Checking in on The Grands

Since my grandfather had to do a round of chemo, we figured it would be a good idea to visit & cheer him up last weekend. Besides, it was a good excuse for a visit! We left as soon as the boys had been picked up by the Odious One. Since we went in J's Bug, we didn't have any books on CD to listen to, so we played a game where J would ask, "What's the most romantic...?" and we would both answer. Most romantic movie (she said "Altered States", I said "Something like 'Practical Magic' or 'How to Make an American Quilt'. Maybe 'Hope Floats' "), most romantic meal, most romantic setting, etc. The great thing about our relationship, among many great things, is that we never get bored of one another's company. Near Columbus, we stopped at Macaroni Grille for dinner. It was delicious, from the rosemary bread with olive oil right through the main courses. I loved the bread so much that I would've happily skipped the appetizer. J chose her own pasta blend (bowties with garlic cream sauce, artichokes, sundried tomatoes and caramelized onions) while I ordered the chicken scallopini, which was terrific.

With our tanks refueled, we again hit the road. The grands had gone to bed when we arrived, so we climbed into bed, too. In the morning, we had a nice visit with my granddad while my grandmom got her hair done. She came home with McDonald's apple pies for all, thinking that Boot and Pie would be with us. So, we had apple pies for breakfast. J spent the morning making French onion soup, then the two of us went shopping for groceries and a pair of capris for me. I actually found 2 pairs, on sale for $20 apiece. J found a great new swimsuit covered in lime green and lemon yellow flowers. We also got some candles & candleholders for our new living room, as well as some things for the boys.

Once home, we visited some more & J made dinner for the grands. We all had cups of soup, then J presented my grands with pork chops, rice, and green beans. After more visiting, we had a late dinner on the patio at The Winds. It was a lovely meal with superb food. We started with a bread basket, containing the most wonderful ciabatta, and olives. Then, since they were out of our beloved Nueske's bacon-wrapped, goat cheese-stuffed figs, we tried softshell crabs (which I liked & J hated) and had the cheese service. My favorite this time was an old favorite, a triple crème called Belletoile. J couldn't decide if she liked the Fiscalini bandage-wrapped cheddar, the Oakvale Farmstead aged gouda, or the Pimientino best. She thought the Pipe Dreams goat cheese, which I love, tasted like "stinky toe cheese", but found the Belletoile to her liking. For the soup, we chose a cup of the Catalan garbanzo stew. Then, we split the halibut with bouilli butter served over Israeli couscous with tomato lemon broth. Wow, was that fantastic! J was just going to have a bite of my dessert (chocolate espresso cheesecake) until she saw cannoli cake on the menu.

In the morning, my grandmom went to church while we met the power-washing guy at the house for an estimate. Then, we went to my grands' & I visited with my granddaddy at the kitchen table while J cooked for us. When my grandmom returned from church, we had a Father's Day dinner of beef stroganoff on noodles, corn and ciabatta. Once we had eaten and cleaned up the kitchen, it was time to hit the road. It was a great visit & I am so glad we went, even though we missed Cleveland Pride to do it.