Family | Peaches Prattlings

{December 21, 2016} A waffle…a visit…a movie…a waffle

So…there are no Waffle Houses where I am, I have to get my fill!

I left ST’s house and went to Waffle House for breakfast. Then I toured my old neighborhood and took a look at my house, tried to visit my neighbors, unfortunately, they weren’t home, bummer. I went to Starbucks for a bit, trying to coordinate with a friend in the area.

Eventually, I went to where she was and wet caught up for about an hour, so great! Happy anniversary KC!

By now, it was about 5pm and I headed to JCT’s house. When I got there is got to see her mom who hadn’t been home when I first got here. She fed me, as she always does, one of the reasons I call her mom. It was red bean soup with these little dumpling things filled with peanut butter, odd but tasty!

JCT, her daughter, SAT and I went to the movies, we saw Miss Peregrine’s, it was good, scary, fun…all at the same time.

After, since we promised SAT, a trip to Waffle House, crazy that I started and ended my day at the same place! Like I said, no Waffle House in Hawaii or Illinois, gotta get it while I can!

Then it was back to the house to hang out, talk to you and then hopefully crash. I’m picking someone special up at the airport! Wink wink

I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!

{December 20, 2016} Another day, another adventure!

Has your week been as fabulous as mine?

I spent the night with RJS, well, I got in after everyone was asleep. I loved on the fur babies, then crashed.

This morning it was catching up and then a trip to….Waffle House! She knows me so well! Then it was errands and laughing and silliness, par for the course.

After a great day with RJS, I went to meet one of my oldest and most wonderfulest friends, LGR and her husband, MR and their daughter Miss C.

We meet at a hibachi restaurant, something Miss C has been asking for. LGR and I met at my first corporate job in Atlanta oh so many years ago. We’ve been through a lot together and we’ve stayed friends through so much and no matter what happens in our lives, if we go long periods without seeing each other, it’s like no time has passed. How fabulous is that!

Of to ST’s house to crash for the night. We are watching Ant-Man while I talk to you and then off to dream land…because tomorrow…

More adventure awaits!

{December 18, 2016} Next day…a tree and a letter

Sleeping in is beautiful! I woke up about 630am and then fell back to sleep and woke up about 830am, mmm…

I hung out with Miss A while she was waking up and SDL was on a call. After the call, we had breakfast, Skyped with SDL’s parents, Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop. A little while later, another breakfast, the girl has a bottomless put for a stomachs, not sure where she puts it all!

Eventually, I headed out to LBK’s. The family is leaving for NYC in Tuesday and she needed a little help getting ready. We had a great time! All the batteries have been changed, presents wrapped, last few gifts purchased, including teacher and coaches gifts, tree decorated and holiday letter written.

The batteries part was fun because it’s all those toys that sing and dance, so much fun! Then there was decorating the tree, so much fun looking at the ornaments throughout the years, when the girls were babies. Ornaments they made, picked out, what has to go on the tree.

The last task was a holiday letter. LBK wrote what’s happened this year with everyone and then we worked together on writing it for the holiday letter, adding a little humor here and there. What a great year this family has had! I’m so happy for them.

LBK’s finally went to sleep, she has to work in the morning, I stayed up a little later, I’m almost done wrapping my gifts! Then I had to talk to you and hopefully get a few hours of sleep, another busy day tomorrow!

I’m so glad that I got to spend time with the family, they’re usually gone when I get to Atlanta for the Christmas.

{December 17, 2016} Day two…what’s next?

Day two started by sleeping in! What? That almost never happens!

I slept until about 930am, it was fabulous! Maybe it was because I was sleeping in LaLa’s bed. I usually sleep in the guest room or on one of the recliners in the living room, but JCT and JT had fallen asleep down there and that meant the pugs, Yogi and Booboo were sleeping there too. The pugs over snore! Weird dog like noises that I couldn’t fall asleep to, so up I went.

I woke up to the sounds and smells of breakfast. I’m pretty sure JCT thinks I’m a goose and she’s trying to fatten me up! Eggs, grits, waffles, hash browns, toast and bacon, well, no bacon for me. SAT, her daughter said that I should come over more often so she can have breakfasts like this! Sounds good to me!

Then it was off to the races, well, after I wrapped some gifts that I brought with me. SAT got a haircut, JCT and I did some shopping next door, then we got some lunch and then more shopping, I’m running out of room in the car. Back to the house, hung out for a bit and I headed out. Before I left, I was given a key to the kingdom, so nice! And, of course, a golf ball key!

I left their house and headed to SDL, she and Miss A had just gotten in from their marathon shopping day. We caught up, then went to our favorite Mexican restaurant where they adore her, especially Miss Veronica. We ate, caught up, laughed, danced, rocked, bounced, ran around and then it was finally time to go home for bath and bed, that was for Miss A. SDL and I sat and talked for a while until Miss A decided she might try to come downstairs.

When I went back upstairs a few minutes later, the picture of them snuggling and asleep would have been precious!

I got settled in, time to talk to you then crash. More fun tomorrow!

{December 16, 2016} And the marathon begins!

I landed in Atlanta this morning and off I went!

The first stop was fabulous and long overdue. I met with two very dear friends, who were neighbors when we all lived in my last neighborhood in Georgia. They were both the first people I met, we went on trips together, dinners, lunches, brunches, parties, coffee and tea, planning, events, parades, comfort, support and love each other, in good times and bad.

Something we used to do is, and I know this is crazy sounding, we would just walk down the street, knock on each other’s doors and just visit, imagine that!

PWT and DNB, love these ladies, they helped me get through some…shite in my life. We got together and it was like no time had passed, it was wonderful. I hope that we can continue this, it really was great to see them.

I left lunch and headed to JCT, we caught up until the family got home, then we all headed to Costco, I know, you’re jealous…then JCT, her daughter ST and I went for a little pampering, mani for me and ST and the works for JCT, mani/pedi, ahhhh.

Back to the house to watch movies and hang out. Just what the doctor ordered. You curious what’s coming tomorrow? Tune in and find out!

{December 11, 2016} Another crazy, fabulous weekend with my family

Actually it was pretty low key…nice.

I got to my sister’s somewhere between 130 and 2am on Friday. GES was the only one home when I woke up. We spent some quality time together.

Eventually, everyone was home and we took the girls with us to get some holiday shopping done. Then it was auntie-niece time while mom and dad went out. We had dinner, talked, watched movies and then night-night, no fighting, just brushing teeth, potty, lights out.
Today was more of the same, well, GES and I got to go run errands and shop for a few hours, just the sisters getting to catch up without interruption, we had a great time.

Dinner with the family, wrap gifts, pack my bags, way too many to take with me, but I have lots of presents to deliver in Atlanta!

Now, the big question…will I get out of Boston tomorrow? It’s snowing in Chicago, 1500 flights have been canceled so far. My flights have been rescheduled by United. It started snowing here about two hours ago. If I wasn’t teaching on Tuesday, I wouldn’t be as concerned about getting to Chicago.

Send good vibes please.

{December 4, 2016} Our first party!

We hosted our first official party! As a couple and it was awesome!

I’ve met some of PSM’s coworkers at work functions or just when I’d visited, but it was brief or a long time ago. Now, when i was home last month one of his coworkers had us over for dinner and I met two families, which helped because they were beginning to think I was a figment of his imagination!

I thought it was time to meet more people and christen the house, so I reached out to the two people I’m friends with on Facebook and I got a list of emails and invite I did.

So…PSM just got a taste of a JJ weekend! We happened to get up early, par for the course here, went to breakfast at one of our favorite places, then it was back to the house, clean, two appointments, run to the grocery store, back to the house with literally 20 minutes to spare. That meant set up for the cookout and a very quick shower.

The first family arrived with their kids and I was informed that they have a brand new puppy. Where is the puppy? We were going to bring her, we weren’t sure…we insisted and away went dad to get the puppy! Oh my but she is precious! Am 8 week old Australian Shepherd, is she not the cutest thing! She was such a huge hit at the party! We wondered if they would actually get to take her home, we were all in love or, with everyone holding her, she’d ever learn to walk!

People kept coming and it was fabulous, kids upstairs playing, running up and down, people inside and out enjoying good food, drink, friends, conversation, just having a really good time.

At one point we went upstairs and it looked like it has snowed in the loft! I made popcorn for the kids to watch movies and…the adults felt bad, I didn’t care, it was funny. The best was they were cleaning up, “put it under the sofa, they won’t see it!”

At one point I looked down and realized, I’m really in Hawaii hosting a party! I say that because everyone was barefoot! In Hawaii, it’s customary to take your shoes or slippers [pronounced slippahs] off when you walk into someone’s house. There is always a pile of shoes outside the front door!

A few hours later, people started to say their goodbyes. There were promises of a next time, getting together for new years eve, other gatherings.

Good friends, food, conversation, it felt like we were home.

{December 3, 2016} A dinner/movie date…Moana in Hawaii!!

This is my post that didn’t want to post on Friday…

First of all…I’m home! for the weekend! I do love getting to go home!
I got in Thursday night, nothing exciting there, except for Mollie and PSM picking me from the airport, sigh.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, I woke up about 4am, that’s normal for PSM, not so much for me, I’ve usually just fallen asleep by then! We got up, he had a call at 6am and I started working, which was about 8am central time, so a little before normal working hours on this project, which means I am done about 130, not bad, huh?

About 230, I met PSM at an appointment in Honolulu, after we went to an outdoor mall, a really nice and huge one, apparently it had been built in ten stages, looks like it! There are actually maps to take with you, that’s how big! I had an exchange to make and it’s nice to walk around and get a drink, the traffic to get home would be ridiculous, we were planning on hanging out.

After a drink and some live music, we went to one of my favorite vegan restaurants I used to go in Atlanta, The Loving Hut, it’s actually an international chain, so excited to find it here! [TS and SF and I used to go together all the time!] He really is a good sport for going with me.

Then we headed back towards home and went to see Moana, a new Disney animated movie. It’s about an ancient Polynesian tribe, the demi-god Maui and Moana, the chieftain’s headstrong daughter. In true Disney fashion, there is a strong, young female lead, different, her parents are both still alive and stay that way through the entire movie!

She has a mind of her own, frustrates her father, wants to do what’s right, but also wants to follow her heart. She sets off, against her father’s wishes, to bring back the heart to her people and the land.

Along the way she meets Maui, finds out who she is and what she’s made of and what’s truly in her heart.

It was a great movie, so much fun to see it in Hawaii and the kids in the crowd added to the experience. Two thumbs up!

{November 27, 2016} Two different families, two different traditions

Aren’t traditions grand?

My family has a tradition that started when GES and I were children. Our parents started taking us to see The Nutcracker ballet at the City Company in NYC every Christmas Eve. This was the Balanchine performance, so of course what we know and love. I’ve seen the Nutcracker in different cities by different choreographers, but you know my favorite by now.

A few years ago GES thought it was time her girls experienced a treasured memory and started taking them as a family. I’ve gone with them a few times, I haven’t always been able to. Different family members have also joined them and now it seems, Thanksgiving is the holiday or time of year they go. I hope I get to join them for years to come. They love it and a new family holiday tradition was born.

The other family tradition is with PSM’s family. The women in the family started the tradition a few years ago when his niece MM was a teenager. All the women in town for Thanksgiving go to dinner and a movie together. I was invited last year but couldn’t go, but this year…we went out to dinner and then Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, good thing I really liked it!

It was fun to just be with “the girls” away from the entire family, kids, spouses, hanging out, talking about everything and nothing. I appreciate being included.

So, two family traditions, a really nice day.

{November 26, 2016} A party, a party, a movie

What was your Saturday like?

We started with PSM’s family Chanukah party. It’s always the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It started years ago when his generation started spending Thanksgiving with their respective spouse’s families and Chanukah, as you may know, is never the same date each year. They decided that on Saturday they would all be together for the Chanukah party. PSM’s uncle informed me, with a wink, at our first Chanukah party together, that he would be at the Chanukah party each year, yes sir!

PSM has been hosting the Chanukah party at his house for years and this year, since he moved it was hosted by one cousin at another cousin’s house. It was great, as always. About 35 people, lots of kids, now including my nieces and PSM’s best friend, K&D N’s kids. They played, laughed, ran around, there is a play about the story of Chanukah that the kids put on and singing, then presents for the kids and the adults donate to a charity.

We ate, got to catch up, talk, laugh, get to know each other, watch the kids open and enjoy their gifts and enjoy the time we get to spend together.

After the Chanukah party, back to the house, PSM went to hit golf balls with his brother and the rest of us for ready for our next party. This party would be a surprise party for SHK, he’s a few months older than EJS and she wanted to throw him a surprise party.

And throw him a surprise party we did! We had steamers, a hand made happy birthday sign, cupcakes, pie and eventually ordered Italian for dinner. We hid when they arrived and yelled surprised and sang happy birthday! It was perfect, he was very surprised.

The kids played, ran around, built a Chanukah house, put on a talent show for the rest of us, sold us tickets, scanned our phones “through security”, even gave us paper so we could get autographs! What a show!

After the show, GES, LaLa and I went to the movies to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I’ll give you a review another day, but all I can say is…go see it!

Back home to try to get a few hours of sleep because I’m taking PSM to the airport at 3am, what?!

So…what was your Saturday like!? Mine was awesome!

Email Subscription

What was I thinking?