Cys matters

found these advertisements in the Windham Herald from the early 1800s. I believe the first Cyrus referenced here is Cy I in the line (although not entirely sure). I do think the Cyrus in the third ad is Cy II.

Peanuts Envy

Watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with the boys and saw this much nicer shout out to the elder william than my tribute. I'm jealous. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Brewsters Mifflin

CONGRATULATIONS ALOISE AND DAVE!

Aloise gave me permission to post the announcement and I'm so happy she did because I CANNOT contain my excitement!

YOU'RE ENGAGED! YOU'RE ENGAGED! YOU'RE ENGAGED!

We love you both -- welcome to the family, Davo!!!

Thank you!!

I don't have the cord to post my pictures from last night (at Mike's) but OMG I had such a great time!! Thank you guys so, so, SO much for all of your help. It should have been a really stressful and hard to put the fundraiser together, but it really wasn't. Mom and Maureen were champs, doing so many errands for me, and all the raffle items were terrific. I'm pretty sure DJ Jazzman hates me now, and I'm very sore from dancing (also, I am incredibly hungover) but my gosh was it worth it. I passed my goal for what I wanted to raise, and now I'm starting to get really pumped for next month, if not a bit sad to leave.

Some highlights from last night:
- Group dancing, most specifically to Bad Romance and Everlasting Love
- Airborn's performance
- Annie showing up!
- Davo surprising me and coming! What a guy, that Davo.
- Introducing everyone to my college friends -- Maddog's going to get such a big head.
- Martha pulled me aside and said, "You cannot get too drunk -- people donated!" Then, once some people cleared out, I was delivered 3 shots in a row.
- Staying until 1 am instead of 11. ANIMALS!

Low points:
- Biting it.. hard.. ouch it still hurts.
- DJ Jazzman not liking me no mo
- No one in our family won a raffle prize, how did that happen? Our numbers put us at such good odds.
- There are now rumors that Martha is the best dancer of the family, which REALLY gets me going!
- Mary and Cy! We missed you!

Thank you, for reals. This trip is so important to me and it felt really great last night having everyone there. I'll post pictures soon!

Annucio!

Many of you already know this, but for those who don't I'm going to do an awkward blog post (since I find it even more awkward to announce it in person). After a lot of thought, and a strong desire to do it for years, I'm going to volunteer in Kenya for four months, starting March 15th. I've been researching doing this since I graduated college, but it's a wee expensive and I never really found the right time. I decided back in August to apply to the Global Volunteers Network, but with so much going on I put off telling everyone. Also, there is just something funny about telling others. Like when I told my dentist that I couldn't schedule my next check-up in six months because I'd be in Africa. Chicky, say whaaat?

Anyway, like I said, I start March 15th and I won't know what my placement or village will be until about a month before. I have requested to spend two months in an orphanage and two months in a school, but ultimately they'll place me wherever I'm most needed at the time. I'm in contact with two other volunteers who have been super helpful and encouraging. To be honest, I've been really excited about it but also a tad panicky. In August, March seemed very far away, but now it's becoming a lot more real. Me no likey not showering. I also need to remember that Simba won't be prowling around in my backyard, more like a few chickens. However, one of the volunteers I am speaking with DID spend her birthday in a cottage in the Ngong Hills. I hope all of you are mentally reciting the first line to Out of Africa right now.

So, folks, that's my big news. But wait! There's more! In order to afford doing this, I am throwing a fundraiser on either January 30th or February 6th. Martha, Annie, and Frank have been helping me plan (awww, roomies!!) but it will take place in some sort of hall with a bar and lots of food and dancing. My bff from Fairfield is making a website for it where people can get information about where their money is going and pay for their ticket via Paypall (Annie's brilliant idea). Sounds pretty legit, eh? Yeah, I guess I am pretty legit.

So, hurray hurrah! Africa, here I come!

Four Town Fair with the Boys!

Last Saturday, Mike and I took the Blanchard boys to the Fair. Maureen had warned me that A) Luke was having some separation anxiety lately and B) it would be smart to split them up to keep the brotherly fighing to a minimum. I'm happy to report that A was true (sorry, it just makes him even cuter!), as Luke immediately whispered to me, "I'm a little apprehensive to go today," and that B was completely false. The boys were terrific and Andrew has become such a little man -- so responsible and sweet. I was so proud of him that day, what a good job you guys are doing!


Making them pose while stuck in traffic. When Mike complained about it, Luke commented, "Well, it IS to be expected." Oh, really Luke? Is it?

After stuffing our faces with fried dough, Willie shouted words of encouragement to Andrew.

Early on, Luke and I went on our own to go down some of the big slides and he hurt his arm... barely. We thought ice-cream might cheer him up. It didn't. "My arm huuurrrttsss."

We thought going on Mike's back and seeing the animals might help. As you can clearly see, it didn't. I believe this was the apprehension he was talking about. So we fed him some soda. A blue slush. All the sugar a 4-yr-old could want. "My arm STILL hurrttsss!"

So, Andrew, the sweet thing, took him on rides (first the swing ride which was "TERRIFIC!" and then the ferris wheel). "THE RIDES MADE MY ARM FEEL BETTER!"

And Willie got his wish and got to shoot the paint-ball gun at this guy dressed as the hulk.

"Lisette is our favorite aunt of all time!" They all yelled this in unison. I swear to it!

And then, finally at the end when Luke was FULLY cheered up, he won this darling toy. And this is how I sent him home. I'm sure Jim was pleased.

Old Great Great (etc) Gran Dad

As we gather together this holiday, I think it's only proper in this forum to remember the OB (original Brewster) and the first Thanksgiving. Here then are some select exerpts from William Brewster's blog after that historic meeting. Happy Thanksgiving all.



Brewsters Half Dozen, being an internet blogge account of William Brewster, elder of Plimoth Colony.

22 November AD 1621 in the 18th year of the reign of the contemptible James Stuart, King of England and scourge of papist scumme everywhere.

Whilst normally I devote the pages of this family's blogge to convey to readers news and portraits of sonnes Wrestling and Love or speculate as to which of the royal family I most resemble (the current consensus is still James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bostwick), I must insted tell of the goings on here yesterday. Massasoit, Chief Sachem of the Wampanoag arrived here with 90 of his kinsmen and joined us at table for our harvest celebration and thankse giving to the Lord. Wife Mary, being one of only 5 women now survived, uttered such intense blasphemies at the sight of so many uninvited dinner guests for which to prepare meals that I suspect she shall have to be burned following our next towne meeting (let it never be mistook that marrying into the Brewster family was easy)...we were especially thankful that only three of our number died during the meal and a mere dozen or so natives succumbed to the pox...even before the sun had set we had imbibed on the bottles of fire water brought by our fine visitors and I thereupon began to wax poetic on all matters Religious and Truthful and Goode so that many were enlightened by my recitation of scriptural verse and interpretation of the minor old testamente profets...Such was the extraordinarie feeing of goodewill and fellowship that we all stood on the tables arms in arm and swore oathes that white men and indians will be peaceful neighbors until kingdom comme and if it not be so then may my descendants fall back into ignorante popery...All for now. I shall poste video of the day's celebration on thoutube as soon as these devils pounding in my head are exorcised...

Just as she wrote it.

Chapter 1

MY BIRTH

Hi. My name is Aloise Brewster. And in this story, I'm going to tell you a bit about myself. First, I'll tell you about my birth. I was born on August 11, 1987, at about 4:00 p.m., at Wesson Women's Hospital, Springfield, Mass. My parents wanted a surprise, and didn't know I would form as a girl. I was born with a cord around my neck. The Dr. had to stop the birth and remove the cord from my neck. If he hadn't done that, I would have strangled. My Mom said that the first thing she noticed about me was my long feet. My name, Aloise, was decided by my Mom. I was named after my Aunt Aloise, Great Aunt Aloise, and my mother's Grandmother. I was born being the tenth child, and the eighth girl. Well, this was a bit about my birth.

Chapter 2

A LITTLE LADY

Now I told you I would tell you about my life, and I am. But I'm going to take it a step at a time. I've already told you about my birth. Now I'm going to move on. In this chapter, I'm going to tell you about me when I was 1-3. Let's take this blow by blow. When I was one, I fell down the stairs and broke my arm. But the funny things is, is when that happened, I wasn't Aloise. I was Jimmy. The reason I was called Jimmy at that age was because my parents' friend had a little boy who's name was Jimmy, and he had curly blonde hair - just like me. And I really thought I was Jimmy! Once I even said, "Me Jimmy! Aloise go bey bey!" About two years after I was born, my Dad stayed home and owned an art gallery and I would go there and drink milk. Also, when I was 2 my brother Brent was born. My Mother thought I was funny because every time she hummed Rock-a-By-Baby to me, I would cry because I knew I had to take a nap. My Mom told me that I LOVED to dance. I used to run from one couch to another, throwing myself on them. To me, bottles were dobe-dobes. " I want my dobe-dobe!" I would say. I didn't go to pre-school, but before I went to kidergarten, I didn't think I was a real person. I thought that if you didn't go to school, you weren't a real person. I always have and always will LOVE corn on the cob. That was my favorite food. I started talking and walking by the age of 1. My brother, Cyrus Brewster, is my Godfather and he always, and still does, get me special presents. This is the end of the chapter, but there is more on the next page - chapter 3. I hope you have been enjoying the story so far!

Chapter 3

THERE SHE GOES

Moving on, in this chapter I'm going to tell you about my life ages 4-6. When I was 4, my Mom said that nothing much really happened. But when I was 5, a lot of things happened. I went to kindergarten in Sommersville, Ct. I had Mrs. Arthur for a teacher. I was also friends with Chris H. who went to school with me. I took the afternoon class. Before school every day I would either go to the park or the library with my Mom and brother, or go to my friend Ursula's house.

When I was 6 years old I went to St. Adalbert's School for Gr.1. When I was that age, my brother Cyrus went to sea and my sister Clare went to college. I also went to see my father at the ship in Groton, Ct. Well, that's really all for now, but more in the next chapter.

Chapter 4

ALL GROWN UP

Now I'm ages 7-9. When I was 7 and 8, these are the things that happened in my family:

Maureen got married,

my nephew Andrew was born,

Ann went to college,

Clare took a year off from college,

Cy came back for a while,

and Mary went to college.

Now I am 9 and in fourth Gr. and I am an aunt of a 1-year-old. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once and a while, you could miss it.