Movie Night

Open for Godzilla V Kong

There are things to enjoy about our current situation, including theaters to ourselves still. 

I may have napped for half the movie.

 

Confusion at every turn

But I'll take it. 

We can go to an old movie for $5, sit in our own theater, and raisins have more calories than Milk Duds. 

 

Pilot Mountain

On the way home from WV, we stopped at Pilot Mountain in the border of North Carolina. 

Racing against an ortho appointment for a broken brace, we did the quick drive up tour. 

So the dog was allowed to go and terrorize all along the way. 

All pictures by from up there were from the safety of holding on to some piece of ground.  This one, found on the web. 

A Reprieve in the Woods

A cabin in the West Virginia woods between Christmas and New Year's.

It sounds like the beginning of a horror movie, but never fear due to the awkward schedule, we had the dog with us. 

A dining table that fit more than us!

And orange soda for breakfast since we forgot orange juice.

And a little snow with an afternoon hike. 

To a lookout tower. 

I was actually holding on to the middle railing during all photo taking. 

Elaine was not as scared. 

Then snow forts with smiles built in. 

Outings Gone Well

We packed up and headed to Carrowinds the other day as a distraction from all of the time at home.  

With limited rides and a food tasting day ahead, we were not terribly excited but we were out of the house. 

This is the first year at an amusement park that it was questionable whether I was the one that would need to be measured for height on the rides.  Although I believe the girls haven't quite surpassed me yet. 

And there was some COVID jail scene where we had to discuss proper mask wearing. 

So, we were starting to wonder why we were there. 

Then we found the rides. 

And the santa parade. 

And the night lights.

And the bigger rides with social distancing.

The didn't have the really big roller coasters going, but they looked like they launched to nowhere by the time we found them, so that was okay. 

Hunt Day

He seemed quite confident the day he traveled, even if he had to get a rapid Covid test that morning after finding out a co-worker he had been with the week before had tested positive. 

And now we get more deer meat.  

2020: School lunch food and venison.  The year of making ways for food to be edible. 

But, that happy mess is so worth it. 

Weekend With Dad

The girls recently asked to go camping, 

and dad was quick to agree.

The girls got to work making a menu and packing list as soon as there was a yes. 

And, it isn't an adventure if there isn't a safety warning. 

I hear their dad was even a touch nervous on the trails a time or two. 

Breathtaking none-the-less. 

And BBQ found on the way home was a good celebration. 

Recently

Patric snuck away for some Kansas sunsets.

And a little work on the ranch. 

While the deer remained in hiding, an eagle showed up for dinner one day. 

And seeing parents is always in order, pandemic or no. 

Meanwhile, we did a little painting in our boring game room. 

As usual, Elaine stuck with me to the bitter end. 

Ben and Alida were off to using the game room as quickly as possible. 

And the color makes it a bit less blah up here. Poor Ben is having to share the space now with more and more people.  A new couch is in order, which we'll get set up and posted soon. I guess after 23 years we can admit that our orange couch has given its best years. 

Last Breath of Summer

I was able to sneak away to my parents for a few days recently.  

As always, I'm terribly helpful. And maybe I took home some daylilies in my suitcase.

And then perhaps, I visited all the gardens and harvested seeds for my own and put those in my suitcase too.  They are all dried and in the freezer for their winter now--February is marked on my calendar for planting. 

Certainly it wasn't about hanging out and fishing. 

I know that 12 pounds of bacon in the freezer re-defines putting up for the winter. 

But sunset and fishing--heaven.

Flashback Friday: August 2012

Those are still my favorite ever pajamas the girls had. 

Neither she nor I prefer that haircut.

Before sending the girls off to their first year of school and the boys off to first grade, we stopped to see family in Minnesota.  I think this may be the last time we were all together. 

Everyone is so much bigger now! 

And then they were off, to a school building with people and germs and colds and attendance and friends and enemies and school lunch and recess.  I'd pay money for all those things today.

Eggs Up

Running out for breakfast on the weekend is so different now. 

Casual is surprisingly hard to pull off these days.