18underoneroof
Wulf and Tennyson are here now, for the weekend. We're going to the pool in a little while...then making pizza, and I have some chicken legs marinating in lime juice, salt and pepper.
Ah well, the boy are investigating my fake fireplace, they have set up car track all over, and have already had homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. They're happy to be here, and are such good boys. The dryer is buzzing, it's my laundry, so off I go...have a really good day, and a nice weekend.
When I heard that the Price Chopper supermarket in our area was closing, what?! I haven't gone there in the last few years as much as I used to, but it was my go-to for on sale meat. During the lock-down, when we didn't actually lock down, most stores around here had limits on meat, like One Package Per Family. During that time, we had six of the kids living here, and Margaret and Adrian came frequently. Price Chopper would have crazy deals, like steak for $1.99 a pound. I would ask if they could pack up a big package for me, and they always did, and so kindly too. It was technically One Package.
Years ago, the kids would sit over in the cafe area while Cheryl and I shopped, sometimes we would get them pizza or some chicken strips, made them feel grown up to be own their own for a bit, the older ones. Back in the day, I would go in the store with my baby wipes box full of coupons...grocery shopping was difficult, but we tried to make it fun. I remember Aaron and Molly bringing Camille in her red stroller, and pushing her up and down the aisles quite fast. I remember going back an aisle for something forgotten, and the kids were playing full-on football with a roll of paper towels, they were supposed to be getting something for me. When the older ones were young, they gave away free balloons for kids in the floral department, and free cookies at the bakery. So it was quite the outing to go there.
Somehow the kids figured out that they could order French fries and onion rings back at the fish counter. They would absolutely FILL one of those styrofoam containers for $1.99, enough for all of them. They would be dancing around, Mom, Mom, Mom...(me, rifling through my coupons...) Mom, can we get fries? Yes, but you have to go order them. So they did. Not every time we went, but often.
Yesterday was a fun day with my friends, Linda and Janette. We went to Burlington, a store that I have found nice dresses, in the past, but no such luck this time. I did find a Little Tikes baby swing for either my swing set or the tree in the front yard, for $19.99, and a dog bed for the same price, which the cat is sleeping on right now. (We knew we had to replace the old one, it had a few holes and was just downtrodden...well, when one of those sweet doggies (or a kitty, not sure!) decided that bed was a good place to...regurgitate... down into the holes of that bed...nope, can't clean it, away it goes.)
Price Chopper was next, and no, I didn't cry, but the word melancholy came to mind. The past was so rich and fun and busy and I honestly have so many good memories of that place...ask Abigail about the time we ate chicken wings in the truck after shopping, and the cart boy came along and asked us, looking right at her, if they were good...I answered yes, excellent!, with a big smile...not realizing how much sauce I had on my face...oh my goodness...we laughed until we almost died. There was an older man who worked there, who asked me once if we had a pet rabbit, yes we did, he had a huge-0 package of feed that he didn't need, he said he would bring it next time...my white van pulled in to that parking lot, and he had that bunny feed. He was such a nice guy. They also employed special needs people to bag and get carts, and I made some really good friends through the years.
Anyway. Next we went to the thrift store, which is always fun. I found some sweet grandchildren clothes, but not much else. Then, into Tops really quickly for just a few things...then home....but not for long...it was Activity Club night! I made bacon and eggs for dinner, ate mine as fast as I could, then went to pick up Lydia and Ophelia...they live south of here, and AC is north of here, so it was a driving day.
This morning after the pool, Camille and I went over to Costco. There's a stretchy denim skort thing I got there recently, and I love love love it. When I saw it marked down to six dollars, I did buy one more. We needed toilet paper, and found a really nice dog bed, who would have thought Costco would have a dog bed for less than half what the other stores sell them for? Camille wanted some pierogis, and I picked up a chicken, and some fresh strawberries.
Home...ahh, home...but not for long! I had to babysit for Kathryn's little ones. They were SO good. It helped that I brought a toy in my purse, a Hatchimal set, add water and the eggs hatch, different little animals are in them. Achilles was very impressed. (I got it after Easter for 75% off). I also may have had some cookies and a few jellybeans...:).
Home again, but not for long! Our brand new washing machine that was coming on Friday, eight days after we chose and payed for it, well: phone call today, your Home Depot delivery will arrive on May 15th. um, no, no thank you. It's been hard enough going without a washing machine, not another month! I called and cancelled the order. Then Paul and I went to Lowe's and chose a different one, a top loading Maytag, no bells or whistles, not the biggest but not the smallest. I am so bad. I found myself longing just a wee little bit for the matching dryer. Our dryer is fine. It's not perfect, it's kind of old, and you have to hit it in just the right place to get it to close all the way. But we do NOT need a new one. Then there are the stacking ones...which make your laundry room roomier...ooooh, they are nice...but we don't need those either. I'm super glad I could make a quick u-turn from those thoughts, and just be thankful and excited for what we're getting.
I've always believed the more you have, the more you want. The less you have, the more you appreciate things. It seems like people want to get more and better and newer and sleeker and updated, using up their days and years..."I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed all is vanity and striving after the wind." (Eccl. 1:14).
Home again...on a dark and rainy night, super cosy in here. Paul and I had salads and Costco chicken. I melted butter with hot sauce and plopped my chicken right in there on the stove for a few minutes, mmm. Dessert was Aldi brand Two Good yogurt, 2 grams of sugar per serving. I added three sliced strawberries, some coconut, and sugar free whipped cream.
Tomorrow, the carpet measurer will come, then I might go in to the small city and try to pick out something reasonable. I am hoping to paint the upper kitchen cabinets tomorrow too.
Wulf and Tennyson are spending the weekend here, so I better not get too tired out.
My sister has made it safely to Australia, as I mentioned, and she wanted me to thank you for prayers for her journey, as it went well. She is very thankful for that. :)
Have a good evening!
I think my very favorite nature thing is when the leaves are born. The buds are there, then no matter how you try to watch to see it happen, when you're not looking, there are those little leaves. It reminds me of decorating a cake, you're all finished with the flowers, then you have the green frosting and you're filling it all in, frothy little greenery.
Paul mowed the lawn yesterday, while the septic guys did their work. Yes, another new septic pump for us, to the tune of at least a thousand dollars. It's our hard water, apparently. Paul calls it The Happy Homeowners. I call it Never Getting Ahead, but what can you do? At least we were able to do it, what if we couldn't?
Yesterday after the pool, Kathryn picked us up, Miss Cam and I. We went to Marshall's, I was looking for birthday presents for Jonathan, April 30th, Sonja May 3rd, Charlotte Claire May 11th, and Joseph May 16th. I found something fun for Sonja, a little something for Char, and a baby present for our friends' new baby. One of my little luxuries is bar soap, the Australian goat's milk soap, with that distinctive aroma, I love it.
We went to Aldi too, just for a few things, then stopped for a coffee, and home...ahh, home. The guys were working right in the back yard, so I didn't want to lounge on the deck in the sunshine, well, I DID, but I didn't. I had wiped down my white kitchen cabinets the other day, and noticed some scuffs and nicks, so I decided to change into paint clothes and touch them up.
Today, though, is a Fun Day. I have plans with my friend Linda, thrift stores and Burlington. Janette is coming too. It's going to be a beautiful sunny day, and I'm excited.
The carpet measurer is coming on Thursday to measure the stairs, and the new washer is coming on Friday. I still can't believe we bought a brand spanking new one, I hope it lasts for years and years and works amazingly well.
In our small city, we lost two police officers, they were shot by a man who fled a traffic stop...had been doing lines of coke. Sonja works in the city at the hospital where they were brought for autopsies, and when they released their bodies yesterday, she was leaving work. She cried her eyes out when she told us about everyone stopping and standing at attention...their families were there and all the other officers stood and saluted...so sad. She had a sad day. She's working on the pediatric oncology floor now...
Ah well, I have to get moving! Have a really nice day!
This morning started out SO quiet. Sonja slept in, Jonathan got up early and went to work on his car, Charlotte Claire and Camille were having a sleepover at Evelyn's apartment. Paul and I had our coffee, and puttered around...the day stretched before us, blankly. A text from Margaret: Adrian would be studying all day, could she come over with the kids? Why, yes she could! I decided to bake some cookies...a triple batch of chocolate chip...and a small batch of keto-ish molasses cookies. Kathryn decided to come for a visit too, and Samuel (Grace and kids are visiting her parents in West Virginia)...so by noon, the quiet had disappeared.
No pictures were taken of the kids today, for some reason...Blythe with her sunshine-y chubby face and beautiful blue eyes, her brothers Wulf and Ten, who played my new "Labopoly" game with me, and Achilles, Rhys, baby Jamison who scotches across the floor on his but, and speed walks in the walker, and doesn't like to nap at Grandma's...Evelyn brought Char and Cam home, and stayed a while...Sonja woke up...there was a huge game of hide-and-seek which involved Evelyn scaring the heck out of poor Wulf, who know Achilles was in the laundry room hiding but didn't know Aunt Evelyn was in there until she jumped out and yelled BOO! It was a chilly, rainy day here in Central New York State, not a day for outside. So they played in here, a bit of running and yelling and lots of happiness. Sam brought some Lego sets and sat there at the table with them, he was there the longest after they took off and started playing, but they liked them a lot when he got them put together.
I put three racks of ribs in the Instant pot, and peeled a five pound bag of potatoes for mashies. When the ribs were done, I slathered them with bbq sauce mixed with coarse ground pepper, lime juice, brown sugar, and browned them up in a 400 degree oven.
After dinner, they all had to leave...the girls were going to their friend Jen's house, Jon is at Kathryn and Darius' place watching a boxing match. It's just Paul and I here again...in the quiet, with the two dogs and two kitties. It's late, and I'm heading to bed...it was a good day. I am very thankful for the older kids, that they like to come over, that we have a place the grandkids can come to and have fun.
Yesterday we went to the laundromat. Wow, $4.75 a load! We did four big loads, then had to dry them, at least most of the way, our dryer is still working but it would take a while for that many loads to go through. Our washer is due to come next week, yay! Also, I went to a few carpet places yesterday, all by my lonesome. The first place seemed a little pricey, and honestly, although the man was most helpful in giving me a general estimate for our stairs, he didn't seem to care whether I scheduled anything with them or not. The second place was much more friendly and encouraging. They are sending people out to measure on Wednesday, then we'll get a more accurate estimate, but she said probably $700. Seven hundred bucks to carpet the stairs. Is that crazy, or what? I wanted them wood, but there are so many components: new treads, new risers, cutting each piece, ect...far beyond our carpentry skills I think. Carpet is more expensive, but so much easier, someone will come out and do it, and it'll be done. (The stairs now are bare construction grade steps, we took the carpeting off when we put the new floors in, they look pretty bad...)
And, my sister Cheryl and her husband Bill, headed to Australia! Pray for her, that she can have a good trip! Her health isn't good, to say the least, but God is good, and she is such a good example of someone having true living faith in Him, and that He causes all things for our good. :)
I forgot to blog! I must have been just living my exciting life! Tuesday was Paul's birthday, he went fishing on Owasco Lake in his kayak, and caught two nice fish, a land-locked salmon and a trout.
He did keep them, and grilled one up right on his birthday, as I said goodbye, and went to Activity Club.
Wednesday I went out to brekky with my water aerobics class. I did eat one slice of the excellent cinnamon toast, it's not actually to DIE for, but close. It's made at the Oswego Tea Company, and delivered to this diner...mmmm. I bought a whole loaf to bring home!
Camille went to the library while I went to the diner, I saved her a slice of my cinnamon toast. (she OPTED to go to the library!). We then went to the thrift store, found a nice skirt for myself, and Cam bought a dress and a pretty top. Then into the grocery store quick for the specials, around the edge of the store...then home....ahhh, home.
But shh, it was chilly out there, and a bit disappointing that it was so cloudy.
Our day started with the gym. Camille and Char worked out, I went to water aerobics. Then a stop at the pharmacy, then the Dollar General, then to get gas in the car. Home...but wait, should we go look at washing machines, see if there's a dented or dinged one priced more reasonably? Good idea, with all the eclipse traffic...on the main road heading north, we noticed car after car with out-of-state plates.
See, our washing machine died a few days ago. It was amazing, a Cabrio, all slick and shiny, only one hundred dollars on Marketplace. It replaced the stacking one we had for years, since the Great Laundry Room Fire. Well. The Cabrio was lovely to look at, but it started in. Yes, it started in. First an occasional UL, which meant Unbalanced Load, so we would shift things around, push start, and be fiiiine. Then it started showing it's true colors...it would take all the live-long day to do one load! This brought back past Laundry Trauma, of the years when our top loader wouldn't spin properly, you would have to start it, then give that agitator a good whirl, then close the top and hope it would keep going...sometimes it also took all the live-long day...while the pile in the doorway got higher, yes we had Laundry Mountain.
Those days are long past. But the Cabrio was a dud. One hundred dollars for like four or five months of use. I suggested we consider a new washing machine. I went looking without doing much research. Lowe's had a few promising candidates, but nothing to pull the credit card out for. One was discounted 20% for having a HUGE-0 dent in it. I would think more like 70% for a dent like that! harrumph.
Home Depot...we found one we liked, seemed to check all the boxes. I called Paul, he said to buy it. Well. I did. But $29 to deliver it, they don't allow you to pick it up yourself! I just did it anyway. Delivery....April 19th...just do it, the girls said. So I did. Tax, delivery, almost seven hundred bucks.
Anyway. Yesterday was a lovely day. Emily, Benjamin, Mariel, Joseph, Molly, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camille were here, of our kids. (Aaron is in Arizona, Sam and Jonathan went to Ohio for the weekend, and Abigail is in Delaware)...plus some spouses and a fiancé, and 12 of the grandchildren were here.
Reading the news is depressing sometimes. A mom of five who brought her kids to a resort in the Carolinas, and let the four year old go on a raft by herself in the lazy river behind an older sibling. The small child drowned, while she sat in the hot tub. The mom is suing the state and the resort for not having a lifeguard. What can one even say about this? It's sad on so many levels, tragic...
I wonder if parenting has gotten worse because of the breakdown of the village it takes to raise a child. Grandmas and aunties and cousins, neighbors...when I was a kid, the neighborhood ladies would actually come knock on the door, no phone call first, and my mother would have them in for coffee...I remember my mom also bringing my little brother and I for a walk, and we'd end up at someone's house, I still remember them stirring that sugar into their cups, and how we hung around and listened to the gossip.
It just seems that inappropriate discipline is given, with parents not realizing what their kids are capable of, or NOT capable of..a toddler getting a smack for trying to stand up in the cart, older kids being dressed down in public, as if their embarrassment doesn't matter. When we were in Florida, a small boy, maybe two years old, was running away from his mama, which we all know is a two-year-old's favorite thing. She wasn't having it. Upside down, that's how she scooped him up...but not for fun and teasing, she was yelling and spanking his butt. It makes me cry, but Emily and I agreed it's probably not against the law to spank your child in Florida, what could we do, except say a prayer.
Anyway, after the pool this morning Camille and I went to Aldi. (Cam has been going to the gym while I swim). We got things for Sunday, as we're having the family over to have a little Honoring Eleanor ceremony, or maybe a Telling Grandma Stories gathering. Nothing formal. I bought raspberries, grapes, celery and mini peppers, we already have carrots and cukes. We'll have pepperoni and meats and cheeses with crackers, and brie, and jam. I bought chicken drumsticks and thighs, I'll marinate them in lime juice, roast them in the oven, slather with bbq sauce, broil, and mmmm. Kathryn is bringing Mac and cheese, and Evelyn pulled pork. I also stopped at a local dairy and bought two half gallons of ice cream. I feel off the hook now concerning making dessert, because we can have ice cream cones. I do want to make the flourless chocolate cake, and some coconut cupcakes with buttercream frosting, but we'll see, won't we?
Kathryn is coming over in a bit, with her little ones, and Margaret and Adrian and their three. I'm making a pot roast...I browned it up in olive oil in the Dutch oven, then browned up some onions and garlic, added beef broth, red wine, a gravy packet, salt, pepper, bay leaves, a small can of tomato paste...it's in the oven at 300, will add red skinned potatoes and carrots soon.
Well, here it is almost ten at night...the six grandchildren and older kids have left now, the house is quiet. What fun we had though! I made cookies with Achilles and Rhys.
Ah well...it's been a day....I'm tired. Have a good night!
