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!

as with all good things...

well, you know, it's time to pack up and head back to New York.  I'm not even going for a morning swim, my suit will get soaked again, and the pool cover is on.  So here I sit on the comfy couch with Lily-the-Lab, having some coffee from their nice machine, knowing I am leaving in a few hours and still have to go pack up my stuff.  To be fair, packing to go home is much easier, all the stuff is there, just put it in the suitcases.

Yesterday we went out and about. 

Just a pic from the car as we drove to a huge used bookstore over near Glendale.  The terrain here is so desolate, yet lovely.

I still get a kick out of the Batmobile, their Tesla.  Look at that blue sky, too!

We went to In-and-Out first, if you've ever had a double double, you'll know what I mean about YUM.  Then to the bookstore, I just wanted to buy all the childrens' books!  But, we'd have to get another suitcase.  

Home, and straight into the pool, ahhh.  I did not get sick of the pool.  We decided not to make the chicken pot pie, which was what was on the menu, it was too nice to get out and go in and cook.  So we went out to dinner.  I mean, what's better than getting out of the pool, getting into a nice dress, and going to a nice restaurant?  It had semi outdoor seating, and the weather was perfect for it.  I had a chicken dish with peppers and sausage, oh it was good.  

I missed Aaron this morning, he left for work.  He told Riley to tell me I'll just have to come back and visit again.  I will.  It is so hard to say goodbye.  

We have had a good time together of course, we caught up on some recent episodes of Jeopardy!, Jamie Ding has won 28 in a row now.  We also watched some COPS!, which is astounding (the drug use and loss of teeth and denial, it's so sad!), and some of the domestic violence honestly makes me cry.  A 17 year old boy returned home after running away, his new step-father was extremely strict with him, so he punched the step-dad.  He went bye-bye in the back of the police car, his mama was hysterical....so sad.  Jesus needs to come back.  

If that family had taken a collective deep breath, thought carefully about their words, prayed for patience, respected each other...well, it would be a different world.  In my eyes, that boy wanted love, steadiness, security, he wanted to know he was welcome home, and wanted.  I'm not dissing tough love, but that seems like an excuse for being harsh on the parents' end sometimes.  It has to be mixed with goodness.  

Well, I have to pack up soon, regretfully.  But as sad as I am to leave, I'm excited to get home.  Miss Camille's new glasses are in, and she's wanting to go pick them up, so I already have plans for tomorrow.  I don't like saying goodbye to these dogs, because they're getting older.  They've slowed down since I was here last year, Lily has gotten much more gray.  They used to be absolutely non-stop about wanting you to throw tennis balls, but not as much now.  Banjo has had health issues and is on meds for it, it's definitely slowed her down.  Pretzel, as I said before, is of indeterminate age, 12 at the youngest, maybe 16 or even older.  

Home though, to see Sunny and the girls, and the grandkids.  And ugh, the cool cloudy weather.  They had snow at home while I was here!  

You all have a good day, off I am to the dreaded trip across the country...
 

enjoying the brilliant sunshine again...

 ....it hasn't been all puppy dog tails and rainbows, but it's better.  I have taken a few pills this fine day, which I don't like doing, but sometimes keeping a headache at bay is smart.  You can't imagine how thankful I am that this is working.  I enjoyed that pool for almost four hours today.  I finally got out and changed into a sundress, and here I am in the AC, blogging on the comfy couch.

Moving in the water has been so nice, and the sun, ahhh.  Sunglasses are worth their weight in gold though, this blue sky isn't messing around.  It's some powerful sunshine.  In no particular order, some photos...

Pizza night!  The middle one was Thai pizza, can't remember the exact name, but it was SO good.  There was another one, too.  And shh, we did pretty much polish them off.

The three doggies, Banjo the spunky Border Collie, Aaron, Lilly-the-Lab, and on the floor, Pretzel.

They got Miss P from a shelter a few years ago, she was very sickly, but with some good vet care and lots of love, she is the best dog.  

Flowers in our room.

The desert in the back yard.

Last night's dinner:  roasted chicken and root veggies with spicy green beans.

You can see Banjo trying to help Aaron...

The dessert, a Boston Cream cake from scratch, and oh it was good with Tillamook French Vanilla ice cream.  

We watched a movie called Tetris last night, took place during the Cold War, and was quite interesting, based on a true story.  

It is 37 degrees back home.  We have tomorrow here, then head home on Wednesday.  I will admit to being a teeny bit homesick.  I miss Sunny and my comfy chair and the grandkids, and Char and Cam.  Not terribly, like I'm sobbing, ha, but I will be glad to see them.  Home, the place you like to get out of but always want to go back to.

Ah well, you all have a good day!  

a headache in paradise...

Yesterday started out with one of those low grade background headaches...the kind you gamble on, thinking you can get away with ignoring it and it'll go away.  That backfired as the headache stuck around and got worse.  I took a few Aleve, and went for another swim, tried to stay hydrated, but it started to roar.  I took some more meds, then took myself to bed.  If you have ever had migraines you know what I'm talking about when I say it was really rough.

The boys and Paul were having dinner...grilled Tomahawk steak, leeks, asparagus...I didn't even care, I only had a few handfuls of peanuts all day yesterday, and had zero interest in dinner.  I stayed in bed.  This fine morning, I got up, took a shower, and got back in bed.  I'm up now, had a coffee, and am feeling...wrung out.  Happy that the major pain has passed, but still rather blah.

The pool though, has been fantastic.  I think it has really helped me, and I'm hoping to get back in it today.  I am sorry that I don't have the energy to post pictures or write a phenomenal post, ha.  I'm still thankful to be here and I hope that headache doesn't even think about coming back for a visit.  :). 

You all have a good day!

after the long long winter...

 ...this is just incredible.  

Consider for a minute, how long and challenging this past winter was.  I had my surgery in November.  By Christmas I was still hobbling around on the walker, knee buckling willy nilly, couldn't go shopping, was making it out the door to PT, and to church on Sundays, with considerable effort.  (Thanks to Paul, who snow-blowed the front yard so I could get down the steps and into the car...he was so helpful!)

January brought sadness and grief as I lost my only sister.

I started going to the pool, still hobbling on a straight-leg, slow going.  

February was cold and snowy, and I continued going to the pool, and to PT.  

March was looking a bit better, made my trip to Norway, but still struggled so much with walking.  

Somewhere along the way, I learned to walk with the knee bent a bit, and it has gotten better.  I still don't have stamina, but I can get along.  Being out here has been better than I could have imagined.  Getting in the pool is wonderful, but we all know how knee replacement recovery goes:  forward, backward, hop hop hop.  I moved so much in that water today, now it feels like I have a cement block instead of a knee, with a tight band around it.  It doesn't hurt, but it's slow going.  

That is how it goes though.    I am so super thankful to be recovering and enjoying life.  

Aaron and I went over to the grocery store and I pretended this was our cart...the reduced baked goods.

Some French butter, too cute!

Riley cooking...

Last night's dinner was fresh golden and regular beets with pine nuts, chicken breast that was pounded, soaked in spices (30 different spices and seasonings went into the blender to make the rub), and balsamic Brussel sprouts.

Lunch by the pool:  smash burgers with homemade buns.

Banjo the Border Collie...

The Beef Wellington

It was so very yummy, with broccolini and riced mashed potatoes.  

I'm all comfy in my bed now, so tired and ready for sleep.  I had a good swim session today, did lots of exercises in that pool, walking and marching and walking backwards...so I'm a little hobbly tonight.  The water temp today was 93!  Can you even imagine?  

You all have a good night!  

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!