Trying to UnHodgepodge

 

 Sunrise, from the porch

I was remarking to Mr. C. just yesterday during lunch in the screen room, that it really feels like August. I guess that shouldn't be surprising for the last day of July, right. Anyway, trying to give an account for my long absence from Blogland, I'll jump right in with an excuse and say that I was busy becoming a great grandma. And here is the darling Penny and her darling mama, not even 48 hours post delivery. I know it's not fair to take their pic so soon, but...

at 7 lb. 12 oz, and looks SO TINY!

I had forgotten that they came that small.

And a four generation photo

Mr. C. in the background,

our son, looking thrilled to be a grandpa,

Mama (our granddaughter)

and Penny, the great grand

No, they're not exactly worshipping this infant,

even though it might look like it. :-)

So just yesterday her mama posted this photo,

and I hope she doesn't mind that I swiped it to show you.
This is one very loved little girl.

***

Then there was the family reunion at William O'Brien State Park, Minnesota on July 21st - Mr. C.'s siblings and their kids and grandkids. Too many photos to show, but a couple:

Mr. C. and I with some of our family

These (son and three grandsons) didn't get in on the group photo of our immediate family because they had left by then. AND, a few people were missing because they were engaged in waiting and waiting and waiting for that baby to arrive!

 Daughter and one of her uncles

Son and his nephew (our grandson)

Two grandsons (no idea)

These two aren't so sure about a family reunion.

It certainly wasn't their idea of a good time.

***

Then there were the two weeks that I was visiting our daughter and family in Wausau (two weeks? divided by a week, I think. I don't know, it's all starting to run together in the timeline of my brain).

Grandson (in gray) starting to enjoy soccer

Made a goal while I was watching.

I'm sure I'm his good luck charm. LOL

Granddaughter, the littlest cheerleader

Working on that cartwheel

Taken in early July in Wausau

Doesn't that dark cloud on the right remind you of

Rizzo the rat?

Okay, maybe it's just me.

Mustn't forget the afternoon at the black bear sanctuary

in Wausau. It was an incredibly interesting place with an owner who treats bears right (I mean really, it's like those four bears living on his fourteen spectacular acres are his kids or something!) 

From the wisconsinblackbears.com website:

"The WBBEC is a refreshing change from the norm. (It) is one of the largest and most natural bear enclosures in the US. It puts to shame most of the bear exhibits in traditional zoos..." (quoting some guy from Canada)

I think all these kids, including my two grands, enjoyed the tour immensely

I know that I sure did.

The Wisconsin DNR has contacted the owner, requesting that he take more black bears, but he has turned them down, wanting to make sure that the habitat he has for them is adequate for the number of bears. I like this guy.

These two weren't invited to the black bear sanctuary or to the family reunion. At least they can console each other.

Last and probably least, I caught my water hyacinth while it was blooming its little heart out. 

From the garden pond

I'm hoping that I will be able to keep a Wednesday blog post going and possibly an Anglophile Friday and a Sunday post. I'll make a huge effort and we'll see what happens. - quoting Patrick in 'A Murder is Announced.' To be honest, however, I think my huge effort will have to wait until next week. I need a nap.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

***

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Hodgepodging the Greatness of Grandparenting

Join Joyce and the Gang
for

 She writes the questions;

we write the answers.

Plug them into your own blog post

and join in!

1.Describe your 30's in one sentence. If you're not yet 30 tell us one thing you hope to accomplish once you hit that particular decade.

We lived in a green (or white, depending upon the time of year) valley in NW Wisconsin, not far from where we now live, homeschooled two sweet kids, had a third baby, and it was a pretty nice decade overall.

 Zinnea

2. Is it harder for you to exercise or eat healthy?

Both are difficult if I've not adjusted my mind to them; both are relatively easy once I've made the decision to do so. And in the case of exercise, it's easy as long as the weather permits me to be outdoors. I hate artificial exercise.

This is one type of exercise I really miss.

I look a bit perturbed that Mr. C. is taking the photo.

3. June 7th is National VCR Day. Huh? Anyway this reminded me of something I saw on Facebook listing household items we no longer have and the VCR was on it. I couldn't put my hands on that list, but found another list here of 21 items we all had ten years ago, but which are now obsolete-

bookshelves (WHAT!!???), drip coffee makers, alarm clocks, file cabinets, desktop computers, printers, printed phone books, answering machines, fax machines, paper shredders, a Rolodex, CD racks, CD burners, china cabinets, home phones, entertainment consoles, DVD players, calculators, takeout menus, incandescent light bulbs, and cable TV

Your thoughts? How many on the list do you still have? Still use?

It's incredible to me also that bookshelves are on that list. I have a Kindle (Mr. C. will complain about the Amazon bill because of it), but we also have a few thousand books on shelves, use a drip coffee maker every single morning, have an alarm clock, file cabinets, desktop computer (Mr. C. - mine is a laptop), printer, printed phone...  OKAY. it would be easier to tell what we don't have: a Rolodex, CD racks, CD burners, entertainment console, takeout menu, incandescent light bulbs, and cable TV. Between Netflix (Dr. Blake, Father Brown) and Acorn (Vera, George Gently), we have more than enough 'TV' through Roku.

4. What's something you see disappearing in the next ten years?

My life. I turn 70 in August, and I have never had a birthday that's been difficult to approach - until this one. I have this sense of impending doom, like I'd better hurry up and make the changes I'm going to make and live life FAST. We're burnin' daylight! And I don't know why I feel this way, for I know lots of people in their 70s and 80s (and several family members who lived well into their 90s!!) who are/were in perfectly good health and enjoying life. (like my dad - see below)

Gave me an excuse to post this photo again,

two of my favorite people.

5. How did you celebrate your birthday this past year? Is that typical?   

The family (kids and grands) was here in early August, which has been typical of the past five or so years, and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  It's very difficult to make myself sit at the computer for a couple reasons: It's the absolute worst for my back and also because this is Wisconsin's summertime. It's so short, and I'd rather be out in all that GREEN.

Last Saturday I attended the baby shower for our FIRST GREAT GRANDCHILD! Here is a pic of the mama and her sister.  And look at those teeth! I'm sorry, but I always notice when someone has beautiful teeth. LOL

 Sweet granddaughters.

Mama gets the baby bump measured by her younger sister.

 

***


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