oh my goodness what a week...

 Walking the line between what's my story to tell and infringing on privacy isn't always easy.  But we have had a challenging week here.  Last I told you, Grace was in the hospital, she was there until last evening.  Evelyn had a bad migraine, which turned the corner in a very bad way.  I was headed to Sam's house to celebrate Ruth turning five years old...poor girl, her mama in the hospital on her birthday!  (I stopped and got pink frosted cupcakes and donuts and raspberries and strawberries, bacon and eggs, frozen meatballs and sauce).  Anyway, Sam lives across the street from Evelyn, he called me and asked what was wrong with Evelyn, because there was a police car, firetruck, and ambulance at her house...I thought he was teasing me, they all know how I go from zero to totally freaked in no time flat.

Well, he wasn't kidding.  Evelyn went to the hospital and suffered several seizures.  They moved her to the ICU, and gave her meds to stop the seizures and lower the blood pressure, she had some other serious issues going on, and it was very scary.  Emily left work and came here to take care of newborn Bridget, I came back from Sam's and helped her...Suzanne and Zech came over because Suze was quite upset, and they wanted to help...turned out they were needed...half hour after they got here, Darius called and needed someone at his house so he bring Kathryn to the hospital...here's where I'll leave you in the dark, she likes her privacy, but Suze and Zech went over there immediately.  

Kathryn is most likely going to be okay.  She may be able to go home today, after two nights there, her baby is doing well (due in Oct/Nov). She's on the same floor as Evelyn, who was moved from the ICU last evening.  So we went and visited both of them.  Molly works at that hospital, so she came in too.  Mariel works at the cancer center right up in that area, so she was able to be up there when things were really scary.  Emily used to work with the dr. who took care of Evelyn, so that was helpful. 

Yesterday we had a full house here.  Nate had spent the night here taking care of Bridget, so he left to go see Evelyn, I had newborn...with Suze's help...then Darius brought Achilles, Rhys, Jamie, and Ellis over.  He went to spend some time with Kathryn.  Oscar and Sonja came over with little Kaia, the kids had tons of fun...Sonja played hide and seek, Oscar played Sorry!  Zech talked to Achilles for a good hour about Spongebob show plots.  

I wanted to make sure I gave the kids some dinner, because Mariel was picking them up and bringing them home...it was like one of my nightmares!  The box of corndogs I was thinking of giving them had only one in it.  I had no hot dogs, so I made boxed Mac and cheese, sliced up some chicken breast I had grilled that was still good, made corn tortillas (Suze did that), chopped onion and cilantro, made eight crunchy chicken drums in the air fryer...it was like when the kids were little....Kaia and Ellis were in the kitchen with me, toddling around...Sonja put Ellis in the high chair and fed both he and Kaia their dinner...Achilles didn't want any dinner, even if I make the same food as his mom, he said, it tastes different...I get it.  He was also anxious about his mom and wanted his dad to come back.  

So Suzanne and Zech and I headed up to the hospital with Bridget last evening, right as Mariel was picking up Kathryn's kids...(Paul held down the fort for a little while).  Evelyn was so happy to see her baby, although she couldn't hold her very well yet.  We left baby with Nate and went down the hall to see Kathryn.  Suze and Zech went down to the vending machines and got snacks and drinks for Kap and Eve and Nate before we loaded Bridget back into her car seat and brought her to spend the night with Aunt Emily....

My pictures aren't loading at all, not sure why...but I have things to do and places to go and a living room to vacuum...you all have a good day, and hug your dear ones....

oh you never know...

 Yesterday morning, I got up and went to the pool, then to the diner in town for brekky with the swim friends.  There were only a few of us, and the highlight was when one fellow actually spit out his milk in sudden laughter.  You couldn't fake it that well, it was perfect, yet it was spontaneous.  Charlie said something so hilarious, and he wasn't even meaning to be funny.  oh dear.  

In the mean time, Miss Evelyn was having a really rough time.  She had a headache that was getting worse and worse, so she wanted me to come help Nate with baby and with Newton the French Bull dog, while she went in for an appointment...well, she ended up going to the Emergency Room, for fluids and bloodwork, just to rule some things out.   I drove up there and took her to see her dr. afterward, it seems it was a really bad migraine.  

I did get to sit and hold one small Bridget, who made funny faces.  She smiled and raised her eyebrows in her sleep.  She wriggled and tooted and snuggled, she's like a little doll.  I think Evelyn is feeling a bit better.  (Nate is very patient and so good with baby!)

Then, because it's always something, Grace got sick and ended up in the hospital, I don't know if I'm free to share details, so I'll just say that she thinks she'll be okay, but today is Ruth's birthday and Sam is home with the kids.  So, I have birthday presents and am going to stop and get a cake, and head up there so Sam can go see Grace or pick her up or whatever has to be done.  

These are the times I am super glad I don't work!

Ugh, I'll tell you something awful.  I have a molar that has a very expensive crown, yet it insists on giving me trouble.  The dentist told me a few years back that it's best to yank it, but there's no hurry.  I went a few years with no trouble, then had an infection.  Then nothing for a long while.  It flared back up in the wintertime when I had a brand new knee, so I called and got an antibiotic quickly.  Well, this past week it started in again...I'll spare you the details...but I happen to have a dentist appointment next week, so I called this morning and have to go pick up antibiotics today.  (I am thankful, so very thankful to live in these times!  I would be SO dead by now!).   I'm sure we'll revisit the tooth pulling conversation on Tuesday.  

Charlotte Claire and Camille are going camping in the Adirondacks this fine day, for the weekend.  They've been packing and prepping!  Kathryn and Margaret are going too, it's a girls' trip.  I sent my broom and solar lanterns and a tablecloth, and my favorite tent.  They are going to have so much fun!  

It'll be quiet here again though....

Anyway.  I need to get moving...have a really good summer day!  Go bare feet in the grass and get some sunshine on your face!

a sunny summer Tuesday...

 

One little baby spam:  Bridget Suzanne:), pic stolen from Evelyn.

This fine morning, I headed to Target all by myself for a store pick up.  I had ordered body wash, shampoo, ect., had a few coupons, ect.  Of course I decided to wander around a little bit.  I didn't find much, but I did get some marked down donut holes and lemon poppyseed muffins for the girls and grandkids.  I was rang up at the service desk because only one register was open besides the self serve ones, she called me over.  So, I couldn't see how much things were ringing up.  Well.  I got out to the car, and the $4.99 muffins which have a date of tomorrow, did not ring up the $2.00 on the big yellow sticker.  The other things rang up way too much too.  I did NOT feel like going back in on an 84 degree sunshiny day for five dollars in overcharges.  ugh.

Anyway.  I headed out to visit Ms. Kathryn and children, and go for a swim.  That sunshine, ahhh!

Home...time to grill the chicken I had marinated in lime juice and cajun spices, before I left.  The girls came home from work and made coconut rice, chopped cilantro, onions, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, and made guac.  I put a cauliflower crust pizza in the oven too, it was going to expire:). I didn't have the coconut rice, although it sounded yummy, I had a bowl of arugula with blueberries, lime juice...and chicken on top.

I slathered the chicken breast with avocado oil, salt and pepper, and grilled it to 145, then put it in a bowl with foil to finish up.  I sliced it up, and it was so tender and juicy!  There is nothing like it.  

After dinner, Paul took us all for ice cream.  Why does soft ice cream have to be so good?  It was a lovely drive through the countryside too, especially fun with Char and Cam along.

Life is good.  You all have a good evening...maybe tomorrow I can put more than one picture on!

oh so sweet, welcome to the world baby girl!

 Evelyn and Nate, congratulations!  Baby Bridget Suzanne was born on Saturday!  She's their first, and she's adorable, seven pounds of sweetness.  

I was so pleased to hold her, only a few hours old.  

Evelyn had just been to the house not long before, and wasn't even ready to have a baby yet!   Bridget had other plans:)

Here's 11 years ago, when I still had little kids afoot, Miss Char and Miss Cam with Suri, the best black Lab ever...

Well, this isn't letting me add any more pictures.  I got a beautiful new dollhouse this morning from a swim class friend, a 50's Marx tin house with all original Renwal furniture.  It was her's as a child, and is in very good condition, 70+ years old.  

It's a rainy day, just lovely and cozy.  I have some trim painting to do around here, as well as some laundry...you all have a really good day, and I hope I can post pictures tomorrow!

We two do have fun!

 Last night, we went out to eat spontaneously.  And, I do mean "out"! 

Lake Ontario!  

We stopped at an iconic little place called Rudy's, and got fried haddock.  

We drove around a bit on the way home, got lost, had to cheat and use Maps.  He said, "I think I'm being too nice to you this week."  I said, Well you DID bring me to the hardware store last night!   :)

This is the table I refinished...forgot to take a proper "before" pic, the top was a dull brown but I sanded all the finish off, then added a coat of primer to the rest before I remembered that I forgot the picture, ha.

I sanded it smooth, and put several coats of poly on the top.  The legs and bottom were painted with Sherwin-Williams Biscuit cabinet and trim paint, because I still had some from doing the coffee table and the kitchen cabinets.  It's a warm creamy color.

It was a fun project, and since I was so sad to be finishing it, I painted the door from the kitchen to the deck...:). same color.  

This fine morning, I went to the pool...came home, did a second coat on both sides of the door, puttered around then sat out on the deck for a few minutes, then noticed that Kathryn had texted.  I ended up going swimming with her and the kids, and Grace and her kids.  :). I love summer, love the sunshine.  

I took a quick trip to the store on the way home, even though it was several miles out of the way.  The girls are on their way home, and I wanted to have milk and bread.  Paul has raw milk and we have low carb protein bread, but the girls like regular whole milk and regular bread:). I also got them some Oreos, Coke Zero, ground beef, salt potatoes, cherries, and a few blocks of cheese.

Home...ahh, home.  How I hate carrying everything in all by myself!  I had brought a cooler and a pool bag to the pool, added to a few bags of groceries...there are still a few six packs of Coke Zero in the back of the car.  

Paul and Mariel drove down to Newark to pick up the girls, they stayed in Norway an extra week.  

Miss Char (in the sunnies)

Camille and Charlotte Claire

Char and Cam....I stole all these pics from them.

It has been a very nice week here with just Paul.  But.  It will be so nice to have the lively girls back in the house.  

On Wednesday evening, Emily was going to stop in to drop off a few books for me, so I invited her for dinner.  I made chicken stir fry.  (Chicken breast marinated in Aldi Asian salad dressing, added some cornstarch, cooked in the iron frying pan in avocado oil...it was good, but what a mess, it stuck to the pan....I stir fried veggies in the other frying pan in some sesame oil, then stir fried up some frozen Asian cauliflower rice from Costco, in addition to the Basmati rice I made to serve it with.  Scooped in a bowl with some Aldi Orange Chicken sauce, and mmmm.). We had a nice visit with Emily, too.  

Just for the record, my "old' knee is clicking and aching.  dang.  I would like to get a few more miles out of it, I am simply not ready to go through this whole rigamorole again.  Not yet.  But.  Almost every step click!, it just isn't smooth at all.  I go in September to check the new knee...we'll see.  

We are going camping in a few weeks in the Adirondacks, then up on Lake Ontario after that.  Then summer will wrap up, all too soon...wah.

Right now, I'm bare foot in an old sundress, with Old Kitty on the arm of my chair, relaxing.  

Today one of the older guys in the pool told me I look like a marshmallow.  I don't mean white and puffy, he said, but golden and toasted.  Okay.  ?  

All right.  Not too much more to say...oh, but I am super excited, grandchild number 20 will be arriving soon, baby girl of Nate and Evelyn!  (Then Abigail and Derek's baby girl, then Kathryn and Darius' baby girl, then Margaret and Adrian's baby (they don't find out the gender))...

You all have a nice Friday night!

Just the two of us...

Our children were born one by one, so the chaos sneaked up on us.  One day we were young and innocent, and suddenly we were bewildered.  The house was FILLED with kids!  Babies, toddlers, teenagers, they were everywhere!  They needed dinner every night, and new sneakers, and  their clothes and bedding had to be washed, they needed baths and showers, oh bed time was a whole comedy show.  

Then, one by one, they grew up and moved out.  Each move left an ache in my heart, and as the bedrooms emptied, I struggled to adjust the newness of the quiet.  Now we're down to two girls home, and when they're here, they are HERE.  (They are so much fun!). But, they're in Norway still.  So it's just Paul and me.

Last night after dinner, he said let's do something, ice cream?  Well.  I had just opened an after dinner yogurt, but I wrapped it up and put it back, grabbed my sweater, and off we went.  There is an ice cream place in the next town over, with the best soft ice cream...chocolate vanilla twist with rainbow sprinkles...mmm.  

We drove around the countryside and ended up at a little church with a graveyard.  We had been there before, I remember seeing a gravestone with the name Chloe, with our last name, and Paul suggesting it for a baby name...we were expecting Emily at the time.  Obviously I didn't share his enthusiasm, ha.  Anyway, a lot of his relatives are buried there. 

We ate our ice cream and wandered around...we're weird, but we do like old cemeteries.

Our dinner tonight was the same as last night:  I've been craving barbecued chicken, and our air fryer does the job.  Chicken thighs marinated in cajun spices and lime juice, then dipped in corn starch with salt and pepper, placed on parchment with plenty of avocado oil, coat in oil, flip...425 for 18 minutes, flip, brush with Stubbs bbq, air fry for a bit longer....flip again...until they are crispy and done.  

We've been eating a lot of arugula too, I like mine with cucumbers, maybe green olives, craisins, blueberries if we have them, salt and pepper, olive or avocado oil and a splash of lime juice.  

This fine morning, I picked up my car, it passed it's yearly inspection.  I did give the mechanic a Norwegian chocolate bar:). He said he just happens to be a "chocolate feen".  I haven't heard the word "feen" in a very long time:)

I'm working on this little table: 

, 

I regret that I didn't get a true "before" pic.  This is after I sanded all the old brown varnish off the top, exposing some nice wood.  I scuffed up the legs and lower shelf, a few coats of primer...  Now it's had a few applications of wipe off polyurethane on the top, and some creamy Biscuit color (Sherwin-Williams cabinet and trim enamel)(which is wonderful, it goes on like a dream, all buttery and smooth).  It still needs a few more coats on the top....but it'll be lovely, I'll show you in a few days.  

Kathryn came over with the kids today.  

Jamie fed Sunny her food, one piece at a time.  

Ellis is getting so big!  He's too cute.

They had pbj's and some blueberries, and played kitchen and house and in the fort I made by draping a few blankets from the back of a chair to the couch.  They played store and ran around and then were gathered up and brought home.  :)

Tomorrow, after swim class, I have a Target order to pick up, nothing exciting.  But life is exciting, and I do love summertime.  I am choosing to enjoy my days.  I am super blessed, and have nothing to complain about, but that doesn't stop us from feeling so tempted to be disgruntled and miserable sometimes!  This fine afternoon, before dinner, Paul had to go to the hardware store.  He asked if I wanted to go, and sure, I'll go for a ride!  Well.  Seeing me get in the truck would make anyone either feel super sorry for me, or laugh their heads off, or both.  There are no running boards, and the seat is so high, I just put my back to it, reach for the handle built in, as if Nissan KNEW an old grandma would be riding in that truck, heave myself up, turn around, and ahh, I did it.  Well.  Paul seemed to notice this debacle more than usual and said, "you seem to be struggling."  Duh?   Honestly, I was very tempted to feel sorry for myself.  I said, "Well, it's high up, if it was that high for you, you'd struggle too."  I knew that wasn't really so, and he said, "I doubt it."  I said, "I know.  I doubt it too."  I was so tempted to feel sorry for myself because I do try so hard...then I opened my ice cold peach seltzer, which I had just dropped on the truck floor, and it exploded in the new truck. I laughed my head off.  His face!  He took it really well after a second though.  I could NOT stop laughing.  

Anyway.  I do struggle.  My mobility isn't magical.  It's hard work, and I still get so sore and stiff.  My "old" knee is clicking and catching, but:  I can walk!  I choose to work to be thankful for that.  I choose to not get offended, and to not let doom and gloom capture me.   I choose not to be ensnared by thoughts that scribble the future with a black crayon.  There are plenty of things to worry about, but we have TODAY.  Why waste today on worries about tomorrow, especially when we are expressly chastised NOT to?!

Anyway.  Life is good, and I am enjoying it.  

jet lag is real!

 I am feeling better than I did when I arrived in Norway...I didn't sleep on the plane over, or on the bus ride, so when we got to our suite, I curled up on the couch...but didn't fall asleep for various reasons...held out until night time, and that's how I managed to sleep in the uncomfy bunk bed.  :). 

Coming home was easier in a way, but after the first good night's sleep because of sheer exhaustion, the time change effects start to become more apparent...I wake up super early, and get tired super early in the evening. It's not a bad thing, but it's definitely a thing.

I cannot even describe how helpful this trip was for me.  The obvious:  seeing eight of my kids there, a few daughter-in-laws, son-in-laws, and 12 of my grandkids...sitting on the fjord beach, going on the boat, not having to think about meal prep or cooking for the whole time, seeing friends from far and wide, and making new ones too.  

We had such good gatherings and meetings!  I am so very thankful for my friends, and for my heavenly calling, and that God has had such mercy on me.  I am thankful that I can have my ears opened to what God wants to say to me, and be so encouraged to be faithful in the hidden.  The thought life is crucial, keeping pure so that no bitter roots grow and destroy many.  

I've been to the pool this morning, to my swim class, it was lovely to be back.  I passed out Kvik Lunj bars, and then went to brekky with three of the ladies.  I stopped for gas on the way home, at the full service station in town, and had nary a dollar for a tip, so I gave the kid who pumped the gas a Norwegian chocolate bar...I am such a dork.  I handed it to him and said I just went to Norway, and since I don't have any cash for a tip, have this chocolate bar..."    (It's good my girls weren't with me, they would be like MOM!!!)

Anyway.  I'm home from the pool, watered my flowers, hung up my suit and towel, and here I sit.  I have plans though...I'll take a before and after, but I have a little table to redo.  (I've been itching to sand something!)  I have a few chairs I need to get rid of in the living room too, so I'm looking to replace them with just one new chair...there's too much furniture in here, but don't tell Char and Cam and Sonja that I conceded that.  The two Ikea chairs are just trashed.  They are all saggy, just done.  

It's just Paul and I here, although we had Evelyn and Nate, and Sonja and Kaia here for dinner last evening.  I cut up a watermelon, Ev brought pasta salad and buns, and I grilled burgers.  Tonight I'm thinking barbecued chicken thighs, although I did buy two ribeyes because it's just the two of us:)

Evelyn is due in three weeks!!!!  With Sonja, holding Kaia...

I have to bring my car to the mechanic down the road for it's yearly inspection, hope it goes well.  I have to go in for MY yearly inspection soon, I had to reschedule because I somehow had the appointment for the day I landed in Newark, oops.  I also have to see the dermatologist for my yearly skin check, then the knee doctor, and the dentist is in there somewhere too.  It's nothing compared to the slew of appointments I used to be running to, years ago, with all the kids...

Ah well.  You have a really good summer day!!!