The Party's Almost Over...

We had a great 4th of July - a bit of a 'turn out the lights, the party's over' for our house. It goes on the market this coming weekend, so everyone came over for a cookout and pool party. In they came carrying babies and swim trunks and floaties and pies and chips and tubs of guacamole. We then proceeded to spend the day around the pool, splashing and hooting and hollering. Our pool is what we Texans call a 'play pool' - 5 feet deep in the middle and if I do a 'lap' in it, I can cross it in five strokes. It worked well - the number wanting to be poolside eating chips and guacamole was about equal to those wanting to show off their epic cannonball.

I apparently did what is called a 'preacher', unbeknownst to me. All I know is the underside of my leg stung like fire for awhile, which was totally worth it because the Littles loved it. They cheered pretty loud for Papa when he flung his body in, and water flew out from all sides. If this is how we're remembered someday, I'm more than good with that. I can't even conjure up an image of any of my grandparents barreling into a pool.

Later we all filed indoors, grabbed plates and made the trek up and down the kitchen island, overloading our plates with burgers and brats and mac and cheese and such. Then back later for pies - three fruit, pecan, lemon meringue, or peach and strawberry shortcake, all with blue bell ice cream. Of course.

When it was dark, they all loaded up their stuff, and filed out the same way they'd come in, headed to watch fireworks somewhere. We threw all the wet towels and suits into the washer, then were happy to go back in, curl up in a chair with a glass of wine and just sit and catch our breath.

My sweet Daddy sends me a birthday check every year. I love that he thinks I never get too old for that. So this year I spent it on something called a JBL Charge 2 Splashproof Blu-tooth speaker. I have a playlist on my phone called 'outdoor summer party' and it was a fun addition. Pandora also has a great station called Disney Children's Radio that is all the theme songs to their great movies. I'm planning to use the speaker in our screened in porch at our new place, turned down low to Hillside Worship for morning coffee, or maybe quiet piano jazz when we have friends over for dessert, and at $4.99 a month for ad-free Pandora we don't  have to listen to the commercials. Pretty good deal I think.

Speaking of birthdays - yesterday was my mother's 83rd and this year I was just so grateful she's in a place where she's well cared for, happy, eating well; she has music in her life every single day, they cut her hair every 6 weeks to keep her pretty, and she has a sweet, soft-spoken roommate. She can't tell me her roommate's name, but she does tell me she's very nice. My brothers took her a cake with her name on it, and a big, green striped watermelon. I'm sure she loved that.

Later this week is my Daddy's birthday - he'll be 91, and it would be impressive if a 50 year old kept his garden. He does his, all by himself, all by hand. So I ordered him a Fiskars Deluxe Stand up Weeder. Apparently he can just aim it at the weed, plunge it down, push a button and it'll grab that weed so he can pull it up without getting down on his knees, which are starting to give him a fit. I want him to be able to garden / weed as long as he can. Speaking of can - I also mailed him a bunch of cute canning labels for all the beets and jelly and jam and tomatoes he'll can from his garden. Amazing man. I'm thankful to not only still have him, but have him thriving.

So today we have carpet cleaners coming to clean the entire house. While they're cleaning the carpet I'll be mopping, for the second time, the tile that runs in front of that kitchen counter, trying to remove the sticky drips that landed on the floor. The first time with a swiffer wet jet took off the top layer, but this time we're going after it with vinegar and water til my shoes stop sticking. Yesterday was so much fun, if it takes a third swabbing of floors, it'll have been so worth it.

And BTW, that pie crust I told you about a few days ago - it was okay taste and texture-wise, but next time I'm going to use one package of crackers and a bit more butter.