off on a little vacation, and a snowstorm!

 A long time ago, here in central NY state, there was a big snowstorm.  We didn't have fancy things like internet, we actually didn't have a t.v. yet!  There was snow forecast, but the massive storm we got was a shocker, we got almost 4 feet of snow in one weekend.  Snow fell at 4 inches an hour, with winds up to 45 mph.  My mother was snowed in with us, we had a poetry contest, and I wish I had saved those poems, as Paul's about my mom being stuck with us was hilarious.  

Anyway, I'm heading a few hours west, to a nice big home on a lake for the weekend with lots of my friends, thankfully the snow shouldn't start until later tonight.   Hopefully it's accurate that it'll stop before our drive home on Sunday.  Yes, I live in the snow-belt, south of the snow-maker, Lake Ontario, yet I hate driving in snow -loathe it, fear it, despise it, avoid it like the plague.  (This storm isn't a Lake Effect storm, it's one coming up the east coast, but those usually generate a bit of Lake effect afterwards, just an extra slap from Mother Nature). 

So I'm mostly packed.  As I fell asleep last night, I thought of like ten things to remember, but didn't want to wake up fully to put them in my notes on my phone, because the miracle of falling asleep mustn't be messed with.  It's so elusive sometimes, and when you're THIS CLOSE, and you think of something important, oh for goodness' sake!

Out the door in an hour.  Should I sit here until I have like five minutes left, then scramble?  Or should I get ready now so I have plenty of time?  Nonsense!  There is more to say, and the chair is comfy.

This fine morning, I woke at 6:13, hopped in the shower and washed my formerly long, presently tangled hair.  (My hair stopped growing.  I used to cut it off, donate to Locks Of Love, it would grow back immediately.  Now, it just doesn't grow!  I had to trim the split ends, and it's barely shoulder length.  The strange thing is:  my roots still grow in dark (shh, gray!), so why doesn't it get longer?). (I guess I'm old)

Anyway, I hopped and skipped down the hallway, in my mind anyway, to start this wonderful day.  I washed some dishes, got the kettle filled for coffee, filled the grinder and pushed the button, oh the aroma!  I fed the dogs, filled their water dish, watered the plants, wiped down the stove top and the counters, then Suri, piggery-pie that she is, stood right there in the kitchen and barfed up her hogged-down dog chow...she ate it right up so fast because it was the first bowl of a new bag, they LOVE when we open a new bag, it's like a new jar of peanut butter or something to them.  So she scarfed it down, slopped up some water (Labs really like dripping and dropping water all over when they get a drink)...then blaaaah, sorry if you're eating brekky right now, but what a mess.  I shooed her out the door in case she had more in her tummy, then Sunny came sniffing over, mmmm, more food!  Oh now you don't, GET!!!

So I don't have small children anymore, but I do have dogs.

Okay, I'm going to get scrambling...lots of things to remember.  Baggies, that was what I kept forgetting to add to my list, the midnight niggler!  You have to bring baggies to put leftovers in!  I'm bringing my popcorn pan, and a pound of butter for that, and a gift for someone, and chocolate chip cookies, and my suitcase, this laptop, the cords...never mind, I'll bore you to tears.

Coming up:  we're actually going to get new flooring!  This is fantastic news!  I can live with our floors, with cracked kitchen tiles, put throw rugs over the dangerous ones, I'd survive.  But it occurred to me that the flooring isn't going to get any cheaper, in fact, well, if it's like everything else, soon we won't be able to afford it at all!  (I put eight and a half gallons of gas in my tank yesterday for a mere $38!)  Our living room floors are only 13 years old, and I still love love love them.  But, there are places it's swelling up, some little problem areas, which I could TOTALLY live with, but it has to match.  We cannot put wood in the kitchen and have a different wood out here.  (shh, it's laminate in here, but it looks so much like real wood, I'm almost hesitant, what if the new stuff doesn't even look as good?)

See, I'm doing that thing where I sit here and ramble because I get the butterflies at heading out on an unknown journey when I'm the driver, and I procrastinate so I can get up and scramble...it's not like it's a surgery or a dental procedure, it's a weekend away, and I'm excited about it!

Just a note about our friends in Ukraine:  Emily forwarded me some pictures of the things this family has purchased with the donations received:  some huge bags of potatoes and onions, to feed the extra families they have been hosting, new toothbrushes and shampoo, ect, and bedding.  It's good to give when you know it's going directly to honest and upright people who are helping others.  Keep those people in your prayers, please!  Also the general Russian citizens, and soldiers.  Many were conscripted and don't want to be there, they're just young guys.  The restrictions on the average people there too, ouch.  I know it's not the same as being shot at and bombed, but it's still awful, in this day and age, to have this unnecessary violence go on.  I don't know why men can't just work things out, they always have to fight and be in control and go to war...all we all want is to live in peace.  Why is it so hard with mankind?

just a wee little post...

 

You know you're a housewife-y type, scuffling around in your slippers, when your Walmart order comes and you get this fancy new mixer, and YAY!  The butter and eggs were waiting around on the counter, reaching room temperature, while the delivery man made his way here with this.   The old one died, Paul pronounced it deed indeed.  You can't just throw it away without his agreeing it cannot be fixed.  Did I love the new mixer?  I wanted to, I did.  I was so excited, and thankful!  (In our early days of marriage, when we lived in our mobile home (we lived there until we had five kids), we didn't have much money, and for a long time, I had no mixer.  I did survive, and had one strong arm.). Anyway, this mixer disappointed me.  The strange looking helix beaters didn't have enough gusto to tackle the butter, and it was room temp!  I had to insert the 2 dough hooks, which spun and drilled holes in the butter/sugar mixture.  I added the eggs, which I usually don't add until the butter and sugar are well creamed, just to stop those helix things from sending it flying all over the room.  The mixer liked that mix much better, and swirled it all together nicely.    A double batch of chocolate chip cookies, if you're wondering.

These two babies of mine, Charlotte Claire and Camille Anaya, are 15 and 14.  They wanted to go to the library today, so we went.  We also did a Kohl's pick up.  (I had $10 Kohls cash, which they gave me for no reason, except maybe that I had let the $10 from the last time expire...I just couldn't find anything I wanted, and you have to spend $75 to get free shipping.  If you try to do order pick up, all the stuff you actually want is only available for shipping.  Anyway,  I had the ten, and a two pack of furry pink throw pillows was $11.99, store pick up, so why not?  Well, when we picked them up, they were covered with oranges!  Pink furry pillows with citrus fruits printed on them.  um, no?  I showed the nice lady behind the counter the pic accompanying my order, and she agreed it was different, but the numbers all matched the one they were giving me.  I was able to go pick out different ones, and just exchange, easy peasy.  We didn't even buy anything else, and we have two furry pink throw pillows for $1.99.  

We went to the grocery store for just a few things, since I went yesterday.   I let the girls pick out a muffin or a donut, and I got some chicken for dinner, and some fresh raspberries, oh they're good, and some lunch meat.  Home...ah, home.  

It was cookie making time.  It takes a few hours to bake a double batch.  It's so strange to just bake cookies.  I mean, I used to do these things while juggling children and babies and homework and and and....

I'm all packed for my weekend away.  I remember to bring flip flops to walk through the snow to the hot tub, and a nice comfy robe, and two pairs of sweatpants.  We're getting another six+ inches of snow Friday night into Saturday.  I had really been hoping this was going to be one of those random March weekends where the temperatures soar into the sixties or seventies, and the sun makes you forget there is even such a thing as winter. 

We got our truck fixed by a local guy with a small garage, and were quite pleased with the bill.  It was a lot, but most of it was the new wheel bearing, the labor was relatively reasonable, he got it done so quickly, according to Jonathan anyway.   I'm just glad we got it back  so I can take the car with minimal guilt.  I already feel bad leaving Paul for the weekend, but shh, not bad enough to skip it and stay home.   The younger girls are going to Conneticut this weekend with Mariel, Margaret, and Evelyn.  Sonja wants to go but she has tons of work, and a lab on Sunday.  So it'll be just Paul and Jon here...but hey, they have pups and the kitties.  

 

ha, actually...

 ...our anniversary is TODAY.  We're old.  Well, Paul is old.  I'm blaming this one on him.  Yesterday morning, he gave me a hug as we both found ourselves making coffees at the same time, and said, "I guess it's our anniversary!"  Oh no, I said, it's tomorrow.  No, he said, it's today, then Molly's birthday, right?  oh, I guess you're right, I said.  So I posted my Happy Anniversary to Us post, and all day long, told anyone who cared, even those who didn't, that it was our anniversary.  

But things just didn't add up.  Molly's husband posted a birthday post...hmm, a day before her birthday.  I KNOW when Molly's birthday is!  I know when our anniversary is!  Why did I get mixed up then?  Simple:  Paul's old!

The story is:  way back when, we had our seventh child, little Molly Rose (it was an amazing birth.  The dr. was concerned about her not responding so well in a non-stress test, so wanted me to be induced first thing the next morning (March EIGHTH), so up to the hospital we trudged, in the wee morning hours.  The Pitocin was hooked up, and turned up, but I didn't get to more than four centimeters...at around four in the afternoon, I called my sister and reported my lack of progress...she must have prayed for me, because Molly Rose was born at 5:10 in the afternoon, with maybe two pushes...it was just the EASIEST birth.  (and with no pain meds). The dr said, "God wants you to have babies, Della."  (I always tell Molly that the first word she ever heard was, "God".). 

Anyway.  The very next day was our tenth wedding anniversary.  I was all of 28 years old, the same age Molly is now, when she was born.  Anyway, back then our hospital had a special dinner for new moms and spouses after their babies were born, in a nice dining room, with soft music and soft lighting.  We could choose our entrees, mmm,  roast beef!  The nurses would take care of the babies, and we could enjoy a meal for the last time in like 18 years, or in my case, over 20 years, ha.  

So today I explained to Paul how he messed up, but it was okay, because today was day two of our anniversary, we got to celebrate twice!  Just so you know, we didn't celebrate at all.  :).   All he said was, "We need the pillow."  (My sister made us a lovely pillow with our wedding date on it, the marriage has survived and thrived, but the pillow succumbed to something or other along the way.)

This fine day, I was all ready to spend at home again, so we can save gas money, also because if I did go anywhere I would have to walk.  The truck was in the shop, and Sonja was at the hospital with my car.  So I puttered around, swept and cleaned a bit, then was just settling down with a second cup of coffee when Abigail called:  did I want to go with her to Aldi and Target?  mmm, yup, give me five minutes.

We had to pick out some birthday gifts for a friend, then we meandered up and down the aisles.  There was a 20% off of any one toy, and I wanted a new toy, but I'm a grown up lady, and don't really need any toys, so I didn't get one.  (I wanted more LilWoodzeez).  (I bring them to activity club and the kids love them, I do too).  We got coffees from Starbucks on the way out of the store, then oooh, it was snowing out like crazy!  We went to Aldi, and wow...I had to get the food for this weekend, 13 of us girls going to an airbnb in the Finger Lakes:  Friday dinner, Saturday and Sunday brekky, charcuterie for Saturday's lunch, and steak and chicken fajitas fixings for Saturday's dinner.  phew.  I had a budget of $360, and spent $362. Not too shabby.   

I had planned on doing all of this tomorrow, because Sonja carpools with a friend on Thursdays, but now I don't have to go out again.  The price of gas is insane.  

So today Camille and I decided to make chicken curry for dinner.  I made dough for the naan bread, put it in the oven to rise, then cubed up the chicken.  Cam chopped onion, we browned it up in olive oil, added the chicken, and Cam added in the spices:  curry powder, ginger, cumin, turmeric, garlic, salt and pepper.  We stirred in the diced tomatoes, coconut milk, chicken broth, and some tomato paste.  It simmered for an hour, and I made the naan bread:  the panini press all heated up, sprayed with non-stick spray, little hunks of dough at a time, and mmm, naan bread!  I sprinkled salt and garlic on it when it came out of the press...so good!  I don't EAT bread, but I tasted it, and tasted it again, darn it, why is it so good?

Ah well.  It was a good day, our second anniversary day.

Elise...such a cutie.

Suri...was she actually comfortable resting her head on that rung?

Sunny-dum-dums....so cute.

where on earth has the time gone?

 

38 years ago today, on a relatively mild and rainy Friday evening, we got married in his mom's living room.  It wasn't the wedding I had always dreamed of, but I did marry the guy I had always dreamed of.  

Did we not even think to have a nice background! ?  :)

I didn't wear a single drop of make up...

My dad...

With Kim, my bestie, maid of honor....

My mom and Paul's mom...

This is my brother Bill, the one who died...of a self-inflicted gunshot...he died 13 years ago Sunday, a day which is so close to our anniversary, and so raw still.

Paul's parents, and mine.

This was a little reception his mom threw for us a few weeks later.

This was probably right after I dropped a saucy meatball on my lap and it rolled all the way down my dress.  Paul's mom strongly suggested I get up and say thank you and goodbye to the guests (I didn't know most of them, they were her friends, but they were super nice and good to us!).  I had to tell her I dropped the meatball...oh dear.  I was starting out right!

So we've survived and thrived, despite my $13 dress and two dollar hat and our living room wedding, and wedding pics taken with a Kodak 110.  Marriage isn't just a straight line of happiness, it twists and turns, with misunderstandings and hurt feelings and differing expectations.  It's a work, in all those things, to forgive and forget and let love cover a multitude of sins.  I can honestly say that I love him more now, and am extremely thankful for him.  

Today is a watching-Elise day.  Ashley is due for their little baby boy next month, and has appointments every week...so I get to play with Elise!  We're making cookies today, to bring to activity club tonight...

dark rainy Monday....

 and where is my get-up-and-go?  It seems to have all leaked out.  I have these ideas of things to do, but then nah, not now.  Not today.  Back when I had all these little ones underfoot and in my arms, I HAD to keep busy, so I did.  Now...well, my chair is extra comfy.

To be fair, it IS a Monday after a busy vacation followed by a busy weekend.   This fine morning, I did sweep and mop, washed a load of towels, and I cleaned out an ottoman.  It was a dumpy ottoman.  It wasn't a pleasant task to clean it out, because we have these little critters here, stink bugs.  (They moved to the U.S. from China, were first discovered in Pennsylvania in 1998...they're AWFUL.  They smell when you squish them, they have no natural enemies, they can hide/hibernate for forever and a day, and then to top it all off, they can fly!  I hate them.).  So anyway, I took everything out of this storage ottoman that's just been sitting here, and had the vacuum cleaner here to vacuum up ever bug I came across.  This isn't the ideal solution, because-sorry to skeeve you out-but:  they stay alive in the vacuum cleaner.  If you look in there, you might just jump out of your skin.  ugh.  sorry.  Anyway, I threw away some old Kohl's ads, some of those rice bags made with old socks, and some gift boxes I'll never use, and I found a perfectly good iPhone charger, and my Colors of The World crayons, and a nice Curious George coloring book.

What??!  Is my life not exciting enough?  

I talked to my sister on the phone, then face-timed Kathryn...she showed me around her new house.  She's all the way over in Oregon, and showing me her house, so cool.  I am so old.   I wish I could just wiggle my nose and be there to help her do things, and to see the new house in person.  (Wiggle my nose?  Bewitched?  Anyone?)

The gas prices are awful.  I can say that, can't I?  Compared to what they're suffering in Ukraine, this is NOTHING.  This IS true, but this is still life, our life, and we still have our own battles.  Sonja drove to college today, then has to go to the hospital for clinical instruction, so I only have Paul's truck, which is acting up and has to go to the shop, so I am home today.  My goal is to cut down on my little outings anyway, which won't be easy as I have ants in my pants and like to go out and about.  But when it's over four dollars a gallon, we have to think a bit more about just going driving.  

We live at least fifteen miles from a grocery store, not counting the Dollar General or a dinky little expensive small-town grocery store.  This week, I'll try to not to go until Thursday.  Then Friday, I go bye-bye for the weekend to the get-away with my friends....12 of us in a beautiful Airbnb with a hot tub....I'm planning the meals and will buy the food maybe Thursday, then head there on Friday and stop and get anything I wasn't able to, on the way there.  It's almost two hours away, on one of the Finger Lakes, with a lake view, and a path down to the water, not too shabby!  Off season, you get better prices, and the rich get their ice in the summer, so the rich also get their waterfront airbnbs in the summer.  Yes, the poor get their ice in the winter, and winter isn't done with us yet.  More snow is coming.  

It's time to mosey on out to the kitchen and make some dinner....

I wish my head were in the sand....

 (and my feet too, right?). But seriously.  The news is more dire than I've ever experienced.  The crises in Ukraine:  evacuating hospitals, running out of oxygen, babies and children and grandparents displaced...it's awful.  We have some friends there who are staying to fight back.  My daughter Emily has a Ukrainian friend who lives on the west coast, with family still in Ukraine.  Her parents there are helping with refugees, helping people to the border, and helping house displaced people...if anyone is interesting in donating money that will 100% go directly to help those suffering, you can email me at dellamom16@yahoo.com.  

I can't read all the stories, and I cannot watch all the footage.  My soul cannot bear it.  I know it's happening, and I'm praying, and sending money, but oh my goodness.  It's awful.

We had the family over last night, we counted up and there were 24 of us, plus one extra chocolate Lab puppy (Molly's).  We sang Happy Birthday to Molly, who turns 28 this week, and to Suzanne, who turned 21 last week.  

Wulf and Abigail holding Tennyson...

Jonathan and Camille

The cuppy-cakes...

Sonja K. holding Ten, Molly Rose holding her Ophelia...

Miss Suzanne, looking pretty even with her eyes closed.

So much going on!  Margaret sitting on one couch talking to Benjamin, then Josh (Molly's husband) on the floor playing with Anya, Elise and Wulf in the back, Paul playing with the little brown Labrador.

Abigail, Elise, and Grant, then Tennyson and Ophelia and Charlotte Claire in the background

Five of my daughters:  Mariel, then Cam in the pink, Suze in the back in blue, Sonja K. and Evelyn

Seven daughters in this one...Mariel, Suzanne, Char, Evelyn, Sonja K., Camille, and Abigail with Tennyson

Three sons in this one, with Abigail, little Grant, Samuel, Emily (Tennyson), Jon at the table, and Benjamin.

Uncle Benjamin with Tennyson...(Grant wanted those cheese balls in Aldi, Grandma said yes.

Ashley's having a baby in six weeks!  She was talking to Elise, with Ophelia and Suzanne, then Char behind her, with Cam and Sonja...

Margaret, Evelyn, and Benjamin...

And, with Emily...

Char, Cam, Suze...

Ab, Grant, Sam, Ten, Ben, and Jonathan

This one was from this morning at church...auntie Sonja K. with granddaughters Anya and Elise...

Benjamin, Sonja, Anya, Elise...

This afternoon, Margaret and Adrian came over with the little boys, and Evelyn came over...we sat on the deck in the 73 degree sunshine, ahhh!  Wulf and Tennyson took the cover off the sandbox and had a blast.  We grilled burgers, and air fried some onion rings, and had salads.  Evelyn took Char to Target, Camille and Sonja are here, Paul too.  It's kind of quiet, but it's been a good weekend.

13 of my kids were here last night.  Only Aaron (California), Kathryn (Oregon), and Joseph (he lives right in town, ha) weren't here.  I'm very thankful that we have such peaceful gatherings.  

We were thinking to order pizza, but I decided to make chicken.  28 drumsticks, and 6 1/2 pounds of breast, marinated in lime juice and spices, oven baked with olive oil, then grilled with barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes, oven baked stuffing, roasted asparagus, and a beautiful huge salad, Mariel's salads are works of art.   I wash dishes the whole time I'm cooking, but there was still a big clean up.  Evelyn, Sonja, Suzanne, Charlotte Claire, and Camille cleaned up, it was fantastic.  In addition to the cupcakes, Margaret brought chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies.  

It all goes by too fast...all the prep, then the cooking, and then everyone is here and it's like a blur, and I want more time with each of them, and I want to be everywhere at the same time, and enjoy them all.  I do truly delight in my kids, I admire the grown ups they've become, I'm proud of them.  I think they're smart and funny and just lovely.  

So I do have so much to be thankful for.  This world is a mess, but being depressed by it isn't going to help.  

saying goodbye to sunshine, and to grandma, for now...

 

We do not have WinnDixie up north, it's cheaper than Publix...but not as nice.

We saw a small alligator!!!!!   It went back under when I tried to take it's picture, shy one.

We saw this at the WaWa....

The pool yesterday, ahh, sunshine on our sunburns from the beach.  Then, off to the mall with Grandma.  Only one store, then to Barnes&Noble, then out to Red Robin for dinner.  I had chicken breasts with homemade salsa, and a side salad.  I cannot with the fries, had them the other night, and ugh, so heavy.  So delicious, of course.  

Grandma was so tired out when we got back here last night, she fell asleep in her chair.  

Paul has enjoyed his little break from all the work back home...it's been so nice.

So we pool-ed this morning, now we're visiting with Grandma for a few minutes before heading through the crazy Florida traffic, to the airport....it's 23 degrees at home.  :)