Maura's Hard Work Pays Off

Maura has been working hard at her skating all season and it shows in her performance. She skates an extra session every Wednesday after her team practice and though she has doesn’t have a coach to work with her then she uses the time well, practicing what she’s been learning in her Monday lessons and team practices. Off the ice she stretches every morning to improve her flexibility and extension. She does it without any prompting from me.

The hard work is clearly doing some good. Even with my uneducated eyes I can see that she is skating more confidently and smoothly. Her chin is up, her arms are out and her rhythm and timing improve week by week.

We saw the proof of Maura’s improvement last Saturday when she skated in the Skate for the Love of It event at the Asiaf Arena in Brockton, Massachusetts. She tied for first in her individual event. It was her first first place finish ever against competition. Her mother and I are very proud of her and she’s justifiably proud of herself. I got her medal engraved with her name and the date so she can always remember her first victory.

Maura also competed in the stroking competition in which she came in last. I thought she’d done better than that but I’m hardly qualified to judge. Her glasses had slipped down her nose and it looked like she was looking down when she wasn’t. Next time we’ll remind her to push them up before she gets on the ice. We can take this as a lesson in paying attention to the little things. It’s not just on the ice that they make a difference.

After the competition Maura called her grandparents to share the news and her mother and I took her out to lunch to celebrate. It wasn’t an over-the-top celebration but it is what we could afford. Perhaps I can take a reminder from my daughter’s success about the value of hard work. I’ve been working hard on my Web Design Certificate classes but I need to be confident that the work has been worth it if I’m to turn the course of study into a good job. Someday we’ll be able to celebrate Maura’s wins in style.

A New Addition

The Ellett household gained a new four-footed member of the family last week. We adopted a friendly black tom kitten we have named Prospero.

Prospero came to us from a school friend of Maura’s whose cat had kittens in September. On Tuesday night we went to his home to meet his family and the kittens and to choose one. Prospero chose himself. We had brought along our cat carrier and left it in the middle of the floor. Prospero was more outgoing than his twin brother and explored the cat carrier first. We made our choice by shutting the door.

Prospero wasn’t happy to be carried off but he has adapted very well to his new home and family. For a few days we kept him closed up in the den to give our established cat Houdini a chance to get used to the idea of a kitten in the house and let Prospero establish a small territory of his own. Once we had taken Prospero to see the vet and the kitten had been given a clean bill of help and a flea treatment we let the two of them meet. Houdini wasn’t bothered at all by the new kitten and it didn’t take long for Prospero to begin to warm up to Houdini. Now we’ve seen them playing together, not quite like old friends but without any unwanted aggression.

A very calm and affectionate kitten, Prospero often purrs when he is held and petted. He has even been known to climb into laps without any prompting, which is not something that every cat will do. Because he is a kitten it is no surprise that he likes to play but he doesn’t play rough. Other kittens I have known have trouble learning not to use their claws and teeth when they are playing but Prospero already keeps his claws in when he’s playing with us.

It is good that Prospero fits in here so well. He is likely to be a member of the household for many years, until long after Maura has left home and gone away to college. We’ll do everything we can to make sure he has a long and happy life. Like Houdini he will be an indoor cat and like Houdini he will soon be neutered. While he is unlikely to enjoy the experience we know (and our vet agrees) that it is better for him in the long run. It will help keep him healthy and comfortable in his home and will also keep him from adding to the number of stray and homeless cats. As much as we love our cats, old and new, I’m certain in my opinion that two cats is enough for this house and would not want to feel responsible for more.

Maura Skates at the Colonials

Maura’s Synchronized skating team skated last Sunday in the Colonials at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts. It was the largest meet she’s yet been in and unlike at the others her team had competition. They skated very well but Maura's team placed third in a field of three. The Tsongas Center was by far the most comfortable venue I’ve watched figure skating in. Though a third of the stands were blocked off there were still plenty of seats and it was comfortably warm. I wish all the competitions were held in places so nice. On the downside tickets cost $22.00 each.

Maura’s team skated about as well as they ever have despite one of her teammates skating on a possibly broken toe. They came in third partly because they had only eight girls on their team and the other teams were larger.  Larger teams get the benefit of the doubt because more skaters make errors more likely. I’m not sure they would have won even if they had been equal in size. I could see a few spots in their routine where they were just a little out of synch and I’m sure the judges could see mistakes I could not. Unlike me, they know what they are looking for.

Maura was upset when she found out that her team had come in last but she got over it eventually. I’m glad Maura cares a little about winning now. It will help motivate her to work a bit harder to improve.  Despite the loss it was a good experience for Maura. She had been talking about dropping out of synchronized skating but now she has decided to stick with it. I’m glad that she has. I think she will enjoy it more as she gets more experienced and develops her skills. She will also not always the youngest person on her team. She would miss out if she quit now. If keeps on with synchronized skating I expect that some day she will find a place on a more advanced team and get to compete in some of the larger and more prestigious competitions. That will be an experience she'll tell her children and grandchildren about some day.

Roller Skating

On Sunday the Elletts went roller skating together. The occasion was a fundraiser for Maura’s synchronized ice skating team. The Winterettes had booked the Carousel Family Fun Center in Whitman, Massachusetts for a private party and got to keep a part of the proceeds. We all went over in the afternoon and skated around the roller rink for a while. If not for the fundraiser we probably would never have gone but it was fun.

It was the first time Maura had ever been on roller skates and she had a bit of trouble getting used to rolling instead of gliding but she got going eventually. So did Jennifer and I. Both of us had roller skated before, though the last time was before Maura was born. When I was in grade school I used to roller skate occasionally. My school would have skating parties for the students at the local roller rink and I would usually go. That was more than 30 years ago and I was never very good but I don’t seem to have forgotten how to do it. I managed not to fall or run into anything on Sunday.

One thing I noticed was that very few of the adults present skated. Sometimes Jennifer and I were the only adults out on the floor. The team mothers were busy organizing raffles and such and some of the older adults present might not have been in good enough to roller skate but it seemed a waste to me to pay admission and then not skate. It was enough fun that I might think of going again. Maura expressed some interest in going over Winter Break. Perhaps I’ll offer to bring one of her friends along.

First Synchro Competition

Maura’s first synchronized skating competition was last Saturday. Her team competed in the Thanksgiving Classic at the Armstrong Area in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The competition was  a great experience for Maura but not so wonderful for me or the spectators in general.

It was a long day for everyone. We dropped Maura at the Rockland Rink at 8:30 in the morning and we all left Plymouth together at around 4:30 in the afternoon. Maura’s team, the Winterettes Basic 3 team representing the South Shore Skating Club, was the only team at its level so they skated against the book—meaning that they had to achieve a set standard to receive a medal, which they did scoring high enough to be awarded the gold. The Basic 1 team from Maura’s rink also took first place, though they had plenty of competitors to skate against. Once they had skated the team had to wait for the mid competition on-ice awards ceremony at 3:30.

For Maura the wait was fun. It was a chance to bond with her teammates and see some of what the higher level teams could do. For me the wait was a nightmare. The rink was overcrowded to the point where I am certain it was far beyond its capacity. In the event of an emergency I’m sure there would have been injuries. I’m not comfortable with large crowds and the crowd there was far beyond my tolerance. I felt like I was on the verge of a panic attack for most of the day. I hope that not all of the competitions are like that. If they are Maura will have to forgive me for not always being there to see her compete.

Halloween Classic

Last weekend was Maura’s first skating competition of the season, the Halloween Classic on her home ice at the Rockland Rink. Maura didn’t win either of the two events she skated in on Saturday. In fact, she came in second out of two competitors in both of them. She still had a good time, as she always does. The biggest reason she competes in individual events is because she enjoys it and that is always a good thing.

Even though she didn’t win, I thought Maura skated well. To my unqualified eye she skated better than her opponent in her individual program, though the judges did not agree. I am prejudiced in her favor. In any case, her timing was spot on and her form was as good as I’ve ever seen it. She’s been working hard on the ice and remembering to stretch and do posture exercises at home. She’s had extra ice time this fall and she has been putting it to good use. I rarely have to pester her to keep her working on the ice, even when she is skating alone. The practice is clearly paying off and her skating is smoother and more graceful than it has been and improving every week.

Much of the practice has been for her synchronized skating routine. Her team skated publicly for the first time on Sunday. It was only an exhibition, not a competition, but they did a great job. I think it was more exciting for Maura to take her place with her team than it was to skate her individual events. She is the youngest skater on her team and has the least experience but she is doing her part. The exhibition was a tune up for the team's first competition, which is this Saturday. Maura’s team looked really good in exhibition and I think they will do well.

Another Year...Another Trip to Nashoba Valley

Last weekend was one of our family’s milestones. We traveled to the Nashoba Valley Winery in Bolton, Massachusetts for the annual Brews and Bluegrass festival. It's annual not just for the winery but also for us. Jennifer and I have been attending festivals at Nashoba each year since before Maura was born and Maura’s first festival visit occurred when she was only three months old. She spent it in her baby carrier zipped inside my jacket for warmth on a miserably cold day.

This year the weather was dry, sunny and not too cold to enjoy being outdoors. I had a wonderful afternoon listening to the bluegrass sounds of Southern Rail and drinking a few tasty beers from Nashoba’s microbrewery. Between sets I had the chance to socialize with friends I rarely see and found time for lunch and to share a treat with Maura that was almost as delicious as the beer—caramel covered cider donuts. Except when it was time for food I didn’t see much of Maura. She spent the afternoon playing with other children but she seemed to be having a grand time

This year even the drive to and from Bolton was enjoyable. We always take the back roads when we go and the scenery along the way is beautiful. This year the fall foliage was near its peak of color and we avoided the worst of the traffic going both directions. Jennifer was driving so for me the ride home was relaxing, a good ending to an enjoyable day.

Ghosts of Halloween Past

Watching Maura grow up is a source of great pride and joy for me. She is smart, empathic and good at many things. Every day she is a bit more accomplished, sophisticated and poised. Soon she won’t be a little girl anymore but a young woman. I’m looking forward to that day but I am also dreading it.

There is some sorrow in watching Maura grow up as well as joy. Each stage seems to go by so fast that there is hardly time to enjoy it before it is gone. I don’t miss changing diapers but I do miss pushing Maura on the swings at the playground and walking her to school. The day will come when we go sledding together for the last time, when she no longer wants to be read a bedtime story, when her daddy isn’t the most important man in her life.

I spent most of yesterday working on an assignment for the web graphics course I’m taking—a Photshop project I’ve titled “Ghosts of Halloween Past”. I found old pictures of Maura in her Halloween costumes and put them together in one image with me in the middle. Each younger Maura is more faded just as those younger Maura’s are fading in my memories.

A Weekend of Festivals

We decided not to go camping over Columbus Day Weekend as we had tentatively planned. I had an event to attend at church on Saturday night and schoolwork that needed to be done. We did the take the time for some family fun, attending festivals on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

On Saturday we drove down to Marshfield for the South Shore Celebration, a sustainable living festival at the Marshfield Fairgrounds. It was an enjoyable afternoon for everyone. We learned about green practices, ate some tasty local food and wandered around a bit. I parked myself near the music stage to listen to the music provided by Boston area band Melloteen. They played great high energy rock music—a mix of originals and well-done covers, many with environmental themes. Their show also featured a bicycle powered sound system. It worked very well as long as they had a few enthusiastic peddlers to keep it going. Near the stage a vendor was selling handmade hula hoops and she had a dozen or so out for people to try. Maura spent about an hour learning how to hula hoop and now she wants to get one for herself. The fun of the afternoon was worth the ten dollars per family admission. It would be an even better deal for a larger family.

On Sunday we headed into Boston for the Local Food Festival on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. It was a much bigger event than the one in Marshfield and admission was free as it always is for events on the Greenway. It featured local food producers, distributors of locally grown produce, restaurants that use locally produced food in their cuisine, and food related non-profit organizations. There was live music on several stages to give the festival a soundtrack. We had a wonderful time. Our visit was a wandering open air lunch. We sampled a great variety of foods ranging from pumpkin crab apple soup to locally produced chocolate. Some of what we ate was free samples and some we bought, though the prices were reasonable. We all enjoy eating a variety of foods so the festival was great fun. For me the highlight was trying raw oysters. I had them for the first time since I was six and Maura tried one for her first time ever. Maura enjoyed her oyster, which is no surprise since it came from the sea. Maura loves all kinds of seafood. I also enjoyed mine. It was a very different experience for me than the first time I ate a raw oyster. Then I definitely did not enjoy it. Of course, now I know that raw oysters are swallowed whole and not chewed.

Family Games

Last weekend was busy and tiring but we didn't do much out of the ordinary and very little worth writing about. Rain cancelled any plans we might have had to get outside on Saturday and I was very behind on my sleep and nearly exhausted on Sunday. On Saturday night I had run an odd job that kept me out until 3:00 am and I had already had trouble sleeping during the previous week. Partly for that reason we stayed home on Sunday. Our usual Sunday evening gathering with friends was cancelled. Instead we stayed home for a family game night.

Jennifer and I have played games together ever since we met twenty years ago and Maura has enjoyed playing games with us since she was old enough for Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. We have a pretty good selection of games that we all like to play. They range from classics like Clue and Yahtzee to more recent games such as Apples to Apples, Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan. The list could go on—we have dozens. The collection is ever expanding as games are favorite holiday and birthday gifts. This year Maura received Lemming Mafia. Laugh if you want, but it is a fun game for adults to play with middle grade kids. Check it out online if you are in the market for a good game to play with your ten-year-old. Sometimes we will play for hours with each member of the family picking a game in turn so we get to play all of our favorites.

This Sunday we only played one game after dinner. Maura chose one of her favorites, Cannibal Pygmies in the Jungle of Doom, the B-movie card game. As always, all three of us played to win. Once Maura understands a game Jennifer and I never go easy on her. She wins her share of most of the games we play so I don't feel too badly about beating her. I know she’s happy when she beats us. Teaching Maura how to be a good winner and a good loser is one of the reasons why Jennifer and I play games with her. Of course, the biggest reason we play is to have fun. We could watch TV or a movie together but the games offer far more opportunities for interaction. Sometimes we can even have a conversation without interrupting the game play.

Corn Festival

On Sunday afternoon we had a family outing to the Corn Festival at the South Shore Nature Center in Norwell, Massachusetts. The festival featured local crafters, corn themed crafts and games for kids, food featuring more corn, live music, corn tastings, hayrides, animals brought by the local 4H clubs, a bake sale and the Nature Center itself, along with the woods around. There was an admission charge for the festival but it wasn’t excessive, especially since it included admission to the museum which is well worth a visit. Some of the attractions at the festival cost extra, though except for food and a few inexpensive items purchased at the crafters’ booths we kept our wallets closed once we had paid our admission. Except for the museum, and the bake sale and corn tasting which were inside, the festival was outside. The weather was almost perfect—warm in the sun but not too hot. It was a great day to be out.

The crafters’ had their booths set up closest to the entrance so we spent some time shopping when we first arrived. Jennifer and Maura always enjoy shopping, especially when the merchandise is hand made. I’m often board by shopping but I had a better time than I usually do. One of the crafters present was demonstrating weaving on a small table loom and I tried it out. It was very relaxing and I’m considering getting one for myself. Jennifer knits and is teaching Maura but I don’t think I have the dexterity for it or the patience to learn. Weaving has a rhythm to it that I think I would enjoy. Taking up a fiber art of my own would make visiting yarn stores and fiber festivals with Jennifer much more fun.

After shopping, Maura and I had lunch. Jennifer had already eaten so she didn’t join us. We both had corn chowder which was very good. So was the corn muffin we split for desert. Later we all split some homemade caramel corn.

After lunch Maura went to the kids’ area to do some crafts and Jennifer stayed with her. I went with them for a bit but then found a seat near the music. There was a singer with a guitar who was often accompanied by a mandolin player and occasionally by the sound-man on a banjo. His repertoire was a mixture of old rock songs, folk songs, country and bluegrass. I enjoyed his performance and would happily go to see him again; unfortunately I never caught his name. There was nothing posted and if he had introduced himself I arrived to late to hear it.

Busy

Now it is a busy time of the year, though every season is. This season is busy but offers little to write about. Maura is settling into her routine of school and practice and the little traumas of the first weeks are behind us. There is plenty to do and little time to do it. In addition to school, Maura has lessons or practice or religious obligations every day but Tuesday. There isn’t much time for us to take trips. Last week we had planned a trip to Cape Cod on Saturday but we had forgotten that Maura’s first soccer game was at 10:30am, much too late for us to go visit the Cape Cod beaches afterwards.

The big event this last week for Maura was the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. She spent Sunday evening, and much of the day on Monday and Tuesday in services with her mother. For me the days were ordinary. Because I am the member of the household who is not Jewish I stayed home alone. I stay home alone almost every weekday. I know I would have been welcome to attend services but I feel more comfortable staying away at the holiest times for a faith that is not mine. Somehow it seems more respectful.

Maura made a trifle for after the service on Sunday night. It was tropical fruit flavored, with mango Jello, crushed pineapple, banana pudding and shredded coconut sprinkled over whip cream on top. Jennifer told me that people didn’t believe that Maura had made it. Jennifer helped her with it but the trifle was Maura’s creation. I was lucky to get a taste of it. I can’t wait for her to really find her feet in the kitchen. I expect she will make some very creative dinners and I will enjoy eating them.

A Fresh Start

Maura is back in school now. This time of year is a time of new beginnings for both of us. This year it sees more beginnings than ever before. Maura is in a new school for 5th grade—the Abigail Adams Campus of the Weymouth Middle School. She’s taking the next step in her figure skating career by joining a synchronized skating team and taking on new responsibilities at home.

School may be the smallest change for Maura. She hasn’t changed school systems and much remains the same as it was in her elementary school. There is a larger pool of students as every 5th grader in the Weymouth Public Schools is at Abigail Adams but her class isn’t much larger and she stays with the same people throughout the day. None of her close friends from elementary school are in her class but she is staying in touch. She walks to school without me and sometimes her friends join her. So far she seems to be enjoying her new school. She doesn't complain and she gets out the door without any fuss in the morning. Her mother and I will be meeting her teacher this evening and I expect that we will hear that Maura is doing well so far. Time will tell if Maura has trouble adapting to the new school but I don’t expect her too. She enjoys learning. I hope that never changes.

There are some big changes in skating this year. Maura has joined the Winterettes, the United States Figure Skating synchronized skating team that is affiliated with the Winterland Skating School where she takes lessons. There are actually five teams separated by age and ability. Maura is on the Beginner 3 team. She is the youngest and least experienced skater on her team so she has some catching up to do but I expect that she will. Her practices with the team start today and she will be getting some extra lessons with the coach. She’s also keeping up with her individual lessons and we plan on her skating in ISI competitions as an individual like she did last year, starting with the Halloween Classic at the Rockland Rink where she skates. I think this is the year that Maura has to decide how much effort she is willing to put into skating. I don’t want her to stop enjoying it and I will never be upset at her if she doesn’t win first place but she may need to work a little harder if she wants to keep improving.

The last new start for Maura is that she began taking a share of the family cooking duties. She’ll be cooking dinner on Tuesday nights this year. She started last night by roasting a chicken. I was there to supervise and help but Maura did most of the work and as she learns her way around the kitchen I’ll expect her to do more. For now she is understandably a bit nervous with knives and the hot oven but I know she’ll get over that with practice. For now I will be in the kitchen with her but the time will come when I just expect her to get dinner ready and let me know when it’s done. I’m glad that Maura wants to learn to cook. I’ve always thought that it is one of the most important domestic chores to learn and that cooking from scratch is the best way to ensure you eat healthy food. Maura’s chicken was a very good first effort and every one appreciated it. Each meal is a lesson for her and she's already planning next week.

Camping in Allegheny State Park

We spent the Labor Day Weekend camping in Allegheny State Park, in western New York State. It was a long trip for us from Weymouth, Massachusetts but we had picked our destination because of its location, roughly halfway between our home and my parents’ home in Indiana. Maura was visiting her grandparents and we needed to fetch her home before school started this week. We met them halfway to make the exchange and enjoy our final short vacation of the summer.

Allegheny State Park was a nice place to visit. The park is beautiful and has very nice facilities nestled in a semi-wild area the size of a county with lakes, streams and miles of steep wooded hills. The campground at Red House was not quite as nice as the rest of the park because the sites were small and crowded together. On Sunday it was a city of portable homes. On Monday when the crowds were gone it was quite pleasant. We will likely be back for the same reason we were there this time—it is a convenient place to meet my folks and the beauty and amenities of the rest of the park make up for a less than perfect campground.

Jennifer and I got up early on Saturday morning to make the trip to Allegheny State Park. It was an all-day drive and we needed to get there before dark to make camp, which we accomplished by leaving at 4:00 am. Once we had unloaded the car and pitched the tent we made our way to where my parents were staying in a nearby town to collect Maura. We also had the chance to spend some time with my parents and with my sister Marcia who had come along on the trip with them. Seeing Marcia is a rare treat for me—my parents visit us several times each year but Marcia isn’t retired and can’t usually make the trip with them and we don’t have the resources to go to Indiana often. We had a nice restaurant meal and then headed back to camp to because we were all exhausted.

Sunday we all spent the day together in the park. We met after breakfast at the Red House lodge. We explored the lodge’s museum and gift shop, took a short hike nearby and then ate lunch at the lodge restaurant which was a friendly place that made great sandwiches. After lunch we went down to Red House Lake and played miniature golf at the course there. The course was in an advanced state of disrepair and was barely playable because of the resulting unintended obstacles. Despite the obstacles, or perhaps because of them, we had a very good time playing it. It was worth a few laughs.

After mini-golf we went back to camp. While my dad and I built and tended a fire the rest of the group drove to nearby Salamanca for provisions. We had an enjoyable dinner of sausages cooked in the fire wrapped in foil with s’mores for desert and beer for the adults. We all had a chance to relax and unwind. At the end of the evening we said goodbye to my parents and sister. They had to return to Indiana on Monday. We were lucky enough to have another day to enjoy the park.

On Monday we took a hike along little used dirt roads to Thunder Rocks, a group of strange rock formations perched on the top of a hill. They were clearly natural boulders of coarse sandstone not moved by man but I don’t enough about the local geology of the area to know how they came to be there. Despite the litter and graffiti left by previous visitors the rocks had a mysterious and primal air. I felt almost as if I was intruding on a holy place. Maura wanted to climb them.

After the hike we took another jaunt into town for provisions and then rented a paddle boat for an hour. It was fun to tool around the lake on an oversized aquatic Big Wheel until a storm threatened. Though the storm never arrived, the gusty winds and clouds were a signal that it was time to go in. We had planned on taking on taking a dip in the lake afterward but instead returned to camp for another relaxing evening. We roasted wieners on sticks, ate s’mores again and read stories aloud around the fire by flashlight. The next day we packed up as quickly as we could and drove back to Weymouth to be ready for the first day of school on Wednesday, both for Maura and for me.

Some Time Apart

When my parents headed for home last week they took Maura with them. It has become a tradition in our family for my parents to take Maura for a week or so during the summer. They’ve taken her on vacation to Maine in the past but most often they take her home to Indiana. They have her there until next weekend.

Maura always has a great time in Indiana. My parents take her lots of places when she is visiting. On this trip they’ve been to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the Indiana History Museum and my parents’ lake house where they went out in their boat. Today they are going to the zoo. They also take her out to eat. Last night they went out for Brazilian food, which Maura loves.

More important than the places Maura goes is the time that she spends with her grandparents and with her Aunt Marcia. She sees my parents three or four times a year and my sister less often than that. Maura’s summer trips to Indiana give her a chance to get to know them she wouldn’t have otherwise. She’ll have memories of her grandparents and her aunt when she is an adult which will be part of who she is.

As important and enjoyable as Maura’s trips to visit her grandparents are for her they are also a treat for Jennifer and me. We know that she is being well taken care of so we can relax and not worry about her while she is gone. Our daily lives of work and chores go on but without the complications of parenthood. Dad’s taxi stays in the driveway. Jennifer and I can have adult conversations without interruption and we don’t have to worry about Maura walking in on us at inopportune moments. It is especially nice because our wedding anniversary is this week. We can celebrate without the need to make arrangements for Maura.

We miss Maura and will be glad to have her back. Talking to her on the phone every night is not a substitute for having her around. I feel bad for people whose jobs require them to be away from their children for long periods of time but because Maura is gone only for a little while we can enjoy her absence without any guilt.

Hammond Castle and Gloucester Harbor Fest

On Sunday we drove to Gloucester, Massachusetts, on the coast north of Boston. The trip was part of Maura’s birthday celebration and we were accompanied by my parents who were visiting partly to celebrate their granddaughter’s birthday. Maura had wanted to see Hammond Castle ever since she saw it featured in an episode of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman several years ago.

Hammond Castle was built by John Hays Hammond, Jr. as both as a home for himself and his wife and as a display for his extensive collection of Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art. Hammond and his wife Irene Fenton Hammond moved into the building when it was finished in 1929 and lived there until their deaths (Hammond died in 1965). They first opened their home as a museum in 1930. Hammond was a noted inventor who held the second largest number of patents granted by the US patent office, behind only Thomas Edison.

Hammond Castle is worth a visit. Both the people whose home it was and the artifacts it contains have fascinating stories. It was fun to wander around the museum and its grounds for an hour or so. It’s particularly interesting thinking what it would have been like to see the inventor’s home in his lifetime when it was a combination of the very old and the ultramodern.

After our visit to Hammond Castle we headed up the road to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester for the Gloucester Harbor Festival. The Festival featured a classic car show, inflatable amusements for the kids, food, live music and a large art/artisan fair with vendors selling mostly handmade goods ranging from T-shirts to furniture and paintings. I’m not much for shopping but Jennifer, Maura and my mother enjoyed themselves. Maura particularly enjoyed looking at all the vendors who had earrings because she had just gotten her ears pierced. She won’t be able to wear any new earrings for a few months but she is interested in getting some so she will have a choice of what to wear when she can take her studs out.

After the fair we were tired. We had considered staying in Gloucester until the evening but we decided to head back to Weymouth in mid-afternoon for a rest. Before we left Maura and I took the opportunity to check out Stage Fort itself. The existing fort is a 20th Century reconstructed earthwork with a few old cannons but the first fortifications were built on the site in 1625 and the spot was used for some military purpose in every war from then until the Spanish American War in 1898. It’s easy to see why the fort was built where it was. It has a spectacular view of Gloucester Harbor and no one could sail past it undetected. There is much more to see in Gloucester and nearby towns so we may head back that way on a future trip.

The Museum of Work and Culture

Last Friday Maura and I drove to Rhode Island to check on a friend’s cat while he was away. Hobbes the cat was doing fine but wasn't in the mood for company, especially that of strangers in his home. Once we were sure he had ample food and water to hold him until his owner came back we headed out again. It was a long trip for us to take to spend an hour with a cat so I had planned a stop on the way home.

On previous trips through Rhode Island I had noticed a sign for the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket. I thought Maura might enjoy the visit and learn something while she was there. I got off at the Woonsocket exit from Interstate 295 and headed into town. On the way in we stopped for lunch at the Patriot Diner which looks like a classic place and has a menu to match. It’s the kind of place I like to eat in when I’m on the road. It’s quick and fairly reasonable and much better than fast food. Maura enjoyed her lunch of stuffed French toast. My cheeseburger wasn’t bad either.

Once we finished lunch we drove into downtown Woonsocket to find the museum. I promptly got lost and drove around in a strange town for a while before we found the museum. There were signs pointing the way but they were easy to miss in traffic. I should have printed out directions before I left home but that would have made things too easy.

Once we found the museum it was worth the trouble of getting there. The Museum of Work and Culture tells the story of the French Canadian immigrants who worked in the textile mills of Woonsocket. There are exhibits on their reasons for coming, the difficult conditions they faced in mills and in crowded tenements, on the labor movement that eventually helped to improve the poor conditions, and on the communities that the immigrants built centered on churches and schools. The exhibits had strong audiovisual elements and some interactivity. Maura enjoyed the visit as I expected she would. She enjoys history when it touches on the lives of ordinary people.

We left the museum after an hour or so. We had to be in Quincy, Massachusetts by 5:00 to pick up our weekly box of CSA vegetables from the Stillmans’ Farm stand at the Farmers’ Market and Jennifer from the T-station. It was a long day by the time we got home but an enjoyable one.

Harvard Museum of Natural History

Last weekend was the first weekend of the month and therefore Free Museum Weekend for those of us Bank of America credit cards. The Harvard Museum of Natural History is one of the Boston area museums that participates in the program which means that we only have to pay for Maura as both Jennifer and I have cards from BoA. Free Museum Weekend is probably my favorite credit card perk. Because we had not visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History recently and we were in the mood for a family outing we hopped on the Red Line Sunday afternoon and traveled to Harvard Square for a stroll across the Harvard University campus and a visit to the museum.

The Harvard Museum of Natural History is a traditional museum with exhibits in glass cases. It has extensive collections illustrating vertebrate anatomy, botany and mineralogy as well as some mollusks and arthropods and an interesting collection of fossils. The collections were intended for research and for educating students but they are also a draw for the general public. The stuffed and mounted animals are probably the most popular exhibits but I find them a bit sad. Maura is sometimes bothered by the fumes from the preservatives that keep them in good shape.

My favorite collections in the museum are the glass flowers and the mineral collection. The glass flowers are reproductions of living plants in imperishable glass. They are both accurate and beautiful. I’m not much of an expert at botany so I find I learn more from the glass plants than I do from other exhibits but I also marvel at them. I’m not sure Maura has much interest in botany but she doesn’t mind looking at the flowers because they are works of art.

The minerals are also beautiful and fascinating. I’ve always had an interest in geology since I was a small child and it was one of my majors in college. I could probably stare at the mineral samples in the cases for hours, partly filling in gaps in my knowledge of minerals and partly reminiscing over college days. Maura likes minerals and I think she would love to collect them herself though she gets bored of them before I do and wanders to the edges of the room where multimedia presentations cover other aspects of Earth science. 

Connected to the Museum of Natural History is the Peabody Museum which houses Harvard’s ethnographic collections and archaeological collections from Mesoamerica and the United States. I find them interesting but I never get to spend as much time exploring them as I would like. We never get to the Peabody early in our visit and Maura doesn't enjoy them as much as I do. On this trip Jennifer and Maura left me to explore the Peabody Museum on my own for an hour or so while they went back to the Museum of Natural History. It was a good compromise. Maura was saved from boredom and I got to see some things I enjoyed that I would have missed otherwise.

Going to the Movies

Last night our family went to see a movie, a rare treat these days. We went to see Brave at the Patriot Cinemas in Hanover, Massachusetts. Maura had wanted to see it all summer and Jennifer and I had no objections. We generally enjoy animated features, particularly the films made by Pixar.

We were not disappointed by Brave. I was happy to see an animated movie about a young woman that did not revolve around her relationship with a man. Visually the movie was stunning. I was particularly impressed by the animation sequences in some of the important scenes that slipped effortlessly between a cartoony style and a more realistic one. I noticed the transitions not because they called attention to themselves but because they were so artfully done.

I also enjoyed the movie because it fit so clearly into the fantasy genre that I love. While the setting was based on Scotland it was in no way a historical one and the plot featured plenty of magic and swashbuckling action. It was fast paced but the movie still took enough time to develop the characters beyond mere sketches and to allow them to change emotionally in significant ways.

Maura enjoyed the movie at least as much as I did. She has inherited her parents’ taste for the fantastic. When the action hero is in fact a young heroine it is all the more exciting for her.

We may find the time and money to see a few more movies at the Hanover Patriot Cinema. We will probably be back on a Tuesday night. Tuesday is a bargain with $5 tickets all day. With snacks thrown in we managed the evening for around $30 and if we skipped the overpriced treats we could managed the evening for $15. On our tight budget we couldn’t manage that every week but it is reasonable enough that we can afford to go occasionally, especially if we plan for it.

The Summer Rut

Summer is in full swing for Maura and I and we’re in a bit of a rut. It hasn’t been a summer for ambitious plans or even much activity. The weather has been hot and money has been short. We’ve stayed close to home most days and not found the energy to do much while we were here. I’ve been remiss as a parent and a travel writer. I’ve left Maura mostly to her own devices—which means she’s spent her time reading, playing video games and watching TV. At least a good deal of her time is spent with her nose in a book. I don’t have to make her read.

I’ve spent my days in front of the computer screen. I’m taking on-line courses in web design so time spent at the keyboard hasn’t been entirely wasted but I have not been as productive as I would like. I have not been writing.

We have managed a few activities besides our trip to Six Flags that I wrote about last week. Jennifer ran in the JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge for the second consecutive year. She’s not a competitive runner but she did finish. Maura and I were there not far from the finish line to cheer her on as she limped by. Unlike last year we didn’t make it a father-daughter dinner night. There was no money in the budget for us to go out to eat, even for a hotdog. We had an early dinner of leftovers and then traveled into Boston where we sat on a bench in the Public Garden and read our books while the runners waited for the start, then made our way to the edge of the garden to see the finishers as they ran by.

Last week Maura started her formal summer activities. She’s in WeyRec activities at Great Esker Park again this year. The first week was tubing on the Back River, which should have been enjoyable given the heat early in the week but the session seemed to be under a curse. The tubers were bothered by bees and horseflies, swept away by currents (they wear life jackets and weren’t in any danger) and chased in by a thunder storm. Maura didn’t have nearly as much fun as she had the year before.

This week seems to be going better. She’s in “Survivor” learning how to build a fire and how to find food and water in the woods. She comes home tired and muddy every day but so far has always had a smile on her face.