Saturday-4/19/14

[factorychef]

Wind blowing again. I don't ever remember having this much wind as we have been since last fall.

[sekhmet]

Good morning. It's Saturday. My favourite day.

[secondroy]

Morning all. 57 out right now so I think I'll ride the bike to the club breakfast.

[Doug]

I'z here

Gotta make Deviled Eggs for the Easter dinner with Chris' ladies group.

[dickt]

Up early for a change. Got a lot of cooking to do today --strawberry pie, shish kebab, homemade rolls.

[Tamarack]

Good Morning Good People

Sunny, 'sposed to be warm.

A mere two weeks until Zack & Melissa's wedding. Lots to do, and repair of a flat tire was not in the plans. Headed to Discount Tire to wait for repair and to read back issues of Motor Trend and Car & Driver.

To add to the pre-wedding fun, Zack & Melissa decided to buy a car because both of their cars are on their last legs (last tires?). They found a 2008 Honda Civic with 5-speed manual transmission, leather seats, and lots of power doo-dads. They took me along for the test drive because I know how to drive a stick shift. We will pick it up on Monday and lessons will commence. Zack has assured Melissa I am a patient teacher. This car has a very high Fun Factor.

Have a serene Saturday one and all.

[drlj]

Chilly again today. I am going to turn off the furnace on July 26 no matter what, though.
Enjoy the sunshine.

[Resolve]

Sounds like a fun couple of weeks, Tam! Those Civics are great cars...run forever!

Just returned yesterday from a week in Florida with my daughter, son-in-law and our just-turned-two grand-darling, Ella. The first two days were glorious with perfect weather but the rest of the week was sort of touch and go which put a bit of a damper on things. Yesterday we left in the pouring rain and our first flight was out of a small airport with no jet bridge so we all started out the day in damp clothing. Our GD, Ella, was such a trouper though the whole trip and it was much fun to watch her experience things like the "never ending sandbox". Got some cute photos that I need to first get off my camera and I'll post a couple.

It's been an impossibly busy past 6 months. I am calling 2013 The Year of Chaos with all the remodeling and "repurposing" of rooms we did. My last official (for now) act was a big closet cleanout that took days last week. I had an entire carful of just MY stuff to donate to a local organization that provides free clothing to those in need including a section of "wear to work" clothing for women trying to enter the work force.

I have been struggling a bit with the challenge of managing the times we are called upon to provide care for our grand-darlings. We committed to caring for Ella when my daughter returned to work when Ella was a newborn. My son and DIL don't ask us often so when they do ask it's hard to say "no" even on the weeks when I am at the end of my "toddler tether". My mom often laments that she does not see me as often as she likes...and she's right. Then when we were on vacation my SIL got an email from a coworker indicating there was a possibility that there would be some options for changing his hours...but that would mean we'd have Ella for another day each week. After a sleepless night I told DD that I just couldn't do it. That put another damper on our vacation as they grappled with the thought of finding childcare for that extra day a week...and the additional cost of doing so. However, I know this is a "choice" for them to make this change and I know I just cannot give anymore than I am giving...and I need to stand firm on my decision although it's so so so hard.

I kind of feel like I've lost a bit of "me" especially in the past year. Maybe now that we are done remodeling I won't feel quite so stretched thin. I know that right now my life feels way out of balance.

Anyway...that's why I haven't been around much. I'm going to try to start at least reading the daily to keep up with what everyone is doing.

We are having the family over for brunch tomorrow so I have a LOT to do. When we got home last night I just crashed! Hope you all have a blessed Easter.

[millring]

I passed my driving exam yesterday. Monday and Tuesday I will drive with an observer on board the bus. By Wednesday I will be driving as a substitute driver. By the end of the school year I might be able to opt for a permanent route.

Dar tests on Tuesday.

Big changes, Cyndy. Family IS you.

[sekhmet]

Congratulations John.

Cyndy, interesting post. Good for you standing your ground. You deserve to have some retired part of retirement. Frankly, I think that raising one toddler is what a woman who chooses to have a child is obliged to do. Raising the next lot is up to the parents. But then, I'm not very good at playing with children. I admit it.

[Deleted]

Good morning. House is packed with friends and family as Deb turns 60 today.

[Hobson]

Cyndy, good to see you back. Glad you didn't go away mad. Family commitments can take over your life. Not getting over-committed will keep you sane and more able to help when really needed. (I should probably not point out that you no longer have the energy that you had when you were raising your own kids.)

Things are settling down here and I plan to have a normal day. Our fire is 75% contained. It will likely continue to smolder until the monsoon rains hit in July. I'm glad that we have no travel plans before then.

Baking pecan pie today. Mr. H may be the one to do that. The rest of the food prep will wait until tomorrow.

In case I don't get on here tomorrow, happy Easter to all!

[xyrn]

Apr 19, 2014 5:17:16 GMT -5 factorychef said:

I don't ever remember having this much wind.....

Cut down on the beans and you'll have less wind.

[mnhermit]

G'mornin'

[Lonnie]

Good morning... glad you'll be around more, Cyndy... and DO stand your ground. My Mom actually overdid love for kids, grandkids, etc., to a point where she had no identity of her own outside the young'uns, and as each young-un would grow, pieces of Mom's identity would disappear. We kept telling her that she needed to find herself...

This has opened up a wellspring of thoughts and memories far too deep and wide to go into this morning... but I do empathize with the difficulty and rightness of your decisions.

[Bassman]

Morning

Both the boys are home for Easter, now its a level playing ground here for the next few days.

[Cornflake]

Good morning.

[millring]

Wow, the excitement I missed by working away from the house. While I was gone, this took place in front of my house:

Police Chase Leads To Arrest Of Repeat Offender
– Police were led on a high-speed chase through parts of downtown Warsaw Friday after a driver failed to stop his vehicle for an officer attempting to pull him over.
The driver was identified as Joshua F. Hamman, 35, Silver Lake.
According to a press release from the Warsaw Police Department, at approximately 1 p.m. Friday, a Warsaw officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a white Plymouth Breeze on East Jefferson Street for erratic driving.
When the officer attempted the stop, the vehicle fled north and then west on Market and Center Streets disregarding all traffic control devices and pursuing officers.
The pursuit continued west on West Center Street and through Zimmer’s parking lot to Zimmer Road when officers attempted roadblocks, but the suspect vehicle attempted to ram officers. The pursuit turned west onto Crystal Lake Road and the suspect vehicle stopped near CR 400W. Hamman was taken into custody without further incident, according to the release.

[Marshall]

Apr 19, 2014 12:03:31 GMT -5 millring said:

Wow, the excitement I missed by working away from the house.While I was gone, this took place in front of my house:

Police Chase Leads To Arrest Of Repeat Offender
– Police were led on a high-speed chase through parts of downtown Warsaw Friday after a driver failed to stop his vehicle for an officer attempting to pull him over.
The driver was identified as Joshua F. Hamman, 35, Silver Lake.
According to a press release from the Warsaw Police Department, at approximately 1 p.m. Friday, a Warsaw officer attempted to make a traffic stop on a white Plymouth Breeze on East Jefferson Street for erratic driving.
When the officer attempted the stop, the vehicle fled north and then west on Market and Center Streets disregarding all traffic control devices and pursuing officers.
The pursuit continued west on West Center Street and through Zimmer’s parking lot to Zimmer Road when officers attempted roadblocks, but the suspect vehicle attempted to ram officers. The pursuit turned west onto Crystal Lake Road and the suspect vehicle stopped near CR 400W. Hamman was taken into custody without further incident, according to the release.

"Offices handcuffed him and locked him in the back of the squad car, then stepped across the street for some fine pottery. "

[Marshall]

Good for you Cyndi. That's always a tough one. We get asked a lot to babysit and or entertain. We had one daughter & 2 kids live with us for a year. It's wonderful to help out. And it's great to be a part of the kids life. But sometimes they keep coming back to the well. You have to set boundaries or you can get rolled over.

I have to say I have a better relationship with the two grandkids now that they are out of the house. It becomes more "special" for them (and us) when we see them once a week or so.

And I'm reminded of my parents generation. My parents babysat for our kids once . . . . , And my dad communicated through my mom that he didn't want that to happen ever again. (Didn't have much of a relationship with the man for many such reasons). Even Sue's parents only sat for us on a handful of occasions.

So, our generation is much more involved in the kids.