A GREAT WEEKEND

I had a fun weekend. I met my sister in Pennsylvania on Friday and on Saturday we met with a cousin we had never really met. Dad's father died when he was one year old (in the flu epidemic of 1918). Linda and I never knew very much about that part of the family because our grandmother remarried when our father was young. Our father kept his father's last name even though his step father was the only father he ever knew. We have a few photos, but that was all. Our cousin brought a few other cousins with him and we looked at tons of old photos -- many of the people none of us knew. We then went to the cemetery where our father's father and grandparents and several other relatives were buried. We had never been there either. It was a very interesting day!

Yesterday I spent the day at our local auction. As you know, that is one of my favorite things to do. Here are the things I purchased:

A set of sterling demitasse spoons and sugar tong - very old.

A Fenton milk glass shoe.

Two rustic candle chandeliers, one of which I will sell to a lady at the auction who really wanted one. I have been looking on-line for one of these for ages and couldn't believe I found two. $45 for both!

A cranberry glass bowl - large and heavy.

A cranberry glass candy dish.

Two glass candelabra

A spinning wheel (missing some parts) for my daughter who knows how to spin.

Three brand new chairs for my husband's boat.

It is about 93 degrees here today -- beautiful, but too hot.

Always,

....TO GRANDCHILDREN'S HOUSE WE GO!!

I am posting the pictures first because it is too hard to try to get them under each paragraph. Does anyone know an easy way to do it?


Me with my daughter and grandsons.

What a great meal!

Helping to build the giant Lego pirate.

Beautiful snow!

Snow isn't always beautiful!

I got home yesterday from Massachusetts. It was a nice visit - a little short - but better than nothing. The grandsons seem to be taller every time I see them (which is every few months). There was still lots of snow there and we had a fresh dusting one of the nights.

I am not a mall shopper, but we were at two different malls on two different days. Each day to get presents for the boys. Ian's birthday is next Sunday. Cooper's isn't until July. So they both got early birthday presents! There was a Lego Master at one of the malls which we had to visit. He was building an 8 ft. tall pirate and there were hundreds of kids there to help.

Beth made THE best dinner on Saturday night - shredded chicken tacos, fresh guacamole, black beans and rice......yum. We visited the local thrift shop in the afternoon and I found two blue willow plates - one a divided diner (as in diner, not dinner) plate for my display and another larger platter. If I haven't mentioned it before, I have been using Blue Willow dishes since I was 21. A very long time. I have some other dishes, too, but the main ones I have always used are Blue Willow. I always get a kick out of the old movies I always watch when I see families sitting down to dinner and what kind of dishes do they use? Blue Willow!

TODAY ON BEECH DRIVE

I know I haven't written for awhile. In a nutshell: there was Thanksgiving, a real estate class, several doctor's appointments, a funeral and....and....is that all?? I feel like I have been SO busy.

My daughter and son-in-law and grandsons and my granddog came down from Massachusetts for the holiday. How wonderful it was to spend some time with them. The boys are growing so fast, but are still my little boys -- the same with my daughter. She will always be my little girl. I was in a funk for a few days after they left because I missed them so much. I think the older we get the more we miss our children if they aren't close to us. For those of you who have your family close by, treasure this because you are very, very lucky.

I am now recuperating from something -- the flu, bronchitis - something. I went to the doctor and am on antibiotics. I came down with it on Wednesday and am just now starting to feel better.

We attended a funeral on Saturday for one of my husband's very close friends. He was only 58. It was a graveside service -- very cold. I was bundled up and I hope I don't have a relapse. There was a bagpiper which only added to the sadness of the occasion. We just can't believe the friend is gone.

This is what happened to my Sunday dinner:

Since I haven't had much appetite I had made a beautiful chicken noodle soup and was planning to have it for dinner. I had chunks of chicken in it, along with pastina and some corn. I had a cup of it this afternoon and was really looking forward to it at dinner. My husband wanted stuffed green peppers and he had brought home the peppers and the ground beef last night so for his dinner I went to some bit of trouble and attention to make the stuffed peppers along with some creamed corn. I don't like stuffed peppers or creamed corn. He had been out working on his boat all day and when he came home he was in the kitchen and I called to him that the peppers were in the oven and would be finished in thirty minutes. He didn't answer so I yelled out "THE PEPPERS ARE IN THE OVEN"!!. Did you hear me? Yes, he said. He proceeded to come into the family room with bowl after bowl of chicken soup. I said, "Aren't you going to ruin your dinner with all that soup?" He said, "Isn't this dinner?" To make matters worse, he had dumped the entire pan of creamed corn into the soup and declared, "This is delicious!" So - gone was my chicken noodle soup and after he ate one of the stuffed peppers I asked him how it was. "Uh, so-so." MEN!!!!

A SHORT TRIP

I am leaving tomorrow morning for a flight to New Hampshire where my daughter will pick me up to go to her home in Massachusetts. I like flying into Manchester instead of Boston and she is almost as close to one as the other. I checked the weather and it is supposed to be rainy and windy. Yuck.

I am looking forward to seeing my grandsons and New England is so pretty now.

I will be back next Sunday -- see you then!

FAMILY MATTERS

Last week my sister and I traveled to Pittsburgh to visit our Uncle Bud, who is one of three remaining siblings of our mother. He is now eighty-five and still going strong with more vitality than either of us. My fondest memory of Uncle Bud is when I was a little girl and he lived in Texas. He told me I could come out there and be a cowgirl. And he still remembers that! It doesn't matter that the dream never came to fruition -- it was the dream that mattered.

Uncle Bud gave us a wonderful tour of Pittsburgh - driving through the city, looking at it from high outlook points, eating the best fish sandwich I have ever had at a fish market on "The Strip." We took a ride on the Incline which is both a means of transportation and a favorite tourist site. Pittsburgh was voted the most liveable city a few years ago and I can see why.

I came home with a sewing machine (which belonged to my late aunt) and a family scrapbook which I will treasure since apparently I have become the "keeper of the flame."

With all my best,

THE GREAT SQUIRREL INCIDENT CONTINUES

I returned home last night and looked forward to a good night's sleep in my own bed. I checked outside the house and noted that the holes in the soffit along the roof were closed up and was happy that the repairs were made. Husband said it was all taken care of. I slept like a log and awakened this morning to the scramble of little feet in the ceiling. I got out of bed and looked up and, yup, there was the squirrel looking down at me. I grabbed my phone, called my husband and vented my outrage. Within thirty minutes two of his workers were at the house. Obviously, only the exterior was repaired with the squirrel still in the attic area and with open access to the unrepaired room size opening along the tray ceiling. You can't see this opening from ground level, but I climbed up the ladder to the ceiling myself and saw it. I now await the workers to return and seal up the opening which Husband the Builder said was "taken care of." I have also gone on-line and found out how to trap squirrels. So it looks like I will be heading to the local "Ace Is The Place" hardware store for a squirrel trap. The saga continues.

But -- I did have a very nice visit with my daughter and son-in-law, his parents and sister and her little girl, and my wonderful grandsons. It was a tight squeeze in their house for all of us, but it all worked out. The first communion was beautiful. Little Ian was dressed in the same suit his brother wore three years ago. He was so handsome and so proud. Eleven year old Cooper was the "official photographer" and took a cute video of the children singing at the church.

Well I guess I will head on out to the hardware store. Wish me luck.

Where have I been you ask? Well, maybe you haven't, but in case you have wondered -- I am still here.

I drove up to Pennsylvania on Thursday to visit my sister and came back on Friday. Thursday night I was fortunate enough to be included in a belated birthday dinner that her friend gives her every year. Linda's birthday is actually in December, but they never get around to it for months later. I have never attended one before and it is pretty special. Why, you ask? Because the menu is home-cooked Italian ravioli!! Linda's friend's mother makes over 300 ravioli twice a year for Christmas and Easter. She freezes some and that is what we had for dinner with the good Italian tomato sauce (or gravy as the Italians call it) which has pork and sausage in it. Believe me. You would think you had died and gone to heaven - it is that good. I am changing my recipe for sauce and will make it this way instead:


Canned crushed tomatoes
Canned whole tomatoes
Fresh chopped garlic sauteed in olive oil (with browned sausage links and/or pork roast optional)
Fresh basil
Grated locatelli cheese
I will add some red wine and red pepper flakes also because I always put that in my sauce.

The ravioli are made by hand and are stuffed with shredded pork, egg and grated cheese. I don't think I will attempt these, but they are truly delicious.

Linda and I had a great day and a half together. We both love old 5&10's (which are almost non-existent now) and she took me to one that dated back to 1912 and still had a soda fountain. Unfortunately, the store was on its "last legs", but it was fun to eat at the soda fountain and peruse the store goods. We also visited an antiques store and a Mennonite thrift store and had breakfast at a diner (which we both love to do also). I came home loaded with more "stuff." You never know what you will find!

One of my purposes in going to visit my sister was so that we could both go to Mom and Dad's grave to plant some flowers. We never did get there, but I am sure they won't mind - especially if Mom knows we were at an antiques store. We will go to the cemetery when I am up there again next month.

Yesterday I had a wedding to attend (with another one next Saturday). It was held at a local winery. Beautiful bride, handsome groom, elegant and delicious cake -- what more could you want?

Tonight we will attend a Passover seder at a friend's house. I have never been to one so it should be interesting (and delicious!).

Hope you are having a beautiful Sunday dear bloggers!

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS TO GRAMMY'S HOUSE WE GO!

The treasures of my life arrived last Thursday night to pick up their dog Ohbe and to spend some time at "Grammy's." My daughter Beth, my son-in-law Dale, my 11 year old grandson Cooper, and my 7 year old grandson Ian were able to stay four days until they had to leave this morning and drive back to Massachusetts. The boys are used to long road trips and they are very good travelers. We had a busy and happy time together. The beach, the boardwalk (even I went on the bumper cars), the water park -- we did it all. The boys had just been to Disneyworld so they have had a full summer.

Being a parent is a highlight in anyone's life, but being a grandmother has to top even that. We know our lives go on through our children and hopefully, our grandchildren will remember us and treasure their moments with us as we do with them. That is why it is always so important for me to travel to visit them whenever I can, no matter how far.