nine days later

Every room in the house and almost everything in the house was clean by end of day Saturday, a few things on one wall and a high shelf in the kitchen I didn’t get around to. It took me 6 days but I have to say, the house looks spectacular. I’ll probably never do this again, not the whole house, not everything at once. My brother and sister in law Cathi arrived late Thursday evening at the AirB&B where they were staying for his every five year high school reunion in Houston on Saturday and the visit just happened to coincide with my birthday this year. 

Sarah and I did the grocery store and liquor store on Saturday. Sunday I made the two salads I was making. Cathi made one batch of cookies on Friday and I made another on Saturday. Sarah showed up Sunday around 1 PM with a truck load of barbecue pit, chairs, and the food she had made. Her husband Mike showed up shortly after and got the barbecue pit and the chicken leg quarters going while Cathi made the hamburger patties to go on later.

Mikey had towed the truck over to the shop yard on Friday (needs a fuel pump) and I moved the car over early Sunday so bbq pit and chairs and coolers of drinks and ice were set up on the concrete apron in front of the garage and barn in the shade of the oak, crepe myrtle, and magnolia trees; food was spread out on my big work table inside. 

I had ordered a warm onion bacon potato dish from the local barbecue place earlier in the week, enough for 35 people which they said was a gallon and a half, paid for it in advance and when I went to pick it up on Sunday somehow between my ordering it and the kitchen getting the order it became 2 1/2 gallons! Since I had my paid receipt that showed clearly 1 1/2 gallons they waived whatever the extra cost would have been but what was I going to do with 2 1/2 gallons of potatoes! It got divided up among family afterwards and I still have some in the freezer.

It was a fine party, people started showing up at 3 PM and by all accounts everyone had a good time. I counted 31 people including Marc and me, a very varied group of people; friends from our glass studio days, friends from the neighborhood, a co-worker from the antique store days, co-volunteers from SHARE, fellow yogis, and family. Finally it was just the family sitting around and well after dark by the time we had all the food put away and coolers emptied, chairs folded and stacked, tables cleaned off. Fun day. Did I take any pictures? No. Jade took a few, Sarah took a couple. My party planner daughter and son.

Monday everyone slept late and after John and Cathi finally made it over we basically just sat around all day. Tuesday we had planned to drive to Galveston and spend the day so we left about 9:30. We walked the Strand in the historical district with all the shops and eateries. I made a beeline as soon as we got there to a store that carries the jewelry of an artist whose work I have long admired. The last time I was there with my sister and niece they didn’t have any and I was sorely disappointed as I planned to buy something. This time though they did and I had barely stopped in front of the case when the salesgirl appeared asking me if I would like for her to open it, probably because I did not saunter around the store looking at anything but went straight to the case that usually contains his work. The top shelf had a collection of phlox pieces; a gorgeous full necklace, earrings, necklace drops, and charms. I wish I had taken a picture of the necklace just to show but I did pick out a pair of earrings and at the counter mentioned to my brother that I hadn’t bought myself a birthday present yet and he said since he had not brought me a birthday present he would get them for me. Earrings by Michael Michaud Designs 

Then he treated us to lunch at a seafood restaurant (my brother wears the best shirts)

and after lunch we drove down Seawall Blvd and parked to walk on the beach for a while where the seaweed from the Sargasso Sea was coming in as it does every year around this time. The city used to scrape it off the beaches and take it to a landfill because tourists thought it was icky until the beaches and dunes started eroding away. The seaweed is essential to protecting the sand and building the dunes.

Wednesday was my actual birthday and after browsing two shops on the Square where I bought two more crystals and made a quick stop at the grocery store, we just sat around all afternoon watching cooking competition shows. John and Cathi left early Thursday morning heading back to Washington state. 

The next few days are going to be very laid back and then on Wednesday I’m having cataract surgery on my left eye.