The Payoff

Low calorie dessert; frozen yogurt! (yeah, keep telling yourself, Deb....)

My Handy Hubby.....His design made with garage sale finds! (and why should he shave on Saturday?)

How I love how beautiful the little baby Shetler pies are!

Two lines full!

Farmer's Market score!

Today was one of those days that as a young mom of four children, I would dream of.

I knew with all my heart that these days would come. The image would come into my mind, but the pressing issues of the day (hour) would be seen to, and the day would end and I would be pleased to be where I was. But I knew there was a next step, a phase that would be altered by inevitable growing up and going away by the beloved children.

Take heart, young mama...

Embrace these days and know that the next phase awaiting is blissful as well...

Recipe for a Lovely Day:

1. Sleep in a bit. (normally waking up at 3 something, makes even 7, great!)

2. Get ready for the FM in the AM with the 2G's and their mama.

3. Buy an abundance of fresh vegetables and a wee little Amish blackberry pie

4. Come home to hang on the clothesline, all the linens purchased yesterday. Ahh, freshly laundered sheets! Love it....

5. Wave to the Spears out for a walk with a new stroller, guaranteed to handle our city's wonky sidewalks; Father and son follow on bikes. Good neighbors, great friends....

6. Grill burgers for lunch.

7. Take a long walk with Dixie and hubby.

8. Sit on the porch and embroider a sampler that I bought in 1974 and just recently found (I know, I know...!) post walk. Discuss our retirement plan....

9. Commence puttering: Pat making a thread rack for my work area; me, out in the garden trimming my crazy wild echinacea.

10. Thinking about supper; purchased a filet yesterday for 5.00! a 16.00 per pound filet, on the meat mark down rack at the grocery....Amish sweet corn; Pat's Amazing Tomato Salad with the tomato gift from the 2G's mama (her patrolman hubby, 2G's daddy, delivered the sack of delectable maters in the police car....Small town life....)

11.__________________________________That was the silence during the meal. Not for lack of conversation; for pure concentration of an amazing meal of grilled filet, sweet corn and tomato salad.....With a dessert of frozen yogurt and the mini blackberry pie

12. Hubby has cleaned up the kitchen while I write this.

Gotta love the Third Act of Life....