Here to There and Back Again

We've been on a road trip to the Lakes Region of NH. Spent time with Mom and Dad for both Father's Day and my mother's birthday this past Tuesday. This photo is from five years ago. There have been a lot of changes since 2019. Mom can't physically navigate much anymore, she's a good deal weaker than I've ever seen; it's so hard to watch this happen. But, on the bright side, at 91 and 96 they're doing quite well, all things considered. Just two months ago when she was hospitalized, Mom's doctor never expected for her to be at home again. We're rejoicing in the fact that today she is, sleeping in her own bed and spending her days in her favorite recliner alongside Dad; there's much to be thankful for. 

We took Mom out to an ice cream stand for a cone on her birthday, take a look at the cones available to choose from. 😉 We also ate lobster, Mom's favorite; what a special treat! I had lobster rolls two days in a row. It was my duty you understand "when in Rome...".

Arriving home on Thursday other special treats were waiting. 

The garden Phlox and Echinacea are in bloom. 

The Brazilian Verbena is attracting Zebra Swallowtails and Goldfinch in flocks!

I potted up a dish garden for Mom's birthday, found a wide variety of small houseplants at a local nursery before we left. I believe that Mom will enjoy this, they have great big windows that let in loads of light in their family room and kitchen area where this should thrive.

A friend from church shared this. She had gone to prepare the altar for Sunday service and sat down in one of the pews to pray after she'd finished. She looked up to see this reflected on the carpet. Wow.

😊

Smile- God is watching!

Life is Good!

Peppermint Pursuit

So... it was a few weeks before Christmas and I was searching for peppermint ice cream. I had already been to four grocery stores and they had none. Zero. Zilch. Nada. My only hope arose as I was checking out my few, measly, peppermint ice cream-less purchases when the checker asked me if I found everything I was looking for. "No", I responded, "I am looking for peppermint ice cream". I tried to make my voice sound desperate, I believe I succeeded because he immediately went to the customer service desk to check. Another gentleman emerged with an official-looking order book. "No", he replied, "we don't have any coming next week, but we should get an order in after Christmas". Now I am thinking "what's the point in that" but, instead, I held my tongue and asked him if he thought they'd have much call for peppermint ice cream after Christmas. He assured me that they would. Okay, what do I know? I ended up buying vanilla and it was fine served to guests with my Christmas cookie tray. It wasn't my first choice. Yesterday Mr. Goodneedle and I stopped at Coldstone for a treat; he had a birthday coupon.  I ordered two scoops of Peppermint Crackle, I felt entitled! It's a blend of white peppermint ice cream with chopped York peppermint patties and crushed candy canes stirred in; it was incredibly fabulous... and, the date was December 30th! Okay, so, yeah... maybe the guy in the grocery store was right after all; peppermint ice cream might just span the seasons, ice cream this good will definitely be around at least until the New Year!

And...isn't everything better with a York peppermint patty on top?
(I know, that's a rhetorical question).

Life is Good!

The Joy Of Eating Ice Cream

I learn a lot from my grandchildren. Remembering the simple joy associated with eating ice cream is a valuable lesson.Mason has the right idea by ordering bright and diving right in, Lucy Ann chooses strawberry (pink!) and a much neater method of getting her ice cream from the container to her mouth. And then there's Gregory, demonstrating the "bottoms-up, good-to-the-last-drop" of any flavor method! Grab a scoop and indulge in some simple joy for yourself, it's all sweet and it's all good!  When's the last time you've had this much fun?

Life is Good!