THE LIGHTER SIDE CAFE SUNDAY JULY 19

Good Morning, WW Friends ~

Happy Sunday!!  I also slept extremely well last night and only got up once in the middle - then slept well past when DH got up. I feel a bit heavy-headed again today but it went away yesterday so I suspect it will again today.  

It was already in the upper 70's when we woke up, so it never cooled down last night. That was why we left the A/C on.  So glad this morning that the house is already cool and lacking humidity.  We had a bowl of Protein Cereal for breakfast (wheat flakes with strawberries). 

Last evening we got to sit outdoors for about an hour and a half.  Then the mosquitoes finally drove us in - but it was already dark and time to get the bedtime stuff done.  While I turned down the bed and cleaned my face, DH set the coffee for morning. As we went to bed, I started up the dishwasher and that was it!  I am enjoying keeping life simple.....

Ann ~ Sounds like you have the heat that we had?  It really does get old!  We have a "cooldown" of sorts this week with highs only in the 80's (instead of 90's). We'll take it!!  I need to start walking again in the mornings.  They reopened our WW Center, so VBF and I are meeting there the 29th for an official WI.

Pam ~ Hope you enjoyed your birthday dinner!! Your outing sounded a bit stressful, but all in all you handled it well. Sometimes we just have to say "it is what it is" and avoid any further upset.  Yay on your numbers of steps!!  You and Ann are both an inspiration.

Judy ~ I could just picture you relaxing at the Cape under your umbrella. I was surprised how much cooler it felt out in the country yesterday with the breeze blowing under the tent along with massive fans. I cannot believe your DSIL is asking for A TRIAL?  For what??  It sounds like he is really losing it. But that won't help your DD nearly as much as your unfailing support and a good attorney.  Praying things take a positive turn somewhere here.

Yesterday DH made a project out of searching for Clorox wipes.  I have not been able to find them anywhere!  I bought some Meijer brand when the stay-at-home started as well as I had a Costco 3-pack stored. We still have enough (for now) but I haven't been able to add to them all this time.  So he went store to store and at his fifth stop he found ONE canister of Lysol brand and bought them.  He brought them home to me like a treasure in his shopping bag (which it was!).  I told him that disinfecting wipes could become the new "dozen roses".    He is looking for more today.

We have a wide open day today.  I dead-headed and trimmed and watered all the outdoor plants yesterday so that's done for a while.  It is predicted to be horribly HOT again today but cooling off a bit in the evening - and DH and I will no doubt look forward to some front porch sitting tonight.  Something about turning off the TV for a while and sitting outdoors just talking to each other about whatever comes to mind is so doggoned relaxing!!  Of course, then there are those adorable fireflies!! We were surprised how quickly the time went! Of course, years ago that is how people spent their evenings - talking to each other!  Another valuable lesson learned from this pandemic.

We are going out for lunch in a little while, then back home for R & R. 

BBL.  Make a great day!! 

Hi all,

Sue, I also had a great laugh about Lysol wipes becoming the new dozen roses! How true! I also really loved your comment about how you and your DH like to sit outside in the dark watching the fireflies just chatting. When our family is all here in the summer, we often sit out on the patio with a fire pit and chat all night. It’s true that this is what people used to do when they connected better with each other instead of sitting in front of the TV every night. This really is an upside of the pandemic. I think you and your DH have a very sweet relationship and it’s no surprise to me at all that you’re helping others achieve the same thing.

Yikes, Ann, it’s a scorcher out there. Or as we say in New England, a wicked scorcha! Carl is a trooper to be outside doing yardwork and I’m sure you’re anxious for him to come in and cool off. My DH is also outside but it does not feel as hot here at the Cape with the water so nearby and we have a great Southwest breeze off the water.

I am to finish the Lisa Jackson book today. Not sure if I’ll sit on the beach or not as it is overcast due to the HHH weather I’m sure at home it’s hot and sunny with more of that to come.

Thank you for your thoughts about the chaos in California with our DD. I am very thankful that she and the kids manage to have fun. She and a friend brought them to the beach yesterday - socially distanced and a very quiet beach. They are so happy when they’re with her. She’s a fun mom. I chat with them every single day on FaceTime. I think that the louse is just trying to scare her and frankly, he is scaring me. I have this panicky feeling that a trial could burn through $50-$100,000+. When we talk to the attorney tomorrow I plan to be very straight with her and tell her that there is no way we will pay for that. This is a nightmare for us. I tend to go to the worst scenario with my imagination so I am hoping that he will agree to be reasonable. It’s all about control with him. For our precious little grandchildren and their future, we would do most anything. But we don’t want to feel that we have no choice but to undertake this craziness. I worry about the toll it’s taking on both our mental and physical health. My brother Geoff died from a heart attack and I’m convinced a lot of it had to do with some family stress he was encountering.

We are meeting with a new architect on Friday and I’m hoping that we can build a house here. DH really deserves to have a nice place after working so hard. Send up your powerful prayers for us. Thanks

Geoff should be spelled JEFF! Auto correct

Hi All ~ We are back from an early lunch.  We had an unexpected thunderstorm while we were at lunch, and the sky opened up and just poured!!  It also got quite dark and now several hours it still is.  The temp has dropped to low 70's even though it is still muggy!  At least we have the doors opened and some fresh air coming in. It will be temporary as the heat is waiting to rush right back in the neighborhood.  I am so glad that this weather did not come yesterday with the big outdoor party!!

On the way to lunch, we went to the Walgreen's where DH found the one container of wipes yesterday, as they had told him they planned to have a truck delivery last evening.  But the shelf was still empty!  We'll keep our eyes open and when we DO see them, we'll buy the limit (probably two LOL).  I don't use them to clean with exclusively as I have spray Clorox Clean-Up as well as Lysol spray with bleach so I can use those for big cleaning jobs and have the wipes for "just wiping". We can make it all last. But who knows for how long?

We talked to the owner of the restaurant today and one thing he shared with us was why he abruptly put up signs in his restaurant for social distancing and tightened up on mask wearing.  Three of his grown kids are lawyers, and they "got on him" about following the rules.  They said "Dad, you absolutely have to do this right".  He was smart enough to listen to them. Now we're hearing about other restaurants who are not. Shame on them!!

We tried to watch a movie "Ice Castles" that was really good, but I fell asleep in the middle and missed a whole portion of it - unfortunately important to the story line. Maybe we'll see it again and re-watch it.

For lunch I had a stacked ham & cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato on an onion bun.  It was thick sliced ham and absolutely delicious!! I have thawed out some WW Chili for supper and may have cottage cheese & NSA peach slices with it. I am also gathering the ingredients to make my Mango Salad for this week.  I need more red onions, and DH will bring them home from Kroger.

I started a new book: "The Bend In Redwood Road" by Danielle Stewart.  I downloaded it sometime ago and now it is a nice switch from the Medieval Romance novel full of knights & sword fights that I just finished. I like having a variety of types of stories. I also downloaded two more 'free' books from BookBub this weekend for later.

Time to go read while DH does the Kroger shopping.  It's getting muggier, so I think I will have to turn the A/C back on and close the doors. I am still hearing rumbles of thunder in the distance.

Good evening to all!

We had an uneventful day, with much of it spent relaxing in the lazyboys. After Mass this morning, DH started working on a project to run electricity to the green room so that we can have a fan when there is no breeze and a radio if we want music. It was SO hot and he worked at it until after 1:00. He is burying cable in conduit, so it involved digging a trench. He hasn't realized that he isn't 29, but nearly 69.

While DH worked on his project, I made a trip to Walmart early, before most folks got out of church. As I suspected, there was plenty of my sensitive skin deodorant on the shelf. I picked up some other OTC vitamins and hygiene stuff that I prefer to choose myself. By the time I got everything on my list, plus some extras and 3 bottles of wine, my bill was $200. I could have saved a lot of $$$ if they had just put the @#$% deodorant in our curbside order!

I stuffed some bell peppers for dinner and made Grandma B's Good Potatoes, as my DDs called them. Potatoes cooked in onion soup mix with a little butter are one of our favorites. It was my DMIL's recipe. We had scrambled eggs cooked with a little ham and cheese, grits and toast for breakfast and leftover ribs, corn and potatoes for lunch, so I had a lot of starches today.

Showers came us just south of us late this afternoon. We didn't get any rain, but it got really cloudy and there was a little bit of a breeze, so we had a nice sit in the green room.

Tomorrow I plan to get out early for a walk and then work on laundry. Time to read a bit before bed. I have been tired lately and napped 3 days in a row. It must mean I need more sleep at night, because I never used to nap.

Sue - Your party sounded like such fun. I'm sure it was nice to socialize again. Your DH is a peach for searching so diligently for your wipes.

Ann - Like you, I worry about my DH working too hard in the heat. He laughs because I go out frequently to make sure he stays upright and hydrated. I am always afraid I'll go out and find him keeled over between the garden rows. But, being men, they insist on doing as they please, lol.

Judy - I get stressed just hearing about the XSIL, so I can only imagine what this does to you and your DH. It is hard to know how much to help, but you are wise to limit the $$$. You and DH are too close to retirement to spend it all on craziness. You need to get that retirement home built and paid for and make sure you are financially stable for your retirement years. Your DD will figure things out, I'm sure.