Fireplace in May

Mother Nature has been really switching things up. The day started sunny. Then cloudy. Sky full of BROWN clouds....a sign something was happening up there. Sure enough - HAIL! Lots of hail. Enough that B. made a large baseball sized lump of it and posted it on his Facebook page. Hail has fallen several times in the past few hours.

It's May 15th and we have a fire going in the fireplace. Homemade turkey chili and cornbread for dinner.

Other family news:

H. got contacts this week. He has an astigmatism - like his mom. And glasses just aren't 'cool' so he's paying for contacts. Our insurance covered part and he's paying the difference.

B.'s leg is improving, slowly. I gave him advice that I got from someone who's had shin splints - and NOT moving and 'taking it easy' is the worst thing possible to do. So he's back to doing some 'impact' running - and walking. And we encouraged him by buying him a new pair of running shoes with inserts - hoping that a new pair of shoes [he was in need of a new pair - he was running a lot and his old shoes needed to be replaced] would help get him off his toukas. It worked. He's back at work and finishing up his last week of school.

H. appears to be on track to graduate. I write that feeling like I'm jinxing something - but he's pretty sure he's doing OK and J. concurs. Hoping that's true. He picks up his cap and gown this week and pays for Senior Beach Day tomorrow - only nine days of school left for him. Graduation is the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

J. and I enjoyed a wonderful date night last night. We had Thai Cafe for dinner and then walked across the street to The Grand Theatre and enjoyed a benefit concert for the Tracy Free Clinic. Our family doctor - Dr. V. who we all love - is one of the founding doctors of the clinic. We enjoyed an eclectic jazz by Mads Tolling Quartet. Not your typical jazz - no reeds, no horns. Just Mads on violin (and oh my gosh, he is so incredibly talented - you can search for him on You Tube - Mads Tolling - and see his performances), a bass player (standing bass and bass guitar), drums and electric guitar. It was terrific!! and two hours flew by. Nice to get out just the two of us - and we were both making each other laugh so much before the show started.....we are a good pair for each other. And we can both laugh about getting old together. I tried to lean to the right to put my head on his shoulder - and I couldn't bend my neck that low.....in his defense, he didn't know I was going to lean or I'm sure he would have sat up straighter....we're getting old. We were laughing and laughing.....it was a fun night.

We're watching the finale of Survivor: Redemption Island - I'm rooting for Boston Rob!

Another busy week ahead (is there any other kind of week, ever?). I'm out of the office so much this week that I will have to attempt to be in early, early to get my 'work' done before the day officially starts at 8.

Still working on recovering from my ear/sinus thing. Getting there....I hope. This wacky ever-changing weather isn't helping.

Our garden is coming along. We've got spinach growing and the squash plants look like they will have 'fruit' soon. Lettuce is getting there though we've lost some to slugs. Even with the copper tape across the edge of the raised beds, there's still slugs! Flowers are pretty and J. planted all my herbs this weekend. The hail gave them quite a beating but hopefully, they'll make it.

Mother's Day was good - quiet. We ate a dinner out on Saturday - Dave Wong's Chinese. The boys weren't home much of Sunday and J. played music at church that day - so it was quiet.

Pets are good, too. Fofy has been spending time down here with us - J. moves her to her 'little' cage and she spends the day chirping away in the study with us. She seems to like it.....

Back to Survivor....