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, September 17, 2019

...hanging in there...

...so in keeping with my long term Never Give Up policy, I am still eating my OMAD (one meal a day). It's going okay, the weight isn't falling off, like it does for every single other person in the world who does it, according to the facebook Intermittent Fasting group success photos they post. No, sloooow and steady, but at least it's going in the right direction now. And I eat good healthy food! Today, I'll have two meals just a bit apart, some eggs, meat, veggies, lots of good calories. I ate almost nothing for last evening's one meal of the day, because I just wasn't that hungry. And it got late, I can't eat so much before bed anymore, or I won't sleep well.

Also, I have decided that I'll do ten push ups every time I heat water for coffee:)

Yesterday morning, Grandma came over for a visit (Paul's mom). She is ninety years old, and drives a spiffy little red Chevrolet. I wanna be like her when I grow up. She's still sharper than a tack, although she does forget things sometimes. She says it drives her crazy because she KNOWS she is forgetting. Shh. I am the same way.

Anne also came over, for the day. We spent a few hours on the deck. She likes to get into her bathing suit and play with water. She washes the Little Tikes cars and dumps water on the deck and pretends it's a muddy puddle, like on Peppa Pig. She also love playing with Playdough. In addition, the Playdough cans make nice towers and castles.

When she went home, it was time to go to the grocery store. Sonja K. and Camille went with me...


We had to stock up on milk and bread, cheese and veggies, and the no sugar added frozen fudge bars I like once in a while.

We also went to Marshall's, where I got a few things for my oldest granddaughter Anya, her birthday is next month, turning 6!, and little Elise turning two!

So I enjoy getting up in the morning and guiding the little girls out the door. They don't LOVE school, Char enjoys it more, Camille tolerates it. I think it's good for them to go. They've been amazing about getting up out of bed and getting ready, packing their lunches, keeping track of their homework, finding what to wear. I don't regret one minute of the five years they homeschooled, but it's okay that they're back in school.

Samuel, Evelyn, son-in-law Adrian are in college full time, and Mirielle part time (Master's degree). Next year, Miss Suzanne, and Miss Sonja K. will also be going. Jonathan will join them at some point, too. We NEED to get another car for the kids still at home to commute. Our blue van is almost dead, with almost two hundred thousand miles, a 2008, needs a lot of work, is it worth it? The red van isn't too much better, same year, but at least it runs. It's in the shop again, for a valve stem on the tire, and to fix the air conditioning. It gets SO hot in their, and the driver's window doesn't work, so. So we sort of need two new vehicles, ha.

And, I need to buy my airline ticket to go visit Kathryn!!! She and her husband, Darius, are expecting their first baby, and yours truly is cordially invited...for the birth! Now, I do not take this for granted! The thing is, baby is due on the Monday after Thanksgiving. So, traveling that weekend is crazy and crazy expensive, so I'm thinking of traveling on Thanksgiving day! I'll miss turkey with the family, ouch, but, I want to be there for the birth. If I fly when the holiday rush dies down, I might well be there too late. And I figure I have to stay for at least two weeks, because if the baby is a week late...or ten days...any way you slice it, it's going to be SO hard to leave! I'm going to fall completely head over heels in love with that newborn, and then say goodbye and fly across the country. Oregon isn't across the street. No sir. Sometimes Europeans get confused about that, they are surprised if a New Yorker has not been to California. Well, it IS a five day drive, if you don't fly. And flights within Europe are so cheap, not like what I'll be paying to go to Oregon around the holidays. Christmas prep and the twinkling season will be fully underway by the time I come home...

So buying the ticket is on the agenda today. And cleaning the house. We have extremely special company coming for a visit this week...any guesses?









4 comments:

Marilyn said...

Must be the Queen of England!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

All those kids off to college..........exciting time for them all. Where will they go? Somewhere close? Yes, sometimes it’s hard to decide whether a vehicle is worth fixing, isn’t it? I had a 2000 RAV 4 and sold it to my friend’s daughter in 2012 when I bought a new vehicle. She drove it till about 18 months ago with no problems to speak of, and she bought a new vehicle, and now my friend drives it around town. I called her Rita the RAV ( I name all my vehicles) and they still call her Rita and she’s going strong with just over 300,000 kms on her! Isn’t that amazing? She is 19 years old!! I hope my present vehicle does that well. That’s exciting that you are going to Oregon...........as you know you can’t tell when these babies will come. Mine were both 3 weeks early and theirs pretty much came on time except for my granddaughter, who took her sweet time and was a week over and even now, 25 years later she has trouble being in time!! 😂 We are off to Costco today for a big shop....there are certain things we buy there and go about 4 times a year to load up. You have a good day Della 🌞🌞🌞

Marilyn from Canada

Susan said...

Is there a prize for the correct guess?!! OK, I will guess Aaron because I know you have visited him but I do not think he has visited you since I have been reading (which is since Anya was born!).

16 blessings'mom said...

Marilyn, Sam has a car like Rita. It was Paul's dad's Oldsmobile Bravada, sun roof, leather seats...it's early like 2001 or so, and still running. And no, it's not the queen coming for a visit...

Susan, ding ding ding, you win! It's Aaron, and Riley! They don't come east too often!

Marilyn said...

Aaron and Riley would’ve been my second guess ☺️ That is lovely Della! Enjoy your time together as it passes quickly.

Marilyn from Canada