cookies

After graduation, the next day at noon we started baking.  She's been doing this since they were so little they had to stand on chairs at the breadboard.

The woman knows how to roll cookies.  I mostly ran the oven, and we're a good team. Not even ONE pan was burned, and that's probably a record.

The frosting crew arrived in the evening and they were ready to go, capable and dedicated to the job.

About the time we were done frosting cookies an old friend arrived, in town for Christmas.   She's a former real estate client turned friend, turned excellent math tutor, and we were so happy to see her and her husband and meet this beautiful baby of theirs.

She's been a good friend to all of us.  She and Heidi had never actually met in person, so it was extra nice they were all there together and Heidi got a turn too hugging this guy.

The girls brought up some blankets from the blanket stash and one was chosen for him. He's wrapped in it there, so pretty.  When they left it was cuddled around him just right, not slippery, not too big or floppy, just right.

Sunday while Julia was babysitting for Maria's little guy, Kari and I tackled these.   Apparently there's some kind of Ritz Bitz shortage, so we couldn't make those.

Who knew?

But we dipped the Christmas pretzels in chocolate and agreed it took longer than the other kind, but not that much longer, and the results?  Delicious.

And there were are at the end of Sunday night, all the cookies put away and the whole trashed kitchen put right again.

It was a good job done.

Tomorrow the floor will be washed and waxed and we'll be ready to start making meatballs for Saturday's party.

This weekend was perfect in unexpected ways, and nothing but love,   MOM aka Val aka Grandma

 

quarter 2, missing you

This is a picture of Gladys and her husband Jim.  Gladys was our accountant.  

I still think of her as our accountant.  

She and Jim were friends of Jay's parents, absolutely first rate people.

When you start a business, you need a good accountant, someone who understands small business and can explain things in very basic terms. You need someone who does not talk over your head, who will explain things like what form  you need to fill out with the payroll deposits and what bank you can take it to.  Plus federal and state are a thing and both have to be kept straight.

It really helps.
 

Plus the kindness--she  was always so kind, never impatient or annoyed, just soothing her, with her Hollywood movie star voice.

One morning back in 2002 I called her and said I'd been awake all night. We can't pay these estimated taxes.  The payroll taxes are all fine, but these estimateds.     People haven't paid us yet, and we're falling in the gap. What do we need to do?

She said, "Valarie.  Do not lose one more second of sleep.  This happens all the time. The IRS will set you up with a payment plan, and do not worry anymore.  Not one more moment of that."

Psshht.  We ended up sending them in the next quarter, and it was all fine.  She was right.

One year we got our taxes back to sign and send, and we owed practically nothing, which was great, but as I looked them over thought these numbers don't look right, don't even recognize these numbers.

I called her, and as we picked through it, she had misread my handwriting. A 9 looked like a 5 or the other way around.  She ran the program again and we owed the usual obnoxious amount.

Jay howled.  He ranted a bit.

Finally I said, "Are you seriously mad because I know what's going on with our money?"

No.

"Do you really think this is an nefarious plot hatched by Gladys and me?"

No.

Okay, rant away. I'm with ya.

Anyway, working on papers tonight and missing an old friend, a beautiful friend.

Love forever, Val

today

Today was the funeral.

Nobody ever wanted to face this day, but there was no choice.

It was a beautiful Catholic mass in the sunny old church nearby, same one where Dan and Alicia were married.

So many loved ones and friends gathered in the snowy evening last night and in the sunshine today.

Safe travels, Sweet Friend.

Love always, All of us
 

all our love

We lost a friend today.

Thirty-three years we've lived as next door neighbors, decades of friendship and good times shared, so much laughter--Don loved a good story, both telling and hearing them.

He took a personal interest in each one of the kids, in their cars, in their driveway basketball games.

Plus there are so many Don stories that could be told.  I mean, thirty-three years together, all the pets and people, and occasions, and seasons.   Maybe another day, stories. Tonight we're just awfully sad.

We are going to miss him like crazy.

Until we meet again.

Love, Jay, and Val and Everybody
 

friends weekend

Friends we haven't seen since before the pandemic brought their RV and stayed with us for the weekend.

I didn't expect it to be the size of a Greyhound bus, but it fit back in the trees.

They brought this lovely dog along.

 They hired a guide and went fishing at another lake, had a great day.

So much catching up to do--these two used to talk to each other every day for like ten years.  He and his wife also know most of the kids from back in those days, so that was fun too.

It was so nice to be together again for a weekend like this, perfect weather, good food.

Love, Val

redoing the bathroom

I sewed the shower curtain and window curtains years ago, and last winter noticed the window curtains had turned from blue to purple, fading in the sun.   I kept thinking about shopping for fabric and sewing new ones, but procrastination and time, you know?   All those button holes I'd have to sew, all the measuring to make sure it all hung straight?   Nah.  Not right now.

But I  bought a new shower curtain instead.  It's not permanent, but it's fun, and new rugs.  I sewed a valance and hemmed a sheer panel, and it looks much refreshed.
 

But this. This clutter.  I sent pictures to Jody and she sees pictures and flies into action.  A dozen texts went back and forth about ALL THE STUFF in this small 40s bathroom.  She suggested a cabinet, but radiator.  Yeah.

Well. Still much can be done.

Good bye junk.  Old towels I only need for bathing Elin don't have to be in this room all the time.

Although, as I stored them in cabinets in the basement bathroom, that tub stopper will not come up and that big pink tub was full of murky, cold water.  That's not right.

We have a problem.   Not today.  I tried with a flat screwdriver, but no. My little fingernails? No. I scooped out most of the water and I'm sure Jay will help figure this out another day. 

Anyway, a de-junked bathroom, looking way better.

Then the linen closet became involved.  Why can't we store towels there?   Because it's tiny and so full it has become an avalanche situation.

So soon I hauled the entire contents of the linen closet out to the living room and started getting real.

Do old extra long twin sized sheets spark joy?

They do not.

If Tim or Julia go to a dorm, we can get them new sheets of their choice.  All the old flat sheets--many of those because the fitted sheets wear out much faster--gone.  Donated sets of sheets in colors that don't bring me joy--khaki, green, gray.  What are they even doing in there?  I'm not sure.  Anyway, gone.

Three bags to donate, one to trash, a pile to the cabin. Done.  Jody, Thank you.

Love, Val

the end of the weekend

These guys came for a while. Since it was their parents anniversary, we had them stay with us so the parents could enjoy some time alone.  

Tim played video games with them, played songs on the piano.  It was very nice, and they were so happy.

She re-discovered all the Barbies and loved how Julia has the room set up now.   She took home the baby kangaroo for a visit, more attention than that stuffed animal has had in a year.

Jule, all beautiful ready to go have dinner.

And this guy stopped by to visit us, which was a surprise.  We were so happy to see him, and so touched that his road trip from Virginia to Minneapolis included a stop specifically at our house.

Today we scrubbed the patio, all the winter mess gone, and planted flowers and bulbs.  Jay grilled food, and it was 72 perfect degrees out.

We bought a trellis for this gift from Dan and Alicia.

Look at that shiny new plumbing!!  It's gleaming and gorgeous.  

We have water pressure in the kitchen, miracle that is.

Ahhh. Sweet Sunday night.   Sleep tight, love, Val