Together With the Family

Are there any better times than when your family is gathered together for a meal and a day of fun? I love it when everyone stops from their busy lives and schedules a time to come home. As much as I love these times together, they used to feel so much like work instead of play. As I'm getting older I am learning to simplify as much as possible and that includes family days.

Always before I would spend one full day shopping and cooking. There was the potato salad, the deviled eggs, deserts, and more. You get the idea! By the time the family day got here I was needing a nap and didn't feel much like playing. But now-----------things have changed!

This year I actually purchased the potato salad, didn't make the eggs, and purchased a refrigerated boxed desert. My oldest son took charge of cooking the meat at his house, and brought it all cooked and ready. I threw on the baked beans (simple version), opened the potato chips and voillaaaaa we were enjoying being together!

After the meal there was washers and bocce while H filled us in on the latest trends in high school. All too soon it was time for everyone to leave for their own homes, leaving Paw and I with the depressed feeling that Labor Day always gives. The last summer holiday, the beginning of autumn.

The next day the depression was over and plans for the days ahead began. After all, there will be nights of football, Thanksgiving, Christmas, March Madness, Easter, Memorial Day and many more days for family gatherings. Keeping things simple isn't so bad! Maybe I'll see what I can do for Thanksgiving!

A Walk Together

Hidden away in the small town where I grew up is a secret place known as the "lakes". I had never been to the lakes, but Sidney had spent hour upon hour there fishing and running through the woods when he was a young boy.

This secret place called the "lakes" is for sale, and Sidney wanted to share with me one of his favorite childhood hangouts, so we decided to take a walk.

As I got out of the car I thought it might be a good idea to spray my legs to repel ticks and chiggers. I've learned the hard way that those little critters just love to attach themselves to the tender parts of my body and make me suffer for days on end. Not today though, I was way ahead of them!

The walk began fine, but I didn't know that I was going to have to climb a locked gate. This information had been withheld from me. Since my knees don't bend too well anymore, I thought my walk would be stopped before it started, but one step at a time and I was over! Sidney was on the other side in case I couldn't make it.



Once over the gate, the walk was easy. There weren't really any weeds to speak of, just a nice path along the first lake. The first lake wasn't too big, and had a lot of algea on top of it. I wasn't too impressed. We kept walking, stopping to