasant, though, although I would have added more toppings if I knew beforehand. A Veggie Burger would be a nice addition to the menu!
We then went back to the hotel to relax. Eventually, we headed out to Lancaster to visit Dan (SR. and JR.), Patty, and Amy Marie. Amy and Dave were going to join us, but they were very exhausted from the wedding. We enjoyed Pizza from Sterling Pizza (The proprietors live next door!), salad, beverages, and wedding cake, which was still delicious the next day! We enjoyed the camaraderie, although "Good Night" to Amy Marie was a scene straight out of the conclusion of a Waltons episode. I hope that Amy Marie appreciated the exercise. After some family pictures, we headed back to the hotel to relax in anticipation of the next morning.
On day four, we ate, packed, and headed for the airport. Since Patty and Dan SR. were taking Dan JR. and Amy Marie to the airport, most of our luggage went in their car. We then flew back to Ohio. Despite a little turbulence, we arrived safely at Akron-Canton Airport. Since Laura was picking up Dan JR., we met Emily for the first time (for most of us, anyways). Mike and Maggie took Bob and me home. It was a wonderful trip.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Amy Marie's second birthday. Expect a full report tomorrow!
The next morning, we took advantage of the complimentary continental breakfast at our hotel (The Embassy Suites). It consisted of Made to order omelets, fried potatoes, cereal, juices, milk, fruit, breads, cottage cheese, and beverages, among other things. Although Bob and I went down independently, we ran into loads of family. In addition to my traveling caravan, we saw Dan SR., Patty, Patrick, Aunt Rita, and her son Johnny. It was , nice to catch up with relatives who we don't see a lot. Eventually, some of us (I don't remember all the participants for this portion.) went to the nearby R.K. Center to do some shopping. I personally looked for local newspapers and soda for our time in the hotel room. I found an acceptable deal on the soda until I discovered there was a deposit of five cents per can. Since we don't have that surcharge in Cuyahoga County, OH, I was not amused. I found the newspapers on a return trip to the store. We then picked up some takeout lunch from Wendy's. Once again, I was not amused to find that takeout food was taxed (Not just soda, as it is in Cuyahoga County). I told the clerk about being either from Cleveland or Ohio. He was "speechless." We eventually prepared to attend the wedding. Bob and I went with Johnny and Aunt Rita to relieve the congestion in the "minivan". Thanks to Bob's navigation from the directions provided on the wedding website that Johnny printed out, we made it to St. Michael's Church in Hudson, MA. Eventually, the wedding began about fifteen minutes past the scheduled 2:00 P.M. start, but it was over before 3:00. We then congratulated the bride and groom and the bride's parents (I met the Groom's father the next day.). We then went back to the hotel to relax. Bob and I were going to make a cameo appearance at the "pre-reception" at the hotel, but we ran into family members who wanted to be on the early shuttle to the reception in Stow. Fortunately, although we were supposed to register a month in advance, we were all able to take advantage of it anyways. It kept us from getting lost in the dark. Darlene did an exceptional job in chauffeuring all of us to and from the reception. We then relaxed at the hotel. Since I didn't dance, I wasn't too tired.
The next morning was an encore of the continental breakfast. Eventually, Maggie, Mike, Bob, Mandy, Kathleen, and I went to Solomon Pond Mall. It was nothing special. I almost ate lunch at D' Angelo's in the mall, but since Tim and Lois expected to want to go to lunch, we went back to the hotel. As it turns out, Tim, Lois, Maggie, and Mike (Who got food from Wendy's on the way back from the mall) all wanted to relax, so Bob, Kathleen, Mandy, and I walked down to
Five Guys Burgers in the R.K. Center for some food. I learned a lesson about Five Guys. The Veggie Sandwich is not a Veggie Burger. It's just all the Vegetables you want from the available toppings. It wasn't too unpleasant, though, although I would have added more toppings if I knew beforehand. A Veggie Burger would be a nice addition to the menu!
We then went back to the hotel to relax. Eventually, we headed out to Lancaster to visit Dan (SR. and JR.), Patty, and Amy Marie. Amy and Dave were going to join us, but they were very exhausted from the wedding. We enjoyed Pizza from Sterling Pizza (The proprietors live next door!), salad, beverages, and wedding cake, which was still delicious the next day! We enjoyed the camaraderie, although "Good Night" to Amy Marie was a scene straight out of the conclusion of a Waltons episode. I hope that Amy Marie appreciated the exercise. After some family pictures, we headed back to the hotel to relax in anticipation of the next morning.
On day four, we ate, packed, and headed for the airport. Since Patty and Dan SR. were taking Dan JR. and Amy Marie to the airport, most of our luggage went in their car. We then flew back to Ohio. Despite a little turbulence, we arrived safely at Akron-Canton Airport. Since Laura was picking up Dan JR., we met Emily for the first time (for most of us, anyways). Mike and Maggie took Bob and me home. It was a wonderful trip.
Tomorrow, we celebrate Amy Marie's second birthday. Expect a full report tomorrow!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The Meaning of the Last Post's Title
I had a comment about the title of my last post. It refers to the title of the post about the December marriage of my niece Mandy to Paul, which was an elopement. Amy was registered at Bed Bath and Beyond and Crate and Barrel, but I gave her cash instead. I hope that clears up the confusion.
Friday, May 22, 2009
I Found the Registry, But Money is More Fun.
On Saturday, May 16, 2009, my niece, Amy Sweeney, married David Goldberg at St. Michael's Church in Hudson, MA. It was a dignified event. The weather was pleasant with the temperature in the low 60s. Rain was limited to a few drops before and after the reception. The ceremony was less than 45 minutes long. The Flower Girl was my great-niece Amy Marie Sweeney, daughter of Dan JR. and Laura. She stole the show as she "ran" up the altar. Her father ran up the altar after her. We all enjoyed the act. After all, she is not quite two years old. We'll skip the rest of the wedding party for now because there are more interesting stories to tell (I hope I didn't offend any of the Wedding party.). The readers of the Scripture are in the same boat. I will mention that my nephew Patrick was a huge part of the ceremony. He escorted his mother (also Amy's Mother) during the opening procession, read petitions, joined his brother, Dan JR., in bringing up the Eucharist, and acted as the reception's DJ. An interesting note is that since the servers were "AWOL", Amy and Dave handed the gifts to the priest. The wedding went pretty smoothly, other than the difficulties in rolling the bridal pathway down the aisle at the beginning of the ceremony. Amy and Dave were officially married by 3:00 P.M.
After the wedding, we congratulated the bride and groom. Personally, I congratulated Amy's parents. We eventually went back to our hotel (The Embassy Suites in Marlboro, MA). Bob and I watched TV. After the opening pitches of the Cleveland Indians game, we headed towards the "pre-reception" at the hotel, but we ran into family members who were headed for the reception in Stow, MA. This was done via a round-trip shuttle bus from our hotel. This ensured that we didn't get lost as we have been known to do in the past.
The reception started with a cocktail hour. I didn't have any cocktails, but the appetizers were delicious. Eventually, the Wedding Party was introduced to an instrumental version of Coldplay's "Vida La Vida." My brother-in-law (the bride's father) gave an amusing toast that included a fumbling of her new last name. Amy Marie enjoyed the speech very much, and kept the spotlight most of the night. The Best Man, Dave's brother, Bryan, gave a short speech because he realized that Dan SR is hard to follow. The speech was ripped to pieces. The blessing was performed by my sister Kathleen. She also tore up her notes. The food was delicious and very Italian (Don't Ask!). The cake was just right! The reception was mostly dancing, although Amy's classmates at Stonehill College were "reunited" in a picture. In general, the whole day reflected a fun but classy, once in a lifetime event. I am glad that I was able to be there.
The next post will reveal more about my personal experiences during the trip.
By the way, WBZ TV has joined the RSS-Widget list of this blog. The Copy-Paste function was a little more difficult than with WHDH, but I was successful.
After the wedding, we congratulated the bride and groom. Personally, I congratulated Amy's parents. We eventually went back to our hotel (The Embassy Suites in Marlboro, MA). Bob and I watched TV. After the opening pitches of the Cleveland Indians game, we headed towards the "pre-reception" at the hotel, but we ran into family members who were headed for the reception in Stow, MA. This was done via a round-trip shuttle bus from our hotel. This ensured that we didn't get lost as we have been known to do in the past.
The reception started with a cocktail hour. I didn't have any cocktails, but the appetizers were delicious. Eventually, the Wedding Party was introduced to an instrumental version of Coldplay's "Vida La Vida." My brother-in-law (the bride's father) gave an amusing toast that included a fumbling of her new last name. Amy Marie enjoyed the speech very much, and kept the spotlight most of the night. The Best Man, Dave's brother, Bryan, gave a short speech because he realized that Dan SR is hard to follow. The speech was ripped to pieces. The blessing was performed by my sister Kathleen. She also tore up her notes. The food was delicious and very Italian (Don't Ask!). The cake was just right! The reception was mostly dancing, although Amy's classmates at Stonehill College were "reunited" in a picture. In general, the whole day reflected a fun but classy, once in a lifetime event. I am glad that I was able to be there.
The next post will reveal more about my personal experiences during the trip.
By the way, WBZ TV has joined the RSS-Widget list of this blog. The Copy-Paste function was a little more difficult than with WHDH, but I was successful.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Home Sweet Home!
I am back from Amy and Dave's wedding in Hudson, MA on Saturday. There will be more details on that in the future. I saw Emily (Dan Jr. and Laura's new daughter) this afternoon at Akron-Canton Airport. She is cute. It's too bad that She and Laura were unable to make it to the wedding. They missed Amy Marie as the star of the wedding, reception, and the family get-together on Sunday at Dan SR. and Patty's in Lancaster, MA. There will be more details on the family get-together as well.
My real goal in this post is to announce that WHDH has joined WCVB as a widget from Boston. It's my first copy and paste widget. They are now equal in my Boston news watching! Look forward to more widgets since I can copy and paste with ease.
Have fun learning!
My real goal in this post is to announce that WHDH has joined WCVB as a widget from Boston. It's my first copy and paste widget. They are now equal in my Boston news watching! Look forward to more widgets since I can copy and paste with ease.
Have fun learning!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Amy's Wedding Is Coming Soon!
Amy's wedding is just a week away. I have a lot of planning to do from now until we leave on Friday. There will be more details including guest list notices. It will probably be reported after the wedding when I am back home in Cleveland.
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