First -- And Last -- Swim Party of the Summer

This year we simply couldn't get our act together to plan some pool parties.

If it wasn't the kidlet's camp/swim meet obligations, then we were out of town, or had so much stuff to do, or we wanted the peace and quiet to enjoy our own pool.

We're slackers, I know.

 But this weekend we got it together.

It helps when family is visiting, as it gives us the kick in the tookus to get it together to throw a party.

My brother Dan (he's the oldest of the Sullivan crew--and 19 years my senior) and his wife Betty Ann came to visit and stayed with my mom.

I would have thrown a pool party for my brother Charles when he visited a few weeks ago, but that was the weekend the hubs and I left for Canada. :-(

It was a smallish gathering, only fifteen of us, but it was fun to sit around the table and chat.

We don't do enough of that any longer. Everyone seems to be so caught up in their own lives that these few chances we have to visit are few and far between . . . plus it doesn't help that the family is scattered all over the US and in Germany.

So I actually cooked. I made macaroni salad, ice cream (the base is a cooked custard), a mixed berry compote (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), baked beans, green tomatillo salsa, tomato salsa, along with the getting the various toppings ready for hamburgers, and the hubs pulled out the frozen drink machine to make margaritas.

We still have a pitcher of 'ritas left in the freezer--Margarita slushies!

Yeah, I don't think I want any more, thank you very much! It's right up there with the rest of the ice cream--it was so rich--good, but really, really rich.

But the best memory of the day was when my brothers started talking about my dad, who passed away in 2001. My dad was a dentist, and all of us had our dental work done at home, either in the garage or dining room. My older brothers all had fillings (silver) put in their mouths forty or fifty years ago--AND THEY WERE STILL WORKING PERFECTLY!

Most fillings are suggested to last 20 years, but the fillings my dad put in were still going strong double that timeframe. In fact, the teeth were becoming weak, not the fillings.

I know at the time, we weren't always grateful for the dental care, but it's nice to see that Dad left a legacy of quality dental work behind.

Later, Peeps!

Craziness

This week the craziness around our house is in full swing, starting with the kidlet's birthday slumber party on Friday, Nov. 18 and it doesn't end until the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 25.

It isn't hideous, just busy. Much of the craziness is brought on by myself . . . for example, I asked my kidlet if she wanted me to make cinnamon rolls for the morning after her slumber party. Of course, she would have been happy with her dad's pancakes, but no, I had to offer. And she accepted.

See? Crazy.

I also had hubster purchase mini cheesecake pans and mini-tart pans so I could experiment with downsizing the desserts for Thanksgiving. Er, I don't have a handy-dandy cookbook, so I have to test everything this week.

Crazy.

I also decided to make my candy fillings, so they will be ready when I need to start making candy. Oh, and I found two new caramel recipes to try. One is with sea salt and I'm planning to make it today!

Time consuming and crazy.

I want to start on the Christmas cards, Christmas shopping, and blah, blah, blah . . .

Crazy.

All of this is in addition to regularly scheduled events that require chauffeuring, including organizing the slumber party @ 6 giggling girls, ordering the ice cream cake, planning the Monday family get-together and B-Day dinner (@ 20 people--cake and food, cooking appetizers and desserts with my SIL for Thanksgiving, etc. etc.

I'm sure I've forgotten something, but I must enjoy all the craziness because I seem to do it every year. :-) I should be blogging regularly, but I doubt if I'll get much writing accomplished, but then again, I'm only editing right now, so maybe I'll finish TWIST OF FATE  and send it off to Carina Press by the end of this week.

Oh, the FOCUS STEALERS talk went well. It was a small group of ladies, about 15, and I knew about half of them. I only saw a few yawns at the beginning of the presentation and I know what slides I'm tossing out of the pile . . . *snort* fat chance anyone else would want me to do this talk again! Oh, well, who knows.

Later, Peeps! Raise your glass and toast the craziness!