Dads' Birthdays

Here we are at the end of July already.  Lee survived another year and made it to 67..... Dad in heaven is celebrating his 97th with Mom.  Buzzy Burgers and Bloody Marys for lunch, I'll bet!  Missing Overbrook today.  We always enjoyed the best birthdays there.   Just another factor of change that I dislike.  I'm learning to deal with it as the senior years appear to be jam packed with change :-/

We enjoyed celebrating Lee's birthday at Pam and Greg's yesterday. It's very comforting to have friends become family.  Lee's biggest fan is grandson, Jett.  Papa was one of his first words. He kisses his pictures and knows exactly where the shop is when he's walking with Mima!  Bailee recently had her hair cut and lovingly made Papa a man bun.....straight from her "homegrown" tresses.

It was a fun day:

How bad is it.....

How bad is it? is a column in my favorite magazine, HGTV. I'm not sure whose opinions they are but some are pretty interesting.... Not as interesting as mine, but interesting. Here are some of theirs:

• To take your dog out in the winter without a coat - not so bad
• To throw away junk mail without shredding it - super bad
• To not take a multiple vitamin every day - not bad at all
• To hang sweaters instead of folding them - really bad
• To keep an opened bottle of champagne - sorta bad....like flat
• To decline travel insurance - not bad at all
• To wear your glasses on the top of your head - pretty bad
• To not clean your grill between using - pretty bad
• To scratch a mosquito bite - kinda bad  ( in my case ...horrible)
• To drive with an expired license - super bad
• To put sandy towels in the washer - not bad at all
• To leave cushions out all summer -  kinda bad ?????
• To eat ice cream straight from the container - really bad

Now, some of mine:

• To miss someone's birthday - really bad
• To NOT send a thank you note - unforgivably bad!
• To shower every other day - not so bad
• To use words that don't exist (like scar-t or fustrated - intellectually bad
• To buy Christmas presents in the summer..........and wrap them - fiscally not bad at all
• To only clean when you can actually see the dust and cobwebs - kinda bad
• To take pictures of ....everything - only bad if they're of me
• To have a lovely kitchen but not cook - kinda bad
• To write a silly blog so your kids and grands can remember what a goof you are/were - not bad at all!!!!!

In My Prime!

Today is a butt sittin', water drinkin', Amazon watchin', $ spendin' kind of day.  It's Amazon Prime Day!!!  For a relatively novice computer gal, I do my best shopping online.   The preview began at 9 p.m. last night and I made it over 2 hrs, finding 3 items that were on my shopping list and saved $120...  This morning, bright and early, I continued my quest for more of my Christmas list bargains... So far I have saved another $83 and I have another order ready to go shortly.  By the end of the day, I will have finished about 90% of this year's Christmas. These are actually intended purchases and not my often "I didn't know I/we needed it till I saw it" purchases.  There are always a few more toward the season gifts that I pick up but for the most part....this is my shopping extravaganza.  I was actually 50% done before I hit my prime....(yesterday!)

I know everybody thinks I'm a little cuckoo for shopping so early but I love having it finished and wrapped and then I can enjoy the season....the movies, the decorating, the anticipation, the lunches with my gal pals and the dinners with my friends.

Hallmark Ornament Premier Week-end is this week-end too and I'm pretty big on ornaments and traditions. My kids often roll their eyes on Thanksgiving night when the new ornaments are given and opened.....but it's tradition here and they're just going to have to "deal about it" (as Bailee would say when she was little!)

I want them all to remember what the holidays were like at Grandma's long after I'm gone.  But, since today I'm in my Prime, that's a long way off...  Maybe I should buy them all some Amazon stock.....after all, I'm responsible for it's success!!!! 😉

Happy Camper

Today I get to pick Bailee up from camp!!!  It's only been 5 days and 5 sleeps but it seems longer.  They have a website called Bunk1 that takes hundreds of pictures of all the campers every day... What a wonderful idea that is!  I can't wait till evening to pop on and see the smiles of these kiddos. I know I've extolled the virtues of Casowasco before but I can't say enough good things about this venue.  Whomever sets the activities, the schedules and the camp content does an exceptional job.  The kids are kept busy, well fed, very well exercised and totally cared for both physically and spiritually....which in Bailee's case, is needed and appreciated.. Our church time is next to nil.. Although I stand by one of my favorite sayings: Being in a church doesn't make you a christian anymore than being in a garage makes you a car!!  As we were going to camp last week, Bailee reminded me that they pray 5 times a day times 6 days! "You know that's 30 prayers Grandma!"   "Yes Bailee! I've prayed every night most all my life and I'm 65....do the math....I think you can handle 30!"  When she spends the night, she'll ask me to say mine out loud.... "Wow, that's a lot and you ask for things for a lot of people!"   "Yep, there are a lot of friends and family that need a little mention every night.....even the ones who have had their prayers answered can always use a reminder!"  Then I'll ask her who she'd like to "God Bless!"  Thankfully Mom and Grandma are at the top of the list...... she gets it!

So many things are learned in 5-1/2 short days.  Last year she talked a blue streak for days about all the activities and positive reinforcement she received at camp.  "They even cared about me so much they would only let me have PB&J one meal a day....... It's the little things!  She and her Mom will be going to a 3 day Mom/Daughter camp next month.... This will be a much needed time away from home together. I hope at the end of that stay..... we'll have 2 Happy Campers!