oh-ho the summer weather here in NY!

 

We had chilly weather, turned on the little fake fireplace...then it warmed up...eighty degrees today!

Tennyson was a police officer, Emily a hiker...I kiddingly told her she must not have gotten the memo to dress up.  :)

Maeve and big sister Ruth, so cute!

The chocolate peanut butter cupcakes...I didn't have one, but they were said to be pretty good.  

Emily

Yours truly, aka Ms. Claus, got to meet Kamala Harris, aka Margaret.

I had to have Ms. Claus hair...

It was great fun, and the kids loved running around, playing musical chairs and freeze dance.  They had a Nerf gun station, and a potion making station with pop-rocks.  The did crafts and colored and had pizza, and prize bags.  It was really a nice evening.

This fine day, I got up and went to the pool.  The warm weather blew in, and it's like summer here today.  I puttered around and organized things today, threw out two bags of broken toys and old coloring books, dried out markers, and random stuff in baskets.  I filled a bag of toys for the thrift store too.  We simply have too much stuff, they don't play with everything when there's so much, it just gets dumped out.  I have a motive too, a new bookcase to be put together, then sanded and stained.  So things will get rearranged, and of course sorted.  

Tomorrow, I am planning to take Camille driving.  We haven't been doing that, she needs to get her driver's license.  We are going to go to Margaret's house up in the city on Lake Ontario, she has the best trick-or-treating location.  Kathryn and Darius with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie will go, Sam and Grace with Grant, Ruth, and Rhys, Evelyn, Camille, me...Jonathan and Rosie...Ev, Cam and I will give out candy while parents and kids go trick or treating.  We're bringing lots of lawn chairs to relax and enjoy the weather.  It's always so much fun to give the kids lots of candy too.  

There will be Domino's pizza, and I'll bring a cooler with some cold drinks.  No hot cocoa this year, ha.  

Officer Tennyson, and Mario aka Achilles

And, an oldie:  Molly Rose with Jonathan...:)

Ah well, it's dark and cozy in here, and warm, the window next to much chair open, love it.  Have a good evening!

can you smell that?!

Don't worry, it's something good!   It's chocolate!  It smells like a bakery in here, and I just made a hot Americano, so maybe it's like a cafe'.  I'll tell you a little secret:  Aldi cake mix.  99 cents.  Chocolate cupcakes, made from the back of the box recipe but with a bit of espresso powder (I usually used coffee instead of water, but these are for small children, ha), and a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.  Their mixes are so good, in my humble opinion.  

I was GOING to make individual brownies in the muffin pan, and make marshmallow ghosts on top, but when I told Camille, she was all wide-eyed, and said That sounds exactly like what Anya said she was going to make!  

Tomorrow is our Activity Club harvest/fall/halloween party, and there is a spooky dessert contest.  I thought I could give each kid a ginormous bag of candy, that would be scary for the parents ha.  But instead, I am baking.  Cookie Monster cupcakes?  Those are easy, just make the ridiculous blue frosting, put white circles of frosting with a chocolate chip in each, going different ways, for the eyes, and stuff a cookie where the mouth should be.  But do kids these days even know Cookie Monster?

My other idea is yummier, a nice whoosh of peanut butter frosting, a peanut butter cup with chocolate spider legs, and those cute little candy eyes...the mixing of something so amazing as a peanut butter cup with something as horrific as a spider!  

Kathryn and I went out and about with her three small children this morning, after I got back from the pool.  The dollar store for some decorations for tomorrow, then Aldi.  We stopped for coffee, then home...it's such a lovely ride through the autumn trees...some are naked already, some at peak.  

I hate to say it, but my knees killed me today in the stores.  Just ached so badly.  I don't like it, not one little bit.  I see people just walking along, and I think, Do they know how nice it is for them just to be able to walk like that, no problem?  But then I think, everyone has their trials.  Some of my issues may be of my own doing, some not, but in any case, no one rides through life on the Easy Train.  It may seem it when you scroll through instagram, and see all those nice houses and lovely put-together ladies at the gym, saying no excuses!  

I just finished doing up the leftover dishes from yesterday, swept the floors, and did some laundry.  You'd think I'd be all caught up, not having little kids anymore, but guess what?  They visit.    Yes I love it, I really do.  I'm glad my older kids still like coming over.  Sometimes it's loud and crazy, and honestly, I don't like loud, OR crazy, but I can deal with it.  When I was the captain of the ship back when my kids were little, I had them use their indoor voices inside, neither Paul or I tolerate noise very well.  He has tinnitus, and I just feel stress when kids scream, ha.  

I don't like stickiness, crumbs, dirty floors, clutter....and I have very few organizational skills.  Not a good candidate for a big family.  And multi-tasking is a very energy draining way to live, turns out.  No wonder I was so tired for so many years.  But.  BUT:  I have zero regrets, loved each and every newborn, and would give anything to go back and go through it all again, even the tired part.  Well, maybe I'd skip the stomach bug parts.  And the potty training.

Paul and I drove down the road to the mechanic to pick up his truck.  It is all fixed again, not sure what the trouble was, but when I asked Paul if it was fixed, he said for now.  It struck me as funny.  What, do we think it's all fixed FOR GOOD?  That we're all done with car repairs?  Oh ho, life=maintenance.   Vehicles, appliances, anything you own, they take turns breaking down.   But it also struck me that we don't actually own anything, we just get to use it while we're earth-side.  Can't take it with us.  So why do we strive so hard to accrue it all?  I guess that's how we're programmed, for survival.

Anyway, each day is a gift, and I'm learning more and more to be thankful for the the days, and all the things in them.  Have a really good evening.  

(Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the final cupcakes, who knows what I'll decide!)

in the dark...

 We are entering the dark season here in the northeast.  It's seven in the morning, and the sun is just starting to peek over the edge of the horizon.  It's setting earlier each day, and although it's not like Alaska or Norway in the winter, it can get to be a bit much, to be in the dark for so long.  I kind of like it, but it's also suffocating in a way.  

The leaves will be blowing off the trees in the next few weeks, as we get ready for winter.  The dread of the snow and wind, the dismal forebodings, of those naked trees, when you realize that nature cannot be tamed...the snow and the ice and the wind WILL come, and there's nothing you can do about it.  

Anyway.  This fine morning, I am thinking about Kitchen Aid mixers.  Ours is having issues that may or may not be able to be fixed by ordering new parts and doing mixer surgery.  I am not mechanical, I cannot even put the plate back under the espresso machine after rinsing it off, without turning it every which way first.  Paul could probably fix it.  It's old, my mother bought it for me, a complete surprise, back when we first moved in here, 33 years ago?  It's been a beast, but it started being cranky and working with less precision, beater hitting the bowl wrong, then the locking feature wouldn't work, now it's kind of sagging down, the beater itself broke, I ordered a new one, it broke first use...it's because something's off inside of it.

I can live without a Kitchen Aid, it's a luxury item.  However, I love to bake and make things, Camille does too.  So we have been trying to get one from marketplace.  Two sold by the time we heard back, three people have never answered, and now one lady I have a tentative time of today at eleven to go pick it up...$175 for a used Artisan...I have huge-0 mixed feelings about it.  I can get a brand new Classic during the holidays for probably $275...the Artisan is a little bigger and nicer, could be on sale for around $350.  It would last the rest of my life, probably.  The used one...what if it already has some little issues?  Is it worth it?  I just don't know...part of me just wants to wait and get a new one....any advice?

I just cancelled with the marketplace lady.  For one, it didn't come with the mixing shield, so I don't know how old it actually was.  Another one will come along that I feel more right about, right?  She is not happy with me, I do not blame her, but I did give her a several-hours notice.  Oh dear, is it just me, or do other people get all out of equilibrium when someone chides them, even online?  

In other news, is there or isn't there a special place in you know where for people who box up used, non-working appliances in the boxes their new ones came in, and drop them off at thrift stores?

Have I yet declared here that tomorrow is Lasagna Day?  I'm making one zucchini lasagna, one regular, one teeny one with no cheese if Emily decides to come over.  Why?  Well, why not?  Camille and I were wondering what to have on Sunday, and one of us mentioned lasagna.  I like to make it with hot sausage in the sauce.  

Sundays are interesting.  There is usually a church service/meeting/something going on there.  In the afternoons, lots of the kids and grandkids trickle on over.  I don't usually know who is coming, sometimes until the last minute.  Yesterday I posted on our family chat that if you're coming, (and what you're bringing)..let me know by this afternoon, so I can prepare...

It's hard when you don't know if you're cooking for two or twenty two.  I do love having them over though, love love love spending time with the kids and grandkids.  

Aw well...took a break from sitting, vacuumed the floors, washed dishes, folded throw blankets, puttered around, put some frozen burger on the stove to start the lasagna sauce...watched a video on how to fix a non-locking kitchen aid mixer, one guy just tightened a screw.  So, ever so hopefully, I found the right screwdriver, tightened that screw, and...nope.  It's a bigger problem, but that hope was delightful for the moment ha.    So, I ordered the part from Amazon for ten bucks, as Paul has agreed to try to fix it.  

I'm thinking about apple pies again...the lady not five miles down the road from here has apples, plenty of them, really reasonably priced....we could just get a giant bag, and make like four pies...I love making the dough, rolling it out, peeling the apples, then the aroma while it bakes...:)

Have a really good day!

autumn yummies...

 But first, here's my new friend: 

Isn't she a beauty?  

Did we need a new one?  Well, yes, actually we did.  The one we had is Jonathan's, I got it for him for Christmas.  Now, he's getting married, and his fiance is getting an apartment soon, so she should have it.  

I bought it from a warehouse store, new in the box, for $41!  Casabrews, Margaret has one and likes it enough.  

After the pool today, Camille and I had to go rescue Paul, the truck battery died and he was out in the middle of nowhere, deer hunting...he was all ready to go home, and nope.  So we drove out there to give him a jump, then he went and bought a new truck battery.  We drove to pick up our espresso machine, plus a bookcase, a birthday gift for Miss Cam (a Shark hairdryer, for $23!), and a few more things.  We ran into Hobby Lobby, and I mean, sprinted, ha, not really, but no dawdling.  I wanted new switchplate covers for a few light switches, and I don't actually mean NEW, I mean there are none on them.  Somehow after painting over a year ago, we didn't replace a few, as well as a few electrical outlet covers.  I wanted new ones and never got to it.  You know how sometimes everything that's done wrong or isn't done just jumps out at you and you wonder how you didn't take care of it?  

Anyway, I've been watching for the 50% off sale, so they were $2.99 :). 

Then to Dunkin for a coffee for Camille...I ordered one too, online to pick up.  I specified two pumps of pumpkin spice, which I should NOT be having anyway, but last time I got one pump it was almost good, so what the heck, right?  Well, the coffee tasted like a wondrous dessert, amazing, looked at the label:  4 pumps pumpkin.  I should have brought it back.  It was good, but I wasn't going to drink it...I had a few sips, mmm, but so much sugar.

We hemmed and hawed about what to do next, then decided that Sunday would be Lasagna Day, so we went to Aldi for ricotta cheese, and some mixed Italian cheese, noodles, and some zucchini for my zucchini lasagna.

This evening's dinner, oh dear... boneless pork chops marinated for a few hours in lime juice, rosemary, salt and pepper, brought to room temp, patted dry, browned up in olive oil, flipped, brown sugar spooned on top of,  heat lowered, pan covered...in other pan, sliced apples and onions browned up, simmered...a bit of salt and pepper, and brown sugar in that...after chops cooked through and rested, cut them up and served in the brown sugar sauce they were cooked in...with leftover heated up mashed potatoes...oh dear, so good!  

Ah well.  Have a good evening!

um, can we not?!

 This fine morning, I was out the door, after a quick shower, and chugging my black coffee down.  The leaves crunching in the driveway, my chilly feet still in the Birkenstocks, and a big black sweater to cuddle into.  I drove to the dr. office, found a good spot down the block I could just pull into without any of that pesky parallel parking, and without having to navigate the parking garage.  I was in there with time to spare.  

Xrays were done, then I talked to the "back doctor".  He asked me to walk on my toes, then on my heels, which I could do just fine, thank you water aerobics class!  The takeaway:  some arthritis in the spine, but no visible bulging disks, or any other issues, however:  an MRI is needed to see more of what's going on.  Well.  In order to do THAT, one must attend physical therapy for six weeks.  Me:  I already go to water aerobics three times a week!  Him:  You have to do this for the insurance to cover the MRI.  Me:  Okay, can I go just once a week?  Him:  No, twice is what I recommend.  Me:  I really don't want to do that.  Him:  Okay, I'll give you some exercises to do at home, but you HAVE to do them, and I'll sign off on that for the insurance...and I'll see you in six weeks.  Me:  (grinning ear to ear)

Then the hard part, actually doing the exercises.  It was ugly.  I got down on the floor onto the mat, on my knees, to do the first thing, and it hurt....I did a few piddly ones, then onto the stretches...I cannot stretch very much, but I tried.  Onto my back to lift my knees to my chin one by one, ha.  I did it a bit of the way, so as not to pull a muscle on the first day.  The planking, I can do.  The lying on the side and lifting my hip while one foot and a crossed arm supports me, ha.  Ha ha.  I did try though.  

I am actually excited about this, because I see how stiff and tight my muscles are...there are warm ups, then stretches, then strength exercises, and if it makes my back stronger, good.  My abs are awful, I just lean over to reach that little do-hicky that opens the gas thingy at the gas station, and I get a cramp.   So it can only get better, right?

Oh, and my hips are fine, just the bursitis, which is nice...I was afraid I would find out I had arthritis in them too, but not yet, ha.  

So it does look a little more positive, I may feel like I'm falling apart, but I have a few more miles in me.

Driving down the highway taking pictures...

The old schoolhouse...

Rhys killing me at matching game...I actually had just one more match than she had, 12 to 11.  She is a smart cookie.  

This is the prototype for the cake I am kiddingly going to make and enter into the scary dessert contest for our fall feast for the kids.  Shh, I know to some of you, it would be wonderful, not horrific, so we won't go down that road.  But I do think I am quite funny. :). No politics on the blog...well, maybe just a teeny bit.  But it's okay, I'll still like you if you vote for her.  

(Grandpa and Rhys raking, Rhys prattling on about her little rake...)

Old kitty, Kettler, Mama Cat...she's turned into a cuddle bug in her older age.  She loves me.  I rarely sit here without her on my lap.  

Ah well...I have a roast in the oven, have to go take it out...have a good evening!

getting even! (edited...)

 Oh, it's such a joy, the new baby is a...

Jamie, Rhys, cousins Ruth and Grant, and Achilles

Kathryn, Jamie, Rhys...is that green frosting?  Achilles wanted green for a boy...and it was green!

He actually wanted a baby sister, he asked Camille why she didn't put pink in the cupcakes.  :).                   So, it'll be even!  Eight granddaughters, and eight grandsons!  Right now it's 8 to 7.  :) (Same amount of kids I have!)

I got home from the pool this fine morning, and it's just as autumn-y as it gets.

Sunny knows what a treadmill is for!  (Can you see the giant fatty tumor on her side?  Isn't it sad?  It just slowly grows...it's benign, and riskier to remove than to keep...)

The mini cupcakes...

The gender reveal cupcakes, I made the cupcakes, Cam made the frosting and frosted them, after sneaking the green inside while I lounged in my room.  She washed up all traces, and wrapped the baby boy outfit, so I was as surprised as Kathryn and the little ones.  

This fine day, after the pool, I vacuumed, did the dishes, puttered around, then went to Wegman's with Camille.  She has borrowed a recipe book Ambitious Kitchen by Monique Volz, from Mariel.  So now she's filled with recipe ideas.  She has already made a sesame ginger dressing for tonight's salad.  (She's peeling potatoes for mashies right now). We have a steak to share between the four of us, Paul and I, and Jonathan and Cam.  

But, she needed things like sesame oil, which was expensive in Wegmans, and lo and behold, Aldi had it!  We did NOT think they would, but surprise.  So we bought that too.  Tahini and cilantro and some greek yogurt and berries, and a nice wood tray from Aldi for me, because it was only $6.49 and I love it.  Sometimes you don't know you need something until you see it.:)

Tomorrow morning I go to the ortho dr. for my back...not sure what I hope will happen...but maybe it'll help give me direction on how much of my mobility challenges are from my knees...?  We'll see.  Maybe he'll tell me I need to lose fifty pounds, and I'll be dandy, and maybe I will.  (I did NOT eat any of those cupcakes!).   You never know.  Although I do know a dear lady who cut back on a few things and was shocked at how rapidly she lost so much weight, and how good she felt, then found out she has stage four cancer...so be careful what you wish for.  I gave that sweet lady a hug today, told her I love her, and that each one of us only has today.  Each day is indeed a gift.  

Ah well, enjoy your afternoon, if you're in a climate with the beautiful fall array, soak it in, because those trees are going to be naked and stark and ugly before you know it!

oh dear me!

 Well, as I always say, a D-Mannose a day keeps the UTI's away...except I don't really always say that, and from the time I felt those first twinges to the time I actually got more D-Mannose, well, it was too late.  Day after day, it ebbed and abated, then this morning, I will spare you the details, but it was apparent it was time for a dr. visit.

No wonder I've been feeling like I'm fighting something off though!

Camille and I did manage to go out and about today.  We went to Target for probiotics and a few other necessities, then to the grocery store for ground beef, $3.49 a pound, as tomorrow I plan to make meatballs.  We also got buy two get four free Coke Zero (and some Dr. Pepper for Miss Cam!).  

Home, ahh, home.  

Laundry dishes vacuuming...then Miss Cam left to go to work, and I sat down, put my feet up...talked to my sister on the phone...then Sonja was wanting to go to the grocery store, she came and picked me up.  We went to Aldi, I needed next to nothing but got the bourbon brown sugar chuck roast, can't wait.  Coffee cream, some chocolate, and some salad.  

Home again!  It was only Paul and I here for dinner:  a cauliflower crust pizza, some leftover chicken wings, and salad.   Then I stopped writing this to head over to Em's house...the rest is this morning.

Just some random pics, Kathryn with Blythe, Ruth and Rhys enjoying being friends and cousins, Grace in the back with Jamie, Adrian and Margaret

Emily, Grace with Maeve in the highchair, and Jamison walking with loot in his front pocket

Achilles got too hot, Uncle Sam, Emily, baby B, as Cam calls Blythe

Maeve loves Sunny, leans right back and has her bottle...Sunny tolerates.  

Labradors are the best with kids.  I would personally not get any other kind.

Oh sometimes we need a bigger couch, ha.  Grace with Maeve, Sam, Cam with Jamie, Ruth and Rhys with Aunt Sonja, Grant, Kathryn...

Aunt Camille making brownies, look how cute Ruth and Rhys are!

But here's something really exciting...last evening, Camille and I went over to Emily and Mariel's place for a visit, always cozy and welcoming.  We did have a purpose, to buy plane tickets!  Emily, Mariel, Grace, and I are going to Norway in March!!!!  I am super excited.  How will my knees hold up?  (ugh)

This fine morning, as I sit here and admire the astounding beauty of the maple in the front yard, I know I have to get up and get busy.  I just got up, swept the floor, and made another coffee.  I don't like to let myself sit for too long!  I am going to bake some cupcakes this morning, for a gender reveal, and that's all I am going to say about it for now!  

Camille and I are doing activity club tonight, and I'm having some grandkids and older kids here for dinner this afternoon, so I'm planning to make a mega-batch of meatballs.  

Of course the weather is glorious summer weather, not meatball weather at all, sunny and eighty today!

Ah well...I'm drinking my coffee black today.  I don't mind it at all, it's freshly ground, double espresso shot with some hot water, mmm.  I have just stalled in weight loss, and sneaky little things that add up have sneaked into my days, so I have to wake up and deny myself a bit more.  It isn't fun, but neither is diabetes, and my poor knees suffer enough, a few more pounds off can only help.  

You all have a good day, and I'll be sure to take lots of pics of the gender reveal, it'll be fun:)

autumn-y fun...

Apple picking!  Rhys was very in to it!

Me...

The apples were Ruby Frost...mmm.

Achilles, Kathryn, Jamie, Rhys...

The tv cabinet/cube thing from my comfy chair...cozy lights, and the pumpkins all arranged into one little pile, thank you Achilles:)

We came home and made apple pie!  Rhys and Achilles helped as I peeled the apples:  they talked and watched and stirred the apples up in the bowl.  I do make an ugly pie.

They helped me spread half and half on top, then sprinkle all the sugar on it.  For this pie crust, 2 and 1/2 C flour, scant teaspoon salt, whirred it in the food processor, added two sticks of butter, sliced, whirred it a bit so it is still a bit chunky, you don't want it fine.  Then added ice water, a splash or two at a time, then make it into two discs, handle as little as possible, wrap and refrigerate while you peel and slice apples.  I sprinkled these with lemon juice, then added a mixture of 1/2 C brown sugar, 1/2 C white sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, 1 teas cinnamon (I used 2), and half teas nutmeg.  I would have added more flour, it came out too juicy but I did cut it when it was steaming hot.  

In any case, it was delicious.

 The toy turned on when Suri plopped onto the dog bed.  Also, do you like her Kamala toy?  We have a Biden one too.  What?!  They like to play with them!

Dinner:  I bought some bone in strip steaks, not so very expensive, just really wanted them....Jonathan grilled, I put halved Brussel sprouts and squash cubes in the iron frying pan in olive oil, mmm.  It was a simple dinner, but so absolutely delicious.  Then some pie, because yes, I had some.  It was good.  Everything I had hoped for as I longed for it these past few weeks.  

Tomorrow, the pool, then brekky with some of my dear friends, then watching a few grandkids while one goes for an appointment...

I'm tired enough this evening, phew.  Orange kitty woke me at five this morning to go out...have a good night, everyone. :)

looking ahead!

 When you make a reservation, you are taking a chance.  You are betting that things will be going swimmingly and you will be able to do what you are carving out a date for.  You are also saying the heck with what ever comes along in the meantime, this is what we are doing at this time.  Okay, enough drama, I made camping reservations for next July!  In New York, the state campgrounds are on a reservation system, this park we like is open nine months from the date, so July 16 of next year is the first day you can book.  The tricky part of this is that so many camp for two week segments, so they go from say the 4th of July until 18th, or the 6th until the 20th, and all the nice beachside campsites are just booked.  I've been checking every day, putting in the day's date and adding a few days...there have been sites, but not beach ones.

Then, this fine day, after going to the pool, coming home and making another coffee, puttering around just a little, then sitting in my comfy chair with a purring old kitty, I checked, and yay!  A beach site!  Paul was on a call, and I wanted to check with him first, the site was still available when he was done yakking, so yay!  We have two reservations now, one for Memorial Day weekend, then this one...hoping to do Labor Day again, and maybe sneak one in August too.  Four long weekends in one summer sounds lovely.

Our chilly weather will be taking a backseat to warmth and sunshine again, as we are forecast to have some really nice days...sunshine for like five days in a row!   I'll take it!  

Camille is sick still, not sure how she's doing today as she's moved from the couch to her room.  

Yesterday, I went out and about with Miss Kathryn.  She had a dr. check up for little Jamison, so I went along and watched Achilles and Rhys in the waiting room.  I read them a few books, and we pretended to be going on long adventures with the steering wheel toy there.  We went for a coffee afterward, then to Aldi.  Shopping for just a few of us is challenging!  One nice thing, I can buy one or two steaks to feed us all... it's gotten so expensive, we rarely have it anymore.  Thankfully chicken breast is still under three dollars a pound around here.  

I usually get Cam one pizza dough, and sometimes buy a cauliflower crust pizza for me.  I had leftover beef stew last night, heated it up on the stove and added cajun seasoning, it was so good.  Cam had a small bowl of Rice Krispies, and Paul had venison chili.  Tonight I will doctor up the chicken soup I made on Sunday, maybe a roasted sweet potato, and some Indian spices.  

Cold weather cooking is always wonderful at the beginning, all the soups and stews and oven roasted root vegetables.  I can't imagine getting tired of it, but I know by the time spring rolls around, I'll be chomping at the bit to grill things.  We do use the grill sometimes in the winter, some mild evenings, I'll go out there in the dark and make some burgers.  

What's hard is I want to do cold weather baking, and there's no one to eat it!  I know ME, and I know I cannot just bake pumpkin things, or molasses things, no sir.  I cannot resist.  I bought a bag of apples from the apple lady down the road, and all I want to do is make an apple pie.  Not a low carb, low sugar one, a real one with flaky butter crust.  I will, too, but when I know there will be people over who will help eat it.  

Ah well, I try not to sit here for too long at a time, I need to get up and vacuum and straighten things up.  I don't have any specific plans for today, maybe I'll drag out the sewing machine...I have plans!  :)

Have a really good day!

it was a dark and rainy day...

...and Della realized that autumn wasn't just all pretty leaves and pumpkins.   Camille was the one who pointed out yesterday, as we headed down the driveway in the cold windy rain, that fall was showing her true colors.  

We needed air in the tires.  I AM a drama queen, which means a warning light on the dashboard is cause for panic!  I drove to the pool with it on, then back home...I mentioned it to Paul, hoping he'd say No problem, I'll take care of it.  But he didn't, and he's so busy. So, I sucked it up and headed to the gas station with Miss Cam.  You have to pay $2.50 for air now, so I scanned the card, lefty-loose-ied the tire caps, and Cam filled the tires while I gave her the blow by blow with the numbers...we're at 25, Camille, almost done!  It was only 41 degrees with a driving wind and rain, we got soaked.  But, when we were done, phew, we were happy when we drove away with that dashboard void of panic issues!  (I TOLD you I was a drama queen!)

We dropped off the library books that have been in my backseat for a week.  (speaking of that, I need to bring some things in from my car...there's a car seat in there, it's been playing musical cars, it needs to just be put away in the house...there's a Little Tikes bowling set in a big cardboard box from the thrift store, for activity club, there's a huge box of cupcake stands from Suzanne's wedding, two boxes of seltzer, a blanket and pillow from when Sonja took the girls to the drive-in in the summer, and now, as of yesterday, 25 pumpkins for activity club, which I will unload this evening.)

I am not a hoarder, but my car says different.

Camille and I moseyed on down to Target yesterday, wandered around and spent $19.  She found two tops on the clearance rack, with an extra 20% off.  I got her some protein shakes, and we got a thing of heavy cream, and that's it.  We stopped at the bank to get cash for the pumpkins, then picked them out in the cold drizzle.  We joked about getting sick from being out in the elements.  

She made a deep dish pizza in the iron frying pan, I heated up some leftover roasted pork and Brussel sprouts, adding two chopped apples on top, with some brown sugar mixed with cajun seasoning, may I mention it was delicious?  (Paul had venison chili, and Jon and Rosie celebrated Canadian thanksgiving with Margaret and Adrian and their kids)

Lo and behold, poor Miss Cam came home from music practice all white and trembly...and yes, she's sick.  It's been going around so slowly, I never got it, Paul was sick before the wedding, I thought we were in the clear, but no, it's still in the air.   I think I fought it off, or did I?

In any case, I can't stop living just in case I might get sick tomorrow, so today I am going out and about with Kathryn, and helping her with an appointment.  

Mattress review:  we bought a mattress on Amazon, it didn't come, didn't come, didn't even ship, finally cancelled the order.  Then Prime Days arrived, so we got a decent deal on a Casper mattress.  Paul unboxed it, set it on the bed frame, and I was woefully unimpressed, it was so flat.  The first night I tossed and turned, and didn't love it.  We had taken two memory foam toppers off the old bed, I wanted them back...Paul didn't, he likes a firm bed.  So, I just used one of them and folded it in half.  Now my side of the bed is a good four inches higher than his side, but it's oh so comfy now!  I did still feel the pea though.

On Sunday, we had a small scale chili festival here in our house.  

Emily brought:  pumpkin soup

Mariel brought:  pumpkin chili

Ashley brought:  "normal" chili, and corn bread

Kathryn brought:  bread she had just baked that morning

Evelyn brought:  white chicken chili

Paul made:  venison and hot sausage chili

I made:  coconut lime chicken soup, and a big pan of jasmine rice, and two pans of brownies

There were also barbecued corn chips for the chilis, and lots of seltzers to drink.  It was a super casual day, with football on, and hide and seek, and games of memory with the kids, lots of noise, Jamie fell asleep in Evelyn's arms, it was a wonderful day.  

My oldest granddaughter, Anya, turned 11 yesterday, so I had a few birthday gifts for her on Sunday, and some for Elise, who turns seven this month.  They got pretty necklaces, and Elise got a reborn baby doll, Anya some nice marking pens, a notebook, and a little carrying case for them, along with one of those little mystery toys to open.  Elise also got a big package of Hatchimal babies.  

Ah well...Cam is on the couch with Orange Guy cuddled with her, Paul got back from donating blood and is working, and I am leaving soon to go with Kathryn.  Is everything A#1 perfect?  of course not!  But life is a gift, and we are thankful for it, right?  Aching knees and all!  Have a really good day!

it almost makes me cry...

 Something spurred a memory of bedtime routines with lots of kids.  Oh, I couldn't wait until they were all tucked in, phew.  Impatient while they brushed and flushed, putting on pajamas and night time pull ups and listening to their prayers...when they really wanted to drag things out, and wanted God to bless everyone in their class, by name, and everyone's dog and cat.  Tap tap tap with my foot.

Ahhh.  A little bit of quiet.  Since I had sixteen babies, usually when the bulk of the children were cozy in bed, I'd still have a baby to rock and feed and change, so it wasn't like I actually had free time.  I didn't even know what that WAS until Camille went to kindergarten.  

I would give all the money in the world to go back to one of those crazy evenings again.  

Today, I went to swim class, then drove up to Oswego, where I picked up a few things from a pallet store. A travel backpack($20), a couch cover ($6), and a little footstool ($15).  The backpack is really nice, the couch cover was totally worth six bucks, and is on the ugly red couch already, but the stool is missing the hardware to put it together.  dang.  I either take it back, or find the right screws.  I had wanted to do it myself, but I think I'll have to ask for help.  (I use a Little Tikes plastic chair for my foot stool now, I have a recliner but hate the way it reclines, makes my feet way too far up.). 

I then went to the Walmart up there, for some D-mannose, if you ever get a twinge of a UTI, take some, and it'll go away.  I wandered around the store all by myself, and found a few Christmas gifts, some eggs, and some cream.  Then I went to visit Wulf and Tenny for a few minutes, then home....ahh, home.

Paul was just leaving for some bow-hunting, and the Casper mattress box was on the deck, empty!  It was delivered today, he already took out our old Sleep Number bed and put the new mattress on our bed frame. I hate to be a pessimist, but it looks really flat still.  We had ordered a different mattress that Kathryn recommended, but it didn't come for two weeks, so we canceled the order.  Then Prime Days were happening, so we got a decent deal on this one.  We'll see.  I just wish it were higher, maybe we need box springs.  

The refrigerator needed cleaning out, so I did that.  We have to be so much more careful, there was too much waste.  I have to be more careful, have to cook in small amounts!  It HAS been a while since I purged the salad dressings and such though, we don't really eat them here anymore anyway, for the most part.  Now it will stay nice and neat and clean with no yucky leftovers, right?  

Camille is home from work, and Jon brought Rosie out to dinner, so we fended for ourselves for dinner.  I had bacon and eggs, she had leftover pasta turned into some nice creation with sautéed onions and garlic.  Paul came home after a nice afternoon in the woods, no deer.  Cam is at a girls' evening at Mariel's house, Jon is off with his friends, and we're here in the quiet.  The old kitty is purring on the arm of my chair, couldn't get any closer to me.  She's such a funny girl, she was never this friendly, but I think she misses the hubbub around here a bit too.  

Tomorrow some of the grandkids will be coming over, and we're doing things around the house...then Sunday after church, the fam is coming over for Chili Day.  What is this, you ask?  Not sure, but Mariel is bringing chili, and I am making some...what will the others bring?  We'll find out!

It seems like my Florida friends are okay from the storm?  Please let us know if you need anything!  Have a good evening, all.  :)

ahhh....a day.

 This misty moisty morning, when cloudy was the weather....(Mother Goose)...I had nowhere to go, nowhere to be.  But.  I had some animal problems. 

Now, the saga began last night, when I, freshly showered with a soft cotton nightgown on, got into my wonderful bed.  What?!  WHAT?!  WHY IS MY BED WET?!  I jumped out of bed so fast, I'm surprised I didn't pull a muscle.  My bed was wet.  I took a deep breath, and turned on the bedside lamp.  A big puddle of wet, starting on my nice just-a-few-months-old Target clearanced comforter.  

I smelled it.  I mean, wouldn't you?  Pee.  Yup, pee, no doubt about it.  I have some theories, I blame the cat.  Old Kitty.  She was closed in my room for a bit, because there were visiting grandchildren, namely a one year old Blythe who goes everywhere and gets into everything, as one year olds should.

So, you close all the hallway doors and let her go.  She's a cute little monkey.

I cannot fathom one of the dogs being the culprit.  (oh dear, lost my train of thought, Camille just brought me a cup of hot tea, ginger peach with a tad bit of local honey, perfect for a chilly evening!).  The dogs.  Suri cannot even get up on the bed, and I seriously doubt Sunny would pee there...but she might have if she was stuck in there....so I think it was the cat.  

Anyway.  You'd think, being the mother of 16 hooligans, I'd be done trying to figure out who did things ha.  

So last night, I got out some clean sheets, and made a nest on the couch.  It wasn't terrible, I changed my nightgown, and read for a while...then this fine I found the same kitty locked in a spare room we keep an extra refrigerator in...someone was getting out or putting back the wedding cupcakes...and kitty got locked in there...there is not a kitty litter box in that room, so you can imagine the suprises she left me.

She was mighty happy to get out of the room, and purred for kitty chow, but ate it up too quickly, and yeah, she barfed three times across the floor on the way to the door...

Argh, they keep me hopping.  

These two were visiting here yesterday too, Wulf and Tennyson.  Wulf wasn't feeling so well, but we still managed to play a game of Labopoly.  I made them homemade waffles for dinner, with sprinkles.  

This fine morning, after washing three loads of bedding, vacuuming the floors, washing up the dishes, picking up some toys, I asked Miss Cam if she wanted to go to the library.  We stopped at the thrift store first, she got an Abercrombie and Fitch sweater, I got a few nice Kohl's and Macy's shirts, then off to Target we went. 

This was marked down to $49.49!  I have been wanting one for years, especially to clean the couch.  I was not planning to get it today, but how could I not?   We tried it out on the ottoman to see how it cleaned, it worked well but it's not dry yet.  

It was dark and rainy, so I turned into the diner...Camille ordered blueberry pancakes...think there was enough?

I got scrambled eggs, hash browns, and cinnamon raisin toast.  The toast was burnt, I should have asked her to remake it, but I started eating it, I mean, why waste it?  I didn't eat it all, but I could have, it was so good...but I try to avoid carb-y things...it's fresh baked from a little place up in Oswego, and it's so good...I really should have pointed out how burnt it was though...

Home...ahh, home.  We opened our new little Green cleaner, and tried it out...washed the clothes from the thrift store, I made my bed, and dinner time...we had leftovers from Sunday, although Jon made some sausages with onions.  

It's quiet and cozy in here right now.  Jon and Rosie are going to bake cookies tonight, probably chocolate chip.  

Tomorrow is water aerobics class, and possible going out to brekky with the group, haven't decided yet.  There are a few things I need to go pick up from an auction site, a six dollar couch cover, and a $20 travel backpack.  

There is sickness going around, Paul was sick last week and better in time for the wedding, but still kind of dragging.  I feel like I've been fighting it off, just am tired, but that could be from sleeping on the couch last night, ha.  Have a good evening, and if you live in Florida, oh dear, be safe.