Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

We had a double thunder storm last night that, thankfully, did not involve a lot of wind, but did showcase a long stretch of lightning. I'm glad I was still up watching a movie, because it would have woken me up, it was so bright and sustained. Maybe today won't be so muggy, but if it is, so be it. It's summer.  The pool is finally warm enough for me to be pleased with it. We will likely get in there again today, but then I'm going to add some water to it and put in a new filter/chlorine tab. We've enjoyed it this week, for sure, and the forecast is still for 80s.  I think, though, I'd like today to be a relatively quiet day. I'm tired; Holly is a busy kid, and she's been a bit emotionally fraught due to one cat still being MIA. And Meg is working way more hours/days/weeks than is sustainable, at least for Holly. It's no one's fault, really-- they are super short staffed. But still, it's a lot, especially to a four year old who can't quit...

It's humid and overcast, but we did not get hit with thunderstorms last night. I am glad I watered the garden boxes. I may do it again today. Holly is enjoying the pool time, and I am pleased that she is doing so well with her swimming. Most of all, I can sit on the deck and supervise, if I've a mind to. That's worth a lot.  Today, it's expected to be 90 and that means slowing down. Holly has swim lessons, but other than that, I haven't got a lot on the agenda. I may fold laundry.  So, if you watched/heard about the Red Sox game last night, you'll have an opinion about Contreras' ejection for the second night in a row. On Monday, he was tossed for "insulting" an ump (which was purely subjective and stupid on the ump's part). Last night, there was a benches-and-bullpen-clearing confrontation after the Nationals' pitcher struck Contreras out and said, " sit down, boy ." And while Contreras did stride out purposefully toward the moun...

One cat is back home--that's the good stuff I want to start with. The other has been sighted, but he's a different sort of cat. He's been out before, and it'll be a little harder to convince him back into the house. That all said, I'm glad that at least one has returned home. Holly's a lot happier.  She had a rough day yesterday, to be sure. She'd been busy all weekend doing fun things, but then the drama of the cat-astrophe on Sunday night-- well, let's just say, she was easily triggered and weepy and sassy, and thank goodness we have the pool open. That helped a lot.  We will likely go in the pool again today, as the inclement weather is not supposed to blow in 'til later on. I hope. We are expecting near 90 today, and 90s the next couple of days, with the chance of t-storms here and there. In fact, summer has arrived: the forecast for the next couple of weeks is looking like 80s daily. I do not mind. I do have to water the garden boxes today, beca...

Yesterday went well for the young writers, and they were happy with their efforts. Parents were happy with the celebration at the end. And I am happy that now, I don't have that on my radar. I love doing it, but the "did I forget something? Will it work?" factor is tiring.  AND THE RED SOX SWEPT THE YANKEES FOUR GAMES IN FENWAY. I am hopeful that today is a balanced day. Holly got here early (her dad forgot that we don't have art this week), so she's just chilling on the couch. I have chores to accomplish before we head to swim lessons at 11. I'm hopeful that we can get in our pool today-- at least, she will. My knee/ankle issues are pretty cranky this morning, so we'll see how that goes. Likely it'll be okay by afternoon.  Sad stuff: Two of Meg's cats performed a jail break sometime yesterday, and they are out and about roaming. I'm praying they come home.  Prayers to St. Francis might help, if you're of a mind.  Now, summer begins in earn...

So, yesterday went well. I have five young women in the writing camp at The Frost Place, and they are nice, friendly, and willing to work! They come from various backgrounds, but all have a love for writing and theatre. So, that goes a long way towards getting them to their own "next steps."  And my book launch went well! A cadre of former students showed up, as goofy and fun as they always have been, and they not only bought books, but also participated in the open mic part of things. It was a joy to hear their work, since they've been out of my classroom for several years. And OMG, to my surprise and delight, one of my oldest friends from college appeared with his wife and his mom. What a day! They were on their way home from Montreal, and timed it just right to show up. We don't get to see them all that often (every few years, really), so I was gobsmacked. We had some great community readers, too-- all good things.  G and I went out to Freehouse for dinner, then he...

Well, the outfit I planned for today was a fail. The tee shirt is fine, and I went with loose-fitting jeans. I was torn, to be honest: comfort or something more "poet-like"-- leave it to me to pair a teaching gig with my book launch event. I went with comfort-- it's me, and who knows if anyone at all is coming to the book launch? I will do my best to look more "poet-like" another time.  That said, I'm running behind, partly due to my incipient reluctance to hustle this morning, and partly due to wardrobe changes. But the materials for my class are packed, the books are packed, and I even remembered to get some change in case someone buys a book later on.  We shall see.  The poor doggo will be in her crate today. Well, we humans feel some remorse about that, but since she spends much of her day bitching at people walking by, cars going by, a shift in the wind... she'll be safer in the box. She's a good girl, but she likes to chew things up, too.  Anyh...