Daley Ponderings

We headed out Friday morning, listening to The Nutmeg of Consolation by Patrick O'Brian on the way.  At our first stop, for gas, Jon realized that he hadn't brought his wallet.  One of our stops was at our "usual" rest area, the one with the pedestrian walkways over the highway.  The boys liked watching the cars and trucks go under.  Jon had some Lime Daley issue to deal with, so we waited in a really long line at McDonald's while he used the free wireless.

As we neared Canada, we tried to check our directions to see which border bridge to take, but our PDA wouldn't turn on.  I thought I remembered that the Peace bridge was good, so we headed that way.  Then we heard on the radio that the other two bridges had 30-60 minute wait times, but the Peace had no wait.  Great!

I drove through the border because Jon didn't have his license with him (I did bring our passports but they didn't ask for any ID in that direction.)  We stopped at a convenience store to buy AAA btteries but they did not help bring the device to life.  So we relied on our memories and arrived safely with only a wrong turn once we were in the neighborhood.  Including stops it was 8 1/2 hours, which was quite long and tiring (I was expecting 6.)

I have not asked Aunt Janet's permission to write her children's names on the internet, so I'll just use first initials.  Of course T and C were excited to see us.  Jonathan was excited too, but Noah was reserved.

Saturday we went shopping for Thanksgiving foodstuffs at their huge Fortino's grocery store. I like this kind of shopping where someone else is in charge of making the list and I can just tag along with her, helping grab 24 dinner rolls and chatting.

Then we went to the next door mall where they have a store that sells  - Janet sit down - real Italian gelato!  And they know it when they taste it because Uncle Frank is from Italy.  I got cinnamon and mixed berry.  We all got different flavors so we could taste each others'.  I couldn't remember what Janet's favorite flavor was in Italy.  I liked the Limoncello, which is a lemon liquer.

C got Jonathan and Noah balloons, and after a few minutes, Noah's knot fell apart and his balloon went to the 20 ft high ceiling.  He didn't seem to upset about it, but did reach up towards it.  When Jon and Jonathan got back from the bathroom, Jon tried to reach. Eventually, with some encouragement of strangers who were watching the whole thing, he stood on a table, and jumped up, grabbing the string and landing on the ground.  Many cheers, I think the adults were happier about the recovery than Noah was.

We wanted to go apple picking, but the weather was off and on rainy, even torrential downpour.  So we talked, cooked, played games at home.

Their city has this new recycling program called the Green Cart that takes all kinds of organic matter, stuff that can be composted, including meats. THe city provides a large green trashcan for outside, and a smaller green bucket for inside. They already have programs for plastic, glass, and all kinds of paper recycling, so there's hardly any kind of trash left that has to go in the landfill.  It's really neat, and I thought Serina would appreciate it, too. (:

Sunday we went to church with them.  It's a Catholic church, so it was a strange mix of unfamiliar and somewhat familiar.  Most of the congregants did not participate in the singing. The last hymn was the postlude, so those who weren't singing just left!  One of the hymns was sung to the tune of Jupiter by Holst, which was very strange for me.  That tune reminds me of the LBHS class of 1995, with much nostalgia associated, so singing about God to it was just bizarre.  Tell me, those who are not Episcopal but have visited services:  when the whole congragation has a verbal response to something, can you understand the words?  Here there was no bulletin, and the only response intelligble to me was "and also with you."  It seemed to me, even with that one, that people mumbled and made no attempt to say it together with the group.

We did manage to go apple picking that afternoon, though it was cloudy and partly drizzly, it did not rain for our picking.  Together we picked four bushels, one of which we got to take home to Pittsburgh. 

That evening, I made a pumpkin pie while Aunt Janet made a cranberry pecan pie.

Monday was full of preparation, including a 23 lb turkey that started baking at 5:30am.  Some family friends came, and several of the Italian relatives. 17 people in all.  Dinner got started late becuse one family was late, and it lasted a long time, as the traditions of New England and Italy blended.  But the food was great and the meal lasted so long, I didn't even feel full.

We said goodbye at bedtime to those who had to leave early the next morning.  Uncle Frank was gone when we woke up, but only Jonathan missed T and C's departure.  He did come running down the stairs calling, "T, T! T, where are you?"  which was kind of sad.  We packed up leisurely and were off by about 10.  At customs, they checked the passports and birth certificates - last time without passports for the boys...

We stopped at our "favorite" rest area again, this time it was not so long, even though Jon used the wireless. Then we headed to the Pasteriks for a couple of hours of catching up.

Then we stopped by Lucille's but since we hadn't planned anything ahead of time, they were out for the evening.

Finally we arrived home, with only one CD left of Nutmeg. Jon says we need to get shorter books for our trips (we had already started this book on our trip home from CT this summer.)

There was a welcome home banner waiting for us, along with cooler weather.  Maybe fall is really here now!