Happy Labor Day to U.S. pixies! We're having my son and his sweetie over for dinner (BBQ, corn, salad), and that's about it.
My sweetie is repainting the accent walls of the room formerly daughter's. I'm supposed to go back to rug shopping, ugh, and pick one.
The temps around here are dropping from "broil" to a mere "swelter," so that's good.
What's up with you?
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It's Labour Day in Canada, too! Kids go back to school tomorrow (except for the preschoolers, who have orientation later this week), and so we're spending the day preparing: indoor shoes for E (I almost called them runners before realising that would be unclear, since it's a Western-Canadianism), getting food colouring for the preschool play dough, baking a lot of bread, and processing so many vegetables. But we are grilling for supper!
OK, Happy Labour Day, too!
I decided to make a pie with blueberries and pears we have around. No cornstarch in the cupboard! Tiniest whine in the universe...
Blueberries and pears! That sounds lovely. Use 2x flour in place of the cornstarch (unless the entire pie is wheat-free).
Confessions of someone who spends too much time watching out the window: I think my across-the-road neighbour is vacuuming his front steps. Also, we're in the middle of a wind storm, and so this choice is extra-strange.
Happy Labour Day, everyone!
Mmmm...blueberries and pears.
Vacuuming in a wind storm is an odd choice, indeed. :)
It was good to back in the pulpit yesterday. I wasn't as rusty as I thought and it was great to see folks again. Our music director (who was in charge of worship while I was gone - not conducting it all, but organizing speakers and such) said "Please don't take another sabbatical. Ever." By all accounts, everything went swimmingly while I was away...she just realized how much work it all takes to get done.
I didn't have the heart to tell her I'm entitled to another one in five years. I'm hoping she'll forget by then.... :)
Sue, so glad things went well during your leave, and on your return! And that she recognizes how much work you do, all the time. It's not just all the glamour! ;)
Confession: my husband has been known to vacuum portions of the back yard, while he's doing one of the endless projects involving cement. I don't talk about this, because it is so darned weird.
Broke down and ran to the store again for cornstarch; it's not like an ingredient we won't ever need again, and the flour would have made the fruitiness less "glossy," according to Master Chef G00gle.
The pie just came out! The fruit was bubbling; the crumble topping nicely browned; and I didn't burn the crust this time. Yay!
Mr E and I mowed and trimmed bushes and hunted down fire ants this morning, and then he took the Baboos swimming this afternoon.
AW: Mini's teacher called this afternoon, just to say that Mini was a model student.
W: Wishing "model student" would show up more often at home.
W: one of my church members is currently in Puerto Rico, taking care of some business and visiting her family. Hurricane Irma is expected to hit PR on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. I'm quite concerned about her.
Oh, Esperanza. Sending lots of good thoughts. xoxo
Hooray about Mini!
I'm furious about DACA.
I'm livid too, Kathy.
Hugs for esperanza, and prayers that your church member is safe.
W: it's the first day back to school for everyone but the preschoolers, and our water is off for the day, because of another water main break. We're still in the midst of historic drought levels, and our clay soil is shifting everywhere. House fires from underground power lines + shifting + damage to power boxes, and water main breaks everywhere.
AW: my day's agenda included dehydrating tomatoes, and that's a job that doesn't need water. Also, I'm letting E stay in her jammies and watch a lot of TV this morning, because we're both tired, and this way she doesn't fixate on the fact that we don't have water. (She fixates when something isn't working.)
Yay Mini! I hope the model student shows up at home too. ;) Sorry about your friends being in the path of the storm. I hope they are safe.
QWP, sorry about the water-free day. It sounds like you've got a plan in place to make the best of it.
Recinding DACA is unthinkably cruel. I can't even...
I'm rigid with rage over DACA.
What everyone else is saying about DACA. I've run out of synonyms for "mad."
AW: Lunch with an old and dear friend.
Thinking of all those whose communities are affected by the massive wildfires all over the west -- California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington state, Montana, and more. Hoping PK and others are OK. The smoke and disruption is overwhelming; this is one bad fire season in a lot of places, and that story's gotten a little lost in the shuffle.
Also thinking of all those potentially affected by Hurricane Irma, a monster storm heading toward South Florida. Have some friends near Miami -- this morning they were joking about hurricane block parties; and this afternoon, trying to find a gas station that still had gas.
xoxoxo
Thank goodness, most projections don't have Irma hitting my neck of the woods, but I A's so worried for the Caribbean, the Gulf, and Florida.
Lines at the grocery store were very long today, and one of the two normal gas stations I use was completely out of gas. There was no water left at most grocery stores.
We were already slated to head up to D.C. on Sunday for our vacation anyway, so we are hitting the road and hoping we don't hit standstill northbound traffic.
Liz, we'll be in Falls Church for a week! :)
Hoping all is well with the pixies!
KLee
Woot!!! I just sent you email!
Liz on iPhone
KLee, I hope your trip isn't too disrupted, and your home not at all.
I"ve come to the conclusion that I simply know too many people: my church member in Puerto Rico, in danger from Irma. And a good friend in OR, whose workplace (a retreat center) had to be evacuated yesterday. That particular fire has slowed down, which is good news for them.
Safe travels, KLee!
Between the fires and hurricanes (two "500 year" storms in two weeks), one would think the climate change denying folks would have an epiphany and say, "OKay, how do we fix this?"
One would think... :(
Seriously, Sue! We're looking like one of those disaster movies, and still people aren't taking it seriously.
Safe travels, KLee!
I have a TMI whine that's too TMI even for me. But suffice it to say that the human body is gross and annoying sometimes, and that I'm feeling whiney.
In somewhat related news, I am out of fireplaces to give this week, and while feeling uncomfortable, I saw that someone I know was making claims online about things that are within my area of expertise, and I decided not only to engage, but to bring scholarly citations. I dug out my dissertation research for a Book of Faces debate, folks.
Good for you, QWP!!! Sometimes that's necessary.
I'm feeling weepy.
1. Had a argument about going to bed on time with MM last night. This morning, I knocked on his door a half hour before he needs to be out the door for the bus, "I'm UP!" he called. 20 minutes later, I knocked on his door, opened it, he was still in bed, asleep. "IT'S 8:20!" I yelled. He jumped up. Got dressed. Ate bfast. I reminded him that lunch money comes out of his allowance. He ran to get his wallet. Made it to the bus just in time.
2. My health insurer is leaving the private plan market in my state. I need to get a different one, and not just renew the plan I have. I don't even know if that's going to work, given our income level (we have lots of savings, not so much income at all.)
3. My fridge is making the horrible noise again and the new repair folks our warranty company scheduled us with turned the job down because they think the original repair folks should do it. So I spent an hour on hold yesterday getting that original appointment done, now I've spent another 20 minutes on hold trying to get a new appointment scheduled and I've been told the back office will call me back within 2 business days.
None of this is Irma-level or Harvey-level stuff, but I'm having a hard time with it.
That's a big pile of stuff to deal with a once, Liz. (BUt I'm glad that MM made it to the bus on time.)
Safe journey, KLee!
QWP, good work bringing facts to the party! Sorry about the unmentionable.
((( Liz ))) Oh, how I hated the "drag them out of bed" battles. And still hate dealing with repairs, and being on hold. That really sucks about your health plan. xoxo
In a major failure of strategic planning and household hygiene, I left dishes in the sink and accidentally invited all the ants over to party. Ick.
Liz, I'm also weepy today. There's too much happening, and it is overwhelming my ability to cope with things that usually don't bother me.
Bus was 5 minutes early today. Half of the kids that get on at our stop were not outside yet. We were closer to missing it than I like.
"Drag out of bed" battles are ongoing here, with Mini. She is really trying (with my help/insistence) to get to sleep earlier, but she is a natural night owl, and it's not working very well.
(((Esperanza)))
Way to go QWP - bringing out the dissertation is awesome!
(((Liz))) That's lot of stuff to be dealing with at once. Tears are an appropriate response. xoxo
kathy, if only the ants could wash the dishes, right? ;)
(((esperanza)))
AW: We had a great morning here at the office. Neither myself nor the office admin (who is back to work in a GREAT mood) got much work done, but it was good to catch up.
W: Part of the office admin's good mood was the result of her deciding to retire in July 2018. I'm happy for her. I've whined about her here when she's been snippy with me about wanting things done a certain way...she's a good soul, but not the best office admin. Still, I'll genuinely miss her being in the office. She and her hubby will still be part of our church.
That sounds like good news that the admin is retiring, and you can get an admin who isn't snippy when you want things a certain way. (Hopefully also one who doesn't come to work sick?) It'll be better for both of you to have a minister/congregant relationship.
Hugs for everyone who is weepy today. And Liz, I'm sorry about the health insurance complications. That is so frustrating.
((( Esperanza )))
Sue, glad you are having a good time catching up with the admin! And, maybe it's time for a new admin, anyway.
Feeling somewhat better tonight. I haven't heard from Puerto Rico directly, but reports from San Juan's National Weather Service are saying that the eye is passing about 50 miles north of the island. They are mostly getting tropical storm force winds, not hurricane force, and are missing that horribly strong eyewall. My church lady is in the NW corner of the island, and San Juan in the NE corner. Storm is moving WNW. Though there will be some damage, it looks like it's not nearly as bad as it could have been there.
And fire seems to have slowed considerably in OR.
Thanks, Esperanza, on both reports. xoxo
Liz, what email did you send to? If it's the one that's resgistered with my Blogger/Facebook accounts, that's a spam trap. If you would please resend to harlequin@bellsouth dot net. :)
Weepy has been my middle name for a while. The thyroid meds have finally kicked in, and things are looking up a little. Dropped a bit of weight, getting better stamina at work, and the aching tiredness is beginning to ebb. Now, if I can just continue to lose weight, I'll be doing good.
Email sent again!!!
Thanks for the updates, esperanza.
For the first time, MM only got a part in the Ensemble in the school's fall play(s) (two one-acts by Tom Stoppard). He was bitterly disappointed, so I baked him brownies.
I also (gently) pointed out a couple of things:
1) the play(s) have a grand total of 5 speaking parts for boys.
2) those parts seem to have gone to boys taking the Drama class elective.
MM elected to take two art classes instead of taking drama (good choice, IMHO, and he agrees).
I suggested he concentrate on improving his tap dancing, and audition for the winter musical. He reacted positively to that suggestion.
Good response, Mama.
Yes, good response, Liz. Also, brownies - yum.
The blues must be going around. I thought too much yesterday about some bad things, and it was also the anniversary of my dad dying. Anyway, my cat is aiding recovery with behind my back snuggle therapy (anti-depressant, and keeps my lower back warm), and I'm adding netflix therapy to the mix.
I've been watching West Wing -- not binge watching, but sliding along slowly with this series that probably everybody watched already, because it turns out to have started in 1999... Anyway, today's offering reminded me of humanity doing good, even governmental humanity. Yay!
So many hugs, Kathy. And those are good ways to manage the blues.
Liz, it sounds like you handled things with MM really well.
AW: We got through preschool orientation well, and I don't have to cook supper because there's a beginning of school barbecue.
W: Aunt Flo decided to arrive early, adding to the discomfort I was already experiencing. I can't take more painkillers for a few more hours. I'm about to spend part of the evening in a gym full of people.
Ugh, QWP, that is quite the AW/W combo. I hope you are tucked in at home, with a heating pad.
W: heavy day, two people sharing sad news with me at church
AW: church member in charge of mission, at the end of last week, had said, "I was thinking about what other resources we might have to share, and I remembered that we have old hymnals and Bibles in the closet. Do you think the church in would be able to use them?" (The church's sanctuary was heavily damaged by Harvey, and we knew they would be meeting in another part of the building.) So I emailed the powers that be and got no response. Today I emailed the pastor at the damaged church with the offer, and he answered almost immediately that they would love to have them. They were having to throw out those same hymnals (from the 1950s!) that had gotten wet. Hooray! It's a win-win! And church member gets 100% of the credit; I never would have thought of it.
Yay! Preschool orientation plus BBQ! Sorry about Aunt Flo.
Esperanza -- church member for the win!
Yay for the outreach esperanza!
Sorry MM was disappointed, but great response Liz.
Glad preschool orientation went well-- sorry about aunt flo.
We are dealing with weird Aunt Flo timing in our household too.
Kathy a.--- I loved the West Wing!!!!!! enjoy! My new fave along those lines is Madam Secretary. Waiting for fall episodes.
W: each Tues and Thurs I take daughter into nearby big city for chorus practice. It is far from our house, so I sit in the car and do work/grading for 2 hours while she sings. That's not the whine... The chorus' mission is about understanding through music. It purposely brings students from all walks of life and socioeconomic groups and ethnicities together. That's why we love it. But rehearsals and concerts etc. are in neighborhoods that are quite urban. Yesterday, while sitting in my car, I heard 4 loud gunshots, screaming etc. in the housing complex that was right across from our designated parking lot. Very quickly police arrived with a rifle (or other large gun) and spread out into housing complex. I could only see the action in my rearview mirror, but it seemed like the shooter had moved from the area and they were looking for him/her. Very scary, but also just kept noticing so many people milling around in the area, kids playing (near grown ups), but just hit home that there are many people who experience this stuff much more frequently than I do.... heartbreaking.
--Neighbor Lady
((((NL))))
Such a terrific moment, Esperanza! Hooray for that member for thinking of it and hooray to you for following up.
((QWP))
((Kathy)) I LOVE the West Wing. If you want a laugh, watch The Dead Zone. Movie from 1983 based on a Stephen King novel (but it's more a psychological thriller than horror). Come to think, the Dead Zone would be pretty timely to watch anyway.
(((kathy))) I'm glad the cat therapy and netflix is helping lift your mood.
QWP, I hope you were able to enjoy the bbq despite Aunt Flo's early arrival.
esperanza, that's so great about your church member!! Sorry to hear about the bad news, though.
(((NL))) I can't quite get my mind around sitting in your car while gunshots are happening around you.
W: So, while I'm visiting my dad at the hospital, hubby calls me to say my FIL is on his way to the hospital in ambulance because he took a fall. We had to make some quick arrangements as MIL cannot be left alone. FIL has a broken nose, broken glasses, and plenty of scrapes and bruises, but otherwise he's okay.
W: I also found out yesterday that a former colleague passed away last week. We served in a team ministry right after my ordination that simply did not work, and our parting was not great. We both ended up in better ministries, but I never saw him again.
Yikes, NL! To see other people acting as if gunshots, police, etc. are "normal" is striking, of course.
Oh Sue, hoping your FIL heals up quickly.
And the grief of losing a colleague with whom one did not have a great relationship is hard.
KLee, if you're around, I'm thinking good thoughts for Irma avoidance.
Project Clean Up Bucket and Project Old Hymnals can all be delivered at the same time, to the same place. Hooray!
Yikes, NL! How scary.
((( Sue )))
(((Sue))) I hope your FIL recovers quickly.
((((Sue)))) prayers and good thoughts for your FIL and for you and your husband too
--NL
And Dad, too! xoxo
Mr. E is playing Monopoly with Mini. He is a good, good man.
Breaking: Redzils just announced the birth of another boy! Yay!
Sending love to all.
Life is interesting here. Lots of busy-ness with schools back in session. My heart is being twitchy so I had a short stay at Club Med last week. I'm dealing with unpredictable energy levels. It will get better.
Liz- I'm staying in Ballston next week (9/18-9/21) and would love to maybe see you for dinner!!
Apropos of nothing: are there resources for lay leaders on how not to be a terrible lay leader? Or maybe dealing with challenging chunky situations with grace and insight? Asking for a friend....
Older Son is working full time. Daughter is working 3 days a week at a law firm while finishing a paralegal studies degree. Small son is now 6'3 and still growing! He is driving, supervised and in 11th grade. He also is duel enrolled at the community college. He was still nursing when I stumbled onto WW.
((( Miranda ))) Oh, wow. I don't suppose they served tropical drinks beachside at your exotic locale, but am glad you got out OK, and hope things continue to improve. And that you get to see Liz. xoxo
Great news on the kids! OMG about the "small" one!
I am totally up for dinner!!!
And yikes about the heart stuff. I hope everything checked out okay!
(((Miranda)))) Hope your heart and energy levels bounce back to full strength. Also, amazing how time flies.
--Neighbor Lady
I'll start the new week once I get home this morning! I'm logged in on my other Google account, and can't get it to switch accounts on my phone right now.
Hugs for Miranda. I hope that your club med time helped with your recovery.
Hooray for Redzil's baby news!
So many hugs for Sue.
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