Catsup

For being an empty-nester, I've seen a lot of our daughters and their families in the last 3 days. Yesterday morning, I drove up to see Amy and help her make catsup (she spells it ketchup and I'm using the alternate spelling just to be different!). We worked in the morning at washing the tomatoes and putting them through the grinder to get rid of the seeds and skins. Then the juice just had to cook down to the consistency of catsup. So all afternoon, it just simmered and cooked with us occasionally stirring the pot and checking on it.
The rest of the day, I helped Amy with housework and just hung out with her and the kids. We worked in her garden and folded laundry. She had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that she had to do, but hey! She has a newborn and a 2 year old. I think she is very productive considering. And isn't taking care of little people of so much more importance than getting work done? I mean, in 50 years what will you be remembered for: an eternally immaculate house or well adjusted children who've grown to productive adulthood?

By the way, Chase is well on the way to following in his daddy's footsteps:
Anyway, it was a pleasure to do what I could to help her. No wonder she was feeling overwhelmed. Look at this garden...
Pretty discouraging???

I got a path cleared and uncovered a rose bush!







And here's another kind of rose!
I stayed and had dinner with the family, then left so I could meet Christy at the McDonald's in Morgantown. I had left my sneakers at her house on Saturday and was wanting them back so I could do my exercising every day. She had been out in Lebanon picking peaches so we were able to connect on our way home.

I also talked to Dawn yesterday, by phone not in person.

So what did Andy do while I was gone all day? The concrete truck came in the morning and poured the slab and steps. They were done with that by 1:00 pm, then he had the rest of the day for other little jobs. He cleaned/organized the old garage and did some spot painting in the bathrooms. He went out to dinner with his mom and dad. In all my 16 years working in the church office, I've never had babysitting as part of my job description. But this morning, a young mom came in to say she had a strange question to ask me. She said she just applied for a part time job and needed to have a drug test, but they wouldn't let her bring the baby in. Her mom was in Maine, her sister-in-law was at the shore and she had no idea who else to ask to watch her baby. She said he was sleeping and he would probably remain asleep. I said, "sure, bring him in." He did wake up, but he was in a happy playful mood and sat in his stroller and smiled, played and waved his hands and feet the whole time she was gone.

I was even able to get some work done which I had a lot of today.