Mother's Day camping

Ok it was a week late due to work schedules, but we got to go camping this past weekend. It was a bit warm but otherwise wonderful. The only thing missing was Mary Grace and Ryan. She had the grand opening of her new store, Hazel coffee. It is right across the street from UMC inside the Backyard Burger along with a Smoothie King. She is the manager of the coffee portion. They have a great deck and really great inside decor.

 It was all day Sunday, with live music in the evening. We stopped by to wish her luck and everything was great. She worked from 5:00am until 10:00 pm. Hope things get a little less hectic once her baristas get settled in! Ok on with the slide show. I didn't take many pics. When we get relaxed with the fam we really relax....see?

 

while some sit around others slave in the kitchen...just kidding, everyone helps

 

 

 

Ok...this one needs a little explanation. If you know Tommy maybe it doesn't. He and Linda were posing for this picture and he said count to 3 and I did and this is what he did on 3!

 

no explantion needed here

 

 

we had salmon too

 

Best Mom on earth!

 

 

You can call me anything, just don't call me late for dinner

 

Wish I could have a rerun of this meal. All you other Ellises reading this get ready it is only 5 weeks or so until the BIG Ellis hugball (as my friend Candy calls beach week)

 

Under pressure

Spring cleaning. Ed did wonders with his new pressure washer.

 

 

Toby enjoying the fruits of our labor

 

 

Backing up again, Mom and I went to Moore's for our flowers Friday. It was fun and they gave us a discount and a free pack of marigolds for Mother's Day.

 

 

We had no choice but to head out to lunch afterwards. Strawberry Cafe in Madison is newly remodeled and welcomed us. Imagine our delight when the special was oyster poboys! All that was missing was my sweet grandmother - the original Mamaw. She loved oyster poboys too!

 

 

I pulled out one of my favorite pictures of her. That is her, Jan (rocking a fro) , Mom (as Brady Bunch mom), and me at my Senior Party 1976. They worked so hard and made it so special and fun for us. Left click on the pic to get a better look.

 

 

Mother's Day

Ok, so I'm going to go out of chronological order here because I can't wait to post about my Mother's Day. As a tradition we usually go camping on Mother's Day. Jan and I came up with this idea when our children we very young and this was our present to ourselves. This year we are going next week due to Sophie's job. That left us open on Mom's day. Well Sophie, Mary Grace and Cary swung into action and planned the perfect fete for us. Sophie and Paul's precious new house served as the bucolic spot for the feast. She needs to post a house tour to do it justice...so I will just show the event.

 

 

We also celebrated Ivy's receiving her GED. I'm so proud of her. She wouldn't let me take her picture.

 

They have a lovely arbor over their deck.

 

My lovely mom. Typical happy face David

 

Ryan fits right in. I must point out those are bottles of water

 

Can you spot the baby?

 

all we are lacking is a Linda!

 

Mary Grace made this for me out of one of the aforementioned spool ends. Isn't it great. I also must sheepishly point out the gin and tonic chillin on the table. Both Mary Grace and Sophie gave me a bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin...my favorite. I am so humbled and awed at the wonderful women they have become.

stealing the show

We were all so proud of my mom Monday night. She was in a play at her retirement village. It was so fun the see them all having a blast and entertaining all their friends and families. It was a cute play about waiting in a doctor's office. They really have a good time poking fun at themselves. Mom played the role of a naughty little boy and her good friend played his mama. Very much enjoyed it. Here's to next year! This is her in on stage.

 

In costume with sunflowers from Mary Grace

 

 

In character! We all thought she looked like her late brother Jack.

 

 

I've been helping a clint redo her living room. Changing colors...getting rid of ornate gold...new lamps...new rug, tablecloths etc. Yesterday I did something I like to do, which is reorganize bookcases and add new things. It is fun for them for me to do it while they are gone. Then it is a big surprise when they get home. Ashley, remember when you helped me do this once? It is much easier with two. I'm not as nimble on a ladder as I used to be :(   This is before...

 

 

Some of the new things are already in place (like the turquoise vases). She had so much pretty pottery in her cabinets and I just rummaged around until I found great pieces. The painting originally had a HUGE gold frame that we replaced. We painted the walls this gorgeous soft gray

 



 

 

 

 

Caliente Chihuahua

How cute is this? Toby waiting for me to toss his chili pepper for him. It used to say "you are hot! or I'm hot for you!" when squeezed, but Truffles wore it out making it talk. I thought it was appropriate for a chihuahua.

 

So the flowers at church where such pretty colors yesterday. I usually take them and break it up into smaller arrangements to take to people who need a little joy. Mom has some of these slated for friends at St. Catherine's. Can't wait for the play out there tonight. I think Mom is going to steal the show. I'll try to get some pics on here of her in character.

 

 

I always love a window over a kitchen sink...unfortunately mine looks into a brick wall. I can still see the sky trees and birds. My little window sill becomes a little vignette of things I like. Ed says he does not understand the junk I drag home.

 

The rusty handle I found when they renovated our pool. The rock is a pretty chunk of quartz from our mountain trip. The wood chunk is from a huge log that was in the Mississippi river during our Natchez trip. The little pig? Had it since high school and rediscovered it when we cleaned out Mom and Dad's Riverwood house. I hope the new owners are enjoying all the amaryllis which should be blooming in the yard. Mom called them Candyryllis because they were gifts from my friend Candy

 

This side has herbs from Mary Grace's garden. The sad litle guy is of course Eeyore. My friend, Amy gave him to me one Christmas. When you are having a bad day you get to hold Eeyore and complain. After that you need to get over it! Oh, can you see my brick wall in the background?

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Rainy day

So it's about the 3rd day in a row for rain here. We get the April showers bring May flowers thing, Mother Nature, but enough is enough . They need a little sunshine too! So no work to do, no errands to run...what should I do? Clean house? Do laundry? nah

 

This is what Truffles and I decided to do

 

Toby agreed from inside the hut. I hope you realize that not many people get to actually go inside the hut, but there you are.That book I'm reading is fantastic. The writer wrote it during the time France was occupied by Germany. She later died at Auschwitz and the work was only discovered by her daughters in 2006 when it was published. It is so hard to imagine the terror of that time. The relationships formed between German soldiers and the French villagers are so complicated. She can write in such a way that you can feel exactly how they must have felt. Great read if you need one!

This is a necessary companion while reading. Coffee in my Jade Fireking mug. Family lore has it that my Grandaddy Brown got several of these while renovating a downtown restaurant. He was a cabinet maker. I like to picture who may have sat in a Capitol street window booth looking out at Jackson in the 30's or 40's. A drug store clerk girl, a young bank teller ?

These are very collectible now but I would rather use mine. It is so thick that it feels like drinking from a marble cup. I have three of these and two white ones. So now go read a good book!

 

 

just snippets

so, just some random thoughts today. Truff loves to eat ice, so when I come back from walking every day I get a few extra cubes for her. Actually they aren't literally cubes anymore...more like crescents

 

look how beautiful this blue eyed grass is now. I prefer that name to its official name of Spiderwort. We got it from our parents years ago and it had stopped blooming due to our yard becoming increasingly shady. We had to cut a large dead pine this winter and low and behold the sunny spot that was created caused this to happen. Sometimes all we need is a little sunshine

Had what my friend and I call a pocket of fun. Her son got married and the wedding was so much fun. Here we are having fun dancing. I was busting out some 70's moves. I kind of like that I am next to that large lady. It makes me look like a little thang

This next one clearly goes in the category of "Who does that?" Obviously me. I can just hear my Dad saying "Amy, it doesn't cost any more to keep your tank full" He is right but obviously almost 40 years of driving has not taught me to do it! I remember once running out of gas in the street at the end of my parent's driveway. Hee hee

By the way, I did make it to the pump...