simple bliss...

Yesterday, I was restless.  It was a beautiful day, and I wanted to go out and about.  I had a few things I needed, too.  Camille and I went to Target.  A few baby outfits for Molly's little Denzel, some things for Grace's birthday, a package of chicken breast, some coffee cream, and some cleaning spray (one of my guilty pleasures is Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Peony (Mums smells lovely too!)). (It makes it so nice to clean when the cleaning spray smells so amazing!).  Then to Price Chopper, just a quick loop around the store for a few things, then to Aldi.  Camille was dubious that we needed to go to a third place, but I wanted strawberries, and they were $4.99 a pound in P. Chopper.  

Home...ahh, home.  Steak for dinner, which is my absolute favorite, with some salads, curly fries in the air fryer (I try to avoid these things, but did eat just a few, why oh why are they so good?!)

The kids made chocolate covered strawberries the night before, oh dear, so good.  I plan to make more with the strawberries I bought, for tomorrow...

Today, I slept until 8:24.  It was extremely wonderful.  I really really liked it.  No cat meowing to wake me up, no having to get up for Miss Char, just slept...ahh.  See, if I always slept well, I wouldn't appreciate it, now would I?  

I cleaned up and vacuumed and washed dishes, did some laundry, then Margaret was here with Wulf, Tennyson, and baby Blythe.  Then Suzanne came over with her pup, Winston. (her fiancé is camping with his brothers this weekend).  Then, Joseph came over with his dog Bucky (his wife was working, and his other pup was at home). 

Don't I take such good pictures?  Joseph with Bucky, and Suzanne over there...Paul in the mirror. :)

Margaret's friend Tenylle came for a visit with her little daughter Lyra, who is almost two.  She discovered we have fruit snacks here:). She didn't love the dogs, but she seemed to get used to them quickly.  

Everyone left by and by, and it was time to make some dinner, for just Paul and I...ribs in the Instant pot, good idea.  Salt, pepper, steak seasoning, and brown sugar rub, lime juice in the bottom of the pot,  then the two racks cut in half, in the pot on the rack, high pressure for 26 minutes.  Then, two kinds of bbq sauce mixed with brown sugar, pepper, hot sauce, and into the oven at 475 on a cookie sheet with foil...then broiled for a few minutes.    Not as good as smoked, but really good.  The instant pot gets them so tender, so quickly.

Dessert for me, a zero sugar Chobani Greek yogurt with sugar free whipped cream and fresh blueberries, and two chocolate covered strawberries...mmm.

Tomorrow, we're having a Stupid-Bowl party...not a big party,  just Grace with Grant, Ruth, and baby Maeve, and Margaret with Wulf, Tenny, and Blythe, and Kathryn with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamison.  The dads are all going to a Super Bowl thing, and the girls here are going to one, so we thought we'd have one here for ourselves.  We're having lots of goodies, and don't care much about the game, which is a good thing because....nine grandkids, ha.  

Jonathan got a hair cut.  His friend Matt cut it for him, at two o'clock in the morning.  And no, they weren't drinking.  They are very healthy kids, like working out and eating right, ect.  But they're crazy sometimes!  

I think he looks cute...with Sunny, Kettler, and Suri...

Paul went fishing out on Owasco Lake (one of the Finger Lakes)  today.  He did get rained on a little, but said it was nice out there, but a little windy.  60 degrees.  Poor Tennyson was walking around with the hose sprayer attachment, asking if he can put it on the hose.  He has Playing-With-The-Hose-On-The-Brain.  It's not really that warm out, Ten, the ground is soaking wet and muddy, we cannot really play with the hose.  He thinks it's summer now.  Wulf was running around in the driveway in bare feet when Grandpa got back from fishing, and Ten had just socks on.  They love it, but I told them winter is coming back in a few days.  

Ah well...our day was busy, and now it's quiet, and wow, I'm tired!  Maybe tomorrow I'll take better pictures...have a good night.  :)

just being with them...

 Yesterday was a jumble of spontaneity.  First the pool, on a freezing frosty morning.  Jon's car was behind mine, so I had to move it, bring the keys back in, extra steps are good, right?  I don't love being late to the pool, but I put my suit on under my clothes so getting in is pretty quick.  

My pool friends are pretty amazing.  One lady is 80, doesn't look a day over 65, she takes care of her mother, who is 99.  This 80 year old lady has been busy, bringing things from the basement to the garage, or vice versa, cleaning things out...I am IMPRESSED.  I told her I want to be like her when I grow up.  I also told Emily that she is her when she's older, and I'm 99...as we're the same age apart.  One of the guys in the pool is a retired bus driver, and yes, he drove our bus in years past, a super nice guy my kids remember fondly.  One of the ladies lives on the road my parents lived on when my older siblings were small, my sister remembers her family.  One of the ladies is the cousin to a maternity nurse who lived on my road, before she passed away, and was at the birth of several of my babies.  The small town-ness is amazing to me.  I wasn't born and raised here, but these people are warm and welcoming, and I feel like I belong.  It strongly helps influence me to get my lazy rear end out the door to that pool, three mornings a week.  

Home...ahh, home.  Jon had the day off from work, and has been working on cleaning out his room.  He had some bags for the thrift store, so yes, I wanted to go with him.  He donated five big bags, and didn't buy anything new.  I bought velvet hangers for Camille.  She recently told me she wished she had them, so the clothes stay on better, but it was just a silly wish, or so I thought, until...I walked into the Salvation Army store and brand new boxes of 20, $1.99.  She was rather pleased.

We then went to BJ's to get a few things for Sunday, as I'm having some grandchildren over for a Super Bowl party, although we probably won't even be watching the game.  Jon tried on a coat:

Home again...a little puttering around, organizing some kitchen drawers (how many sets of measuring cups does a person actually need?  measuring spoons?). I vacuumed the drawers, cleaned them, and put less things back in.  I checked my phone, and oops, Emily had called and texted.  She was going to the very same store Jon and I had gone to, would I like to come?  I would.  I didn't need anything, but some time with Emily, sure!  

We went to Walmart too, so I got some sugar free whipped cream, and some frozen cinnamon rolls for an upcoming fun weekend.  

Dinner was a Fend For Yourself night, the girls had made Vodka Pasta earlier, then sandwiches.  Paul ate leftover chicken drums and salad.  I made myself chaffles!  (3 eggs, beaten, splash of vanilla, one cup shredded mozzarella, mix together 1/4 cup almond flour, teaspoon of coconut flour, scant tsp. monk fruit sweetener, sprinkle of cinnamon, dash of cardamom, add to egg/cheese mixture, makes four waffles.  I ate them with raspberries and sugar free whipped cream)

This fine morning, I am going to buy some honey from people down the road.  I found them on Marketplace.  Supposedly, the more local the local honey is, the better it potentially is for allergies.  I have very strong opinions on buying honey from local beekeepers, because I want to KNOW it's pure.  Have you heard of the Chinese Honey Scandal?  They mixed additives in, sent it to other countries, and had it shipped to the US as if it was not Chinese.  Supermarket honey is almost certain to have so much other garbage in it.  

It's a nice sunny day, and is supposed to be warm, in the fifties.  We might to to a playground with some grandchildren...

This weekend, Suzanne is coming for a visit, looking forward to seeing her.  

A lot of fun things are coming up:  next weekend, an Airbnb on Seneca Lake with some dear friends, then in March, Norway!  April looks blank, but May, a weekend in Ocean City, Maryland?  YES!  Then, a trip to Phoenix for some 90 degree swimming weather, and time spent with my boys?  mmm hmmm!  There are wedding plans afoot too, so I will not be bored any time soon.

Have a really good day!

once upon a time...

Life is just a series of stories, isn't it?  Most of them aren't mine to tell though, so meh.  

Yesterday, ahh the pool.  I am so very thankful I am able to go to water aerobics, it feels so nice, and the older people in the class are friendly and sincere.  Sometimes we chat while we move, and the class goes by so fast!  The second part is deep water workout, I don't use a floaty noodle, because I float, ha, and I really like to get more benefit from the movement.  Then into the cold locker room, always feels so cold after the warmth of the pool room...but a hot shower, ahhh.  

Home...no time to sit around, because I had the idea to make apple muffins.  Crumble topping, chopped apples, lots of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spices, cardamom....it made me want something yummy too, so I made a batch of low sugar molasses cookies, but never baked them until evening.  

 The aroma these imparted, oh dear...anyway, then Kathryn arrived with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamison, and Grace with Grant, Ruth, and Maeve.  Grace had to leave for an appointment, so Kathryn and I held down the fort.

Ruth, with princess stickers, Kathryn playing Jenga with Rhys, Achilles, Grant...Ruth thought it was fun to run over and knock down the tower, there's always one, isn't there?  We were trying to keep the noise level down, because Sonja had worked two nights in a row and was sleeping, she had to work last night too, so she needed to sleep.  She didn't sleep very well, turns out.  I told the kids if they cried, they had to cry quietly because she was sleeping, but they didn't listen, ha.  

Jamie was cruising around in the walker.

It's a cool walker, the seat spins around in all directions, he likes it.  (Marketplace, $15, like new).  

Rhys

Maeve

Ruth, Grandpa, Grant, and some Bugs Bunny.  I made popcorn for them:)

Dinner:  I cubed up a six pound package of chicken breast, marinated it in lime juice, honey, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper, onion and garlic...after a few hours, I added a mixture of flour and a little bit of baking powder with salt and pepper, tossed it all around, then put it on two cookies sheets with olive oil, and roasted in a 450 oven.  I cut up green peppers and onions, stir fried those with broccoli, made a pan of jasmine rice, then the sauce:  butter, ginger, half a bottle of orange stir fry sauce from Target, water, some orange marmalade....bubbled that up in a pan, and added it to the chicken and veggies in the wok...it was really good.  

The cookies were baked in the quiet after everyone left, around 8:30.  It's a simple recipe, and quite yummy.   

Recipe from Oh Sweet Mercy, The Sweet Things In Life).   I used like a tablespoon of honey, then granulated monk fruit, to make less than half cup.  The spices,  a combo of pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, to total OVER two tablespoons, because I like a spicy cookie.  Then the molasses, I used a tablespoon instead of teaspoon.  Are they excellent?  Well, no, but they're good.  I find baking them for four or five minutes at 340, then flipping them over and baking for another three or so works best.  The first batch burnt, but they still tasted so good.  

During church, did I really turn around and snap a pic?  Well, wouldn't you?  Ben and Ashley and Declan were enjoying little baby Blythe (Margaret and Adrian's baby)...so cute.  

Jamison with Aunt Evelyn

We have to take a pic, or it didn't happen!  Camille behind Jamie, Evelyn, Char, friend Amanda with the chocolate milk, me, Sonja in front, Kathryn in the back, and Oscar with his cup that says "Austin", I guess his name isn't so common here?  This was Sunday afternoon...

Anyway.  Saturday evening, Emily and Mariel came over with dinner, chili verde, and I can't remember if I already told you this or not, just like in Real Life.  I know Mom, you TOLD me this already.  Well I can't help it if I can't remember who I told what to!  

Anyway, we had a nice pleasant visit with the older girls.  I had made a huge-0 pan of fudge, because the younger kids clamored for it, but one isn't eating chocolate right now, and the other can't eat dairy, although she did have a small taste.  

This fine day, it's sunny and gorgeous, and I need some groceries.  I'm thinking to go to the thrift store, too, as it's 25% off day for Old People.  I don't need anything but it's fun to go and browse.  I need to make a meal plan.  I tell you, it's harder now than when the kids were all younger, because I never know who is going to be here for dinner.  Well, not harder, just different.  

The girls need their passports renewed, and since they are under 18, we can't just renew them online, we have to go in and do them all over again.   We're also planning a nice playground trip for Thursday, as it will be a beautiful Fake Spring day here in the northeast.  I really hope the trees don't get fooled into budding too early, then when Real Winter comes roaring back, destruction.  

I stayed up too late last night, finished A Ladder of Years, Anne Tyler.   Morning comes early for those who read into the night.  ugh.  

Have a really nice Tuesday, and be thankful!  

there's no place like home...

Home.  It evokes warmth and security, a place where you can be yourself.  I have strong beliefs that providing a good home life is the best gift you can give to your kids.  It's not the house itself, you don't need two washers and two dryers, but the essence of home, the peace.

One thing I am extremely thankful for is that I've been able to be a stay-at-home-mom, or as we old people like to say, a housewife. 

Anyway.  Yesterday I had plans.  My plans had to change because Charlotte Claire and Camille had different plans.  It ended up being a really nice day.  I visited with Ben and Ashley, and little Anya, Elise, Declan.  Declan can count to five, and he knows who's phone belongs to whom, water bottles too.  He's adorable.  

Emily and Mariel were coming over for dinner, and bringing chili verde!  Paul made two venison meatloafs, and we made a big salad.  I also made...fudge.  

The girls were singing karaoke with their friend Amanda, while I made the fudge.  They helped clean up a bit, then dinner with the girls...there's nothing in the world like having adult kids, it's so nice to have them back "home".  

(I still maintain it's a rather cruel trick, to love and nourish and spend every waking hour taking care of every detail of these small humans, rocking and reading and wiping and feeding, only to have them grow up and move out!)

Of course we all know the whole goal of raising kids is with the intent they stand on their own two feet, so when they pay their own mortgages and buy their cars and go off to their good jobs every day, success!!  It's like those wind up toys, we spend eighteen years or so winding them up, then once they get going, they just clickety-clack right out the door.  

Ah well.  I have things to do this fine day.  We are heading to church, and will have lunch their afterwards, then some of the older kids with the grandkids might come for a visit.  We're in for a sunny stretch of weather, ahhh, it's lovely.    Have a good day!

kids, children, and babies...

 Thursday was a stay-home-and-have-Anya-visit day.  She's my oldest granddaughter, and she homeschools this year.  She rearranged her schedule to spend a day with her grandma.  Camille made cream puffs with her...

The day went by too fast, ending with me taking Anya to Aldi, as I had to get cream and bread and grapefruit and oranges and and and.  Then I drove her home, and forgot to send her with some of the creamf puffs.  oops.

Not too much time passed before Wulf and Tennyson came for a visit.  They ran around and we played Mousetrap! and watched Bugs Bunny with some snacks and popcorn.  Soon we got ready for bed, we folded down the futon in the living room, and I got the couch across from it ready for me to sleep on.  Teeth brushed, jammies on, then I read some of Little House in the Big Woods.  I'd like to say they fell peacefully to sleep, but you know how it is.  By 10:30, all was quiet.  

This fine morning, getting them dressed and cleaned up to start the day, then play Mousetrap!, then read some more Little House, then waffles!  They always want waffles:). By the time we were done with breakfast, Kathryn was on her way to pick us up, for a little adventure.  They were excited to get their car seats buckled into her car and go bye-bye with their cousins (Achilles, Rhys, Jamison).  

We went to the Bass Pro shop, to see the fish. 

Bass Pro is in a "dead" mall.  The stores are closed and shuttered, only a few video game stores, and consignment type shops survive, mostly just open on weekends.  The food court still has a pizza place, a sandwich place, and some other restaurant, and the movie theater is still open.  

They played on these cars, and Bob the Builder randomly said, "Can we build it?", and poor Rhys, it freaked her out.  She was done.

Achilles

Tennyson...and no, we didn't put any quarters in them.  

The fountains weren't on, and that store in the back used to be Sears, and before that, K-mart.  Once upon a time, there was a Sears AND a K-mart in this mall, as well as a JC Penney, a JoAnn Fabrics, Aeropostale, the shoe stores, a toy store.  Walking through there with the memories of so many times there with the kids when it was alive and thriving, so strange.  

The fish at Bass Pro...Wulf, Tennyson, Achilles, and sweet little Rhys Harper.  

(Jamie was in the stroller).  

We picked up pizza from Little Caesars, and Kathryn came in with her kids too, for a visit.  The kids played, fought, ran around, ate pizza, and watched Bluey.  

The other day, I went to the store with Kathryn and Camille, along with Achilles, Rhys, and Jamie.  We got some good deals in Old Navy, then went to Target for a few things.  I finally got Emily a few birthday gifts.  

Now it seems quiet in here, with Kathryn gone home, not that she's noisy, but the dynamics between the grandkids sometimes, it's winter but not outside weather (cold and muddy!), and they have extra energy.  They run around, and one declares they're the leader, and they all want to be the leader...you know how it gets.  

We may or may not have drive past the prison today, and told them they have to be good as they grow older, because the bad people in prison used to be nice little kids, but they gave in to their sin, and did really bad things.  For example, if you punch your brother when you're little, you don't get into much trouble, but if you punch someone when you grow up, oh no!  (unless you live in NY state, and you get a slap on the wrist and a Get Out of Jail Free Card ha).  Tennyson said, "I want to grow up and go to prison."  We may or may not have died laughing, ever so quietly.  He is so cute and innocent, he didn't understand.  He had his hands folded in his lap in his carseat, and looked so naive and sweet.  

I'm distracted. Wulf and Tennyson are still here, and they are so funny.  So bye for now...

one a sparkly Monday morning...

 Fresh snow covered the mud and brown, just enough to brighten up the world as I drove to the pool this fine morning.  Being in the water is always worth the mental battle to actually pack the backpack and go out the door, never regret going.  I am super thankful we have such a place less than ten minutes from here.  

Yesterday we had lunch at my brother's house, with lots of our friends. 

That's my sister in blue, and my brother is sixth from the back on the left, his wife next to me, in the pink. Paul is all the way down the table on the right, with the dark hat on.  We had good food and good fun, and the hours flew by, but not without more plans being hatched to get together again soon.  We have a weekend reserved for a place on one of the Finger Lakes, just the girls.  :)

I brought chocolate chip cookies, and lemon cookies.  If you're ever in a pinch and want to make cookies fast, if you have cake mix, you're in luck.  I've made lemon poppyseed cookies with plain yellow cake mix before and they were really good, just add two eggs, half cup of oil, lemon extract, and the poppyseeds.  Yesterday I used lemon cake mix, added lemon extract, the two eggs and half cup of oil, 350 for eight minutes, sprinkle with powdered sugar when hot, and I think they were good.  I didn't have one.  I have to stay away from cookies.  That doesn't mean I never eat anything "bad", because I had some chocolate yesterday.  I also devoured the coconut almonds from Trader Joe's, that Emily got me for Christmas, they are too good.  I'm just so stuck in a rut with weight loss, I can't start eating cookies again!

Anyway.  I made a big batch of meatballs yesterday morning, roasted them in the oven until they were brown and crunchy on the outside, then added them to a crockpot of crushed tomatoes, sauce, and diced tomatoes, with basil and Italian seasoning.  That feeling that dinner is taken care of, can't beat it.

This afternoon, I have to go pick Miss Charlotte Claire up from school for an appointment, then we're stopping at the grocery store.  We're having a couple of people over for dinner, Jonathan invited them.  We're thinking to have taco salad, which we just had the other day, but it's a good meal for large groups, and it's always good.  

I've been in some interesting battles lately.  The silliest one is the cat:  Orange Guy has been waking me up MEOWING, every SINGLE morning.  This morning, it was 6:05, which is not a huge-0 deal, I get up at 6:30-ish anyway, but still.  Sometimes it's 3:30 or four a.m., and I cannot get back to sleep.  The easy fix is:  last one up, put him outside.  But sometimes it's just too cold, and too mean.  It just grates on me, that after all these years of being tired, getting up with kids and babies, I'm losing sleep over a cat.  

The more interesting trials though, are thoughts.  I start down the poor me train, not even over anything specific, but once you start, it's clear, no one really likes me.  Then the guilt, others have it so much worse, I have NOTHING to complain about, stop it.  It's true, I don't have anything to complain about.  But feelings are complicated, and they're real, and we each get to decide what thoughts we let take up permanent residence in our heads.  If we wallow, and give in, then there's a good chance we'll get bitter, offended, and build walls in our hearts.  

Sometimes it's good to just talk to people and clear things up, or take a walk or a drive with no distractions, and think about things.  Peace comes, for me, when I decide to be thankful to God for the people around me, and let things go. 

Anyway.  Time to get ready...have a good day!

dark, damp, and chilly...with some fog

The weather here is absolutely fantastic.  I actually love it.  It's like fake movie scenery, driving along the country roads, with the dark outline of the naked trees shrouded in fog.  The bleakness is comforting.  It makes me long for coffee and a good book.  BTW, I picked up "A Patchwork Planet", Anne Tyler, from the thrift store recently, thought I had already read it...but nope.  I relished it.  Devoured, enjoyed, delighted in it.  

This fine morning, I vacuumed and cleaned up, because I'm quite obsessed with the new floors.  I like keeping them all clean and nice.  Then it was time to go out to the mentor's weekend and help Emily in the kitchen.  She had to plan and purchase food for 240 people, four meals and an afternoon snack.  I helped her do lunch, with some of the younger ones.  They are hilarious, so gung ho to do things.  

I only last a few hours on my feet and have to take a break, so I went to Kathryn's house for a visit.  Margaret was there with her little ones too. 

This is what happened when Kathryn asked Who wants to see Jamie's tooth?

They're all so cute.

Home...we're home...I made a roast with red skinned potatoes, carrots, and onions, in a nice gravy, then a keto-ish pumpkin bread with raisins.  (keto-ish because I used a teaspoon of molasses, and another one or two of honey, then a bit of golden monk fruit sweetener, for a total of  less than a quarter cup in all, for sweetener.  I also used almond flour.)  It's a recipe from chocolatecovderedkatie. 

I also added some raisins, hence "keto-ish".    It's pretty good.  The roast was in for half hour at 450, then to 325 for an hour with the potatoes and carrots in, with the lid on, which was perfect so I could bake the bread at the same time.   But shh, I overcooked the roast...it was still delicious, but it should have come out earlier.  Oh well. 

The triple batch of chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday...why?  I haven't the foggiest.  I just wanted something to do.  I have not even tasted one bite, not even the dough.  Before you admire my virtue, know this:  I am a Cookie Monster, and I love cookies.  I already know these are good.  I just do.  So I don't eat them.  Does that make sense?

Ah well...I'm tired enough.  That cat woke me up at dawn, on a Saturday!  He walks around MEOWING.  Over and over, meowing and meowing until someone, ME, gets up and lets him out.  Suri sees what's going on and runs out the door too, which means someone, ME, has to stand there and wait until she's done galavanting around the yard.  Wide awake, I stumble back to the warm bed, and wish, hope, dream...of falling back into that blissful sleep.  This fine morning though, it was 6:30...not too early for SOME of you, but I had teenaged girls here having laugh attacks at 2:15 am.  :), way too late to attempt to get back to sleep...ugh.

Ah well, there are worse things.  I'm tired now, and heading to bed...