On Tuesday, I went downtown and scheduled a haircut appointment for Friday, shopped for food and treats for Frisco, and stopped to see my cousin, Fran. We had a great visit. I also ran to the grocery store to get a few things and just as I was parking my car back at Pat's house, my friend Judy called and asked "are you coming"? Here I had forgotten that I had arranged to meet her for lunch, so I did a u-turn and scurried to the restaurant where I had a very nice visit with her and Virginia.
Today, I went with Tracey, Donna, and Caroline to Oconomowoc for some shopping at some of Donna's favorite places; Stein's Garden Center, K-Mart (I'm not a fan), Ben Franklin, and a book store. I got a few gifts for the grandkid's but that is about it. On our way back home, we stopped at the outlet mall in Johnson Creek and I tried to find another pair of walking shoes like I have now - they had a few, but they were hot pink or hot orange, so I walked away empty handed. Naturally, I just love a shoe style that has been discontinued - guess I will shop online for a new pair.
We had lunch at Maxim's Old Depot Inn, an old railroad station, that took you back a few years with the photos and banners on the walls. Lunch was delicious and the company was fun too.
This evening, Tracey and I chopped veggies while Pat prepped for the canning process and we put up another 6 cans of salsa and 2 quarts of tomatoes. It will be great for them to have yummy garden veggies during the winter.
Friday, August 19. Happy 47th Birthday to my oldest son, Pat!
I spent the morning yesterday finishing up my research on apartment complexes that I want to check out when I get to Minneapolis. The list has 6 possibilities. Wouldn't you know that my first choice place is the farthest away, but still only a 20 minute drive to the south and the next 2 choices are the most pricey. These are all large complexes that are age restricted and have some amenities that are similar to what I have now. I have not ruled out the possibility of a small flat or duplex near Ben's neighborhood.
We had some pretty serious storms during the night and I slept right through them. I just love it when I'm in a good sleeping pattern. Frisco got walked in the pouring rain this morning and neither of us liked it very much.
I made lasagna and Caesar salad for dinner, broke out the bottle of wine that I bought in Michigan (not a very good one) and then we had my favorite apple crumble for dessert. Tracey's folks stopped over to wish Pat a happy birthday and stayed around for a nice visit. Pat ended up getting rained out at work this morning, so he got the day off on his birthday too.
Saturday, August 20. Happy Birthday to my daughter-in-law, Jill and my mother-in-law, Jane who would be 98 today - I love and miss you, Mom.
We all walked to Mandt Park this morning for the annual Coffee Break Fest and car show and I was glad to see several of my cousins from the Ganshert family. I thought I would be seeing them at a birthday party this afternoon but I had the dates mixed up and that event is tomorrow. I really wanted to get to see Larry and he was right at the entrance when we walked in. I bought a souvenir coffee mug and sampled some different brews, chatted with a few folks, and then it started to rain so we high tailed it home.
Tracey caught a Pokeman on me,
I got my laundry done, cleaned up the trailer a bit, got beer to deliver to Ben and to take with me to AZ, and got things in the car organized and ready for the trip to Minnesota tomorrow. It was a good day.
Sunday, August 21. Naturally, on a day that I want to be alert and focused, I didn't get much sleep the night before. Grrrrr. I last looked at the clock at 11:30, was up at 3:00, then awake again at 5:30 this morning.
I had coffee with Pat, then hooked up, said my goodbyes, and was on the road by 8:30. My first stop was the state park to empty all of the tanks, then to McFarland to fill up on gas and get some breakfast and then I was headed north. I took the Garmin's suggested route that took me through Eau Claire and right through downtown St. Paul and that was a big mistake. There was lots of construction on I94, a detour at the exit that I wanted to take, I was rerouted way south near the airport and Mall of America and then I finally got on the right road that took me to Ben's. In the past, I have taken I90 through LaCrosse and Rochester and come in from the south - a much easier way to go and the route I will take in the future.
It was great to see the kids again. Charlotte had me making critters out of play dough in no time at all, then when Norah and Camille woke from their naps, we all made whales and islands for them to swim near. We had dinner in the patio and then bath and bedtime that stretched way close to 9:00.
