Lee Mass

June 14-15, 2010
Monday is laundry day and the time we go to the library to down load emails. Today we walked around Lee and got some information of the town. The Housatonic Indians were one the first to occupy Lee. The southern half was purchased from the Stockbridge Indians. The town was named after Major General Charles Lee, a rank that placed him second in command to George Washington. Paper making was an important industry since 1805. In 1852, Charles Heebner came from Philadelphia and opened the Heebner Marble quarry.
We hiked the old quarry two years ago when we were here. There was still old rusting equipment lying around. Lee marble could withstand a much greater pressure than any other in the country and was more durable than Italian marble. The marble was used to build the Customs House in lower Manhattan, the State House Annex in Washington, D.C. and for thousands of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery. More was sent overseas to grave sites of American soldiers, sailors and Marines in the United States and on foreign soil. It was used on many building in Lee including the library that we frequent.
As I write this papa Gene is in little Gene’s house putting up rafters. Our son is building his little house. It is close to being completed.
The sun is out and it is getting warm. We are hoping for a good day on Saturday for Danielle’s graduation party. Our daughter Noreen will be down along with granddaughter Jolene and husband Jeff.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR DAUGHTER MARCI WHO’S BIRTHDAY IS ON JUNE 15.

More bird pics

June 13, 2010

Today it was chilly, and damp as we left for CT. In Otis we stopped for a sugar free blueberry pie to take to Joan & Earl’s (Gene’s sister & brother in-law). We had a great dinner and enjoyed the pie we brought and Joan’s strawberry rhubarb pie and brownies. I could not stop taking pictures of all the different birds in their back yard.

We went through Litchfield; CT. founded in 1721 and designated a county seat in 1751. By 1790 Litchfield became a leading social, cultural, and legal center of northwestern CT. A lawyer started the Litchfield Law School in 1784, over 60 years 1500 men graduated from the school. Graduates included 2 vice presidents, 100 members if the house of representatives, 28 senators , 15 governors, 14 cabinet members, 34 state supreme court justices, and 3 justices on the supreme court. All the little towns we pass through have so much history. In Litchfield they were having a huge celebration on the commons and cars were parked for at least a mile in each direction.

June 8-11

June 8-11, 2010
Rambling thoughts…

One of Jackie’s neighbors has brought us food 2 days in a row. Norma is a very nice Hispanic older woman that lives not far from here. She takes care of her grand kids but when they are not home she is lonely or bored.

We have decided not to go to Boston. It is to far from where we are with no direct train.

It has been cold enough to run a heater with intermittent rain. I have enjoyed the cold and rain.

Gene & son are going to Conn. this afternoon (11) to take pictures of Danielle before the prom. I am staying home and having Jackie & Mark over to play dominoes.

Saturday…OK, I am getting tired of the rain…I forgot how much rain this area gets and that you can’t plan anything on a weekend without thinking of what to do if it rains. Next Saturday is Danielle’s graduation party and is going to be in Jackie’s back yard but we have to have a plan if it rains. Out here it can rain all day.

Monday

June 7, 2010
I am sorry to write this to my Texas friends but…it was so cold last night we closed the windows and did not use the fan. The temperature went down to 50. This afternoon we went for a walk at 3:30 with the high temp around 70. When we returned to our rig we found a pair of butterflies making a family. They were there for over 3 hours. When we checked after over 3 hours there was only one butterfly and it looks like her wing is damaged.
Our son Gene was over and we are talking about going to Boston on Saturday. We lived in the New England area but never went to Bunker Hill, Nathaniel Hall, etc.
We are thinking of catching the train so we don’t have to worry about parking.
The township of Becket, where we are staying, was settled in 1740 & incorporated in 1765. The 2000 census recorded 1755 people. A lot of the homes are vacation or second homes with people mostly from Ma. & Conn…Becket is in the Berkshire Mountains. We hiked a section of the Appalachian Trail the last time we were here 2 yrs ago.
On the down side my allergies have been kicking me.

Sunday

June 6, 2010
This was a long day. We left Becket around 9am and drove to Naugatuck Connecticut and met with our daughter Cindy and her husband Kurt and went to breakfast at Friendly’s. Cindy is going through some major heart problems. She is still in the testing stages, but as of now she carries nitro around with her. We left and went to Laurie’s and after a short visit, on to Bambi’s for Abrianna’s Birthday Party.
It was a full house with kids running around having fun. After the party we went back to Laurie’s and played Shanghai rummy with Krista & Laurie. Yes I won. Made it home at 10pm.

June 2 -5

June 2 & 5
The weather is still cool with some intermittent rain showers the past two days. Most of our time has been spent doing laundry, going grocery shopping, the library to down load the blog and visiting with our son Gene’s neighbors. We are just chilling for a few days. Mark, Gene & Jackie came over Saturday. We sat outside and talked and I made pizza. Gene & Jackie left about 11pm. Our daughter Noreen, grandson John’s wife Brandy and Brandy’s two kids Haley and Dalton is flying to Maine from Florida on the 15th of this Monday. They will be coming down for Danielle’s graduation the 17th. They will stay at Mark’s trailer for a week and then go back to Maine for a few weeks. It was another great day. It is really hard keeping up with all the names in our family
Sunday we will go to Connecticut to see our daughter Cindy in the morning and for Abrianna’s seventh birthday party.
I just finished reading John Grisham’s “The Pelican Brief”. Even though it is one of his older works it still rings true today. It is about crooked politics and Louisiana oil.