Calm And Quiet New Year's Eve Morning

7:35

8:30

December 30th,  2017

It's later than usual as I start this, 8:15 because I got up later than my usual 6:00, at 7:15 a bonus. The lake is an inviting gray pool of calmness, the only sound is the cawing of crows. It's 9:45 and I kayaked for 50 minutes, north, down past Magnolia to Whitney Bay on an amazing lake morning, of fifty shades of gray and I even photographed some buffleheads before they took off. A good way to end 2023.

North

Whitney Bay

A Trio Of Buffleheads

Yesterday was a day of leisure or a wasted day depending on how you look at it. It started with my usual forty-minute paddle in a drizzle that hardly wetted my rain jacket. When I returned, I had breakfast, finished the blog and then sat down to decide with Evie our plans for the day. We finally agreed to go over to Bemus Point for a walk. So while Evie got ready, I gathered the trash from the past weekend and we dropped it off at the Transfer Station at 10:30. We then walked along Lakeside Drive for an unpleasant half hour because of the wind from the west. We then did a quick run through Skillmans, a clothing store that was having a 65% off sale. Of course, anything we wanted was not on sale. Evie did find a purse she liked but the line at the single cashier was so long she said the heck with it and we drove home.

And that was it for the day, other than enjoying a lunch of soup and pizza from the freezer. I watched my show, then started a new Dismas Hardy novel and napped. Evie watched some TV while I was reading and napping, then we traded places and I watched some football. We were looking forward to our happy hour, a good cheese, a Manhattan, and we were hoping for a snowfall. 

Falling Sleet/Snow

And just as we sat down, it began to snow so we were happy. Dinner was easy because Evie had made the pasta and mushroom and meatball sauce earlier so all we needed to do was heat it up. We watched some HGTV, and ended the night with the first half of the Lions/Cowboys game, the end to an easy day. 

Back To Gray

Yes

8:54

It's overcast and a cold, 32º with snow flurries forecast for an hour. The lake, however, is calm so I might get in a kayaking depending on my mood. It's 9:00, Evie's up and I just returned from a forty-minute paddle in sleet, rain, snow or drizzle, depending on the minute. Still, it was nice to be out on the lake, the solitary paddler.

Kayak Morning

North

North, Again

Yesterday began with the blahs, a cloudy sky but ended up with some sun and blue skies, a miracle. I got in a good paddle because of the calmness of the morning and lake, over to Long Point and back. I then had breakfast, finished the blog, and was off to yoga at 9:30. It was a talkative group, unusual for class and, as usual, rigorous with Tara.  She suggested we pick a word to define 2024 and I decided on 'YES,'. Yes, I will kayak, yes, I will go to yoga, etc. After class, I stopped and picked up a few things at a busy Walmart and was home by noon, to chicken noodle soup, compliments of Evie who had a busy morning both inside and out because of the sunny late morning. I had an eye doctor appointment at 1:15 so I did not linger and was out quicker than usual, by 1:45. My right eye needs a touch-up because it has clouded up since my cataract surgery a couple of years ago. 

Afternoon Blue

Blue skies, Clouds, Sun

I was home by 2:00, had some more soup, then read and napped because I was up so early. By 3:30, however, I was bored and went outside and worked in the yard for a good hour, cutting down perennials and raking the leaves out of Evie's garden, filling up two garbage pails, and taking them up the hill when I was done. We were back in our routine by 5:30, sitting in our living room, enjoying a glass of wine and listening to the news, always 'breaking', on CNN. Evie already had dinner made, having breaded and browned pork chops and put them in the oven. We loved the pork chops, wished we had made more than two, and watched another episode of Fargo on Hulu, then some ER before bed. It was a surprisingly good day. 

Where Went The Sun?

7:14

7:39

8:55

It's 7:25 and dawn is just beginning on another cloudy, gray Chautauqua day. It's 37º, a bit chillier than yesterday, and no wind so I will be out kayaking once it gets brighter out. It's almost 9:00 and I paddled for 40 minutes, over to Long Point, back to Sandy Bottom, along Woodlawn and home, on an amazingly quiet, calm lake. 

Kayak Morning

Long Point

North

Eastern Sky

Yesterday began on the shores of Lake Erie, with a great breakfast, compliments of my brother-in-law, Rich. We spent Wednesday night because we celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in Cleveland, a special evening for their family. By 11:00, we said our goodbyes and drove to Trader Joe's, on Chagrin Blvd for another crazy spending spree to save money. We left with a case of wine and a couple of canvas bags filled with goodies for the next couple of weeks. We stopped at the Ohio border for gas since it's much cheaper than Pennsylvania or New York and were home by 2:00. 

For lunch, I had a bowl of soup, just what I wanted, and watched The Wire. It did not take me long to get back into a routine. I then read, of course, napped, and woke ready to do something. The lake was amazing, calm, and empty so I jumped in my kayak and paddled around for a good half hour, happy to be out there once again. 

Kayak Afternoon 

Woodlawn At 4:26PM

At 5:00, we walked down our street to Jim and Barb's house for drinks and heavy appetizers. It was fun to get together with them to celebrate the holidays and their house was Christmasy, with decorations, a tree, and a fire, a nice cozy way to spend an early evening. We stayed until 8:00, enjoying many glasses of wine and appetizers, and catching up on their Christmas with family in Cleveland. 

Barb And Jim, Woodlawn Neighbors

By 8:15, I think both of us were sitting in our living rooms in front of our TVs watching the beginning of the Cleveland Browns game because all four of us grew up Browns fans. And we were not disappointed because they looked good in the first half so at least Evie and I went to bed, tired from our exciting couple of days.

Thoughts For 2024:

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.” Neil Gaiman

Foggy Day, Party Night

Sixty Years Together And Going Strong

Oh, what a night

Late December back in sixty-three

What a very special time for me

As I remember, what a night

It's 8:00 and I am sitting in my sister's living room, looking out their family room window at a foggy morning on Lake Erie. It's been this way for the past 24 hours, drizzle and fog, drizzle and fog on a 44º morning. I am the only one up, as usual, waiting for my brother-in-law Rich to make his famous big breakfast, which is worth the drive into Euclid.

Lake Erie Morning

Yesterday was a busy day although it didn't start out that way as I was up and 6:00 and didn't head off to yoga until 9:30. It was raining and windy so I didn't get in a paddle, just enjoying my morning with coffee and writing the blog. After yoga class, I did a quick run through Wegman's, picking up a few essentials before driving home. Evie had lunch ready, soup, and a cheese sandwich and because I was up so early, I took a good forty-five-minute nap. 

We left for Euclid at 2:30 and unfortunately, ran into heavy fog in Erie and parts of Ohio, not only slowing us down but scaring us as trucks, seemingly oblivious to the fog, raced by in the passing lane. It was an accident waiting to happen but fortunately, there were no accidents at least as we were driving. We were in Euclid to celebrate my sister Linda and her husband Rich's 60th wedding anniversary with their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.

Rich Jr. and Family

Grade School Friends And Daughter, Kirsten

Family Gathering

We left for The Chop, a restaurant in Cleveland at 5:30 and were driven by their daughter and her husband so neither of us had to drive. The Chop had reserved a room for family, thirty-two of us, and were ready for us. We mingled for a good forty-five minutes, enjoying drinks and appetizers. It was great for us to see all the family since we last saw them in October at the clambake. Dinner was great, steak, chicken or salmon, a salad, cheesecake for dessert, and a couple of bottles of wine on each table. The highlight was the speeches by the kids and grandkids, a couple breaking down in tears as they talked about their grandparents. It was an emotional night towards the end. 

Kids And Grandkids

Son Pat And Wife Courtney Celebrate

The party ended around 10:00, with some of the young uns heading off to a bar but the four of us went home, too tired to continue partying. When we got home, we relaxed in the living room for a bit, going back over the wonderful night before heading up to bed around 11:15.

A Dreary Morning On The Lake

7:32

It's 7:30 and I have been up for over an hour, listening to the rain, watching the sky slowly lighten to gray on a warmish 47º winter morning. We left last Friday with a snow-covered yard but now it's green, not a bit of white. Unfortunately, I don't feel like kayaking in the rain so I will have to wait for another morning. 

Light Fog

Tuesday was another dreary day spent on highways in Virginia, a dab of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York and it rained most of the way. So it was a boring drive, mostly colorless, shades of a gray sky and muted mountains and forests.  Fortunately, despite it being the day after Christmas, the roads were not very busy although we avoided the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Breezewood. We stopped for gas in Virginia because it's cheap, then at Gio's Barbecue in Pennsylvania. Evie realized that they served hand-cut fries so she ordered a large and we ate it on the road, a nice treat. The last hour of our drive Evie decided to play DJ on our Apple Car Play and we sang our way home.  We were on the road for just over seven hours, arriving at the lake around 3:00. 

Heavy Fog

Pennsylvania Farm 

It was drizzling as we unpacked the car, not a very welcoming homecoming. I like to get things put away so that took a while but by 3:30, both of us were able to sit down on the couch and enjoy the fact that we were home again. Both of us were tired from the drive so we did not do much the rest of the afternoon other than think about dinner. Evie pulled out some soup but we decided on baked potatoes and fried eggs, both of which sounded good to me and were easy to prepare, saving the soup for lunches. 

By 6:30, we were back in our TV room enjoying dinner, and our fun trip to Virginia a thing of the past. We did have fun remembering the craziness of Christmas Eve with family and we have lots of photos to remember our stay. We caught up on Hulu's Fargo and ended the night with ER and a few minutes of the NBA, going up to bed earlier than usual. 

Back To The Lake

Halle, First Granddaughter Up Christmas Morning

A Happy Son In Law

It's early in the morning again, and we hope to be off by 9:00 at the latest. It's 7:15 at the moment and I am the only one up in a quiet house. Drew and Hayden should both be up soon because they have work at 8:00. I will let Evie sleep in for a while since we are in no great hurry, just so we get home before dark.

Lots Of Gift Giving

Coco And Chanel, Enjoying Christmas Morning

Our Working Granddaughter With Nelly

Christmas day was, interestingly, a day to relax, to recoup from Christmas Eve. We had no company, just Jill's family so it was an easy day. Drew and I were up early, of course, followed by Evie at 9:10, Jill at 10:00 and we had to wake up the girls. So we didn't open presents until almost noon. It was fun as the girls enjoyed giving presents as much as getting them and everyone seemed happy with their presents. The dog and cat seemed to enjoy playing with and in the wrapping paper until we started to clean up the mess.

Making Breakfast

Evie made crepes for breakfast, a treat, and by 1:00, the adults were ensconced in front of the TV watching the Kansas City Chiefs lose to a weak Las Vegas team, ruining the day for Drew and my son Tom, both avid Chiefs fans. Once the game was over, Jill got out some appetizers and all of us watched a couple of movies, Vacation and for the fourth time, Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. 

Doing Dishes

Dinner was easy, especially after last night's extravaganza, stuffed shells which Evie brought and Slovenian sausages, not your usual Christmas fare but tasty nevertheless. The girls were quick to do up the dishes, like last night. We then sat around watching yet another NFL game and talked with the girls because we would probably leave before they were up tomorrow morning. Everyone was in their bedrooms by 9:30 except for Drew and me who stayed up for a while watching the football game,

A Hilarious Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas

Christmas PJ's

The Grands

As usual, my son-in-law Drew and I are the only ones up at 7:00, happy the granddaughters are sleeping in rather than getting up at 6:00. It's going to be a gray Christmas, with temperatures getting into the 50s later in the day. It's 8:30 as I finish this and Drew has already emptied the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen like a good husband, as the gals still sleep.

Christmas Eve was at first a busy day, as we had lots to do getting ready for the arrival of Drew's sisters, Mom, and family. Things did not get hectic early because the girls slept in so Drew and I could take it easy. I even went for a half-hour walk around the neighborhood at 10:00, wanting to get in some exercise before the fun began. Once everyone was up, Drew and I drove off to Safeway to pick up groceries that we didn't get on Saturday. It was a crazy place, with everyone out getting whatever at the last minute like us. When we returned, the girls were out shopping for last-minute presents and Evie and Jill had the table for fourteen set,  the scalloped potatoes, and the 16-pound rib roast ready for the oven. 

Prepping Dinner

Halle, The Appetizer Queen

We then were able to relax some, watch football, and get gussied up for the day. Drew's family arrived around 4:00 and the day began. The appetizers were out, the various drinks were made, football was on and we stood around the kitchen or sat in the living room, talking and laughing, enjoying the afternoon until 7:00 when we were ready to pull the rib roast out of the oven and have dinner. Dinner I have to say was fabulous, the rib roast was the best, along with the potatoes, salad, and Hawaiian rolls. 

Jill And Her Girls

Dinner

Cousins

The Guys

Mother And Daughter

Once we were done, we started to go crazy, sitting around the table at first, listening to music, laughing, and even dancing in our chairs. Eventually, we adjourned to the living room, dancing and carrying on like it was New Year's Eve. What craziness, what fun, and who else but Evie was the instigator, singing Goner, by Twenty One Pilots along with Drew's sister, with Halle, the disk jockey. Finally. Greg, Drew's brother-in-law, was able to corral his kids and convince them that it was time to go home. Once they left, the quietness was deafening as we sat in the living room for a bit, watching the last football game of the night. Soon, Evie and I went up to bed, the girls to the basement, but Jill and Drew stayed up, laughing and talking about the great day.

Jilly And Me

Caleb, Carrie, And Jill

Carrie, Caitlyn, Carly