remember?

Remember when you just got up and did things without thinking about your body at all?  You didn't have to think about remembering not to twist the wrong way because of the hip, or lean over too far because of the back, or go up the steps one old-lady movement at a time because of the knees.  You just walked.  You didn't think every step of the way, Oh NO, we have to walk BACK, TOO!

Anyways.  I am super thankful for water aerobics, keeps me mobile.  Yesterday though, I opted to stay here and swim in my pool.  I got in the water around the same time I usually go to class, and when I got out and sat in the sun, it had been a full hour.   The birds were singing to me, and I totally enjoyed the beautiful back yard...

 Sonja, Camille and I had plans to go to Aldi, as we were running out of good stuff.  We went to Marshall's first because Cam wanted to look at something...I ended up getting some nice shampoo, a toy for someone's birthday, a few grandchildren clothes, and some monk fruit sweetener.  

After Aldi, home...Sonja made some amazing summer salads with chicken while we put the groceries away, and we ate out on the pool deck.  It was so hot and humid, we were just cooking, but the pool was so refreshing.  

I ended up reading an entire book last night, I don't know why I didn't put it away at a reasonable hour and go to bed, but apparently I am not grown up yet, and haven't learned the consequences of staying up way too late.  This morning, however, I am grown up, and am vowing to never do it again.  Three nights in a row of staying up too late, and getting up at the same time in the morning (Paul's "office" is in our room, and he still works full time...)

I have an outing planned for today, one that may or not involve a driving test for a daughter, I am not allowed to share about it.  I am whatever the opposite of looking forward to it is, dreading?  Not even the test results, just the whole anxiety about it, and me having to stand on the sidewalk in the blistering heat, it's supposed to be over 90, and really humid...I'd rather one in the freezing winter, and yes, I've done that too.  If I added up all the times I've paced a sidewalk while one of my kids was taking a driving test, well it'd be UP THERE, because shh, not all of them have passed the first time.  This is a very sensitive subject to them, until like ten years later when you can maybe joke about it...

Today is my last day of being 58 years old, tomorrow starts my last year of the fifties.  Ha, last night I had a dream I was pregnant, it was so joyful.  Those days are gone of course, but it was a good dream.  Better than the ones where I am looking all over for the bathroom and they're all open air or sometimes the toilets are cushioned benches, and I'm like I can't pee on that!, then I wake up and ooh I have to go!  

I don't think I ever told you guys about going to the mall on Sunday!  I hate the mall, we rarely go there anymore.  When the kids were younger and the world was safer, we would recreationally go to the mall.  They would ride the merry-go-round, and have fun in the glass elevators, except for one daughter who hated them, sorry dear, truly I am.  Anyway, Evelyn had to go there to return something, so I went along, with Char and Cam too.  We hit the coffee place first, Finger Lakes Coffee Roasters...my favorite spot was Lane Bryant, and I'm not getting a penny to say that I love their bras.  There was a huge clearance rack with huge bras for huge racks, all for $19.99 each.  shh, I bought THREE!  I tried them on, couldn't decide, then what the heck, why not?  I also bought a really pretty night gown....it was also on a clearance rack.  My night gowns are ratty.  :)

I also bought a dress for Sonja's wedding.  Remember when, back in Arizona, I found the lovely dress?  Well, turns out the bridesmaids are wearing green.  I thought the dress would be a tad too warm for August anyways, so I have had my eyes open for another dress...the one I found checks all the boxes except the Non-Grandmother box.  It is very old fashioned...but, it's modest and comfortable and it has POCKETS.  And, it was on the clearance rack for $35.  

I can keep it for years, it looks like a good 100th birthday dress!

Miss Camille...

Miss Char....

This is of the girls and daughter-in-laws (except for Joe's wife Beth)...Ashley, Suzanne, Kathryn, Cam, Char, me, Sonja, Anya (granddaughter), Emily, Margaret, Evelyn, Molly, Grace, and Mariel

Charlotte Claire with Sonja, Camille

Oh, and THIS is true love: 

Coating the camper roof in the heat...:)

Well, I have things to do and as much as I'd rather just sit here and blog, I only have a few hours to do things this fine morning before I have to leave.  It's all grand and exciting stuff, like bringing in the lawn chairs we used for the symphony/fireworks night that were left in Sonja's car, which we needed to take out for room for shower gifts, and left them in the yard...there are dog messes to clean up, every day, this fine morning it'll be extra special, as Suri is old and sometimes gets loose...she wandered across the back patio while doing the poop hunch, and yeah, it needs hosing off.  To my credit, I acknowledged it, and left if for later, after morning coffee and comfy chair time.  Because why do now what you can put off for later?

So I have big Puttering Around Plans for this fine morning.  

What do people do when their kids all grow up and move out?  We have this big huge house, and I can't maintain it all.  We're still in good enough shape to manage most of it, but dang...when there's no one else to take out the garbage or rake up the yard or help carry in the groceries...?  I guess there'll be less garbage, fewer groceries...

Anyway, I'm going to finish my coffee and get moving...have a really good day!