Ramblings

Ramblings 

Tonight we went to a cocktail party.  Doesn't sound like us? It isn't. It was a fundraiser for the democratic chairwoman in my county, hosted by the mayor and county auditor. Both are friends of ours so we felt we should go and bring a check.  We stopped at the cash bar and splurged on two ginger ales and a big tip for the bartender.  There were some delicious appetizers, including sauerkraut balls that rival my recipe!   

 This morning we had the pleasure of attending a fourth grade history fair.  Each student made a poster about a famous person from our state. We had the opportunity to interview them about the person they were portraying. My grandson was Thomas Edison (remember our field trip on Easter break?).  

He told me we were the only ones who interviewed him. Most parents and grandparents only looked at their students poster and took a picture.  I loved interviewing all these famous people! I met a musician who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,  Annie Oakley,  several Neil Armstrongs and John Glenns, even more Steph Currys and LaBron James, several Travis Kelces (I congratulated them on the engagement), Vera Ellen from White Christmas, the woman who has voiced Bart Simpson for thirty five years and is also Sabrina Carpenter's aunt, as well as many many gymnasts.  The kids were so eager to share their facts and we stayed until the end of the fair to talk with as many as possible! 

I was also going to ramble about the 15 1/2 hours I spent as a poll worker on Tuesday.  But in retrospect I believe I will need a whole post to rehash that.  

Tomorrow I am going on a road trip with my glass class friends.  I think I was in on the original plan but now I can't remember what we are doing besides going out for lunch in a different city. But I am always ready to go out for lunch!  

Saturday my youngest daughter and granddaughter and I are going to the tea restaurant for the monthly tea which is going to be extra special.  

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Lacrosse

We have a senior!  I spent two days  of my life creating his senior lacrosse poster.  I don't remember posters when my kids were in school, but I guess it is a thing.  I am not the sports gramma so instead of attending sports events (and with ten of them sporting all over the state, how could I) I am the one who creates the posters. 

Since it was the senior's special game, we did attend. It was freezing but it did not rain. I shared my blankets with my co-grandparents. 

My oldest daughter and family.

Crazy cousins who tagged along.

The girlfriend. Her parents came too. 

The girlfriend dashed to the hair dresser and the grandson raced home to shower because it was also prom night.  Don't they clean up well! 

They live in a big city.  Photos were taken at the Museum of Art.  The prom itself was held at the aquariam at the zoo.  And the parents decorated the entire high school like a movie set for after prom.  

In my town the kids go to the reservior or even my country church for photos.  The prom is often held at the school (includes a catered meal) and the after prom is held at the city recreation center which has basketball, volleyball and pickle ball courts, a pool, lots of rooms, etc.  This year prom was held in a fancy barn used for parties and receptions (no need for decorations) and there was no dinner or after prom because somehow the class of 2026 never did any fundraising during the last four years.  

One last prom photo

And here are some from my daughter who helps set up and chaperone the after prom.  The theme (I think) was something like traveling around to locations around the world. I do know my grandson was in a sports tournament at some "location" and won a dorm sized microwave for his future home. 

That was our big weekend! 

Memory Monday

We are back in a neighboring village at Olan Mills for our yearly portrait on the portrait plan.  Big Sister Miss Merry, my brother Tom and my other brother Andy.  I am guessing 1963 or 1964 and my first grade year based on my lack of front teeth.  Still rocking the high cut bangs. 

 

Birthday Girls

I was the baby of my high school friend group.  We are all experiencing a monumental birthday this year. 

I remember ten years ago when we turned 60. We all had high expectations (based on direct hints to our families) on our birthday celebrations. From the friend whose husband forgot to buy concert tickets, to another friend whose daughters had an arguement and neither would go to the birthday dinner if the other was there, to my family who forgot it was my birthday, we were all a little disappointed.

In November I took the oldest of the group out to lunch to celebrate her big day.  

We toasted with Red Lobster Snowglobe Sangrias. We had a fantastic afternoon with crazy adventures and I prepared a gift bag (actually I think seven gift bags, planning for the future) of fun and beautiful gifts for women of a certain age. 

Two of my best friends celebrated their birthdays at the end of April. Luckily for me, this coincided with the monthly tea party at my new favorite restaurant! 

Unfortunately we could not all open our eyes or make a normal face or not manage to look goofy in the same photo. And we took many photos. Personally I just look weird without glasses.  I ended up splicing a photo together. 

They loved the gift bags and we had such a good time.  We actually spent a lot of our conversation time on healthcare costs and insurance issues, as well as husbands and our own healthcare issues.  We have all experienced some big health issues this year and most of all we are grateful for being able to still meet for lunch.  

I have more lunches and gift bags planned for the upcoming months. One friend has broken her shoulder and just returned to assisted living from a nursing home where she went for rehab.  I told her I have something special planned for late summer and she has to keep working hard!  

And I am looking at several plans for my own birthday celebration, lol.  At the top right now is checking into a swanky hotel on my own and ordering room service all weekend. Alternately I am thinking of a party with a 1970's theme. We shall see!

My friend Jo sent me a photo of her gift bag and gifts displayed for her family!