Last Sunday, I took Our Girl Nettie to see her mother.  “B” is in a nursing home, and had a birthday that Our Girl Nettie wanted to recognize.  Our Girl Nettie’s favorite pie is pumpkin, so we took her mom a piece of homemade pumpkin pie.  They had a nice visit together.  And I took a picture for Our Girl Nettie  and she hated it.  I think she looks wonderful — both she and her mom!  Especially to think that “B” is 84

I have a young friend who is trying to learn to make pie.  So she came one day and helped me make pie crusts.  We filled her crusts, too, and she has a natural talent for making the crusts.  She came back another day and helped me can apple pie filling.  We also made a sojourn to Byler’s Store, The Amish Greenhouse that is just behind Byler’s, and also made a stop at the Amish store down the road from Byler’s that sells everything:  toys, puzzles, dry goods, games, boots, shoes, hair pins, diapers, books, song books for Amish singings, childrens books, coloring books, church toys, sandbox toys, etc., etc., etc..  It was a wonderful day.  Here is “A” handling pie crust like a pro:

Middle Daughter, known more and more as “Beeba” finished the Thankful Wall this week:

And it has already accumulated some signatures:

Remember:  Anyone is welcome to stop by just to sign the wall if you can’t think of another reason.

On Friday, in the middle of canning apple pie filling, “A” and I had just stopped to make some lunch.  One of the fellows who is working on some remodeling in the chicken house appeared in our laundry room and asked to use the restroom.  That was no problem.  I noticed later that he had gone back to the chicken house, and “A” and I sat down to eat.  Suddenly there was another young man, handsome and clean cut standing in our laundry room and I heard him say, “Is it okay if we use your restroom?’  I looked up and started to say “Sure, go right ahead” to what I thought was another of the construction workers when the face registered in my fur brain and I felt my heart do this flip flop of extreme joy!  “What are you doing here?” I yelped as I scramble to hug my out of state nephew.  He and his beautiful wife and gorgeous children were “just passing through” and decided to stop.  Nothing could have pleased me more.  We brought in the rest of the family, took care of the bathroom needs and made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kiddoes and chicken salad sandwiches for the adults.  There were chips and vegetable dip and canned peaches and sweet tea for a hurry-up lunch and then we brought out some ice cream to finish things off.  And then, just as quickly as they came, they were gone, but I will always treasure that unexpected, golden gift of “drop in family” in the middle of an ordinary Friday.
  
Jadon and Lauren                Colin

Mike and Heather and their precious family.

There were other things that this week brought — I took my Sweet Mama shopping on Wednesday, took Our Girl Nettie to the Doctor on Thursday — and finally, took myself to the Walk-in Health care facility because I was feeling so bad and my family doctor was out of state.  They confirmed what I already knew (that I had a raging Urinary Tract Infection) and gave me a prescription.  Thank God I was able to get some help.  I had tried to drown it out with water and Cranberry, but it seemed like I was getting nowhere fast — so now, thanks to their good help, I really do feel mostly recovered.

Which was just in time, too.   Because we were planning for a baby shower here yesterday.  For information on that, go over to http://www.xanga.com/Ikwa  or http://www.xanga.com/fatmarriedmama to see more but here are a few random shops:

The food table
Ikwa made an impressive, wonderful spread of delicious food.

And these are the faces around the circle:

Aren’t friends wonderful things???
I am so thankful for the people who share my life in so many ways

It’s been such a wonderful week.
Thank God for the happy, happy days.