summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

the way things go....

 On Saturday, out and about with the girls, having a good old time returning something Camille had bought which was mislabeled (from a newish Amazon return store, it has great items, and an excellent return policy, but...it was kind of a pain that we got something she was so excited for, and it was the wrong thing...).  Anyway, Sam called me, quite upset, he was having plumbing issues, the drain in his basement backing up.  He wondered if they could come stay with us for a few days until it got fixed and cleaned up. Okay, we can do that.  

Sunday morning:  I got up at seven, because corned beef had to be put into the crockpot.  Three fit in, with some red skinned potatoes.  (Later, I put some of the juices in with water in the dutch oven, and stove top cooked the carrots and cabbage). (Later, I also put a fourth corned beef into the instant pot with a few more potatoes, and guess what was head and shoulders above in taste and texture?  yes, instant pot over crock pot for corned beef, any day!)

Anyway, Grant and Ruth woke up long before their mommy and daddy, so I made them pancakes with green sprinkles. They are so delightful, I always say that little kids bring life into the house.  Bacon frying, pancakes cooking, the old three ring circus...it was like the old days.  We had to get out the door for church, but we did it.  

There were around 25 of us total for our St. Patrick's Day meal...I made some quick cake mix cookies when we came in the door (a box of yellow Aldi cake mix, two eggs, half cup of melted butter, green sprinkles)...here are the pics, just a bunch of random shots...

Mr. Tennyson...
Evelyn brought mint ice cream and made shamrock shakes for everyone...Ruth liked hers.
The babies!  Jamison just turned one, the other three are August babies...Maeve, Blythe, and Denzel
Denzel is in the seat...he's so cute.
Hungry Hungry Hippos!

Rhys, Wulf, Ophelia, Sunny...
Kathryn and Darius with Rhys and Achilles
I asked Wulf to take some pictures for me...several were of the ceiling...this one of Darius and his little Jamie is nice though.
This one of his mama, Margaret, and me...
He took this of his Auntie Emily
The babies!  Notice Blythe?  

The pics are actually in the wrong order, the joyful landing-on-the-back pic was the last one:)
Aunt Evelyn is so nice to read to Achilles...that's me in the mirror...
Babies everywhere...and Wulf
Grandpa settles them down with some Bugs Bunny...

The kitty likes Suri's new bed...
We haven't gotten rid of the old one yet...
This is where Jon and his friend Matt slept while in the Everglades...crazy boys.
Grant!
Kathryn with Rhys and Ruth...


A trip to Costco with Grant and Ruth...:)

And they're awake this fine Tuesday morning...I made pancakes and sausages, and peeled some baby oranges.  They had pink milk, and they are happy.  They like the snow that's sparkling like it's a December morning, and not the second day of spring.  Their joy is contagious, and it's a good day.

Jon and his friend Matt went to Florida for the weekend, to see some alligators.  They did see some, and that's all I'm going to say about that, because if one of them actually caught one, that wouldn't be legal, now would it?  No, they did not keep it, nor bring it home.  

Ah well.  I have floors to vacuum and laundry to do, ha, as if I'm super busy today.  I'm not.  But shh, I'm lazy as the day is long...I have a book I'm wanting to get to, but grandchildren are too special, can't sit here reading a book and miss all the funny things they say and do.  (the book:  A Spool of Blue Thread, Anne Tyler, I've read it before, she's just so good...)

Have a really good day, maybe some day when there's not so much activity here, I'll write about something a bit deeper...:)

Friday, March 15, 2024

not sure what's going on...

 ...but I'm in the biggest blogging slump ever.  What can I say that I haven't already said?  Sixteen and a half years I've been at this.  hmmm.

But, I'm not giving up today.  Today I'll tell you a story.  Way back when I was a kid, when the world wasn't "woke" yet, teachers hit kids sometimes.  My big brothers used to tell me before I went to kindergarten that the principal had a paddle, so you had to be good in school.  They also told me, on my first day of school, to tell my mother that the teacher slapped me.  So I did, and she was shocked, because I was a good little girl.  Did she call the school?  no.  She waited until Parent/Teacher conferences, and mentioned, it, and the teacher was shocked, said of course she never did that.  (See what a good little girl I was, lying to my mother?  Big brothers have a lot of influence)

Anyway, my story is actually from middle school, 6th grade.  My math teacher, Mr. S., was a bit scary.  One day a kid was acting up, so the teacher picked him up by the front of his shirt, the scruff of his shirt, and held him against the blackboard, feet dangling.  We didn't go home and tell our parents, there wasn't a board meeting, the teacher didn't get arrested.  But it obviously effected me, I still have dreams about it.  Last night's dream had me in a room with several old classmates, and one boy, Jim G., looked right at me and said, "I remember that happening...", then I remembered that Jim G. had passed away a few years ago.  I don't know how I can remember exactly how Jim G. looked, the exact expressions on his face, but shh, it could be because I had a teeny tiny crush on him.   He did die, in real life, and I remembered it in my dream, and it made me so sad, beyond sad, because time just wrinkled and poof!  We're old.  

How busy have I been since coming home from Norway?  Well....I'll spare you all the details, or the deets and tails as Mariel used to say, but I went to brekky with my pool friends on Wednesday...I brought them some chocolate from Norway, and it was fun to pass it out.  

One of the ladies exclaimed, "It says Kit Kat in German!" ( It's Norwegian, it says quick lunch."  :).  They liked them though.  

Kathryn had to go to Walmart, so I went with her.  She wanted to get seeds to start her plants indoors, I also got some seeds.  I still need the potting soil.  I do not have a green thumb, I have whatever color thumb kills plants.  But I do love flowers, and perhaps I can grow some of my own to put in pots on the deck.   

I also went with Sonja to look at an apartment, which fills me with joy mixed with a profound sense of loss.  Rapid change, like I want to dig my heels in and say that she needs to stop this nonsense.  Twelve of the kids have grown up and moved out, and it's not fun.  It's the normal progression of life, blah blah blah, but it takes part of my heart each time, I'm gonna have nothing left here.  

She really liked the apartment, Camille and I did too.  The guy bought a building and totally renovated the space, it's brand new, and looks like no corners were cut.  She'll have off street parking, a washer and dryer hook up, and best of all....it's FIVE minutes away!  It's expensive, but when you get older, you remember prices from a long time ago, so it's more shocking, I think, when things cost so much.  

She isn't moving out right away though.  Her fiancĂ© will move in when he comes in April, and she'll stay here until they get married in August.  She does get to start buying dishes and bedding and a couch and all that other fun stuff though.

Suri has a new dog bed...

This was a bigger purchase dilemma than you would think.  I wanted it to be supportive, not like a pillow where her hips would squish down the filling and hit bottom.  As Cam said, "she's old, she deserves a comfy bed."  But wouldn't you know, "comfy beds" are super expensive!  This one was marked down in Marshall's to sixty dollars, which seems crazy, but they are pricey.  

Sonja made dinner last evening, as I went with Kathryn in the afternoon to well visits for the kids, then into Aldi for a few things.  Sonja made taco soup, with fresh chopped peppers and cilantro to put on top, it was super good soup.  :). 

Today, pool....then to a few places with Sonja and Cam and friend Amanda who has no school today and is here...then Paul and I are going to church tonight to help with a Romans study, I'm helping Emily make some food...flatbread pizzas, homemade hummus with all the things to dip in it, homemade cannoli dip...

I have to leave for the pool in a few minutes, I am enjoying my comfy chair and my coffee.  We had some sunny weather the last few days, and oh it's so nice.  I cleaned up the yard a little bit, and admired the purple crocuses, am so ready for spring.  But we do the Bunny Hop towards warm weather, here in New York...forward, backward, then hop hop hop.  It's going to snow again next week.

Jonny is going to the Everglades this weekend.  He and his friend spontaneously decided to take a weekend trip to see the alligators.  He is bringing only a backpack, which fits a tiny sleeping bag, bug net, change of socks and underwear, and an extra pair of pants.  They plan to sleep out somewhere, I don't know...they're crazy, but at least it's what I call Good Clean Fun.  

Anyway...time to get moving...and yes, I will have an argument with myself about leaving my nice comfy chair and warm cozy house on this rainy dreary morning.  I'll go put on my suit under my clothes, and head out the door, ignoring that desire to stay home because I know it's good for me, and when I actually get into that water, ahhh, I do love it, and am very thankful it's ten minutes away.  

Have a really good day.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

home....ah, home...

 All good things must come to an end, they say.  This trip was certainly in the Good Things category.  We made it to Newark in plenty of time, stopped at Chik-fil-A, and brought some nuggets to the airport.  Surprise surprise, you can bring like ten things of sauce through security,  no problem.  Driving through the city to the airport in the rain and fog was not the most fun, so we saved our food until we were all settled in at the gate, ready to board.

You know by now that I always have adventures going through security, so it's not my favorite.  In fact, it ranks right up there with escalators on my Scary List.  But oh my goodness, this was the most embarrassing thing...Emily and I each brought a checked bag, I brought some things for my nieces.  I easily fit in my clothes and boots and toiletries, so my backpack was free to fill with snacks.  I didn't realize that this flight provided full meal services, and when you're traveling, you never know how things will go...so I had:  beef jerky, six "bars" (protein bars), chocolate covered almonds, salt and vinegar almonds, chili lime pistachios, chocolate covered peanuts, a baggie with mini packs of M&M's and peanut M&M's, peanut butter trail mix, southwest spicy trail mix, and some fruit snacks.  (I don't even EAT fruit snacks, so don't even ask me!).  Anyway.  We go through security for our international flight...and the nice young man says:  take out all food.  Remove all food from your bag.  (I swear I didn't hear him ask anyone before me to do that, he just took one look at me...). I said:  This is my worst nightmare. This is SO embarrassing.  Him:  Oh, surely not your worst!  Me:  You have no idea what's in this bag, as I started pulling it all out.  M&M's, bars, trail mix, making a nice pile on the conveyor belt...he then put his and up, like STOP!, and said I didn't have to take any more out....Me:  What about the beef jerky?  Him:  How big is the bag?  Me:  Extra large.  Him:  Under a pound?  Me:  I think so.  He said I could leave it in there, and put all my other loot back in...it was seriously humiliating.  Then Emily got flagged for a random shoe swabbing.  The guy asked her if she wanted a women to do it, ha.  

Then on the way back...the machine started beeping it's head off when I walked through.  What??!  You have been selected for a random screening.  Random?  Me?  Every time?  I had to walk through again, and oh my goodness, now I'm super nervous, and the screen showed a nice outline of me, with the um, panty area all lit up.  Great.  Now I'm teetering into full blown panic, because I've been borderline molested by the TSA before.  These were Norwegians though, they just wanded me - a big plastic metal detector, I guess...and talked about mysterious things together in Norwegian.  They had this metal probe, and I was really wondering what they were planning, but then they smiled like it was my lucky day, and let me go.  

But the rest of the trip was Good Things.  I met old friends and new friends and laughed and cried and hugged my nieces (two of my sister Cheryl's girls), and went to some excellent meetings.  The beds there are comfy (those crisp white dunes!), and the walking agreed with me.  The meals were all included with the conference, and some weren't bad, a few were good, and I don't always eat every meal anyways, so I did fine.  

I brought home chocolate, too!

Em and I at the airport...the flight was nice.  I am not an airplane napper, so it was a long night.
Friend Page and Emily at the conference center
It's a beautiful place, and the weather, for Norway in March, was mild and nice.
The fjord.


Emily's dairy free lunch...

Sonja, Emily, niece Janet who lives in Oslo, me...


My niece Claire, she lives in Australia...it was so good to see them.

We ended our trip by taking the bus to Oslo on Sunday and staying at a nice hotel at the airport.  Lots of our friends were staying there too, and were going to eat dinner at the hotel restaurant.  Em and I decided to get some hot dogs at the little store at the airport, I think they were like four dollars each...but they were in these peppery wraps, so yummy...we took them to our hotel room and relaxed, with a few Coke Zero.  We did have the nice hotel breakfast buffet in the morning and sat with some friends, really nice.  

Other than the dreadful experience going through security, the trip home was nice.  I met a lady on the plane who went all the way up to the north pole.  There was a bit of turbulence as we neared the airport, the wind was gusting into the 50-something miles per hour range, and people were throwing up on the plane, yuck. 

We stopped at the Starbucks in the airport, and ahh, good coffee.  I like that iced Americano.  The Norwegian version is not as good, not at all.  Then the five hour drive home...

This fine day, I was ready to get to work and clean the house, but then again, I missed the grandkids, and Kathryn was going to Walmart for seeds and potting soil...and yes, I would like to go.

A little visit afterwards...Grandpa took a break from work for cartoons..
Rhys!
The day went by fast.  I put some well seasoned ribs in the Instant pot for 27 minutes, then put them the oven at 450, smothered with barbecue sauce ...mmm.  I put frozen fries in the air fryer, and made some salads...

Ah well...almost bed time.  The time change, or jet lag?  Which is kicking my butt?  hmmm.  The old gray mare ain't what she used to be, that's for sure.  Have a good night!


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

I'm leaving'....on a jet plane...don't know when I'll be back again...

 Actually, I'll be back next Monday.  Tomorrow morning, the adventure begins!  First, I plan to go to the pool, then get a move on out of there, and we'll hit the road to Newark, NJ.  We'll get there with plenty of time to spare, and security will be an absolute breeze.  No handsy TSA's will be there, patting in the worse places,  nor any of those barkers...you know, the ones who yell and snap and hurry you along...my stubborn streak must be a mile long, because when you point at me and tell me to hurry up, I ain't gonna.  

We'll check our bags, get through security, find a nice cup of coffee somewhere, then amuse ourselves with people watching, maybe even make some new friends.  Emily will be reading her book on the cultural revolution in China, I am not bringing a book.  

My checked bag now weighs 43 pounds, by Camille's math.  She stood on the scale, then I handed her the suitcase, and she subtracted.  The weight limit is 50, so I can bring more stuff!  I am bringing some Reese's Easter candy, poor Norwegians can't buy it there.  I'm bringing Frito's to Claire, she cannot get them in Australia.  I have my boots packed too, so I can travel in sneakers.  I really really want to just wear my Birkenstocks....we'll see...sneakers ugh.

We're flying SAS, which still serves meals to economy passengers.  I am anticipating the meals won't be scrumptious, so I have some snacks packed...only hope no one has a nut allergy.  I should probably stop and get a few protein bars from the Dollar General on the way to activity club tonight, just in case.  

Well, I made two trays of meatballs, and the oven is broken.  I forgot that on Sunday the sensor stopped working...we had pizza and wings from the place in town, but I wanted to make a cauliflower crust pizza for Mariel and I, as she's gluten free and I don't like eating all the carbs...I had to slice it up and air fry it.  Paul has the part, but is having complications fixing it, he's working on it right now.  I could have just made something else, but he said he would fix it...:). (The happy homeowners!)

I won't be bringing my laptop to Norway, no need to, as I'll be too busy.  So this is goodbye for a few days, enjoy the springtime days...oh, the weather forecast for over there is actually not too shabby!  38 and sunny on Friday!  I was so concerned that I'd be slipping and sliding all over the place on ice, and in snow, but it doesn't seem like there will be much...

So bye for now, I'll be writing again Monday or Tuesday, depending on the severity of the jet lag.  :)

Monday, March 4, 2024

birthdays and babies and noise, oh my!

But first, Camille's masterpiece, lemon meringue pie
Oh the fog!
And, a birthday cake for Molly Rose!  She turns 30 this week, can you believe that?  My seventh child.  Mariel made the pink frosting from strawberries, and I made the buttercream.

some cuppy-cakes too!
Ruth was excited!

Molly in the yellow, Camille, Sam holding Maeve, Aunt Evelyn holding Denzel, and I think Jonny had Jamie...
Rhys and Achilles singing Happy Birthday, and Mariel...

Jamie is turning a year old next week, so he got a cupcake in the high chair..



Grandchildren are a beautiful thing...a noisy crazy beautiful thing:)
Ruth and Ophelia
Sunny...she is so good when everyone comes over!

We moved all the furniture to prepare for the trim...
It looks so nice!

Well, another day of missing the pool!  Sonja left today for Norway, and needed a ride to the airport right smack in the middle of my swim time...so, I brought her.  Then I was all by my lonesome, so I went to Target to return a dress that I loved dearly, but it didn't love me.  It was too tight in the chest, and a v-neck to boot, looked like I was belonging at the Renaissance Fair.  I got an iced Americano from Starbucks, Blonde Roast, with heavy cream, so yummy, and not too expensive.  I wandered around and got some snacks for my trip to Norway.  

Then, what the heck, why not stop at the thrift store?  I found a Christopher & Banks shirt for $2.49, a pair of jeans for Tennyson, who only likes wearing jeans, and a Buxton leather wallet with a strap, for traveling, it's like a small purse, new with tags for $5.99.  (It'll be nicer than the fannypack I was thinking to bring on my trip!)

Then Aldi, for milk, strawberries, cheese...then quickly into Tops for ground beef, and a corned beef for next week.  After a stop to get gas, home...ahh, home.  Camille had done all of her schoolwork out on the deck, 68 and sunny!  I got into my sundress and joined her.  Kathryn came over with the kids.  They like to play in the Little Tikes cars on the deck.  Darius and Jon put in the trim, then they all went home and Jon grilled steak...buy one get one free, so $5.50 a pound for nice tender sirloin, and grilled, oh dear it was good.  

Tomorrow, I have to pack.  We are leaving Wednesday morning, Emily and I...driving to Newark, then flying to Oslo.  I don't have any shoes, only sneakers, Birkenstocks, and boots.  I'm thinking to travel in Birkenstocks, and change to boots when I arrive in Norway....boots take up so much room in the suitcase, but they are too hot to travel in for an overseas flight.  

Passport...just remember the passport!  

Our 40th wedding anniversary is this weekend, oops, I'll be gone.  

Ah well...the girls are busy doing planning for the summer, Jon is working out, Paul is sitting here with his computer, he rarely sits still...the dogs are snoring....have a really good evening...and shh, I hope I get some sleep tonight...last night I was WIDE AWAKE, from four a.m....