my wonderful mom-in-law

Here we are on Mercer Island, and it’s gone so fast—as usual. Mom is the most amazing person. She seems to take no notice of how her backyard neighbor obstructed her view for the longest time by letting his vegetation grow untamed after they'd enjoyed the lights of the bridge and Seattle for so many years. Now he's planted arborvitae which will grow and be just as tall, only now as a whole wall instead of one apple tree and some other junk. Get this--she wanted the nicer part of her fence that Kev was repairing to face the neighbor's direction instead of having it face her. She's just like that. Even when we passed those tired, dying arborvitae near the thrift store and I said half-heartedly, “That’s what I want to happen to the ones behind your fence that belong to that neighbor,” she just smiled and looked amused. She is the most darling woman. I just want to do that Spock mind meld, only with the heart, and I want to absorb her character and faith, not just see it. She is one of my heroes.

Thank You for her, Lord. You are the most generous-hearted and perfect-natured Father. You bless us over and over with her life, ever poised toward Your heart and character.

summer Brett

Cherry Picking at Greenbluff

I don't want to!

Kev called to tell me Denise Smith would love to have me at tennis camp to hit balls back & forth to the kids (probably esp to Jlle). I already knew that and told her at the time that maybe if they got some shade I would... Kind of light-heartedly, but I meant it sincerely. "So you don't have any interest in learning?" Here we go again. "No, I don't. I'm not interested." Sigh. I hear the disappointment. "Okay. I'll just come back and pick her up. Bye." "Bye."

I don't like the heat. My body doesn't handle it well. I feel like the effects of the sun are magnified (pardon the pun) in my body. My face feels like it's swelling and beating like a big red heart instead. I’m not just another sweaty face. My insides feel like a rolling boil is on the way. I had two babies with no anesthesia. I'm not a baby when it comes to pain. There's just something about the sun and the summer heat that seems to affect me way more adversely than normal people. I feel like he doesn't believe that, that he probably thinks I should gut it out and I'll be fine. I resent not being believed. I know what's true for me, and I wish he cared enough to just let the decision stay with me. I hate being coerced.

puppy pansies

Do these not look like a puppy face of some kind?! My sister-in-law just told us that this spring, and we saw it instantly. Never saw them that way before, but now I see that every time. Aren't they cute? No puppy poo, no wee wee, no chewed slippers, no mess--just cutey faces. Good boy...

hail, hail

Waiting for the vans for the rafting trip

It was cold.

And we were tired from getting to bed at 2 a.m.

and having to be at the park by 8:30 this morning.

It is awfully quite nice to have us all together, even for just overnight. They'll be back on Thursday, and I will feel awfully quite nice once again. For a lovely little while.

bogus

This seems ridiculous. I was in line at the grocery store, and I saw this packet stuck in front of some magazines, obviously placed there by someone who decided at the last minute that he didn't want it.

I should think so. Look at the directions on the front. Once you add the banana, the milk, and the ice, what's left to add? Those things make a banana smoothie! Unless of course you happen to need methyl cellulose, guar gum, polypropylene glycol, polystearate, disodium benzoate, and a swampload of sugar (I just named some weird ingredients that came to mind--I don't know what all it's really got in it). C'mon, that's just bogus.