I was ready to let it go. Just relax and enjoy the time together. It doesn't matter if we don't get a good family portrait this weekend. We can always use a summer shot for the Christmas letter. But take the camera along just in case. And we had an impromptu photo op after church before the two sons met their rides back to school.
It only takes a minute to put things in perspective. Today we passed emergency vehicles on the freeway. We saw the paramedics performing CPR on the accident victim. Life is precious. And tenuous. I treasure the family times this weekend.
Faith, family, and good food. Happy Thanksgiving!
My neighbor blesses others with yarn. Colorful, soft yarn. Warm cozy hats that are oh so cute. My youngest got one in her favorite color of blue today. She outgrew her baby hat from eight years ago. Now she can keep warm when she plays outside with her friends. Thanks, Sue!
I'm not going for austere. Or pristine. I just want some space. Open space. Room to sit comfortably, eat, write, talk, laugh, and dance if we want to. How do I get there? Little by little. I can do that. Yes, we can.
I used to tell people I fell off the treadmill. Until they believed I meant it literally. No, in a "fell off the wagon" kind of way. But I am back on the treadmill.
I'm trying to expand my repertoire. Add to my baking stand-bys. When I read about Meredith of Like Merchant Ships making an apple cake, I had to try it. I went to the Smitten Kitchen recipe and sifted through the bushels of comments. Sounded like a winner. I had apples and the rest of the ingredients. All I needed was a tube pan. I could have tried my bundt pan but four out of five polled in the thrift store voted for the heavy duty nonstick tube pan. The fifth person abstained from voting--it's up to you, Mom. So I peeled and diced the apples and layered the apples with heavy batter. And then checked the cake at regular intervals. It took almost two hours. And then it stuck to the pan. I put the layers back together. The verdict? Delectable. Like a cross between a pound cake and a coffee cake. With yummy layers of apples. But next time I'll borrow my mother-in-law's tube pan with removable base. That should help with the presentation.
You big crybaby. What are you doing outside my bedroom door at midnight? You think you need to sleep in my room? I don't think so. You're a big boy. You can sleep in your own bed. Or the garage if you want to pace all night. Now if you could keep the mice at bay, I'd grant you special favors. But don't worry, we're not getting a cat any time soon. But let us sleep, would ya?
I keep getting better. At keeping track of things. I started out with envelopes and random scraps of paper. Then I got one spiral notebook to record all phone calls and information. Dating each entry is a good idea. And recording the name of the person I spoke with and what he or she said. I regularly make phone calls for my Chinese neighbors. My latest improvement is having one notebook just for their phone calls. I should have started that six years and umpteen doctor appointments, insurance calls, school calls, immigration for both sets of parents, and that one round with a lawyer about a stolen car ago. Next up is getting the calendar online and updated.
One day hardly seems enough. But it's a start. I am thankful for my grandfather's service during World War II. And glad he came back safely. We are still praying for the safety of my cousin, now on her third tour in Iraq. But today I also want to remember the ones who stayed behind. The home teams. My grandmother, who bravely cared for two little ones. My aunt and uncle who faithfully pray for their daughter in Iraq and welcomed their son home from Afghanistan. They are all heroes.
Where do three sisters go in one weekend? Without coordination? My middle sister went to a Salvation Army in S. California on Friday. Half off everything! On Saturday we drove through Portland, Oregon and stopped by a Salvation Army. On the way there I called my younger sister, who lives outside Portland. Where are you? She was on her way to a different Salvation Army. She drove across town to meet us. And we had a mini-reunion in the thrift store. It was fun to see how my seven-month-old niece has changed since the summer. Too bad we didn't get to see the rest of the family. We'll have to plan ahead next time.
What a difference a year makes. Last year I was having trouble walking and I think people were coming down with the flu. So we missed family weekend at our oldest's college. This year five out of six of us attended. Too bad our other son couldn't make it from his college up north. We are thankful for safe travels, despite pouring rain down and back, and good family time.
I can't believe my husband did that. His first and second graders (he has a split class in the afternoons) had ice cream sundaes yesterday. My husband brought home the bowls and washed them so they can reuse them. For painting or a future snack event. Way to recycle! And he washed up all the other dishes while he was at it. Bless him.
How many good Samaritans does it take to get to the polls and back? I borrowed my husband's truck and offered to deliver his ballot. Done. But then his truck wouldn't start. I popped the hood and jiggled the wires, just like he showed me. Nothing. I called my husband and he sent a grandparent from the school to give me a ride home. Thanks, Grandpa Joe!
What's with the orange chair? I observed two third graders vying for the same chair. Both claimed to have a hand on it first. Never mind that there were plenty of padded chairs and several other orange chairs available for reading group. I didn't have time to address the heart issues so I left it at, "No one gets the orange chair today."
It's not every day that a candidate for state governor stops by your little town. Let's go! Three of us joined the small but enthusiastic crowd at the senior center. My son wanted to attend a rally last weekend but it wasn't easy to make bus connections from his college. Son, the Governor-hopeful says he's sorry he missed you. And the candidate for state representative says hi. He remembers you from the county caucus.
