Stories For Another Day

 Where to begin?

How about with the Barn Dance, which took place over a week ago, now? Why has it taken me so long to write about it? Several reasons, the most important of which is the fact that I didn't have the pictures back from the event photographer before now. This is the first year that we've had an event photographer (who wasn't me), and I'm not complaining, at all; I'm just used to having the images immediately. Don't worry, I'll get over that because it was really nice not to be responsible for that aspect of the event in addition to all my other duties.

Anyhoodle, The Barn Dance itself was both wildly successful and a huge shit-show. We thought we were ahead of the game when we set up for the event a full day early, but, Mother Nature was like "Not so fast", and she sent up a rainstorm that had us scrambling to move the entire event under the cover of the arena with less than two hours to spare before the event began. We managed it, and, our guests loved it, but what a complete pain in the ass (and, every other muscle, joint, bit of skin tissue, etc.).

The experience did teach us that the arena is a perfectly reasonable location for the event moving forward, so that is what we intend to do from here-on-out.

One of my favorite parts of the event was having the Man-Cub and the Daughter-in-Love on hand to help with serving dinner. They looked adorable in their saloon-wear and seemed to be having a really good time. Shanti even had Hugh and the Cub arrested by the Sheriff; they spent a hot minute in the jail before they managed to raise enough money to bail them out.

When they weren't serving up ribs and pulled pork, or playing around in the jail, they scoped out the silent auction (where we snagged a golf package at one of the nicer local courses) and danced to the music of the country western band. 

I'm relatively confident that they will be willing to return as volunteers again next year. which warms my mommy heart.

As I mentioned earlier, Hugh was also on hand, looking quite dapper in his western wear (I purchased the vests for both him and the Cub on Amazon, and they are now a favorite purchase). He was coming off a full day, having taken Emily to Neighboring City early in the morning for a surgery to install a pacemaker (long time coming, and definitely needed). The procedure went without a hitch and I was happy that he was able to join us, although I would have totally understood it if he had skipped it.

He does love a good silent auction, though.

As always, my staff were absolute rockstars, arriving early and staying late. They were especially awesome when it came to that last-minute push to get everything under cover. They were also really good sports about dressing for the theme, which was way outside some of their comfort zones.

When all was said and done, we had raised about thirty grand, which is not too shabby.

In the other story for another day; Kristi is still here with us in Petticoat Junction, awaiting her official UK Visa. This is a true example of "best laid plans often going awry". Erin flew out on the 18th, as her work Visa was a breeze to acquire, thanks to the fact that she has a job waiting for her in Wales. Kristi's spousal Visa required more information and time, and, despite requesting an expedited review; she is in a holding pattern.

Since the girls already had renters moving into their house, Kristi has been staying with us and is, of course, welcome for as long as it takes, but both girls are getting anxious to have her in the UK.

Erin traveled with their two dogs and has since managed to purchase a car, find a salon in which to get her eyebrows threaded, and made fast friends with the owners of the Airbnb that she is staying in, but she is feeling isolated and ready for Kristi to get there already. I feel for her. That being said, I'm going to enjoy every last minute of the time that I get to spend with Kristi.

I'm going to miss my friends and am looking forward to visiting their new home really soon. But, we'll let that be a story for another day.

Saturday at The Pea

Saturday morning, Hugh, Mom, Kristi, and I headed out to Pea Green for the fall edition of Pickin' at the Pea. Longtime readers here know how much Kristi and I enjoy this particular antique market, and, may be interested to note that, at this point, Mom and Hugh are also becoming big fans.

Of course, the Mennonite donuts are always a big draw, so much so that, this year; there was a maximum placed on the number of donuts that each customer could buy. This meant that both Hugh and I had to hit the line just to buy enough to go around for our group. It was worth it.

New to the market this year were homemade sourdough loaves. I didn't purchase one because I have a perfectly good sourdough starter just chillin' in my fridge, so I can bake a loaf whenever I want (the fact that I had completely forgotten said starter in the fridge until I saw the loaves for sale is neither here, nor there).

There were actually quite a few new vendors at the show, making it the biggest one, yet. And, while I didn't go with the intention of buying anything, I could not pass up several amazing (to me) finds, including two tabletop blow mold candles and a vintage Gurley turkey candle. Gurley candles were a staple in homes when I was a kid, and they take me right back to my childhood.

 

Initially, Hugh was unimpressed.

But then he laid eyes on Kristi's treasures and he realized that it could be so much worse 😂

Prior to Saturday, I would have said that Hugh's favorite part of the show is the donuts, and, while they are still in his top ten reasons; I can now say with confidence that the slow drip coffee and actual bargain hunting have joined  the list. In fact, Hugh engaged his bartering prowess to score a large black and white print for the guest room for less than half of the original asking price. He was quite pleased with himself, I assure you.

Mom didn't make a single purchase, but I think she had fun, regardless. And we certainly enjoyed having her with us.

All in all, it was a great day! Plus, I snagged this antique silver serving dish, which is already serving up a creepy surprise on my Halloween table scape. These are the small things that bring me such joy at The Pea.

I'm kind of weird like that.

Friday Favorites, September 22 Edition

Ok, when I said I was determined to post a Friday Favorites post every week this month, I didn't mean they would be the only posts I write this month, yet, it appears that this is the case. 

All is not lost, I do still have a week left to pull a few out of my ass. We'll see.

In the meanwhile, here are some things that are making me smile this week, including the bouquet that I picked at the flower farm last Sunday. Mom and I were determined to visit the farm one more time before the fields were spent, and I'm happy that we made it happen.

I'm also loving the roses around my porch; they are in their final bloom of the year, and, the final bloom is always my favorite.

Tomorrow, summer ends and autumn begins, which means that I will no longer be displaying my Halloween decorations "too early". This is good news, because I am already 100% decorated inside, and, Hugh is gathering the supplies we need for the outside display. I'm also just about to start burning my favorite Halloween candle; I've purchased this Wicked fragrance from Fragrant Jewels at least seven years, running (maybe more), and it always say's "Halloween" to me.

Boomer Dog is also in the autumn spirit! He's rocking a new bandanna and he has zero regrets.

In addition to being the first day of autumn, tomorrow is also the Man-Cub's 25th birthday, which, simply blows my mind. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was 25? Time flies.

And, my son will forever be a favorite. He and the daughter-in-love are camping this weekend, which means we won't see him on his actual birthday, but we plan on celebrating with him on Sunday.

Tomorrow, Mom, Hugh, Kristi, and I are going to spend the morning at Pickin' at the Pea, which is also one of my favorite things to do, so; there will be plenty of things for me to write about in new posts.

Really.

I swear.

Friday Favorite, September 15th Edition

I'm a day late posting this because, yesterday, I was busy getting my ass kicked by our Barn Dance fundraiser. That is a whole 'nother story for another day. Today, I'm talking about the awesome going away gift that Erin and Kristi gave me. Why did they give me a going away gift, when they are the ones going away, you ask? Because the gift consists of all the things that I will need when I go to visit them, hopefully very soon.

Before I get to the gift, though, I should mention that, technically, only Erin is going away at the moment; Kristi will be staying with us for a while yet, as her spousal visa is still in processing somewhere, in the wonderful world of bureaucracy. Again; story for another day.

The gift bag they gave me is full of awesome stuff, including everything that I will need on the long flight to the UK.

Travel sized product bottles, make-up wipes, an eye mask, and some packages of liquid hydration, as well as the cutest luggage tags and an organizer for my travel documents.

They also included a travel diary, so I can write all about our adventures, an umbrella (because it rains a lot in Wales, in case you hadn't heard), and some stickers that I can use when I scrapbook the trip.

It was all so thoughtful! I can't wait to use it all, hopefully very soon. Thinking about visiting the girls takes the sting out of how much I'm going to miss having them just right up the road.

But only a little bit.

Friday Favorites, September 8th Edition

I said last week that I am determined to post a Friday Favorites every week this month, and look at me! Here again, today! This might just work out.*

Speaking of workouts, one of this week's favorites has to be the fun that we all had at our last golf lesson this past Wednesday. We actually  got to get out on the course, where we played a couple of holes with our instructors. Were we any good? Oh, hell no. Did we have fun? Most definitely! Will I sign my staff (and the Daughter-in-Love, because she is a natural and it's so much fun to watch her grow in this sport) up for another session next season? Abso-freaking-lutely!

Golf season has been fun, but I'm ready to move onto my absolute favorite season; spooky season! Hugh got the memo, because, I came home to this last night...

...some men bring their wives flowers. We call these men amateurs.

As we move into spooky season, we move out of gardening season, which I will miss. There are still plenty of goodies in the garden, of course, and; I won't be doing my final harvest for a while yet, but the end is coming. The tomato haul has been especially good this summer, and I recently roasted a batch and made my own pasta sauce. It was really good, and I think I will make several more batches for the freezer.

Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my new phone case, as it has become one of my favorite cases of all time.

The pop-socket came from a boutique in New Mexico; I picked it up on my girl's weekend and am thrilled with how well it goes with the case.

So, there ya go!

*The author of this statement urges you not to hold your breath and accepts no responsibility for episodes of unconsciousness should you do so.

You Know It's a Good Party When It Takes an IV to Recover

Two, in fact. Not for me, but for Queen B, who attempted to quell her anxiety about giving her Maid of Honor speech with tequila. I could have told her that was a bad idea, but some lessons just need to be learned the hard way.

Prior to her self-poisoning, Queen B looked absolutely beautiful as she walked the aisle in support of Miss Mia, who, it should be noted, was just about the prettiest bride I've ever seen.

The entire bridal party was gorgeous, in all honesty, and, while I didn't get any pictures of them; the groom and his groomsmen were none too shabby, themselves.

The entire wedding party showed up to, well, party. Hard. In fact, once the official ceremony concluded, they were off and running. Queen B was not alone in her hangover, is what I'm saying.

Hugh and I had a great time, too. We danced more than we have danced in years, and, surprisingly, I am less sore today than I feared I might be.

The only failure of the evening was our failure to get a picture of the three of us together, but, Queen B had already headed to the bridal salon to vomit the contents of her entire body into an empty White Claw box, wrapped in a trash bag. We raised a classy one.

All kidding aside, she really is a remarkable young woman. She's been the Maid of Honor twice this summer, traveling for two bachelorettes, one shower, and two weddings, not to mention the 60th anniversary party that we threw for Oscar and Emily, and a funeral for the uncle of one of her best friends. Oh, and she changed jobs during all of that. She's just about over traveling and is looking forward to spending some time feathering her own nest. Rightfully, so.

We're still incredibly happy that her travels brought her home so much this summer, though; because we're selfish like that. 

Hugh didn't even mind hooking her up to the IV this afternoon; he was just happy that he could put his new EMT skills to use making his baby feel better. Hopefully, it's not something that she needs again anytime soon, but you have to give the kid credit for a most amazing puke and rally at the wedding.

That's my girl.