Last Updated on May 11, 2020 by Stacy Averette
I’m basking in the afterglow of a lovely Mother’s Day celebration yesterday. But Monday has come too quickly and too early. Even Eric said, “I need another Sunday,” this morning.
We have a tendency to stay up far too late. At our age, you’d think we’d heed the advice of the experts to get more sleep. I suppose we do it in our own way.
We’re nappers. Power nappers and sometimes long-lazy-nappers.
“Is it too late for a nap?” one of us will ask.
“Probably,” is the usual reply, then off we’ll go to steal a nap.
It’s our way to get a second (or third) wind for the day.
Yesterday’s late nap meant we could sit out on the deck, warming ourselves by the fire, long past what might be a respectable bedtime for some people.
And even after that, we retired to our room to watch one of our favorite movies: Midnight in Paris. (I still hope to go there someday.)
For now, I’m exceedingly happy at home.
(This is the only photo I took all weekend.)
Mother’s Day Weekend
“The gang’s all here!” My heart squealed the sentiment silently several times over the weekend as I looked around. Jon and Molly drove over Saturday morning and we all pitched in to help John and Maddie move into the home they recently purchased. Such brave adventurous newlyweds! I’m proud of them.
The guys did the heavy lifting and yard work, the girls did some organizing in the kitchen, and I headed up the re-painting of the master bedroom. Maddie chose a lovely, light, and bright, grayish-sage paint color for the bedrooms. The home has good bones but it had been abused and neglected for years by its previous owners. There’s still a lot of work to be done but the sweet house on a large, tree-filled, corner lot will be perfect for them.
We eased into Sunday morning. I made a simple breakfast of fried bologna and egg sandwiches (a family favorite) for Caleb and Jon and Molly. Eric and I had our usual: steel-cut oats with brown sugar and blueberries. John and Maddie stayed at their apartment since they still have a few things to move to their new home.
I spent most of the morning preparing lots of yummy food. In lieu of a sit-down meal, I prepared “grazing food”—dishes you can put on the table and graze over all afternoon and evening. That’s exactly what happened. (Eric and I even had a bit for a late-night snack by the fire last night.)
The menu included: (per request)
- Barbecue cups
- Sweet and Spicy Sausages
- Ramen noodle salad
- Bacon and Ranch Pasta Salad
- Texas Caviar (with Scoops)
- Broccoli with Asian Garlic Sauce and Rice (for the plant-based eaters)
- Lemonade
- Peanut Butter Cup cookies! (Made by Maddie)
We grazed all day and still have a few leftovers to get us through Monday!
Blue skies + mild temperatures = lunch on the deck with Caleb, Maddie, and John. A large bouquet of fresh flowers from Maddie was the perfect centerpiece.
Jon and Molly had lunch with her family who lives a few miles north of us. They returned mid-afternoon and Jon used his new chain saw to cut a small dead tree in the back yard. (It made the perfect firewood for our late-night fire!) Eric and I roamed around the back yard surveying the new landscape. A little over a week ago we had a tree service come out and cut down several trees in our yard—mostly large pines with pine beetles and a dead elm tree. Thankfully, we still have several trees, including the 200-year-old tulip poplar, so there’s plenty of shade left. We’re forever picking up sticks in our yard but I actually enjoy it!
We live in an older neighborhood which means there are plenty of mature trees, tall bushes, and shrubbery but the tree removal highlights the need for some additional shrubbery/hedge planting along the fences. I love my neighbors but I really prefer having a lot of privacy in the back yard. It’s our little sanctuary in suburbia.
By late afternoon, we’d all ended up in the shade, gathered around the thrifted table on the back patio. I knew our weekend together was winding down and the sweet young adult children of mine would soon be going back to their homes. I was trying to make the most of every fleeting moment.
A large, floral gift bag was placed in my lap with a brightly colored envelope; “MOM” was handwritten surrounded by hearts. Inside was a sweet message along with their signatures. I removed bunches of tissue paper to find a box with a beautiful, vintage-style Moen faucet for my kitchen! My children know me well! Replacing the original 1970’s faucet on my harvest gold sink (which I love, by the way) was long overdue!
Eric gave me a new drill for all my projects!! I’ve wanted one of my own for a while! Yay!!
There were lots of hugs and kisses as everyone made their way to the front yard. “I love you” and “thank you” were exchanged and repeated again and again. We’re all full of gratitude for a weekend of hard work and family time.
“Be careful and let me know when you get home.”
Now I’m drinking coffee wrapped in a sweater that bears the hint of wood smoke. A sink full of dirty dishes and a “Mom” card hanging on the fridge reminds me.
Home.
Such a lovely word.