Heat is Coming

 This is going to be an experience, this above-100-degree heat.  I checked some statistics just now, and Snoqualmie averages 3 days a year where temps get above 90.  Three!  That's the best part of the weather here - the summers.  I've lived here 5-1/2 years, and I never have gotten hot enough to leave for an air conditioned place.  I don't even remember being uncomfortable for more than a little bit at night a couple of times.  On the second floor with just a fan.

But we haven't seen this.  

So there are 4 days of above-90 temps in one week.

Reading the community page is so interesting.  There are going to be cooling stations open all over the area since a good many homes are not air-conditioned.  There's really not much long-term need, but people are certainly buying some window units this week.  I believe they've sold out at the closest Home Depot and Lowe's.  

I don't have a busy day planned tomorrow, so I think I'll be okay.  I'll get up early and get my donations delivered to the Good Will truck and what little packing and housework I'm going to do over with.  I have an open invitation to go to the Win-Bins any time I want to cool off, so I might do that if it gets miserable.  I didn't need the fan today, and I believe it got into the high 80s.

Emily and the girls went to Cannon Beach in Oregon with a friend, and I've received a few pictures.  I'm glad Emily is getting to relax and the girls are having a wonderful time, it looks like.  Just give them some buckets and a couple of sticks, and they're content.

Mike and I drove to the Oregon coast on one of our trips up here, and we stopped and ate some clam chowder at one of the little towns along the coast.  It was spring and cold and windy, so we didn't linger long.  It's very different from the Gulf and more like the little I've seen of the Atlantic, lots of interesting rocks and landmarks.

Emily mentioned Haystack in an email, so the big one must be that formation.  

It certainly wasn't crowded!  Plenty of room for running around and making circles with sticks.  I'm sure it was well thought out.

There are the people.  Cannon Beach looks like a nice place with lots of cute cottages.  I haven't seen a picture of where they stayed yet.

Emily said she noticed that Graysen had drawn this in the sand.

The beach always makes us seem closer to Mike, and this brought a few tears from both of them.  Graysen is hanging onto the brief memories she had of him.  They were buddies, and there's nothing he wouldn't do to make her happy.  And she made him extremely happy.  Of course, Katherine doesn't remember him at all, but she does like to hear the stories and know that he held her and took care of her that first year of her life.  

I had gotten this picture of the Strawberry Moon on Wednesday night.  

Emily was just going to the grocery store and saw it and ran back and got the girls.  She recommended I go find it, but as hard as I looked, I just didn't see it from the neighborhood.  I even went out last night and went up on our little Queen Kitty Hill but still no view of it.  All I saw was the remnants of a beautiful sunset. 

I think I was just too early, because I saw my neighbor Susan today who has the balcony across from me, and she said she had a perfect view from her balcony.  One more try tonight.  One of the excellent photographers from the valley posted this.

I took the girls to the grocery store to get something for lunch Wednesday, and we had such a good time.  The vegan, or plant-based lifestyle makes it tricky for me to always have something for them.  I am so pleased that they are taking it seriously and never fail to remind me if something has milk or eggs in it.  No more corn dogs or chicken nuggets.  They were to choose one fruit and one vegetable and a main "course" plus dessert.  Katherine just wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana, and carrots, all of which I had at home.  Graysen chose sushi.  She gave me one of her bites, which was rice and a little slice of cucumber wrapped in seaweed.  It was surprisingly good except for my getting my piece too close to the wasabi sauce.

I hadn't planned on buying a treat for them.  They don't usually ask or expect one, but some brilliant soul put a Claire's Boutique kiosk just inside the Safeway door, and everything on it was SOOOO CUTE!  I was very proud of them though.  I let them look, and they discussed lots of things but didn't get excited about it.  I know they would have chosen some piece of nothing just because they could, but I told them to look at the magazines and other things all over the store, which they did.

This collection of Beanie Boos has been in the store for what seems like forever, and their hearts just melted so hard for one of those.  Graysen got an owl, Austin, and Katherine chose Tundra, a dog, I guess.

I guess we don't have a picture of the owl.

Tuesday was the last day of their gymnastics classes.  They'll start new ones at a different time next week.  The let their people go out on the floor and take pictures and watch them do their favorite skills.  Both girls do excellent beams and bars and cartwheels and flips - you name it - but for their skills, Katherine chose a yoga pose, the candlestick, and Graysen didn't really show anything challenging either, but I was super proud of them.

  We took videos of all their performances to show Mom, and I'm sure she was excited to see that they wore her least favorite leotards!  At least I didn't let them wear them backwards this time.

Our family has suffered a great tragedy this week in the loss of my cousin Carol's oldest grandson.  John David was only 17 and died Wednesday night in a car accident that has just devastated us all as well as the many friends they had in Andalusia and LaGrange, GA.  He, along with his two brothers, were the lights of his CeCe and G Daddy's lives and will live in their hearts forever.  So many prayers and tears for everyone who loved him.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  Any time they could be in Auburn or with the Tigers for games, they would be, but when they couldn't, they would roll one of their trees to celebrate a victory.

Their mother Allison with brothers Spencer, Wilson, and John David on the right.  My heart just hurts so for them.

The End of the World

 According to a 6-year-old who has just finished their first year of school.  I had the pleasure of keeping Katherine today while her sister went to track, and she burst into the living room saying, "Today was just the END of the world.  I'll never go to kindergarten again."  I think I saw a few tears.  And in the next breath, she said, "But then I get to go to first grade, and it's okay for kindergarten to be over."

I think (and hope) that it's safe to say she will never experience a school year like this one.  She had one friend all year except for the ones on Zoom, and amazingly she became quite fond of the ones she saw on the screen.  Her day consisted of a little class of two second graders, two kindergarteners, Jadyn, the "teacher," the teacher's toddler Sawyer, a golden retriever, another dog, a mix of a poodle and something else, and a guinea pig.  Those are the ones I know about.  After I started back driving, I picked them up after school several days a week, and it was crazy.  I would knock and ease open the front door and be greeted by one or two of the dogs, always one with a ball for me to throw.  But he never released it for me to throw, just thrust it at me and ran.

Usually, the whole crew was tumbling up the stairs from the basement school, forgetting lunch boxes and coats and so excited to be telling me something about the day - all four of them.  I'm sure it wasn't easy on Jadyn to monitor four zoom classes and all the other stuff that goes with it or on the two parents who were working at their jobs in the front rooms of the house, but it was an experience I doubt any of them will forget.  Next week, Graysen and Katherine will be home with each other, and Ellis and Harper will be with each other, but little Sawyer, who thinks she has 4 big sisters, is bound to be lonely and wondering where all the excitement is.  

Jadyn sent this to Emily yesterday.  I wish it were clearer.  Graysen is on the right.  Harper in the cowboy hat.  Ellis in pink.  Katherine in the back in black.  And baby Sawyer right in the middle of it!   

As far as we know, they will go to Cascade View Elementary as two first graders and two third graders in September, and that will take a lot of getting used to.  I'm sorry Katherine missed her year of kindergarten.  That's always such a special year, and she had Graysen's beloved Mrs. Boyles too.  Then they changed all the teachers around to accommodate those going back to school, and it was all mixed up.  Graysen had two teachers have babies during the year, but she will have her same teacher for third grade, since Mrs. Duncan is going up to third grade.  I hope that eases things a little bit for the girls.

So summer begins.  Emily sent me a list of things the girls want to do on the 4 days a week I have them, and they seem quite organized.  Emily sent me a copy of their brainstorming before bed last night.

Praying for energy!

 They plan to do chores and exercises as well as playing.  Piano has been cancelled for the summer, so maybe I'll have the keyboard at my house and continue with her lessons - somewhat.  I hope Noreen is prepared for the noises she'll be hearing next door.  Katherine want to practice reading, so we'll be going to the library some and to the parks.  There is a nice sidewalk for drawing on, a long block of sidewalk.  They want to do some crafts, some sewing, a few tea parties, and swimming on Fridays.  They'll have gymnastics and a week of tennis to see how they like that.  

We finally had a day warm enough to sit on the balcony in the sun today.  I checked the weather forecast for the next 10 days, and I saw a 92 in there.  Wow.  We don't even have to wait for the 4th of July for summer.  I saw very little rain in that 10 days, so we'll be complaining about the heat.  

I'm probably 3/4 of the way finished with packing.  It's looking very empty in the old apartment.  I think this weekend I will be allowed to visit the new apartment and do some measuring and planning.  I'm going to try to coax Carly into letting me at least put in shelf paper and organizers before moving day.  Ryan is going to try to get my shelves moved from the old garage to the new before then too.  There's going to be a lot of painting going on and new appliances and carpet, so I know I need to stay out of the way, but I do want permission to start planting some hostas out front anyway.  With the girls with me, I'm not sure where I'm going to find time for all that.

Katherine helped me empty a bottom cabinet and then the bottom of the pantry and got rewarded with a couple of ginger cookies and milk to dip them in.  Such a sweet afternoon in the sunshine.  I'm so blessed to have these sweet babies.  

Graysen and Emily came and picked her up and surprised her with McDonald's lemonade and fries.

Tomorrow is jam packed with activities, none of which involve me, but Katherine says she might end up having a meltdown by the end of the day.

There's a trip with their friend Camden and Branson to see some fairy trail - or something.  I really don't know, but it sounds exciting.  There is a two-hour school last-day party at the park or the school.  Again, I don't know the details.  They are doing something special for Jadyn for being their teacher also.  Emily and the girls are going to Cannon Beach, I think, with friends for a few days.  I can't find one in Washington, but there is one on the Oregon Coast.  Seems like a major trip, but I may have it all wrong.  It's hard for Emily and me to have a conversation long enough to get all this straightened out.  We just communicate on the fly, and I pick up nuggets where I can.  

I'm Rehabilitated!

 It was an extremely long morning, but at 11:34, I was getting into my car after my last appointments with all kinds of praise ringing in my ears.  Dr. Marshall said I looked like I would be completely back to my former strength and range of motion at the end of a year but that I could do pretty much anything I wanted to do now, just with less strength and range of motion at this point.  He asked how I felt like I had done, and I honestly said that I didn't expect to do this well - with my advanced age and out-of-shape muscles and all - but that I felt like like I was able to do whatever I wanted to.  He made me feel so good.  He said, "Frankly, you've done better than the majority of people even half your age with this type of injury."  It's taken lots of prayers and lots of work, although I have not done as much as I should have.  I may just be lucky.  I certainly had an excellent surgeon and physical therapist.

  I now have a schedule of 30 minutes 3 times a week to do every exercise I have, and I'm going to do my best to get back as good as before.  At the end of the year, I won't get any stronger.  That will be my limit.  But I do have 6 months to work on getting a lot done.

Pretty!  Pretty strange-looking. 

I have two hours until I pick up the girls for gymnastics, the longest activity we have, so I'm considering whether I have time for a short nap.  I may need it.  I packed 4 more boxes last night and am now running short on medium to large ones.  I still have 3 weeks to go before moving day, but it makes me feel good to have everything boxed up and able to clean before I move into a new place.  

I got a chance to read more news than usual in both waiting rooms, and the heat wave is so sad.  I don't guess it will reach this far.  I'm still wearing a sweater when I go outside.  It was 65 and rainy at noon.  

I can't stop yawning.  I guess an hour nap is better than nothing.

Poor Neglected Blog

 There's going to be more neglect too.  I really feel guilty for letting some of my memories just disappear because I don't take time to write them down, but there's a lot going on now, and I just don't feel like taking the time to write.  I'll try to do the minimum though at the end of this week.

Lots of events happening:  

1.  Last day of school is Friday, I think.  So much for my leisurely mornings!  Emily and I still have to get together to make a calendar for the girls' activities.  I'll do as much as I can, but I sure don't have as much energy as I did two years ago when I babysat all summer.  I've gotten pretty spoiled, in other words.  I like to do what I want to do when I want to do it.  Luckily, spending time with the girls is one of the things I love.  They are so used to spending time with just each other and learning to get along that they're easy to keep.  I think they now prefer each other's company to mine, but they hardly ever turn down a trip to "Mimi's House."  Katherine never!

I'm not sure what their activities will be.  I know gymnastics continues for both and track for Graysen.  Maybe soccer and basketball.  We'll see what the library offers and check out plenty of books for sure.  There are several neighborhood girls we can get together with now and lots of parks nearby.  There are also lots of arts and crafts we haven't tried as well as a new Swirl yogurt place down the street.  

2.  Relaxing of masking and social distancing is coming but is not quite here yet.  I noticed in the grocery store yesterday a lot of people without masks, but the majority are still wearing them.  I'm so thankful that we were spared any illness that I don't mind wearing them a while longer just because the vaccines aren't 100%, and the ones not wearing masks are probably the ones not vaccinated.  

It's quite special that we live in the state where the first case of Covid was found, and now Seattle (which we share a county with) is the first major city to reach 70% vaccinated.  That doesn't mean everything is opening up though.  I think another few weeks, and we'll be seeing more.  

I'm not a person who actually minds this though.  Noreen and I had a perfectly nice evening lately with masks worn only for the few seconds when we were being seated at an outdoor table.  Otherwise, we walked to Mezzaluna Kitchen, and ate outside with only a few more families in our umbrella-shaded area.  We shared a delicious pizza, thanks to Noreen's adventuresome choice:  PUTTANESCA 16" $26.00 12" $20.00 8" $13.00 spicy marinara, artichoke hearts, red onions, kalamata and green olives, garlic, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese blend, feta and capers.  So good.  A little spicy at first but perfect once we got used to it.  I'd like to try it again.

We did walk to the Dollar Tree, which has been around for 6 months or so, and we've never been there.  We did wear masks, but since we were the only people there, it probably wouldn't have mattered.  We ended up chatting with the manager and worker(s).  This store was not a very popular choice to put in one half of the old IGA store (most everyone wanted a Trader Joe's) and I'm afraid it might not last long.  We enjoyed it though, just wandering around and seeing all the crafty things and wrapping paper and stuff.   

We told each other we would get ourselves out more often, but then the rain and cold came, and it's just now warming up enough to sit outside comfortably.  The pool opened June 1st.  It's heated, so we've been hearing a good bit of playing over there.

3.  My last day of PT is tomorrow.  I have mixed feelings about it.  On my first visit on Christmas Eve and all the way through March, I just hated getting out and going, either being driven by someone or driving myself.  It was always cold and/or rainy, it always hurt at some point, and I was many times just discouraged that I would ever get better.  The positives now outweigh the negatives.  I've grown so fond of Laura, and we do have a good time.  She doesn't hurt me so much any more and always apologizes.  I'm hearing more "Good job" than "Let's work on..." comments.  It's a happy place with lots of laughter and people working hard, and sometimes I actually get a bonus visit from my daughter.  

I'm getting better at driving too, I think, getting used to a different car and maneuvering that interstate where everyone drives 80 MPH.  Almost everyone.  I'm okay doing it now, but I don't see any sense in it.  I leave in plenty of time to get there on time driving 70 or below and feel better about it.  So it's not much of a problem to get out for a 40-minute appointment once a week, but I'm so thankful for being able to keep up the exercises at home.  It's now all up to me how much strength I'll be able to get and maintain in that right arm.  I also see Dr. Marshall, and he's already said I'm ready to be released from him.  He did a wonderful job on this totally messed-up arm and can't promise anything but thinks I'll be okay.  He did leave me with a beautiful scar, everyone says.  I don't really have a comparison, so I'll take the compliment.

4.  And the biggie:  Moving to a new apartment is happening!  Finally.  I have 27 more days of these concrete stairs to torment me.  I haven't officially visited the new place long enough to measure and think about it, but my newest best friend Tom was showing Ryan the garage this weekend and somehow all the ladies just had to take a peek.  We love it.  The old tenants have gone, and now Tom's work begins.  There will be new paint, carpet, flooring, appliances - you name it - and most importantly an ice maker.  I've lived here 5-1/2 years without an icemaker and didn't know I could have requested one.  Now Tom teases me every time he sees me about it.  He told Ryan and Emily that if I got new carpet I couldn't have the icemaker.  He knows what's going to get a rise out of me.

The positives are no stairs, of course, and a front porch instead of a balcony.  The porch is quite a bit bigger, and I can have spill-over of my plants where now I have to go up instead of out.  Negative outside things:  Almost no sunshine on that side, but I'll enjoy a cool summer.  There are 3 scraggly boxwoods that I've already gotten permission to get rid of and plant rhododendrons or maybe just hostas.  I'll be facing a sidewalk, so no more sitting outside in my pjs, but it will be nice to see people walking by.

Instead of a sliding glass door taking up one wall and 4 long windows, I'll have my windows up high and just an entry door.  Not as much light but much more wall space, so it seems bigger.  Since we have winter for 6 months anyway, it will be cozier.  All the furniture I want to keep will fit the space.

Best of all, I will be able to come into my garage and go straight through the laundry room into the apartment.  If we plan right, I might even get to park inside.

Ryan and Emily came over Saturday and carried around 25 packed boxes down to the garage to make moving day easier.  I wish I could say that's a big portion, but unfortunately it's not.  What is all this stuff?  I can't believe I use it all.  This is in addition to the 20 or so plastic bins stored in the garage already.  I guess I'm going to have to beg for some more boxes.  Emily got on a step stool and took down all the things too high for me to reach, and the girls have promised to crawl into my lower cabinets and retrieve stuff out of those corners.  I told them I would pay them a dollar apiece, and they're pretty excited!

Just a few pictures to brighten up this dull entry.

Enjoying a surprise bag Aunt CeCe left for them.

This was taken from the Echo Ridge web site floor plan page, and I think it's similar to the new one.  I'm looking for two bookcases or chests to store the girls' things and odds and ends.  I may need a visit to Ikea.

This is how low my present windows are.  Not very conducive to furniture placement.  Also considering not having a TV in that space since I don't even watch it.  That's an old one of Elise's waiting to be moved.  What to put there though?  Plants?  I have a huge fireplace picture in the garage, but it's too tall and narrow unless I turn it on it's side!

I'll miss the light but not those clattering and falling vertical blinds.

Bowie with a fire in mid-June.  He'll lie on the balcony until he gets cold and then will come sit in front of the fireplace until I notice him.

Tuesdays are gymnastic starting at 3:30 and ending at 5:15, then track for Graysen at 5:30.  I haven't taken her there yet, but we'll be starting soon, I'm sure.

Little cocoons for hanging out under the maple tree.  The yard on Steller is turning into a pretty place to spend the summer.  They've worked hard on it.

Katherine got her birthday gifts one day late from Elise and me since they were in South Dakota for her birthday.  I also have lots of pictures from that trip to post one day.

She's been wanting her own diary for 2 years since Graysen got hers at 6 years.  

I've spent very little time working on my balcony this year, but the cats have enjoyed it!