Feast, Now Famine...We Are Two

Painting Rocks

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The Maestro

Maestro's Work

I was up at 5:20 which seems to have become my regular wake up time.  It was dark when I woke and now, at 6:00, it's beginning to get light, the sky gray and cloudy and it's still warm outside 65º.  Today is a sad-making, as Beth and five grandchildren head home and we may not see them again until Thanksgiving or Christmas, our life for the past twenty-two years since none of our children live nearby.  Well, Murphy's Law again, as Beth was notified around 7:00 that her flight from Baltimore to Dallas was canceled.  This necessitated a call to Rami who hustled to get them on a flight but none were available until Saturday morning.  So the gang will fly the first leg, to Baltimore, get picked up by Jill and stay with her family tonight, then fly out of Dulles, Saturday morning at 11:00.  It could have been worst.

Halle And Marlena

We did have a busy and fun final day, however, and it was a result of the usual, a partly cloudy sky with lots of dock time and swimming, little baking or prepping for dinner, more a day of leisure, enjoying the la Familia. I was up early, home from a paddle before anyone else was up.  The girls were tired from their previous late night, so they slept in until 10:30.  Breakfast was easy, bagels and cream cheese, with jam, or Honey Nut Cheerios.  No one was ready for bear until noon when the girls went for a paddle, then all of us went out on the dock to sunbathe and swim.

Paddling To The Reeds

The water was really nice, clear and cool, so the girls loved spending time in it with their Granny, taking photographs of their jumps.

I did some reading before coming in for an early lunch of leftover egg noodles, topped with an egg, thanks to Beth.

I took an hour nap, obviously needing it from getting up early most mornings.  The girls hung out inside after their swim, playing games on their phones and coloring our tablecloth.  It's about 65% done so we will have lots to do next year.  Evie and Beth had made a short list for Wegman's since we did not want to fuss with dinner.  So I drove to Lakewood around 3:30 and picked up three rotisserie chickens, sweet corn, Italian bread and salad for dinner.  I was home by 4:30, in time to sit down with the girls, Evie, and Beth and do some more rock painting.  I think I lost my inspiration because my colored rocks seem to be the same.  The girls and Mitch were, however, quite imaginative, in fact, Mitchell wants to take his home to Dallas.  Just before dinner, Evie and the girls started fooling around in the backyard with the Reddi Whip.  I do not think she is a good example.

Catching Ready Whip

Around 6:30, I cleared off the picnic table, the girls set it for dinner, Evie cut up the chicken, boiled the corn, while Beth made the salad.

Dinner

Our final dinner was alfresco and it did not rain which was nice.  Afterward, the girls got out the balloons and pump and amused themselves chasing deflating balloons as the night crept in.

Balloons Ready

Halle Deflated

By 8:30, we were in the TV room watching Queer Eye and enjoying the last of the baklava and peach/blueberry crisp.  It was a subdued evening as we knew it would be our last together for quite a while.  All of us went up to bed early, around 10:00 but as I fell asleep, I could still hear the girls giggling in their bedroom.  I love the sound of them, cousins loving being with each other.