Finally

We finally have nice weather, and it's been good to be able to open up windows and let the fresh air in. Minnie is loving laying in the windowsill and we took Jessie for a stroll in the park tonight. Poor old girl only wanted to go around once, though, and seemed more tired and winded after we got home. Yesterday was our annual Deac lunch, and this year Mom went. She was good friends with the class of 1953, her sister Harriet's graduating class. Mona was the only other one from my class to attend this year, but it was fun getting to know her better. Later in the afternoon, Bruce and I drove up to the lake for the night. Ice was still in the lake, so there wasn't much we could do besides just relax and have fun. We went to Players for supper, watched a little TV, and talked. Bruce played the guitar and Jessie and I listened.

Wordless Wednesday

More Snow Please

We got more snow last night, and it was pretty, but once more caused havoc on the roads. Bruce saw several cars in the ditch on his way to the airport this morning, and then his flight was delayed for three hours because of the plane needing to be de-iced. (I lucked out in that the roads were in pretty good shape by the time I made my drive in to work.) This first picture is of a fence I like to look at every morning as I walk to the Care Center. In the spring it has lilacs, but today I noticed the ice. They're saying that we might get temps in the 60's this weekend, but that will be after we get the snow forecasted for tonight and tomorrow... As far as the second picture goes, we've had our suspicions that deer have been cleaning out the bird feeders and tonight I have proof. Poor Jessie has been beside herself with all the unwelcome visitors and smells in the yard.

St. Olaf Admitted Student's Day

We're all feeling good about Jake's plan to attend St. Olaf in the fall. We spent a day hanging out on campus last weekend, and the school was very gracious and welcoming. The food at St. Olaf is quiet tasty, too, something that Jake will appreciate once he's there. He's thinking that his focus will be math and physics. I was really enjoying being on campus with him and then the thought hit me that he won't be living at home next year. I'm going to have to get used to that thought.

April Showers

Well, if the birds can be cheerful in this weather, than who am I to complain? The sun is out now, roads aren't too horrible, and things are starting to melt. We might get a couple more days of rainy snow in the next week, but then it will soon be May. And it will be Spring, right?

Wordless Wednesday

Pulled Pork

In anticipation of Jake's upcoming graduation open house, I made a trip to Costco yesterday to buy some pork to make pulled pork sandwiches. The weather was horrid, with rainy sleety snow happening and it was difficult to even see the road. Once I got there, though, everything was fine. I found Boston Pork Butt for $1.69/lb. and grabbed 28 lbs. to roast, pull, and freeze. I've never made so much meat all at once before, and it was educational. For one thing, that roaster was dang heavy with all the meat plus liquid. (I poured Dr. Pepper over it all while it roasted). The first time I attempted to see how done the meat was, I ended up dumping greasy liquid all over the oven and floor. The dog loved it. And it took a good 14 hours to even get to the point where I could shred it with forks. Ah, but now I have six gallon freezer bags of bbq pulled pork, ready to be reheated on the actual day, which will help so much because those graduation open house days have a tendency to get crazy. Next up is figuring out how to make all the cheesy potatoes.

Friday

Yes, it is Friday and I feel like celebrating. The biggest thing is that I woke up rested and headache free today! I know that my not sleeping well probably has a lot to do with getting so many headaches lately, so I'm trying to figure out why I do sleep well when I do. I tried a different pillow last night, a more flat pillow that felt a little funny at first, but was surprisingly comfortable in the long run. I had a small cup of chamomile tea with milk a couple hours before bed, and I did not have any wine with supper. Mostly, my mind was not filled with silly thoughts about things like making wrist corsages and cheesy potatoes for large groups of people. (Jake's graduation open house and prom are coming up soon, so they are legitimate thoughts to be having, just not when I'm trying to go to sleep.) Anyway, the point is that I feel great. And, I'm meeting a friend for lunch after work, too. Maybe I'm on to something here.

New Room

I'm going to just say, that Bruce is amazing when he decides to get something done. He is just amazing. Anyway, the bedroom is already painted and looking fine, ready for company should anyone decide to stop and stay for awhile. Prairie Sage and Sweet Tea are the names of the new paint colors, and they even match the braided rug in the room. I tried to help out while he painted by being a good moral support, cleaning up stuff, and fetching snacks. It was a full weekend, but it felt wonderful to see all the progress.

Bangers and Mash

We went to a British Pub in the city last night with some old friends, to hear some live music and eat some authentic British food. The atmosphere was great, with people of all ages there. One old guy who looked to be about 90 years old got up and was dancing by himself between the tables. I ordered bangers and mash, and it was delicious! We also stayed out until after midnight, which is almost unheard of these days for us. Today is back to usual, with Bruce getting started on painting Nick's old room. Pictures to follow.

Moving Along

We have a quiet house again. Nick is now living in an apartment with a friend, Katie is back to college, and Jake is planning a visit with Kate at her college. Bruce and I have been working on Nick's old room with plans to convert it into a spare bedroom/office. It needs new paint and new bedding, but that will be fun. I guess quiet will be a part of that empty nest I've been mentioning. So, it's pretty much been off to work in the morning, exercising in the afternoon, and taking care of the home and animals. And to compensate for this quiet posting, here are some pictures of the past few days. This first picture is the view from Nick's new place. It overlooks the pool area and there is a tree right outside the window. Evidently other people in the apartment building are envious of this view. (I was lucky to be able to see his new place on Easter and this was the only picture I dared to take.) This next picture is of the lovely veggie frittata I made using Trader Joe's Healthy 8 veggies. Every once in a while, I get a burst of energy and decide to try something new. This last picture was taken right before the candle burned out and dropped into the wine bottle. I know, it's a stretch, but sometimes you have to work with what you've got. And, I hope you all are having a more exciting week than me.

Wordless Wednesday

Easter

We had a traditional Easter dinner with ham and cheesy potatoes. And, a not so traditional dessert of chocolate crazy cake because we celebrated Dad's 84th birthday. Nick moved into his new apartment in the afternoon, and when we got home, we realized that the other half of the basement family room had flooded ... so ... carpet was pulled up, floor was wet vac'd, and fans were put out. What a winter and spring we've had.