Heads Up!

I sat on the deck looking at my red and black toenails trying to decide whether or not I dared make them into ladybugs. A cup of French vanilla cappuccino stood waiting nearby. Around me was my family; chatting, swimming, blowing bubbles, eating, and taking pictures. It had been a lovely afternoon to celebrate my nephew's high school graduation. The rain of the morning was past and the afternoon sun had completed the day perfectly.

Out in the yard was a lone Frisbee player. "Are you playing Frisbee by yourself?" called his father. The Frisbee player looked toward the rest of the group, smiled, and gently tossed the disc in our direction. I watched as it sailed toward my sister and me. It sloped slightly upward in the space between us just before making it's descent back toward the thrower. I raised my cup of coffee to my mouth, closed my eyes, and took a sip.  

WHAP! I felt the Frisbee strike the center of my forehead and felt myself jump just as a warm beard and mustache coffee sensation covered my face and sloshed from my chin to my clothing below. I heard laughter as I wiped the warm, sticky liquid from my face. The Frisbee player, though laughing with the rest of us, was all apologies.

I wasn't hurt at all. The Frisbee didn't hit me hard, it was really just a gentle, albeit unexpected, tap on the head. My coffee, cooled from hot-hot to lukewarm, had not scalded my face or body, and I was wearing green, not white. I called for the clean-up crew, and once my face had been wiped clean, dug a fresh shirt out of my backpack. (Yes, even grownups should carry an extra set of clothing.)

Rachel stood nearby to record the moment for posterity, I suppose much to the dismay of the Frisbee player.

Raining on my Window

I woke up early this morning. It would have been a great day to sleep in, but since my brain wouldn't cooperate, I climbed out of bed and into the shower. Since getting up, the day has gotten even better for sleeping. It's darker and the rain is falling...






You know, I sat here in the house listening to the rain fall and decided I shouldn't waste the opportunity. I found my Scooby Doo umbrella instead, put on my favorite flip flops, and went for a jaunt about the yard. The dog thought I was a little off my rocker, but it felt good to walk through the wet grass and it wasn't as cold as I thought it was going to be.



Enjoy the photos. I can't find my camera battery charger so when I run out of juice, there might not be any pictures for a while...

Hey, Hey! We're the Monkeys!

It's time to get Little Mr. Poopy-Face off the top of my blog list. He is quite adorable, if one can get past the fact that his face is NOT covered in chocolate... On to some more cute faces, clean ones this time.

Last summer I was invited to a baby shower. I didn't know the mom well, but I deter- mined there was a reason for her gesture at friendship. I bought a pack of diapers, maybe some baby wipes, and a cute little stuffed monkey. Months later I found out the monkey had been dubbed "Lucy" and was the baby's constant companion.

At Christmas time a stuffed monkey showed up under the tree with Jakie's name on it. (I wonder who put that there?) "Monkey" has been well loved ever since. We learned that the long skinny arms and legs of monkeys are great for tiny baby hands and tiny folks are ever so happy when their little fingers are wrapped around something soft and warm, like monkey legs. Jake was immediately "attached" to his new friend too.

In May, we had a baby shower for my cousin Heather. She lives far away and we were told it would be best to shower her with gift cards or money. I thought they said "Monkey"... (haha) and bought another one. "George" did a fine job of holding the pile of cards at Heather's shower, thanks to a couple of velcro circles attached to the top card.  He now makes his home in Vancouver, BC. His baby will arrive in late summer.

A few weeks ago I packed a box for my newest grandson. "Austin Texas Wilbur" (not necess- arily his real name...)  will make his appearance in mid August, my first out-of-state grandchild. I decided if Grammy couldn't be close by, she should at least make sure he is supplied with a monkey friend. I packed a few extra velcro circles in the box, just in case he wants to try climbing the bedroom walls.

Today I gave away my first pair of monkeys; one pink and one brown. They will keep a sweet pair of twins company in mid-September. Their mommy was smiling as she took the bag and so were the monkeys.

That's a lot of Monkey Business!

The Letter X

I've debated over whether or not to publish this particular post.... Oh, well, here goes.... Plug your nose!

X is for eXcrement, which i would not typically be my first choice for a fun game like ABC Wednesday, but my small, and usually very sweet, grandson provided the perfect opportunity this morning, and since I was struggling to come up with a word for the letter X, I'm taking my chances. Please be kind with comments.

I think perhaps the most scary messes associated with childhood come with hideous smells, gagging, and utter repulsion, but, for the sake of love (and threat of a long jail sentence), we somehow manage to find a way to clean up the mess and go on. We even manage to kiss those sweet faces once again, after being treated with lots of soap and several days time...

My dear daughter found her precious child covered in... um, well,... excrement... this morning. (No, that is NOT chocolate!) I hardly know whether to laugh, or feel terribly sorry for her predicament. I'm absolutely certain she is grateful today for her bathtub, a washing machine, and plenty of soap. Come to think of it, she's probably also thankful for his crib. At least the mess was contained.

I must admit, although my own children never tested me in quite this way, I did have a rather unpleasant experience with this kind of mess a little less than a year ago. One of those not so nice "Babysitter Tests". Ah yes! The wonder of being a child! (And I thought poop floating in the bathwater was disgusting... )

That's about all the eXcitement I can stand for one day.


 For more ABC Wednesday posts, click here.

Pedi Party

I did not paint my nails, not my toenails and not my fingernails, however, there was some nail painting happening this week, and so I give you some toenails other than mine. Little girls love painting nails and they tend to be a little more adventurous, as a rule, than me, although I am still thinking about doing Ladybug Toenails again.

Emily was sporting alter- nating blue and purple nails, and since they are headed to Disney soon, she was working on putting Mickey Mouse on her big toe.

Emma, still feeling patriotic after the school's Flag Day cele- brations, went for red, white, and blue with a striped big toenail. Pretty fancy, I'd say! She's all set for the 4th of July! (I'm told the other big toe was blue with a white star, but it was inside a tall sock and tucked deep inside her Ugg boot. She only pulled out one foot to show me.)

And that is my Pedi-Party entry this time. Maybe, if I get them painted up purty, I'll show off my toes next time. For more fun, go here.

Weekend Thoughts

It's a random kind of night with random thoughts running through my mind...

It's felt like a long week in so many ways, but the tension it brought is behind us.
Summer has officially arrived, bringing picnics, parties, graduations, and weddings.
The warm weather returned yesterday and today we had that warm rain I've been waiting for. I wasn't here to take my rain-walk, but there will be another chance.
Last night we had a chance to meet up with James' cousins, give some hugs, take some pictures, and share a champagne toast to family. I was relieved to see them smiling.
This afternoon was my nephew's graduation party. We got "lost" on the way there and couldn't find the park. We drove in circles for what seemed like forever until James found Jamie's cell phone number in his phone. (I had only home phone numbers.)
Hannah and I missed Vinegar's 4th birthday party this afternoon.
I was in the middle of mixing up a strawberry rhubarb pie this evening when an unfamiliar vehicle pulled into the driveway. Three people got out and came to my back door. It was our longtime friend Adam and his daughter, along with the daughter's boyfriend. What a great surprise!
Too bad my pie wasn't finished.

Thirty-Two

Celebrating thirty-two years together.

Waiting...

The trial is over and the jury deliberates. We're waiting for the verdict.

Prayers are answered.

W is for Waffles

W is for waffles.

We have been waffling at dinner time lately, never knowing quite what to prepare nor when to eat it, so when Hannah suggested waffles last weekend, it seemed the perfect choice. We searched around for a "from scratch" recipe and began the mixing process, and as the waffles cooked ideas began to blossom.

Plain old waffles with maple syrup are plenty tasty, but when we found a can of whipped cream in the fridge, we knew plain waffles would never do. There were strawberries in the garden and in the kitchen cupboard, a bag of Special Dark chocolate chips. They were good stirred into the batter, sprinkled over the top, or even melted and drizzled over everything. (Grandma missed out and ate hers plain. So very sad.)

The Original Candy Kitchen had almost the same idea the very next day, only they added bananas and made them into Banana Split Waffles. Oh yes! And a scoop of ice cream too! That's what I'm talking about!

And what do you know? I found out I can cook cake batter in my waffle iron too and now that the kids are out of school, I'm planning on trying that real soon. The possibilities are endless! (I could probably even turn this into a Thursday Thirteen!)


 For more ABC Wednesday posts, click here.

Happy Father's Day

Five out of seven came for Father's Day. We made chile and sopapillas. Yummy!

A Bit of Sunshine

Today we were blessed with sunshine. I pulled some weeds in one garden, snapped photos in the other, and took the opportunity to 

sit out on the porch for bit this afternoon. It was warm enough to sit out and cool enough for a sweater, at least in the shade. The forecast calls for sunshine again tomorrow. I intend to enjoy the fine weather while it lasts. By the time Monday arrives our temperatures should be feeling more summer-like. The forecast rain should be warm and I think it might be a nice day for my Rain-walk. Time will tell.

This morning I decided to make a pie and use up some of the elderberries in my freezer. I am running low on shortening, but had enough for two pies, which I thought might be good for tomorrow's Sunday school picnic at church. As soon as I got into making the crust, I knew I was really much too tired to make two pies. In fact, I was too tired to make one pie, but since it was already started, I pressed on. The bottom crust was already rolled and in the pan when I started on the filling. Elderberries in the pan, sugar added... I reached into the cupboard for the Minute Tapioca

and knocked a bottle of onion powder out in the process. Of course, it landed in my pie crust, leaving a nice little pile of onion powder right in the center. Not good... I determined to be undeterred, cleaned out the offending substance the best I could, and proceeded with the pie making. I can't tell you yet whether or not the removal was successful as the pie has not yet been sliced. Either way it's not going to the picnic.

School is almost out for the summer. Just two more days for ones I put on and get off the school bus, a week of teacher moms still working, and then we will settle into our summer schedule. My summer "garden" will be comprised of four little girls appearing on various days. I wonder what kind of fun things we will find to do?

Hey! Look at there! Money does grow on trees!

The Very Rainy Day

It was the perfect day for living in an ark. The rain came down in buckets, streets were flooded, and creeks (and the Erie Canal as well) either overflowed their banks or threatened to. Since babies, especially crawling ones, don't do so great with mud and puddles, we stayed inside on this perfectly rainy day, but when the next one comes along, if we don't have babies in the house, I'm going for a Rain-walk.

Because it's Thursday, I give you Thirteen Fun Rainy Day Activities...

1. Walk in puddles- Put on some waterproof shoes, or take them off altogether and get your feet wet! If you need an excuse, find a kid to stomp with.

2. Use an umbrella- Remember how much fun umbrellas were when you were a kid? Find yourself a fun/pretty umbrella and go for a walk.

3. How about a bicycle ride?- Yes, biking in the rain is a little more dangerous, but some of my best summer memories are getting caught in a downpour while out on our bikes. (You might have to remove your helmet for the full effect...)

4. Dance in the rain- Oh, come on! Just try it.

5. Watch it- Watch the rain and relax. Let it wash away the tension as it falls.

6. Listen- I love listening to the rain. Find a tent/canopy or tin roof to sit under and listen to the rain. Cool, huh?

7. Drive through the puddles- I would suggest the puddles not be deeper than the car's engine... and one should probably not drive through too fast, but it is fun to watch the water fly. "Drive through the puddles, Mom!"

Okay, some inside activities...

8. Bake- Rainy days are baking days. They just go together.

9. Read a book- Curl up with a cup of something hot, like coffee, a cozy blanket, a good book and read until your eyes can't stay open.. (Listen to me. Did I curl up and read a book today? Nope. I took a nap.)

10. Movies!- Movies don't necessarily mean taking full enjoyment of the rain, but they do make taking it easy easier. :)

11.Finish a project- If you're anything like me you've got some kind of unfinished project laying around. A rainy day is the perfect time to work on one of them. You know they're fun once you get into them. Admit it!

12.Feed the ducks- Oh wait, that's another outdoor activity, isn't it?

13. Take a nap- You don't have to feel guilty for sleeping on a dark and rainy day, well, unless you're supposed to be working....

What do you do when it rains all day?

And that is my Thursday Thirteen for today. For more of them, click here.

My Pink Peonies

A few years back I mentioned to my gardening son, how I once had peonies at our house in town, but every year, just before they bloomed, one of my kids came along with a stick and... SWOOSH!... chopped them down. A few weeks later that same son showed up with two peony plants and a pair of white bleeding hearts. It really touched my momma heart...

Peonies are a funny flower. They bloom each year just before a magnificent rainstorm which never fails to fill the sponge-like flowers full of water and drag them to the ground. This year I had a bit of inspiration from my blog friend, Linda, and decided that I would enjoy my pretty pink peonies much more if I cut a few of those face-down flowers and put them in a vase. (Why do I have this aversion to cutting flowers? Weren't they created to be picked and enjoyed?)

This afternoon I stopped at a friends to leave a small gift and came home with a new baby. I can't remember her real name, but that's okay, I'll think of something... For now she's in the kitchen, resting on the windowsill, growing some roots. I'm going to be on the lookout for something nice for a permanent home.

V is for Vanishing Veterinarians

V is for vanishing veterinarians.

I debated over this week's entry... I originally thought the natural choice, after the events of the past week, would be veterinarian, but the veterinarians I have appreciated in the past appear to be disappearing. The caring yet objective animal doctor appears to have been replaced by those who have the idea that pets are small children, and while we often love them in that fashion, we all know they are not.

I have nothing against female veterinarians, I'm sure there are a ton of great and knowledgeable women vets out there, but the men I once knew who examined my dogs and cats and give me the hard truth concerning their condition are getting scarce. The vet I loved and trusted has been replaced by a woman who sits on the floor to look my sick dog in the face, croon "poor baby!" over and over, and then suggest an ultrasound for $300, along with a host of medications and follow-up visits. I wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or cry. (Actually, I am crying because this vet only suggested expensive tests and treatments that could only delay the inevitable. We made the hard decision without her.)

So, I looked it up and found that male veterinarians are indeed a vanishing breed. I read somewhere that three out of every four new veterinary students are woman and this article backs up that statistic along with giving several possibilities as to why men are dropping out of this field. I found it interesting anyway.

 For more ABC Wednesday posts, click here.

Fishing Weather

If I were a real fisherman, this past week would have been wonderful! I'm pretty sure I'd have caught at least a bucketful in
this dark, cool, rainy weather.  I'd get out my favorite rain hat (if I had one...), put on my biggest raincoat (if I had one...), get out my most comfy folding chair (I have one...), and head down to the lake or one of those fine tributaries around here. There are plenty of worms laying about (there must be, though I haven't really looked...) and a fishing pole or two in the barn. But, I've not been out fishing, even though I think fishing in the rain seems the perfect plan. Shoot! I haven't even walked in the rain yet.

PS. Photo courtesy of one fine family member.

Happy Post

I need a happy, upbeat kind of post...


Maybe tomorrow I will paint my toes and join Betsy's pedicure party.
I shall mail in the form I filled out for a summer pottery class.
If it doesn't rain again, I shall cut a bit of grass and pluck a weed or two from my gardens.
Perhaps I shall play a game of "Monkeys" with Sofie. (She knows all Beanie Babies as "monkeys" and likes to chase them across the floor.)
And, of course, I shall wash, dry, and fold, a mountain of laundry. Maybe even two!

That Jazz of Mine

I guess saying goodbye to pets doesn't get easier with practice. We've been through this multiple times, and though I try my best, it always brings me to tears. Jasmine's blood work came back bad, very bad. Her liver enzymes tested 100 times what is considered normal. The diagnosis is Hepatocutaneous Syndrome.

Although well behaved, Jazz has been in obvious stress and dis- comfort for some time now, at least obvious to us. Her high pain tolerance masks her symptoms to those who aren't familiar with her normal ways. What looks like a happy, normal dog at the vet's office, is actually a dog in much pain. A normal vet visit would have her tugging, pulling, whining, barking, and being otherwise absolutely obnoxious. I've always dreaded taking my normally well behaved dog to the vet.

Today we were faced with the decision we knew was probably coming. Rather than tough out the weekend, we decided not to make our dog suffer any longer with an incurable liver disease. We called the animal shelter where we got her twelve years ago and re-surrendered her. Neither one of us really wanted to go back to the woman vet who insists on treating our dog like a child, and we really can't afford more tests and treatments for a dog who is old, sick, and going to die no matter what kind of treatment she receives. She was a good dog, a great orchard companion, and although not altogether faithful, a fun dog to have around, when she wasn't down at Martin's.

I give you an old picture of happier days and a link back to one of my first blog posts, "Jazz of Mine"

Soggy, Soggy, and a Very Sad Doggy

Soggy. That is the word of the day. For those who remember Teal Lake, it made a brief comeback yesterday, but My Darling removed the slotted drain cover from the underground pipe this morning which quickly drained our backyard pond into the local drainage ditch. No swimming in the backyard this weekend. Please don't fuss, it was much too cold for swimming anyway.

We had some surprise visitors this morning when our friend Vinegar showed up at the door with his mommy and sister. They had been out to the dentist and thought they'd stop for a visit before they went home. How fun! I put on a fresh pot of coffee and we pulled out the toys. Vin enjoyed a sit on Hannah's lap and a cupful of his favorite pretzels while little sister emptied a big box of toys. Our soggy morning was off to a happy start.

I caught two short naps on either side of a phone call this afternoon, and then set off for the veter- inarian's office with my three-legged dog in tow. She's been a bit off lately; itching, scratching, tearing out hair, and looking generally miserable. We feared she'd picked up some kind of mange, but a skin scrape didn't show any evidence of critters under her skin. We're having blood work done, and in the meantime she's taking Prednisone and antibiotics, and wearing one of those silly cone-shaped collars. She still looks miserable and my husband isn't convinced the vet is altogether knowledgeable. I'd like to know what happened to that nice man-vet who was very objective and didn't sit on the floor with my dog's head in his lap, say words like "poor baby", and generally make me feel like this animal was more human than puppy dog...

The Nap That Wasn't

It was a dark, rainy, and deliciously sleepy afternoon, cold enough to curl up under a blanket, but not so cold that it made one shiver. The house should have been quiet and still. The children were snuggled down and fast asleep in their own little corners, when through the door came my aunt. After ushering Grandma and her guest into the front room, I tucked myself onto the couch along with my own bedroom pillow.

The elderly women in the other room attempted conversation, but really only one was initiating any kind of talk at all. "Have you seen the Pilato boy is in the paper?" asked my aunt, but Grandma didn't answer. "Does Martha know about it?" my aunt asked again. I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the voices. The sisters found the newspaper and read parts of the article aloud. I groaned and pretended to be asleep.

The phone rang in the other room but I didn't budge. "The phone is ringing," said my aunt to my mother. I watched Hannah pick it up out in the computer room, look at the caller ID, and set it back down again. I shut my eyes and made another attempt at a nap.

Somewhere along the line I actually fell asleep, but it must have been just a moment or two, because the voices in the other room jolted me awake. I can't recall exactly what the conversation was. It could have been Grandma's lack of writing utensils, or the photos my aunt had brought along.

At some point the conversation returned to the local news and the article in the paper. It was more my aunt urging conversation than my mother. I found myself somewhat relieved in Mom's disinterest, and also somewhat surprised. I'm sure her normal self would have had plenty to say. Other times I've told her I didn't want to hear anything about it, this time I said nothing and neither did she.

As I struggled to sleep, my aunt rummaged through my mother's room looking for pens. She came out to ask Hannah for one, and then continued to look around in Mom's room. On Mom's table lay a handful of dried out pens and a few pencils. Her sister was quite certain my mother should have pens to work her puzzle books with.

The deliciously, dark day dragged on. It was the kind of afternoon I'd dreamed of on other sleepy days, perfect for an afternoon nap. The rain drizzled and dripped, the sun buried in a thick bank of clouds...

The mail truck stopped outside at the street. "Oh, there's the mailman," announced my aunt. She was bringing to attention all those little things I've often secretly wished my mother wouldn't notice; telephones, mailmen, certain news articles... Most visits aren't like this, but today, with Mom reluctance at conversation, my aunt was trying extra hard to engage her.

Sleep was obviously elusive on this serene and sleepy day. My mothers hearing aides squeaked and my bladder complained. The afternoon nap I'd so desired would never be. I got up and headed for the bathroom. On my return tot he kitchen my aunt held up the newspaper. "Have you read about the Pilato boy?" she asked.

In all honesty, although I thought a rainy afternoon nap sounded yummy, the whole thing was rather amusing.

Wet and Rainy (and my very own version of 3x's Thursday)

It's a good day to play inside. It is not a "walk in the rain" kind of day, not yet. In order to enjoy a rainy walk, both the weather and the rain must be somewhat warm, and that is the kind of rain I am looking for.

1. What do you like to do most on a rainy day?
2. Do you use an umbrella? If so, what color is it?
3. Are you afraid of thunder and/or lightening, and how do you deal with that fear?

There. Now wasn't that a fun game? Okay, so maybe not...

Halfway There and Cup of Coffee

I can hardly believe tomorrow will have us halfway through another week. Then again, perhaps I should not consider it halfway until tomorrow evening is upon us. I guess this might depend on whether or not I am in a hurry for the week to pass. I suppose there is no hurry and I should instead purpose to enjoy each day as it comes. (Do you think I'm tired?)

Last night, upon throwing back the covers and crawling into bed, I decided that rather than toss, turn, and flop around all night long with little to no sleep, it might be wise to take some Benadryl to counteract the sleepless nights and drowsy days that accompany spring allergies. I am pleased to report that, although wiping the sleep from my eyes this morning was not effortless, I did have a wonderful night's sleep. I took a nap today, in order to continue my accumulation of beauty rest, and plan on another night of blissful sleep tonight.

I am thoroughly enjoying each and every cup of coffee consumed during my wakeful daytime hours and not feeling guilty at their consumption in the least. I have begun a new adventure in the area of eating which requires me to be "stomach hungry" before sitting down to eat. It is mostly tricky at supper time and often means we eat closer to 7
pm rather than six. I am not allowed to continue eating until I am full, rather just until "satisfied". It is an interestingly sensible prospect. No counting calories, no restrictive diets, no yucky concoctions, just normal, healthy eating and wise choices. And you know, I'm finding if I only eat when I'm truly hungry, I'm going to need a much smaller grocery cart. I have a friend who lost 40 pounds doing this and she looks great! (See here)

U is for Useless

U is for useless.

use·less  adj.

1. Being or having no beneficial use; futile or ineffective.

2. Incapable of functioning or assisting; ineffectual: He panics easily and is useless in an emergency.

The world is full of useless information, and apparently useless websites too. Like this one theuselessweb.com  Definitely useless, and if you follow the link, a bit more uselessness, in fact a new useless website with every click. And then there is a website dedicated specifically to Useless Information. (It's kind of like an online version of Uncle John's Bathroom Reader and leaves the decision of uselessness up to the discretion of the reader.)

I have a small and rather yappy dog. She is rather useless, unless one likes noise. Useless Noise might have been an appropriate name for her, we could have called her either, but we named her Sofie instead.

There are days in which I feel quite useless myself. You know the days, the kind where all of your get-up-and-go got up and went and you can't figure out where. Thankfully not every day is such. Purpose is what keeps a person going. and I suppose that is as good an antonym for useless as any.

Hopefully U found this post useful.

For more ABC Wednesday posts, click here.

( For your enjoyment, a useless photograph... or two.)

A Prayer Request

Please, if you are the praying kind, pray for my longtime friends turned family as they face the weeks ahead. This week is the jury selection for the trial of the son/brother who doused his home with gasoline a year and a half ago, and set it on fire. The fire killed his adoptive father and two adopted brothers. His mother and sister escaped. That father was my husband's uncle and his older children are not only my childhood friends, but my husband's first cousins as well.

It is hard to know exactly how to pray in this situation, though we ask for justice to be served, the family is also in great need of peace and comfort, as well as strength to get through the next few weeks. It is impossible to know, and probably even comprehend, what the defense will dig up against the man who gave so much to love and help his children, including the one who ended his life. There is so little any of us can do to help.

(The photo was taken in May of 2004. My MIL had her camera set on the table in her usual sneaky way. Uncle Carmen looked at it and said, "Is that camera turned on?" She lied and snapped his picture. :) )

Take a Hike

It was the perfect afternoon for a hike, especially since we waited until 5pm before heading out. The day had cooled off nicely, and yet was still warm. We opted to stay local today and so headed for Webster and the somewhat new Abraham Lincoln Park. Check out the mess of trails on this map!






Although the park isn't far from home, neither of us had ever been there before. There was lots of hiking up and down hills no matter which direction we walked and we found it to be a great place to get a fairly decent workout in a reasonably short amount of time.



 



I have put my first check mark (alt 251 on your key- board...) next to "Take a hike" on my list of Things To Do This Summer. I'm hoping to have quite the collection of check marks by the time the end of August rolls around. I missed my first "Walk in the rain" opportunity when the rain didn't reach me until after dinner time. by then I was all cozy on the couch eating the perfect salad, and didn't feel like getting my clothes wet.

I hope you had a lovely weekend and remembered to check something off your "To Do" list as well.