summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

...back to normal, please!

My son is in Montana, he sent me a few pics:

Beautiful, right?

Two of my daughters are in Maine, they sent a pic:

Pretty gorgeous, right?

We need to get this country moving again, traveling, revive the airlines and hotels and restaurants! All these travel restrictions are ridiculous. If you do some research about five year death averages in different places, this "pandemic' didn't cause the harm you are being led to believe it did. What we have now is what some are calling "caseology", where yeah, you are still seeing people test positive, and it still spreads here and there, but are people still dying? Okay, everyone has the elderly uncle's friend who died, and the sister-in-law who got so sick she thought she was done for. And I don't doubt there were hospitals over run, and nursing homes which suffered and sorrowed...but it's time to get back to normal. I read that one reason so many haven't been stricken with this is because there are other corona viruses, and some have immunity to them already.

Today, I am going back to Normal...to the dentist! I can't tell you what joy this brings me, joy that our dentist's little practice didn't just go under...I mean, there are still bills to pay, and when you have no patients for months on end...? I personally despise sitting in the chair, whether it's for a cleaning or...the fixing of whatever latest disaster they find, I would rather have a baby with no pain meds, and believe me, I have done that, SEVERAL TIMES. I had to fill out an online health assessment form, and we'll see how different it is in the office. Sonja has an appointment too, I imagine we'll have to wait in the car for each other.

Yesterday, we drove up to the little city where Evelyn works, and went shopping with her a bit after work.

They got a bit silly.

Grandchildren galore, yesterday!

Anya, Lydia, Elise...grandma made them Jiffy Pop, and it didn't pop so well, but they were impressed anyway, with the magic popcorn.



We still have a lot of toys for our youngest being 12 years old! We're thinking of moving them all, storing them and getting them out just when the grandkids come over...there are so many toys behind the couch, it's silly. We also have this little foozeball table (table soccer?) behind the couch, and I sadly discovered yesterday that SOMEONE shoved the couch back and the handles of the table stuck right into the sheetrock, making two huge holes in the wall back there. I didn't realize how upset I was until Sonja encouraged me not to cry. We don't have any more of this color paint, I told her! We decided to at least move the toys out and put the couch against the wall...ugh. It CAN be fixed, just another thing on the list, right?

And believe me, I decided pretty quickly that it's fruitless to try to figure out who the SOMEONE is...ha.

So this Friday, my eleventh child, Miss Evelyn Joy, is turning 21! Can you believe that? We are planning to do something fun for her birthday, during the day, then a party here in the evening. For the party we are having pulled pork nachos, with all the fixings. Camille is in charge of dessert, she's making lemon cupcakes with lavender buttercream frosting.

On Saturday, the girls are all going on a white-water rafting/ziplining excursion, not sure what Jon will be doing, as he'll be back from Montana. I'm hoping to go out to dinner with Paul, as that's my birthday gift from him, and that was like six weeks ago. :). We were thinking to just get something to go and head to a park somewhere. I've never been too big on sitting in a restaurant. Once we went out to dinner, when we had like ten or 12 kids, so many of them little, it was a rare treat to be alone and be able to talk to each other without interruptions. I was pregnant and we had to decide on a name, so there we were at a nice restaurant with our name book, and a waitress who wanted to be a part of the process. Every chance she got, she came over to chat and give suggestions. In any other circumstance, I would totally be her best friend, but that night, I just felt like she was stealing our alone time, we can stay HOME and be interrupted, for free!

Anyway. Charlotte Claire and Camille are coming along with us this morning when we go to our appointments because we will then get the ingredients for the cupcakes, and some party supplies. We've been watching a dessert baking competition show, and they have too many ideas!

6 comments:

Stacy said...

I am so with you on it being time to get the country moving again. Even Pittsburgh's super liberal mayor said that if we don't do something to get the economy going soon there won't be a recovery! Just a thought on the restaurant...maybe you could find a place that offers outside dining? Tim and I ate at a place on Sunday that had a big covered deck and it was so nice sitting out there. Happy belated birthday!

Linda said...

Wait a minute! How are you seeing a dentist? They are not even open here in Hornell/Steuben. Gosh, I am so sick of these double standards these county managers set, sigh. Makes me so mad, grr...{{{grin--not hollering at ya, just flabbergasted}}}.

I am all in for Montana and Maine! More Maine, gotta have the ocean, smiles.

Marilyn said...

Della..........have you ever watched THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE SHOW? It is great!! Canada has one too and it’s great too!! These are all desserts/cakes/breads etc. I LOVE it!! Those cupcakes Camille is going to bake sound fabulous!! Have a super day! I’m off to the dentist now 😉

Marilyn from Canada 🇨🇦

16 blessings'mom said...

Stacy, outside seating sounds like a good option! Linda, yes, our dentist opened three weeks ago. It was very strange, them with their N-95s on, and even the receptionist in a gown. You need to sanitize your hands and have your temperature taken upon arrival, as well as fill out a survey...they seem very glad to be open!
Marilyn, yes, love that show! We are also making chocolate cupcakes with cookie butter frosting, and crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies on top, the kind with the fudge middles...

Kara said...

My dentist just reopened in July (closed except for emergencies for May and June). Masks required, wait in the car until your turn, temperature taken at the door. The kids orthodontist was open the entire time, go figure. I went to my endocrinologist during this time, and it was very controlled and clean.

I think we're in for some permanent lifestyle changes. More people will work from home on a regular basis. Masks may become a public health standard (I actually appreciated the masks on the dentist, because he always has terrible coffee breath that makes me gag).

Anonymous said...

I could totally picture the waitress butting into your evening alone!!! Takes me back to when we were naming our firstborn, looking at lists on the computer at the library. This was 2000. My husband finds 'Aliyah' on one, and the rest is history. The only other time I remember going over names is for our 9th, a boy we tried to name after both grandfathers. He has a long name, but it has been shortened to Adon, and will probably always be just that. So much for posterity. Hope the dentist appointment went well!
Valerie