family: weekendings

This past weekend was bittersweet for us. Sweet due to the visitor we welcomed, bitter due to the one that was missing. Bev drove down to spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday with us. She left this morning having accomplished one of the many 1st's in her path...1st visit to our place without Paul. Despite the obvious one missing place at the table, I felt that we had a good visit and this particular hurdle was met and overcome with grace and humor.
In her usual fashion, Bev got busy and stayed that way...until happy hour struck, that is. She helped Ray clean out the garage and made sure she kept busy by helping with dinner prep and clean up, let the dogs in and out and chased the cats off the new couch, sat around in the evenings for cocktail time; and through it all I had Paul in the back of my mind; remembering past visits, thinking about his love of the "Mexican Place", how he would sit out back and laugh at the antics of the ducks, things like that. I don't want to talk for my companions but I imagine they both had their moments of remembrance just like I did. It was a time that we all had to get through, and we did it together as a family should.

But, it was not all sadness and melancholy. We laughed, we drank, we ate good foods (corn from the garden, cherry tomatoes, oatmeal pancakes, banana pudding) and we enjoyed each others company. We also decided to take a trip into town on Sunday, which was just what was needed. We picked up Rachel and Robert to tag along for the fun of it. We took a trip to Starliner Diner (my all time favorite breakfast place EVER). We all stuffed ourselves with delicious breakfast foods and headed down to the Scioto Downs Racecino (combination horse track and casino) to play a few penny slots (Bev walked out with a tidy sum, Rachel and Robert walked out with an even tidier sum....and we won't talk about Ray and I..ahem...not a good story, there). The winners treated the losers to lunch at Schmidts Sausage Haus on our way home. We had a really good visit with R&R, Bev was able to see their home post painting/decorating/renovations and we got to play with Winnie (the most belly rubbing addict I've ever encountered)! All in all we had a good time. For me, there was always a bit of a nagging thought of something missing....Paul, we had a great visit, wish you were here to enjoy it with us.

And just because I can...pics from the weekend