Sunday Quiz

Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to where this picture was taken? The picture seems so much more pastoral than the actual setting that I think you might be stumped.

I hope . . . I wish

I'm on the recovery side of stomach flu. That has to be my most hated common illness. Mom's assisted living place has had stomach flu pass through there so I'm sure that is where I picked it up. I wish I'd feel better soon.

L just left for a swim meet--the first day of a two-day end-of-season meet. I hope I feel better by tomorrow so I can go. I wish it was not so difficult to be a part of the school's swim team during the school year. The larger of the Tri-cities doesn't have an indoor pool, so L would have to get up about 4 or 5 a.m. and I would need to drive with her to Washington for practice.

J is still at scout camp. They may be home today or tomorrow. With all the overcast skies, sprinkly rain, and lightning and thunder, I hope he's still had a good time. I hope he comes home with a BAG full of merit badges and rank advancements because that is important to him.

T has gone to my sister's house to play their XBOX 360. That is about as good as it gets in his world. The past few days, he's been swimming with the cousins and then going over to play but today the pool is closed for the meet.

B is at work, still doing SEAT training. We are happy for the work and I think he likes it well enough. I hope he can have steady work for the rest of the summer.

I have one ton of tomatoes sitting here waiting for me to do something with them. B had gone to his parents' house and picked tomatoes. Just as he finished, they came out and said, "Oh, we already picked tomatoes for you!" So B came home with twice (or three times) what we would have wanted. We canned 21 pints of chili sauce and 14 bottles of chopped tomatoes and we have a little over 1/2 the tomatoes still left. I want to make at least one batch of salsa, maybe two, but I have to get my strength back. Hopefully the tomatoes will keep.

Just checking in

In May, we had a "photo shoot" for the Laurels to create photo gifts for Mother's Day. This was my photo, above. I had chosen Silver Reef for our shoot. The girls really liked the place and I was so relieved I'd "called it right." I sometimes focus too much on everything I do wrong and on everything that goes wrong. So there's my nod to doing something right.

Today is Pioneer Day here in Utah. We watched the parade here in one of the Tri-Cities and then watched some of the Days of 47 Parade on TV. We're waiting for B to get dressed and we're going to go on a drive to Cedar Mountain to see the wild flowers.

Mom seemed to be about the same when I saw her last. She was still in pain and still could not walk.

B has worked pretty steadily for the past three weeks. He is completing a training for SEATS (Single Engine Air Tankers) which is task-based and not hours-based. He will be finished when he's trained with all the required tasks. He took today off.

T still needs to practice driving for his driving permit. On the one hand, I'm not in any hurry for T to get his license. On the other hand, I believe he needs to know how to drive and needs a driver's license but we can practice for the next two years for all I care. Additionally, we need to keep practicing so he doesn't forget what he's learned. He isn't very enthusiastic about practicing so that is an ongoing effort.

L had a swim meet last weekend. It was the shortest swim meet ever. There were so many kids to swim at the meet that they had the races in age-based sessions throughout the day. That made it short for the observers like me but that put all three of L's events virtually back to back. That about wore her out. :-)

J will go to scout camp next week. He has some misgivings about going but I think he'll love it. He is enjoying the new computer that he bought this month. He's had some friends to hang out with this week. He was happy about that.

L and J were each in skit for our YM/YW talent show this past Tuesday. One of my Laurels was in charge of the talent show. I think the kids who participated enjoyed being a part of the show.

We've had some "milestones" at Tom's house (the rental next to Mom's house). The kitchen cabinets are all installed (although some finishing touches are needed for the cabinets but not many). The front porch has been remodeled and the cement around the house is nearly finished. Then, the next big outside project is the stucco. That will be the "cherry on top" of the whole series of outdoor projects when the whole outside of the house comes together. Then, to my knowledge, after a couple of small projects (gravel for the drive and railings for the porch) only the landscaping will remain to be done outside. The next big project inside is the installation of the A/C and furnace, which is "on deck." Really, until the A/C is in, it is just too hot to work inside that house. Is it just me, or is it too hot when it is 113 degrees outside and like a bake oven inside?!