Some images from the weekend:
This was undoubtedly the best moment (Nola met her new cousin, Eloise), but there was also this
Wherein we marvelled together at Brian Selznick’s magical pencil illustrations in The Invention of Hugo Cabret (and after reading the entire big, fat, beautiful novel, we watched the movie together and had an interesting discussion about adaptation, truly!)
And we made cookies from my spattered ancient copy of The Joy of Cooking, which Nola pronounced as looking as if it might be in a museum, like it might be 20,000 years old. . . (it’s 43!)
And I got royally startled by a knock on glass coming from an unexpected direction
little Girl was helping her Granddad clean the gutters — this is something city girls don’t often get to do — I expect it will be remembered long after our Peanut butter cookie-making!
So pleased with herself at totally freaking out Nana that she had a little picnic in the sunshine: a blanket over her lap, peanut butter cookies, and a glass of milk. Life is good.
No wonder she was ready to do this
And now she’s back home with mom and dad and Nana is ready for another week of classes, counting down until the end of my last week before retirement. And you? How are you managing the weekend to work week transition? What did you get up to? What do you have planned?
Nola always looks like she's having a great time! She must really enjoy visiting you. Plus a new cousin to visit…That transition from weekend to work disappears when you retire. After almost four years, I sort of miss having distinct work/play times but I'm volunteering at the library, visiting a pueblo library and tutoring this week. Today is a National Holiday in Mexico so it is still the week-end. Happy Monday!
We have such a good time together — I think she really does enjoy it, and she's so easy to accommodate, really.
The weekend isn't as distinct from work as I'd like it to be, even now, actually, as I've always got "homework" but I'd like to see what my natural rhythms are like when indulged. I like watching the way you've found ways to blend work and play — you keep very busy and productive but it's clear you're having a good time. Happy Monday to you as well!
You must surely be counting the days now until you retire! As Madame La Bas said in her comment weekdays and weekends all feel the same once you retire…the joke here is that I never get a day "off!"
Those cookies bring back memories and my tattered Joy of Cooking is about the same vintage.
I'm definitely on a countdown now!
There are so many classic recipes in that cookbook that I don't think I could ever give it away.
I want to be Nola!!!
😉 !!!
The post and photos capture the sweetness of the weekend perfectly!
It was very sweet — I'm glad you can sense that through the post.
What a wonderful weekend. I saw that photo on IG and I think my heart would have stopped had I looked up and saw her little face smiling down from the roof!! My joy of cooking is completely splattered and worn out. The sign of a great cookbook!
I was pretty surprised — which delighted her no end!
And indeed it is the sign of a great cookbook! Splattered, back cover lost, a few index pages missing, but that doesn't matter as the pages fall open exactly to the favourite recipes!
How sweet the way she cuddles up with her beasties, all safe and comfy on your sofa. xox.
I love that too — she knows when she needs a bit of downtime and her Stuffies are the doorway to a snooze. (I managed to wrest them away, one by one, for a brief, gentle spin in the machine . . . )
This looks like a wonderful weekend. I spent mine grading papers so not so fun. Thinking more and more seriously about retirement. Must get father's estate settled first, although I really don't know why.since the two are not really related. Funny how we sometimes think of things as a list to be accomplished.
Lynn
I had a slew of research paper proposals to mark, along with the annotated bibliographies — never my favourite marking project. Snuck those into the hours before she woke and after she went to bed . . . why I'm feeling so tired this morning.
It is indeed interesting the way we think we have to progress through certain tasks, and it's tough to shift the order we have them set in. Seems to me there must be some emotional weight around settling your father's estate. Good luck with that.
All the photos, really… but that first one brought tears to my eyes.
I really loved watching that. Nola is quite content as an Only, but she delights in her small cousins and they get together often enough that I hope they may have something of the closeness of siblings as they grow.
Your post made me laugh as I remember spending time with young grandchildren. For several years, i worked four long days so I could have my first grandson with me once a week. We had a wonderful time, however, by the end of the day, I was pooped. I had to bribe him to go home with three pistachios, three raisins, and three chocolate chips. I think that was one of the ways he learned how to count.
That's a cute story! It's tough, though, isn't it, working full-time and spending "enough" time with grandchildren who are racing to adulthood far too quickly. . . I'm feeling very confirmed in my decision to retire now.
I recognise both the delight in time with a grandchild and the demands it makes! There are few things better than grandchild time in its highs but the energy it requires always leaves me relishing the quiet time when they go. My mother used to say to me when my children were young "I love it when you come and I love it when you go". I thought it was a great thing to say at the time and now that I am where she was then I think it greater still!
So much delight and so much exhaustion — your mother had the perfect phrase! Can you imagine juggling the grandchild time with a full-time job? It's too much for me. . . I'm out! 😉
Oh, what a lovely post. Nola is a sweetie-pie. (As is Eloise.) And you are a very energetic woman.
No, no, no, the energy is all gone . . . 😉