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The family that nibbles together…
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Stays together.
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Sometimes.
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Other times, it’s every baby chuck for himself.
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Watermelon and carrots are fought after.
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Apples for those who come later.
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A happy nibbling family.
Tag Archives: humor
The best meal of our trip.
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Since we were back in Tiverton and it was long after lunch but slightly before dinner, we took a chance on the highly rated Boat House restaurant that was too crowded the first time we stopped.
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It really is a gorgeous spot.
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And equally as attractive inside as out, with lovely views from all the tables.
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Which is why we sat at the bar.
*sigh…*
Oh well, my Limoncello margarita was fabulous no matter where I parked my keister.
Reposado tequila, limoncello, lemon, agave. Simple, and delicious.
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A perfect compliment to my Caesar salad with homemade croutons.
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Husband’s seafood chowder was rich and delicious.
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Cocktail #2, and okay… #3 as well… was the Princessa, a bar favorite.
Bacardi Limon, strawberry purée, fresh lemon juice, club soda, mint. Again, simple but fabulous.
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As you know we tend to be picky when we eat out. A place has to check 3 boxes to earn a star from us. Atmosphere, cocktails and food quality.
So far, so good.
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Husband’s filet mignon with burgundy demi glacé, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes?
Perfection.
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My lemon beurre blanc grilled shrimp , roasted Brussels sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes?
Perfect as well.
And dessert?
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Good grief. Bananas Foster cheesecake with caramel drizzle, banana liqueur soaked bananas, homemade cinnamon whipped cream and chocolate lace.
Be still my heart…. this place was goooood!
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I swear to God I’d be tempted to make the 4 hour drive from Maine just to eat there again.
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Even if I have to fight off all the people who live in this mini mountain of high end condos right beside it.
😉
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Map happy.
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These crazy maps make you happy, admit it.
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For those of you unfamiliar with Maine’s, let me explain.
“Lobster tomalley, often referred to as the “green stuff” inside a lobster, is the hepatopancreas, a digestive gland that functions as both the liver and pancreas. It is a delicacy for some, valued for its rich, intense flavor similar to lobster meat but more intense. However, it’s also been a subject of safety concerns due to potential environmental contaminants.”
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The green stuff is a highly debated topic in my state. Some people hate it (me!) and others love it.
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Everything toxic a lobster encounters in the sea lands there. Not my idea of a culinary treat.
🤢
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Booger Hole, West Virginia?
Say it isn’t so…
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Another reason I’m glad my part of Maine is blue.
😉
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Wow, Maine’s Bangor seems relatively tame.
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What up Wisconsin?
🤣
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So many unhappy states.
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Weird law?
Leave it to Vermont…
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Baby chucks discover the deck. And the cat…
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It was only a matter of time before I heard scampering on the deck.
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And once baby chuckies find the deck?
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They’re hooked and treat it like a playground.
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It’s adorable.
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They run and spin like whirling dervishes.
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In and out of the railings, under the grill.
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Until…
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They spot a cat.
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And have to investigate.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was riveted.
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Antiquing, and a scenic drive.
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No vacation with my husband is complete without at least one trip to a junk filled hovel an antique store.
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The Newport area doesn’t have many but he found this one off the beaten path on the way to Tiverton.
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I’m not sure what crime this plant committed to be locked up in a cage, but it seemed relatively happy.
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Calling this place an antique store is a stretch. It had no name, no organization, no clever displays …
There was just stuff, a lot of it broken, everywhere… piled on top of each other.
My husband was in heaven.
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He found a stash of old BB gun air rifles and was transported back to his (more than slightly dangerous) childhood.
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I spotted an old phone similar to one I wanted for the man cave/Barn Mahal… but like everything else in this place it was useless, the guts had been torn out.
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Husband found a gun he wanted to buy but didn’t want to overpay. Since we were in a cell phone dead zone, he couldn’t look it up and had me take a picture for later.
Continuing our scenic drive we made it five minutes down the road, past a vine covered pole in the shape of a tree…
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When he pulled over to research the toy gun. Turns out it was worth 3 times the $50 asking price so he had to have it. Whipping the car around, we went back to the crap filled hovel store… only to find the old lady had closed. At 2:20 in the afternoon, on a Tuesday.
The husband was bereft. He searched the door and windows in vain for a phone number, but found only cobwebs.
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We drove on.
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Down through Tiverton…
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Past Little Compton…
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To Sakonnet Point, where this stack of rusted anchors reminded me of our resort’s artwork.
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Lovely waterfront areas all.
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And in case you’re interested? This house is for sale…
https://www.compass.com/listing/1660-main-road-tiverton-ri-02878/1755162903387237009/
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For a mere $13,250 a month.
If you buy it let me know, we can meet for cocktails on the porch.
😉
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Before and after.
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After a week and a half’s worth of moving, organizing and inconvenience… carpet day arrived.
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With one poor guy doing the whole thing alone.
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He said he’s been doing it that way for 30 years and prefers it, so okay dokay.
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By afternoon, there was carpet fiber everywhere. By the end of the next day?
We were ready for before and after pics.
The den, with its old rippled carpet.
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The den, with its smooth new carpet.
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Not only was there a horrible ripple in the old carpet, but His Lordship had found a loose end by the threshold and proceeded to lift it by scratching on a daily basis.
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New, tightly tucked and cat proofed threshold.
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The office… with the old absolutely hideous dusty rose/Pepto Bismol industrial carpet the previous owners laid.
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Still can’t believe I lived with that abomination for so many years.
The office… with its new soothing beige.
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Pink.
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No pink.
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I’m a neutral girl at heart and was thrilled to see that Barbie inspired flooring make its final journey to the dump.
We purchased the same pricey Karastan carpet that we had laid in the bedrooms and hall last year so it would all coordinate. The store told us there was no guarantee it would match exactly as they would be from different production runs, but I don’t see any difference.
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New to the right, last year’s to the left.
We’re pleased…. and very glad things can now get back to normal.
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Because we missed His Lordship and I have a patient husband.
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Have you ever been to a cat cafe?
I hadn’t, but always wanted to… imaging myself sipping a cup of tea surrounded by purring felines. So when I saw an advertisement for one right on our planned route for the day, I had to stop.
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Mind you… though the husband loves cats, he wasn’t totally on board with this plan.
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It was a small place, with everything appropriately cat themed.
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And though I wanted iced tea, all they had was chai… which was grossly over sweetened.
No matter… we were going to pet some cats!
Or were we?
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Turns out my dream of leisurely sipping and petting was ill formed as the actual cats are not allowed anywhere near the food and beverages. They’re in a separate room, which because we always have bad timing… was hosting a book club that wouldn’t be done for another half an hour.
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At that point the husband wanted to leave, but he loves me and indulged my desire to stay. With 30 minutes to kill we ordered overpriced sandwiches to go with our overpriced beverages and settled down to wait.
When the book club ladies started filing out of the chambre des chats, we disposed of our trash and made for the door… where we found a sign.
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At this point my husband really wanted to leave as he discovered it would be $20 for us to enter and pet cats… for 20 minutes.
But remember….
He loves me.
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So in we went.
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All the residents are up for adoption.
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And most of them were asleep.
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With the exception of little Miss Attitude…
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And this poor fellow who was thin and looked ill, though we were told he belongs to the owner and is just old.
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There weren’t a lot of cats, maybe 6.
We weren’t allowed to pick them up or sit with them on our laps.
And there was definitely no leisurely sipping and petting.
Conclusion?
Cat cafe – great idea.
Mediocre reality.
🐾
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She does it on purpose.
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The red bitch is alive and well…
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And driving Lord Dudley Mountcatten crazy.
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She scampers all over the back deck to get his attention…
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Then perches on the back of a chair in front of the window, chattering nonstop to taunt him.
So close, yet unattainable.
It’s a kitty’s worst nightmare.
😉
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Upstairs Mer.
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Continuing up to the second floor of Chateau Sur Mer in Newport ….
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We had to stop and gawk on the way.
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Fabulous woodwork aside, the hand painted crawling vines, lattice and greenery were quite something.
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No one is allowed on the third or fourth floors…
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But there’s plenty to see on the second.
This is the Butternut bedroom, so named for the light walnut bed and furniture.
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As always, the ceiling was so much more than white.
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Various bedroom and private sitting rooms for the family.
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You realize when you tour these mansions, the first floor is for impressing guests…
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The second is for day to day living.
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This mahogany and white tile bathroom is exactly as it was back in the day.
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With hot and cold running water it was pretty high tech.
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Except for the throne, which looks more like an indoor outhouse.
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Here’s the staircase to the third floor which we couldn’t access, though my husband did try.
😉
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When the kids get on your last nerve.
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Momma woodchuck has four children this year, and they’re keeping her busy.
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Like any overworked mother, there are days when she just needs a break.
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Times when she wants to ditch the kids who hound her and follow her everywhere she goes.
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On those days?
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She just has to climb a tree.
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Didn’t think woodchucks climbed trees?
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Beleaguered mothers do.
😉
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River's world..... 