Hey guys, hey

Had a great long Thanksgiving weekend....here is the recap (so I can look back in years to come and realize how golden our lifessss issssss)

A gorgeous snowstorm that started Wed night and continued into Thanksgiving morning. Amanda and I got a rare run together on Wednesday afternoon during the snow...too bad I had to ruin it....

Thanksgiving morning was met with about an hour and a half of snowblowing and shoveling and cleaning up after the storm.....then we headed out to BaBa's for the holiday with TheShore, Lin and Gorge, and Jon and Kelsey. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Diesel, my third favorite duog. He is a puppie Newfoundland....

No LL Bean trip on Thaksgiving night this year! A rarity!! But Sally, Lin, the kids, and TheShore went down on Friday night to see the light show. I worked on the snowmobile a little bit on Friday, and I took a nice little ride on my own to check out the trails and fields near our house....then on Friday night I met everyone back at BaBa's for turkey sandwiches

On Saturday I played SnowmobileTourGuide. First, I took Callum out for a nice, long snowmobile ride...I really love how much HE loves snowmobiling....he told me today it was one of his favorite things ever. I wanted to take him home, but he kept telling me he didnt want to go home, and he wanted to keep riding and exploring. A great bonding time! Although, with the sound of the machine (coupled with our heavy helmets) we cant really talk that much! After I took him back, Beth, Hannah, and Emily came over to play in the snow....but then we all took a walk down the trail behind the Marcoux's and I took the girls, Callum, and then Beth for little spins on the XTC. Beth, in particular, got the 'full body experience' of the sled.....#crickets #....

But seriously though, my favorite thing to do with the snowmobile (and the thing that makes the investment totally worth it) is sharing the joy with other folks....taking friends and kids out in the snow is one of my favorite things to do!

One more thing: This morning, on the way to church, the roads were so bad that we went off the road three times; The streets were nothing but ICE. We had to turn around, as we couldnt even make it up the slightest hill and we couldnt get any traction. One of our 'situations' involved us doing THREE 180s on the road and crashing into a snowbank. Everyone was okay and the car is fine. Scary and bizarre (like falling off a snowmobile must be). Callum had the line of the day: "Daddy...I know that it isnt good for the car, and Maira could get hurt....but could we PLEASE do that again?? It was better than the rides at Santa's Village."

Sure is, son. Sure is.

This is Cupcake. Our new kitty. More about her next time. But I wanted to formally introduce her to the world. The latest Goldsmith....

Christmas books are back!!!! BookSelfies!!!!

Hey.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thanksgiving is the greatest holiday of the year, for many reasons. I love it even more than Christmas....because it STARTS the Christmas season...but enough about that. Just enjoy everyone! I am trying to suck the marrow out of this week! A big shout out and hug to my Mass and CT family, with whom we will not be this year, as it is our "Maine" year. But we will see you all in just a few weeks for Christmas stuff. And a big shout out to the "FoundingFathers" of Shells, Jawnb, and Efth, for whom I am grateful beyond imagination. I spend most of my waking hours trying to think of ways to make fun of them and get them all pissed off, but, as anyone who knows me truly knows, I love them like brothers. Well, not really Tim though. He is barely even an American. 

This afternoon, while it NorEastered ouside, Amanda and the kids (and me to a little extent) made their annual gingerbread house...Callum (inspired by me of course) had this idea to put his Playmobil Santa and reindeer up on the roof of the house. Watching Callum and Maira do the house is an psychological textbook lecture to say the least...Callum is an absolute perfectionist and gets pissed if things arent PERFECTLY STRAIGHT....and Maira is a devious little devil who just tries to pilfer the candy when she thinks no one is looking.....

A fantastic day-before-Thanksgiving....huge snowstorm....gingerbread houses...Christmas records (the vinyl kind)...good stuff. We are supposed to get almost 18 inches of snow, perhaps. Maybe a little #xtc before heading to Readfield for Thanksgiving tomorrow....




While Sally, Lin, and Maira went over to BaBa's to meet up with Michelle and make pies (got all that?) Callum and I worked our tails off to make applesauce.....we got a LOT done and the house smelled great! Our dear friend Chris (the other XC coach) just lost her mom unexpectedly...so we brought her a quart of sauce, and Callum made her a nice card too. Very sweet.

Having a great, crazy, zany time with the #JerseyShore as usual when they come up....last night we went to Cancun for supper, and no one left unsatisfied, as we will tomorrow, cuz BaBa only got like a five pound turkey for 14 people....llz....tomorrow should be fun....tons of snow for the Newfies to play in, etc. One of the traditions is that, on Thanksgiving night, some folks head down to LLBean to shop. Hmmm....will I go???

What a great season to be a Winslow Black Raider! A couple of weeks ago, the Black Raider field hockey team won the state championship and, just this past Friday night, the Winslow boys won the state championship for football! The BlackRaiders absolutely annihilated the Leavitt Hornets.....they were up 49-0 halfway through the second quarter, for example. The final score was something like 66-14 or something....

Below, is senior Dylan Hapworth, perhaps the best running back in the state. He rushed for 263 yards and 6 touchdowns on Friday; in addition, he kicked all their extra points. Dylan is just one of the most humble, selfless kids you will meat--I have him in study hall this year,and I barely notice he is there he is so quiet and unassuming. Yet, on the field, he is a monster. Dylan enjoys working with kids who have special needs, and, during his live interview on channel 5 after the game, he gave shout outs to some of these kids; it was very heartwarming. Just a wonderful kid.....and he isnt even going to play football in college (baseball pitching is his main sport...haha)

A very cold mid November Friday night #globalwarming but a ton of the Winslow faithful stormed the field after the game. As for myself, I enjoyed the game with some great friends and colleagues at social studies teacher "Wick's" house. Each year, as you may know if you read this blog often, Wick has a tailgate party on 'rivalry Saturday' (which was yesterday) and we eat and watch games. However, he hosted it this year on FRIDAY so we could watch the Raiders....I ate a LOT of Kentucky Fried Chicken....

The sports photographers captured some special moments. Below are current senior Evan Gammon and recent alumni Troy Ellis. Troy (as a senior) and Evan (as a jr) played in LAST YEAR's state championship game....also against Leavitt....but, last year, Leavitt absolutely creamed Winslow. This year was better.....

Just pure emotion from some of these kids; they have worked their tails off for this gold ball. As a former h.s. football player, I can attest to how long, hot, cold, and dark the season is--from double sessions in the August humidity to freezing cold November afternoons, in the dark, after daylight savings time ends....these guys are a very special team. And Evan, below, holding the gold ball, is quite a special young man....

Goldsmith Trivia Fact....I was also number 58.....

Don't believe what the government/media/people-who-havent-been-in-a-school-for-years say about public schools......amazing things go on there each and every day--some are seen by thousands, and some are seen by sole individuals. And I am blessed to teach at one of the best high schools in Maine.

This past week was 'visitor's week' at Laurie's Schoo of Dance--Maira's dance studio! This meant that parents and visitors were allowed INTO the actual dance studio to sit and watch and learn...it was kind of like an open house. Usually, we have to stand behind the double sided glass and just watch--this makes it hard to take pictures. 

Maira is really funny about her dance--she is ECSTATIC on Monday's, because she knows that is DANCE day...she cannot wait to get to class, and she goes right into the studio without so much as even batting an eyelash (compare this with little Callum who, still, is apprehensive about doing just about anything new #strangerdanger...haha). However, within the context of the actual class, she is quite reticent; she is a very quiet observer who is very interesting in LEARNING how to do the techniques correctly--even if it means she stops altogether in the middle of the song so she can watch one of the instructors. I definitely see the beginnings of a perfectionist here....just as her mommy is! Another reason she is kind of funny with her dance is because, as much as she LOVES dance, dance class, her dance friends, and her dance teachers, she wants NOTHING to do with the recital or the costumes or anything like that!

You can see the focus on her face in the pic below...she is a learner!

Behind Maira you can see two wide paned glass windows...behind these is where we usually stand and watch her class....

One of the things they do each week is the 'butterfly' dance, where the 'float' around the studio like butterflies; they practice walking on their toes and they practice the fluidity of their motions....I just love the look on Maira's face below--she was tickled pink to have Buddy and I in the studio to watch class!

As part of their routine for "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" (this will be the piece they do for their Christmas show--which we cannot go to), they do, essentially, 'burpees' where they get down on hands and toes ("dont put your belly on the floor!!!" Maira always says....) and jump out and then up into a squat and then up towards the sky! Maira is good at these. I tried to get an action shot, but as you can see, I just got her blurry hair....

We had a nice visit down to Mass this past weekend for Annabella's first birthday party--Kris and Anthony had it at the clubhouse...it was a #clubhouseStyleAffair, of which my mom is famous. I was laughing because I realize, in retrospect, that I didnt take that many photos; I was so busy with the kids and with catching up with family that I never get to see. For example, I got to catch up with my Aunt Patty and I got to see my Uncle Allan (my dad's brother) and Aunt Ellie....I dont think I had seen them since last year, and, before that, I dont think I had seen them for probably TEN years...

We drove down Saturday morning and got to the party early before people got there. Callum and Jackson got right to work, picking up where they always leave off, being poster-children for 'boys,' as all they want to do is play football, wrestle, do ninja stuff, and run around annoying Nannie....

On Saturday night after the party, Bob, Amanda, and I got to have CapeCodCafe pizza and watch the Florida State game (Bob and I reminisced about great football quarterbacks and Patriots players, etc) while my mom hid in her room and played Bee-Jewed on her iPad...llz

On Sunday morning we got in a nice visit with my dad and Babs, and we met them at their house to see the kitties, etc....then we made our way to Mel's Diner (a classic place in Raynham). Callum--and Maira too--both got to ride in luxury in their Papa's new Cadillac....blingbling....AAAANNNND they got to listen to Christmas music in the Caddy.....I wonder if the '15 Cadillac has as many amenities as our 89 Volvo (??)

Below, Callym and Jaqueson take turns pretending to be Tom Brady (J) and Julian Edelman (C) int the parking lot of the clubhouse....

My mom was good enough to put Amanda in charge of a craft (haha) for the kids to do in between lunch and cake....all the kids got to make this cute snowman art project thing....as you can see, there were lots of kids there....

And no CSA is complete without a 'candy bar.' My mom's affairs are famous for these, and Kristin followed suit. There were tons and tons of candies there, and kids (and adults alike) could make up a 'box' of jelly beans, mints, gummies, and more to take with them. Below, Maira and my Aunt Ellie peruse the confections....

oops....back for another round...

Mel's Diner on Sunday morning. Papa got their famous hash in an omelet, and I got linguica omelet (you cannot find linguica anywhere up in Maine...I swear!! haha...so I enjoy it when I can...)

And a cute picture of Maira and Grammy Goldsmith....

Oh hey.......

....

Pats vs Colts just about to start....gonna be an awesome game

We have mentioned Michelina's Apizza before on this blog....we just cannot say enough about it. The best pizza you'll have in Maine. Wonderful family owns it. Small, cozy restaurant. Brick walls. Jazz playing. Pacman and pinball. Great friends. Downtown Waterville. Just the kind of place you'd see on a TV show. Perfect. I want to eat pizza there during a snowstorm. Does that make sense? It is just a cozy and comfortable place. We met our friends there the other night. Callum and Jake played some Transformers while we waited for the pizza to get cooking....

Always a wonderful time hanging out....

Amanda and I got our usual chicken curry pizza, which is just otherworldly...

And Tom and Katie got this gem, with just the right amount of sauce....spinach...and ricotta cheese. Just fantastic. The ovens are so hot that the pizza cooks very quickly, rendering the crust a light crispness that can't be described...

Getting the snowmobile ready for winter....cannot WAIT to get out and do some riding!! Presently, got some issues going on with the XTC....battery is completely dead and, even trickle-charging (below) didnt do anything....and I need some new sparque pluggggz....and I need the track greased, et al #etal. So I gotta trailer it over to Trailside Performance this week....snow is coming!!!!

Oh, and Michelina's has this cool bowling kind of game that you can play too....you slide this magnetic puck down the 'alley' and see the pins fall on the computer screen...

So at school, our heating system is ALLLLL messed up and most of the time the blower in my room just blows cold, cold air into my room from the outdoors. In order to get the 'heat' to kick on, we need to take a paper towel and soak it with cold water....and then, we put that paper towel on the thermostat, essentially 'tricking' the thermostat into thinking it is colder in the room than it is....I laugh at this, obviously, for several reasons. But I was just thinking of the irony the other day: AT HOME, when I want heat, I have to light something on FIRE....but, at school, when I want heat, I have to 'douse' the heating element with something that PUTS OUT fire. Isnt that silly? And cute? And funny? OkaybyeIloveyou

I forgot to post this yesterday....this is Maira's Christmas list, and, more importantly, it is one of the first things she has ever written. Can you tell what it is? Do you know what she is asking for? She is writing to Santa that she wants a "TOY FLYING UNICORN." Do you see it now? We thought this was so cute....

The garage is looking a little different these days; the garage goes through the same types of seasonal changes--if not more--than any other part of our house. On one side of the garage, there is not an empty space as the snowmobile has been put out on the lawn in preparation for it to be out in the snow...it is a huge pain to get it in and out of the garage, so I just keep it covered, outside, for the season. And on the other side, there is about a cord of wood so getting fuel is just that much easier. I like to make it so no one has to go outside to get wood. And by 'no one,' I mean ME. And, of course, we keep our apples out there in the cold in preparation for sauce....

I had to put a photo from our early November Nor'Easter.. It was a wonderful snow event, and it just further confirms the whole global warming theory....we ended up getting about half a foot by the time all was said and done, although it was all very wet and slushy and heavy. But very snowblowerable....

Ya know what I dislike so much about these liberal climate change prognosticators? 99% of their whole platform/arguing/reason for existence is calling on everyone to 'embrace' change and 'welcome' diversity and 'adapt' with the time times when it comes to moral and societal issues. So why, then, dont they just do the same for climate change? Why dont they just relax and embrace all the change and diversity it is bringing to the world. Like I have said so many times before, to heck with Polar Bears. What have they ever done for you? They'd kill you if they had the chance. So get over yourself. You cant save everything. There is a reason why some species die out. We no longer have sabre tooth tigers and mastadons #fortim. Should we? Would you like those too? Get over it. The climate is changing and you have nothing to do with it. So, like you want us all to do for everything else, 'welcome' it.  Go do a crossword puzzle.

And isn't this cute? Friendssssssssssszzzz. Maira and BabyAnnabella and "Yupes" all hanging out by a fire during a NOvember noreaster....

And last week was election day and I took my public speaking class (and my friend Mike took his government class) to the polls to either vote or 'observe' the democratic process. We took a bus over to the VFW, where they vote in Winslow, and then went back and watched the news coverage of all the voting. Very neat hour or so...

On the day before last week's noreaster, which probably officially 'closed' the apple orchard, Amanda and I made our way over to the Apple Farm here in Fairfield because, according to their FB page, it was the final day of the season. We took advantage of a rare 'date' as Lin and Gorge stayed with the kids so Sally and I could make haste and fill our half bushel bags with (actually gorgeous and in many cases unblemished) dropped apples....

We had the whole orchard to ourselves. Well, except for the hunters who were probably staked out in the trees, as it was the first day of hunting season....notice the orange armbands we had to wear....

We picked up JUST dropped apples as the whole orchard was open....all apples were either ripe or PAST ripe....it is really sad how many apples must go to waste all the time....I mean, we were able to fill up two whole bushels of apples in like ten minutes without hardly even working....TONS of apples leftover....

The price is unbeatable, and I dont know why more people dont take advantage.....we were able to get two bushels of apples for ten bucks....and, like I said before, most of these were in prime condition. Gonna make some great applesauce!

I am very happy when I am with her.

And to be even more creative, this year we are trying making our own apple cider vinegar! Our compost bin is full and I didnt want to just throw away all the scraps from peeling and coring our apples for sauce....so I read up on uses for all these scraps. Voila! Apple Cider Vinegar! Tons and tons of health remedies and uses; I was very surprised actually! And very easy to make. I just put all the scraps in a big crock and covered it with water....let the fermentation begin. See you with my vinegar on Nov 28!

Last week or so, Amanda and the kids wanted to get out on a nice fall day and check out some hiking trails somewhere--our goal was to head over to the arboretum at Colby College, and send the kids on a scavenger hunt of leaves, barks, etc...but, as we drove by the Quarry Road Rec Area, we saw a sign advertising dogsled (on wheels) races. Why not? So we took a detour and went to check out some pretty neat stuff involving, as you could guess, dogs pulling sleds, bikes, and more. Callum and I broke away from mommy and Maira for a bit, as he wanted to see some of the trail-run course from this past summer. The picture below puts 'some' of the hills and inclines in perspective; if you blow up the picture, you can see the elevation we already have, and we arent even close to the top of the hill we ran up during the infamous 8K. Furthermore, you can make up the 'switchback nature' of the trail's topography. I had Callum do his own little scavenger hunt, looking for tree ID, and more. Good times. 

Dearshorn Farms apple picking in Maynard (or was it Clinton ??) Mass....circa, well, I guess I look ten or so, right? I've gotta get another denim jacket. My goodness I love apple picking. I love apples, apple cider, applesauce....and Amanda and I trying our hand at making apple cider vinegar....more to come on that later....

Maira is in her tenth week of dance lessons...she hasnt missed one class yet, and she still absolutely loves it! Although, I should point out, she does NOT want to be in any recital. She says she is too shy and afraid to be by herself on stage. But, at any rate, she is learning all the different 'positions' and she has all but perfected her routine of HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGY IN THE WINDOW. She loves each and every Monday. But I really chose to post this picture because, if nothing else, this is Maira making an ABSOLUTE Amanda-face. Can anyone else see it? Amanda still makes this face. In fact, she is probably making it right now....

Homecoming! Last week Amanda left for a business trip to Chicago; she left early Sunday afternoon, and returned home Wednesday night. It was tough without her around, although meemee and grampy helped out big time with getting the kids to school and on the bus and to daycare, etc...so THANK YOU. But on Wednesday, when Amanda walked through the door, the kids were resplendent with joy and it was just beautiful to watch.

And, she brought us back all matching Bears shirts!!!