Martin Family Adventure

Adventures with Gramps

 This man loves his ice cream! 

Last week, my niece, Hannah, and I went to spend the day with my grandfather before we left for our week-long trip to Florida to pick up my daughter. It's always a pleasure to spend the day with him. We did our usual run of going out to eat Chinese (Grandpa loves to go to the buffet in town), grocery shopping, bill paying and getting the mail, and Grandpa's newest obsession is to go to the little Village Scoop Shop in Colchester Village. It's not one of those "creemee" ice cream joints with soft ice cream in weird flavors. This place is hardcore. They have REAL ice cream. The hard kind with amazing flavors and toppings and it tastes like real ice cream. He usually gets a chocolate sundae with marshmallow topping, hot chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry. I've fallen in love with the peanut butter fudge ice cream. It has ribbons of fudge through it along with pieces of peanut butter cups. Hannah was going to get a creemee (they only serve vanilla, chocolate, or twist in creemee flavors) but when she tried my ice cream, she changed her mind. She got Reese's Pieces on top. I think I'll have to add those the next time I go.

Ice creams were perfect on a hot day. My grandfather asked Hannah if she wanted to get seconds and she said she was full. I honestly think that if someone went up for seconds, Grandpa would totally have gone through with it for himself, too. The only reason he didn't was probably because he didn't want to look like a piggy! 

I have always been close to all of my grandparents and I think it's so important for my kids to be, as well. I believe the same thing of my niece and nephew so I'm glad that Hannah was able to go along. 

I had to take these pictures of my Grandpa's creations in his bathroom. They always crack me up and there's always something new to look at. He's a very particular man, especially now that he's gotten older. When I clean his bathroom, he makes sure to let me know that I CAN'T knock his "castle" over. He doesn't use the garden tub behind this "castle" which is a good thing because I can't imagine having to put that up again every time he uses the tub. He uses paper towel and toilet paper rolls, cotton balls, and his own hair. 

Yes, you read that right. He uses his own hair. Now that he's getting older, he loses more of it when he combs it and he also thins it himself using his scissors. He has such thick and full hair. Always has. Doesn't it figure that the guys always get the better hair than the women do?

See all those little gray balls? Those are made from his hair. He rolls it together in his palms until they're as symetrical as he can get them. I joke with him and tell him that it keeps him busy and off the streets at night so he doesn't feel like he needs to turn tricks. Those hair balls (my mom and I laugh every time we say that) are very light and so round. He makes them in different sizes and then places them in order from smallest to largest. See that crock in the back? My brother bought that for Grandpa one year except he's got so many gray hairs now that he's run out of room to put them in the jar. 

This is the newest of his creations and literally made me laugh out loud when I saw it. He usually has his combs and scissors set up in a particular pattern. Even the scissor blades match the diamond tile on his counter but it was the sign above them that really made me laugh. He has such a creative and brilliant mind and he's always been one for quips and puns. The acutal screw in place of the word, "screw," was genius. 

We may not be climbing mountains or going bungee jumping, but life is always an adventure when I'm with my Gramps. 

Sitting still....

I have trouble sitting still. I seem to need something to keep me busy whether it's a book to read or something to keep my hands moving. Even when I go down to the lake with Zach and sit on the beach, I bring something along to keep some part of me moving. Yesterday, I brought some felt and beads to work with, but after a while, I realized that I was missing out on some amazing views of my boy doing what he does best - being a free spirit. I put my handwork down and just sat and enjoyed the wonder that is Zach. I love this picture with Zach in the background running along the lake shore. Sometimes I need to remind myself to put stuff down and be willing to sit still and simply watch; to pick up my head and look for the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I took a walk down to the water and found this amazing stone art that was left behind by some creative person. Every little detail had me fascinated. 

This sweet, young couple came down to the lake and sat on the big log that always seems to be in a new place when we arrive at the beach. I couldn't help but think of David and I when we were on our honeymoon and so in love. We sat on beaches like this and sat just like that. This couple were trying to take pictures of themselves and so I asked them if they wanted me to take some for them with their camera. They stood up and posed a few times and then I told them how adorable they looked sitting on the log and asked if they wanted me to take a picture like that. When they were looking through the pictures I took, that was their favorite one. 

As enjoyable as it is to sit on the beach and work on something I love, I'm so glad that I put my work down and looked around to see what other moments of wonder and peace other people were taking in. I'm glad I got to share in some of those moments, as well. 

I couldn't ask for better Sundays this summer

I couldn't ask for better Sundays this summer. They've been absolutely amazing. I've been treasuring each one. The weather has been so delightful. Yesterday, I took my girl-dogs with me on my and Zach's weekly jaunt down to the lake. I love that we only live a two and a half mile drive from our little town beach. When we lived in our old apartment on the main road, we were only a mile and a half farther away but for some reason, we just didn't go down to the lake as often as we do now. I don't think it has to do with the fact that we're a mile and a half closer. I think it has a lot to do with the pace of our life these days. Zach loves to hang out down there and catch his fish, we started adopting dogs when we bought our house four years ago and they love playing in the water, and I've been intentional in finding ways to take moments to breathe, relax, and enjoy the peace around me in settings like this. I've always been fond of nature and being outside, but it's been hard for me in the past to settle down long enough in my physical pace and in my spirit to be able to sit still and enjoy what's going on around me. 

I love watching my dogs play in the water. Their sense of adventure never gets old to me. I was never a dog person until we adopted our own dogs. My girl-dogs are my two best buddies. The adoration goes both ways and we hate being apart. Sometimes Zach and I go to the lake alone and I feel so awful leaving them behind. Yesterday, I took them with me. It makes me laugh to hear them carrying on in the truck as we drive down the road to the beach parking lot. Tovah (the black dog) pants and paces and Willow (the blonde dog) whines and bobs her head up and down, looking for a quick exit from the truck. As soon as the door opens, they're out and gone! I played fetch in the water with them for a while and got them all tuckered out and eventually, they settled down in the grass next to me while I worked on a zine about my grandfather.

Tovah is 4 years old now. We adopted her the same month we moved into our house (August 2008). She was just 15 weeks old at the time and was born at the shelter we adopted her from. Tovah is a Husky/Rottweiler mix and she's been my right-hand dog ever since and I can't imagine my life without this sweetheart. She's so docile and such a "mama's girl."

Willow is 3 years old and is a Husky/White Shepherd mix that we adopted in September of 2009. She was six months old when we brought her home and she set herself up as the Alpha right away. She's my cuddle bug and loves to snuggle. Huskies tend to be "talkers," meaning that they are very vocal in the sense that they act like they're carrying on a conversation. Here's a video that I took of Willow a few months after we brought her home so you can see what I mean about her "talking": Willow asking for pet-pets. I love that she freaks people out with her yellow eyes and her talking when people see her for the first time. I remember having that same feeling when I went to adopt her. I thought that maybe she was growling at me because she didn't like me, but soon found out that it was because she DID like me and wanted to get to know me. When she barks at people, that's when she's cautious. If she talks to people, her butt usually wiggles and that's a good sign. 
I just found another video of Willow talking: Get Down, Willow! 

Zach doesn't wiggle his butt, but he does love to talk to people. Here he is with his catch of minnows from yesterday. He made sure to put some pebbles in from the beach, along with some seaweed. He takes all of this home with him and creates a "habitat" (this is what he calls it) in a 10 gallon tank so the fish have something that looks natural to swim around in. The next day, he takes the fish back to the lake, lets them go, and catches all new fish and creates a whole new habitat for them. 

His sense of wonderment never gets old. :) 

Just another amazing summer Sunday.