Recipes and resting up a bit

I am so tired but we had a lovely time with family this past week. I have Wives & Daughters sitting on the DVD player to pop in just a little later and dinner in the Crock Pot. It may take a few days to recover but it was well worth it, not until Sunday did I feel the fatigue setting in very much. :)

My sisters Bonnie, Jean and I picked up my niece (Terri, who can no longer drive because of advanced MS symptoms) and had a great day on Friday with Jean treating us to breakfast out, Goodwill shopping, and putting flowers on family graves. Well, that wasn't much fun. Except when Terri brought out the decorations for my brother's grave (her Dad).

There were beautiful autumnal silk mums and other flowers but what brought the laughter from the rest of us were the scarecrows on sticks to put in the ground. The boy scarecrow went on her dad's side and the girl was placed next to her step mother's side. My brother was the joke master and prankster of the family so it was so appropriate. It is a good thing there were no other people near us or they may have been offended by all the laughing.

On Saturday I ended up inviting everyone to dinner, including my other brother's widow and her family members who drove in from out of state. Now, I only had about $5.00 to spend but I had food in the freezer and the pantry. Everyone had a great time and loved the food. My sister, Bonnie, brought a zucchini pie (I have got to get that recipe) and I served:

• Chicken and Dressing Casserole
• Holiday Spaghetti
• Green Beans cooked to death in butter (they didn't care that they were canned!)
• Pumpkin Bars and my sister's pie
• Water served from a pretty pitcher

It was nice enough to eat on the deck but when it became a little cloudy, we had to come back inside to warm up a bit. Jean has decided next year she will visit in August, before it dips into the 30's at night. Hehehe...

We were both tired by yesterday evening so she and I propped our feet up and watched Murder She Wrote and then a couple hours of Fox News. After the excitement of the past few days, it was nice to sit and veg out. (She had spent the first part of her vacation at Bonnie's and the weekend with us.)

We were up early this morning so I could drive her to the big hotel near the Interstate in a nearby town. From there she could catch the shuttle that takes people to the City... or to be specific... to the International Airport. My niece, Brandi, will pick her up at the airport and she'll be home in time to see the grandchildren arrive home from school. The marvels of air travel.

Now for the sofa, a throw, a British flick, and rest...