Short and Sweet Goddesses - June

Wow, JoAnne, sub. Teaching is such a hard job in any school and high school even in a church school would be tough I would think--has he been a teacher before?  For some reason I thought he was a minister.  Sounds as though you really did some hard yard work and clean up---I remember when I was at U of So Florida, I was shocked that my leather purse (black one that in those days, heaven forbid, if you used it in summer so it was stored in a cupboard up high in my dorm room) completely mildewed to ruin one summer as did my kid gloves (again, so funny to think we used them, but we did). I was so shocked having come from a dry climate in Montana.  Now I feel Montana is humid compared to NV.  My poor skin is going to be in shock tomorrow night when I get off that plane in Vegas!  

The weather here this morning was 64 degrees again--it has been so amazing---today we walked about 8.5 m8les---walked across Brooklyn Bridge, walked to Stock Market and Trinity Church and 9/11 memorial and then to the new Westfield Mall which connects to the very modern and beautiful Brookfield Mall--OMG, have never been in two malls so gorgeous---architecture was so beautiful.  We had an ice cream cone at a French place there and sat outside near the water---the whole food court patie was waterside!  I talked at length with a beautiful Muslim woman--a mom whose son received a fellowship to Columbia U and she is visiting him for two months.  She was just lovely--exploring NY like us only alone because her son is very busy at U.  She is from Iran and we spent a long time talking--I apologized for all the hatefulness that we cannot seem to control--you know sometimes you meet someone you know you could be friends with because you just instantly connect---she was one of those people.  

We walked to meet DGD for our last dinner together and then went with her to the market and bought her some more groceries.  Was hard to say goodbye as we will not see her at the beach this year at all---we have so enjoyed having this time with her.

We never made it to Hamiltons house--well, we did, but it was closed on Tuesday;s=-darn.  However, we had to take an alternate subway because NY had a derailment with 35 injured and 3 hospitalized---OMG, we were walking down 135th in Harlem and came to Nicholas Park on way to H. House and there were probably 12 fire trucks and tons of police and ambulances---and sure enough the derailed subway was the one we had wanted to take and it happened right near there---the rescue firemen were getting ladders to climb down into the subway system and start rescuing people.  So glad no one was killed and that we were not up early enough to be in that!  

So we came downtown and did the JP MOrgan Museum---it is his library--unbelievable.  Saw Phyllis Wheatley;s book of Poems, the Gutenberg Bible--one of three he owns and one of only 50 known existing copies.  Saw original scores of Motzart, Mendholson, SChubert, and others, Saw original writing of J. Austen--real handwritten manuscript of her first ever book, so many things it was unreal.  The wealth that that man accumulated and the priceless things he collected just show you that we cannot fathom what billionaires can buy and collect---it is beyond our reach to imagine it.  They had a visiting exhibition of Thoreau;s journal--we spent a couple hours reading and just loved it.  

We decided to walk all the way back to the hotel---OMG--did ten miles again yesterday.  I was so disappointed in not getting to see Josh Grobin in The Great Comet---he took the night off and the guy who wrote and produced tthe whole play is his stand in.  I cannot decide how I feel about the play--it was so totally different than anything I have ever seen and there were moments that were so fabulous but i was disappointed in the character Grobin should have been---and the ending I felt lacked something after some moments in the play that could have been resounding if done at a similar level near the end.  It was strange--I almost thought it wasn't quite over.  

Holly, I have loved the people of NY_--everyone has been so friendly--I just really love coming here.  And watching all the variety of people and the senses---oh my, sights and smells and sounds---if you were a person who didn't handle sensory overload very well, it could be too much but I find it fun.  I told DGD whenever she just needs some quiet time, go to the museum somewhere--it is like stepping out of the business for a while.  But I will miss it.  Can't afford to stay longer though--it is really pricey to eat here compared to at home.

Hi!

I can't believe this weather, another sunny, not humid day.

Have been having a lazy morning. One of my closest friends from college, who lives outside of London, is in the states for the summer and here in Philly for a couple of days. She and her husband came over last night and we had usual cheese plate, pate, hummus and harissa, some marinated tomatoes, etc. We then ordered out for Indian food. He doesn't eat meat/seafood. The Indian is from our favorite place a couple blocks away and they both loved it.
Lots of cleanup after they left.

It was so great to see her and catch up.

Jojo, you don't necessarily have to do a lot of walking in NYC if you don't want to, lots of cabs and there's always public transportation.
You are doing great with your weight, unlike me.

Joan, a friend of mine from grad school lives in Brooklyn.
Is this your DGD16 or 13 in NYC? Is she staying there much longer?
Wow, I read about the derailment and thought that was going to cause so much havoc. NYC really depends a lot on their subway system.

Yesterday I made a bunch of Chinese "bao" buns. I love these, you can usually buy them frozen in Asian grocery stores, but I wanted to try making them from scratch. You fill them with a protein, sometimes add a sauce and pickled veg. I froze them for future use. Very time consuming thing to make.

JoAnne, sounds as though you are really thin now---wow 118 is low---I am excited about coming home and not hyhaving gained at all--should not have weighed today as they say after a day of flying you will weigh more but if I do then I may have actually lost a pound or two---will see tomorrow after a norm,al day.  Have to be careful though because there is no way I will get ten miles of walking in in the desert heat!  DH said that as soon as the sun came up it felt very hot this morning.

I am imagining Holly at the beach this weekend loving the ocean!  

I am always pushing DGD16 to get enough protein in her diet so she is sending me nutrition updates---pictures of what she is eating whenever she has protein--LOL.  Today she made herself a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and salsa and an apple with peanut butter.  I am pleased that she feels as tho she had a great time with us---at 16 , nearly 17, she has matured so much out of that teen stormy stage when you have to be careful about everything you say and how you say it.

Hi!

Getting warmer here. There will be fireworks over the river tonight and tomorrow night, so I'll be able to see it from my house.

A gallery owner and his assistant came by to look at some paintings he had picked out from digital photos that SO had professionally done. He is going to put them in his online catalogue.

I did some food prep and went to the gym. Weight is at 125 ugh.

Joan, hope your cats will get to their normal scents soon!
Your tomatoes sound amazing.
If your DGD13 has any issues here or questions, I'm more than willing to help

Holly, beach vacations sounds great. SO and I haven't done that in a long time.
No plans, some more people, ex-colleague and his wife and 2 sons coming over to look at SO's work. One of the sons is very artistic.

Cat. Update: DH bought feramon diffusers for three rooms---just left to get 3 more---they emit a feramon we cannot smell but cats can---and it mimics the natural feramons that a mother cat emits after giving birth to kittens and is the reason kittens can get along---it reduces anxiety about territory and therefore over rides the natural tendency to dominance and territorial defending---there are also collars--we may get those on Monday.  At some point today we are going to put the two baby gates we have on top of each other in the guest bedroom door so they can see each other and smell each other better and be safe from physically interacting.  We know Sidney cannot jump that high to get over it--Tanzi may be able to but I doubt she would jump toward Sidney since she has acted fearful of him.  Hoping this works as a transition for a bit each day.  We will see.

Aimee, our cats hate fireworks as well!  

Sue, thank you for the offer to help Molly---I will let her know that there is someone in Philly who sort of knows who she is and could be of help if need be.  I had planned to come home from NY and plan a weekend trip to Philly just for me but with this cat stress I doubt I will get to do so---would be so fun to meet up with you.  I also am now "under the gun" to fix the beach week--we cannot do another boarding and go through this IF we get things to calm down and normalize so have to search for a capable cat sitter in earnest.

It is getting breeezy out---supposed to be 105 today which is warm for dry heat but not unbearable---this morning DH and I walked at 5 am and it was only 76 which was awesome.  In July if we get the usual heatwave the early morning temps will be more like 88 to 90 so will not be as nice--however, if you walk at that temp in the dark it is not nearly as hot as with the sun out.

We went to BF's last night and played cards and caught up on things---hadn't seen them for an evening for a long time--well, long for us as we usually do something together every weekend.  I took tomatoes over and put together a, you guessed it, caprese salad.  Also gave her some as hers are not doing well this year.

Went to breakfast with DD and DGS13 today---they were in Florida while we were in NY--DGS just had the best time.  

DS Park RANGER. Called and had a CT scan and hopes to hear from the back dr.tomorrow about how the healing is going--he said the tech said she did not know how he was breathing because the ribs are so broken up.  He still is sleeping in the recliner as he cannot breath well lying down because the ribs are not healed enough.  But the shoulder must be mending because he said he has a lot of mobility in that arm now--which is good because he is left handed and it is the left shoulder.

DD's SOBX brought over lots of wild salmon and halibut from last years fishing trip because he seldom cooks and is going fishing again in two weeks with both boys---I had asked DGS to ask him if he needed to get rid of some to make room for the new---DD and I split it up---was a total of about 50 # so it is awesome---man, he looked so awful---guess he broke up with the girlfriend--she finally figured out that he was a true alcoholic---even called DD to apologize for having been nasty to her and expressed a bit about the alcoholism--we heard that she called the cops on him one night when he drove away from the hotel they were staying in and went home drunk--she doesn't know that he has been cheating on her too.  WHy do women think a man they cheat with will not cheat on them?  Oh well, his one saving grace is giving me fish--LOL!  

DD had lunch with DGS16--offered to give him his car back if he would go take a random drug test yesterday---he said he would not pass it.  She stuck to her rule---I am proud of her--it is hard to not enable and face the possibility of losing him emotionally, if not also in reality, but I think she is finally ready to set a standard---she is afraid for DGS13 and realizes the mistakes she made with him.

Hi all!
Aimee - has your husband been out of the country or in another state? How long this time? Good for you not gaining wt. while he was gone.

Sue - I am sure that being out of school makes socializing much more appealing. I remember being in school and working. I did NOTHING else!

Holly - I enjoy making garments that I can wear. I don't make them for anyone else though because I find there is constant measuring and even with that sometimes they aren't just right.

Joan - my cats never really ever got along great. The younger one always wanted the older to be a mama and the older didn't like it. Hope your issues work themselves out.
BTW welcome home!

I was so mad this morning. Went out to walk the yard as I do every morning. The deer ate two rose bushes that I had nurtured and finally got growing well and also ate a beautiful begonia on my front steps. They come from the creek in back of my across the street neighbors and go straight for my yard. How in the world do they eat roses to the ground with thorns! They have to go right by by neighbors beautiful roses and sunflowers and don't touch them!