That sweet baby and a few other things

I admit I am almost obsessed with little great-grandson Elizer!  And I haven't even met him in person yet!    Here are the pictures Destiny has sent me since I posted on Wednesday.  Enjoy!

Getting a look at his mommy!

Going home on Thursday.

She sent me this one this morning.  Look at that precious little face!!!  

Today we FaceTimed and I took this screen shot.  He is absolutely delicious!!

And now while I'm at it, I'll post a few more pics.  Dick wanted me to see the new ladder he built in his hunting shack, so after I dropped Anthony and Lori's dinner off with them, I joined Dick in the shack.  Boy, that almost sounds romantic, hahaha!!  Getting up there most certainly was not!  I hate heights, so even though the ladder is very sturdy, I still did not enjoy the process of getting up or down.  It IS nice up there I must say.

I never noticed this duck on top of Anthony's barn before!

I never tire of this sight.

I did some shopping at Target on the way home and then saw this sunset as I was driving!  I turned into airport park to get this picture.  

Meanwhile at home, Dick took this one!!

Now a few other grandchildren pictures.  Here's one Lori posted on Facebook.  Every time someone comments on it,  it shows up in my newsfeed and makes me smile all over again.  

This was Sophie and Lisa on the first day of school at Calvary Christian High School this week.   Lisa has been having a lot of fun decorating face shields for herself.  She is hilarious.

And here are Sammy and Bianca in the river this evening!  Because we are desperate for rain here in Central PA, the water level is very low.  In fact, I saw on Facebook that the Millersburg Ferry that we rode the other week got stuck on a rock today.  They will likely have to close down until we get rain and the water level goes up.  

Have a great weekend!

Precious sister time; GREATgrandchild!

I just went outside to check my flowers a while ago and was surprised how cool it felt.  72 degrees feels almost cold after the extreme heat we've had so much of this summer.  I'm so excited that we finally have sunflowers blooming, and also that our tiny new knockout rose is starting to take off at last.  

But look at our dry grass!  We need rain so very badly!

My Lancaster County sisters finally came to my house on Friday and Saturday!  We had set a few weekend dates for their annual visit which needed to be canceled due to COVID concerns.  This was our third try, and we decided to go ahead and be as careful as possible.  

They arrived right around lunch time on Friday, and I had ordered pizza to be delivered.  After lunch and lots of chatter, they relaxed and we talked and talked some more as I worked on prepping dinner for Anthony and Lori and for us.  I love that my kitchen has this "window" so I can keep up with the conversations while I'm working!  I hate to miss anything!

Later in the afternoon we took dinner (roasted sausage, veggies, and sweet potatoes) over to Anthony and Lori's place.  We sat by the pond for a while, but it soon was too hot to be enjoyable.  On the way back home we stopped at Wegmans for a few things.

We ate dinner on the side porch and sat out there talking till the bugs were biting.  But none of us took any pictures.  Then we came in and watched a really funny movie called "Guess Who."  It was great to have some good laughs when there are so many troubling things.

In the morning we enjoyed coffee on the porch in our pajamas.  Mary Ellen took this picture of Doris and me.  I wish we had gotten one of all three of us.

After we got ourselves cleaned up and prettied up we went downtown to Sowers Harvest Cafe for brunch.  We had scrumptious food, really good coffee, and more great converstions.

From there we went to the arboretum for a very relaxing stroll.  

After we finished there we came home and sat for quite a while on the front porch.  We also looked at some of my old pictures from the days when we were the oldest three at home, after our brother and our oldest sister had married and left home.  We had some good laughs over them.   

And then they packed up to go home.  A shorter weekend than usual, but we had gotten in the most important things we always look forward to.  

On Sunday morning we had our outdoor service.  I always take a picture during the service for the church's Facebook page.  This time, as I was taking the picture from the cemetery across the road, I heard the sounds of the Westminster Chime song that plays every day at 10:00 AM from the airport.  Each Sunday when it starts I always think, "I should record that sometime."  So when I heard it this time, I quickly switched my camera to video mode.  You can hear it faintly in the distance. 

We took it easy the rest of the day Sunday. 

On Monday evening when I went outside to water the flowers I noticed our very first sunflower.  I was so excited!  I also said goodbye to our last lily.  I really, really hate to see them all gone. I was happy to see that my coleus are growing nicely in their shady corner.  The lower right picture was taken Monday morning.  Again, you can see how dry our grass is. 

Yesterday was an exciting day!  Destiny and Alex's baby boy was born at 12:23 PM, weighing in at 6 pounds, 8 ounces, and 18 inches long.  He's a tiny one, healthy and perfect!  His name is Elizer Yamil Andino.   I absolutely cannot get enough pictures of him, and I can't stop looking at them!!

Some Daddy-son time.

Because of COVID restrictions they are not allowed any visitors.  They'll be going home tomorrow.  I'm hoping to get to see him on Saturday for a little while.  

And one last picture that I took this morning.  I'm glad that the sun is no longer full blast when I get up at 6:15.  But I am not looking forward to dark mornings and evenings either.  I need to stop thinking about it and enjoy what's left of summer daylight!

Have a good rest of the week!

A wonderful weekend

Another week has gone by, and here we are almost in the middle of August!!   We had lovely pink skies this evening. 

Is anyone else struggling with some aspects of the new Blogger?  My biggest gripe is that I used to be able to just drag and drop my pictures from Photos into my blog post.  Maybe they decided they didn't want it to be that easy for us MAC users who don't use Google Photos.  The part that bugs me even more is that there are some pictures that are definitely in Photos here on my computer, but they are missing when I open the "insert image" feature here in Blogger.  Guess I should file a complaint.  I haven't even looked if that is a possibility. 

This was probably the busiest week I've had since March.  On Thursday I sat on the side porch in my pj's and got lots of things done.  I did some mending, talking on the phone with our step mothers, and listening to some older worship songs from the 90's that really fill my soul.  Later I washed all our many kitchen windows, in and out.  For some reason the top half of our windows do not tilt in, so I have to wash the outside of them by standing on a ladder.  Not my favorite thing, but I got it done.  I love clean windows that you can't even see. 

 

After cooking for Anthony and Lori on Friday and getting groceries, I made these cute egg muffins.  I knew we would have two big days on the weekend, and I wanted to make sure there would be something ready for a quick breakfast that was suitable for Dick's diet.  

On Saturday morning we left the house around 8:30 and drove to Lancaster County.  We were going to the drive-through family visitation for Dick's cousin Gloria's husband.  Bless Gloria's heart!  They had had a funeral and burial in Honduras where DeLynn died (sudden heart attack), then she flew to her home area in Ohio, where they had a memorial service.  Then she came to PA, DeLynn's home area, and had this drive-through event.  She posted Saturday evening that she had hit a brick wall.  I think she is vacationing with family at a lake this week, and I'm really, really glad.  At some point she and her daughter and son-in-law will be returning to their home in Costa Rica, and there will be another big memorial service there.  She said that returning without him will be when she needs the most prayer.  My heart aches so very much for her.  He was an amazing man, with a tremendous impact on many, many people all over Central and North America and probably beyond.  

From there we went to drop off some baby gifts from GBRV with Destiny and Alex.  I got to see the nursery!  Alex's dad had sent me the picture of them putting the crib together last week.  She's really ready!  

From there we drove to Manheim and stopped to see Dad Stauffer's gravestone.  As we looked at it I noticed that 2020 had been engraved into it, and I said, "Well, there it is.  2020."  For whatever reason it brought tears to our eyes.  It felt so final that he really is no longer here.  

Then we went to Pleasant View Communities and had a delightful porch visit with Grandma Arlene.  We had not seen her in so long. 

From there we drove to Richland Christian Home for a visit with Grandma Mary.  She had to stay up on the deck and we sat below, but it was fine.  We had a really sweet time together.   She's so very eager for quarantine restrictions to be lightened.  

They had such lovely flowers there!

On Sunday morning we had the EIGHTH Sunday in a row of rain-free weather for our outdoor service at GBRV.   We really enjoy having it outdoors, although it IS a lot of work getting everything set up each week and I really don't enjoy playing the portable keyboard. 

We left right from church and drove the 1 1/2 hours to Sam's place.  It was Bianca's 6th birthday and we had very special plans.  Earlier this summer I noticed on a FB friend's post that they had gone on the Millersburg Ferry.  Dick remembered doing that when he was a kid, but I never had.  

After we picked up Sam and the kids we drove about half an hour to Millersburg.  I had a picnic lunch packed and a birthday cake, so first of all we sat at a picnic table along the riverfront and ate.  It was SO BEAUTIFUL!!!  In fact, Sammy declared that he felt like we were in a fairy tale!

When we were finished eating we waited for the ferry to arrive.  Some people chose to drive their cars onto it and go just one way, getting off on the other side of the Susquehanna River.   We decided to walk on and go round trip.  We LOVED it!!!!

Notice the white stuff on some of the walls?  We wondered what it was.  When I asked the driver he said they were hellgrammite eggs.  The he pulled out a soda bottle that had some hatched insects in it.  I said, "My grandchildren would enjoy seeing this!"  I called the kids to come over.  As soon as Sammy saw them he said, "Oh, they are hellgrammites!" All the adults were so impressed that he knew what they were.  I don't think any of us had ever heard of them!

And then we got back to Millersburg.  We were hot and decided to get some cool refreshments at the little Sweet Treats shop.  Such a beautiful place to sit!

Then we drove back toward Sam's place.  I was totally enjoying myself as I transferred my pictures from my camera to my phone and looked at all of them, and we all talked about what a great time we had had.  We needed something at an Advanced Auto Parts store, which was beyond his place, so we went there first.  When Dick came out to the car, he handed me the receipt.  I bent down to put it into my purse, which I always keep at my feet.  IT WAS NOT THERE!!! I exclaimed in disbelief, "My purse is not here!"  

We tried to think back to when I last had it.  I remembered paying for the ice cream, so I knew I had it then.  Then I remembered that I had put it on the very colorful chair which was right next to the high top table where we sat.  When I took pictures I moved my purse under our table because I didn't want it to be on that chair for the picture!  I guess when we walked to the car, and I had both my phone and my camera, I just didn't think about my purse. YIKES!!  Almost an hour had passed since we left that place!  What a horrible feeling!!  

We remembered that the place was called Sweet Treats, so I googled it and called the phone number.  The woman who answered was not there, but she said she would call the girls who were working and get back to me.  It wasn't long till she returned my call with the good news that a woman had noticed it and handed it in to the girls  And they would be open till 8:30 PM.  WHEW!!!!

So that gave us plenty of time to stop for dinner at Riverfront Bar and Grill, as we had hoped to do.  What a lovely view while eating!  Sammy was running a trivia game as we ate, this time questions about me!  He discovered that I know a lot more about me than I do about who sang what song, etc.  Every question he asked was followed with my long, storied answer!  

After we dropped them off at Sam's place we went to Millersburg to get my purse before going home.  It was even more beautiful in the evening sun!  There were a lot of people lined up at Sweet Treats when we got there.  I slid quietly past them and said to the girl at the window, "I'm the lady that forgot her purse." She handed it to me and I again slid past all those people, not making eye contact, and I was glad that my mask was providing cover, haha!  

 

That's all for this time.  Have a great rest of the week!

Pennsylvania beauty

Wednesday already!  I don't get any prize this week for posting more than once.   

These first amazing pictures were taken last Wednesday evening.  I looked out my sink window and saw this amazing cloud formation in the northern horizon.  I grabbed my camera and ran outside, but I was disappointed that I couldn't see as much of it as I stood in the back yard.   Just a little while later Pastor Lynn texted me a picture she had taken from her place a couple of miles up the road (bottom picture).  Wow!!!!  She had not even known that I had tried to get a picture of it.  

On Thursday I got a phone call from a Lancaster County friend with very sad, shocking news.  Mark Martin (age 54) had died after having a heart attack that morning.  He is pictured below with his wife Marilyn in June at their daughter's wedding.  In the lower picture he is dancing with his daughter, the bride.  

Mark and Marilyn came to Grace Community Fellowship in the late 80's as a newly married couple.  We immediately got them involved on the worship team and we had WONDERFUL times together, both fun and worshipful.  In the years since then they had ten children.  About eight years ago three of the children were killed in a car accident, which was an unbelievable sorrow to them and all the many people who loved them.  And now Marilyn has already lost Mark too.  Like one of my friends said, "How much grief does does one woman have to bear?"  Mark was a dynamic Christian and businessman and dad.  His loss will be deeply felt by many, many people.  I think three of their children are married, and three or four are still at home.  Please pray for the Martin family.

On Saturday we slept later than usual.  After I made our breakfast omelets I decided to clean the microwave.  It still had coffee splatters all over it from the time I tried to heat my coffee for 45 minutes instead of 45 seconds, lol!!  

Well, one thing led to another.  Before I knew it I was washing all my cupboards with Murphey's Oil Soap, and then I was sweeping and washing my floor.  And I still had my pj's on!  With the ugly compression stockings the doctor wants me to wear around the house!!  What a lovely sight I was!  At least I didn't have to worry that anyone would be stopping by, since people don't do that in these days of social distancing.  

I got myself cleaned up and prettied up and we went over to hang out with Anthony and Lori and the boys on the patio for a little while.  Hunter was having fun writing on the picnic table with chalk.  I asked him what he was drawing, but he was too busy to tell me.  I think he must have gotten bored with the regular alphabet and is now making up a new one!  Last week he recited the alphabet to me without any vowels, on purpose.  He did not skip a beat!  

Sunday morning we had our outdoor service at GBRV - once again, no rain!  

We came home and watched the Calvary service on our TV.  Later in the afternoon we decided to drive to Benezette in Elk County, a place we have heard many people talk about, less than two hours from here.  We knew that this is probably not prime elk-sighting season, but we didn't have anything better to do.  

At first we wondered if we might end up driving in rain and storms, but we never did. 

I was fascinated by how many United Methodist churches we passed, some in the smallest towns!

 

Eventually after much driving through valleys and over hills we got to the Benezette Visitors Center.  It's a beautiful place on a hill.

 

And we did see some Elk!  No males with big racks however. 

It was getting very windy while we were there, and they needed to close down their trails after a huge branch had fallen from a tree onto a trail.  

More pictures on our way home.  We were intrigued by some of the small town names.  

On Monday morning I finally walked.  I decided it wasn't too hot for a change, and my hip did not hurt and my feet did not hurt, so I had no excuse!  I enjoyed the flowers along the way.

When I got back home I visited my flowers.  My lilies are coming to an end, and I'm so sad to see them go this year.  But I do have some new blooms on my tiny new knockout rose bush finally!

We have blackeyed Susans, not as profuse as last year for whatever reason.  The coleus are getting bigger, and the second growth of blue salvia is almost as big as the first was, although not the beautiful deep purple the first growth had been.  

This evening on the way home from Walmart I finally had a chance to take a picture of this house.  The family who renovated it moved into it from the camper at least half a year ago.  It has a lovely front porch and side deck.  I need to go back into my files and find the first picture I took of this house when they bought it.    I'll add it later if I find it.  

What a transformation since this picture in April 2018!

Have a good rest of the week!