OK...so, ya wanna know what I've been up to???

WHEW!!! That's all I can say.
I left for my moms Saturday about 12:30, after I got some errands done, since, I knew I would be gone awhile.
It's a 4 hour drive.....I can't believe how tired I got, so, I had to pull off the road and sleep! I slept about 15 minutes and I was good to go! Hmmmm, me thinks it must be that AGE thing???
Got to moms and we decided to go out for dinner at a new Mexican food place there...it was pretty good. We ended up drinking some wine and sitting up til after midnight. Sunday, while we were having coffee, she showed me some papers we'd dug out while going through some of dads things, organizing and such. A mystery!
My paternal grandfather came over from Greece as a teenager, "we think". There is some big mystery about all of it. We aren't even real sure of his last name to follow it back to Greece. There was a 'cousin' in Chicago, but, not sure if he was actually related. These papers were from when he was 55 years old...naturalization papers for my American born grandmother....and for my grandpa! We think he came through Ellis Island, and his name was changed there....We can't figure this all out. Even when my dad was alive, we never seemed to get to the core of how, why, his age, etc. of when he came to the USA. VERY interesting.....
Then, we drove all over town, just messing around, went to the local winery place and tried some wines and fell in love with the sparkling wine *champagne*. We both bought a bottle of that one! YUM-MY!!! mmmmmm We went to the store for some stuff to make the strawberry cheesecake cheeseball mix I bought there. ANOTHER yumm-o favorite! We BBQ'ed some steaks, took a lil walk after dinner, and sat up and watched some DVD's of old family 8mm movies I had transferred to disc.
OH MY!!! We were up til midnight laughing our butts off!!! Oh, if you've ever had those old 8mm movie cameras stuck in your face with that big ole ROW of BRIGHT lights, you'll know what I'm talking about! LOL It was mixed with the sad of all the ones that are gone now...but, it was a good time!
Monday, we went for lunch at the Truck Stop where one of my friends is the restaurant manager. Good food. We had a LONG lunch, then, went out to the cemetary and watered and put up some new plastic flowers on the 3 graves out there. We spent quite awhile walking all around looking at the other gravesites...We stopped at the store for a few groceries. We ran into the owner of the Health Food Store and she ended up having us rolling on the sidewalk! *Remind me to tell ya the story about 'can you stick a fork in it?' sometime! ROFLMAO!!!* We had thought our lunch would also be 'dinner', but, we had the munchies and got cold leftovers out...my kind of supper. Later, Mom started pulling things out of the cedar chest...oh my! It has been a long time since we had been in there...altho, it's pretty empty..but, she emptied it more. (I brought my baby book and baby picture and some of my grandmas embroidered pillow cases home with me....) THEN, we found the letter!
Too weird, that the morning before I had mentioned to mom as we were talking family, that I remembered an airmail letter from Greece. It must have had some major significance for me to remember that, I think.
Well..........my paternal grandfather came over from Greece as a teenager, "we think". There is some big mystery about all of it. We aren't even real sure of his last name to follow it back to Greece. There was a 'cousin' in Chicago, but, not sure if he was actually related. This letter is from my grandpas SISTER!!!! oh my!
We are hoping to have my SIL's mother, who is heavy into geneology, look farther into this, because NOW we have dates and names of towns!!!!! This is sooo intriguing!
AND, time is running out on getting answers! My dad has 2 sisters left--they kinda don't associate--maybe, they will have some answers...My mom is planning on going back to Iowa this summer, and, I sure hope she can make contact with them and get some answers....
Anyway, that night we spent talking about all this stuff....hmmmmm
Tuesday, my birthday, we left in the morning and just kinda messed around. When we got home, my brother had returned from his business training and trip to Boise. He showed me how to do Suduko...what a mind boggler! He napped and we went to the health food store to visit the owner, a gal I've know since High School, and the one we had talked to the store the day before. We came home got ready to BBQ again and mom invited a friend to come over on her way home from work. She loves champagne and her birthday was the next day. So, we had the champagne we'd bought.....good stuff. That night, my brother and I talked alot about real estate stuff about MIL's house. He sold real estate in Idaho for awhile.
Wednesday, I left around 11. It was windy and rainy most of the way home. I ended up pulling over for another 20 minute nap...what is it with me??? The heavy rain woke me up. I drove through some snow, too....and brrrr cold! The weather sure changed fast!
Thurday, I worked at the scrapbook store from 10-6.
Friday, I went over to Show Low for a Stampin' Up retreat with my upline and her downline...we stayed at a rented cabin there in the forest! AWESOME! It was a great time, even though, I didn't know my upline well at all and had never met the other 4 ladies. Man! I thought my head would explode with all the great ideas and techiques I learned! Incredible stuff! I can't wait to try them all on my own. We stayed up late both nights and eat like little piggies. *I'll post pics later* I got home Sunday about 5.
Monday, I cleaned like a fool all day...didn't even leave the house. My BIL from Wyoming was coming in Tuesday evening.
Tuesday, I worked from 10-6, delivering AVON before work. Had to think of something for supper, so, I went to Safeway and bought some steaks and some AWESOME frozen buttered shrimp and fixings. We didn't end up eating til 7:30, but, it was great!
Then, today, I got up, visited with BIL for a bit before he left before 9. The landscaping company showed up to turn on the sprinkler system, so, I ended up being a bit late for my AVON meeting in Show Low. Some of us girls had lunch together afterwards, I did some shopping, hit Walmart and got home a few minutes before hubby did. I had a glass of wine and just had a meltdown.......
Me thinks I have too many irons in the fire.
count your blessings...