Girls night out

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

We say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa and we are off to Jacksonville again. The two brothers spend the evening together, so it is just us girls.

The baby starts to cry almost as soon as we sit down in the Cheesecake factory. I am the great auntie--such joy! Now I get to rock and soothe and sing to her while the cousins visit in the restaurant--such happiness! Soak up the baby love and the baby scent--is anything sweeter? So many people stop to chat and admire her. She finally falls asleep right when the food arrives--how perfect!

Salad is just what I wanted and we are finishing our last bite when she wakes up. Perfect timing once again. She has her bottle and we head home, baby screams the whole way. Poor munchkin--we really disturbed her schedule with our shopping and late night dinner.

Visit with nephew-in-law and then off to bed for more travels tomorrow!

The oxygen bar is not all its cracked up to be

So we take Grandma for her mother's day manicure and they tell us to feel free to use the oxygen bar while we are waiting.

Apparently the air we breathe only nets us 20% oxygen, but our own personal nasal cannula tubes will get us a whopping 65% when attached to the brightly colored bubbling beakers of scented oxygen.

Hey! It's free - why not?

Here are our choices.

1) Peppermint - energize
2) Lemongrass - clear the sinuses
3) Lavender - relaxing
4) Rosemary - clear the sinuses
5) Cinnamon - clarity of thought
6) Chocolate - forget what they said about this one

I choose lemon grass because I like lemon and the girl chooses peppermint.

Twenty minutes later we are both duly unimpressed and the girl is dizzy from breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Later we read we are supposed to do it for 30 minutes for full benefit.

Oh well - we live - we learn!

Random thoughts on Florida

Rednecks and retirees.

Palm trees and scratchy grass.

Strip malls, condos, mobile homes, highway and gated communities as far as the eye can see.

Too humid.

The all-you-can-eat salad bar at Dustin's attracts a certain body type.

Things are MUCH slower here.

Everyone who works at Publix is nice.

If it weren't for Publix I wouldn't have a new nephew and a great-niece. Thank you Publix!

Three dinners and a sunset -Part 3/3

Dinner #3-Monday , May 13- Edgewater, FL

Grandma wants barbeque so off to Dustin's we go.

We are a hungry bunch!

Grandpa is in a good mood.

Pulled pork, chicken and ribs. Fried okra, baked beans, sweet potatoes baked potatoes, corn on the cob, green beans and coleslaw. Sweet tea, dark ale and water.

Key lime and peanut butter/chocolate mini cheesecakes for dessert!

We devoured our food!

Great waitress named Sheila knew how to make Grandpa laugh.

"Fifteen percent of your bill is $100."

What a great time! Lots of laughter all around!

Thank you Sheila!

A majestic sunset greets us in the parking lot.

A perfect last night at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Monday at the Meadows

Quick trip to Publix to get cream and Easter bread fixins.
Home in a jiffy but can't get into *#$@!%*+:':#** gated community.

Thirty minutes and three phone calls later I am back. (Why do  all these $&#@&*-&# houses look alike?)

Can't get into road because *&$$*%@*--!  old guy in a Mercedes convertible won't get out of my way. Going about 2 mph. Why are sports cars wasted on the old?
Pull into driveway and old guy pulls in behind me yelling about women drivers getting lost.
Shoot it's grandpa.

Breakfast and power walk with Jim darling.

Grandpa, Jim darling and the girl off to the pool and gym.

Grandma and I hang at the house while I mix and knead two batches Easter bread. Nice chat. Learn some things I never knew.

Everyone home for lunch.

Shower and dress for guests at 3.

Fun with Elaine and Dale.

Off to Flagler Avenue and the beach with Jim darling and the girl.

Back home for dinner.
(More in three dinners and a sunset part 3/3.)

Three dinners and a sunset. Part 2/3

Dinner #2 -Sunday May 12-FL

It's Mother's Day- dinner at grandma's house.
MENU:
Pork roast
Red cabbage
Peas
Potatoes
Apple pie

Good food served with sides of brotherly and grandfatherly advice.

Jim darling has a rosy glow.

The sacrifice of mothers prevail.

We made it through.

"Mother's Day - Mother's Day - It is almost here."

OK so Mother's Day is actually two days gone as of this writing, but it is part of the journey so it needs it's own blog entry.

My beautiful niece was gracious enough to allow us to invade not only her home but her first Mother's Day. (Not that we gave her a choice!).

Up at dawn with Ruby dog and out and about to sniff the bushes.

Quiet time until everyone awake and then off to Publix and Starbucks for breakfast provisions. Fun in the green car. Everyone is so friendly! Thanks to the nice lady in the convertible who showed me how to drive to the Starbucks with the mystery entrance.

Jim darling makes gashouse eggs with mushy white bread for the niece and everyone. Feels like the good parts of Vermont.

Kids call on separate cells for a rousing  rendition of "Mother's Day - Mother's Day  -  it is almost here!"  'A' for effort  - less than that for harmony.

Baby finally awake! Playtime with the baby! Fun! Fun! Fun!

Goodbye for now - off to church - great priest with an Irish brogue. Someone's baby baptised during Mass. How wonderful! Apparently architect of church forgot about Communion. More confusing than a rotary in Massachusetts!

Off to see the grandparents. We will make dinner. Practically everything done when we got there.  Delicious food! Dinner atmosphere reminds me of Vermont.

The girl and I do the dishes with supervision.

Mother's Day over--Phew!