Sunday, October 16, 2011

Happiness is a warm puppy

It seems like every Monday I sit down to write a recap of our weekend and I'm struck by the same thought...."its over? already?" Both girls were home this past weekend and while there was much to-ing and fro-ing from the airport and train station and more airport and then back again to the train station, we did manage to squeeze in lots of fun.


Any weekend where I get to see these two faces at the breakfast counter is a good one. Where I can call up the stairs and say, "Girls, shake a leg, we're ready to go." Where I can hear them giggling together as they get ready in front of the bathroom mirror. All good.

Daughter2 arrived home Thursday afternoon (I guess I won't mention the delay, ahem) and we made a little side trek to my favorite mall on the way to the house. We were going right by so it only made sense. I'm pretty sure this child was born talking and we talked our way thru a lovely lunch at Legal Seafood and then afterwards, all the way thru Nordstroms shoe department because mama needs a new pair of wellies. I love all the patterns and funky colors but in the end I went with tried and true navy blue because they go with everything and have I told you how much it has rained here this year? I wear my wellies a.lot.

We had our traditional 'Daughter2 is in the house welcome home dinner' which is always chicken divan, her favorite. The three of us spent the evening playing cards and watching TV all curled up on the couch together which is my favorite. Friday
morning afternoon daughter2 and I wandered thru our nearby mall and she bought some jeans and a super cute hat for colder days.


Wish I looked this adorable in a hat.

We wanted to have a fire out back Friday night but the pesky weather forced us to go to Plan B which meant we all trekked out to the train station to collect Daughter1 followed by a stop at The Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner. Plan B was not without its merits....red velvet cheesecake anyone? The four of us having dinner all together makes my heart so happy.


Saturday dawned with sunshine and blue skies and trees of golden gold. This is my favorite corner of our back hillside which I photograph almost daily in the autumn. The leaves are not quite as vibrant this year as they have been in the past I'm sure due to all the rain, but they're pretty nonetheless.


We drove out to a nearby apple orchard and spent the day playing under the ever changing October sky. The farmer carts you out to the top of the tree line in a wagon and then you pick your way down through the orchard at your leisure.


You're given a grabber tool when you set out and it sure comes in handy. The best apples are always up high, right.


There may be other ways to grab the red ones out of reach.


She is her father's daughter. Just sayin'.
Speaking of the hubs-


He gave us a lesson in juggling.


He is a man of many talents.


We took our time, stretched the minutes into hours, squeezed every ounce of goodness that we could, out of the day.


Of course an outing with Daughter2 is never complete until there is an 'it could only happen to her' injury. She came out of the trees and we all said, 'You're bleeding-what happened?" No idea.


That tiny little scratch turned into a golf ball sized knot on her head by early evening. We think it was a tree branch but honestly incidents like this one happened to her on a regular basis when she was a
teenager child toddler and I kinda thought by the time she was 21 I would no longer be worrying about freak mishaps. Silly me. I warned her there would be a close up on the blog today.


It's a good thing she's so irresistible because I do hold her mostly responsible for any gray hair I may have. She is also her father's daughter. I thought about inserting a bad pun here...you know, something like-'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree'...but I won't.


There is something about a fall day spent out of doors that stirs up all sorts of feelings in me. Its a little bit of sadness mixed with a little bit of hope. Does anyone know what I mean?


When we'd had our fill of apples-


(yes, of course we had to taste them) we headed home where hubs grilled hotdogs for a late lunch.


Daughter2 and I had made our favorite blue cheese slaw the day before to go with and we relaxed on the patio til it was time for this-


Hubs ride to the airport arrived around 6 and he was off to Delhi. And of course on Sunday both girls had to be returned to their respective states so I did the airport-train station loop once more and may I just say dropping off daughters is not nearly as much fun as picking them up.

Do you remember the old Peanuts cartoon where Snoopy would push his nose up against Lucy's cheek and the caption below said Happiness is a warm puppy?


Well I for one am thankful for mine, underbite and all. She greets me when I walk into a house sans hubs and children. In those moments happiness really is a warm puppy.

20 comments:

  1. I am right there with you Joyce. Right there. This morning, after we dropped Deanie off at the airport...I might have cried a little. Good thing Hubs is a sensitive guy- he was quite comforting. But then he went off to work and it was just me and my warm puppy.

    I thought about y'all this weekend and hoped that y'all were having a grand time of it! Our oldest is the one who is always getting injured or falling off her chair or getting a key chain stuck on her finger.

    I heard that DC didn't shine too much this weekend. Must have been because our (yours and mine) two shining stars who live up there were at home. Right where they belong.

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  2. Looks like a good time was had by all. :)
    Doesn't the house always seem so much emptier when they all leave at once?!
    I 'hear ya' on the puppy... although I moan about this high maintenance pup I have, he sure is a blessing on the lonely evenings. :)

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  3. Apple orchards in the fall are the MOST picturesque spots. You got some great shots (and so did your duaghter - tee hee!)

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  4. Joyce, you are very blessed to have such a beautiful, loving family. I have never been to the Cheesecake Factory! Funny you wrote about your dog today too! They are the best.

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  5. What a wonderful weekend! We're off to spend half the week with our kids! Soooo looking forward to it! (daughter-in-law has a week off of Med School!)

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  6. That pun would have been just fine! The trees are so pretty even if you say they are not as vibrant as last year. What a wonderful time you had with your girls. Love all the pictures.
    We are putting a family day together to go to our apple orchards in a few weeks. Enjoy your apples. Nothing better then puppy love.

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  7. I told someone recently, that if they wanted someone to be really happy when she walks in the door, buy a dog. Husbands, boyfriends, etc. never really are all that happy to see you, but a dog always is!

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  8. OMG You had a fun day!!! We've haven't gone apple picking in ... a looooooong time. You've inspired me!
    And yes, happiness is a waarm puppy - or two!
    HUGS! Karen

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  9. Your posts and family are always a reminder of what a family should be. You are all so lucky to have each other and the love shows through in your photos.

    By the way, please email me where this farm is as it looks amazingly beautiful there!

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  10. WOW what a weekend, it was sure packed. Did you even sleep, even a little? Yes, happiness is warm puppy and I love ours as well.

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  11. I would say your weekend was everything you had hoped it would be and more! Documenting your weekends in your blog will be invaluable in the coming years when your girls are having families of their own. You are so right to take advantage of any time you can get with them now. They both look so happy to be home with mom and dad and you and the hubs are having the time of your life. So happy for you.
    Chris

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  12. Weekends go by too fast especially when daughters come home. What a wonderful weekend.

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  13. "A little bit of sadness mixed with a little bit of hope." I do exactly know what you mean! Fall's colors are fleeting and beautiful, like a good life, like childhood, like mothering children non-stop until--poof!--they're flown away from the nest. Vibrant fall colors are a sight for the eyes every time--like children walking back into our homes after an absence--but seeing their suitcases is like seeing winter come--there's a bleakness to the mother's soul. We are kindred spirit in this journey except that I still have all mine in the nest plus a little birdie. It just feels like they're gone an AWFUL lot.

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  14. I have to agree with you about how very cute she looks in that hat. :) Sounds like a great weekend.

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  15. What a wonderful sounding weekend and I love the picture of your dog. Too cute.

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  16. what fun ya'll had...
    love the leaves
    love the hat
    love the doggie

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  17. Your daughter2 is like my daughter2! Always getting hurt! She will often walk into walls and such. ;)

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  18. What a beautiful weekend - and beautiful girls! The best feeling in the world is seeing them turn in the driveway, and the worst is watching them pull out. Our son was here for 3 full days and it was wonderful, but he left this morning and I'm a bit sad.

    Hope you have many more weekends like this one!

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  19. Gorgeous pictures! It's so cool that y'all are so close and enjoy each other's company!

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  20. Joyce:
    What a wonderful weekend. . .until everyone had to leave. I agree that nothing beats a warm nose (dog or cat) when you arrive home to an empty home.

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