The highlight of my day was the Skype visit I had with my daughter and grandsons during the mid-afternoon. Until then I had been feeling so low that I couldn't do anything but doze. D decided to give each of the boys one of the gifts I had left for them and set up the Skype visit so that I could see them open them. Many months ago I had bought them each a small Hello Kitty skillet, one that is usable on a stove but won't be for now, to play with. They love to play cook. I had wrapped each skillet in a new blue and white dishcloth that is the perfect size for them to use as a dish towel. Today they received these gifts "from Nana".

D handed the gifts to them without saying what they were. GC looked at the skillet package and read "Hello Kitty" perfectly and matter-of-factly, never having seen it before. D explained to the boys that the pan is a frying pan and is good to use to cook pancakes. Earlier today she had given them a recipe card with instructions for making pancakes. They love recipe cards. They liked the term frying pan and began using it. While GT began frying eggs in his frying pan, GC took his over to the play sink and washed it, and then dried it with the new dish towel. He said "My frying pan is clean" and then began using it. D suggested different toppings for their pancakes, such as strawberry syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, or chocolate. The boys cut play butter and broke a play egg into halves to cook, not having play pancakes. GT tried to flip his food in his frying pan the way he has seen his daddy flip food.

GT cooking eggs on the stove while GC is drying his washed pan

GC with egg and pound cake in his frying pan

D holding a felt pancake for me to see

D got a piece of yellow felt and cut out five round pancakes to fit the frying pans. The first pancake she gave to GC, the second to GT who immediately said "That's one!", expecting more. So she made the rest, using up the felt. The boys were pleased to be able to make a stack of pancakes and to add toppings. GC made me a pancake and brought it to the phone screen for me. D told him to ask what toppings I wanted for it; he didn't ask but I said that I wanted one pancake with a cooked egg on top and one pancake with strawberry syrup and whipped cream on top. He set about making the two pancakes for me.

The boys with various foods and toppings

Busy cooking

My pancake with egg in the foreground with GC's blurry fingers just above as he reaches to take it back.

After our cheerful visit I was able to dress for public viewing and take Toad with me to fetch the mail and to buy a butane lighter for our woodstove. I was expecting another library pouch, having seen that three more items were checked out to me, and it was there, along with some bills and notices. I bought the lighter and a can of butane to fill it at the hardware store, where the clerk kindly filled the lighter for me after finding the correct tip for it. I also bought a package of firestarters (wax cubes). While carrying the firestarters to the registers I saw a lovely metal sculpture of a great blue heron and knew that I had to get it after hearing that it was priced at $39. It looks great sitting on the back of the woodstove for now.

On the way home we stopped at a new pizza place that opened just a week ago. Toad opted to sit in the car, as he did at the hardware store stop, while I went in to check out the place and order for us. I got us each a donair sub to take home and eat. It was huge and delicious! I could eat only half of mine and saved the rest for tomorrow. Toad ate at least half of his and set his plate down near his computer. He went to lie down and soon I saw Foxy straining to get between Toad's chair and the table that holds his computer. I figured that, like me, Toad had dropped a piece or two of the donair while eating it and that Foxy was trying to get them. In actuality, Toad had set his plate on the bottom shelf of the table and Foxy, by straining, had managed to eat the rest of Toad's donair! It was rather spicy, so it was no wonder that he kept wanting to go out.

This evening I got a big surprise when I opened Duolingo to practice French and continue my streak. They have made a major change to something called Crown Levels. I still don't understand it, but do know that my gold tree is no more. Each unit is a color now, as before it was before completed and turned gold, but there is a crown with a number on it indicating which level I am at for that unit, the highest being a five. Many of my units were level two but some were level one and a handful were level three. So no more fretting about having to return my tree to gold! I did three practices ("practice" replacing "strengthen skills") and read some discussion about the changes until I wanted to scream, and then logged off.


The highlight of my day yesterday was hearing my grandson GC say, after being permitted to "hold Nana" at the beginning of our Skype visit, "Nana is special to me." I just melted into a puddle when I heard that. Both boys were so happy to see me last night that I could barely stand it. The feeling was mutual.

I'm off to bed to read. Bonne nuit !

Thanks Be For:  the joy my grandsons got from my gifts

 I'm Reading:   

• Maud Lewis: The Heart On The Door, by Lance Woolaver 
• Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, by Michael Wolff
• After You, by Jojo Moyes (sequel to Me Before You)

French Lesson Sentence(s) of the Day:  

•  Mes vingt dernières années  My last twenty years.
•  Je veux celle qui a quatre poches.  I want the one that has four pockets.
•  C'est celle de ma fille. It is my daughter's.
•  Quel est ce bruit ?  What is that noise?

Photo(s)/Capture(s) of the Day:

Whatever this means