A Last Wisconsin Weekend...

Me with my BFF Lee

This past weekend was a whirlwind of family gatherings. It seems that as we

near the end of our time here, our dance cards fill more quickly. So it was on

Saturday and Sunday. My weekend began with coffee and conversation with
my BFF Lee. We never really get enough time together on these trips. Ever.

Precious moments with our granddaughters

Then, I was off to a lunch date with our younger daughter-in-love and our two
fun and beautiful granddaughters. We ate at one of their favorite local restaurants
and then walked around town a bit to find a few things I needed to get as gifts.

I always enjoy talking with our girls and getting caught up on their lives...
and listening to their storytelling is always enlightening and amusing.

Adults: L-r: Josh, Johanna, Eli, me, Nathaniel, Chelsea, Aaron and Amanda (and the kidlets)

Saturday ended with a drive to Beaver Dam, WI to meet my Aunt Eli, her

three grown children and their families. My cousins are just the best, and 

all of us laughed over an Italian dinner and Eli's special touch for my cousin,

Nate's Birthday celebration. (That's him peeking over my shoulder.)

Nate with the kidlets wearing famous masks

She made face masks of famous people who share his Birthdate...and then
his nieces and nephews held them up to surprise him. (For this party, there
were Kevin Spacey, Sandra Bullock and Mick Jagger masks. Oh, boy!)

Goodness, I remember how much fun it was to be thirty one, and now he'll

have a year to enjoy it for himself. It was hard to end the evening to head home.

Me with my niece, Keeley

  Sunday began with lunch with my niece, Keeley and her grandma Sally.   Sally was kind and generous enough to offer one of her cars to me to use the entire time we were in Wisconsin. Aunty Margaret followed me over to Sally's so that I could return her car today. We visited over a lovely Waldorf salad lunch, and, after hugs and goodbyes, Aunty Margaret brought me back to the Flying  Cloud to find Handsome had returned from making circus music the wilds of  Nebraska. (He attended the summer Windjammers Convention all last week.)

Son #1, our lovely daughter-in-love and grandson - and me with Handsome (being serious) :D

Handsome and I spent a few hours catching up on the events of the week, and then we jumped back in our chariot to meet Son #1 and his family for dinner.   I've gotten really good at asking complete and total strangers to take my camera   and (after a quick lesson in its operation) getting them to snap really great memories for our album. Of course, there is usually silliness involved and this one was no exception. After hugs and kisses and promises to see each other again soon, we parted company and headed to our own homes for another good night's sleep.   Today, we'll be packing and preparing to leave Wisconsin. I've loved every  new memory we created with our friends and loved ones we saw on this trip.    Still, there never seems to be quite enough time. I can think of more than a few people we had hoped to see before we leave again, but missed. They'll be at the top of our list for the next time we're here. And, they're always welcome to travel south when the weather gets too cold for them. Until next year, loved ones...   We'll leave early tomorrow morning and turn for Florida. I have lots to do today, though before we're ready...starting with laundry. (I'll be trying my new homemade laundry soap!) I'd better get after it!