Mother's Day

 Yes, I know I will get points taken off my grade for submitting late assignments.  

Meanwhile.  I determined a few years back that if I wanted things in the world to be the way I wanted them to be, I would need to do it myself.  I had an idea for celebrating myself for Mother's Day and moved ahead. I invited both my daughters and both my daughter in-laws, both my granddaughters and step granddaughters, as well as their mother  and mother in-laws to tea. Only my youngest daughter and granddaughter had room in their busy schedules. I made the reservations. 

The facility shared this photo of the scones baked that morning. 

Not only was the reservation for a special Mother's Day Tea, but there were ADD ONS.  Of course I signed up for the optional Flower Bar and optional Mimosa Bar! 

We dressed up and arrived on time. We had a champagne bucket on the table and a glass of sparkling grape juice for my granddaughter. 

This was also posted by the facility. 

The menu was scrumptious (as usual).  My daughter and I each chose our favorite pot of tea and my granddaughter had a whole tea pot of hot chocolate.

These are my actual sandwiches, clockwise from bottom, Chicken Salad Croissant, Pumpkin Bread, Shredded Carrot Bruschetta (which was a baked sandwich with a cheese sauce), Carmelized Onion Jam with Apple on White, Turkey and Cranberry Cream Cheese on White, Egg Salad on Wheat and Bacon, White Cheddar and Roasted Tomato on Wheat.  Each one was as good as the next. 

Our table was very full!!! 

They do offer a smaller "Princess" plate for children but my granddaughter prefers the tiered tray for adults. 

The middle tiers were slightly different. Mine showcases the Blondie (My girls had a chocolate peanutbutter brownie), a Fruit Cookie, Chocolate Mousse, and a scone. 

And the top tier featured Homemade Canoli, Strawberry Shortcake and Almond Layer Cake which was something I am still dreaming about. 

Now let's talk about the Mimosa Bar. 

We had decided that a bottle for $25 was a better bargain than two glasses for $20. Neither of us is a drinker, but this was a special occasion! There was lots of fresh fruit and mixers. 

We tried champagne with orange juice, cranberry juice and pink lemonade. My daughter's favorite was pink lemonade and my favorite was cranberry juice. We did not try the syrups. 

My daughter as maitre 'd. 

Posing my champagne glass. 

Sparkling Grape Juice. 

The Cranberry Mimosa. 

As you can tell I was enthralled with the Champagne Bar.  I was documenting for future parties and celebrations.  Then I went to my cardiologist appointment a few weeks ago and found that my newest forever prescriptions require zero alcohol and this was my final hurrah. We are slowing down my heart rate and blood pressure to ease the strain on my heart and alcohol will reduce it further to dangerous levels. 

Now on to the Flower Bar. This was my first flower bar, too, and I was very impressed. 

We had lots of flowers to chose from. 

Of course I purchased the Flower Bar for everyone. 

We all chose our own flowers. 

The ribbons were to tie your bouquet together.

 

The bouquets actually lasted over two weeks. 

Happy Mother's Day!  

(and don't worry - Mr Merry drove us to the tea and my daughter's husband picked us up afterwards). 

The First Concert

 

Just a little update on the free concert in the park in our small town last night.  I packed some fruit and cheese, a cooler with drinks, our lawn chairs and a small table and we got caught in traffic.  

The band is a dad with three daughters, one son and the son's friend who dad met at their high school production of Grease ths spring.  They are sensational. 

We aren't the only people who think so.  This is seating on the terraced hill in front  of the stage. We are in those trees WAY back there behind the stage.  (in the shade). From our seat, we can't even see the audience. 

We don't mind that we can't see because the sound is great.   We aren't sure how many attended but last year's appearance drew 500 people and there were many more this year!  What a lovely evening.  

Thanks for putting up with the whine

1 bag Aldi frozen ravoli, 1 pint of homemade freezer salsa that I need to use up, 1 small can tomato sauce, 1/2 pound Aldi Mild Italian Sausage. Spray pan bake covered per ravoli directions.
Sprinkle cheese and bake until melted. 

Thank you all for putting up with my whiney posts and all the sympathy. I promise to start being more optimistic! 

I am committed to wearing the new glasses for 7 days to see if I can "train my eyes".  The eye office are trained professionals and maybe they are right.  Otherwise I will go back to the readers I bought on Amazon midway between my reading prescriptions that are bifocal with a clear top.  I wasn't doing too bad with those and that may be the answer.  

My daughter is finished in her classroom and today I slept in until 10:30 am and feel much better.  Tonight our commuity begins free concerts in the park and the band opening the season is the sisters from last year who sing acustic soft rock. The temperatures are in the 70's and it should be fabulous! 

Tomorrow I am back in the church office and Friday my middle school grandson has invited me to take him to the amusement park if he doesn't have to work.  He was gathering golf balls out of the creek by his house (his dad's house and my house are both near a golf course), washing them and selling them along the course. The owner stopped by one of the holes and bought some, interviewed him and hired him to wash and gas up the golf carts, fill divets, pick up trash and empty trash cans.  Not only is he getting paid by the hour, he has a free golf pass for the season! Not bad for a twelve year old. 

The weather has been nice enough to walk in my neighborhood this week although I think I will be back at the gym when we hit the 80's. 

I'm sorry for not visiting as much, it is hard to read my screen right now, but I am comitted to these glasses for a week.  I will be back.

Hope everyone is enjoying the pre-summer. 

No Memory Monday Today

 No Memory Monday today.  

School is out and the grandparents are busy! Today we had children arrive at 6:50 a.m., ready for breakfast.  

The six year old had tennis camp at 9 am and we had to leave early because the major street in my town is under construction this summer.  We were also lending rackets to some cousins.  

We then went to the eye doctor to pick up my new glasses.  Unfortunately I can barely see close up. My readers from Dollar Tree are better. They told me I will need to retrain my eyes and that I need to wear them every day for a week.  

Side note:  I deeply regret cataract surgery.

By then it was time to pick up the six year old at tennis camp and drop off the ten year old.  We all went grocery shopping, brought groceries home and went back to pick her up. 

Today is the Burger King's birthday and we went there for lunch. A few weeks ago a gentleman in a big pickup hit the gas instead of the brake and drove through one wall. It is braced but not repaired yet. 

We came home and grampa put them to work setting up the fairy garden while I went to my church meeting.  

I came home and quickly made some hot dogs and macaroni and cheese for the ten year old so she could eat before her softball game. Step dad picked her up. 

I am now feeding the six year old the same thing before his little league game.  Mom had a mandatory teacher day (and again tomorrow and Wednesday) and has a teacher retirement party this evening.  We will take him to warm up soon and hopefully mom will meet us before the end of the game.  

Tomorrow we add the ten year old's basketball camp in the afternoon. 

Then we need to go walk our two miles since we missed yesterday. 

Whew!

AND my daughter called last night and volunteered me to be the assistant 3 year old Vacation Bible School teacher at her church. She is the teacher and told them she knows I will say yes.  That is in two weeks.