14 08 30

Turkey legs Beverly called to let us know that she had brought us two turkey legs from Rouses, and also some of Leo's guacamole. 

14 08 22

14 08 22

We went to the boat!

14 08 23

14 08 23

She had fun playing with her reflection in the bowl, and Barry had fun watching her. 

14 08 23

Noah, I need to sit by you!

14 08 28

Text from Angela, accompanied by a picture: "Humming Birds have been checking out my feeder and pink hibiscus lately! I wasn't fast enough to snap a picture w him in it but hopefully he will keep coming back like our little humming bird friend did  (smile)"

Ryan and Barry talking. Really quite a while. Working together on some kind of a project for Ryan ... power washing. Comfortable with each other. 

Facebook Email from Kennedy:" Due to an unfortunate (but awesome) schedule mishap, I get to take drawing AND PAINTING this semester!!!!! I'm so excited and I love my art teachers! I did find out that I actually do have to take Drawing 3: The Figure though...

I'm not too thrilled about that, but I figure I have awhile before I need to worry about that. Hopefully some of my art from this class will be back on the walls and you can come see them! I love you both and hope you're having a good week!!!"

Swimming with the boys. I finished Thursday in the office without a lot of ... or any that I knew of... Wonderland Friday panics. Still an enormous load of things to do. Still a slew of undone things in the household sector --- like getting the phone line checked .... but no scary Thursday night thoughts. After "tea and the news" I asked Barry what he wanted to do, and he said, "I think I want to go get in the pool." I told him to get Tyler, because Tyler would love that. I had to hang up some jeans, but that didn't take long. I put on my bathing suit and joined them, but I sat in the rocking chair at the\\\\deep end of the pool. A few minutes later, Chris and Shawn came out and joined them in the pool. I sat in my rocking chair. I rocked. I settled. The evening temp was nice. The stars came out. The boys --- all four of them --- laughed. The had competitions ---- who could hold their breath the farthest, who could do jump the highest, who could do the most spectacular dive, could Tyler catch them? I tried to take a picture of Chris diving, to use for his contact picture in my phone, but just couldn't get it. So I got him to come to the deep end of the pool where the light was. "Be still, " I said. "It's hard to be still when you're treading water," he laughed. I just settled. I just enjoyed. 

Miss Belinda to Beverly: "You know,  you have a very willing heart. " Miss Belinda has a very sick son. He is mentally and physically overwhelmingly handicapped and cannot do anything for himself. The doctors have told her that he has reached the end of his life expectancy. She told Beverly that when she was at the hospital the night before, she at least did not have to worry about about the stacks of things that had not been done, because they had gotten caught up on everything. I think that is because Beverly is such a willing helper, and said so. Beverly said, "No, it is because of her work, but she did say the nicest thing to me. She said, "You know, you have a very willing heart." 

So Tori and JA have a thing about meeting famous people. Her contribution last night was to tell him that when she walked into (?) she saw herself .... a picture of her on the brochure for the Computer Science department. She told Beverly that she went ahead and grabbed one. :-) 

We pulled the wedding dresses out, and found the sixpence that Barry put in Beverly's shoe. 

14 08 27

That thing where I got to spend the afternoon/evening listening to you two big-girl talk and little-girl giggle...thank you ab that

Also- great sky. — with Morgan Brown and Angela Reed.

14 08 27

14 08 27

Morgan called. She said she just hadn't talked to me in a while, and I loved that she took the time to call. She'd just come from her first International Studies group meeting, and they were assigned to specific committees, and she got marketing, which I think is just perfect for her. It is an internship, and her picture will be on their website and everything. She told me about work, and the mail cart, and all the new names she is having to learn, but said that the bosses are nice. And she asked how I was doing. 

14 08 27

Annette's skin tests all came back negative!

14 08 27

Hug from Beth. We'd talked about a movie night --- to watch Gone With the Wind ... but she did n't get any sleep the night before. She had to get to FedEx, but she still stopped by for a hug. 

14 08 26

Skyler, Angela, Phase Ten. So, Skyler asked if she could join our Phase Ten game. We'd only played one or two hands. She sat down beside Angela, who was still on Phase One. She'd never played before so Ange gave her lots of help. Skyler did well, but two hands later, Ange was still on Phase One. Skyler was all set to go out, and Ange was showing her what to play. The table protested, "Quit helping her!" Skyler protested, "Let me play myself," and proceeded not to win, but to purposely give Angela the card she needed to Phase. 

14 08 25

Goodtimes ... Older grandbabies hanging out on the swings, visiting.

Faith, talking to me about her the boys at the place Saturday night.

Willo had a good time.

John and Willo. Kim and Willo holding hands. 

14 08 25

Good visit with Beth. It was just fun. Neither one of us cr-a-zy about talking on the phone, but she had a little time, and so we got to have a little visit. 

18 08 23

Rest from school work. Noah, to Willo, when she wanted him to come play on the jungle gym with her some more. "I need to rest from my school work."

Noah, I need to sit by you. Willo, to Noah, who was sitting on the sofa. 

"YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO GIVE YOUR GRANDSON HUGS. Noah, to me, as he gave me a hug.

14 08 23

John got a promotion. He said it was a surprise promotion...received a congratulatory e-mail before his immediate supervisors even told him about it. :-) He is as high as he can go in his department, but as he said, "That's okay. I'm making good money." I thought he had a good outlook on that. There isn't any point in being constantly dissatisfied. 

14 08 22

Chris reading time with the boys. And it hit me, on that night that I was battling insomnia, that he had listened to me, and heard my heart. 

14 08 21

Tyler was chosen for Safety Patrol!

14 08 08

Skyler gets her red belt!

14 08 18

Barry said, "It is fun to cook for Beverly and Tori." I feel like they don't have a lot of good vegetable choices. 

14 08 16

Skyler got her red belt! 

 Hey mom so are you. So, Beverly was trying to figure out how to be in two places at once re: things the girls needed, and as she left I said, "You're a good mommy." The door closed behind her, I turned back in the hall and headed for the kitchen. While I was still by the table, I heard the door open again, and she said, "Hey, mom. So are you." 

Pool with Beth. Beth came over to sit in the sun and we got to have a happy little visit. 

14 08 12

Josh to Tori: I love the way you have your icons arranged. Just a little something I overheard on our trip from the airport to Mobile. 

Blake's voice like Rodney"s. I don't even remember what he said, just that he said something in a tone that sounded just exactly like Rodney. 

14 08 06

Chris happy about Beth telling him that he was doing good. He said she is very strong.

JA - cookie day. (JA to Beverly: "We get to be here for cookie day!"

Chris happy re the kids and prep.

14 08 08

Kittie snuggling up to me.

14 08 09

Skyler chair for Brandon. So, when we were at the airport waiting for Brittany (Annette, Skyler, Barry and I), we were seated at a table with four chairs. When Skyler saw Brandon walking in our direction, she got up, and pulled a chair up to the table for him. 

14 08 07

14-08-12

Really enjoyed my little road trip with Josh. When we got to the airport, and were out of the car and walking in, he said something to the effect that to be honest, he'd worried a little about our trip --- about how we'd do, what we'd talk about --- and I interrupted with, "Me, too! But we did good!" And we did. It was a chatty, easy visit, and I enjoyed it.

When we were at the cafe, my contact started to give me trouble, and after I struggled a few seconds, he said gently, "Do you need to go to the restroom to fix it? I don't mind sitting here and holding down the fort. I've worn contacts before --- I know what that's like." It occurred to me this morning on my swim that he is just instinctively considerate.

When Tori came through the gate, I stood a few steps behind, and after they had a big hug, but while she was still looking at him, he said, "I'm sure your granny wants a hug, too."

A few minutes later, when he stepped away to look for the elevator, she gave me another hug and said, "Thank you for going to get him!"

He said that she is pretty clear that she wants to raise her children close enough to Angela's for the them to get to know each other, and that he is fine with that. That he had thought for a long time that you should just move away from family, but that he sees now that both ideas are valid, and it is about whatever makes you happy. He said that his grandfather, who lives in Florida, has invited both he and Tori to come stay with him after graduation, if they are still looking for jobs. He said graduation will be the hard time --- when what if their dream jobs turn out to be in very different places. We talked about graduate school, and he said, "If Tori wants to go to graduate school, I'll just get a job wherever she goes."

Morgan took $500 out of her savings to get a secured credit card. When she told me that, I said, do you realize what you just said? Do realize how few human beings who are your age can say, "I took $500 out of my savings..." I think she made a wise move, and told her so, because at some point, she is going to need credit.

She took the bed frame from here and has it all washed up and painted and looking good!

Rodney called to say that Blake might be coming to visit us.

Angela brought A Sharper Image t-shirts for Barry and me.

Beverly is loving her new job. "Okay, Miss I Have to Do Everything All by Myself," --- "Well, it's always been that way." (Her to her new boss.)

14-08-11

SomeTime in the Summertime was a lot of fun. I am more and more in favor of my idea. It was really more fun than Thanksgiving. For starters, I wasn't worn out from cooking and coordinating.

JA went and got the ice and iced the drinks for me.

Barry made meatballs for meatball sandwiches, and cooked corn on the cob. Everybody loved the meatballs. He helped me things cleaned up and ready, and it was fun for it to feel like a together thing.

He also fixed the volleyball net. We didn't end up playing volleyball though. The kids headed straight for the pool, and the big kids mostly stayed in the air conditioning.

Willo wanting Beverly to help her change clothes.

Shawn and Zak, hanging out.

Brittany had fun in Florida.

Beverly offering to help Barry with the difficult part of juicing.

10 08 07

Looking for the crossing guard.

14 08 09

Waiting at the airport for Btittany

14 08 05

Had a nice phone visit with Annette.

Tori saw Orcas yesterday. Said it made her so happy she probably won't ever be sad again.

Brittany is having fun at her doll-making class.

Beverly had a good first day at work.

Beth posted funny things about turning her hair blue.

14 08 04

Our little girl is home.

Beverly came here to help me with some things in the days where she was also job hunting. Barry said, "It is nice to have Beverly around the house again." I nodded. We hugged in celebration as he said, "Our little girl is home again." 

14 08 05

Well, this is a little confusing, but I suppose I will sort it out. ... adding text when I've uploaded a picture, I mean. 

I'm really tickled with this. 

I bought the print back when I was scouring antique shops for frames for the family photos we had made every year at Christmas time at Sears. So, maybe 20 years ago? I've never had a good place to hang it, and it has probably been stored in a dozen places, but mostly in the closet in my office in the house. It makes me think of me and Andrew. There were several times when I thought I should send it on its way, but I just never could.  I was already tickled about the prospect of putting it up in m writing shack, but putting it on my clever bulletin board just makes it that much more fun.

I wanted a bulletin board for organizing my thoughts about my projects, but I also wanted not to have to look at those things all the time --- wanted to preserve the sanctity of the single task. When I was at Office Depot, and spied this project board, like kids use for their science fair projects, I almost laughed out loud. It is perfect. I have it mounted on the wall, and keep the flaps, closed like shutters, over the main board, unless I want to see it. 

14 08 04

Have a train hand that I live. Town town of you nd the letter at sam friend that mountains laborfound a green and tan p the letter t I'll be pen yeah that I like.

I have absolutely no idea what this was about. Apparently voice to text wasn't working very well. 

14 08 03

Barry figured out what the little droppings were. 

Or, at least he took the time to come to the writing shack and take a look. We thought we had figured out what it was. 

14 08 02

Tyler, wine cooler

And then back at the table,  reading.

Tyler, to me as we came in the house, back from breakfast at Waffle House: "And if you ever want me to go to sleep, just put me in the wine cooler." I had no idea how I could fit him in a wine refrigerator, as most of those seem to have very narrow shelves, and while I was trying to sort that out, he said, "You know, 'cause wine coolers help you sleep." 

Laughing, hugging him, I explained that wine coolers are something you drink, not something you get in. And he said,"Why would they call it a cooler?" 

~

He has some summer reading to do, and since Chris and Shawn were both gone, and he had a couple of hours before John came to pick him up, I told him there were two ways to handle deadlines, and talked about the times when things have gone wrong for me by waiting till the last minute, and told him that I thought he should take his book and sit at that little red table outside, and read for an hour, although he didn't need to read for an hour all at once -- read and swing and back to reading, which is exactly what he did.