Vacation? You betcha.

I should really be packing. I should really be cleaning. Or making monsters, or cleaning up after other furry monsters. Because tomorrow I am going on vacation.

Vacation to Michigan - which isn't the first destination on my list, but I'll take it. I'll go anywhere anyone tells me as long as my sister is included in the destination.

I get to see my sister.

It's been almost a year and a half since I laid eyes on her. We've probably had 11 real conversations on the phone and a couple three dozen texted ones. It's been so long I forget how long her hair is, how loud and infectious her laugh can be. How meticulous she is with preparing salad and how she's much, much happier after coffee in the morning. With all the things I find myself forgetting, I'm never easy to forget how much I love her and miss her.

I can't wait for 15 hours to go by so I can get a little sister hug.

Paulina Supper Club #1: Pork Chops

I have this weird reaction where after eating my brain literally shuts down once the digestion process starts; It's like I'm being plugged into my charger and getting my batteries renewed. I can't make conversation, I'm more distracted than normal and I just need to stare at something while things breakdown.

The boys and I (I should start referring to them as the youngsters) have devised this new adventure called the Paulina Supper Club. Basically, it's a Monday night dinner at the homestead but with all of us contributing. We have such different schedules but for all the right reasons our Mondays are free and sitting outside this Summer our plan was hatched.

For the inaugural dinner we made pork chops with sort of an apple chutney/compote and apple cider gravy and (boxed) stuffing. Mini pumpkin pies with cream cheese honey frosting.

Matt doesn't cook and Doug likes to watch cooking shows. It's one part creative, one part teaching and one part execution on the fly. I love it.

Next week: Pulled pork sandwiches with homemade slaw and some deliciousness on the side that I have not determined