Sunday With the Grand Kids

Those of you with grandchildren know that just spending time with them is the greatest...no matter what you're doing. We had a fun day this past Sunday. Our local high school was putting on their production of Wizard of Oz last weekend and there was a Sunday matinee. I thought it would be a great "girls day" for me to take Jodi, Jess and Savannah to see it. Emery could easily hang with grandpa until we got back. But, as it turned out, Jess had plans to go into Atlanta with friends, Jodi really didn't care to sit through it, and Savannah has decided she doesn't like it because it's scary. We were amazed that a few years ago she would watch it all by herself...but she's changed her mind about it. While we were discussing it, Emery kept saying, "I want to go! I want to go!" So I had a Sunday afternoon date with my grandson. And that was great. (Rest assured, he did not wear the wig to the performance. This is him clowning around in Savannah's costume when she was Dorothy for Halloween the year before last.) He sat very patiently watching everything quietly even though it did drag a little with all the musical numbers. The school kids did a great job, but it was a little slow compared to the movies he's used to watching. Just before intermission, he turned to me and said, quietly, "I don't like it". I told him that was fine and that we could leave when they took a break. So when the lights came up I asked him if he wanted to leave. He thought about it a little, but decided that yes, he had seen enough. He was fascinated with the stage, the props and all the people and we still had a good time.

Meanwhile, back at home, Jodi and Savannah decided they would spend some mother-daughter bonding time and go get manis and pedis. They were back at the house by the time we got there. Savannah also brought her new best friend...a life size (bigger than her) Pink Panther that she got from her other grandma's house and now takes everywhere. It is a hoot. She was sitting on the couch with it and posing it in other places around the house. Finally she decided that PP would make a great new friend for grandpa. So she posed him the way she always sees grandpa: with a coffee cup in one hand and a crossword puzzle book and pen in the other hand. And he really did make a good companion.

Table Rock

We enjoyed our first vacation of 2010 by going with Jodi and the kids to Table Rock Lake in Missouri. Jeremy had a fishing tournament there and the "school of York" just happened to be on spring break. We've been planning it for several months and Jodi was particularly excited about a week in a beautiful cabin in the woods down by the lake just relaxing. Well, we got off to a rocky start. After a LONG day's driving, we were tired and ready to get to the cabin south of Branson. Jodi found it on line and it sounded ideal. Two new cabins on this property boasted 600 acres of forrest behind. They didn't say what was in front! Poor Jeremy was exhausted after driving all night the night before and fishing all day. All he wanted was to get to the cabin and take a nap before we got there. When he arrived, he found the cabin "nestled in a dad-gum trailer park!!!" (His words). After having a no nonsense conversation with the owner and getting our money back, he had to find a place for us to stay that night...as well as all the next week. He found us a very nice suite at the Ramada for Saturday night. That meant we drove an additional 20 to 30 minutes. But once we got settled in, we got some sandwiches and the kids showed us how to relax in style.

Sunday morning was spent on the computer and phone trying to find a place for the week. Jeremy found us a cabin right in Branson. It didn't feel like we were in town because it was one of many cabins in a resort. But since it was very much PRE season for Branson, we about had the place to ourselves. This worked out well because the weather was less than cooperative and this resort had an indoor pool! So we went and got new bathing suits and the kids were in the pool for part of every day that we were there. The resort also had a list of daily activities for kids. One day I took them over to learn how to make tie dye tee shirts. They enjoyed that and got a great souvenir to take home. They were the only two there, so it was a good opportunity for hands-on instruction. The activity director told me she will have about 35 kids in there once the season is in full swing. Something to be said for pre-season vacationing!

It was nice for Jeremy to come home after a long (and cold!) day of fishing to home-cooked meals, a little time for Rummikub and even to relax with one of Savannah's "spa treatments". And since we were there for the weigh-in, Emery got to go up on stage and be "interviewed". He loves to have a microphone put in his face, so when asked who his favorite fisherman was, he proudly -- and loudly -- proclaimed, "Daddy!"

There is a Bass Pro Shop in Branson, but we went 30 miles up the road to Springfield, MO, to see the "grandaddy of all Bass Pro Shops". A shrine of sorts. While we were shopping there, I told the kids I'd get them a stuffed animal. Savannah lovingly chose a sweet baby puma cub. Emery, on the other hand, decided on a long, lanky monkey whose hands and feet have Velcro. It's been lots of fun seeing it hanging from everything possible. When we got back to the cabin, Savannah discovered that the clothes she had packed for her American Girl doll fit the monkey perfectly. After a day or so, Emery started calling it "King Julian". I asked Jodi who that was and she said it was a character from the movie, Madagascar. I asked if he looked like that and she said, "You know....he kinda does!" And King Julian is still hanging around.

It was nice to have a relaxing time with the family. Jessica was unable to get the time off from work and we missed her. (She stayed home and took care of the cats.) The week ended with another long drive home. We broke this one up into two days of driving, but each one felt as long as the one going up there. But it was great and we have lots of fond memories (and tons of pictures -- as you can tell).

Sweet Georgia Blue

We've had an unusually long and cold winter this year. This past weekend was very nice, but the weekend before we had snow. And in the days between those two events, it was still chilly and windy -- with pretty cold nights. So I was surprised to go out there one of those days and be greeted by this sweet little harbinger of spring. Amidst the dead leaves that have lay there all winter, and despite the harsh weather conditions, she stuck her lovely little face up toward the sun and, unlike the grousey ground hog, declared that spring is just around the corner!

There is an area in the front of the house where we put a fountain a few years ago and I consider this spot to be my "presidential garden"...because it is a garden of hope and change -- and ultimate disappointment. Every spring when the weather warms up, I get energized and enthusiastic about gardening. This is a nice little area to work in. So I go up the road a ways to my favorite nursery and start buying plants to put in. I get Jerry to dig lots of little holes (hey...that's hard work!) and I start putting things in. The fact that most of these are perennials and yet I'm buying new ones every year will tell you what kind of green thumb I have. So with great expectations for the riot of color that I will see all summer long, I plant. I read up on these plants and believe all the wonderful things that they are said to do. But then, alas, summer comes. And with it comes heat. I don't "do" sweating, so I go in the air conditioning and read a book. Then come the bugs...feasting on the tiny roots of my new friends. Then, more times than I care to remember, comes the drought -- and the "Sweet Georgia Brown" clay turns to adobe bricks. Mi Casa doesn't look so good by now.

So last spring, in a fit of such enthusiasm, I purchased three of these cute little plants called Veronica peduncularis 'Georgia Blue'. They were only $1 each and I took them home and apologized to them for what their future would hold. I nestled them together under a hosta and next to a cute rock that has actually survived in the "garden" for several years now. But they shared my vision and soon spread out and made themselves at home. A short while later I had to take the two that were closest to the hosta and move them on the other side and space them out further. They are spring bloomers, so the flowers didn't last long. But these little plants delighted me all summer. Because of the low height they neatly mounded even as they spread and the foliage was a pleasant change from brown dirt.

In the last few days, with the warmer weather and sun peeking out, several others have joined the first flower in opening up and I'm seeing lots and lots of buds! So I'm going to hang my hopes on the catalog description (this is THEIR photo) and expect this little gem to please me for many months to come. I'm sure she'll be one reason I go to the nursery and spend lots and lots of green on my "presidential garden" again this year. Wish me luck!

The Perfect Storm

Usually the term "perfect storm" brings to mind a series of events that converge to make a horrendous impact on the weather and those affected by it. But last weekend, we had what I would call a "perfect storm". Emphasis on the "perfect" rather than the "storm". We were under winter storm advisories, but it was wonderful.

We are always skeptical of weathermen calling for snow in our part of the country. If we get anything at all (and more times than not, we don't) it's hard to even see it or it is in the middle of the night because that's the only time it gets cold enough. We get excited about a little dusting on the ground about once a year and everyone goes into panic mode -- for no reason. But last Friday the weathermen were right on. It started snowing...and actually sticking...at about 2:30 in the afternoon -- just like they said it would. For a few hours these big, soft, beautiful flakes floated down at a pretty good rate. We got about 4" at our house and it covered everything and was as pretty as anything you've ever seen on a Christmas card.

Jodi and the kids had a Valentine party to go to, but they were coming over after that. They got here about 5:30 and it was great packing by then. We made a snowman, had snowball fights, made snow angels and just enjoyed being out in it till after dark. Then Jess joined us and we had a spaghetti supper. After that, we set the air mattress up in the living room and all settled in to watch the Olympics' opening ceremonies. Jess' work was cancelled, so she got to spend the night, too.

In the morning, Emery woke me up all excited that the snowman was still there. The sky was as blue as it's ever been and the sun was shining on all that beautiful snow. After a breakfast of streusel muffins (yum...thanks, Jodi), Jess and grandpa went out to play with the kids. We discovered that a large trash bag makes a very good sled. And who knew we had a "sledding hill" in our front yard? They had a lot of fun sledding. We decided to name them our Olympic Trash Bag sledding team. Go, USA!

By the time they were getting cold (oh, please. They don't know what "cold" is!) and ready to come in for some hot chocolate, the sun was doing what sun does to snow. It was starting to disappear. By Monday morning, there was no sign of it anywhere. How magical is that?

I know, some of you reading this live in other parts of the country and you are sick and tired of snow and cold this year -- and you might even welcome the chance to have a conversation with Al Gore. But you have to admit that when you have a snow "storm" as rarely as we do and it looks like this and then goes away...that's just about "perfect"!

Notes From the Wine Cellar

In a conversation a while back on Face Book, my cousin, Lynn, was telling me about a wine called "Choco Vine". Yes, that's Dutch for "chocolate wine". The label clearly states..."The taste of dutch chocolate and fine red wine." Well...who could resist trying that?

Lynn said she gets it at her local grocery store. So I went on the hunt for Choco Vine. My local Kroger store has an extensive wine department, so I started there. Turns out they don't carry this particular treat. I was able to find it at another store, though, and I can tell you that it's very good. Tastes pretty much like Bailey's Irish Cream.

But while in Kroger's, I spent quite a bit of time really looking at all the wines they did have. I usually just run through and grab one of our favorites. Moscato is our current wine of choice. But I didn't know what Choco Vine looked like and Lynn said there were red and yellow tulips on the label. So I was looking at all the labels on the bottles. That's quite an adventure! There were a couple of labels that caught my attention, so I decided to buy these and try them based on that alone. One called Three Alarm Cellars had a really neat label. It simply said it was a "California red wine". They didn't say what food it would be good with, but I'm guessing maybe Five Alarm Chili? But when I read the label I saw that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their wines goes to an organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of burn survivors and promoting burn prevention. In addition, the painting on the front of a 1945 Diamond T fire truck was painted by a fire captain and his paintings have earned thousands of dollars which have been donated to the Widows and Orphans fund of 9-11. So there were a couple of good reasons to try this wine. I wish we would have liked it better. It was a little robust for our taste. But we like sweeter wines, so don't let my opinion stop you from trying it. They also have a white -- so maybe I'll try that one.

Another one that caught my eye was one called "pink truck" (no capitol letters). And the description was simply, "California pink wine". Well, that was just a fun looking label. Apparently the wine makers in California don't give a lot of descriptions on their labels. We tried that one the other night and I can tell you it goes quite well with meat loaf.

I was telling the girls about my sophisticated new system for choosing wines and Jessica told me I should check out some that Target had called "Middle Sister Wines".

Since I AM a middle sister, how could I not? Some of you may be thinking Target is not a place where you would choose a fine wine, but here in "redneck country" that's what we do. Well....there were so many to choose from. Names like "Wicked White", "Drama Queen", "Rebel Red", "Mischief Maker", and "Forever Cool" beckoned me. But I chose one called "Smarty Pants". Not only did it fit, but it was a chardonnay and I thought we might like it. And we did!

So there you have it. A wine novice's tour of grocery/department store wine selections. Take up my challenge -- and let me know what off-the-wall wines you try and what you think of them. I toast your adventuresome spirit!

Fleecy Skid Stuff

"The moon on the crest of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of midday to objects below"

Boy, it was light last night. After a dusting of snow on the ground, the clouds moved away and the moon came out. You could (and I did) walk around the house without any lights on. The weathermen were predicting a little snow for us and so that was the "buzz" all day yesterday. Folks around here get all excited at the mere mention of snow flurries. "Do we need milk? Do we need bread? Will school be closed?"

I have a picture that I hang up in my kitchen when I decorate for Christmas, but it gets to stay up a little later than the rest because it's a winter picture. It shows two snowmen. Beautiful, white, plump snowmen and it reminds me of winter the way I remember it as a child. We have lived in Georgia over 19 years now and in that time we have seen a few really pretty snow falls. Five or six inches of soft white covering the pine trees. Gone in two days. Perfect snows. But that's been several years ago. Now if we get enough to even attempt to go out and play in, what you see the next day are these scrawny, anorexic "snowmen" that are made up of as many dead leaves and sticks as they are snow.

The coolest (pun left intentionally) snowman I ever built was when I was a sophomore in high school. One of those old metal outdoor chairs was still in the yard from summer time and so I made one sitting in the chair. It was easy, really. Just fill the chair with snow. Then I built legs coming up to it and added some shoulders and a head and arms. He was awesome.

So last night after our little dusting of snow, Jodi and Jeremy went outside and built a "snowman". I just think that is so sad.

Looking Back

I spend a lot of time beating myself up for not getting enough done. I'm always focused on new projects I want to do...or "works in progress" that I feel I should be working on. And it's true that I waste an awful (and I do mean "awful") lot of time on Facebook these days (yeah...thanks, Jess!). But once a year I allow myself an opportunity to go back and look at what I have actually done in the past year in the way of my projects.

I spent the first several months of 2009 going through my mom's photos...and then my own photo albums. I made great progress, but I can't actually say that task is "finished" because it's an on-going struggle to keep up with pictures, etc. Especially now that we take so many great digital pics and then have to save them somewhere or print them or whatever. I did manage to make two pretty neat scrapbooks this year. One was for Jerry. It was some of my favorite pictures of his mother. He was very touched by it. Another was a Christmas present for my brother. It was all of my dad's pictures from WWII and it was fun to make and I love the way it turned out. Through an odd set of circumstances, I got to give it to him in person for Christmas -- even though we haven't had Christmas together for many years. And while I was in scrapbooking mode, I also made a scrapbook calendar for a friend for Christmas.

But most of my focus in looking back is to see what's been produced in the sewing room. Particularly in the quilting department. Since I hand quilt, it takes a long time to actually piece and quilt a final product. The only ones I can count that way are a wall hanging that I made for this year's quilt guild challenge and the annual family Christmas quilt. Jessica won the drawing for the Christmas quilt this year. But I also completed a casserole caddy, a tote bag, a wool table topper, 5 crosstitch projects and a dress for Savannah. I was able to complete two old quilt restorations for customers, too.

Each of the Babes...me included...made 20 pillow cases for children with cancer. Ours were combined with ones made at Sweet Home Quilt Co. over Thanksgiving and Melisa was able to deliver 334 pillow cases to the ConKer Cancer organization. Here we are at our Christmas party, showing off our bagged-up and ready-to-go pillow cases.

By far, most of my sewing room time this past year was spent piecing quilt tops (unquilted). As I've documented, I made 7 for the Babes for their birthdays as well as one for Elaine for Christmas. I didn't quilt these because they would never get finished -- and they can quilt them however they like. I also pieced two quilt tops for charity that were quilted by my friend, Ardis. My goal was to make lots of scrappy quilts and really use up some of my fabric stash. Right. Using your stash is like eating a salad...you do it and do it and do it and nothing seams to disappear! But it was a lot of fun and since I still have lots of stash left, I guess I can do a couple (hundred) more!

So, as I look back, I guess it doesn't sound too bad. 10 tops need quilting, 9 other projects, (I can't finish the song because I don't have 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, etc.) 20 pillow cases, 2 restorations, 2 quilts completed -- and a partridge in a pear tree. I already have big plans for this year. Some of those plans even include getting back to started projects. So I guess I need to get off the computer now and get busy!