"Haah Haah Haah Haah Haah Haah" or is it "H-H-H-H-H?" Either way I think Wilson is hot.

I’m dog-sitting this week for my sister’s dog, Wilson, while they’re away.  Wilson is great company (I knew he would be) and very different from having only cats in the house.  First off Wilson is large, very large, and secondly he actually listens and responds to commands.  Holy cow I’d almost forgotten that certain animals do what you tell them to do (sort of).

Since I’ve had only cats in residence for some time I’ve come to accept the fact that the cats are in charge most of the time.  The only real exception to that rule is when I’m opening a can of cat food or have a little bag of their favorite treats in hand.  Then, and only then, and only for a minute do I possess even the illusion of control.

From the safety of my lap Luvy is very brave!

Luvy and Little Miss have met Wilson before during another of his past visits and I remembered it didn’t take long for Luvy to take a shine to Wilson.  This time is no different.  In spite of the size difference the two have become pals though Luvy most times takes refuge on my lap while curiously examining this big, black creature in his house.

Little Miss avoided Wilson last time and has taken the same tact this time – avoidance with peaceful coexistence.  That approach works too.

To watch this “dance” between Luvy and Wilson is humorous.   One so large, one so small both possessing intense interest in the other.  This morning as I headed out for a short walk with Wilson I’d nearly forgotten that I’d left Luvy outside.  That is until I turned around to discover Luvy following us.  As he curled around my legs I lifted him in my arms and we walked together – me, Wilson and Luvy.   Three so different figuring out how to enjoy one another’s company.  That is indeed a lesson for us all.

Walking the dog included the cat this morning!

Matty, Gracie and Mikey

Oh my how nice.  Michael, Kathy, Grace, Matty and Mikey were here!  It was a gloriously beautiful day.  The sun was shining with a mild spring breeze keeping the black flies at bay.  The sky was clear and the forget-me-nots were blooming with the same vibrant blue of the springtime sky.

My granddaughter Grace was running through the yard all lush and green laughing in that pure joyful, innocent way of a contented child and why not… she’s got love all around her and love spilling forth from her.  That is our Grace.

And, of course, we have our latest blessing in Grace’s twin brothers… Matthew and Michael born last September.  They’re a little more than seven months old now and this is their first visit to my house in Upstate New York.  Matty and Mikey are alert, strong, sweet tempered and they love their big sis, Grace!

How awesome to have my house so full of the sounds of my son’s growing family.  Watching him with his twin sons brings back memories for me.  I’m sure my life was busy back then and “full on” raising my twins, but I don’t remember that part.  I only remember what great kids they were and how I wish I’d been a better more patient mother.

I’m a much more patient grandmother than I was a mother.  My priorities were distorted.  A clean house was more important than it should have been.  My new motto as a grandmother is “if we aren’t catching diseases then the house is clean enough” and it was put up or shut up time as I had a chance to test that new motto of mine as Grace sprinkled kibble in the cat’s water and attempted to feed Luvy his treats from a spoon.   I watched in amusement with my son, Michael asking if it was okay.  “Fine with me,” I said.

Even after the kids headed for home I didn’t rush to clean up the mess.  Instead I grabbed my pillow and blanket and settled in for a long and luxurious nap.  Oh to have the wisdom of the old when you’re young, but it just doesn’t work out that way.  I suppose that’s why we get a chance to make up for our parental shortcomings by being overindulgent grandparents.

Michael claims he doesn’t remember any of the things I now feel guilty about.   I’m glad.  I hope he only remembers the good stuff.  Like running through the grass while laughing with pure joy and contentment spreading love wherever his feet might trod.  Yes… that’s what I hope he remembers!

Gracie and Mikey! Oh he just loves is Sis!

Snickerdoodles! Gotta bake 'em just cos the name is cute!

I always bake cookies when the kids come home or at least I try to.  Michael, Kathy and all my grandkids will be coming tomorrow for an overnight stay so tonight I’m up late baking and have just finished baking a batch of Snickerdoodles and a batch of Double Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Sometimes I don’t really have the time to bake but I push, stay up late and do it anyway.  I remember when my sons, Jonathan and Michael, were young always baking something.  I recall scanning the Goodhousekeeping Cookbook my Grandmother Flax gave me to see – with the ingredients I had on hand – what I could whip up.  I found a great butter pound cake recipe that way and used it for years – delicious.

As the kids got older baking cookies became my path to acceptance and earned my cookies the label “Rainey Cookies” from their friends.  Jonathan, Michael and their friends would devour my cookies with appreciation.  Through my cookies I came to feel needed and loved.

Jonathan and Michael would sometimes bake cookies while I was at work.  I choose to believe my baking inspired their culinary adventures and more than once a recipe that should have yielded three dozen yielded only a plate full.  I surmise the dough was too much for my young bakers to resist.  I smile as I think of those days.

My life is much different now.  The kids are grown with families of their own and I don’t bake much anymore with just me in the house.  But when word of a visit comes I pull out my recipes, butter, sugar, flour and such and heat up the oven.

As I smell the cookies baking the love is permeiating the house.  “Rainey Cookies all around” I say as I bask in the love of a well-baked cookie.

Believe it or not I didn't eat even one of those Snickerdoodles and ate only one of the Double Chocolate Chip. Holy cow I think that might be a miracle!

Here's Gracie in her Easter duds! I remember having a special Easter outfit every year. One year my mother made me the most beautiful dress! All white with lace and little hand-stitched eyelet button holes! I just loved it - still do - although I don't think it fits anymore Thanks Mumzie!

I want to wish you a Happy Easter, not the bunny kind but the Jesus resurrection kind.  Now that my kids are grown Easter to me is all about Jesus.

I have traveled many paths during my 56+ years here on this earth looking for that “peace that passes all understanding” only to find sadness, overindulgence, frustration and pain.

Even when it became clear that the path I was choosing could not bring the peace I so desired I strode forward anyway.  What was I thinking?

Thankfully, today I can say with certainty that when Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28-29) he was right and finally I’m listening.   More than listening really as I’ve begun to study the Bible using an iPhone App (YouVersion) I found, which makes it easy, fun and fulfilling.

I remember not so long ago that I did not “know” Jesus.  I was ignorant of His word and proclaimed Him to be a great prophet and, yes, the Son of God, but I would explain that away in my ignorance demoting him to being little more than one of us.

In my zeal to understand everything I was missing the point.  God wants us to believe by faith and when I finally opened my eyes I could see that God was communicating with me all the time I just did not see or hear until now.

The good news for me is that now I do believe and now that I’ve quit trying to gain an explanation for everything through my human understanding I can feel what Jesus said “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:30 KJV).

To that I reply, “Thank you Jesus for your gift and for patiently waiting on me.”

That's my Dad!

Chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting…

Jonathan, Me, Michael and Gracie (before the head bump)

I don’t typically like to post photographs of myself but I’ll make an exception because it’s my father’s 80th Birthday.

Pa and Bethy (my favorite sister!)

My sister is an awesome friend and the driving force to making things happen in our family.

Mumzie & Pa... a little birthday smooch!

There’s still a fire burning in this relationship after more than 58 years!

Setup complete…

Guest of Honor Arrives – Pa and Mumzie!

Dinner is served….

Here’s the guest of honor… My Dad… Showing his oats at 80!!!

That's my nephew (Brian) and my brother (Steve) spreading around the wood shavings...

As you can see we’re having my father (Pa’s) 80th Birthday party in a warehouse, admittedly a somewhat non-traditional place to throw a party yes… but very much a part of my father’s life.  You see my father owned and ran his own construction supply business that has been passed along to the next generations.  This place is a real testament to my father, his entrepreneurial spirit and the desire to keep his family close.  Most of us in the family worked here at some point and so it seemed a good place to throw a bash for my father’s 80th Birthday!  Stay tuned as we try to transform the place into a party spot.

More details later…

Had a great time at dinner with my good friend Susan tonight.  Our favorite place to dine is the Cheesecake Factory and so that’s where we met after work.  The menu is wildly voluminous and then the desserts… decadent.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, given recent edicts issued by my doctor I limited my choices to the Skinnylicious menu.  Still the options were many and as delicious as the stuff on the main menu.

But the main reason for being there was to spend time with a friend and celebrate her birthday.  It’s been a while since Susan and I have seen each other so there were plenty of updates exchanged.  This dinner was fun and long overdue.

We both enjoy our special dinners out and discovered the White Chocolate Carmel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake together right here at the CCF.  For a long while that’s what we ordered for dessert always the White Chocolate Carmel Macadamia Nut Cheesecake, we’d plan our dinner around it, but now it’s the Low Carb Cheesecake with fresh strawberries for me.

A few hours spent over dinner with a good friend is never enough but it was a good night.  I think of all my blessings and know how truly lucky I am with the cream of the crop when it comes to friendships and family relationships.

Happy Birthday SG!

P.S.  I think she liked her painting

Here's the Birthday Boy back in 1950!

Today is a very special day. Today is a day that started a chain of events that eventually brought me into this world.  Let me explain.

Today is my father’s 80^th birthday and had my father not been born, met my mother some years later and then collaborated a time or two there would be no me.  Unthinkable!

My Dad – we call him Pa nowadays – was born in California in 1932.  I poked around on the Internet and discovered that back in ‘32 gas was 10 cents a gallon, the average price of a new car was $610 and the average yearly wage $1,650.  Herbert Hoover was President and the economy was still deteriorating from the Great Depression, but by far the most important fact of the day for me is that my father was born this day 80 years ago!

I’m glad the stars aligned back then to give me the best Dad a gal could have.  He’s honest, funny, hardworking, smart, enjoys a glass of wine or two or three (who’s counting anyway?), loves animals and my mother too.

We’ve got a big celebration planned for next Saturday with all kinds of remembrances planned.  I’ll fill you in with pics and such and a blow-by-blow of the day’s events.  But for now I want to send a big “Thank You” out into the Universe for making me one lucky “kid.”   Happy Birthday Pa and I Love You!