What About the Rest of the Summer?

Usually I just write about the "big" things we do like camping trips or having Amelia come for a visit so I thought I would write about what I've been doing the rest of the time.  I'm a little disappointed with myself because I feel like I spend too much time in my recliner.  I love to watch tv, read, and surf the internet.  I admit it.  I feel guilty because I'm afraid when I get older I'm going to regret the time I spent doing nothing.  I think Bubba is feeling the same way, but the truth is that we don't really know what we should be doing.  We could travel more, but we don't really have any where specific that we want to go.  Of course there is always yard work and housework, but it tends to lose its glamour after a while.  Physically we don't know if we are on target for our age or if we are "sickly" because truthfully we don't have a lot of energy. With that being said, I would like to highlight some of our recent activities.

I keep thinking that I want to sew again.  I have a sewing machine that is approximately 40 years old that I pull out every now and then.  I wanted to make Amelia a dress so I found an easy pattern and some cute material and went to work.  It took me about three days on and off again to complete the dress.  She seemed to like it although I don't imagine that she has ever worn it anywhere; however, it gave me a project to work on for a while.  Sewing is just not practical anymore.  Prices have gone up so much on material and patterns that you can buy something ready-made just as cheaply.

Dieting has really taken a lot of the fun out of going anywhere.  Trips to town used to be centered around where we were going to eat.  Now it's typically at the same two or three places so that I can have a diet friendly meal.  So far I've lost 35 pounds.  Eating out is not as much fun, but eating at home offers a lot more variety.  I've tried several new recipes that are in line with the Weight Watchers "Simply Filling" plan that I like.  Pictured below is the chicken parmesan recipe.

Bubba and I both love fresh tomatoes.  Today we made our third trip to pick tomatoes.  They are $9 for a five gallon bucket and are totally worth it.  Pictures below are from our first trip and our last trip.  The bushes are looking pretty bad now and we were told that this was the last day the field would be open this summer.  They are planting a fall crop that is supposed to be ready in October, so we can look forward to that later on.

We have been to the beach several times this summer.  This has been the best summer in a long time for the beach.  The days have been sunny (a lot) and the water has been perfect.  It is so nice to lie in a beach chair and read and then get in cool water when you get too hot.

Bubba has painted our bathroom and is going to lay new tile on the floor.  I have cleaned out some drawers and closets and plan to get rid of even more "stuff".  

I have been telling Bubba for a long time that we needed to upgrade and get a new tv. Saying that I had to talk him into it is an understatement.  Finally I did.  We bought a 40 inch Samsung Smart TV and the really unbelievable part is that I hooked it all up and programmed it myself.  The wall mount was complicated, but between reading the instructions one line at a time and watching YouTube videos, we were able to get it done.  The end result looks pretty good.  With changing furniture around, installing the tv, and doing some work on the bookcase/entertainment center we had, we spent about four days focused on this project.  Bubba loves it and actually admits that we should have done this a long time ago.

In my last post, I mentioned that Amelia wanted me to make her a Wild Kratts bat costume and I told her that when she said yes ma'am/yes sir, etc. consistently that I would make her one.  Well she has been doing that really well for the past two months so I knew that I had to keep my end of the bargain.  This past Saturday was a miserable rainy day so I got Bubba to help me.  He is so much better at crafty things than I am.  He took care of the ears and the wings while I handled the gloves and the vest.  Since we took this picture we added a black mask and a blue shirt to go under the vest.  I'll post a picture of her wearing the costume when we give it to her.  I hope she enjoys it as much as we enjoyed making it for her.

We had planned to do a lot of fishing this summer, but the river was too high and then it was too low.  Now they've torn up the landing we like to use.  We're still hoping to get some fishing in this fall.  Bubba has a new lantern that he wants to try walking and floundering with the next time we are camped in a location to make that possible.  He did manage to go throw his cast net yesterday.  When he returned, he tapped on the door for me to hand him something and I couldn't help but get a picture of him in his mullet fishing ensemble.  He is quite the dapper fisherman!

The Best Laid Plans

Isn't is funny how you can plan exactly what you are going to do for a long time and then in a matter of hours the whole plan can change?  That has happened to us a few times but none as big a change as our 4th of July plans.  Earlier this year we made plans to camp at Seminole State Park with Joe and Judy over the holiday.  Reservations were made and when Amy asked if we could keep Amelia so that she and Darryl could participate in the Peachtree Road Race, we were excited that she would get to camp with us again.  In fact in planning ahead and anticipating the hot July weather and the lack of a good place to swim, we had purchased a small inflatable pool to take with us so that Amelia would have a place to "cool it" right at our camp site.  As the time approached for us to meet Amy in Eufaula to get Amelia, the plans began to change.  Joe and Judy have a beautiful garden and it was starting to look like their peas would be ready to pick during the week we were supposed to be at Lake Seminole.  Now we had to decide if we wanted to go without them which would not have been as much fun or camp in Opp at that state park; however, when we called for reservations we were too late.  The park was full. 

Then Joe and Judy invited us to camp in their yard.  When we arrived, they had a spot already picked out for us.  We used their electricity and water all week, had good tv reception, a swimming pool close to our trailer, and all the peas and cucumbers we could eat.  Oh, and we had wifi most of the time.  John was able to come that week so he and Amelia enjoyed playing and swimming together.  It could not have worked out better.  

We went to Opp on Tuesday and came home on Saturday.  The week could not have been any more enjoyable if we had planned it that way the whole time.  

Amy came on Sunday and stayed until Wednesday.  It was nice to have her with us for a while.  On Tuesday we all went to the beach.  Amelia loves the water.  Once again we had a beautiful day for it.  That night we had a slumber party which meant that Amy, Amelia, and I watched a movie in our pajamas and ate popcorn.

I have been encouraging Amelia to say "yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir, no sir," and I told her on her last visit that when she did it all the time I would make her the Wild Kratts Bat Costume she had been asking me to make.  She is doing great so I bought the materials I would need this week and plan to take it to her when we go in August.  Now this may look easy to you, but I'm telling you that these simple projects have a way of requiring a lot of time and effort on my part, but what a fun way to spend my time.  I don't know what she plans to do with it -- but she does have a vivid imagination.  She talks about nocturnal animals and non-venomous snakes.  At least Wild Kratts is an educational show.

Cute things I want to remember are:

• If you kiss someone on their cheek and they put their hand over the kiss, it saves it for later when you need a kiss.
• She knows so many birthdays.  She said that she knows Jesus's birthday, but doesn't know God's.  She says that she will ask him when his birthday is when she gets to heaven.
• She still remembers all the presidents in the order they were elected.  She can just say them, she doesn't even have to sing them.
• She knows a lot of facts about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
• John had made her gift bag with a pencil, suckers, and two friendship bracelets made out of rubber bands.  She thanked him and hugged him. He blushed.

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."  So we didn't follow our original plans for the 4th of July, we made better ones.  We had our granddaughter with us and enjoyed the hospitality of our loved ones.  It just doesn't get any better than that.