as with all good things...

...this vacation is coming to an end.  Tomorrow morning, we get up and head to the airport.  Tonight however, we are still on vacay.  Paul's birthday is tomorrow, so Riley made a chocolate cake and is working on Swiss butercream.   We're grilling burgers and hot dogs and having dinner outside, it's simply lovely out there.  

This fine morning, some of us went out and about.  Going to Target here is a trip across an expanse of desert-y nothing with tumbleweeds and cacti, strewn with rocks.   It's not beautiful but it is awesome.  We also went to a coffee shop, and to another place to get Paul a gift, and to Aldi.  

In and Out with Cam, Char, and Aaron...it's so nice to spend time with him!

With Miss Camille...twinning again...

Then back here and into our suits, we spent hours out there, in and out of the pool.  Char, Cam and I even went underwater several times, and had a few laughing fits.  

Now it's afternoon, and the pool is shaded over, and dinner is in the works.  It's our last evening here, and although I am sad to leave, I am always glad to be going home.  Except, the weather...snowing in NY.  Jon sent me this.

We did have donkeys out in the back last evening..

Camille and Pretzel....she's the sweetest pup.  They adopted her from a shelter when they lived in San Francisco, she was a sickly little dog named Brandy.  Now she's spoiled and she's so funny, I always say she needs a whistle and a striped shirt, or a badge, as she keeps an eye on the other two pups, keeps them in line.  

It's hard to say goodbye to the boys, and to the pups.  :)

Have a good day, and I'll be blogging again in a few days...

settling into the southwest...

 

The mall in Scottsdale...Miss Camille and Miss Charlotte Claire

These pizzas...homemade dough, baked on cast iron on a charcoal grill, then Aaron sizzled up the tops.

The mornings here are lovely.  Today it'll be sunny and 77, and the pool heater is on.  

Don't ever send Riley and I over to the store.  We were getting a loaf of nice bread for Camille to have her turkey sandwiches, when we walked by the cakes.  Those slices were half price, so we chose a red velvet and a carrot cake, not too bad to share between six people after dinner, right?  But then, oh dear, this cake had a price tag of $2, and then a 50% off sticker!  It actually rang up for one dollar, for a whole cake!  It was too funny when we came in from the store with it, but the big surprise was how good it really was after dinner...a marble cake with buttercream.

This fine morning, Paul went walking with Aaron and Lily, Banjo, and Pretzel, the pups.  I'm sitting here in a sunshine filled room, with my coffee.  I could get used to this weather...and having a pool right outside the door, ahhh.  At home, ours won't be used until at least the end of May.  :). Have a really nice day!

just chillin in the desert...

 because it's cold!  The day we got here, the sun was shining, and we got in the pool, but when we got out, brrr!  It was in the sixties, and low humidity.  Yesterday we got a little bit of sun in, but it got rainy.  So we went out and about a bit, got some chicken strips from Raising Canes.

It's nice to be here, nice to see Aaron and Riley, and the pups.  

As you know by now, Riley is an excellent cook.  He made us beef stroganoff, with blackened ribeye.  

Carbs?  What carbs?  It was soooo good.

The sunlight this fine morning...and that's Pretzel, she's the sweetest.

Banjo on the left, Lily and Pretzel on the other side...

That sky!

The Tesla...I love those Batmobile doors!

It was snowy and overcast when we left Syracuse, then we went up over the clouds, and I marveled that we can actually experience this.  I've flown so many times that it's almost meh.  But when you think about it, really WOW.  

Our trip out here was not uneventful, of course not!  We had a tight connection in JFK in New York City, so we paid extra and checked our bags so we didn't have to mess with carryons, and could just hurry off the plane.  We boarded on time, got all buckled in, then the pilot announced we were going to taxi over to the de-icing station, it would take about a half hour.  Yeah, it was snowing out.  

So.  On I talked to a flight attendent when we were in the air, she looked at my boarding pass, and was in communication with the other crew, and came back and said there were 54 people on the plane with tight connections, and don't worry, we would make it.  Well.  We were just touching down when the Phoenix flight started boarding.  We taxied for 15 minutes.  We were near the back of the plane (I realized I should have paid extra for better seats near the front instead of checking the bags!), and when we got off that plane...we boogied.  Char and Cam had no problem hurrying, Paul could have sprinted, but he held my hand and I hobbled quickly.  We scanned our boarding passes as the ladies there urged us to hurry down the hall, they were closing the doors...Char was last to scan, and her's wasn't scanning...the ladies told us to GO, I said, "I'm not leaving her!", then it scanned on the third or fourth try, and off we went...phew.  

It's really nice and sunny now, not so hot today, but getting gradually warmer.  We should have at least four hot days, then when we leave for home it will soar back into the nineties.  Oh well.  The sunshine is enough for me, it's so nice.  

The dogs at home are being taken care of, and seem to be happy, I'm thankful that Sam and Grace are such good sports to stay at our place and be good to them.  

I left some treats for the kids to make it fun for them.  (there are little wood birdhouses to paint, some paint, glittery stick on gems to decorate them, then playdough stuff, rice krispie treats, ect.)

My knees...they are not cooperating...the "good" knee is giving me a very hard time.  It simply doesn't want to straighten up sometimes when I stand up, and it hurts.  It's interesting, for sure.  

Ah well....I'll be enjoying my time here, and the sunshine, you all have a good day!

filling the suitcase, and more pictures...

 One of these days I'll get my act together and take better pictures at gatherings.  But until then, we'll just have to enjoy what we have.  Our friend Linda took these: 

3 of my girls, Suzanne, Evelyn, Molly Rose

Our friend Janette and her sister Jen, Rosi, and Miss Camille in the middle

Grace, Camile, Jen

Miss Charlotte Claire

Nate and Evelyn and the beautiful blanket made by Suzanne!  

Three of the granddaughters, Anya, Elise, and Lydia

They enjoyed making bouquets!  My niece Becky, Elise, me

Ah well....it's been a day!  I went to the pool, then Sonja came over and picked us up...I returned those beautiful dresses to Target, then picked up two t-shirts I bought.  We walked around, and I managed to buy a few more things, funny how that happens.  I found a half price space heater, we needed one as a few have broken.  I got some fresh chicken breast tenders, which were half off, vitamins, snacks for the trip, and a few treats for Grant and Ruth, who are staying here to watch the doggies, with Maeve and their parents, Sam and Grace.  

We also went to the thrift store, where I got one shirt from the Loft with the tags still on it, and one dress that looks decent.  Char got a lovely dress, she looks so pretty and vintage.  Then to Aldi quick, then home....ahh, home.  I put the chicken in lime juice, salt and pepper, and did some laundry and gathered some of my things, pre packing.  

The chicken was browned up in olive oil and taco seasoning in the iron frying pan, I got out some fresh salsa and cilantro, and browned up some corn tortillas with lime juice and salt.  A quick and easy dinner, and so good.

Ah well...I REALLY need to pack!  Have a good evening!

showered with goodness!

Miss Evelyn holding Newton...Emily, Charlotte Claire, Camille, Ev, Margaret, Suzanne holding Ellis, Kathryn, and Jon's fiance' Rosi.   Molly came later but I didn't get a pic! 

The cupcakes, Miss Cam frosted them.

Her macarons...cookie butter, and strawberry with jam and buttercream

Margaret made strawberry cookies and carrot cake cookies with cream cheese frosting

 

Post party euphoria ensued, ha.  We had so much fun.  Now it's quiet again, but oh it was nice.  My sister was here, and three of her girls, and two of her granddaughters.  Our friends Linda and Karen came, and Page and Jenn, and Janette.  Ashley came with Anya and Elise, Molly with Lydia.  Nate's aunt came (she is SO nice!).   His dad came for a bit, it was nice to meet him.  (His mom couldn't make it).    The food came out good, and there was plenty.  I think there is that moment before every party when you really doubt or wonder if there will be enough, and worry it won't be good...

Anyway....phew!  It was a really good day!

the calm before the party...

 

The punch needs to be made...

Ready for tea...

One of the shower activities is bouquet making...

The meatballs are in the crockpot, we will make bruschetta and slice up that bread, slather with olive oil and a bit of garlic, toast it up a bit..there are freshly baked chocolate chip cookies I made last night, and the cupcakes are all frosted and in the refrigerator, macarons in the freezer.  The fruit platter needs to be made up, and Emily is coming over with Buffalo chicken bites and savory pastry puffs...ect. (we put the air fryer away for counter space, and she needs it for her chicken, oh well ha!, it comes back out...or she can plug it in on top of the washing machine!)

I am shhhh, skipping church this fine morning.  My knees can only take so many steps, and I have so much to do here.  The shower starts at 2:30, and I can't be walking in at the same time as everyone else.  The floors need another vacuum, and the coffee table needs a shine.  I do a few things, as much as I can, and stop and put my feet up.  I've been sleeping a lot better, still have pain but not as bad as the awful week, not sure why, but I'll take it.  Sleep is a wonderful thing.

Yesterday was a stay-at-home day.  We rearranged the furniture to fit more guests in the living room, brought out one of the benches from the kitchen.  

Tomorrow is a packing day, and a going to return dresses at Target day, picking up anything we need for our trip, as we leave here at three in the morning Tuesday.  I'm glad I had some grandkids over on Friday, I miss them the most when I'm gone.

Ah well, you have a really nice day! 

a new beginning...

...not so profound, just have to clean the house again.  As I sat here in my comfy chair sipping my black coffee while the sun came up and brightened the living room, I thought about cleaning this house.  It's been just a non-stop endeavor for years and years.   It was almost clean the other day, then we lived in it ha.  Actually, yesterday put me back a few steps, but it was a good day.

Yesterday morning, I got up and had my coffee, put on my swim suit under my clothes, and headed to the pool...I got home just as Margaret pulled into the driveway with her three small children.  Blythe is a year and a half, and still sits rear facing in her car seat.  She had a bottle, and some crackers on the way here, and was car sick.  Margaret had to get on her computer and to a meeting, so I gave little Miss a bath, and Cam dressed her in warm clothes.  Tennyson was just glad to be here, all yakky and happy.  But where did Wulf go?  I had to go out back and find him, he was exploring in the side woods.  He wasn't too far away, but too far for me to keep track of.

Charlotte Claire and I headed out for our shopping trip with Tennyson, and Miss Cam stayed back to help with Blythe and Wulf, who was happy to be playing Pokemon with his Aunt Camille.

Ten was a delightful four year old companion.  He got to pick out a box of cereal in Aldi, he chose corn squares, which his mom said he has never had before.  He insisted.  He is too funny.  

Tally, the BJ's robot, takes inventory.  The kids really like it.  

By the time we got home with the groceries, Kathryn was pulling into the driveway with her four little ones, then Grace came with her three.  We had to keep them semi-quiet, as Paul and Margaret were both working.  At some point, I sat in my chair and scooped up Miss Blythe, who fell asleep in my arms as soon as I started to sing to her.  She slept for two hours, poor me, ha.  Grace made the hot dogs and macaroni and cheese, which the children devoured.  We also ordered pizza and wings.  

When Blythe woke up, I made a pan of brownies, and the house started smelling heavenly.  There was chocolate ice cream too, so the kids had some yummy dessert.  

Ruth and Grant adore their baby cousin Ellis...

Kettler...aka Old Kitty.  She's my little friend, always purring, always on the arm of my chair.

 Ah well.  I have to clean the house.  Vacuum and put things away and clean off the counters and put away our coats so there's room on the hooks, and and and.  I have to bake the cupcakes, and and and.  But, I don't have anywhere to go today, and Evelyn is coming over to help me.  (Paul is heading to the house we're working on, to put in a new bathtub, with Nate)

I ordered two dresses from Target because they looked lovely on the models, and were 30% off.  Well.  One looked like it could fit me if I gained fifty pounds and was nine months pregnant, yet it was way too low cut.  The other...well, it is such an almost.  I love love love the fabric...

It has a lining, and is good quality, but is too low cut, and the sleeves are just nah.  I want to love it, because I partially do love it, and it has pockets!  But it just isn't a great look on me.  So it's going back.  

Well, I guess I'll get up out of the comfy chair, and meander into the kitchen and start making those cupcakes.  I will say this, my knees don't put up with a lot of shenanigans these days.  If I don't listen to them and take frequent breaks, they scream at me.  And it goes on and one.  They just don't shut up.  This fine morning, I had to drive the girls to do some work, and as I walked up the deck steps when I got home, my "good" knee gave me a strong warning, a super painful twinge, oh dear.  

Old people, going on about their aches and pains, it's for real.  I've heard it said that if you're over fifty and you wake up with no aches and pains, you'd better check, you're probably dead.  :)

I tell the kids, take better care of yourself than I did.  I'm glad I woke up when I did, ten-twelve years ago, and started eating better and going on walks and exercising.  If I hadn't, I probably couldn't even walk anymore.  

Anyway, you all have a really good day!

all things converging...

 There are so many things going on at the same time!  Randomly,

1.  The wedding shower for Evelyn is here on Sunday, with 26 expected guests.

(This requires another shopping trip for fresh things, baking and frosting the cupcakes, decorating, ect.)

2.  We are leaving on April 1st for our trip to Phoenix.  This requires washing summery clothes that have not been worn in months, and packing.  

3.  Since we are leaving, Sam and Grace will stay here with their three young children, to look after the pups and keep them happy.  (Jonathan is here but works full time, hangs out with Rosi, isn't home enough, especially for poor Suri). This requires having the beds made up, ect.  (I did vacuum the guest room today)

4.  I agreed to do a shopping trip for meals on Saturday for workers/builders at our church property.  It's not a huge list, just some ingredients for brekky, lunch, dinner for around 30 people.

5.  We have plans to paint the ceilings today in the rental house we are renovating.  (They were just painted before the last family moved in, less than two years ago, but...)

6.  Margaret is working from here tomorrow because she has some important meetings, I also invited Kathryn over...and Grace.  So it will be Grandchildren Central, and I love it.  But, we cannot really clean up before that...

I have a pick up order from Target (two tank tops and two t-shirts with elbow length sleeves!), not sure when I'll get there.  

Yesterday I went with Sonja and Oscar to look at a house.  I don't even know what to say.  The prices now are INSANE.   Monthly payments are triple what ours was, but the salaries haven't tripled.  There are not enough houses around here, when they go up for sale, people offer more than the asking price, some from out of town pay cash, the realtor said, and most houses are sold within days.  Finding a place to rent is a challenge too, a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

(I was interrupted from my writing by a red truck that pulled into the driveway...guy wanting me to sign a petition for the new town clerk, okay, no problem.  He was talkative and friendly, and told me he was limping up the stairs because he has knee problems.  Well.  We got to talking, and he needs a total replacement on the same knee, and goes to the same doctor as I do.  We talked and talked, then when he was hobbling away, he said, "Well that was nice, you are friendly, I like to talk to people and spread cheer, it's God's will."   So, it was a nice encounter.   I am so socially awkward, yet love a good friendly interaction...I mean, don't just pull into my driveway...!!!)

When you're trying to get your house ready for company,  you might possibly find that you have too many things on your counter.  I'm sorry, but do people really pull out their small appliances every time they use them, then put them back?  Where on earth do they have the space to store them?  I ask this, but we've started keeping the four slice toaster on the laundry room shelf, because it's so big.  Also we moved the microwave to on top of the washing machine in the laundry room temporarily for some party or other, and guess where it still is?  It's kind of hilarious and redneck-y to go into the laundry room to zap your bowl of soup, but it somehow works for us.  

I'm thinking the air fryer will go bye bye in there for a few days.  The Kitchen Aid stays on the counter though, it's too pretty:)

All the shallow stuff we think is so important, but it isn't.  Well, I want to bless Evelyn and make it nice for her, so of courses that is important. 

Ah well.  You have a really good day.  

second guessing is my favorite...

 It's what I do!  Making a decision in the first place is challenge #1, but sticking to it with certainty, well...

I have not changed my surgery date yet, sometimes I think I positively will, because:

1.  Autumn is farther away.  (Maybe I can lose some weight, get in better shape beforehand) (and, ha, it's farther away!)

2.  I can swim all I want to this summer.

3.  My knee doesn't hurt THAT badly. ( This is always followed by the pain flaring up and me remembering how badly it hurts when it hurts.)

The pluses of getting it done in June:

1.  It will be over with sooner, less of this dread.

2.  If the girls start college in the fall...

3.  Sonja is having her baby around Labor Day weekend.

Oh don't get all sick and tired of me blogging about the surgery!

This fine day, I went to the pool. It's my absolute favorite, I like it even better than second guessing things.  Wading down the ramp into the water, then I swim over to my water aerobic friends, they're a cheery group.  The guy who runs the class lost his wife to cancer in January, she was one special lady, and a dear friend.  He seems to be doing okay, I think three times a week in the pool is helpful for him, socially and physically. 

I've been puttering around here doing this and that...cleaned behind and under the couch, laundry (thinking about packing for Phoenix, leaving next week!). It's cold and we had some snow flurries here, Phoenix means hot weather clothes!    Here is a pic from a few years back with my eleven daughters and daughter-in-law Ashley.  Look at Camille's shoes!  

Orange Guy and Sunny on The Dog Couch

Sunny and Suri

Miss Char with Kettler on her lap, and Camille...we are watching "The Walking Dead".  I mostly joined in by accident, but it's fun watching stuff with them.  It's not really my thing, but it does catch the interest.

Tomorrow we're going to paint some ceilings and trim in the house across from Sam, then I'm getting the girls some dinner for helping.  Friday is a busy day, we have to get the rest of the things for the shower, and Margaret is working from here so we can help with her little ones, as she has some important meetings.  Kathryn might come over too.  I am planning a kid-friendly dinner of boxed mac and cheese, and hot dogs, not sure what I'll make for us.  I mean, that mac and cheese IS good, but...

Paul made bacon and eggs for dinner tonight, I toasted up some Ezekial bread, and it was so good.  I made some sugar free vanilla pudding, and had a squirt of the new Target lavender lemonade whipped cream on it...mmm.  

I do have a random comment:  if a person chooses, in this free country of ours, to buy an electric vehicle,  does anyone else have the right to deface or wreck this vehicle, for any reason?  I think not.  

Ah well....not much going on...have a good evening!