Hat Luncheon 2011

Mamie hosted her annual hat luncheon today. To give a little background, this has been a Collins tradition for about eleven years and running. Mamie started this back when all of us cousins were about high school age – we would have brunch at The Outing Club and have to wear a hat. There were a couple years that we didn’t have as much enthusiasm for picking out a special hat and getting all dressed up, but it has always been a fun outing for just the girls to get together. Nowadays, we go all out to find the perfect outfit to match our carefully chosen headwear. It’s quite the occasion!

Sarah posing in her new hat

Like mother like daughter!

This year was a bit different than years past. We typically meet at St. Anthony’s for 10am mass and head to brunch afterwards. There was a conflict this year, so we pushed it to Monday (we always aim to have it during Memorial Day weekend) and met at The Symposium Café for lunch. There's constant chatter about the story behind each hat and compliments flying. This year, we had quite the array of colors and styles. They get better and better every year!

Mom looking glamorous!

Boston

We had our big thrill of the year, going to the Cubs game in Boston. Here’s a semi-quick summary of our trip:

Jord enjoying his lunch at Doyle's

Friday was a long day! We had driven to Sarah’s apartment on Thursday night since we had an early flight out of Chicago Midway on Friday. Up at 3:15 and to the airport for a 6:00 flight, we were in for a long day. Once we landed in Boston, we were at our hotel by about 9:30 and on our way to the first stop on the agenda. Sam Adams Brewery was at the top of the list for many reasons, chiefly because we both like beer but also because we knew that all those Chicagoans who were coming to town for the game also like beer and were headed in the same direction. The tour was standard, but the tasting that followed was the fun part. We got to try three brews, the last being Brick Red, exclusive to the Boston area. After the first sip I was smitten and was on the lookout for this flavor for the remainder of our trip. But the best part of the tour was the departing announcement – that we could take a shuttle to Doyle’s, the first pub to buy Sam Adams (way back when it started out years ago), one of their loyal clients. From the bus driver to the menu, it was the very Boston experience we were searching for. This excursion truly was one of the highlights of the whole weekend. On our long walk across the city to Fenway, we stopped at an exhibit for the Mapparium, a 3-story glass globe built in 1935. Then on to the main attraction! We got our first glimpse of Fenway about 4 hours before game time – Jord wanted to have ample time to see all there was to see. We stopped in two local bars to soak up the atmosphere and circled the outside of the stadium (only three times) before heading in and doing a couple more laps. Although the Cubbies lost (badly), it was a fun game and memorable experience.

Fenway!

Boston Cream Pie

Saturday dawned and our plan adjusted. The first stop after a quick breakfast was the Parker Omni House to sample the original Boston Cream Pie – delicious! We hadn’t really planned on walking the Freedom Trail, but it ended up that way and was a nice guide to see different parts of the city. Of course, lots of history! Along our route we stumbled upon a grouping of Irish pubs that I was dying to peek into but it was a little early in the day. Since we were still deliberating on our evening plans, I suggested venturing back to the area and doing our own little pub crawl. One stop during the day that's worth mentioning is the Bull & Finch Pub, famous for the exterior shots for the TV show Cheers - a popular place! After seeing all the sights and a quick rest back at the hotel, we headed back to the aforementioned Irish pubs and it turned out to be another highlight. We had dinner in the first place (I had lobster – yum!) and stopped in several more for a drink in each. And of course we got to see the Cubs win, although on TV, which was cool to view in bars packed with Red Sox fans.

Bull & Finch Pub

Lobster for dinner

Pub crawl mission: find Brick Red brew

Sunday we dedicated to Harvard, but we didn’t have much time before our 2:15 flight. So we took the train out to Cambridge, had some breakfast at a local eatery and strolled through the campus. And that was that – back to the hotel to pick-up our luggage and straight to the airport. It was a jam-packed weekend and quite an experience!

Harvard

Plant Shopping

My mom and I spent Thursday evening browsing for plants and flowers – we needed each other for this excursion. She buys such a mass of flowers that a second person and second car are necessary just to get it all home (it’s easier to buy in bulk rather than spread out over several shopping trips). I needed her expertise, plain and simple. She has been doing this for so many years that she has it down to a science, keeping a list of what works from year to year and how much she buys of each item. As a novice in this department, I just followed her lead. We stopped at two different stores – the first is a big red barn out on Utica Ridge that my mom always buys the majority of her annual supply, but it was closed. Disappointed, we turned to Lowe’s and were able to find only a portion of the variety we were searching for. So my mom will be out again this weekend at the big red barn in hopes that they will be open and she can finish her shopping.

Since we were done in a mere two hours, we headed to my house to do my planting while we still had some sun. I have a measly two planters, so it took relatively no time in comparison to her 40. Of course my mom did all the work! They look lovely and spruce up our entry just enough.

 

Family Time

We’ve been spending an extraordinary amount of time with family lately. That’s been a big part of our adjustment to living back in Davenport. We had this three hour buffer zone, now it’s about seven minutes. Don’t get me wrong, family is the reason we made the move. But it’s a struggle to find a balance, especially for Jord.

I visited Niabi Zoo on Mother’s Day (after a delectable Mexican breakfast at La Rancherita in Rock Island) with my parents, Tricia and Luke. I hadn’t been there in about 20 years! It’s quite nice, and we were able to see the whole menagerie from the train that circles the area, but also strolled around to get a closer look at the animals. Luke’s favorites are the giraffes and I have to agree.

Jord stayed home to do yard work – he is determined to get everything done this spring. He has rid the backyard of all the leftover stumps already, a project I thought would take weeks and weeks. Once he was satisfied with his work for the day, we went over to his mom’s for a backyard BBQ. It was a lovely weekend, although I didn’t get to the Pella Tulip Festival as I had hoped. Now I need to get my life in order before my new schedule starts next Monday!

Hello 28

I’m not one to get excited about my birthday. And this year was a bit more depressing than normal. Although I was sick, my family came over on the big day for cake. Luke had called me that morning to tell me he was making me something for my birthday but it was a surprise. Then he mentioned it had frosting… And when I got home Jord had also made me a cake, so we had two chocolate cakes to choose from. At least there was plenty of leftovers for both households.

Our beloved Great Aunt Mary (sister of my dad’s dad) passed away in her sleep the other night and we attended her funeral yesterday and burial today. Of course we’re trying to focus on the good memories, of which there are so many. Most recently, she helped us commemorate St. Patrick’s Day, and before that we celebrated her 80th birthday at the July 4th Collins reunion.

What will this year hold? 27 was pretty eventful, so I’m not expecting as much commotion this year. I will be starting a new job at Deere on May 16th – I sent over my acceptance on my birthday so that seems like a good omen!

Afternoon Tea at Fairhaven Palace

Wasn’t the royal wedding absolutely exquisite! I woke up at 4:00am on Friday to watch the coverage – I just could not wait until Saturday to glimpse the epic event. I didn’t get to see everything that morning – this pesky job thing always gets in the way – but I recorded two stations and have sufficiently witnessed every aspect. I adored it all and am not ashamed to say it. I know some people think it’s all a lot of hype, but how can you not be intrigued by the royals? The fashion, from hats to their “morning dress” to the jewels, is enough to keep me captivated.

The tea party was a success. We enjoyed traditional tea fare, with crumpets and scones, a variety of tea sandwiches, and some tasty sweets, along with three flavors of tea. I even made a version of the groom’s cake, chocolate biscuit cake. We retired to the den to view the recorded wedding, where we enjoyed champagne and had a running commentary on the fashion.