I'm back

Our son, his wife, and their five-year-old granddaughter spent Monday through Friday with us last week, so I left my blog alone while they were here.  Our son is always with us on the fourth of July, so we invite all the relatives who are in the vicinity, which makes it sort of a reunion.  The grandson smoked ribs and pork butt, and people bring whatever they want to add to the meal; it's a grand time.  But somehow this year's Fourth was about as good as we've ever had. 

I was a little "off" that day and didn't cook as much as usual; but I tend to cook too much anyhow, and then we're left with a bunch of the type of leftovers nobody needs, especially old folks like us.  This year there was plenty to eat, but not so many leftovers.

Mae, our great-granddaughter, is such a sweet-natured kid.  She is just happy all the time.  She does a lot of walking from Arick's house to the shop where the men hang out, and to our trailer house.  Each time she opened my front door and walked in, I'd say, "You again?"

These days I'm likely to call her grandma her mom, and our son, her dad, but she sweetly corrects me.  Her mom, our youngest grandchild, did fly in to spend two days with us.

There were a few kids present on the Fourth, and they were quite the happy group.  There's nothing like playing in water on a very warm day to make children happy, and I loved hearing their laughter in the background while we were all in the shop visiting.

Today I am officially 80 years old.  I struggle with people's names, but I still enjoy reading good books, making pickled beets, and working in the garden.  My hibiscus finally started blooming the day before my birthday!

It makes me happy that when I make cinnamon rolls, my oldest granddaughter Amber, and Mae, one of my great-granddaughters, love them so.  Mae didn't want to eat much of anything else the last two days!  It takes me back to my childhood when I stayed with Grandma Stevens and asked her to make cinnamon rolls; she was the reason I learned to make them for myself. 

Yes, there will be goats, once the pen is built; the goat house is in place.  It's hot, my husband is old, and Arick works.  So it isn't going to be built in a day, even though it won't be that big a pen.  They will do their best, I'm sure.