Summer is flying by and I have enjoyed helping to chaperone and chauffeur Garrett and Gracie. I mentioned in an earlier blog I had been shooting at the Sportsman Club and had a great time. Well, I joined the club and yesterday Garrett and I went shooting. Garrett has several of HC's guns he is learning to understand and use. I am very nervous as yet but know the more we go, the more relaxed I will become. Although, I don't want to get too relaxed as I must remain focused while we are there. Garrett did a great job shooting and also "sighted" a rifle. (Don't ask me, I just watched!) Garrett is 14 and will be playing on the 9th grade football team this fall. He goes to the high school weight room 4 evenings a week to work out. He also works 20 hours a week at their store, keeps the grass mowed at the store and at home, is a pretty good golfer, and helps his Mom and Dad with other chores around the farm. They have 2 huge gardens, 5 goats, Garrett and Brett (his Dad) have designed a golf green and are waiting for the grass to grow, and are adding a long range shooting area. (Not to mention the two antique cars waiting in the pole barn for restoration!)
The good news is the candy/ice cream store has been very busy this summer and either Emily or Brett and sometimes both of them are always there. They have had several weddings this summer and have a beautiful satin-bowed box they fill with Brett's chocolates for the gift to the wedding guests. Something is always going on and for that they are very grateful. Gracie is 10 and not yet allowed to work in the store. So very often, when the rest of the family is working, she is visiting with me. Emily had to work two mornings this week so I got to take Gracie to Gaylord (about 30 miles south on I-75) to her swim lessons.
This morning when I picked her up, she got in the car wearing a huge smile and very excited and said to me, "Guess what Jo?" I said no clue so she told me her Dad told her he was going to put her "on the schedule" next summer. I asked "schedule for what?" She said "working at the store. I'm going to get to work and earn money!" (Dear Lord, please let her always be excited to work!) Anyway, she cannot wait to be behind the counter and dip ice cream cones, make sundaes, milk shakes, malts, brown cows and everything else on the menu! You all know I'm writing this so that I may remind her in summers to come how excited she was to begin this part of her life. Now you all can remind her too! Anyway, after her swim lesson, she and I went....drumroll please...SHOPPING! One of our favorite stores is in Gaylord and Emily hates going there so it's a real treat when Gracie and I go to T. J. Max! We can spend hours there looking at everything trying to decide if we need it! We also know our shopping isn't always about "need" but rather "want"! We made a mistake and got a cart!!!!! It's the kiss of death for shoppers. We always go to the shoe department because Gracie has finally grown into (sort of) a 5 1/2 size women's shoe. And Jessica Simpson had several pairs there, all with 5 inch heels. She tried on each one! Gracie told me her mother said she could wear heels when she was eleven, and I told her I didn't think that's what her mother had in mind! But anyway we had a wonderful time. We also stopped at Bath and Body Works. Gracie had a coupon for a free gift AND a gift card!!!!! Decisions, decisions! I believe we now own every summer-scented hand sanitizer they sell. And not once did she say her most famous shopping line..."Jo, can I borrow some money from you? I left my purse in the car. I'll pay you back!" Can I hear an "AMEN" from you for every time we've heard that line? We made it back to Indian River around 2:30 so we could go to the Farmer's Market, open Wednesday's from 2-6pm, Saturday's, 9-1pm. No more Michigan strawberries, but now we have Michigan blueberries and raspberries, corn and potatoes. No home-grown tomatoes yet. There is also a woman there who makes the most delicious breads, cookies and jams. Had to visit her! I got Gracie home by 4pm as requested by her mother! She thanked me, hugged and kissed me, gathered her purchases and ran into her home. I don't go in so I can avoid the looks Emily gives me about the things we buy. Today's most special purchases were from T.J. Max and included a pair of maroon velvet flats on sale for $5.99 and too large for Gracie, but she assures me she will grow into them and until then she can wear them as bedroom slippers AND a black sequin tank top (in her size) she said she will wear under another top! Now for those of you who know Emily, maroon velvet flats and black sequin tank tops will cause the old raised eyebrows and the comment "why did Jo buy that for you?" (Kindly refer to the "want" statement above!)
Someone asked me the other day if I was going on vacation this summer. I told them I was on vacation every day! My summer has been great. A few friends and family have already been up. Dear, dear friends, Barbara and Rick Jones will arrive Sunday till Thursday, Friday will bring Libby and kids, and Aug 13 I'll have my sisters and cousin Mike from Nashville, TN. Then a surprise few hours on a Saturday morning with Tim and Pat Nickel as they pass through this area (who passes through this area?????). Cannot wait! Then after a brief lull in the action, I will have my October "Christy's" and Kathy and Buddy Howells from Harrodsburg. There's still time for you! I promise you won't have to go to T.J. Max! xxoo
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