on a Sunday morning...

 5:58, on a morning I don't have to get up.  The birds were singing, and my mind started whirring, ticking off all the things I have to do today:

Go to the store for a watermelon

Bake a triple batch of chocolate chip cookies...wait, it's going to be 90 and humid today, and we don't have air conditioning...so how about if I go to the bakery and get donuts?

Start the pulled pork in the crock pot

Clean the house

Make sure we have plates, seltzers, drinks

Then I talked myself down, decided that NO, I shall go back to sleep, after a few late nights and early mornings, more sleep would be lovely.  When you're old, actually being able to fall back to sleep is rather a small miracle, an anomaly.  I'll be all relaxed, then I'll be like, wow!  I'm actually falling back to sleep!  Then I'll think of something else...

But anyway, this fine morning, I was torn, get up at 5:58 or try for that elusive morning sleep?  So I tried.  I was actually dozing off, when ROOF ROOOF. ROOOF!!!!  Suri started barking.  oh dear.  6:20.  dang.  She needed to go out, and I'd rather let her out than clean up who knows what.  As I let her out, and Sunny too, there was evidence as to why she would have an urgent call of nature in the early hours:  she got into the bag of s'mores supplies, AGAIN.  She ate an entire package of graham crackers, and some marshmallows.   I thought that bag was high enough, but apparently that dog stands up like a people during the night, her paws turn into hands.  

Anyway.  The pork is in the crockpot, and I'm leaving for the bakery and the store soon.

Did I ever mention the panicky feeling I get when I'm having lots of people over?  Will there be enough food?  Did I forget something?  Will someone step in dog poop?  

That last one actually happened recently, we had JUST cleaned up the yard, too...ugh.

Anyway.  I think it's from having so many kids, this undercurrent of worry there won't be enough.  I have this thing, when the first people are taking their food, that they'll take too much and some people won't get any, therefore I have to have an extra extra lot.  When the kids were little, we made their plates, and as they grew older, I encouraged them to always check out how many people there were in relation to the food offered, and take a small amount, come back for more if there's lots, when all have gotten some.    Simple common sense, but in the real world, lots of people don't actually know this.  They'll be first in line and fill their plate, and wait a minute....what about us at the back of the line?

There'll be 30-40 people here today....we're having the pulled pork (over 6 pounds, that should feed 24 people 1/4 lb servings), cheese brats, hot dogs, and macaroni and cheese (Mariel's making it!), watermelon, and some sliced veggies and dip.  I'll put out some chips, and lots of drinks.  

I can clean up the house when I get back from the store.  I do want to get into the pool at some point...ah, I love my pool.  

Some of this stuff I could have gotten done yesterday, but yesterday was full enough with yesterday's stuff.  Paul and I went up to one of the apartments that's empty and did some painting.  I painted doors and trim for 4, almost 5 hours.  I do sit down when I do lower things, but it did aggravate my arm and hand a bit, it flares during the night.  I like painting though, it's relaxing and the results are satisfying.  When we finished up, we had to get some lumber to replace the decking/steps, then finally, we headed home.  It was five o'clock and shady when I got into that pool, and I was hungry, had eaten a protein bar at around four, and coffee...and water.  

Evelyn was here for a visit, and Paul made dinner.  The girls had already eaten, he made us scrambled eggs with chopped onions, bacon, peppers.  We turned on the fire table and the girls roasted some marshmallows.  It's so cozy!

They left to go to Emily's house for the evening, Paul and I were all alone here...I tried to make myself do some cleaning, some baking, but no sir, my comfy chair was the place for me, no way no how was I going to do anything else.

Oh, did I forget to say what we're doing today?  It's a Going-To-Germany Goodbye Party for Jonathan!  He's leaving next Sunday, and we won't see him until next summer.  (We're going camping on Friday, so that's the last time we'll see him for the year). Some of his friends will be here today, and our kids and their spouses and the grandkids and some friends of ours.  

Off I go, to the bakery...and the grocery store...