Memorial Day

I know I must have had a great weekend because when I hit the scale this morning it was up 5 pounds. I suppose it wasn't just the red and white wine but also the rice krispy treats, the gourmet authentic Indian food, and the homemade cookies.

I've been trying all day to come up with the best parts of the Memorial Day Reunions. My favorite thing is waiting for others to arrive on Friday evening. The anticipation builds and then we wildly greet one another. I also like the hikes we take. They give the time for visiting and sharing the ordinary events in our days while at the same time keeping us moving along.

I like the reminiscing about past reunions and having others recall incidents I had forgotten. I'm not sure what really happened but the different versions are interesting. Anyway these past 37 reunions have flown by and I'm glad we still have many more facing us.

My mom and I came home via White Pass with Jeff driving and Nancy also a passenger. We stopped at Tatoosh Meadows to check it out for next year. It is on line if you want to check it out. It might have been nice once upon a time but it is too small for our group anyway. We just need accommodations for 45 people with lots of room for activities.

It sounds like Leslie and Darren were the last to leave and then the first to return an hour later when they realized that the X Box had been forgotten at Cedar Ridge.

Cyd Gets the Big News!

Cyd's Big News

My # Friday was 416. Today it is 1053. They said I am definitely pregnant
and there could be multiples given the amount of the rise but not to count
on it or assume anything because a lot can happen.

They will do the ultra sound around June 8th or 9th. Then they can hear the
heart beat and tell how many and how things are going.

My due date is Jan. 26th.

I have to continue the shots until June 30th.

I guess that's about it. I feel fine today.

Potluck

The word itself just gives me this icky feeling. It means I have to go through recipes to determine a dish fit for the occasion and the dish needs to make an impression yet not be too difficult to prepare. This can sometimes take a good deal of time. Next I always need to go to the grocery store and get the ingredients and maybe purchase some kind of container for the dish. If I don't take a container to leave I then have to take the half eaten dish home or else take the dirty dish home in my car.

I know I should just follow Judy's consistent response to potluck invitations but it sounds so cold and unfriendly, "Sorry, I don't do potlucks." I may get myself to this point one day soon however. This week started with a trip to Warden and I suggested Barb, Sandy and I get together for coffee at the Corral. Then Barb invited us to her house and Sandy said she'd bring something, Ken would make abelskivers, and then I knew I should offer to bring something. As soon as I hung up the phone I was grumbling and fussing about the dish to bring to lunch. It did require a trip to the store in Spokane and then I came home to make salad dressing as I knew I had the proper ingredients. I did forget about the two tablespoons of milk until the dressing was in the shaker and it was late enough at night so that I would not go back to the store since I had no milk. I substituted soy milk and I still wonder if the dressing had a weird taste. I did get to shop at Town and Country in Warden to get lettuce and we did have a nice lunch.

Tonight is a potluck for Habitat for Humanity prospective home owners and the selection committee. I found a new cake recipe with coffee, sour cream and chunky chocolate ingredients and made the cake in 10 minutes. However I've been in this group for only three months and had two potlucks so far so it may not be the place I want to volunteer and it wouldn't be because I don't like the Habitat concept of providing homes for needy people. However if the cake gets raves and requests for the recipe I may just come home and start searching for the next fantastic potluck dish.

Lilac Time

We have lived in this same house for 33 years and one of the perks is having the Ferris High School band practice up and down our street when it is time for the Lilac Parade. All the neighbors stand in their front yard and watch the band. I never thought about how nice it would be to watch it with a grandson but this year his enthusiasm for the band makes it all the more special.

He loves the drums, the music and the marching. Since the parade is at night this is all he will get to see this year but he did go to the Kid's parade last week so that should count for something.

This week I finished three pillows for the couch which is no big deal except for the fact that I have been meaning to sew them for more than six months. I also planted some flowers and sprayed some weeds so the yard is kind of in shape. Then I bought clip-on bicycle pedals and shoes and yesterday I put them on the bike and went riding. I only fell once when I couldn't disengage the shoe from the pedal. I have black shoes with black socks so I hope I looked like a real bicyclist when I fell over. I do think they allow me to go faster with less effort so that is good.

These items had to be completed before I can start on the Memorial Day albums that I offered to keep updated. I think I offered after several days of drinking the Hogue Cellars wine many Memorial Days ago. I have photos in piles waiting along with lots of scrapbooking materials so I hope this week I actually get started on them. I really prefer photos on CD's but these albums sometime get looked at since they were before the computer age.

Today I'm going to breakfast with an old friend who just recently lost her husband. We have started having breakfast together on Saturday morning and it's fun so far. Kristen, Aileen's daughter from the University of Idaho is coming here this morning and will go to lunch with all of us before she leaves to Anchorage for the summer. This will entertain my mom for a few hours and then Lucas is staying overnight tonight which keeps me entertained too.

Toys

The Bounce Castle is Grandma's Folly as it is the most impractical item I could add to my backyard. I am not adhering to my policy to simplify my life by not purchasing new items and especially new items that need care. This castle cannot be left outside so after each use it needs to be deflated and stored. This would be fine except for the fact that I cannot carry it by myself and it is not small enough to put in any area smaller in size than a large SUV trunk.

But Lucas does like it which is all that really matters. Somehow the photo of Lucas and his found driftwood gun popped up on this blog. We do not talk about guns, look at guns or have any guns around anywhere. However this two year old picked up the piece of driftwood, gripped it like a gun and then shouted, "Bang, bang!" We can only blame daycare because it appears the NRA has a future member.

This week the sprinkler system is ready to go, the menu for Memorial Day is out, and my mom's checks went to the bank as usual. She suggested Monday that she just pay me the rent she now pays for her apartment and then move in with me. I assured her that she needed to be in her apartment near other people her age so that she can enjoy pinochle, bridge and bingo. She has stopped walking to any stores, the bank or her beauty shop but she still gets herself to church every Sunday.

I've been spending an unusual amount of time in the presence of other senior citizens this past week. Anna Marie cites a study that suggests that younger people who hang out with older folks tend to take on those characteristics so that the younger folks walk more slowly, bend over and shuffle after spending time with older seniors. I've got to change my ways while I can still sort of walk quickly and stand up straight.

Lucas holding a piece of driftwood

Lucas in his Bounce Castle