another week

I had to get some groceries, so I went to Walmart where I could also get black spray paint, and  freshened up this old table.  It was green, faded, blotchy, looked like hell. 

Now it looks good again.  The over spray got on my ankles and hands, but that's fine.  Nobody is going to see me anyway.

These guys watched a movie. They continued on another week as good sports, doing their school work by computer and not complaining very much, just working.

 This was a gift from Kirsten that I've kept safely in the box in the dining room until now.  We can safely put the butterflies in this flower pot up on the deck on the flat roof, and they lit as soon as I brought them out in the dark, so pretty.

 And this old blender has whirled up so many malts in this pandemic.  Late in the evening, we gather and air fry whatever we've got and mix up some malts.    We did again tonight.   It's good to take a few minutes at the end of the day.

And that brings us to the end of a fine Saturday night.   DJ Jake Rudh had a three hour set virtually, which was lovely on a cooped up Saturday night.  As he's wrapping up, John Prine is singing on Austin City Limits.

And it's officially tomorrow. 

Onward.

Love, Val

easter, 2020

On top of the fact we aren't at Pam and Paul's, aren't partying with our family?  This:

 Heidi made this and gave it to me last week. Seems timely.

Dinner was delicious.  We set the table with real dishes, and some kids dressed up a bit. It was nice.

I suggested we maybe could save the pinata for the grandkids. They said, "Oh heck no."  If we want to have another pinata later, that's fine, but we're cracking this avocado open.

 Ta da!  And no I didn't fill it with dog treats or pickles.

These flowers Laurie sent for my birthday are still as beautiful as the day they arrived.

And that brings us to the end of a fine, but very weird Easter.

So much love, Val

getting ready for easter

These guys hatched a distancing plan that was a lot of fun yesterday.  They brought an egg hunt to their cousins' houses and then stopped by here for a few minutes in the yard before they headed home again.

We decorated eggs, which has become kind of artistic and very  calm.

 I sent these pictures to Maria of Sidney enjoying her Saturday night.

 Last night as John was leaving he told me he was cooking Easter dinner tomorrow since we can't go to Pam's.  We always go to Pam and Paul's. It's their holiday!  Anyway, we are very bummed not to be there this year.

I told him he should call Pam every five to ten minutes and ask her questions until she quit answering the phone. 

He chuckled, and then said, "Do you think that would ever happen?  That she wouldn't answer?"

That caught me by surprise.

But that's the kind of aunt she has always been. John might be forty years old, but he knows who would always answer no matter how many times he called.

Thanks for being a person all my kids can always count on no matter what.

Next year, we'll be at your house.  We might even pool our money and get you a new trampoline.

Love forever, Val and Everybody

My Aunt Pat sent this photo with my birthday card, and it was a nice surprise.  I'm thinking Kirsten is about seven and Jay must be about two.

Awww.

So much love, Val

happy birthday, kari

 It was a beautiful sunny day, foggy in the morning, but warm and bright in the afternoon.

We had spaghetti hot dish for supper and gifts:

 Cake time!  Maria made this delicious cake and dropped it off, a lovely gift.

Kari?

You are truly lovely.  You grew from a nutty squirrel into a graceful, astute, funny woman.

This whole family is better because you're in it.

We're lucky and we know it.

Happy Birthday, my beautiful sweetheart.

We could not love you more, Mom and Dad and Everybody