Aunt Monday

Wow, it has been a long day today, and it is Monday. How fitting to dedicate this entry to my very special Hannah.

When Hannah was born, I worked from home. Tanya (her mom and my older sister) taught at a school less than ½ mile from my apartment. So when Tanya returned to school when Hannah was 3 months old I told Tanya I could keep her on Mondays. I would do paperwork, computer work, and phone calls. Well, Ms. Hannah was not big on Mondays. She cried and screamed and could only be soothed by holding her certain ways and bouncing. Monday after Monday after Monday we would hope for things to be different. After all Hannah loved me when she saw me on any other day of the week, needless to say the entire school year of Mondays were BAD! It became a joke after weeks with no relief and I became Aunt Monday.

Hannah Breanne Smith loved Aunt Monday on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and that love has grown over these last 5 years.

We moved beyond Mondays, to sleepovers, telephone check ins, AND this past July we started horseback riding lessons together. She is a natural and I am so excited to watch her develop as a rider.

I miss you Hannah Breanne Smith. You are a very special little girl. No matter how long between times that I see you, know that I love you to the moon and back. I can’t wait to hug you tight and spend some QT with you. Uncle Ben loves you too!

Sisterhood in Massachusetts

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks that we have been living in Massachusetts. We are very happy, we love it here.

I miss my niece and nephews like crazy. I hear my little Hannah girls voice in my head sometimes saying, “I love you Aunt Tracy, where is Uncle Ben?” She stole a place in my heart back in the days of aunt Monday and not seeing her in a month has been tough! Stay tuned I will write about aunt Monday in a future blog.

What has been great is a little piece of sisterhood in Massachusetts. Tarsha lives about 60 miles west of me in Boylston, MA. So far we have had sleepovers followed by visitors and shopping trips. Last night Tarsh came over and just laid low with her favorite brother by law and big sister Tracy. We slept in, oh so nice, to awake and drink wild berry tea, hang out and wake up slowly, before announcing to Ben that we were off to do some shopping! The truth of the matter is that I really needed some warm clothes and a few other necessities!

We had fun and tired ourselves out. We came home and Tarsha took a nap while I modeled my new clothes for Ben, who loved them and didn’t even mind the price tags. We concluded our day with sushi and Riesling. Fun, fun fun!

Of course we miss the other three sisters and talk about the fun they would have if only they could find time in their busy schedules to make it to Beverly for 24 hours!

Thanks Tarsh for a lovely day. Love to all my sisters!

The MANNERS Queen

For those of you who know me, and for those of you who love me, know that I don't mess around and I don't go away when I have an expectation.

On any given day, my nephew Isaac can be making bad choices and the last person in the world he wants to see is Aunt Tracy. However, when he is making good choices he makes note that Aunt Tracy would be sooo proud.



In three weeks time I have earned a definite reputation with the girls I work with. I have sarted sitting with them while they eat their dinner and on Tuesday night, I was officially neamed the manners queen. I proudly accepted the compliment and joined them for dinner to offer support and reminders. Upon arriving at the twins swimming lessons the next day, I saw this little smiling face sticking out of the water, and I heard please and thank you Tracy.

As we were drying off and dressing in a very small space after lessons I overheard a conversation (whispering) between one of the twins and a friend warning her that Tracy really likes manners. The friend asked what is her name again? Her name is Tracy! (friend) Tracy is really nice, I like her her. Response, yes Tracy is very nice! So much for whispering.

I am enjoying my new role and the time I spend with the children.

Manners, Manners, Manners and I won't go away!

Ben's office/ guest room and our room

ok, so Ben took the pictures while I was at work. The pillows are killing me, but I am grateful to finally have pics, so I will live with the details not being what I would like.

Our living spaces

middle living room and Chance taking a nap.



TV room

kitchen and dining room

Good Times

So much to share….

Last weekend my mother and my sister Tarsha spent Saturday with Ben and I. Last night Ben’s mother, Robyn and Roger spent the night and today with us. We gave all of them the tour of our community and places that we will be spending a majority of our time. Well, Prides Crossing Candy, not a place we will be spending lots of time, but definitely a local hit and a must see, smell and sample place. After all I drive by it everyday on my way to work. It is an old train station turned candy shop! YUMMY!!!!!!

Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (GCTS) after all it is what brought us to the North Shore. GCTS is a beautiful campus and a peaceful place. “Up on the hill” is where Ben will be spending the next three years.

For my mother and sister, we gave the tour and enjoyed a visit with Ben before I lovingly brought him home and invited him to join us in a couple of hours for dinner. We were off to the North Shore Mall. There is something about a shadow that appears to be unhappy (a posture that gives a non verbal message of; this is killing me with words that say I’m fine) that provides great clarity to me, that leaving my husband behind to shop is perfectly fine! He did happily join us for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory where we all enjoyed our meals. Mom and Tarsha thought they were real rule breakers eating brownie something something cheesecake before their dinner arrived.

This weekend we had Robyn and Roger and once again we did the tour, including Prides Crossing Candy. We did go shopping, however, they wanted to go to the Air Force Base and see all the specialty items and treasures found at Hanscom Air Force Base. I can relate. I thoroughly enjoy going to the base with Ben. Perhaps it is because it helps me to experience a small sliver of what life was like for him. After gathering lots of German treats and other misc items we returned home and enjoyed gourmet pizza before saying good bye.

For me it is about sharing all that living in Beverly is for us, all the sights and sounds that make living here an adventure everyday. It is very comforting for me to show our loved ones where we live and what we are doing. Perhaps it is the visual side of me that makes it feel more like people can really relate when you tell them about your day. Having the ability to visualize Ben on campus and in class or me driving to work and having a visual of the places we may frequent. It is an additionally pleasure for me to host, I enjoy hosting.

Stay tuned, I do have pictures of my apartment and I will upload them this week

Goodbye Casanova

It will be two weeks on Friday that my Casanova went off into the dark night, in the big city. AGGH.....I miss him. I can't believe I loved a cat, but I did. I lay in bed at night and wonder if it is better to hope that he is with another family or if he died on Rt. 128 South on his way back to Maine. (yes 128S, you have to go south to go north to Maine)

I had the pleasure of having him for 3 ½ years, when he was a kitten and lived with me in my apartment he was like my lap dog and went everyplace with me. He loved the car. He was fiesty for the first couple of years, but loving and full of delight this past year and a half. The night he left he had come to my room and done his little love head butting routine to get rubbed and loved. He was the most loving and social cat I ever knew. Being the firm believer that I am in grief recovery, I must begin the action steps...... There will be no replacing, there will be no time will make it easier, no crying alone, I know the inevitable and that is, it is time to say goodbye. Goodbye Casanova, you were a good cat and I will miss you!