It's August (As If You Didn't Know)

 Look at me posting so close to my last one.  I'm determined to not let this month go with only minimal posts.  Time has a way of flying as you all know!  Our weather has been pretty good with some cool temps.  It was in the 50s last night so this morning the house was a chilly 63de.  I have on a sweatshirt until it warms up later.  Jack had a patient this morning but thankfully he's a sweet Amish friend that is dressed warmer that us English.  I'm hoping his horse didn't poop in my new driveway! Cleaning up that is a lot different than pooper scooping Annabelle's!  I've had many mornings now that I'm not working as much to enjoy a beautiful day like today.  I can hear the birds singing and the neighbor's rooster crowing. Somehow that's soothing!  I had a phone visit with a healthcare worker and I sat out on the deck in the morning and while she was talking the rooster next door was crowing his heart out.  She thought that was pretty funny!  So for this first post of August I have to announce that we have another great grandson!  Our granddaughter, Summer, had her baby on Sunday. Her due date was suppose to be August 25th but Gabriel had other plans!  He came in at a whopping 5lbs, 8oz of cuteness.  About 3lbs lighter than his cousin, Roman, who was born in April to Summer's sister, Driana.  The pitter patter of little feet will grace the pines once again!

Congrats to Summer and hello little Gabriel!  I know he and Roman will be best buddies!

Speaking of Roman....he's growing like a weed!  Almost 4 months now. As I've said, time goes quickly!

Well, I'm off to enjoy this beautiful day.  I hope it's good by you all.  I feel so bad for those out west dealing with the devastating wildfires.  Our #2 son lives in Oregon and hopefully they aren't having too hard a time with fires there.   

Bye July!

 Oh my gosh, I'm embarrassed to be me.  Really.   When you say you're a blogger and your July posts equal 2 and one says Hi July and one says Bye July you know you are being a blog slacker!  Have we not done anything this long month?  Vacation?  Nope.  No vaca here.  Family reunions? Nope again.  Anything really blog worthy?  Maybe but just didn't take pics I guess and maybe just didn't blog.  Anyway, I'm here now and before this last day of July is over I will give it a shot!  I had to look at my photos to see if there was anything worth mentioning. Here goes:

Jack got a really cute shirt from our son in Oregon.  Craig started working with a new company called Pacific Seafood.  He's a human resource director there.  Jack is always kidding him about sending us some good fish, or shrimp. or lobster.  So this shirt with the company name on it and pics of fish was his answer!  It's really a sweet shirt with secret pockets and everything.  No hidden lobsters in those pockets though!  Besides, lobsters aren't the what they sell anyway!  Today we went to a new to me store called Pop Shop.  It had a lot of things that were fall and Halloween related and I'm getting things for our October family reunion so this was right up my alley! Prices are super good too.  Jack took one look around and said, "I'll wait in the car. Take your time."  And I did! This is just a few pics of some of the stuff they had.  I grabbed a few things but will have to make a return trip I'm sure!

I like this sign but didn't buy it.  I bought a little sign for my kitchen though:

This one fit nicely on my pantry door!  Because we're having this reunion here in October we've been busy getting the house "to do things list" done.  One of those things was getting our driveway done.  It's a stone drive but needed to be redone.  We had a sweet gentleman stop by last week and we looked up his company and found them to be the real deal so we signed up for a chip and seal drive. We would have loved to have concrete but that's not in the budget! Here's a before and after:

BEFORE:  Notice the grass median strip?  Over the years we've had stones replaced and I often wonder where in the heck they all go over time.  Is there a huge stone wall buried under the driveway?

AFTER:

Nice and smooth, no grass and hopefully it will last the 10 years they promised.  We most likely won't be here in 10 years to find out but for today I'm happy with it!

After the driveway pic, I shot this one.  See that white dot?

Yep, just silly Annabelle sitting there like she's waiting for a bus.  She's a westie for sure with the "westitude" to go with her!  On a final note, Jack and I went out for lunch after my fun shopping time. I noticed this vehicle in the parking lot of a restaurant we didn't go to.  And frankly, I wouldn't go to any eating establishment with this parked in the lot.

I report, you decide.  Bye Bye Miss July.  It's been a blast! 

Hi July!

 I hope everyone had a good July 4th celebration for this special year. Our town had lots of activities with a big parade, 250yr birthday party for America,  a service to celebrate a new park called FREEDOM. Its dedicated to all departments of the military.  When I  go there I'll take pics to.post.  We watched the dedication on TV. The parade was also on tv so we stayed home and avoided the crowds and the heat wave we were in. The kids all came over on Sunday for a cook out that became a cook in due to rain.  Food still turned out good but someone didn't take any pics! Tomorrow we're going to our grandson's graduation party and I will definitely take photos. For now here's just a few garden shots around the pines.

Peppers are coming along.

Tomatoes promising future BLTS!

Bee balm?

General preeties. 

Red day lilies.

Yellow too!

Hope the birds enjoy bathing with the geraniums.

Herbs need picked.

Some July 4th goodies.

Jack and our friend Derrick wearing matching patriot shirts from boy scout camp days!

My own patriotic shout out!

Happy belated 4th and a shot of a sunset tonight.  Night all!

Busy Summer Days!

 Last week my sister came for a visit. It was great having her here. My niece and her hubby and 3 kids brought her, along with Midge's 2 dogs. Her kids took off to Cedar Point, then on to Cincinnati for a stop at Kings Island and some other adventures.  Midge and I and Jack and the dogs hung out here. We worked on tons of things for the family reunion we're hosting here in October.  My sister is a wonderful event planner and we managed to knock off many items on the to do list.  We also found time for some roaming along Ashland s cute downtown.   Here's a few picks from the visit.

My sister's dogs, Hope and Flynn, got a good grooming and some time at 

daycare one day. We don't have a fenced in back yard so this was strange for them to be constantly walked or put on an outdoor lead. They did good but I'm sure they were happy to get back home to normal! We did get an opportunity to go to the cabin we're renting for the reunion and go inside to see the accommodations.  It will work out perfectly for our event. I know I took pics but they disappeared from my camera! 

We had a few times of resting on the couch. Annabelle had to share her spot with Midge and Flynn. Annabelle and Flynn had a few little "talks", but all in all everyone got along!

The week went fast and we had lots of laughs and even a quick selfie moment outside a new ice-cream parlor with some delish milkshakes! My niece and family got back on Thursday night and Friday morning they all trooped back to Chicago.  Now on to July 4th! Busy summer days!

 

June Is More Than Half Over!

 Time has slipped by me this month. Whew!  Our weeks have been filled with getting our yard into shape and painting the back deck and front porch and just trying to spruce everything up in anticipation of our family reunion that's coming in October.  Yes, I know it's still a few months away but I just want to get it all done.  Plus we hosted a baby shower for our granddaughter, Summer, who's due in August.  It was an outdoor event in our backyard so getting things spruced up for that helped.  Of course, if you know me you know that when we plan outdoor things the weather goes to the dogs.  The sunny day we were hoping for started out that way but also hot and humid.  We made it through the luncheon part but  had to gather all the gifts and guests and finish up indoors.  The storms came through and the rain fell in buckets.  I'm glad we rented a cabin for our family reunion!  Not taking any chances!  In other news, our grandson, Taylor, came home yesterday from his 2 year mission for the church.  He was in Argentina and served a wonderful mission that brought many souls to Christ.  We are very proud of him and we're glad he's home safe and sound and ready to finish his college time!  He'll head off to BYU in Utah in August but now he's just getting adjusted to home back in Portland, Oregon.  Here's a few pics of our past few weeks.  My sister is coming for a week starting on this Saturday and I'm really excited to see her and spend the time together. Poor Jack knows there'll be lots of talking, laughing, and just hanging out for the week.

On Saturday, our granddaughter, Driana, and her hubby came down from the Cleveland area where they live to help with her sister's shower on Sunday.  But that gave us a chance to gather together and see for the first time, our great grandson Roman! He's so sweet and it was fun to be able to hold him and love on him for a bit!  He's 2 months old already!

Being a great YaYa can make you feel a bit old but seeing your child become a Grandpa does make you take a breath or two! Wasn't Jackie just that age not long ago? Well, maybe 50yrs ago!

Sunday afternoon we got the shower for Summer under way.

Tents and tables were set up and the idea was to keep the sun at bay but it got cooler and cloudy and when the rains came down, we went up to the house!

The food was pretty good.  This was just our dessert table.  There was also chicken salad on croissants and pulled pork, spanikopita, jello salad, coleslaw, chips, and other things! Plenty of food! So even though it rained we made it through the food part and Summer received many lovely gifts to help get her going with her little one.  Very thankful for all who came and those that helped.

Summer's having a boy also! Gabriel is his name to be. I'm hoping he and his cousin Roman will be close and share a friendship as well as a cousinship! 

Sisters, Summer and Driana.  Driana can give her sister some good tips on motherhood!

While the storms raged, the rain didn't stop us from having a good time opening gifts!  I was glad we were able to do this for her but also glad when it was over. I was pretty exhausted at the days end!  To add some more fun to our week we decided to drive up to Cleveland to see our Church's new Temple that will open officially in August.  We intended to just find out how to get there and then walk around the grounds and enjoy the gardens.  But we were approached by a couple that said they could take us on a tour of the inside if we wanted.  Sure!  So we had a lovely, private showing! It's a small but very beautiful Temple and we're so happy to not have to drive to Columbus where the traffic is crazier and Cleveland is only a 55min drive.  

Tuesday was sunny and cool and a great day for a little drive. The Temple is really a pretty sight!

These are just a few of the gardens.  My photo doesn't do it justice.

Hi Jack!  The Temple will be open to the public from June, 18-July 3 before it's dedicated in August. After it's dedicated, only members with a temple recommend can go inside.   It's located in Independence on Brecksville road if you're in the Cleveland area.  The tour is free of course and it's worth the trip!  Now back to preparing my house for guests this weekend and next week.  Hopefully more blog material and I won't let so much time go by!  

Bye May!

 The last day of May is here, and it sure went fast for a long 31 day month!  April was full of surprises and May has been the month of doctor appointments and follow ups.  Thankfully all is well.  I have one more appointment to see if I need to get my holy heart repaired with a patch.  Like a leaky swimming pool or a flat tire, I guess!  May is a month of birthdays and then we had our grandson, Cameron, graduate from high school.  He's going to go to Kent State University in the fall, and we sure wish him well He's a great kiddo.  He's very quiet and smart!  The school wasn't sure what to do with him for his senior year since he took every class and college courses they offered.  He wanted to continue to do track so they found a few classes he could take, and he took some online classes from Ashland University. 

Congratulations Cam-Man!

Our proud son Jack with his baby boy! The last of his 4 kiddos to graduate high school. Can't believe how fast time has gone! 

Proud YaYa and Paw Paw! 

Here's a few pics of the rest of our, as the song from Camelot would say, lusty month of May! The peonies did great and are now at the end of their blooming life.  I snagged a few bouquets to enjoy.

We've been getting the Pines ready for a few events happening here. In 2 weeks, we're hosting our granddaughter's baby shower.  Summer is due in August.  I blogged about her sister's baby being born in April.  Summer's having a boy also so I hope those cousins can be besties!  So, weeding and mulching our "garden of weedin'" has been a project!

Spot the wee white dog? Keeping an eye out for the squirrels and neighbor cats that like to roam the whispering pines!  Our next big event is our 2026 family reunion being held right here in October. You know that's my favorite month, so I picked it for the reunion.  Keeping this area clean of weeds and looking pretty until then will be our biggest challenge!  Oh well, it will keep us in shape anyway! Memorial Day had family joining us for some ribs and fixings.  I had gone to the cemetery to put out the summer/patriotic flowers on my in-laws grave site.

I change flowers for each season, and my Mother-in-law enjoyed the summer holidays like July4th, so I try and honor that for her.  

I also decorate inside for Memorial Day and then on to July 4th. I found these plates at a thrift shop a few years ago and enjoy bringing them out this time of year.  When the family was here last Monday for our rib fest, I was busy and didn't get photos except for one:

Our granddaughter Rae tried riding the trail bike last year for the first time and crashed it.  She didn't hurt the bike but did hurt her knee. She was lucky she didn't do something worse!  Memorial Day she came with her boyfriend, Ethan, and tried again.  He's an experienced biker so he patiently and carefully gave her instructions.  She finally got it and did good except for one thing....Rae, where's the helmet!? Sheesh, kids!  On my final May happenings, I tried my hand at an easy, non-frying, donut recipe.  The first batch I did used a spice cake mix and a can of plain pumpkin.  Mixed it together and put it in a donut baking sheet.  Success! They came out great!  I decided to try with a chocolate cake mix (no pumpkin, thank you!).  Problem was I didn't have a chocolate cake mix so I tried it with a brownie mix.  I used a brownie mix, one egg, and a half cup of applesauce instead of a half cup of oil.

Yes, they came out great too! They stayed soft and delish, and Jack said they were winners! I'm going to use the spice ones this fall for our reunion breakfast.  I have a few more ideas for these up my sleeve. So easy and no frying!  Well, that's it for May.  Bye, Bye.  Tonight we'll have a blue moon happening.  Look to the skies!  Fingers crossed for a nice June and the beginning of summer! 

100 years

 Today, May 17th would have been my Mom's 100th birthday.  Not sure if they have birthday parties in heaven, but if they do I hope Mom is having a blast with all her family, my Dad, , my brother Greg, my nephew Jono, and perhaps others who aren't family by blood but by love.  Here's a few pics I gathered from over the years.  I know I have more, but they're not downloaded for sharing here.  I miss Mom every day as I would call her just about every day to check in, enjoy her thoughts and hear her voice. She was a very resilient woman who worked hard at her career as a switchboard operator/supervisor in a 500 bed hospital. She was so smart.  I always thought she was the smartest women alive!  She was a wonderful wife and a wonderful mom to us 6 kids. Happy heavenly birthday Mom! You are so missed and always so loved by me and all our family and the friends who were lucky to know you!

So pretty!  So Greek!

Mom, me, my sister Midge. The 3 musketeers!

Grand marshall at the neighborhood July4th parade.

Her 93rd birthday and she ate that all down!

All the young family.

Serving at the church giving mother's day roses to the women.

The last time at my house doing what she always enjoyed...chipping in to help either cooking or cleaning up. Yes, you are missed Mom.  She passed away May 29th, 2020, at age 94.  A long, full, love filled life, but we sure wish we could celebrate this one together here!