Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Total Eclipse Of A Summer

If you're looking for the Hodgepodge questions, scroll on down. 

Y'all it has been a summer. Not the summer we anticipated, but summer nonetheless. What day is it anyway? Is it still August? Where's my calendar? If I had a nickel for every time I've written the phrase 'once life slows down a little' in this space I'd be blogging from my beach house in the Caribbean.

But here I am on the back porch, which is not the Caribbean, but it's almost as pretty. We've had a fun day watching day turn to night turn to day here in the Palmetto State, and I thought I'd try to catch up a little.

When last we spoke I had just returned home from a two-week visit to Washington State where I got to meet my grandson. Everybody say hi, but quietly because he's sleeping-


Still not quite over the fact he's 3000 miles away, but my daughter's in-laws have been out there visiting and her mother-in-law has been sending me a text with pictures every day so that's something.


Also, my daughter set up a family website on Tinybeans and she drops pictures and sometimes videos in there almost every day. We get on her about the 'almost' but she did just have a baby so we try to be patient. Not really our thing, but we try.


She's doing great! by the way. That's her with baby boy tucked in close for a hike down to the water. He slept the whole way so I think he liked it.

Tinybeans is a terrific way for families spread far and wide to share photos away from social media. The admin invites whoever they want to have access to join their site, and it's very user friendly. It's been especially nice for the great grandmothers who haven't gotten to meet baby boy in person yet. Tinybeans also has an app for your phone, and visitors can like pictures and leave comments.

Anyway, back to the last seven days. We got home late Sunday night, then met up with some friends for dinner Monday. Somehow as we were chatting the subject of bloody marys came up, and I mentioned hubs makes the world's best because he hand crafts them, and someone in the group challenged me, so I ended up inviting everyone to our house for breakfast on Wednesday. Two friends there had house guests but the more the merrier, right?

I should host more breakfasts. I love entertaining this way. I made two different breakfast casseroles the night before, and hubs was in charge of the drinks where he proved me right. It was a fun relaxed morning and something we'll do again.

Actually I made the food the day before because the night before we met my daughter's in-laws for dinner a few towns over. We wanted to compare notes before they headed west. Our waitress was a good sport and looked at more than a few baby pictures on our phones.

Yes. We are those people.

I think I've rambled so let's recap...travel west coast to east coast all day Sunday, dinner out with friends Monday night, dinner out with family Tuesday night, 11 people at my house for breakfast Wednesday morning, and I haven't even mentioned yet the fabulous progressive dinner ala lake style we were part of on Thursday night. 

Oh, and laundry and packing on Thursday too because guess what? We were getting up early for a road trip to Maryland on Friday. Also, hubs needed tires which led to needing an alignment, which led to needing some other big expensive auto repair and we squeezed that in last week too. Mostly. Car repairs. Grrr.

The ladies in my bible study group planned a progressive dinner, and we thought it would be fun to travel to the various houses by boat. And it was!! We had a late afternoon storm that made us a little anxious, but the skies cleared and the weather cooperated beautifully.


Appetizers were at my house, so everybody boated over here for that, after which we loaded back up on the boat and motored a few coves over to another house for the main. We did a big Mexican feast which was perfect. When that course was finished we loaded back up on the boat and traveled a few docks down to a third house for dessert. Such a fun evening!


We slept a few hours, then woke bright and early (but mostly just early) Friday, loaded the car, and headed to Maryland. My nephew's Eagle Scout ceremony was on tap for Saturday afternoon, and his brother had a starring role in a community play that evening so it was a double header kind of day. Here's the Eagle with his uncle Eagles-


We were thankful both events were happening in the same weekend, and bonus! My mother-in-law was also in town for the happenings so we had a chance to spend time with her too.


Also, I love me a good ceremony and an Eagle Scout award makes for a good ceremony.

We knew going up we'd likely have horrible traffic coming home on Sunday since so many people were traveling to our area for the eclipse. We had the bright idea to get up at 3:30 in the middle of the night morning and get on the road. It worked, but we were wiped out Sunday and spent most of the afternoon napping. Well I napped and hubs mowed the yard because that's hubs.

Which brings me to Monday. Hey did you hear there was a solar eclipse on Monday? Ha!


We live in prime eclipse totality viewing real estate and the marketing for this event was ka-razy! We did not take the boat out, but instead went to a party at a neighbor's house. Two reasons really...one-they live on the water so the lake is right there, and two-we really wanted to spend time with some of our neighbors. We have been away so much this summer we've missed that. It was great fun, and the perfect place to see the whole event.

And that's the week that was.

The end.

Except not really because my sister and brother-in-law and their son arrive Wednesday. I'm excited to see them because we don't get a lot of time to just hang out together, and they haven't been to the lake yet. Also, my nephew can't wait to take a running leap off the dock with his aunt. He doesn't know it yet, but he can't wait.
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14 comments:

  1. Wow! So much fun packed into a few weeks.

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  2. Did you think retirement would mean less busy? What a summer! Maybe that grandbaby will talk his parents into moving to the SE. Wouldn't that be nice!

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  3. Oh, my, not sure how you know where you are when you wake up of a morning. What a busy few months you have had. And, that baby, isn't it amazing all the ways we can be "up close and personal" these days even those the miles separate us. He looks mighty comfy cozy in that baby pac. My daughter still uses hers with her almost 2 year old, but now, on her back. Happy Tuesday!

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  4. Oh my goodness... talk about a jam packed schedule! Sounds soo fun and exciting. Yes, daily pics and little videos help soo much with having grands soo far away. I'll be checking into that sight. Enjoy the rest of your week!

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  5. Your whole life makes me dizzy! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! So many things to be thankful for and I know that you are. Thanks for taking time to do Hodgepodge questions. Your baby is wonderful and isn't it terrific there are so many ways feast your eye on him when you can't be there?

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  6. Joyce, I need a nap just from reading all you have been up to! Reminds me a little of when we first moved to Lakeland (30 miles from Disney) and EVERYONE we knew made reservations at the D'Orsaneo Hotel. We loved it, but we also loved it when everyone got tired of Disney. Ha! Not sure anyone will ever tire of your beautiful lake, however!!

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  7. omg...that baby....so precious.
    Thanks for the info on that App -Once I have grandchildren I am sure they will be on the other side of the planet so that App will come in very handy.

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  8. Wow, I'm tired from just reading about your activities! I don't know how you do it, but I'm glad it's turned out to be such a fun summer for you--and that baby boy just gets more precious with each picture :)
    No viewing the eclipse here. It was cloudy and raining :(
    Kathy (Reflections)

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  9. I love your life, so glad that you are having so much fun and traveling all the time. Wish your were closer to your grandson. Mark wants to retire and leave California, I want to stay here to be by a grand baby.

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  10. People couldn't even get home from work down here yesterday. I can't stand crowds like we had for the eclipse but everyone was so nice (at least the ones I encountered) it wasn't bad. Except the traffic. UGH. It's bad all the time but it was even worse. I stayed home most of the weekend. That baby boy is just as adorable as he can be. I know the other set of grandparents are having a wonderful visit. Do you think your daughter is still enjoying the company or ready to have some down time? I loved all the help when mine came along but I was also ready to sink or swim on my own. I think it's because I feel like I have to entertain when people visit. Anyway...I've never seen an Eagle Scout ceremony but I do know Eagle Scouts. Does it make sense when I say the thing I notice most about them is how respectful and responsible they are?

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  11. Phew! That was several crazy busy weeks and events. I thought we were summer company taxed. You win! Now I'd like a Bloody Mary!

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  12. Yes summer seems to be over, since July here in Belgium ! Your grandson has a lot of hairs for a baby ! How nice to meet with everybody. I couldn't eat breakfast early morning around 11 is OK ! We are so lucky to have all these facilities via Internet today. My grandson lives in Amsterdam, but thanks to Skype we always could keep in touch !

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  13. I hope you have some down time scheduled soon - you must be exhausted! We have a similar app (Lifecake) for keeping up with our grandson and my daughter posts at least one picture EVERY day. A quiet word in your daughter's ear maybe? lol. Especially as they are so far away.

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  14. I was sleeping during the eclipse. Your grandson is adorable. This is the first I've heard of Tiny Beans.

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