Sister Weekend 2014

On Friday evening and Saturday morning I was a busy bee, getting food prepared and my house ready for the arrival of my sisters.  (This year I have more jobs demanding my time than I had last year, so no windows got washed this time.)  As it got close to their estimated time of arrival, I opened the curtains so I'd be able to see them drive up.  I was so excited.

The first thing we did was have an early lunch of chicken salad wraps, and then we headed out to do some shopping.  We stopped first of all at the Mommy Shoppe at Houserville House of Hope.  They were open on Saturday, so it was fun to show them the place in action, as well as seeing all my friends there.  Clothes Mentor, a very nice consignment shop, was next, and we spent a long time there.  

It was quite a chilly day, but when we came out of Clothes Mentor, the sun was shining, so we decided to go to the Arboretum next.  Whenever the sun hid behind the clouds we were freezing.  

They were setting up for a wedding.  Such a beautiful place for a wedding, but we felt sorry for them that the weather turned out to be so unseasonably cool.

We wondered what would be blooming.  We remembered the beautiful tulips last year on the first weekend of May.  We discovered that this time there was a different variety of tulips profusely blooming. 

We had to try out those lovely chairs!

We remembered last year how warm it was when we sat on the "boardwalk" and talked for a long time.   Even though we were shivering, we walked down the path and sat there.  To our great delight, the sun came out and stayed out for at least an hour.  We had another great time of sharing and trying to solve all the problems of the world.  (-:   Doris took this picture, but I promise she was sitting right there on this side of Mary Ellen the whole time.  

Then the sun hid and it looked like it might rain, so we decided it was time to leave.  Our next stop was Berkey Creamery.  It's such a popular State College spot, that it's rare to go there without there being a line out the door.   But this time, with graduation a week past and apparently no sports camps being held yet, it was not as crowded.  I got my favorite - the WPSU Coffee Break cone.  Oh. My. Goodness!!  What was I thinking?  I don't even usually have any dairy in my diet.  This had to be more ice cream than I've eaten total in the past nine months!

From there we went to Macy's at the mall.  They do not have a Macy's in Lancaster, so it's a favorite destination.  We each found some clothes we liked.  

And at last we headed home for some R&R.   I read some things from my humor file to the rest of them  as we just lazed around on the comfy sofas.  

We eventually ate dinner - taco soup with cheese and corn chips, and strawberries with dark chocolate. (Yes, we allowed Dick to join us, hahaha!)

And then a funny Tyler Perry movie with MORE food - my peanut butter rice krispy treats (which we could NOT stop eating) and guacamole with blue corn chips.  

On Sunday morning we were delighted to see the sun.  And because it was shining directly on my side porch, it was warm enough for us to once again have our coffee together out there.  

We had plenty of time to relax, because I did not need to play piano at Fillmore's 8:15 service this week.  (They had a later outdoor service with the other two churches in the charge.)  So that worked out perfectly.  

Then we went to Houserville House of Hope and had coffee together again!  (We forgot to give Mary Ellen the "wear blue" memo.) 

After the worship service we went to nearby Olde New York for lunch.  We discovered when we arrived that Pastor Renee and her mother were there as well, so they sat with us, as did Anthony, Lori, and Austin.  

When we got home we browsed some pictures in my Picasa files, did some planning for our Witmer weekend in July, and took mini naps.  When they were ready to leave, Mary Ellen insisted on yet another sister picture outside my house.  I was feeling so drowsy, the only thing I wanted to do was lay my head on her shoulder, which resulted in this lovely picture!

Then we behaved ourselves and got one more.  Are you tired of looking at us by now?  Hahahaha!  We just have to document everything.  And we're always glad we did.  

And then they were gone.  Just like that, another fun weekend was over, except in our memories.  We are determined that next year we are going to make an all-six-of-us-sisters-weekend happen.  

Austin had come home with us after we ate lunch.  He woke up from his nap right after Doris and Mary Ellen left.  Later we went to Anthony and Lori's for an evening by the campfire.  And I ate some more.  Good grief.  I'm glad I have a plan to follow during the week or I'd be in trouble.  

I love this picture of Austin sitting with his Frozen book.  That, and Veggie Tales are his current loves. 

This conversation took place as this picture was taken.

Anthony: Austin be careful with that stick.
Austin: But I'm a superhero...
Anthony: You're not a superhero;  you are, in fact, a boy. 

Austin: I'm a boy superhero, you just don't know…

It's Monday morning.  I went to bed earlier than usual, totally overfull and overtired last night.  Unfortunately I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with too much on my mind, so I've been up a long time.  Got lots done already, though.  

Have a good week!

My week in a nutshell

I couldn't believe it when I noticed last night that I had not updated this blog for over a week.  Yikes!!  Now it will have to be quick, because…..

Doris and Mary Ellen will be arriving in a couple of hours for our annual PA sisters sleepover.  I look forward to this weekend so much.  Eating, shopping, laughing, crying, a movie……  Good sister stuff.

Mother's Day was good.  I heard from every one of our seven children in one form or another.  Anthony, Lori, and Austin took us out for a delicious lunch after church.  

On Monday and Tuesday evenings I finally did a project I've been wanting to do ever since we bought this house in 2010 - I stained the side porch.  I always wish this porch were much bigger, like the deck we had at our Lititz house, but this was one time I was really glad it is small.

This week the lilacs popped.  This is the tree right outside my office window.  I LOVE LILACS!

This morning when I looked out the dining room window, I saw this and ran for my camera.  Actually, in the half minute that it took me to get my camera, it had changed.  When I first saw it, the sun was just a perfectly round ball peeking between some branches.  Doesn't take long to miss a perfect picture. 

And here's one to make you giggle.  I have come a long way in my ability to differentiate a remote control from a calculator or a cell phone, and also in my ability to use one, but occasionally, especially when I'm at Anthony and Lori's house, this would be helpful, hahaha!

Have a great weekend.  I know I will!  And I'm sure I'll have pictures to prove it.

WARM weather - woohoo!!

We finally are getting truly WARM temperatures!!  On Tuesday I decided it was a good day to get my seasonal picture out the back door of the office.  The last one I took was on February 27 when we were having a mini-blizzard. 

When I got home from work on Tuesday I pulled our white table and chairs out of storage, gave them a quick scrubbing, and put them on the side porch. 

Today I had about an hour between work at the office and piano lessons.  The weather was PERFECT.  I had not yet eaten lunch (even though it was 3:30), and I decided it was just the right time to have my first meal outside.  It fed my soul.  Even though a bee decided it also belonged there.  And even though my mountain is still brown.  So I took a picture facing the street instead of the mountain this time. 

Our tulips are starting to fall apart.  But the last ones to bloom were a nice surprise - two toned!  I just love them.  Yes, I know.  We have dandelions.  Dick will be treating the lawn for them.  And getting mulch.    

But don't rush the dear guy!  He spent Tuesday and part of Wednesday getting his second chemo treatment.  I had to get my semi-annual blood work done Tuesday morning, so I stopped by oncology to check in on him.  They had already given him Benedryl, so he was pretty sleepy.  

So far he's doing great.  After choir practice this evening he was really ready to come home and crash.  After all, he DID play basketball early this morning and he worked all day.  And mowed part of the yard before choir practice. 

One morning this week I opened the door to take some trash out, and the crisp Spring morning air brought a memory to me.  Picking asparagus!  When I was in eighth grade, my mom learned of an opportunity to earn some money picking asparagus at a local farm.  So several mornings a week, at the crack of dawn, my mom and I and Mary Ellen joined other crazy people in the asparagus field.  We shivered, we got wet, our backs hurt, our hands turned dark and smelled funny.  Then we'd go home and clean up for school.  Ugh.  But we made some money!  I found this picture on the internet, and it reminds me of that field.  I posted it on Facebook and had several comments from people who said they never knew how asparagus grows.  Did you?

Have a great weekend!

Pictures, old and new

I promised a few weeks ago that I would "catch up" my blog with some of the Throwback Thursday pictures I have been posting on Facebook.  So since there has been absolutely nothing interesting to write about, I'll do that first.

First off, Dick and his brothers, probably around 1961.  And yes, they did go by the nicknames I have on the picture!

This was our family in 1979.  There must have been a comedian behind the camera.  Lisa and Anthony's expressions are so funny!  I was actually pregnant with Jeremy at this point.

I love this picture of Lisa, Anthony, and Jeremy "playing" piano together.

Here's how I used to water my hanging plant in our practice room - probably 1983.  Looks like Lisa thought it would be funny to spray water on me while I was up there!  Look at those mic stands right below me.  Good grief!  I could have impaled myself on one of those!

This was on Mother's Day 1982.  Mary Ellen was visiting from Virginia, Rose had a Campus Chorale program at East Petersburg Mennonite Church, just up the street from our house.  After the program, the whole family came to our house for ice cream.  Little did we know that it was the last Mother's Day with our mom.  She died from pancreatic cancer six months later.  If only we had taken a picture of us with her, considering that it was Mother's Day!  We could not have imagined it was our last one with her.

Back:  Betty, Barb, Janet, Dick.  Front: Mary Ellen, Doris, me, Rose.

Today Lisa posted this CUTE collage of Sophie.  She said she was re-enacting a photo taken when she was a year old!!  How clever!  How I miss that dear girl!!

Now for some pictures of Spring's arrival around here.  First there were yellow daffodils.

Then the red tulips joined in.

Now the tulips stand alone.

Dick tore out a bed of THICK tiger lilies last fall and planted tulip bulbs.  They're pink and yellow!

We really need to get mulching done.  This is our little Home, Sweet Home with the tulips showing off.

We have continued to have so much cool, cloudy, windy, rainy weather.  I feel very weary of waiting for warm temps.  On Friday, just as I was leaving the bank, suddenly the sun peeked between the clouds, and I knew I had to capture the moment before it disappeared.  I got lucky!

Last Sunday evening we took Austin out for an ice cream date.  He has the best smile!

Actually, last Sunday was a rare warmer day.  For church I wore a sweater top I had found at Goodwill the previous week.  I asked Dick to take a picture of me for a new profile pic.  He tried, bless his heart, and I did get one I could use.  But when I looked over them, I just cracked up at this one!!  I look so befuddled!  I think I was telling Dick that he should hold the camera higher, that it looks like he's taking a picture of my chest, hahahaha!

As I sit here writing, I'm missing out on a fun evening around the fire at Anthony and Lori's.  I just don't feel well.  I started with a terrible head ache on Friday.  Yesterday I had set aside to finally do some deep cleaning around here - the first since Christmas.   I woke up with so many aches and pains, but I slowly, but surely plodded through all the sorting of papers, dusting everything on every level, washing floors, vacuuming, etc.  I got a good night's sleep, but felt just drained and had a headache through both services this morning.  We picked Austin up after church, and he fell asleep on the way to our house.  We put him right to bed, and I felt so miserable, I crawled into my bed with my dress and jacket still on!  So I am just taking it really easy today.  I'm sure I'll be all better by tomorrow. 

Family and Friends Day

On Friday I met Dick at work around 3, and we left from there for Lancaster County.  Our goal was to get to Manheim Christian Day School for their delicious barbecued chicken event before they would sell out (which has happened in the past).  

Before long we were driving in miserable rain, and as we neared Harrisburg, the traffic was just horrible.  Of course, it was rush hour on a Friday, but added to that was an old car show or sale or something or other in Carlisle, which made it even worse.  

I didn't even know, when I took this picture, that I apparently got one of those old cars in my photo!  I posted it on Facebook just to show what the driving conditions were like, but the comment section turned instead into a discussion about this Chevy Nova, haha!

We did get there on time and had the greatest time talking with many, many good friends.  We ate with the Peters's and Peacheys, all of whom lived right near us on Hossler Road and whose children I had as students.  There is something so wonderfully satisfying about old friendships.

I was delighted to meet Kara Eberly who is finishing up her first year of teaching music at the school.  She graciously allowed me to look through those old, familiar filing cabinets for some music to borrow for my church choir.  So many choices!!  Oh, how I love that classroom and all the memories that go with it.

We went to Sam and Jenn's for the night.  Sammy came running out to the carport in his stocking feet as soon as we drove in.  I know I said it before, but I just love how much he loves me.

Sam gave him a haircut this week, so the curls are gone for the summer.  I tried to get a picture of us, but he's getting just like Austin and hates the camera.

Saturday morning we were all up bright and early to go to the country breakfast at the school auction.  As we drove by Grandma Mary's community, she was there waiting to pull out onto the highway, and we ended up getting to the school at the same time.  It was great to eat breakfast with her.  Ray also came for the breakfast.   Thyda, we missed having you there with us!  Next year!!

As we ate, we also admired the amazingly beautiful quilts that were on display. (Here are just two of them.)

We spent some time at the playground, Sammy rode around on the "train," and then came the best event of all - candy dropped from a helicopter.  

By the time that was finished, Frank had arrived with Destiny and Jada.  So we hung out at the playground some more.  Jada is one crazy little girl!  She had not one ounce of fear about anything, not the least intimidated by bigger kids.  She would go to the top of a slide and fling herself down head first!!  I'd be having a heart attack if I were in charge of her for very long, haha!

Sam and Jenn left to take Sammy home for his nap.  We ate lunch with Frank and the girls.  People are always glad to see Destiny.  She was such a big part of our lives when I taught there; she attended pre-K and kindergarten at the school.  Of course, no one can believe that she's now taller than me. 

Unlike her boy cousins, this little girl loves the camera!

After lunch we all went to Sam and Jenn's.  Dick could hardly wait to start up the big mower that came with Sam's shed.  He gave Sam "operating" lessons, haha!

Destiny gave Jada wagon rides.

Jada loved Sammy's playhouse, especially peeking out all the windows and the door.

Then they came inside to play.  Sammy was STILL sleeping!

When he finally woke up, he saw me lying on the sofa and crawled right on top of me for a while.  He's such a cuddle bunny.

Outside Sam had started up their new bubble machine, and Jada was having a blast with it.  Frank and the girls needed to leave then.  

We spent a little more time sitting on the deck before we left.   Sammy put on a show for us. 

Singing with a song on Sam's phone.

From there we went to Dick's parents.  His dad has been unable to get his rototiller started this spring.  YES, he still gardens and needs that rototiller!  Dick worked on it quite a while and did find the problem and got it fixed.   Look at those clean, beautiful woods.  That does not happen by accident.  

Dear Arlene had prepared a delicious meal for us, and we had the sweetest time sitting down to eat with them.   We are so blessed to still have them and Grandma Mary living in their own homes, still driving and active, well into their 80's.  I pray that that will be our experience twenty-some years from now. 

We left their place around 7 pm and were home before 9:30.  Very tired, but deeply happy.