One Summer Day

This morning I ordered a basketball net that I could pick up today, it was 45% off.  The reviews mentioned that it takes 3 hrs to set up. We were fairly warned. I was really hoping to find a used one so that we would be spared the pain of putting one together but how fun would it be if Stuart would come home from camp to a new basketball net.  After getting my girls set up with chores, I took off for the Target pick-up. On the way, the butcher called to let me know that my beef was ready to be picked up. Oh no, I should have been at home defrosting my freezer. On my way home I called Mia. She had been giving piano lessons when I left. I told her to bake the "fudge brownies" that she signed up for and don't forget the 3 dozen whoopie pies for Saturday, also I need you to write down every Sunday night Chorus practice that you have so I have them in my calendar and feed the children sandwiches for lunch. 

Upon arriving home I was surprised to see Mia's brownies, they had an oatmeal base. She pointed to the recipe and said, "It says, "Fudge Bars." It was true. 

The rest of the kids were eating lunch and Mia realized that we had no sweetened condensed milk, she wanted me to take her to Dutch-Way. Not a big deal considering I needed to pick up 6 jars of dill pickle spears for Saturday night. (Youth group is doing a fundraiser). 

Back at home, Ellie, Olive, and I started to empty out the big freezer. We piled the contents into ice chest, and thermoses... anything we could find. While we did this I noticed my pressure canner and remembered that my SIL Dorcas said I could take the lid to Good's Store to be tested for safety. Today is the last day. Mia filled the freezer with buckets of hot water and we left it to sit. She also found the missing ice scraper, we must have had a mild winter. 

Olive and I ran to Good's store with the canner lid. I also had a pair of Nate's Darn Tough socks that I needed to exchange. I told the older girls to start putting together the basketball net. 

I came back to find the girls listening to Adventures in Odysee outside laying on blankets, soaking up the sun. It is a lovely day. The basketball net was open and not much was happening. 

Mia read the entire "recipe" this time and realized that we did not have all of the tools so this job could not be done. I gathered supplies and we did manage to get the first few pages of steps done. We have blisters and brush burns. We wished Nate would come home. At one point I said, "Go get Ellie, she's strong." 

By this time the ice in the freezer slid right off.  Henry helped me mop up the water in the freezer. We used old towels. 

We had the sections of poles together and attached to the base. I left for the butcher shop. On my way, I remembered  I needed to stop for a prescription at the pharmacy. I had called it in two days before. 

Imagine my delight when I arrived home and Nate was here working on our surprise project that he knew nothing about. He had a real toolset and power tools. 

Ellie, Hank, and I filled the freezer back up. Mia was studying for a class at Prayer Meeting. The ice cream truck went past. Olive thawed some of the new burgers for me and I grilled them for supper. 

When Nightmares Come True

 early spring was beautiful

Had a crazy morning a few weeks ago. The day that the puppies were going home I had customers scheduled to come every half hour. We got up early and started bathing the puppies, cleaned up the pen again, I ran to Huber's for more puppy food. We were on a schedule! Before the first customer came at 10, we brought that puppy in, checked it's micro chip number about 4 times and yes, it was the right puppy for the customer that was on her way. I micro chip them so that I can keep them straight. Well, by the time the 3rd customer was here I sent Ellie out to find puppy number 4. She could not find it. None of the numbers were matching up. I could not believe it but by this time I figured I must have jotted down the wrong number. I wasn't able to look into it as there was a customer here. They had not left yet and I was flying out to the puppies with my micro chip reader, desperate to find the next puppy. It was not to be. We looked over the paperwork, the photos... my heart sank as I realized we must have sent the wrong puppy home with customer number 2. I called her as soon as it dawned on me. She was not thrilled to be hearing from me that soon. She was 20 minutes out and her kids were 20 minutes bonded with "their" puppy.  Bless her, she agreed to turn around, she had some reservations about her kids emotions. I had Mia and Ellie scramble to bag up some treats for the kids and I stuffed some cash in my pocket to pay this dear lady. Now I paced back and forth just willing her to show up with the puppy so that I could make the switch before the next customer arrived. Again, it was not meant to be. Customer number 4 was here and their puppy was not. They were really great sports about it and we didn't have to wait long. 

When it arrived I did hear some wailing from the cutest little red haired boy who had to say goodbye to his puppy much sooner than anyone could have imagined. 

My day was ruined.  I had been so fearful of letting this very thing happen that I would fastidiously check their number against the paperwork.  It was so hard on my pride.  I made a mistake that cost someone 45 minutes and drama with their kids. It still smarts when I think about it.

Most of the stuff people worry about never happens. Mmmm hmmmm. 

Nate's sister sneakily wrote "covid-19" on this photo board in my bathroom months ago and we only found it weeks later. I didn't even find it, my brother Ted did. 

Sailor girl

Medical exam for school. If school does not start in the fall we will all cry.

Visiting Jana and Sammy and the People that we Love in Grenada

We left for JFK Airport at 1:00 AM.  I slept about an hour before we left. We hit a deer, thankfully there was no damage. My plan to purchase breakfast at the airport was made difficult by the lack of options. There was a Jamba Juice, so I got two smoothies and a smoothie bowl that we shared. The family that was beside us also had some smoothies and at one point Henry picked up theirs and took a swig. We all saw it happen, including the owner of the smoothie, but we were too late. She was very kind and just got another straw. 

Through immigration and customs after being up for many hours. 

 

Arriving at Jana's

One very convenient thing about staying at Jana's is that she lives further back the very same road that we lived along when we were there, so we are in the same community and see all the neighbors. 

I remember very little from this afternoon and evening. We were anxious to get to sleep!

It's fun to watch them open suitcases. We try to take things that they need but Jana is a very content and cheerful person that rarely gives me a list let alone mentions an item that she could use. 

Children playing on the roof of Jana's house. 

Looking from Jana's roof, there is the house we rented from Sammy's sister. Conveniently close! Loved it. Mia and Ellie stayed at Jana's. 

Coconut Beach full of seaweed

Lasagesse Beach

Olive suffers from an allergic reaction to sun and also sunscreen.

Watching some planes land and take off. 

This might have been the afternoon that we tried to go to Saint David's Point. We were slipping and sliding through the mud in our rental van and looking back I can't for the life of me figure out why we did not realize that it was not Saint David's Point, except that the passing of time does strange things. It was Bacolet, which is often not passable. I was so stressed out that I didn't take a picture. 

Jana's house

Saturday morning we spent with Sammy and the children doing some touring. Jana was at home with Elise who was slightly under the weather.

Pearl's Airport 

 La Tante

We spent the evening at Fort Frederick with Jana and the children, Sammy had some classes.

Sophia, Tessa, Mia and Elise, Moniqe, Ellie, Olive, Stuart, Hank

Spending Sunday morning at Laura the church we attended while we lived there, felt so good. 

Chris (far left) was one of our Bible Club kids. 

Rachel Brown and Mia

Lunch at Andrea and Conhi

Where Keron and Andrea made Ellie's water nut dreams come true. 

Monday, shopping in town and lunch at the Nutmeg

BBC beach

Picked up these cute school girls on the way home from the beach.

Monique and Sophia

Sheila and Shonda had us for supper Monday night they live right beside Jana. 

Tuesday morning. Last beach trip. Dr. Grooms.  

Visit in the Coconut, Miss Teresa, Conhi's mother

Junior or June June and Donna, they were kids when we last saw them

Curry

PK229

Hey, we made it to St David's point. 

I have a few favorite trees in this world and this is one of them.

Beautiful drive down to Grand Anse for supper the last night. 

Umbrella's

Samera moving the goats

Sammy is the school principal and he is taking some college classes right now to try and stay on top of the necessary qualifications to run a school in Grenada. 

Sammy's daughter Samera teaching Sophia's class

Carmel's classroom makes me want to be a kid again

Bye Monique! We were on our way to the airport.

If you would like to support Jana and Sammy mail support to: 

Irene Martin

738 E Rehersburg Rd

Bethel Pa 19507

memo: Jana and Sammy