Category: family

Oh, Rob! (Picnic date night)

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, local fun, restaurants

I admit it: I have crushes. All the time. My husband is pretty tolerant of them. He even produced a picture of Boston Rob for me for Christmas last year (downloaded from the internet and printed...in color!). I'm exceedingly happy now that Survivor is back with its new season, Redemption Island. For date night this particular week … Continue reading Oh, Rob! (Picnic date night)

“Clearing clutter for clarity”

by Karen, posted in books, family, health, Midlife Crisis

Okay, I borrowed this alliteration from the book  Ask and It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks. Spring is in the offing. In the spring, when a young man's thoughts are lightly turning...women's thoughts are turning too: to thoughts of Spring Cleaning. I was reading an article in the March issue of Whole Living … Continue reading “Clearing clutter for clarity”

Pantry Project

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, Karen's Kitchen, Pantry Project

Sauteed chicken cutlets, roasted fingerlings and baby carrots Cooking from what's on hand isn't as hard as I thought it might be. This time, I had the presence of mind to raid the freezer the night before, so that the meat would have time to thaw before I was going to cook it. Thawing in … Continue reading Pantry Project

Put on a happy face

by Karen, posted in family

So, it's cold and dark outside most of the time now, with the (nearly daily) threat of snow looming large, and it can be hard to find your happy place. You may not even notice that you've lost it at first. Maybe a family member (read: husband) or a friend says, "Hey, what's up? You don't … Continue reading Put on a happy face

“You are my sunshine” (Grieving my dead relatives, continued)

by Karen, posted in family, good grief, health

So, it's that time of year again; when the anniversary of the day a relative died rolls around and you try to remember without being too sad. This is my mother. At the time this picture was taken, she was a sister, a daughter. At the time this picture was taken, she was not yet … Continue reading “You are my sunshine” (Grieving my dead relatives, continued)

Kennebunk Winterfest with tweens

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, fitness, friends, local fun, restaurants, tweens

The Kennebunk 2011 Winterfest was yesterday in (you guessed it) Kennebunk, Maine. It was great that it wasn't February 25th, since we got (yet another unwelcome) snowstorm. It was fun, but would have been more so if it had been about 10 degrees warmer (I'm just sayin'). It kicked off with a pancake breakfast at … Continue reading Kennebunk Winterfest with tweens

Gnomeo and Juliet: Vacation week with your tween

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, local fun, movies, tweens

When it's winter and the "Can we go out and do something today?" questions are about to put you over the top, give in. I did; we headed out to the 2:45pm showing of Gnomeo and Juliet at the Wells Five Star Cinema. There has been a dearth of (good)  movies for kids lately, have you noticed? … Continue reading Gnomeo and Juliet: Vacation week with your tween

Head underwater

by Karen, posted in family, friends, health

Well, it isn't really underwater, but it sure feels like it. I awoke last Friday with an odd feeling in my right ear. I mostly ignored it; I had plans to celebrate a friend's birthday and so was distracted by good company and good food.  The next day, I awoke to a completely blocked right … Continue reading Head underwater

Celebrating with the kids: Valentine edition, part 2

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, family, local fun, tweens

My Valentine's Day started off great with a bouquet of flowers, with yellow (my favorite) being the dominant color. from my husband. I received them on Thursday night, since he would be at work for the next several days. I love flowers and was completely surprised (and thrilled!) with my gift. I got to take … Continue reading Celebrating with the kids: Valentine edition, part 2

Whoopie!!

by Karen, posted in (it's all about the) food, baking, books, family, quest for the best

Maybe you've heard this news already, but just in case you missed it: The Great State of Maine is considering making the Whoopie Pie its official state dessert. It wasn't already? There are lots of places to get a great wh0opie pie, including your very own kitchen. If you take this route, here are two excellent … Continue reading Whoopie!!