Today would have been my Nana Courtney's 94th birthday. For most all of the time I knew her, she lived in Quincy Mass, and Quincy Mass has got to be one of my favorite cities. I have been thinking of Quincy a lot lately and how much I love it and how many memories it has for me...this is funny because I am sure when people read this (like my mom and dad etc) they will say "huh? I've never heard you talk about QUincy!" But it is true. Quincy was a special place for me.

My grandmother lived in this apartment building on Copeland St that was one block away from a huge Catholic church (she walked to mass like every day) and a rectory with an enormous parking lot where my cousins and I used to play catch when we would all visit for her parties--especially her Christmas party. This apartment was so small, yet each year it was absolutely jam packed with warmth and bright sweaters and TVs playing Patriot games (back when the Pats sucked!) and hard-as-a-rock brownies and sweet and sour meatballs and this green 'monster' that made up my Nana's 'stocking.' Does anyone remember this?

But beyond merely the Christmas party, I had a lot of great times in Quincy with my grandmother. We'd go to Brighams for ice cream sundaes. We'd do her errands at the Osco Drug (which used to be a 'roundabout' or something) and she always knew the other women working at Osco. We'd go to Star Market to get Moxie and Pringles chips and Sanka and M&Ms--these things were perennially on hand at my Nana's. But beyond just the 'errands' I'd do with my Nana, there was just something special about the 'city' of QUincy. It just had a very special feel to it--a feeling I just cannot explain. It was RIGHT on the outskirts of Boston, and it had a lot of culture and depth and richness--yet it had a very 'calm' feel to it for a city; it didnt have a rushed city feel to it. It always seemed like a peaceful place, and I dont know if it is because it 'was' because most of the traffic was a bit north in Boston...or if it was because I had such warm times there with my grandmother.

Anyone who knows me knows I am an awful driver--and this is even more exacerbated when I am driving in the city. But I would never be afraid to drive in Quincy. When I worked in the city--and when I would go into Boston with buddies--I would never be afraid to drive to Furnace Brook Parkway or whatever exit it was; I'd never be afraid to get off the exit to park at the Quincy Adams or Quincy Center 'red line' subway station. Isnt that funny? I always felt safe in Quincy.

Geographically, Quincy is awesome. Right next to Boston, and right next to Braintree, where most of my Friday night adventures led me with Jay, Jawn, Tim, Kevin Pray, Bryan T Maher, and more. Newbury Comics and Barnes and Noble and the South Shore Plaza were all in Braintree, right on the outskirts of Quincy. Quincy has beaches and suburban neighborhoods. Quincy has great restaurants like "The Hollow" and this amazing Chinese restaurant (I cannot remember the name, but it was on 'sea Street). I used to go into Quincy with my dad to go to the eye doctor at Dr. Brackley. Quincy had the world's best supermarket--Roxie's (they specialized in meat!).

Anyway, just reminiscing about Quincy. And reminiscing about my grandmother. My Nana and Papa on my dad's side died when I was in elementary school and high school, respectively, and my Nana Courtney was the last biological grandparent I had. I had many good times with her, sleeping over her house, playing PokerKeno, searching her candy jars for M&Ms, getting up super early to listen to WHDH radio, and eating really good French Toast for breakfast (sorry Nana...you had good French Toast, meatballs, and onion dip....but everything else you cooked sucked...haha...sorry!!!)

Go visit Quincy. It is nice. And so am I.

and this is nice....

and Callum was 'Santa's' elf last night...more on that later...