The Friday Wrap Up

     

     We get five Fridays this July so this will not wrap up my Friday posts for the month. Each Friday,  I try and capture the comings and goings, ups and downs, and general  ways and means of my life through my Friday W's Here's the W's of my life for this week.    

What's top of mind: With the APA coming out with their recommendations that schools resume in person, but with mask wearing, I am leaning into to see what will be determined in Minnesota. Do any of you have different school schedules and are going now?  I thought I saw another blogger mention that school starts next week or maybe that was the following week, in August, in the UK. If you know schools are resuming where you live in person, let me know what the decision is around masks. With children under 12 not being able to be vaccinated and the Delta variant, I sure hope precaution over optics is chosen.  

Where I've been: I had a banner weekend with happy hour and games and cards at my sister on Saturday. The in person meeting was cancelled, so did not head into the cities. I've been to Trivia and the grocery store. I'm about to go treat myself to a take out coffee. That will be my fuel to power on in the  office.

Where I'm going: I've got a graduation party for a great niece tomorrow. My sisters and I are bringing dessert bars-mine will be chocolate chip blondies, and are taking sifts helping to keep foods stocked. This is my sister that passed away in 2013's oldest granddaughter. She would have loved to celebrate! The graduate just had her 18th birthday last week. She is still not sure of her plans this fall, but is thinking she may go to a local technical college-perhaps not until spring semester, and save a bit of money until then. With the odd state of the world, slowing down jumping into a new school seems like a good idea if not completely sure of the path. 

What I'm reading:  I read nothing but the newspaper and some on-line articles this week. Vacation is coming and I'll get myself some new reads.Interesting story. Last ight my daughter got a package and inside was a book sent from a Minneapolis book store. There was no note, receipt  or anything. She had  been Googling the book, and mentioned it/talked about it with a coworker, and then it just showed up. She thinks maybe the coworker, a younger  regular staff whom she has developed a good rapport, might have sent it as a gift, but didn't say anything. It was a bit odd, but she'll find out today hopefully if that is the source. 

What I'm listening to: Again, not much of anything this week. I've been meeting swamped so little time to stream radio in the background. We heard a bit of the live music this weekend, but passed on most of the town festival weekend.

What I've been watching: Wow-another, not really sure category. We've had a few Criminal Minds episodes on, and of course some of the YouTube channels I watch. I have no recommendations for anyone. Oh, the Olympic Opening Ceremony is on right now while I type this post. 

What I'm eating:  Wednesday, my whole post was on what I've been eating-lots of meals based on free produce! 

Who I'm paying attention to: I guess my kids and DH for different reason. DH seems so tired all the time, but yesterday he had a day off and seemed in a good mood, and puttered in the yard before it got hot. He really needs time off work so August 8th can't come soon enough. All the kids are doing well, but each have their own  restlessness if that make sense. My older daughter in particular as she is underutilized for the things she thought she was hired to do. Contrasted with my son, who finally is getting the opportunities he  paid his earlier career dues to be positioned for. Then the youngest, who has an idea of what she wants to do after college, but as for what career, does not want to have an office job. She likes her job this summer, but has picked up from the staff that are there as their career, that working for a non-profit service organization  is filled with a lot of stress for low pay. Well, her mother could have told her that, but I guess you need to experience it directly. 

What I'm planning: I'm starting to plan the first week of mybAugust vacation time, the week DH is also off. We will spend the bulk of the week at the cabin. We don't have a definite schedule with the friends, but looking forward to days of boating, corn hole, swimming, and doing nothing but lounging on the lake. As for a fall get away, I've soured on the drive south so trying to look at other routes. We've wanted to go to Door County for a long time and this might be the right year. 

What's Making Me Smile: Thinking of my sister who had the birthday last weekend and how happy she was to get together with all of us makes me smile. All nine of us siblings were at my sisters for games and cards. Her birthday is just nine days after what would have been her wedding anniversary. This is the sister that lost her husband unexpectedly last March.

     I really have a pretty good life. It is not exciting, or full of travel and  glamorous events, but it's not filled with chaos and drama right now either and I'll take that. While glam will never be part of  my life, travel will come back. Until then, I'll keep looking to learn through blogs and vlogs about life in other places. How did you week go? 

     

People, Not Possessions

The clutter busting will continue this weekend, three days where I have only light calendar activities. My house needs a good top to bottom clean as we've done nothing more than bare maintenance cleaning since before Christmas. I might give a go to posting a few things on the local Facebook site as I purge, try to build up the little side accounts I'm creating for the end of year splurges and making progress towards our massive 2017 savings goals. These possessions add no value to my life, but if anything sells, the funds will help us travel, send DD2 to college, and secure an early retirement, investments in people. DD2 will be in town for a bit this weekend for tasks for her friends May wedding and she and I will plan the shower she is hosting at my house. Reduced clutter by then will be greatly appreciated.

I'd like to take some pictures of my progress, practicing my photography, with my camera, but my cell phone may have to do. DD2 borrowed my camera for a school project, then loaned it to her friend who was doing some more filming, and uploading on her computer. I was annoyed with her for offering the camera prior to consulting with me. I also was worried it would get lost, stolen while unattended at school, or broken. Both girls are responsible, and it is a handy little camera for a small student film project. It's just a possession, just like anything else, and my daughter is more important. I got over my annoyance. What good are things, if they are not used to add to the quality of life? I use it perhaps one-two times per week, but they will be greatly aided in completing a quality project.

After my whininess about the delay in my furniture delivery, we turned our attention to getting the gas fireplace back in commission. We had an appointment yesterday, but it got cancelled. My first thought,. again, was annoyance, until DH told me they were short staffed due to a couple family emergencies, and an unusually high volume of furnace calls. While our fireplace does provide heat, it is not primary heat, so  falls into aesthetic want rather than the need category. The technicians deserve time to take care of their emergencies, and people doing without heat, as it is still cold here at night in spite of the January thaw, is a higher priority than me having a cozy fire. I notice I get annoyed frequently, and it is a pill of a feeling!

I read some posts in the UK about the January sales that sound every bit as horrific as some Black Friday horror stories. Shoppers loading entire carts with discounted items, wiping out shelves, taking things out of others carts, and pushing and poking to get the the merchandise. If I never participate in a mad sale again, I will be happy. I love getting the good buy on things my family will use (cheap pumpkin anyone?), but seeing humans at their gluttonous worst? No thank you. 

I remember the motto from the Art of Simple."Live simply so that others may simply live."  What a luxury and a blessing, to be able to have enough resources and choice to do this. I'm trying hard to think first of people, not possessions.

The Arrival of My Third Daughter

Tonight my third daughter arrived. Well, not actually, but  my daughter's friend who will be staying with us for the next few weeks has arrived and will stake a claim to the room formerly occupied by DD#2, now sort of, kind of, a guest room. It is a nice cool, but dry spring night and the park is full of kids hanging out, kicking and throwing balls around, shooting baskets,and younger kids on the playground equipment. After  items were deposited in her room, and proper goodbyes to her mom, she joined the other kids outside. Pup was good and anxious, wanting to make sure he was not left out in the greetings.

I can't imagine the feelings of loss and stress that M's family has experienced in the last year plus months since their fire. To add insult to injury, neither contractors nor insurance companies were playing fair, causing repeated delays.Apparently losing a home to the ground in a fire is more cut and dry than some destruction by fire, but most of the damage caused by smoke and water. While both leave the family without a place to call home, the latter is subjective in terms of what constitutes appropriate resolution, and appropriate rebuilding that is covered through insurance. 

It will be an interesting few weeks. We are not sure exactly how long. It could be just a couple, or could extend throughout the month. Both girls are involved in the school play so we will see little of either this week. They're back in the house now, a tour of the important food pantry complete, and now are getting her settled in her room. Pup just stared up the stairs to the room, letting out a whimper every now and then. I told him to go see them, and he happily obliged. Now though, he has just run downstairs to DH, talking a blue streak in dog to commiserate on the loss of the room that he has grown fond of napping in. I am sure the novelty will wear off for the girls, and they could find themselves even annoyed with each other. For tonight, they are planning big things as housemates.

More Travelling the World from My Own Home

My daughter and her friend spent a couple nights at my house and are off to see other parts of the midwest. R is the lovely girl D met in grad school in London. They joke that they are international twins, and I saw it. They'll be back later in the week before R heads home, taking in more events and activities in the cities. We went out to our favorite Mexican restaurant last night. The food is delicious and they have these cute glasses with dancing jalapeno's on them wearing sombreros. I thought R should have one, and my niece offered to smuggle one out in her bag. Being the honest soul I am, I asked if I could buy one for our English friend, and the manager just said to take one for her.

The sweet girl came with full hands, and UK treats a plenty. For DD#2, a couple bags of jelly babies, a la Doctor Who, and some little piggy gummy's. For DH and I,  there was a chocolate bar from Marks and Spencer, and a jute bag with tea and biscuits (cookies to we Americans) from Fortnum and Mason. Now Marks and Spencer I know a little about, but I had to learn more about F&M. I decided to go travelling the web to learn about the company, "the most luxurious store in the world."

This is why I am a complete Anglophile. Everything about their web site sucked me in. First, the  Fortnum and Mason site is beautifully photographed and arranged with crisp pictures of baskets, and tea's and canisters of biscuits that scream, "You're in London." Then there are the teacups and saucers. I love tea cups and saucers and have a whole bunch of individual sets, gifts from people, ones from my grandma, the only things I have from her, and from DH's grandmother, so very precious to me. I keep them in my large kitchen window sill, and they help make doing dishes a little less like drudgery. 

Then there is the history and story's of the company.  F&M was founded in 1707, a three hundred and nine year old company. I live in one of the first settled towns in Minnesota and I doubt we have trees that old. I got caught up reading posts on the journal section, such as the short history of afternoon tea.  The sites full of yet more features and fascinating background on the products, and information on the artisans the company works with are included.  Visiting their website is not just virtual window shopping, it is a trip to all things Great Britain. 

I haven't broken into our gifts yet. I want to savor the pretty packaging for a while. I feel very blessed that my daughter had the opportunity to study abroad, and develop lifelong friendships with such lovely people as R. When I do treat myself, I'll smile in appreciation. I will then sit back at precisely 4:00, having heated the water to exactly 100 degrees celsius, using my finest tea cup and saucer, plate of biscuits along side, and begin my trip across the pond,  if only for the afternoon. 

Busy Weekend, Not Over Planning

My family is trying to normalize after the loss of DH's dad.  As it is the weekend of Palm Sunday, we already have many commitments for church as I am in charge of the youth Sunday fundraiser breakfast. We also have a confimation event later Sunday afternoon.  In spite of these very busy things, I am intentionally not scheduling anything else and will just go with how the wind blows the three of us.  Of course there is laundry, and dishes, and meals out of necessity, but outside of that, I am not putting an agenda on myself, DH, or DD#2. 

I've been able to reflect on how good I have things, even on my most stressful and vulnerable days. My family has had an outpouring of love and support from extended family and friends.  Current coworkers supported my needed time off with my family, and I had many cards and messages from former colleagues at my previous job. Even though I made the big decision to leave a job for my personal well being, four weeks out, I look back with good memories, and experience that has positioned me well for my current job.

I want to be there for others in more thoughtful and intentional ways.  I realized this week how much a nice e-mail, a card in the mail, or a call extending an offer of help can mean. I went through this same epiphany after losing my own parents and sibling, but hope this time I do not get complacent again.  I think sometimes I have felt inadequate in what I can offer for help, that sometimes I did nothing.  Anything would have been something.  Big or small gestures are needed and are never inadequate if given from a place of genuine care. 

Saturday Morning Musings Coffee Edition

 
Good Saturday morning to you all.  I am feeling pretty accomplished at how my weekend is progressing and after my to list is done around the house this morning, I will be cranking up the volume on the Christmas music station and getting started on turning the house into a gingerbread version of itself. Here is my morning brew-vanilla hazelnut, ready to help my energy level rise. I avoided all stores yesterday and my only venture out of the house was to meet up with my sisters and a few nieces for a couple happy hour brews of a different kind, and some appetizers.  Before Black Friday became such madness and selfish mayhem, the Friday after Thanksgiving used to be a sociable shopping day with my mom and sisters, leaving the men behind with kids, as we went about our day helping each other pick out just the right gifts, and ending with a later lunch, or as we did yesterday, a "lunch like" grazing of assorted treats. 

Being one of the youngest, it wasn't until I hit my teen years that me and my younger sister could come along.  A few of us have done some of this with our own daughters and daughter in-laws, but the fun factor with the craziness has dwindled.  The meeting up though in the later afternoon has continued. Even after my mom no longer shopped for gifts as she and my dad went the money route as it got to be too many  people to shop and wrap gifts for, she still looked forward to meeting up with her "girls" for that afternoon post Thanksgiving hen gathering. I missed my mom and sister yesterday afternoon-both would have been happily at our big table, listening in on the successes of gift buying, and generating ideas for the elusive gift for the hard to buy for.

I love days out with the girls-sisters, daughters, friends, and cousins.  Whether it is  shopping,  a movie, a museum, or just hiking around exploring nothing in particular, ending the day around a table whether with a coffee or a beer, is near perfect in my book.  On vacation, when it was still all five of us, my daughters and I would slip away and do our own thing while the boys did there's.  We'd end with a coffee shop, or if meeting the guys up for dinner, a child friendly bar and grill type place, earlier than they would arrive.  As DD#2 got older, it was a really good bonding time for the three of us. It is important to me to have traditions that are not formal traditions.  I like the comfort of certain routines, even if the people and the places vary.  I like knowing on a day that is blustery and cold, or humid and sticky, there are places to pop into to wind down or renew that are also encouraging for lingering and conversation. I hope you have a productive Saturday!

DD#2 unwinds in a coffee shop, while doing homework.

Wine Clubs

“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”
― Andre Simon

I like that quote, and I agree with that quote. Of course wine is not for everyone, and for those that do, preferences and taste vary.  That's also what I like about it.  I've been with wine "haters" that have tried a sip at the right time and with the right food, and found, they don't hate all wine, and some can be down right enjoyable.

For the weekend, we have a wine cruise trip tonight, crossing the state lines and leaving on a river boat from Wisconsin.  A while back I posted about making the most of end of summer, while not breaking the bank to do so.  The Wow Factor  One suggestion was to combine a wine tasting with also picking up an extra bottle for a gift, or a second evening with friends.  We belong to a two bottle a month  wine club with a terrific wine bar, called Swirl.  Swirl hosts a monthly meet-up with tastings and light food, and you can have them serve your bottles or take them home.  We will get a second plate, sometimes a flatbread, or lettuce wraps, and with their appetizers make it a nice dinner.  We later drink the wine ourselves, bring along to a friends, or as I just did, use as a gift. I purchased some cute cotton tapestry wine bags at a dollar store, and put a bottle of our wine club wine each for my sister-in-laws on my husbands side, fall birthdays. 
 
The wine cruise is just one  perk of the club.  It isn't exactly frugal, but there is good value in being in the club.  We can taste wines before wasting money on something we don't like.  We get a lesson at each tasting about the places that months wines are made, the type of grapes, good food pairings, and other useful information, and meet other people from our general vicinity of home.  We support local businesses-restaurant, local farmers, wineries, and the college kids that play music for what they earn in their tip jar.  The owner Dave, is so unpretentious, casual, and a just fun host.  His staff are delightful as well.  We get tasting notes with or bottles, which makes it fun to share the experience with those we share the wine with.  They provide discounts on cases if you want to buy more. This is an evening out my husband and I equally enjoy and that is always a value. 
 
I find the snobbery of old related to wine has long been put to rest by the majority of the country.  I don't know if so in other places, but judging from what we have leaned, wine is becoming popular-drinking and making, in new and unique places throughout the world. this post is not a commercial for any wineries, the wine industry, or any particular place, but sharing of my good experience.  If wine is your thing,  why not try out a short term club in your area and see if for you?
 
 

We love baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet

There is an old car commercial with a catchy tune.  "We love baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" so it goes. It is a summer kind of tune, but I think about it in the fall as well.  Baseball season has moved into playoff mode, and sadly, our Twins are once again done.  I'm not a huge baseball fan, games get a little long, but I am a die hard Twins fan.  Next year boys.  I have a sister who is a fanatic.  No doubt she'll have the season analyzed and know just what the General Manager needs to do in the off season and if he would just listen, 2015 could be the year. 

As for the hot dogs and apple pie part, fall in the north is a great time for fire pits and roasting a hot dog on a stick, and following it up with a great big  slice of pie, made from apples picked earlier in the day. You can buy little pie tin roasters and make apple pies over the fire using bread and pie filling and do both fire side.  As the playoffs get started, an interesting thing you can see as night gets earlier and earlier is folks pulling out their TV's, loading a portable fire pit with wood, and combing the three together.  I got a great smell last night on my walk, lit up from the glow from the fires going in drive ways and off patios in my little neighborhood.  

I have a friend from high school that manages a farm household, with all the extra hands needed for harvesting.  She has her own supply of apples from trees on her farm.  Here is just a glimpse of her hard work keeping the boys (and girls) nourished and happy. The picture on the heading is also hers-talented in the kitchen and with a camera I'd say.

Deliciousness from the kitchen of Chris "Chicky" Ries Otte

I'm not sure if I'll be able to fit picking apples into the weekend, but we have a little store of them in the refrigerator, so will come up with something, and I know there are hotdogs ready to be thawed from the freezer.  Tonight is supposed to be dry and cool-perfect.  I don't think we'll be pulling the TV outside, but supper will be done and done.  The thing about the commercial jingle and its staying power in our heads after all these years, is that it emotes a feeling of hominess and belonging.  These simple things can bind us as a country, a community, a neighborhood, and a family.  I'll take that, in my Chevy Malibu, wearing a Twins cap,  to the bank.