Day 56, Saturday without me but with many activities

While I was taking a shower in the dorm with endless and deliciously hot water, my kids back home were eating their cold cereal.  While I was at a Mom's Brunch, schmoozing with Dr Floyd, the president of WSU, and listening to the beautiful piano playing of Darnell Epps in the background, my older girls were probably just getting rousted out of bed for their late breakfast.

Peter, Annie, Hilary, and I had a very nice visit at the brunch, and a great walk in the brisk spring sunshine.  If I walked as much as the college kids do just in the normal course of their day, I'd be in great shape.  Talk about stairs!  It all comes back to me, that college experience in Pullman.  Plenty of hills, plenty of steps.  No car.

I borrowed Hilary and Tim's car to drive to Moscow, Idaho, to the WinCo store there, where I stayed almost an extra hour visiting randomly with a new student from Italy.  Among other things, we talked about latte, which means "milk" in Italian, but which means "tasty espresso coffee with milk and maybe even sweet flavor" in English.  She told me that in her country, people wouldn't have coffee unless they had time to visit over coffee. 

She couldn't really see the benefit of the local drive-through coffee espresso stands.  It goes against the whole point of coffee, she said.  If you don't have an hour to visit, you don't have time for coffee!  Interesting perspective.  I had a great time speaking with her.

Annie and I grabbed a bagel each, at WinCo, to stave off the hunger pangs while waiting for dinner at Peter's house.  We drove back and stirred up enough dough to serve 40 people.  While it was rising we played rook against Tim and Hilary down at Licks, over a bowl of Ferdinand's cappuchino chip ice cream.  A great way to spend a special afternoon.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, (at Boothieville), Sarah represented our family at Michelle's baby shower while Rodger was ferrying twins to a birthday party (which they later informed me they were early to), and going to a memorial service with the rest of the family.  Kate sang "Amazing Grace" and "I Come to the Garden Alone," two of Eliza Hicks' favorite songs.  She used to love to hear Katie sing for her.  Grandma Hicks was the mother of my friend Nola.   Nola helped everyone celebrate her mom's life with good memories and strawberry cheesecake, at her mother's special request.  Wasn't that awesome?

Here is what my family at Boothieville ate while I was chatting with 8 other mom's over homemade whitesauce and garlic pizza.

Breakfast menu:  cold cereal and milk

Cost:  $1.80

cold cereal for 9:  .90

half a gallon of milk, plus extra for tea:  .90

lunch menu:  chicken with gravy over rice, green peas

Cost:  $3.55

4 cups rice:  .92

1.4 free range chicken, with broth:  1.26

gravy mix:  .39

1 lb frozen peas:  .98

snack:  toast and butter

Cost:  $.53

1/2 loaf white bread:  .40

1/2 cube butter:  .13

supper menu:  eggs and hashbrowns, cherries and lettuce

Cost:  $2.75

1 lb dried hash browns (also from winco) re-hydrated and fried:  1.04

12 eggs:  .60

butter to fry the hashbrowns:  .13

canned cherries:  .50

1 head romaine, for the daily dose of leafy greens:  .48

Boothieville daily total with 9 Boothies:  $8.63, they did it.

Thanks Rodger, for making it happen, and keeping the home fires burning while I took off for a special Mom's weekend.