a very normal weekend

I just woke up from a deeeeeep three hour nap on the couch. The naps that draw the outside world into your mind and weave into your dreams (which I never have,) but I swear Peppy sat down next to me wearing long knaki pants talking about a show, The Light Horse, that clearly does not exist. But I just googled it, and it is actually a bar in Virgina, so now I'm thinking that he was talking on the phone to one of the beverage distributors. 

We had some last minute guests this weekend. Peppy's stepdad (Tim), his wife (Donna) and his mother-in-law (Shella) were taking a cross country RV trip from Arizona to Kentucky. They had a few breakdowns as well as a flat, and time considering, we had initially been planning on meeting them in Kentucky, but we all decided it was just best to come and hang out here. I knew Donna's birthday had been earlier in the week so I was already planning on making her a cake, but now I had to do that and clean the house. And figure out some meal ideas.

The last time we saw Tim and Donna was when we were traveling in the RV, so we had not seen them in person in six years, although we've definitely had regular communication. Tim has always referred to Peppy as his son, and me as his daughter, so the kids get a good laugh out of joking that I married my brother. 

It was nice seeing them and catching up, and I really enjoyed meeting Shella. She was absolutely adorable and reminded me of my Memaw. Although she and Sheldon really hit it off and I was afraid she was going to try to smuggle him home. 

 

I had hidden Donna's cake in the oven and forgot all about it. I turned the oven on and it reached about 185 degrees and I remembered, "AHH THE CAKE!" Fortunately nothing but some melted rosettes. I couldn't find the tips I had been looking for anyway, so the rosettes were already ugly. Now I could blame them on being partically melted. I have been practicing different ratios of ingredients when making icing, and I think I've finally perfected making both chocolate and vanilla frosting. 

The kids had a youth thing to go to Sunday night, so it was nice to just sit back with Peppy and talk to Tim, Donna and Shella. I think if was good for Peppy to hear happy stories and memories that included his mom. I think this was very cathartic to him, because I know it has been very hard for him with his mom, Poppy and Granny gone. Enough time has past that those memories can be talked about with laughter instead of tears. We had so many funny memories that later in the RV Shella asked if I had grown up around Tim. Nope. We just always had a good time anytime we visited Tim and Peppy's mom. We were always laughing. We have so many nice memories. And it was good for me too, because it reminded me of things I had forgotten about, or just not even thought to think about. It helped ground me to myself even more. It was just good to be around all of them.

We also had nice, deep, spiritual conversations which are my absolute favorite things to do. But then when they left today I knew there was no way I could manage going to the grocery store, so I opted for a nap instead. 

I opened my very unorganized bag and tissue paper cabinet and realized Frankie had found a new hiding place.

I'm not bragging because all I did was tweak a recipe, but dang have I got the homemade icing down to a science. I knew buttercream wasn't for everyone, so I toned down the butter and used more powered sugar and milk, and it was so smooth and not too rich.

Sheldon doesn't immediately take to just anyone, but he loved Shella. 

Unfortunately when  Shella took the picture including Donna she accidentally made a video instead. Whoops. After they left Owsley said he hates that Tim and Donna live so far away, because that's the kind of other grandad he wishes he had. It sucks to hear him say that, but he said it's because even though he's only been around Tim in person a handful of times, he already knows him so much better than Peppy's dad. Kids aren't stupid. They know who is really listening to them.

I do not know why, but Guardians of the Galaxy makes me feel the way theme parks do. I don't understand. I think it is the wonderment movies like the Labyrinth and Neverending Story made me feel as a child. Anyway, I have been listening to the "Dog Days are Over" since watching the last Guardians movie, because that is the song the movie ends with, with everyone dancing and happy, even if it isn't a happily ever after. And it just makes me incredibly happy to think about that scene and series. 

I don't really like female singers, but this song has just been making me happy whenever I hear it. I know absolutely nothing about Florence + the Machines other than the songs the play on the radio, so I thought I'd watch the video. I was just reading the comments and sobbing because all the top comments were from other people who felt exactly like I did about the movies. They knew this meant it was the end of this series. And it was just really kind of beautiful reading about how the people in the theatre were crying at the exact same things that made me cry. The same lines and moments that gave me all the feels. It just felt so...normal, and I was very appreciative of that.

We love him because he's dumb and he makes us laugh. He's the only one of us who doesn't hate himself.

Kill one guy.....one stupid guy.....one guy no one loves. (For the record this line did not make me cry.)

Mantis and Rocket are my favorite, but Drax comes in with a very close honorable mention.

Peppy came in and heard me sniffing and he thought something was wrong, which after my recent crazy I understood. He hasn't been around on Sundays for all the Marvel bonding, but I think he understood what I meant when I told him that series made me feel like a theme park does. And then I explained him how how cool it was to read all the comments of the people who were affected in such a deep way the way I was. It just felt like such an old Deanna to cry happy tears at something like that. 

Plus, the lyrics had a bit of a spiritual meaning and personally spoke to me. 

The dog days are over. The dog days are done. The horses are coming. So you better run. Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father, run for your children, for your sisters and brothers. Leave all your love and your longing behind.You can't carry it with you if you want to survive. The dog days are over.The dog days are done.Can you hear the horses? 'Cause here they come.

It's telling me to leave this world behind, but at the same time I just want to dance. 

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I got emotional-istical issues. What am I gonna do?