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

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

may as well smoke...

...we usually enjoy excellent air quality here in Central New York, out in the country especially.  But with the Canadians sharing their wildfire smoke with us, it's hazy and apocalyptic and looking out the window is like looking at old pictures.  This fine morning, I wandered around outside, watering the garden and scooping cottonwood fuzzies from the surface of the pool, enjoying the absolute strangeness of it all.  

(Don't you love our deck?  The ride-ons and the bubbles...but that orange hue, so strange!
These new blooms seem to match.
The back yard...no rain in forever, and the cottonwood coating, it's like the poppy fields in The Wizard of Oz.  
The house is dark and cozy, and shh, I kind of like it.  I don't like that people are suffering, of course, and I don't like to think about small dangerous particles getting in our lungs, but the lighting is just fantastic.  

Yesterday, I went up to Oswego to babysit for Ruth while Grace went to an appointment.  

We are on the same wavelength, Ruthie and I.  We like to walk around singing, and we pretty much don't get bored.  She's a sweetie.

I stopped to visit Margaret, Wulf, and Tennyson, to return the sneakers Wulf left at my house the other day.  They invited me in, and the boys showed me the treasures they found at some garage sales on Saturday.  Tenny has a new battery operated four-wheeler, very cool!  

Then home...but not for long!  Sonja needed some things from the store...we picked Charlotte Claire up from school, at dismissal, and off we went, with Camille too.  Old Navy?  Sure, why not!  I found some little things for the grandkids (a shirt for $1.49?  Sure, why not!).  The cashier so nicely scanned an Old Navy cash discount so our $43 bill went to $33, and that's with a nice jean skirt and top for Camille, and things for the other girls, in addition to the stuff I got for the grandkids.  

Target, sure, why not?


I am enjoying the HECK out of the days with these girls...the last of the bunch.  Not too long ago there were double, not long before that, triple...one thing I never shied away from was taking the kids all out and about.  I tried to tie in a trip to a park or a library with a grocery store, but sometimes just the grocery store, they didn't mind.  They were usually good, but I'm not saying they never played football with a roll of paper towels.  

One thing on our list in Target was a new bike tire tube for Paul's bike.  It wasn't the right one, he wanted the one from Walmart...okay, why not?  To Walmart we went.  We browsed the clothes, found the tire tubes (a two-pack was less expensive there than a single in Target!), then were wandering the clearance aisle, when someone called out my name, and it was Betty!  She introduced herself as Betty who reads my blog, it was really sweet!  She's up here visiting from Florida, and recognized me, I think mostly the girls with me, but it was so cool to meet her!   For the record, my girls thought it was hysterical.  But not in a mean way at all, they thought it was super cool.  I've told them, my blog friends are my friends. 

This fine morning, I'm headed to the pool, then maybe to the big Mennonite store, not sure...we do need more plants for the garden.  But, tomorrow...Paul and I are GOING TO FLORIDA!  We're going to see our dear Eleanor, Paul's mom, she's in an assisted living place now, and we've been wanting to get down there.  Paul's brother and his wife have been there, which is good.  We're only going for a long weekend, Thursday night until Tuesday...and I'm sad that Grandma isn't doing so well, but I'm glad to be going away with Paul...and I do like Florida.

Well, late to the pool isn't fun, so off I go!!!!


 

9 comments:

Marilyn said...

Good morning Della ��

I’m sorry you are experiencing that awful smoke. It seems Canada is on fire! We had smoke here a couple of weeks ago from the fires here in Alberta and thousands of people were evacuated from their homes around the province. Everywhere is just soooooo dry. Many of these fires are still out of control. It’s scary really. For over a week we could hardly see our neighbours houses ��

I’m very sorry to hear about grandma Della. She’s done so well on her own up until her fall. Have a lovely visit with her ��

Great pictures of your girls! They are lovely and little Ruth is just a little dolly.

I hope your pool exercises went well this morning. I’ve been power walking first thing every morning and I have to say it starts the engine in my body for the day! It’s lovely and fresh first thing and the birds are singing! Lovely ��

Have a great day and I hope the smoke goes away real soon.

Marilyn from Canada ����

Betty said...

Della it was so nice meeting you. I glanced down that aisle and thought she looks familiar got to the next aisle and figured it out. You look so young to have such a large family! This smoke is really bad I actually put on a mask going out today. Enjoying visiting family and friends but it will be good to be back home in Florida saturday hopefully the smoke will not follow me home.

Anonymous said...

I wish we could meet in person! The closest I have come is Niagara Falls 2021. When we were at Lake Ontario, Old Fort Niagara, I waved to you 😊
Valerie

Terri D said...

You and your girls are super shoppers! Great deals. Fun photos and always nice to see the smiles! Glad you are getting away with Paul and visiting his mom. It is hot and humid here. xo

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes (Jkjk) what a small world that you would meet a blogger friend in Walmart.. especially someone who is from Florida? Things like that are so fascinating!!
Have a great trip, visiting with Eleanor! Tell her I said hello!
Your former babysitter,
Cheryl

Billie Jo said...

Have a wonderful trip!!!

16 blessings'mom said...

Marilyn, yay for power walks with the birds singing! That is enjoying life! The smoke, ugh. It's better today but until the fires are actually burnt out, or put out, whenever the winds blow this way, we'll have smoke.
Betty, it was SO nice that you said hello! It made my day!!! I also hope the smoke doesn't follow you home, as I'm headed in that direction tonight, looking forward to some clear skies.
Valerie, that's so sweet, makes me smile. :)
Terri, hot and humid, oh well...I may just melt into a big sweaty puddle.
Cheryl, I will tell Eleanor, and yes it was so cool to meet Betty, just such a small world sometimes.

Latane Barton said...

Some people just don't know how to be nice. I hate airports!! It seems to bring out the worst in people.

Anonymous said...

The smoke has been bad here in Long Island also. The sky has the strangest color, the house lights were in two days by noon and the smell… that we won’t discuss. But the last two days have been better and for that I am grateful.
Judy