Wellesley’s Boss Lady is not amused

June 17, 2019 by bbrown 3 Comments

Imagine this scenario: You’ve schlepped back to Wellesley from a long day at work, probably suffered a commuter rail delay, and get back to your car nearby the Wellesley Farms train station. You then notice the following nastygram placed under your windshield wipers by a poetic anti-hero who goes by the name Boss Lady and apparently has a trusty dog for a sidekick.

Wellesley boss lady — Redacted slightly: Hey, this is a family website

Now we can only speculate about the details of this situation, which we hope will not escalate to Wellesley Police log level.

Apparently some commuter, looking to save a few bucks, has been parking on a nearby road (parking is $6 a day at the Farms lot and the beleaguered MBTA is about to jack up commuter rail fares by about 7%). As far as we could see, there were no “No Parking” signs along this road, though am unclear whether there might be any town rules prohibiting such parking.

Maybe the car operator has been biding time awaiting services of an outfit such as Boxcar, which has begun addressing the Wellesley Hills commuter rail station parking crunch by renting out nearby spaces from a church for commuters to use.

Either way, Boss Lady isn’t amused. Her poetic note begins with salty language and ends with a heart emoji, so this could go in either direction.

I’m reminded of a time that I parked before a Red Sox game, legally, on a street nearby the Eliot green line station in Newton. Upon my return I found one of the windshields bashed in on my stylin’ Dodge Colt — a “crumy hatchback” [sic] to use Boss Lady’s terminology. I do recall getting the hairy eyeball from some porch-dwelling neighbors on my walk to the station, while I smugly thought of how I might use my $5 or $6 in parking savings on a third of a Fenway beer. Anyway, I flagged down a police officer and showed him my car. I vaguely recall filing a report that he said wouldn’t amount to anything, but I vividly remember the cop telling me that I should just park in the lot next time.

We’re not suggesting the Wellesley situation is going to head down that road. But we’ll be interested to see just how powerful Boss Lady turns out to be.

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Beyond Swellesley: Boston Pride Parade

June 9, 2019 by bbrown Leave a Comment

The Boston Pride Parade, which attracted thousands of marchers from a slew of educational, arts and political organizations and thousands more lining the streets, lived up to its colorful reputation on Saturday. Lots of sparkles, rainbows and unicorns, some poignant signs recalling those lost to hate incidents, and drag queens galore. It was way longer and elaborate than it used to be when it cruised down Charles Street past my post-college apartment back in the day.

The MBTA predictably botched its logistics, resulting in uncomfortably crammed standing room only on its commuter rail trains that stopped in Wellesley to pick up parade watchers and Red Sox fans. But we eventually got in, and I found a good spot to watch the parade near Carrie Nation, the place where my office usually goes to bid farewell to colleagues. The pub was having its usual Drag Me to Brunch event and pumped out what seemed like endless Lady Gaga tunes through its open windows.

I recognized a few Wellesley faces in the crowd, and then there was Dana Hall School, which had a bunch of marchers who hustled along behind me to catch the train back to Wellesley when the parade was nearly finished.

pride parade

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Wellesley’s memorial monuments and markers

May 27, 2019 by bbrown 3 Comments

st john the evangelist flags memorial day (1) — Flags at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church

Here’s a look at Wellesley’s memorial monuments and markers honoring those who served in the military.

The ladies who lunch of Wellesley’s Friendship Circle

May 24, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Ladies, what do you say to lunch? I say lunch is always a good idea, especially when the Wellesley Service League (WSL) is in charge.

On Mondays from October through May, the WSL along with the Wellesley Friendly Aid Society hosts Friendship Circle, a social program for senior women of all income levels. Participants enjoy a wide variety of activities including speakers, holiday parties, musical performances, and excursions. WSL members provide transportation to each meeting, and everyone enjoys camaraderie and a good lunch.

The women of Friendship Circle enjoy the annual spring luncheon hosted by the Wellesley Service League provisional members. Photo credit: Margaret Loofbourrow.

Before breaking for the summer, the WSL puts together the much-anticipated annual spring luncheon. It’s called the provisional luncheon because the first-year members of Service League (called the provisional class) are in charge of the event. WSL member Margaret Loofbourrow says, “The newest class of Service League hosts the beautiful luncheon, complete with white table cloths, flowers, a menu, a four course meal, superior service with a smile, and a goodie bag for all the ladies. Service League sure knows how to make the ladies feel special.”

This year’s theme was “Spring Florals and English China” and a group of 35 was served at the lovely home of Deb Paul. “Sixteen Wellesley Service League provisionals planned, set up, cooked, and waited on the esteemed guests,” said member Carol Morrow.

On the menu: starters of mini quiche and mini crab cakes with dipping sauce; a main of grilled lemon chicken served with a spring pasta and pesto and pea salad, with honey roasted baby carrots; a salad of baby romaine lettuce with tomatoes and cucumbers; and pound cake with fresh strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle for dessert. Iced tea, lemonade, coffee, and tea were also served.

A pianist set the mood with cool jazz standards, and all the guests went home with party favors of tea cups filled with chocolates.

Morrow said, “It was such a rewarding experience to see our seniors so enjoy themselves — smiling, laughing, socializing. They certainly look forward to the event each year. Their heartfelt thank you’s at the end of the luncheon was more than enough reward.”