I need a much bigger head if it's going to have so much input all the time.
Life is full, I tell ya.
Full.
Friday night, at our regular spot, with our regular waiter attending, the Prince and I had our regular time with Beeg Seester and Bro.
Our discussion was anything but the norm, though, because we were excitedly planning a camping trip to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Oh, lah, I can hardly wait!
I must be excited.
I left a letter out of San Marcos.
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Saturday was 'geneaology day', followed by the hanging of shades, drapes, and pictures in Me Darlin' Mither's guest room.
But Saturday night...
That was something special.
After a week of self-imposed (and much needed) scanty rations, having a perfectly grilled steak, a baked potato, fresh green salad and a glass of wine set in front of me by two really great people was...was...well, you'll just have to imagine it.
And, as if it wasn't enough to enjoy this scrumptious meal, hours of delightful conversation, a visit with one of our beloved 'adoptees', and a tour of their lovely new 'home in the woods', they gave me a carry-out box for my leftovers.
But what I really wish they could have packed in that to-go box is...
...more of their company.
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Sunday began with Miss Helping Hands playing beautiful piano music while we readied ourselves for worship, followed by a good word, the embraces of the saints, and the encouragement of His presence.
At lunch with the girlies we revisited our former practice of sharing, in turns around the table, the highlights of our week.
I love to hear what their high spots are, and having to zero in on just one or two high spots of my own gives me a truer grasp of just how many there have been.
Sunday afternoon, Miss Helping Hands made these Lemon Blackberry Muffins with the last of the blackberries I brought home from my Chicken Raisin' Seester's place.
I've got to say that the texture of these muffins is perfection, and the light lemony goodness of the batter, combined with the blackberries, is truly scrumptious.
It was hard to hold back.
While Miss Helping Hands was making muffins, I was working on this little dresser that my Seester had snagged (for free?) and we'd decided to re-finish for Me Mither's guest room.
The top had warped from moisture, and some of the wood had split and come up along the edge.
The Prince countersank a screw to hold the board down...
...and I did some serious gluing and wood-filler work on the top and along the abused side bottoms:
Then I did enough sanding and sweating in the near-100 degree heat that I came in from the garage looking just pretty darn attractive.
I believe this little dresser is ready for paint today, though, so I guess it was worth it.
Also, somewhere in the middle of all of this activity, Miss Helping Hands drove out to the 'chicken ranch' to fetch home a few bizillion apples which had all but fallen from the trees on my Seester's land (but which, in actuality, she'd gone through the trouble of picking and sharing with me).
There were two crates of these apples staring me in the eye the whole while I was working on that dresser.
I thank God that Miss Helping Hands was wanting to stay busy, because I had her get out the apple peeler/corer/slicer and the food dehydrator, and she dried nine trays of cinnamon apples.
Then the Prince, Miss Mary Mack and I peeled, cored, sliced and chopped 5 1/2 more pounds of these apples, and I made a batch of apple butter from this recipe.
I'd love to say I put a large dent in the apple supply but...
I think I'll be making apple-y things for a long time.