A Most Special Gift

Well, it's a little warmer here this month, in the 90s most days.  Not too bad, considering some areas have been in the 100s this summer.  My town was sandwiched between two wildfires, one on each end.  They are both about an hour from me, and are almost contained.  I found these dish towels and loved them.  Daisies remind me of my mom.  I don't know why - she wasn't really into flowers, and I never knew her to appreciate daisies.  It's funny how certain things remind us of the ones who came before.

My son stocked me up on summer fruit.

This fellow has been coming around a lot this summer and wreaking havoc on everything in sight.  He even had a pecking match with a squirrel one morning....I rooted for him.  ; )

Love this pic.  It was windy, my hair was messy, but we were all together.

I watched the NEW season of Little House on the Prairie on Netflix.  Really good.  It's a bit different than the original LH, but there is a lot more interaction with the Osage Tribe, which was interesting.  Mary and Laura quarreled in a few scenes, and I thought that was realistic, as siblings growing up fight at times.  I like the character of the shopkeeper; what a responsibility to run the only general store on the prairie.  The character of Mr. Edwards does an excellent job as well.  I loved the Christmas episode.

My son received his BA, and is now working on the Masters Program.  Jess sent him this beautiful memory box with lots of goodies inside.

My brother-in-law came in for a visit, and we went to the Chinese Restaurant for lunch.  It was good to catch up with him.  He spent the last few weeks at a cousin's ranch taking care of her dogs and horses.

I wanted to show you what the girls brought back for me from their trip to Greece.  Nel bought me a Saint Christopher plaque to hang on the wall (patron Saint of travel).  It was such a thoughtful gift, cause I traveled to be with her on her birthday.  Some olive oil for me, and a package of seasoned olives for her brother.  They tasted so Mediterranean.  She and Jess bought me the same chocolate bar, and didn't know the other one bought it....it was really good, by the way. 🍫🍫  Jess gave me some fruit candy (like the aplets and cotlets my dad loved at Christmas), a pretty cup from Athens, and a delightful pouch with the Proverbs verse 31:25.  And I was so touched when I saw her last present, the gift of Myrrh.

Me and Jess didn't know much about Myrrh, only that it was one of the items given to Jesus when He was born.  So Jess did some research while I visited, and found out a little about it.  

*The Myrrh she bought me came from Mount Athos.  It's a Holy mountain inhabited by over 1,000 Monks.  It's in northern Greece on the coast along the Aegean Sea.  An Orthodox Spiritual Center since the 10th century, and an artistic site as well.  It's prepared by the Monks at Mt. Athos, and they follow a special recipe.  Myrrh is a traditional monastic blessing.  It's a mixture of plants and aromatic substances.  It's called the "Oil of Thanksgiving" or "Anointing of Heaven."  It symbolizes the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the aroma of faith, tenderness of heart, and devotion to the Lord.

Try to stay cool in this summer heat, and have a great July week.

Second Part Of My Trip

 I recently took a trip to So Cal to see the family, and this week I'll share pics of my time spent at Nel's house.  When Jess drove me to Nel's, she ended up staying a few days because she wanted to celebrate Nel's birthday, so I got to see Jess for the whole week!  Nel always has fresh flowers on her table, and I was greeted to these pretty ones.

She put together a charcuterie board with a variety of appetizers.  Charlotte loved those baby grapes.

I've always thought Nel's coffee corner was so charming.  And I didn't hesitate to make a few pots myself.  ; )

When I go to my daughters' houses, I always look around to see if there's anything new.  They decorate their homes with a flair of vintage, eclectic, and cottage that shows their own personal styles.  It's never been modern for us.  I thought this framed picture of the girl sitting at her desk was so unique. 

There was also a pretty array of flowers on her dining room table.

We drove over to the village and picked up some coffee and goodies at the bakery, visited our favorite home store, and browsed through a French clothing shop.  Right when we all walked into the French shop, the song "My Cherie Amour" came on.  I was so surprised and just took a few minutes to listen to it, as this is a special song to me.

It was Nel's 45th birthday, and I was so glad to be there for her celebration. 🎂  We went to a really good Italian restaurant for dinner, and I ordered the chicken fettuccini alfredo.  Jess bought a variety of cupcakes for us to have at the house after.  Charlotte was wearing the little dress they brought back for her from Greece.

The next day we went to Home Goods because Nel has been wanting to get a new comforter for her bed.  She found a white one along with a couple of pillows in a blue design.

I noticed a Rubios in the shopping center, and was thrilled to eat there for lunch once again.  Then, we went over to the Five Below store, as the kids love that place, and bought them a few fun things to play with.  

They were tuckered out when they got home, and plopped themselves on the couch to watch a movie.  Grandma joined them in this magical Disney movie.

Nel cooked enchiladas one night, and I'm so glad that she keeps my mom's enchilada recipe alive, making them from time to time.  Renecke grilled some carne asada to go with it, and it was so good that I just kept nibbling on it and didn't get a picture.

Renecke made us some lemon cocktails, which were so refreshing on that warm summer day.  Cheers! 🍹

The kids created a salon shop and gave their mamas a make-over with new hairdos and make-up.  They actually did a good job with it.  I told Nel they should both open up a salon shop when they are older.  ; )

Charlotte really takes to Renecke, and he entertained her with cards and such while they did make-overs.

And I watched the last episode of Virgin River, season 7.  Me and Jess watched most of the episodes at her house, and they kept teasing me because I was so into it and wanted to see the finale haha.  It was a pretty good season.

It was such a wonderful week of family and gathering and shopping and eating and just being with the kids.  It was so nice being in their world for a time, sharing laughs, gifts of love, and the imagination only a child can bring.

And I received a drawing and painting from the kids that I will treasure always.

Are You Ready, Boots? Start Walkin'

 I just returned from a trip to So Cal to see my family, and I had a delightful time.  I stayed at Jess' house and Nel's house, so I will show you my time spent at Jess' house first.  There is a Chinese Restaurant on the second floor of the airport, and after checking in with my flight, I got myself an eggroll.  I asked for one, but they gave me four.  I could only eat one, and a few bites of another.

Taking off at our mountain airport.

I'm always amazed that it only takes a little over an hour to get from north to south.  Landing in So Cal.  "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

When I first got to Jess' house, I noticed the pretty white flowers on her table.  She got them from Trader Joe's.

I got in late, and the next day it was the fourth of July!  I was so happy that Mia came over also and I got to spend the day with all my family.

Brian barbecued every meat you can think of - hot dogs, sausages, chicken legs.  Everything tasted great.

Isn't this a festive fourth of July pie that Jess made?

It was blueberry, and she made homemade whipped cream to go with it.  It turned out amazing, and I had it for a couple of days after with my coffee.

The kids went to the pool in the afternoon, and we watched the fireworks that evening.  Jess has an area right by her house which has a great view of the fireworks.  It's a golf course, and we sat on the grass to watch.  It was one of the longest and grandest fireworks displays that I've ever seen.  I kept thinking about how much it must cost the city to pay for such a show.

It was so fun for grandma to do the sparklers once again with the kids.

Jess kept us busy all week, and found such fun things for us to do.  And I suggested Play-Doh, as I remember my kids loving it when they were little.  Is there anything more delightful than Play-Doh hands?

Francesca made herself some Play-Doh nails.

Jess made tostadas one night, and Brian made breakfast burritos one morning.

We drove over to Barnes & Noble because Jess wanted to get Nel something for her birthday.  Francesca really wanted this black cat stuffie, and I had such pleasure buying it for her.  This cat looked so real.  She named her "midnight."

When Francesca showed me their new cowboy boots, I introduced her to the legendary song back in the day, These Boots are made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra.  They did a little dance performance for us, which was so cute.

Brian made chicken parmesan one night, which was incredible.

And while I'm a one item breakfast eater, Jess always has a variety of goodies on her plate for breakfast.

Me and Francesca played several games of Checkers.  She's getting better and better each time I see her.

It was a good day to watch a movie at the theatre, so Jess got us tickets for Toy Story 5, which was so delightful.  And for me, there's nothing like movie theatre popcorn.  This was Charlotte's first movie in a theater!

Jess and Brian had a date night one evening while grandma watched the kids.  They had a great time, and were so appreciative of those few hours all to themselves.

I'll show you my time spent at Nel's house next.  It was a good week, and this is pretty much what it consisted of.....I don't think it gets any better than this.

We also went to a beautiful Rose Garden in Jess' town, and I will share pictures of that later.  There is a water fountain and a gazebo, and also a shaded area with benches.  It really is the most lovely rose garden I've seen.  If I lived close to it, I would go there at least once a week.

I will leave you with this song, just because I love it.