Kitchen Capers & Weekend Wonders!

Well, thankfully, the past week was a busy one! It's normal to have no bookings on Monday morning (and panic sets in) and then by Tuesday be completely full for the week. Last week followed that pattern. It's a roller coaster ride of orders and calls, worry that there aren't enough orders and then worry that one has taken on way too much! However, Friday evening I delivered the last meal for the weekend.


Thought I would have the entire weekend to catch up on housework and laundry. BUT on Thursday my dear daughter called and asked if I would accompany her and Hank to OKC to the "Thomas The Train" ride. Well of course! I absolutely WOULD get up at 5:00 a.m. and leave the house at 6:00 a.m. so that I could arrive at her house at 7:00 a.m. and travel to OKC to be there by 9:00 a.m.!!!!!


On a side note---the traveling Thomas the Train "Day Out With Thomas" is one of the biggest rip offs I have encountered! It was held at the train museum in OKC (although it does travel around the USA). Think about this----take an OLD train that the museum owns, slap a picture of Thomas on the front, travel 15 minutes north and back 15 minutes south and charge $18.00 a person to ride. Sound like a way to pull the kids out of the woodwork??? Yes it did! And, of course, there was the obligatory gift shop---right up front and center so kids can't possibly pass by without screaming and crying for a Thomas toy. That was by far the biggest tent. Oh there was a tent with train tables set up for kids to play with for no charge, and a tent gave ONE Thomas tatoo per child for no charge, and balloon animals. And even a place to have one's picture taken with a giant plastic (rather scary) Sir Topham Hatt. But if you wanted a picture with the Thomas picture slapped on the front of the old --silver I might add-- train, it cost you a whopping $5.00! And all those parents racing around trying to appease the little ones as they bumped and pushed and shoved from one tent to another! The train table tent was a nightmare -- kids couldn't get to the tables for the parents gathered around to take a picture of little ones picking up the train toys and taking them away from each other! Poor kids!


So, back from daughter's house in time to see my son and his new friend in town playing tennis. Oh yea--Hank came home to spend the night!!!


Then at 4:00 off to a wedding reception for hubby's cousin who was married in Hawaii last week. Now, we HAD to go to this one cause this is the first marriage for his cousin (who is 48), and he married his high school sweetheart. She had been married, moved off, divorced and moved back --seeking him out. Let me tell ya--it was something---something I don't want to repeat. It was held in a town smaller than the one where I live (it's almost a ghost town--no school, no bank, just a post office, couple of churches and small, small, small grocery). I think there were about 25 people there. Hmmmmm


After the "royal reception" had to make a kitchen run to prep food for Sunday. Why? Did I have a delivery??? NO -- a family reunion on Sunday afternoon. My dad's mother's side of the family. It's rather sad, we have dwindled down to about 40--the older ones are passing on, and many of the younger ones are "too busy" to participate. There are some diehards, like my first cousins (3 girls), and a couple of second cousins and their adult kids. But the past two years, my cousin (who is also an oldest child and a "director" type like myself--no we AREN'T bossy!!!), have coordinated games and doorprizes to entice attendance. Last year we played bunco for games. This year we had a game planned, but it didn't happen, so we raffled off the prize for "reunion money" and had great results. We also had centerpieces we gave away.


I wish I had taken pictures of the centerpieces---my sister, mom and I photocopied old pictures of family members and glued them onto mailing tags. Of course, we labled the back with names, and decorated them with stickers. Then we tied them to branches spray painted white, and secured the branches in terra cotta wine coolers with floral foam and covered the foam with glass beads. What a hit! Even my younger cousin whose name was drawn was delighted to win one and said she was putting it right by her fireplace! We're looking into reunion T shirts for next year!



Then to the kitchen to show off the place to my cousins and work on some paperwork.


Now I know what you're thinking but -- YES I did attend church! I taught my Sunday School class of young adults and had such a good time this Sunday morning. The good Lord really invited us to discuss matters we had been faced with this summer--death of a young teen ager, death of a member, divorce of two members--and it seemed to relieve alot of unanswered worries. We all got really honest and personal, and looked to scripture for truths. What a blessing.


And I DID attend Sunday evening Bible study. It calms me to be in fellowship with the church family and to study God's word together.


I was going to sleep in this morning--at least til 7:00 a.m., but the dog started barking at 6:00, something (like a leaf) moved on the back porch and she just HAD to alert me. I needed protected!!! Oh well, I have so much to do today she actually did me a favor. And now that I'm up, I have time to get more done!!!


So, how did your weekend go??


Are you ready for Halloween??? I want to get the decor out this morning and get knee deep in the mood! I love Halloween and don't want it to pass me by this year! And, besides, Hank's coming to spend Halloween with us---I'm making him a pirate costume so I'd better devote some time to that also!!!



Hey---have a great day today----