In the bleak midwinter....

Wow, I have a lot of catching up to do here.  

So as I said last time, we brought Elizer to Pennsylvania with us.  The day after we got home (Friday, January 31) I had a lot of catching up to do - our laundry, cooking for Anthony and Lori's family, etc.  So I told Elizer I didn't have time to play with him, he would need to play by himself.  He actually did a great job!  My house looked like a disaster by the time we left to go pick up Hunter, but that's ok.

I tried to sneak a video when I heard him at the piano.  Turns out he was quietly singing "Oh my stinky feet."  Hahahaha!

A REALLY wonderful answer to prayer took place that morning.  I have had a weight hanging over my head for weeks because I was supposed to report for jury duty on Monday morning, February 3.  I had so much anxiety about it, even though it was just here at our courthouse in Bellefonte.  Would I find a parking spot?  How far would I need to walk with my aching feet? Would I be able to go to the bathroom when necessary?  How many days or weeks might this be?  How would I keep up with the rest of my life?  

Now that our trip to Indianapolis was over, it suddenly hit me Friday morning that Monday, February 3 was just three days away.  Yikes!!!  And we were going away for the weekend!  So I called the phone number and asked the lady if there was any way I could be excused.  She wondered for what reason.  I said, "I'm 73 and I just have anxiety about the whole thing."  She wondered if I have had issues with anxiety in the past.  I said that I mostly just have anxiety about driving in unfamiliar places.  She said, "Okay, I'll excuse you, and your name will go back into the pool.  But when you're 75 you won't be required to serve anymore."  

HALLELUJAH!!!  I felt SO relieved!!!

When we picked up Hunter at school I took the boys to Get Air.  Dick came there after he got off work.   The boys had a great time, as always.

When Lori came to pick up Hunter she wanted to take a picture of Elizer.  This is what she got!

At home that evening we had to get things ready for a quick weekend getaway.  I made peanut butter rice krispie treats to take along, packed a few of Elizer's things, and a few of our things.

Saturday morning it was sunny, and Elizer thought about his bike which he had not ridden in months.  We warned him that it's really cold outside (25 degrees), but he didn't care.  

I think we hit the road for Lancaster around 11:00.  Once again Elizer was a good traveler during the 2 and 1/2 hours to his daddy and grandpa's house near Lancaster.  

I took this picture of the frozen Susquehanna River as we drove along it near Harrisburg.

After we had delivered Elizer to his daddy we went to Pleasant View Communities to visit Grandma Arlene.  Isn't she so beautiful?  93 years old - twenty years older than me.  I will be so glad if look like her in twenty years!  We had a wonderful time catching up for about an hour and a half.  

Then we went to my sister Mary Ellen's house.  She had a delicious meal ready for us.  She snapped this picture when I was unaware.  Guess I was working hard to get that little dish of cranberry relish, haha!

My sister Doris, her husband Dale, and their daughter Ellen came later.  It was SO COLD outside, Doris and Ellen didn't even want to take their coats off.  I sat down close beside her and told her we'll try to keep each other warm.  

Our plan for dessert was make-your-own sundae, of all things on such a cold evening!  I took this picture after we were finished eating. 

We slept at Mary Ellen's house and went to Manheim BIC for church on Sunday morning.  It was baby dedication Sunday, and Björn and Jess had invited us to come.  Louie was being dedicated.  There were probably six babies altogether.  We had seats right up front with Jess's family and Dick's brother Fred's family.  

After the service there was a delicious brunch served to the baby dedication families.  This little guy is SO cute and curious and friendly!!!

I had such a good time catching up with Björn as we ate together. 

Afterward we went to Björn and Jess's house to hang out for a while. Our niece Laura and her family were there too.  We had a lot of fun.  Sorry I don't have any pictures of Charlie.  He never ever sits or stands still!!  

Louie was getting sleepy.

We went back to Mary Ellen's house and took short naps and talked some more.  We decided we should have pictures before we leave.  I cracked up when I saw this picture that Dick had taken before we were ready.  

Then we drove home, getting into snow part of the way, but not too bad.  We were glad to be home again.

Nothing too exciting happened last week, just my regular cooking and music work.  On Thursday Dick came down with a cold.  He did go to choir practice that evening, but probably shouldn't have.  He really wanted to be there because the band was coming to practice for their once-a-month Sunday coming up.  

Friday morning he was worse and stayed home from work.  He had a cough and sore throat.  I had already promised Lori that we would keep Hunter that evening and overnight because Anthony was taking her to a concert.  

So Dick secluded himself to our bedroom.  We have a comfortable stuffed chair, a big TV, and private bath, so he was fine.  I kept checking in, bringing him hot tea, meds, food, etc. 

Hunter and I played Pictionary and had ice cream sundaes.  When he was ready for bed he pulled out the book "Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia" that's in the night stand in the guest room, and he wanted to read it to me.  We had so many good laughs!

On Saturday morning he wanted a bubble bath with the jets on.  I told him not to breathe when he went through our bedroom where Grandpa was.  I really did not want him to get sick!  He took a LONG bath!

  

Later Hunter and I went for groceries and Lori met us there to get her boy back.  

We started to get freezing rain that evening, and the decision was made to cancel church Sunday morning.  The second time this winter, ugh!!  But really it was ok.  Dick was not feeling any better, and he would have been so terribly disappointed to stay home when he could have been playing bass guitar with the band.  As it turns out, it suits all of them to come this coming Sunday instead.  

I stayed up and watched several episodes of Call the Midwife on Saturday evening since I would have a rare morning to sleep in.  

On Sunday I caught up on some things here at my desk.  Later I made a pot of chili.  That was our Super Bowl food with some corn bread I'd gotten on the day-old rack.  It was such a yummy combination.  

I didn't know who to root for.  I knew that I should root for the Pennsylvania team, especially since their quarterback was a Penn State grad.  My cousin Judy is a CRAZY fan of the Eagles and I joked that she would probably never talk to me again if I didn't root for them.  But I also felt loyal to Matt Nagy, one of the Chief's coaches, because he played football and basketball with our boys at Manheim Central.   

Then I noticed that my sweatshirt had some red and yellow letters, the Chief's colors.  I searched in my earring stash and came across a pair of green ones.  I decided they can show my loyalty to the Eagles.  

What a crazy game!!  The Chiefs just didn't have a chance.  

All day I was making sure Dick was taken care of.  Hot tea, water, meds, food.  I admit I am always terrified of a cough getting in the chest  because of my brother.  On top of it all, he got pink eye. 

On Monday morning he went to Urgent Care.  They gave him eye drops.  They checked him out and said his lungs were clear.  He stayed home the rest of the day. 

This morning he went to work.  He's not coughing much at all this evening.  But that eye looks so awful.  

Well, this was a really, really long post.  But now I am caught up - till next time!