“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks!”

OK, I’m totally and entirely not to be depended upon.  My “adventures in blogging” are becoming “hide and seek” games with my writer’s block.  Sometimes ya just gotta reach down into that abyss and pull a rabbit out of your hat…So here is my rabbit blog…and I have no idea where this train wreck is headed, so hang on!

Not much going on in the way of travel, and I am now a farmer’s widow, as Dennis is officially in the corn and bean fields.  I keeping him that that he pulled a “bait and switch” on me..He never told me he was a closet farmhand when we were dating!!!  But he loves this stuff, so who am I to ruin his fun between the rows??

Dennis has also taken a couple of our grandkids with him for the ride when they were little…and, as you can see, they LOVED it!!!

Above photo was taken in 2009..Peyton was 9 and Taylor was 11…Campbell was 5 and wanted NO part of this monster machine!!

So….. for the good part of a month (depending upon the rainy weather), it is up to me to find things to keep me busy, and my attention span is very short…  However, surprisingly, I have found a lot to do about tidying up this place..mowing grass, go shopping, cleaning the basement, look for bargains at garage sales, cleaning out cupboards, shopping, wash the GMC, shoppping…and finally….. getting around to blogging!!!

I have been taking my walks without MacGyver, as he now works from sun up until after dark…

Here we have two different mornings….and two totally different skys….Our weather is beginning to remind me that Winter is ahead of us…and I had to dig deep into my closet for my earmuffs!!  However, it is still October and some color is beginning to tint the landscape around our house..

We got our Halloween goin’ on outside the Cave Casa…

…and also have it goin’on inside too!!

When October rolls around, I get out my handy dandy Caramel Corn recipe and take all day making a couple recipes.  This stuff is the best ever..melts in your mouth. It is a bit labor intensive, but worth every minute and stir..

Since MacGyver is in the corn with the Green Giant (the green combine), I have been taking our elderly Aunt to see her hubby in the nursing home..Tuesday, the first day of the World Series (Cubs against the Indians), they had a big celebration for the residents of the nursing home, so I took Uncle Clarence and Aunt Jeanette to take part in the festivities….Wow, they had lots going on! Everyone had on their Cubs shirts or hats and there was peanuts in the shell, Cracker Jacks, chips, hot dogs and…..BEER! Just like going to Wrigley Field!!!

Aunt Jeanette is 101 years young…Uncle Clarence is 93..and they were enjoying the “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks!” part..Then they brought out the hot dogs, with ketchup, mustard, relish and onion…and Uncle Clarence had himself a bottle of Dos Equis beer!!!! He sure enjoyed that!! Also, at this nursing home they have “comfort dogs” come in and visit the residents. I think this is an awesome idea, and we had the pleasure of meeting the Doberman Pincer, Molly. She was soooo well behaved and everyone enjoyed her presence.

So….that has been my last few weeks in a nutshell…I’m not anxious to think about spending many more days here in Northern Illinois, but “Ya gotta do what Ya gotta do”, right?  Not sure if or when we will get into our Hiker and hit the road…I do know it won’t be Florida, if we get to go anywhere…Right now, I just need to focus on passing a humongous kidney stone..oh joy..I will try to do better at posting more often…Key word is TRY!!!

Maybe this is the answer…..

Long time..No see ums!

Yep….I know…my bad!!..I have been very neglectful in respect to blogging…It seems that the faster I go the behinder I get!  Also, when not “on the road”, I have a hard time coming up with anything to blog about… I inserted the word “No see ums” on purpose..Those little bugs are everywhere here..Yep, there IS such a thing as a bug by that name…Turns out they are so small you can hardly see um..but you can feel their bite!..OK, no travel makes me a dull girl/ old lady…So, guess what I am blogging about???  Yes, you guessed it…FAMILY!!!

On Sept. 24th, our only granddaughter turned 18 years old..Man, that one hurt!! She was our first grandchild, and it seems like yesterday!.It turns out that her birthday was on the same day as Kaneland High School Homecoming dance…and yes, I have pictures..( did you ever doubt it?)

The “gang” met at her house for photos, and they had a cake for her..and a few gifts..Her Mom and Dad bought her that shirt…hmmmmm….

Her wonderful boyfriend, Joshua, is one lucky guy….(in my humble opinion)…

 

 

 

Dresses for homecoming have changed since I was in high school…We wore a wool skirt and a sweater, penny loafers and bobby socks..Get over it, Donna… Actually, Joshua was in the musical with Taylor last Spring.  He played Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk fame)..that’s how they met…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor was Cinderella…sings like a bird..Here are Tay (Cinder) and Joshua (Jack)…

We also attended a Cross Country track meet that our oldest grandson, Peyton, ran in….There were about 16 teams running!!

Peyton is a Junior and runs with the Varsity…He broke his personal best time on the 5 K at this meet. Pey is the smallest one on the team! (4th from the left)…

We also did a trip to Zionsville, IN to visit our Wolff cubs…

We made stuffed crust pizza…and the kids played a concert for us in the garage..Aiden, 7, on left,…Maddox, 5, on the right…friend of family middle..

I love Zionsville, Indiana…It is so quaint with brick streets and neat little pubs..

My beautiful daughter, Chris…and her worn out hubby, John…

ALSO…We went to Kelly and Cindy’s for a Chicago Bears tailgate party at their house..

They have a Cave Cave in their garage, complete with bar and TV…However, Kelly was in full tailgate mode and had to have the real thing..

Yep….He put a TV in the back of his truck too! We Cave people know how to do it right!!

So,now that I have bored you to tears, yet again, with a family blog, I am infringing on my “cocktail hour”…Hey, a girl has to relax now and then!!! I will try to do better about my blogging..Key word here is TRY!

WE CAN ONLY HOPE!!!!!!

A few family photos, a reprieve from Chicago docs, and another Sandwich Fair…

Well, I went to see my Endocrinologist last week at Northwestern Hospital.  I haven’t seen her since April and my surgery. She is trying to get my thyroid levels normal with Synthroid.  She also took away my Calcium pills and put me on Vitamin D..I have a few more blood tests to do, but she arranged for me to have them done closer to home..I don’t have to see her again until next June…YAY!!! Enough with the medical stuff already!!!!

Of course, Dennis and I had to grab a bag of Garrett’s Popcorn to eat on our Metra ride back to Elburn…YUMMO!!

We have been busy this September keeping up with our grandkid’s activities..This is Taylor’s last year of high school poms, she graduates from Kaneland High School next Spring and is now looking at colleges..

Peyton is a Junior and busy in Cross Country track meets…

Peyton and his proud Mom,  Peyton and his proud Dad and little bro, Peyton and his proud sister, Tay.

And, it looks like Campbell is following in his big sister’s footsteps..He auditioned for the Harter Middle School Fall Play, and also a singing group, MidKnight Special..and he nailed them both!!!

We had a mini Cave-A-Palooza here last weekend…The Wolffs, Heisers and Caves were all here to go out to the 129th Sandwich Fair..(you can walk out from our house).

Our step great granddaughter, Sophia….our grandson, Maddox..Face painting was a must for these two!!

This food stand was offering steak and potato!!! On the right, is Aiden, our oldest Wolff Cub..no face painting for him..adventure rules!!

We played games..I should say, we adults supplied the kids with the $$ and they played games…Middle pic is left to right, John Wolff (yawning…late night), Den, Cindy, Kelly  and Chris…That last pic is smoked turkey legs.  For $8 apiece I should look into making some and hawking them out there for $7, right??

Some of the crazy adults (of course not me) went back out to the fair and watched the tractor pull at 6:30PM..Cindy and I stayed back here with the little kids…and a nice peaceful campfire…

I LOVE this photo of my kids!!!!!!

We also have been going up to see our Uncle and Aunt….He is 93 and now in a nursing home..She just turned 101 and is still living at home…alone…(not OUR idea, hers!!)

Amazing kids,these two…I need to pay more attention to their diet and follow it, right???

So that’s been what is going on at the Cave Casa….Dennis will be in the combine helping the farmers pretty soon…Next weekend we are going to Zionsville to watch our Wolff Cub grandsons play flag football…And I am soooo happy Fall has finally arrived …It was a rainy, humid, hot summer with no A/C in our house…Me thinks Dennis is going to relent and put in Central Air…If nothing else, it makes this palace more sellable in the future!