It's a Good Thing I'm Retired

Son Josh and his family pulled their rig in about 7:00 last night, after leaving Las Vegas and NASCAR that morning, headed home to Bend. We had dinner ready for them. He bought this growler at the Deschutes Brewery and had hung onto it for eight days to share with me. It's filled with Black IPA, something they only sell at the brewery in Bend. Logan is teasing Evan, who's afraid of our dogs and happy to sit on the counter with the growler for the moment. (He and dogs did make peace.)
I had never heard of growlers until this year, so I don't know if they're new or just new to me. They're suddenly the hot thing and often a creative work of art as demonstrated by this handle. I suspect the idea is a throw-back to the Old World, before bottling was invented.
My poor DIL Missy had been feeling ill for the last couple hours of the drive and spent a miserable night, but was back on her game this morning. I had hoped for a knitting fest, but she wasn't up to it, though she did show me her current project before leaving. We had a great time with Josh and the boys. Missy was just happy that when she finally got sick, it wasn't in the truck - bad restaurant food. I made them breakfast this morning including buttermilk biscuits. I used the palm shortening that Leigh introduced some time back. I didn't like it the chocolate chip cookies because it made them too crisp, but it's awesome for biscuits. They were about as good as my grandmother's, and I know it was the shortening. Recommended!
Ian and I walked up and opened the gate so they could just drive out. It's so hard to say goodbye, but it's better than not getting to say it at all. It was time to get myself on the road, back for round two at the DMV. I'm speeding up Pillars of the Earth by reading the first sentence of every paragraph so was able to dispense with another hundred pages while waiting in line. I could write a whole blog on why I don't like this book, but then it would be a waste of your reading time. I promised myself a yarn store treat for my travails.

The hospital was on the way, so I popped in to see Vickie. I put the smallest hat inside the bigger one before I pulled it out of my purse. She was delighted. I then pulled the smallest hat out from inside. We were still laughing when her nurse came in and and then the three of us laughed. I could hear Rowdy's heart monitor from the end of the hall. She and Rowdy have taken a turn for the better. She has her laptop so was able to see all your well wishes and truly is touched. From her, I extend her thankfulness.
Alexia is very excited about knitted fruits and vegetables for her play kitchen. I am completely taken by the idea of knitting three-dimensional objects and this is my starter kit. I sat next to another reader at DMV, but we eventually tired of reading and chatted. She asked me what I was going to treat myself to at the yarn store, and I said yarn to knit fruits and vegetables. She burst out laughing. I'm not sure how to take that.