what is this?!

 ...I'm cold!  I'm actually cold, should-dig-out -the-slippers, find-the-sweater cold!  Okay, so it's 64 degrees (17.7c), so it's just slightly chilly, and overcast, perfect fall weather.  It feels nice to be cold, actually.  I know, I know, it's a different kind of nice.  REALLY NICE is walking around the yard in bare feet, in shorts, never needing the sweater.

Today, in line with the autumn-y weather, we are going to the apple orchard!  It sounds like fun, and hopefully it will really be fun.  Grace is coming here with Grant and Ruth, and Kathryn with Achilles and Rhys, and off we will go to get some apples, a gallon of cider, and some of those hot cinnamon donuts.  I will not have cider or donuts, but I will have an apple later!  The kids are all little, so we don't have grand plans to pick loads of apples, just a few, for the experience.  

Yesterday after physical therapy, Miss Camille and I went to Target, then the thrift store, as I get 25% off on Tuesdays. She found a new shirt, I found some Osh Kosh things for the grandkids, some leather Marc Fisher boots for Emily, a brand new Little Tikes basketball hoop ($3.74!), and two Lularoe dresses, for me, $6 each.  It is too much fun.  Oh, Camille got two new tea cups, Johnson Brothers from England (with saucers), for a total of $3.20.  

We went to the grocery store just quick, because they had ground beef for $2.99 a pound, and the whole bean coffee I like for $5.99 a bag.  We stopped for gas, then home, ahh home. 

 At home, I started cleaning up, putting things away, and making meatballs.  I had to prepare for Activity Club, gather the markers and crayons and paper, wrap a few presents as we were celebrating Anne's birthday, and get the prizes together, gather candles and a lighter.  Dinner:  angel hair pasta, with meatballs in sauce.  I skipped the pasta, had four leftover chicken wings that were in the refrigerator, and some meatballs. 

Then, off to AC.  Miss Lydia came over for a while, then drove to AC with me.  She's in the older girls' group, I work with the younger girls.  The boys have their own group this year, they had fun running around on the playground, then painting cars.  Our girls ran around too, then made fairy flower crowns, and colored, before our little birthday party.  Then, there was running around again, kids have energy!

I drove Lydia home, and ahh...after cleaning up the kitchen, I got to relax a bit...bed time already?  Where did the day go?  

Now here I sit, have to get up and sweep these floors, and get ready to go!  

in the kitchen where I belong...

 ...don't hate me, there are two pumpkin pies in the oven, with homemade butter crust.  One is sugar free, and the crust is thinner, it's for me, hope I don't eat the whole thing.  There are two more pie pans on the counter with crusts in them, the bowl of chicken pot pie filling is cooling in a large stainless steel bowl.  When the pumpkin pies are done, and our house if filled with that heavenly aroma, I'll put the pot pies together and put them in for their turn.  (I AM thankful that we have a home, and an oven that works, but shh, sometimes when I see those double ovens, or the rich people with TWO ovens, I'm like...wait, why don't I have that!?).  

The pot pie recipe is easy:  I search through the freezer and pull out some baggies of frozen chicken breast.  I always freeze a few in each bag, and always put some lime or lemon juice, or vinegar, salt and pepper, or jerk or some other kind of seasoning.  Sometimes I cube it right up before I freeze it, and yay, the baggies I pulled out today were like that.  (I like Target chicken breast, so well trimmed, and well priced...it did go up a dollar pound, but it's still affordable.  Once in a while, there are $3 coupons stuck to the packages, so of course I have to buy them and freeze them!).  

Anyway, I sauté that frozen chicken in my nonstick stock pot, with some olive oil, then add one quart of chicken stock, a bag of frozen mixed veggies, and today, some diced potatoes.  Sometimes I just chop fresh carrots and some celery, but we don't have carrots, so I just used the frozen veggies.  

When this is mostly done, veggies getting soft, thicken it up by putting flour in a cup (I always season up the flour with rosemary, salt, pepper, onion powder), and whisk in cold water, add it to the pot, stir it up, then let it all cool down before putting in the crust.  I don't always cool it, it still turns out fine and yummy.

Okay, this doesn't look yummy yet, it has to have a turn in the oven...I finished putting them together after taking the pumpkin pies out...(that's butter on the top, as if it needs more butter)(they're extra good with salt and pepper, and more rosemary on top)

Paul would rather stay away from pot pie, and I don't blame him. So, I panfried a steak, with lots of steak seasoning, butter, and rosemary...mmmm.   Pot pie crust is NOT how I want to eat, but sometimes I just eat it...I can stay away from cookies and cakes, and and and, but sometimes, I eat pot pie.  I also eat Hershey kisses, but I try to limit that to a few times a week.  The pumpkin pie is also not the greatest, but it could be worse...

Yesterday:  It was Grandma day.  I had Wulf and Tenny all day, then Sam came over with Ruth and Grant. Wulf and Tennyson "helped" me make waffles, oh they looked good.  They ate and ate, loved those waffles.  They don't eat syrup on them, they just eat them.  

Wulf...four years old, adorable, so smart and energetic, he can carry on some interesting conversations...I didn't tell him his shirt was on backwards...

Tennyson...oh my heart, I love him.  He just turned two, and is saying more words every time I see him.

Samuel was playing Jenga with Wulf and Grant, they were really enjoying it, when Ruth smashed the whole tower down, oops.

Tenny loves Sunny....Sunny is a good girls, she totally tolerates.  

Ten on the deck...

Ruth Eleanor

Yes, Sunny tolerates...they think she's a pillow...I do watch and make sure they're good to her, they are.

Grant and his daddy, Sam, getting the pizza!  We had a cozy evening watching Jeopardy, before Sam went home to put the kids to bed.

Phew.  When all the grandkids leave, wow.  I remember years ago, old people would say I like the grandkids because they go home at night!  Harrumph, I thought, when I have grandchildren, I'll want them overnight, I'll take them everywhere, I won't ever be ready for them to go home.  

ha.  ha. ha.  I do love them, I cannot even describe how much I love them, like a love so much it hurts.  I don't want them to fall and get hurt, I don't want them to get in trouble, I don't want them to have any trials in life, or suffer in any way.  I want to get them drinks and snacks and buy them all the toys and cute clothes.  Yes, this is eerily like it was/is with my own kids, ha.  Even more though, because now I know something that I didn't know before:  It flies by.  It speeds.  Time passes, slips through your fingers while you're looking the other way.   If you're ever too harsh with your children, those moments will come back and make the tears sting, they may have forgotten, but ouch, can I have a do-over?  The nights I shuffled them into bed, herded them, anxious for some peace and quiet...can I go back in time, and linger more over the stories in my chair,  listen intently to their bedtime prayers, without thinking of all the things I was going to accomplish once they settled in?  

But, I didn't know.  I just didn't know how fast it would all go by.  Now I do, so I hug those grandkids extra, and pat them on the head, rub their backs, and smile at them, and give them as much attention as I can...

The girls are home from camping, they had a really nice time.  Paul fixed the washing machine today, after mowing the lawn, after coming home after midnight from his trip to Hungary.  He's a keeper.  The best thing is that he maintains a good attitude, even when he thought it was fixed, and Camille put her bedding in, and water started pouring all over the floor...he had to go back in and hook up something he hadn't, he did it without swearing up a storm.  This is only by the grace of God, I think.  (Maybe it's because my own dear father, long ago when I was a child, would get SO mad, we stayed out of his way when he had to fix anything...I still tend to cower inside, even though Paul has never been like my dad)

Anyway...it was a good day:  swept and mopped the floors, church, then home, and cooking/baking,  now the pot pie is in, I'm having an afternoon coffee that got cold hours ago, but it's still good...hope I can still sleep tonight, ha....oh, and:  it smells so good in here!  First the pumpkin pie, now the pot pie...mmmm.

another day, another dollar...

Mr. Ed the Talking Horse used to say Another day, another bale of hay...but I hope I'm not that blasé about my days, they are truly a gift.  This fine day, I'm going to be looking after Wulf and Tennyson.  Margaret went camping with the girls, and Adrian has decks to build.  (He's in his third year of college for chemical engineering, but he still does carpentry for fundraising, and for extra jobs) 

So the little boys will be coming very soon, the little boys who have more energy in one baby finger than this grammy has in her whole body.  They will be keeping me busy, for sure!  I have little packages of pumpkin shaped pretzels, and the low sugar drink pouches in the fridge.  There are toys here of course, maybe they'll be content to just sit and play all day, ha.  I am sensing I'll be rushing to and fro, as they will want to be outside.  

Our lunch yesterday:  outside seating, perfect weather, decent food, but excellent company!  Two of my sister's daughters, Becky (with Elena, Ethan, and baby Alex), and Susan (with Theo) (Susan has Will, and the twins Sebastian and Linnea too, in school), and Cheryl.  

Susan and I drove together, so afterward we checked out this little bakery...the cold brew coffee was really good...and I bought half moon cookies for Charlotte Claire and Sonja...Theo wanted a blue cookie.

(Theo, so cute!  Susan, his mama, took this pic)

Cheryl and I...and no, I didn't call her and say Wear blue!  

Elena, Ethan, Alex

Theo and Susan...somehow I didn't get a picture of Becky!  

I got home and helped Charlotte Claire gather camping stuff, Mariel came over to get the truck, I helped them pack in the chairs and awning and tents and bins, then off they went to pick up a few more girls.  Sonja K. got home from her clinical, she was burnt out.  It's kind of a stress-fest all day at the hospital, she cannot and does not tell me patient details, of course, but there was an extremely horrific miss-the-bathroom episode involving both #1 and #2, both in liquid form, and the patient was a very kind and embarrassed person, so this wears on a girl.  Plus, she had to clean it all up, and this was just part of her day.  Nurses are under appreciated, I think.  

So she got home, got changed, and off we went, to decompress.  TJ Maxx and Target, then to Chipotle for some dinner, which we ate in front of the tv when we got home, watching Psych.  

Ah well, my little guys will be arriving soon, I should sweep up and do some things before they get here...Paul gets home from Hungary at midnight, so a late trip to the airport for me, but oh it'll be nice to have him home again....

just a weekend...

Charlotte Claire and Camille are going camping this weekend!  We have tents and lanterns and camping supplies on the kitchen table! (shh, I hope that's not where the snake came from, camping stuff, if Camille heard a whisper of that, she'd not be going camping!)  They're going with Mariel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, and some of their friends, and their friends from Conneticut are meeting them halfway, so they can all camp together.  It sounds like too much fun.  Cam is leaving in a few hours, Char when she gets off the bus.  Sonja can't go, as she has clinical, and a boatload of paperwork/homework.  

Yesterday was a nice rainy day, after physical therapy Miss Cam and I went to the Mennonite stand to get some peppers for their camping trip, then to the Dollar General to get some batteries for the lantern and the inflator thing for the air mattresses.  Yeah, we bought lots of fun stuff in there, and came home without the batteries, oops.  When Charlotte Claire got home from school, we took a little drive, to get in some driving for her, and to go to Dollar General, ha, to get some batteries.

Dinner:  it's a conundrum sometimes.  I like to cook, but I don't like to cook every day!  It's easy-peasy these days, of course, compared to what making dinner USED to be like.  Nursing baby, clinging toddler, kids needing help with homework, getting kids to do their homework, oh dear.  But just because it's easier now, MUCH easier, doesn't mean I always like it, right?  Anyway, we had a package of chicken breasts, so chicken it was...but what kind of chicken?  The girls wanted pot pie, but I didn't feel like making the crusts, it's a labor intensive meal...plus, I cannot make homemade butter pie crust and not eat it, and I don't like eating it, so...I made oven fried chicken.  I sliced those breasts into thick strips, dipped in flour with salt and pepper, egg, then panko crumbs, onto a cookie sheet with parchment and olive oil, a 400 degree oven, and mmm!  The girls ate theirs with rice.  I made a sauce, not a healthy sauce, mind you, but a yummy one:  some butter, some honey, some bbq sauce, a dash of cayenne, some ginger, all boiled up...dunk the chicken in it, and oh dear, too good.  The girls really liked it, so I'm glad I made them dinner, ha.  

Today I'm going out to lunch for my sister's birthday, with her and a few of her lovely daughters.  It's going to be a warm sunny day, and we're going to a place with outdoor seating....my sister is one of my favorite people, and yes, she reads this.  She's absolutely hilarious, but also very serious concerning her walk with God.  She's had so many health issues, yet she doesn't give in to doom and gloom feelings.  She's very thankful for the little things in life.  She has seven daughters, all married, lots of grandkids (26, I think), and is one of those fun grandmas, with a baggie of gum balls in her purse.  

I should do a little housework around here before I go....

 

 

baptism in the rain...

 ...yesterday afternoon/evening was a momentous occasion, two very dear souls were baptized...my s-i-l Adrian, and our friend Irene.  It was sprinkling out, but the weather temperate enough that it was okay.  So encouraging to share with them their commitment to live faithful lives!

Wulf and Tennyson were so very good, they got to ride their scooters around after.  Oh, and I found a good use for all those cookies, they were devoured after the baptism.

Kathryn is coming over this fine morning, to gather some tents and supplies for a big girls' camping weekend.  

Ah, where has the day gone?  Now it is evening, and Kathryn spent this dreary rainy day here with little Rhys and Achilles.  Rhys took a little nap, since Jonny is in Germany for a year, we can leave the little pack-n-play set up.  Achilles had some down time on the couch with a pillow and furry blanket, but didn't fall asleep.  He's two years old, and still rather needs a nap, but he was so good!  We had pork chops and applesauce (unsweetened Aldi applesauce with some fresh apples peeled and sliced on top, with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on, and baked in the oven).  

We had drama here, Miss Camille had a snake!!! in her room!  Now, it was just a tiny little garter snake, but the poor girl was hysterical.  She had slept on the couch last night because there was a SPIDER in there....she brought the vacuum down there today and got it, felt better, but the SNAKE, oh dear.  

Samuel happened to stop in here after work today to pick something up, and oh my, he's the hero of the day:  he captured that snake and brought it out to the woods.  We then googled how to get rid of snakes, and decided that actual snake repellent from the hardware store would be toxic to our animals, so we went to Walmart this fine rainy evening....and bought essential oils.  Cinnamon and cloves are supposed to repel them, so we bought some and a spray bottle.  Charlotte Claire sprayed their rooms and the back door, even if it doesn't actually work, it's like giving a kid a can of Monster Spray to spray under their bed I guess.  It's worth the ten or so dollars we spent, to give them peace of mind.  I said, "If we haven't had a snake in here in all these years, the chance of having a second one is about nil."  Well, I did think that perhaps the mama snake had babies somewhere and there are dozens more hiding, but shh, I'm not stupid enough to say that out loud, poor girls.  

I admit that my eyes have darted around here, wondering if there are more, but I'm trying not to freak out.

Before we went to Walmart, we went into the thrift store.  The girls didn't find much, but I found boots for Achilles, and a coat for me.  

Home...ah, home.  The girls are making lunches, Miss Char is making hers, and Camille is making Sonja's...Sonja is really swamped right now, in second year nursing school.  She has so much paperwork after a busy day of class/clinicals.  

Kathryn and I are planning a trip to Florida to see Grandma, one of these weekends...:)

there's nothing like the heavenly aroma of...

 ...cookies baking.

Beautiful, right?

A triple batch, the first two pans made with no chocolate chips, just sprinkles on top.  I started this a few years back for Miss Camille, who doesn't like the chocolate chips (?!), and the other kids agree that they're actually really good.  The cookies are darker than usual because I didn't have enough white sugar.  My recipe is for twice the brown as white anyway, but this was even more than that.

This fine morning, Miss Charlotte Claire got on the bus and went to her first day of eleventh grade.  I didn't take a pic of her with one of those little chalkboards, but I did tear up when the bus drove away.  We had a good summer.  Camille has started her homeschooling already, but oh dear, the house is quiet.  Sonja K. is gone to college already this morning.

It's easy to be deceived that things would be better "if".  

If I had a brand new house, new flooring, new countertops, new furniture, new vacuum cleaner.  There are good reasons for all these things, and life might actually be a bit nicer, there is some truth to that.  I mean, our big couch is getting really old, we have to keep it covered in blankets, which I change out and wash more than once a week, and straighten daily...multiple times, most days.  I dislike the look, I dislike the constant maintenance, but the couch is comfortable, it's well built, and we have Labradors who, unfortunately, like to get up there and get them all furry.  So a new couch would be nice, but the dogs would ruin it anyway.  Our other couch is the leather one from the thrift store, it has a few tears in it, isn't awful yet, but it's getting there.  

Jeepers, I can't stay on point to save my life.  My point is to be thankful for what you have, and to make do!  I mean, I can whine and pine, or I can do what I can to make things nice.  I had this thought the other day, out of the blue, a thought of a beautiful house, with tons of huge windows and so much light, oh how I would love and adore living in a home like that...maybe even with double ovens, so I could bake in half the time...or two ovens!  Then I pictured myself in my own house, being thankful and happy, and I realized that is what is beautiful.  

But yesterday, I had an idea.  We have valances on the kitchen windows,  and I thought to change them out to white sheer curtains...I had ordered some for Charlotte Claire, as she changed rooms recently...they were only $5 a panel from Target.  I had Camille climb up on the bench to see how they would look, as we haven't put them up in Char's room yet...

I think they might be pretty!   I went on Target, and they were on sale for $3.50!  And the curtain rods I wanted were on sale too!  So, for very little money, we will have a new look.  Will we love it?  I don't know!

Then I started thinking about painting the stools at the counter...maybe, maybe not.  I do have to get the paint to repaint the upper cabinets, the lower ones look so spiffy.  

It's time to bring Miss Cam to PT, then we're stopping at the library, and the store...our meal plan is simple this week:  chicken and rice bowls (cauliflower rice for me!), with broccoli tonight, pot pie tomorrow, and pork chops with apples and squash on Thursday.  The girls are going camping for the weekend, Paul is returning from Hungary on Saturday...anyway, off I go!

in the middle of a rainy day...

 ...coffee, pumpkin wax warmer, rain drumming on the metal roof...and quiet.  I've done some dishes and some laundry, and fed the kitties and the doggies, let them in and out.  Abigail got up and hit the road, she's going back to Delaware today.  I'm glad for the time with her, but it's hard that she's moving away.  

Yesterday was Tennyson Paul's birthday, two years old!  I love love love him.

Auntie Evelyn with Rhys, and Tenny...

Hmm, wonder what THIS could be...(Adrian, Achilles in the background, Wulf, and Tennyson opening his scooter.

Margaret made his cake...Achilles took a candle after they all blew them out, and took a bite out of it.

Tennyson, so cute.  He liked his party.  He got a stroller for his baby doll, clothes, some toy dishes, the scooter, a little train toy, and a pair of tongs, from his Aunt Grace.  He loves tongs.  He picked up his baby doll with them.  

The youth conference was a roaring success, the kids had so much fun, and such good meetings.  Emily will have to recuperate from it all, the planning and cooking and coordinating the serving.  There was tons of help, of course, she didn't do it all alone, but I think she's resting up today.  

Emily with friend Kong...

...with Kim...

Happy, that's the word to describe the crew who works in the kitchen!

Ah, I like a nice day off.   I might be off to the church this afternoon, as there's a small barbecue going on...to help in the kitchen.  A group of young people who traveled from British Columbia is heading back tomorrow, so since they're still here, why not have a gathering with sports, a cook out, a meeting?  

I am planning to head to the city today, to get another gallon of paint...