Ninety and Nine

OK Liz, I'll give this the annual update. We have had a much less hectic year. Less trips, fewer house projects and a very late summer.

We did have a great time visiting Laura and Phil in May. We surprised Laura by having Heather bring the twins. She hadn't seen Ashley and Alexis since they were babies. The girls informed us that Uncle Phil is "sweet" and "cute", I don't think he has been described as such for many years.

For the un-informed--that is the "Hook-em Horns" something you have to be a Texan to fully appreciate. Laura went to UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) for her Masters in Nursing and is now a Nurse Practitioner.

I flew with Heather and the girls to Texas and back home to Florida and enjoyed extra time with them and a few projects for Heather. Of Course!!

I was home about a week when it was time for our annual Grey Rider Bike Trip. Yosemite and Monterrey this year. Yosemite was very impressive but the bike riding sucked. Now Monterrey was something else. We rode up to Pebble Beach Golf Course on the 17 Mile Drive. Stunning views, polite drives (NO SHOULDERS), and free access to the golf course.

It was chilly riding by the ocean but a small price to pay for the views. I think next years trip will be back up to San Juan Island and a sweet little bed and breakfast we stayed at a couple of years ago. Right next door to Alice the Camel.

Since the bike trip we have been home with our noses to the grindstone. Chuck is working too hard, I'm hardly working (for $$) but really keeping the house, lawn and such from getting out of control.

The raspberries are going great guns with the blueberries a little behind schedule. I guesstimate we have gotten 5 gals of berries off of 1 yr old canes. Very happy with that.

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This is a pic of Kaylee and Grandma making Cranberry Salad at Aunt Laura and Uncle Phil's house at Thanksgiving time. Megan, Kaylee, Chuck and I went for a week and had a good visit.

So hopefully I will post more than once a year, but no promises. I'm still trying to understand the compulsion some people have to post every day. That would take more commitment than I possess. Kind of like writing in a journal every day/night.

No Whiners

If my helmet looks like this---can you guess what I look like?? It is colorful, nice shades of the sunset--purples and reds and more to come I'm sure.

I have watched more Hallmark channel movies in 2 days than should be allowed by law. My eyes are swelled from sniveling.

I gotta get this bruised kester up and moving. I've run out of kleenex is the bedroom.

Here is a quick peek at the legs. The left leg is the proud owner of 16 stitches. In an impressive "V" pattern. There's a plate of brownies for anyone who can figure out what cut my leg. That is one of the mysteries of life.

Ah Summer, how fast you flee

June and July were busy months at our house. I was planning to go visit kid/grand babies in Florida, visit Laura & Phil in Texas and come on home. Well life interfered. Chucks mom passed away at the ripe old age of 91. She had been living with her sister Fonda and niece Donna in St. George, Utah. I actually was in the car on the way to the airport when we got the phone call, so we turned around and cancelled my flights and took care of business.

Laura flew home for several days and it was wonderful to visit and laugh and enjoy her company. She and I flew out on the same day. She went to Houston, I to Ft. Lauderdale to she Ashley and Alexis! Oh we had fun! We went to the Zoo--it was REALLY hot and humid and it just sucks the energy right out of you. The animals didn't seem to mind one bit. The best part of the day was the water fountain area to cool off in. I volunteered to watch one of the girls, Dan had the other one. That was wonderful way to cool off and finish of the visit.

After we got home Miss Kaylee and Megan came for a visit. We were having our heat wave and it was really warm. Kaylee picked blueberries and raspberries out of the yard and cherry tomatoes. She didn't eat them, but wanted to pick them. She would get her shovel and bucket and dig with Wookie in the yard. Wookie was beyond ecstatic to she her.

Kaylee has really grown tall in the past few months. She is developing an eastern accent and is a sweet little girl with a little bit of a sassy mouth. Definitely a Poetz Girl. She knows where HER room is at at Grandma and Grandpa's house and had to go inspect it for all of her "stuff". She wanted to give the "talk" at dinner. (Bless the food.) And she told me I didn't do it right when I said the "talk". I didn't mention every ones names when I asked that they be watched over and kept safe. She wants to hear every ones names said, especially hers and her moms. Pretty cute.

Little miss K did not want to sit still for a picture with Grandma, but I held tight and Meg snapped quick and we got a keeper. I just feel so lucky and blessed to have the 3 daughters and granddaughters we have. I love being with them and showing them things in my world and exploring their worlds with them.

Now if everyone hasn't figured it out yet, I'll spill the beans. Grandpa is the Softy in the family. He just loves to spoil the girls.

Hawaii Day's at the Academy School

The Academy has lots of theme days. Today is All Things Hawaiian. These two hams are all set to go.

Look close. Can you tell who is who?? I can do this one! Ask me, ask me! Give up?????

OK this one was too easy because there are a couple of give aways.


1. Everyday is a bad hair day for Ashley.

2. Ashley has a little flat dimple under her right eye.

3. I saw a chipped front tooth in another picture.

Ashley is in front, Alexis is in pink. They were very excited to get dressed and get their lei's on.

Heather calls them savages. Anything this darn cute couldn't be a savage. Wild and crazy but not a savage.

I'm wandering down south to visit long about the 2ND of July. Rumor has it the mullets get trimmed for the first time, trip to the zoo, fireworks--all manner of good times.

Purple Kitties

Heather called today and we had a nice visit. Just before she hung up she said "OH, I better warn you, the girls are excited because Grandma Robin is coming to visit and she is bringing us Purple Kitties."

Purple Kitties. Have you ever tried to find PURPLE KITTIES????????

Walmart--NO,

K-Mart--NO.

Can you say Google??? Good thing I married the love of my life and he isn't a jealous man! HE is the one who said lets go home, you better Google it.

So it took a couple of searches, but I found Purple Kitties. They are called Periwinkle. I'm sure that Ashley and Alexis will come up with new names.

The things I do to make my kids and grandkids happy! And I love every minute of it.

Saturday gone lazy

The plans I had for Saturday got canceled. So Friday Night I made a to-do-list of things I needed to get done. It appeared reasonable to a Ambien brain at 10pm Friday. It looked sort of like this:

Saturday

Laundry

Vacuum, Dust

Scrub Kitchen Cabinets

YARD

Finish touch-up painting on woodwork

Bath Wookie

This is what really got done:

Laundry

Vacuum & Dust

Yard

watched movie Juno--really enjoyed this!

googled music from Juno---Moldy Peaches--Anyone Else But You--theme song.

researched luggage size for carry-on's and checked luggage on SouthWest

Researched (Google--gotta love Google--how did I survive before I discovered Google???)

structure of Pillowcase Dresses to convert to Pillowcase Nighties for Miss Kaylee, decided to try 2 different methods, dug through fabric for just the right stuff--looked through ribbon for correct size, color, edging to match fabric, then whipped up 2 nighties!!

Made dinner at 7 pm, while Tater Tot Casserole cooks, took shower and created this post.

Sooooo. . . . . . Wookie still looks like an orphan dog, the kitchen cabinets still need scrubbed so I can sand and prime and paint them.

But on the bright side here are Miss K's Nighties:

I guess there is some hope on Monday that I will scrub the cabinets ------I want it DONE!!

After a long search (ha--it was right where I put it) I found the Arlo Guthery poems I taught the girls when we were riding in the car to keep them from killing each other. Dog Kickers and Moose Goosers. As soon as I can I will post these for your reading pleasure. On a side note, I memorized these in Freshman Biology with Mr. Morgan. How I passed that class is a mystery and phenomena and small miracle. It must have been my shining personality--it sure wasn't because I did any work.