On Friday morning I was hurrying to get the last cleaning done as I kept up to date with my sisters' trip from Lancaster County. When they arrived right around noon I was ready and waiting for them on my front porch. (I sat there on purpose because last year they arrived here before I got home from Anthony and Lori's place. They were sitting on the porch and I did not notice them there. I must have been taking my good old time gathering up all my stuff in my car, having no idea they were watching me, and by the time I did they were bursting with giggles.) So this time I was hoping they would not notice me, but they did before they even pulled into my driveway and were already laughing their heads off when they got out of the car. It doesn't take much to amuse us, as you can tell, hahaha!
First thing on our agenda was lunch at our beloved little Sowers Harvest Cafe. We got our favorite table again in front of the big picture that makes us feel like we're eating at a sidewalk cafe in Italy!
From there we went over to Anthony and Lori's to be with Austin when he got home from school. Before he got there, Anthony took Doris and Mary Ellen on a tour of his Texas Blues Alley barn. I stayed on the main floor to watch for Austin's van, so I did not get pictures of the lower and upper floors. But I took a few of the main floor where he makes his videos (see the big cameras hanging from the ceiling) and where we watch football, etc on the big screen.
When Austin got home we of course decided to go down to the pond, but first of all Mary Ellen wanted to try out the swing. She did great! Then Austin showed her how it's really done!
We tried the other swing too, all three of us! Austin obliged and took our picture. Bless him, it was like being with three grandmas at once, hahaha!
At the pond we were happy to let Austin trek all around it with his net while we sat on the bench and enjoyed the glorious sunshine and breeze. To have good weather on our sister weekend is a rare occurrence and we were basking in it! Eventually that umbrella went up. It was actually getting hot!
Later we went up to the house and enjoyed some time on the porch. I think Mary Ellen might have caught a few zzzz's!
After we left their place we stopped at Wegmans for some groceries, then went to my house. I made Spanish Country Soup (a lot like Italian Wedding Soup) and we ate that with some crusty bread we'd gotten at Wegmans.
After our late dinner we went to my computer for a while so I could show them the pictures of some of our Witmer cousins' adult children that I had found in my Facebook searches. We have so many relatives all over the country that we do not know. The Witmer family (from our grandparents down) numbers over 1000 people, I think.
Our entertainment that evening was Mamma Mia! (the first one). I had never seen that movie, and just recently a friend had loaned me the DVD. We got lots of good laughs. Gotta love Meryl Streep! And some good couches and some good sisters to giggle with. Dick was sleeping over at the guest apartment at Anthony and Lori's.
In the morning I made my bacon, eggs and hash brown scramble. Eventually we got ourselves showered and dressed for the day. Our first order of business was a walk through the arboretum. In lovely sunny weather!! Woohoo!! Last year we were freezing (in May!) when we went there. Two years ago we couldn't even go because of the cold wind and rain (also in May!)
So here are a bunch of photos I took.
Of course we need to document every place we go and everything we do with a sister picture!
I CRACKED UP when I saw this picture taken by Mary Ellen!!! I have no idea what was going on here. I can't remember being mad about anything, but I surely wasn't looking happy, hahaha!! I was probably saying, "Did you take a picture of me??" (Interpreted, did you take a picture of me and I wasn't even holding in my gut??)
It was mid afternoon by the time we left and quite hot. We weren't extremely hungry, but a little bit. We got the great idea of cooling off with ice cream at nearby Berkey Creamery. Last year we were freezing as we ate that ice cream, ugh! But not this time! We got a table under an umbrella, Doris with her Peachy Paterno ice cream, Mary Ellen and I with our WPSU Coffee Break cones, and we sat there soaking up all the goodness.
Then we went to Macy's at the mall. They have brought their petite department back! Mary Ellen was in her glory! I didn't really need anything, so I looked around a bit then found a seat in the shoe department and rested my weary feet. After a while Doris joined me too. When Mary Ellen came looking for a place to pay for her purchase she snapped a picture of us.
We had been thinking of going over to Anthony and Lori's to have a cookout of our own (they were at a baby shower), but we weren't in the mood for being hot and dirty. Dick was over at their place mowing and cutting down brush for a project he has in mind, and we would have needed him to make the fire, etc. Anyway, it all sounded like too much work and too hot. So we went home to my air conditioned house and lazed around inside for a while. Thanks, Mary Ellen, for this lovely picture, haha!!
Later we took a big bag of blue corn chips and a few varieties of hummus from Wegmans and some grapes with us to the side porch. There was a nice breeze and we sat out there for a long time talking and mostly laughing, I think. And trying to figure out how to make the airdrop thingy work amongst all our phones. In case you're wondering what that Swiffer mop is doing in the collage below, let me tell you! How were we going to get a good porch picture without Dick there to take it for us? I went inside to look for something that I could sit my phone on top of for a timed picture. And that's what I came up with. I propped it against the door, then propped my phone on top of it, and voila!! We got that top picture!! Where there's a will, there's a way! Actually, I kind of like how the Swiffer mop matches the chip bag, and I didn't even try that!
Dick was coming home all tired and sweaty, and I didn't want to ask him to fire up the grill, so I made our chicken breasts under the broiler. All four of us sat around the tiny kitchen table to eat our chicken breast sandwiches and potato chips. I have no idea what time it was by that time, and I don't think anyone got a picture of it.
Later we tried to watch Mary Poppins Returns, just because I have the DVD, but we were all falling asleep. So we called it a night shortly after 10 PM.
Sunday morning came soon enough anyway. We went first of all to our service at GBRV. Mary Ellen took this picture of our praise team doing the prelude. Good grief, do I have to look so grouchy??? I'm going to have to work on my resting face.
From there we went to Calvary. Here are two pictures Doris and Mary Ellen took. As you can see, it was a cooler, cloudier day.
After the service we enlisted Austin again to take pictures of the grandmas. We got some good laughs when we saw the photo bomber in the background. And also when we saw how Mary Ellen seemed to be giving Doris's sweater a disapproving glance. She most certainly did not disaprove of that beautiful sweater, so we don't know what that glance was all about.
We went to Mexicana Plaza Grill for lunch with Anthony and Lori's family. Their food is so delicious! How do you like Lori's glasses?? She looks so modern and classy! Hunter was his usual adorable self.
Then we went home so they could get packed up. I think Mary Ellen took a five minute nap. She declared that was enough! (????) Dick was there this time to take our front porch picture.
And then they were off. Another sister weekend in the books! This morning when I was waiting for my photo issues to clear up (which they did on their own eventually), I worked on a collage of pictures from all the years Doris and Mary Ellen have come to State College for sister weekends, starting in 2012. We three are the "Pennsylvania sisters." In 2015 all the sisters came, including Barb from Idaho, Betty from New Hampshire, and Rose from Georgia. Nancy, our brother's wife (also PA) was here too that time. We're looking forward to another such weekend in July at Dick and Nancy's house. Several times this weekend we mentioned how much we still miss Janet. Soon fifteen years since she left this life so suddenly in her sleep. Still so hard to believe.
Have a great rest of the week!
4 comments:
Beautiful ladies!! What fun you have! Great photos and even greater memories! Thanks for sharing!
I love that you had good weather this year! I enjoyed all the photos and can see how much fun you had together. The garden is always beautiful.
PS - anyone who knows you, knows you aren't crabby! :)
Fun to relive our wonderful weekend through your pictures and words! I love doing this and can't wait until the next time. Last week at this time.... oh well, being home is good as well =)
That looks like lots of fun. doris
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