Happy Mah Jongg New Year

 I promised myself I would write something here starting in April, and what better day to do it than a celebration of our 2026 Mah Jongg NMJL card.  Today was the first time this group has played with it, and it was so much fun.  We were all mixed up most of the time with all the changes, but we were able to figure things out and have a good time.  Sharon brought some delicious goodies along with some 2026 New Year glasses, and we took a break and took some pictures and just celebrated playing together for several months now and enjoying each other's company.  

Sharon, our fearless leader, is in front and the picture taker.  Lori is on the back row left, then Gina, then me, always the life of the party, holding my card upside down!  

We almost forgot to add Natalia to the picture.  She comes to every game with her mother and plays there in our room.  I think she had been zoning out on chocolate at her little table and looking at like we were crazy when Gina grabbed her for the picture.  She's almost lost behind her glasses!  We missed the others today.  It's very rare, with everyone's busy schedules and children and jobs, to get everyone there, but we usually will have at least 3 or 4 on Thursdays.  Sharon and I play on Tuesdays also with another couple and a big fellow group of around 6 or 8.  We're learning a lot and having fun.  We don't have house rules but want to learn by the National Mah Jongg League's rules.  While it's exciting to win, we get just as excited when someone else wins and pulls off a good hand.  

Not to get into too much detail because I would never move on, I'll just mention today a few things and try to be more consistent about keeping my memories written down. 

I'm going on a trip!  I thought I was done traveling and certainly done flying, so it's still surprising to me that I agreed to do it.  I feel like I'm never going to be much healthier than this, and what better way to make memories in my 80th year than to fly across the country, visit 6 states (some of them just driving through or flying out of), and spending hours in a car with the family sharing old memories and seeing familiar sights.  I might not go back again, so I'm drumming up a little excitement about it.  I'm not sure who we'll see, but I'll be sure to record all that when the time comes.  

Latest with the girls:  They've been sick for over a week now.  What bad timing!  Graysen went back to school Monday, but I'm not sure Kate has been this week.  I fact, she had another temperature today, so she's getting a flu test to see what's going on.  Poor things.  They're just sniffing and feeling alternately lousy and sick and then bored and wanting attention.  

Gray went to her school skating party Friday night even though she wasn't feeling her best.  She said she had a great time.  I knew she was going to meet up with a friend on the hockey team, and I asked today how that went.  She said, "He's a really good skater.  He can skate backwards with his hands in his pockets."  I said I hoped she was able to keep up, and she said very seriously, "Well, I'm not that bad myself."  She had one group of girlfriends who weren't as experienced yet, and she was able to enjoy some slow skating with them and then with others who were fast and crazy!  

Just heard that Kate indeed has the flu.

Emily says she's so pale with circles under her eyes.  Maybe she can get some rest and cuddling this weekend and recover before we leave on Wednesday.  I missed them this week, but they were smart to keep them away.  I sure don't need to be getting sick too.  

What else is going on?  Getting a mini hair cut tomorrow since I'm having wisps poking out that won't wait 2 weeks to get trimmed.  I'm glad I finally got a haircut that's short enough to not have to be dried and will hold up to the humidity I've heard still exists.  We'll go to New Orleans, Mobile, Panama City, and St. George's Island, FL, and I bet we'll be getting our fill of that humidity and heat.  

Noreen and I went to Home Goods and Marshall's yesterday just to look around and came home in a pouring rain.  She's a good driver, but I didn't enjoy the part where huge trucks were in the lane next to us on either side, and it was hard to see the road.  We got safely home and had naps to top off the afternoon.  There were really pretty things in Home Goods, but I really don't have any desire to have anything.  I'm happy with what I have right now with just a little holiday decorating sometimes. I was trying to find a few things for Easter baskets but had no ideas except for some different-looking candy.  Katherine is one of the few people who actually likes Peeps.  And ducks.  So I thought this would be good for her.  They've just had Christmas and Graysen a birthday, so I'm out of good ideas. The pistachio macarons were for Elise.   

Emily's company has bought the recently closed clinic down the street from me, and we were up there Friday night looking around.  It's bigger than I thought, and she's going to have an extra busy time trying to get people hired and positioned and all the updates that are going to be needed.  Like she wasn't already busy anyway.  

I'll leave with some pictures as it is now and call it a day.  The girls and I found a little freezer that had frozen ice all inside with cold packs lost amid the ice.  We took it upon ourselves to start rescuing the cold packs and melting the ice.  It was a fun little activity and kept them busy while Emily worked in the office.  

Formerly Peak Physical Therapy - now Proliance.

Plenty of space for letting off some steam and setting up obstacle courses.

I think there are six treatment rooms and a central work room for the therapists.  Look at those views!

The Dollar Tree in this one.

Our ice project

    

I have lots to do tomorrow besides the haircut.  I probably won't see the girls because of trying to keep me from getting sick and Graysen meeting a friend after school for a movie, but it's time to a trial run of packing to see what goes where.  

December Days

 I want to remember this month and have it not be such a blur, but I find it hard to settle down to write anything.

Thanksgiving was different for us, as usual, but fun.  We staggered 3 different meals - vegan, Southern, PNW - throughout the week and enjoyed bits of all of it.  I'll get some pictures posted soon.  I have a good many, but they're all scattered among texts and cameras and unedited.

Day 1: Monday. I woke up with a burst of energy, which is unusual for me.  I usually have to get some protein and some coffee and take what pills I have for the morning, especially since I've usually been awake half the night.  We were aware that the maintenance guys were coming on Monday to do a safety inspection and check the fire alarm and ceiling sprinklers, so we made sure we could let them in.  Noreen asked me to go over for a visit, and I didn't need to be asked twice.  We've had such a busy week and needed a lot of time to catch up.  It was good to laugh and share our Thanksgiving pictures and get back on track.  It wasn't even as cold as we were thinking it would be.  I washed my 3 big front windows, inside and out, and felt pretty proud of that.  Then I refreshed the front door wreath and swept the porch a little.  

The girls didn't come after school, so I took back library books and picked up some, and by that time it was beginning to rain a little.  I then took my little Christmas tree over to Steller for the girls to put in the upstairs playroom to enjoy.  It was good to get that out of the garage, and I'm hoping it's the catalyst that will get me going on giving a lot of stuff away.  I still can't get to my bins of decorations, but no hurry. 

Lots of stuff happened in between - texting with family and friends and catching up and getting my first gifts ordered.  A good day, for sure.

Day 2:  It had gotten much colder and rainy overnight, and I didn't have as much enthusiasm, but I got all my laundry done plus part of the girls' and went through yesterday's mail.  Kyle and his helper came by and inspected the alarms and noticed that my stove doesn't match the other appliances.  It's still an old white one, although there's nothing wrong with it.  He said he would bring us a new one. Yay for us, I guess.  I just wanted him to get some new burner pans or whatever those things are called.  

Noreen brought over some homemade turkey soup, which was delicious and perfect for a gloomy winter day.  

The girls came after school, and Graysen and I talked about gifts for Kate that she wanted me to order, and when Kate came in after crossing guard, we played Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza.  I'm hopeless and slow and am always mixing up the pizza for cheese.  I didn't win.  They had to leave at 4:00 to get ready for soccer practice and DMW.  I sure hate to see them leave after it's already dark to walk home, but they don't seem to mind.  I just don't trust the drivers.  I feel like the girls are careful.  Emily sent me more pictures just now of them doing the second cat picture of their advent puzzle.  I think they're really enjoying it.  

The Nutcracker is Saturday night in Seattle, and they'll go with the Wheats.  They are wanting new dresses for the occasion.  Always a fun night.  Then Saturday night I'll babysit while Emily and Ryan go back to Seattle for a show they want to see.  There's entirely too much travel for me to relax, but I try to not be anxious.  They're leaving the 17th to go to Leavenworth where they plan to immerse themselves in as much snow as they can while I stay and babysit Gus and Luna.  

Today was supposed to be Mah Jongg, but some had doctor appointments, and one had an appliance repairman coming, so we took another day off.  We'll definitely be there Thursday, the ones of us who can.  It will be fun even with going out in what looks to be more cold rain.  It makes coming back home that much nicer.  

Nothing planned for Day 3 except to get the living room ready for the tree.  We moved chairs today and the desk, and I think we have too much furniture still.  It's going to be okay for the few days it's like this though, and we'll enjoy the new look.

I'm way behind on pictures, but here are a few of the puzzle nights and the end of the decorating.  Gray did not like the tree they picked out, but once they got most of the ornaments on, I think she likes it better.  

 

 Emily came across this beautiful little face in the old Christmas memories yesterday and sent it to me.  Such a sweet baby.  Is she eating a whole cake?

My Jumbled Mind

 The last days of October just flew by, and I don't even remember them.  I do remember the beautiful fall weather disappearing and the clouds coming - but not all day every day.  Just enough to let you know the seasons are changing.  We had some lovely monsoon-like windstorms that Elise and I enjoyed from our snug little apartment - warm and prepared with flashlights and candles.  We just had some brief flickering of light, thank goodness, but it was pretty messy looking out on the damage.

When I went to the dentist Monday morning, I started seeing detour signs as I approached North Bend.  Luckily, the detour didn't take me far out of my comfort zone, and I got to get my semi-annual cleaning done.  I've been going there for about 5 years, and it's a nice place.  One dentist, one hygienist - sometimes - one office person - sometimes one person is all three!  There's always good conversation, and I've never had to have any procedures done there, so that makes me happy.  

I made myself go to the grocery store on the way home, because I knew if I didn't stop, my procrastination would keep me from going at all.  It was pleasant even though rather crowded, and I took my time and got almost everything I went in for.  I saw a long line for the one checkout space available and opted for self-checkout, which turned out to not be a good idea.  I try to avoid it when I have full groceries just because it makes me tired to stand in one place and bend over and pick up stuff when I'm tired anyway.  And after filling up 4 of my bags, I noticed I was feeling a little warm and dizzy.  I got everything bagged up, but I could not manage to swipe my credit card and just put my head down on the shopping cart a minute.  Immediately, the staff swarmed around me and swiped my card and brought me a chair and offered me water and hovered quite a bit.  I was back to normal in about 5 minutes and felt ready to go, but one of the familiar guys who lives near me insisted on taking my groceries out and putting them in the back of the car.  I felt silly but was really glad to have that help.  Elise brought everything in for me when I got home.  I really wish I knew what caused this dizziness.  I think it's not eating breakfast and trying to do things even though I feel okay when I start.  I hate to complain because I don't like to have to depend on someone else to take me places.  Driving is never an issue, because I only feel dizzy when I stand in one place too long.  

It's been an unpredictable week.  I never know what I'm doing when I wake up but find out during the day if the girls are coming by and when and for how long.  That's fine, but I feel like I never see them enough lately.  I guess I don't even have any Halloween pictures.  I'll need to request some from Emily so I don't have to keep on writing about myself.  

I just did that.  She's planning a wreath-making afternoon for us next week at Squak Mountain Nursery.  I know it will be fun, and I'll actually get to see her in person for a change.  She knows I'm a klutzy crafter and wants to take me anyway!  I haven't driven on the new interchange yet - just haven't had the desire or the need - so I think that will be a good day for Elise to drop me off at the clinic and go buy her weekly Trader Joe's meals.  

Another thing Elise and I have done is try to clean out the "sewing room" and get rid of some of the things I know I'll never do.  That's usually fun for me, finding things and organizing, but I'm puzzled about where to keep them.  Elise needs more room, and I know once I put fabric and stuff in the garage, it will disappear from my mind unless I label VERY carefully.  So far, I have.

I'm getting rid of my old Christmas tree that takes up so much room on the shelves since Noreen was nice enough to gift me a bigger one last year.  I also have a chair and several boxes of things to put on the Buy Nothing FB page too.  I just procrastinate about taking those pictures and listing them.  It was nice to donate about 6 boxes of clothing and household things to a fundraiser at the high school in October.  It seems like the more I take out, the more I have, and I feel like I never buy anything new.  

I'm making detailed lists of the books I want to read and giving it more thought.  I've been on a downhill journey with reading lately.  It seems like nothing I've tried has pleased me, and I end up sending them back to the library unread.  I did read two quite extraordinary books this week though, and I just recommended them to Emily.  I'll copy my message to her to save time.

-- I've been crying over a book this morning, so I thought you would like it.  It's The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry.  Several times this week, I've been listening to it when I went to bed and fell asleep with it playing all night, I guess.  I must wake up some during that time, because I do remember excerpts from it later.  After doing this for the third time, I just went back to the halfway point and am taking the time to listen to it all at once.  I did miss a lot!  And it's good.  And sad in places.  And human and beautiful all at the same time.  The other one is Sipsworth by Van Booy.  Sipsworth is a mouse.  I probably wouldn't have read it if I had known that.  I just read a recommendation about how much people love it and how beautiful it is, so I listened to it.  When the heroine is about my age and adopts a mouse and shares strawberries with it, how can I not like it?  It's almost fantasy but realistic enough to identify with. I have holds for several other good-sounding books that will be trickling in in the next few weeks or months.

I don't see any pictures being delivered, and the only one I was sent this week was a video of a soccer game in the pouring rain and high winds with lots of screaming and laughter.  

Kate had that soccer game and a very good martial arts skills test that her teacher was pleased with this week.  She went trick-or-treating with her friend Eiri while Graysen was out with a soccer friend ringing doorbells somewhere else.  Gray and Sawyer went to a Halloween dance last Friday night, and she gave it a thumbs up, but I don't know any more details about it.  And probably never will!!

I had a fun morning one day last week when I got to visit with 3 friends - besides mah jongg ones - all on the same morning.  Mary asked me over to play Scrabble, and as I left, I once again ran into Peggy walking her dog Riley (I think.  She lost one recently).  She walked along with me awhile, and we had a nice chat.  Then as I passed Noreen's window, I peeked in and spotted her at her table.  She waved me in and made me some coffee, and we managed to catch up on so many things.  Our lives have been full of kids and activities and doctor appointments, so it was good to have the whole day to devote to friends.  

I do have some pictures.  The Wyvills invited me to brunch last Sunday morning, and I took a couple of pictures.  We played a complicated cops and robber and innocent people game that I never quite understood, but it was quite entertaining.  Carly had made pancakes, and there were English muffins and very good bacon plus some much-needed coffee.  It's always fun to spend some time with them.  Since they've moved a block or so away, we don't see as much of them. Well, Graysen sees Linda every day since she's her math teacher!

I missed getting pictures of the cats and the scary Halloween head in the window, and the one I took of Wes in the kitchen was blurred.  Unfortunately, they're moving completely out of the neighborhood next week but within walking distance.  

I tried to take some pictures of Kate in her punk rock outfit Friday after school, but Graysen took my camera and fancied up the ones she took until I hardly recognized her.  Looks like she had a hard day of recess in the rain and wind, but at least one eye retained the makeup!

I liked the whole look better - the black high-top sneakers with the untied laces, the leather jacket and the tattoos plus some leather studded wrist bands - or something! I miss orange ballerinas and Harry Potter costumes!

I took these on my way back from Mary's the other day.  It was a pretty day in spite of the clouds.

I surprised myself by taking out a yellow sign from the above picture.  It was pretty neat.

Emily sent me the soccer practice ones.  Those were some strange clouds.

Ryan brought over the girls' laundry that I love to do, and it was perfect timing.  I was about to do mine, so I'll have it all clean and ready to go in a few hours.  He also changed the filter in my car.  We have a nice bartering system!  Elise and I are babysitting for the whole weekend starting Friday, so we need to call in all the favors we can!  

Beautiful Day for Mah Jongg

 Yesterday was our Tuesday group.  If I go to Mah Jongg at 1:00, I waste the whole morning until then.  I had some coffee early and then ate lunch - some leftover lasagna - because if I skip lunch, I get too hungry by 3:30.  I'd much rather play in the mornings, but afternoon is when the Y gives us a room, and we haven't get started playing in our homes - not sure we ever will since Tom and Jan don't even live here.  It's so easy this way.  They furnish a nice quiet BIG room, tables and chairs and the game, so all we need to do is bring ourselves and our card.  I always forget to take pictures there.  It's nothing special in terms of a room (it's an added-on prefab building where children have an after-school class) but it serves us fine.  They even ordered some new card tables for us.

Yesterday, there were 5 people for another table.  They play faster than we do and talk more than we do.  It's ladies who have known each other and played together for many years, so they have a lot in common.  Our table is quieter and more studious (nervous), and Tom doesn't put up with much chatty nonsense, so we're pretty focused!  

Almost all of us had a mah-jongg during the afternoon.  I think.  I can't remember.  Sharon tried the Halloween card, which is hard to focus on since we don't use it all the time.  She was within a pair of reaching MJ.  Then Jan had been blessed with 5 jokers and had a pretty hand of consecutive number lineup, all Bams.  Next Tom laid his winning hand on the board, and it turned out that he had forgotten one simple rule about a concealed hand (you have to actually conceal it), so his was declared dead while the other 3 of us finished the game.  I got close on that one, but it turned out to be a Wall game.  Next game, I tried the same hand, and it worked out.  There were only about 3 tiles left, and Sharon and I both claimed the tile when it was discarded, but I was ready for MJ, so I got it.  We learn a lot and have some laughs.  It's a good way to spend an afternoon.  Sharon and I will play again Thursday with Elisette and either Gina or Adriana.  We're all still in the learning phase, so it's low key and fun.  

I worked on cleaning my sewing room out when I got home and not much else.  After it got dark, Elise reminded me that I had forgotten to pick up or order cat litter, and I wasn't going out and risk hitting a pedestrian.  Nights are for not driving for me.  I was getting ready to make the laundry exchange for Emily, so I asked if they had some extra litter we could get to tide us over until the next day, and Ryan, who was going by the grocery store anyway, brought me a big box of it.  It's nice to have family to get you out of trouble.  

I finished my book, which I was proud of, since it was not that great.  The Boyhood of Cain by Michael Amherst - recommended by some book club or something.  I returned that one and had downloaded a few more from another book club's recommendations:  

1.  Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.  I've read this and remember really loving it but have forgotten it.  So I'm reading it again.  I'll also see if she has any new books I haven't read.  Eleanor is ''an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger."  The eccentric loner appeals to me. This is from the Reese Witherspoon Book Club.

2.  Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy.  Again, this book involves a chance encounter, but this time it's with a pet mouse that gives a woman the will to live.  I have to admit it's not my unusual type of book, but I'll give it a try.  I'm all for second chances, I guess.

3.  The Wedding People by Alison Espach.  Seems like I've tried to read this one, but we'll see.  "A Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, a Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 Winner, and long-listed in many Best of the Year 2024 picks."  It certainly has good recommendations.  Reading a review, it's once again a new beginning for someone named Phoebe.  There seems to be a pattern evolving here.

4.  The Storied Life of A. J. Filkry by Gabrielle Zevin.  Another new beginning, it looks like, this time from a man, "owner of Island Books, the only bookstore on Alice Island, who has lost his wife."  I think we see where this one is going.  I must have found the new beginnings in old age section to pick my books.  I'll get started on Eleanor this morning.

The only other things I have to do is make some cookies for the girls and check their salty snacks since they'll be coming over after school today.  Graysen is loving not having to stay after school for cross-country and has nothing scheduled until soccer starts.  There is a Halloween dance this weekend.

 I might work on the sewing room some more.  I do have a few little projects I want to finish.  Actually, more than a few.  I opened the trash can last night and just let go of some old stamps I had had around for more years than I want to think about.  I never stamp anything, and it's extremely messy dealing with stamp pads.  I'll organize the other projects and try to make myself accountable to finishing a few things.  I found 6 partially finished quilts - or maybe more if I'm counting.  I'm not sure I'll get back to those but might leave them for the girls to have to worry about.  I'm more in the mood for small and quick things.  I made some gray dishrags last week that turned out pretty with no effort, and we were really needing some.

Now for a cup of coffee.  Elise called me from the grocery store Monday to ask which flavor of coffee I wanted since they had their new K-cups on sale.  I am never able tell much difference between them, but I think she got some cinnamon and hazelnut flavor.  She's a pushover for flavored coffee and tea.  I enjoy the Holiday Blend at Christmastime every year, but it's not out yet, I guess.  

Bowie can hardly wait for me to get up in the mornings, so he can have my spot for a little nap.  

  

Nice Fall Days

 I wish each day was twice as long as it is.  I can't do everything I want to do, and now that I'm dedicated to cleaning out my sewing things, I've added a bunch more projects to my already jumbled thoughts.  

So what am I doing?  Nothing of any consequence - just anything I see that pleases me.  I'm going down my list and checking them off like it's a job, or I would just flounder around and get nothing down. 

1.  I'm still doing the girls' laundry.  I had to beg for it, because parents never want to admit they could use some help/can't make their children love laundry chores/think I'm not supposed to be working at my advanced age.  I've done it two weekends now and loved every bit of it.  It's two baskets, and when I'm through, they know they'll have clean soccer, cross-country, and martial arts uniforms for the upcoming week.  Socks, underwear, and pajamas get washed as well as whatever they wore to school that week, including barely worn T-shirts and hoodies now that the weather is cooler.  They also get the bonus of having repairs made if I see any and spot removal.  The orange shadows around the white fleece jogging pants look suspiciously like Cheeto stains from fingers, and the tear in the kangaroo pocket of one hoodie is justified, seeing that it's from about 1990 - the Upson-Lee Rebels Danceline hoodie which fits Kate perfectly.  With her auburn hair, she looks so much like Emily did at 13.  All stainfree and repaired now.  They told me they put everything up as soon as they got them home and didn't fuss about it at all.  Hope it lasts.  I love washing and drying and even ironing sometimes, and it one of the few things I have enough energy to follow through with.  

2.  Reading.  I've downloaded dozens of books lately, and most of them never made the cut past the first few chapters.  I guess I can be picky now since choosing and downloading them are so easy, and sending them back is just as easy.  I made a 2-page list yesterday of books I know I've read but have forgotten and about 30 or 40 new (to me) books.  I'll give them all another try and see what I can find that's good to read.  Elise is hooked on short stories and brings home thick books of them to recommend to me.  I usually end up reading the whole book of them, so I can count that as a book, I guess.  

I just finished one last night that I had to struggle to get through.  I'm not sure what made me keep on.  I guess I thought it would get better or I'd relate to it, but I listened to the whole thing and still didn't enjoy it.  

I'll do a better list later.  My night is getting away from me.

3.  NYT Puzzles:  I don't enjoy the NYT crosswords as much as Mike did.  I don't like to do them online, and I decided to stop taking the Seattle Times just for a crossword puzzle when I never finish over half of one.  But I never miss WORDLE.  A few times lately, I've been stumped over one, but usually I'll pull it out of somewhere.  I even got a 2-try one lately.

Then I do Connections, which seem harder lately as well as Strands and Pips.  That domino game was intimidating at first, but the more I play, the quicker I can do them.  I started an online jigsaw puzzle this morning while I finished listening to my uninteresting book, and when Kate came after school, she took over and found several pieces.

I'm really boring myself, so I'm going to bed and hopefully will wake up with more interesting things to mention, including Mah Jongg, which I'm playing tomorrow afternoon.  I just got a new strategy book today that I need to study.  I can't play defense at all.  It takes everything I have just to pay attention to what I have.  It'll be nice to see the MJ folks again after taking a week off.

Just for the sake of a picture, here's a quince that Emily water colored yesterday.  I think she's quite good, although she complains about it.  

Tuesday in October

 It seemed cool this morning, and I really didn't look forward to going out, but Elise and I had returns to make, so we went up to the UPS store and got that done.  It was nice once we got out and found the sunshine, and I ended up walking home while Elise drove.  Such a nice walk.

I'm enjoying seeing the strawberry-vanilla hydrangeas as they turn different colors.  I thought this little pot of dead-looking stems would never leaf and bloom.

I'm not sure the temps got low enough to hurt any plants, but we dutifully brought them inside last night.  I wish they had looked this good all summer.  These are the ones we couldn't find a place for in the apartment.

I met the others at the Y for mah jongg this afternoon, and we noticed we were playing along at a good pace and not having to sit there saying "Where were we?  What are we doing?"  I did get the perfect hand my first time and reached mah jongg early.  Things just fell into place nicely, and it was a pleasure.  Sharon won the last game, and there were two wall games.

Sharon had made us Halloween-themed cards to try, and she did one and won, but the others of us kept forgetting to try it.  Maybe during the interval, we can at least look at it and get familiar with some of the hands.  I guess I'll go Friday unless I get a chance to go to the cross-country meet.

The girls both came after school and had a lunch of sorts - Gray had tomato basil soup and cheese toast plus half an apple and some chips.  Kate had mac and cheese, cheese toast and the same snacks.  They watched a Mystery show with Elise while they ate and then tried to work on homework.  Gray's especially was so hard.  We got a little frustrated at word problems talking about refilling bird feeders and fractions and those greater than, less than signs.  They have soccer practice and/or DMW tonight, so they left pretty early. 

I'm going to get warm and put on pjs and have a cup of coffee and read some.  Elise has me interested in some Flannery O'Connor short stories, and I have some blogs to read.  I feel a little down tonight for no particular reason, but my blogs always cheer me up.

A little bonus:  Ryan called and said he was bringing some laundry over - I've volunteered to do some of the girls' laundry to take some of the weekend backlog off them - and I love to do laundry.  He also brought several pieces of banana bread he had made, which made having that cup of coffee that much nicer.  Good-smelling clothes, coffee with cinnamon-vanilla creamer this week, and banana bread.  Nice night after all.  

Recovery

 After a long nearly 2 weeks of someone being sick and/or testing negative for COVID, life got a little back to normal today with the girls going back to school and Emily to work.  I had a slow morning getting started, but by afternoon, I was feeling great and expecting Kate after school.  

She was starved - FINALLY - after not eating anything for nearly a week, so we fixed her up with mac and cheese and a few snacks.  She had watched the first 3 innings of the Mariners game at school.  Don't ask me what the lesson plan was for Mr. Rooney, but he is not going to miss his Mariners.  It was 3-2 when we first found the ESPN gamecast on the computer.  Neither one of us loves baseball enough to sit and look at a TV for long, so we did other things and kept checking back.  A few innings later, it was 6-3, and we were happy.  We devised our own method of "watching."  She called out the pitches and whether they were balls, strikes, or fouls - or HITS and the MPH.  I called out the on-deck batters that were listed by last name and first initial, and we tried to guess the first names.  Never did we get one right.  The 3 Js, we called Javier, Jose, and John.  They were actually Julio, Jorge, and Josh.  I just treasured these interactions with her after not seeing her in so long.  She is just so knowledgeable and knows so much than I do already.  About baseball that's not much, but with the computers too.  She asked me where she would go to customize my computer.  After staring blankly at the screen, I suggested maybe the Start button, and she was off.  I'm not sure of what I'll find tonight.  

Emily kept us up with the cross-country meet.  Gray wasn't on top of the world after being sick and out of school for several days and was just going to take it easy and run the route slowly, but she ended up coming in second overall.  I'm not even sure of the school we were competing against, but I'm so proud of her.  She just takes running for granted, and I hope she'll always be happy doing it.  

Kate and I conspired to not give away the score to Ryan and Emily in case they wanted to watch it from the start when they got home, so if they happen to read this - fat chance - don't read any further.

We ended up winning 10-3, which is a big contrast to the low-scoring prior games I've followed.  I even stayed up for the 15-inning game Saturday night, and that was exciting, somewhat.  

It's supposed to dip down to 31 degrees tonight.  Hoping it won't.  Elise and I have been deciding which plants to bring inside and which to put in the garage and which to leave outside.  Naturally, everything is at its prettiest the last couple of weeks, and it's hard to bring them in and punish them.  We don't enjoy the cooler weather that much, but we're going to make ourselves get out and try to layer up and walk.  

I'll be going to mah jongg tomorrow afternoon and maybe Thursday too.  Graysen has her cross-country final Thursday, so I'll want to leave early if there is a chance I can make it to that.  Not sure what town it's in, but I think it's Carnation.  I need to see her run once more and also see another of Kate's soccer games before it gets too miserable to sit out there and cheer.  

I've asked for some pictures of today but haven't gotten any yet, so I'll post some old ones I found.  These have been either missed by me or forgotten, but they bring back sweet memories.

Our first peek at this girl that changed our lives.  

My grandmother made these little dresses for Elise and Emily and they naturally didn't wear them much.  I wasn't really in a position to iron much in those days!  Graysen seems a little dubious about them too, but they were made with love and Grandma's talent for sewing.

I think they all liked this shirt better.  Perfect position.  I hope Kate got to wear it too, knowing her love for martial arts.

Crazy but typical picture I named Chaos.  But happy chaos.  I wish I knew what the discussion was all about.