wait, am i crazy?

 

So yesterday, we had a puttering-around morning.  A tire on the truck has a slow leak, so Paul was trying to find that, I was washing things and organizing things and vacuuming and mopping.  He got things squared away enough with the tire (which means he added air and hoped it wouldn't go flat, he's braver than I am, but he said it is a really slow leak), and went out hunting.  Cam and I were going to go find her a birthday present, but then Sonja asked if she could come visit with Oscar.  

I needed to keep busy, so I decided to make cookies.  The triple batch recipe is just stuck in my head, what can I say?  I did make two pans with just M&Ms and no chocolate chips, then the last few pans I added some whole oats and lots more chocolate chips.  They aren't beautiful, but I hear they're good.  I know they are, so I don't need to taste them to make sure, right?  The cookie dough is the best part, but I didn't have any of that either, because one little taste seems to just make it so I want more.

Anyway.  I baked cookies and it smelled heavenly in here.  I never used the Kitchen Aid for cookie baking anyway, for these kind, the batter won't fit in the bowl.  I use a big deep stainless steel bowl, and my Cuisinart hand mixer.  I am not getting a penny to say that it's an excellent hand mixer.  I had a Kitchen Aid hand mixer, it burnt out in like a month, I brought it back to Kohl's, they weren't selling it anymore, it was a holiday special, and of course I had gotten it on sale, so I got my measly forty bucks back and no mixer.  I have tried so many of them, but this one seems to be lasting.

The trees are getting naked...

The maple has lost her glory...looks just desolate now.

Jonathan works in HVAC now, he is learning home maintenance and installation, and he meets some nice people.  One guy had his entire counter full of squash, Jon only took three.  Another lady gave him the Brussel sprouts, and shh, I had never seen them like that!  

This picture just plain made me sad because those dogs got so old...:)

My sweety-pumpkin Old Kitty is purring in my lap, trying to settle down on the keyboard.  She has become my bestie in her older years, and I do love her.  

Well, I woke up this morning, dark and early, then fell back to sleep.  I don't usually do that, but I did.  Imagine my surprise and delight after sitting down in my chair and rueing my laziness for sleeping away the mornining, but the time change!  It wasn't 8:30, it was 7:30!  woo hoo!

I have to get up and move it, driving Paul to the airport this fine morning.  He is going to Cincinnati for a few days for work.  Lots of kids and grandkids are coming over today, and we are making chicken gnocci soup.  Maybe I'll make some chili too...ah well, need to move it move it...have a good day!

what a gift!

 Our weather here in central NY state for Halloween was absolutely, record breakingly beautiful.  We were outside in the dark, with leaves skittering across the sidewalk, just a touch of crispness in the air, no need for even a sweater.  We set up chairs and cute little lanterns in Margaret and Adrian's front yard, and gave out candy.  We had SO much candy, all of us bringing some.  

The grandkids and their parents set off to trick or treat, while Camille and I handed out candy with Patrick Star.  

Evelyn is such a good sport, so much fun.  She even sounded like Patrick.  (Spongebob?). The kids loved it so much, she got plenty of hugs, and parents asked if their kids could have their pictures taken with him/her ha.  A few kids were scared, I told them not to worry, it's just Evelyn in there and she's really nice. :)

She looked so funny.

Camille and I went out and about earlier in the day, to get more candy and some snacks.  We stopped to drop off treats for Lydia, Ophelia, and Denzel.  Molly had to work, and Josh was taking them trick or treating in their neighborhood.  Ben and Ashley went to the neighborhood where Emily lives...

Emily giving candy to Anya and Elise

Ashley with Declan, Elise, Anya

Benjamin with the kids...I am so stinking proud of Benjamin, and so thankful that he has chosen a good clean path in life.  He had some rocky teenage years, but God has been so good.  

Kamala found some support!

Tenny the officer of the law, with the Marios...Achilles and Grant.

Let's see, Grace dressed up as Sam when he was in the Army, Wulf was Frankenstein, Sam was Luigi...

Camille, Rhys, Kathryn, Margaret, Adrian up on the porch...

Jonathan shaved his beard!

Jamison was the cutest little hedgehog...he didn't last too long trick or treating, so Darius brought him back and we had a nice time with them.

All the little monsters got to watch a show to wind down, this is when Camille and I left.  

The weather has turned chillier, more seasonal air has rolled in...my window here next to my chair is open and the coolness feels nice.  I love the sound of the wind in the trees.  Wintertime is suffocating to me with the windows closed.  

I am getting up out of my chair to go to the pool in a few minutes...this is the part where I do battle with my own self, as I would like to just sit here with the breeze blowing the curtains, sipping my coffee, feet up, all content.  See, I am tired.  I stayed up and finished a book last night, then thought I'd conk out, but surprise!  I could NOT sleep.  It could have something to do with that afternoon Americano, but I tossed and turned.  When Paul got up to go hunting in the wee dark hours, I woke up too, and that was it.  Just a few hours of sleep.  Will I ever learn?  Of course not!

But I will get up from the comfy chair, I will go to that pool.  Oh, Kitchen Aid news:  the part arrived from Amazon, so Paul parked at the counter with a fix-it video from Mr. Mixer.  He took that whole mixer apart, found the part wasn't the issue, it was an errant nut, he put it all back together...it wouldn't turn on.  Camille didn't know whether to dance or cry.  We HAD hoped that it would be a black and white issue, didn't want him to fix it and have it be wobbly and iffy.  Shh, once you start looking at brand-spankin' new Artisan models, well, you sort of want one.  It felt right to attempt to resuscitate the old one, more virtuous than just trashing it and upgrading...but now that it's officially broken, well, we're a teeny bit excited.   (Oh the one that the commenter's daughter got from Costco is a great deal, but it's the kind where the bowl bolts in and lifts up, instead of the head of the mixer bending upwards...it's a great mixer, large capacity, but we are hoping to get the kinds where the mixer itself tilts up...just old habits maybe, but when you're mixing something, and you want to scrape the bowl, just lift the head and do it.  

Anyway, more minutes have gone by, and now I have to hurry...so have a good day!

oh-ho the summer weather here in NY!

 

We had chilly weather, turned on the little fake fireplace...then it warmed up...eighty degrees today!

Tennyson was a police officer, Emily a hiker...I kiddingly told her she must not have gotten the memo to dress up.  :)

Maeve and big sister Ruth, so cute!

The chocolate peanut butter cupcakes...I didn't have one, but they were said to be pretty good.  

Emily

Yours truly, aka Ms. Claus, got to meet Kamala Harris, aka Margaret.

I had to have Ms. Claus hair...

It was great fun, and the kids loved running around, playing musical chairs and freeze dance.  They had a Nerf gun station, and a potion making station with pop-rocks.  The did crafts and colored and had pizza, and prize bags.  It was really a nice evening.

This fine day, I got up and went to the pool.  The warm weather blew in, and it's like summer here today.  I puttered around and organized things today, threw out two bags of broken toys and old coloring books, dried out markers, and random stuff in baskets.  I filled a bag of toys for the thrift store too.  We simply have too much stuff, they don't play with everything when there's so much, it just gets dumped out.  I have a motive too, a new bookcase to be put together, then sanded and stained.  So things will get rearranged, and of course sorted.  

Tomorrow, I am planning to take Camille driving.  We haven't been doing that, she needs to get her driver's license.  We are going to go to Margaret's house up in the city on Lake Ontario, she has the best trick-or-treating location.  Kathryn and Darius with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie will go, Sam and Grace with Grant, Ruth, and Rhys, Evelyn, Camille, me...Jonathan and Rosie...Ev, Cam and I will give out candy while parents and kids go trick or treating.  We're bringing lots of lawn chairs to relax and enjoy the weather.  It's always so much fun to give the kids lots of candy too.  

There will be Domino's pizza, and I'll bring a cooler with some cold drinks.  No hot cocoa this year, ha.  

Officer Tennyson, and Mario aka Achilles

And, an oldie:  Molly Rose with Jonathan...:)

Ah well, it's dark and cozy in here, and warm, the window next to much chair open, love it.  Have a good evening!

can you smell that?!

Don't worry, it's something good!   It's chocolate!  It smells like a bakery in here, and I just made a hot Americano, so maybe it's like a cafe'.  I'll tell you a little secret:  Aldi cake mix.  99 cents.  Chocolate cupcakes, made from the back of the box recipe but with a bit of espresso powder (I usually used coffee instead of water, but these are for small children, ha), and a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.  Their mixes are so good, in my humble opinion.  

I was GOING to make individual brownies in the muffin pan, and make marshmallow ghosts on top, but when I told Camille, she was all wide-eyed, and said That sounds exactly like what Anya said she was going to make!  

Tomorrow is our Activity Club harvest/fall/halloween party, and there is a spooky dessert contest.  I thought I could give each kid a ginormous bag of candy, that would be scary for the parents ha.  But instead, I am baking.  Cookie Monster cupcakes?  Those are easy, just make the ridiculous blue frosting, put white circles of frosting with a chocolate chip in each, going different ways, for the eyes, and stuff a cookie where the mouth should be.  But do kids these days even know Cookie Monster?

My other idea is yummier, a nice whoosh of peanut butter frosting, a peanut butter cup with chocolate spider legs, and those cute little candy eyes...the mixing of something so amazing as a peanut butter cup with something as horrific as a spider!  

Kathryn and I went out and about with her three small children this morning, after I got back from the pool.  The dollar store for some decorations for tomorrow, then Aldi.  We stopped for coffee, then home...it's such a lovely ride through the autumn trees...some are naked already, some at peak.  

I hate to say it, but my knees killed me today in the stores.  Just ached so badly.  I don't like it, not one little bit.  I see people just walking along, and I think, Do they know how nice it is for them just to be able to walk like that, no problem?  But then I think, everyone has their trials.  Some of my issues may be of my own doing, some not, but in any case, no one rides through life on the Easy Train.  It may seem it when you scroll through instagram, and see all those nice houses and lovely put-together ladies at the gym, saying no excuses!  

I just finished doing up the leftover dishes from yesterday, swept the floors, and did some laundry.  You'd think I'd be all caught up, not having little kids anymore, but guess what?  They visit.    Yes I love it, I really do.  I'm glad my older kids still like coming over.  Sometimes it's loud and crazy, and honestly, I don't like loud, OR crazy, but I can deal with it.  When I was the captain of the ship back when my kids were little, I had them use their indoor voices inside, neither Paul or I tolerate noise very well.  He has tinnitus, and I just feel stress when kids scream, ha.  

I don't like stickiness, crumbs, dirty floors, clutter....and I have very few organizational skills.  Not a good candidate for a big family.  And multi-tasking is a very energy draining way to live, turns out.  No wonder I was so tired for so many years.  But.  BUT:  I have zero regrets, loved each and every newborn, and would give anything to go back and go through it all again, even the tired part.  Well, maybe I'd skip the stomach bug parts.  And the potty training.

Paul and I drove down the road to the mechanic to pick up his truck.  It is all fixed again, not sure what the trouble was, but when I asked Paul if it was fixed, he said for now.  It struck me as funny.  What, do we think it's all fixed FOR GOOD?  That we're all done with car repairs?  Oh ho, life=maintenance.   Vehicles, appliances, anything you own, they take turns breaking down.   But it also struck me that we don't actually own anything, we just get to use it while we're earth-side.  Can't take it with us.  So why do we strive so hard to accrue it all?  I guess that's how we're programmed, for survival.

Anyway, each day is a gift, and I'm learning more and more to be thankful for the the days, and all the things in them.  Have a really good evening.  

(Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the final cupcakes, who knows what I'll decide!)

in the dark...

 We are entering the dark season here in the northeast.  It's seven in the morning, and the sun is just starting to peek over the edge of the horizon.  It's setting earlier each day, and although it's not like Alaska or Norway in the winter, it can get to be a bit much, to be in the dark for so long.  I kind of like it, but it's also suffocating in a way.  

The leaves will be blowing off the trees in the next few weeks, as we get ready for winter.  The dread of the snow and wind, the dismal forebodings, of those naked trees, when you realize that nature cannot be tamed...the snow and the ice and the wind WILL come, and there's nothing you can do about it.  

Anyway.  This fine morning, I am thinking about Kitchen Aid mixers.  Ours is having issues that may or may not be able to be fixed by ordering new parts and doing mixer surgery.  I am not mechanical, I cannot even put the plate back under the espresso machine after rinsing it off, without turning it every which way first.  Paul could probably fix it.  It's old, my mother bought it for me, a complete surprise, back when we first moved in here, 33 years ago?  It's been a beast, but it started being cranky and working with less precision, beater hitting the bowl wrong, then the locking feature wouldn't work, now it's kind of sagging down, the beater itself broke, I ordered a new one, it broke first use...it's because something's off inside of it.

I can live without a Kitchen Aid, it's a luxury item.  However, I love to bake and make things, Camille does too.  So we have been trying to get one from marketplace.  Two sold by the time we heard back, three people have never answered, and now one lady I have a tentative time of today at eleven to go pick it up...$175 for a used Artisan...I have huge-0 mixed feelings about it.  I can get a brand new Classic during the holidays for probably $275...the Artisan is a little bigger and nicer, could be on sale for around $350.  It would last the rest of my life, probably.  The used one...what if it already has some little issues?  Is it worth it?  I just don't know...part of me just wants to wait and get a new one....any advice?

I just cancelled with the marketplace lady.  For one, it didn't come with the mixing shield, so I don't know how old it actually was.  Another one will come along that I feel more right about, right?  She is not happy with me, I do not blame her, but I did give her a several-hours notice.  Oh dear, is it just me, or do other people get all out of equilibrium when someone chides them, even online?  

In other news, is there or isn't there a special place in you know where for people who box up used, non-working appliances in the boxes their new ones came in, and drop them off at thrift stores?

Have I yet declared here that tomorrow is Lasagna Day?  I'm making one zucchini lasagna, one regular, one teeny one with no cheese if Emily decides to come over.  Why?  Well, why not?  Camille and I were wondering what to have on Sunday, and one of us mentioned lasagna.  I like to make it with hot sausage in the sauce.  

Sundays are interesting.  There is usually a church service/meeting/something going on there.  In the afternoons, lots of the kids and grandkids trickle on over.  I don't usually know who is coming, sometimes until the last minute.  Yesterday I posted on our family chat that if you're coming, (and what you're bringing)..let me know by this afternoon, so I can prepare...

It's hard when you don't know if you're cooking for two or twenty two.  I do love having them over though, love love love spending time with the kids and grandkids.  

Aw well...took a break from sitting, vacuumed the floors, washed dishes, folded throw blankets, puttered around, put some frozen burger on the stove to start the lasagna sauce...watched a video on how to fix a non-locking kitchen aid mixer, one guy just tightened a screw.  So, ever so hopefully, I found the right screwdriver, tightened that screw, and...nope.  It's a bigger problem, but that hope was delightful for the moment ha.    So, I ordered the part from Amazon for ten bucks, as Paul has agreed to try to fix it.  

I'm thinking about apple pies again...the lady not five miles down the road from here has apples, plenty of them, really reasonably priced....we could just get a giant bag, and make like four pies...I love making the dough, rolling it out, peeling the apples, then the aroma while it bakes...:)

Have a really good day!

autumn yummies...

 But first, here's my new friend: 

Isn't she a beauty?  

Did we need a new one?  Well, yes, actually we did.  The one we had is Jonathan's, I got it for him for Christmas.  Now, he's getting married, and his fiance is getting an apartment soon, so she should have it.  

I bought it from a warehouse store, new in the box, for $41!  Casabrews, Margaret has one and likes it enough.  

After the pool today, Camille and I had to go rescue Paul, the truck battery died and he was out in the middle of nowhere, deer hunting...he was all ready to go home, and nope.  So we drove out there to give him a jump, then he went and bought a new truck battery.  We drove to pick up our espresso machine, plus a bookcase, a birthday gift for Miss Cam (a Shark hairdryer, for $23!), and a few more things.  We ran into Hobby Lobby, and I mean, sprinted, ha, not really, but no dawdling.  I wanted new switchplate covers for a few light switches, and I don't actually mean NEW, I mean there are none on them.  Somehow after painting over a year ago, we didn't replace a few, as well as a few electrical outlet covers.  I wanted new ones and never got to it.  You know how sometimes everything that's done wrong or isn't done just jumps out at you and you wonder how you didn't take care of it?  

Anyway, I've been watching for the 50% off sale, so they were $2.99 :). 

Then to Dunkin for a coffee for Camille...I ordered one too, online to pick up.  I specified two pumps of pumpkin spice, which I should NOT be having anyway, but last time I got one pump it was almost good, so what the heck, right?  Well, the coffee tasted like a wondrous dessert, amazing, looked at the label:  4 pumps pumpkin.  I should have brought it back.  It was good, but I wasn't going to drink it...I had a few sips, mmm, but so much sugar.

We hemmed and hawed about what to do next, then decided that Sunday would be Lasagna Day, so we went to Aldi for ricotta cheese, and some mixed Italian cheese, noodles, and some zucchini for my zucchini lasagna.

This evening's dinner, oh dear... boneless pork chops marinated for a few hours in lime juice, rosemary, salt and pepper, brought to room temp, patted dry, browned up in olive oil, flipped, brown sugar spooned on top of,  heat lowered, pan covered...in other pan, sliced apples and onions browned up, simmered...a bit of salt and pepper, and brown sugar in that...after chops cooked through and rested, cut them up and served in the brown sugar sauce they were cooked in...with leftover heated up mashed potatoes...oh dear, so good!  

Ah well.  Have a good evening!

um, can we not?!

 This fine morning, I was out the door, after a quick shower, and chugging my black coffee down.  The leaves crunching in the driveway, my chilly feet still in the Birkenstocks, and a big black sweater to cuddle into.  I drove to the dr. office, found a good spot down the block I could just pull into without any of that pesky parallel parking, and without having to navigate the parking garage.  I was in there with time to spare.  

Xrays were done, then I talked to the "back doctor".  He asked me to walk on my toes, then on my heels, which I could do just fine, thank you water aerobics class!  The takeaway:  some arthritis in the spine, but no visible bulging disks, or any other issues, however:  an MRI is needed to see more of what's going on.  Well.  In order to do THAT, one must attend physical therapy for six weeks.  Me:  I already go to water aerobics three times a week!  Him:  You have to do this for the insurance to cover the MRI.  Me:  Okay, can I go just once a week?  Him:  No, twice is what I recommend.  Me:  I really don't want to do that.  Him:  Okay, I'll give you some exercises to do at home, but you HAVE to do them, and I'll sign off on that for the insurance...and I'll see you in six weeks.  Me:  (grinning ear to ear)

Then the hard part, actually doing the exercises.  It was ugly.  I got down on the floor onto the mat, on my knees, to do the first thing, and it hurt....I did a few piddly ones, then onto the stretches...I cannot stretch very much, but I tried.  Onto my back to lift my knees to my chin one by one, ha.  I did it a bit of the way, so as not to pull a muscle on the first day.  The planking, I can do.  The lying on the side and lifting my hip while one foot and a crossed arm supports me, ha.  Ha ha.  I did try though.  

I am actually excited about this, because I see how stiff and tight my muscles are...there are warm ups, then stretches, then strength exercises, and if it makes my back stronger, good.  My abs are awful, I just lean over to reach that little do-hicky that opens the gas thingy at the gas station, and I get a cramp.   So it can only get better, right?

Oh, and my hips are fine, just the bursitis, which is nice...I was afraid I would find out I had arthritis in them too, but not yet, ha.  

So it does look a little more positive, I may feel like I'm falling apart, but I have a few more miles in me.

Driving down the highway taking pictures...

The old schoolhouse...

Rhys killing me at matching game...I actually had just one more match than she had, 12 to 11.  She is a smart cookie.  

This is the prototype for the cake I am kiddingly going to make and enter into the scary dessert contest for our fall feast for the kids.  Shh, I know to some of you, it would be wonderful, not horrific, so we won't go down that road.  But I do think I am quite funny. :). No politics on the blog...well, maybe just a teeny bit.  But it's okay, I'll still like you if you vote for her.  

(Grandpa and Rhys raking, Rhys prattling on about her little rake...)

Old kitty, Kettler, Mama Cat...she's turned into a cuddle bug in her older age.  She loves me.  I rarely sit here without her on my lap.  

Ah well...I have a roast in the oven, have to go take it out...have a good evening!