Let's Take a Day...

...just for us.  

We took Zane and Barry to Hasting one day in late August.  We should do more of this, but we didn't.  Part of that was me having surgery at the first end of summer and then spending a lot of time driving to doctor's the rest of it.

Howsomever... 

we did take them.  I thought they would like to see the Panda movie on the super screen there, which they did. 

We also stayed to see the movie about Galapagos Island, which was a little more entertaining since there were more animals than just pandas.  

In between  movies we had time to play at the park.  I love park photos. The sun is bright, the colors are popping and we're all having fun.  

While we were at the park, Zane found a cicada coming out it it's shell.  We watched awhile, played awhile and watched some more.  It takes a long time for the critter to get himself out.  They are really ugly during this process, too, the wings aren't in evidence at all.  And then, it was so pale looking!  I'm used to to seeing darker ones.  We eventually found on the same tree one all dried out.  It was pale, too, a light tan color.  But, then it was time to go in and find out about Galapagos tortoises and we left it to finish by itself.  

Now that school's in session, there are only two boys at home during the day.

Right in Our Front Yard

We had a treat this year with doves building a nest in our front yard spruce tree right at eye level.  I wish I would have been on the ball and taken photos regularly.  

This was taken about a week after hatching.  

This photo is a week later and in a few days they were gone.  I read that mourning doves are only in the nest a couple of weeks.

The Ides of August

August 15, 2015

However,  the Ides of August are the 13th, only March, May, July and October have Ides on the 15th, all the rest of the months it's the 13th, and has something to do with the full moon, and if you want to know why on earth this mattered to the Romans, look it up.

The 15th is a very important day since it is the day my daughter came flying back home to us from a very long way away.  It's not so bad to have your daughter 4000 miles away in Spain, when you can talk to her often through facebook.  Who knew phone calls can be made through facebook?

 Everyone except me, apparently.

The hardest part for me were the days she wasn't happy. Then I worried.  I didn't have to worry where she was because I talked to her. I saw her photos on facebook.  

She emailed me about her weekend experiences.  

So, here we are at another half month blog post.  Some really exciting things happened this month. 

Lynette came home safe and sound from Spain and Zane started first grade, not necessarily in that order.  School starts so ridiculously early in our part of the world, that Zane went to school before Lynette got back from her study abroad in Spain.

August 13th

The first day of first grade for Zane.

The other boys thought they should be part of the party. 

Zane was in Litchfield last year, but Pleasanton will  be more convenient for everyone.  

August 15th

It's fun to be able to watch the plane come in and know my daughter is on it.

She landed late in the afternoon.

And here she is.  Too bad I was in a hurry to get her smile that the photo is quite horrible.

But, the smile is priceless.

One of the funniest things that happened this month, is when I cut my debit card up to throw away, it landed just like this photo shows into an egg shell. 

I eat wheat cereal nearly every day for breakfast.  

It looks so pretty with the blueberries and yogurt.

The First Week of August, Part 2

We've had more rain in August than we normally do. We've also had many cooler days.  Early in the month we had cloudy day that ended in "the golden light of an early evening just after a havey thunderstorm."

I don't have words to describe the glorious beauty of the gilding of the landscape after a rain.

We got an entire rainbow after the deal.  I just wish I had paid attention to my horizon when I took the photo.

August also means freezing sweet corn. This year we had help putting it away and taking it away.  

Ending on a lighter note...  

This is a fitting quote on a chocolate wrapper.

The First Week of August

I started out the month with a bunch of old and dear friends at a "quilting retreat." I'm not sure how much retreating happens when this bunch gets together, especially since we forayed into the junk/antique shops the second day.  I don't have any photos of actual quilting going on, but there was some work done.'

I do love to go in junk shops.  They are as better than a museum for remembering my "days gone by".

I had skates similar to these, we skated all over our sidewalks and streets and I was always wishing for "boot skates."

My grandma had dishes something like these. 

or these.

And this,  

I don't know if Mom's frosted glasses where this pattern, but something like these.

Mom did have that measuring cup, it fact I believe she still uses it.  We didn't have that collapsible cup, but other people did. 

Nut grinder. 

When I decided that the two-bell alarm clocks were too noisy and a pain in the neck to look after, I had one of these. 

Our lunch boxes were a little nicer than this, but still metal. 

My sister got her hair tangled in one of these.  I didn't. 

And I'm sure everybody's mom had this print of corning wear, if you are over 50, that is. 

Even though I had a great time looking all over that store, I got tired before everyone else, so I went into the adjoining coffee shop and had one, 

hot chocolate, that is.

From the quilting/junking trip I made a hop, skip and jump to my folks to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday.  

Mom made a chocolate cake with White Mountain Frosting.

Then we ate it. 

I couldn't think of a gift for my dad, so I gave him what he likes best, some of my time. 

Ont of the best gifts in life, is the time you spend with your family,

On a final note, the only good thing about an eggplant is a photo.

Only One More Day...

...of July.  This year has gone so quickly, I feel like I'm always a month behind.  This year is now over half gone.

I am glad that it has gone quickly in busyness.  I have accomplished many things and enjoyed many things.  

My flower garden looks the best it has EVER done.  I had the will and desire in early 2012 but I had cancer instead.

I've been canning, keeping up the house, knitting, cooking, resting.  Normal stuff.  Things I used to take for granted.  

I have been especially thankful this month for a little pill used to boost the hormone level the thyroid isn't producing.  I have so much more energy and a better state of mind now.

 This month Zane played soccer a couple weeks as part of our Park and Rec Program and I went to watch.

I also got some Gramma time as well.

My daughter is still in Spain.  It was hard for her to adjust to life over there at first.  There's money, language, food, culture, home life.  Things are shaking down there and she's travelling all over and really enjoying herself.  

She visited Christopher Columbus' grave site one trip. 

In other news.  This cute little prickly succulent has a little bloom on it.  It was given to me on Mother's Day by my son (I should have warned you to hang on to your chair) and it had two little blooms on it.  This thing needs hardly any water so it's perfect for my method of caring for in-house plants and it has rewarded me with another flower.  

My grandsons who visit frequently since they only live 15 miles away, see me often.   This time they got to see Papa and really have fun. 

One of our employees grew up on a wheat farm.  He took a couple days off to help his father harvest his wheat and brought us back some wheat cereal from the mill down there. 

Real wheat, cute sack.