Summer Months Be Gone

fall leaves
Bring it! Photo by Pixabay

 

I’m ready to say goodbye to the summer months – I’m always ready. I’m one of the few New Englanders whose least favorite season is summer. I sometimes feel guilty that I dislike the very time of year that so many others worship and wait patiently for the other nine months of the year.

It’s not that I completely hate the summer months; I just much prefer other seasons over it. Fall, in particular, is my favorite. Spring takes a close second and winter and summer run a photo finish for positions three and four.

I thought I was alone until I read this fun, little post on Facebook.

 

seasons

 

Here’s my deal, I don’t like extreme temperatures, whether they are hot or cold. This summer was hotter than usual. My lawn was burnt, my dog was unwalked and I felt trapped and claustrophobic inside the comfort of any air conditioned space I could find.

I could blame the weather entirely, but I know my distaste for the summer months has much more to do with the disorder it introduces to my life than the hot and humid climate. My desire for organization and structure is what really puts summer so low on my list of seasons. And it’s not about having the kids around, in fact I love spending more time with my girls.

Rather, it’s not knowing what’s going to happen from one day to the next, one hour to the next, one minute to the next. Whether it’s on their social calendar or mine. It seems that even my best laid plans always result in some unexpected turn of events. The beach, a concert, a pool party, a weekend get-away, the movies, a Red Sox game and many more great things all seem to pop up on a summer’s whim, no matter the day of the week or time of day.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE doing all of these things, but boy do I get tired. I’m not twenty anymore and I sure feel it when I’m out dining and drinking on a Tuesday or Wednesday night. When I’m there, these are the best of times, but my recovery time is so much longer these days. As much as I try, it seems I can’t quite keep pace with the carefree nature that the summer months introduce.

And so, as cooler air breezes in, I breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to welcome the moderate temperatures of fall and the Monday through Friday, back-to-school routine that seems to suit this forty-something lifestyle so well.

One Comment Continue Reading

Dr. Tom Ferlito of Bradford Orthodontics Makes Braces a Breeze

braces with blue bands by Dr. Tom Ferlito
Ally’s braces

 

In honor of “Throw Back Thursday,” today I thought I’d share an old article, Brace Yourself. Back in 2012, I’d written this featuring one of my favorite people, Dr. Tom Ferlito D.M.D.

The Bradford Orthodontics Experience

I first got to know Dr. Ferlito when I decided to straighten up with adult braces. The memorably, positive experience was less about the braces and more about Dr. Ferlito and his wonderful orthodontic practice. When it comes to adult braces or orthodonture for any age, Dr. Ferlito knows his stuff and is fun and friendly. He puts every client who walks through his door at ease, and his entire team is unsurpassed in graciousness and professionalism.

Today, my 13 year old, Ally, is in braces and never complains about going in for a check. She is totally happy and comfortable in her colorfully banded braces. My good friend, Karyn, is in adult braces and she raves about Dr. Tom Ferlito as much as I do.

But, the story I always tell when talking about why I admire Dr. Ferlito is about the time I brought my oldest daughter, Julia, in for an evaluation, twice. Each time Dr. Ferlito said he couldn’t find a reason to put her in braces – her teeth were fine! To me, that’s the ultimate sign of a true professional with integrity.

Thank you Dr. Tom Ferlito, and everyone at Bradford Orthodontics, for making braces a fun thing to do.

Check out my story, Brace Yourself, in North Andover Patch.

One Comment Continue Reading

Oscar’s Travels – Our Pet Friendly Stay at The Wolfeboro Inn

gazebo at the pet friendly Wolfeboro Inn
The Gazebo

 

Leaving your pet behind when you vacation is never easy. My situation with Oscar got more complicated last year when he was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, he requires two insulin shots a day and while he is doing very well, I worry about him much more than before. So whenever possible, I like to travel with him.

We’ve rented a house with him before and that was pretty seamless. This past weekend, however, we decided to try something new and checked into a pet friendly hotel. On a whim, I called The Wolfeboro Inn on Lake Winnipesaukee and, by chance, they had a pet friendly suite available for just one night. We took it! The ground level room was very spacious and its patio door led us right out to the property’s grassy lawn. It was perfect.

 

my daughters and dog on the dock at the Wolfeboro Inn
A walk on the Inn’s dock

 

Oscar was certainly nervous and excited. He’s a Schnauzer; by nature he’s rigid with his schedule and routine. I knew it would take him time to adjust to this new situation. I made no plans to rush out for the first few hours and planned nothing where he couldn’t come along. In the evening, we dined in the hotel’s, Wolfe’s Tavern, so that we could check on him frequently. He never made a peep.

During the day, he joined us for lunch, a little shopping, a lot of walking and, for the first time since we’ve had him, swimming. We adopted Oscar when he was seven in 2013 and since then I’ve always wondered if he could swim. What better place to test the waters than the lake. I’m happy to say, he pulled off a doggie paddle like a pro.

 

oscar's first swim in lake winnipesaukee
He did it!

 

I really enjoyed this experience with Oscar. It brought a new dimension of fun to our travels and it certainly encouraged conversation. So many nice folks stopped to talk and give Oscar a pat on the head. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t tiring – for the both of us.

 

my dog oscar sleeping
Wiped out!

 

There were so many new things for Oscar to experience and for me to take into consideration that we both crashed on the drive home. The funniest experience was when we walked into the hotel lobby in the morning for coffee and he began barking at all of the people who he seemed to think were invading his space. I imagine his mindset was, “why are all these strangers here in my big new house?” Well, that certainly woke me up.

The best part – no one so much as flinched. The hotel receptionist was obviously accustomed to the pet friendly environment and just smiled while a lovely couple, who were staying at the hotel with their two Maltese, came right over to say hi and calm Oscar’s nerves.

I think, for Oscar, a few more five-star stays would be just what he needs to get more comfortable. I would love to try the grand Wentworth by the Sea in New Castle, NH and The Woodstock Inn in Vermont – both of which offer pet accommodations.

Do you travel with your dog? Any suggestions or recommendations?

3 Comments Continue Reading

Vacation Getaways – Good for the Soul

Vacation getaways - Bermuda Crystal Caves
Crystal Caves

 

My last post shared the cancellation of our European vacation. That was the bad news. The good news came when we learned we could transfer our funds to a less strenuous trip to Bermuda. On such short notice, we were lucky. We got back yesterday and had a wonderfully relaxing time. Before leaving, I consciously made the decision to put the blog on break. I thought about announcing this, but I still don’t fully trust social media and didn’t want to publicly reveal that we’d be away. Despite having a great neighborhood watch (remember my stealth Pokémon attack team?), I still feel funny about sharing too much about our vacation getaways online.

I did dabble just a bit with a few photos on Instagram and one on Facebook, but other than that, I was happy to unplug.

In fact, doing that was one of the biggest pleasures of my vacation. It got me thinking about why vacation getaways like this are such a good thing, even though I’m an unwavering homebody.

My Travel Pros:

Time to read a book or magazine – Ever since I began writing, I read less. Magazine flipping is what first got me into writing and now I never seem to have time for it. I so enjoyed going through my daughters’ Glamour and Vogue this past week and “The Silent Sister” by Diane Chamberlain was a page-turner.

Dining out – I have decided that if I ever win the lottery, my first indulgence will be a personal chef. I just love having food prepared for me.

A good swim – The warm water of Bermuda was so inviting, I floated in it for hours. I love the therapeutic quality of a long, salty swim, but here at home, the ocean is just too cold! Our vacation getaways aren’t always to someplace warm, but when they are this is one of the things I most enjoy.

See the world – I may be the queen of stay-cations, but even I know that seeing new places is a must. I’ve been to Bermuda before, but this trip we saw the Crystal Caves for the first time. It was my vacation highlight. Not only were the natural formations spectacular, but the story of the cave’s discovery was fascinating – learn more.

 

Stalactite
Bermuda’s Crystal Caves
Stalactites and Stalagmites in Bermuda Cave
Bermuda’s Crystal Caves

 

And what would the pros of our vacation getaways be without just a few cons:

I missed my baby – Ever since Oscar came into my life, I find leaving him terribly difficult. I’m so grateful to my sister for taking exceptional care of him, but I worried about him every day.

 

Beth's Schnauzer Oscar
I missed that face!

 

Dining out – The flip side of how much I love dining out is that after several days, I felt full. After a week, I was about to explode.

Did I mention I missed my baby!

Back to reality – the adjustment back from vacation mode is never easy. The empty refrigerator and mounds of laundry taunt me. But, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t glad to be back. I like my routine and I love my space.

While I’m often conflicted about travel, what I know for sure on this first day of August is that, whether I’m home or away, I’d better make the most of it, because summer will be gone before we know it.

6 Comments Continue Reading

We Cancelled Our Trip to Europe

The Colosseum form out first family trip to Europe
A photo from our 2012 family trip to Greece, Italy and Turkey

Well, I want to say we postponed our trip to Europe because I fully intend to take this trip in the future – just not now. My feelings about this are deeply mixed. We were set to cruise from Rome to Northern Italy, then the French Riviera, then Spain. Nice, France was one of our stops.

When this most recent Bastille Day tragedy was reported, it was more than I could handle. Getting on a plane on a good day is something I can barely handle, but now one of the places we were planning to visit had been hit. I just didn’t want to go.

I actually said I wanted to cancel our trip to Europe after the Belgium incident (3/2016); Tony talked me out of it. I said if one more horrific thing happened in Europe I wouldn’t go. Then Istanbul happened (6/2016); Tony talked me off the ledge once again. He said, “Beth, Turkey is in a lot of turmoil right now, something like this won’t happen in the places we’re going – they aren’t targets.”

At this point I wasn’t evening factoring the 2015 attacks in Paris. Then there was Nice (7/2016). I didn’t have to fight. Even Tony was rattled knowing we were to be in that very place, very soon. It was all too much.

Yes, I know there’s a greater chance of being killed in a car accident, but that didn’t change the sinking feeling I had. And sinking was the last thing I should be thinking about when getting ready for a seven day cruise.

The fear was overwhelming and it took over. I wish it hadn’t, I wish I was stronger, but I felt better about not going than going.

I don’t want to run scared and I don’t want to let anyone “win,” but I’m not a risk taker and how could we enjoy ourselves wondering if wherever we were going to be was next? This time, my family agreed. The decision was made – I’m relieved and devastated at the same time.

I feel privileged to travel with my family. I love that my girls enjoy traveling with us and want to see the world. When we last visited Rome we never made it inside the Colosseum. This trip would have given us the chance to check that box. I am sad, angry, guilt-ridden and so torn about changing our plan.

I can only hope and pray that our world gets better and that we have the chance to schedule another trip to Europe very soon.

10 Comments Continue Reading