Out of the House

We're having some work done at the house today, so rather than sitting at home breathing in fumes, I decided to spend the day at my in-laws'. I got up bright and early, packed up Riker and Butters, and off we went! My parents don't live nearby, so I love spending time at Matt's parents' place, and sometimes it's nice just to get out of the house for the day.

...Especially since it gives me an excuse to buy my morning coffee rather than make it at home. A medium toasted almond please!

After getting settled, I raided the cabinets and made myself some breakfast - a bowl of Kashi Go Lean whole grain vanilla oatmeal. I added a cup of chopped strawberries halfway through the cooking time to make it "strawberries 'n cream" outmeal. Delicious!

Pink Oatmeal!

 After breakfast, I chatted with Matt's grandmother (we call her MomMom) for a few hours. She's 89 and has such great stories. Every time I go over, she makes me a cup of tea with milk and honey and tells me stories about what it was like when she was growing up or about family members who have since passed on. It's amazing how many changes in the world she has seen. Today she told me about visiting her mother-in-law's farm in North Carolina back when they had no electricity, and used to drink sweet tea and eat fresh peaches under the orchard trees during summer afternoons when it was too hot to work. Such a simple yet rewarding life.

Then it was lunch time! Matt's mom treated us all to paninis from my favorite sandwich spot. I opted for a grilled veggie panini with zucchini, eggplant and roasted red peppers with fresh mozzarella cheese. The side of pesto pasta salad was the star of the show, though. So good.

Now we're off for a brisk walk down to the creek with the dogs and the baby. It's chilly out there today, but the sun is shining so some fresh air sounds good. Whenever Riker gets fresh air during the day, he seems to sleep better - I'll take it!