oh here I am out in the desert!

 We had a nice traveling day yesterday, uneventful, just the way we like it.  I did request wheelchair assistance in the airport.  Going through security was a breeze, no one ahead of us at all, just walked through the scanner, and was told we were all set.  We got to board first, no one bumping or jostling me as I walked was so appreciated.  

Our layover was in Denver, I thought Chicago, so the airport wasn't as massive, but it was only an hour, giving us just enough time to deplane and re-board.  I watched "Marty Supreme" and the new Wicked movie, helps pass the time.  Turbulence always starts when I decided to use the bathroom.  I always use the bathroom on a flight, because once I waited and when we landed there were technical difficulties, then the nearest bathroom once we were freed was mobbed, and I seriously almost peed.  That is not fun.  Plus, I get so stiff just sitting, so I have to get up and move.  I hate the plane bathrooms though.  ugh.  There is someone somewhere laughing their heads off that they managed to make things so compact.  

We waited outside the airport for Riley to pick us up, enjoying the warmth!  He brought Banjo, their border collie, and she couldn't get close enough to me, we were just so happy to see each other.  

We went in their pool yesterday, it was easily in the 90's, felt like a hot tub.  It was amazing to get in there and move after a day of traveling.  Riley made dinner:  slow-braised beef with homemade pasta.  Dessert was from the French Laundry cookbook, called Coffee and Donuts...it was a something freeze, like a coffee ice cream with a meringue/cream mixture, served with freshly made (homemade) donuts made with European flour and imported fresh yeast.  Oh my goodness.  Apparently that was the dessert that gave that particular California restaurant it's Michelin rating.  (The one Gavin N., the Cal gov., went to during Covid lockdown, as in "Rules for me but not for thee")

Anyway.  We had a really nice time catching up, then ahh, bed time.  They don't skimp on their guest room, so after a shower, I was tucked into a comfy bed, and I slept so well!  After so many years of being tired, getting up in the night with baby after baby, I never take a good night's sleep for granted.  Sleeping well is my favorite, and I want to always acknowledge a good night and be thankful for it.  (I think that afternoon swim really helped!)

I told Riley I wanted a copy of his menu for the week, he loves to cook good food, and we love to eat it.  He made pizza dough this morning for Friday's pizza night, with that special flour and yeast.  They have a new pizza oven that makes it at a thousand degrees in one minute.  He's making a seasoned chicken breast with yellow beets this evening, and has a tenderloin in the 'fridge for Beef Wellington, which I have never had, but have heard of.  There are some amazing desserts coming too.  :)

(I think it's his love language!)

There was a leak in their in ground sprinkler system, so they dug it up and Paul helped get the pipes back together today.  They worked on it while it was still relatively cool this morning.  The skies are pure blue with a nice breeze, it's perfect.

We had a wonderful swim today, it is so nice here!  You all have a good evening!

the best coffee ever!

 Some people love to go to bed at night, just the thought of my snuggly bed, ahh, but getting up in the morning?  Well, of course I'm thankful for another day, but the coffee, just the thought of that first sip!  Pool mornings I get up and make just a black Americano, on the stronger side, so I don't add too much water, because shh, don't want to have to leave the pool to use the bathroom.  I have gone without it before too, when in a hurry, but mostly I have time for it.  But.  When I get back in the door from the pool, that After Pool Coffee is just the best.  This fine morning, I had a pour over, freshly ground Lavazza.  I like Starbucks Whole Bean Blonde Roast too, and of course the freshly roasted local coffee, but that gets pricey.  I order our everyday coffee from Amazon, the price fluctuates.  Sometimes the 2.2 pound bag of Lavazza whole beans is $22.99, sometimes it's around fifteen bucks.  

Anyway.  Add a splash or two of heavy cream and yummers.  

I hope my bathing suit dries in time to pack it for Phoenix.  I'm leaving a bit after six in the morning, and no, I have not packed yet.  I did go to the Dollar General after the pool this morning, and got some beef jerky and dill pickle peanuts for traveling snacks.  Also some hair clips and a new hairbrush.  

Now it's evening, almost time to shower and go to bed.  The day flew by!  I am mostly packed, but my suit   is still wet from the pool this morning, so I'll stick it in the suitcase in the morning.  I think I remembered everything.  We are checking a bag, so we have lots of room.  I packed two pairs of Birkenstocks, but I have decided to travel in the wool sneakers.  Yeah, wool to Arizona when it's 80, 90 degrees.  They are just so comfortable, and I can walk better in them.  I'm wearing a soft non-wrinkly sleeveless dress and a sweatshirt/jacket, because it's comfortable to travel in.   Because you all want to know what I decided to travel in.  I do have some really nice linen-y pants, and they don't look too bad on me, but sitting in them for extended time, not so nice.  

Anyway.  We had tacos for dinner, and I just went and cleaned up and washed the pans.  

You all have a good night...I'm bringing my laptop with me, if I remember it, so you can come to the desert with me!  :)

(Funny thing:  I looked at my ticket, and thought:  two hours and two hours, (layover in Chicago), not bad!  Camille said:  no way it only takes four hours to get there.  oops.  Time zones.  It's four hours then two hours.)

a spring Saturday at home...

 This fine morning, I had all sorts of ideas of what I was going to do.  I touched up my roots, shh.  That's always nice to get done.  Eight dollars every few months.  I'll go gray one of these days.  Ha, I don't actually FEEL sixty, in fact today when I remembered how old I am, I simply couldn't believe it.  Then I get up and walk, and oh creaky achy, yeah, it's making sense.

Anyway.  I decided to try on a few things I washed to pack for Arizona, and you wouldn't believe this:  several of my summer clothes have stains on them!  I don't know what from!  It's like brown spots from hanging in the closet all year.  I washed them, not seeing the stains, and now I don't think they'll come out!  I told Aaron I was going to have to go shopping when I get there.  

So I hemmed and hawed and thought about going to Old Navy today, but decided not to venture there on a Saturday, so much more traffic, more people, and I would have been by myself, what if I had to park a mile away?  So, I made cookies. 

I'm going to Emily's for lunch tomorrow, bringing some coffee, fruit, and now some cookies!  

Dinner:  I marinated some chicken breast in seasoning and vinegar, then grilled it, oh so good.  Charlotte Claire chopped onions and cilantro, and made some corn tortillas with lime juice.  I opened some black olives, got out the lime habanero sauce, and oh dear, so good!  I do like the new grill.  It was chilly on the deck though!  

So now it's evening, and baseball is on.  The girls are cuddled under blankets doing school work.  We just got the kitchen cleaned up, and I'm back in my comfy chair.  They're busy these days, and today they were working, and Paul was working on an apartment we need to get rented, and I was here all by my lonesome, and it hit me:  I have no friends.  Well, that's not really true, I have loads of friends.  But since I've been a mom to all these girls, they've been most of my social life, and they grow up, branch out, get their own lives, and, well.  No, this isn't actually accurate, as I am still very much a part of their lives.  It's just that today, all of them had things to do.  I wanted to go out and about, but with whom?  Oh, Cheryl, I miss you!  It's been a while since she was able to go bargain hunting with me.  But my heart aches when I think of the fun we used to have.  

Yes, I do have friends.  I am not feeling sorry for myself!  :)

And...now it is tomorrow!  You all have a good day!  (I'm going to lunch at Emily's with a whole bunch of dear friends!)

friday, again already!

 Oh the weeks just fly by!  I got up and went to the pool this fine morning, and it was wonderful.  Moving in the water is great, but seeing pool friends is nice too.  

When I got home, Paul was uncovering the camper!  I planned to go down and see how it's looking in there, but I haven't yet.  Is it understandable that I have trepidation mixed with excitement?  I love that camper, I really do.  It's my happy happy place, and I want it to stay nice and dry and usable.  Does this make sense?  After a long New York winter, did the mice get in?  Did it leak somewhere?   :)

It's funny how much I adore the camper.  I want to talk about it more than anyone wants to listen.  I don't want a newer one or a nicer one (well, okay, if you twisted my arm I'd take one a little spiffier), but I am totally satisfied with it.  I do have plans to redo things in it for the fun of it, but it's fine the way it is, too.  Even when it rains while we're camping, I love the camper.  Reading a book on my comfy bed drinking coffee while the rain drums...no complaints.  Waking up in the morning, unzipping the tent ends and seeing the lake. ahh.  Turning on the burner and making coffee right in there, without rummaging through the tailgate of the car like you do when you tent, ahh.  Better yet:  Paul gets up first and hands me a coffee while I'm still in bed.  yup, nothing better.

Anyway.  This fine day I've done a few loads of laundry, I washed some summer clothes so I can pack for Phoenix.  I'm still not 100% okay walking in the Birkenstocks, and I do have barefoot shoes, but they're really big and goofy on me.  I have a few days before we leave, so I can practice Birkenstock walking ha.  

Miss Kaia on the deck, we had some sunshine and 65 degrees yesterday!

Ellis and Kaia...

Blythe, Jamie, Rhys, Achilles, Char, and Sonja, gathering to sing to Grandpa.

Little Miss Sunshine is not allowed on the couch...(she is so cute!)

But Paul loves to invite her up.  Sometimes I just look the other way.  He loves her so much.  I didn't end up going shopping for his birthday, but I had Miss Char stop at the nice grocery store, Wegmans.  She got "heater cake", which is what we call the Pepperidge Farms frozen cakes, a chocolate layer and a coconut cream.  (why heater cake?  The tops look like the heat vents?  I don't actually know, but the kids have always called it that...).  Char also bought some nice strip steaks, which I plan to make tonight, grill if the rain doesn't start.  I don't know about you guys, but having steak is getting rarer, with the crazy beef prices, and me not going out and about and finding deals.  I just had her buy it anyway.  I told him his birthday present was me making him a nice dinner tonight.

To be fair, there was a nice dinner last night too!  All beef hot dogs, and burgers, grilled on the deck on the "new" grill, by Kathryn.  I also made mac and cheese for the kids.  (burgers are SO good when they're grilled!)

Ah well.  You all have a nice day!

the sun is shining on the snow!

 The snow will be melting today, and hopefully we won't see any again until next fall.  I mean, it's April!  This fine morning, it was freezing cold (30), and my windshield was all icy when I left to go to the pool.  Brrrr.  I had to wear a mitten to hold on to the deck railing for my trek down the steps.  

I found a parking spot this time, but not near the back door, so I walked up the really long sidewalk.  The water was wonderful though, it feels so good to move in the water, and I'm super thankful to be going back to classes.  That was far too long to miss them this winter!  

The girls left for the library, with Kathryn and her kids, but I have physical therapy this afternoon so I couldn't go.  I'm all cozy here under a blanket with hot coffee, enjoying myself immensely.  I have laundry to switch, and I really need to vacuum, but meh.  

Tomorrow is Paul's birthday, and I have no present for him.  I am stumped.  Also, I have only been to the Dollar General and Aldi lately, Target last week.  I don't want to get him clothes.  We share an Amazon account, so I can't order anything from there, although it probably doesn't make much difference.  I am such a procrastinator...his birthday is TOMORROW.  ugh.  

We're having some grandkids here tomorrow, their mama has an appointment.  I bought hot dogs to grill, and some mac and cheese.  It's supposed to be 65 degrees out, so we'll be outside!

Yesterday I brought Miss Camille to her eye appointment, then she had the daunting task of choosing new glasses.  It's a big decision!   We left early, and had time to get a coffee first...

The people there at VisionWorks were so patient, so nice and friendly.  (No, I am not getting a dime to mention this!).  We were there for a while, and every single customer that came was treated so kindly and respectfully, and they were truly helpful, assisting in choosing glasses.  

These were the final choice, I like them on her.  She wanted something smaller, but couldn't find the perfect ones.  :)

We went to Aldi afterwards, I parked in a regular spot in the parking lot and walked in, then walked around in there.  It was not easy, and I got tired, but I did it.  Miss Cam pushed the cart out of the store down the incline for me though.  Then we went over to Sherwin-Williams and she ran in and picked up a can of paint I had ordered online, white trim paint for the bathroom, and a few other places around here that need touching up.  

All right, time to get moving...one thing about having a new knee, I cannot sit for very long, it gets so stiff and I have to get up and stretch...if I ignore this, when I finally get up, it's hard to walk.  So off I go, you have a really nice day!

forward, backward, hop hop hop...

 So yesterday I had a small mission to accomplish, which was to drive to the small city north of here to get Sunny's medicine.  (she is not sick, she is an old girl now, and has a "leaking" problem, you know, like when you sneeze?  so she takes a daily Incurin tablet to help with that...)

It's the farthest I've driven in the last several months, and it was quite pleasant.  I managed to get up the curb and up the steps into the vet's office, the things you just don't even think about, normally.  Then on to pick up Evelyn, to go to Price Chopper.  It's a rather large grocery store, and was a bit daunting, but I did drop myself off at the entrance, and she went a parked the car.  Well.  I was going in the big automatic sliding front door, and it started to close on me!  I thought it would sense me and retract, but it didn't do that until it actually hit me!  It was startling.  I was going as fast as I could, but apparently not fast enough.  It knocked me off kilter for a second, but didn't hurt or anything.  Did I like it?  no, not one little bit.  

The rest of the store was rather uneventful, but I like grocery shopping.  I bought a package of burger, some chicken breast, and some top round steak that was buy one get one free.  Steak for $5.35 a pound, not too shabby.  I got it home and decided it would be too tough to grill, so I made a pot of beef stew.  I dredged it in salt, pepper, and oops sesame seeds!  That's what I get for edging in when Camille's making herself ramen with an egg and seasonings for lunch, I thought it was minced onions.  

This fine morning, it's like Christmas.  

Look at that snow.  The whole house has that "it snowed!" glow, the ground is covered, and all the tree branches.  No thank you!  I have to bring Miss Camille to an eye doctor appointment today.  When she made the appointment a few months ago, I was like, I'll totally be able to walk fine by then, of course I'll bring you, it'll be nice and warm then too...

One week from today we leave for Phoenix.  I thought I'd be walking so much better, but here's what happened:  you know I have really bad end stage osteoarthritis in both knees, bone on bone.  Well.  The left knee, the non-surgical knee, has been holding up like a champ, except for when it doesn't.  Sometimes it sticks, sort of locks up.  Now it's doing a new trick, where it really clicks, loudly, with every step, and it hurts.  I think the deep squats/sit-to-stands I've been doing to strengthen the quads are bothering it.  The last two times I got off the exercise bike it was doing it badly too.  ugh.  I burst into tears last night because I couldn't take one step without it really clicking, but it calmed down and got better, and is not so evident this morning. It's just that I want so badly to improve on my walking...and there are a few things to consider...

1. " Let come what may, upon my way, I'll give my life each day!"  This is a line from a song we sing, and it's the goal, isn't it?  To surrender myself to God's will, and be thankful, and work with what He sends me. 

2.  The good old fighting spirit, the WE CAN DO THIS attitude.

It's an interesting place to be, I want to be thankful, yet not content in a way that I am like oh well, with a defeatest attitude.  

blah blah blah, walking.  Sorry!  Here's something to cheer us up: 

Miss Kaia Jean on Easter...:)

Ah well.  I am heading out the door...you all have a good day!  (I practiced walking in the Birkenstocks...not as comfy as I'd like, but I'll get there!). 

happy Easter to all of my friends!

 I have something for you all, a movie suggestion that might just change your life...I loved it so much I want to watch it again, it's called Escaping Esau:  A Ladder To Heaven, and it's on YouTube.  There are some wonderful songs on YouTube also, called Hidden Treasures music.  :)

We had a wonderful day....I saw 12 of my kids today, with their spouses, and most of my grandkids.  

My just-for-fun Easter cake...bunny butts sticking out of the garden...

and some cupcakes...

Sonja holding Maeve, Ruth, Rhys, Jonathan, and Sunny...

Char and Cam with Ellis

Sonja, Ruth, Rhys, and Jon with his new Emilia

The boys with their babies:  Jon and Emilia, Sam with Samantha

Camille with Ellis

Sonja played matching game with Jamie, Ruth, Rhys

Sam, Darius, Char, Cam, with Ellis

Aunt Kathryn with Kaia, and Jon with Emilia

Grandpa with Jamie

Uncle Sam played Yugio with Wulf, Achilles, and Grant

Camille, friend Amanda, Kathryn, Charlotte Claire, and Margaret sang in church this morning...sorry it's so short!  

We had a spiral sliced ham, mashed potatoes (Evelyn and Sonja peeled them, Evelyn made them when they were all boiled up, mmm!). I peeled several pounds of apples, and baked them with unsweetened applesauce, some brown sugar, and cinnamon, and we had Hawaiian rolls, baked up a little bit.  

Camille made an orange cake, which called for oranges, peels and all, in the food processor...it was so good!  Margaret made carrot cake cookies, Kathryn made chocolate cookies, and lemon with blueberry frosting.  I didn't take a picture of the huge-0 Easter basket, and it's but a memory now.  I let the kids and grandkids take home whatever they wanted.  There is a small bowl of candy there now.  

I filled 48 eggs with candy too, and Margaret and Kathryn hid them around the living room while the kids were in the guest room waiting...it was great fun to watch them search around, Jamie shrieked with joy when he found one!  

The day went by too fast...there was crying and laughing and a few messes, but oh dear, it was a good day.  We have so much to be thankful for.  

This fine Monday morning:  snow.

Against all my lazy will, I got up and got ready for the pool this windy cold spring morning.  The parking lot at the rec center was full.  I drove around and around, no parking spots, unless I wanted to walk a very long way.  I have done that before, but not in a long while, and it was snowy and a little bit slushy, and it's a hike across the parking lot.  I drove back home, dang.  I am going to do some walking today though, so all is not lost...I have some plans...you all have a good day!