Too Tired To Post Much

Road trips are tiring...and so is putting everything away, taking the suitcases up to the attic and clearing out the fridge since tomorrow is garbage day, and doing laundry...you get the idea.

Sweetie had the job of creating a rain barrier over the well to his train room because the drain isn't working and rain is expected in a few days. While we were gone about 4 inches of rain fell at home and that well flooded and water got into the train room, too. That took some clearing out as well. Fortunately the rain meant that I didn't have to water the garden.

I did make a nice green salad for our dinner, and steamed broccoli, and roast pork that we had frozen from last week, then thawed today and heated in the microwave at dinner time. That was about all tha I had energy to make. Sweetie was tired, too.

No actual food memories today. Hope to do better tomorrow!

Road Trip!

I think we may have brought everything but the kitchen sink, but we were ready for Thanksgiving with our daughter and Straight Shooter. Pi had a nice yard to hang out in and I had the challenge of roasting the turkey in a strange oven. Since I used a super-sized oven bag as I do each year it was fine, even though we ate about an hour later than I'd planned. Tomorrow I'll post about why Thanksgiving was so special this year.

Our neighbors have been watching our place and texted us today as we headed home that Sweetie's train room (where he put together train models and has a layout with a town and a mining operation and more) had flooded. Apparently our area had 3-4 inches of rain while we were gone. The drain was plugged with leaves knocked down by the rain. They pumped things out and set up a fan to begin drying things out. So thankful for great neighbors!

Road trips are another source of memories. My siblings and I made countless sandwiches for the various trips we took as a family growing up. Some were a relatively short drive to Izaak Walton, a low-key resort with a small lake where we could swim and Dad could fish. Some were longer like trips to Delaware or New Jersey to go to the beach, or to Williamsburg, VA to see the colonial town recreated with Rockefeller money.

We would set up a sort of assembly line with one person spreading on the mayo or peanut butter, the next adding the bologna or jelly, another putting the slices together and cutting them and wrapping them in waxed paper. It was sort of fun. Cookies would go in a tin and usually there would be carrot sticks and/or fruit like apples or grapes. Since I love picnics, this was part of the excitement for me. Sharing a station wagon with nine other people was less fun, but if we were going to the beach every
moment was worth it. I really love the beach!

For this road trip home we have some snacks like dried fruit and peanuts, but we'll just stop and get lunch along the way. Maybe a milkshake for Sweetie

Do you have any great road trip memories?

On The Strand

Over the weekend my smart daughter and I took a road trip to Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and similar beach communities just below Los Angeles Airport in southern California.

She will be moving down there soon and we were on the hunt for the perfect apartment for her.

First we stopped overnight in Santa Barbara where I finally met Kilho and Suzanne, two of her friends and their totally captivating two year old, the Notorious Eloise. Above is a photo from Kilho's Facebook page. They love garlic as much as I do and our time there was far too short. Hope to spend more time with them on future visits to the LA area.

On Sunday we visited various apartments and did find a place that seems to be pretty perfect. We also stayed with a new friend...another P.E.O. scholarship group member. We stayed overnight at her lovely home on The Strand in Manhattan Beach. If you believe in prayer, please say a few for her friend Derek who is very ill. Maybe add one or two for her since she is doing so much for him, too.

Above is a photo taken by Kate from just after sunset from A's deck. In the morning there was fog when I took a walk along the beach.

All that sitting in the car is not good for us, so some walking is a fine antidote.

No recipes since this trip didn't involve kitchen time, but I should have one or two for you soon.

We made it safely home this evening and had a rousing greeting by Pi dog and big hugs from Sweetie. Tired, but happy. Time to go to bed.