It Worked

The computer decided the read the SD card from the camera tonight.  Woohoo!  I didn't know what I was going to do if it still wouldn't read the card.

This Downy Woodpecker came to the suet yesterday and stayed long enough for me to get a decent shot of it.  One of the squirrels has learned to hang from its back feet and hold into the suet feeder with its front feet and eat like there's no tomorrow, dropping suet chunks on the ground and making a mess.  I keep chasing it away when I see it so hopefully it'll leave the suet for the woodpeckers.  Fingers crossed.

Two more tomatoes are turning red.  I've had the first two on supper salads and there's nothing like vine ripened tomatoes.  Mm mm.

When I was looking at the tomatoes and checking for the next cucumber (not yet) I saw this cluster of white flowers and discovered that it's an onion flower.  My onions have been overrun by mint, weeds, and daisies.  If I was a good person and good gardener I'd go out there and pull weeds and cut back everything else but this year I'm not a good anything.  They'll just have to deal.

I cut this rose from Dad's rosebush this morning thinking that I'd save it from the Japanese beetles but when I got it into the house I found a beetle hiding in the center of the flower.  I evicted it but not before it chewed some of the petals and the entire center.

This afternoon I finished knitting on the Hawk's Wing shawl.  It's a little short but if I'd kept on following the pattern I'd have run out of yarn and the yarn's so old I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to find any more.  Right now it's downstairs soaking in a bath of wool wash.  Tomorrow I'll press out most of the water and then stretch it out and pin it into shape so it dries with the lace more open.  Blocking it should give it a bit more length because right now it doesn't hang down to my elbows which is okay since it's my shoulders that get chilled in the winter.

02 August--Barbara Malcolm, Better Than Mom's.

“I told Marcus I might be back in twenty minutes or it might take us an hour, and he damn well better be still at his desk and at his studies when I get back.  I think for once I put the fear of God into him.” 

“Why is this time different?” 

Naomi unlocked the car and the women got in.  “The football coach called me yesterday.  He said he thinks Marcus might have the makings of a professional class running back, he is that fast and good at avoiding tackles, but unless he applies himself to his studies, he will not play high school ball, much less college or pro.” 

“Ah.” 

“Hey, I can hear that you are not too impressed with professional sports, but for a poor young kid with no daddy, it is a way out of the ghetto.” 

Fay sighed.  “I supposed where we live is the ghetto in Stinson?” 

“Yes, ma’am, it is.  There are not too many worse places to live in this here little city.  You picked good, Fay.” 

Fay shook her head.  “I keep clawing myself out of one hole in life only to have my temper land me in another.” 

She spent the rest of the drive and most of their stroll through the K-Mart telling her new friend all about selling her husband’s custom-made pool cue on eBay.  Naomi thought that was one of the funniest stories she had ever heard.

 “Least you had a man to punish.  Mine ran off at the first sign of trouble and never came back.” 

As they pushed their laden cart back toward the car an hour later, Fay said, “I probably would have been better off if I had sworn off men when the first one dumped me.  Would have saved me a lot of tears and money.” 

Naomi was shoving bags into the back seat of her car.  “Yeah, but then you would not have broken down outside of this town and been lucky enough to meet me.  That would have been a shame.” 

Fay stood with her hands on her hips surveying the mountain of bags in the car and remembering the thin state of her wallet.  “Seeing as how I let you talk me into buying all this stuff so now I am really and truly broke, I would have to say the jury is still out on how much of a shame that will turn out to be.” 

Both of them were chuckling as they got into opposite sides of the car.  “Do not feel bad, you poor little thing, how about I buy you a DQ as a treat?” 

“Can your budget stretch to chocolate dipped?” 

“It can.” 

Fay smiled at her new friend.  “I am feeling better about Stinson already.” 

“And we will get a cone for Marcus too.  That way he will not complain about helping us carry all this upstairs.” 

“He will not?” 

“Well, he is fourteen after all, he will feel he has to complain just on principle.” 

“Ah, so true.” 

Two much happier women arrived back at the complex a half hour later.  Marcus was drafted to help carry Fay’s new things inside, after he ate his cherry dipped cone, of course.  Naomi helped Fay put the quilted and plastic backed mattress cover on her bed and admired Fay’s sarong covered box tables.  “You have got flair.  My style is more church lady conservative.  I got to get me some bright fabric for my house.” 

Fay said, “I have a sewing machine in the trunk of my car.  If you will drive me down there one of these days, I would be happy to help you run up some curtains.  I will bet we can find some good stuff at the thrift store, sheets for sale there are cheaper than yard goods.” 

Naomi was amazed to discover that more than half of the boxes that Fay had not unpacked had shoes in them.  She held up a dainty silver slipper with a four-inch heel covered with rhinestones.  “You got enough shoes in here to buy two new cars.  You should sell them on eBay, make some cash, and get a little ahead.  Or at least get your car fixed.” 

Fay looked at her as if she could not believe what she had heard.  “I am not selling my shoes, no matter how desperate I get.  A girl is nothing without fabulous shoes.” 

Under her breath so Fay could not hear, Naomi muttered, “You can not eat shoes.” 

The new friends would have sat long into the night getting acquainted, but Fay had to be up before dawn to get to her new job on time.  “Gives a bad impression if you show up the first day late,” she said as she watched Naomi walk down the hall to her door. 

“I will see you tomorrow.”  Naomi waved as she put her key into the lock and went inside. 

Today's toss was a trio of pottery wine goblets and a coffee mug.  It's just about time to toddle over to Goodwill to make a donation.

It was a gray day today.  We had drizzle most of the afternoon, not enough to be called rain but enough to dampen the pavement.  Depressing.

--Barbara