Uncle Tom

The last time I went up to Pennsylvania, I was given several dozen photos that were taken from my aunt's house when she passed three years ago.  The majority were pictures of Lori and me when we were little, most of which I'd not seen before.

I came across this one of my Uncle Tom at John and Jeannette's wedding.  My dad, Tom, and John were best friends in high school. Tommy died in 1962. Growing up, he was somewhat of the mysterious uncle, the one who would have also moved across the country to California but was instead just a blurry face in a faded photograph. (You know, the one in the white tux in front of Grandma's flower hedge that served as a backdrop for all of the important pictures over the years.)

Anyway, I finally sorted through the pictures, sending half to Lori.  Awesome to see these photos.   Truly great stuff, family treasures.

Spellbound

Kota is possessed, and I'm pretty sure that the cat in the foreground is responsible for this.

Library directory

Dorothy snapped my picture while I was protesting the need for my photo. It actually worked out pretty well. I didn't even know she'd taken it until she tucked her camera away.

Eye'll be seeing you

This is the second time this summer that Trevor has had a friend over for biology dissections.The first time, they dissected a frog.  I seem to have lost the photos, and I'm pretty bummed about that (really).

This time, they each had their own cow's eye.

Trevor and Jason took biology together last semester, but there was only time for a fetal pig dissection in the classroom.

I was able to order these online from a homeschool science company at a very low cost.  Each kit came with all the supplies necessary, including a styrofoam tray, various necessary tools (scalpel, scissors, etc.), and a guide.  All together, I bought one 7" frog, two cow eyeballs, and one sheep's heart, which cost less than $40, including shipping.

I never would have done a fetal anything at home.  Holly's class got to watch a cat dissection, but I wasn't having any of that either.  (BLECH!!!!)

Fun stuff to do at home, at least from my more distant vantage point.  The boys enjoyed it too.

Pouring rains

Another afternoon of crazy rain.  3.16 inches fell in Daleville in a short period this afternoon.

We've not had to water our grass the entire summer.  You can see that our tree is sitting in its own little lake.

Small banks slid down onto Catawba Road, and a river of water washed across it.  The neighbors' pool is filled to the brim with muddy water.

We're steaming this summer.

The Big Toe

Fed up with Trevor, Holly's giant toe smacks him in the head.

School shopping

Holly and I started her dorm room shopping today, and Trevor came along. We went to a few places to search out bedding and ended up at Bed Bath & Beyond. She'd seen something there several weeks ago that she liked and was stuck on. I agreed that it seemed perfect for her (black and white, covered with the names of international cities). However, it was only available as a duvet cover, but just before we'd left home today, I checked out IKEA online and found great prices on duvets. Problem solved! She also found bath towels that she liked.

She treated me and Trevor to Starbucks.

Robert grabbed a microwave yesterday at a great price, and she bought a tv for herself.  And so the pile of moving stuff has begun.  It's in our dining room though, and with 37 more days left, I think we'll be moving it into her bedroom for awhile.

A sweet and fun and special day.

Precious puppy

Trevor and I were talking about Lakota a few days ago.  Trevor commented, "God must have done something to your heart so we could have this dog."  Oh, isn't that true?! 

I am so glad I have this sweet dog to love on!

New shower

When Holly and Trevor were at NC, Robert planned to replace their shower faucet. He went in through the access panel in our closet, the handle broke off in his hand, and when he then tried to go in through the faucet itself, the shower surround cracked. Isn't that the way things happen?

We had to decide between tiling the shower or replacing the surround.

 

Although we knew which one was easier, it wasn't a hard choice.

We shared our shower with Holly and Trevor for four weeks, but it was worth it.

It even makes me look forward to the day when we eventually tile our master bath shower.

New Homeschooling section at our library!

I am beyond pleased that our children's department now has its own Homeschool section!  While we had a handful of books collected from the regular library shelves, it was a privilege for me to be able to pick and choose the books that would be purchased for this new collection.

I also took a spare cart and will be highlighting different subjects every month or so, displaying various books from the regular collection. It's my hope to encourage homeschool moms to seek out "living books" to incorporate into their teaching.

Really exciting to be a part of this change!

Holly's cat

She's always made it very clear when the water bowl needs to be refilled.

She really is kind of cute.

New place for coffee

There's a new coffee shop that opened in our little town. It was a perfect excuse to meet up with an old friend. Robert met Peggy and her husband Jim six years ago the first time he went to Calvary Chapel here in Roanoke. They have always been so sweet and kind--the kind of people I would like to be.

They live very close by, but this is the first time I've seen Peggy in person in several years.  She  doesn't believe I'm antisocial. I've had 50 45 years of practice at pretending otherwise.

I like this place much better than the other local coffee shop, and not just for the awesome patio and view. I need to spend more time here, even if it means seeing people.

Foggy mornings

Lots of these this summer so far. Lots more rain than usual too, it seems.

Lucky

We worry about him quite a bit, his health, how he's feeling.  Sometimes he spends a lot of time sleeping, and sometimes we can tell he doesn't feel well. He has cataracts clouding his eyes.

But I'm wondering how much of this is real and how much is fake.

Robert and I were gone a few weeks ago, and Lakota twisted out of her collar while outside.  Holly brought Lucky onto the front porch, thinking he might be able to entice Lakota to come home quickly.

It was sprinkling outside, and he whined at the front door, wanting to come in.

But then he saw a squirrel--in a neighbor's yard across the street.  And he was GONE.

It's hard to believe you see something like that and take off if you're blind, sore and tired.

Our sweet, beloved, silly dog.