Summer ended abruptly last week with no warning. Nice warm and perfect days and then all of a sudden clouds - and more clouds. We had the threat of a thunderstorm, which we would all love to see/hear, but so far nothing but a little drizzle and gray days. Fortunately, this is my favorite kind of weather.
I'm having a lazy Sunday and am determined to straighten up my picture file and post a few strays and head into September with enthusiasm. We'll try to get to Mike's Tree this week or next to have our usual remembering time and be thankful we've made it another year without him. Emily and I talked about it again yesterday, how unfair it is that we can't enjoy his humor and lean on his common sense and just have to surge ahead anyway. He did get a promise from Emily that she would make sure the girls remember him - or remember his memory, as Kate was just a baby and never really knew him. I'm making a note to find some of my favorite pictures of them and post them again along with some videos that are precious to me.
Now I'm going to find any pictures worth remembering and get those here as I delete the other junk that's accumulated in my camera files.
I mentioned before that Graysen had an obsession for a smoothie ever since she and a friend had made up recipes at school. She used AI, and I have no earthly idea how that works to find what she wanted. I have the spinach, agave and pineapple and will just have to get some frozen mango and a lime to let her make one of these next week.
When I stopped by Emily and Ryan's house yesterday, I saw all these on the table. They've really all four gotten into water color and are doing some beautiful things. I have the watercolors and brushes and paper, but I need someone to start me off, considering I have no talent or really never any desire to paint. It's so pretty though.
Several weeks ago, Kate had her little painting easel and box at my house and was showing me some of what she had done. She was also working on a picture for her mom.
I started on a mountain range and ended up with a sleeping puppy with his tongue out, so I added eyelashes. Maybe an otter.
She was showing me how to blend my colors, and one turned amazingly into an owl. The talent is unreal.
She's starting on a row of books here.
These are some of the things she had already done. I was too intimidated to do anything else.
I haven't gotten too far, but I feel like I need to take a break now and then. It's been a good couple of weeks. The day school started, I had a wellness visit with Dr. Gil, and she was pleased with my health. I had labs done, and most of my labs were perfectly normal. A few are slightly high or low, but she hasn't commented, so I think I'm okay where I am! Still wishing I had more energy, but I am managing to sleep most of the night now.
I was told I need three immunizations and got all three of them Monday at Safeway. I made an appointment and was glad I did. The pharmacy was swarming with people, some with frustrating problems with their meds, and the pharmacists were handling things nicely and patiently. I got to go back into the shot room and waited just a few minutes there. I got two in my left arm and one in my right - tetanus, RSV and flu. He offered the COVID vaccine, but I sure didn't need another one. I need to think about that for a bit anyway and decide if there are any outbreaks or hints of them that would make me be in a hurry. Hopefully, Washington is one of the states with no problems getting them, but I am hearing from a few people in Georgia that they need prescriptions, and there are already problems with getting those. So sad.
Mary invited me to play Scrabble or Mah-Jongg with her Thursday, and that was fun. It took me a treat of turkey to get Stella the pug to stop barking at me, but she came around, and we had a nice visit. A little haphazard Scrabble playing, but who cares anyway. We got to catch up and talk about playing Mah Jongg next week at the Y. As I left, I ran into Peggy and her Pomeranians and walked home with them. There's so much I enjoy doing at home that I don't make myself go out enough and enjoy people and the outdoors. I need to take advantage of that right now!
Noreen has 2 of her boys for Seahawks Sunday and had made some cookies she wanted to share with Elise and me, so I met her on the porch for a quick visit. Then I made a cup of coffee and had a cookie that I tried to figure out what was in it. I think I'll have to ask. It was quite delicious, as are all of her recipes!
For my last pictures, I have a new toy to show off. I'm not sure why, but coffee doesn't seem as good to me as it used to. Maybe it's because I'm trying not to use sugar, but even with a little sweetener, it just doesn't please me. I had a combination single cup and carafe machine that was taking up way too much room on my counter, so when I saw a sleek little Keurig in all kinds of interesting colors, I knew I had to have one of those and put my big one away until I needed to serve more than just me. Elise has her own espresso maker that doesn't help the counter space problem.
I considered the different styles and colors and found just the one I wanted at less than half price. I guess it was Amazon Prime day or something like that, but I was glad of it.
I have a little standalone cabinet that I call the girls' snack cabinet, but it seemed perfect for a little coffee area. The green was my favorite.
I had a few K-cups and some cocoa pods that the girls like, so I kept them in the drawer until I saw this neat storage drawer. I brought in my coffee grinder too in case I want something different. The new Keurig doesn't come with a basket for loose coffee, but I think I have one around or can buy one later if I want one.
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Graysen and I like the way the water reservoir lifts up with a sturdy little loop that looks like a ribbon. She made herself a cup of cocoa immediately with no problem at all. One more thing they can do for themselves without all that boiling water and messy mixing.
It's just a little spot that makes me happy to look at. Emily and family gave me this two-tiered stand for a birthday years ago, and I keep some teabags and sweetener and creamer on it sometimes. The lamp on the right adds a little coziness as well as my cross-stitch kitty that looks out over it all.
I'm on a roll now with getting my pictures remembered. Emily reminded me yesterday how much this blog will mean to the girls one day, so I need to keep up with it better. I also need to go back and add some memories that aren't so recent - those I can still remember. It's slow-going though. I can't imagine ever being bored!
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