HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
To be honest, this day started pretty much like any other. Well, except no going to Hobart today. Big Hallmark thing - NO working on holidays.
But, I got out and watered my garden this morning. Now I'm daydreaming about future garden plans. To be honest, puttering outside with my veggies makes me happy. They are happy, too. The zucchini gave me another squash today and the watermelon and cantaloupe are just all over with vines and blossoms. I'm watching the tomatoes like a hawk this week because as soon as they are ripe (even if only the super-big one is), I am making fresh tomato pizza...a summer tradition with me when I have a garden. And this year, I have fresh basil and oregano to go with it!
Other than that, it was laundry and grocery shopping. The kids and I spent the afternoon watching "patriotic" movies (to them) - Captain American (the first one) and the Avengers (the first one). I'm movie-ed out now.
Jonathan had to work this evening, but Ken was home early enough to go with Analiese and I to see fireworks. First, though, we thought we'd start a new tradition and stop at Braum's for ice cream, cuz what's more American than that?!?! Ken had a sundae while we girls had shakes (in Analiese's words, much more portable).
We were invited by someone in our ward to go sit in the field behind the local mortuary and watch the reservoir's fireworks. It turned out to be so lovely outside. Not hot, just warm with a nice breeze. Of course, there was a backdrop of a thunderstorm to the southwest, but it didn't hit us. It was clear, comfy, and I wanted to go to sleep in my camp chair! But, no! The fireworks show wouldn't let me do it.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
I had to get up at 6:30 to take Jonathan to work. After a late night shift yesterday, he had the 7 a.m. shift today. Not super nice...to both of us! We awoke to another thunderstorm, this time with a bit of rain. The morning light was a strange orange-y color. Driving through neighborhoods is always "fun" when it's been raining for a while, too. We don't have good drainage here in the city. Lots of puddles everywhere. I keep think of washing my van, cuz it's really dirty (as in red dirt dust), but until the rain slows down, it seems a little pointless.
Went to Hobart today. Had enough time to clean up the flippers (that's the areas underneath the cards at the bottom where we store stuff). It really needed it - what craziness! I moved card racks and metal pieces and hooks and plastic storage thingies - they have official names, I just don't know them! I cut myself on my hand doing it, too, though I didn't notice at first. I glanced at my hand and saw blood running down it.
Had to hit two stores today. Coming back from Hobart, I stopped for a bite of lunch (Hint: NOT Taco Bell) and a bit of relaxing before going to Walgreens. Jonathan was very busy there, but I got my work done in an hour and a half, which was good. I kind of have to cut the time back a little there to make up for over half an hour of time over budget setting up after Fathers' Day. No excuses, though. They may have budgeted six and a half hours, but that was a seven hour job!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Putterin' around today, pulling weeds, dead-heading rose bushes, harvesting (more) zucchini, evaluating my tomatoes (will they EVER be ready?). All before ten a.m. Why? Because it gets too hot too soon. In fact, did you know when the hottest time of the day is? 4:00 p.m. And it takes forever to cool off. Morning is really the only decent time to get anything done.
By the way...our garden spiders from last year are back. Well, at least one of them.
Another storm came up this evening. A short one, to be sure, but powerful. The Weather Channel said we might have 80 mph winds. It was pretty windy; my back door rattled quite a bit. A few more branches came down from the trees, but little thin ones, nothing destructive. Yesterday, tree guys came and took care of some of the neighbor's trees between our houses, probably just in time. They got rid of a dead one between our garages.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Sleepyhead this morning, I got up around eight-thirty. I don't know why. But boy, did I feel rested!
I am in full summer clean-up mode. I've been working on cleaning up paper messes, filing, and just getting rid of junk. Today, I got rid of a box made from palm leaf fronds that we got in Hawaii when I was pregnant with Analiese. It was time. Too, I'm trying to (still) get my house back in order from the great fix-and-pain escapade of last October. And, I'm getting my house ready for an eventual visit from my parents when Jonathan gets his call and is going on his mission.
Which, by the way, became more real today as we did Medical paperwork online and made appointments for medical and dental physicals for him. We had to do a special piece just because of his club feet, but we'll see what they say. He gets around really well, actually, with only needing his orthotics. He rarely has any difficulties.
Ken is in an ice cream mood. We went to Braum's after Family Home Evening. Again. A friend of ours who works here said, "Weren't you just here the other day?" Other than Jonathan - who was working - the answer was "yep." Frankly, ice cream in large amounts doesn't agree well with me. We'll see how I feel tonight and tomorrow.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Today had the potential to be normal - laundry, working at Walmart. Stuff. And it did, for the most part. Until the evening hit.
Another storm, but this one came with a warning - 80 mph winds. That's pretty hefty. When it got started, I knew it. The back door rattled and shook. A kind of wheezzy sound pushed past the windows.
The rain, when it came, was torrential. Hard and abundant, I knew we were looking at roads flooding. Jonathan wanted me to take him to a friend's house. I only had the Honda; Ken took the van to Taco Bell. I told him I wouldn't do it in a little car. The neighborhoods definitely flood and even the main roads are bad on the sides. Sometimes you practically have to drive through the middle. Not to mention visibility. I also canceled a meeting with the sister missionaries at eight o'clock.
Just in time for a blackout! These are starting to become weekly occurrences. I don't mind being without lights, though it makes me sleepy. My body just assumes it's time to sleep! The biggest problem - in the summer - is being without air conditioning. Now that is hard to sleep through! Especially since I have so few windows that open.
Jonathan talked his friends into picking him up, so Analiese and I faced the darkness alone. We read by the lantern and played a few hands of Uno. We started to settle down at ten, when Ken came home. Taco Bell was powerless, too, so he came home. Shortly after finally going to bed, the power came on...blessedly. Now I could sleep!
Saturday, July 9, 2016
I spent a good part of my morning prepping for Primary tomorrow. Since the Jr. Primary doesn't have a lot of readers, I have to make up actions or pictures to describe things in the songs that I'm trying to teach. Now, Sr. Primary, we can use words. I tend to teach them an extra song, too. They are smart enough. Yes, this is just a temporary (read: Summer) gig. And only for another couple of weeks, because I promised Relief Society that I'd teach a lesson the end of this month.
This morning, in the wet grass of my back yard, I plundered some of my garden bounty. My gigantic tomato was ready!
Really, there's nothing like it and I only even make it when I have garden-grown tomatoes. Store-bought tomatoes are just too sad. I snipped the basil and oregano and let them sit in olive oil with garlic and salt and pepper. Then this evening, I put it all together. I didn't make a pizza crust this time, I bought one of those pre-baked ones. Not because I like them better - I don't - but because using fresh tomatoes means liquid and sometimes the dough doesn't get cooked all the way. I brushed the crust with olive oil, layered some mozzarella, then put some thinly sliced tomatoes on top. I brushed them with my herb-oil infusion and then sprinkled on some Parmesan. After about 15 minutes, we had heaven! Frankly, no one likes it as much as I do, but oh! I don't care, it's only once a year and is soooo yummy!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
One of the sister missionaries led the music in Sacrament meeting today. So I didn't have to. I could actually sit in the congregation. I kind of like that better; no one is staring at you. You don't feel like you have to be on your best behavior every second in case someone catches you. Catches you, what? I dunno, I just feel scrutinized. Slightly paranoid, I know.
Primary went by in a blur today. In Junior, we didn't even get to all the songs I planned. Well, neither did Senior, but by then I had it figured out and skipped some on purpose. I guess better too many than too few. Nursery was funny. Those little ones have a routine and you HAVE to sing those songs in that order. I had a little girl screaming at me a song I just had to do! Okay! I won't get in the way, I guess.
A quiet Sabbath afternoon at home was on the books. Jonathan didn't have to work...though he did run off to his friends (snuck off, if you ask me, while I was napping!). It is a bit warmer today, but then, there's no clouds in the sky to cool things off. Still, I feel at great peace today. The Spirit was in all of the meetings, and I feel like I've been productive this week. Those things make me happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment