Saturdays with Nick

There is a TV show called, "Dirty Jobs" which I turn off if an ad for it happens to come on the screen because it is so gross.  That seems ironic to me, especially since our grandson, Nick, has been putting in Saturday hours each week to help us empty out old (and I mean really old) canning jars.  It's not fun but we all benefit because we get to organize our food storage area again (without fruit which we didn't eat when it was still edible) and he gets to make a bit of money for Junior Prom. The job becomes especially dirty when stuff splashes up out of the garbage disposer, like when some cherry pits went flying! He's a good worker and a fun person to have around.  I can't believe he is 17! That cute little guy who we all adored (he was our first grandchild) now almost a man.  Hard to imagine if we didn't see the evidence with our own eyes.  In the photo above, Marsha, his mom, was holding his hands but at the prom there will be another young lady having that privilege.  Wow, Nick.  Where did the years go?

Visitor

When Chris and his family came over to prune some shrubs for us they brought along this little friend. She was in the road near their home so he rescued her from passing traffic. You can see her little tags. They say her name is Princess and there was a phone number for the owner. Chris left a message then they all came over here. I was smitten instantly. One of the kids wondered aloud what they would do with her if they went on vacation and hadn't been able to make connections with the owner. I told them that if we weren't looking at health things, I would love to tend her. Someone else said, "See, what did I tell you!" My reputation as an animal lover, even on a part time basis is solidly intact. While they were here, Chris got the important call on his cell, so I was only able to enjoy Princess for less than an hour. But what a delight. She was obviously well trained, didn't bark at all during her stay, and I am very glad I got to experience this little dog even for such a short time. Princess is another of my "part-time pets".

Nick with Princess and his cash for a job well done.

Brace Yourself!

The bands on Nick's teeth are gone now, but I am still bracing myself. At 16, there are so many decisions ahead for him to make--important ones. This Grandma has a lot of love and trust regarding this grandson. Still, figuratively speaking, I hold my breath a bit. One reason: Nick is a driver now! (And I really know he'll do just fine.)

It all depends on your perspective...

Last evening we celebrated Stephanie’s birthday as a family. Those who could make it went to Chris and Marsha’s at 7:00. We had the usual cake and ice cream, sang Happy Birthday, blew out the candles, Stephanie choosing to blow them out a few at a time. Her decision made for pretty good photos! There was jumping on the trampoline, playing with the pups, almost full-grown now, sitting around talking, catching up on each others’ lives. It was a pleasant evening, although Alyssa was sick, Tracy had a rehearsal, and Heather and Jake couldn’t make it, either . Low-key, just as I like it. Stephanie and I checked out her latest picture on this blog. We both remembered the night it was taken. Brittany and I talked about books and friends.

And I got one more in a series of photos of Nick from (shall we say) unusual angles. Last night’s was lying on his back with his legs up on the wall by the window. In the one I posted here he was sitting in old furniture, which used to be in our living room, during family home evening. It's really hard to tell that the shoe and the face were both from the same person. But no matter the angle, this is one fine young man. And I am hardly biased at all. Last night, I also got some straight on pictures of him smiling, with a cute haircut from Supercuts. From my perspective, you look great, Nick. And I suspect there are a quite a few younger females who would agree with me!