Blissful days

We’ve taken a little holiday to the mountains – our annual pilgrimage to the North Carolina mountains to see the turning of the leaves. Mom and PopPop joined us and we all met at a cabin near the Cherohala Skyway – where we’ve stayed in years’ past. We love the area – the mountains are beautiful and the cabin we stay at is nice and welcoming – a perfect place to to relax and disengage from the world.

We arrived on Thursday afternoon and spent most of Friday exploring – riding around looking at the beautiful leaves and scenery. We had a wonderful surprise in that it stormed on Thursday and the majority of the Skyway iced over. Mom and PopPop were riding up there in the storm and had to turn back because the roads were icing up.

On Friday we woke up early (I think they kids were up at 5:30!) and we drove up to the Skyway to see what we could see – would the snow still be there?

It was!

and it was absolutely beautiful.

There was some snow, more ice than snow, though… where the rain had fallen and frozen on the trees.

the girls were so excited.

and we took full advantage for photo taking opportunities…

of people and scenery. I really think it was prettier than the fall leaves. and probably something we may never see again as I can’t imagine going up there on that Skyway in January or February! The roads are probably pretty treacherous.

It was cold, but even PopPop got out to walk around and look at the trees.

And SuperMan got a little ice down his back when he tried to shake the ice off of the trees on to the girls and his trick backfired – he ended up with more ice on himself than anyone else!

It’s been a fabulous weekend. Just what I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of work and every day life. I am really relishing my time in the beauty of the mountains – I almost hate to go home.

almost.

Things I wish I knew

I didn’t realize, as a young person, how much the stories of my grandparents’ lives would mean to me later. I was busy – busy with the things I thought were important in my twenty-something life – too busy to listen and ask and listen some more.

Now, I wish I had.

One of the things I’ve discovered, thanks to my mom, is a little more about my grandparents’ machining business – and I wish they were here to ask them more questions about it.

Here is the letter she sent with the books she found:

And here is a picture of their business (I think):

And some of the pages of the record book:

I love looking at my grandma’s handwriting. Makes me miss her and feel close to her at the same time.

Look at the prices!

Some of their receipts – from 1947….

And an ad for their business…

Sigh.

I miss my grandparents. Wish they were here to tell me more about this.

What was it like? How did grandma WIND MOTORS at the same time as caring for my mom and uncle AND keeping the house?!? (Mom was around 4 and my uncle around 7? I think)

I wish I knew.

Nineteen Years

Today is our anniversary – NINETEEN years together – nineteen years full of laughter and love.

When I said “til death do us part” way back when, I had no idea what that really meant. It was a romantic notion that were really just part of the vows I took. Now, almost twenty years later, I have a better idea of what this means… I think I’m still learning, though.

What I am learning is to appreciate the power of that vow. To really and truly know that there is someone who is just as committed to me as I am to him… who picks me up when I fall down, wipes away the tears, rubs tired shoulders, laughs at my bad jokes and celebrates the victories with me.

Happy Anniversary, honey. I love you to the moon and back (and then some more) – Today, tomorrow, and forever.

This is what we do on Sunday

I rarely talk about my faith or my church on this blog, but I just had to share this. One of the things we do as a family is volunteer on Sunday mornings in the environment at our church that is “Sunday school” for K-5th graders.

This week, we had a “Monster Mash.” Basically, a day full of fun and games for the kids and the leaders. The kids (and volunteers) were encouraged to dress up with Monster Hair-do’s and to let their “inner monster” out. (our theme this month was about self-control and learning to control your “inner monster” – hence the Monster Mash – mashing those inner monsters!)

One of the activities was letting the kids “dress” their leaders as “monsters” – and I have to say that we have some of the best leaders and some extremely creative kids. I was so proud of our kids (and leaders) and really enjoyed being a part of it.

Even the munchkins got into the act:

SuperMan and Little Bit REALLY had fun:

I love being a part of our church! I love the fact that it is all about the simplicity of faith and of loving God and one another. (and yes, SuperMan’s hair is orange & green)

So, how’d you spend your Sunday? Smile

Growing up too fast

You hear people say that all the time –

“You’re growing up so fast!”

“Look at how you’ve grown!”

“You’re growing like a weed!”

etc. etc.

Who knew there really was such a thing as growing up too fast? (besides mommies who always think their kids grow up too fast (and too slowly, at the same time))

But there really is a condition …

…and apparently, Big Girl has it.

She has been complaining of a sore ankle and we thought she’d just sprained it. So, we’ve been icing it, wrapping it with an Ace bandage and keeping her (relatively) inactive. But it’s been two weeks and it is getting worse, not better.

So, today we went to the podiatrist to make sure she wasn’t dealing with some hairline fractures or something worse.

Turns out she has what is called Sever’s Syndrome. Basically, it’s where your foot grows faster than the tendons and they are stretched too far. The heel has a growth plate that is attached to the Achilles tendon and this is where the pain occurs.

It is apparently very common among active 10-15 year olds and is intermittent. So, we will probably be dealing with it for some time to come.

She is in a boot for the next three weeks and then we go back to the doctor for a re-check and possibly orthotics to help alleviate future flare-ups.

She is bummed about not being able to dance and participate in activities at school but I am relieved that she is not dealing with broken bones or a severe strain/sprain.

(on a side note, she couldn’t believe I was taking pictures in the doctor’s office! hee hee)

So, that’s how my day has been!!

How about you?

If these bowls could talk

If these bowls could talk…

They would tell stories…

Stories of cakes baked in them…

Cakes and cookies and all sorts of goodies.

They would tell stories of cornbread made from scratch and fried on a griddle until it was lacy and crispy.

They would talk about a sweet, gentle little white-haired lady who handled them with loving care, washed them by hand in Ivory dish detergent and placed them on a rack to dry in the sunshine that fell from the window above the sink.

They would tell stories about little girl fingers that snuck their way into the batters to taste, that mixed and “helped” and poured and learned.

They would tell of the love of cooking that the little white-haired lady had and shared with her great-granddaughter … one of the things she wanted to share with a rare girl-child in her midst.

They would tell of the loving care in which they have been kept through the years, waiting to be passed down to that now-grown girl-child, who treasures them as so much more than bowls.

They’re history.

If these bowls could talk… the stories they’d tell.

Menu Plan Monday

Busy, busy weekend – but an awesome one.

SuperMan’s birthday was Friday – we went out on a date night (you can read more about that here)

I got to see my brother and two of his best friends on Saturday (haven’t seen him in 2 years! he lives on the west coast and we just haven’t been able to swing a trip out there or here in a while thanks to the economy.) and I got to spend lots of time with my mom. Doesn’t get much better than that.

That was us after dinner on Saturday evening. I asked him how we got so old… neither of us was quite sure. Man, he looks a lot like my dad did when he was that age…

We also brought back some old furniture that was at my mom’s lake house – things that we’re going to restore and find uses for here at home, including this

an old glider-rocker that used to be on my grandmother’s front porch when I was a child. I remember many hot, sticky summer nights spent sleeping on that porch when it was just too hot to sleep inside (no air conditioning). My brother and I would listen to the big trucks rolling down the highway and giggle and whisper for as long as we could stay awake without getting fussed at by Grandma.

I can’t wait to restore it and put it on my back porch for my girls to do the same one day.

I also brought home this

which is an old table from my GREAT-grandmother’s kitchen. We have the “naugehide” covered chairs, too. I can’t wait to restore them and put this puppy to use. Lots of happy Saturday mornings were spent at this table when I was a girl.

So, we are getting back to “normal” today – including planning our menus for the week. I really, really need to go grocery shopping as I’ve been cooking out of the freezer for the last two weeks and we are out of fresh veggies and the like as well.

Here’s what I have planned so far:

Monday: Bourbon Chicken with Rice & veggies (trying a new recipe)
Tuesday: Tacos
Wednesday: Grilled Chicken or maybe this new recipe – Chicken Yakitori
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday/Saturday/Sunday: SuperMan and the girls are on their own as I’ll be in the mountains on a girls’ weekend! Scrapbooking & relaxing.

How about you? Hop on over to orgjunkie.com for some great menu ideas.

Friday adventures

We’re hanging out with family this weekend – SuperMan’s birthday was on Friday and so we’re celebrating with our family.

This picture was from our birthday date night dinner:

His fortune cookie – “You are a happy man.”

We have found this little “hole in the wall” Asian restaurant that is very close to my mom’s house. It’s run by a husband and wife team. That’s it. Just the two of them. She waits tables and does the appetizer service. He does the main cooking and sushi prep. The food is excellent and we always really enjoy our visits there.

I Don't Know How She Does It Poster From there, we went on to the movies to see “I don’t know how she does it” – a new movie with Sarah Jessica Parker (I love her) about a working mom trying to juggle a major career opportunity and two small kids. Her husband gets a huge opportunity for his business at the same time and they are running crazy trying to make everything work.

I sat there thinking “This is my life!” (well, minus the multiple-times-a-month airplane trips, but I’ve done that before, too) It was very well done in terms of representing what most of us modern moms deal with on a daily basis – juggling our commitments to our husbands, children and careers and never really feeling like we’re doing all we can for any of them. Sara Jessica Parker is cute enough to pull off some of the challenges of this world without appearing “preachy” or as if there is a moral to tell in the story.

There were several laugh-out-loud scenes, like when she sends the wrong email message to the wrong person … but I won’t spoil it for you by telling you the details.

Go see it. It’s worth it. Trust me.

Little Bit also had a big adventure.

She decided that she wanted to get her ears pierced. So, we took her to the store and I couldn’t believe how brave she was! My sweet baby – she’s not a baby anymore…

Here she is holding her sister’s hand for bravery. They apparently had a deal that her big sister would stay by her side the entire time and hold her hand if she went through with it.

“Ow, ow, ow”

Such a beautiful girl. I was so proud of her – and I’ll admit, I got a little choked up looking at her being so brave and strong.

Today, I get to see my brother, whom I haven’t seen in almost 2 years (since before my surgery) and his best friends. They’re hanging out down by the coast and doing their annual fishing trip. I can’t wait to see them and spend a little time together.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend – I’ll be back on Monday with more adventures, pictures and (hopefully) the weekly meal plan. Smile

Some Days There are No Words

Some days, I don’t have anything to say – I think and think and can’t come up with something to talk about in a blog post. Most of the time, I’m just so busy that I can’t quiet my mind enough to concentrate on good writing. Other times, there are things happening but not something I want to share in a public forum like a blog. And then other times, there’s just nothing and no reason at all for it. It just is.

So, today was one of those kind of days.

I was planning to write a post and feature some scrapbook pages, but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to scrapbook. Then, I thought I’d do a feature on the books I’ve been reading. Except the one I’m reading now isn’t something that I’m that in love with and I’m not sure I care enough about it to finish it – and that wouldn’t make a good blog post, now would it?

So there I was. Nothing to write about today.

And I’m okay with not having a post some days… I figure I make up for it on days when I feel particularly chatty, so it is no big deal.

and then…

True to the way life is, Life gave me fodder for the blog.

Little Bit had a friend over for a play date after school. They quickly ran upstairs and shut themselves in her room to play Barbie Beauty Shop. I heard lots of giggles and laughter and singing while I was down in my office working.

Good enough. Moving on.

And then I heard lots of bumping and thumping and murmurs and mutters.

And the sound of little feet running back and forth from my bathroom into her bedroom … back and forth… back and forth.

There was a part of my mother’s intuition that said I really needed to go upstairs and see what they were up to.

But, like the ostrich I can be sometimes, I chose to bury my head in the sand and keep working. They were quiet (relatively) and no one was crying. All was well.

And then I heard suspicious sounds.

And then Little Bit came downstairs with white stuff in her hair. Huh?

“Um, honey, what is that in your hair?”

(guilty look) “nothing” (dashes back upstairs)

much more suspicious sounds emanate from the bedroom

(are you cringing? I was)

So, I girded my loins and decided it was time to face the music. I climbed the stairs, afraid of what was going to await me as I turned the corner into Little Bit’s room.

I was amazed.

I was overwhelmed.

I was speechless.

It was SNOWING in her room.

Yes, SNOWING.

Or, at least what LOOKED like snow.

oh.my.gosh.

SERIOUSLY!?!?!

I am not sure what exactly transpired – no one was fessin’ up – but apparently the feather pillow that Little Bit sleeps on “mysteriously” busted open and then the feathers “magically” found their way around the room.

With the ceiling fan on high.

Yeah.

Snowing.

Oh, but it gets better.

They both looked like they had snow in their hair. And they ran away from me as I turned around – with feathers flying behind them as they ran… flying all over my freshly cleaned house. The house that is hosting company this weekend.

sigh.

Can you see them? The piles and piles? of FEATHERS!?!

I decided this job called for some serious horsepower for cleaning up the piles of feathers that were everywhere in the room. I consoled myself with the fact that they were pretty much limited to her bedroom and not the rest of the house.

I got SuperMan’s shop vac and started to suck up the little suckers. I thought to myself, “well, this is not that bad. the vac is getting it up pretty well.”

And then I turned around to move the shop vac closer to me.

And realized it was SNOWING on the landing outside Little Bit’s room.

oh.my.gosh.

Apparently, the feathers were small enough to float right back out of the exhaust of the shop vac.

Seriously?

Back downstairs I went for the more traditional vacuums. Big Girl got the hand-held model for the feathers on the bed and furniture tops. I took the floor model on the floor.

I have never seen so many feathers in my entire life.

And the pillow looks just like it did before it was busted.

Thank goodness THEY were busted before they emptied the whole thing.

I have a sneaky suspicion I will be cleaning up feathers for a long time to come.

Yes, truly, some days, there are no words.

First Day of School

Thursday was the first day of school for the girls. They were so excited, and I guess I was, too, given that I woke up at 4AM and never went back to sleep! (which is becoming a bad habit, I might add)

After getting dressed and ready with surprising speed (and why is it that it’s always so stinkin’ easy that first week or so of school? And then they turn into sloths and can’t move faster than –23 miles per hour?) the girls came downstairs to enjoy some bacon, eggs and cheese sandwiches.

Then it was picture time:

Oh my gosh, they are getting so big!!

And then we were off to school:

(those are from open house the other day)

I was surprised that the girls asked me to walk them in to their classrooms, but I was very happy to do so. They were so cute trying to look all grown up and yet holding on to my hand so tightly.

I know I won’t have many more years of that first-day-of-school walk-in honor… probably only a couple, actually, so it was really special this morning.

Then, I headed home and got busy with work – in a surprisingly quiet house!!

The pups and I picked the girls up from school (Sydney was a maniac and ended up in the front seat looking (and barking) at all the teachers and kids as she tried to spot her girls) The kids were thrilled to see the pups and asked me to bring them every day (I”m not so sure about that!) when I pick them up.

After that, it was snacks, homework (yes, even on the first day of school) and some down-time with the TV. Little Bit crashed early and Big Girl wasn’t far behind (nor was I, having finally “hit the wall” from my early rising)

One day down… and, oh, about two hundred more to go!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: