Plum Butter

Plum Jelly

Friday night was the last night of vacation bible school.  It was a busy week and I am tired.  The kids were great!!!  Our theme this year was a western one and it was a hit!!!!
We had our program on the last night.  The kids did a wonderful job of singing and saying their bible verses.  VBS is so exhausting, but rewarding.  You might ask, if I am so tired - then why in the world am I still up at 1:30 am.  Beats me, I guess I am just trying to wind down from this last week.
Tonight (Saturday), Ritzy and I have a nephew's birthday dinner to attend.  His mom called last week and invited us and told me that he had a request.  He wanted his aunt ( Ritzywife) to make him his very own peach pie for his birthday. (from those Porter peaches)   It was also hinted at that everyone else wanted some too.  So........today i bought 3 pie pans for those pies.  That is what I will be doing later in the day.  My sister-in-law is serving enchiladas and she asked me to make the pico-de-gallo to go along with the meal.  I will be making that as well.
I was talking to another sister and she said that she was about out of peaches and had not put up any.  I told her I had not put up as many as I want.......so that means I will probably be making a 3rd trip to Porter in the coming week.   Porter is about 70 miles one way.  Not too bad of a drive, but it does take some time....
Next Friday is Ritzy and my 27th anniversary.  I cannot believe it has been that many years ago since we said "I DO"
We will decide what we are going to do this week. 
I am finally starting to get sleepy, so I better head off to bed........
Ritzywife is out........................................

If you don't like hot weather, then you are out of luck here in Oklahoma.  This past week we were under an "excessive heat warning" and it still continues into this next week.  You can't go outside without the sweat rolling off you in a couple of minutes.  Ritzy is crazy and I told him so.  Yesterday he was cutting some hickory wood over at my brother's place.  He finally called me around 2pm to let me know he was quitting and coming home to mow the lawn.  He kept finding things to do outside and I was a little worried.  He kept drinking that water tho.  Went thru several bottles of water........With all the late rains, the grass is still growing. By now the grass is usually starting to turn brown, but not this year.  Ritzy is not going to get a break in the mowing .
He gives the hickory to our neighbor who owns the store/bait shop.  He smokes meat nearly every day.  We use some when we grill outside.  I told him it was to darn hot to be running that chainsaw. 
We start Vacation Bible School at our church tomorrow.  It goes from 5:00pm -8:30pm every night.  I told Ritzy that if he wanted dinner he was going to have to help at VBS.  Actually we eat from 5 - 6.  I already told the son that he was on his own for dinner this week.
VBS sure makes for a busy week, but it is so funny  to watch those little kids.......
I had better get off here and get some rest, cause I am certainly gonna need it, Ritzywife out.......................

These things are gross!!!!!!!!  There had to be millions of them.   The son was on his way to Owasso and told me to drive across the lake to see the mayflies.  So I grabbed my camera and took off.  We live on the east side of the lake.  I could not

I hope everyone had a safe holiday.  I thought it was going to be a "washout" with all the rain.  The day before was terrible.  Couldn't go out, it rained off and on all day.  The 4th wasn't too bad, it was cloudy all day and I guess that's ok cause it kept the heat down.  When we started shooting off our fireworks it sprinkled a little bit but thats all we got.  We had good food and good company, can't ask for better.
I have been busy since returning from our Wisconsin trip.  Geez, it takes a while to get things back in order........had to catch up with the garden, mow the lawn, do laundry, clean the house......the son did do a pretty good job of keeping the house, tho.
Ritzy and I have an anniversary coming up at the end of the month on the 30th, (will be 27 years).  I don't know where the time goes.....My sister's anniversary is today, and another sister's is on the 22nd.  We did not plan it, but all three of us girls picked July for our wedding dates,  The first one in 1979, mine in 1983 and the other one in 1984.  The brother had to be different and pick September ;-)
The daughter and her boyfriend spent the weekend in Missouri with his family.  We had the pleasure to "babysit" Senor, her chihuahua.  I'll tell you one thing, I realized that I have not missed him at all.    He and I just tolerate one another, hehe!!!!!  I told Ritzy and the son that he was their responsibility, that I was having nothing to do with him.  They took pretty good care of him.  Didn't hear him complaining, anyways......
I am sitting here thinking about what to cook for dinner tonight.  I think it will be left-over bar-b-que and some veggies from the garden.   Sounds easy.....Ritzy is not a picky eater..........
It's about time I get off here and fix me some lunch, with that ...Ritzywife is out........................

That describes the feeling of our trip to Wisconsin this last week.  It was so relaxing.....
We stayed with Ritzy's brother and his family.  We were away from TV and internet for a week, and it was wonderful.  I found out that I can survive without it, haha!!!  Sure did have a lot of e-mails to delete tho..
Ritzy's mom was doing fine, but his dad wasn't doing as well.  It sure is hard watching your parents age. 
We had a safe trip, missed all the bad weather while on the road. 
His brother's home is not air-conditioned, that was ok cause by night it was cool enough, plus I had 2 fans in the room, one at the foot of the bed and one on a table beside the bed.  That fan was blowing in my face and I loved it. 
Central heat and air are luxuries in the north and not neccessities as they are in the south. 
While we were gone the son had cleaned out the refigerator, shelves and all, also cleaned the stove for me.  He must have been really bored :-)    Don't know how he found the time, having to work so much overtime.  He's a good kid......and I appreciate what he did.  I told him so last night.......
I have spent the better part of today getting things back in order, doing laundry, mopping the kitchen floor.....Ritzy and I buy groceries tonite, so I called the son and told him I would fix his supper and it would be in the refrigerator for him when he gets home.  Fixed him a pasta salad and 2 chicken breasts.
I just heard the dryer buzz with the last load of clothes so I will be putting those away in a bit.
I can't believe it is almost July 4th.  I am gonna buy some fireworks tonite.  The son and I are going Friday to get some "big" ones.  We always shoot ours off at Granny's.
The son picked some veggies from the garden.  I am so glad when we can start eating out of the garden.  I made a cucumber salad the night we returned home. It was yummy.  My grandma always made it and I have always liked the salad.  All you do is cut up cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions and add miracle whip, salt and pepper and you have a nice salad. (I added some fresh bell peppers too)
I took a bowlful to our church picnic last night and there were only a couple of spoonfuls left.
I may cut up another one for tomorrow.  It seems to be better after sitting in the refirgerator for 24 hours.
Am waiting patiently on the okra to be ready.............yummmmmm
I reckon I am caught up for the moment.....Ritzywife out!

Today (June 8)  is the son's 26th birthday.  I cannot believe how fast the time has gone by since he was born.  He, Ritzy & I just "celebrated" at home with a nice dinner and one if his favorite cakes......a strawberry-jello cake.  The kid loves strawberries.
Now, if we could just find him a girl to catch his attention, hmmmmm.......
The daughter seems to be doing just fine living in Tulsa.  She and her "significant other" are happy.  That is more important to Ritzywife than anything. 
I want my kids to be happy........with their lives, jobs, etc..
I watched Ritzy split wood tonite.  He just does not know how to "do nothing"........I think he was having fun tho, playing with that log splitter.  
I had quite a busy day.  I had to make a trip to Pryor for the daughter, while there I shopped for the son's birthday present.  I went back thru Claremore to stop at Walgreens.  After leaving there it was lunchtime so I stopped at Arbys and got me a Turkey & Swiss sandwich.  I decided to go home thru Oologah (the scenic route)....So, I just make one big circle.  After getting home it was time to bake the cake for the son.  I baked the cake, mixed up the jello and poured it in the cake, then set that in the refrigerator.  I was ready for a nap by that time....so that's what I did, for a couple of hours.  Then, it was time to start supper for the "guys".  Hey, I just realized that with the daughter gone Ritzywife is outnumbered.  I may be outnumbered but I will never be outsmarted!!!   hehehehe!!!!!
Ritzy and I will be going to visit his family soon.  I just hope it is cool this year.  Last year the hot weather just followed us to Wisconsin. 
That's about all I have at the moment........Ritzywife out...........................