The Bye Bye Boys Stay Home Alone Retreat

It's time for the annual Bye Bye Boys Stay Home Alone retreat. For the past six or seven years, Howard and the boys - along with friends - have gone to a four day Christian rock concert called CreationFest in Washington, USA. This year, there are two men and four boys although at almost 21 Aryck is only a boy to his mother and the US border agents. Because his birthday isn't until August, I still had to write him a permission slip this year. Next year, he's on his own.

The trip will be a bit different with Howard's recent surgery. Everyone else will have to bend, lift, twist, and reach and they'll all have to stop every 20-30 minutes for him to walk around the vehicle and stretch. It was unanimous. They were willing. Everyone was afraid the surgery would mean no trip.

The boys go and I stay home. Some times alone. Sometimes with friends. This year, my cousin is coming to visit from Winnipeg. She's a year younger. We reconnected a few years ago and found that while we had nothing in common as children, we have a lot in common as adults. What fun. Together, we make her husband laugh. Apparently we talk and act alike and say similar things, which is quite interesting since she neither sews nor knits. Can you imagine!

Karen will be here until Friday afternoon and then I'll have a day and a bit to myself before the boys come back. I plan to sew although - as you know - I've been making plans to sew for quite a while and - as of today - it's been a complete month since Howard first went into the hospital and since my sewing routine went out the window. Here's hoping.




Karen is also allergic to gluten and dairy and a few other things. It's my fault, just as it is with a few other friends. They'd complain about something or other and I'd say well.... that could be gluten and sure enough, they'd give it up, and feel better. Works for me! I have company and help with baking and cooking ideas. Yesterday, I made some granola for our breakfasts as well as...




... tried a new brand (to me at least) of gluten free products called Only Oats. These are the cinnamon spice muffins although I substituted pumpkin puree and molasses for two of the eggs and added more cinnamon and ginger. I was winging it and surprise, surprise, they worked. They're fluffy and moist. Four eggs was too many. I can handle one or two but after that my mouth burns.

I'm just getting over a mistake from the reunion. When she brought the refill, I think the waitress brought me a real versus a diet Coke or Pepsi or whatever it was they were serving. The diet versions don't have corn syrup; the real versions do. I ended up with a bright red face and a rash all through my mouth, nostrils, and throat that lasted a few days. It's painful and VERY annoying.

The boys should leave in an hour and a half and then I'll run around like a maniac and clean house. There's no point doing it before when six guys are loading up a van. After that, I'm off to the airport. I have soup in the crockpot for our lunch and we'll spend the rest of the day visiting. Howard asked will you be able to just talk for four days. Yes - no problem.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - a visit from family