G'bye July

It hasn't been the greatest July in my life - nor the worst.  I hope it's a one of its kind July and that we'll never have another one just like this one.  Better!

I think we've all done pretty well getting through another month.  Elise and I find ourselves with too much togetherness, but it's not the worst.  Emily and Ryan have carved out a pretty good schedule and acceptance of the way things are.  Not that things are perfect for sure.  There's a ton of worry about school and doing things the right way and all the uncertainty, but the girls seem to be full of energy and craziness and just don't seem to have been bothered by any of it.

I got out and walked first thing this morning, even before coffee, when it was cooler, and it was really nice.

Today was my Friday lunch with the girls, and I was about to leave to pick it up when Ryan called me from North Bend and said he and the girls were there running errands and that they would pick it up.  That sounded great to me, so I took my time going over there and managed to sweep the patio and pick up a little before they got there.  I always feel like I should do something to help when I'm over there, but they've got it under control for the most part. 

I still think of them as babies, but when Ryan brought the lunch around back, we talked a few minutes, and I asked where the girls were.  "Did you leave them in the truck?"  He said, "Yeah, they'll figure it out."  And they did.  In a few minutes I heard them coming around the corner singing 67 babies in a helicopter, or something.  Really growing up.

We ate outside even though the sun was already pretty bright, and it was nice.  The girls kept going in and out of the house showing me their new backpacks and lunch boxes and finding some new music to listen to. 

Katherine's lunch box was much more sparkly than I had gathered from the pictures, especially in the sunshine.  Very sparkly, and she's in love with it.

A water bottle that locks with her name on it also.

After we ate and cleaned up, we decided to cool off in the house for a bit and played some cards.  First, Go Fish.  I really wanted to brush some hair, but I didn't want to get that close.

Katherine is still not okay with losing unless you distract her with something funny.  Just that youngest-child-in-the-family syndrome, I guess.

When we played Old Maid, she didn't want to play, so Graysen and I played by ourselves.  She's really fun to play with, and there was much screaming and moaning over the old lady.  We tried to talk Katherine into playing the second game with us, and she let us deal her a hand, but she wanted to be Graysen's "helper," i.e. sneaking behind me and telling Gray which card NOT to pick.  We managed to get all the fun out of cards that we could stand.  They had rather line them up in rainbow color order than actually play the game. 

Once outside, we listened to lots of Caspar Babypants songs.  I love those songs, and she found my favorites:  Banana Bread, Crabby,  so many others.  There's a cute new one (to me) about a fiddlehead fern.  The words are a little tricky, but Graysen's got them all just right, and they can't help but dance when they hear it.

 The rest of the time was spent in dancing long and complicated routines to the Nutcracker to be video'd.

Graysen getting ready for her performance.

Very serious about it, especially when she could see her reflection in the sliding glass door.

I think Kathrine was just out of sight melting ice on the bricks and finding roly-polys.

I'm ending the night setting up my sort of useless planners for the rest of the year.  I didn't realize my nice one ended in July, but I had hardly used it since March, so I just ordered a simpler version, undated and just right for the little bit of stuff I have to do every day.

It's a 5 x 7 size, perfect for throwing in a bag and taking with me.  I also ordered a new budget planner since my last one was a part of my old planner, and I wanted a little more space.  I didn't read the details very well and thought it was the same size, but I was surprised to see that it was 8-1/2 x 11 and pretty serious.

I'm used to writing all my monthly expenditures on two small pages, so I don't know what I'm going to do with all those days when I don't spend anything!  Be happy about it, I guess!  I try to get organized so someone doesn't have to go crazy figuring out my stuff when I'm gone.  Maybe my money and I will run out at the same time. 

I've been visited by a few hummingbirds tonight.  It's such a nice pleasant evening.  I thought I had dreamed about a thunderstorm last night, but Emily mentioned that thunder and lightning had awakened her about 2:00 this morning.  I wish I had been awake enough to enjoy it.

Weekend coming up looks pleasant as well as the next 10 days.  Very little rain and highs in the high 70s and low 80s.  Loving summer finally. 

Just Thursday

Did nothing and yet got a little accomplished.

Measured and squared up one of the girls' quilts and got it ready for the first border.

Played Mah-Jong.  I didn't actually see anyone, but we messaged.  I didn't win a game, but playing against the computer tonight, I won two.  Guess my competition this morning was better than the computer's tonight.

Not a pretty sunset but fireworks on the screen when I won a game.

The lizwin name happened last time I played.  I had to choose a name quickly, and I was on Elise's computer, so I just used her user name that I saw on the screen.  I like it better than beckwin.

Ryan came over and brought cat litter to put in the garage and the cat tower that Luna is finished with, I guess.  Our cats are gradually sniffing around it and climbing up on it.  It gives them a perfect view of the sidewalk below, so they should love it.

Or maybe not.

I sent him home with my overgrown tomato plant to put in the garden so it can stretch it's roots and a dead vacuum cleaner to take to the dump the next time he goes.  I'm enjoying my new one, of course.  What's NOT to like about a new vacuum cleaner?

I brought up the window fan and have it going in the living room window, but it's cooler on the balcony, so that's where I'll hang out until time for bed.   It's not pretty, but I guess it helps a little.  Elise says it doesn't, but I'm okay with it.

It's really not that bad if you don't get out in the late afternoon.  I think 85 was as high as it got, and that's going to be the highest of the week with maybe a little shower or two.  I'd love to have some late-afternoon thunderstorms, but you can't have everything!

I didn't get to see the girls in person today, but we did talk by video, and then I got pictures of their new school supplies.   New lunch boxes for both and new backpack for Katherine.  Sooooo exciting and yet so sad.  All ready for school and - no school.  Probably. We'll have to pack them up a few times and just walk to the school and back - just because we were so looking forward to it.  No one knows exactly how it's going to work.

Maybe I'm not looking closely enough, but I don't see one unicorn or glittery thing or even a cat.  This girl is taking school seriously, even if it is dining-room-table school.

They seem to have chosen the constellation theme this year.  Graysen still is going to use her pink princess backpack but got a new lunchbox.

Big backpack and long name for such a little girl.

I just saw this in passing on the Hub.

This is what I'm talking about.  Cool September mornings with all those crunchy leaves and excited little girls.  Praying for it to happen again.

Anyway, I'll take them lunch tomorrow, as usual on Fridays.  They'll order in the morning, and I'll pick up.  90% chance of McDonald's!

You never know what will show up in the photos.  This made me laugh.

And I got my voting packet ready.

Contrary to a rumor I read today, sending in 2 or 10 or 20 ballots in your name doesn't matter.  Only one counts.  One.  Such a hard concept.  There will be some that slip through the cracks, probably, but there are mistakes with in-person voting too - like closing polls early or making it hard for certain people to vote.  It's also illegal to even send in more than one ballot.  You have to trust that there is not a big conspiracy on one side or the other.  Maybe both sides, and then they would cancel each other out.  So silly.

I love the ease of the mail-in ballot myself.  I usually just drop it in the box up the street though.

Saw this article from a PA article:
"You can only return one ballot per voter. If somebody would try to sneak in an extra ballot on the system, it will be rejected," Voye said.

That's because each voter has a unique bar code that is on the envelope of the ballot.

When completed ballots are returned to the office, they are scanned. If another ballot was returned from that same voter, it would show as a duplicate vote when scanned and would be rejected by the system. Staff would mark the ballot as rejected. Those ballots are kept but are not sent to the warehouse to be counted or opened.

Loving my night with the black velvet sky and cool breeze,texting with Emily and laughing over crazy things.  Like the guy from Florida who bought a Porsche with a check he printed on his computer.  And the car dealer took it.  Trying to buy the Rolex watches was his downfall. 

And Susan and her cat family hanging out across the alley!  Henry, Carl, and Delores.

Just thankful for another beautiful day and hope for tomorrow.

Sunset Knitting

This is where I usually am first thing every morning drinking coffee and planning my day and last thing before getting ready for the night.  My happy place.

A beautiful hummingbird let me know there was no more food in the feeder this morning.  A bonus was that it flew so close to my face I could see the bright red throat.  What an amazing creation.

A friend and I were talking this morning about how we have no idea exactly what happens after you lose someone, but we just make up our own things that comfort us.  Mike loved the hummingbirds here and spent hours getting just the right photograph, so when I see one, that's my way of remembering happier times and communicating with him.  

August and September are the hardest months.

But we do go on somehow and make new memories and still remember the old ones.

Four years ago he was sneaking into Dr. Kaplan's computer while he waited for him. 

Checking out his books.

And just clowning around.

We just learned that Dr. Kaplan is retiring.  What a wonderful career he had, such a wonderful and caring man.  I hope he gets to do some fun things now.  

Warm

Still not complaining because this is what I wanted, but it makes me realize I can't walk all over town for hours in 86-degree heat.   Not without taking a few breaks.

I walked over to get the girls yesterday and take them to get a frozen yogurt and figured I would have time to sit in the shade of the back yard before we left, but as soon as I got there (dragging), they were standing there with their water bottles and little bag packed, ready to go.  I didn't have the heart to delay them, because I know how much it means to leave the house for any reason! 

Thank goodness, no one expected me to walk fast.  We stopped once in the shade to have some water.  What softies we are.  Those little masks under their chins!

Graysen had gotten a new Katie Wu book and read it the whole time we walked.  I love to see this so much.  Even when we stopped to rest, she was reading away.

We got the yogurt and decided not to sit at the tables out front since they were in the sunshine, so we walked back and sat on the steps of the apartment.

They then noticed the very excellent cat Lunala who roams around the apartment complex and lets you hold her and cuddle her and drag her around as much as they want.

It was nice to see Cadence and the twins and their Mom Tomoko.  I love talking to her.  We then met Sarah, Emily, and Owen who live a few doors down from me but have a balcony on the opposite side where they have a beautiful second-story garden, from what I could see.  I know there is a pumpkin and two plumerias.  

Sarah saw Emily drive up, noticed her Auburn decal or tag or whatever she has and said, "War Eagle!"  I forget how few times we've heard that in the past few years.  Pretty much never, I guess.  I do have a neighbor whose dad graduated from AU, and Sarah's brother-in-law did.  They're originally from Dallas.  It's interesting hearing about people, and they become not just random people who pass by with kids riding bikes or taking walks.

By the time I got inside after the girls were picked up, I was really tired and hot.  It wasn't much cooler in the apartment, so I sat on the balcony with a glass of tea and my audio book, Camino Winds by John Grisham.  I'm not sure I like the reader's accents on some of the characters, but I'm getting used to them.  

Right now, it's all about a hurricane in Florida, so it's pretty timely, but I think there's a murder involved.  It's quite a change from Edith Wharton, but I really do love her books and am going to listen to all of them I can.  I've read House of Mirth and Summer and am waiting for Age of Innocence and Custom of the Country.  I didn't realize she had written so many books and that she was the first woman to win the Pulitzer.  I know very little about New York aristocracy in the early part of the century, and it's so interesting to me and quite a contrast to the things I usually read - or listen to.  I'm not sure I can go back to paper books!  

Since I'm not getting a lot accomplished sewing, I decided to clean my sewing room - or get started on it.  I love my Ikea sewing table
 and thread cabinet that Mike insisted I needed with all those smooth-opening drawers.  We had such fun putting them together.

They tend to get a little cluttered, so it was fun to go in there and clean every one out and vacuum them and wipe them out and remember what I have.

I still didn't find my quarter-inch foot, but I think I can do without it.  It might show up somewhere.

There's no excuse for not being able to cut things.

I didn't make it over to the embroidery cabinet.  Since I'm not doing much of that, it's not a priority, but I do need to tackle those drawers soon. 

Mask-making is about all I've done lately, so I've organized a few fat quarters and patterns I might want to use.

But so many things waiting for me.

 It did me good to vent yesterday.  I hold my anger inside too long, and it's not healthy.  It doesn't pay to even skim through the news though and find that the English-language Russian Facebook accounts are alive and well and preying on the gullible.  And more, much more.

 Although I feel helpless to change anything, I'll just work on my little corner of life and enjoy people I love and things I love. 

I just walked downstairs to try and make the Hispanic landscaper understand that I would like him to leave the little fairies the girls set up at the bottom of the stairs.  It's a work in progress, but these fairies had their wings broken during the landscaping that went on at their house so ended up here.

He didn't speak a bit of English, and I couldn't find the words to make it clear whether I wanted it dug up or left, apparently.  Mike would have had a ball with him, thoroughly embarrassing me and making the guy laugh.  Like with the movers several years ago when he called me La Bruja to them - a witch who kidnaps children!  They thought that was hilarious.

 The guy excused himself and went and got "the boss" who was very sympathetic to leaving it.  I offered to move it while they cleaned, but he was adamant I leave it.  While I was downstairs, I walked around the corner and saw Orange the gecko getting an antibiotic shot and a bunch of children gathered around.  Poor thing was attacked by one of their cats and is injured.  He has a missing tail and maybe a dislocated jaw.  I vote for keeping him in a cage of some sort.  Cats are going to chase lizards!

Resetting

It's Tuesday morning, the last of the garbage has been picked up, and the laundry has been done and folded.  Hoping this week will be better than last.

The picture above doesn't do justice to the way this view lifts my spirits.  It doesn't show the leaves blowing with a nice cool breeze after a warm night.  You can't hear the birds singing or smell the freshness of the air.  It's the perfect place for my first cup of coffee.

Life is just so scary and sad right now, and I need mornings like this.  Catching up on some emails.  Reading the latest Snoqualmie news. Reading a few sweet blogs.

Not going to Facebook has continued to be a good decision.  After checking in with my groups, I shut the door on the outside world, all the unnecessary things that waste my day, all the propaganda and gullibility that make me so angry and cause so much divisiveness.  If FB ever decides to be responsible about fact checking and keeping out foreign interference, I might get a little more enthusiastic about it.  But I kind of like my little bubble right now and need it.

Yesterday was warm, and I made myself not have any negative feelings about it, because this is what I've been waiting for.  I think not having air-conditioning makes me appreciate mornings like this.

My friend Noreen and I finally got to have our side-porch chat that we've been missing for weeks since she went back to work and the days have been so dreary and cool.  We talk about everything - and nothing - and it's so nice to be with someone who has a lot of the same thoughts as I do - worry about our family time and what's going on with schools.  Worry about the future of our country and what our grandchildren are going to be faced with.  But lots of laughter and hope and just getting pleasure out of the small things, like whether the guitar boy between our apartments is going to get loud that night or how long we'll be able to be comfortable without air-conditioning!

Just sitting on the balcony with the cats this morning though and hoping this is the last garbage truck run.  They come up our alley twice for the garbage, once on the right and once on the left and then later on come by twice for the recycling.  The truck seems to be within arm's reach and really, really loud.  The cats can hear it coming blocks away and take off for the safety of under the bed.

These are the same plants as always, but I never get tired of them. 

These purple wave petunias hang over the rails of the balcony, but I've turned a few of them around so I can enjoy them.  I hope I never have a summer without a red geranium.

Or a coral one.

I've wintered this geranium for two years.  I guess that's what you call it - dragging it into the house over the winter - and this fuschia has been an added bonus.

I know this tomato plant needs to go to the garden because it's overgrowing the pot, but I do love to come out and check on my "crop" of four tomatoes - and many, many more blooms.

I picked one of these little gnarly peppers for my salad last night.  It tasted better than it looked!

My clematis and bacopa corner just adds a softness.  I'm not sure if the clematis will bloom again, but it sure is traveling.  I have to unwind it from around the tomatoes every morning and send it back to the railing.

As I passed by the Hub this morning, I saw this, and it made me so happy.  And just a little sad.  This seems to be the first Christmas Ryan made the trip to Andalusia to meet the grandparents, and he's making the best of it with probably deep conversations with his future father-in-law.  I'm not sure if that's a forced smile or the joy of eating Eleanor's sugar cookies and drinking sweet tea.  I can tell from the Maxwell House coffee can that that's what they're eating.  I'd love to go back to that day just for a minute.

This is another picture that I've unearthed that makes me smile every time I look at it.

All the 80s things:  Plaid couch, orange shag carpet, paneling!  But the details.  In the bay window is a fabric-covered Vacation Bible School flower pot in a place of honor.  A Cookie Monster puppet on the lamp.  My color-blind son's outfit.  The yellow afghan made by my mother-in-law.  It was my birthday.  I'm thinking about 1984 or 1985, so I would have been in my late 30s.  Roz is seated on the couch with me after bringing over my gift.  I'm trying to remember what was in the little box.  I'm guessing Mike and the kids made the cupcakes and surprised me.  That striped top was one of my sewing projects, and I'd wear it now if I had it!

It's good to have these pictures to bring back sweet memories. 

And these will be memories one day.  Emily has been good about sending me some pictures every day since I can't see the girls (although I do get to keep them for a couple of hours this afternoon).

One night when the girls were allowed to put themselves to bed with books.  Katherine in her beloved 2T "cougar pants."  They're obviously more comfortable than they look.

Speaking of cougars, somehow Katherine lost her very special cougar claw that friends Anne and Bryan gave her.  I posted these pictures on the community page, but so far no one has found it.

 Parent sanity for these long days.

I thought the girls had gotten dressed up for a photo session, but Emily says that's just what they chose to wear that day and luckily came upon a pretty pond on their walk.

Sweet, sweet girls.  Hugging them seems like so long ago.

Adding this bit because I need to vent, and it's my blog!  And I want to remember how things had deteriorated in July of 2020.

I was on the Snoqualmie Ridge FB page where one person was lamenting the fact that people were actually sneaking into a store to avoid wearing a mask and how the manager was having to chase people down to keep them from breaking her store's policy.  One person shared a completely bogus idea but the latest one today about how masks are no defense against coronovirus and defended it to the end.  Actually, it was also believed by the president of our country, so who can blame her?  Do people actually read something on FB that they like and immediately believe it and spread it around?  Just because the article says "frontline doctors" doesn't make it true.  Do a fact check on those so-called doctors and see how respected they are.  You can always gather a group of people to tell you what you want to believe and take a picture of them.  I'd rather believe actual doctors and scientists and not get caught up in conspiracy hoaxes.  But that's just me.  I'm losing faith in human beings and am terrified for our future.