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!