Weekends, Weary, Wedding Dresses, Whew!

We're in the final week of our A to Z Blog Challenge and as always I'll be limping across the finish line. Since it's Monday there will be a weekend recap (with Holly and Sarah) along with my letter post on the blog today. 

There's a lot going on here this week and I'm trying to be a 'one-day-at-a timer' but it's hard not to look at the very long list in front of me. That list includes some things that will be emotionally draining and physically demanding but we can do hard things, right? 

Right! 

The weekend. 

Friday I had lunch with three friends from my old Bible Study group. We hadn't seen one another in several months and it was wonderful to catch up. Lunch was served on one friend's beautiful back porch and everyone contributed something to keep it simple. These ladies have been, and continue to be, such a blessing to me. 

I played Mah Jong at a neighbor's house later in the afternoon. 

Before I left my house that morning I made a big pot of sauce, and when I finally arrived home around dinnertime I congratulated myself for thinking ahead. Hubs had out of town real estate clients in all weekend so he was gone from dawn to dusk too. 

Saturday we sipped our coffee with the sunrise, then hubs was out the door early for another day with his house hunters. I had some errands to run in town so made the loop and was home about one. I spent the afternoon getting things ready for my mom's move. I am not going down that road on the blog today, but I'm sure will eventually gather my thoughts and put them in writing. 

We had plans Saturday night to celebrate a friend's birthday in our neighborhood clubhouse. The menu was tacos and margaritas and a delicious homemade cake baked by another neighbor. A fun night spent  chatting and catching up with friends. 

Sunday morning we went to church, then hubs and I stopped at Waffle House for a late breakfast. We needed energy for the afternoon's activity aka porch cleaning. Honestly we have had so much going on this past month we have not gotten to this dreaded but very necessary task. 

The pollen sits about an inch deep so all the porches and decking and outdoor furniture need to be hosed down and cleaned. We roll up our outdoor rugs during pollen season so they needed to be put back outside. Hubs operated the power washer and I had the tedious job of wiping down all the deck railings and spindles. We have over 200 spindles, not that anyone is counting, but yeah. It's a lot. 

And you have to keep changing the soapy water out because it turns black very quickly. 

But! we're getting there! The upper deck and the screened porch are mostly done and he made a good start on the lower level patio and dining space. Still more to do, plus there's also the boat to clean, (well for hubs to clean) but we're making forward progress and we can once again enjoy our favorite thing about this house, which is the outside space. Cheers to summer porch sittin'! 

I still need new pillows for the deck sofa and a few more flower pots but that will happen soon. Not this week though because this week is already a doozy. 

Now for today's letter which continues my theme of The Things We Keep: Ordinary Objects From A-Z. 

Day 23-W is for Wedding Dresses

Do you still have your wedding dress? When we returned from our honeymoon I took my dress to the local dry cleaners and they boxed it up in that fancy way dry cleaners do to keep it from yellowing through the years. 

You hope. I mean I wasn't even certain it was my dress in that box but we trusted the cleaners. I don't know if in 1984 I dreamed of having a daughter who might wear it someday, but I wasn't ready to part with it either. Into the box it went. 

From there it moved with us umpteen times, always in the unopened box. There it remained for 30 years, until in 2014 daughter1 was engaged to be married and thought she might like to try it on. I have a picture of her in it somewhere but I can't put my hands on it right now. Anyway...

She actually loved the idea of having the dress reworked and made to look a little less 80's bride, but logistics were not in our favor. I was in one state, she was in another, and the wedding was in a third so it all felt like an additional stress we didn't need. 

She found a dress that looked like it had been made just for her and she spun and twirled and smiled from the moment she put it on until she and her brand new husband left the reception. 

My dress went back into the box, and then a few years went by and now daughter2 is getting married and she took a turn trying it on too. 

Not 80's at all-ha! However Daughter2 had already fallen in love with a dress we'd seen in a fashion show so that was that.

But! I heard about a company that made dressing gowns/robes from wedding dresses and I decided to surprise daughter2  with a gift for Christmas before her January wedding. I had my wedding dress made into a getting ready robe for her and it turned out beautifully. 

She was, quite literally, overcome with emotion when she saw it. 

I wrote about it here (Let's Review) so I won't recap again, but suffice it to say I might never give another gift that lands as perfectly as this one did. 

And now here we are with one daughter married ten years and one married five, yet somehow we have their wedding dresses in our storage area. These boxes are not small either. 

Question-why did I tote my wedding gown from pillar to post but my girls dresses have stayed with me? I'm thinking I should hand them over and they can decide what they'd like to do with their gowns. 

They both have tiny daughters so maybe someday I'll get to see granddaughters walking down the aisle looking every bit as beautiful as their mommas. 

That makes them worth keeping. 

Getting The Wrinkles Out

 We're officially one third of the way through the alphabet with today's letter. Carry on A-Zers...

Day 9-I is for Iron 

Do you have an iron? Do you use it? This might seem like a funny question because doesn't everyone iron? 

No. No they do not. 

Recently there was a question relating to ironing in my weekly Hodgepodge link up and I was surprised at how many people said they never iron, that they haven't ironed anything in years. They just use a wrinkle release or buy clothing made of fabric that doesn't require ironing and I was left scratching my head. 

My daughter2 informed me recently that she actually has two irons. She needed to iron something one day and couldn't find hers so thought maybe she'd gotten rid of it in a move (obviously she wasn't ironing often) so she was forced to buy another. Then she found the one she thought was gone and now has two. Not sure she irons enough to warrant having two irons, but we visit and we iron so we're glad she owns one. Not everybody does. 

She also told me when she got it out to iron something her children were mesmerized. Apparently they had never laid eyes on this particular appliance. 

My hubs would not last a week without an iron. He likes things crisp. Not nearly as much as he did when we were first married, or in all those years he wore a suit and tie to work, but even in retirement he still isn't one to wear a wrinkled shirt. My mother always loved telling the story of being at our house one time when hubs was still working, still wearing real shirts (none of that casual Friday nonsense) and she watched my husband take a freshly starched shirt out of the plastic bag the cleaners had put it in, and iron it just a little bit more. True story. 

So what does this have to do with my theme? Well obviously I own an iron and obviously it's something I'm going to keep, but also it's a tough letter and when I started thinking about what to choose this word came to mind. There's something satisfying about running a hot iron over a crease running down the front of a shirt and seeing it disappear. 

I remember my mama setting up her ironing board in our den. She'd put it as low as it would go and set a chair behind it and have a stack of clothes to iron beside her. She'd also have her spray starch and distilled water and she might watch a little tv while she ironed. I honestly don't remember my mother watching tv when I was growing up except when she was tackling this chore. 

Maybe she appreciated sitting down for an hour? 

My dad was in the Marine Corps and my mom ironed his uniforms to perfection. She ironed a lot of tablecloths too and took such care in doing the job. Ironing a tablecloth is tedious. I send my tablecloths to the cleaners, and it's rare for me to iron a huge stack of anything in a single sitting. We're an iron as you go household so if I'm planning to wear something that needs to be ironed I do it then. 

Thinking about my mama sitting behind her ironing board is a picture of homemaking I don't think we see a lot these days. I suppose when I picture my mama ironing I think of it as one of the very many ways she showed love to her family. 

And that's a memory worth keeping. 

Spring Fever In The Hodgepodge

Welcome to a springtime edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why? 

It definitely feels like spring where I live. I will do my best not to go on and on (and on and on) about the pollen but it's here and it's a sure sign of spring. Temps are in the 70's for the most part, some days we've been up in the 80's, and things are blooming. 

Autumn is my favorite season of the year, but I'm always happy to see spring springing too. 

2. What's your favorite thing about spring? 

Easter. 

 So much sweetness in a single photograph. 

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.  

All of the above. I'm hanging with these two little cuties this week and they definitely put a spring in my step. There's also a lot of springing into action and springing to your feet with the three and under set. They're quick! 

4. Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient? 

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions

There isn't anything on this list I don't love so it's tough to pick a favorite. I'd probably say eggs because that's the one I'd miss the most if it were taken away. Deviled eggs are a favorite this time of year especially. 

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list? 

I don't have a written list, although I might make one just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing off completed chores. One task on the list? Baseboards, wipe down all the kitchen cabinets, and wash windows which we might farm out to a professional. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Several people have asked me how we played the Bingo game on my mother-in-law's birthday. My sister-in-law did all the work, but it looked like this-

Every square had some saying, event, or phrase relating to my m-i-l. When the square was called you marked it off just like you do with a regular bingo board (We used dot markers). Then everyone told a story or shared a memory relating to whatever the square said. 

The cards were made using myfreebingocards.com. and my sister-in-law printed them out for us on paper.  Everyone's card was arranged differently but had some of the same topics, so there was a winner. We didn't have prizes, just lots of fun and laughs. 

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 646

Here are the questions to this week's Hodgepodge. Answer on your own blog, then hop back here on Wednesday (March 25th) to add your link to the party. See you there! 

1. It's officially spring in the northern hemisphere. Does it feel like spring in your part of the world? If you're in the southern hemisphere it's officially autumn where you live. Does the weather say autumn? Which do you prefer-spring or autumn? Why? 

2. What's your favorite thing about spring? 

3. Spring into action, spring in your step, spring to life, spring to one's feet...which spring idiom currently applies to your life in some way? Explain.  

4. Which spring food from this list is your favorite? What's a dish you like that includes your favorite spring ingredient? 

asparagus, strawberries, salad greens like mesclun, artichokes, spinach, eggs, peas, spring onions

5. What's one task on your spring cleaning list? Do you actually have a list? 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Hey There Monday

Good morning friends. We have a full full calendar on tap here this week with lots happening, including houseguests, meeting new neighbors, and a granddaughter celebrating a birthday. This morning though, I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their weekend recap link up. Here's how ours looked-

Backing up to Thursday because Thursdays are when I think the weekend should start. I volunteer on Thursdays and felt productive in dropping off both dry cleaning and a library book before 8:30 AM. My volunteer stint lasts from about 9-1, then I made one more quick stop before heading home. 

Hubs and I met up with Daughter1 and her family at Max's soccer match a little bit later. His team just keeps on winning and it was fun to watch them advance yet another day in the playoffs. After the game we all went to a local brew pub and had pizza and wings to celebrate. On our way from the soccer pitch to the restaurant we passed this field of cotton in full bloom. 

I'm not usually on this road so have never seen it before, but it was so pretty in the setting sun. I tried to snap a picture as we whizzed by, which isn't the best but it's all I managed. 

We had our first 'table fire' Friday morning. The weather has been absolutely spectacular, and we are spending as much time outside in it as we can. I stayed busy all day with phone calls, meal planning, grocery shopping, and laundry. Hubs played golf. His tee time wasn't until after one and he was playing an hour away so he was out pretty much all afternoon. 

I made a chicken pot pie for dinner and we watched a movie we thought we might have seen, but since neither of us could remember for sure, it was fine. Welcome to 'the third act'-ha! 

Saturday I washed all the slip covers for the chairs in our keeping room. Not gonna lie here...it's a job, but they come out beautifully, so it's worth doing from time to time. These chairs are where people naturally gravitate when they come in to my house, so they get a lot of use.  

There's a seat cushion, a seat back, and then the chair cover itself, all of which zip snuggly around the cushions inside, so it can be a wrestling match getting them off and especially back on. Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day. I like to set the covers outside on a drying rack so wanted to take advantage of the sunshine.

We have company coming Monday and I'm glad this is done. Hubs washed his truck because that's what he loves to do on a sunny Saturday morning. 

Saturday afternoon we went to a party at a friend's house. So much fun! They had BBQ catered and best of all (aside from the glorious weather I mean) was the live music. Two local musicians who are both super talented, played for three solid hours, no breaks. We've seen them around town in one of the breweries and  some of the dining spots that feature live music, but this was in someone's back yard and felt extra.

The musicians performed on our friend's dock and then the party go-ers sat on the hillside above them. It was a great set up. 

Several boaters came by too, and listened in from the water, and we were kind of wishing we'd come by boat because it was a great night for it. 

Sadly not as great a night for football. We got home and caught most of the Tennessee-Alabama game. Ugh. The hometown team also lost so a double whammy. 

Sunday we woke up to rain, which we haven't had in a long while. We heard an excellent message at church, and hubs and I went to brunch right after. Then it was home to clean bathrooms and do some vacuuming so everything would be nice and tidy for our friends arriving Monday. Hubs and our houseguest worked together for a couple of decades+ and we haven't seen one another in a number of years. We're looking forward to showing them the lake and catching up in person. 

Have a great week everyone!

Hey Y'all~It's Monday

Good morning friends. I hope your weekend was grand. Ours was busy and delightful. Delightfully busy I guess you could say. Did you watch the Derby? 

On Friday the 'kids' furniture was delivered to their new home. My son-in-law had to be in Charlotte all day for a medical thing (work, not illness) that was scheduled before they knew when the furniture was arriving, but we rally here. 

The in-laws picked up the grands first thing and took them back to their house for the weekend, then I went to my daughter's house to help with the unpacking. Hubs stayed at our house since we had scheduled a whole house clean for that day because...

Saturday we were having 32 people here for a Derby party.

We like it complicated. 

My daughter and I unwrapped at least 100 pieces of glassware, and managed to get most of the kitchen unboxed so the movers could take the empties and filler with them. I went to pick up lunch for everyone and got back to her house in the middle of a crazy hail storm. Insane! I was a little worried about my car but think it survived unscathed. 

My daughter's house is a mere four miles from my own house but hubs said we had all rain, zero hail. The lake can make the weather wonky (er). 

Meanwhile, at my house every nook, cranny, window, and corner was being dusted, mopped, wiped down, wiped off and vacuumed. These girls did the most fabulous job and there is nothing better on a Friday afternoon than walking into a sparkling clean house. We normally do it ourselves but given the timing of the move/party we decided to call in the professionals and it was worth every penny.

Friday night we checked out a newish place for dinner,  a distillery with a charming western vibe (the owners are former rodeo competitors). Hubs and I shared a salad and a pasta and both were delish. The 'kids' joined us as we were finishing up and my daughter and I split a chocolate dessert which was fun. 

For some reason the cake looks ginormous in this picture, but it was just a normal serving. We got home around 9 and hubs cranked up the Big Green Egg to start the BBQ we would be serving the next day. 

We had eighteen pounds of meat (three pork butts he'd seasoned that morning) and knew they would take about 16 hours to cook, cool, and shred. 

It's a whole big process which hubs manages like a boss. I'm just here for moral support and the end result- 

Saturday we were hosting a Derby party and the sky kept us guessing as to whether that would be indoors or out until pretty much the last minute. The plan was for outdoors, but we had some rain in the early part of the afternoon and the forecast wasn't the best. Our dining space is covered and so is the main seating area, but the grilling area is not and neither is the waterfall patio. 

The party was starting at 4:30 and at 4:15 we finally felt like it was safe to uncover the furniture and bring more chairs down to the lower patio. I put a six foot table there too so people could spread out. 

And they did. 

People were everywhere and it was so much fun! 

The new space worked out really well, comfortable and cozy and it felt exactly as we hoped it would feel. 

Hubs made his famous mint juleps and we put some red roses around and I have some fun little picks and table runners and a horse poster to add to the festivities. 

Everyone brought appetizers, salads, or desserts to go with the BBQ, which was one of hubs best...so good! 

The race itself is short but definitely lives up to its billing as the most exciting two minutes in sports. You know what our highlight was? About an hour before the party ended my daughter and her hubs walked in. 

Hubs said his heart leapt when he saw her from across the room, because it was just this unexpected moment we both were able to recognize as our new normal. We have never lived near enough for us to say, 'hey we're having a party, why don't you come?', and now we do. 

On Sunday hubs and I were supposed to drive over to TN to attend the funeral of a college friend. We hadn't been traveling long when we got a call that the service would need to be rescheduled due to a separate family emergency. Such a hard thing for these folks to navigate and I really feel for them. 

We turned around and stopped for breakfast at a place we like, then I changed into comfy clothes and watched movies and napped the afternoon away. Hubs was out getting the leaves off the driveway, moving chairs back where they belong, and carrying a table to the attic, but that's the hubs. 

I took the day off because a day off is sometimes needed, and today was that day.

I hope you had a nice weekend too. Hop over to the Hello Monday link up hosted by Holly and Sarah to add your own recap and see what others are sharing there too.

Home Sweet Hodgepodge

Hi Peeps! Welcome to this week's edition of The Wednesday Hodgepodge. If you've answered today's questions, add your link at the end of my post, then leave a comment for the blogger before you. Here we go-

1. Spring has officially sprung (in the northern hemisphere anyway)...did she roll in more like a lion or more like a lamb in your neck of the woods? What needs more of your attention in terms of a good spring clean this year-your house or your garden/yard? 

More like a lamb. A lamb who rolled around in the grass and is now completely covered in yellow pollen. Hubs took the blower to the grill deck this morning to get rid of some of the pollen and I snapped this picture just a few hours later...

The struggle is real y'all. 

As far as what needs the most attention I'm going to say the house. Without question. Normally it's just the hubs and I living here, and hubs is neat as a pin so the house is almost always tidy and dusted. We've had our daughter, son-in-law, and their three littles living with us since mid-January so there's more 'stuff' out than there normally would be. We pick up regularly and embrace the chaos. 

Mostly. Sometimes hubs looks around and twitches a little lol. 

2. What's put a spring in your step lately? 

We're very excited for the new home my daughter and her hubs are in the process of purchasing. I'm not saying too much about it now, because nothing in real estate is a done deal until the keys are handed over and of course the money too.  So far the process has been smooth, and everyone is eager to settle in. 

3. When you were a kid, what was the best snack to find in your lunchbox? If you didn't do the lunchbox thing, tell us what was your favorite after school snack. 

We walked home for lunch when I was in elementary school so no lunchboxes during those early years. My mom always had lunch waiting for us though, and I would be most excited to find she'd made egg salad sandwiches which are still one of my favorites. 

I took lunch to school in a brown bag in junior high and sometimes high school, and my favorite treat to find there would be a Drake's Ring Ding. Does anyone remember those? Do they still make them? The cake-cream-icing proportion was exactly right. 

And yes, they do still make them (I had to check). I wonder if they taste the same? 

4. In what area of your life are you planting seeds? 

I think if you're a parent you're always planting seeds, no matter your child's age. Grandparenting is also an opportunity to plant seeds and I hope I'm a good gardener. Kindness, fun, a gentle tone, time to spend, lots of prayer. 

5. Why do you live where you do? Would you consider living somewhere else? Why or why not? 

our lake lot pre-build, 2015

We live here on purpose. Some people end up retiring or living in the place they last worked, but our last work assignment was North Jersey, and we knew we needed to get away from the crazy taxes and the equally crazy winters. 

clearing brambles from the newly purchased lot-2015

moving dirt, October 2015

We chose this lake and this lot specifically, and then retired and built our home here. 

From the earliest days of our marriage we agreed that someday we'd live on a lake. 

dock construction October 2015

dock in place-October, 2015...way before the house was completed 

Hubs grew up on lakes and I'm all about a great view so we were totally simpatico in that department. My daughters both went to uni in the nearby town, which is how we discovered this little bit of paradise. 

home sweet home

It used to be something of a well kept secret, but word's out now so it's busier than when we arrived in 2015. Still beautiful though! 

Would I consider living somewhere else? I guess. I mean never say never. I imagine someday we'll move into something that requires less maintenance, but we'd probably stay nearby. Particularly now that we have a daughter and some of our grandchildren living in our same town. Our other daughter and grands are just a three hour drive from here, so this area makes sense. 

Plus it's beautiful. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

There are four Hodgepodges (counting today) between now and Easter so I think I'll post some throwback pics in my random space every Wednesday between now and then. 

Cheers to spring when little girls wore brand new coats that were a smidge too big or maybe just oversized on purpose? (hey, it was the 90's) and also completely precious...

Happy Wednesday and happy spring everyone!