I did go outside and pull lots of weeds last Tuesday, as I said I would, after I finished my last post. It was really hot and I felt like a farmer! Except I took lots of breaks on the porch. I started to feel like this place, small as it is, is getting to be too much for our old bodies to keep up with. I think I took this picture before I had started weeding between the arborvitae. We have SO MANY, and we plan to mulch between them, so I needed to get rid of the weeks first.
It was nice to sit on the front porch in the evening. I took this picture at 8:45 pm!! I LOVE May and June and July evenings.
On Wednesday I made Sausage, Macaroni, & Zucchini Bolognese - a Hello Fresh recipe. I picked up Hunter from school on my way to taking food to their place. Dick and I were planning on going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Our church was participating in their Dine to Donate. When Hunter heard that we were doing that he really wanted to go with us. That was ok with Anthony and Lori. He was so fun to be with. While in the car he had us playing games with him. At the restaurant he did every activity on the kid placemat.
Here's a picture I took after choir practice Thursday evening. What a perfect place for the picture of Jesus. I thought of the lyrics of the song the choir has sung, "Jesus at the center of it all...."
Friday was Anthony and Lori's 21st anniversary. I made this collage for my Facebook anniversary wishes.
Hunter was here for the evening while they had their anniversary dinner. Dick and I worked outside. I told Hunter he could go down to the playground behind our house. I was diligently pulling weeds at the shed and after a while thought I should look down to be sure Hunter was ok. He wasn't there!!! I called for him. No answer! I thought there is no way someone would have taken him or that he would have walked away. We called and called. I went into the house and there he was on the sofa watching TV!! Somehow he had walked past us without either of us noticing! Whew!!
After we came inside Hunter and I had fun playing Scrabble. We learned some new words too!
On Saturday Dick and I worked outside some more. Dick was using a pressure washer on the baptismal font that we had gotten from the Houserville church. They no longer use it, and we will be using it at our church on June 9.
I told Pastor Jim I think this would be a nice bird bath!
While he was at it with the pressure washer Dick started doing all the porch chairs and the front porch. I couldn't believe it. Every year I scrub those white chairs with clorox, and he got the worst of the winter dirt off with a pressure washer!
Here are some pictures of our flowers that day. We're having trouble with bugs on the roses, so Dick sprayed them.
Later Dick and I went to Home Depot to look at brick edging. We didn't buy anything. He has a friend that has a lot of them and he wants to check those out. Back at home I finished my music prep for Sunday and made a pan of peanut butter rice krispie treats.
On Sunday morning Rev. Emmanuel Pewa preached. He is a pastor in Sierre Leone and is in the US for a few weeks. I'll show a picture of him later in this post. Our choir sang this song - Amazing Grace Medley. We are far, far from professional. My best tenor couldn't sing because of a sore throat, and my really strong alto was missing. My "Mennonite" ear needs four-part harmony, but I know the Lord loves a joyful noise, and this choir indeed makes a joyful noise!
After church Dick and I headed for Lancaster County. My sister Barb and her husband John were in the area from Idaho and we were having a sibling gathering at Mary Ellen's house.
But first we stopped at the home of one of my former students - Hillary Snavely. She had offered flower plants on FB Marketplace and I was buying some. It was so fun to meet her husband for the first time and also her 3-year-old daughter. Her little guy was napping so we didn't get to see him. After we left her place we passed our former farmhouse that we had owned for 18 years. Many lovely updates, but one thing is still the same - that old fashioned pump over top of an old well cover. I used to plant impatiens in it.
At Mary Ellen's we had a GREAT time!! Here we are at the dinner table.
Later we ladies sat on her lovely patio and talked and talked and talked. Our brother's wife Nancy was with us and Doris's daughter Ellen.
Four sisters - me, Barb, and Mary Ellen standing; Doris sitting on the rocker. Of course Betty in New Hampshire and Rose in S. Carolina were not there. We sisters will all be together for a weekend in July.
And we sang, of course. Our Witmer singing never sounds as good without Barb and John, so I didn't want to miss the chance. Afterward John said, "I'm not used to looking at music anymore." That is indeed the very sad part of posting lyrics on screens, as we do at our church too.
Around 7:00 Dick and I said our goodbyes and started our drive home. We got home at 10:00. But that was ok - no reason to get up early Monday morning.
Monday morning (Memorial Day) was rainy. I got my music plans made for this coming Sunday. Dick was putting up blinds. I had gotten new mini-blinds for all the kitchen windows (5 of them!) and the dining room window.
I looked at my long list of things that should be taken care of. I decided that putting my choir music back into order was the most necessary and do-able. For the past two years I have mostly just been putting music on stacks after the choir has finished singing a song. It drove me crazy, but I just didn't have time to keep up. So Monday was the day. After I emptied out my choir cupboard and all the things on top of it I felt completely overwhelmed. There were things in there I didn't even know I had. Plus music from other eras of my life. There were music folders covering my dining room table and my whole office floor. I felt like throwing everything away.
And that did not include my stuffed full piano bench and the stacks of piano books on top of the piano. And the bookcase of binders filled with praise and worship songs for various instruments from all the churches I have served. And hymnals that seem to come my way constantly. People getting rid of song books just think of me it seems. I didn't even touch the bookcase on Monday.
I took a break and then got back at it. I did throw some things away. I got all the choir music put back into their folders and organized in alphabetical order. A filing cabinet would serve the purpose better, but my filing cabinet is too full of other things that need to be gone through and disposed of.
The sun came out late afternoon and we decided to make our first fire of the season. It was just the two of us, but it was wonderful. We made scrumptious burgers and had time to just sit and enjoy the lovely quiet evening.
Destiny, Ozzy and Elizer went fishing in a stream both Sunday and Monday. We talked on the phone and Facetimed, but I didn't get any pictures of Elizer. I was glad they were doing something so fun with him.
Now I said I would show you a picture of Rev. Pewa from Sierra Leone. Pastor Jim took him to Berkey Creamery at Penn State on Monday. I think he liked it! Their ice cream is truly the best!!
I gotta finish this and go to bed soon. One more thing - the new bonding between Austin and me. He sends me videos of the songs he's working on. This one was last evening. I just love that he loves piano so much, even if he's not learning the traditional way. He's on the autism spectrum, and he learns differently. He's obviously extremely gifted being able to learn things by watching a video and then by ear. His smile with those dimples just melts me.
Actually, one MORE thing. This picture was on Elizer's preschool FB page today - Show and Tell. I miss him.
Did I show you the flowers Dick gave me for Mother's Day? There actually were three red roses, but I didn't take a picture until after I had to throw two of them out. I love them so much!
Last week Lori was away on a work trip (in Panama!). I helped Anthony out by taking Hunter to school each morning and picking him up from his after-school program. He is such a fun kid! We played lots of games as we drove - the alphabet game, the "I Spy" game, the "I'm going on a trip" game.
He loved going to this park near their place, because he has met a few kids there that he likes to "play" with. Mostly he talks the whole time and loves when people think he's funny. LOL!!
Thursday was a gorgeous day on that hill. He met a few new kids while we were there. Then I took him home. We had choir practice in the evening.
On Friday morning after I took Hunter to school I went for some groceries. I was amused by these ducks!! It looked like they couldn't agree on where they were going.
I made a new BBQ chicken recipe that day. I picked Dick up at work when he got off at 5:00, we went to Hunter's school and picked him up, then we went to the playground near their place and give him ten minutes to play. There were a few kids there that he hadn't met before, but he had fun impressing them with his humor, lol! It had turned very cool and cloudy that afternoon and started raining lightly just as his ten minutes were up.
After we took him home we drove to our "halfway point" near Harrisburg to meet Destiny and Ozzy. We were getting Elizer for the weekend. We got him a cheeseburger at the Hardees drive-through where we met. He fell asleep on our way back home - soon after 8:30. I thought, "Oh no, this is going to be a late night for me." I assumed he would wake up when we got home. I was wrong! He went right back to sleep on the couch. Later I took him to the bathroom to pee, I put a pull-up on him and put him in the guest room bed. He went right back to sleep.
I slept in on Saturday morning and was awakened at 7:30 am by a little boy standing next to my bed saying, "Hi Grandma, it's wake-up time." Melt my heart!
It was a dreary morning outside. Grandpa and Elizer had a lot of fun building with the Lego blocks and then the marble roller.
When there was a lull in the rain they went outside because Elizer wanted to ride his "wheeler."
After lunch we went to pick up Hunter and took the boys to Get Air.
By the time we took Hunter home the sun had come out and I was able to get some beautiful pictures of their rhododendrons.
When we got home it was really sunny and warm. We decided it was too wet to start a fire, so we settled for grilled hot dogs and eating on the side porch. First time for this year and I loved it!! We have had such cool, rainy weekends this spring.
We went to church Sunday morning. The choir did the song "Never Once." This arrangement of the song had a verse of "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" in the middle of it. The lyrics of those two songs were a powerful testimony to what we have experienced in the last year of building our new church.
One of my choir members had a gift for me. I CRACKED UP when I saw it!!! That is an issue at practice many times!
When we came home from church it was too beautiful to be inside the house. So we sat on the porch for a while. Of course Elizer did not sit.
This arrangement that Anthony and Lori gave me for Mother's Day is SO beautiful!
After we ate some leftovers for lunch we loaded up both of Elizer's bikes and went to "airport" park. Anthony dropped Hunter off. Elizer had fun riding his little bike and Hunter had fun riding Elizer's new bike. Both of them were a bit too big for the bike they were riding, but they didn't care.
Next step will be teaching them to ride without training wheels. Ugh. I'm not sure where we would do that. Anthony and Lori's place is on steep hill. Our place is right on the street.
Another picture of the rhododendrons when we took Hunter home.
Destiny and Ozzy came all the way to our place to pick up Elizer that evening. They didn't have time to stay, so we pretty much said "hi" and "goodbye."
We are having SUMMER!! And I love it!!
Monday morning I had to get some things at Walmart. Would you believe that someone with an identical van to mine parked right beside me while I was shopping. When I came outside, I somehow walked right past my own van and opened the back hatch door of the second one. I immediately realized that that wasn't my stuff in there. I quickly shut it and looked around. Lo and behold, there was my van right beside it. I'm really glad no alarm went off. And I'm pretty sure no one saw what I did. When I pushed my cart to the cart return I looked around before I took this picture.
Monday evening our women's group had a mountain pie party. The weather was PERFECT.
Once again, with no one to pick up or take anywhere this week, I am struggling with motivation. It's not that I don't have a long list of things to do. It's that those things do not have deadlines.
I had a dentist appointment this morning (Tuesday) and afterward strolled through Michaels and Home Goods. I didn't buy one thing. I'm always looking for things in colors that are apparently no longer in vogue. And everything is so overpriced.
Well, that's enough complaining. It's a hot summer day, which I LOVE, and now I'm going outside to do some weeding.
Sophie was at the ACC Outdoor competition in Atlanta last weekend, and she did really well as a freshman! We got to watch her 100 meter dash on Friday evening. I got the following pictures and stats from the Canestrack Instagram page.
On Saturday evening she was in a 4x100 relay, and her team came in 4th.
Later she was in the 100 meter finals and did amazing!!
On Saturday evening we were invited to the home of friends from church for dinner. We had the nicest time getting to know each other better. We really don't do that kind of thing very often at all. I forgot to take pictures.
I took this screen shot from the video of our worship service on Sunday morning. Notice how flute player Brenna's dress matches the light around the cross! After the service was over a man came front and asked if we had noticed that, and of course we had not. Maybe whoever has control of the light around the cross did that on purpose?
Here's an abbreviated video one of my friends took during our choir song. We sang a version of "Jesus Loves Me" that alternates between two melodies and then combines the two. We had the kids come up and sing with us.
After church we were home by ourselves for a few hours. I had ordered a new blind for the kitchen, just one to be sure it was the right size and that I liked it before ordering more. Dick installed it. I liked it and ordered more.
Then we went to pick up an order of BBQ from Prospectors Rib Co. Anthony and Austin came for the evening. Lori and Hunter went to her mother's apartment.
Austin went straight to the piano. He had become obsessed with trying to play a song, "Rush E," along with a video. We could hardly get him to take time to eat!
Anthony brought me two outdoor plants. Here's a picture of one of them. Isn't it gorgeous??
I heard from each of our seven kids that day. SO SPECIAL!!!
Later I heard from Destiny. She and Ozzy had taken Elizer to an aquarium in Philly. She sent me so many amazing pictures and videos. I know he had so much fun, and that makes me so happy.
I took this screen shot from a video she sent me to show how they were surrounded by the sea!
This week I've been helping Anthony out while Lori is away on a work trip - to Panama!! She'll be back tomorrow night.
On Monday after I picked Hunter up from school we went to their place so he could feed his fish. He has four of them, and they each have a name, but I can't remember them.
I took these pictures outside.
I took Hunter to the playground near their place, and he had fun with the other kids that were there, some the same as last week. He is a TALKER!!! And a comedian. It is so interesting to listen to him in a setting like that.
My irises are really showing off this week. Aren't they the prettiest things??
On Tuesday evening Dick and I drove down to Duncannon for Sammy and Bianca's Spring concert.
Tall, handsome 6th grader and beautiful 4th grader with their mama Jenn....
...with daddy Sam and Steph....
...and with Grandpa and "Mahna."
Bianca plays clarinet with the 4th grade band. God bless that director!!
She also sings in the 4th grade chorus. They were so good!! It really made me miss my music teacher days.
Sammy plays percussion with the 5th and 6th grade band. You can see him in the back.
And here he's on the far left.
On Wednesday I picked Hunter up from school and took him to the park again. It was really cloudy, felt like it could start raining any time. There were no other kids there this time, but we still had fun playing guessing games while we walked and he flew high on the swings.
When I took him home I picked up Austin and brought him to our house to play my piano. This boy is gifted, as we have already known. That song, Rush E, that he was trying to learn on Sunday when they were here for Mother's Day, now sounds like this!!! He NEVER played piano before. Since Sunday, Anthony has brought his portable keyboard from his studio in the barn up to the house for Austin to practice on.
And here's an adorable picture from Elizer's new preschool FB page. Can you find him? He's doing really well there, and we're so happy about that!
Destiny is feeling the time crunch of needing to keep up with all the reading for her class at the American Barber and Beauty School, plus all the other aspects of real life. We are praying that there will be a summer childcare slot available for Elizer at this same school.
