Tuesday, July 5, 2022
A mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois killed six people and wounded 31.
We spent the Fourth of July trying to stay cool. The weather is hot and humid. Three triple-digit days are predicted for this week.
Matt is sick with a sore throat, and Ray leaves for Ft. Worth this afternoon.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
We saw the Elvis: Story of a King show this afternoon. The performance began earlier this year, but you wouldn’t know that from watching it. The concert is informative, fun, and energetic. Critically acclaimed Elvis impersonator Matthew Boyce joins the audience after the show for a meet and greet.
It’s been hot and dry here. A doe and her two fawns have been frequenting our property. Deer are eating my potted plants on the porch.
I dreamed about Whataburger last night. In the dream, I was waiting for my order. Two Whataburger restaurants are opening near us by the end of the year. I’m so ready.
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
We got a little shower this morning. The locals say it’s unusual to be this dry.
Don’t judge me, but we’ve been busy unpacking and assembling the furniture in the large guest room. I never thought we’d still be unpacking almost a year after our move. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it. But we have company coming in about ten days with children, so we’ve procrastinated as long as possible.
It was bittersweet unpacking the toys and linens I’d purchased before we became foster parents. Fun, failures and the reality of it all filled my thoughts as I arranged the guest room. Keeping it all boxed up mentally and literally was easy, dealing with the heartbreak of mishandled children trapped in a broken system, not so much.
Evidently, a disposable pad like a puppy training pad was trapped between a mattress protector and a crib sheet when I tossed them in the washing machine. Apparently, those pads only soak up so much liquid before exploding into one complete blue plastic paper, wads of cottony fluff, and assorted-sized clumps of gel-grit. I rushed all the bedding outside and hung it out to dry on the deck railing. When it dries, I hope the gel-grit will return to crystals and shake off the fabric.
I wiped the gel grit out of the washer with a paper towel and then with a wet cloth. Leaning inside the machine, turning the drum one way, and wiping gave me vertigo. I rate this disaster a two on a scale of one to ten, but that score is subject to change regarding any problems with the septic tank.
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
I’ve been preparing for company to arrive this weekend, but a new variant of Covid is on the rise. I am hopeful that we can all stay healthy and have a great time together. Ray flies in tomorrow.
It’s been hot upper nineties and scattered triple digits here. It’s rained all around us, but not on the ridge. Back in Texas wildfires rage and triple digits and record-breaking heat have been common all month.
Monday, July 25, 2022
The heat continues and it thundered and flashed late last night, but we only got a few sprinkles. We have chances of rain this week, and the locals say it’s unusual to be this dry. There are no fires around here like the wildfires in Texas and the west.
The Irlbeck family arrives today with plans for beaches and swimming. We’ll see if the weather cooperates.
We visited James River Church yesterday. I enjoyed the service and they had a special speaker who was great, but it was a little flashy and loud for me. Ray said it was like being at summer camp.
The politicians and the press are concerned about the spread of Monkey Pox. Covid numbers are up. And the latest shooting was at a campground in Iowa.
Sunday, July 31, 2022
We had a blast with the Irlbecks, but sightseeing with two toddlers is exhausting. We are recuperating nicely, though. The house seems unusually quiet with just two grumpy old people here. Matt’s been visiting relatives in Texas this week.
My favorite adventure with the Irlbecks was the Butterfly Palace. Everyone gets a personal flower feeder to attract the butterflies and they land right there in your hands. It was fabulous.
The kids loved Moonshine Beach. It was very hot that day, but it is a nice beach. And it’s only $5/car. We also went to Branson’s Wild World. I’d been there before. It’s an indoor zoo and aquarium. It’s small, but just the right size for toddlers.
Kayla and I squeezed in a shopping day together and ate lunch at Mel’s Hard Luck Diner. The food there was mediocre, but the servers sing. We wondered if they auditioned for their job when the waitress announced her CD was for sale in the gift shop. (Welcome to Branson!) So we decided they just sent a demo recording. Before we left, someone with questionable talent belted out Unchained Melody. It was then that Kayla suggested I get a part-time gig there and I could peddle a CD along with my books. It’s a shame I’m not really looking for work right now. Besides, it was loud and there was a lot of flirting going on with the waiters and the ladies at the next table. But I guess that’s show biz.
Now that the Irlbecks are gone, the weather has cooled off. Yesterday’s high was 79 and it rained. Today’s high was 84.
Last, but certainly not least, we’re going to have a grandson early next year. Congratulations to Stephanie and Hayden!