Philip has been enjoying an unexpected weekend away with his pal at the deer lease.
While the cat's away...
The deer meat had been quartered, but since Philip skipped town, Landen and Luke finished the processing. With frigid hands and accomplished hearts, they presented the pots and pans full of ground venison. I spent the better part of Friday browning meat in onion and peppers. After all four pots were done, I still had a big mixing bowl of meat. So after 7 dozen meatballs, I totally loafed it up!!
Now speedy supper starters for the next several months are in the freezer. It feels like money in a savings account...and time in a bottle.
Friday afternoon Landen and I secured Mari Alice's Christmas present. (precisely what she wanted, made by the company Philip wanted, at the price I wanted. win-win-win!)
Friday evening, Luke, Ardyn, Ashlin & I drove up to Jefferson to tour some Victorian homes. It was very fun. The tour guides mentioned "Cape Cod" and "Civil War" which the kids respectively had been studying, so that made it exciting. Though the weather was unseasonable warm, we decided to share a blizzard four ways. Just right.
Today I went with a very dear friend to a ladies' luncheon at a bed and breakfast. The food was wonderful, the coffee was fresh, and the conversation was a nice blend of honesty and forbearance.
Mari was waiting for me when I arrived home. She had been carrying around her coin purse since Friday night. She needed a ride to the gas station up the street to buy Ashli a treat for her birthday. I took her. She made her selection. She paid the nice lady. She scurried back to the car singing, "ooooh, YES, we have goodies!"
Luke was waiting for me when I arrived home. He needed jeans. We ran up to the mall and in record time found two pair within budget. Good stuff.
I had a little over an hour before my next activity. I washed the last of the venison dishes, helped Ardyn put the soup in the crock pot for tomorrow's lunch, loved on Elizabeth, put some laundry in, loved on the lizzard some more, and set up the ironing board. (The actual ironing would have to be postponed due to excessive lovin')
THEN my neighbors came by to pick me up and - with Landen babysitting AGAIN (wow, that guy is the best) we drove to Jefferson so the Summit Methodist choir could sing for the candlelight tour. I got to play a grand piano in a stained glass chapel. Very lovely!
Everyone was waiting on me when I got back. "Momma's been gone too much!" We made sure the house was tidy, ironed everyone's clothes for tomorrow, and bathed. As soon as the youngest three were in bed, we wrapped all of Ashlin's birthday presents for her big day tomorrow. When I kissed her good night, I whined, "This is the last time I'll be able to kiss a blue-eyed seven-year-old good night...EVER!" She shrugged at me like it was a personal problem and I probably needed to get over it. Harsh.
Tomorrow is such a big day for everyone. Ashlin turns 8. James is coming to take her out. The boys are singing with the IBC choir in two services, so the three of us need to be out the door by 7:45.
It's our morning to provide breakfast for the junior high SS, so there's a big pink note taped to the door leading to the garage that says, "Monkey Bread & Milk". It's half-baked and in the fridge - ready to be reheated at the church house.
Philip will be bringing the second shift of worshippers --right after he does three little hair-do's. Lord, be with him:) I'll have to jet after the last song of the first service in order to make it to the Methodists final cantata rehearsal. Then we're "live" at 10:50.
After church, we'll all meet back here for taco soup. O crud! The Taco Soup....I need to go make another pink sign that says "plug in crock pot".
Next we all get to watch Ash open her presents and dig into the strawberry pound cake that Luke baked especially for her. Yum-to-the-Me:)
THEN we're all gonna take a big fat birthday/sabbath/cantata NAP. (Lord willing:)
Thank You, God. For everything. Thank You for allowing Philip and Lee to hang out and do uninterrupted guy stuff. Thank You for keeping the rest of us occupied with back-to-back fun stuff. Thank You for Ashlin. Thank You for Christmastime. See You at church tomorrow:)
