Not Always Fun

In the last few weeks I have had several of my blog readers mention to me or comment that I seem to always be having fun.  I do have fun.  Life is about as fun as you make it.

That said, my life isn't always fun.  

It's not always fun but it's usually random. 

As random as this post.

It's been a lot of hard work and sadness helping my parents move to an apartment.  I feel so blessed that they were in the same house for 50+ years but it is hard to say good bye and it is hard to see them leaving what they loved.

Max is going to try to revive my Grandpa's tack for his tack room.

 I wish I could take the snowball bush.  Mr. Osgood, the original owner brought this snowball bush back from Asia.  It stays small, no pruning needed.  My Dad's tractor is staying since the trees have grown around it.  It's hard for my parents to leave their flowers and trees.

 My Hubby finally turned 50 and we took the day off from our jobs to celebrate.  We had a fun day however; I do not like clowns and will not be using the restroom at Home Skillet ever again.  

Not fun just scarred,

 After breakfast we drove to meet someone about a window for the '57 Aloha.  Trailer restoration is not for sissies, the faint of heart or chickens.  Some days you have put on your big girl panties and go places that don't seem like a good idea.  It turned out fine.  We made a new friend. and we got the window we needed!

 Hubby likes to go junking with me.  That's fun!  We also went to RV stores to find parts and bits that we are still missing for our Aloha.  That's not fun, it's boring.

 My decision making skills are terrible lately.  I have regret purchases and some regret ididntpurchase.  Is that a middle age issue?

Oh the angst of trailer lighting!

One decision I am not regretting is to plant every color of geraniums in the window boxes. I usually choose one color and try to be all classy like.  This year, not so much.

 I am starting to sew curtains for the '57 Aloha.  I keep telling myself that I am having fun but really, I am not a seamstress.  I am just sewing seams with stress.

Hubby is working on the electrical for the Aloha and there is some angst and stress there.  It's isn't fun when the outlets don't work but it is fun when the lights go on.  Experienced electricians are invite to stop by and give some advice.

Today is Max's birthday.  Happy Birthday Spanky!  I wish I could hop in the car to drive to George, WA and make him dinner but instead I am going to a funeral. 

 Hubby is working every day of this holiday weekend.

So friends, I hope you feel better about all of my fun.  There is some not so fun here too.

Most of the time I choose to be happy even when it's not fun.  And I hope you do too!

Happy Birthday Hubby

Tomorrow is Hubby's birthday.  It's a BiG birthday and he's a BiG deal so it's pretty special.  Last week he thought he was going to Kulshan Brewery for an IPA and a burger from Streat Food food truck.  Just a typical Wednesday evening at Kulshan with Mark and Karen.  Then more friends and family just kept showing up.  Hubby didn't want a party but this was okay.  He was very surprised. All of the fun of a party without the angst of a surprise party, it was a low key open house.

I baked a cherry chip cake from scratch, though he prefers a mix, because that is his favorite cake.  I also baked black bottom cupcakes and brought chips and salsa making it an instant party!

Sam even got to come up from Joint Base Lewis McCord for the evening.

He just happened to wear his Kulshan sweatshirt.  It was a Christmas gift from Max and Kassie.  Apparently, it isn't seasonal for him.

 It was a fun night celebrating my guy with the people he loves.  Best of all, he was surprised and honored so many showed up at his favorite brewery.

Happy Birthday Hon!

Cedar Chest Treasures

My parents are moved into their apartment in town.  Now it's time to get ready for a huge sale.  The sale will be on Saturday starting at 8:00 a.m.  We hope to see you there.  Early birds pay double!  The grand kids get to come on Friday night to take what they want and have pizza for dinner.

 This bench was in the barn when they moved in 50 years ago.  It's probably overheard many conversations.

 I sure hope Santa knows where to find Tami, Kathi, Kenny and Jodi next Christmas.  He's been making this stop for a long time. My Mom or Aunt Clarice sewed the stockings out of felt as each of us were born.  We were mostly nice so they were filled with toys and treats.

 I wore this little yellow dress and sweater set as a baby.

 There are pictures of me wearing the little red dress that my Mom sewed for me.

My sister Kathi and I had velvet jumpers one Christmas.  Kathi's was red and my Mom made it out of  her bridesmaid dress that she wore for Uncle Ed and Aunt Twyla's wedding.  I love the covered buttons down the back of my blue jumper.

 My Uncle Gordon was career US Army military police.  He traveled the world and brought back pajamas for me.  The black and white set is pretty worn.

 The blue set is in nice shape, I don't think it was as soft so I didn't wear it as much.  Kathi had a matching set in light blue.   I told my sisters that I hoped I have a grand daughter someday.  She can spend the night and wear my exotic PJs.  Jodi suggested we watch Mulan, the Disney movie.  Won't that be fun?

It is a lot of work to empty a house but it is a lot of fun too.  Good memories and making new ones as we work together.  I am still laughing about a conversation between my Mom and Jodi that I overheard on Monday.  There was a Fenton, hand painted vase that Jodi was googling and looking at carefully.  She mentioned that she would like it.  Mom tells her to take it!  Jodi mentions that it has a small crack on the bottom.  Mom told her she couldn't come down from "take it".  

Hahaha.  Yep, free is as low as it gets!

See you on Saturday!

Rhubarb Bar Recipe and My Mother's Day

Jeff and Kathi hosted Mother's Day brunch this year.  Kathi set a beautiful table for the moms in her gazebo.  It was so pretty!

 The napkins were tea towels that we got to bring home.

 Cheers!  Jeff kept busy refilling our mimosas and bringing us coffee and dessert.

 For dessert Kathi honored past mothers.  She baked our Grandma Dora's Chocolate Oatmeal Bars recipe and our Grandma Clara's Butter Cookie recipe.  I baked Rhubarb Bars because I finally had enough rhubarb to actually bake something with it this year.  A first!

My rhubarb patch isn't super but there was enough for a batch of rhubarb bars.

 I love the smell, the color, the taste of rhubarb.

 Rhubarb Bars

Crust:

1 cup flour

5 T. powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter

Mix the flour, powdered sugar and soft butter; press it into a 9 X 13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Filling:

2 eggs

 1 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb

Beat the eggs, flour, vanilla, salt and sugar; stir in the rhubarb.  It's thick!  Carefully spoon it  and spread it over the baked crust.  Bake for 35- 40 at 350 degrees.

 Make a frosting with powdered sugar, butter and cream and vanilla.  I use butter and bit of cream cheese.  For Mother's Day I used two drops of red food coloring to tint the frosting a pale pink.  Frost the bars and serve.

I had a lovely  day on Sunday.  Hubby left me a gorgeous bouquet to find when I woke up.  I heard from all of my guys and my daughter-in law and that is what this Mama loves.

Happy Mother's Day

 Since my parents decided to move to town we have been sorting and going through things.  My favorite part is all of the pictures.  I'm sharing some with a Mother's Day theme today.

My Mom with me and Kathi and Kenny in our house on Wiser Lake Road.

Aren't my Mom's glasses darling?

 This black and white is me and my siblings, Kathi, Kenny and Jodi with our Grandma Vander Haak  It was taken at their farm on the Bender Road.  Kenny wore his favorite cowboy shirt a lot.

 This picture is of me with Kathi and Kenny and our dog, Bingo.  It was taken at my Grandpa and Grandma Dykstra's farm on the Wiser Lake Road.  I am wearing the First Day of Spring dress that I wrote about HERE.  I wish I had the car to pull our '57 Aloha.  The pink Mercury had black and white leather upholstery and the biggest back seat ever.

 This black and white family photo is my Mom's family.  Obviously her Mom and sisters got the memo... wear a polyester sheath style dress with a brooch.  Well done, ladies!

And lastly, a family picture where we were given a memo to wear something with a classic style.

Well done ladies!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms and Grandmas in my life.

Wishing you a special day!

This is Where

 My sisters and brother and our families have been helping my parents move to town.  They had lived in the same house for close to 50 years.  I was in first grade when they moved to the house.  It had been vacant for nine years and was a fixer upper.  It was built in 1897 and they were the second owners.  When people move into this house they don't leave for a long time!

Their house was a home to many others besides our family.  Dad and Mom hosted Sunday dinners for many years and everyone was welcome for dinner.  There are so many memories packed into this  house of holidays, Sunday dinners, and every day life.  I feel so blessed to have had this home in my life and in the lives of my guys.

This is where we grew up.  This where we had an orchard, a horse named Mouse, steers for beef, dogs and many puppies, a cat named Sam and a German Shepherd named Mickey, trees to climb and forts to build.

This is where we survived some blizzards and northeast winds of epic proportions.  Being snowed in was my Dad's favorite time.

This is where we walked to the bus stop, rode horse to the bookmobile, and biked to town and to our grandparent's farm on Wiser Lake Road.  As long as we were home for dinner we were free to go.

This is where we took off from for grade school, junior high and high school.  This is where my Mom held our hands by the patio door and prayed for us every morning before we got on the school bus.  This is where we took off for vacations, for college and for marriage.

This is the home we came back to with our spouses and our children.  My parents are the definition of hospitality.  Their grand kids and their friends have wonderful memories of 7570 Hannegan Road.

Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. I Peter 4:9

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. Romans 12:13

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:34

But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.  Titus 1:8

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.  Colossians 3:23-24

Last week we took some photos of the last Sunday dinner at 7570 Hannegan Road.  Of course, not everyone was able to be there.  Mom never knew how many kids and friends would show up for dinner,  There will still be family times and dinners but it will be different.  

The same people, the same food and the same love will still be there and that is what matters most.

 My folks have a nice place in town and there is even room for the piano.  The grand kids will all be relieved to know that Nana still has her piano.  She made them sing at Christmas before they could open their gifts.  We are not a very musical family so it was a tad painful.

 I took home my and my sisters first cookbook.   Kathi, Jodi and I paged through it and learned to bake and cook with Betty Crocker.  It is really worn because it was really used.

 I still want to make the Enchanted Castle Cake recipe.  It is one of the few recipes I never did make.

If we weren't in Mom's kitchen we were in the play room with the Easy Bake oven baking layer cakes.  Our Mom let us make a mess and that was how we learned to cook.  She taught us how to cook and bake and more importantly how to show hospitality.

What a gift we have been given!