Long & Busy Day

I stopped moving about 9:30 tonight and realized that I'd been in motion for nearly 12 hours.  I moved my trainer session to 10:30 this morning so I'd have time to breathe today and I think I'll keep it at that time, at least for a while.  Today we worked on core muscles so he had me do a lot of resistance work which doesn't make me sweat much but I really feel it in my arms and shoulder blades.  I'm not complaining, just explaining.


ACJ brought a small tote of yarn and needles to give to me yesterday.  There's some interesting stuff in there. They've sold their house and are moving into a duplex where their daughter and grandson can live on the other side so de-crapifying has commenced.  I will confess that I've completely stopped my "one box a day" campaign.  I need to start up again.


This afternoon I met with my accountant to talk about how to manage the taxes that I pay, to whittle it down so that I don't hand the government a few grand to play with every year.  I'd be happy if I had to send them a check for $100 in April instead of getting a check for $8000 in May.  Don't get me wrong, I like seeing a nice chunk of money appear in the checking account but I'm not thrilled with a lot of the things the government does so I'd like to keep my money in my own bank account.  It's nice to have someone help me with these things, someone I know I can trust.  She's a scuba diver, of course I can trust her.


The small people and I went to the Botanical Garden late this afternoon to look at the butterflies.  Unfortunately the sun wasn't beating down on their tent so the butterflies weren't flying around much but we saw them and will go back now that we know the time of day when they're most active.  I packed our favorite picnic--hard salami, muenster cheese cubes, Wheat Thins, sugar snap peas, baby cucumbers, red grapes, and Oreo Thins for dessert.  There was cranberry apple juice for the small people and plain old water for Meemaw.  OJ was STARVING (day care is so tiring!) so we spread our picnic cloth in the first flat spot we found so that he had the energy to play in the children's garden.  LC was hungry because today was pizza day and she doesn't eat pizza (no sauce for her!).  I even got to read a pile of stories and tuck them into bed with snuggles and songs.  Ahhh.  They liked the chrysalises too.

13 June--Barbara Malcolm, Horizon. 

“Of course we do, Gail,” Sara said patting my hand.  “Don’t listen to him; Aaron’s just computer crazy.”  She turned to him, “Put your fork down, dear; you’re getting crumbs all over.”

He set his fork on his empty plate and kept talking.  “And you should see all the garden sites, Mom.  There are supplies, like trowels and baskets and all that stuff, and tons of information on new varieties.  Why, you can even order plants that they’ll ship right to you.  Save you trips to the garden center.”

            “I like going to the garden center, at least I used to, but I’ll think about it.”  I turned to my grandson to change the subject.  “So, David, how are your swimming lessons going?”

            “I’m learning to swim really good.”

Aaron interrupted, “You should say ‘well’, David.  You’re learning to swim really well.”

“Okay, Dad,” he rolled his eyes, “‘well.’”  He turned back to me.  “And Grandma, I can go all the way down the pool and back without stopping.”

            “Can you?  That’s terrific.  How’s school?”

            “Okay, but third grade’s hard.  We have to learn to write cursive and we started fractions last week.”  His little face was screwed up in a frown and looked so much like Aaron’s at that age I almost cried.

            “I know a good way to learn fractions.  In fact, I taught your dad fractions this way.  Remember, Aaron?”  I got up and pulled a second chocolate pie out of the fridge.  “Look, David, before we cut it, this pie makes one whole, right?”

            David nodded.

            “Okay, if I make one cut, like this, down the middle, what do we have?”

            “Um…two halves?”

            “Exactly.  Now, what if I cut it in half again?”

            “Uhhh…”

            “How many pieces are there?”

            “Four.  Oh, it’s quarters.  That’s easy.”

            “It sure is.  And if I cut each quarter in half?”

            “Eighths!”

            “Congratulations.  You just learned fractions.  Your prize is one-eighth of a chocolate pie.”  And I scooped a slice onto his empty plate.

            “Gail, you’ll spoil his dinner,” said Sara.

            “I think learning all that math made him very hungry, right, David?”  He nodded, his mouth full of chocolate.  “Besides, boys who are almost nine years old can always eat.  He’ll be hungry again by dinner time.”  I ruffled his already messy, dark brown hair.  “I hope you don’t mind, I’ve made up beds for the three of you upstairs.  You don’t think climbing the stairs will be too strenuous for you, Sara?”

            “Not at all.  Doctor Mac encourages his moms to exercise.  I’m still doing aerobics three days a week.  But what are you doing with the spare room?  Did you finally turn it into a den, like you’ve threatened for years?”

            “No.  I, um, I’m taking a watercolor class and I turned it into a studio.  It has lovely north light.”  I peeked at them through my lashes to gauge their reactions.

            “That’s great, Mom.  Sara wondered what you were doing with all your time now that you’re retired.”  Aaron got up, gathered everyone’s plates, and put them into the dishwasher.  “No more pie, especially for David.  We don’t want to spoil our supper.”  He leaned over to whisper in the little boy’s ear.  “I’ll bet Grandma’s cooking something dee-licious.”  Aaron’s grin matched his son’s.  “Want to help me get the suitcases and carry them up, big guy?”

            “No, I want to stay here with Grandma.”

            I patted my grandson’s hand.  “Why don’t you go help your Dad?  He’s getting old and I want to talk to your mom a minute.”  I shooed them out the door.  “Go on now.”

            “Sara, I want to show you…  I’d like your opinion…  Oh, just come with me.  Please?”  I was so nervous my hands were fluttering.  I pulled Sara out of her chair and urged her toward the spare room.  As I turned the knob to open the studio door, I paused and said, “Now, I want your honest opinion, Sara.”

We both drew a deep breath and then I pushed the door open for Sara to enter first.  I watched her walk around the room nibbling a cuticle.  My stomach was in a knot.  I valued Sara’s opinion because sketching and painting had been Sara’s hobby for years, even though she’d studied accounting in college.

The retaining wall is getting close to being done.  CG told me this afternoon that he was going to regrade the backyard (no extra charge!) so that the slope isn't quite as severe to make mowing easier.  What a nice guy.  I'll be glad when it's done.  He unhooks the garden-watering hose so he doesn't drive the skid steer over it, doesn't reattach it, and I end up watering the patio or the lawn/mud.  He said he'd bury the hose for me too.  Oh, I have to dig out the umbrella clothesline pipe before the lawn repairs begin.  Tomorrow.
--Barbara