I drove to Andalusia yesterday to see Mama, and she didn't want me to come because of the heat. My car was probably 10 degrees cooler than her room. Maybe more.
She is thriving in The Manor, and her only complaint is her back pain and not having enough time to do all the activities they offer. She got back from exercise yesterday and was laughing about "all those old people" and how much fun they had playing wheelchair volleyball. Being awake is optional, but if you doze, the ball might bounce off your head. She found that hilarious and admitted she missed quite a few times and got it in the face. I'm not sure how much the Elvis impersonator a couple of weeks ago knows how much he has been discussed. The activities people there do an excellent job of planning interesting things. I know it's not easy when half the residents don't seem to know what's going on - but to the other half, it makes for a lot of enjoyment and discussion. Once on my way out, a heavily made up lady with a tiara and evening gown came out of a door and winked at me. HE was on his way to the womanless beauty contest. From the looks of the pictures on the bulletin board, he had a lot of competition. There are sad and unfortunate people there, but overall there is a sense of contentment and happiness there when you walk up and down the halls. I know Mama is thrilled with the attention she gets from the nurses and staff.
Today I've decided on 3 things I have to do. Write something here. Make a nice lunch trying a new recipe. Start on a new project.
This is what I've going to make Graysen for her tent - a Little Boy Blue Toddler Bean Bag. Just reading the instructions, it looks doable. The zipper might give me problems, but I'm going to worry about that when the time comes.
When I started to print the pattern, 3 pages were blank. I finally figured out that using the Chrome browser caused it and went to Internet Explorer, and there they were.
I figured we would have an awful time figuring out which fabrics to use, but I sent Emily a suggestion of a line from the Michael Miller line, Wee Wander. She immediately found 2 that she loved, and we think they will work together well.
This is really a pretty coral and not the orange it shows in this picture. Graysen is going to love the horses and hop-hops and deer and everything going on in those fabrics.
I'm washing the fabric now and can't wait to get started. The bean bag has a lining, so that will be a good test of whether things are going to fit together like they should.
The chicken recipe I'm going to try is Maple Mustard Glazed Chicken. We'll see.
I walked around in the yard briefly this morning - VERY briefly - and found that a few things are withstanding the heat.
Mike planted a row of sunflowers in a tiny space between the driveway and fence, and there was not enough soil for even these hardy flowers to grow. They did their best but turned their faces to the fence.
I sneaked up on this one and found this beauty. It is HUGE.
The very best zinnias that I bought early at Home Depot. They have not wavered during the heat and are even lusher than before. They look a lot like marigolds with their short stems and rounded blossoms.
The zinnia bed keeps getting taller and taller, and the white crepe myrtle adds bit of a cool feeling.
Even with a new haircut, Darby is still not enjoying the heat and humidity and wants only to lie in the sunroom under the fan.
These might be the last of the tomatoes in the yard for awhile. I just sliced one for lunch.
I did get to the library to look for the list of 53 books that someone had recommended on Facebook that were supposed to be good. There were only 2 at our Pike Road branch, but that didn't keep me from bringing home a full bag. Reading sounds like an excellent way to spend these hot summer days.
I was excited to find a new book by Anne Tyler. I used to read everything she wrote. This one was okay but not as good as I expected. The one on the bottom I've almost finished, and it's kind of strange, but I still want to see how it ends. When I start reading, that's all I want to do. I love having a big stack of unread books waiting for me to open them.
Time for lunch. The chicken looks and tastes really good but nothing like that picture!
I'm not sure what the maple syrup does for the recipe, but I think I would use less and use more mustard. Still, a lovely flavor and so moist and tender.
