the days slide by as the leaves fall down...k

 The wind is blowing, the sun is shining, and the leaves haven't reached peak colors here yet.  Some years the trees stand there naked, having shed their summer clothes while they were barely brilliant.  We're hoping they stay put until those brilliant reds and oranges show up.  

Tomorrow is my trip to Florida.  I'm hoping to get at least an hour of sunshine on my skin.  It hasn't been that long, and I already crave it.  Grandma isn't doing all that well, I wish I could just buy her a return ticket and fly her home with me.  It's not that simple though.  She's a Florida resident, ect.  And, she does not want to leave Florida.  She has a nice little apartment-type set up, but without the kitchen...just a small refrigerator.  But, she has a balcony.  She LOVES going out there and being in the warmth.  

I'm not sure what I'm doing yet today, but I am picking Evelyn up from the collision place, as she is dropping her car off.  She'll work from here.  

I'm having a bit of a hard time blogging today...but not all situations in life are mine to write about, and sometimes life is painful.  We can know that all things work together for our good, and believe that God cares for us and sends trials for our very best, but we are still human beings, who love fiercely and have hearts and souls.  They are called trials and sufferings for a reason.  

Mariel and I decided to check a bag, freeing up my backpack for my laptop, so I will be checking in this weekend.  Have a good day, and thank you for being my friends.  :)

dark rainy Monday...

 It's too cozy for words, when it's so dark and chilly.  This fine morning, Miss Charlotte Claire got on the bus, with her little mug of coffee, in the dark.  I thought briefly of going back to bed, ahh, that sounded delicious, but it's water aerobics today.  Oh, back in the day, when I was tired for like 25 years, getting up in the nights with nursing babies, or insomnia from pregnancy, or sometimes both ha, I would LONG to get back in my bed.   I think a adore sleep just a little too much now. :). But, I haven't started taking naps yet...:)

This is from the other night, when I found myself coming home to an empty house, with just the puppies and the kitties.  

Then on Saturday, some grandchildren visited...cousins Wulf and Achilles

We went to the pumpkin place, and ran around and played, then they got to watch Mickey Mouse...

Baby Blythe is so sweet and cuddly.

Then there's Sunny...always cute.

Sunny's basket of toys is right behind her.  She puts her head in there and comes out with something she wants you to throw for her.  She has a piece of an old stuffed animal under her paw, and some of the stuffing on the floor.  She's no puppy, but she still likes ripping things up.  

The week is taking shape.  Tomorrow, Grace is coming over with Grant, Ruth, baby Maeve.  Then there's activity club in the evening.  Wednesday we have plans to go to Costco, and I want to fit in a visit to Margaret's house.  Friday afternoon, Mariel and I take off for a weekend in Florida, to visit Grandma.  We will be back on Monday, so it's a short visit, just to check up on her and visit with her a bit.  I know I'll struggle with the longing to be in the sunshine, and in the hotel pool, ha.  Perhaps I'll be able to fit it in.  

Getting home from Arizona was a system shock.  It was so nice and sunny and warm!  I don't mind the cozy weather here, but I just crave that sun on my skin.  I'm starting to understand the snowbird mentality. I couldn't actually become one, as I wouldn't leave my grown kids and grandkids, I missed them all too much just going to Arizona for 16 days!  But winters here in the northeast...the months with little to no sunshine on your skin...on your face, some days, sure, but that's about it.  

Anyway, not too much is going on, but that's okay.  I made my crockpot beef and gravy with red skinned potatoes on Saturday night, had leftovers last night.  The girls went with their friends to walk around Skaneateles on Saturday, it's a quaint little place on the north shore of Skaneateles Lake, one of the Finger Lakes.  They went to lunch, then to the pastry shop, and to the coffee shop.  So, they were not hungry for dinner.  And since we had a full house on Saturday, the grandkids didn't visit on Sunday.  It was a quiet day, and it was quite nice.  

Can we talk about prices at the grocery store?  M&M's...five dollars a bag, and the bag has shrunk down to like ten ounces.  The rest of the Halloween candy too, ugh.  Beef here, six dollars a pound for a chuck roast, on sale!   If you can get potatoes for four dollars for a 5 pound bag, that's decent, after years of $1.99.  Tortilla chips, everything, just going up up up.  I mostly shop at Aldi, but their meat tends to be pricey.  A few of the other grocery stores will have sales on their meat, like Tops has 85% ground beef buy one get one free, so about $3.20 a pound.  I scan the ads for sales on steaks, but those are few and far between.  Paul will be getting a deer one of these days, and I'll try to be enthusiastic and thankful, but I don't love venison.  I know, I know, but hey, I am from the suburbs, ha, was raised on boxed macaroni and cheese and fish sticks, and pots of hamburger soup.  

There are tricks and tips to make that venison better, but even in chili, ugh.  I don't love it.  It's just gamey. Some of the roasts we've made have been okay, but not delicious.  There's one recipe with oranges, not too bad.  I honestly try to be upbeat about it, but shh, when he gets a deer, I'm like, yuck, we have to have venison now....

Believe me, I hate being so picky and entitled.  Oh, I've been trying so hard to stay away from sugar.  My knees were just killing me for a few days, and I decided that handful of M&M's after dinner (from Ollie's for $3.29 a bag, a bargain ha!), isn't worth it.  I function better on NONE AT ALL.  Just NO across the board.  Otherwise, it creeps in, and ugh.  I don't want to lose weight for vanity's sake, but so I can walk and move and get around in my older years.  It's already a struggle sometimes, it's like my body parts take turns acting up.  If they every act up all at the same time, I'm doomed.  Knees, hips, lower back...crampy hands, and feet...it's not fun.  

Ah well...time to move it move it and get to that pool!!!!  I am SO thankful I'm able to go, not always wanting to get out the door, and that will get more challenging with colder weather, but it feels fantastic.  Have a really good day, and keep that vision lifted!

oh, the dreaded phone call....

 ...it's funny, because even though Paul got the call, when he asked are you okay?  Where are you?, yeah, I freaked.  Who is it, what happened?!  

Evelyn hit a deer.  It's a common enough occurrence in New York State in the autumn, but it's scary and it's damaging.  

The car is still drivable, looks like a monster took a bite out of it.  (The poor deer!  She didn't make it...) Thankfully Evelyn is all right.  Her car is insured, but there's always that deductible, and having to bring it in, and the paperwork, it's not fun.  But, she is okay, and that's the important thing.  Paul and I drove to where she hit the deer, and waited with her for the police officer to arrive.  He was extremely nice, and cautioned her to pull over if any warning lights came on, so she wouldn't blow the engine, but she made it home all right.  

Never a dull moment.  I had a busy day yesterday, Kathryn and I went to Ollie's.

I got a new food processor for $29.99.  I never had one through the years until like 2018, got the Black and Decker at Walmart for like 25, and was like where have you been all my life?  The motor burned out a few months ago, and dang, I missed it.  New ones, even cheap ones, were at least fifty, so this was a good deal.  I would like a REALLY nice one, but I don't use it that often, and it seriously ain't happening, so...I'm very thankful for this.  (and yes, I used it already...made pie crusts for two chicken pot pies!)

Look who can sit in the cart now!  Kathryn did end up carrying him.  I wandered off with Rhys, and she had to call me...Achilles needed to use the bathroom, and she was carrying Jamison...

Achilles...it wasn't even sunny ha.

(Joe Cool...(Snoopy!)...or a mini celebrity...)

Rhys Harper...she's too much fun in the store.  I let her touch all the rugs, and smell the candles.  :)

Kathryn came in to visit for a bit with the kids, they had fun running around and playing. We had coffee and I held Jamie, we talked, and it was cozy.  I made the pot pies, and they stayed for dinner. 

We were all cleaned up from dinner and relaxing when the phone call came...I went out the door in my sweatpants!

This fine morning, brr!  It was 44 when I drove over to the pool for water aerobics.  Of course I slid into my Birkenstocks, and regretted it.  The pool though, love it.  The old people at the pool are all so nice, I really enjoy them all.  Sometimes we chat right through the class and it goes by in a blur.   Afterwards, a nice hot shower, then home, ahh home.  

I washed my car windows, then puttered around, vacuumed, did some laundry, a few dishes, and here I am.  Camille rounded up the library books, but we decided to wait to go when Charlotte gets home from school, in case we end up going to Target...she gets mad ha.  

There's still a pot pie for dinner, but I have to get some things for tomorrow's dinner...Margaret and Kathryn are coming over with their little ones.  We're thinking to go get some pumpkins, then maybe the school playground... 

Right now, my chair is comfy and my coffee is hot.  I put shorts on to do the cleaning and vacuuming, but now I'm cold and covered in a blanket, but I'm not complaining...I like summer better, but I don't mind a nice crisp fall day.

where on earth have I been?

Let's see...Tuesday I went out and about with Kathryn and her little ones.  We had to get a birthday gift for a sweet friend turning 12, so we went to Marshall's, then to Walmart because Paul needed...suspenders.  He said, "for hunting".  okay.  I got the suspenders.  

We had a nice pot of tiki masala for dinner, with some tortillas browned up in a little olive oil, and quartered...because I didn't feel like making naan bread, and also because I cannot say no to naan bread, probably because it takes a bit to make it, and I deserve to eat it ha.  The girls also had some rice, it was a nice cozy dinner.  I had to leave and go to Activity Club, stopping first at the Dollar General because the big bag of dog food I ordered hadn't arrived yet, and the dogs were happy to make due with a $14 bag of Kibbles and Bits.  

Yesterday, I brought a friend to the hospital for a surgery.  I picked her up at eight, then went to visit Margaret and the kids.  Wulf and Tennyson are so much fun.  They fought about a set of toy keys, because when one boy has something, it's a hot commodity.  Tennyson wanted to hear all about the whiptail lizard a few times, and about donkeys and wild horses, Wulf wanted to talk about the scorpions.  

We brought them to the Dollar Tree, they each carried a shopping basket.  I'm still laughing at Tenny, he found a Dracula lawn decoration, and yelled, "That's my dad!"  It does resemble Adrian, ha, so I bought it for him.  He carried it happily in his little basket.  They were actually really good about not putting everything in them, although there was one little ghost plaque that almost got through the register. 

We went through the drive through at McDonalds, then they had a picnic at home.  They begged to use their new silly string.  Out on the back deck they went, their mama said no leaving the deck, no spraying each other.  When Tennyson came in with silly string in his hair, Margaret asked Wulf, he said, "I can't help it if he walks in front of me when I'm spraying."

Oh dear.  I got to hold little Miss Blythe Margaret...

She's still a tiny newborn.  She opens her eyes and looks around and is on the verge of a big smile, holds her head up, she's little but mighty.  I do love holding a small baby:)

My friend's surgery was done, and it was time to pick her up.  She needed to pick up some meds, so we stopped in a Walmart, then got her something to eat, as she hadn't had anything since the day before.  I brought her home, and came home to...Mom, what's for dinner?   I had picked up a pizza dough in Walmart, but it was still frozen...so bacon and eggs it was.  

Life is full of details, of small things not worth mentioning, boring chores and little struggles.  But this is our life.  This.  Not what might happen, or what's going to happen, this.  Today.  Cleaning up the dog pee in the hallway.  (ugh!).  Finally washing the two beach towels that somehow were still on the deck.  Digging out the slippers because the floor are cold, I miss bare feet already.  

I read a post recently written by a mom who was overworked, overwhelmed, a day late and a dollar short. She was tired of apologizing to her kids for not being able to do things, tired of never having enough...one person commented to look at it from a different angle:  start being thankful for what she does have, and doing fun things that don't cost anything, with thankfulness.  I thought that was brilliant.  To be content and thankful is priceless.

Yes, this is our life, this is the one ride through it.  There is no going back, no re-do.  Each day is a gift, and the more we think of others and genuinely ask God for grace and help and wisdom, the happier we'll be.  It's super easy to backbite and gossip and argue, but it's ugly and it's hurtful.  If I wake up each morning and envision the day I'll be standing before Him to give account,  I'll be much quicker to have my priorities in order.  No grudges, no getting back at anyone, no one-upping anyone...being tempted is one thing, but we don't have to give in!  

So yes, this is a good day.  :)

New York...

 ...but not so fast.  We took a trip to Sedona...we wanted to see the only McDonalds without the yellow arches, the one in Sedona has turquoise arches!  But, there was a traffic back-up with the gps showing it would take 30 minutes to go five miles.  It's probably a good thing, because there is a place nearby called "Sedonuts", which sounds danger danger.  We had to charge the car (Tesla), conveniently in a plaza that had a little homemade ice cream shop...we took no pictures, but the waffle cones were fresh made and warm, and the ice cream was delightful.  This picture here is the butter cake with Tillamook vanilla, our last evening in Arizona dessert, made by Riley.

The famous church in the rock...

Paul and Camille checking out the prickly cactus flowers...

Cam and dad

Paul and I

Such loveliness...

Saturday morning, I made sure to have one last swim in the beautiful pool.  It didn't grow old...the warmth, sunshine, and swimming.  We said goodbye to the boys and the pups, and off to the airport we went.  They ordered us coffees to pick up from Starbucks right next to our gate, and made it just in time.  (Someone had mistakenly/on purpose take Camille's drink, mine was sitting there waiting, along with her slice of lemon loaf...we waited for another drink, and got on that plane just in time.). Paul had an upgrade and his seat was roomier and up near the front, so Camille and I roughed it over the wing.  

Anyway....home...I just got home from the pool to find this:

The brand new vacuum cleaner I ordered yesterday, here already!  I have hemmed and hawed and hawed and hemmed, before finally pressing the order button.   I told Paul a few times we NEED a new vacuum cleaner, but he was still surprised to see me trying this out today.  I said not to worry, it has no bells and no whistles.  Walmart had them for $97 for quite a while, but while I did my hemming and hawing, the price went up quite a bit.  I looked at Costco and BJ's and Target sales...I didn't want to spend upwards of three hundred dollars on a vacuum cleaner.  I looked on Marketplace, and almost bought a used Dyson...the small Dyson canister I have was from Marketplace from four or five years ago, only sixty bucks.  It still works, but isn't great on a whole carpeted room, and some of the bedrooms are still carpeted.  

Anyway.  Camille loves it, Char too.  They're gone to pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, and dinner at their friend's place.  Last evening, they went to play Clue...

Cam, Char...then Sonja in the white dress

C

Too much fun.  Sonja is heading to work, and Jonathan and Walter are going to a cookout.  Paul is out hunting.  So that leaves me and the pups.  I don't mind.  I have cleaning and sorting to do, I never get bored.  

I went to Aldi today, all by myself.  I spent almost $200.  Everything has gone up...for example the bag of M&M's is now $4.74.  Creeping creeping creeping up, and no, I didn't buy them.  Aldi is the cheapest place around, but all the increases really add up.  The coffee beans I always buy, $6.09 now.  I bought one package of chicken, one package of bacon, one dozen of eggs...the beef is way too expensive there.  ugh.  I am NOT complaining though.  I'm simply pointing it out.  It honestly breaks my heart that life is so hard for people right now.  Rents, taxes, insurance, everything is so expensive.  

I haven't mentioned anything about the war in Israel...don't even get me started on our own president giving all that money to Iran...or even about the whole Afghanistan withdrawal fiasco.  It doesn't help to get upset about it.  It's written about the end times, and that when we hear of these things we need to lift our vision.  I don't understand it all, and it tends to put my soul in turmoil, but God knows the beginning and the end, and my trust is in Him.  

water in the desert...

 ...a dry river bed, as you go over the bridge into the shopping district...the gps shows blue, but there is no blue.  It's the desert, and it's dry.  My bathing suit dries immediately, when you get out of the pool you barely need a towel, except when the cold breeze comes along.  It's not REALLY cold, but when the humidity is so low, it feels cold.  

But I'm not complaining.  Sunny weather, day after day, today's 102 with a nice breeze.  We aren't going to the Grand Canyon, it's 3 and a half hours away, and Aaron has commitments,  so Riley is bringing us to Sedona today.  It's a beautiful place, I've heard, so I'm excited about it.  

We went to Trader Joe's yesterday, and the dogs knew when we were unloading the bags that this was for them, pumpkin spice dog treats.

Banjo took hers to the couch, Pretzel and Lily sat nicely.

Miss Camille...it's been so nice spending time with her!

Mixed berry margarita with a pomegranate foam?  I only drank half of it, took a lot of restraint, it was SO good, but alcohol doesn't sit well with me...but this drink went well with our chili verde....this was amazing.  

I had mine plain, without the sour cream and cheese.  The sauce was a blend of roasted tomatillos, roasted garlic, jalapeño peppers...in the crockpot all day with the pork...oh dear.  Savory and yummy and spicy...

I am thinking to get in a morning swim before we leave...I've become addicted to moving in the water, I've  felt so good and mostly slept very well.  I think it's the daily swimming.  

Ah well.  One more night here then home tomorrow....we get in around midnight.  I love/hate traveling...but I love going home.  Hate saying goodbye, hate the airport, security, boarding the plane...the almost five hour flight, ugh.  But home....ahh, home.  

free coffee?

 Years ago, I would have been so jealous of now me.  There were days, weeks, months, YEARS of being so busy every waking hour, with babies and toddlers and kids and teenagers and appointments and making dinners and lunches and bottles, and breastfeeding and cleaning, matching socks, washing bedding...ugh.  Disclaimer:  I would definitely do it all over again, no regrets.  My point is just about being so busy, barely getting a chance for a breather.  If I could have imagined this present getaway, I would have simply longed for it.

The grass is always greener they say.  Ha, here I am with my long expanses of quiet down time, missing the kids and grandkids like crazy.  

I AM enjoying the time though.  Yesterday, Camille and I had our morning coffee, she had oatmeal for brekky.  We cleaned up a bit, then went outside in our suits.  We sat on the comfy outside couch and soaked in the sun, then went in the pool.  I moved around and did my water aerobics, she swam and floated.  We dried in the sun, then decided to go bye-bye.

First of all, I do not love driving in new places, especially in the Jaguar.  It's too nice.  It makes sure you stay properly in your lane, and has all the bells and all the whistles.  Shh, I drove over a curb.  Aaron, if you're reading this, it was fiiiine.  I drive like an old lady as it is, but put me in a really nice car, and oh dear.  But I did it, I drove on the highway through the desert, and brought Miss Camille to Marshall's.  We bought a few baby outfits, and one dress for her, along with some nail polish.  Then, Target.

Target...ah, there was a Starbucks in there, and what a coincidence, we both really wanted coffees.  As we waited in line, I noticed a pitcher under a flowing spigot, overflowing water all over...I politely pointed it out to the young gentleman working there, and he slightly freaked as he thanked me for letting him know, as he cleaned it up.  He thanked me again, took our orders, handed Cam her pumpkin spice iced Americano.  Then as he handed mine over the counter, uh oh, he dropped it, or the lid came off, or something, but that whole Venti drink splooshed and splashed, all over the counter, all over the floor, onto my Birkenstocks.   He was SO sorry, I felt bad for him.  He started cleaning it up while the other girl re-made my drink.  The manager had just arrived, apologized to me, and refunded the total amount of our coffees back to my Target card.

I told the young gentleman that I sincerely hoped his day got better, and not to worry about it.  He was more embarrassed than I was inconvenienced.  

But, we skipped away with free coffee!  :). 

We bought some blonde roast cold brew for "home", and some chocolate, the necessities of life ha.  We found the clearance section, and would you believe I found TWO bras for myself, for 70% off?  I know I love them because I have the same models in the same size, different colors.  I was almost jumping up and down, if I could actually jump, I would have.  I told Camille if they don't fit in the suitcase, I'll just wear them all home.  

We decided to go to the Safeway again on the way home.  They have New York strip steaks on sale for 5-something a pound.  We had some the other night, and oh dear, my very favorite, grilled steak.  We bought a bag of salad mix, and voila, dinner.  I grilled, Cam poured the salads into the bowls, she also had some leftover garlic bread.  It was so very yummy.  

The boys are coming home from Europe this afternoon, so we'll have to clean up this trash heap.  Just kidding, Aaron, we have kept it very nice in here.  We do have to touch up a few things, but we do that every day.  They have an automatic vacuum that empties itself, one here and one upstairs.  The vacuum cleaner closet has a few Dysons, a nice shark, a steam mop, an upholstery cleaner...it's like playing house with really nice toys. 

 (Morning coffee outside, talking to Molly on the phone...:))

Have a really nice day!