Thursday, May 19, 2011

Life This Week

I can't believe it's Thursday night already.  This week has gone by so fast because it's been a busy one.  I'll have to put my Bermuda series on hold for a few days until I get caught up with the present.

Last Friday (wow - almost a week!) my cousin, Brad, his wife, Jane, and their children, Grady and Libby, came up from Harrisburg to spend the weekend with us.  They had a wedding to go to on Saturday close to here.  They arrived here shortly after Hubby got home with our little granddaughter, Leanna.  He had gone to pick her up to spend the weekend with us.  This was the first time we have had her alone without her older brothers.

The weekend went well.  Cousins left about noon on Saturday all dressed up for the wedding.

Don't they look nice?  Grady just had to hold that sword in the picture.  And look at beautiful Libby's gladiator sandals.  She sure has turned into a beauty at only 14 years old!

Leanna was just the best little baby.  She's happy all the time and entertains herself as long as you're in the room with her.  She loves to be in her walker, which is great because she's crawling and standing and I'd be running after her all day otherwise.  We just stayed in the kitchen together with me cleaning and cooking and Leanna motorin' all over opening every cupboard she could reach.

About 7:00 at night it was bath time.  Grandma (me) prefers to give a bath in the kitchen sink while she's still small enough.  Leaning over a bathtub is a killer!  I said she's happy all the time, except when bath time is over  She did not want to get out of that sink!



She goes right to bed with barely a wimper at 9:00 and sleeps sound until 9:00 the next morning.  She's such an easy baby.

I was up early, way before anyone else.  Cousins got in late, so they were all sleeping in.  I made a fresh fruit salad, cinnamon rolls, and coffee.  I decided to use my Homer Laughlin's Virginia Rose dishes.  Most of the set was passed down to me from my and Brad's great-grandmother.  I've added to the set when I find pieces in antique stores or a flea market.



As soon as I had breakfast and the baby taken care of, I started on lunch!  I was having Mom and Dad over for a late lunch for Dad's birthday, which was the next day, Monday.  I was hoping cousins could stay to celebrate with us, but they needed to head back home at noon.
I fixed two pans of lasagna, a salad, and whole grain dinner rolls.  So I cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen from the breakfast crowd and reset the table and had lunch ready for the lunch crowd at 1:00.
Chocolate crunch ice cream cake from  Dairy Queen, with a big "7" candle and a big "4" candle was the co-star, along with Dad!





It was a small party, just me, Bob, Leanna and Mom, but it was nice and the food was good.  Can I say that even if I cooked it all?  And those Dairy Queen ice cream cakes are delicious!

Sooooo, I was exhausted by 3:00!  Hubby and I were going to  drive the 3 hour drive together to take Leanna home, but Hubby was so good in offering to go himself.  I packed up the baby and all that goes with her, along with a pan of lasagna, and then (tired sigh!) I was home alone!  I got the kitchen cleaned up (again!) and sat.  I so much appreciated that right then.

I have to say, I'm still not feeling well.  I just keep coughing, which makes my throat sore and my head is so stuffed up.  I think I have "The Walking Pneumonia and the Boogy Woogy Flu"!  Remember that song?  I think I'm starting to feel a little better, then I do too much, get overly tired, and then I'm down and out again.
But, resting is not much my style.  Monday I spent the day washing sheets, towels, floors and bathrooms.  My normal routine with a little extra.  Monday night I wanted to just sit and cry.  I was so annoyed at not feeling well when I have things to do.

Tuesday still wasn't time to take it easy.  It was voting day and Dad was running for School Board.  Mom, Bob and I were all helping by manning different polling locations and handing out his card as voters walked up to the polling station.  My shift started at 7:00 am.  I woke up at 5:00 to 48 degrees outside and the threat of rain!  At 5:00 a.m., my thoughts were, "Lord, let me die"!  I have to say, though, by 8:00 a.m. I was getting into the whole process and it actually became fun.  I knew a lot of people and got to know the other candidates standing outside with us.  I shared shifts with a friend that was also volunteering for Dad, so I had a few breaks.   When on duty, I was on my feet, in the rain, and talking all day.
Here's the gauntlet line we formed that voters had to walk through to cast their vote.  Most of the day we were all holding umbrellas, but here's a moment of clearing.



Here's Dad, third from the top right with the phone to his ear.

It was worth it, thank goodness.  We knew by 11:00 that night that Dad won the Republican nomination by quite a large margin.  In fact, he only lost the Democratic nomination also by about 6 votes!  Now he'll have to run again in November.  If he had won both ballots he'd be in and would run uncontested in November.   We're all so proud of him.  Now this means we do it all over again in the late fall.  Oh my, it could actually be snowing then!
Right now I just look forward to the day when I feel healthy again!

Linking to Alison's Fridays Unfolded

8 comments:

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Yes, you've been having a lovely time with your beautiful family... But... Please do what you have to do, to fully get rid of this cold.

Many bloggers can assure you that this year's cold is a *duzzzie.* Please don't let it get you really down. Because it takes so long, to get fully over it.

Gentle hugs,
~♥~

DJan said...

What, you weren't knitting something for the Etsy shop with all that extra leftover time? (I am just kidding, Nina, I got tired just READING all you accomplished!)

And still not feeling well? Hopefully you'll consider a trip to the doctor's if it lasts much longer...

Valerie said...

It's one thing to keep busy, Nina, it's another to kill yourself in the process. Aunt Amelia got it right when she said it takes so long to fully recover. I wish I could persuade you to ask one question before starting on your list of thousand jobs, and the question is ... 'Is it essential?' I was the same in my younger days... I learned that the world wouldn't come to an end if I slacked a little. Ooooh sorry to preach, my friend, I'm just trying to get you to lighten your load a little.

Unknown said...

What a week, chock full of family! You have a love of life and it shows.

StitchinByTheLake said...

First of all she looks like a Gerber baby! Simply a doll, that's for sure. Second, if I tried to do all you did I'd be laying in the floor out cold. Give yourself a break - take a couple of days and just sit and read or do some hand stitching and rest. blessings, marlene

Theresa said...

I certainly hope you get to feeling better! Yummy food and YES, you CAN say it was yummy if you cooked it!

I am so proud of your Dad! Sounds like he will win:) I project him as the winner, yes... I CAN do that!

Love the pictures of the family visiting! Sweet baby Leanna:) Babies make me smile!

Have a blessed day dear Nina! I am out of town visiting my Grandbabies that I don't get to see often ENOUGH! HUGS!

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

Sounds like you were a busy lady lately. Good for you. Hope you are feeling better. Love your little granddaughter. So cute. I need to go get cookie dough started. Put in fridge for night then bake tomorrow. Am a bit tired and was slacking today to get done what I needed to do. Did go outdoors for awhile late afternoon cuz it was beautiful out with 71 degrees, finally warming up around here and had a good 3 day stretch of it! Have a good weekend....am trying to get over a cough in chest myself. :0-

Grandma Lizzie's House said...

How fun to use the sink to bathe your granddaughter. I'm with on the bending over the tub thing. It hurts my back just thinking about it.

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