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Archive for the ‘FAMILY & FRIENDS’ Category

PB FL Breakers Hotel01

PB FL Breakers Hotel01 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

YIKES! It’s been crazy around here!  I’m glad to finally be online again, the ATT guy showed up at 1pm and left at about 6pm!  We have one TV hooked up and it’s a 60″ flat screen sitting on the floor leaning up against a bookcase.  Pedro (yes that is his real name) was supposed to come on Friday to hang the flat screens but he cancelled which was sort of okay because Friday was a day in hell. I don’t really care about the TV and am glad the wireless is installed, however it IS TUESDAY and still no Pedro.  

Friday – Not only was it as hot as hell (I’m not kidding) but that was also the delayed move-in date.  Two trucks, 5 movers speaking Spanish and about 900 pieces were moved in. Every box and piece  of furniture had a number on it and a color sticker and guess whose job it was to check off the boxes as they came off the truck to see if the number correlated to the master list? Uh huh, that’s right.  Once the box was in the house I had to direct the movers to the appropriate place which meant that by noon I must have climbed those 15 stairs 15 times!!!  Door wide open so no A/C on – I told you it was hell. 

Certainly we couldn’t sleep in the house that night so it was back to the hotels on Friday night.  If you read the previous blog you know I was the designated cat carrier and since The Breakers in Palm Beach doesn’t allow cats, I was relegated to The Residence Inn in Delray!  REALLY???

Saturday – It rained. Thank the Lord, the stuff was in the house, now the movers were back to unpack.  There were boxes piled from floor to ceiling in both of the girl’s rooms when they set up the beds, anything that didn’t have a clear cut home ended up in the dining room or the guest room (and you know who ultimately would be int the guest room)! We worked and worked and worked some more to get as much done as possible before Chiara and Tom had to leave to go back to Palm Beach to attend the Policeman’s Ball.  I was finally going to get to The Breakers because I was babysitting that night.

Saturday Night –    Finley and Francesca had now spent the entire day with a Breakers’ nanny.  When I got there, they were wired for light and sound and stuffing goldfish in their mouths.   We took a walk to see the turtles who were not to be seen because they were in their house, and with Finley spinning like a top around the basketball court and shrieking at the top of her lungs, we made our way to the Italian Restaurant in the hotel.  “Do you have a reservation”? I look around the restaurant, there is ONE table seated, “Do I need one”? I ask.  “YES”.  “The entire restaurant is empty”, retorts the smartass from NYC. And then I was informed  that all tables were reserved at staggered times. Hummpphhh. I was told we could eat outside.   Midway thru the meal which has up to this point not gone entirely smoothly, Francesca announces she is done and wants down. I try to explain to her that we can’t get down because we’re not done and we have to wait for the lady to come back with the bill. Thwarted only for a moment, Frankie announces she has to pee.  She is in the early stages of potty training so I jump up and grab her out of the chair and tell Finley to stay seated and DON’T MOVE!  Well that’s not happening;  She decides she has to go also so I grab my handbag, Francesca and head to the ladie’s room with Finley leading the way.  15 minutes later, Francesca did NOT have to pee, Finley did and then some and locked me out of the stall AND kept up a running dialogue on what was and was not happening in the stall AND there were other women and girls in the room!!  I was sure the waitress figured we skipped out on the check, so I went directly to the hostess and explained my hurried exit and asked for the check.  “Dessert”? Finley wants to know. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? “You two are going to the room and to bed”.  The crowning glory of the dinner escapade was watching Finley race down the beautiful lobby of The Breakers and sort of plow right into Francesca who went down face first on the marble floor and screamed her head off all the way up to the 5th floor in an elevator with other guests and out the door past other guests who looked shocked as the doors opened to reveal a wailing child, a harried grandmother and a 4 year-old protesting, “It was an accident”!

Residence Inn Logo

Residence Inn Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday to You!

Could it really be forty-one years ago that I drove myself from my home in Avon CT to Hartford for a doctor’s appointment and then to St. Francis Hospital?  Apparently yes, because today is my son Joel’s birthday!  When my parents and grandparents would tell me how quickly the years go by  and at this point they’re flying, I, like every other young person ,didn’t really get it.  Well I get it now.  Joel is 41 and Chiara is 35 and now I’m a grandmother myself.

Last year I wrote what I thought was akin to a mother-son love letter so I’m not going to repeat it again. All of it is true and I hope he reads it again because it is full of love and appreciation for who he is.  Posted last December 17th, Happy Birthday Dear Son!

3000 miles and 3 hours earlier often gets in the way of communication although as any mother knows, if there’s a will, there’s a way.  This Christmas, like last year,  my daughter and her family are headed west to spend the holidays with Joel and we will be here on the East Coast. I think it would be wonderful if we could all be together, however, my feeling is that the kids like it the way it is.  I have a Norman Rockwell Christmas in mind and they are thinking along the lines of what I heard referred to as Westivus.  Apparently, some friends from Boston are also flying out to celebrate with them.

I hope today has been joyful for Joel.  I wrote a Happy Birthday greeting on his Facebook wall – aren’t I just the 21st Century Mom and called him this evening.  I hope to see him in the near future to give him the real hug I sent virtually.

So Happy happy birthday Joel, I love you very much and wish I could spend more time with you.

Love,

Mom

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Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner 2008.

Place cards for Thanksgiving dinner guests

So if you’re not cooking, you are either dining out or better yet invited to share the annual feast at someone else’s dinner table.  Either way, the end result is still the same because you….

  1. Do not have to spend hours grocery shopping for myriad ingredients for dishes you make only once a year.
  2. Do not have to spend 3 x what you normally spend at the grocery store each week, buying weird items like persimmons, figs, chestnuts, turnips and a 14 lb bird.
  3. Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.Do not have to pull the giblets out of the cavity of an ice cold turkey and then clean its inside  and cut off its rear end also known irreverently as the pope’s nose.
  4. Do not have to get up at the crack of dawn to stuff the turkey and put it in the oven so it is ready at 2:00pm
  5. Can actually go to the Parade if you wish or leisurely sit in your living room with a cup of coffee all warm and cosy and marvel at the balloons and how cold everyone seems to be at the Parade.
  6. Can have breakfast with the family instead of peeling potatoes.
  7. Don’t have to wonder how you are really going to get everything baked and cooked with 1 oven and only 4 burners.
  8. Will have time to get appropriately dressed  without an apron and even be able to put on makeup.
  9. Will probably be offered some leftovers to bring home for tomorrow’s supper (bring your own containers)
  10. BEST of all, you won’t be in the middle of any unresolved sibling or parent-child issues from your own family!!

 

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Ocean Spray Craisins brand dried cranberries

Ocean Spray Craisins brand dried cranberries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I know it seems unlikely that anybody would NOT want  love mashed potatoes with their Thanksgiving turkey, but it’s true. And for those guests and any Vegans at your table, you might want to include this really neat dish.  It’s seasonal, textural and nutritious.

WILD RICE with MUSHROOMS, CRANBERRIES and WALNUTS

Salt

2 cups wild rice

2 cups wheat berries, soaked in 3 cups water overnight and drained

3/4 cup dried cranberries

2 TBS canola oil or other neutral oil

6 medium or 3 large portobello mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and in large dice (3 cups)

Freshly ground pepper

1  1/2 cups chopped walnuts

2 small shallots, minced

2 TBS chopped flat leaf parsley

2 TBS walnut oil

Bring two medium pots salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add wild rice to one and wheat berries to another, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes for wild rice and 20 to 25 minutes for wheat berries.

While grains cook, put cranberries to small bowl, and cover with hot water.  Soak 15 minutes, drain, and chop.  Set aside.

Heat canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat  Add mushrooms, and sauté stirring frequently, until mushrooms soften and begin to release their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, and transfer to a warm serving bowl.  Stir in walnuts, shallots, parsley and cranberries.

When grains are tender, drain them, and add them to bowl.  Drizzle with walnut oil, and toss gently.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Yield: 6-8 servings

 

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English: Parsnips offered for sale at a winter...

English: Parsnips offered for sale at a winter farmers’ market in Rochester, Minnesota (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hey everybody, there’s only 4 more days to shop and plan your Thanksgiving Dinner.  I’m really lucky this year as we have been invited to a massive feast on Long Island.  This, of course, has given me time to wax eloquently about the beauty and creativeness you can imbue to the many side dishes of the turkey dinner.  I know everyone thinks the turkey is the star of the  meal and if we’re gauging things on size , I guess it wins.  However, don’t you think the color and texture of the myriad side dishes enhance the meal greatly?  And as you know from previous blog posts, this year I’m all about NOT serving the usual suspects unless they’re prepared in some different and innovative way.  So here is yet another interesting and tasty dish for you to consider serving.

ROASTED PARSNIPS with ORANGE ZEST

2 lb parsnips, peeled and cut into large  match sticks

1 TBS olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Juice of one orange

Grated zest of one orange

Heat oven to 500 degrees.  Place parsnips in a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Turn parsnips into  large roasting pan and roast, shaking pan occasionally, until golden, 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven, add juice and zest, and toss to coat.  Return to oven and roast until parsnips have caramelized, 5 to 10 minutes.  Transfer to warm bowl and serve.

Serves: 6-8  –   recipe from Deborah Madison, New York Times  November 19, 2003

 

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Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Most people think of Thanksgiving dinner as the ultimate American meal.  After all, wasn’t it first celebrated with Native Americans and the Pilgrims?  Well that’s what I was told in grammar (age-related term) school.

However, this country is a melting pot, a diverse population made up of so many different ethnicities, I wouldn’t begin to try to number them.  I grew up in an Italian family (more about the German side later).  My first husband was also from an Italian family so for the first half of my life, Thanksgiving was tweaked to keep all the paisans happy.  When we celebrated Thanksgiving with my grandparents, the cry at the table was, “When do we eat the turkey”?   I wonder how many of you had to eat your way through several courses BEFORE the turkey made it to the table?  When you walk into most homes on Thanksgiving Day, the savory odor of roasting turkey greets you, or the sweet aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven.  When you entered my grandmother’s apartment, it was the rich simmering smell of tomato sauce that assaulted your nose.  The meal started with Baccala, a dried codfish served with greens.  I think it was served like a salad.  Then we had ravioli; big fat pasta puffs filled with cheese and a bowl of meatballs and sausages on the side.  I guess at some point the turkey came out but I really don’t remember it much.  

Once I was married, the Italian Thanksgiving took on another level of ethnicity.  Now there were side dishes that only would appear on an Italian table.  The stuffing was heavily flavored with grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and garlic.  We had stuffed mushrooms and stuffed artichokes right along with candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and salad with Italian dressing!  

Then came the period in my life where I spent Thanksgiving with my Aunt Marian and my cousins in New Jersey.  Aunt Marian was married to Uncle Henny who was German and so Red Cabbage was always a side dish on Thanksgiving.  The creamed onions, turnips and candied sweets were there and because my cousins and myself were all adults, we made culinary contributions.  Peter insisted on a green vegetable and in those days, the only green vegetable he acknowledged was broccoli so I always steamed or sautéed some.  My cousin Marian liked to bring a lentil salad, cousin Janet baked pies.  I have five girl cousins, all with spouses and some with children.  Thanksgiving dinner was a BIG deal at Aunt Marian’s with about 20 people!

I’m actually half Italian and half German so I fit in wherever we went!  As for my own Thanksgiving meals, I often went for something different, whether it be various stuffings or the  year I tried brining the bird.  I’ve made seasonal soups and  lots of sides.  Earlier today I posted one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes and decided that for the count down to turkey day, I’d post a recipe a day.  I hope you enjoy them and would love it if my readers would send in comments about their favorite Thanksgiving side dish or dessert or ethnic accompaniment.  

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Book given to U.S. veterans in 1919 to help th...

Book given to U.S. veterans in 1919 to help them readjust to civilian life (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Or for that matter, the hundreds of thousands of U.S. Veterans we hail JUST for returning.  We salute the Veterans of all wars; today the oldest living veterans are from World War IIThe Big One, as my parents generation referred to the war that shaped and altered their lives.  That war brought about many changes in life as they knew it.  My father and his friends grew up in an America that was growing industrially and agriculturally and with an ever-expanding middle class. Most were raised by frugal parents (my grandparents) who remembered all too clearly the sufferings of the Great Depression.  However, their lives were not overshadowed by nuclear threat and they were the children of a people who were thrilled and excited to be in the United States and imbued their children with a love of their newly-adopted country.  And so their sons went to war.  Most of those remaining veterans are now in their 80’s.  My dad died a few years ago and I remember vividly how in the last ten to fifteen years, he spent hours reminiscing about his days aboard a destroyer, how scared he was in the Battle of Leyte, how he and his buddies got drunk in Hawaii and all got tattoos.  I never understood this almost-obsession with the war days.  His life was certainly more than the years he spent in the Navy, but as he got older, he just wanted to talk about the 1940’s.

We also honor the Veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnamese War today.  Those veterans are in my age group; I don’t know any in my present circle of friends so not sure if as we age, they’re going to spend hours discussing those days in Asia.  My brother served in Vietnam as a tail gunner on helicopters, a very hairy position.  He returned home in one piece, at least physically.  However, when they came home, there were no ticker tape parades, there was no big fanfare – I think the best they got was a chance for a VA mortgage.  In the end, although serving your country is always a noble deed, the war itself was not popular and many who were honorably discharged, returned home feeling dishonored.  BUT today, you too are celebrated for your service to our country.

Now we are winding down not one but two wars and our veterans are coming home and many not all in one piece. It is important that we support a government that welcomes these servicemen and women home, that we offer them continuing education and the opportunity to find decent jobs.  Hopefully we have elected a President who will honor these moral obligations and a Congress and Senate that will enact the necessary legislation to make it happen!

I always used to call my Dad on Veteran’s Day because I knew that call was as important to him as one on his birthday.  If you know a veteran, call him or her and thank them!

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English: "V" icon as as symbol for v...

English: “V” icon as as symbol for vegetarianism/veganism. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m not a Vegan or a Vegetarian however sometimes I make an entire meal from garden-fresh vegetables!  This weekend turned out to be one of those inspirational meal-making events.  I found a vegan recipe for Sicilian Chickpeas with Escarole and Carmalized Onions.  Sounded intriguing and decided it would be a great side dish.  After all it had a green vegetable and also chick peas which provided the carb factor.  Of course if we were real vegans that would have been the main dish, maybe the only dish and I would be a thinner person!  But I know my husband and he might say something like “is this the whole meal” ?  So I made him two salmon burgers and myself two veggie burgers.  Not vegan and in most eyes, not even vegetarian – it was those salmon burgers that did us in….

Saturday night turned into a different kind of culinary adventure.  We were at the shore battening down the hatches so to speak as were our friends, Joe and Michael.  Hurricane Sandy was on her way to the Jersey Shore and Governor Christie declared a State of Emergency that morning so we had a lot of work to do putting furniture away, tying down covers, securing everything and anything that might become a missile!  Joe called and offered to help us in any way, good neighbor and friend.  I suggested we might meet up for breakfast on Sunday morning.  Joe said how about a pasta dinner since he had a lot of gravy.  He’s Italian and I’m Italian and if you’re Italian you know what we’re talking about.  Sounded like a plan to me BUT I had my own ideas about the kind of pasta I was going to make.

I mentioned that I thought I would make a Pancetta and Fennel Pasta, a very delicious and elegant dish.  There was a notable silence at the other end of the phone and then I heard the words, ” I don’t like pancetta, what is fennel”?  REALLY?  After a bit of back and forth and some input from Michael in the background, it was agreed that I would make the pasta, they would bring some wine and dessert!  I still wasn’t sure that Joe would like this dish and he did mention Classico sauce SO I decided to make two pasta dishes; my own Pancetta and Fennel and also a bowl of penne and pomodoro sauce.  Add an arugula, grape tomato and red onion salad and a loaf of semolina bread and we were in business.  Turns out that Joe really was kinda, sorta kidding about the Classico sauce (he claims he doesn’t really  like it).  Well, he dug right into the Pancetta and Fennel and after a couple of  helpings, he  said it was delicious!  See I told you it was good!

The recipe for the Pancetta and Fennel dish can be found in a previous blog: https://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2012/08/28/pancetta-and-fennel-pasta/

Before I give you the Sicilian Escarole recipe, I have to tell you about the bonanza of desserts.  In true Jersey fashion, we had a dozen of Dunkin’ Donuts, many festively decorated for Halloween.  I will admit to eating a Boston Creme and at least half of a jelly doughnut.  AND then we had apple cake from Freedman’s Bakery in Belmar which was SOoooo good.  Thanks guys!

Sicilian Chickpeas with Escarole and Carmalized Onions

1  large escarole (1 1/2  lbs) I used a large bag chopped escarole

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium onions halved and sliced thinly. I used 1  large Vidalia onion thinly sliced.

2 tsp sugar –  I used 1 tsp.

1/4 cup dark raisins

3 cups drained chickpeas – reserve 1/3 cup bean liquid

Heat oil over medium heat in large  saute pan.  Add onions and stir often till golden – about 15 minutes.  Add sugar and cook another 5 minutes till dark golden brown.

Add raisins and escarole.  Stir occasionally till leaves are tender, about 6 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper

Add chickpeas and their liquid.  Simmer till flavors have blended, about 3 minutes.  Adjust seasonings.

 

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It all started this summer….quite often I would find Nicky leaning into a window, staring intensely.   He was looking at a cat, an intruder in his mind!  Sometimes there would be two;  A black female and a gray and white male who was NOT neutered.  There would be yowling and howling and Nicky would run from window to window to keep track of their whereabouts.  I would dash out and shoo them away, sometimes even throwing water on them!  I know that sounds terrible especially coming from an animal-lover BUT my own cats are my first concern and Nicky always got visibly upset over this invasion.

Fast forward to mid-September – the gray and white cat has disappeared but the black cat keeps coming back.  She would come up on the porch and look in through the screen doors or she would be on the back steps earnestly looking at the door, perhaps to see if it would open and let her in.

Please Ma’am may I come in!

She showed up one day when Peter was out in the yard and of course he petted her.  And she kept coming back….  It wasn’t long before it was apparent she was spending most of her days and nights on our porch so of course we started giving her small amounts of food.  However as a week went by and we knew we would be heading back to NYC, we got concerned as to who would feed her?   Would she have to resort to scavenging and/or hunting for mice or worse, birds?  

We had already started asking everybody we knew if they wanted a cat.  I begged our neighbor (who loves cats) to take as she had been visiting their doorstep also.  He wanted her but alas, his wife did not and besides they often took care of their son’s dog.  What to do?  We called all the rescue groups we could  find and it was always the same story;  There are so many abandoned and stray cats in the county that the rescue groups are overwhelmed and the shelters are full.   We gave our neighbor some food and asked him to feed her while we were gone.

Another week went by, we posted a plea on the town blog, put up Free Adoption posters in a couple of places and the temperature was starting to drop.  Finally a rescue group agreed to take her and find a foster home for her.  Peter delivered her to them, the next day she was taken to a Vet who confirmed she was spayed, no microchip, healthy and he updated all vaccinations and said “This cat is well-fed and healthy, she must belong to someone, you can’t give her away”  AND SO THEY DROPPED HER OFF AGAIN AT OUR HOUSE!  When we returned from NYC a day later, Peter thought he was seeing things when this little black cat came up to him and rubbed herself against his legs. OMG!

NOW the push to find a home for her was getting desperate!  And I was getting obsessive!  I couldn’t stand the fact that she spent night after lonely night sleeping on a chair on our porch.  It was getting colder each night. 

Our friend Murray came to visit over Columbus Day weekend and the little sweet cat captured his heart BUT he proclaimed he just didn’t want a cat at this point.  He sent photos of her to our mutual friend, Rosemarie,  a true lover of all wildlife AND…she said she would take Annie (I named this little orphan on the day of Finley’s Orphan Annie birthday party).  Rosemarie has never owned a cat but she was willing and eager to take on her new charge and planned on naming her Belle.  AHhhhh a sigh of relief, gratitude and happiness.  Belle was going to have a new home! 

We kept Annie/Belle with us in the house for the next two days hoping that we would see signs of a past domestic life return to this cat who seemingly had been living outside (but we weren’t entirely sure about that) albeit she does weigh 13 lb. and always wanted to come in the house.  That night she sat on my lap and then when we went to bed, up the stairs came the cat and plopped herself in the middle of the bed where she stayed all night much to the dismay of Nicky and Nora.

This fairy tale came true and has a very happy ending.  We delivered Belle to her new home yesterday.  She spent the afternoon exploring her new digs and ate dinner out of her new dish and lapped up lots of water.   A picture is worth a 1000 words so the following should tell the whole story!

stray cat, black cat, rescue cat

Belle Is Beautiful

new mommy, Belle Bria

Me and My Mommy

terrace, Belle, black panther

Just Looking…,

All photos courtesy of Murray Head

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When you’re born in the middle of August and your mother (and your Gigi) have a penchant for throwing elaborate theme parties, it’s often necessary to postpone the major celebration of your birthday till September.  That way, all your friends are back from camp and vacation and in town.  So this year Finley Ray’s fourth birthday party was on September 23rd even though her birthday is August 13th. Can you imagine the patience of such a young one waiting with great anticipation for the big day to arrive?   Luckily she was quite distracted by the endless summer days in the Hamptons, a weekend with Gigi in early September, starting school and of course the fact that I don’t think she can really quite grasp the whole calendar concept!

Last Sunday we attended her fourth birthday party and it was as usual a gala affair.  If you’ve been a faithful blog follower then you know that each year of this precious little girl’s life has been marked with an all out balls to the wall party!  There was the Ladybug party at age one.  By the time she was two, she already had a voice and opinion as to the theme of her annual celebration and that year it was Snow White.  There are some great photos in the blog of that party; see link; https://pbenjay.wordpress.com/2010/09/18/its-p-day-in-boston

Then Francesca came along and her birthday is in October, so between August and October, once again September seemed the perfect month to celebrate both their birthdays at once!  It was a great idea until the time came to get the presents back home – I swear they needed  a separate cab to get just the gifts home!  Anyway, that year to honor the pretty Clark girls, the theme was the ever-popular Pinkalicious! OMG not one but two little cuties all decked in pink fluffy dresses AND every guest wore pink as well.  I have a friend, Louise who would have JUST LOVED it! Everyone was in the pink, both in clothes and wine! The tables were laden with various bowls and containers of pink candy and Pinkalicious and friends made an appearance.  

Pinkalicious party , Finley is 3

Finley and the Floppy Magic Wand

Pinkalicious party

Dancing Girl

See what I mean?

So that brings us to this year;  Finley originally wanted a  Minnie Mouse party which she would announce every few weeks throughout the year but in the end, Minnie was hard to pin down so Little Orphan Annie to the rescue! See for yourself what a lovely time it was.

Finley Ray 4 yr old birthday party

I’m Annie!

photo courtesy of Diana Delucia

Finley Ray 4 years old

Annie and Pooch

Photo courtesy of Diana Delucia

Finley Ray

Tomorrow! The sun will come out tomorrow!

Photo courtesy of Diana Delucia

Happy Birthday Finley Ray

” I wish, I wish…”

photo courtesy of Diana Delucia

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