A Summer Weekend

My son John, and his son Tyler lighting the candles for Xoie.

The weekend was so full. Full of family things. First on Friday evening, Joe's kids came and paid us a surprise visit. We spent the time with them talking about their plans for vacation, birthdays, memories of years past, and looking ahead to new things for their home. We love visits like this...no plans just come on over for a nice visit. Impromptu...

Saturday we just chilled out. The day started with a phone call from my daughter. She was in Wisconsin and we had just played our online scrabble game, so she knew that we were up. We talked about everything in a lengthy phone call. It ended when she saw a strange bird race through her yard. She is really into birds (like her Mom) She sent me a picture via the internet of the bird saying that it was a Northern Bobwhite. A new bird for her list. The weather was a little better, so we could enjoy our porch. We did a bit of cleaning and then just what each of us wanted to do.....ending with a nice meal. 

Sunday started out with Mass. Father spoke about the tragedy in Colorado. The news of this event ran through our whole weekend. What a horrible thing. Innocent people just watching a movie when an obvious madman gunned so many down. I feel so badly about all the people affected...even his parents. What must they be going through?

On a happier note...we traveled to Huntley to our grand daughter Xoie's 23rd birthday party. She had a wonderful time with presents,delicious birthday cake (made by Grandma Bobbi....the queen of cakes) and family fun. I just love my family...we have so many laughs together. I joked with them about how they were all going to have to take care of us grandparents in our old age. The kids took over the conversation then...all of them talking at the same time..Someone said that we could have our own reality show...Grandpa John said it would be better than the Kardashians. Son, John and I, gave our rendition of the whiners from Sat. Night Live. A person looking in on our party might think that we are silly...but that is us. .We are, however, serious when it is called for. If there's a problem in the family...we are always there for each other.

We made our way home in the late afternoon. Driving through the countryside...we noticed that the corn fields had really suffered, lawns were brown and crispy, not many people were outside...I guess they were  huddled around the AC. I did notice the roadway lined with Chicory and Queen Anne's Lace, sunflowers here and there, goldfinches on seed heads, lots of people out on motorcycles, kids in a wading pool, American flags on houses, horses in the farmyard, and people at a restaurant... eating outside. This was a great weekend. 

Balisha