Week Before Last

Family.  That's mostly what we did for a week plus.  And it was GREAT!  I don't get to see much of my kindred (my Mom and siblings and all the attendant family members therein) on much more than a yearly basis.  So it was very nice to get to hang out with various family members and eat with them!  (Eating is always good.)  And we told stories.  Fun, silly stuff we remembered from when we were all ages younger.  It was a good time.

I loved the scenery as we drove to and from Utah.  And the cooler, dryer temperatures that were further out west.  Past Texas.  In Texas it was H-O-T, hot!  And the wind blew.  Gales.  It seemed.  In Childress, Texas, it was H-O-T, hot AND the wind blew hot, too.  Whew.  (Now we're back home and just melting in the near 100 degrees during the day and 80 degrees something right now--just before midnight.)

In contrast, I was absolutely SHOCKED by the lush green in Price Canyon Utah.  In all my 60+ years, I don't remember EVER seeing such lush green vegetation in June in that canyon!!!!!!!!! Usually there's lots of brown, dry grass, bushes, stuff!   It was green, beautiful green everywhere!  Everywhere except where the rocks were bare.  Of course.  And I'm sure I've mentioned once or a jillion times how much I LOVE to see the Rockies.  Something in my very blood just swells at the beauty of those mountains and valleys, the rivers, the ancient lava cracks and flows here and there beside the road.

Nature just fascinates me.  One of these days I got to take some geology classes--in the Rockies, naturally.  There is such variety in types of rocks . . . the color of rocks, solid rocks, smooth rocks, crumbly rocks, cool layers of sedimentary rocks with what looks like veins of black coal, or green oxidized copper, or red sandstone, and on and on.  It's overwhelming.  And yet, I remember hearing someone say to me after her second trip to the mountains out west:  "I don't know what the big deal is.  If you've seen one rock, you've seen them all."  Ouch!  My perspective is so very different! 

I have a picture of the clan, or a small portion thereof, that my SIL took one evening as we gathered. (That's all of us that were together that evening.)

Mom's hair is its natural color with just a little white close to her face.  Just so you know.  She's very proud of that fact.  She's the oldest of 5 and ALL her siblings were solid white years ago.  In fact, her baby sister began going white at 17 years of age, and was solid white by 35.  My older sister and I are the only girls that let our "white hair" be white.  I'm not sayin' if either of the other sisters is white or not.  I don't know for sure.  I think some of the brothers are showing a little white here and there, however.

My Sister-In-Law was so sweet to take such good care of us while we stayed at their house and she organized and took all the fun fotos!

This one includes my Mom, me, my Oldest Younger Sis, one of her grandsons, and that's our Baby Sis hiding behind her hair.

We are a silly bunch, as you can see.  On the sofa you see Baby Sister, Next Older Sister, Mom and Me--I'm the shortest of us all, in case you're wondering, #2 in birth order and Sisters.  Oldest Brother and Youngest Brother (Baby of the Family--which he loudly and consistently disclaims) are behind we women folk. There are 2 more brothers missing and the Oldest Sister, not to mention all the Step-siblings and the vast array, i.e. multitude of offspring related to all of us!  I've lost count of how many of us there are.  It's well over 100 and includes 5 generations.  Aren't we a good looking lot, though. ; P  Family is great!

Something New, Something Blue

Okay. I'm trying out something new. And it's blue. Change is good . . . Right? Well, change is always happening around us, so here I go. I'm changing the looks of things around here. That's it.

Oh, and I'm getting a brand new refrigerator on Friday. I think. I absolutely hate to let the old one go. I mean, it's been part of this family longer than three of my four children! Seriously--and we're talking more than 30 years, okay?

I've coaxed it, cleaned it, called the repairman about once a year for the last three years or more, but it was so faithful for so long--and it's actually larger than the one that's replacing it. On Friday. Sigh. My children tell me I have to learn to let go. Hmmmmm. I wonder.

I've let each of them "go" out on their own. Every last one of them. And at some time or another, they've each come back. Hmmmmmm. Does that mean . . . that this fridge will follow that pattern . . . you know . . . since it's been in the family longer. No. Nuh, uh. Surely not. There will be no room for it. And, and, and, well. You know. It's NOT my CHILD, after all.

Old refrigerator friend, you were outstanding. You kept tons, tons of food cold or frozen for over 30 years. Except, you know, for those few times I didn't quite get you defrosted like I should have when the frost-free coils froze up solid. Then I had to deconstruct your freezing compartment and melt the built-up ice with my hair dryer and reconstruct your innards, or some of them and you'd perk along nicely, until about a month ago. I suppose you just got tired. You've be resting for two weeks now. Oh, how faithful you have been. Thank you from the bottom of my heart--and pocket book. That less than $300 we invested all those years ago were worth far more than than we could have possibly imagined at the time.

Now if appliances were designed and built to last like you were. What a wonderful world this would be. We'll miss you. *Sniff*

Look Who Came to Grandma's

This precious little package, "Baby Cakes" according to her three cousins, came to visit along with her Mom and Dad a couple of weeks ago.
None of us will be the same! She was just delightful.

Little Britches here is trying to share his most favorite lovey with her. That's a serious indicator of his affection for this tiny, sweet cousin of his. And his big sister, Miss Noodle, loved every opportunity afforded her to "mother" her baby cousin with loads of affection.

See how happy Miss Noodle is to "babysit"?

Grandma will never be a professional photographer because she clicks the shutter just before or after the cutest expressions. These pictures might not do Baby Cakes justice. (And, of course, I'm not prejudiced in my thoughts of how cute and adorable my grandchildren are. Never. Ever.)

Grandpa is performing his familial duty--a tradition of the grandfathers in his family--giving the grandbabies their first chicken bone to gnaw. I've never seen one who didn't relish the treat. It works so well for teething babies. Baby Cakes wanted more. Her Auntie, mother of the older 3 grandchildren, had done such a good job of removing most of the goodies from the bone, that little but great fried chicken flavor was left for BC to enjoy.

"Grandpa, it's yummy. Thanks. But, I want more.
My tummy IS NOT getting full, just so ya know!"

Can you tell how much BC's mom adores her? Well, it pretty much a mutual love.
We can testify that they love each other. Bunches.

Missing male cousin, Young Chef, and BC's daddy are floating around in the picture folders somewhere. I'll try to fish them out one day . . . soon??? Or maybe not so soon. My calendar is so full. But I love them both very much! They just didn't get in front of the camera much.

Currently all grandchildren have left us to weep and wail at their absence. We miss each of them so much when they're gone. The quiet is refreshing, but also a little empty. *Sigh*