Easter, April 16th

Just got home from Family Time.  Easter 2017......it was very nice.  Martha & Wendells home is so welcoming.  They have encore azaleas in front of the porch and they are in full bloom.  Shades of pink and white........they are glorious.  More treelike than the usual bushes.......their limbs have an artistic appeal, the blooms are breathtaking!  ......I love visiting their log cabin home.

I took rice crispy treats.  I tried to shape them into easter eggs, it was an epic fail, so into a glass dish they went......sprinkled pretty sugars and sprinkles on top.......think Mr. Jackson Pollock meets Mr. Rice Crispy.......still taste good, but I was disppointed that I couldn't upgrade them into a more visually adorable treat.  

The food is always so good......lots of hugs were being exchanged at the door.......time with family, even a borrowed family is good for the soul.  And since my kids are a part of this borrowed family it's doubly good!  We borrowed our heads in prayer and then we realized we'd forgotten a family member who couldn't be with us today, so our heads went back down and we prayed for Adam too. 

......i thought that was especially sweet......touching.  i can't go home to Iowa, but this is a wonderful blessing, Thank You God for providing this family in answer to family time needs!)

Today's menu included fried chicken, kale salad (which was REALLY good, Chick Filet should get this recipe and kick theirs to the curb!), homemade black eyed peas, green beans, deviled eggs, mac n cheese, potato chedddar casserole, sweet corn, dinner rolls....probably forgetting something but trust me it was gooooood southern home cooking........YUMMMY!

Now I remember what I forgot, a selection of raw veggies w/dip and a big tray of fresh fruits........delicious!

(carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, celery......pineapple, honeydew melon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries......so many wonderful options!)

We ate outside on the back patio......one of the daughters is with child, she is about halfway there, I got to see the most recent sonogram.....it's a boy and they plan to call him Kenneth Willard.  Kenneth after her now passed on Grandpa and Willard because it's a family middle name tradition on her husband's side of the family.  The young mother to be was radiant.......glowing! 

I got to share the story of our friend Pilot Rock's new pup (her most recent journal).......Jackson and his pickle jar mishap, which led to more animal stories......there was a variety of drinks to be enjoyed:  Sweet and regular iced tea, lemonade, soft drinks and H2O.....all good to the last drop!

I sat with Sara, Derian, Sam, another young married couple......while we dined little pieces of something falling off the trees made it an interesting meal.  These little doohickes fell onto our hair, clothes and food......making it feel like a real picnic but easier since we were seated in super comfy patio chairs!

After we ate we rested for a bit before visiting the dessert table.  WOW!  There was a layer cake with the sweetest lamb face....the baker created soft little lamb curls and the cutest face you've ever seen!  Darlin'.......there was a robin's egg blue layer cake with a coconut nest of tiny eggs (pastel M&M's).......the frosting even had tiny little speckles in it.....there were more eggs at the base of the cake.  There was a strawberry cheesecake.......and another cake that was carb free with fresh strawberries.  The Jackson Pollock rice crispy treats, some kind of chewy pudding cake (not clue what it was, but man was it gooood!).....Martha made homemade banana pudding and she let me sneak a bowlful out for dinner later tonight!  Not sure if I will actually eat again ....sooo full, but she also gave me chicken & cantaloupe too.  My goodness.......when you eat your same old stuff day after day after day, this kind of event is a food fiesta! OLE!

The children's Easter egg hunt was much smaller this year.......they only hid 114 eggs.  Not as many kids this time round........but the kids that hunted had a blast!  The grand prize was a red metallic egg that held a FIVE dollar bill!  The little girl who found it was over the moon!  They give out prizes after to each child, mostly toys reminiscent of the dime store era........cute and fun!

Then it's time for the adult egg hunt.......they loosely translate adulthood as people over 45.  Funny but that's what they do!  They give out prizes to the top four hunters with the most eggs.  Gifts of candy and little Debbie snacks.......funny stuff.  Last year the grand prize was a car wash.......guess they decided chocolate is the better way to reward the "aged family members."

At the end each family was gifted with a potted gerber daisy plant.  I ended up with two......mostly cause Sam doesn't like to plant stuff in his yard and I totally DO!  I'll try to get them in the ground this week, one has dark pink blooms and the other one is going to be a surprise.  I hope they take to my yard!

So it was a good day!  I'm stuffed, tuckered and content.  I transplanted a bunch of plants yesterday so I couldn't manage Easter services.....which made me very sad, but time with the kids is so needed.  When Sara had to take off to go sing.......it was a last minute call, the church where she used to sing all the time got a call from their lead singer, she was injured and unable to perform.  So even though Sara was supposed to get this EASTER off for the first time in ever........she helped her former church and pitched in with that glorious voice of hers.  When she bent down to kiss and hug me I felt soooo sad.  Not ready for her to go......I really need more time with her......I managed to swallow the tears long enough to make it to the bathroom, washed my face and blinked really hard......tried to think of silly things that make me laugh......really fast, cause when I cry I turn splotchy and red in a hurry......I fought it but then when I was driving home I was sadding again.......I miss her, miss what I wish we had connection wise.  I may not understand her always, but I love her fiercely.  Sam was a gem.....helped me throughout the day.  I have been so wonky lately.....breaking lots of glass, some because of my wonkiness and some because I forget what I am doing.  I don't know if this feeling is a blood pressure issue or a pollen issue or a combination of the two, it's not comfortable.  It's pressure and light headedness....I feel safest sitting down. 

It will pass..........I hope you had good moments, some new memories to add to your life chest of happies.......love to all!  and a big hug too!  I got to give her her birthday gift today.  I found an old silver trinket box, it's very heavy, lined with red velvet.  Into the box I tucked a wide mirrorlike silver bangle.  They will both need to be polished about once a year.  I found the trinket box at a consignment store in Flowery Branch.......she seemed to like it.  I like old interesting things......and I try to pass some of that on to my own children. 

P.S.  Sam is turning one of his spare bedrooms into a "Dart Room".  sounds very interesting!