Boston

Justin and I learned about a new study that is being proposed for type I diabetics.  He contacted the lab, and while they are waiting for FDA approval, they told him he was welcome to come and get the pre-admission blood work done, ‘any time he happened in Boston.’  As we are unlikely to just drop in to Boston, we made plans for a special trip.

Of course, everything is more complicated due to precautions still.  While our airlines did not require testing, the state of Massachusetts does.  The testing sites refused to guarantee a result in time for our trip, but Massachusetts does accept the BinaxNOW.

This test requires two tests taken 36 to 72 hours apart, but they can be done at home—Yay!

Both negative.

Justin re-read the paper on the previous study on the flight out.

We stayed in a hotel near the airport so we could shuttle ride over.

The concierge was able to point us to some restaurants in walking distance of our stay.  His recommendation was a few blocks away.

We walked through a fun little neighborhood to the pizzeria, which had been featured on Drive Ins and Dives, which I must admit we’ve never seen.  The sign say, ‘On this site in 1897, nothing happened.’

We picked a spinach, olive, and feta pizza, that we knew the kids would never go for.

The next morning we Uber-ed to Justin’s appointment.  It was just a simple overview of the proposed study, consent forms, and a quick blood draw.

We were able to look at some history of the MRI machine—who wants to be shut into that room?!—while we were in the lobby.

And we saw art that represented some of the ongoing studies being held.

We spent several hours poking around the nearby areas of Boston after his appointment—it was warm, but we were so thankful for good weather.

We saw the Navy yard,

Including the USS Cassin Young

And the USS Constitution (Old Iron Sides).

We were able to go the the visitor’s center, though the museums were closed.  This was a tool box from a ship—it held files, drills, and other woodworking tools for ship building and repair.

A model of how rope was made.  

The USS Constitution had 40 miles of rope aboard.

A reference for size comparison—the overhead rope was much larger than rope in the case.

We walked up Bunker Hill.

We flew back that afternoon, into evening.  Now we wait!

Trail Life Camping

Nate will be moving up to the Navigator level in Trail Life in the fall.  They are more independent and do many more weekend activities.  His grade was invited to go along on a campout this past weekend in Georgia.

The troop master took some photos and shared them!

They took a five mile hike, learned about edge tools, prepared their own food, and of course camped.

Nate is on the left.

Friday Funny

 Me: Well, what do you think fair means?

E: It means I get what I want.

*****

Nice try...

End of Year

Last week my gals had their end of year AHG ceremony.  It was actually held in a building!  It was the second time this year we were in a building—once before we met under thunderstorm warnings inside, but less than half our troop came that time.

Ellie received her badges.

Gabby transitioned from the middle school group to the high school unit, earning her Harriet Tubman level award.

We walked her to the bridge.

Katie met her on the other side.

And Katie received her Dolley Madison Level Award.  Since she did not have a new uniform piece to receive, she received a bouquet of flowers.

It took a few days, but I finally got all the badges, patches, and stars on.  Ellie’s blue stars are 5 hours each, white are 15, and gold are 20.  They’ve done a lot of hours of service, a great deal of learning through badge requirements, and had a lot of fun activities.

The gap on Gabby’s sash, is the place to put the six required badges for her next level award (Abigail Adams)—the girls must earn at least one badge from each of six areas: Heritage, Family Living, Arts, Outdoor Skills, Personal Well Being, and Science & Technology for a level award, plus several other requirements showing service, leadership, and religious growth.

Nate’s turn won’t come until the end of the summer, but we are very proud of all the work he’s put into his awards too.

Friday Funny

 K, in the middle of calling me short: Hey, wait...can your contacts fog up?

Lately

Nate and Ellie had a book club Zoom call for The Penderwicks in Summer—a book we love around here.  They made Churchie’s gingerbread.

Later we visited a Civil War hospital (a house in our area that was used for that purpose).  The Confederate soldiers who died, and were not subsequently moved by their families, are buried in the yard, near the family and enslaved persons of the household) after reading The Perilous Road.

Ellie list her two front teeth!

We’ve been trying different prom hair styles—hard to believe that gal is heading off to prom soon!

I was able to make a baby quilt for a friend who is expecting a new little one.

We had finals week and finished up school super early this year.  We couldn’t go to the pool last summer, so by July we started doing school days here and there when the weather was poor and nothing fun was happening.  We skipped fall and spring break, since Justin’s schedule was the same.  There were a few groans during the year as we kept going straight through, but everyone is happy we did that now!

We wrapped up the last regular AHG troop meeting of the year.  We’ve been outside due to Covid.  One of our amazing families let us set up in their yard all year long.  We kept our supplies in a trailer on site and would pull out our clipboards, name tags, scissors and tables.  It was and adventure.

We are hoping to be back inside for the fall, but it was a year we won’t forget!!

We loaded up to go camping at two different locations—the girls with AHG and the fellows with Trail Life.  We’d never both gone the same weekend before, so the logistics were a bit tricky...like who gets the French press!

Lucy got to go spend the weekend with our friends and their dog Brandy.  We hear she minded her manners.  We’d never left her before, so that was good to hear.

It was a wet weekend, but the girls had a good time.  Katie and some of the other older girls taught a badge, Gabby spent the day at archery.  Ellie rotated through: earning Archery, Toys & Games with Katie and friends, and Hiking.  I taught the kindergartners the AHG Joining Badge with a good friend of mine.

I don’t have pictures of the fellows, but they did knot tying, relay races, and orienteering.  Justin managed to cut himself setting up one of the courses, but thankfully didn’t need stitches, and a couple of the other fellows bandaged him up.

Our (very, very muddy) campsite

Thankfully the fellows had less mud, despite similar rainfalls.

Our elementary girls started walking back and forth quacking.  The once dirt road became a mud slick.  It was a bit challenging, but we made it through!  The only way to get gear to our site was to be hauled up by a Gator.  If we’d managed to keep the mud off anything, by the time the Gator went through the splattering mud taking us back to the car, it wasn’t clean anymore!  The last of the laundry is finally in the wash—six sleeping bags, six camp pillows, extra blankets, rain jackets, winter coats, and every item of clothing anyone took was damp, even if it wasn’t worn.

Easter

Happy Easter!!!

Each year at Easter, since Katie was one or two, the girls and I go to find the empty tomb.  Then we wake the fellows, who go to the tomb too.

This morning, when Justin finally made it down stairs, Nate was waiting for him, and called out, “Hey Peter!  You finally made it.”