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
