Wish I could Call my Mom and Dad Today and Say, "Thank You."

There is a tendency among children, even as adults, to blame Mom and Dad (especially Mom) for all the things wrong in their lives. What adult children often forget is that the way they treat their mothers is the example they are giving their children for how to treat them later. 

So the question is.....How do you want your children to treat you when they are grown up and leave home? Will they blame you? Will they ignore you? Will they return your phone calls? Will they invite you over? Treating parents with love and respect is no guarantee that your children will treat you that way, but it sure increases the chances. Besides, it also keeps the 4th Commandment.

Winter Fun: Snowman Building and Sledding

Well, Larry and I have been out playing in the snow for the weekend and we are both ready for a glass of wine and a nap. Anya and Bianca came for a sleepover and we spent two days in the snow sledding, slogging (It's deep walking up the hill!), and snowman-building. They also went with us to the nursing home where I take Communion and all the residents were charmed. They love to see the little one!

Bianca (the three year old) told us she wanted to "stay until Spring" but, of course, Mommy put the nix on that. We took the two girls home in the afternoon and visited for awhile. When we got up to go Bianca started to cry. Nice to be popular with our grandchildren! I assured Bianca she could come back sometime this week and next time we'll bake cookies because we didn't get around to doing that with all our other activities: making shell necklaces with our treasures from the Florida beaches, sledding, building a snowman, making snow ice cream, playing "go fish" and other card games, doing puzzles, and watching saint movies with popcorn.

What a great weekend! I hope yours was as much fun.

Bianca (in front) didn't want to sled yesterday, but today was lots warmer.

She kept wanting to take another ride down. We must have gone a dozen.

Even Paka braved the slopes today for two runs!

We decided our snowman looked like Olaf from Frozen.

making (and eating) snow ice cream - yummy!

Escape from Winter

Goodness this has been a hard winter. And so we decided to escape for just a little while and drove down to Florida to camp on St. Edward Island near Apalachicola. What a glorious place! The state park on the east end offers large campsites and decent bathhouse facilities. We spent the week biking, hiking, shelling, and eating. Did I mention eating? My favorite places were Cafe con Leche in Apalachicola for their fabulous coffee. ( I think she said it was Muddy Creek.) Omigosh, best coffee I ever drank. We had to go back a second day just for the coffee although the breakfast sandwiches (arepas) made on a cornmeal version of an english muffin were also good.

My favorite dinner place was Caroline's River Inn on the water. We went the day before Valentine's Day since we'd be traveling home the next day. Larry was tired of seafood after a week so he ordered steak, but I ordered stuffed scallops which was an arrangement of large scallops top and bottom with a crabcake between them all in a flaky pastry with a delicious cream sauce. I could have ordered that every day for a week. I traded some with Larry for a little steak, but I definitely had the better dinner. I can't wait to go back next year. And the waitress said their breakfasts are wonderful so that will definitely be on the menu as well. Good place to go after Mass! Although the little church in town, St. Patrick's only had a daily Mass on Monday and Tuesday. Next closest Masses were in Panama City and Tallahassee both an hour and half away. That was the only big drawback to the location since we like to go to daily Mass.

Well, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words so here are some of our pictures from our winter escape. I have more on my phone but haven't figured out to get them off yet. I'm too dumb for the smart phone. LOL!

The beach in the early morning. We're off to collect shells.

This doesn't do justice to the beautiful sunset!

A sidewalk in Apalachicola. What a charming little town!

Love those pine trees. Here I am on Carabelle Beach.

Everywhere we went we saw mountains of oyster shells. 

We also saw the oystermen out in the Bay with their long tongs.

Carabelle lighthouse: passed up the chance to climb to the top. 

Went on a hike instead.