Ailantha
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

The Things I Want To Remember From A Messy Magical Month

7/23/2020

0 Comments

 
                                          LAST CHANCE TO GET IT FOR 99 CENTS!
Today,  July 23, get "Equal and Opposite Reactions" by Patti Liszkay for 99 cents on Kindle.
                                               
http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
Picture
Picture

The Things I Want To Remember From A Messy Magical Month

Picture
      The month during which our standard-issue house in the standard-issue suburb of Gahanna, Ohio was transformed into the Magic Messy Kingdom came to an end on July 9 when my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren returned home to Los Angeles (See yesterday's post, "Life in the Magic Messy Kingdom" and the post from 7/16/2020, "A Month in the Magic Messy Kingdom").
      In the days after they left I kept finding little left-behind reminders around the house,

Picture
Picture
Picture
...and in the yard.
Picture
      And now that the box of left-behind things has been packed and sent, the house straightened up  and life around here returned to the quiet abnormal normal of our socially distanced life under the COVID epidemic, there are a few particular memories that I want to bookmark, the things I always want to remember from that messy, magical month:
     1.  The Dirt Pile
    
Last summer Tom re-did our brick patio, one of the by-products of which project was a multiple-mounded pile of dirt left sitting in our backyard, its removal having been relegated to the someday-to-do list. When we learned that Maria and Justin and the girls would be coming I voiced my wish that the backyard be cleared of the dirt pile before they arrived.  But, to my disappointment, that did not happen and the dirt pile was still there when they arrived.
     As it turned out, that pile of dirt was love at first sight with my grand daughters. The dirt pile ended up being their favorite place to be and they probably spent more time playing in the dirt than anywhere else in- or outside of the house. They and their clothes spent much time in a very dirty but happy state.

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
     2. The time the bags of mulch were transformed into a magic carpet.
     
One time I looked out the back door and saw that the girls had managed to climb on top of the mulch bags, and were sitting, one with her arms wrapped around the other's waist, singing "A Whole New World" from "Aladdin."

Picture
     3.  The Rubber Band Jewelry Store    
     One morning during the family bike ride my grand daughters caught sight of a little stand set up by several neighborhood children from which the children were seeking to sell pieces of rubber band jewelry to passers by.

    For the unfamiliarized, rubber band jewelry is a current popular craft fad among youngsters that involves weaving together tiny colorful rubber bands.
Picture
     So enamoured of the little sidewalk craft shop were my grand daughters that I Amazon Primed a rubber band jewlery-making kit for them and by the following day they were in the rubber band jewelry business themselves.  They set up their workshop in the basement,
Picture
...and they posted a sign at the top of the basement steps advising as much.
Picture
    When they had produced sufficient inventory they opened up shop on a tray table in the kitchen.
Picture
   They advertised all around the house,
Picture
Picture
Picture
     Their ad campaign ultimately was a success. They sold all of their stock. To Grammie and Grandpa.
4. The Birthday Party
   
As we had two birthdays in June, Tom's and our younger grand daughter's, we decided to have a joint birthday party on June 14, a cookout to which we invited Tommy and Emily, and for which occasion we set up the canopy that I used to use at summer arts events where I sold my books and photos,

Picture
... back in the old pre-epidemic days when there were outdoor summer arts events. So I was glad it was getting some use now.
Picture
Picture
Picture
      In preparation for the party the girls helped make an ice cream cake.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
      At the appointed time Tommy and Emily arrived and while the burgers and brats were grilling the youngsters played  a game of mask-on soccer.
Picture
          When the food was ready,
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
...we ate.
Picture
   Then we had birthday cake and apple pie.
Picture
     For safety's sake the birthday girl was required to blow out her candle on her own piece,
Picture
...which she was happy enough to do.
Picture
    After dinner some of us chatted and some of us played in the dirt,
Picture
...until Tommy and Emily pulled out their guitars for a little concert/sing-along.
Picture
...which we all enjoyed.

    5.   The Outdoor Dinner Concerts
  
   So much did we all enjoy the birthday party that for the next few weekends we got together with Tommy and Emily for dinner concerts in our back yard,

Picture
Picture
...or theirs.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
     One evening while we were sitting around in our back yard after the dinner and the singing, the air was so balmy and the mood so mellow and the ambiance so pastoral,
Picture
...that for a moment I had the imaginary but pleasant impression of an evening in the French country side. Très agréable.

6. Dinners
     
Dinner was an old-school event each night, all of us eating together,

Picture
...with lots of food,
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
...often topped off with pie.
Picture
Picture
Picture

7. Sunday Morning Breakfasts With Piggy Pancakes
    
Sunday was pancake breakfast day.

Picture
Picture
     However I had found some molds to make pig-shaped pancakes, which the girls were quite excited to try out.
Picture
      So we gave them a try.
Picture
     The piggy pancakes, as they came to be known, were most excellent, a bit crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Picture
    However we all agreed that rather than syrup, these little piggies demanded a topping of butter and powdered sugar.

8.  The Anniversary Celebration.
    
On July 7 Maria and Justin celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary

Picture
     Their day started off with a "crabby" surprise for breakfast,
Picture
...then some hand-made cards from the girls and a gift,
Picture
...wind chimes made by the girls from some old keys Grandpa Tom dug up for the project.
Picture
     It would have been nice if Maria and Justin could have taken a little trip or even had a night out to celebrate, but caution ruled, and their anniversary dinner took place at home with the family, which was where they professed to be happy to have it,
Picture
...their children being, after all, the greatest celebration of their life together.
       And then two days later the magical messy month was suddenly over and we were all saying good-bye,

Picture
...and wondering when we'd ever be together again.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    "Tropical Depression" 
    by Patti Liszkay
    ​Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1685131832

    Picture
    "Hail Mary"
    by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1684334888

    Picture
    "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
     by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
    or from
    The Book Loft
    of German Village,
    Columbus, Ohio
    Picture
    Or check it out at the Columbus Metropolitan Library
    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    I am a traveler just visiting this planet and reporting various and sundry observations,
    hopefully of interest to my fellow travelers.

    Categories

    All


























































































Proudly powered by Weebly