I Had a Day

What a day I had. I drove up to Sturgeon Bay (45 minutes) to OtherWorlds Books & More to deliver the copies of Spies Don't Retire he'd requested. He took three the first time so I brought four. He took all four plus one copy of The Seaview. My books are shelved in two spots in the store and Better Than Mom's was displayed at the entrance for Mother's Day. Too cool! He's invited me back on June 7 for a book signing. I can't wait. Oh, and I bought books for LC and OJ just because. I especially like selling books there because the owners pay for the books instead of taking them on consignment.

 

I got home around lunchtime. Just as I was finishing I got a text from DS saying that OJ wondered if we could do his birthday shop this afternoon. Of course we could. They were coming home from a weekend in Shawano so they dropped him off on their way through town and we headed out. We went to The Schoolhouse, a store with a lot of teacher stuff but also small, fiddly stuff that kids like. While we were there I spied something that I keep meaning to put on my Christmas list but keep forgetting so I bought it for myself. It's a construction game called Buildzi. LC and OJ got it for Christmas a couple years ago and we love playing it. DD got it last year and we played on Christmas day with ITMM. He was brilliant at it. After that store we went to Barnes & Noble and then to Target making considered purchases in each. We had a lovely time.

 

When I dropped him off at home LC told me that she'd made brownies (using my recipe) and offered me some. Not one to refuse still-warm-from-the-oven brownies I said I'd love some. I only nibbled on the broken bits on the way home. Really.

 

Almost as soon as I opened the drapes this morning I saw a little green bird zip by the patio door and hover at the feeder. It was a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird! I managed to get three photos of him, all blurry because the flash wanted to turn on so I turned it off and the camera's very touchy with focus when I do that. Anyway, while he was there a little female approached but she veered off when she saw him. Later on when I was having lunch I saw a tail below one of the perches on the back side of the feeder so either he was back or she was. Hooray!

The Sketchbook Challenge book fell open at the page that said Something That Smells Bad. I had the perfect thing to draw. Yesterday when I carried my folding chair downstairs I smelled something rotten. I thought that the floor drain had dried out and sewer gas was coming in, but when I got over by the drain I saw that there was a little mouse stuck to the glue trap. It must have been there a while because it was pretty stinky. I bagged it up, trap and all, sealed it, and put it in the trash in the garage. Now the garage is stinky. I'll be glad when trash day rolls around. Anyway, I drew the bad-smelling dead mouse in the glue trap.

 

I was lucky enough to see the male Oriole when he landed on the grape jelly. The orange half is still attracting House Finches.

 

And the male Rose-breasted Grosbeak posed on the crook just long enough for me to snap his picture. As soon as I took this he turned his back to me and flew away.

 

I even made time to draw a gratitude journal page this evening. At the bottom of the page is the last big thing I did today. When I got home from OJ's birthday shop I changed into old socks and my oldest tennies and mowed the lawn. It was getting really long and I knew I'd want to take a shower afterwards so I just did it. It was slightly easier so my walks this last week and up at The Clearing have helped. Now I just need to keep walking. 

Needless to say I'm pretty darned tired tonight but I had a full and fun day. I don't regret any of it.

--Barbara