we have a nice dry house, why are we here?

 When it rains it pours, but sometimes...it REALLY pours.  And when that "sometime" is when you're camping in a tent, with a sandy, muddy campsite, well...you might just decide to pack up and go home!

So we're home a day early, and let me tell you, I need to forget a few things about this trip before getting all excited about going again next month.  Here are the things:

Sand.  I don't like sand.  The dogs got very sandy, and slept in our tent.  A nice big rug caught a lot of it, but not all of it.  I had a little mat next to my bed to wipe my feet on, can't sleep on sandy sheets.  I am not much of a Roughing It girl.

Leg cramps:  I attribute these to walking in the sand, or perhaps just sleeping on the air mattress.  Last night, sleep was elusive. I conked out okay, but woke up with the leg cramp, and it must have been a sight,  me try to get up from that four inch air mattress in a wicked hurry to stand and walk it off.  In a tent, there's nothing to lean on, you just have to stretch through the cramp...then heave back down onto the uncomfy little bed.  (I didn't bring my giant-0 air mattress...).  I was so totally wide awake after that.  I was afraid to stretch and cramp up again.  When you can't sleep, you hear the buzzing of a mosquito, and your arm falls asleep, then you roll over and can't breathe out of your nose, so you have to work at it a bit.  Your toe starts itching, then your hip starts aching.  You hear a crying child from two sites over, and recognize it's your two year old grandson Tennyson, and you say a prayer for him, and his tired pregnant mama.  You hear a different child cough a croupy sounding cough, and when you discern that it's a different child and not Tenny, you feel relief that you instantly feel guilty for.  So you say a prayer for that child, too.  

Five o'clock rolled around, and my aches and pains were starting to fade into the sweet oblivion of actually falling back to sleep, then it started raining...ah, love that sound, so cozy.

Well it didn't STAY cozy.  The rain cleared up for a bit, we got up and had some coffee...then the REAL rain started...thunder, lightning, pouring rain.  It swirled down our campsite and left a  muddy mess.

Morning coffee...Tennyson had his tiny mug, of water.  He's SO cute.  (I didn't want to post this picture because I look so fat, but if that's how I look, what difference does it make?)

Anyway.  The first night was better, and Friday was a gorgeous beach day.

The dum-dums love going.

Sunset on Thursday

Suri the bear.

Paul starting the fire...

Waking up in the tent...

Lake Ontario

Pups on the beach

Ruth, Grant, Achilles, and that's Paul (Grandpa!) walking in...

Kids love sand, Grant did NOT want to go home when it was time.

They're so cute!

Friday evening swim...it was so warm and humid, it felt fantastic...Paul had cooked some steaks over charcoal, and salt potatoes...so good!  Then a swim...there are EXCELLENT parts of camping, too!

The cooler makes a good footrest!

Then, the rain this morning...ugh.

Mud!  

Wulf...

We went for a drive, found an old cemetery with revolutionary war soldiers buried in it.  We drove to Watertown, and walked through the mall.  We went to Aldi and got snacks (a block of cheese, some cherries, cheese popcorn, almond flour chocolate chip cookies, beef jerky, Buffalo style turkey breast, and some sea salt and peppered pistachios).

Then we made the decision to pack up and go home.  Wulf and Tenny weren't too thrilled, but we looked at the radar, rain was to last for hours, and even when it stopped, everything was soaked...and so much mud.  

We deflated the air mattresses, rolled them up with all the bedding, etc., then took down the tent...then the awnings...then finally, ahh, on the road...

The roses bloomed again!  The kitties were happy to see us.  Orange Guy and Sunny greeted each other with the longest face rubbing I've ever seen.  

I made some burgers for dinner, and picked the tomatoes and lettuce from the garden...

I've done two loads of laundry, and put most of the stuff away, but not all of it.  We had dinner, I sat in my comfy chair, and I'm tired.  pooped.  whooped.  

Tomorrow, Paul has to drive to Boston to pick up Sonja, Char, and Camille.  Sam and Grace will be bringing Grant and Ruth here, because Monday morning, proceedings for the new baby's arrival will begin!  

My goal is to get a good night's sleep, then clean the house all up...lofty goals...always, my aim ha.  Especially the good night's sleep one.  Oh, I am old.  Remember way back when, when you'd just go to bed and assume you'd get good sleep?  When waking up with your heart racing, certain that this was IT, wasn't even on your radar?  (Just a little aside: (as if the whole blog isn't FILLED with "asides"...) a few months back (January), I was having major issues with a racing heart.  I had been a bit sick, and it seems like since Covid, when I fight something off, my heart races frequently.  Anyway...it's WAY better, rarely does it anymore, and shh, it's not because of the meds, because I never took them...

Anyway.  I'm ridiculously glad to be back home, in my big dry comfy house ha...have a good evening, and a really good sleep!

when it rains...

 ...it pours...the hot water heater is on the fritz, so a cold shower last night.  Paul takes these things so well, he's learned that life goes like this. It's always something.  So we're leaving tomorrow for camping, and my car just went into the shop this morning.  It may well be something our mechanic cannot fix, alignment or something.  So we'll fit everything into our truck, and I'll remind myself that if Laura and Mary could fit everything they owned into one wagon to move across the country, we can probably manage three nights' worth of gear into the truck. Plus, there IS a Dollar General not too far from the campground, of course there is.

Today is beautiful.  The sun is shining, the birds singing, and it's going into the low 90's.  I didn't go to the pool because it's so nice out, I'll be in the backyard instead.  The camping pile on the table is growing, it's not organized or packed up yet, we're not leaving until tomorrow ha.

My old Emmaljunga double...I got it, and the girls think it's kind of bulky and hard to push, but Tennyson and Rhys liked it.

An oldie...Miss Sonja and me...

The roses are blooming again!

Kathryn and I...

Sweet little Jamie...

It's quiet here today, yesterday not so much.  Kathryn came in for a visit after our trip to Target.  It was really a good day.  I rocked Jamison to sleep, while Kathryn read stories to the other two.  I had marinated chicken in Cornell sauce, then grilled it.  Kathryn chopped onions and cut peppers, and peeled the corn.  Chicken fajitas and local sweet corn, mmm.  

The girls happily met up with Jonny, he's in Norway too, from Germany.  So my four youngest are 21, 19, 17, and 15.  

Paul has to go from camping Sunday to driving to Boston to pick the girls up from the airport.  I will have my hands full with Grant and Ruth, as Sam and Grace are heading to the hospital on Monday morning, Grace is being induced, grandchild #13 will be arriving!  

Ah well.  Never a dull moment.  We went to Ben and Ashley's house on Sunday to feed and water their chickens, their dog, and their kitties, and water their plants, as they were still away in Norway.  We spent the night there, and took care of the animals again in the morning, stayed there all day keeping their pup happy...but.  We had Sunny and Suri there with us too, and...one chicken, which turned out to be their favorite chicken, of course, got out of the pen, and Sunny pounced.  She killed the chicken.  Paul felt awful.  I did too.  Then of course we had to tell Benjamin and Ashley.  oh dear.  Not fun, not at all.   I'm a wimpy girl, I was on the verge of tears all day long yesterday, and still tear up every time I think of it.  I didn't even KNOW the chicken, so it's not really the sadness of the chicken dying, but mostly that we were responsible for it.  They had someone else housesitting for most of the time they were gone, then Sonja and Char and Cam went from Saturday and Sunday to take care of things, we took over because they left for their trip on Sunday.  I guess we shouldn't have brought our dogs, then one of us would've been here alone, me, and Paul would've been there alone...we didn't see the sense in that, but in hindsight...

And, that was all written yesterday.  I went to Costco with Miss Kathryn.  We got some hot dogs from the snack bar and brought them back here, then into our swim suits and out on to the pool deck...ahh, the water was nice.  Grace came over with Grant and Ruth, we had a nice busy day.

Grant loves baby cousin Jamison.  Grant and Ruth will be having a new baby sister in a few days!

So as fun as yesterday was, well, it just solidified this:  I am Queen Procrastinator Extraordinaire. 

Paul and I had a late dinner of taco salad, then I was too tired to pack.  I threw a few more things on the table pile, then put my feet up.  So of course I woke up at 5:39 and my mind was like the little ticker running on the bottom of CNN, bombarding with headline news:  pillows! Sheets!  Hairbrush!  A tarp to cover the chairs when it rains!  Is my towel still on the deck, and now it's raining?!  Sneakers and socks!  (I only wear Birkenstocks in the summer, but they get slippery in the rain!).  

So I got up, showered and washed my hair, in nice warm water, thankfully we had the seven hundred dollars for a new hot water tank, and I have a nice hot husband to install it.   I packed my clothes, pillows, sheets, threw a few more things on the table, and here I am...procrastinating again.  Well, there IS a load of towels and my jammies in the wash (the washer keeps throwing a code, F20 flashing, so I have to turn it off and back on...it's always SOMETHING.). I don't like sleeping bags, so I settled on a really heavy quilt, with a top sheet of course...camping or no camping, I am the Princess and the Pea when I sleep. 

I want to grab a few solar lights from the yard, and remember the "fun" marshmallows that Evelyn brought over the other day, they're like Cinnamon Toast Crunch...for the grandkids.  I have to go over to Emily's house and get a steak, she (and Mariel) bought half a cow, for our Friday night dinner.  I want to peel and slice some carrots (we just like them raw, and they're so much better than baby carrots!), and cucumbers, and gather the grape tomatoes and lettuce from the garden.  

Yes, we're leaving this afternoon around one o'clock.  So yes, I do have to move it move it.  

Oh Lordy, camping in the rain in tents with dogs...when we have a perfectly good dry house.  I shouldn't be having these thoughts yet, I should save them for when things are getting soaked and the dogs do that shake-y thing in the tent.

Have a really good day...and remember, this is your life.  Not tomorrow, not next week, not later when you can put your feet up...right now.  :)

where on earth did Monday go?

 Well, it's Tuesday now, and life goes on.  I am getting ready to start packing for camping.  My tried and true method:  whenever I think of something, I put it on the kitchen table.  So far:  coffee, coffee filters, wash cloths, dish soap, towels, blankets ,OFF!, s'mores stuff, foil, spatula, tongs, forks, plates, coffee mugs, salt and pepper.  I do have a list, on my phone and computer in Notes, and in an actual notebook. 

We're leaving on Thursday, Paul and I and the two dogs.  We bring a nice rug to put down in the tent, it catches a lot of sand, and the dogs sleep on it.  I like a foot wiping rug as you enter the tent too, because I do not like sandy feet.  Our tent has the little screen room entry, so the rug won't get wet if/when it rains.  I bring a nice sheet set and comforter, no sleeping bag for me.  I love/hate camping, you see.  I would MUCH rather have a little camper.  A hybrid, with the beds being like a pop-up camper, so when you camp with no electricity, you can still be sort of outside.  But, we aren't getting one anytime soon, so tenting it is.

Sleeping in a tent:  I mostly hate it.  I hate sand.  I hate when the tent roasts in the sun, and there's no electric so no fan.  Zipping and unzipping and trying to keep organized, ugh. 

But.  I love the adventure of going away for a few days, and the beach is so nice at Lake Ontario.  

The weather is forecast to be stormy...occasional thunderstorms.  ugh. In a camper, okay, we'll stay in for a bit while it rains.  In tents...rain can be a disaster.  Especially with dogs. Wet dogs.  

We're only going for three nights, so I'm praying that if we get rain, it's light and brief, like our tribulations:).   Margaret and Adrian will be camping next to us for the weekend, then some of the kids will drive up and visit on Saturday, so I'm hoping for a hot sunny day.

And now I'm going to Target with Kathryn...so bye! 

some random observations...

 Me while busy with all the little chores that make life busy:  a million thoughts to write on the blog.  Me while actually sitting down with the cup of coffee:  um...so...not much happening.

The girls went to the drive-in last night, so it was just Paul and I...then Emily came for a little visit, which was wonderful.  I had made a simple dinner of some hot sausage patties, then sautéed zucchini and onions, which eaten together:  mmm.  I also made some burgers for Paul.  The girls had eaten earlier, and taken a bag of snacks to the movies.  

The garden is full of promise, and zucchini, which is so proliferate, so hearty.  I've only picked three so far, so I don't hate it yet this year.  One went into the best zucchini muffins, made with almond flour, and a few tablespoons of honey for the sweetener, so good.  The tomatoes look fantastic, there are tons, still green.  The melon plants are getting huge, but we haven't had much luck with melons in the past.  We'll see.  I wish I had planted green beans, snap peas, but maybe next year.  

Today is beautiful.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Out here in the country, the only sound is the birds right now, and the snoring of the dogs.  The tractors have been working furiously in the fields, first harvest of the hay.  The sun is shining, and it's supposed to warm up to eighty.  The pool is clear and shimmering out there, waiting for the grandkids to come and splash in it.

Margaret is coming over today with Wulf and Tennyson, and a dog she's dogsitting for, which she used to own.  Kathryn is coming over with Achilles and Rhys and Jamison.  See, Adrian (Margaret's husband) is driving Darius (Kathryn's husband), and a few other guys to New York City so they can catch their flight to Oslo, for a youth summer retreat.  Sonja, Charlotte Claire, and Camille are going too, leaving tomorrow...driving to Boston and flying from there.  

The living room is decorated with suitcases.  The girls are flying Icelandair, and they're bag sizes are a bit smaller than other airlines.  A carryon can only weigh 22 pounds, and a backpack can only be 15 inches tall.  So they've had the scale out here, and have been packing and repacking, moving things from one bag to another.  I'm the background noise saying:  I hope you have room for chocolate on the way home!

If you guessed that it's going to be quiet here, you guessed wrong.   Kathryn might stay here while Darius is gone.  And, we're going camping next Thursday,  with Margaret and Adrian and Wulf and Tennyson in the site next to us.  We have to fit everything in our pick up truck, which has the extended cab and the small bed.  The two Labradors get the back seat, the bed gets Paul's bike, the awning, tent, coolers, camp stove, ect.  It gets really full really fast.  I would drive my car in addition, but...it's not fixed yet.  I can drive it small distances, but it gets inspected on Wednesday, and the mechanic is going to give us a diagnosis.  Let's hope it's not too crazy expensive.

Wulf holding baby cousin Jamie...with Tennyson

Now Tennyson gets a turn.

I praised the boys for how good and gentle they were with Jamison.  I told them he loves them so much and likes to look at their faces.  I told them that babies come straight from heaven, are gifts, and we have to be so good to them.  (They're getting a new baby in September, we don't know boy/girl yet, they like to be surprised...)

So I'm going from being a grandma of 12 to a grandma of 15, by September.  Sam and Grace will have their baby girl in a few weeks, then Molly and Josh a baby boy the end of August/beginning of September, then a week later, Margaret and Adrian.  When Grace's baby and Molly's baby are born, it'll be seven girls, seven boys, Margaret's will be the tie-breaker.  So it's very exciting!

Margaret and the boys will actually be here pretty soon, so I should get moving again...I already washed up the dishes, wiped down counters, puttered around barefoot to turn on the pool filter, check the chlorine, admire the garden, pull some weeds from the back patio, emptied the dehumidifier, killed a huge spider in the bathtub (Clorox spray), wiped down the sink, took care of the bag of bottles and cans...but the floor need a vacuum, and I need to water the flowers on the deck.  

We're planning to grill some burgers and hot dogs this afternoon, and get some sweet corn from the stand down the road.  I'm not tired of summer food yet.  Hmm, maybe I should make some brownies for the kids...I did buy red, white, blue popsicles (Bomb Pops).  

Summertime makes me miss my mother something awful.  She passed away 17 years ago next week.  She was just such a true and genuine and caring person.  She was an encyclopedia of everyone's birthdays.  She was thankful for everything, and content just to be with us.  She never had much in life,  but she was very rich.  She delighted in us.  Have you noticed that not everyone is a good listener?  Some people just like to talk, some interrupt, not too many actually listen.  My mother was a listener.  

Summer mornings, so full of promise, the wet grass and the shadows, sunshine dappling through the tree branches.  The blackberries are slowing down on the bushes near the woods, but the raspberries are going to be abundant.  There is nothing like wandering over there and eating them right off the bushes.  

And...off I go...have a really good day.

swimming right through summertime....

 It was a chilly 69 degrees this morning when I headed to my water aerobics class.  On the hot sunny days, it's fine to just exercise in our backyard pool, but today was Bye-Bye-Pool day.  The Old People at the pool are fun, we play catch with a beachball as warm up, and when the ball lands in front of you and splashes you in the face, it's funny, and it feels good to be goofy and laugh at ourselves.  

I had to drive Miss Camille to her babysitting job this fine morning.  Driving through the beautiful hilly countryside in the morning, seeing how high the corn is getting, passing by a horse farm, then seeing a few deer peacefully grazing in a field, ahh.  I sipped my coffee and enjoyed it.  

Home...turned on the pool filter, wandered around the backyard  barefoot...picked another zucchini from the garden, and popped the first grape tomato of the season into my mouth, mmm.  Ha, there have probably been others, and the girls have been popping them ha.  

Camille needs to be picked up in a few hours, and we'll probably go to the store.  We need some fly tape to hang under the deck, where did all the flies come from all of the sudden?  The girls are planning to go to the drive-in tonight with a few of their friends, and want to get some snacks.  They are leaving for Norway on Sunday, but it won't be quiet or lonely here.  Kathryn might come stay with the kids, or at least visit a lot.  

Tomorrow, Margaret is coming over with Wulf and Tennyson, and Kathryn with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamison.  It's supposed to be sunny and eighty, so yay, a pool day!  

We're going camping next weekend, so I have to start thinking about packing.  It takes a while to gather it all up.  Back when we still towed our 35 foot camper, packing it was a dream.  You could just ask whatever kid was nearby to "go put this in the camper".  I used to hang up all their clothes in the big closet, day by day, all matching or at least co-ordinating.  Even when we were camping.  It was so much easier than tent camping.  Now of course, it's only a few of us.  Next week with the girls all gone to Europe, it'll only be Paul and I and the dogs.  Margaret and Adrian and their boys have the site next to us, so it'll be fun.  

Sam and Grace are having their baby, she's being induced the day after we get home from camping.  So we'll get home, and acquire two small children for a few days while they're in the hospital.  They aren't allowed to visit yet, which is absolutely lazy and ridiculous.  There is NO reason for such protocol to persist so long, with no threat from strange viruses.  

We had a houseful on Wednesday, a random weeknight pizza party, because our son-in-law Riley was in town.  

We all went for ice cream too!

Love Grampa talking to Tenny in the background!

We just had a beautiful summer rain pass over, watering the garden for us, now the sun is out again...I just LOVE summer!!!!!  

what do YOU do on a summer Tuesday?

 Here's what I did:  

Morning coffee.  Laundry.  Puttering around, then the girls got up.  We sat around, they had their coffee and I had seconds.  Where should we go?  I voted Costco, they wanted three different places.  One Walmart, one Marshalls, one Target, and we all agreed on Aldi, and that the books needed to be dropped off at the library.  

Target:  the bathing suits were buy one get one free, they were happy about that.  Sonja found one t-shirt.  Then to Old Navy,  nothing good.  T.J. Maxx, Sonja found a dress:

She tried it on for me when we got home. Before we went in, she said, "I hope I find just the perfect thing!", and she did.  It was very reasonable.  

Next, I went in the thrift store while they went in a grocery store, they were hungry so got some sandwich stuff and a few donuts.  I thrifted and found two shirts for me, two little girls' adorable tops/dresses, a boogie board for the pool, a set of wood ABC beads with strings, a teething necklace (totally washable), all for $19.    

Aldi, for chips, strawberries, salad dressing, cheese, cream, lime juice, some hair ties, eggs...

Then home...ahh, home.  We had agreed to do a clean up, so Camille wiped down appliances, I vacuumed downstairs, they took out garbage and cleaned counters and put things away.  It goes pretty fast when helpers are around!  

And now, it's a summer Wednesday...because when the girls pile into the living room, I close my computer.  Because:  I know these days with the loud silly nonsense, fake fighting, and belting out Taylor Swift songs are numbered.  I know because Emily, Abigail, Benjamin, Mariel, Joseph, Aaron, Molly, Samuel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, and sort of Jonny- have all moved out.  They take part of my heart, and bruise up my soul, even though I raised them with the very intent of having them stand on their own two feet.  I gave everything in me to give them good lives.   Now there are these three girls left. Sonja will start her job in pediatrics soon, and there's talk she'll get an apartment with Evelyn, who lives on her own.  Charlotte Claire is a senior in high school this year, and wants to go to Europe for a year, probably Germany like Jonathan did.  Then Miss Camille, my youngest, my sweet girl, said yesterday while wandering the aisles of Target that she was definitely going to move out and not stay home forever.  Again, that's our job as parents, to create and foster independence, and to get these children to grow up into responsible adults who move away and contribute positively to society.

But it hurts.  I'm the small pasture left behind.  

We all know that it's not like they move out and disappear into thin air...for the most part.  I rarely see Suzanne, but that's atypical.  Our house is bursting with fun and craziness most weekends. 

So these days with these girls are precious to me.  

I need to get out the door in fifteen minutes to bring Miss Cam to PT, the start of a busy day.  The girls are leaving on Sunday to go to Norway, so they're busy packing and planning and getting ready...

we had ourselves a proper Saturday....

 There were no plans for the weekend, so when Kathryn asked if she could come over with the Achilles, Rhys, and Jamison while Darius worked, of course!  Margaret came too, with Adrian and Wulf and Tennyson.  Then Sam and Grace with Grant and Ruth.  Paul was off doing things, and Sonja, Char, and Cam were water-falling with Emily.

I put four racks of ribs in the smoker, and cut up some fruit:  a watermelon, a cantaloupe, a melon that Margaret brought, and added green grapes and blueberries.  Margaret also brought lots of good salad stuff, Sam brought hot dogs and another watermelon, Kathryn brought hot dogs and buns...so it was a grand feast.  We all went in the pool for a while...I took the ribs out, sauced them up, wrapped them in foil, for another few hours in the smoker.  

Emily and the girls got home, Paul got back from his errands, and we had a fantastic dinner.  

Achilles, Tennyson, and Grant, with their cotton candy ice cream cones.

Tennyson needed a helmet to drive the trike on the deck, Miss Charlotte Claire with Jamie...

Adrian in the back ground with Wulf, and Camille showing Rhys her scars..

Princess Rhys Harper

Princess Ruth Eleanor

Char with Achilles and Grant and Sunny...

Kathryn with two of her kids, Rhys and Jamie

Grant and Aunt Char

Suri and Ruth...

And, this what the new couch looks like in the morning...

But it's okay, it was a comfy movie night last night.   

This fine rainy morning, it's quiet in here.  Paul went to the hardware store to get pieces to fix the gutters, Char has been up, but I haven't seen the other girls yet.  I need to get moving.  The sandpaper came from Amazon, and I want to work on some things.  The floors need a vacuum, and now the smoker needs to be cleaned out again.  

Busy times are coming, so I'll savor this quiet day.  Next post:  our plans...

just gorgeous...

 

The weather is gorgeous....breezy and sunny and warm, birds singing...it's just so absolutely summery.  Our new couch is not too shabby either.  That's my comfy chair in the corner, with the Little Tikes chair, which is my footrest.  My chair reclines and has a footrest, but I prefer the little chair.  And it looks fantastic ha.

I do like the new couch.  The grandkids can't eat on it though.  :). When our kids were little, they could watch a movie and have popcorn, but when we had so many kids here, we had them make nests on the floor or sit at the coffee table, if they were allowed to eat in the living room.  It was hard enough to keep the house clean without the added mess of food on the furniture.  Now the teenagers are fine to sit there and watch a show and have a snack, but they're more careful.  (When our kids were little, they ate in booster seats or high chairs, then were washed before getting down...these days parents just give their kids snacks, or chocolate, or popsicles, and let them roam freely...sticky is not cute.  Kids are cute, but sticky, drippy, nope.)

Someone's water bottle, and my new sander charger, but other than that, ha, love the summery breeze blowing in the windows...

The first zucchini!  I want to pick it today and make zucchini bread!

See Sunny under the table where it's nice and cool?  Maybe I should lie down there too ha.

Eleven years ago, they were such babies still!  Now I have grandkids older than they were (8, 6, 5).  (My oldest grandchild is 9 and a half)

Yesterday Camille had physical therapy.  I do not like accompanying her, but I do because she likes me to go with her.  I don't like it because it's very chilly in there, but I try to make the best of the time with her.  

We went to Target and Aldi with Kathryn after.  I bought some seltzers, deodorant and hair mousse for Camille, cold brew, and one little toy.  In Ald, just a few groceries. When we were passing McDonalds, Achilles announced that he was really hungry.  Cam asked him if it was because of the Golden Arches, and said, "No, I don't want Golden Arches, I want French fries." 

Dinner last night:  Cornell chicken breasts, grilled.  (marinated in vinegar, olive oil, spices, and an egg, all whisked up), with salad (lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions). We also had blackberries from the side yard (they're growing like crazy this year!), and cherries.   

It's supposed to rain later today, so I have to get out to the pool and do some moving.  It's nice out, but it'll be warmer in an hour or so.  The girls are not here today, Camille has a summer babysitting job on Thursdays and Fridays, and Sonja and Charlotte Claire are working doing landscaping, weed-whacking, ect.  Paul is working, and it's too quiet here.  But the quiet days are interspersed with crazy busy days, so I cannot complain.  

Ah well....time to get moving again.  For the record, I didn't just sit here and write this.  I got up to see what FedEx was dropping off, and to make sure the dogs didn't get out to bark at the nice delivery guy (it was a tire for my car, we are ordering another one too, so at least it's more safe to drive before we find out the underlying issues.).  I am hoping my big Amazon order comes soon, a package of 100 sanding disks for my new orbital sander.  It's cheaper to order a hundred than to buy fifteen from the hardware store.  

I am going to say this again:  I wish I had an indoor pool.  One of those endless pools, that's deep enough to swim in, and has the current you can turn on and adjust.  You can also warm the water and use it as a huge-0 hot tub.  I would turn one of the downstairs rooms into a pool room.  Now, this is NOT going to happen, as I never buy lottery tickets, but one can dream.  I am just finding more and more that moving in the water helps me so much.  Emily reminded me how lucky I am to have such a beautiful community pool five miles away to use in the winter, and she's right.  It's amazing, and our health insurance reimburses for half the yearly membership.  And, for summer, ahh, the backyard pool...no, I cannot complain.

I just sat here and cut the underwires out of a swimsuit.  They made it uncomfy, and they were placed awkwardly, made the suit so low in order to have them under, so I got out my kindergarten scissors and snipped them out.  I have SO many bathing suits.  They get all stretched out from the chlorine though, even if you wash them after.  So I wear the stretched out ones at home.  So there are at-home clothes, and at-home bathing suits.  I get nervous wearing the really old stretched out ones though, because it would be the worst possible emergency scenario, worse than having something happen when your hair really needs washing.  I am convinced that if I go out and about in my sweatpants or other lovely stay-at-home clothes, I will get pulled over, with the complete, "Mam, can you step out of the vehicle?" (it will take me so long to get out, as when I get flustered, I move slower), and if the officer asks me to turn left or right, he'll end up slapping the cuffs on because I will do the opposite.  The joke will be on him though, because my hands won't REACH in the back.  Shh, that's my secret greatest fear, having my hands cuffed behind my back.  I cannot even imagine how painful it would be for me.  It would be punishment enough for whatever crime I might commit, so I'm planning on being good.

Ah well...have a good day, and be good!