seven blessings...

1. & 2. Anya and Elise


3. & 4. Lydia and new baby sister Ophelia

and little Aunty Camille with Ophelia


5. Grant (Sam and Grace's little guy) (he lives in Virginia)


6. Wulf in his moose costume


7. baby Achilles (my Salem, Oregon grandson, Kathryn and Darius' little guy)


There is nothing like a genuine hug from a grandchild. Even better, when you get to rock them to sleep. Margaret spent the night here with Wulf on New Year's, and Wulf was really tired...he's one of those kids who goes faster and faster, the more tired he is...you can scoop him up and he'll put his head on your shoulder and melt into you, swooning when you sing to him and rock him, but then after twenty three seconds, he's pushing away, scrambling down, and getting busy running around again. Somehow I tricked him into staying with me that night, and he fell asleep with his head on my shoulder. Okay, confession: every time he started to scramble down, I said, "Your mama is going to get you and put you to bed...", so he would bury his face in me and try to hide...after like three times of this, he was just so tired and he conked out.

So I went to my deep water arthritis aerobics class last night. I am SO glad I didn't listen to my lazy old self and stay home! I woke up yesterday with a stuffy nose, sneezy, feeling a bit lousy, thinking I was coming down with something...but I went to that class anyway, and I feel much better today!

We've been cleaning and de-cluttering and purging, and I'll be honest, it feels good AND bad. I do not like to part with things of sentimental value. I do it anyway, but it's painful. The old quilts from the couches, I loved those! The remaining Fisher Price Little people houses and airplane and town, ect. Books and clothes and old rollerblades, off to the thrift store. I did keep one Emmaljunga double stroller, and one Emmaljunga pram. I have the carriage bed for it still in my closet, and why not keep it? It would be nice for babysitting Ophelia, we can take a grand walk, or a good nap. When the kids protested about me saying I was keeping them, I got a little loud..."Seriously? Don't give me a hard time about this, I am giving up the Fisher-Price, the old Easter Baskets, the Little Tikes tractor trailer...! This is hard for me!"

Sentimental value. It's hard to balance what brings true joy, as Marie Kondo would say, and what just floods you with memories of days gone by. I did screech with delight when we opened a bin, and there on top was an afghan my mother crocheted for me, at least 20 years ago. I am keeping this!!! My mother made this for me! I haven't seen it for YEARS! I wondered where it was! Yes, it's getting washed, and going on my bed.

Here's the thing: kids move out, we don't need so much stuff anymore, so yesterday we cleaned out our storage room. We don't really have a garage, we have one of those portable kind, like this:

It's good for storing the lawn mowers and weedwacker, bicycles, and the rototiller in, but not much else. We tried to build a real garage, but didn't have enough feet from the house to the property line on the side we wanted it. Anyway.

So we have this storage room downstairs, with a freezer, and shelves, and oh dear, it gets cluttered and messy. It was a big job, but we cleaned it up nicely yesterday. Sonja and Jonathan loaded up the truck and made a trip to the dump, and oops, it was already closed, so they had to take it all back out of the truck...
Here's how it looks now:

The far end of the room still has lots of stuff destined for the thrift store, bags and boxes. So our work isn't done, but it looks better and is more organized. I have saved up most of my babysitting money, and am paying the kids for doing extra work like this, towards their upcoming trip: they are going to Norway for Easter! Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille are ALL GOING! Emily is going as their chaperone, they already have their plane tickets.

Emily is picking Jonathan up to take him cross country skiing this morning, as she has the day off from work. I have big plans too, thinking of going to the thrift store, dropping off a few bags, and then looking around. I don't want any more STUFF, but sometimes it's nice to browse without any eye-rollers along. I've gotten some really good things at thrift stores, a few really beautiful mirrors...little known fact: it doesn't matter what color the frame is, you can chalk paint it! I've even chalk painted metal frames. I have a round mirror in the kitchen:

It was ugly and brassy, but a little bit of paint, and it looks sort of vintage-y.



Other thrift store mirrors I've painted...there's also a nice huge one in Sonja's room. The flower picture had an ugly metal frame, I like it now.

Anyway. I wander through the thrift store, with chalk paint on the brain, seeing projects and possibilities. I've also gotten a few other good deals there: Little Tikes tables and chairs, outdoor chairs which I've spray painted, a Miele vacuum cleaner for $4.99, never used. I've found beautiful white porcelain Corelle mugs, and a few pretty glass pitchers. I've found Birkenstocks, Columbia boots, and the warm mittens I've worn for years now, and the brand new wood matching lamps that I chalk painted gray, and use in the living room (new shades, and bam!). Our leather couch if from the thrift store, real leather, forty dollars. I would never consider buying furniture from there, and wasn't even looking for a couch. But one day several years ago, this couch caught my eye, and when I looked closer, it was beautiful. I peeked between the cushions, and it was spotless! Nary a crumb to be found! wow, I want this! It was 47.99, but I had a seven dollar off coupon, ha! I bought it and have loved it, great for having dogs, no need to cover it. There have been fails too, like the food processor that was cracked, and the coffee pot that didn't work. Then there was the brand new soft ice cream maker we bought for seven dollars, used once, then donated it back. It's like renting ha. There are also thrift store regrets, as in things you regret not buying: the brand new in the box Bissell Crosswave floor cleaner vacuum for seventy dollars, and the brand new gray leather couch for two hundred.

Anyway. I do ramble on sometimes, don't I? I have SO much to be thankful for. My life isn't perfect, no one's is. Last night, for example, I got in the truck and started driving to the pool, and brr it was cold! What?! The passenger's side window was down, from when Jon opened it to direct Sonja when she backed back into the driveway from their waste-of-time trip to the dump. I tried to put it back up with the little button on my door, nope. It wouldn't go up. So I drove to the pool, and froze my arse off. When I got there, I heaved over toward the passenger seat, reached that door, and yay, that window went up. But I was a cold customer, going into that pool. (I had a hot cup of decaf when I got home!)

And that's all the rambling for now!

January chill....

Our church meeting was cancelled this morning, due to snow plowing issues. So basically, I got up and took a shower for nothing, ha. I would have slept in though. I did not end up taking the midnight trip to the airport, Evelyn's flight was delayed a few times, she ended up getting in at almost three a.m. Emily went to pick her up for me, because she said it wasn't a big deal, she could nap beforehand, then go back to sleep when she got back...whereas I would be awake for hours.


A beautiful little Ophelia visited us today with her mommy and daddy and big sister Lydia.

We had:

I knew it was a good idea to buy a few extra turkeys when they were like seven dollars, back in November. It was thawing in the refrigerator since yesterday, still pretty frozen, but guess what? You CAN cook a frozen turkey! Even the FDA says you can safely cook when it's frozen. It's like the tummy sleeping recommendation for infants, changing to back-to-sleep, totally changed, ha.

So turkey went into oven at 11:45 am, and we ate dinner at seven o'clock, p.m.

We had seven baked potatoes, 8 baked dinner rolls, some corn, olives, celery sticks, cranberry sauce, black olives, turkey and gravy, and stuffing. Then, pumpkin pie, Keto cheesecake with blueberries (no one ate this but me), brownies with Reeses' peanut butter chips, homemade peanut butter frosting, drizzled with melted chocolate frosting and sprinkles.

(I only had the Keto cheesecake).

So we had a cozy dinner, Lydia ran around happily. She played hide and seek, and dollhouse. She gave me a few cuddles, but she was very busy playing with Evelyn, Sonja, Charlotte Claire, Camille, Danielle, and Jonathan.

It was very snowy out. Mali and Josh probably wouldn't have come if they actually realized how bad the roads were. I am glad they did visit, and glad they made it home safely, if not stressfully...the latch for the hood gave them trouble, so they had to drive home slowly, with Ophelia screaming all the way...

Tomorrow we have plans which the kids are not thrilled about. We are cleaning out a huge room, a storage space. Christmas stuff, camping stuff, the air conditioners, tools, sleeping bags, eat...it gets all organized, then next thing you know, it's a mixed up mess again. So tomorrow, we are tackling it. I am not thrilled about it either, but I do like the finished result. I am not an organized person, but I DO adore organized spaces. I love them. I like to dream that someday, I'll be organized. I AM in the process of whittling down, getting rid of, and fine-tuning our belongings.

It does feel good to throw things away, and to pack them up for the thrift store. At the same time, I don't always want to, but I try to do it anyway.

I hope the roads are better tomorrow. We have to go the dump, the thrift store (to drop stuff off, not get more stuff!), and maybe return some cans and bottles...goodnight1

cozy baking day...

It's this girl's birthday! My oldest daughter,Emily, whom I am so very proud of.

Emily is a smart girl. She graduated third in her class, took a 6 month trip to Salem before she went to college, then a one year stint in Norway after graduating and working for a year. She worked for ten years on the floor in critical care/ICU at the big hospital in the city, while continuing her schooling. She now works in patient care in a doctor's office, as a nurse Practitioner, and you would be very lucky to have an appointment with her.

Growing up as the oldest child in a big family cannot have been easy. She was a reader, and used to go out and climb a tree, stealthily, to get some peace and quiet. The younger kids loved her, because she was an adventurer. All these years, she has kept that up. Their latest adventure was a trip to Winnipeg over Thanksgiving weekend. They got snowed in there for an extra day, walked a few hours in the snow and cold, to a theater, where they watched the new Frozen movie.

Anyway, she is celebrating a birthday, and I am invited to her house for dinner. I said I'd make dessert.


Pumpkin pie!


Peanut butter chip brownies, which will be frosted with peanut butter frosting AND a layer of chocolate frosting, and some pumpkin muffins.

So let's just say it smells heavenly in here.



Now I just hope the snow eases up enough for me to drive the five miles into town later, for her celebration.

And then again at midnight for a trip to the airport to pick up Evelyn.

We stayed up late last night and watched Catching Fire, today we are watching Mockingjay, Part I. It's so cozy and comfy, but...we have to go out before it gets dark and shovel out the driveway.

For now, I'll sip my coffee and watch this movie with the girls...

sunny and....brrrrrr!

Jonathan and I had our eye exams today, and can I just take a moment to diss our new insurance plan? I suppose I should be thankful it was as good as it was for years, but now, ugh. Things keep getting more expensive! And, I am getting bifocals, I am getting old!

We shopped around Walmart a little bit, got some bagels and heavy cream, dryer sheets and bananas, and a bag of kitty litter. Then we checked out a local coffee shop that roasts their own coffee beans. They do one dollar pour over coffees, and let me say this: yummers. We also bought a few bags, mmm.

So I've been cleaning my room. I will never tell how many bags of clothes I took out of there, to donate to the thrift store. But it's more than three. I went through dresser drawers, and pulled all the clothes off all the hangers, washed what I want to keep, and put it back neatly. It took a long time because I tried things on, and yay, a lot of things are too big now. I have too many clothes still, way too many, but at least they are all clean and organized.

Dinner won't make itself. :)

a day off...

Today seems like a day off. There's nothing scheduled, Paul is in Nevada, Anne isn't coming over, Charlotte is home from school not feeling well, and I almost went back to bed.


I worked at the college basketball game yesterday, phew.

These three sweet girls rode to the basketball game with me...(Sonja, Grace, Irene)

They had Chick-fil-a on the brain. There is only one in our area, relatively new, and they tried it out recently...and unfortunately, they REALLY liked it. So they mentioned and suggested, and I heard them google-mapping it, they wanted to go there on the way home. Well, it was a school night, and it wasn't really on the way, but of course we went! These girls are such good kids, fundraising, being cheerful about it, so yes, I took them there. I brought some nuggets home to Jonathan, and tried a few, oh dear, they ARE good.

It's snowing out today. It looks SO beautiful, so cozy, I do like it, from the house, from the window. I also like going out into it, just not driving in it.


Sonja K. went to work with Emily today, to job shadow, which I think is really cool. The program Sonja is in for school is based at the hospital in the small city, and the students have freedom to set up their own opportunities to job shadow. It's geared toward helping them decide on medical careers, giving them a good look at all sorts of options, from geriatrics, pediatrics, obstetrics, general medicine, OR, ER, ect. Sonja has watched a birth, a few surgeries, ridden in the ambulance...it is really an amazing program.

Ashley came for a visit yesterday with little Elise. I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, and we drank coffee and solved the world's problems. Times like that are just precious.

I did miss my water aerobics class last night, dang it, but we were so short-staffed for the game, I decided to sign up. Benjamin met us at the big mall, and drove the rest of the way up to Syracuse University, it's on a hill, and it was so nice that he dropped me off at the gate, and went a parked the car in the garage. It made it very do-able, and I think I'll be able to work there again.

Jonathan and I are going in for eye exams tomorrow. I am thinking to take the plunge and get bifocals. It will ruin the Where Are My Glasses game, and might make me dizzy at first, but...I can't read anything without them anymore.

I'm getting old.

35 years ago today was my due date for my first child, Miss Emily Anne. She was born two days late, and oh my was it cold the day she was born...

Well, Miss Charlotte Claire is up now...poor girl, she has the cold that has been going around, been complaining her ears hurt, and she went swimming for gym yesterday. Her ears hurt even more after going under water. The note the school sent home regarding swimming for gym class indicated that students HAVE to participate, unless they have a doctor's note. Harrumph. She has a low grade fever, so will be staying home tomorrow anyway, but my goodness, as her mom, I should be able to write a note. This is the same sickness, it seems, that Camille had, and Sonja had, and she most likely doesn't need to go to the doctor for it. Does the school think we all go to the doctor for free or something? Don't worry, I will stand up for Char, no one can MAKE a child go underwater, right? (she went to school yesterday and went swimming for gym, came home and her ears hurt really badly...they feel a bit better now, but she's all stuffy and miserable...)

Ah well, never a dull one, eh?

sunshine in January....

...but look out, winter is COMING BACK! Snow on Thursday, frigid temps on Friday, and perhaps a nice snowstorm on Saturday, which ugh, because I have to pick Evelyn up at the airport at midnight! Saturday is also Emily's birthday, hopefully snow won't interfere with our planned celebration. Can you believe that my oldest daughter is turning 35?!

Paul is traveling for work, so I have to drive him to the airport today, then stop to buy dog food. This morning has been a real puttering-around kind of morning. Laundry, more laundry, sweeping up, wiping down the top of the stove, putting away clean dishes and washing up the few in the sink. I still revel in being able to just go ahead and putter. Years and years of babies and toddlers, and wading through toys on the floors and books pulled off the shelves, piles of bedding to wash...it was a balancing act, a continuous game of What Is The Most Important Thing To Do At This Very Minute. Obviously, nursing the baby, changing diapers, feeding the children, rocking hugging dressing...those took precedence. But when you cannot stand sticky, and have an affinity for clean floors, what can you do, but frantically try to fit it all in, day after day, sighing at the clothes monster on the couch, and the laundry room, do not even LOOK in there!

Now, things have wound down, and I can clean up as I like, and sit and blog, and have another cup of coffee, pretty much assured that it won't go cold, and get lost on one of the counters, because seriously, there IS such a thing of losing your cup of coffee. Believe me.

Dishes and diapers. But you can get tremendous treasures out of your days, even if they are crazy days. There is so much God wants to show us during the trials, big trials and small trials.

So yesterday, I got to go out to brekky with a few friends. I decided to just eat, had an omelette with bacon, and about half the hash browns, and requested no toast, please. I cannot sit there with a plate in front of me and NOT eat the toast, no sir, no how. Especially when they have those yummy little rectangles of strawberry jam on the table!

Water aerobics was really fun, again, was glad to make it there. It was a bit challenging, but with arthritis in my knees, and now in my spine, it's a good exercise for me.

Home...oh, dinner was good! I had marinated chicken breast ($1.49 a pound at Aldi) in lime juice, and seasonings. Paul put it in the oven while I was gone to the pool, and made broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Jonathan made some rice (which I didn't eat). When I got home, they had eaten already. I cut up some of the chicken, put it in the frying pan with olive oil, chopped green peppers, tomatoes, and onions (leftover in baggies in the fridge),broccoli, and some leftover bacon...I know, leftover bacon? strange. But anyway, I tossed it all around with salt and pepper, and yum! A nice big bowl of dinner! I rolled it by a huge spoon of crunchy peanut butter, my favorite dessert. I am not saying it's healthy, but I don't eat cookies or candy anymore, and if I want a spoon of peanut butter, I'm having it.

I still keep my "before" skirt. I remember, 8 years ago or so, wearing this skirt, and one day realizing it was getting loose. I tried it on yesterday, because sometimes you have to remember where you came from. I feel like I am not really making much progress, but slowly wins the race, I guess...



I have things to do today, have to make eye exam appointments, take Jon for a haircut, and and and.

babies and toddlers and dogs, oh my!

Paul and I and our newest little grand baby, Ophelia Madeline Rose.




Mali and Josh, he greeting Sunny, she holding their baby...
And, my oldest "child" holding baby, and my youngest child holding baby, Emily Anne and Camille Anaya.


Our oldest grandchild holding the youngest grandchild...:)
Anya Jade with Ophelia...


Grant and Sunny...


Samuel and Grace get a turn with Ophelia...(Grant's mommy and daddy)

Tonight's dinner: beef stew, crescent rolls, Brussel sprouts, green beans, and mashed potatoes. The stew was SO easy: a chuck steak, and a roast, the roast cut into smaller pieces, in the crock pot with rosemary, salt and pepper, onion powder, and a few packets of brown gravy mix. Cut up carrots on top, then some potato chunks, more seasoning, and in the crock pot all day. Before serving, I removed the meat, cut it up, put it back in. Super easy, super yummy.

Sam and Grace are heading back home to Virginia with little Grant. It was a nice visit. Today, 11 of the kids were here, with a few spouses, five of the grandkids, and our little friend Davian.

Now the house is quiet, and I am tired. Tomorrow I am going out to brekky with some friends, then hopefully making it to the pool tomorrow night for a water aerobics class...