The Last Hodgepodge of May 2017....

Many thanks to Joyce for this last Hodgepodge of May 2017!  She gives us the challenging questions, we write our answers and then link up with other Hodgepodgers HERE.  Join in!!

Hodgepodge Questions-Volume 309

1. What makes you feel accomplished?  Yesterday it was just getting the laundry done!  Explain.  Not much to explain. We were traveling over the long Memorial Day weekend and had twice the laundry I usually have to do.  Ugh.  It's done, though, and I feel like I at least accomplished that!!

2. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be?  My sister Patti;  my husband, Joe; and my co-worker Diana.  Tell us why.  Because all three of them can talk until the cows come home so I wouldn't have to talk at all!  No way would I have a talk show.  No way!!  LOL

3. Do you have a great burger recipe?  No. I don't have a favorite.  I usually buy them frozen from Sam's Club.     What's in it?  Beef.  What do you like on a hamburger and where is your favorite spot to order one out?  We like the burgers at IHOP, Five Guys and Checkers.  I like tomato, onion, mayonnaise, ketchup and pickles.

4. What's the biggest anxiety producing thing you do on a regular basis?  With the annual audit coming, these days it is just going to work.  I don't get anxious about too many things anymore since I've given up worrying, but I am always happy when the annual audit is over.

5. This is the last Hodgepodge of May. Tell us about your summer plans.  I plan to retire this summer!!!

6. Insert your own random thought here.  Back to work today. Did I mention that I am retiring in two months?  I'm more than ready!

Thanks for your visit!! Blessings are wished for you today!  Peace & hugs.

A Very Long Weekend Recap on Monday & Tuesday.....

We arrived home around 4:30 p.m. today (Monday-Memorial Day) and it sure felt good to pull into our driveway.  It was a wonderful trip, a beautiful wedding, and fun reunion....but it always feels good to get home.

Our cats were happy and didn't seem to miss us at all, though Mary Jane left us a note that they did indeed miss us.  I'm sure they told her....  😉  We are so blessed to have a new cat-sitter so close and so willing!!

Our long wedding weekend started early on Thursday morning.  We left Lakeland around 6:30 a.m. and arrived in Brunswick just before 11:00.  Our son got us on the road by noon, so we had time to visit with Darlene (who wasn't feeling well - more about that later) and her mom, Cecelia, and son, Steve, who both live there. I rarely mention our two grandchildren, Steve and Rita, who are Darlene's from a first marriage, because we don't get to see them often, but do share Facebook postings with them.

We made it to West Virginia before stopping for the night around 9:00 p.m.  That left five hours to travel on Friday, so we got started at 9:00 a.m. and checked into our hotel in Pittsburgh (Hampton Inn Wexford) by 2:00ish.  The rehearsal dinner was at 6:00 and the venue was (is) beautiful.  Our dinner was delicious and it was fun to get the weekend started with lots of hugs and laughter and conversation.  We don't all get together often enough!

 The weather was wonderful and there wasn't much traffic (surprised!).

 Tunnel ahead!!!

 Pictures just don't do the mountains justice. Everything was LUSH green!

 At the hotel before the rehearsal dinner.

Grand-niece Emily, her dad, (and our nephew) Jim, Joe

Grand-nephew Anthony and Joe's older brother, Lou

Emily & Anthony are Jim's kids (both in college)

 The brothers!!  Youngest Nick, Oldest Lou and Middle Guy Joe

 Nephew Lou and his lovely wife Peggy.

The bride and groom (Carolyn and Nicholas)

 Nephew Jim and his lovely wife Mary.

Interesting...Mary and Peggy are sisters who married Jim & Lou (brothers).

 Niece Peggy talking with Sister-in-Law Debbie.

 Nick and Joe

Debbie, niece Alaina, and Nick.

Joe and me...

 Nephew Jim and his sister (mother of the groom) our niece Linda.

 The interior of The Grand Concourse, which made for a beautiful venue for our dinner.

 The Pittsburgh skyline from the restaurant.

A lovely scene on our way to the rehearsal dinner.

The wedding was a St. John Neumann Catholic Church, on Saturday afternoon.

 The groom, Nicholas and his mom (our niece) Linda.

Both moms wore beige gowns. They looked beautiful!

 Nicholas's two sisters, Alaina (who played during the ceremony) and Gina.

Gina graduated from SCAD in Savannah as did her husband, Steve.

 I absolutely LOVED this. The "flower girls" carried a banner that

says "Here Comes The Bride"

 Carolyn and her dad.

 During the service...

 We all hung around awhile after the Mass/Ceremony to visit and get photos.

This is our grand-niece Nikki and her husband Dimitri.  They are expecting their first child!!

 Grand-Niece Lexie (Nikki's sister) our son Joey and niece Peggy

who is the mom of Nikki, Lexie, and Jackie (below)

Grand-niece Jackie and Uncle Joe

 Joe and me (not the best picture!)

 Our niece, Nicola and her husband Conrad.

They have three children!  Elias, Norah, and Collette

Our niece Carly and her fiance Sean.

They are getting married on New Year's Eve 2017!

Grand-niece Lexie holding Nicola's youngest, Collette.

I got to hold Collette too!!

The wedding reception was held at the Shannopin Country Club, in Pittsburgh.

 The weather was beautiful and the cocktail hour was held outside, which was lovely.

 Joe talking with our niece (mother of the groom) Linda.

 Joe's brother, Lou, was at our table.

Lou's wife, Joan, died of cancer about six months ago. There were some sad moments along with all the happy moments.  We lost Nicholas's dad a few years ago, so he was also being missed.

 Nicholas and Carolyn cutting the cake. It was a sheet cake (!!?!!) and they cut it before they even sat down at the head table.  We thought is was 'different' but perhaps a trend these days....

Sisters of the groom, Grand-nieces Alaina, and Gina.

 Our niece Linda (mother of the groom) and me. We were seated at her table.

Grand-niece Gina and her hubby Steve. They live in Connecticut.

 The beautiful bride and handsome groom...

The first dance was a bit awkward. Nick isn't so good at dancing.

He did give it his all - and we could almost hear him counting his steps.

 His dance with his mom went a little better. They had some fun.

Have you heard of this tradition?  They had guests (who wanted to) bring cookies for a Cookie Room, and after dinner, guests could fill up a cookie box with assorted cookies.

It was fun, it was yummy, and I thought was a fun idea!

We left the reception around 9:30 and crashed back at the hotel.  The youngsters had a party in one of the rooms and then they went out together, to a club somewhere. They had so much fun that management had to knock on the door to quiet them down.

Fortunately, we didn't hear a thing and were up and on our way home by 10:00 a.m.  

We had breakfast at the hotel with some of the older family members, then hit the road.

Joey drove us straight through (11 hours) to Brunswick on Sunday.  We stayed over and then drove on home to Lakeland today (Monday).  Again, we were blessed with good weather and not much traffic.

I love seeing the farms nestled in the valleys.  So picturesque.

I mentioned above that Darlene couldn't go with us because she has been feeling so bad.  She was a dancer and had a dance studio for years.  Her hips (especially) are feeling the abuse now that she is older.  There are some more serious things going on that I won't mention here, at least until we know for sure and she says it's okay, but please add Darlene to your prayer list for me. She needs God's healing grace, please!

So this post is finally done. Thanks for sticking with it and for your visit!  I am glad to have taken today (Tuesday) off to sleep in, get laundry done and some grocery shopping caught up!

Peace & hugs!!