the weekends just speed by...

 Yesterday was a much needed day off, but I didn't say it was uneventful.  On our way to church, the truck decided to give us trouble...I guessed transmission, because I know next to nothing about it, Paul thought tie rod or wheel bearing, can't even remember his guess...it had been giving rumblings, but this was a louder warning, so we turned around and made it home.  We have Emily's nice little Suburu Crosstrek this week because she's hiking in Utah with Mariel..

We were supposed to pick up a dryer from Market place, they were selling a really nice working dryer, and lived only two blocks from the house we were working on...had to tell them we wouldn't make it, but guess what?  They were so nice, offered to drive it over to the house, as the guy has a truck.  Paul worked on the house for a few hours, I came home after church...

Our fun began in the morning before we left the house:  I decided to put ribs in the oven, on low...Paul offered to put them in the smoker.  He showed me how to add more wood chips, so I stripped the membrane off, seasoned them with lots of good things, and also added a dozen chicken drumsticks that had been marinating overnight in Cornell chicken sauce.

Kathryn came over with little Rhys and baby Jamison (Darius is visiting Oregon with little Achilles), Margaret and Adrian came with Wulf and Tennyson, and Evelyn came over.  So we had a happy, busy, rainy afternoon.  Margaret brought asparagus and Brussel sprouts, Kathryn brought potatoes.   The potatoes were cubed, tossed in olive oil, salted and peppered, and roasted...then I added the cut up Brussel sprouts, and some chopped onions, then the asparagus last.  I made a pan of stuffing too.  I brought all the meat in from the smoker, and browned it up in the oven, ideally it would go on the grill...but our grill is falling apart this year.  Anyway, the ribs were tricky, weren't quite done when I brought them in, but the chicken certainly was, so we ate that while the ribs finished off in the oven...then, they were fantastic.  

It was a day, a good day.  Not exactly a day off, but a really good day.  I held a baby, rocked him, I held Rhys...when you sing to her, she chimes in the words she knows...Tennyson sat with me, and is my little friend, and Wulf is too.  I brought them out when I fed wood chips to the smoker, out in the rain with bare feet.  Everything is an adventure to them, and they want to know everything about everything.

Tenny loves to help feed the dogs...

Paul got home, the little ones love him...with Rhys.

And....yesterday Jonathan Robert turned nineteen years old, over in Germany.

Last summer in Norway, with Char and Sonja

When Achilles was born, Jon was first to hold him...

Anyway...I have to run, going to the pool.   About the renters who don't pay rent, it isn't easy to evict them here in New York State...we are working on it.  I agree though, it is NOT fair, not fair at all.  We still pay the mortgage on those houses, and taxes.  It COULD make me really angry, it could.  :)

Have a really good Monday, my friends.