Seven Quick Takes - the Saturday edition

When I told you I would be back, you thought it would be more often than once a week didn't you?  Suckas!!

First - I lost my camera.  It's been two weeks since I've seen the thing, where could it be?  I've looked in all the usual places, but no luck.  Has anyone seen my camera?  'Cause the enanos aren't getting any cuter, you know.  In fact, as they grow, they begin growing strange bumps and weird tooth arrangements.  I need a camera to document them before they get into that strange and awkward stage of life that is best left undocumented.  I need that camera!

Second - Last Sunday we had friends over for dinner.  New and Old friends.  We had THIS lady and her family over.  Hi Ruthie!  It was so nice to see her again and to meet her husband and little boy.  The baby had to stay home, she had a cold and needed to get better, so we didn't get to meet sweet Rowan, but we got 3/4 of the family.  We knew Ruthie in highschool, actually, Mike knew her better, and she was friends with my brother.  Interesting side note, she went to prom with my brother.  Crazy, huh?

We had a really nice visit.  Her husband Brian is just as awesome as she says on her blog, and Fletcher is adorable.  Since Ruthie is vegetarian, I made pork loin for dinner.  No joke.  My brain apparently oozed out my ears and I decided the best thing to feed her was pork.  There were vegetables, but really?  Pork?  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  And then I tried to break her little boy by making the pork spicy.  My advice?  When cooking for guests, some of those guests being small children, don't pick the recipe that starts with "Take 8 ancho chilis...."

Next time you come over, Ruthie, we will make sure to serve something not spicy, like roasted baby rabbit, or rack of veal.  Just kidding.  I don't know how to cook veal.



Third -   My camera is gone, but you can still see old pictures.  Today is the second day of autumn, (happy fall everyone!) and we love fall, but I kind of miss these days.

We spent a lot of time on the beach this summer.  And most of it was magical.  I found it entirely possible to forget my grumps, the kids were able to stop whining, we just enjoyed being together.  We spent many happy days at Aunt Barbara's beach (Miller), enjoying the long sandbar and the calm water.

We also spent time with friends at various beaches, I went to Porter beach for the first time in my life.  I know, right?  I've lived here how long and never been to Porter beach?!  Now I have visited, and it was  everything I dreamed it would be.  Our favorite, though, continues to be Aunt Barbara's.  It is quiet and empty and peaceful.  

So now we will need to find new places to paint.  I think there are some apple orchards, corn mazes, and yet more watershed visits in our future.  We may be more bundled, but I hope we can recapture the calm, peaceful happy feeling of the beach.  It's been a busy fall and I'm trying to catch my breath, as are the kids.  We will be off to breathe and be together.  If I could only find the camera, you could see us do it...

  

Fourth -   We have a new mix in the car.  The Papi makes us mix/tapes and we find one or two favorite songs on there and listen to them over and over and over and over and.... you get the picture.  Our first favorite is this:

The girls love to belt along with with Sinead.  Josie especially.  I tried to explain the idea behind the song to them - you don't need to be a man's woman, you need to be God's woman, the Spirit is the one who will never let you down, blah, blah, blah - their eyes glazed over.  Mom leave us alone, we just want to sing the chorus.  Even Mikey loves it, although his version is more fun to listen to: "I don't wanna be no girls woman."  Makes me smile every time.






Fifth - Our second favorite is this:






Deli adores this song.  He sings along, waving his hands around.  We listen to this song a lot.  A LOT. And it's loud.  REALLY LOUD.


Sixth - Abuela arrives on Thursday for a month long visit.  You can go on over here and see what she looks like.  Isn't she pretty and sweet?  The picture was taken in her Moody days, I believe on her way to a banquet with Dad.  He bought her those flowers at my favorite shop in the world, LaSalle Flowers.  Small world, huh?  Doesn't she look happy and in love?  I love that picture.   And you know what, she is just as beautiful today.

Anyway, Abuela flies in and we will hit the ground running.  We have lots of plans for her and she has lots of plans for us.  I don't know how we'll do all the school, playing, shopping, eating out and traveling that we have planned for the month without wearing out, but we will!  Si se puede!  Pray for our stamina, but you don't have to pray for our fun, cause we'll be having lots of that.

And Abuela, we'll find some new mix/tapes to listen to while you are with us.  We might even turn down the volume a little.  Do you like Hank the Cow Dog on audio?


Seventh -  To help us rest and prepare for the marathon of fun to come, Mike's parents took our kiddos last night and will keep them for a couple of days.  They'll return them sometime Sunday - sometime late, I hope!  Just kidding!  Not really.  The kids will have tons of fun, I know, and Mike and I will rest and relax and maybe even go out for a movie.  We get pretty crazy when the kids are gone.  So I am off to hit the resale, an antique store, and maybe even grab a fancy pastry to go with my new book.  Thanks, Mom and Dad L. for this lovely gift of time!

Have a wonderful weekend all of you!

And thanks for Jen for her Quick Takes.