Sunday, December 13, 2015

Saturdays Can Be Fun

So yesterday I'm enjoying a mug of tea and the part of a murder mystery where everyone is a suspect and nobody knows yet who-done-it.  My phone rings.  It is Youngest Son, wanting to know what I am doing.  I reply that I am just piddling about, not doing much of anything.  He wants to know if I would like a visit from three of my Grands.  Of course I would.  He says they will be at my door in five minutes.

I am sitting at my kitchen table when they arrive.  As they come through the door they line up, youngest to oldest, to give Grandma a hug.  They sit down and proceed to tell me about their day.

There was a birthday party for a family friend.  Youngest Grandson's hair is still damp from working up a sweat jumping about in one of those blow-up things where the kids crawl inside and bounce around to their hearts content.  A good time was had by all.

Oldest Granddaughter told me that when they were coming back through town, she noticed that they were only a block away from Grandma's house and she told her Dad they needed to stop in to see Grandma.  Which they did.

Middle Child said they were on their way to a mall nearby where they were going shopping for their Mother's Christmas present.  Each of them had a certain amount of money to spend, and they were trying to decide if they would buy three smaller gifts or if they would pool their resources for one really nice present.  All three were excited to be going Christmas shopping for Mom.

We talked a bit longer, including their Dad in the conversation.  The Grands saw the jar of popcorn, a big bowl and my roaster pan sitting on the cupboard.  I explained that I was going to make a batch of caramel corn later.  Caramel corn is one of the treats I always made at Christmas time when my children were young.  The Grands extracted a promise from me that I would bring some when we get together for our Christmas.

And then all three lined up again to give Grandma a hug goodbye.  Dad even got into the act.  We are a huggy group.  I like that in a family.

They weren't here very long.  They didn't have to be.  The fact that they wanted to stop in to see Grandma was enough.

Later in the afternoon Oldest Son showed up at my door with a good-sized spiral cut ham in hand.  His workplace had given each of their employees a ham for Christmas.  Son used my WiFi while the ham baked in my oven.  I added mashed potatoes and candied carrots to the menu and we enjoyed a really good meal.  After supper Son cut most of the meat from the ham bone to use for sandwiches to take to work in his lunch, leaving me the bone to make a pot of ham and beans with, and a freezer bag full of ham slices so I could enjoy a few ham sandwiches this week.

I'm thinking Saturdays really don't get much better than that!

10 comments:

  1. Gorges...It is those kinds of days that get us through all the rest!

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  2. You are really blessed with the love of your family.

    Nothing much better than ham and beans. Most folks want corn bread when they have it, but my wife has a recipe for Angel Biscuits which is my favorite.

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  3. I really appreciate the way you share the blessings of your life, Vicki. If only more people could see the sheer joy found in the simple things of life.

    Fern

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  4. And humbled, Jim...Things weren't always as good as they are now.

    Ham and beans is a favorite of mine. I think I have a recipe for Angel Biscuits. Will have to give them a try. Oldest Son brought me some delicious real honey (as opposed to the store-bought kind that is mostly flavored corn syrup) at the Farmer's Market. It is so good on any biscuit!

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  5. Fern...I find that I am happier if I don't worry about having a bigger TV or a fancier car than my neighbor. I much prefer a simple life as free of drama as possible. Troubled times are upon us. I believe that if a person has already learned to enjoy simplicity, the coming hardships will be easier to deal with. And for what it is worth, I do not feel like I am missing a thing, living as I do.

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  6. Sounds like a pretty great Saturday to me... ;)

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  7. Blue...Yeah, it was a good day. The Grands always make me smile and it is a joy to be with them. And a nice ham dinner never hurts, either. :)

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  8. It was, Harry...Days like that serve to remind me what is really important in life. It doesn't have to be a big celebration or a planned family event. Just having a Grand or an adult child stop in to pass the time of day and give me a hug is what it is all about.

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