happiest birthday, dear America!!!!

 Last evening we went to the beautiful pavillion of Emerson Park, on the north shore of Owasco Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in NY state.  We have been going there for the fourth of July celebration for years and years, and this is the first one without my sister.  When all of our kids were little, we would get Little Caesar's pizza, and Twizzlers.  Well, yesterday Emily came over, and Kathryn with Achilles and Rhys, and we rode together.  The 1812 Overture is Achilles favorite song, he was hoping the Syracuse Orchestra would play it!  

Who doesn't love the 1812 Overture?

Cheryl's oldest daughter Katie brought a selection of red, white, and blue candies, and little lollipop sticks...so my grandchildren and my sister's grandchildren got in line...

Margaret and Emily (Cheryl's husband Bill in the back)

Benjamin and little Declan

Achilles and Tennyson

Emily with Kaia, we did have a downpour before the concert started...but we stayed under the eaves, and then the sun came out...with a vengeance!  It was steamy hot!  What a beautiful summer night though, I had a sundress on and didn't even need a sweater when the sun set.  

Oscar and baby Kaia

Achilles and Rhys

Emily

Some of my sister's grandchildren...

Cam, Char, Kaia, Rhys

That's Elise and Declan getting candy from Katie...

Very hard to see, but a bunch of the grandkids together...I think I had a smile on my face the entire evening.  I told Margaret and Kathryn:  all these kids here are from Cheryl and I. (I teased that it would be them someday!)  wow.  It wasn't even nearly all of our grandchildren, I have 19 and she 29.  They weren't all there, but oh my goodness, it was a joy to see them.  My heart ached missing my sister, but I know she was looking down so fondly.  

Benjamin...so proud of him.  Samuel wasn't here this year, he's in Virginia with Grace and the kids, visiting her family.

Yesterday:  After swim class, I went to Aldi with Paul.  We got popsicles and some burger, tomatoes, arugula, bread, cheese (Cam is making mac and cheese for today's picnic).  Home...but not for long!  I went over to Ben and Ashley's house, and visited...and went for a swim in their pool with them, and Anya, Elise, Declan.  The pool water was 88 degrees, I could have stayed in there all the live-long day!

But, I had to get out and get dressed, and back into the hot hot day, to the Dollar General.  Twizzlers are a must for the Symphony night!  

Our power is out right now, it's pouring rain and thundering.  We might have an indoor picnic today.  Darius is smoking wings and brisket, we're having watermelon and the mac and cheese and hot dogs and a flag cake and cookies and and and...:)

Besides the picnics and fireworks and symphonies, the fourth is very special.  I am super proud to be an American.  I am thankful to be an American.  It's not perfect, but if every citizen started from a point of thankfulness, and stopped finger pointing and tearing each other down...united we stand, divided we fall.  I just love freedom, and there could certainly be more of it.  Leave us alone and let us live.  

Ah so now it's early evening, and we had our wonderful fourth of July celebration, Happy 250th, U.S.A.!

Nine of the kids were there today, some spouses, some grandchildren...

Kathryn's cake...mmm.

Margaret's cake

Baby Ellis with his daddy, letting him have the cookies...

Cousins:  Blythe and Jamie, they're besties.

Emily with Jon and Rosi's Emilia

We just got home...it's cooled off a little bit now, and that's good.  We made macaroni and cheese this morning for the cook out, it was so hot in here with the power off...it came back on before we left, so I could run the water and do all the dishes.  

We are watching soccer and just chilling...I hope you had a nice day, and if you are so lucky and blessed to live in this fine country, Happy 4th!

ah, Thursday!

 This fine morning, as I slept so comfortably due to the a.c. unit in the window chugging away, I realized that I did not HAVE to get up, because there is no swim class on Thursday....it's the little things.  I love swim class, but also love not having to hurry.

I wish I could say I accomplished amazing things this morning, but alas, I have done very little.  It's warm in here, even with the mini split...77.  Not terrible, and much better than without it of course.  I cleaned out the roller edge of the vacuum cleaner, plugged it in, then decided to have another coffee and chat with Charlotte Claire and Camille.  :)

We are headed out today, even though it's 98 and sunny.  Char has to go to the uniform shop to be fitted for some nursing school scrubs and a lab coat.  My glasses are in, so another stop.  We are going to BJ's for some popsicles and a watermelon.  Hopefully that's it...but now there's talk of needing a few things from Walmart.  For the record, I could do an order pick up from BJ's but I don't trust them not to melt the popsicles.  The no sugar added Outshine bars are $9.29 for 36, and they need to be kept in the freezer for as long as possible.  

We are leaving in an hour, and I sort of dread it...the heat is suffocating, with the humidity.  The "real feel" is well over a hundred, as the dew point is 72 degrees, which means there is so much moisture in the air it is oppressive.  You feel like you can't breathe.  (yesterday was 96 degrees, but with the humidity so high, ugh)

(see why I don't want my popsicles out of the freezer for very long?)

Anyway.  I like the warm weather, but this is something else. 

Ah well.  You have a good day, and stay cool!

home and hot!

 After a few days in the camper, and spending most of the time outside, it's nice to be home.  I sleep well in the camper, I love it so much, but my own bed, you know, always nice to get back to.  

This fine morning, I went to the pool, and it was SO nice, the water cool and refreshing.  It's very hot and swampily humid here in central NY, if you spend any time out there you WILL sweat.  

After the pool, I stopped for gas, because the station in town has good prices and pumps the gas for you.  I like to tip the kid who pumps, but I don't always have cash.  Today I had a five, and gave it to him because it's so hot out.  I went to Dollar General after, just for mouth tape, and I got some dill pickle peanuts and a Prime low calorie drink.  

Home...I put my backpack down in the driveway, and pulled weeds and invasive mint from the front garden box.  The spearmint plants smell wonderful, and they are wonderful to have, if you want to make a watermelon slushy or just some tea, but they take over pretty quickly.  

By the time I got in the house, I wasn't cooled off from swimming anymore.  :). Then Paul brought out his treadmill/walking pad...he has the idea that if I keep getting on it, my gait will improve, my ankle will bend properly.  So once I rested up and cooled off, I got on it for five minutes, I do think it will help.  

My birthday is coming up, so I bought myself something: 

Aren't they just the cutest?  I love them.  I like the soft footbed better, but the prices on Birkenstocks have gone way up, these were in my size, and for these days, a good deal.  The three buckle style is comfortable for me, and I wear Birkenstocks pretty much from April to November, and of course on non-snowy days in December.  :). I want to wear them in for my trip to Norway!

Tomorrow is going to be even hotter, 98 and sunny AND humid, so I'm thinking of going to the store in a little while, to get some basics.  We're having a Fourth of July cook out at Kathryn and Darius' place, so I need to get a few things for that too.  

So off I go, you all have a good day!

oh it flies...

 Where does a lifetime go?  It's a vapor, just seems like I was too young forever, then so busy I my head was spinning, for years, then boom...life slowed down, and where did it all go?  Those years of youth and busyness, my body did what it was supposed to do, and I didn't pay it much attention.  Now it rather screams to be noticed.   

It wasn't too long ago I was knee deep in small children.  

Miss Charlotte Claire and Miss Camille Anaya...the final two, numbers 15 and 16...

Char, friend Amanda (the graduate!), Linnea, my granddaughters Elise (in front), Anya, and Camille...

Doesn't time fly?  

Here's little Blythe, Margaret and Adrian's little one...she had a cupcake with blue frosting.  

The rain stopped when the party started, and it was lovely.  Grilled burgers and hot dogs, watermelon, cantaloupe, kettle chips...mmm.  

This fine morning, I got up and went to the pool, which I never fail to appreciate.  There is a good group of old people going, and the class goes by fast.  I didn't come home after, I decided to drive to Target.  I didn't find much, but it was nice to wander around.  Baby clothes are too cute, I picked out an outfit for baby Samantha, then decided to get dresses for her big sisters Ruth and Maeve, then a shirt for Grant.  I can't do all the grandkids all the time, but sometimes I pick a family and get them something.  I also got a new shower curtain and a few hand towels that were 40% off, and that's it....then to Aldi for strawberries, a cauliflower crust pizza because it had a $2 off sticker on it, some fruit snacks, lemon juice, and some snacks.  

This fine evening we are towing our camper out to our church grounds, as there is a summer gathering there this week.  Paul and I will commute because of Sunny, dogs aren't allowed, which is understandable...1000 people, we don't need doggies too, although I would be a fan.  The girls will stay in the camper, and we will use it during the day for meals.  

Also I wanted to give a knee update, to all of you who had to bear with me through so much bellyaching, and I don't blame you if you skimmed over most of it, ha.  But:  I can finally say that I am super glad I had this knee replaced.  It was a long difficult recovery, and I am honestly a bit shocked it took so long to be able to walk again, but I can walk again.  It's still not A-Okay perfect, but I can get where I need to be, without knee pain (in the new knee anyway!).  So I am thankful!  

Although I hated going through the recovery phase, having difficulties makes you appreciate mobility so much.  

We are in a nice stretch of weather now...

Look at that!  Can't complain!  

Ah well.  I have to vacuum, and there are dishes to wash, and things to pack and get together for this busy weekend.  You all have a really good day!

rain rain go away....

 We're going to a graduation party today!  The forecast looks wonderful, hope this rain dries up soon this afternoon though.

This is from Monday, a mama deer and her little one.  After they safely crossed the road, the mama trotted, then stopped to make sure little hopper was still bounding behind her.

Ruth Eleanor...

Maeve 

Jonathan, Benjamin and Samuel, three of my five boys...

Sometimes Jamison comes over for a visit, and sometimes Sunny just doesn't eat her food.  James gets her to eat, one piece at a time.

It is very darling.

This fine rainy day, I went with Kathryn on an outing...I waited in the car with baby Ellis because he fell asleep.  Well, he woke up, so I got out and opened his door, took him out of his carseat, then tried to get back in the passenger seat of Kathryn's huge-0 SUV..I couldn't figure out if it was better to set him on the seat, then sit next to him, pick him up, then scootch in...but I decided just to hold him and climb in, and somehow I did it.  :)

We went to Costco, with her four kids, and Char and Cam.  What kind of calculator do they have that turns a moderately filled cart into over two hundred dollars?  Is it that the carts are so big?  Or the packages?  One Costco rotisserie chicken, grapes, raspberries, blueberries, croissants, heavy cream, iced coffee, seltzer, kielbasa, cauliflower rice, a big huge bag of chips, chocolate covered almonds...I don't know.  Each item I put in the cart seems like a decent deal (except for the chocolate covered almonds, no way now how are they even remotely necessary, but they are SO good!)

Anyway.  We sat with the kids and had the hot dogs and pizza and drinks, and people watched.  

Home....ahh, home.  We are leaving soon for a graduation party for the girls' friend Amanda!  

It is time to get up and get moving...have a good day!

did you ever?

 Write a draft and re read it several times and just decide not to publish it?

Go to the DMV, the post office, and the eye doctor all in one day?  

Wish you could just sit in your comfy chair sipping your coffee instead of slugging it down so you could go to the DMV, the post office, and the eye doctor?

Ah well.  Life is good.  Yesterday I went to the pool, and when I got out, I had to message a guy about a washing machine, for a rental, and when I looked at my phone, Grace was telling me she was at my house with the girls while Grant was at his farming co-op.  It was so nice, on a rainy day, to have company!  

Paul picked up the washing machine himself, then delivered it later and set it up while I made dinner for Char and Cam.  (chicken breast...we freeze a lot in baggies, I've found putting two baggies of it in the iron frying pan with a lid loosely set on top defrosts it quickly, then adding sesame oil as the liquid dissipates and it thaws, you can brown it up nicely and it tastes good.  I made Asian chicken, I suppose...I added frozen and powdered ginger, salt and pepper, butter, orange marmalade, a spoonful of brown sugar.  The chicken had been frozen in lime juice so it already had a tangy flavor.  I stir fried frozen Asian veggies from Aldi with broccoli florets, and some raw cabbage.  Added all together, and it was very good)

So my walking is getting better but my hip is really bothering me.  I think it's my gait, and I am trying to fix it.   The hip stuff did show up here and there before the knee surgery, but now it clicks every time I get up, and aches in the night.  Getting older is full of perks, but hey, we're getting older, and that in itself is a gift and privilege.  

I have to leave here now, and head out and about, all by my lonesome...it's on my radar to go to Aldi and BJ's too, as long as I'm in the small city.  I'll be tired later!  You all have a good day!

just so wonderful!

 Today was just a good day.  It started out mayhem, because I was thinking in my half sleep that it was a day off, so I didn't have to get up...well, Paul did have the day off, but I still had swim class!  I try to be out the door by eight o'clock, and oops, it was 7:49 and I was still all comfy and cozy!  Somehow I made it, with a coffee in hand, out that door by eight.

The pool was as nice as ever, feels so good to move in that water.  It's always nice to see all the old people, too.  I had a funny moment though, one nice lady was telling me a very detailed story about a happening, and she said "we started to be more viligant."  Oh my goodness, I lost about five sentences of her tale as I turned that over in my head.  Vigilant!   I had to mentally slap myself silly to let it go and listen.  

It is hard work to be a good listener. :) 

Anyway, home from the pool, and Paul was leaving to go work on an apartment, said there wasn't much for me to do there, so I was here at home, all by my lonesome, which was awesome.  I sometimes just revel in it.  I sat around for a bit, did a load of laundry, then pulled a bunch of summer clothes out of my closet to see what fits and what I like, and threw a load of those things in the wash.  (If it's not been worn since last year, it need a wash before wearing....)

I was mulling a trip to Kohl's.  I haven't been there in eons.  I used to find some good things on their clearance racks.  I have one gauze dress that I love love love, from there, so I was thinking of going to see if I could find any more like it. Then I decided no, I'll just go to the thrift store instead.  Well, for the price I would pay for one dress at Kohl's, I found a Kohl's dress at the thrift store!  Plus two nice tops, a couple of books, and some grandchildren clothes!  

I decided to go to Dunkin, as I had tons of points, and got a free iced coffee.  I ordered on my phone from the thrift store parking lot, then drove over, no one in line, and it was ready, and very good!

Then to Aldi.  There was a young guy in there with a dog.  Not a little yappy cart-puppy, either.  A Lab mix, walking so nicely on the leash, just so chill and waggy.  I told him he has a very nice dog, and he was pleased as punch, thanked me, and went on and on about how much he is working with the dog.  I asked to pet him, and oh dear he was a sweet doggy!  I don't know why the Aldi people let him in a food store with a big dog, but it made my day.

I bought nectarines and blueberries, shredded cabbage, chicken drumsticks, onions, a loaf of bread, a pretty blue floral table runner marked down to $2.49, some shredded mozzarella, heavy cream, two packages of peppered bacon, and a box of rosemary crackers.  

Home...you should see me get up the stairs with several bags of stuff.  I set the big heavy bag on the step in front of me, step up with the rest of the bags, repeat, until I get to the top.

Our dinner tonight was smash burgers on the Blackstone, with lots of caramelized onions.  I also made asparagus in the air fryer, and a salad:  arugula, cucumbers, blueberries, walnuts, craisins, a splash of lime juice, and a drizzle of olive oil.  Dessert:  a no sugar Greek yogurt with a smattering of protein granola, and shh, four Hershey kisses, and a decaf coffee.

The weather here is gorgeous.  The days are long, the sun is just setting at almost nine p.m.  There is a deer out in the back, lying on the path, looking around.  The birds are mostly quiet, the tree frogs will start in soon.  I have bare feet and an old sundress on, and I am very happy.