a sunny Sunday in April....

 Yesterday was a rainy Saturday in April.  I headed out the door quite early, was on the road just past seven thirty, with Evelyn and Nate to visit their wedding venue.  So many huge windows looking out on the rolling hills of rural upstate New York, it's sparking clean, spacious, and there's a big warm fireplace.  

We went to Target afterward so Evelyn could see the new Kate Spade line, then to Wegmans (their brand Concord grape seltzer, so good!), then to work on the house across the street from Sam and Grace.  I painted trim and a door, for three hours.  Then home....ahh, home.  I changed out of my painting clothes, and into comfy sweatpants, and puttered around doing things while two seasoned NY strip steaks came to room temp.  Paul grilled them while I made salads, easy with the Aldi Asian salad mix for two, then added  some craisins to mine.  I don't like salad dressing, but a splash of lime juice, salt and pepper, and some olive oil, yum.  Then I peeled and sliced some apples, added in a baking dish with a jar of sugarless applesauce, then added my own sugar, mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon.  

This fine morning, I vacuumed, made brownies, did some laundry, then peeled five pounds of potatoes.  The ham and applesauce went into the ovens, and I made the fresh green beans later.  Evelyn mashed and seasoned the potatoes, and finished up the green beans, while Nate cut up the ham.  The Hawaiin rolls went into the oven for just a few minutes to get toasty, and we had a nice dinner.  Benjamin came over with Anya and Elise, Oscar was here (Sonja is in Norway with Charlotte Claire, Camille, and Margaret), Adrian came with Wulf, Tennyson, and Blythe, Darius and Kathryn came with Achilles, Rhys, Jamie, and baby Ellis.  Sam came by himself because Grace and the kids went to visit her parents.

Paul turned on the deck fireplace and brought out s'mores stuff for the kids, and Sam and Oscar played Yugio with the boys.

Sam and Ben, Elise, Jamie and Rhys, Achilles and Ten, and in the foreground, Mr. Wulf set his marshmallows aflame....I blew them out for him.

Nate with Newton, Evelyn with Blythe, Darius with baby Ellis

Sunny and Newton

Emily, Jamie, Anya, Wulf, then Evelyn across

Kathryn with Ellis, and Elise

Elise, Anya holding cousin Blythe

Tennyson with deer jaws, but he didn't have it in his mouth, it just looks that way.

It was sunny today, but chilly.  It's nice for the kids to be able to be outside.  The day went by way too fast, before we knew it, it was Break-Down O'clock, and families were packing up and leaving.  I picked up some toys, put the tables back, and phew, sat down with Paul and picked out some things for the house we are fixing up.  

We have some plans for here too, the bathroom we are going to fix up, and the kitchen countertops!  We have a backsplash planned too.  Not imminent, but at some point in the future.  We already have the sinks/countertop for the main bathroom, and the vanity, and the flooring...just need to get faucets, and start the work.  

Anyway.   Tomorrow morning Suri has to be at the vet bright and early for her surgery.  She has a really bad sore on her hip, we took her in for it a few weeks ago and got a long course of antibiotics, with advice to call if it didn't heal up, to schedue a surgery...well, it didn't heal up, so that's what's happening.  She got in early because of a cancellation.  She's turning 13 next month, for a Labrador, that's old...so I hope she does okay.

So tomorrow I'm going to the pool, then to pick up some fresh locally roasted coffee, then to pick up a quart of paint (I get nary a dime for saying that I love Sherwin-Williams paint, especially the Urethane Trim Enamel in satin finish.  We painted the coffee table and cabinets in it, then the table in the kitchen with the baskets under it, then the end tables in the green...so I bought another quart in white for when we do the backsplash, we're doing beadboard, and putting in butcher block countertops.  I don't hate our blue countertops, I love the wood trim, but they're old, and laminate, and well....

Anyway, after I do my errands, I have a dr. appointment because my insurance company denied coverage of the total knee replacement.  They want further documentation of medical necessity.  Apparently End Stage, advanced osteoarthritis with pain isn't enough, they want another x-ray.  So I get to pay for that, and have a little extra radiation because the AI program for the insurance deems it necessary.  

I'm having second thoughts anyway, so maybe they'll be firm in their decision.  Aye say, she can still walk, can she not?  (in their finest British accent...). And that will be that.

The week is shaping up to be a busy one.  On Tuesday I'm going to the Tractor Museum with some of the grandkids, then having some here for dinner.  I'm hoping to do some fun things with a few other grandkids on Thursday, then the girls will be home from Norway at the end of the week.  Easter is coming up,  a lot of busy stuff with that too. 

We had a good friend pass away early this morning.  Our kids grew up with their kids, and Benjamin stopped in to visit them and to give his friend a big hug this morning.  He told us they are extremely thankful their dad/husband has passed on to be with Jesus, and there's nothing sad about it, except for how much they will miss him.  It's a good perspective, and we will miss Keith dearly, but he has finished his race, and has entered into rest.  

It's sobering to think about, but each one of us will be standing before God one of these days, and it's up to us how that will go.  We will reap what we sow, and if we spend our lives judging others, we will be judged too.  I can't do anything about what I've done in my past except pray for forgiveness, but the future is a blank and hopeful slate.  I can choose to do the good and be patient and listen and be faithful to that still small voice, that nudges me and reminds me and rebukes me.  I can say NO when I'm tempted to judge someone, I certainly can.  God gives grace to the humble, I've experienced that.  He wants us to live a rich and happy life.  

I have experienced this, that oil of gladness...what could be better?  I hate my sin, hate how I want to get back at someone, or have bitter thoughts, or complain about my lot in life...all that wickedness....and that gladness comes.  It's a good life, God is good, and I am very thankful.  

And...it's late, I'm tired, plenty tired enough.  We used real dishes today and Evelyn and Nate cleaned up, washed up all those plates.  I had hardly anything to clean up, but it was still quite a day.  The kind of day you think about and say, "That was a really good day."    You have a good night, and a happy Monday.