Friday, July 31, 2020
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Can you believe...
Can you believe we're surviving a summer of EVERYTHING IS CANCELLED and still having fun? Me neither. It's been tough. I'm going to try REALLY HARD to gloss over the garbage that we're going through, still sort of quarantined but not really, still hearing on the news that everyone's going to die and also that almost no one is dying so everyone calm down. Who even knows about school in the fall. Nothing's for sure anymore.
Ok, I didn't succeed at glossing over the garbage BUT let's try again. Take two. Despite some setbacks, we're managing to Get Stuff Done.
1. We're working on the deck. Still. Hardware Store has back ordered the last of the materials we need to finish.
2. I started a project of re-painting my wooden chairs and that's been going really well. Then Epic Storm rolled through last week and blew one of my chairs away like it was a little feather blowing in the wind. It was damaged beyond repair (thankfully it wasn't one of the chairs I had just finished painting). Silver Lining: Eli had the time of his life using a hammer to smash the broken chair to bits. He loved it. What more can you ask for entertainment for a 9 year old with a desire to destroy everything???
3. Epic Storm could NOT defeat our new windows (victory!!) but our back door had a tough time - the rain was blowing in at the TOP of the door!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough !!! to express what that storm did in our neighborhood. I swear there were waves of ocean smashing up against our windows. The back of the house wasn't the only one taking a beating, the tree in the front of our house lost another very large limb. It had already lost a very large limb a couple of years ago in a snowstorm. Now our sad little tree was just done. I met someone while I was out for a walk and asked him if he could cut down our tree. I left to go to the hardware store and when I came home, the tree was in pieces by the curb. And then two days later, it was picked up by the Village Highway Cleanup Crew. So, the tree we've had for 12 years is now just a stump in the middle of our yard. Sad. Moving on...
4. Roller skating is back! We can't practice together inside, but we've been getting together in pairs and small groups to skate and walk and exercise. It's so good to see my friends again. I'm just resigned that I'll forever look like Bambi on ice when I skate and fall down all the time, but I haven't had any new major injuries so I forge ahead. Sometimes one of the kids will go for a bike ride with me while I skate, that's nice.
5. We had a 4th of July celebration. Actually, three events at our house in six days. So much cleaning and shopping for more food but it was so worth it. Tuesday we had dinner with our Scout friends, they're such great company and it was nice to get caught up on what everyone has been up to all summer. Then.
Usually we go to the lakefront for fireworks but that was out so we invited our friends over for a campfire and food on the fourth. Also, my parents. So everyone shows up (including my parents! yay! I love you guys :) ) and we have a great time and we're wishing there were fireworks but this is so great, we don't even have to use the outhouse by the fish cleaning station at the lakefront, we have actual bathrooms and air conditioning if we need it AND the campfire. So many friends that we haven't seen in so long. And right around dusk, this is when it began. The Show.
People have been shooting off fireworks in our neighborhood for months. This started when lockdown started back in March - a couple are shot off every night. But this was NOTHING like that. The rockets started and didn't let up for an hour at least. We're watching to the south, now east, there's some over there in the west and if you run to the front of the house, you can see the ones to the north. They surrounded us, they were everywhere and they were BIG. Huge bangs, huge flashes of sparkling lights wherever you look. I have never experienced anything like that. My measly little cell phone pictures cannot do it justice. The community rejected the cancelling of the Fourth of July and responded with better shows than we've ever seen before.
{Disclaimer: Yes I know it's illegal. People get hurt. My children only did safe stuff like smoke bombs. Please be safe everyone and make good decisions.}
Alright, ANOTHER Fourth party, this time on the Fifth with all the Fortiers. We hadn't seen each other since CHRISTMAS!! We needed this, we needed to check in with each other and the cousins needed to see who's driving and who's working and what's up on social media. Mamaw and Bampa showed up AGAIN! Bonus visit! It was such a sweet time, we enjoyed each other's company so much. We tried to keep the food simple without too much grilling or prep required so that we didn't have to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen. It worked out well and we had a very nice time.
And let's not forget. Smooshed in between all those other things was our traditional Fourth of July Pool Party in HC. A wonderful day as always - snacks, pool time, good conversation, all the stuff.
Probably the best Fourth of July of my life. Because absence makes the heart grow fonder and we've all been absent from everything for too long.
6. David and our friend Mary talked Tom (a guest at the party on Saturday the 4th) into giving them some tips. A couple days later we all met up at the local driving range for golfing lessons and lunch. He's a pro. (Literally. Also teaches golf, for a living.) What a pleasure to enjoy the sunshine and get to see the improvements as Tom patiently guided them through their posture, swing, all the stuff.
7. I'm training for a triathlon which I switched to a duathlon so I won't have to swim and Mary's signed up for the same event. Oh the stuff we talk each other into, when will we learn? We did a little mini duathlon with walking, biking and walk/running last weekend. It was nice to have a partner in the moaning over not liking running and it's too hot and I live in the Caledonia Desert (???) and people are jerks and WHAT did we get ourselves into AGAIN????
Anyway, if you've made it this far, nice work. I just spit out everything that's been building up in my brain for the last two months. Every one of these pictures is a story and if I told them all it would be a novel.
No Shoes Shelly
Mandy & Amy, bank parking lot, hoping we don't get kicked out
Friends!
Machete & Mahem after Mayhem wiped out after only 10 seconds on the track
Mary & Amy, post mini duathlon
Golf lesson!
Tom & Mandy, Fourth
Eli & Amy, sometime
More friends!
Everyone who happened to be sitting around outside when we decided to take a pic :) (Kim, Bampa, DavidAmy, Kim, Mamaw, Grandma)
Eli. Hiding.
Friends!
Dance party on the deck w/ Mary & Heather
David. Stoic as always, or something :P
Bampa & Mamaw
Mayhem & Hella
Ok, I didn't succeed at glossing over the garbage BUT let's try again. Take two. Despite some setbacks, we're managing to Get Stuff Done.
1. We're working on the deck. Still. Hardware Store has back ordered the last of the materials we need to finish.
2. I started a project of re-painting my wooden chairs and that's been going really well. Then Epic Storm rolled through last week and blew one of my chairs away like it was a little feather blowing in the wind. It was damaged beyond repair (thankfully it wasn't one of the chairs I had just finished painting). Silver Lining: Eli had the time of his life using a hammer to smash the broken chair to bits. He loved it. What more can you ask for entertainment for a 9 year old with a desire to destroy everything???
3. Epic Storm could NOT defeat our new windows (victory!!) but our back door had a tough time - the rain was blowing in at the TOP of the door!!!!!!!!!!! There are not enough !!! to express what that storm did in our neighborhood. I swear there were waves of ocean smashing up against our windows. The back of the house wasn't the only one taking a beating, the tree in the front of our house lost another very large limb. It had already lost a very large limb a couple of years ago in a snowstorm. Now our sad little tree was just done. I met someone while I was out for a walk and asked him if he could cut down our tree. I left to go to the hardware store and when I came home, the tree was in pieces by the curb. And then two days later, it was picked up by the Village Highway Cleanup Crew. So, the tree we've had for 12 years is now just a stump in the middle of our yard. Sad. Moving on...
4. Roller skating is back! We can't practice together inside, but we've been getting together in pairs and small groups to skate and walk and exercise. It's so good to see my friends again. I'm just resigned that I'll forever look like Bambi on ice when I skate and fall down all the time, but I haven't had any new major injuries so I forge ahead. Sometimes one of the kids will go for a bike ride with me while I skate, that's nice.
5. We had a 4th of July celebration. Actually, three events at our house in six days. So much cleaning and shopping for more food but it was so worth it. Tuesday we had dinner with our Scout friends, they're such great company and it was nice to get caught up on what everyone has been up to all summer. Then.
Usually we go to the lakefront for fireworks but that was out so we invited our friends over for a campfire and food on the fourth. Also, my parents. So everyone shows up (including my parents! yay! I love you guys :) ) and we have a great time and we're wishing there were fireworks but this is so great, we don't even have to use the outhouse by the fish cleaning station at the lakefront, we have actual bathrooms and air conditioning if we need it AND the campfire. So many friends that we haven't seen in so long. And right around dusk, this is when it began. The Show.
People have been shooting off fireworks in our neighborhood for months. This started when lockdown started back in March - a couple are shot off every night. But this was NOTHING like that. The rockets started and didn't let up for an hour at least. We're watching to the south, now east, there's some over there in the west and if you run to the front of the house, you can see the ones to the north. They surrounded us, they were everywhere and they were BIG. Huge bangs, huge flashes of sparkling lights wherever you look. I have never experienced anything like that. My measly little cell phone pictures cannot do it justice. The community rejected the cancelling of the Fourth of July and responded with better shows than we've ever seen before.
{Disclaimer: Yes I know it's illegal. People get hurt. My children only did safe stuff like smoke bombs. Please be safe everyone and make good decisions.}
Alright, ANOTHER Fourth party, this time on the Fifth with all the Fortiers. We hadn't seen each other since CHRISTMAS!! We needed this, we needed to check in with each other and the cousins needed to see who's driving and who's working and what's up on social media. Mamaw and Bampa showed up AGAIN! Bonus visit! It was such a sweet time, we enjoyed each other's company so much. We tried to keep the food simple without too much grilling or prep required so that we didn't have to spend the whole afternoon in the kitchen. It worked out well and we had a very nice time.
And let's not forget. Smooshed in between all those other things was our traditional Fourth of July Pool Party in HC. A wonderful day as always - snacks, pool time, good conversation, all the stuff.
Probably the best Fourth of July of my life. Because absence makes the heart grow fonder and we've all been absent from everything for too long.
6. David and our friend Mary talked Tom (a guest at the party on Saturday the 4th) into giving them some tips. A couple days later we all met up at the local driving range for golfing lessons and lunch. He's a pro. (Literally. Also teaches golf, for a living.) What a pleasure to enjoy the sunshine and get to see the improvements as Tom patiently guided them through their posture, swing, all the stuff.
7. I'm training for a triathlon which I switched to a duathlon so I won't have to swim and Mary's signed up for the same event. Oh the stuff we talk each other into, when will we learn? We did a little mini duathlon with walking, biking and walk/running last weekend. It was nice to have a partner in the moaning over not liking running and it's too hot and I live in the Caledonia Desert (???) and people are jerks and WHAT did we get ourselves into AGAIN????
Anyway, if you've made it this far, nice work. I just spit out everything that's been building up in my brain for the last two months. Every one of these pictures is a story and if I told them all it would be a novel.
No Shoes Shelly
Mandy & Amy, bank parking lot, hoping we don't get kicked out
Friends!
Machete & Mahem after Mayhem wiped out after only 10 seconds on the track
Mary & Amy, post mini duathlon
Golf lesson!
Tom & Mandy, Fourth
Eli & Amy, sometime
More friends!
Everyone who happened to be sitting around outside when we decided to take a pic :) (Kim, Bampa, DavidAmy, Kim, Mamaw, Grandma)
Eli. Hiding.
Friends!
Dance party on the deck w/ Mary & Heather
David. Stoic as always, or something :P
Bampa & Mamaw
Mayhem & Hella
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