chasing the dream....

 ...I don't have many earthly aspirations, but I do like a good night's sleep.  Lack of it has been the bane of my existence, my Trial in Life.  Considering that I had babies and toddlers for a solid 24 years, the span from Emily's birth to when Camille was two, sleep was elusive and I craved it, longed for it.  

Now, we have two cats and two dogs, and one Orange Guy in particular likes to go out at around four or five a.m.  Since I am a nice person, I get up quickly, so he won't wake them all up too, which leads to...why am I the only one who hears his desperately loud mewing?!  

This fine morning at five, this dark rainy morning, Suri heard me coming down the hallway and decided that she also needed to go out.  She's old and feeble, watching her gingerly hop down the steps is painful.  I went right out onto the front porch, cold wet feet, and urged her to Go Potty, praised her, then what did she do?  She ambled right past me, like an old black bear, and wandered into the side yard to check things out, in no particular hurry.  

When she was finally back in, with a miniature little dog treat because she is precious, even though she listens when she feels like it, I got back in my warm comfy bed.  Wide awake.  

Anyway, such drama, ha.  One of my other dreams is having a camper.  It's funny because we went like this through the years:  tent, pop-up camper, huge-0 35 ft camper, back to the tent...now we're considering a hybrid camper, hard sided with a pop out bed at the end.  

I love camping.  Paul seems to enjoy it, but he would probably live out his years here happily enough if he never went again, ha.  For some reason though, for the last few years I've had this dream of camping through our older years...he and I and the pups, maybe a grandchild or two...seems/sounds so relaxing, after the crazy camping trips with all sixteen of the kids.  (But for the record, I have no regrets, I loved those camping trips....you'd no sooner get breakfast cleaned up, all the kids dressed, sit back to relax, when the Can we go to the beach now? started up.  They would bring their bikes and you'd have to keep track of who went with who and when they should be back, the treks to the bathhouse, the sand everywhere!  

Anyway.  Having a camper has been one of my dreams.  A small, easily towable, functional, no bells nor any whistles, model.  I found one.  It's a 2013, has been stored inside, well taken care of, comes with a solar panel, the tires are good, we can tow it with our Nissan pick-up.  It has one rear pop out bed, then a front dinette that folds down, and a long couch.  The refrigerator is tiny, there's no sink in the bathroom, and the holding tanks are small.  It's within our price range, and I actually offered less and am waiting to hear back from the guy.

I've been looking at campers for several years now, so I know what I like and what's a good deal.  The problem is, we can be so greedy.  Paul agreed we can get this camper, this perfectly modest and delightful little camper, but oh dear!  Oh my!  There are some gorgeous campers for a bit more money!  Newer ones, with bells AND whistles!  This is something I've noticed about myself time and again though, and I hate hate hate it.  I am bound and determined to be super thankful, and not wish for more or better.  

In a way, we're programmed like this for a reason, we have grown and developed from the beginning of time, if we were satisfied with life as it was, we'd still be eating raw meat and living in caves.  Would we even have the wheel, much less cars, buses, and airplanes?  To want the latest and the best-est though, it can go too far, and spoil our joy in simple things.  

So on Friday, I am going to look at, and maybe purchase, my little dream camper.  I have campground reservations for one weekend in June, and for Labor Day weekend, and will hopefully stay in it for our church summer conference.  Not sleeping in the tent:  yay!!!!  Having the camper bathroom for those middle-of-the-nights, yay!!!!  Maybe I'll do sleepovers in the yard with grandchildren, too.  Or fit in a middle of the week trip here and there up on Lake Ontario.  

It's ugly, this little dream camper.  The seat cushions are brown and more brown in a hideous pattern, as if the designer hated everyone.  

See?  Ugly.  The flooring clashes, too.  What do I see though?  Possibilities.  A trip to the fabric store.  Maybe some leftover flooring from our living room project...one thing I love though are all the big windows, especially the front one.  A lot of the newer campers have phased those out.  

Tomorrow the carpet guy is coming to install the stair carpeting.  I'm very excited about that!  

Yesterday I painted some of the upper cabinet doors in the kitchen.  I did the lower ones last week, same color, just a clean new coat.  I have a few more to do, but the upper ones are harder, so I saved some for another day.  

In the evening, we had rented a huge gymnastics gym for our activity club, and it was so much fun.  I played catch with Tennyson, and walked around and watched the kids jump and climb and do flips.

I only took two pictures!  Josh and Lydia, and baby cousins Denzel and Blythe

On Monday after the pool, I picked up Anya and Elise, and friend Linnea, for some baking fun. 

cinnamon rolls...I forgot to add the egg to the mixture, saw it sitting there on the counter when they were in the oven rising...oops.  The kids thought they were good anyway.

They made the bagels, and I took a tiny taste, so good! 

It's a dark and chilly day, and I have no plans.  I skipped the pool today because of a runny nose...and sneezing.  You can't bring tissues into the pool.  I don't feel awful, but...I don't actually feel great either.  I haven't had a basic head cold in ages.  I usually fight them off, feel like I've been fighting this off for days and days, it may have won.  

Ah well...have a really nice day...oh, and my sister seems to be doing well over in Australia!  She's been to the beach, and out to dinner, and is enjoying those little Aussie grandchildren!  :)

grandma-ing

 This weekend has been like a throw-back to the Having-Little-Ones days.  Right now I'm all settled in on the couch where I have slept the last few nights, across from the futon where Wulf and Tenny are still asleep.  I tiptoed out and made a coffee, and here I am.  I told them I was going to sleep in my own bed and they would be fine out here, but they were having NONE of that.  Wulf said, "Grandma, we like when you sleep on the couch!"  What could I say to that?

Yesterday morning, Kathryn was going to take her two oldest out for some fun while Darius stayed home with the little one.  I asked if I could join with Wulf and Tennyson, so off we went to the diner.

Rhys

Tennyson, Wulf, Achilles

Wulf, Tennyson, Rhys, Achilles

It was chilly and windy, but they wanted to look at the river...

We had fun at my house too, they went out "exploring" in the back yard...

Rhys fell asleep on me, and Tennyson took this wonderful picture:)

Bugs Bunny with Grandpa!

Tennyson, Achilles, Wulf, snuggled up to get warm after playing outside...with Suri and Sunny

Wulf wanted me to build him a jail...

Emily had taken Char and Cam out and about, and came in for a visit...Tennyson LOVES his Aunt Emily.

Charlotte Claire prob won't love this picture, but she's cute.

We did bring the kids for ice cream, and it was like the old days...one had to pee, one had to poop, another had to pee...good thing there was a bathroom right there in the ice cream place.  

Being around little kids is refreshing.  They like knock-knock jokes, and silly nonsense, and they want to know everything about everything.  Tenny, three years old, pointed out the sprinkler system in the diner.  He told me water would spray out if there was a fire.  They like to collect little things, and when we went in Target, they asked before we went in, if they could get a toy.  I told them they have enough toys, but shh, I did get them each one of these...

They're still asleep, Wulf and Tenny, they're such good little boys.  I'll make them waffles this morning, then we'll go to church.  

We're having a Yard Clean Up day here this coming weekend.  I bought kayak hangers to install under the deck, and am going to order some hooks too, to organize shovels and rakes.   Some of the older kids are coming over to help, and I'll be grilling some good food.  

Anyway...have a nice day, and thank you for reading my ramblings...:)

washers and carpets and cookies, oh my!

 

The new washing machine arrived bright and early this fine morning.  Paul hooked it up, lickety-split.  He put a load of his laundry in, and...  Oh, they gave us extra hoses?, I asked as I was going out the door...OH NO, he said, OOPS.  He forgot to attach the drain hoses!  No worries, he fixed it.  We're doing like the fourth load now, it is quick and it is quiet.  

Our new stair carpeting!  It's kind of "greige-y". We didn't want straight on beige, or gray, so this is a mixture.  It's not the best picture, but it's a very nice, good quality, dense carpeting...and, it's a remnant!  The guy measured the stairs, said we could get away with an 8x12 or bigger remnant....so today, Miss Char and Miss Cam went on a little outing with me, to the carpet store.  The saleslady said that yellow tags were half off...so we paid less than a hundred for the carpeting.  Of course then there's labor and the padding and tax, so it was almost six hundred dollars, but that's not too terribly bad.  You know me, once she said the yellow tags were half off, I narrowed my focus...:)

Kathryn came over with the kids for a visit yesterday, and I decided to make peanut butter cookies.  I also made some keto-ish peanut butter cookies, I'm sure they weren't half as good as these were.

Wulf and Tennyson are here now, for the weekend.  We're going to the pool in a little while...then making pizza, and I have some chicken legs marinating in lime juice, salt and pepper.  

Ah well, the boy are investigating my fake fireplace, they have set up car track all over, and have already had homemade waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.  They're happy to be here, and are such good boys.  The dryer is buzzing, it's my laundry, so off I go...have a really good day, and a nice weekend.

sentimental to the extreme?

 When I heard that the Price Chopper supermarket in our area was closing, what?!  I haven't gone there in the last few years as much as I used to, but it was my go-to for on sale meat.  During the lock-down, when we didn't actually lock down, most stores around here had limits on meat, like One Package Per Family.  During that time, we had six of the kids living here, and Margaret and Adrian came frequently.  Price Chopper would have crazy deals, like steak for $1.99 a pound.  I would ask if they could pack up a big package for me, and they always did, and so kindly too.  It was technically One Package.

Years ago, the kids would sit over in the cafe area while Cheryl and I shopped, sometimes we would get them pizza or some chicken strips, made them feel grown up to be own their own for a bit, the older ones.  Back in the day, I would go in the store with my baby wipes box full of coupons...grocery shopping was difficult, but we tried to make it fun.  I remember Aaron and Molly bringing Camille in her red stroller, and pushing her up and down the aisles quite fast.  I remember going back an aisle for something forgotten, and the kids were playing full-on football with a roll of paper towels, they were supposed to be getting something for me.  When the older ones were young, they gave away free balloons for kids in the floral department, and free cookies at the bakery.  So it was quite the outing to go there.  

Somehow the kids figured out that they could order French fries and onion rings back at the fish counter.  They would absolutely FILL one of those styrofoam containers for $1.99, enough for all of them.  They would be dancing around, Mom, Mom, Mom...(me, rifling through my coupons...) Mom, can we get fries?  Yes, but you have to go order them.  So they did.  Not every time we went, but often.    

Now the aisles are all but empty.

No more meat department.

A row of empty registers.  The store is closing on Friday, and I've been meaning to go in there to see how it was going, but I didn't expect the total Zombie Apocalypse look.  

Yesterday was a fun day with my friends, Linda and Janette.  We went to Burlington, a store that I have found nice dresses, in the past, but no such luck this time.  I did find a Little Tikes baby swing for either my swing set or the tree in the front yard, for $19.99, and a dog bed for the same price, which the cat is sleeping on right now.  (We knew we had to replace the old one, it had a few holes and was just downtrodden...well, when one of those sweet doggies (or a kitty, not sure!) decided that bed was a good place to...regurgitate... down into the holes of that bed...nope, can't clean it, away it goes.)

Price Chopper was next, and no, I didn't cry, but the word melancholy came to mind.  The past was so rich and fun and busy and I honestly have so many good memories of that place...ask Abigail about the time we ate chicken wings in the truck after shopping, and the cart boy came along and asked us, looking right at her, if they were good...I answered yes, excellent!, with a big smile...not realizing how much sauce I had on my face...oh my goodness...we laughed until we almost died.  There was an older man who worked there, who asked me once if we had a pet rabbit, yes we did, he had a huge-0 package of feed that he didn't need, he said he would bring it next time...my white van pulled in to that parking lot, and he had that bunny feed.  He was such a nice guy.  They also employed special needs people to bag and get carts, and I made some really good friends through the years.  

Anyway.  Next we went to the thrift store, which is always fun.  I found some sweet grandchildren clothes, but not much else.  Then, into Tops really quickly for just a few things...then home....but not for long...it was Activity Club night!  I made bacon and eggs for dinner, ate mine as fast as I could, then went to pick up Lydia and Ophelia...they live south of here, and AC is north of here, so it was a driving day.  

Ophelia was a happy girl!  I didn't get a pic of Lydia.

This morning after the pool, Camille and I went over to Costco. There's a stretchy denim skort thing I got there recently, and I love love love it.  When I saw it marked down to six dollars, I did buy one more.  We needed toilet paper, and found a really nice dog bed, who would have thought Costco would have a dog bed for less than half what the other stores sell them for?   Camille wanted some pierogis, and I picked up a chicken, and some fresh strawberries.  

Suri approves of the Costco bed...

Home...ahh, home...but not for long!  I had to babysit for Kathryn's little ones.  They were SO good.  It helped that I brought a toy in my purse, a Hatchimal set, add water and the eggs hatch, different little animals are in them.  Achilles was very impressed.  (I got it after Easter for 75% off).  I also may have had some cookies and a few jellybeans...:). 

Home again, but not for long!  Our brand new washing machine that was coming on Friday, eight days after we chose and payed for it, well:  phone call today, your Home Depot delivery will arrive on May 15th.  um, no, no thank you.  It's been hard enough going without a washing machine, not another month!  I called and cancelled the order.  Then Paul and I went to Lowe's and chose a different one, a top loading Maytag, no bells or whistles, not the biggest but not the smallest.  I am so bad.  I found myself longing just a wee little bit for the matching dryer.  Our dryer is fine.  It's not perfect, it's kind of old, and you have to hit it in just the right place to get it to close all the way.  But we do NOT need a new one.  Then there are the stacking ones...which make your laundry room roomier...ooooh, they are nice...but we don't need those either.  I'm super glad I could make a quick u-turn from those thoughts, and just be thankful and excited for what we're getting.  

I've always believed the more you have, the more you want.  The less you have, the more you appreciate things.  It seems like people want to get more and better and newer and sleeker and updated, using up their days and years..."I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed all is vanity and striving after the wind." (Eccl. 1:14).  

Home again...on a dark and rainy night, super cosy in here.  Paul and I had salads and Costco chicken.  I melted butter with hot sauce and plopped my chicken right in there on the stove for a few minutes, mmm.  Dessert was Aldi brand Two Good yogurt, 2 grams of sugar per serving.  I added three sliced strawberries, some coconut, and sugar free whipped cream.  

Tomorrow, the carpet measurer will come, then I might go in to the small city and try to pick out something reasonable.  I am hoping to paint the upper kitchen cabinets tomorrow too.  

Wulf and Tennyson are spending the weekend here, so I better not get too tired out.  

My sister has made it safely to Australia, as I mentioned, and she wanted me to thank you for prayers for her journey, as it went well.  She is very thankful for that.  :)

Have a good evening!

teeny tiny newborn leaves....

 I think my very favorite nature thing is when the leaves are born.  The buds are there, then no matter how you try to watch to see it happen, when you're not looking, there are those little leaves.  It reminds me of decorating a cake, you're all finished with the flowers, then you have the green frosting and you're filling it all in, frothy little greenery.

Paul mowed the lawn yesterday, while the septic guys did their work.  Yes, another new septic pump for us, to the tune of at least a thousand dollars.  It's our hard water, apparently.  Paul calls it The Happy Homeowners.  I call it Never Getting Ahead, but what can you do?  At least we were able to do it, what if we couldn't?  

Yesterday after the pool, Kathryn picked us up, Miss Cam and I.  We went to Marshall's, I was looking for birthday presents for Jonathan, April 30th, Sonja May 3rd, Charlotte Claire May 11th, and Joseph May 16th.  I found something fun for Sonja, a little something for Char, and a baby present for our friends' new baby.   One of my little luxuries is bar soap, the Australian goat's milk soap, with that distinctive aroma, I love it.  

We went to Aldi too, just for a few things, then stopped for a coffee, and home...ahh, home.  The guys were working right in the back yard, so I didn't want to lounge on the deck in the sunshine, well, I DID, but I didn't.  I had wiped down my white kitchen cabinets the other day, and noticed some scuffs and nicks, so I decided to change into paint clothes and touch them up.  

I ended up just repainting them, the bottom drawers and cupboards.  It was shocking the difference, once I got going, I mean, we don't smoke or anything...and I keep them wiped down, but they look so new and crisp.  It was six o'clock when I finished, and oh dear, I didn't feel like making dinner...so I made some quick chicken soup with chicken and broth from Sunday's instant pot chicken, added frozen veggies and made a pot of noodles on the side.  The upper cupboards need to be done now, I have to get up on a chair to do those, so it's for another day.  I'm leaving the paint on the counter so I GET TO IT this week, ha.  

Today, though, is a Fun Day.  I have plans with my friend Linda, thrift stores and Burlington.  Janette is coming too.  It's going to be a beautiful sunny day, and I'm excited.  

The carpet measurer is coming on Thursday to measure the stairs, and the new washer is coming on Friday.  I still can't believe we bought a brand spanking new one, I hope it lasts for years and years and works amazingly well.  

In our small city, we lost two police officers, they were shot by a man who fled a traffic stop...had been doing lines of coke.  Sonja works in the city at the hospital where they were brought for autopsies, and when they released their bodies yesterday, she was leaving work.  She cried her eyes out when she told us about everyone stopping and standing at attention...their families were there and all the other officers stood and saluted...so sad.  She had a sad day.  She's working on the pediatric oncology floor now...

Ah well, I have to get moving!  Have a really nice day!

quiet, then cookies and noise!

 This morning started out SO quiet.  Sonja slept in, Jonathan got up early and went to work on his car, Charlotte Claire and Camille were having a sleepover at Evelyn's apartment.  Paul and I had our coffee, and puttered around...the day stretched before us, blankly.  A text from Margaret:  Adrian would be studying all day, could she come over with the kids?  Why, yes she could!  I decided to bake some cookies...a triple batch of chocolate chip...and a small batch of keto-ish molasses cookies.  Kathryn decided to come for a visit too, and Samuel (Grace and kids are visiting her parents in West Virginia)...so by noon, the quiet had disappeared.

Wulf showed Achilles how to make a really good cookie:  put cookie dough on top of a fresh baked cookie.  Brilliant lad.  

Needs a trim, but oh that color, we love spring.

The kitty kittens...Orange Guy is the son, Kettler is the mama...

Camille made these the other day....chocolate buttercream frosting...I didn't have one, but they certainly look like a work of art.

No pictures were taken of the kids today, for some reason...Blythe with her sunshine-y chubby face and beautiful blue eyes, her brothers Wulf and Ten, who played my new "Labopoly" game with me, and Achilles, Rhys, baby Jamison who scotches across the floor on his but, and speed walks in the walker, and doesn't like to nap at Grandma's...Evelyn brought Char and Cam home, and stayed a while...Sonja woke up...there was a huge game of hide-and-seek which involved Evelyn scaring the heck out of poor Wulf, who know Achilles was in the laundry room hiding but didn't know Aunt Evelyn was in there until she jumped out and yelled BOO!  It was a chilly, rainy day here in Central New York State, not a day for outside.  So they played in here, a bit of running and yelling and lots of happiness.  Sam brought some Lego sets and sat there at the table with them, he was there the longest after they took off and started playing, but they liked them a lot when he got them put together.  

I put three racks of ribs in the Instant pot, and peeled a five pound bag of potatoes for mashies.  When the ribs were done, I slathered them with bbq sauce mixed with coarse ground pepper, lime juice, brown sugar, and browned them up in a 400 degree oven.  

After dinner, they all had to leave...the girls were going to their friend Jen's house, Jon is at Kathryn and Darius' place watching a boxing match.  It's just Paul and I here again...in the quiet, with the two dogs and two kitties.  It's late, and I'm heading to bed...it was a good day.  I am very thankful for the older kids, that they like to come over, that we have a place the grandkids can come to and have fun.  

Yesterday we went to the laundromat.  Wow, $4.75 a load!  We did four big loads, then had to dry them, at least most of the way, our dryer is still working but it would take a while for that many loads to go through.  Our washer is due to come next week, yay!  Also, I went to a few carpet places yesterday, all by my lonesome.  The first place seemed a little pricey, and honestly, although the man was most helpful in giving me a general estimate for our stairs, he didn't seem to care whether I scheduled anything with them or not.  The second place was much more friendly and encouraging.  They are sending people out to measure on Wednesday, then we'll get a more accurate estimate, but she said probably $700.  Seven hundred bucks to carpet the stairs.  Is that crazy, or what?  I wanted them wood, but there are so many components:  new treads, new risers, cutting each piece, ect...far beyond our carpentry skills I think.  Carpet is more expensive, but so much easier, someone will come out and do it, and it'll be done.  (The stairs now are bare construction grade steps, we took the carpeting off when we put the new floors in, they look pretty bad...)

And, my sister Cheryl and her husband Bill, headed to Australia!  Pray for her, that she can have a good trip!  Her health isn't good, to say the least, but God is good, and she is such a good example of someone having true living faith in Him, and that He causes all things for our good.  :)

oops!

 I forgot to blog!  I must have been just living my exciting life!  Tuesday was Paul's birthday, he went fishing on Owasco Lake in his kayak, and caught two nice fish, a land-locked salmon and a trout. 

I only know what they are because he told me, and shh, you could hold a gun to my head and I'd have a fifty percent chance of telling you which is which.  Logic says the salmon is bigger...

He did keep them, and grilled one up right on his birthday, as I said goodbye, and went to Activity Club.

Wednesday I went out to brekky with my water aerobics class.  I did eat one slice of the excellent cinnamon toast, it's not actually to DIE for, but close.  It's made at the Oswego Tea Company, and delivered to this diner...mmmm.  I bought a whole loaf to bring home!  

Camille went to the library while I went to the diner, I saved her a slice of my cinnamon toast.  (she OPTED to go to the library!). We then went to the thrift store, found a nice skirt for myself, and Cam bought a dress and a pretty top.  Then into the grocery store quick for the specials, around the edge of the store...then home....ahhh, home.

Not sure if I posted this the other day, but I made gluten free bread for Mariel.  It was actually really yummy.  

Jamie tried so hard to drink my coffee in Target the other day, I think he may have gotten a taste before the straw cracked.

With his Auntie Camille...the cashier asked her, "is he your only, or do you have more?"  Um, she stammered, "He's not mine..."

Yes, I bought it.  I opened the box, and some parts were still sealed, a good thrift store find for four bucks, right?  They are just too cute, Labradors.

This fine morning, I found out we were having some boys over for dinner, so I went to Costco with Kathryn.  I have four pounds of London Broil in the sous vide, but that's not enough.  I decided to grill some burgers , bought frozen fries too.  I also bought fresh strawberries, and Camille made chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting to have for dessert.

I'm taking a little break before getting busy again....my knees lock up and start hurting, so I have to sit and put the old feet up every once and a while.  

We haven't gone to the laundry mat yet, so tomorrow for sure.  I'm running out of undies.  I told the kids to gather up when they need washed, and I'll go, hopefully just this once, as the new washer will come next week.  

Adrian is coming over tonight with Wulf and Tenny, he's going to work on our bathroom ceiling.  Jonathan put new sheetrock up for us, but Adrian is the expert at finishing it.  Adrian is graduating from college with an engineering degree next month.  He's a carpenter too, but decided he wanted to work smarter, not harder, ha.  

The first weekend in May, I'll be going away for the weekend with daughters Emily, Abigail, Sonja (it's her birthday weekend!), Charlotte Claire, and Camille.  We're going to Ocean City, and I hope it's warm and sunny.   The next weekend, Adrian graduates and Paul and I will be watching the kids (Charlotte Claire's birthday, she turned 18!).  Then it'll be time to go to Phoenix...ahh, sunshine!  In the midst of the busy, we're planning a wedding!  Life is interesting, and certainly never boring....have a good afternoon!