Well school is back in session — but not for our “grands” around here. They are all grown up and “adulting” just fine.
I’ve been looking at pictures and remembering all the busy falls we used to have when school started not so long ago.
Nowadays there’s no more soccer practice, volleyball practice, dance lessons, band practice, babysitting duties and half-time performances at the football games – so much going on just a few years ago in fact, that Lisa had to make a calendar so we could keep it all in order for those three days a week when we were running the “taxi” service while she worked.
That’s all gone now and I am feeling down in the dumps this fall. I know it used to be pretty hectic, especially when we were still working AND managed everything else, but I still miss it.
September always looked pretty full, but it sure was fun to be involved in the activities of those two youngest granddaughters…and now (it seems like) suddenly we are the “old folks.”
And the calendar keeps rolling by and fall is here again already.
It may be the unofficial onset of fall, but it still feels like summer out there to me. We haven’t been able to spend any time up north, even though Sister-in-Law Marlene is sharing her little camper trailer with us. She was just here for a month though and made sure to remind us that we are still welcome to use it “anytime.”
She is now 86 and still loves to come to Michigan, even if she can only come for one month rather than five these summers. She sure enjoyed her Michigan vacation this time, spending time in that little “home away from home,” visiting with her older sister in Grayling, and even a few days with us.
Now it’s time for her to fly south with the birdies again, in fact she will be doing just that by the time you read this. I sure wish we could see her more often…
We are planning to head south ourselves this winter and she made sure to let us know we have a place to stay with her in Ocala when we arrive.
Meantime we are making plans to take her advice and head up north for at least one, and hopefully two long weekends in the next month. After all we can’t break our “color tour” tradition this year after missing it last year (when I was still recovering from a lengthy stay in three hospitals…).
I am really looking forward to relaxing on her screened in porch in the porch swing too.
I don’t know why it is, but no matter how long we have been up there, it still seems to be much too short of a time. Seems like we just arrive and suddenly it’s time to pack up and head for home again.
Two more trips up in a few weeks will have to keep us happy and (unfortunately) wind up our much too short camping season this year and then we will be winterizing our shared little home away from home until next year rolls around again. I am hoping our next trip or two up will include some color-touring too, although so far, there aren’t many signs of the leaves turning to those beautiful fall colors.
Actually, I wouldn’t be a bit unhappy with about six more weeks of this kind of weather to enjoy before the seasons do change again.
The gardens are really producing this year, and I plan to take advantage of this summer’s “bumper crops.” No canning though, those days are over.
I will just go shopping at the roadside stands and stock up that way – and accept “donations” from family and friends.
I never even qualified as a “Suzy Homemaker, but I used to make my own stewed tomatoes too, freezer green beans and when our apple trees cooperated, made applesauce as well. I don’t know why, but fresh garden produce is the absolute best and home frozen, or canned goods are especially great in February and March.
I’m afraid those gardening days are gone too, at least until I decide – if I ever do – to fully retire.
