Ponder Post: The Girl on the Train

The plot of this mystery book is compelling. A woman sees "something" out the train window during her daily commute, shocking her out of her reverie. The descriptions on the train and in the stations are very vivid. I felt as if I, too, was swaying and jolting along on the screeching tracks as the woman makes her observations. If you are a rail commuter or have ever ridden a train during commute hours, the descriptive language in the train sequences of this book will transport you back into that railway car, making the experience all the more palpable from the comfort of your easy chair.

The author Paula Hawkins writes each chapter alternately from the point of view of one of three distinct women. The "I" in each chapter can refer to Rachel (the woman on the train), Anna, or Megan. A glance up at the chapter heading, which reads the name of the relevant women, keeps this voice-changing writing style from being disorienting. Before too long into the book, the interrelation among these women is clarified. Rachel lives under a cloud of sadness and she is inclined to indulge in alcohol when she is depressed. She is frequently inebriated and so when she goes to the authorities with information on the "something" she has seen, she is confused, and the police detectives dismiss her as an unreliable witness. Rachel begins to sleuth on her own.

The chapters, were not presented in chronological order although within each chapter an associated date and time of day is cited fairly precisely. The dates and times drove me crazy. I kept flipping back and forth to see in what sequence certain actions occurred. I was berating myself for not taking notes and recording a timeline as I read the book. Keep in mind this was a book I was reading for pleasure. There was no test at the end. Understanding those dates and times was not necessary to enjoy the book. It was only a self-inflicted burden. 

I wish now that I had not been so anal and just enjoyed the wild ride the book provided. This is the first work of fiction for an author who has been a journalist for fifteen years. Perhaps that is why dates and times of day so precisely peppered the pages of this novel. I almost believe now, in retrospect, that the author wanted to make me similarly confused as the lead character, grasping vainly at straws to organize her thoughts and create a feasible timeline of events. The unique vehicle for revealing the secrets of this "whodunnit" mystery is not the discovery of clues but rather the recovery of memories from the deep crevices of Rachel's often fuzzy, muddled mind.

I stayed up well past midnight to finish the suspenseful, action-filled, final forty pages of this book. The twists and reveals in the plot were unforeseen. I can imagine a screenplay being written for a movie thriller like Psycho based on an adaptation of this novel. From a quick peek at Amazon I learned that Dreamworks has picked up the movie rights to this book. 

I bought The Girl on the Train on impulse because it had the word "train" in the title and the phrase "Alfred Hitchock for a new generation" on the back cover and I thought my husband Frank would like it. I read it first though, ostensibly so I could tell him if it was good or not. It was really, really good, even if it was a bit confusing initially. But The Girl on the Train had an intentional reason to be confusing, so I forgave it for being befuddling. That was part of its cleverness.

Ponder Post: The Beatles with Multitasking

Monday night, Frank and I went to our local Bankhead Theatre to see a tribute to the Beatles performed by the band Abbey Road. The four musicians were look-alikes for John, Paul, George, and Ringo and did a convincing job of acting with the mannerisms of each Beatle. It was not just a concert. A fifth actor, playing Beatles manager Brian Epstein, narrated little cameo scenes in between the musical numbers. The show in this format gave a bit of insight into the 8-year segment of the Beatles group performance history as they rose to fame in the music industry.

The scene synopsis for the show started with the Beatles discovery by Epstein in a Liverpool club and concluded with their final performance atop the Apple Corp building in England.

I had not realized that the Beatles' manager died at the young age of 32 in August of 1967, after managing the group for only 6 years. It seems like after his death the group dissolved into a collection of individuals.

The cement for the group had not been Epstein alone and his death was not the cause of their decline. Rather the Beatles no longer wanted to tour or perform in public. It was unclear whether it was the strain of travel or that they felt with all the screaming at locations on the tour and during the performances that their music could not be heard. Even before his death, Epstein was struggling to get the Beatles to accept engagements and they were refusing. It does appear that squabbling amongst themselves did emerge after his death, but whether that can be attributed to Epstein's absence or to the inevitable is debatable.

The costumes, especially the brightly colored Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band outfits, were very well done. The actors' caricature presentations of John, Paul, George, and Ringo were uncanny. The music at the show was good, and a string quartet of high school students from the neighboring town did a superb job as the classical background music for Eleanor Rigby. I did prefer the first half over the second. I lost my fondness for the later Beatles' music when they went into their more raucous experimental mode. What I really enjoyed though, was a slide and movie show projected as a back drop to the performers. Scenes at Kennedy airport when they first arrived in the United States were memorable. There were fun scenes of the Beatles clowning around, clips from the Ed Sullivan Show performance and some of their movies, and psychedelic sequences accompanying the Beatles' later music. Some snow play shots were exuberantly reminiscent of a carefree bunch of young men just having a ball. It was like Frank and I were revisiting some days of our youth. Ironically, as Frank pointed out, the cast playing the Beatles and their manager had not even been born yet at the time of Beatles' popularity.

Frank and I are glad we went. We were home soon enough to stay up and watch the final competition of Dancing With the Stars that we'd recorded earlier. (It would appear we have very eclectic taste in entertainment.) Our two favorite finalists were Riker Lynch and Rumer Willis. Here they are in their respective Captain Jack Sparrow and Ursula costumes from Disney night on the DWTS show.

Here is Riker's Disney night performance recorded onYouTube

Here is Rumer's Disney night performance recorded on YouTube.

Frank and I used our cell phones to vote for our favorite during the intermission at the Beatles show. Now that is multitasking that would make the entertainment business proud!

Ponder Post: Far From the Madding Crowd

My memories from seeing Far From the Madding Crowd when I was in high school was that it was a long, dull, and boring movie and that I did not understand the point of it at all. I went to a girls' private Catholic High School. Teaching standards were strict and high, so spending precious class time to watch a movie was highly frowned upon in the late 1960's to early 1970's when I attended. It was bewildering therefore, why all four class levels were marched to the multi-purpose room, like at an all-hands assembly, to see this movie projected up on a screen on the stage. Was it supposed to be a holiday treat? I do not remember it as such. If that had been the intention, it failed miserably since it was so slow moving and very, very long as I recall.

Were we ushered in to see the movie because it was based on a book by Thomas Hardy of the same title?  It was not a topic of English class and not a book we were required to read so I doubt that was the reason for the showing. My only specific memory from viewing the movie, other than boredom and tedium, was a scene where some sheep ate something they should not have and their bellies swelled up with gas. Men walked around the field littered with sheep lying on their side with beach ball rounded ribs and drove a stake into each sheep's belly, expelling the trapped gas. Apparently this did not kill the sheep because they roused from their lethargy after they had thus been relieved.

So when Frank wanted me to come with him to see Far From the Madding Crowd at our local movie theatre Friday afternoon, I was not very inclined to do so. The movie version I saw in high school was most likely released in 1967. Livermore has two movie theaters: a large multiplex that shows new releases, and a smaller original two screen theatre, The Vine,  that shows a few new releases but mostly artsy films or retro flicks or sport events. Far From the Madding Crowd was playing as The Vine so, in my defense, I assumed it was the crummy old movie I had been forced to sit through in high school. Saturday, I begrudgingly accompanied Frank as a good wife because he wanted to go. (Actually if I'd been acting like a good wife I would have gone more willingly on Friday and not silently begrudgingly on Saturday.) I was unaware that there had been a new release of the movie this year and that it was a recent 2015 release that was playing at The Vine.

IMDB sums up the 2015 remake of Far From the Madding Crowd this way:

In Victorian England, the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor.

The move was very, very good, much to my surprise. The plot line was plausible and engaging. Any violence it contained was understated and understood without the need for in-your-face graphically gruesome scenes. The men showed their love for a women by protecting her and respecting her and by self-sacrifice. The scenery was gorgeous - worthy of a large screen viewing. Since I did not realize I was watching a remake until the movie finished I was therefore confused as to how I could have had such a poor opinion of this movie from high school. Was I just immature?  So now I have to go back and watch the 1967 version available from Netflix to see if it was me or the version of the movie that fell so short for me 45 years ago. There was another release of the movie in 1998 by PBS, also.

I think I may need to read the original book, too since I never have. In looking at some movie reviews I learned that Bathsheba Everdene is the namesake for The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen. Neither of them seemed to know their own heart but both were very headstrong. Is that perhaps why those nuns all those years ago wanted us school girls to see this? Were they trying to instill in us a role model for an independent women? I guess I will never know. The inner strength of Bathsheba was far more inspiring to watch for me than the warrior style of Katniss but both were powerful women.

I recommend seeing the 2015 release of Far From the Madding Crowd. I really enjoyed it and it sparked interesting discussions between Frank and me afterward. I cannot however, give a recommendation on the 1967 version until I have seen it again. The 1967 version may still be LDB - long, dull, and boring. Maybe that is why there were remakes in 1998 and 2015 ...? 

Ponder Post: Ten Good Reasons

Ten Good Reasons is the second published novel by the author Lauren Christopher. It is set in Dana Point, CA, like her first novel, The Red Bikini, (which I reviewed in my post for January 5th, 2015). The setting is fun and special for me because, when my son and daughter-in-law were married in 2011, it is where we stayed and where some wedding weekend activities were held. My daughter-in-law is a member of the same women's book club as the author and I have been invited to and enjoyed participating in a couple of their meetings.

Ten Good Reasons is a light romance that is an enjoyable non-taxing read. It has an overarching storyline of the establishment and growth of a whale watching business. The heroine, Lia, is an optimistic, cheerful, workaholic public relations manager who crosses paths with a brooding ex-Coast Guard captain, Evan, who is reluctantly pressed into piloting the whale touring catamaran. The whale sightings and interactions are exciting and action filled.

Lia and Evan are both likable, believable, main characters, not too complex but intriguing enough to get me invested in how they fared. Where their relationship is going is predictable, but the path to get them there is a fun, quirky, twisty, moderately suspenseful ride. There is a good mix of well-defined characters – a spoiled young millionaire admirer, a "found-meditative-religion" type boyfriend in absentia, and a Cruella Deville type boss – to stir up some conflict. This was a welcome change of pace for me since, in the previous book I read, I did not like any of the characters. I will admit, the instant physical attraction of Lia for Evan is a stretch, but I believe this to be a necessary ingredient, no matter how improbable, of any light romance novel. At least Lia is not a total idiot about it, and just maybe I am a bit of a cynic with the whole lust-at-first-sight thing. In both of Lauren Christopher's novels, I like that the women were not total ditzes. They had their foibles, but they were self-sufficient, with decent brains. I enjoyed this book. Reading it was a very pleasant way to pass a few hours. I will watch for and read her next novel.

Ponder Post: A Sigh

Last night Frank and I had tickets to attend one of the quarterly dinner-dances of the Hayward Dance Club where we are members. We usually sit with two other couples we know pretty well. Both of them were out of town and neither would be there last night. We were a bit blasé about going and having to make conversation with folks we were not as comfortable with. We considered being lazy and skipping it.

But the food is usually very good and we figured we would enjoy ourselves once we were there. Plus we could use the exercise and the music from a live band is fun. I was in the bathroom curling my hair in preparation to leave when I heard Frank let out a sigh next door in the adjacent bedroom. I said "Was that a sigh I just heard? We really do not have to go if you don't want to."

Frank replied, "That was just a sigh of enthusiasm." Well that was a new one on me. A sigh of enthusiasm. I laughed out loud at that and said "I have got to remember that as blog fodder for my next post!" We did go to the dance and we did enjoy ourselves.

Since I did not want to forget the phrase, however, as we were leaving I attempted to put a reminder into my cell phone. I forgot how to call up a new reminder on my iPhone so I just gave SIRI the verbal command to remind me to put in my blog "a sigh of enthusiasm." She verbally confirmed and here is what appeared in my reminder list, second item down.

Sigh...

Ponder Post: At the Water's Edge

I enjoyed the book Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen even though it was dark and depressing. It had a twist in it that made for good fiction. I anticipated an equally good read in At the Water's Edge, also by Sara Gruen, because the premise had potential – an investigative party to prove the existence of the Loch Ness Monster.

The book was a huge disappointment. The tone was dark and depressing, similar to Water for Elephants, but without the circus setting and with little intrigue to compensate. The plot unveils a trio of spoiled socialites going off to Scotland to film the Loch Ness monster during the time period of World War II. The three main characters were unlikable at the beginning and two of them became worse, despicable, self-centered, and exceedingly worthless as the plot plodded on. The third character is portrayed to be a victim of her unloved upbringing. I continued reading on because the narrative was written as if something, hinted at only vaguely, were about to be revealed. I was awaiting a twist like the author had in Water for Elephants. Nope. Cloudy references were never clarified and unexplained euphemisms abounded. The supposedly superstition-inspired incidents fell flat. Budding romances were distorted and underdeveloped.

Apparently others had a different opinion so I might concede that for those who like period pieces, the setting of Scotland during World War II was well described at a grass roots level. Other than that, I thought there was nothing else redeeming about this book. Per Amazon:

Book Description
Publication Date: March 31, 2015
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In this thrilling new novel from the author of Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen again demonstrates her talent for creating spellbinding period pieces. At the Water’s Edge is a gripping and poignant love story about a privileged young woman’s awakening as she experiences the devastation of World War II in a tiny village in the Scottish Highlands.

The end was abrupt, maudlin, and unsatisfying and I seriously wonder if the person who reviewed the book knows what a "poignant love story" is. Read the other Amazon reviews if you must, but I would avoid wasting time reading the book itself. This author is off my radar for future novel selections.

Oklahoma City Visit - Part 3

Robin  and Jeremy went to work on Tuesday, May 5th, so Robin dropped Frank off at the airport and he rented a car for the two of us for one day. We drove to Bethany about 20 minutes away to browse the downtown area and some antique stores. This is what the streets of downtown Bethany look like.

We went into about four antique stores. Outside the first one was an adorable, child-sized needlepoint tapestry teddy bear chair. It would be just perfect for a little boy. We bought it of course. But we did tell Robin and Jeremy if they really did not like it they could donate it back. I did ask Robin to at least wait until I made a teddy bear quilt out of some fabric in my stash to see if she liked the quilt and chair as a coordinated set. A few days after we were home Jeremy texted us this photo. Somebody definitely liked the chair, boy-vibe and all. See the pink princess chair in the background? That is a favorite of their male cat Elliott. Whenever he had made himself quite at home curled up in that chair and Autumn wanted to sit in it she would say, in a voice imitating the intonation of her mom, "Scoot, scoot, Ell-well!"

The two cats, Emily and Elliott, were quite brazen about making themselves at home other places, too. They are litter mates. Emily on the left is gray and Elliott on the right is orange. The blue, cream, and yellow afghan was crocheted by Frank's mom.

But I digress - back to our outing to Bethany. As we were walking around the store where we bought the teddy bear chair, this chalkboard sign caught our eye. "What is Frankhoma?" we wondered.

Here is an example of a Frankoma Christmas plate. There was a picnic basketful, spanning several years. This particular one was from 1983.

Apparently the pottery is a semi-big deal since this was the sign in the front window advertising their availability. The Wikipedia article about it states that the pottery is made from Oklahoma clay locally dug and dates back to the company's beginning in 1933, started by a ceramics professor at the University of Oklahoma, in Norman, OK. Coincidentally, when Robin first moved to Oklahoma in 2003, she had an apartment in Norman. When I googled Frankoma pottery images, I found the pottery to be quite prolific and seemed to have a consistent, identifiable style. Frank and I did not buy any. But now - now that I know how famous it is... maybe next visit...? Nah - not my taste.



When we were paying for our purchases before leaving the store we found this amusing sign regarding the store's check cashing policy. We paid cash.

We stopped for lunch at the nearby Stray Dog Cafe.

Frank noticed their outdoor light fixtures. We thought they were very innovative, whimsical, and probably inexpensive, too.

Here are a couple closeup shots of the pail lights. We were not there at night so we cannot attest to if they were also "pale". I know. Two-thirds of a pun. P-U.

 .

We posed for mug shots with their hot dog poster board. I smiled for the photo.

Frank hung out his tongue in imitation of the dog. Do you see the resemblance? This is after we ate so Frank could not have been hungry. Maybe he was tired or thirsty? Nope - just plain silly.

We spent our last evening in Oklahoma City just relaxing at home. Robin sat quietly for a while on the couch (after reclaiming it from the cats), so I patiently waited and actually got to feel the baby scooting around. Leaving is a little sad but Frank and I will be back there in a bit for the birth.

Wednesday, May 6th
After seeing each Jeremy and Robin off to work, we left for a late morning flight under bright and sunny skies. Our trip home from Will Rogers World Airport was smooth sailing. I mentioned it in my post for Sunday, May 10th. That evening it began to rain heavily in Oklahoma City, a precursor to tornadoes later at night. But until then, Robin and Autumn enjoyed watching the rainfall on their deck and in their white-picket-fence-enclosed back yard from the cozy vantage point of their glassed-in sun room. I just love this silhouette of Mommy, daughter, and baby-to-be.

NOTE: Jeremy, Robin, and Autumn all fared well during the tornadoes. They hovered near their home's tornado shelter but never had to take refuge in it. For a meteorological map of just how widespread the severe weather was, see my DianeLoves2Quilt blog post for May 6th.

Oklahoma City Visit - Part 2

Robin took off from work on Monday May 4th so we could do some mother daughter quilting bonding. She and I hit the quilt stores and you can read about my purchases in my DianeLoves2Quilt  blog post for May 6th. Frank had no idea we were going to leave him stranded at home for over three hours! But gosh, that is less that two hours per quilt shop, especially when you add in travel time! We have no pictures of us at home playing with fabric. Why take pictures when you can touch and feel the real thing?

Jeremy went off to work Monday, May 4th but he planned to come home a bit early so we could make an evening excursion to Bricktown and ride the water taxis. It was a warm night with only a slight breeze - shirt sleeves weather and perfect for an outdoor stroll. Robin summoned up some energy even though I'd run her ragged in the quilt stores earlier in the day.

We boarded a water taxi. Since it was a weeknight they were not running full. With central seats and chairs along the outer edges and some vacancies, Autumn was free to shift around amongst the four adults, satisfying the perpetual motion nature of a 2½ year old.

We passed close to waterfalls, murals, mosaic artwork and historic brick warehouses turned avant-garde restaurants and shops. We floated past Jazmo'z Bourbon Street Café where Jeremy and Robin held the rehearsal dinner for their wedding. We navigated between bronze statues one-and-one-half times life size commemorating the Great Land Rush of 1889 when the Oklahoma Territory was opened up and land was given away free.

After the water taxi ride we walked along the canal and around the area to find a place for dinner. We stopped by this fountain. The breeze picked up just enough to blow the spray on us. Autumn squealed in delight, although she did bury her face.

An icon in the distance near the Bricktown area is a U-Haul truck up on top of their corporate building. Frank, strong man that he is, did his part to help support the vehicle.

We decide to eat at Earl's Rib Palace, overlooking the canal with its water taxis and pedestrians along side it out for a leisurely stroll, just like us.

The date was May 4th so in honor of the phrase May the Fourth Be with You, Robin wore her T-shirt contending that The Force is Strong with This One .

We asked the waitress to take a group shot of us.

Autumn got an ice cream as part of her meal. It was near closing time so I think the personnel were a bit overgenerous with her serving size. It was supposed to be a kid-size ice cream. We sat there quite a while – cue the music from the final round on the Jeopardy game show – while Autumn was intent on devouring the entire full cup.

Note that a bit of syrup made its was to her nose somehow. The slightly dubious expression on her face might lead one to believe that she was getting a bit full.

After finally convincing Autumn that the rest of her ice cream could be put in the freezer at home for tomorrow, we left and walked back to the car.

Tragedy of tragedies, the nearby Bass Pro shop had just closed for the evening, but Jeremy drove by slowly in its parking lot and pointed out all the features to Frank through the large plate glass front windows. Jeremy also drove us out to where his training facility's offices were and gave us a headlight tour of the huge machinery, valves, pumps, fittings, and fixtures employed in the oil industry. It was very, very, impressive, even with the limited visibility of night. We continued on home and everyone pretty much collapsed into bed after a  full evening "out on the town".

Ironically, two evenings later, Wednesday night, the very day we'd left to fly home, a trailer park just blocks away from the facility Jeremy had shown us was destroyed by a tornado. His Oklahoma City work location was relatively unscathed but nevertheless was closed the day after. Jeremy did not get the day off because was conducting training out of town at another location.

Oklahoma City Visit - Part 1

Frank and I arrived at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City shortly after 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 29th. Robin picked us up directly from her work and we zotted to get Autumn from day care before its closure at 6:00 pm. The last time we'd seen Autumn was Christmas time. We were pleased that she recognized us and was glad to see Grandma and Grandpa. I am sure Skype helped keep the memory alive the past four months. Isn't it a wonderful invention? Afterward, we went directly for a quick and easy dinner at Panera Bread. By the time we got home it was late enough in the evening that 30 week pregnant Robin was exhausted and it was nearly time for Autumn to go to bed. Frank and I were kind of tuckered out from traveling, too, so our first night there was a short evening.

The next day, Thursday, April 30th, Robin went to work, Jeremy was still on travel for his job, and Frank and I settled in. Robin used her lunch break to come home, pick up Frank and me and take us out to lunch. We went to The Stuffed Olive Café and the food was excellent.

A few weeks previous, Jeremy had arranged for the delivery of ten or so cubic yards of rubberized mulch for filling in and cushioning around the play structure in the back yard. It sat in the front driveway since travel for work and poor weather had delayed Jeremy's efforts in removing it. Thursday's weather was sunny and not too windy so Frank busied himself by transporting the mulch wheelbarrowful by wheelbarrowful to the backyard.

It was indeed mulch and not money as the photo suggests, but what with the price of that stuff, coupled with the fact that it just seems to disintegrate, dissipate, and disperse, it might as well be shoveling disposable dollars onto the ground. Frank made ten piles in the area around the swings, slide, and climbing structure. Jeremy is a bit of a perfectionist and Frank wanted to defer to him for spreading it out and leveling it as he saw fit. And admittedly, in a small way, Frank wanted to reap a few kudos for having done the job of carting it all to the backyard. Well, best laid plans of mice and men... When Robin brought Autumn home from daycare Thursday she wanted to go out to the backyard and swing before dinner. Once out there, near the play structure, what did Autumn discover? Joy of joys! Dang, but those ten piles were fun to jump in and throw up in the air and fling all over! You get the picture. So much for ten neat and tidy piles. Too bad Frank did not take a picture first.

Friday May 1, 2015 Frank and I got up leisurely. Jeremy returned from his Texas travels mid-day. We went out to lunch with him at City Bites. This eatery has "off the wall" decor. The front of the building has trompe l'oeil cracks in the facade. The inside sports the blood hungry plant Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors curling her way through the dining area. The rest rooms are revealing. One tall narrow window permits the user of the facilities a full view out into the dining area while he is otherwise indisposed. Presumably it is a one way mirror... I hope? Weird, I know, but the food was very good.

After lunch we stopped at the grocery store for some items I wanted in order to make dinner. Once home again, Frank and Jeremy surveyed projects Jeremy wanted to work on with Frank's help during our visit and I cooked. That evening after dinner we opened up the suitcase of gifts Grandma and Grandma had brought – some Gymboree clothes, a Chevrolet car quilt, a pirate pillowcase, Frozen and Rainbow Brite and sticker books, and a retro wall fire alarm for Jeremy that we bought at an antique store in Niles Canyon, CA.

We also brought a pair of pink and blue pinstriped engineer train caps for Autumn and her little brother-to-be, happened upon at a train show in Sacramento, CA.

We brought food items too such as the chocolate covered almonds and the packets of trail mix that our Costco carries that are not to be found in Oklahoma. Robin claims that Walmart has too much of a stronghold in Oklahoma to allow a Costco in. The most unique food request of all was Svenhard's Raisin-ette buns to assuage Robin's pregnant cravings. Apparently these danishes are not available in Oklahoma so I bought three variety packs of 30 buns each in California – yes close to 100 buns – in order to get her 1½ dozen Raisinettes. Talk about motherly love...

Saturday, May 2nd was the first full day we had together free of travel and work commitments. I had a whole slew of Gymbucks burning a hole in my pocket that I had to spend that weekend or lose. Gymbucks are a kind of coupon that gives $25 off for every $50 spent at Gymboree kids clothing. With the outlet having a 40% off sale, this really amounts to big savings. Robin and I headed out to be there when they opened at 10:00am and spent about two hours selecting clothes for Autumn, Vivian, and baby-boy to be.

While we were driving Robin spotted a sign for a toy, doll, and train show at the fairgrounds. We called Frank to see if he was interested and he most certainly was. We joined up with Frank, Jeremy, and Autumn and spontaneously headed there next.

Immediately upon entering the show, off to the right was a vendor who had a child-size table and two-chair set that he was selling since his own children had outgrown it. Robin and Jeremy had been contemplating a table for Autumn so we snapped it up. Remember Goldilocks and the Three Bears? For Autumn this chair was not too big and not too small. It was just right!

The antique dolls and toys were not too enticing, but Autumn loved watching the train displays.

I had fun catching her and corralling her when she ran around and she enjoyed being caught.

Between the shopping and the show, the day kind of got away from us but we had fun and enjoyed the outings.

Sunday, May 3rd we had originally planned to go to Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma but opted instead for the guys to work on projects. They had not gotten as much done on Saturday as they would have liked. We went to an 11:00 church service and then had lunch at McCallister's Deli, eating at their outdoor patio.  I had a marvelous Pecanberry salad with blueberries, strawberries, pecans, and chicken.

Autumn scarfed down their Mac & Cheese, served with applesauce. Come to think of it, she scarfs down anybody's macaroni and cheese. She borrowed Grandpa's hat to keep the sun out of her eyes. What an odd pairing – Donald Duck meets My  Little Pony.

Once back home, it was nose to the grindstone on projects for the guys. They installed a fan and light combination on the dining room ceiling, fixed some railing on the front porch, and tried to quiet a helicopter-like bathroom fan. Autumn spent the time in earnest play. Of course, all those seed pods and mulch remains are an excellent diversion on the front driveway.

Once indoors, Grandma and Autumn amused themselves by seeing if they could each hold a round puzzle piece in their mouth while Grandma took a duo-selfie.

The puzzle pieces came from the "6" and the "9" of Autumn's floor puzzle play mat. A little dirt never hurt anyone. Grandma did not set a very good example, but Mommy was busy elsewhere and did not see.

It was a fun weekend and we could still look forward to two more days of visiting.