Saturday Catch-up and Coffee

    

     Thank you all for the great participation in yesterdays post. I didn't know I was in such good, or I guess the same, company. Though as Anne so wisely says, if the rogue shopping is the worst habit, it can't be that bad. We didn't go to the football game. When I came through town it already looked like they were gearing up for a packed house. I learned from my niece  who brought her kids that the lines to get in were winded back through the parking lot. Plus it was cold and damp, and we both are fighting colds. Instead, my sister had an impromptu  Minnesota Twins watching and bon fire get together. 

     My brother has been staying with her while in town and he is heading back to Florida on Sunday, with a few stops on route to see other friends. He really has quite the retirement life-good for him. He only had one child, who is now 48, a son-in-law and grandson, who live here in Minnesota. He made decent money when he was younger, and has very little wants in life other than good food, drink, and company, and  lots of camping and road trips. He lives near the beach and is an avid reader, and still pretty handy and in excellent health to help out in his community after the oh so frequent storm clean-ups during the hurricane and tropical storm season. 

     Oh the Twins. The New York Yankees are our curse, and they lost 10-4. They need to get their act together the next two games or there will not be a fourth! I don't know the team inside and out, but the rest of my siblings are die hard fans, and know the line up and any variation. I just look at the boys at bat and think they look as young as my 18 year old. My sister's husband grilled old fashion hotdogs and we, as normal, had a smorgasbord of yummy food. As this was impromptu and I worked, I didn't really have time to make anything. On Wednesday our friends sent me home with  a tub of caramel apple dip that was unopened and they didn't want it in their house. I was going to bring to work and forgot it,  but since I had it, I brought that along with a bag of apples. What a hit. The dip was licked clean, and probably went through at least 1/2 dozen apples.

     My sister C made a tray of Apple Squares. While pretty good they are not quite as good as the ones my mom made, but I wouldn't complain. Apple squares are kind of like an apple tart, but baked in a jelly roll size pan. They have a pie crust bottom, and a layer of apples, but then topped with a corn flake topping. Once cool, they are drizzled with  icing. I took one home for my morning coffee. Delicious. My mom was also a pretty bland cook, but  as can my mother-in-law, also of Norwegian heritage, she could bake!  

     Speaking of this sister, she was first married to a man 14 years older than her, who was a good guy, but very much a traditionalist, wife stays home kind of guy. He sadly passed away of cancer when her boys were 13, 11, and 8. She remarried seven years later to a good guy with four kids, all also nearly grown. She still pretty much never has worked out of the home. The kids all get along, but then never really had to be a blended family as other than the two youngest, all were college age. Two of their grandchildren, one each from two of her husbands daughters were confirmed last Sunday. They had a combined big after church party for the cousins, who had made up a Bible trivia game. C shared how she and her husbands ex-wife teamed up and kicked the pants off the other teams, having both been Sunday school teachers  for years. The grandsons I guess just answered Noah, Moses, or Jesus for every answer. It was nice to hear a story about extended family, ex spouses and new  spouses (though my sister has been remarried for 23 years), just being the kid's family.

     It has been raining all night and is raining now. I had planned to go to my nephews little guy football game, but with rain and field conditions, they are cancelling. Not having a day off this week and working a bit later, I have a housework list that is quite long, plus the matter of the cushion to deal with. We picked a book for the November book club meet-up, Before We Were Yours and I'd like to get a start on it.The new members for the club seem like a good bunch, lots of avid readers amongst them, and a wide spread of ages, which I think should add to the discussion. I hope you stay warm and dry where you are at. I hoped to not turn on the heat until November, but it's pretty chilly with no sun. Guess I'll just keep a sweater on.