it was a dark and rainy morning...

 ...the lamps weren't on, just a kitchen light, giving the living room a dusky, shadowy hue.  The dogs were snoring, and the geese were honking.  The coffee was getting cold, but getting up to make another meant leaving the comfy chair, so she sipped at the dregs, and wished there were a waitress with a hot pot, hovering about, not judging her for being lazy.

But, lazy she was.  Yesterday, oh my!  Kathryn needs a new car seat, and Target had one in stock, I had a 20% off coupon, so off we went, after Camille's physical therapy appointment.  (Target didn't actually have any, although it showed in their app that they had two).  

Rhys really wanted this singing, dancing pumpkin, but Grammy didn't buy it.  

Achilles was getting a brand new plastic snake!  nope, nope, nope

Okay, so I'm old and crazy, and when I saw this, I decided that yes, I do need a new crockpot for twenty bucks.  It wasn't until I got out to the car and read my receipt:  it came up $54.99.  ?  I didn't need a new one that badly!   So my favorite thing, going back in the store to the service desk.  The nice lady wasn't actually so nice, she just said, "That's for the small one!", as if I were stupid, and I guess I was, because I didn't put my glasses on and read the small print on the tag, there were two of the same crockpots on the shelf there, and I assumed, which we all know about that.  

The REAL price for the crockpot was located down on the bottom of the bottom shelf where the crockpots were SUPPOSED to be, but who can see all the way down there?  And who would think to look down there, when the pots are up here?  oh dear.  It wasn't a great big deal, but jeepers.  

We got home, put our things away (just a package of chicken breasts, and some new sweatpants for me...I love a nice new pair, I wear them every day around the house, 40% off, still pricey, but they had them in my size, and they weren't black or gray, like my other ones, a nice light brown...Camille got a sweatshirt, and a bra from the clearance rack, and we bought some sour gummy worms).  

Home...not for long!  I had a package to bring up to Sam, and I have been wanting to visit Sam and Grace and see their new place.  I brought Grant a little car and track set, where you send the car flying through the loop-t-loop...it was fun, and it's Grandma's job to spoil the grandkids a little tiny bit, right?

This is a pic I stole that Grace posted from the playground the day before...Grant is a nice big brother for Ruth.  I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them and getting some snuggles and hugs.  

Home again, ahhh...but not for long:  the girls needed a ride to the youth meeting, as Sonja was swamped with homework and couldn't go...so Mariel so nicely agreed to drive them, if I drove them to over to her house.  Then, finally, home....it was seven o'clock at night, and I hadn't eaten yet!  So, bacon and eggs it was...I also had some cut up apples and cucumbers, and blueberries and raspberries, mmm.

This fine morning, I should be going to water aerobics, but I'm tired of going going going, that's my excuse today, plus I'm baking cookies and muffins today...Paul is leaving for Budapest, Hungary tomorrow and wants to bring some cookies for his co-workers, plus the girls are selling some tomorrow for their coffee shop at church.  

I hope to stay home today, ahh home.  The girls are having friends over tonight, they'll maybe turn on the fire table on the deck, or come in here and do karaoke...I'll make some stove top popcorn, and put out some snacks, it'll be fun.

Tomorrow, bringing Paul to the airport....wah.  

In other news, we're dealing with the Invasion of the Stinkbugs.  These little devils are disgusting, and I hate them.  They come out in the sunshine and congregate on the side of the house, on the outsides of the windows, and of course they come in wherever they can manage.  So I keep the vacuum cleaner out in plain sight, plugged in, so I can nab them when I see them.  I am not going to just sit around and let them thrive, I go outside and whack them, and I have traps set up...bins of soapy water with vinegar in them, they are attracted to that and I've gotten quite a few....I've sprayed them with bleach water, they're so strong and resistant, it hardly slows them down.  I tell myself that it could be worse, they could bite!  They could move faster!  

Oh, never a dull moment.  Aaron and Riley have given Jonathan their old car...they live in Phoenix now, and Jon is in Germany...Jon priced it out to fly to Phoenix, drive the car here, visit for a few days, and fly back to Germany...then he decided that for the same price, he can have it shipped here, so in a few days, a car will be arriving, and I HAVE to be here to sign for it.  

Ah well....I think I need to get the butter out to soften, and mosey over and make another cup of coffee...and yes, as a matter of fact I DO feel a little guilty that life's pace is slower for me, when so many people are so busy all the time...Paul is in there working his rear end off, and here I am...but to be fair, there were years and years of days...days so busy my head would spin, days and weeks and nights unending with very little sleep, and babies and toddlers and children and teenagers, who all wanted one thing, and that one thing was ME.  I'm a little less popular now, so I'll mosey in and get that coffee....