oh ho, do not go!

 If you go out and about today in Central New York State, beware....it's cold, and it's slippery. It's snowing like crazy, and the wind is blowing that snow, creating whiteouts.  I had to drive to the small city this fine morning to drop off my car, you know the one, it needs a thousand dollars in repairs.  (off topic, but they've already called and found a cracked rear rotor, so add another $300 on to that bill...).  

The drive was an adventure.  My car is all-wheel drive, and felt like it was fish-tailing all over.  By the time I arrived, my hands were shaking.  I had an apology to deliver, as there was a mix up when I called there this morning to confirm the parts arrived...see, my name was "Evelyn" on their report, because Evelyn brings her car to a different Mavis location...so when I called and identified myself as Della, it threw them off.  I talked to a different guy than the other day, and he was pretty sure they couldn't get to me today.  I think I got little testy, as I explained how I was in there the other day....anyway, things got straightened around, and I told the guy I was sorry I was so short on the phone...he said it didn't even register, it was fine...okay.

Anyway.  The car is getting fixed, and I'm dreading picking it up.  It's white-out snowing, and like one degree, with whipping wind.  I'm thinking to pick it up tomorrow morning...

There is chili on the menu for dinner, and cornbread.  I am making a batch of cookies, because it's a SNOW DAY, YAY!  Sonja doesn't have class, and schools canceled for Miss Char.  They're all on the couch doing schoolwork right now...it's mighty pleasant in here.

Last night's dinner was yummy, not healthy, but mmmm.   I had an almost five pound package of chicken breast tenders, I cut them up a bit more, marinated in salt, pepper, lime juice. Batter of 1 cup corn starch, 1 cup flour, and a bit of baking powder...., salt and pepper, then 1 1/2 cups cold water whisked in.  Dump all the chicken in, then fry it up in a two frying pans with olive and canola oil.  

I served with a stir fry of long green beans, red/yellow/green peppers, and onions.  There was white rice, and for me, cauliflower rice. We have different sauces, I had a sugar-free teryaki that was pretty good.

There's a lot leftover, I'm sure these three will be stampeding into the kitchen before long for lunch to finish it.

Out the kitchen window...it's like fog, the snow blowing....

Well, I survived another drive into the city to pick up the car...over two thousand dollars later, my car is all good to go...the guy who fixed Paul's truck had it finished up this afternoon, so we drove down to get that, less than $300, seemed like a bargain.  

Home....ah, home.  There's a pot of chili on the stove, and corn bread in the oven.  Cookies are done, here's the stupid thing I did:  One pan wasn't quite done, still soft and jiggly on top, so I turned off the oven, and left them in there, of COURSE I'll remember them!  well.  ahem.  I happily made the cornbread, turned the oven on to preheat, then opened it to put that cornbread in, and oops.  Those poor cookies!  

I somehow don't eat the cookies I bake anymore, I WANT to, but I don't...but I broke off a burnt piece, and it was actually really good!   I could just eat them all, so they wouldn't go to waste, but if I were to consume that many cookies, I'd rather eat fresh ones, so goodbye cookies.

Before the chips go income sprinkle cookies for Camille:)

I ran out of semi-sweet chocolate chips, so used a mixture of peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips.  The house smells like a bakery!

This is what it looks like out there on the roads...not for the faint-hearted....when the white-outs occur, you cannot see anything at all!  I stole this from Sam, and this from Evelyn:

One 73 cent box of Jiffy corn bread mix, one egg, one third cup milk, and voila.  

Keep warm everyone, and drive safely....

being true....

 ...I am thankful that I'm tested in my faith.  I wrote the post with one of my favorite verses in Proverbs, how He has lifted my feet from the miry clay, and set them on a rock.  When you speak in hope, you can be sure that pretty soon trials will come.  I was blindsided by something, couldn't believe how much awfulness I saw in myself, thought...oh dear, I'm a huge hypocrite!  Then I realized that as much as I had seen my awfulness, I was only being tempted.  I was in a swirl of emotion, but we need those situations to see our own sin, and God is good, we can get victory over these things instead of sinking deep, and getting bitter.  

I don't have to get mad at anyone.  By the grace of God, I can cut off those blaming thoughts right as they start, before they take root.  

Anyway.  Being true.  I try very hard to be real here, on the blog.  Online:  are people who they portray themselves to be?  Probably not, but here in the blog world, there are many whom I seriously care about, and whom I count as friends. As with most things, the internet can be used for both evil, and for good.  I think the blogs I read are good.  Genuinely nice people, connecting, being kind, building each other up.  

Sometimes I read news, and there are comments on the articles, people can be SO virtue-signaling, so superior, condescending, downright mean.   Same with some of the large family Facebook posts:  some women ask for advice, and some women are like vultures, ripping them to shreds.  It's too easy, behind a screen. It gives people some sort of thrill, I guess.  I have comment moderation turned on here, I don't get too many mean comments, but I am not here to fight with anyone.  I also don't always think too deeply about what I write, so it's sure to be offensive to someone, somewhere.  I think it's glorious that we're all so different, we can have totally different views on things and still be friends.  It's what makes the world go 'round.  

Yesterday was an adventurous day!  Kathryn picked me up, and off we went to Walmart, she only needed like two things from there. I got some Valentines goodies for grandkids, and some new kid's plates, cups, ect.  (I'm having grandchildren for the weekend, Wulf and Tennyson, and for Saturday, Grant and Ruth too!). Anyway, we also went to Aldi...then for a coffee, then home...by the time I put the groceries away, marinated and froze chicken tender strips in lime juice and jerk seasoning in little baggies, it was time to leave again...

We got all new tires on June 29 of 2022, and one rear tire started wearing really badly...faulty tire?  The other three are fine!   So off to Mavis I went, for a 3:30 appointment.  Well, one of the wheel bearings is bad...the car isn't under warranty, as Mitsubishi has only 36,000 mile warranty.  So:  Friday we bring her back in, and a thousand dollars later, we'll have our car again.  The truck is un-driveable until the fuel line gets fixed on Friday, so Benjamin is so nicely letting use his car so we can drop our vehicles off to be fixed.

Never a dull moment.  I'm thankful we have the money for the fixes, but it's so hard to get ahead...then I think, well I'm 57 years old, Paul is almost 61...we can't take it with us....

I did make a friend in Mavis:  a lady had her eight week old Boston Terrier puppy there, and oh my heart! Never met such a sweet little boy!  I do NOT want another dog, but oh dear, I couldn't say no to one of those!  

This fine morning, I made low carb muffins.  I tweaked an almond flour bread recipe from Allrecipes...they're pretty good, but I think the flaxseed gives them a "healthy" aftertaste.   I don't mind, I actually love them because I don't really like overly sweet things. I'm not saying they're healthy, just a better choice, for me.  And, the house smells amazing!   (I had some apples that were getting a little soft, that's why I made apple muffins. You could use blueberries, and I am going to try with pumpkin...)

Ah well....things to do around here....

falling gently down...

 ...causing a two hour delay of school...which was nice because I wasn't quite ready to get out of my nice warm bed this morning.  I have found myself listening for crying, but duh, the kids are all bye-bye home now!  

Charlotte Claire got on the bus, Sonja is doing schoolwork, as is Miss Cam. Paul is working, the dogs are snoring, and here I am, in the comfy chair.  I've swept and mopped and put away dishes, let dogs out, then back in, wiped their paws and gave them treats.  I've fed the kitties, shh gave them a splash of cream, and watered the plants, and the animals. 

It is NOT a busy day, and I like it.  

Last night's dinner:  chicken fajitas.  Chicken breast, all seasoned and marinated in lime juice, then baked with olive oil, sliced up, served with peppers and onions, and homemade guac. 

Tonight's dinner:  are you kidding me?  I have to make dinner again?

I have some girls who want to go to the library this afternoon, but with only one vehicle, and Paul needing to do other things, not so sure....

Home...I love home...but I also love going out and about.  The snowy landscape is breathtaking, but when the roads get messy and the snow comes down too thick and too fast, and I cannot see where the road is, nope. No thank you.  So we'll see how the afternoon unfolds.

For some reason, I'm not in the blogging groove today.  There's a lot going on, Camille is here in the living room with her computer, and Sonja is too. They're talking about Taylor Swift and Harry Styles, and I'm distracted.  But, I'm thinking of this:

This verse in  Hebrews has been on my mind.  To be anointed with the oil of gladness, by hating my own iniquity, that's how I love righteousness.   My own iniquity:  pride, wanting to be something, seeking honor, wanting things, anxiety, arguing, holding grudges, being bitter...these are ugly things, and I'm thankful for salvation!  I think of this from proverbs:

That miry clay is my own sin.  I'm so thankful that I don't have to be just stuck in it, and be miserable!  

Last night, the snowflakes were so big and sparkly.

This morning, the world so bright!

Ah well....things to do other than sit in this chair!

and wow, that was fun!

#1 lesson learned after having two small children for five nights:  never ever ever say or allude to life being easier for someone who has only two kids.   Maybe it's because I'm 57 and a half, or maybe because I'm out of practice, but phew, it's work.  It's busy, it's messy, and frequently requires just a tad more patience than one possesses. 

But, it's also rewarding.  The warm fuzzy feeling of grandchildren, rocking Rhys, pretending Achilles is a robot, and making Robot Achilles a house out of Jenga blocks...it's special.  

So I'm thankful that I'm still able to manage it.

This fine morning, I went to the airport and picked up Kathryn and Darius...Camille held down the fort.  I had kept up with the laundry of their stuff, doing laundry for two small children is like playing house, ha.  We unplugged baby monitors and packed up bedding and the little portable-bed, and gathered the special little spoons and bibs and sippy- cups.    Mommy and Daddy came in, and off they all went.  

It's quiet here.   

Did I mention that our truck is out of commission?  The fuel line is cracked/broken/leaking.  So it sits in the driveway until Friday, there's a really nice repair shop down the road, we'll take it in on Friday...(Paul put a temporary patch on it, but we will NOT be bringing it anywhere but the shop!). Sonja has classes every day, so she has the car.  So home-sweet-home we'll stay.  

Until tomorrow, when Kathryn will probably need to go to the store, and I'll go and help.

This coming weekend is a youth conference, so I'll be babysitting some grandchildren here so their parents can go.  Some of our friends are having a nice dinner at their house on Saturday, we were excited about that, but totally didn't realize it was the same weekend as the conference, and I already promised I'd help with the kids. Now, don't feel sorry for me, because being with the grandkids is nice, it's just nice to be with my friends, too.

Last night's dinner, one of my favorites:  a chuck roast stew in the crock pot.  A splash of olive oil, an Aldi roast, $4.99 a pound, some red-skinned potato quarters, some whole carrots, trimmed and cut in thirds or so...two packets of Aldi brown gravy mix....when it was almost done (after five+ hours), I got the kitchen scissors and cut up the beef, then added a beef bullion cube and a cup of water.  After an hour, beef stew.  It was SO good.

Tonight's menu:  chicken fajitas....I'm headed to the kitchen to put the chicken to marinate in lime juice and some spices.  We have lots of peppers, and I bought some low carb tortillas.  I'll make some rice for the kids, too.  

I made my low carb peanut butter cookies on Saturday, as well as a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  

This is the peanut butter one, with a few mini chocolate chips, to render it un-keto, ha.  

Yesterday at church, there's nothing like rocking a small child to sleep...

The small child, Rhys.

They keep busy, they went shopping for way too many books.

Paul turned on some Dream Theatre...this is before the little ones got up and started dancing...

Ah well....winter is back to central NY state...some snow today, some snow tomorrow, and some FREEZING temps this weekend...can't say I love it, but I don't mind too much...have a really good afternoon!

waking up and other wonderful things...

 Do you wake up in the morning and thank the Lord you made it through another night, as you gingerly haul your lazy rear end out of bed?  It certainly soothes the soul and is eons better than grumping about the achy hip and locking, knocking knees, as one heads to the bathroom.

It's not as easy to be thankful when you have a baby monitor next to your bed and hear the 3 a.m. squawk of sweet little Rhys....my bed is so warm!   They've been here for three nights now, and each night, just once, she starts in, wanting ma-ma, ba-ba!  I fill a cup with milk, it in and refill the bottle, change her diaper, hold her and rock her for a few minutes, then she lies back down and goes back to sleep.  

Old granny here though:  wide awake.  harrumph.

Rhys is 19 months old, and HILARIOUS.  

Uncle Sam with is Ruth, and Rhys...sweet cousins.  

Auntie Char!

Rhys with baby doll...

Achilles sleeps like a champ.  He likes going to bed.  He likes playing, and has an excellent imagination.  He is obsessed with Angler fish right now, so I have to make them from play dough for him.

I didn't realize how much I missed making things like this...

Achilles with his Angler fish.  

Sonja is busy these days, she's up at the hospital in the city, for a nursing clinical, and yeah, with my car...then this fine morning, our truck has a broken/leaking gas line.  That's not the type of thing you just duct tape up, so we're stuck here ha.  Paul had things to do, places to go, now he's puttering.  

So I had forgotten how busy it can be with small children.  My memories got fuzzy and faded, leaving out the poopy diapers and spilled cereal and those emphatic NO NO NO screams that toddlers are prone to when they simply don't want to go potty or get washed.  Heaven forBID we help them put a sock on, no, I do it, I do it!  I would have thought I would have more patience, so this has been really good for me.  

They are actually really good little children, very sweet and huggy.  They like to play, and we're mostly a t.v. free house...I'll turn on Curious George or Martha Speaks in the evening to wind down for a bit, but we mostly go all day with no screen time for them.  

And....there's not much screen time for me, either, as the kids need lots of attention...

just a very bad dream....

...I was going with the title A Terrible Nightmare, but let's not be TOO dramatic.  So I'm back here in the land of winter, the trees white and glistening, the deck steps slippery, brrr.  While visiting Grandma in Florida, she would often say, "Now you see why I live down here?", and "Don't you wish you lived down here?"   Yes to the first, emphatic NO to the second.  It's lovely to visit, I told her.  I do love a trip to Florida.  I was never one of those kids who traveled, and it was like the girl in my class had been to the moon or something, Florida, harrumph.  I was married with five kids before my first adventure that far south, Paul was offered to take some sort of work seminar at The Disney Dolphin, and I was allowed to accompany, with little baby Joseph.  

Anyway.  I love a good visit, but for me, New York is IT.  I've been to Ireland and France and Norway, and Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, and I've been to Washington state, Oregon, California, Oklahoma, Virginia, Conneticut, and all those east coast states, and drove across the country to Cali, and to Oklahoma, Arizona, and I've been to Toronto and Ontario (Ottowa):  lovely, fun, beautiful...but my heart is in NewYork. Friends, family, rolling hills, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, green grass and those autumn leaves, the stillness of a winter day...

So my bad dream last night:  Paul and I were young, and in Florida, and we found the perfect apartment.  He was like a happy little puppy dog, just so excited.  We were both in college, and had a big group of friends.  When someone passed along a joint, Paul took it, no question, then passed it right by me, but Oh no, mister, my dream self said as I grabbed for it, if we're doing this, I'm doing this.   Then, in the dream, I hoped it didn't contain fentanyl.

The whole time that Dream Paul was bouncing off the walls with excitement, I was happy for him, but filled to the brim with sadness and homesickness.  We didn't even have the kids yet, but I felt like I was leaving my very soul behind in NY....I wanted to stomp my feet and scream and dig my heals in, but he was so happy!

I asked him, when we were there, if he would ever want to move there, he said no.  I mean, I get it.  No ice, no shoveling, no dealing with it all.  I like the governor, too.  But the older kids, and the grandkids, I couldn't leave them. 

Kathryn and Darius brought the kids here yesterday, with car seats and beds and bottles and diapers and and and.  They went to bed so very nicely for us.  Rhys started crying, baby monitor right next to my bed, so I heard her loud and clear!  I filled her bottle, changed her diaper, rocked her a bit, and put her back in the playpen....she was content with that, so I sneaked out the door and back into bed...wide awake, at 4:45.  Eventually I dozed off, right as I was to get up to see Miss Char off on the bus..phew, I don't miss the get-up-in-the-night days....over 25 years of them I had...well, Emily was 22 and 1/2 when Camille was born, so if Cam slept through the night at a year old, then about 24 years....give or take...there were nights in there when the one year old was sleeping well, and I had the good old pregnancy insomnia...

Those little ones are still sleeping, it's almost nine o'clock!  

Today, Grace is is coming over with Grant and Ruth, so it will be a little zoo-y in here.

Yesterday, Camille and I went to a few stores to stock up on groceries.  We left early because the forecast was foreboding, nothing like getting caught in heavy snow.  It was fine, beautiful in fact...the landscape all sparkly...our ride home with coffees almost free from Dunkin points.  

We got things put away, she went off to do school work, I vacuumed and mopped and did laundry, then Paul and I went off in the thick of the snow to pick up a dryer from marketplace.  Treacherous.  The visibility was okay, but the roads were so icy!  We could see tracks where people really zig-zagged, and we slid a little, but we were in a truck with four wheel drive.  As we neared the village, a minivan, inexperienced in winter weather driving, decided to pull out in front of us....WHAT?!!!  She slid right around, fishtailed, was right across both lanes in front of us...I yelled, STOP, and Paul yelled, I CAN'T, but we somehow drove around the van....cars were coming from the other direction, not sure what happened...it was crazy.  At the next intersection, an SUV went sliding through the red light, horn blaring, obviously couldn't stop....phew, not my kind of weather...

And yeah, I still like NewYork...ha.  Achilles is awake....so bye!!!!

found myself back in winter...

 

It's amazing we live in a time when one fly from a warm sunny day to a cold snowy afternoon in a matter of two hours, sixteen minutes.  That's how long, from take-off to landing, to get from Orlando to Siberacuse, as the pilot called it.

Never mind that technology glitches and air travel isn't perfect, our flight home was canceled and we got to had to stay another day.  

Sonja and Char...

Me with Cam...

Our extra day:  Sonja had to fly home by herself because classes started, so we just bought her another ticket.  Paul had to work from home/grandma's house,  so took the girls to a park...

Then a few hours by the pool, ahh that sunshine!

Saying goodbye to Grandma was extra hard this time.  She's very frail and very forgetful.  

I almost forgot this picture, one of the best parts of the trip:  Culver's custard, berry cobbler.  

Anyway, we stayed another day...I've contacted the airline and expressed displeasure, we had pay over two hundred dollars to extend the rental car by one day.  We'll see what they say.

Home...ah ,home.  Early out the door to the grocery store, before the snow got bad....then home, ahh....home.  Meatballs for dinner, with thin spaghetti...

The kids will be here soon...Achilles and Rhys are coming for five days...