First day of school

A busy morning. Had figured to sort school books yesterday, but the older kids high-jacked me to go the fair with them. Good call on their part. ;) Had lots of fun and had company for dessert after dinner. Man, were we tired. Honestly, I'm not used to the socializing that I've been participating in lately, but it's all been good. Have enjoyed it just being *us* here at the house today though. No unexpected phone calls and just a steady time to work. I do love being able to finish what I start.

Continuing to have a challenging time with a neighbor who I've mentioned before who calls to complain about her life, and that almost daily. Thought I had this situation settled, but obviously the joke's on me. I'm her dumping ground, and while I want to be a good witness for Christ, I have to admit to being tempted to set the phone on the table and walk away for a break. Not sure she'd even know I'd not heard her complete conversation. She talks that much. Told my husband that I toss between wanting to be a friend, but feeling taken advantage of. Not sure where I'm supposed to draw the line, not really knowing what's expected of me by either this person or the Lord. There's some gray area that's confusing me. Am at the point of drawing her attention to the course of these chats. Not sure it's doing her any good to fuss to me, and don't think I should be privy to what she shares. Frustrating, and a worn-out blogging topic to boot.

But, if the rest of the day goes my way, maybe the phone will be silent. Maybe. I have vacuuming to do, a bed to make, yeast roll dough to mix, kids to remind about chores, and myself to get tidy. That should fill the rest of the afternoon, and I think that's enough.

First day of the week

The quiet before the bustle of the house getting up. Here I sit at around 8:30am on Sunday morning, with only a ticking clock and snoozing dogs for company. The living/dining rooms and kitchen are still clean and pretty from company last night. Love that. We'd not had dinner guests in awhile, so yesterday I spent much of the afternoon straightening, vacuuming and all-around cleaning. So rewarding.

But today, with one son attending services at another church (in addition to where we go on Saturday nights), it seems each day of the week has its busyness. I've asked my husband if he's inclined to take Labor Day off tomorrow. I could see the wheels turning in his head. I think he's considering. After all, he worked yesterday, so I think he's due.

Looking forward to a slow day today. I have a book to read, and with the wonderful rain we unexpectedly had (didn't show on the weather radar) after dark last night, the air is cool and clean. The dust will be at bay today.

Now will go sit in the dim light of the living room and sniff my new candle (Mediterranean Fig). Enjoy your day!

My afternoon

Visited an historic cemetery with a girlfriend, and got these shots. It was opened in the 1850s and has Civil War soldiers and a special spot designated for Yellow Fever victims, among local politicians and prominent families . It's absolutely beautiful. But, then again, I do love graveyards.

Point of view

When we got to my mom's this morning, she had a huge grin on her face, and was excited to hear about my outing yesterday. Funny, but I'm always too low-key for her. I could almost visibly see her deflate when I shared. I don't tend to go on about stuff, usually just telling the highlights and then changing the subject. Maybe I don't like to talk about myself. Don't know. But I always get the impression that I let her down. She seems to want a more gregarious reaction from me, but rarely gets it. 'Course I could rev it up a notch, but that'd not be me. Did have a wonderful time, though. But experiencing it and sharing it are two different things.

When I told her about my lunch date with Tina that's tomorrow, plus getting together with Molly in a week or so, she said, "It's about time." Hmmmm. But she said it nicely. Still. A person wonders what's going on in the other's mind.

She needs a daughter who's as busy and excitable as she is, I guess.

Honestly, when I was a kid, it was a battle of wills between us. She wanted me to do things and be out and about. Any excuse for a get-together was good for her. Not that she's so 'out there'--but she does enjoy activities, even now at 80 years old. You'd never think she was that old. Even with being a widow for 16 years, she's going all the time. My mom, the woman who now paints her toenails and wears eyeshadow. What a switch from the mother of my youth. ;)

I'm happy at home. Let me putter around, clean the house so that it looks inviting, and I'm satisfied. An occasional trip to somewhere new is great, but as a steady diet, I'm quite content.

No news is good news

Time for another news black-out for me since this country is being run by a yutz. Not interested in being dragged through continual nonsense, and need to pay attention to the important things at home.

The way I see it, folks talk way too much as it is. Nobody's listening and if they are, the idea is that they're spending more of their time figuring out what they'll say in response, and aren't attending to the talker anyway. I say this in response to the world at large, and in a personal way as well.

That's what I think.

Wrankled? You betcha. And it feels goooooooooood.

A social butterfly

Got to see an old friend yesterday, and am so tickled to be in touch again. She and I met, way back when, in seventh grade, but have been running in different circles since then. Love it when you see someone you used to know, only to find that you can pick right up where you left off. Molly, if you're reading this---you know I'm talking about you! Can't wait to see you again, and hopefully make it a habit.

And today, oldest daughter and I are meeting another friend of mine, this one an online one I've been knowing for years. I hesitate calling her an online friend, though, since some friends, no matter how you meet them, are much more than that. Elaine and her bud, Andrea, are that to me (among others who will go nameless, who I've gotten close to online). Haven't ever seen Elaine in person, though, so this ought to be fun. We've talked on the phone a time or two, and she was a treat. Yes, I'm nervous and my hands are itchy (nothing new there), but excited at the same time.

And yet again, my friend, Tina, who lives in CA is in town for a week. Supposedly her flight got in last night. As a refresher to some of you, she's the sister of my close neighbor who died of ALS almost 2 years ago now. Tina is like a sister to me, (she lost both of her siblings the same year, but to different illnesses) and I can't wait to see her. No nerves there, since we got so close back in the days of ALS misery. She'll come for dinner this week, and hopefully, we can fit in more than that. She's so cool...my Zen-like friend, who's a strong believer in Christ, but being that she's taking on that California persona, her way of talking always cracks me up. She's a hippie throw-back, and in only the best way.

Well, need to have a bit of quiet before I get on with the day. The kids' alarm clocks are going off at different intervals and I'll soon be inundated. Desperately need to chill out some this week. With the media having conniptions over he@lth topics, it's easy to become a bit overdone myself. My goodness. If there's not a hot topic, they'll create one. I need a slow day in the country, and as a matter of fact, we all do. Now, must go.

My brain is tired. Tried to pick out the next book I want to read and my pile looks too hard. Might hunt down another children's book to get into. Not sure why I'm so drained (humming a repeating refrain), but I am.

As a pick-me-up will share this photo of Sam Elliott.