weekend!

 Ahh, a weekend at the lake!  Does the reality every match up with the expectations?  When Emily surprised me with this plan, back in July, we hoped it would be one of those crazy hot September weekends, so that no matter how cold Cayuga Lake is, we'd be in it.  

We cannot sneeze at this forecast.  It could be worse.  It could be raining.  "Filtered sun, breezy".  Harrumph.  Full sun, please, as I bask on that private beach.  Somebody slap me.

This sweetheart visited yesterday with her mama and two big brothers...

Blythe Margaret...

Dinner was homemade meatballs. I had to go to the pricey little grocery store in town for sauce.  I usually have a stock of it, but oops.  I also was out of oats, as no one here really eats oatmeal anymore, and I like old-fashioned whole oats in the meatballs, with lots of minced onion.  

This is the blog post that won't get done, ha, this fine morning I went to the pool...then to pick up some freshly roasted coffee from the place down near the prison.  The owner actually runs a very busy and successful graphics/printing place, and roasts coffee on the side as a hobby.  He sent out an email that it was on sale, because he enjoys roasting it and wants to get it into the hands of those who appreciate good coffee.  $12.50 for a pound of fresh whole bean coffee, how can you beat that?  

Wegmans was next, for chicken breast, pepperoni, and seltzers.  I also got some of my favorite 40 calorie frozen fudge bars, no sugar added and so yummy.  Then, Aldi for raspberries, grapes, little oranges, cinnamon swirl bread, butter, brie, goat cheese, fresh salsa, peppers, and some other goodies.  

Home...ah, home.  I cooked up the three pounds of bacon I bought from the Mennonite store the other day, and have the chicken breast trimmed up and marinating in Cornell sauce...which ha, we are going to be in that neck of the woods, near Ithaca on Cayuga Lake.  I'll grill that chicken before we leave, and slice up a bunch of peppers, simple wraps are so good for dinner.

For now, though, a break for my achey feet.  

Maybe I'll take some pictures, maybe my five daughters won't love that, ha, if they're all settled into comfy relaxing clothes.  Emily, Mariel, Evelyn, Charlotte Claire, and Camille...won't it be fun?

a new day...

 

Oh yes we did!  It was too much fun, with my sister. The footrests didn't work on our chairs, so we relocated to the front row, where one guy was sitting in the aisle seat.  There are only 5 chairs in a row, so we skipped one seat and lo and behold, my footrest only went half way up, and got stuck.  I managed to finagle myself out of the chair to fix it, but couldn't.  Cheryl was pressing everywhere for the button for her footrest, and it was broken off.  This wasn't happening quietly, of course, there was some hysterical laughter.  (The movie hadn't started yet, just those endless ads).  The guy sitting there asked if we wanted him to move, but oh no, of course not.  We decided to move our rear ends back to where we started out, and as I picked up the loud crinkly plastic water bottle I had brought in in my purse, I promised the man that we would behave when the movie started.

Cheryl and I...we went to dinner before the movie.

Cheryl, I am sorry/not sorry for posting this.  It was too much fun.

Anya came over for a visit, and thought she'd make a comfy seat by stacking up a bunch of pillows.  She baked with Camille.

These smelled absolutely HEAVENLY, a cinnamon coffee cake cookie with streusel topping.  

I also made a batch of lemon cupcakes, with lemon buttercream frosting for Anne, we celebrated her birthday at activity club last night.

Yesterday, water aerobics, then home...the group was going to their monthly out-to-brekky, and once again, I opted not to go.  They are such a nice group of people, but Kathryn was coming over with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie, and Sonja had the day off from the hospital, and we were picking Miss Char up early from school because she said, "Please don't go anywhere without me..."

So Kathryn and the kids came for a bit, had some snacks and played, got out some toys, then we went to Target, and to Old Navy.  Old Navy is a strange store.  There are a few good deals, but most of their stuff is over-priced.  Their baby clothes are meh.  Target has a much better selection, and much better prices.  

Jamie, first time in the cart...didn't last too long, mama had to carry him...he's so cute.

Rhys, her reaction when I asked her why the mannequin didn't have any eyes or nose...

Home....ah, home.  The I had a package of chicken breast to use, and was pondering different meals, when I thought, "I'll make Chinese food...", right as Camille said, "Mama, can you make Chinese?"  Now, the meal I made is not authentic Chinese food, but it's was good.  I chopped the chicken into bite-sized pieces, tossed it into a flour and corn starch mixture with pepper, then browned it all up in three batches in the wok, in canola, olive, and sesame oil.  The veggies were a bag of teriyaki stir fry mix from Aldi, plus a bag of broccoli florets.  Camille made a pan of rice, and some cauliflower rice, which I browned in sesame oil.  The sauce for the chicken was:  half a stick of butter, lots of freshly ground ginger, some orange marmalade, half a bottle of teriyaki sauce that was in the refrigerator, all hot and bubbly and poured on the hot chicken, it was really good.  

Anyway.  Life is going by quickly.  The days blur together, and I haven't gotten bored yet.  This weekend is my weekend away in the Fingerlakes.  Emily rented an Airbnb on Cayuga Lake, with a nice little private beach, and a dock, a fire pit, a deck looking over the water...with Mariel, Evelyn, Charlotte Claire, and Camille, just a little getaway.  (Em told me about it on my birthday, said it was going to be my present).   We are meal planning, and thinking chicken fajitas on Friday night, bacon eggs and cinnamon toast for Saturday morning, charcuterie for lunch, and Emily's homemade curry dish for dinner.  I'll bring popcorn and coconut oil to make it in.  

There are things in life that aren't our stories to tell, and there are things that are extremely difficult to deal with.  I was discussing with one of my daughters how I want to come into rest about something, she said," Just make a decision to be at rest about it, then every time a temptation comes up that's from anxiety, or worry, say NO, ask God to help you be at rest..."  So basically, it's a battle to take up.  There is peace when we put our trust in God, but sometimes we have to fight for that peace.  And it seems hypocritical to me to comfort someone that their trials and tribulations are from God, yet be a wreck about the whole thing.  So I have to do my share, then I can be a help.  Does that make sense?  

I'll be honest, I have not been sleeping well.  Usually after few hollow nights, those pesky go-right-to-sleep-only-to-wake-up-at-two-and-stay-awake-til-the-sun-comes-up nights, I'll have a good night's sleep.  Well, I am really due for one.  Last night, Sunny woke me up whining at midnight, then the power went out at 1:30, turning off the fan, then adding insult to injury, the smoke alarms all do a little beep, all of them throughout the whole huge house.  The fan turning off wasn't enough, ha, how about this?  BEEP.  BEEP.  BEEP.  ugh.   Sunny decided she needed to go out again, and let me tell you, out here in the country, when it's dark, it's PITCH black.  I had to get my phone for the flashlight.    Then, I was WIDE awake.  One of my pool friends said she just turns on the lights and does Sudoko when she can't sleep.  Ha, I said, my husband would LOVE that.  The thing about insomnia is that it turns physical.  You are awake so long, you feel the hips ache, then the arm falls asleep right as you think you might possibly be falling asleep, so you roll over...then sleep doesn't come, but you have figured out what to do with all the ground beef in the refrigerator, and have made a firm decision that you WILL clean out the produce drawer tomorrow, for sure.  

Anyway...there are things to do and places to go, and things to pray about, and things to be thankful for...have a really good day.

mash-mash...

 I'm not going to try to summarize the last few days, all though I did try to summer-ize them ha.  The pool days are over, and I'm starting to grow up and realize that here in the northeast, it's not like half the year's winter, half is summer.  The colder months win by a mile.

The good things I've made lately:

Saturday was a quiet day here, I puttered around, and decided to make chicken pot pies for dinner.  But you cannot make those without adding a low calorie pumpkin!  Guess what?  No pumpkin! But wait, there's a big bag of apples!  

Yesterday was Ribs-in-the-Smoker Day.  I don't know why, but I just get a real kick out of making them.  Such little effort for such amazingly delicious bounty.  I didn't get a picture, but I made four full racks of ribs.  They were really really good.  We also had cornbread (made from a mix, but the kids discovered that you can put butter and honey on it, pop it in the microwave, and mmm.). I cut up carrots and celery, and made oven roasted red potatoes with fresh rosemary and parmesan cheese.  (they were REALLY good too)

Dessert:  brownies made in the copper As-Seen-On-TV pan that cuts them magically, my sister gave it to me a few years ago (I'm pretty sure she got it on sale, ha.)    I give it a nine out of ten.  The brownies were cut perfectly, they cooked nicely, the kids said they were good.  

Friday was spent doing errands with Abigail.  We got some lunch (Wendy's, the apple pecan salad with extra packets of spicy pecans, and grilled chicken).  We laughed our heads off and talked and caught up.  We went to Ollie's for some Activity Club things, and then to Aldi for some groceries...normal things, but so much nicer with Abigail.

This fine morning, I'm headed to water aerobics, then to pick up Anya, my oldest grandchild.  She is going to be baking something yummy with Camille today.  When I bring her home, I'll pick up my sister, we're going adventuring for her birthday.    

What is nicer than a dark gloomy morning?  Jonathan and his friend just left for work, Paul is at the gym, Sonja is at work, Charlotte Claire got on the school bus, and Miss Cam is still asleep.  The dogs have been fed and are sleepy.   There are things to do and places to go, but for right now, this is just perfect.  

Sonja's job is going well, but it would be easy to be torn apart by what she sees and deals with.  Children with burns, and children who aren't wanted, babies suffering, some who have been abused, some with curable ailments and surgeries, some with chronic conditions.  She's learning to cope with it all, to do her best.  I may be biased as her mother, but Sonja is truly a ray of sunshine.  She laughs and the joy is just contagious.  She makes life fun.   She's very smart and competent.  (of course she abides by HIPA, and does not tell us any specifics about any patients).   She starts working nights soon...

Miss Charlotte Claire is having a good start to school.  She gets out her stacks of textbooks and does her homework faithfully.  She likes learning.  Miss Camille is also doing well, she has all of Char's school stuff from last year.  :)

I haven't done any fall decorating yet.  I always think I'll keep it to the bare minimum, but ha, I tend to over do it.  Maybe not, this year.  I'm excited for the onset of the holiday season, but not for driving in the snow.  

AND:  lest we forget...today is the 22 year anniversary of a dark and scary day.  I remember Margaret, four years old, tugging my skirt, asking over and over again, "Didn't the bad guys care about the babies?  What about the babies and the kids?"  My father had called me, said, "Turn on the t.v., we're being attacked."  We had never had a tv, just gotten it a few years before that...I turned it on, and we were glued to it.  We had no idea what was going on, shock.  The only good thing that came of all that suffering and anguish was a deep unifying love for our country.  War:  fueled by greed, profit.  So much corruption in this world.  

Ah well...I'll finish my gloomy morning coffee, then get ready for swim class....Paul's home from the gym now...so bye, and have a really good day.   I'll leave you with a picture of my three youngest:

Camille Anaya, almost 16, Charlotte Claire 17, Sonja Kathleen 21 (Jonathan is 19 now...).  

ready, set, go!

 This fine morning started out as the sun rose in the sky...my coffee went in a travel mug as I chatted with Miss Charlotte Claire.  She got on the bus, Paul and I drove to drop off the Florida car to be inspected.  

Home again, ahh...but don't dig in yet, there's more!  A friend, who lives with Emily and Mariel now, had a flat tire, and needed to pick up an order at a Walmart, and needed a ride to church, where she was preparing meals for a crew of set-up people.  So off I went.  It was a pleasant enough favor, as she's excellent company, but we drove through some torrential rain.  When we picked up or order, the nice Walmart kid said we were the last orders for at least half an hour, the other customers would have to wait because lightening had been spotted.  phew.  

Home again, ahhh.  Paul had to leave to go into the office, so we can't pick up the Florida car until later.  Camille is all cozy doing her schoolwork, and I have lots to do around here.  I put some chicken into the crockpot, and am deciding:  TikiMasala, chicken noodle soup, chicken stew with potatoes...hmmm.  I'm thinking to try some homemade biscuits, but if its the Masala, it would be homemade naan bread.

Life comes at you from all directions sometimes.  We know that all things work together for our good, when we love God, and are called according to His purpose, we KNOW this.  It's written in the Bible, Romans 8:28.  All things.  We sometimes kick and scream at all things.   Because it's in us to say, but surely not THIS.  THIS is too much.  

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."    We all know this is written in Matthew, but have you actually considered it?  It's quite a promise.  

I have a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head today, but those verses are balm to my soul.  

Abigail is in town tomorrow, we're going on some errands together.  Mariel and I are planning a weekend in Florida in October, to see grandma.  Next weekend, I'm going away!  Just a little weekend away, a birthday trip from Emily, to a place in the Fingerlakes, with some of the girls.  I am SO excited. Then the week after that, Phoenix...oh, and celebrating my sister Cheryl's birthday on Monday...:)....

So out of my comfy chair and on to puttering around....on a dark rainy day...love it!

denial...

 ...it's summer, right?  An afternoon dip in the pool, even with the lengthening shadows, ahh, summer.  It's 88 degrees and humid.  I do love it.

Yesterday we had a wonderful birthday party.  

Tennyson turned three.

Molly Rose visited with Denzel, and held Blythe too.

Then Grace brought Maeve over...too sweet.

Hot dogs, ribs, fruit, chips,cheesies...guess that the kids liked the most?  Cheesies.

Tenny opening presents...

(Wulf, Grant, Ten, Ruth)

Cousins:  Rhys and Denzel

Auntie Charlotte Claire holding Denzel

Achilles, Ophelia, Rhys, Tenny

Ten didn't really like the birthday song, it was too loud, he said.

AuntKathryn holding Denzel...

Jamison born in March, Maeve born Aug. 1, Denzel born Aug 30, Blythe born Aug 28.  

Char, Sonja K., Cam, Samuel...

Ahh, the pool...it's fun with the grandkids!

And this fine morning, Miss Char started school...first day of the senior year, the last first day of school ever, since Cam homeschools...this is the last year the bus will come to our place..33 years of having kids in school.  

Orange Guy photobombed.

After Charlotte Claire got on the bus, Camille and I headed up to Margaret's.  She's only 8 days post-c-section, and had a dr. appointment.  (Adrian had to resume college classes).  So Cam watched the boys while I drove Marg and baby Blythe to the dr.  Margaret's appointment took forever, she apologized, I said, "Yeah, poor me had to sit here and hold a newborn for all this time, ha."

I had promised the boys and adventure after the appointment, if they were good for Aunt Camille.

They got to scooter and bike at the park.

Tennyson on the balance bike

Then, we walked to the coffee place.  Ten liked the pumpkins.  

They got chocolate milk and a few different cookies to share.

Home...ah, home. Charlotte Claire got off the bus, very hot, and we decided to go for a swim.  She told us all about the first day while we cooled off.  Now, it's time for dinner.  Camille and  I stopped at the store on the way home, and got some nice pork chops.  I love them, Paul dislikes them, the girls like them okay.  They're marinating in lime juice, and lemon rosemary salt, and pepper.  I'll grill them with bbq sauce and they'll be amazing.  I bought sweet corn too, and we'll have leftover fruit from yesterday. 

I'm all refreshed from the pool, and not looking forward to grilling, but it'll be yummy.  The floors haven't been vacuumed yet today because we were gone, and that's bothering me.  There's always something to do, isn't there?  There's always something to be thankful for, too.  I'm thankful that tomorrow will be as warm as today, and sunny...so it's still summer.  :)

Labor Day...

...aptly enough, ha.  I woke up with the sun this fine morning, to get those ribs into the smoker.  I should have gotten up earlier, but ah well.  Four hours at 250, then smother with bbq sauce, wrap in foil, two more hours...should be done by two.  The party starts at noon, so we should survive.  We're having grilled hot dogs and coneys, chips and dip, celery and carrots, and this:

Two 13x9 containers of watermelon, cantaloupe, red and green grapes (the green grapes are huge!), blueberries.  

Grace is making the cupcakes, we are celebrating Tennyson Paul turning three years old.  I still have to wrap his presents.  

It should be quite a party.  This is open:

I'll volunteer to go in with the kids and the dads if the new mommies want to sit in the living room with their babies.  It's a sacrifice, ha, but I'll do it.  (The pool is my happy place.  I'm in complete denial that this is probably the last week for it.)(We went in it yesterday, it's freezing, but terrific)

Yeah, I still need to vacuum and mop and get things ready, but there's still time.  It's nice to be up early, and have some quiet. 

Last evening, I grilled chicken that I had marinated in lime juice and fresh cilantro.  I drained it, covered it in olive oil, and mmm.  Very tender and juicy.  We had fajitas again.

Summer IS ending, but not yet.  I do want to make a beef stew and a chicken pot pie, but not yet.  I still want to walk around the yard in bare feet, and I want to sit in the sun on the pool deck, then ahh, get in the water and move.  It's where I move best.  I want to sit on the deck with a morning coffee while the sun comes up from behind the trees.  Pumpkin spice and everything nice do entice...but I like my summer.

I'm hoping to get some pictures of the babies together today.  I'm very excited.  The last party here, those babies were tucked into tummies, now they've arrived, such miracles.  

I'll leave you with some oldies...the five girls in a row in five years...they're now 21, 22, 24, 25, and 26. 

Have a really good day!

picture this...

 Yesterday I went back to water aerobics class, and it felt fantastic.  It's been a while, busy with grandkids this past week, Florida the week before.  I did swim in Florida a few times, but it's not the same, even though I do try to get some movement in.  Yesterday turned into a busy day, as Sam and Grace came over with Grant, Ruth ,and baby Maeve.  Then Kathryn came with Achilles, Rhys, and baby Jamison.  Camille got home from her babysitting job, then Jonathan, his Dutch friend Wouter, and Char all got home from work.  I had made chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter keto cookies.  So by the time it was dinner prep, I didn't really feel it.

But as we all know, sometimes you still gotta do it.  So I made nine burger patties, all seasoned with good things, and took the chicken breast out of the Cornell sauce, and got out grilling.  I peeled some corn (Sam and I had a fun little excursion down the road to the local corn stand).  Camille cut up red, yellow, and orange peppers, and some red onion.  I came in with the hot food, and browned up a stack of tortillas, then sliced up all the chicken.  It was a feast!

This fine morning, the kids were all busy doing building/painting/construction projects at church, and Paul had things to do on a house we own in a nearby city...so I went with him...we got home and put a coat of Thompson'sWater Sealer on the deck.  phew. Then he got a message that he had to go BACK to the city we had just came from, to address a hot water heater issue.  Never a dull moment.

I browned up some leftover grilled chicken breast in olive oil, butter, Dinosaur bbq and a dash of Frank's Hot sauce, and had a few fajitas.  Dinner all by myself, but shh, it's LOVELY.  I rarely have alone time.  Years ago, I longed for it, peace and quiet, tranquility...my mother used to tell me it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  She would get lonely in that house with just my father.  I couldn't imagine, but then the grass is always greener.

Driving by a yard sale today, I experienced such a deep almost jolt of missing my mother.  She was always up for some garage sale-ing.  She would scope it out, determine quickly if it was "nothing but junk", or she would ask how much something was, then say, "meh."  (I stand by this:  she INVENTED meh.)

When someone dies, you think that you'll get used to it, and not miss them so much after a while.  You think you'll be able to do the dinner dishes without thinking about calling them, and you would never believe you could still remember the phone number like you dialed it yesterday.   

Now that I'm the mom/grandma, I understand her more, but I cannot tell her this.  I realize that as a selfish human, my focus during those days was so much on my own life, and she just fit in to it.  Can I just have one day with her, to treat her like a queen?   

My 94 year old mother-in-law just called me.  I told her again about the new grand babies, she liked their names, and wrote them down. She wants to go buy them gifts and mail them, but she cannot do that anymore.  She forgets she doesn't have her wallet.  She has such a giving heart.  I am going to try to go visit her again next month, if possible.

Tomorrow we'll probably put water sealer on the pool deck, maybe wash the front of the house.  It rained a little after we finished sealing the deck, dang.  It was NOT in the forecast.  Hopefully it'll be all right.

Ah well.  It was a good day, a busy day, a quiet day.  I don't mind a down day once in a while, even if it was spent doing laundry, cleaning, sorting, ect.    Have a good evening, and a nice Labor Day weekend...:)