there's no place like...

 home, but honestly, it's hard to leave here.  We have had such a nice vacation!  

A few hot air balloons flew right over the house the other day...

Yesterday, we went out and about in the Space Car, ha.  Isn't Camille cute?   We went to World Market, and had way too much fun, then for coffee, then to Target.

I made this pumpkin pie for Aaron, and I would love to say that what it lacks in looks it makes up for in taste, but  I accidentally doubled the butter.  Now, as yummy as that sounds, it did make the oven smoke, and the house all hazy, but the smoke alarms did not go off this time at least.  The pie has a nice texture, the flavor is amazing except for the smoky taste.  oops.  

World Market had Halloween candy 75% off, so we tried these Pimlico candies from England...mmm.

And these from Australia.  Not too bad!

Riley making homemade pasta, Aaron helping with the chicken Alfredo.

They brought us some chocolates, and macarons for Miss Camille

Homemade chicken ramen bowl...

The chicken alfredo, that chicken was so good, hand breaded and oven fried.  

That Santa Claus cup and in the desert, well, it really doesn't make sense to me.  We're headed home to a snowy forecast, to chilly dark days.  We know our skin won't feel the sunshine on it for months.  These days have been a real gift, absolutely.  

Now the dreaded heading to the airport.  I like the adventure of traveling, but the scurrying and hurrying and being scanned and having the passport ready and finding the ticket on my phone and waiting in lines and squishing into the middle seat (we are middle and window for the six hour cross-country flight), not my cup of tea.  You're supposed to stay hydrated for flights, but when you have to wake up the aisle guy to get out to pee, and there's always turbulence when I step into the tiny lil bathroom, it's like I trigger it or something.  Our connection is tight again, and the first flight has been delayed a little, but I'm trying not to stress about it.  I didn't sleep so well last night, but I am mostly packed.  I brought too many clothes, then add to that the stuff I bought at World Market, and that silly tennis dress I bought to swim in, which was great, but will I ever wear it again?  I am already not bringing home the ridiculous Hello Kitty sweatshirt fabric skirt that I bought to sleep in with the American flag t-shirt.  I needed something, and well, clearance rack.  

We went the first three days here without our luggage, only bought that stuff on the first day, totals around a hundred dollars including the bathing suit I ordered from Amazon.  So we opted to apply for travel credit for compensation instead, hopefully they give it to both of us.  I've always like JetBlue, but their customer service has been absolutely terrible.  

Anyway, I'll bring the dogs outside again in a bit, get some sunshine, then change into my traveling dress and off we'll go to the big huge airport...

the sunshine doesn't get old...

 

Aren't these beautiful?  They were in my room when I arrived.  It's truly a vacation, a nice big room all to myself with my own bathroom.  Nice shampoo and conditioner, facewash, all the good stuff:)

Camille and I have been watching The Great British Baking Show, and learning new words, like biscuit, sponge, fiddly, and stodgy.  She was inspired to bake something, she chose chocolate orange cupcakes with a chocolate orange buttercream.  There's orange zest in the batter, then the frosting is one of those Terry's chocolate oranges, melted and whipped with heavy cream and orange juice and cocoa powder, made into a buttercream.  They didn't have cupcake wrappers, so we made our own with parchment paper.

A random pic from the past, Miss Camille with her big brother Aaron...:)

Our dinner:  leftover steak, chopped up, thrown in the frying pan with some oil an onions, carefully so as not to set off the smoke alarms, served with chopped onions and cilantro on warm corn tortillas.  (Can you tell that Miss Cam just got back from Mexico?)

We're enjoying this lovely kitchen.  There's nothing like watching that baking show with the aroma of orange chocolate wafting through the air.  

We went to Target yesterday, to get the baking ingredients and to visit their Starbucks.  I got a decaf iced Americano, so I could sleep better.  I still woke up at dawn, despite going to bed at midnight.  blah.  Not that I mind being up and seeing the gorgeous desert behind the house, and feeling the night chill still in the air as the pups bark and run and boss me to throw the ball again.  They're all fed and watered and supplemented and played with, we're all being lazy now.  Camille and I have big plans for today, involving sunshine and swimming, and perhaps baking some bread.  

Ah well.  You all have a really good day!

finally!!!

 We arrived here on Wednesday around noon.  Our luggage arrived last night at 11:11.  So Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday without our stuff.  We had stopped at Target on the way home from the airport, so at least we had a few things to wear, and we had toothpaste, toiletries, ect., but jeepers.  

I am super thankful I found this tennis dress for $7.49...it's hard to find my kind of bathing suit...I had ordered one from Amazon on the way home from the airport, but it took a bit to get here.  So at least I could go in the pool!  

It did the trick.

It really is lovely here.

We have enjoyed the sunshine.

Lilly loves me.  

Sometimes she can't get close enough.  

Camille and I did venture out a little bit yesterday.  We went to the new Fry's, a big grocery store not too far from here.  We got salads for our lunch, and some chicken, then strip steaks for dinner.  The store has $5 donut dozens on Fridays, we were tempted...but two people in a house with a dozen donuts?  Ideally, we would take a bite out of each one, taste them all, then throw them away, but that seems almost sinful.  Why torture yourself?  So we resisted.  

We spent hours outside, just enjoying the sunshine and swimming.  Dinner time, poor us, steak.  I set it out to reach room temp, seasoned it up, then tried to get the grill fired up...but the gas dial was turned so tightly, neither of us could loosen it.  So, we had to cook those steaks inside.

I know how to panfry a steak, get that pan hot and get a nice sear, mmmm.  Well, by the time I was done perfecting those steaks, the smoke alarms started shrilling.  We opened the slider doors and turned up the exhaust fan to high.  Riley got a notice on his phone (they are away on vacay for the weekend, seeing Adele), and asked if we were okay...well, yes, but how do we turn these things off?  I thought the firetrucks were going to arrive any minute.  

After a bit, the house aired out, and the alarms stopped, and phew.  We had leftover mashed potatoes from the little Thanksgiving feast Riley had made for us on Wednesday, (I also had some of the cornbread/sage/chorizo stuffing), and fresh green beans.  It was SO good.  We watched Hillbilly Elegy.  We waited for our lugagge to arrive.  I tell you, that was a saga.  I called and messaged and requests were sent to the airport, but you cannot just phone JetBlue and speak to a person.  Well, if you call the central baggage center, you can, but the most they can do for you is submit a claim.  We finally got a message yesterday morning that our suitcases were set up for delivery and a courier would pick them up.  That took another 12 hours.  

The worst part was that the bags arrived at the Phoenix airport just a few hours after we did, and it took that long for them to get them here.  If we knew it would take that long, we could have just gone there and gotten them, but we had already selected the "deliver our bags" option, and didn't know for sure if they were already enroute.

Oh, talk about a tempest in a teacup.  

We have very few plans for today.  We'll bring the dogs outside a million times and throw the ball for them, keep their water dish filled, give them their supplements, get lots of sunshine, maybe go shopping, eat the leftover steak with cilantro in corn tortillas, have a Coke Zero out by the pool.  Poor us, right?  The dogs are all sleeping right now, and Camille is taking a shower, so it's quiet in here.  I don't mind some quiet.  :). Have a good day!

oh, did I ever call it!!!

 So the other day, I was writing on this blog about our tight flight connection at JFK in NYC.  Remember, Camille be a dear and run ahead and hold that plane door open for me?  Well, I wrote it and it came true.  It was like a mini-nightmare in real life.

We got up at 3:30 am, got the airport, breezed through security with our TSA precheck, which is totally worth getting, and on to our gate.  The line for coffee at Dunkin was prohibitive, so we decided we would drink crappy airplane coffee when we boarded.

Well.  A message from the captain that the aircraft was throwing an error code.  Maintenance reset something, and had to wait ten minutes to start it up and on and on.  They had already boarded those who needed assistance, and then took them back off the plane.  tick tick tick, that 50 minute cushion between our upcoming flight was dwindling.  We had decided to gate check our carryons, so we wouldn't have to lug them through the connection.

We finally took off, had an uneventful flight, during which I talked to a flight attendent about how short our connection time was going to be, she said there were a few others on board with similar tight connections and that she would announce a request that others remained seated so that we could deplane first.  I heard her talk to the couple in front of us, they had at least an hour more time than we did, she assured them they would be fine.

So we landed, scurried to our feet as fast as we could, and the couple in front of us was in the aisle, getting bags from overhead bins...I knew they had plenty of time, so I said, in my most passive agressive voice, Camille, I really hope only people going to Ft. Lauderdale and Phoenix are getting off now, because we have like FIVE minutes to get on our plane...  the lady heard me, and poked her husband, said to him that they should sit down and let us off...I gave her such a happy thank you, so appreciate it, then it trickled down the aisle that we had five minutes to make our flight...most people remained in their seats, and as we inched down toward the door, one lady said, "It's 7:56, good luck!"  Yes, good luck, hope you make it, hurry now!  All the well wishes from kind strangers, as they let us go by.  Our next flight:  doors closed at 8:00.   The problem was, we landed at gate #1.  The flight to Phoenix was at gate 26.  Our tickets said gate 19, which was in the other direction.  The phone app said gate 20.   We decided to go for 26, that was the latest communication from JetBlue.  So, we took off, thankful we hadn't any roller bags to lug.  She went on ahead to make sure it was the right gate.  I swerved in between hapless people taking a selfie in the middle of the aisle, ruder than I would ever imagine being...I hurried as fast as I could go.

Camille made it there, told the gate agent her mom was coming, the agent said oh no, if she isn't here, she isn't boarding...Cam ran back a bit, saw me coming, said MOM HURRY, as if I could HURRY more.  I did, I stepped on it, and zooomed right to the gate...the ticket agent was not amused, she kept her mantra going, this is a courtesy, this is just a courtesy...Cam had already scanned our boarding passes, and bam we were the very last ones on the plane.  My hands may have been shaking a little bit.  My heart may have been pounding quite hard.

It was 8:02 when she scanned us in.

Then, we had a nice relaxing flight, I watched How The Grinch Stole Christmas, during which I nodded off.  It was a five hour flight, not too bad.

We arrived and our luggage didn't.

So we went to Target.  You feel so straggly after traveling.  But we needed something to change into.  I wanted to get into their pool as soon as I got there, they had no big old lady bathing suits, so I found an extra large tennis dress on the clearance rack, and yay, they had half off the clearance price!  I also bought a pair of shorts, and ugly t-shirt, a sweatshirt skirt with Hello Kitty, and a USA t-shirt to sleep in, Cam picked out a few things and a new bikini too.  

We put our traveling clothes into the washing machine, then headed to the pool....ahhh.

Our luggage hasn't arrived yet.  I had to call this morning to confirm I want it delivered here instead of picking it up at the airport an hour away.  Of course the number I was given, no one answered so I left messages on two different options, and on the online portal.  Maybe I'll have another swim in the black tennis dress...which I am super thankful I found!  

Ah well...traveling is not always fun, but the adrenaline rush and supreme relief of actually making our flight were pretty sweet.  The thing is, we could have just gotten onto a later flight, not a huge-0 deal, but who wants to wait around the airport for a few more hours?  

Riley made us a thanksgiving feast last night, homemade cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing with fresh sage and chorizo sausage in a hot skillet pan, roasted turkey, gravy, homemade mashies...oh dear.  Then a fresh fruit cobbler, with strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, hot out of the oven with vanilla Tillamook ice cream...oh dear!  

So it's nice to be here....glad I don't have to travel again until next week ha...Sorry for the super boring detailed narrative...:). Have a really good day...

fun times with the kids...

 

I went to a play museum with some grandkids today...Grant, Tennyson, and Wulf in the back

Mariel with Rhys and Jamie

Wulf:  I'm preparing to be a teenager, making a skateboard.

Cousins, Rhys and Ruth, with their cousin Blythe in the background

Cousins Maeve and Blythe

Tennyson building himself a block kingdom

Jamison, Ruth, Rhys, Grant

Ruth and Rhys

Mariel with Rhys and Jamie...she's been taking care of them, as well as Achilles, for several days as Kathryn and Darius are in Mexico.

Jamie in his clock shirt from Aunt Grace (he is obsessed with clocks!)

Ruth and Rhys kept bringing me food.  This morphed into them being a bit crazy and throwing the food, which we stopped pretty quickly...it was getting time to leave, ha.  

There were nine grandchildren there today, and four adults, Emily (she's taking care of Wulf, Tennyson, and Blythe while Margaret and Adrian are in Florida for a few days), Grace, Mariel, and I.  That's not a bad ration, but the littles have to be watched every second.  And they are all in perpetual motion, in different directions.  It's not tiring yet it's exhausting.  :)

After helping Mariel in the door and staying a while, doing a craft, telling a story, reading a few books, I headed back home.  I have to leave for the airport in a few minutes to pick up Darius, Kathryn, and Camille.  They arrive at six, and Cam and I are leaving for Phoenix tomorrow morning at six.  :)

Ah well.  I do not like driving in the dark, but oh well..

and, she's done!

 

And, here she is!  (Those are new baskets underneath, not sure if I'll keep them there, but they were half off at Aldi today:). I'll take a better picture tomorrow in the daylight, but I do like how it turned out.  It's like a totally different table.  Evelyn didn't realize it was the same one!

This was my inspiration, or my inspo pic, as the kids might say.  The table from Marketplace.  I just loved the creamy color with the golden top.  I ended choosing champagne brass instead of gold, and my top turned out darker.  But, I love it.  

This is just a reminder of what it looked like...

Anyway...pie pictures: 

I do make an ugly pie.  Rustic, though, right?

I had to move my painting project over to make room to roll out the crusts.  I had thought two coats would do, but a third smoothed it all out nicely.  

And, some grandkid pics...

Aunt Evelyn with Tennyson, Rhys, Achilles

Aunt Mariel with Blythe, Maeve with her bottle, Ruth, blurry Rhys, Jamie

I didn't get pictures of Anya and Elise, but they were here playing hide and seek, and coloring, and playing house with all their younger cousins.  It's crazy and loud sometimes, but it's so nice when they come over.  I made 16 burgers, and Evelyn went out in the cold rain to grill them.  Anya helped me make a salad, we made fries in the air fryer, and sliced tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and put out cheese, pickles, ect.  Dessert was the other apple pie, and the other pumpkin pie.  

Now it's quiet again.  Everyone has gone home, Paul is in bed, getting some sleep before going out hunting again tomorrow.  I will go to the pool, then pack my bags, because the next morning, I'm going to Arizona!  Our flight leaves at six am, so we will be at the airport by four thirty...so we'll leave by four...have to get up around 3:30....is it even possible to drink a coffee at that hour?  Oh dear.  The first flight is short, then we have to run our fastest to get on the second flight, at JFK.  (shh, my fastest is more like a limpy waddle...). Camille, be a dear and run ahead and hold those plane doors open for me, k?

No, actually we leave on Wednesday morning.  So I don't have to pack tomorrow, silly me!  I can pack on Tuesday night!  Camille gets back from Mexico on Tuesday night.  I hope she doesn't miss her flight or anything...they did miss one on the way down....not their fault, one of their flights was delayed because of an aircraft issue.

Ah well...I'm sufficiently tired out tonight.  I went to the hardware store this morning, the local Ace.  The screws that came with the drawer handles for the table I just refinished were way too short.  So I brought one in, and asked if they could help me find the same screw in 2 inch length.  I'm just a stoopid woman, kindly help me out here.  Hardware store guys like to mansplain, no problem.  He was actually quite nice.  He found the correct ones, counted out fourteen for me, then I couldn't think of the word for those little round things you put on the end, and when I tried to explain it and he said, Oh, you want washers for these?   I was like yeah, sometimes I forget words.  But I didn't say that.  I tried to pretend I didn't just forget the word for them.  Seriously though, if he hadn't helped me, I'd still be standing there trying to figure it out.  (I got 14 because I plan to re-do my end tables to match...)

Then I went to Aldi, got two baskets I didn't know I needed, and a new holiday welcome mat, for $6.99.  I bought a big fluffy white couch pillow, which I need like a hole in the head, but it's so wintery and cozy!  I also got butter and cream and raspberries, and some salad stuff for dinner.  I was headed home when I saw that Ben was coming over too, and realized I should have more for sides than just salad, so I stopped in to Walmart for a short visit.  Canned whipped cream for those pies, tomatoes, onions, and frozen fries.  Quick quick quick....then home, ahh home.  

Anyway, have a good night....good night!

just a teeny little catch up post....

 There are pictures but I don't feel like posting them, as I don't have much time.  I have to make some whipped cream.  I had hoped to take a run to the store today and get some squirt-y whipped cream, but there was no time.  

This fine morning, I decided to put a third coat of paint on the coffee table.  No one home, nice and quiet, just me, no music on, no t.v., just quiet.  Then a drive four miles down the road to the apple lady, where I got some Cortlands, and some Empires (to eat!), and an acorn squash, to make it an even ten dollars.  

Home...I rolled out the pumpkin pie crusts, mixed up the pie filling, got those in the oven, then started peeling apples.  Shh, this is what I did:  I set up in my comfy chair.  Yes, I did.  I put a pan on my lap and peeled into it, then every time I got five apples done, I'd slice them into the big apple bowl.  I rolled out the doughs for those, made the flour/sugar/spice mixture, mixed them all up, filled the pie pans...and decided they weren't high enough, so I peeled a few more.  They are really ugly pies, and I mean it.  There may have been a stupid catastrophe when I was making the pie dough...I "whirred" it for too long, and the butter dissolved completely, the dough was like modeling clay...but the second batch was fine, so I mixed them together, made the discs, and put them in the refrigerator.  Butter is like a dollar a stick, did not want to throw it away, ha.

Well, I went to roll them out and it was NOT easy.  I had to patch things together.  

But, now they are done, and they smell heavenly, and don't look too bad.  The pumpkin look nice.  

And, it's time to get up from my comfy chair, again, and make the whipped cream...the heavy cream is in the freezer, the stainless steel bowl is in the refrigerator, with the beaters.  

I'm going to a Friendsgiving, leaving in half an hour...it has been a wonderful day...vacuumed, did laundry, dishes, sat in my chair, had no one to talk to except for myself, and it's been so relaxing....but now I need to get my rear in gear and get out of here, does anyone still say that?  Did anyone EVER say that?  just me?  Have a good day!