Hello America How Are Ya?

Raise your hand if you sung that? 

Some of you are too young, but I love that song (City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie) It somehow stirs up feelings of nostalgia in me that always surface around the 4th. 

So how was your weekend? Do you want the good news or the bad news first? I like to get the bad news over with so...

Somehow I have a stress fracture in my ankle, and I cannot think of a less pleasant month to have your foot encased in a warm and toasty soft cast than the month of July. I suppose August would be just as bad, but here's hoping I don't have to confirm that through personal experience. 

I've been walking on it for a couple of months (oops), but I honestly thought it was my achilles, and if I just rested it enough it would improve. That wasn't happening and I was annoying my hubs who had taken to saying, 'come on granny' anytime we needed to walk somewhere so I finally saw my doc. 

Also, I am a granny so no offense taken.  

My doc did get an x-ray, but not the official kind like the orthos use. She couldn't see a fracture, but said I might need a different sort of scan, so I ended up with a referral and finally made that happen last week. 

And came home with the boot. 

Bother.  

I've never worn one of these but do people need a new hip when they get out of a boot, because it feels like one hip is higher than the other when I walk? I'm going to wear one cute wedge on my left foot to make me even. 

Did you come here today to read my medical chart? Let's talk about more pleasant things.  

Blueberries. 

Friday daughter1 came over with her kiddos so we could go blueberry picking one street over. Yes in my boot and with the temperature like the surface of the sun. 

One of my neighbors has an abundance of blueberry bushes in her yard, planted by the previous owner who must have really really loved blueberries. I think there are about thirty bushes still, even after our friends had some removed. 

They're super generous and put an announcement on our neighborhood facebook page every year for people to come pick anytime because there is no way they could harvest all these berries themselves. 

So we picked our share in the summer sunshine, then went home and jumped in the lake. 

Well, Nana did not jump. Nana hobbled down the cart path in her bathing suit and her boot, then took off the boot and ever so carefully climbed down the steps into the lake, and floated. The doc said it was okay so long as all I did was float. No actual swimming or kicking or fluttering or anything that involves moving my ankle. 

I always jump off the dock at the start of summer with my oldest grandson and my middle grandson was all in this year too, but I guess it will be an end of summer happening as opposed to early summer this year.

Friday night hubs and I toasted to my bummer summer with a glass of rose and a view. I can deal. I mean I kind of have to, right? 

Dinner was a hit and this recipe for Shrimp and Avocado Bowls with Mango Salsa and Lime-Chile Sauce  is for sure a keeper. It's a great summer meal and I'll be making it again soon. So easy and so delicious. 

The recipe says you can adjust the jalapeno and the siracha if you don't like spice, but I did not cut back on the spice at all and we both absolutely loved it. 

The Lime-Chili Sauce is definitely spicy so if that's not your thing, you could use less. The mango salsa would also be good with some pita chips. 

Saturday we had painters here most of the morning. You might remember we had to cut a hole in one of the guest room ceilings a couple of months ago because we thought there was a leak happening. There was not, but we had a nice hole nonetheless, two actually because the plumber also had to cut into the master bath on the wall behind the shower. The holes were not large and were finally repaired, and then the painters came to repaint Friday and Saturday. 

It took two days because hubs had them repaint the garage while they were here. He never misses a chance for home improvement. 

After the painters left we trekked to the grocery store to get most of what we'd need for the week, including the holiday celebrations. Hubs offered to go himself, but the list was long and I needed to be in charge lol. 

It kind of wore me out though, so we came home and I was on the couch until dinner. 

Hubs grilled a pork tenderloin and afterwards we re-watched an old favorite movie-Mr. Holland's Opus. I was thinking about what an original story that was and how we don't get a lot of original stories anymore in terms of film. 

Sunday I hobbled to church and we went to breakfast/lunch afterwards with daughter1 and her hubs and our grands. Then it was home to do a few last minute housekeeping tasks because daughter2 was on her way to the lake with her two littles to spend the week while her hubs is working. 

They arrived around 3:30 and sweet baby J immediately spied the lily pad floating by the dock and said we needed to swim. So we did. 

Boys will be boys, but these little girls y'all! 

They are fearless! 

Little Miss was here Friday and she just steps right off the dock or the lily pad and comes up smiling. 

Hubs grilled again Sunday night making fried rice on the griddle with the leftover tenderloin. Everyone enjoyed dinner outside and bonus, it made the clean up of a 16-month old feeding herself rice fairly easy. Hubs got out the hose and the blower and voila...good as new. 

The whole crew will be here this morning for blueberry pancakes lakeside and more swimming and summer fun with the cousin crew. I will try to keep up and as hubs says, 'try not to end up in a real cast before summer's over'. 

#Goals y'all. 

So what were you up to this weekend? I love the days leading up to the 4th because it feels like summer is really here. I hope the weather cooperates so we can spend a lot of time in the water. Enjoy your week and God Bless America! 

Linking today with Holly (Pink Lady) and Sarah (Sunshine and Books) and their weekly Hello Monday blog hop.