A glimpse.

It is funny how things can creep up on you…wrinkles, grey hair, weight, the changing seasons, sunrise later and later, sunset earlier and earlier.  It’s so slow as to almost be unnoticeable and then all of a sudden you realize it’s dark as you make dinner.  I think of all the beautiful sunrises I have experienced this summer, shocked to be awake so very early as that is definitely not my way.  And now, it’s as if I am waiting on the sun so my day can begin.  It is funny.

Another thing that changes around here quickly is boating to not boating, swimming to not swimming.  We were just discussing when to take the boat out of the water, would the kids want to tube and realized maybe, but there might not be time. Maybe once or twice?  But, it’s been consistently rainy so will they? We usually take the speed boat out first, followed by the pontoon boat a couple weeks later.  There can be some great pontoon evenings into October…especially when there is a low, full moon. Dreamy.

I love going out on the lake at night.  Sometimes the bugs are a bit pesty, but, watching the boat cut through the inky darkness of the water…shining a light into the lake to see into the world below the surface a bit.  Watching people on shore, moving around a bonfire, smelling those same fires…hearing the laughter roll across the water, being a part of it but not being a part of it. Snuggling with a chilly, sleepy grandchild under a blanket as we talk moon and stars, gliding along. Lake life is the best life. 

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A quick check in…

First, I am about 75% with my new commitment to daily moisturizer, but, my skin does feel better.  If you are like me and have been ignoring moisturizer for a while, do it.  I am using an Olay product.  If you are younger than I and don’t moisturize regularly, well, change should be your goal, and remember, don't forget your neck and chest.  You'll thank me in twenty years. 

So, I had a visit with my doctor last week and bemoaned my morning blood sugar readings.  Not alarming, but why always higher than what I think they would be after not eating for 12 hours?  She suggested a bedtime healthy snack and some evening exercise, like a walk or stationary bike.

Not a serious walker but trying to get better and I can’t imagine trying to walk at night, after dinner, when hubs is thinking ice cream, but, we’ll see.  Anyway, I’ll let you know.

We hosted a fun get-together last weekend…charcuterie and wine.  I set up a huge board, covered in parchment, on the island and we just added the contributions as people came in the door with a cheese, or a meat or a jar of nuts or olives. One person brought a large vegetable tray, which was perfect, and another included a curry chicken salad, which we devoured.   We even had figs.  It was fun, it was great food, lots of laughs. I also set up a grilled cheese/quesadilla bar for the kiddos.  We liked it so much we had left over cheese and meats with family the next night, and a grilled cheese bar for grown ups and kids the third night.  We are now on a cheese moratorium for a few days, but, it was a super fun weekend and Monday, with swimming, boating and tubing thrown in. It’s back to school and back to work, and there's been some rainy days to keep things kind of slow and lazy.

 

I’ve been keeping an eye on shadows in the yard, and how the air is starting to feel, and I know the season is winding down. The lake is more quiet and here we are, at Labor Day weekend.  We have a few more days of “summer” but we all know it’s coming.  The memories will be big from this summer. 

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Never too old to dream.

This week one of my dreams is coming true.  One of my adult children, along with her husband and three children, are moving “home” to my town.  She left for college at 18 and never looked back, or so I thought.  She was looking back, however, and a spark for living in her hometown became a flame…and oh, enough with being poetic! I am doing cartwheels over here I am so happy.

All three of my kids left for parts unknown, or Indianapolis, when they were finished with college.  While the oldest didn’t quite finish his education at Indiana University, he didn’t move home, either.  Now living in LA, I only get to see him once or twice a year, three times if I am lucky.  His visits are always welcome, and never long enough. The two girls both married boys from other towns and settled in Indianapolis right out of college.  An absolutely great town, we have enjoyed many wonderful times in Indianapolis, with lots more to come as we love that town, and our youngest, with her adorable family, still lives there.

Many times over the years friends and family have asked “Do you think one of the kids will move home?” and our answer was always “No”.  Both of our sons-in-law, and this daughter, are in technology related fields.  There’s not a lot of their particular kind of work in Northern Indiana, folks.  But, through advancement of “remote” opportunities, both are keeping their current jobs and will be working remotely.

We spent time in Indianapolis this weekend packing up the house they have lived in for twelve years.  It was bittersweet.  Their place served as “home base” for many family events.  We have had great times in their home, on their deck. Even hugely pregnant with her first baby, they opened their home to host wedding events for her younger sister, who married in Indianapolis, ten years ago.  That house on Lincoln Court is special for all of us, for many reasons.  I wish I could tell you how many times my husband has said “I love that deck”.

 

Yesterday was bittersweet for all of us as we packed boxes and loaded the truck.  I was lucky to get to empty the bookshelf of all the photo albums and spent a couple minutes flipping through pages and memories, oh so many memories.  I am so looking forward to what’s ahead…much to do as the house they are moving into is a bit smaller, with less storage, is on a great lot, on the lake she grew up on, a fantastic place to raise their family.  Oh and is less than five minutes from ME!

As my nine-year-old granddaughter said a couple of times on Saturday as she and I packed up her room “This is really happening! I have butterflies!”  Yes, my love, I know the feeling!

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Is it really almost over?

Summer is busy. I have been away from posting to the blog over the last couple of weeks. As we continue to work on landscaping around the house I am bone tired some days.  We have hosted a few cook-outs and get-togethers, and I held my annual Camp GiGi with four of the five grandchildren, the youngest just not quite ready to join in.  My goodness how they are growing, though. 

Having the grands around is always a lot of fun. I try to allow them very little “screen time” and more outside time, but, even I have to give in to a little TV or video games during dinner prep or wind down time. My nine-year-old granddaughter became fascinated with a game show about baking, so I figured there was not much harm to that. She would watch it on her tablet on Netflix with my three-year-old granddaughter squeezed in next to her, her dark brown head nestled on the blonde’s shoulder.  We were “on” for those days.  I was anxious for husband to come in from work as, just like he was when our kids were little, he brought fun, game ideas, rough-housing, boating…we all love it when PaPa comes rolling in. 

I have totally ignored the moon garden which was big on my to-do list for this year. I mean, I did some initial things, but other projects took over my time and interest.  I so want to get in there and improve the soil, trim some tree branches to allow a little more light.  I need to figure out a way to discourage those woodland creatures from visiting. There’s lots of space up there, surely they can share. 

I surprised even myself this year and used more orange in my flowers than I have ever done.  I just obtained a really pretty orangey, coral pink azalea for use by the house.  Just waiting on a landscape timber to get her in the ground.  Since our house is a totally different color than it was before the remodeling I have discovered I really like the orange tones against the grayish green.  Let’s face it, orange is a happy color!

We are entering those dog days of August…hot, humid on some days with lazy, long afternoons. The shadows are changing in the yard and the lake activity dies down more and more each day.  Soon the school buses will be rattling down the road, stopping to pick up little ones lined up along the street in their shiny new clothes and oversized backpacks.

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Where did that month go?

I think I may have bought enough plants for this year.  May have…but there is still time to decide for sure.  I have about 5 pots of various perennials and a couple annuals that do not yet have a home, however,  rain somewhat delayed the planting progress for a time.  There is also still a large, very large, amount of landscaping prep to undertake before some of these items go in the ground, but, I am making headway. My sons-in-law helped tremendously on a flower bed over Memorial Day weekend which took a huge chunk off my "to do" list.  

When we remodeled (starting two years ago now), it disrupted all four sides of the house, and the foundation and any grass, shrubs, flowers, gravel, mulch…any of it…was destroyed in the process.  Now, I don’t mind “re-do” on these four areas but, boy, is my back tired!  I have spent the last several days digging out, dividing and replanting.  Some of my plants and shrubs, that weren’t destroyed, are pretty well established but no longer of the right size or in the right spot. 

I have also recently discovered, and this is a big one, that there are just not enough hours in the day.  I know I don’t move as fast as I use to, and it takes me longer to make a decision than it did when all my decisions had to be made on the fly…things came up so quickly.  Now, I get to ponder but, boy, that’s a time burner.  I find myself walking around, poking at the flower beds and wondering if I should move that azalea, but, it likes it there, but its too big, and there’s a good spot for something like that right over here…time burner. Even so, it’s been a gratifying few days.  Things are taking shape.  Rain slowed me down but it sped up the plants.  Things are green and growing, have had a power burst from the rain and I also discovered I am a master ponderer.   

 

Seeing lots of friends and family post on Facebook about their kids growth and moving on to their next grade level, their awards and recognition has been a lot of fun.  My grandkids among them.  My little guys have all had good years at school and pre-school/daycare.  They are happy and healthy and I am forever blessed.  I hope you are in a place where happiness can easily be seen and felt!  June is here, and it's going to be a great summer.  Get out! 

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Not yet, not yet.

And, just like that, it’s over. 

I sat on the screened porch this morning enjoying a bowl of oatmeal, thinking about how nice the warm goo felt going into my throat and belly, and looked towards the corner stacked with little kids life vests and beach towels.  “So, I guess I could put those away.” was the thought that strolled around in my brain. Along with “But, I don’t WANT to…”

A definite change every year when the first football game at the high school is played, the school bus begins to honk it’s horn for the children in the neighborhood, the life vests get put away.  We talked this weekend about pulling the boats out and I began to plan the annual chili party.  It popped in to my head that last year the chili party was during the major league play-offs and we combined a game viewing with the event, had a great time AND a positive outcome. Will the Cubs make it that far this year?

I watched this morning as one lonely looking pontoon boat puttered across my view.  I could see that its passengers were in long sleeves and sat huddled together, except for the captain who pulled at his coat collar while drifting by, his motor sputtering to a halt.  Are they going to fish? I wondered, or is that engine trouble?

Casual, lazy thoughts as acorns plunked the roof and deck.  A couple of sun bleached beach towels flap themselves dry in the cloudy breeze, remnants of the weekend and I find myself wondering if it’s time to sort through beach towels, casting some in to the rag bag and refreshing others with a good wash and dry to be folded, stored until next year. Should I bring the chairs in? I need to cover the fire pit table.  Are we going to leave it out all winter? (Winter? I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes). There’s still a lot of good fires, and fire pit conversations that can be had…it’s only the last few days of August! I resolve to fluff the pillows and sweep off the spider webs…there’s lots of time to party, for family and fun.   And then I remember school nights and dance practice and marching band competitions.  The busy fall flexing its muscles before me, reminding me of who is in charge, better not plan too many fireside chats, girl, or you’ll be talking to yourself.