very nice!

 We had such a nice day yesterday!  I went to the pool, got there extra early, lots of time in the water, ahh.  Home, didn't even pull in the driveway, had to meet Paul down the road at the mechanic shop, as he was dropping off Little Red.  She's the grandma car that Charlotte Claire drives to college, the 2011 Buick sedan.  She's a good little car, was Paul's mother's, so very well taken care of.  New brakes for her.  I drove the truck to the pool, so Char could take my car to class...the truck is next for new brakes.

Grace was here with Ruth, Maeve, and baby Samantha, Grant was at a homeschooling co-op farm, not to far from here, learning all about all sorts of farm stuff.  We spent time on the deck in the sunshine, the little girls driving around in the Little Tikes cars.  

We decided not to get fresh meat this week, and to use what we have in the freezer.  Miss Cam made dinner last night, a chicken curry and a pan of basmati rice.  I stir fried some cauliflower rice with shredded cabbage and carrots, and a chopped orange pepper, with the Indian spices that Riley gave us.  It was such a good dinner.  

This fine day, Miss Char and Miss Cam are going to Rochester to see the Olympic ice skaters perform.  Remember Ilia Malinin, who did a backflip in every routine?  Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu...they bought their tickets back in the winter, right after the Olympics, when May seemed very far away.  Time just flies by.

It was a long winter.  It was a hard winter.  But, there was a certain sweetness about it, a coziness, and also a laziness.  I worked hard, so hard, on mobility.  I got on the bike and did my workouts and went to PT, but as for everything else, well, I didn't do much.  I realized yesterday, when Paul asked me if I had done something or other yet, that  it's over...that time when nothing is expected of me, ha.  Of course I would MUCH rather be able to do things, but I'll be honest:  it was kind of nice.  :)  

I did go into my camper today!  There's no obvious evidence of visitors, you know, the little whiskered mousies.  Everything seemed dry, but there were a few drops of water on the counter, which is very strange.  It hasn't rained here in a few days...and there was no sign of water coming in anywhere...?  I hope it's nothing because I just love my little camper, and no leaks, please!

Being able to hobble down the deck steps and into the camper was almost easier than it was before the surgery, when up and down the stairs was killer.  (my "old" knee doesn't love it, but we won't talk about that.  yet.)  I brought in a few blankets that spent the winter in there, they're in the wash.  One is a camping print fleecy blanket I got at Target, just love it.  

So I find myself blogging in bits and pieces.  The girls have left for their skating show, and Paul is mowing the lawn.  I'm such a good wife, I don't even know what we're having for dinner yet.  It's only five o'clock, what's the hurry?  I was going to the store today when Miss Char got home with my car, but it was too late in the day, rainy, and I didn't feel like it.  I'll go tomorrow.

I did vacuum, then I mopped the floors.  I washed walls, and I filled a bag of stuff to donate to the thrift store.  That sounds like I was busy, but I also finished a book that Emily loaned me, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier.  I certainly enjoyed the book!  It got dark and rainy this afternoon, and I had a hot coffee, how could it be better than that?

This new computer is very touchy.  It wants to open everything the mouse arrow happens to go over or near.  The keyboard is wonky, everything is over to the left more, so I type gibberish, then try to backspace and hit the dash key.  ---  NO, backspace, please!  Yes, I talk to it.  

Uploading pictures is a mystery, I figured it out the other day, but this fine day, couldn't.  ?  

I don't have any earthshattering pictures anyway.  I don't have anything earthshattering to say, either.  But, there is something I am really excited about!  This coming Saturday, some of the kids are coming over to help us do some yard work!  They will be disassembling the trampoline, which I'm glad about.  Camille, when she was younger, broke her ankle and her leg on that thing, in different accidents.  The netting is falling from around the sides, and I just want to get rid of it before the grandkids get hurt.  They LOVE it, but they go on there basically unsupervised, and there are so many little ones, most too little to be careful.  

I am going to grill hot dogs, and maybe burgers...

Ah well...I should mosey out to the kitchen.  Maybe I'll take some burgers from the freezer and grill them...or make up some taco meat, we have olives and fresh peppers...and a few tomatoes.  That sounds good.  You all have a good evening! 

brand spanking new!

 My first blog post with this Samsung laptop!  I have an iPhone, a Macbook which I've used for years.  It's convenient, as I can just drop photos easily to the blog.  This is a different story, and you can't teach me new tricks. 

The keyboard is weird, and everything is different, but I am not going to give up yet.  It's quicker, a touchscreen, and I'll see if I can adapt.   I haven't figured out the pictures yet, thankfully I have a few girls here with much more tech savvy than I ever had.  

This fine day, Sunday, is sunny and pleasant.  I plan to get outside.  Yesterday, our glorious winery day, was a bit cloudy and chilly, but so lovely nonetheless.  I have a few pictures, but we'll see when they make it on here!  I went with three of my girls and my niece.

Yay!  I got one picture on!  Evelyn with Newton, me, Emily, Abigail, and my sister's daughter Susan.

I actually tried one flight of wine, but didn't drain the glasses, just enjoyed the tastes, oh Finger Lake wine is so good.  We went to a second place, on Seneca Lake, and it was so beautiful.  I had a few little sips, but the best part was being with the girls.  We had not much "air in the conversation", no awkward pauses.  Too many laughs, and Mr. Newton was a perfect gentleman.  The first winery had a dog park, of course he loved that.  

We picked up the cake, and headed back here.  We sang Happy birthday to Sonja, after we had our lasagna and Tuscan Garlic Italian bread (Wegmans!).  Some of the girls had some wine I brought home, I did not.  :)

This fine day was a stay home day.  I enjoyed some sunshine on the deck, then Margaret came to visit with her kids.  They got out bubbles, and played on the swings and on the trampoline.  The boys took turns on the Hoverboard, and I read three books to Blythe.  They had some lunch, and some cake, then freeze pops before they went home.  

There is a lot going on here right now...the girls are here and all happy and silly.  We're thinking we have to replace our pool instead of repair it...so there is research into that.  It's so much money, but I love having a pool...

Anyway.  You all have a good day, and maybe I won't be so distracted tomorrow!  

it's like a landslide!

 When you haven't been able to do anything for a while, then you start to inch towards being more functional, well, you can maybe overdo things.  I like to sit in my comfy chair, but only for a bit, I also like to be busy.  Being busy this last six months has been difficult and...painful.  The last month or so, much less.  So.  I want to DO things!

This fine day, I went on my exercise bike, turned up the tension a bit to make it challenging.  I did some exercises, stretches, washed some dishes.  

Then I went off to Target with Miss Camille.  She drove, and did a fine job.  I only told her Slow down!!!!  Slow down!!! a few times.  There was one good parking spot in front, she pulled in right next to another car without hitting the curb on the driver's side.  It was in a huge puddle, so I had her inch forward a bit so I could actually get out without getting a soaker.  I was hesitant she was going to really step on the gas and smash into the car facing us, but she didn't.  :)

I had a few Target Circle offers, one was for $15 off of a $75 purchase, and one for $20 off of $100 or more.  Well.  I spent $150, and somehow got both offers, in gift card form.  How did I spend so much, you ask?  Well, one birthday gift, one big package of chicken breast (little known fact:  Target chicken breast is the best, it's reasonably priced, under $3 per pound, and it's so well trimmed!). (I always check their meat section, sometimes there is good stuff half off).  I did get three one pound packages of stew beef for $5 each, then some flossers for Cam, conditioner for me, some bagged popcorn, lots of spices, a bag of coffee, one heavy cream, Coke Zero, some seltzer water...

Home, ahh home.  I put some towels in the dryer, and a load of bedding in the wash.  I put things away, and made my way back to my favorite spot, the comfy chair.  

Today is Jonathan Robert's 22nd birthday.  If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that Jonny was born 10 and 1/2 months after baby Robert was born sleeping.   I'm not sure I let myself believe that I would have an actual live, breathing baby, and when Jon was born, I was almost in shock, delighted, happy, excited.  I guess I don't always have to mention Robert, but if you could understand just how immensely special Jon has been, all his life, so treasured!  

Anyway.  Today Jonathan is 22, all married, with a sweet baby daughter Emilia.  He's a good boy, and I somehow can't believe his whole childhood whizzed by, and he's grown up.  Why, just yesterday he was playing dolls with his sisters (he has eleven, but five in a row right before him, then Robert, then him, then two more sisters....so he was pretty surrounded!). He was also driving everywhere we went with anything round as a steering wheel.  He was obsessed with driving.   He loved riding his bike and going barefoot and then airsoft and four wheelers.  He can fix anything.  He had an old car, put a new clutch in, just from watching you-tube videos.  He had an old truck but sold it when he had to spend his money on grown up things, like his new wife, ha.   It's gone by so fast.   

These two, Camille Anaya and Charlotte Claire, and Orange Guy...time needs to slow down, they're the only ones still at home!

Kathryn visits though, with baby Kaia and her little Ellis

(She's eight months, he's almost 14 months). 

Ah well.  Time to get moving again.  The girls are making a pizza for dinner, and I have a cauliflower crust pizza for Paul and I.  There is laundry to switch over, and things to putter around and do...you all have a good afternoon!

it's been MONTHS!!!

 Oh, I am such an idiot sometimes.  This fine morning, Sonja and I and baby Kaia went to the thrift store.  Sonja was a good girl, she dropped off a bag, I forgot.  Anyway, I found a sweet little pair of overalls for Evelyn and Nate's baby, due this summer, and a "new" purse for me.  (I like a small body-bag type of purse for traveling, to keep the passport, phone, glasses, earbuds, gum, protein bar...).  The one I have works, but is kind of too small, so I found one today marked $5.99.  It's Tuesday, so 25% off for seniors, 60 and up.  I told the lady I was eligible for the discount, and she said, "I figured."  Oh really?, I said, you could tell by looking at me?   Yeah, I said that.  I also went on to tell her I hadn't been there in six months, because I had a knee replacement and couldn't walk.  Why do I do this?  She was fine and nice and said, "Oh, I've heard those can be rough..."  oh dear.  Can't take me anywhere.

Going in to the store, there was an older gentleman about 30 feet in front of me, he got to the door and held it open for me.  Now, this is very kind, and people like to be kind, but don't make me hurry!  He read my mind, and shouted into the wind, "It's windy but I won't blow away, take your time!"  It's kind of embarrassing, but...people like to be nice.

We went to Aldi next, look at me going to two places!  I got strawberries and red skinned potatoes, tomatoes, salad, shredded cabbage, lasagna ingredients, and a package of chicken.  When I got home, we decided to have Chinese-type stir fry, so I cut up some chicken breast, Cam made a sauce of soy and sesame oil, salt and pepper, and put it over the chicken chunks.  The rest of the chicken, I pounded between parchment sheets, and sprinkled it with the Indian spice mix from Riley.  That went into the refrigerator for tomorrow.  

Camille made a pan of jasmine rice, I stir fried the chicken, sprinkled some corn starch on top, let it get nice and crispy.  I chopped an onion, and a yellow pepper, stir fried that with broccoli after the chicken was done.  I also made half a bag of cauliflower rice, for Paul and I.

I am thankful chicken is so inexpensive here, we eat a lot of it.  We did have bacon and eggs last evening, I had Ezekial toast with raspberry preserves too, so good.  

Anyway.  Not too much going on.  Miss Kaia is coming over tomorrow, Char is going to look after her.  I am going to the pool, then coming home to help.  

Saturday we are going to a few wineries, out to lunch, then back here in the afternoon.  I will make the lasagna on Friday and bake it on Saturday.  I'll get some fresh Italian bread, and shh, I am going to buy the cake, I think.  I COULD bake it on Friday...hmmm.  It's hard to pay good money for something you can make, but also, Wegmans makes such good birthday cakes.  

So.  I am still not "there" with my walking, but I have been ditching the cane around the house, little by little.  I still have to tell myself "heel to toe", and walk purposefully, so as not to limp too much.  It's getting better, and I am super thankful.  You'd never think to be so happy for something as basic as walking until you can't do it!  Now I'll never take it for granted again.  Remembering when I struggled so much, holding on to that walker for dear life, knee buckling, dreaming those dreams about walking, then waking up every morning and realizing that I could not yet do it.  So I am extremely thankful.  

I've had my dessert of sugar free cherry jello and a 2 gram of sugar Aldi Greek yogurt, with a little squirt of white chocolate cold foam (it was 99 cents today at Aldi!), it was quite good.  Staying away from sugar is hard, but I try!  

Miss Char and Miss Cam are almost done with their first year of college!  I am very proud of them, they've done quite well.  Char will be in nursing school in the fall, in person so she'll be leaving at least four days a week.  Cam will have some classes in person.  She will have to get her driver's license by then, or guess who will be driving to college?  No, she'll get it.  :). 

Ah well, you all have a good evening...

there went monday!

 It went by so fast!  I didn't sleep well last night, I attribute it to the hot tea I had while we watched Downton Abbey.   I tossed and I turned, and once I can't get comfy, it's game off.  I finally did sleep though, and in the early morning hours, I was in such a deep sleep, I didn't waken when Paul got up to start work.  When I opened my eyes and looked at the clock, it was eight o'clock!  oh no!  I had to hurry hurry to get to the pool!  No shot of espresso for me!

The pool was ahhh nice.  I actually participated in the deep water part today!  My knee can swim!  It feels clanky, but it works.  :)

Home...I had my coffee, mmm, then vacuumed, because Sonja was coming over with baby Kaia.  The sun was shining, so we opened the umbrella and put a blanket down and got out the baby blocks.  The hours flew by, we came in out of the sun and had afternoon coffee.  I tried to rock baby K to sleep, but she was having none of it.  Sonja packed her up and headed home, and we faced the daily dilemma:  dinner, what is for dinner.  Paul made bacon and eggs.  I sliced some strawberries.  Camille and Char decided to use the leftover grilled chicken and made alfredo sauce with pasta.  

We watched another episode of Downton, and now the girls are doing schoolwork.  

This weekend, Abigail is coming for a visit, and we have big plans.  Three of my girls and my niece and I are going to Seneca Lake to a few wineries, and to lunch.  Then back here for a celebration for Sonja's birthday!  I will find out what Sonja is thinking of for dinner...:)

Our typical spring here in the north east, back to cold weather!  Tomorrow is mild but rainy, by the weekend brr, with possible fluuries mixed with rain!  

Today, though, it was gorgeous.  

The blue sky and the birds singing...

In sad news, the burial for my sister is scheduled.  It's really hard to process, and I am not looking forward to it.  She is going to be in the cemetery in town near our parents and our brother Billy, who took his own life some years ago.  (I decided a while ago to include that detail, not just say that Billy "passed away", because there is SUCH a stigma involved, and there is a whole extra layer of pain for the family when someone does that, there's nothing to be ashamed of, yet we feel so much guilt, because...we didn't know!). Anyway.  This is coming up soon, and I miss her so much it's crazy.  

You all have a good evening!

just another Saturday!

 ....this fine day started with a load of laundry, and some light housework.  It was also a day of starting on a big project downstairs.  We have a room the same size as our living room that was a play room when we built the house.  It became a bedroom along the way, then a storage room.  It has a freezer in it, and all of the camping equipment, most of which we don't need anymore.  It has outdoor cushions and seasonal decorations and a high chair, an Emmaljunga pram, an Emmaljunga double stroller, some doll strollers and toy shopping carts, a few outdoor rugs we put on the deck for crawling babies, the pool deck umbrella, all the dollhouses and bins of dollhouse furniture, Little Tikes Waffleblocks, both small and giant, bins of Lego, Duplo, Barbies, and cars and trucks.  There are random toys too, like one of those push things for when toddlers learn to walk.  There is a huge shelf with paint and tools.  

Now, I don't want to get rid of all of the toys, but I want to pare them down A LOT.  

Paul sorted and straightened camping supplies and tools, and I started on toys.  I donated a bunch of stuff (the entire Thomas the Tank Engine train collection), and threw away broken or junky stuff.  I didn't get too far though.  Kathryn was coming over with the kids, and I needed to vacuum.  I also wanted to get out some fun toys for her kids.  We have a cool kitchen set for Barbies, with all the little ice cubes and dishes and play food, for Rhys to play with today.  

Paul lasted longer sorting and cleaning, then made a trip to the dump.  I will have to try again another day. :)

I had put a chuck roast in the crock pot with carrots, onions, and some sweet potato chunks. I love a dark rainy day with dinner cooking itself, the aroma, ahhh.  

The kids played with dolls and cars and shopping carts and the doll stroller, and they colored, and seemed to enjoy the rainy day too, while we drank coffee and appreciated them.  Ellis can pull himself up easily now, and can clap his hands and play peek-a-boo, and he says some words now.  He is sunny and sweet, and he likes to crawl around and get into things.  

So I'm getting around much better, but I'm not there yet.  I hope "there" is attainable.  It's slow going, and yes, it is better than I was doing before the surgery.  The pain level is much more manageable!  My "old" knee is not doing the greatest, but it's not horrible either, not all the time anyway.  I don't have the stamina yet though.  I run out of steam.  I think I did a lot yesterday, so today I started out tired ha.  

Yesterday I did indeed go to the pool, ahhh, then to Target, all by my lonesome.  I nabbed the very best parking spot out front, yay!!!  It still was a struggle to get into the store, but I managed.  I walked around, up and down more aisles than I've done since before my surgery.  I bought two little tables for the deck, and chicken, cream, a bag of popcorn, berries, a small birthday gift for Jonathan (he's turning 22 next week!), and a little something for Miss Char, who will be 20 soon after.  I also bought cute little zippered hoodies for Sam and Grace's Ruth and Maeve, and a Pokemon jersey for Grant, along with a little toy for each of them.  

They had gone on a homeschool field trip to a science museum, they came here afterwards.  It was a nice afternoon, with them playing and having snacks and telling me all about their adventures.  

Right about now I wish we had a hot tub.  I really wish we had an endless pool.  I'd also like a Roomba type vacuum/mop, and a Tineco mop vac., and an espresso machine with a built in coffee grinder.  ha.  Yes, those things would be nice, but whatever, it's always something, and I don't REALLY want them.  

Our patio table on the deck blew over and the umbrella pole snapped off the base (the umbrella was supposed to be put away for the winter and it wasn't!), so Paul fixed it:  he put the base in an orange five gallon Lowe's bucket.  It looks....awful.  Kathryn said I could just spray paint the bucket.  oh dear.  Will I ever get around to it?  Some of the patio furniture cushions didn't get put away this winter, but some did.  I need to get them out so we can see what's good and what's not, so I can order a few new ones from Amazon.  It will be nice out again here soon, and we need to be ready.  

Oh so much fun and excitement, right?  Our dinner was really good, it's all cleaned up and put away, and it's quiet in here.  The girls were home for a bit and are gone again, so it's just Paul and I here with Sunny and the two kitties.  Kettler has been just ON me since I got home from Phoenix.  I asked the girls if she was like that with them when I was gone and they said no.  She is just attached to me, all snuggly and purring.   It's nice to be wanted ha.  :). 

You all have a good night!

ahh it's nice....

...to be home.  All those days of sunshine and warmth though!  

The trip home was relatively uneventful.  The flight from Phoenix to Denver was bumpy though, to the point I thought I was gonna toss my cookies, but I hadn't had any cookies.  It was very lurchy, a lot of turbulence.  ugh.  The layover was tight, but we made it, and we were on our last leg, on the way home.

We got home a little after midnight, and oh dear it was nice to see Miss Sunny!  She was going in circles, simply couldn't believe we were there, especially Paul.  Of course it was nice to see my girls too:)

Yesterday was an errand day, it dawned nice and sunny.  Camille drove, and we stopped at the post office, then picked up her glasses, then to Aldi.  I won't lie, it's still slow going from the parking lot into the store, then walking up and down the aisles, but I can manage now, SO much better than a few months ago.  We got milk and eggs and chicken and peppers and strawberries, then a new plant pot, and a solar lantern for the deck, and two new throw pillows.  :). I do like Aldi.  I should have gotten the bag of potting soil though, to start some marigold seeds. 

Can I mention I hate teaching the kids how to drive?  Camille is number 16, you would think I'd be calm cool and collected by now.  She's a fine driver, but when she had to change lanes and turn into traffic, ugh. She HAS to do it, has to learn, and I have to teach her, but it's not so relaxing ha.  She does really well though.  

By the time we got home and put things away, it was cloudy.  I was really wanting to be outside in the sun.   I had a project in mind, the plant shelf and trellis I got last year sat out all winter, and are looking drab.  I thought to stain them and put on some polyurethane, but I didn't find any stain on our paint shelf.  I did get out a bag of summer throw pillows and blankets, and wash them and put them out, but the girls have a few Christmas ones they insist on keeping out because they're comfy.  They said they can't seem to part with them.  

Anyway.  I marinated some chicken breast for a few hours in vinegar, an egg, salt, pepper, cayenne....then pounded them with a mallet between parchment, and put them on the grill...Camille sliced an orange pepper, and a tomato, there were chopped onions, the cilantro went bad so we didn't have that, I browned up some corn tortillas and added salt and lime juice...a very basic dinner but SO yummy.  

I'm leaving for the pool soon...the girls are going to work...it's cloudy again, I do like that Arizona sun!

You all have a good day!