Beautiful

I love weather like this - warm and sunny during the day but not humid, cool and breezy evenings, and good sleeping weather. I love the sound of the crickets coming in the windows and getting to turn off the a/c after several weeks of isolation in the house! These are the great days of summer!

As the days progress towards the start of school my peace continues-even though I am used to waking on the first day of August ready to get into my classroom. The reading in my day book this year "Younger by the day" for those of us in our fifties, talks about some women at this stage savoring the peace of slowing down significantly while others just are starting the journey to change/save/do something out in the world. I am pleased that my peace is normal and a shared season of life among some women my age. I love having the time to be. Thanks for this oasis Lord.

A bump in the road

We were all set to sell my Mom's condo tomorrow - to a school single mom who really loves it. The appraisal came back yesterday at $8000 less than the agreed on selling price so her bank doesn't want to go through with her loan. In recent months one of those condos was sold by the daughter of an older lady who died and she wanted the sale to be done by Dec. 31 so she took about $15,000 less than it was worth. Also, two guys traded- a house for one of the condos (they bought each other's) and both prices were way low - to save closing costs? this lowers the appraised values of the neighborhood!!!

So now, she and I were renegotiating and I had to call my brothers to get their approvals, and she either needs to find another way to pay her closing costs - today! - or the whole deal with fall through. We will see what happens. It is hard to just wait it out! Plus I am having a terrible time getting my lawyer on the phone!

Patience and peace - that's what I need - thank you Lord. Also pray for that mom who thought she would be moving this weekend and really needs to!!! She needs to work this out more than I do, I believe.

Trading Spaces

E. B. (the male) was here to drop off Mocha while he is at guard for 2 weeks and E. B. (the female) is in TX for the Mary Kay national conference for a few days. So we are dog sitting until E is home from TX. Mocha follows Mark around everywhere he goes (yes, everywhere, thank goodness for doors!)

So when E was here he looked at the bedroom and bath and said it looked like trading spaces had been here. I had thought the same thing, but that is high praise from him. J, who hates pink, was told this and he said "yeah from the knock off station's redo of trading spaces!" He likes to harass me. And it's melon and hot pepper colored, NOT PINK AND RED! Anyway they have all seen it except E - she'll see it soon I hope!

clarification

There aren't any melons or peppers on the walls - just color!

I am busy getting ready to go bury my dad's cremains on Saturday the 5th. Planning a luncheon, printing maps for everyone, reserving hotel rooms, planning, planning. My mom worries about all of these things and I try to stay ahead of the worry.

Pray for me - I would much rather just be spontaneous!

new bedroom...redo

large blocks of lemon yellow, soft green, melon and dark red peppers on the bed - lemon, green and dark peppers on the curtains - melon and pepper on the walls! and lemon and fun stripes in the bathroom.

Mark and I are really pleased with the look of the cleanly painted bedroom and bath in our house! What fun!

Marty and my Mom

No, no, mom didn't get attacked or anything, but she is ill today and I'm the laundry lady!

Marty has a reprieve - J wants to consult with his vet at home in Springfield so they are going to wait. A really wants to go with him, because it is hard on him (J) to go alone and she wants to be there.

E survived white water rafting yesterday - said it was tamer than the W VA trip that she went on with the Pastor when she was a teen, but fun. The water was 11 C - which is about 53 or 54 F for you non-mathematicians, so it was quite refreshing!!!

Today she is on her way to Yellowstone. What a difficult two weeks for her, huh?

Well I am off to do more of the laundry. Pray that Mom feels better soon.

A, J, and Marty Mo

Poor Marty - the 11 month old Bassett will not see his first birthday - he just keeps randomly attacking people - the people who take care of him: A - 3 scars, Me - 1 scar, J - 3 attacks but no scars (better defensive tactics). He's been neutered, professionally trained, but it's like he's a schizophrenic dog - he attacks, you yell, he pees, he doesn't even know then why you are angry with him, it's happening more and more often, plus his shoulder is misshapen and would need surgery... This is why you don't marry your cousins - inbreeding is no good!!!

My A is so sad and is away in Columbus in training; her J is so sad and can't stand playing with Marty knowing he has to go, yet doesn't want to do anything yet cause he can't stand A's pain...

This weekend the best man from their wedding gets married - (pray for him - if you were at A and J's wedding last summer, he was the guy who kept nearly passing out!!!) - so then A will only have Sat night and Sunday with Marty and Justin - then it's probably good bye for ever to her puppy. She is crying - LOTS - and J is sad and Marty... - just as cute and sweet as ever 99% of the time.

Officially Official

It's July 1st and as of today I am officially unemployed on a regular basis. I guess you could still list my profession as "Consultant" as I will be serving in that capacity at the school this year and I am able to provide this service to AMS member schools whenever called upon.

Mom took all of us out to dinner last night (M, M, A and J) and gave us a lovely gift towards our trip to Australia. We will be going on our official retirement journey next summer and are starting to do the preliminary planning.

There will be a new director at school soon - the sheriff's department has confirmed her finger print check so I believe the school will be making an announcement soon. I'm very pleased and am looking forward to what her new energy will do for the school.

Time to start cooking - E and E are coming this evening to celebrate his birthday before she goes to the Grand Tetons for two weeks and then returns and he leaves the next day for 2 weeks of National Guard! That will be hard for them!!!

A and J are having their house plans come together and Mark and I simply continue with the elder care...