Monday, April 05, 2010

Post Easter


My soon to be sixteen year old granddaughter - and her boyfriend. I'm so happy for her because she looks happier than I've seen her for a long time. She's the one that had the rods inserted in her back, and they were extremely painful for several years until she once again had surgery to remove them. She is doing pretty well - some pain issues but not nearly as much!
The kids dyed four dozen eggs - youngest grandson helped.
The weather was exquisite - the Saturday before youngest grandson and I joined Hattigrace and some friends at a park and the kids all hunted Easter eggs and ate hotdogs and all around had so much fun.
I made the feast - a simple one in stages - and "H" cleaned up after the dinner - thank goodness, I was only good for bed by then. Our Wyoming friends were here, but had to leave suddenly when his operated on foot started oozing we know not what - I am waiting for cheap cell phone hours so I can call and find out what is going on - no bad infection, I pray!
Oldest daughter raided my closet - we often trade clothes back and forth. The only thing I bought for Easter besides food was a new summer bag for granddaughter and 3 Dove chocolate bunnies for each grandchild. I did buy myself some "PEEPS" - I love those things!
My stomach, head, etc., all but stamina has perked up considerably and stamina is coming along - four days after today to the countdown to catching the plane for the Caribbean - eeeeeeeeek! It will be very interesting - I can't wait for hopefully fabulous photos to share with everyone. What to wear, what to wear? Bathing suit - check, wraps - check, crop pants - check, tank tops - check - a packable skirt and slinky black top for - - - what? Check! Shoes, supplements, meds, hair stuff, toothpaste - and to think I left for Costa Rica with two Walmart knit outfits, a tooth brush-paste, and comb in a borrowed bag - (I was only a few miles from New Orleans airport and remembered that I forgot my suitcase!) The Costa Rica trip was an adventure - none of the reservations were working out - I ended up in the Barrio in a $30 a night hotel (if I ever take a vacation in San Jose, I know exactly where to stay!) and shopped the stalls until, with no Spanish except "Si!" I negotiated a chicken leg and a coke.
There were absolutely no folks but locals - but I did stumble upon the bus station and found I could take a bus to the resort area, if I still could not get on the little plane - depended hugely on this wonderful taxi driver who literally saved my trip for me - Wow! That trip also netted a web design job - so if this is a forecast of the future - trips to the Caribbean to design websites, I'm on!
Sooooo - tonight scalloped potatoes and ham - leftovers from Easter dinner, grandson still with us, need to call him in from play for dinner and get him settled for the evening. His spring break is over - the kids are in their last quarter - hoorah - summer is coming!!!!!!
Sorry again about the paragraphs - I am flat refusing to put the HTML in by hand again!

9 comments:

Wandering Coyote said...

Happy Easter to you and yours, Gardenia, belated though it is.

I am reading a fascinating book on Caribbean food right now called "The Spice Necklace." I want to go just to eat!

Gardenia said...

Coyote! I need to find that book! I'm so excited to try the local cuisine!

Wandering Coyote said...

Ann Vanderhoof is the author, it's a Canadian book published by Random House. I am really enjoying it.

Gardenia said...

Thanks- I'll look for it. I love outdoor markets, so the first thing I will request that we go to a market and then make all kinds of inquiries into preparation as well....I bet there is a lot of African influence (not sure which region) in the cooking.

Gardenia said...

Coyote, i've been looking at the book on line - a MUST HAVE - and I can tell now I will never want to come back to the U.S., but live forever there in that place. Spice Necklaces! If they are not expensive, I am in the market for many - will let you know if I corner them and will send you one. We'll see - not the same island the author is mentioning -

tweetey30 said...

Happy Belated Easter and I have my pix up and running for you all to see...

punxxi said...

Carribean food is great, I am sure you can get a cookook...just don't do what we did and buy so much stuff we had to pay for overweight baggage.There is a lot of African influence, but what part of Africa I am not sure. I have a Northern Afriacan cookbook that I love... love... love! It is mostly Morrocan and Egyptian but the food is great. A good way to try out different types is to check out library cookbooks to see if you like the food enough to invest...go look for recipes online, of course! Have a great holliday and get all tan and relaxed!

DILLIGAF said...

When the kids are happy we are happy.

Mine's happy too.

It's all we want really eh?

Hope you had a crackin' Easter babe x

Gardenia said...

Punxxi - I've been cheating, using a tanning bed - I am a tan freak when spring comes till fall then I let it all rest. That way "H" thinks he has some variety - a 6'2" senorita - keeps him happy too. Can't show up at the island and be from Florida and NOT be tan - must perpetuate a myth = that all we do down here is lay in the sun.