Patriot Heart: July 3 -6

 

Saturday, July 5:  Thursday, despite my assurance that I'd take the day off, I went out to tackle that flower bed about the Sweet Gum.  I got a load of work done in about an hour and a half.  It was one of those nagging sorts of jobs.  Every time I'd see it in the state it was in, I'd get upset about lack of time, feel overwhelmed, and saddened, because the few flower beds I have took a lot of work to establish and have been a lot of work to maintain.  I don't want to lose a single one because of neglect.

I did not get to the cutting out of small trees (they spring up from the roots), but I got all the small vines, privet, cedar and such pulled out, raked back a load of leaves, sweet gum balls, etc., out of the bed, too.  That was okay.  I made a start at the big task that faced me and that felt good.

Thursday, I also put away the meats I'd bought on Wednesday.  I cut the smoked sausage into serving portions, cut the pork loin I'd bought in half. I made a salad for the evening.  Then I made a cheesecake and a Double Chocolate Zucchini Loaf.  I split that loaf into two smaller pans and gave one to Sam.  Yes, it is a lot of sweets, I admit it.  But the Zucchini loaf was more than half eaten after supper by John and Josh, since it was so small.  

 I kept things simple Thursday evening with the kids.  Frozen pizzas cooked in the toaster oven and semi-blackened.  The learning curve continues.  350F and half the time seems to work best instead of the 400F and 18 recommended minutes.  The kids were good sports.  They assured me they liked the chewy bits...lol.

No one went to bed early.  When we headed off to bed, I listened to them bounce and bump and giggle and fuss for at least another 3 hours.  No reason to think they'd sleep late on Friday morning.  Josh was up shortly after me.  I got up at 6:45am only because I'd been awake since 5:30am.  

I made Sausage balls and Orange Danish for breakfast.  I used the last of some pimento cheese in the sausage balls and they turned out awesome.  I'll do that again.  Who knew?!  The kids appreciated our 'holiday' meal.  

They talked with John about the age of the country, 250 years this year.  There were other questions asked, which John answered.  And he talked to them about how much he loves this country, as do I.  It has its faults and flaws but it's still my country and I love it dearly.  That's why I fly the flag here at my home.  I don't fly it as a threat to anyone or to make any statement other than this is my home country and I'm glad to be here.  I get a lump in my throat and an extra thump out of my heart each time I see the American flag flying.

And it made me feel happy this past week when Caleb and I were crafting.  I make a replica of our flag (not true to the real flag, but enough so he knew what it was) and he recited the Pledge of Allegiance to me.  I was impressed.  

Anyway, in the spirit of the day, I decided I really would take a day off and just enjoy things.  I made up a batch of hot dog buns and cooked hot dogs and lemonade and sliced the watermelon I had chilling in the fridge and brought out bags of chips.  I called Sam and invited him over for lunch with us all and we had a small family gathering for the meal.  

This morning, I was awake early again, but made myself stay abed until a bit after 7am.  I leisurely had my coffee and Saturday morning Croissant breakfast with a bowl of blueberries and bananas on the side.  After I did minor house things, unloading the dishwasher and cleaning off the counters, I headed back outdoors to do the cutting about that Sweet Gum tree and the Faith tree in the front yard.  I stopped after that to cool down at the patio table.  I had piled a lot of cut limbs from the Rosemary on that table and now that they were dry, I broke them into six-to-eight-inch pieces.  I plan to tie them into bundles and then Sam and I can use them on the grills when we're cooking/smoking.  That's something I plan to learn to do with my charcoal grill, is smoke roasts and whole chickens and such.

Anyway, I headed out to the shed flower bed where I cut a dozen echinacea heads that had finished blooming.  I hope to gather seeds from that and the rudbeckia that had finished blooming.  I picked some spent Sweet William blossoms.  I must laugh.  I assume there were far more seeds and it's already self-seeded in the flower bed, but I got only six seeds...Never mind.  I'll have six seeds to sow in another spot.

I've spent time working on genealogy.   I did take a brief break after working on the maternal family side.  Now I'm working on my paternal side.  I haven't done nearly the research on these lines as I had my mother's families.  So it's all rather intriguing to me.  I'm looking forward to getting to know this side of my family.

It's funny really that I know so little about it, because my dad's father always talked to me of the family history.  Granted he focused mostly on the Irish immigrant side, but I've already found it interesting that after my 2xs great grandfather immigrated to the United States, his parents immigrated too and went to live in Scotland.  

I also found it interesting that while raising his second family by his second wife, he supposedly had all of his children christened as Catholics.  My great grandfather was 21 at the time. I haven't seen the christening records to know if this is true or not.  However, I can tell you that both the first and second family all attended the same little Baptist church and were buried there.  I find that rather odd. Perhaps there weren't Catholic churches available to them?  Or perhaps their mother's faith was the one that won them over?

I don't really know.  But I still find it fascinating.  I am off to follow another bit of rabbit trail.  Talk to you later!

Sunday, July 6: Goodness!  Just look at that date.  Tomorrow will complete our first week of July.  Now that seemed to happen awfully quick!

As did the days I was off go by.  

I've only just awakened from a bit of a snooze in my chair.  Were John not stretched out on the bed chatting to his brother, which he has been for the past hour or so, I'd just go crawl in bed for the night and call it a day.  However, there he is and I'm in no mood to listen to him and George chatter back and forth.  

I had a horrid night last night.  I think it was because at lunchtime I'd ordered a tall, iced tea and then John took me to Dunkin' to get a coffee.  I ordered a Decaf Cold Brew, but the label didn't read Decaf...So double the caffeine mid-afternoon.    

However, our lunch was lovely but only just.  I do not understand the hostess at all.  The left-hand side of the restaurant where the kitchen doors open was packed out.  People in booths, a twenty person or so table smack in the middle, waitstaff crammed in trying to serve people, and just at the head of the area an overpacked table of more people.  The hostess scooched in between two chairs, bumping one of the patrons.  The patron accepted the apology graciously, but she glanced around at that crowded side of the restaurant and up at me and said, "Why?!  Why is she pushing you in here?"   Well, I was thinking the very same thing.  There was only one empty booth on that side yet the whole of the right side of the room was all but empty with just two booths and one table taken.

I shook my head at the customer at the table.  John in the meantime said, "I can't get through there!  I'll go around to the other side."  I said to him, "John wait a minute."  "But I can't go through there..."  I motioned to the hostess and pointed to the right-hand side of the room.  "Can't we have one of these empty tables?"  She literally made a face, quite unhappy, but she gathered up menus and silverware and came to seat us at a booth on the right-hand side.  I told John I hoped he didn't mind.  "Not at all!  I wasn't looking forward to eating over there!  Did you see how crowded it was and it's noisy as well."

I spent the afternoon at home running down rabbit trails and received quite a shock.  Here I'd just shared what a patriot I was.  My findings last night were of a huge scandal that rocked the Southeastern states involving some of my great grandfather's brothers who were drafted for WWI, deserted their base and killed a Marshall in the process.  At first, I just thought they perhaps had been moonshiners (they were mountain men) but no it was the desertion and that truly bothered me most of all.  They and three sisters all ended up in jail due to that.  No wonder my grandfather never told me of Pap's family history, only of Pap's dad's immigration to America!  

That truly shook me to the core.  Mind you all in all of the research of my mother's families there were loads of patriotic men who fought wars, but one set of family were known Tory supporters during the American Revolution.  That bothered me even less, since I felt they were at least willing to fight for something but these guys and their sisters...Well it just shook me.  And it just goes to show you never know what you will dig up when running down a rabbit trail!

After church today, we met up with the missionary's daughter to turn over some important paperwork that had come in the mail.   And then over to Katie's to celebrate Bella's early birthday.  Just as there was no point in telling Caleb that today was to be Bella's birthday on Wednesday, there was no need to tell Bella that today isn't really her birthday, lol.  Her birthday is a little later in the month, but her mother is hosting a family birthday next weekend nearer her real birthday, so Cody and Katie had one this weekend.

Cody, Katie and Gary, had not only cleaned the house, but they'd mowed the yard, used some of the excess dirt to fill in a few holes, filled the sandbox with sand and filled the little kiddie pool.  A young cousin shared the day with Katie's kiddos and so there were four children crammed into a tiny sandbox and/or pool.  They were having a blast though.  When we left, Caleb was lying in the sandbox, Taylor was burying his body and Bella was pouring water over the top of him while Liam stood aside and asked questions, lol.  They were all utterly content, and the adults had the great wisdom to hush up and just let them play.  Sand washes off and will surely dry out in the July heat.  The pool can be emptied and refilled with clean water later.  In the meantime, adult conversations were held and enjoyed.

Tomorrow I will return to babysit for one more week.  It's hard to believe that this stint is coming to an end.  While I've appreciated the pay, small as it is, I have also enjoyed this time with Caleb and Henry.  Cody will be on vacation these last two weeks or so and then Katie will move her office to the living room and be near Henry all day long.  For now, that will work just fine for him and her both, and Cody should have the same days off that Caleb and Bella have.

I have been thinking it is time to have myself a pantry/freezer challenge.  I haven't been stocking up so much these past few months but there are always things that I might miss using, or things expiring, or an excess of one item or another that could be put to use.  

There is a BJ's Wholesale Club opening in Warner Robins this month, I think. John and I keep seeing offers to join for just $15.  He told me today to go ahead and join next time I see such an offer.  "We've thrown money away on things that were far less useful and it will be nice to run in while we're already in town anyway."  That's true.  I think I have only four months left on my Sam's Club membership and as I said to him, "If we don't like it, then we can always renew our Sam's Club..."

Do any of you have a BJ's Wholesale Club membership?  What are your thoughts on it?  I'm not at all familiar with them but the ads make it look very similar to Sam's Club or Costco (which I've also only seen in videos since we don't have one near either).

And with that I shall end this weekend blog and go get ready for bed.  John's still talking but I'll watch videos for a bit.

See you all next weekend!

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