The Salty Blog

I’m leaving really early tomorrow morning for work travel. First stop: client offices in Waterloo, Ontario. Next stop: our own office in London through the rest of the week and weekend (maybe longer). This is the e-mail I just received from Gary, who is currently renovating our upstairs bathroom - keep in mind that we almost divorced at Home Depot over the molding in the downstairs bathroom.

“FYI. By leaving for such an extended period you forfeit your say in any of the trim decisions and paint colorings for the upstairs bathroom. I also cannot be held responsible for any other major decisions made in your absence, such as: buying a new truck, buying a new boat, putting a new roof on the house, putting a farmers porch on the house, etc, etc, etc.”

The demolition has begun. My parents are gutting and renovating the upstairs of our family home, and this photo is from the bedroom that both my mom and I grew up in. Apparently they’ve found newspaper in the walls dating back to September of 1890, but the house actually dates back almost 300 years as part of a dairy farm in West Barnstable, MA.

The fun thing about growing up in my mom’s old room was the closet she had wallpapered with teen magazine covers in the 60s!

A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms in our world!

This is me with my own mom back around 2001. I obviously had chopped my hair ALL off (due to a breakup with the man of my dreams, who I later married :-)) Mom and I have been bestest of friends for three decades now, and I’m lucky to say it has been filled with a LOT of laughter and adventure.

Gary will point out every day that I am taking after my mom. It’s funny how that happens. My mom takes after her mom too, though I think she weeded the important parts out.

I’m usually being goofy or over exaggerating when I’m “like my mom”. Something like “Nalgene bottles are giving everyone brain tumors,” for instance (they are!).

Love you, Mom! Thanks for dressing up like a farmer with a chicken and smashing eggs on your head for a contest so I could go to that New Kids On The Block concert!

His name is officially Brewer! Brew for short.

Gary just brewed a batch of extra pale ale to commemorate.

Not in a million years would we have predicted this end to Day #2:

Here we are! End of a most beautiful day and cozied up with lots of brown fur.

The day started at 4:30am when we got up and ready for a three-hour drive to Glastonbury, CT. We worked with American Lab Rescue to find our pal, but the transport of 50 to 100 rescue animals each week is thanks to P.E.T.S. LLC out of Tennessee.

We filled out paperwork at 8:30am, and randomly fit in an oil change and a bagel (why are bagels so hard to find now?) before the dogs arrived around 10am. Fifty anxious cars of people filled the parking lot.

One-by-one, dogs stepped down into open arms. They were rambunctious, nervous, giddy, stressed, inquisitive and tired. I’m sure every one of them is snoozing right now, and with any luck they’re snoring as loud as our guy.

Gary couldn’t resist a quick run into Bass Pro Shops to grab brand new beds for the boys, but with no luck. I stayed behind to let [Timber, Harbor, Beacon, Asa, Jed, etc.] out for a pee break, and the first guy who saw him said “that’s the most wonderful dog I’ve ever seen.” Interesting, cause no one wanted him in TN and we had to take a chance on Internet love. Do we have a spokesmodel here for lab rescue organizations?

Anyway, we brought Bromley and the new guy separately out to Dowses Beach in Osterville. We couldn’t think of a fenced-in area, so we picked a beach at the end of one long road. Butt-sniffing followed by tail-wagging, and we were in business.

Back home, the boys show their similarities - pouncing around, running in circles, butt-in-the-air play, tummy-rubbing love… New-guy shows some wisdom in that he detoured upstairs without Bromley knowing, leaving Bromley chasing only himself around the house until new-guy cut him off. Where the similarities stop is when new-guy starts snoring like a lab.

Bath time was precious, and boy did he need one. Might have been his first bath ever, judging from the reaction, but I think we succeeded in associating it with nothing but pleasantries.

I made cupcakes. Is that odd?

We’re about ready to head to bed. His name will come to us in a dream about a wise old gnome, I’m sure (”Brandon” was only temporary in the shelter, we learned). Stay tuned!

A wonderfully touching day.

What a weekend! Our nieces on skis for the first time, ice skating, sledding and snowball fights!

Happy Birthday to Dad Hedman and Jill!

Uncle Gary called on his old ski-school training to help the girls along, and it was great to get in some turns with Eric as well. The rope tow at Magic Mountain proved to be the most difficult for all of us!

Actual Presidents Day Monday resulted in new tires on my car, which were very much overdue, and a ’sesh of very hot yoga at the Yoga Center of Cape Cod. Yoga’s a funny thing… the breathing, the meditation and the self-awareness aspect might scare some people off, but I’m finding it to be just what the doc ordered. Only prob is that I can’t find classes to attend when and where I want to attend them.

Anyhooo… Gary went home sick today. The virus has penetrated our walls. If we can fend it off, there will be more skiing in our future this weekend.

We’re wishing you a most wonderful and Merry Christmas today!

Not quite sure what the “traditional” celebration brings for each of you this year. There have been a couple of losses and hard times, and there have also been some births and joyous times. We are holding each of you in our thoughts as a new year begins!

In our own non-traditional way, we woke up here at home together this morning. No giddy children, no good-night reading of Silent Night last night… but we have each other, we have Bromley, and we had waffles! We also took a long walk on the beach, and we’re closing out the day with Kevin& Danielle and their families.

This past Sunday was the grand Hedman/McClarran family Christmas in Connecticut! The kids were definitely building up their excitement, as adorable as ever, and the food and cookies were overflowing! Coming from a very small family myself, it’s a wonderful feeling to have almost 20 close relatives laughing and sharing stories with each other in one home - even if only for a day at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is nice to look up in any direction and see someone you share that family bond with. Thanks to everyone for the thoughtful gifts and warm hugs!