My grandmother rarely, as she got older, had much in her refrigerator.  But there was always, always ….

Grandma’s ice cream scoop.

Chocolate.

Often a chocolate cake fresh from a nearby grocery store.  And ice cream.  Chocolate swirl to be exact, is usually what we would find in her freezer.  We could also find it placed generously in front of us for consumption before the end of any visit.

…

While we have often gone, for most of my own daughter’s life, to a nearby custard shop for our ice cream fix .. that is another thing that if we are going to have these days, I’m looking forward to having at home.

The past couple nights as we’ve slowly (well, maybe not all that slowly) polished off a little container of Ben and Jerry’s Half Baked, it’s been fun to grab Grandma’s old scoop out of the silverware drawer and think back on all those nights growing up and what they mean to me now ..

Half baked served up in Grandma’s old wine glasses. Make an awesome, fancy ‘dish’.

Looking forward to keeping the tradition going ..

I used to cook all the time.

I love food.  I love to cook.  I love to grocery shop at stores that stock the freshest of foods in the outer aisles and rows of bulk bins are like a little culinary playground to me.  I love to eat well if I’m going to eat, meaning .. I don’t usually eat junk just to put something in my mouth.  I adore a colorful, healthy meal made with the freshest ingredients, if possible from my garden.  And I then enjoy sharing it with family and friends.

We sat down at the table as a family almost every night as kids.

We did the same during my first marriage, when my daughter was young.

Some of my favorite reading materials …

After the divorce .. it wasn’t always easy on the schedule we were on, to plan out a healthy series of meals each week at home.  I would cook when possible.  It’s more economical and I just prefer it.  But between selling/staging a house that was on the market for over a year and not wanting to mess up the kitchen only to have to clean it again and re-stage .. school events, activities and family or friends in town asking us last minute to join them for dinner, usually we would get only a night or two at home to actually make a home cooked meal on our old schedule of 2-2-5 ..

And a lot of food, fresh/leftovers or otherwise, would go to waste.  A lot.

So often, especially on the weeks I had her only two nights .. we would go one of those nights, to either our favorite restaurant or we might check out somewhere new.  (We are blessed with a community of awesome eateries.)  The other night, we would either go to the grocery store and get something special to make at home.  Or, just do breakfast for dinner, which we both love.  It’s been that way for nearly 7 years.

Fast forward to three weeks ago.

Her first day of school, literally just switched to our new schedule of week on week off .. I kissed her goodbye at the school door and immediately set course for the grocery store.  With a list.  To buy food for a week of home cooked meals and beyond.

Stocked fridge.

Realizing at that moment how long it had been since I had been able to truly meal plan, or cook for someone more than myself for more than a night or two at a time, almost had me in tears.  And we’ve eaten at home just about every night we’ve been together since.  Even the leftovers.

Loving for so many reasons, the new schedule.

Change can be tough ..

BUT:

“The best thing you can do is the right thing; the next best thing you can do is the wrong thing; the worst thing you can do is nothing.” -Theodore Roosevelt

… Staying in the same place or situation or state of being in life, can be even more of a challenge.

We have had at least one significant change in the past couple weeks, one I’ve felt would make life easier on our daughter now for quite some time.  We’ve gone from a 2-2-5 schedule to week on week off.

And while it’s only been two weeks, I can already feel the hectic schedule we’ve kept for almost 7 years dissipating into a more calm place and pace.  I hope, for us all.

Last Tuesday night to celebrate (we have for now, one mid-week night visit), knowing homework was done, room was picked up, everything was together to head back to her dads and the dog all settled in after being fed and let out .. we went to a favorite neighborhood place for some pizza.

Since the start of our week together last Friday, the time has been wonderful.  Relaxed.  Great conversations are being had.  Things are getting done that in the past it never felt we had adequate time to do.  And at the very least, one really cool change has taken place, and it happened almost instantaneously for me.

To which I’ll write about …. in my next post.

Cracked teeth, I’ve learned, are no laughing matter.  And old fillings are best replaced.

No photos necessary here.

We’ve talked about it for at least half a year.  When would be a good time to move our lone remaining horse here in WI out to the ranch.

After several chances to do it and then opportunities to still keep her here close to our WI home, we’ve waited.   But it was time.  So this week, the big day came.

The trip went well.  She has apparently made fast friends with another newbie to the group, JC.  I can’t wait until I get to the ranch again, to see her settled in, myself.  And ride.  So grateful to the Cowboy for giving us all such a wonderful home.

Sunday this past weekend …

The Cowboy led another Roping Clinic north of Milwaukee.  Small one, but one filled with some fun familiar faces.  Love that one of the most improved that day was a young woman.

Spent few hours on Saturday in my hometown.  There was an ice cream social I had the honor of being invited to and because of it, the downtown was packed.  Families were buzzing around, reconnecting even though many of them had just been together earlier in the day as all their kids seem to play some fall sport together and talking about where they would meet and what they would bring to the fireworks show later that night.

As I was leaving .. and as I usually do, I drove by some of my old stomping grounds, including the old dam we used to play on as kids.

No longer there in it’s entirety.  Used to walk across this all the time as kids to a friends house on the other side of town.  Was the only easy connector as kids.  Looking at it now, I can’t believe our parents trusted us to make it across safely as there was a cement landing under the water below.  It was a great place to hang out.  Meet up with friends.  Sit for awhile.  Throw stones into the water below.  Sometimes jump from in the heat of the summer and hope you hit the deep spot in the shallow stream below.  Kind of sad the state it’s in anymore.  But still brings back wonderful memories ..

The dam deconstructed.

She’s wanted to play drums for as long as I can remember.

Or just sing.

“Drums,” she said to me earlier this week (well, when I wrote this initially it was ‘this week.’  It’s now, last week we’re referring to ..) when I asked what she wanted most to try out for .. as 6th grade means a new opportunity to learn a new instrument in band at school.

So when she came home yesterday and asked right before bed if I still had my old saxophone, I was a little taken back.

“Can I take it in the morning?  Can I see it?  Where is it?  You have it HERE?” she pestered me to get it for her at that moment.  “I didn’t know it was HERE!”  (She’s never seemed interested and I’ve gotten it out to play it for her in the past, years ago though.)

Knowing approximately where it was, in the depths of one of our closets buried beneath a few other things, I told her I’d make sure it was ready to go in the morning if she really wanted to take it in for her band teacher to check out.  Which she absolutely did.

Found it.  Vacuumed the cat hair off .. and it was ready to go along this morning to school.

I remember learning to play.  The squeals and squeaks of someone trying to figure out a reed instrument.  Yeouch.  I still cringe at my own learning to play.

http://www.livescience.com/9964-music-tones-brain-improves-learning.html

I’m wondering now .. if this is what we’ll be listening to, or if there might be a chance we could still hear the pounding of drums.

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/814331/10-reasons-why-your-child-should-play-a-musical-instrument-1

Either one is exciting and the simple fact she even wants to be in band, for so many reasons, is music to my ears.

We have the best neighbors.

Everyone gathered around the grill ..

And after getting home last night from school and work and making sure all our necessary tasks were done .. we grabbed our chair, the frisbee for the dog, and settled into the conversation already well underway with those we not only live in the same building with, but good people who have become great friends.

Master of the Grill

The pork tenderloin I had picked up for dinner I threw on the grill next to three other families meals ..

The grill’s owner proudly each night, makes sure whoever may be sharing his coals has their meal done just right.  It was perfect.

As was the salad my daughter had gone inside to make from freshly washed lettuce and tomatoes straight from the garden.  A beautiful night.

One of our favorite books …

She may be in 6th grade .. and perhaps a little old for this book, but it’s one of our favorites.

So after a shower, picking up her room and with all her school books neatly filed again in her backpack and tucked in her basket by the door after the 2nd day of school, my 11 year old asked if that could be the book we’d read that night.

I’ll never forget the first few times we read this book .. we laughed so hard we cried.

And still do … I think in many ways because it reminds me a few little girls I know.