Day 297-June 24, 2013

     A day of rest.  I stayed in my jammies until noon and fiddlefarted.  I could feel myself on the verge of getting sick Sunday, so let my body just be.  About noon I started a big pot of stew.  Then I headed to Laurie's to deliver and fetch wedding stuff, I took roses from the wedding to Mom and then on to Ma Bone, Tom's mom in the rest home.  Fred and I had a nice quiet eve.  I baked caramel bars, washed some clothes, and caught up on correspondence.  I still need to do wedding thank yous, ugh.  I enjoyed a good film, Beyond Borders.   

Day 296-June 23, 2013

     Another Sunday morning of wedding clean-up.  Wouldn't you know it even began to sprinkle a little.  The dance floor got disassembled once again.  Fred and I returned the OSB boards to the Brown Ranch.  We got ingredients for a nice steak dinner, and Fred was the chef for the eve.  I didn't even lift a finger for any kitchen wenching.  I was REALLY tired after such fun and effort these last three days.  I ended up with some of the flowers, so I rearranged them to give to Mom and Gramma Bone, and I'll take a bouquet to Cora on Tuesday.  My friend, Laurie, must be absolutely exhausted!!!!!

Day 295-June 22, 2013

     Corsage and boutonniere day, Alice and Serene took care of those.  We gathered at 9, again, I met lovely friends of Stacey and Acey.  Many hands helped with the tasks of the day.  I tried to keep Laurie hydrated and Stacey out of the sun.  I lay down to rest before showering up, Fred was shocked.  I think I like little naps on a big day.  Guess who danced far into the night and had to get a ride home with Scott and crew?  I was well hydrated for this wedding, so no hangover.
     Another perfect wedding.  The weather was nice with an amazing full moon.  Just enough plates and food and drink.
Stacey's Uncle Kurt married them, and the vows they wrote for each other express such deep regard and respect for each other.  They will be splendid partners.  I am so happy to see my friends, Laurie and Mark, celebrate the graduations and marriages of their two wonderful children, they have launched them well.

Day 294-June 21, 2013

     I love these long days.  I'm amazed that I wake up early each day in my retirement, 7:00 is sleeping in.  My garden is pretty puny, but it's coming along ok, I'm trying to keep going what I started late.  I was at the DeMartini's at 9 to help with flowers for Stacey's wedding.  A great crew assembled.  Eli and Kayleeana came with me to our house to load up more tables, it is delightful to meet Stacey and Acey's friends.  Their wedding spot on their family property near the pond is perfect.  I am so happy to help and be a small part of such a precious couple beginning their marriage.  We were included in the rehearsal dinner at Sopa's in the eve, what a lovely whimsical family Acey has, nine aunts and uncles (plus their spouses)!

Day 293-June 20, 2013

     Mom and I headed to Santa Rosa at 10 with the truck loaded with furniture for The Bear Family.  Our first stop was the new house.  Amazing progress has been made.  If they needed to move in today, it would be OK.  I was glad for Mom to see the house in this better state, no awful smells, no more holes in the walls, fresh paint and new doors.  We enjoyed a lovely group of about a dozen ladies, including Auntie Carol's good friend Susan, who now lives in Santa Rosa.  E'lora plays well with the older little girls, Ava and Fionna.  We deposited leftovers to the fellas in their new big stainless fridg that is now staged in the garage.  We hit the road for home, and arrived about 10.  My goal was 9:30, so that was pretty good.  It is a big day of driving though.  I prefer not to drive at night.

Day 292-June 19, 2013

     A day off for Fred!  Wedding clean-up continued.  He was mowing and weeding, I was pulling hose and watering.  "So this is how two Germans spend their day off," he grinned.  "Let's take your folks to Humpty Dumpty for lunch."   When he called them, they were on there way there for breakfast!  They waited to join us at lunch, and then Scott joined us, too, before heading to Oakland for a firefighter test.  He and Savannah had two lovely days at a remote cabin on Deer Creek.  They headed to Reno later in the week, but life calls during this two week work break after the wedding, and they aren't having a long get-away honeymoon now.  We went to the Ranch to load up Cora's Granny Hootenanny's dining set and some other furniture and items for the Corby home.  I sang, "Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed..."  The truck looked like the Clampets with the rocking chair perched on the top.  Later in the afternoon, wedding clean-up continued....  Also preparation for tomorrow's baby blessing/shower in Santa Rosa, salads and drinks to share.  A nice quiet evening was enjoyed by us both, more wedding left-overs for dinner.

Day 291-June 18, 2013

     The airport taxi left Hennessy at 9:30.  Auntie and I picked up my friend, Sharon, and her two friends, Ted and Renee, to take them to SMF.  I have heard about these two friends for years, so it was delightful to meet them.  Sharon and I ate and shopped our way home as we chattered along the way.  She hadn't been to Smash Burger, where our airport crew had gone the week before.  We hit Trader Joe's, the new Bed and Beyond, and Sam's Club.  Pop's lost golf club was retrieved in Auburn and I was back in town checking in on the wedding dress seamstress in the early afternoon.  It was God's work to bring us together for some special "sister" time to catch up.  We hadn't had quiet talking time since early April!  

Day 290-June 17, 2013

     A day to savor being home.  I began the clean up of multiple messes created by such fun that a wedding brings. I had Mom and Auntie Carol for a nice lunch of pasta salad and greens from the wedding.  Yum!   We relaxed and chatted.  It was hard to keep Auntie from jumping up to the kitchen mess, but I really wanted us to relax and visit.  A basket of laundry did get folded.  I was still about 1/8th hung over this day too.  Water, water, water.  We joined Mom, Pop, and Auntie Carol for pizza at Goombas.  OK, I'll have a beer...

Day 289-June 16, 2013

Father's Day

Also, Wedding Clean-up Day

     Goodness, I had no idea there would be so much to do the day after!  We woke up with precious family from Sacramento breathing here too.  Oops, I forgot to properly hydrate on Saturday and was VERY hung over.  I whipped up some blueberry muffins and scrambled some eggs to order.  I headed to the Brown Ranch at 8:30 to help pick up. After working hard to get things off the grass, my car was full and I made deliveries at Serene's and the Gonazales'.  Napping house in the afternoon was great, then we stopped for a quick Father's Day visit at the Ranch before joining Dustin and Beth at Serene's for a wedding leftover dinner.  The six of us enjoyed quiet conversation which included looking at some pics of Puerto Rico possible wedding venues.

Day 282 to 288-June 9-15, 2013

     Scott's Wedding Week

     Sunday, a day of rest after our big week in Santa Rosa.  Monday I dug out my clipboard to see all the plans I'd organized the weeks before.  Home preparations and bills, laundry, watering and such made for a nice home day.  I prepared a gallon of peanut sauce.  Fred chuckled when he heard that.

     Oh joy, Tuesday was fetching day.  Mom and I first picked up Megan at her home with Lydia and Wade in Marysville.  Then we got Auntie Carol at the airport.  We tried a new burger place, Smash Burger, before doing a little shopping and hitting Costco with Carol's card.  Aunt Glenda and Uncle Ed were at the Ranch, and we had a nice taco and margarita dinner there.

     Cooking curry chicken in the crock-pot Wednesday gave us a good head start for the Chicken Pile-Up rehearsal dinner.  Megan and I went to K-Mart and SPD for the remainder of the shopping list.  I laid out the spots for "K" Games and started setting those up.  Colin and crew arrived from their camping trip in the eve.  "Grandmum, can I have adventures with you?"  Ah, such sweet words.  And, of course, "Where's Kissy?"  Auntie Carol without her dog wasn't quite right for her.  Raj was home though too. 

     Thursday morning was some Kuzzie time as Jen came to pick up Megan.  

They are so delighted to see each other, and have begun to interact more than simply parallel play.  Watching "Animal Alaphabet" is their favorite request.  Notice the cute play kitchen in the background.

I baked the cupcakes for the Pinterest wedding dress cake I planned for Friday.  Cora took over completion of the project and it turned out so cute!  

Thursday eve I made a burrito bar for all.  Uncle Ed, Mom and Pop joined us.  Dear friend Laurie came after work to help chop veggies.  Many hands worked hard.  Colin did an awesome job completing the set up of all of the "K" Games' eleven events.

 

     Friday morning I had an early morning hair appointment. Fred took me on the motorcycle to fetch our car at Tom and Serene's.  Dustin had driven to San Francisco to pick up Beth.  Our morning ride felt like a mini vacation!  An unexpected opening for the manicurist left me with a spontaneous pedicure and mini-mani.  Bliss!  I was relieved of a delivery to the wedding site, so that gave me an extra hour.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the event.  It was enjoyed by all.  Fred's team were the winners.  We had nine teams, each led by someone who had played Grampa ABCB's "X" Games.  All the chicken and rice for the pile-up was consumed.  Those were huge pots too!  I forgot about these young men appetites!  Jacque and Laurie wore themselves out washing dishes into the night.  Great friends helped wonderfully!
     The wedding day began with a gathering to set up the 30 tables in the morn.  When I got home the Sacramento crew were arriving.  The kids got to swim and frolic before the wedding.  I lay down for a nap before getting dressed.  Some of the young gals at the wedding were very complimentary of my dress, that made me feel very nice.  It was a hot day, probably upper 80s.  Considering it was 108 the weekend before, we were all very grateful.  I was surprised to find out Scott wanted me to walk with he and Serene down the aisle.  That was very sweet and unexpected.  

Our little grandgirls looked precious.

I was so happy to have Colin and AJ with their families there on this special day.
     

Day 275 to 281-June 2-8, 2013

     Pop and I headed out to Santa Rosa in the camper.  For six days we worked very hard along side Jeremy, Cora and Colin's contractor friend from Arcata, and Colin.  Fred joined us for three days.  Some activities:  foundation rebuilding, pulling up and reinstalling old wood flooring, removing massive doors and locks, demo into the big dumpster of yucky stuff.  My main job, whiping and scrubbing surfaces with bleach and TSP.  "Clean and fresh and safe," is my mantra.  E'lora has taken to repeating it often herself.  

Fred used a big rented sander to hit all the hardwood to be refinished, main living space and the office bedroom.  Many trips to Home Depot that week!  We parked the truck and camper on the street.  By Friday we realized we could plug into the electricity.  Then, on a hot afternoon, "Air conditioning!"  I had forgotten all about that!  Here is a snip-it of an email I sent to my friend, Laurie, after returning home Saturday eve.

When I called Sunday, I was hoping to catch up.  Glad we got to do that, ;).  Also to check in about coming to the rehearsal dinner and K games...check did that.  I'm sorry I wasn't together as we started to talk about the other stuff,,,,,,I truly never looked at my clipboard all week.  A few chapters of reading at night, but we'd get up, work and eat, shower and sleep.  Oh, I had some fun E'lora time too.  We were at the playground, and she was up on a climbing tower.  I said, "You can climb down, I'll be right here."  She replied with her forehead all wrinkled, "I'm way to pregnant for that!"  She is so cute.  Cora cooked for us and delivered food, I'd watch the baby so she could pick out carpet and paint and such, and she worked, so I watched the baby so Colin could keep working.  It was a precious family time, my dad did GREAT too!!!  miss you, bren

I can't remember when I've worked so hard!  Ever so satisfying though.

Day 274-June 1, 2013

     The whirlwind went home after our lovely morning walk and helping outside with morning watering.  I stopped at a native garden and art show out in the country, a benefit for Sierra Streams.  It was an inspiring setting.  After depositing errands, I headed home to meet up with Fred.  I was planning to help on the deck project in Wildwood, but stayed home instead.  I got the office in nice shape, something on the "to do" list for, well, about a year.  Since I'm headed off to "help" in Santa Rosa, it felt good to get one of my needed projects complete.  Hmm, mostly complete.  Fred worked late.  After a nice soup dinner, we rested well.