The Things I Want To Remember From A Messy Magical Month

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The Things I Want To Remember From A Messy Magical Month

      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,

...and in the yard.

      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.

     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."

     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.

     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,

...and they posted a sign at the top of the basement steps advising as much.

    When they had produced sufficient inventory they opened up shop on a tray table in the kitchen.

   They advertised all around the house,

     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,

... back in the old pre-epidemic days when there were outdoor summer arts events. So I was glad it was getting some use now.

      In preparation for the party the girls helped make an ice cream cake.

      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.

          When the food was ready,

...we ate.

   Then we had birthday cake and apple pie.

     For safety's sake the birthday girl was required to blow out her candle on her own piece,

...which she was happy enough to do.

    After dinner some of us chatted and some of us played in the dirt,

...until Tommy and Emily pulled out their guitars for a little concert/sing-along.

...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,

...or theirs.

     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,

...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,

...with lots of food,

...often topped off with pie.

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

     However I had found some molds to make pig-shaped pancakes, which the girls were quite excited to try out.

      So we gave them a try.

     The piggy pancakes, as they came to be known, were most excellent, a bit crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

    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

     Their day started off with a "crabby" surprise for breakfast,

...then some hand-made cards from the girls and a gift,

...wind chimes made by the girls from some old keys Grandpa Tom dug up for the project.

     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,

...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,

...and wondering when we'd ever be together again.