Now, try as I may, I know what day it is. I try not to know the date, because it's alarming how much of our sweet summertime has already passed into memories. The END OF AUGUST, that could be the name of a sad book, right?
This fine morning, I was already awake when two puppy dogs nosed their way into my room, and climbed into bed with me. They cannot get close enough, they snuffle and wag and fill the room with joy. I shooed them out, let them outside, and ah, the day begins...a phone call from Sonja's doctor's office, rescheduling her post- knee-surgery appointment yet again. The receptionist apologized up and down, and I told her it's fine, it comes with the territory, there are emergency surgeries, and things change, she said, "So many people yell at me, and I tell them that I'm just the messenger..." This receptionist is very nice, we came at the wrong time for our last appointment, a glitch/miscommunication between Sonja and I, oops, and she fit us in without being rude about it. And I feel her pain, it's like working at the amphitheater, and getting so much flack for the high prices. Yes, I am aware that five dollars for a bottle of water is highway robbery. I do know that twelve dollars for a can of beer (25 ounces, so it's really like two beers, but still), is outrageous. But sir, I only work here. So back down, and do not yell at me. It gets old sometimes, taking the rudeness and still being nice, because, the customer is always right. But one thing I have learned, is the receptionist is right: don't shoot the messenger.
Today, I am going to visit Grandma. She's not doing very well, and it breaks my heart. We're also going to Sonja's appointment, and to get a few things for a family dinner on Thursday...
Sonja and I are leaving on Friday for California!!!
But first, I need to say this: my eleventh child turned 18. Evelyn Joy, whom I sometimes call, "Eleven", is now an adult, she is going into her senior year of high school.
Miss Evelyn, older sister to Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, Charlotte Claire, and Camille...she'll be taking over next week when Sonja and I are in California...she spent the several weeks out there, and it's so nice to have her home again. Evelyn, aka "Bev", or "Miss Bev", is something else, a force to be reckoned with, a strong personality. She's one of those rare ones who knows how to do things without a hundred instructions. So she has to work on being patient with the rest of us. She's smart and funny and when she's on board with something, it gets done, and it's fun. We celebrated her 18th birthday at our friend's pool, while trying not to look at the eclipse.
After going to visit Paul's mom with Emily and Mariel, we had ice cream cake (Thank you Emily and Mariel!!!), and sang the happy birthday song. I had left them my credit card and let them order pizza and wings for dinner, and it was like it was MY birthday...spending the day in the pool in the warm sunshine, the strange eclipse sunshine (it was a 68% eclipse here), then not having to make dinner... I had taken Ev shopping earlier, in the morning before we went to our friend's house, and got her a new bathing suit.
And heck, while I'm sitting here with a second cup of coffee, in the quiet of a house filled with sleeping children and teenagers, and a few older than that too, along with snoring happy puppies, already fed and played with...I'll tell you a story. Never mind....they're all waking up. They stay up way too late at night, summer is grand.
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