WILL WORK FOR CAPPUCCINO

I have been on vacation all this week and have truly relaxed and enjoyed it! I had a mental list prepared as to what I had hoped to get done while on this vacation and as usual haven't completed nearly enough on the list. Oh well... I think I needed the relaxation part.

Last weekend, my husband Mike and I experienced the "empty nest" scenario. My daughter Amanda left on Friday to spend the weekend with my brother Marc and his family in North Carolina. Amanda lives at home with us. We also have two sons, Adam, who is married and lives in Benton, Maine with his wife Amber and our grand-dog Ella, and Chris, who goes to Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.

We went with Amanda to Boston to get her to the airport because this was her first trip to North Carolina and only the 2nd airplane trip by herself. After getting her on the plane, we ventured into the tourist section of Boston to walk around Quincy Market and the other interesting shops in that section. We couldn't have asked for better weather and really enjoyed the day.

The next day, we decided to check out coastal Maine and went to the Pemaquid Fort area to see some crafters at a yearly fair that they have at the fort. Again, it was a gorgeous day and the drive along the coast was amazing. I would love to have a place by the ocean!

On Sunday, we got up early and headed over to the driving range owned by my in-laws - A&M Driving Range, right in Winslow. My father in law has been having some health issues and my husband has been helping him out at the range quite a bit this summer. Mike needed to get the weekly mowing done and I went along to drive the golf cart with ball picker upper so that the golfballs wouldn't get eaten up by the mower.

I hadn't driven the golf cart with the ball picker upper (I'm sure that there is a more professional name for it but this describes it better) since last summer, so I needed a short refresher. Mike backed it up for me and all I had to do was get in and take off. I was working on the first 75 yards so that Mike could mow, when my father in law showed up. He seemed surprised but pleased that we were there working so early on a Sunday morning. Mike stopped to talk to him but I kept making my circular swipes picking up golfballs so that Mike could get further along on the mowing before we had customers.

I was starting to feel a little like a Nascar driver behind the wheel of the golf cart and getting a little too cocky when I made a turn and misjudged the width on the ball picker upper and ended up running into the metal screened fencing that my father in law puts up on the outer edges of the range so that the balls won't go into the tall grass on either side. How embarassing!! Of course I had to do it just when the boss shows up....

I stopped the golf cart and then was fumbling around trying to remember how to put it in reverse. Of course, Mike had done that part for me at the beginning.. Just as my father in law was approaching on foot, I remembered that reverse was just under the seat near my calf and put the cart into reverse and away from the fence. My father in law was chuckling as he came up to me. I made some comment about finding it hard to get good help and started on my way again!

He walked around to the wetter sections of the range picking up the balls with a homemade picker upper and tossing them in my section so that I would get them on the next swipe. I've gotten the cart stuck in the wetter sectons in past years, so I've learned to stay away from them. He would look up and smile each time I made a pass thru and I couldn't help but think that my husband was as cute as his dad and he has the same joking nature!

After we started getting customers, we had to stop, but I had managed to get the first 125 yards picked up. The rest of the mowing had to wait until it quieted down again. You can pick up balls with the golf cart because of the screened in protection (it gives the golfers a target), but you can't mow.

My father in law treated us to coffee for Mike and a cappuccino for me and it was another great day! As much fun as it is to drive the golf cart and ball picker upper, I do think I'll stick to jewelry making!!