not too long ago, not too far from here...

...lived a lady who loved nothing better than that first cup of morning coffee...

Yesterday, I went to Costco with Margaret and Adrian, little baby Tennyson who slept in the front carrier the whole time, and little Wulf, who likes to run in Costco. He was very good about staying right with us, except for when he ran around a bit. He told me, "Mama told me not to run, but I ran." I got some of this coffee last time I was there with Emily, it was so good, and reasonably priced, I bought another bag. It comes to $5.60 a pound, which isn't bad. It's a very rich flavor.

So today is the day for decorating, but then the girls are going over to Emily, Abigail, Mariel's house to do some raking, and have dinner. Molly might come over today with Lydia and Ophelia. And. Some REALLY GOOD NEWS!!!!!: Suzanne is moving back to NY from California! She, and her fiance, are moving back in January! They love so many things about California, obviously it's beautiful and the weather is nice, but they miss family and friends. My heart is happy, I have missed my girl so much. One would think that if someone has sixteen kids, and a few move, oh well. It IS life, and kids do have to live their own, but no matter the number of kids, each one owns 100% of mama's heart. It doesn't make sense, but it's true. Right now, I have things to do, places to go, floors to sweep. After our Costco trip yesterday, I picked Ben and Ashley up from the airport, they had a really nice vacation in the sunshine. They picked up some Chinese food on the way home, some extra for the kids here. Abigail was here visiting when I got home, and dinner was ready. I had put two chuck roasts, gravy packets, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot in the morning, yay! Anyway...today, maybe we'll decorate for Christmas....

wait, what?

My phone died yesterday, a sudden and unexpected death. Well, it came back to life, so it wasn't actually dead. It was stuck on the white screen with the black apple logo for hours. I had to hook it up to the macbook, restore it, which meant losing all my aps, messages, pictures, ect. Margaret was here and helped me get through it, ha. I didn't need emotional support or anything, just help figuring out how to fix it. Camille had an MRI up at the hospital yesterday for her knee, and this fine morning, I am taking her for to the orthopedic dr. to see the results. I am hoping it is all fine and there are no surgeries on the horizon. Ah well, I wish I could sit here in my comfy chair and write to my heart's content, but no sir, I have to take Miss Cam now...

it's beginning to look a lot like....

But before we get too excited, know this: it's going to be sixty and sunny on Friday. Such is weather in central NY state.

It's super cozy in here. I made chicken and waffles for the girls for an early dinner/afternoon snack when they got off the bus. Then I made two chaffles for me, which is just shredded mozzarella cheese and egg, I added a bit of vanilla, a spoon of almond flour, and a splash of stevia. I made gingerbread, and sugar cookie playdough today. I also puttered around, decorated a few little wreaths, wrapped one present, and made some lists. Yesterday I organized the school supply/craft baskets, and organized the junk drawers, yes, there are two. You know, batteries and rubber bands and flash lights and wax melts and thumb tacks. Funny story: yesterday I met a lady in the Target parking lot to buy a truck from Facebook marketplace, for Wulf's Christmas. Well, she told me she drove a black 4-Runner, and that she'd be in the back of the lot at 4:30. At 4:25, a black 4-Runner came and parked right next to me, this was BEFORE I moved to the edge of the lot, but still, I had given a description of my vehicle...so this car comes, lots of empty spaces, but parks right next to me. I smile at the lady, she gets out, I get out and put my mask on, hand hold out the money...she looks alarmed. She takes a step back. I realize she is NOT the seller. I mutter and stumble out an incoherent sentence, partly because I was dying of embarrassment, and partly because Sonja was laughing her head off in the van. Oh dear. A bit later, the correct 4-Runner arrived, Wulf's present is in my possession, and all is good. Then, we went to Hobby Lobby... Ah well...

a cozy day at home....

Six of my daughters, two of my grandsons, Paul and I at the end, one big comfy couch. Why were we all cozied up on one couch, you might ask? We don't exactly know. Adrian was on another couch, and Jonathan in my chair. Ben and Ashley had already left with their two little girls. We had finished dinner, a turkey dinner with cranberry sauce and homemade mac and cheese made by Evelyn. We had a huge salad, rolls, then pumpkin pie. I made one with no sugar, just added a bit of stevia to it, and it was really good.

Evelyn went and cut some branches, we spray painted them, then spray painted this old five gallon pail. We filled it with the dirt from all the plants that were on the deck, then added some rocks to the top to weigh it down. A 200 count light set, solar lights, and yay! I hope hope hope the lights work, and it lights up tonight!

Elise holding her baby cousin Tennyson....shh, can I tell you a secret? Elise is going to be a big sister! Anya and Elise are going to have a baby sibling! Ben and Ashley are pretty thrilled. (Elise is all about the babies...she always needs a turn to hold them)

Cam and Sunny, just because.

Paul called Wulf over to watch a video about jets...

Wulf loves his grandpa. I had to tell Paul the other night, "Don't give him any C-A-N-D-Y!", because I had already given him some M&M's. Wulf knows that grandpa is good for some sweets, he'll rummage through the pantry and give him stuff. Today, I have to bring Ben and Ashley to the airport, they are going to Florida to visit grandma (great grandma to the girls!). Then I have a ride-on digger to pick up from a lady, from marketplace, for Wulf's Christmas present. We are itching to decorate for Christmas. Yesterday, I actually gathered up all the autumn decorations, the pumpkins and orange candles, Thankful mugs and fall flowers, put it all on the table, so we could start decorating for Christmas. Well, we looked at all of that stuff, and decided we still like it, and put it all back. Next week, we'll decorate for Christmas.

never would I....

defy a lockdown.

Frost on the pumpkins...and everything else too. Emily and I had fun at Costco yesterday. You could say we had a little bit TOO much fun. We renewed our joint membership, so we had to get our pictures taken, and of course you are asked to pull your mask down to do that. So we just got a tiny bit of Covid, or maybe none, maybe it's too slow and stupid to realize the mask is down, and by the time it zooms toward the face, the mask is back up, and FOILED AGAIN.

(see that large bag of Starbucks Holiday blend? I'm going to share it with Emily, we are excited for it!) As you all know, I do not think this disease is a joke. I feel deep sorrow for those who have lost loved ones, and who cannot visit friends and relatives in hospitals and nursing homes. I also feel great compassion for the doctors and nurses and hospital staff who have to deal with all of this. The hositals here are now requiring the staff to wear masks AND goggles. But the day I stop joking about things...right? Here's some good news!

Kathryn and Darius are having a baby sibling for little Achilles!

I do have a plane ticket to go visit these guys in Oregon, in December.

I sure hope I can still manage to go. Kap is my baby girl, my tenth child, my friend. I miss her like crazy. And someone has to keep the airlines afloat! I'm thinking about finding the white lights I put in the living room windows. If I start little by little, maybe no one around here will notice that I'm decorating so early. I'm doing online shopping mostly this year, there are a lot of people on my list, between all the kids, spouses, grandkids. I want to get them all EVERYTHING, spoil them and bless them. I want them to know how much I care about each of them. Mostly though, the older ones will get one or maybe two things, and the younger ones at home a few more things. So if you read/watch too much news, you might be tempted to get very anxious and depressed. Everything seems dark and hopeless. It seems like the world is spiraling out of control, and there's nothing we can do about it. I keep thinking of the verse that says that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Tim). So then if you think about that for one second, if you have a spirit of fear, and it isn't from God, whom is it from? Is that something we want to revel in, to give in to? NO! Fight! It is a spiritual battle. We need to trust God, hand it all over to Him! This is our life, and we CAN be happy in the midst of these times. I still have these younger kids, and if I were to give in to despair, what would they do? It is a good fight, the fight of faith, and yes, we are tempted, but NO, we do NOT have to give in! And now...to look for some lights, and get some festive vibes going in here!!!

lockdown!!!

Well, the noose is a-tightening. We're allowed no more than 10 people to gather in a home, here in New York state. The cases are going up up up, it's spreading everywhere. But life goes on, doesn't it? I had to bring Miss Camille to a doctor's appointment this fine morning. She is doing well, is healthy and good, except for her bum knee. She'll have an MRI next week, then maybe some physical therapy, hopefully no surgery. A coffee for me, and a strawberry smoothie with whipped cream for Camille, from our favorite little coffee hut. After her appointment, we went to Kohl's to pick up an order, to Wegmans for seltzer, no sugar added fudge bars, toilet paper, paper towels, and a 37 cent a pound turkey. Then to Walmart where I had to pick up something for Paul, some very important no-smell spray for deer hunting. Then, to Lowe's, where we bought a new faucet for my bathroom sink, on sale, but still, ouch! Faucets are pricey! Home...ah, home. We brought things in, and Cam logged in for a zoom meeting at school...I started doing some touch up painting in my bathroom...

I like how the cabinet turned out...the original handles, spray painted...

Then Sonja came in, home from college for the day, asked me if I would go with her to open a bank account. Of course I would. Then to the home improvement store to get a sink top....I had checked in both Lowe's and Home Depot, they were pricey. I tried to get one from marketplace, the really good ones go fast, the not-so-good ones: sketchy. I almost bought one for $40, used, from a lady not too far from here, but the edge that would be exposed was a "rough edge", and there was no backsplash at all, which would mean more projects. The one I got from the discount store is nothing to write home about, but to ME, it's very very nice.

There was one that was off white, a brown and beige speckled thing, and then a bunch of really lovely ones that were way too expensive. This one, with tax and a silicone calk thing-y to attatch it: $94. The faucet:

This is where I went overboard, it was on sale for $69.99, ouch. I could have gotten a cheaper one, but I really like the black. Now, I cut corners with renovations. I spray painted the lightswitch cover, the outlet cover (black matte), the toilet paper holder and the towel bars. I even took the shower curtain bar down and spray painted it black! I did buy a new shelf from Target, and a mirror from Walmart. The total price of the flooring, sink top, faucet, mirror, shelf, new light fixture, towel bar set: $374. Maybe tomorrow I'll take some pics of the present sink top and faucet, so I can have a proper before and after. The walls are already painted, the door and trim done, and cabinet done....phew. Now the floors, sink and countertop installation, hanging the shelves and mirror, and towel bars, toilet paper holder...it's been fun, and I almost don't want to finish, because ha, I can't afford another one yet! Tomorrow morning, I'm going to Costco with Emily. I am itching to decorate for Christmas...oh, I have another project: I have white solar string lights, and white glossy spray paint! I want to saw off some tree branches, spray paint them, stick them in a bucket of dirt, and wrap those lights around them! Won't that be so pretty? I'm going to spray paint the five gallon pail too, black, and maybe even wrap some burlap around it or something. It'll go on the deck... Ah well...the girls are having snacks...with this crazy school schedule, it seems like summer vacation around here half the time. Tomorrow is virtual school....

oh my oh my oh my!

Yesterday afternoon, just a little outing with my two baby girls, I mean oops, my two youngest TEENAGERS. Target and Starbucks, mmm hmmm.

Random pic from down our road... Sunday was fabulous...so warm and sunny!

Volleyball!

Benjamin and Ashley have a fantastic yard, and Ben grilled some fantastic dinner.

The kids are so cute...

Aunt Camille with little Tennyson. I find it hard to believe that my baby girl is so grown up.

You prob know by now that I forget to take "before" pics, but this is an "after" pic of the door from the oak vanity in my bathroom. Two coats of primer, two coats of paint, and one coat of matte varnish. phew. The handles were brass with white accents, I spray painted them with my handy dandy dollar store spray paint, black matte, of course I did. (Maybe I'll take a pic tomorrow, I'm too lazy right now!)

Those boards are the baseboard trim from my bathroom...two coats of primer, and one coat of white enamel, they are now finished and ready to re-install...after the new flooring goes in. I painted the trim around the bathroom door, and the door as well. Two coats of primer, one coat of white enamel. Then the actual wall paint...ugh. Sonja helped me...but it's done. Paul removed the ugly light fixture enough for me to paint, the new one isn't up yet. Jonathan made dinner: bacon, and eggs from Ben and Ashley's chickens!

Anyway...we are planning a little trip to visit Grandma in January...Florida again, yay!