Easter 2023

I contacted the Bunny earlier to ensure Easter was as fun as last year's when I brought fun to the PA household where I spent the holiday. Oleg and his family were bringing Ukraine traditions. It would be an excellent mixing of cultures.

I awoke early. The Easter Bunny met me outside for last-minute preparations.

Once everyone arrived (Darcy was working and not there), we held the Easter scavenger hunt paring "children" against "adults." I needed one of my family members on each team, but Tom was not as helpful as I intended. Example: they figured out the clue was on the fence.

Tom: "Now we just have to figure out how to get out there."

Steph: "Yeah, he wasn't with it."

After the treasure eggs were collected, we rolled the dice. Eggs were passed back and forth until the last turn. The golden eggs carried better prizes, but no one left empty-handed.

Next, we hunted for eggs. That took considerable time, and we still have not found about six eggs as of the last count. I told everyone that is one of our traditions.

From there, we played a crack-the-egg game from Ukraine. Oleg's family decorated eggs using colorful napkins wrapped around egg white slathered hard-boiled eggs. Much better to eat afterward than dyed eggs.

We hit one another's eggs, and whoever's egg didn't crack moved on. It came down to tech guy and Steph. The tech guy won.

We had a Steph charcuterie board, a honey-baked ham dinner, and a delicious traditional Ukrainian Easter cake to wind down the festivities. We also forgot to photograph our table. That is usually Darcy's job. 

Two days later, Maggie and I found three missing Easter eggs. A week later, in PA, Steph found one of the missing eggs from 2022! 

Keeping the tradition alive.

Easter 2022

I spent Easter in Pennsylvania with a precocious 12-year-old. She'll tell you that I made her hunt eggs. Secretly, she enjoyed it. I had planned to bring stuff with me for the big day, but time and my poor memory screwed that up, and I had to shop for stuff during one of our daily errand run-around days. I also ordered a gift on Amazon for next-day delivery. Easter - check!

My plan was to stuff eggs with puzzle pieces that would have to be put together to find the clue. I did this years ago with my girls, and it was a huge hit. The problem was I went with the 24-piece puzzle instead of the 48-piece one, and Steph pointed out that those weren't going to fit inside the plastic eggs. Her suggestion to fold the puzzle pieces was not helpful, but then again, this is the mother who got fed up over something or another one Easter and yelled, "There is NO Easter Bunny!"

I decided to channel my inner Kelly (that's our friend whose creativity we miss) and stuffed treasure hunt clues I got off the Internet (I am NOT like Kelly in coming up with my own). Then I hid the puzzle pieces that morning while everyone was occupied. I was so organized that I didn't mess up!

First, we hunted the eggs. I made Maggie's older brother participate, but there wasn't much pushback on that. Apparently, other PA parents have kept up the Easter Egg hunting tradition in our house, and I look forward to the day, say, six months from now when these eggs are discovered. (A group of the over twenty-year-olds slept where we hid the eggs after a night before Easter liquid overindulgence. Not that we in any way are blaming them.)

Luckily, only one egg with a clue was missing. Maggie found her eggs first and began the treasure hunt. She was good at figuring out the clues, although I gave hints on a few. 

Clue number 9 said: I have all the clues, can create many a thing, there's really no telling what my keys and mouse might bring. 

Maggie: "That's you, Cara. Let me search you."

Me: "Flattery will get you very far with me."

Thus the hints!

Once she had all the puzzle pieces, Maggie built it, flipped it over with precision (and the help of a flat tray and spatula), and then wandered while repeating the clue. It didn't take her long to find her basket. Nate had to stop to run an errand, but when he returned, he gave it his all.

Nate: "Somewhere I never go? I don't know. The laundry room?"

The baskets were in the dryer. They were a hit. So was the game. Then Maggie made everyone an Easter breakfast. 

Later that day, we took Auntie Kim to the train station for her return home. Then we had Easter dinner provided by the Hershey Country Club. We ate salmon, beef, potatoes, veggies, several salad varieties, and dessert choices. A few family and friends came, and we spent the rest of the evening talking and telling stories.

A very nice Easter.

Darcy: "Well, I'm glad it was because the Easter bunny didn't come to our house! I'm just saying..."

Easter 2021

Easter snuck up on me. I thought it was later in April for some reason. Since our family was vaccinated either fully or partially, I decided it was time to throw a celebration. I am not Betty Crocker, nor am I Martha Stewart, but darn it, this Easter was a joyous, delicious, and festive day.

Mostly because we hadn't done anything this exciting in a year.

I actually got out my Easter decorations and used the tablecloth I'd received on my trip to Pennsylvania before COVID. I planned the menu and did the cooking--what there was of it. My niece helped in the kitchen, and she deserves the credit for the table set-up. My BIL was here from CA. Darcy and Oleg were not.

Dinner was buffet-style and eaten outdoors. Between the appetizers and dinner, we had an Easter egg hunt. The adults were hesitant to get started, but they got into it after spying eggs. Everyone raced to find the golden egg. My MIL was right on top of it, but she got beaten to it by my niece. It was taped to the bottom of a chair. Brea won the prize! It was a game we played after dinner. I won!

I'm hopeful our year will have much more celebrations. People! Get vaccinated! Help the cause!

Hitting 2021 hard

January arrived, and we were off and running here at the Florida abode. There were resolutions to begin, football games to watch, a plane to catch, appointments to keep, Christmas decorations to take down, and a lot of packing. 

Two months ago, I forced myself to stay on an early morning schedule, beginning with a brisk walk around the neighborhood, where I met two walking neighbors who invited me to join their walking duo--now a trio. We walk twice a day, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon, covering a little over three miles. Both live on my street in the area I've never ventured into unless entering or exiting my subdivision, and subsequently, I've not only walked my entire road, but I've met my neighbors! So many nice people I've never known. Who knew? My walking partners hold me accountable, especially on the cold days, and so far, I've only canceled once. Even when they've opted out of our morning walks, I've still hoofed around the neighborhood, mainly to brag about it at our afternoon walk. 

The change in our season not only brought cooler weather but the acorn apocalypse. Every oak tree in the neighborhood has mass-produced enough acorns to keep the squirrels in the north fed for three winters. If my husband wouldn't kill me for spending money on postage, I'd send acorns to my northern families to fatten up their neighborhood wildlife. I'm not sure I can accurately explain the number of acorns on our streets and in our yards. Needless to say, one takes his life into his hands just walking outside in our hood because acorns drop fast and furiously and hurt like the dickens when landing on one's head. 

Ridding our yard of acorns has become his nightly after-work ritual, and he doesn't stop until he's filled a bag. Recently, I suggested making a game of it so we'd get up off the couch. We had five minutes to see who could collect the most acorns. Darcy set the timer, and we were off! While I suggested weighing the bags to crown the winner, we instead counted out the acorns, taking turns chucking five at a time into the garbage at the end of the street. God knows what the neighbors thought of us circled around our can!

I was out of acorns first--a blow, to say the least, because of my competitive nature--and I may or may not have started collecting and hiding piles of acorns in the hopes of a rematch. It came down to a duel between Tom and Madison, and it was a close one. Madison eeked out the win by seven acorns for a total of 239 acorns collected. She did this contest barefoot, which I've concluded is the reason why she excelled because one cannot walk anywhere in our yard without stepping on an acorn. I'm not kidding. It's the worst apocalypse we've had in years. 

Oleg celebrates Christmas by the Julian calendar, which runs from Christmas Eve on January 6th to January 19th. He was not happy with my decision to start taking down Christmas decorations before the end of the year, which resulted in me exclaiming:

Me: "Christmas is over."

I removed the indoor decorations--sans tree--first and before New Year's. I needed to clean before guests arrived for our outdoor card game, and picking up and returning holiday items after dusting seemed a waste of energy when I'd be right back to the job in a week. While I did not want to "kill Christmas," as he exclaimed multiple times, I knew the entire job would be left to me, and therefore, I opted to divide it instead of cleaning in one shot.

Tom took down the outside decorations after tiring of the Christmas boxes piled in the garage, and when the ornaments began falling off the branches of the tree, I had no choice but to remove the last of Christmas. 

Me: "After all, Christmas is over."

Oleg: "Stop saying that!"

Our 2020 skinny tree was by far the messiest I've ever had. I'm still finding needles in various places, which is normal, but the amount is greater than in years past. As a concession to Oleg, I have left one remaining decoration.

The youngest headed back to campus on Wednesday before flying to Baltimore for an interview process she is trying to get for an internship. She and I unpacked her things before I took her to the airport where she boarded a flight armed with an N95 mask, Lysol spray, hand sanitizer, Clorox disinfectant wipes, and instructions on how to combat bedbugs in the hotel.

 

Days prior, we had to dig out the winter garment bag for jackets, hats, and gloves. The East's temperatures were in the low 30's, and while my girl might be thrilled about this internship, cold weather is not her thing. Of the hats I offered, the warmest was a Pittsburgh Steelers hat, which also included a scarf. 

Darcy: "Uh, I'm going to Baltimore. You keep telling me to be safe. This seems the opposite."

Me: "When it comes to team loyalty, we take our chances. Besides, we aren't playing them this week. You'll be fine."

Oleg stayed at our house for the remaining days of break, and when Darcy flew home, they met her at the airport, where Tom then dropped both of them back on campus for the start of school on Monday. 

I'm not looking forward to next week when the quiet will hit me, but I console myself with the task of my six new year's resolutions. I'm keeping track of completion on a desk calendar, and as hard as I've been killing January 2021, I think this might just be the year that I'm perfect!

Thanksgiving 2020

We opted to spend the holiday in our home with only the five of us. Before the big day, Darcy had a five-minute exposure to someone with COVID. She panicked, called us crying, and then spent precious time searching for (and getting tested) testing sites. She was negative, but she and Oleg opted to wear their masks for the first twenty-four hours of being in our home (and when around Grammy the next day).

A very chill holiday. We agreed it was one of our better holidays--very relaxed and zippo in the stress department. Here are some of the highlights:

• Virtual Turkey Trots were run by Tom and Oleg, who ran the route of what would've been our local trot had COVID not happened, and Darcy, who ran the neighborhood early in the morning. Madison and I ran ours in our dreams.
• Honey Baked Ham made our meat this year. We had a turkey breast and a half-ham.
• We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade while we had a mishmash of breakfast items purchased by the runners on their way home.
• Oleg made pecan pie, Madison made pumpkin, and Darcy made a smores pie. This was done one at a time throughout the day.
• Football was not as exciting without the Steelers playing.
• I pulled a Connie and got out the china. My daughters pulled a Cara and whined and shouted and refused to do the dishes.
• Tom obviously ignored (or heard the ocean) when we discussed (Wednesday night) what time to have dinner. When he got hungry, he went into the kitchen and cooked. Oleg helped him. By the time I got to the kitchen to prepare our appetizers and cocktails, it was too late to stop them.
• We were stuffed far too soon but ate again as the evening progressed. 

Easter 2020

My kids haven't been home together for Easter in forever, so, once I realized the day was rapidly approaching, I knew I had to keep the tradition alive. I online ordered eggs and candy, dug out their Easter baskets, and insisted we don masks to enter the Honey Baked Ham store for a spiral ham for our holiday dinner.

The Easter bunny did her his usual marking of the eggs with initials so one child didn't receive more than the other, and then she he filled the eggs and hid them around the house. Tom The bunny was very giddy to be going back to the ritual of hiding the eggs, remembering the old days with affection.

Luckily, the youngest still has the enthusiasm for holiday traditions

Oleg had not participated in this tradition before, and fortunately for him the eggs had initials, otherwise he might have ended up with an empty basket. The girls had an advantage. I mean, it isn't like the bunny found new hiding spots in our small house nor are the girls old enough to have forgotten. Eventually, Oleg realized if he just followed Darcy he'd score his eggs.

All three "kids" got into the hunt, and this might actually be the year where we found all the eggs. Usually, there are one or two that are not found until months later. Then it was Elliot's turn, and all five of us enjoyed watching him search and open his eggs more than anything we did that entire day.

Our dinner was delicious with Honey Baked ham, Grandma's potatoes (Simply Potatoes cheesy recipe but Darcy refers to it as this as Grandma Mary Anne likes to make it), green beans, and a brownie ice cream sundae.

Easter in quarantine was a success!

Back to normal and it's way too quiet

My house is SO quiet. After a month and a half of guests, kids (yes, I still refer to my adult children and their friends as kids), and holiday festivities, my house is like one of those big, rundown mansions in the neighborhood where the kids dare one another to enter. It's dusty, messy, and during the day, very empty.

And it's eerily silent. Devoid of laughter and loud voices telling tales. Gone are the wafting scents rolling from my kitchen of baked goods. There are less laundry and fewer dishes in my dishwasher, and despite my full, way-to-small refrigerator, the foods crammed inside are not of the delicious holiday variety but of our day-to-day fare. In other words, boring.

I like Mondays. For me, it's the beginning. A clean slate to start over. If my life and my house are in disarray, I fear not because come Monday, I will be home alone with time on my hands to do what needs to be done to bring everything back into order. Sometimes I literally hold on to knowing Monday is coming, and it has never been more so than yesterday's Monday.

The last of the family disbanded on Saturday. Darcy returned to college and her adult-ish (her words, not mine because like me she chooses to keep the kid moniker) life of classes and work, and to hold my sorrow at bay, I held on to the solace of Monday. To the opportunity to begin the new year working on my resolutions and knocking my house and laundry into tiptop shape.

I just hadn't counted on the silence.

That's something one definitely has to get used to after a holiday of giggles, stories, warm bodies crowded on the couch, fights over television shows, foods from favorite eateries, and plans made to explore places.

Jason and I are trying. One day at a time.

GMC's Yukon XL

In June 2019, I wrote about our experience in renting a Yukon XL. Here is an excerpt:

Before the trip, there were several texts regarding concerns on the rental car and whether or not we had a big enough vehicle to carry seven people plus luggage. Apparently, upon hearing the tale and viewing some of the baggage, the rental agent agreed we needed a bigger car. That's how we came to renting the Yukon XL. Cue the music...

Us: (to the tune of YMCA) "It's fun to ride in the YUKON XL. We love to drive in the YUKON XL."

We had a lot of fun with the Yukon XL. More fun than I could possibly portray or give justice to by writing about on this blog. Just know that it came up in daily conversation, that it had a force shield around it, that the amount of room and comfort was off the charts, and that no other vehicle will ever match our experience. Seriously, GMC should snap up our family for a commercial. We could sell the shit out of this vehicle!

The Yukon XL remained alive in our family through a group text named Yukon Yik Yack, where we post various sightings of Yukon XL's. When Madison drew Jay's name for the Christmas gift exchange, she decided his entire Christmas would be Yukon XL themed. She made him stickers, socks, and a water bottle with various Yukon XL's that she drew. The final gift was a note telling him to be on the couch Christmas night at 8:00 p.m.

Where he was treated to this video:

Written and produced by Madison, it was completed over several days. The coup was finding that one of the family's renting in the building where my family rented their beach house was a family who drove a Yukon X!

Again...

GMC, give us a call. We can totally sell this vehicle!

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

My friend SueG had us to her house for Thanksgiving. There were 19 of us and so much food that I didn't even get to the green bean casserole.

I was in charge of the appetizers and the desserts. I did a charcuterie board for the first, planned another board for the last, but since others brought desserts too, we never got to my dessert charcuterie board.

It was a great time. Happy Turkey Day all!

Thanksgiving 2018

In preparation for writing my Thanksgiving post, I read last year's entry. It was a good one, and it said everything I would've said this year. Of course, it did. This is why I had gone to it in the first place because something told me as I wrote inside my head that I'd said the same thing every year. But then again, it is the same almost every year, isn't it?

Work and work and work in the kitchen preparing the turkey and all that jazz to devour it in twenty minutes? The same damn thing every year.

So, a quick recap of past Thanksgiving entries:

1. It's not my favorite holiday. 
2. I don't care for turkey that much. 
3. I definitely don't care for the preparation, cleaning the house, chopping food, standing, setting the table with dishes that must be hand-washed.
4. I enjoyed the holiday as a kid and love the traditions of the holiday. 
5. I like being with family and friends. 
6. I love football.

And this Thanksgiving:

1. I'm thankful. I try to be all year long, but today I spent extra time on the who, what, where, and why of being thankful.
2. I won't have to eat turkey because my only job is to bring Honey Baked Ham. I'll eat ham. Delicious Honey Baked Ham. It costs a fortune, but that's okay because it is worth every penny, and I'll make a split pea soup with the bone.
3. Hubby made breakfast. I didn't even make my bed. No other prep necessary because my SIL hosted and didn't require a thing from me but the Honey Baked Ham.
4. I'm no longer a kid, and the traditions of that time are nil because the older generation who saw that they continued, is now dead. Instead, the next generation began new traditions, and this year my hubby and daughter kept one of theirs by running the Turkey Trot. Then we watched the Macy's Day Parade, one of Tom's traditions, and we did it via Facetime with Madison who couldn't make it home from college. After that, I watched the Westminister Dog Show--a tradition started by my friend Kelly. I watched the last fifteen minutes. The dog I wanted to win did not. Traditions completed. Check.
5. I'm looking forward to spending time with my niece. She makes me laugh. Hopefully, I'll see my friends tomorrow. 
6. I'm watching football. Right now. 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Thanks for reading about my nutty life. I'm thankful for all 12 of you! 

Halloween 2018

Holidays are vastly different now that I'm an empty nester. This Halloween I didn't even decorate until two weeks prior, and that was only because I forced myself not to be a Halloween Scrooge, and then it was only minimum. A couple of scarecrows and pumpkins inside and out. Mostly stuff that will count towards Thanksgiving too. It's my new thing.

What's the point if the kids aren't here?

Every holiday I now reminisce. Remember when? It's probably not a thing I should do because it doesn't leave me feeling gooey and nostalgic but leaves me longing for something I've already had. Then I feel guilty. Thus the reason I backed the car out of the garage and took down the Halloween boxes. Suck it up, buttercup.

My Steelers buddy's wife insists on keeping the traditions, but then again, she still has one at home and another who pops in every Sunday to watch the game. She bought two pumpkins and forced them to carve them even though the girls rolled their eyes and muttered under their breaths. I watched for a while before heading home. It made me glad that I'd decorated my home.

Last year I didn't buy candy, but we took our adopted children (kids that belong to my friend SueG but who we borrow from time to time) trick or treating through our neighborhood. I was rebelling against the previous Halloween, where I was robbed while checking out the neighbor's haunted yard.

This Halloween, after deciding to embrace my empty-nest of a holiday, I purchased candy the day of and then invited my adopted children once again. They didn't want to trick or treat but wanted to help pass out candy, and since their mother was at work and their dad out of town, they came willingly.

I only had six groups of three to four children trick or treat. I sat outside alone while my new neighbors sat on their own driveways--missed the Halloweens of the past where my old neighbors gathered in my driveway with cocktails and food. I read a book waiting for trick or treaters.

One of the adopted brought a mask, and the other wore a skeleton shirt. My husband invited them to walk the neighborhood to check out the decorations and the action. He insisted on bringing a bag "just in case." They were gone for two hours and returned with a massive stash of candy. They divided it with big smiles. They told people they were dressed as The Big Disappointment and The Letdown. I think the neighbors were happy to get rid of their candy. We didn't have much action. The neighbors are growing up too.

We ended the night doing our own thing while overeating candy. Holiday Empty Nesting sucks.

Waiting for the guests to arrive and wrap

Our house is beginning to look like a UPS center.

We all put our wish lists on Amazon this year. If Amazon has a good month, it will be due to this family! We should've invested in Amazon stock!

2009 Christmas Tree

Heading out Sunday evening to find the perfect tree.

Found it in the third place we visited...a church north of us.

Three girls tired of chasing the dog through the rows of trees

Setting it up in the house...

and making sure it is straight!

Decorating

and putting on the final touch!

Our 2009 Christmas Tree!