Oh the Places You'll Go!

Good Guy suggested that we go on a picnic this weekend, which sounded grand until we looked at the forecast. We'll need a long extension cord to bring all our cooling devices out to a picnic venue. Maybe we'd swim. Who knows.

But to get out of the house, without actually leaving air conditioned comfort, I've been catching up on mail and blog reading.

Manny Wilke is having surgery in California. He has had one ear rebuilt and is having surgery on the other one. (He's on a prayer chain, and thanks to the internet we get wonderful updates from his mom about their travels, and how they cope with all this.) Check him out----he's a doll.

In her traveling this summer, Kristin found Chicken Lady. She's been gone for awhile, but not forgotten. She was able to channel her oddness into "support" for her lifestyle. The American way in action. LOL. You need to see that, too.

My daughter is moving from an apartment into a little house this weekend. She sounds like she's having fun sorting and pitching and is happy to move into a smaller place with fewer belongings. For sure, she's happy to be done with apartment dwelling again.

Which reminds me of the ongoing gag in "Mad About You", when Paul used to wait until he could hear that his neighbors were in the shower, and he'd go and flush the toilet. It's been a long, long time since I've had to share space that closely. (Thank goodness!)

We were happy to get some rain last evening. It had been hot when the rain and wind moved through, and we were happy to have the temperature drop twenty degrees in twenty minutes. Sweet relief!

The photographer has been camping with the grandsons on the shore of Lake Superior all week. I hope they've been having a jolly time. I know he took some awesome pictures, because he posted a sunset photograph on Facebook. I know it's a big tease to tell you and not show you. (Sorry about that.) I'm hoping he's got some great ones to share with me when he comes back. Hold that thought.

Have a happy Sunday, wherever you may be!

Friday Fragments

And I am late to the party once again. I was going to do it last night, but was engrossed in a mystery I was reading. No computer. That is rare, for a book to win out over a chance to visit with you people.

So here I am, racking my brain for a way to compile enough fragments to make a contribution to Mrs 4444's weekly dumping ground/gathering place for random thoughts and bits.

This morning we beat the heat by walking at 7AM, when the temperature here was still in the 60's. Very wise, and very comfortable walking then.

None of Good Guy's golf worked out completely this week. Local golf was hot and he only golfed 9 holes each day, and when he traveled south, it poured. He did visit the Farmers' Market and bring home lots of vegetables, though.

On quilting day, I had only Show and Tell items to bring along, so I ended up knitting about 20 rows on someone else's prayer shawl. I gave myself a lame shoulder in the process, so spent yesterday reading and resting my aches. So soon old, so late smart.

We were disappointed last evening when an hour of thunder and lightning resulted in only sound and fury, and no precipitation. We could use a couple days of gentle warm steady rain. Maybe if I wash and polish my car........

Our "kittens"-------the younger two of our three, have now been with us for four years. Shouldn't they be sedate, adult cats by now? Or is maturity as optional for feline life as it is for homo sapiens.

I have been going to Weight Watchers for a fifth of the year now, and I'm progressing in an orderly and sensible manner, but this morning I'd like nothing better than to be smelling brownies baking and to take them out on the deck and devour the whole pan by myself. I won't do that, but it sounds like my Inner Child wants her own way.

Thanks for checking this out, if you are here from Friday fragments. If you aren't write a post and link up, and meet some grand folks.

Diversity

My reading list this week is a good illustration of something. I don't know that actual tolerance (for diverse lifestyles, race, religion, and other differences that exist among us) has increased or perhaps changed in focus.

I am re-reading The Help for our book club which focuses on racial attitudes in the 60's, and the library book I started last night has several gay characters in leading roles.

I am aware that I have attitude issues----other people have prejudices. But I think they aren't the common ones.

Husband #1 and I had black friends in Chicago in the 60's and they described the hassle it was for them to travel in the south in those days. How hard it was to find a lodging place, or a place to have a nice dinner, and how they did not want to be stopped by any local policemen for any reason at any time.

We enjoyed being city dwellers for a time because of the mix of races and attitudes, the wonderful ethnic foods, other languages, other skin tones, other voices.

We completed our family by adopting two sons from Colombia, South America, and so increased the diversity in our community by quite a lot. Because by that time we were back up north where we have a healthy mixture of various European nationalities, and a great many native American or first nation tribes, but not too many others. (Not in the 70's, anyway.)

I found out after my sons were adults that the road wasn't always smooth for them in school and that there was plenty of harassment from a few kids.

Michigan History magazine recounts the prejudice that every new ethnic group that settled here experienced. And at the root of each wave of immigrants was the fear that they would be taking all the available jobs. This happened with the Swedes, the Finns, and the Italians. Often when the Cornish men arrived they came because they were the experienced deep shaft miners. So, because they knew the ropes, they ended up in positions of authority, which brought about resentment, no doubt.

We still aren't extremely diverse, though we have a few black families, a number of Asian doctors, Filipino nurses, Thai cooks, and a smattering of other representatives of other cultures. But for me, experiencing greater diversity is one of the greatest reasons to travel. Canada is a great destination in this regard. (Just keep in mind that it's easy to get into Canada, but not as easy to return.)

Twos-Day

Do you find vanity plates and bumper stickers distracting? Amusing? Puzzling? All the the previous?

Yeah, me too. Like the really unique---Grandma418. Maybe she should have stuck with her old BBQ 698.

I seem to remember that my nephew had a plate that read "Vanity Plate". Pretty funny the first time. His mom had a bumper sticker propped in her back window that read Visualize Whirled Peas which I found entertaining. Now she drives a hybrid and has a "Go Around Me, I'm getting 60 mpg" posted in her back window.

We were tagged as round the bend liberals for having an Amnesty International tag on our bumper.

I'm not fond of those that make me feel stupid because I can't figure them out, though. I should write them down and try to figure them out at home, perhaps-----if I'm the passenger. And praise for oneself is always a big turn-off. A plate that say Ht Stud, makes me think, "Huh, I'll be the judge of that!" Or a plate that read "Flasher3" should probably attract police attention.

Have you seen a plate or a bumper sticker that tickled your funny bone lately? I'd love a good laugh!

Monday, Monday

I have cleaned myself into a corner, because now that my workroom (I'd love to call it my studio, but that's a bit over the top), is all cleaned up, I'm reluctant to get back to work and get it messy again.

I would not say that this is normal for me. Messy is my middle name, and it has to get pretty chaotic before it bothers me. But I love seeing the room so neat, even temporarily.

Maybe I'll just take a picture of it neat. As an aside, I have still managed to keep my desk uncluttered. My desk in the living room was the "hot spot" for me. The other hot spot is the coffee table which is Good Guy's responsibility until I get mad and clean it up. He never seems affected by chaos----which is nice for me. I wouldn't have to clean much to please him. Unfortunately, I don't have the same level of tolerance.

When we were first married, his mom came to visit and was amazed at the change in his house. I had to laugh, because he had no idea that anything was different. I sorted and pitched and folded for months, and he was clueless. Bless his heart!

But I have made my list of what needs to be accomplished this week, so I'll forge on and trail the vacuum cleaner behind me. We have a break in the hot weather, so I'd better accomplish something while there's a chance. I'm not much good in the heat.

The Completed Baby Quilt Top

As the World Turns

How I love quiet Saturday mornings in my quiet neighborhood.

Especially on a morning when the temperature is still in the 60's and there's a nice breeze. The cats are sitting in the windows watching the robins splashing in the bird bath, the paper guy has already delivered the paper, the coffee is hot, and life is like a dream. (shi-boom).

Two borders are finished for the baby quilt, and I want to keep at it this morning, so I can clean that room. The confusion in there is making me nuts, so it's past time to sort and pitch. That won't take long, though.

I think there has been quite a change in the weather, because I have a real powerful urge to bake bread. Unfortunately that would bring about a significant setback in the diet war. I can resist store bread and bakery bread, but my own homemade? Not so much!

My grandsons ate lunch here yesterday and depleted the bread supply, which was a public service, really. Good Guy buys way more stuff than we could ever eat and I end up throwing bread away often.

We ended up having a little neighborhood party in the cool of the evening yesterday. I walked down the alley to return Saint Bev's tupperware and we had a nice visit, then we were joined by her daughter and great-granddaughter (and a large dog named Ginger). Soon her sister-in-law came from across the alley followed by a toddler and his dad. It was so pleasant to be able to congregate outdoors that people were reluctant to go back home to their pods of confinement. That's how I felt anyway. Ahh, fresh air! It was a blessing last night.

Well, I'm off to wind up my project and do the workroom sweep out. Have a wonderful weekend!