10.21.2026. Football is back!

Yes, it is Fall and football season. I had meant to post last month but, well, life has a way of changing plans. We are enjoying a bit of nice weather, then stormy weather and now it is cold! So tropical plants have moved indoors for the winter and we are working on a new roof for the back to prevent more bowing and ice dams. It is a big project but we (my boys and me) are all weathering this well.

Still take a little time for a walk along the Charles River once a week. The Canada geese are right at home in the park.

But let's get back to football. For the past 3 years I was a bit disenfranchised. Not just because the team was doing poorly, but because it felt like a chore to attend. And of course, there is no Tom Brady. And every year I would day, this is my last year as a season ticket holder. And then I just subscribed to one ticket. 

But this year something unexplained happened. I went to the first game and was thrilled to be back. The New England Patriots played the Pittsburgh Steelers (my old hometown team) and it was as if the past feelings never existed. Growing up in Steeler country, we have football in the water, in our blood and in our DNA! So it was a welcomed feeling to be reinvigorated!

While I always feel that it is a win-win for me whenever a Boston team plays a Pittsburgh team, I did relish the Pats victory. Not a fan of their quarterback who should have retired a few years ago. The weather was rainy so no flyover by jets but by the Coast Guard helicopters! The come and go quickly!

At half time we were entertained by a corgi dog race. Some pups were more into it than others and some raced with abandon! It was fun to watch.

And of course there was a championship run! You didn't expect a video of the game did you!!!! 

Have been to all of the home games. It rained again when we beat the Las Vegas Raiders. The halftime ceremony was really special. Adam Vinatieri (Number 4, kicker, instrumental in the Patriots winning so many Super Bowls) received his NFL Hall of Fame ring. His speech was entertaining. Context: LV Raiders were once Oakland Raiders and a fierce opponent. To paraphrase his comments, his said that he felt the Raiders were at every big event for the Patriots, so much that he thought the Patriots owned the team. And thanks to Tom, he said, we do! Tom Brady is a minority owner of the LV Raiders! 

This past Sunday was perfect foot ball weather - sunny and crisp with beautiful blue skies. We played the Jets and won, although they played much better than expected.

And we had a fly by if the Coast Guard airplanes. So cool to watch them zip overhead!

All in all, I am delighted it is football season again and that I am in a better frame of mind for football! Go Pats!

And of course I miss my little football buddy Fionnegan. He grew up with a football and watching Tom Brady!

Until next time..........................

09.18.2026 – Remembering My Precious Fionnegan

 It has been one year since my little Fionnegan died in my arms. Fionnegan was truly my boy. While he loved to go for walks and run and play and wrestle with Gunnarr and Shorty, he loved to sit on my lap and cuddle at night. And he gave so many kisses and loved so many tummy rubs in return! It is hard to believe he is gone. I miss his barking talks to me and his internal clock that always let us know when it was lunch and dinner time. I miss his spirited playfulness, the sparkle in his eyes and his cute smile. I just simply miss him every day.

He really first started to show he was ill on the 4^th of July 2025, and this year, during the summer of 2026, was almost like reliving his illness one milestone at a time. In those few months from July through September 2025, I spent a lot of time trying to help him recover. Sometimes it appeared that he was going to do well, then he would regress.  Sometimes a McDonald cheeseburger was the magic intervention, sometimes it didn’t help at all. And once he decided he wasn’t going to take the antibiotics no matter how I tried to hide the pills in food or peanut butter or slip them down his throat, I knew it was all over. He was done.

So on his very last day here on Earth we did everything I could imagine that might be soothing and comforting for him. But basically, all he wanted was to be near me. And me him. He even followed me and sat on a carpet that was always off limits. I did not have the heart to tell him no. I just picked him up and held him close. How I miss him. I can still get tears in my eyes sometimes when I think of him. And I think of him every day.

And I see his picture every day – this is the one above my desk with a big smile and you can see his crooked teeth on the bottom. This was his last really good picture that did not look like he was ill. It is next to a figurine of an angel holding a dog – a thoughtful gift from their Auntie Diane. This is how I will always remember him - smiling with a wagging tail.

How could you not love this little guy? He was such a happy boy.

He was my co-pilot while I was driving. And as soon as I got out of the car he would be in my seat.

Just relaxing on his chair. If I would sit on it, both he and Gunnarr would jump on it too. 

I like this one. Just lying down on the porch. If he wasn't running he was lying down.

He really loved playing with Gunnarr and Shorty and they still miss him. Gunnarr in particular looks for him outside and in every room inside just about every day.

Sometimes I would lower the camera for a different angle for the photograph. He just continued to look into my eyes. He definitely kept an eye on me! These are among some of my favorite photographs on Fionnegan.

They were a tight-knit pack.

A snow bunny! After these outdoor adventures they were wrapped in warm towels and the snow gently melted with a blow dryer. He really didn't like the cold as he got older and usually would sit on the porch while Shorty and Gunnarr played.

More happy pictures.

And sometimes he would sit in a very serious pose.

He loved the grass, whether he was eating it, playing in it or lying down.

And he was a bit of a couch potato and watched tv shows, especially cooking one. And he would bark at the dogs and he also anticipated the commercials with dogs. He could recognize a dog containing commercial at the first beat of the music. And let the barking commence! We had to train him to "tun your motor" rather than bark at the tv. He also seemed to like football games and Tom Brady!

He was just one sweet pup. I loved him dearly.

On his way to his forever home from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. This was the beginning of an adventure for both of us that lasted almost 12 years.

The bond between Fionnegan and Gunnarr was very close. They were almost inseparable.

This was taken on a car ride back from Pennsylvania when there were puppies. They squeezed between the front seats and were enjoying the air conditioning! This is opening picture on my cell phone.

A sailing adventure.

Every Sunday we went to Deer Island for a walk.

They both got a time out - probably for too much wrestling and barking. They curled up together at the gate, sleeping while waiting to be let back inside the house.

Once Shorty joined us, some of the dynamics changed. Fionn and Gunnarr stayed close, and now Shorty was included in all of the fun and excitement.

Shorty knows the difference between Fionnegan and Gunnarr. Shorty was asked to give Fionn a kiss as he stood in between the two of them. He got it right!

Nap time while I worked.

Happy times. Good times to be remembered.

Sharing a bowl of water with his brother Gunnarr on 09.18.2026. They often did this and I am very happy to have one more chance to snap a photograph of this. No wonder Gunnarr misses him so much.

I am blessed that Gunnarr, his twin, and Shorty are in good health and that they get along very well. Since Fionnegan’s death, they have become inseparable and best buddies.

Rest in Peace my little friend. We will always remember you.

I hope you can indulge me in posting some unseen as well as previously posted photographs. And if you ever lost a pet, you know just how sad it can be. Fionnegan filled the house with his presence, chasing and wrestling with Gunnarr, leading the race with Shorty and Gunnarr both inside and outside the house and always being lovable. He is truly missed.