IN THE SUMMER TIME WHEN THE WEATHER IS HOT!

Wow!  July was the last time I blogged?!!  I knew it had been awhile, but even I was shocked when I saw HOW long!

And so here I sit enjoying fresh evening air with a crispness that reminds me of fall.  Can it be that the days of triple digit heat and (high) double digit humidity are over and behind us already?  If not, it soon will be.

Our summer included:

COUNTY FAIR!  We had a church booth featuring our church school.  I got to make balloon animals.  Before next year comes I think I will teach myself a few things.  I'd never made ANY balloon creatures before arriving at our booth.  It was FUN.  Would have been MORE fun if I'd had a clue what I was doing.  Abby Paul had helped with a VBS in Alaska where they did some - so she was our instructor!

JAIMEE TIME!  When the kids arrived at the beginning of summer we had a hectic mess.  Gradually over a bit of time (and lots of work by my daughter) - things became 'normal' here.  Randy and I have SO enjoyed having that tiny girl here.  Hearing her sweet voice saying 'Pa-pa!!' or 'Ma-ma!!' is like music.  She's had some rough times mostly because her little mouth decided to sprout all sorts of molars and other teeth this summer.  But those times are usually a few days - and then the happy little girlie returns.  She has been so much fun!  We took a walk with her to the arboretum and as we walked along, we discovered our shadow!  It did exactly what we did!  And it was both amazing and fun!

JOB CHANGE TIME!  Nick left his employment with Aaron's and has gone to work up in Iowa City at Riverside.  While it's a longer drive he only has to do it 3 or 4 times a week and makes as much or more $$ than he did in more days and hours here.

YARD SALES!  I can't remember how many yard sales we did this summer.  Probably not as many as it seemed.  But in an effort to make room for two families to live together, it was necessary to rid ourselves of some things!  Whew!  It always feels good to get things cleaned out a bit.  We got rid of the pool table and I think I have a buyer for the air hockey table.  So we will get our basement repurposed for other types of living soon.  I think we want to repaint the floor down there before we do much.  It's been a few years since I painted the floor.

In getting ready for one of the sales, Ryan hopped out of the back of the truck and hurt his ankle.  Turns out he cracked it.  No casts required, but hobbled for awhile.  I think he is doing okay now, as he has been paintball shooting and other things.

DAD AND MOM ... July and August were tough on both of them.  Dad has had an open sore on his foot for almost a year now.  Mom has nursed it and nursed it.  When dad began feeling very ill and weak, he ws taken to the VA hospital and admitted.  Infection.  They did that a couple of times.  When they sent dad home he took home an intravaneous IV to feed antibiotics.  That actually caused some problems to his kidneys, so they had to change it up.  The wonderful thing about this all was that at one point mom took dad in - and they were going to cut off a portion of his foot (at best) and up to his knee (most probably).  Prayer warriors around the country sent petitions heavenward on behalf of his situation.  When they went in - after some tests and consultations - the doctors decided that the wound was healing and they were NOT going to do an amputation at all.  He did go home with a huge wound on his foot.  They cut down into the bone and cleaned out bad flesh.  The opening was probably as round as a quarter and probably quarter of an inch deep.  When mom cleaned it out - she touched bone.  Now she says the wound is about as big around as her pinky finger tip and she only cleans flesh - no bone.  God is HEALING him.  Keep dad on your prayer list.  It would be wonderful, if after a year of fighting this - he and mom could be relieved of this stress.

Mom is such a wonderful worker and caregiver.  I know dad appreciates that - and at least as far as I am concerned, I am in AWE of her giving spirit.

WORK WORK WORK - Summer is my busy time at my afternoon job.  Annual recertifications take up most of the summer months.  Never mind that it also seems that it is time when everyone decides to move and also when auditors, investors, and inspectors seem to come around to do their work.  AND the person who works afternoons at City Hall - to my mornings went on a 2 week vacation which I was happy to cover for (more hours!!!) - but on the other hand ... it meant some long, long days when I would go to my afternoon job after doing a full day at my a.m. job.  But I am SO thankful for a job(s).  So not really complaining.

DRYER DECEASED -  The dryer we've had for a dozen years finally had to be replaced at the beginning of August.  It still heated.  But there was a rubber thing inside (that's the technical term for what was wrong, in case you were wondering) that was getting shaved off somehow and then those little shaved things were melting and adhering to the clothes so when you took your clothing out of the dryer, it looked like you had been assaulted by a chocolate bar.  The cost to repair mirrored the cost to replace.  Nick was still at Aaron's and we were able to get a very good 'employee' discount.

SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORM(s) -  We have been deluged with rain and storms this summer.  Not so much in the last few weeks, as earlier on.  In all these years at my afternoon job, this is the first time I have had to spend time in the lower level of our building (at work) with my residents.  They are so precious - they don't understand.  And when they said that a tornado had been spotted near Muscatine, they were certain that meant it was headed straight to their building.  In our own yard, we lost more limbs this year.  Our backyard has so many fewer trees than it did a few years ago.  In our front year, because of all of the rain, and a perpetual puddle in one area -- we now have a little spot where there is no grass because it just couldn't hold it's breath any longer and it drowned.

TOOTH FAIRY ALERT - We've been looking for the tooth fairy this summer.  Not only because of all that Jaimee has sprouted, but poor 'Pa-pa' was eating an Arby's sandwich of all things!  And he bit down on something hard.  The tooth HURT bad.  He went a couple of days later he went to the dentist, but they didn't find anything wrong.  It settled down some, but then FLARED big time.   On a Sabbath morning he was in such pain that we tried to call his dentist thinking they'd be in on Sabbath a.m.  NOPE.  Called his doctor thinking the same thing.  NOPE!  Ended up at going to an Urgent Care Walk In place.  WHAT a JOKE!  Left about an hour and 1/2 later - we left with no pain relief.  It's still bugging him, though he has been back to the dentist and they still don't find anything. 

AUNT NITA - My dad's sister Juanita - aka Aunt Nita came to visit this summer.  She is so pleasant and nice to visit with.  It was Randy's and my privilege to pick her up at the airport and enjoy a meal at Maid-Rite with her.  With the busy time this summer, I didn't get time to invite people in for a get-together, but mom did and naturally it was so much better than anything I could have offered.  (BTW - Kathy I still don't have your email address ... Aunt Nita - can you forward this and get her email for me.  Not sure what happened.)

CHICAGO TRIP -  Rhiannon and I have had several opportunities to get away for a weekend over the years.  Its always been fun.  We tried it this year again - and it was probably NOT the best trip there we've ever had.  On the other hand inspite of it not being the best trip, there were good times like walking along Lake Michigan - the water was beautiful.  The day was marvelous and it was relaxing.  Baby J loved playing in the fountain at Millenium Park.  That was about an hour of pure unadulterated JOY as far as she was concerned ... at least until she was knocked flat by a speeding little boy who didn't see her in his pathway.  She really got knocked down hard and cried and cried!  Eventually she came around and enjoyed the fountain some more, but a bit more cautious of speeding children.

BURGLARIZED, NOT ROBBED - I learned last week that it is NOT robbery when someone cuts the screen out of your livingroom window and comes in and takes your flat screen TV, remote control, and manual.  It is BURGLARY.  Our friend Barbara had just this thing happen to her.  She didn't wake up - yes! she was sleeping in the next room.  Her little dog didn't wake up either.  I think her guardian angel was plugging their ears!  What if they had come out and surprized the BURGLAR?  We know they had something sharp to cut the screen ... bad things could have happened.

MOVE OVER!  Starting last Thursday the guys loaded up all of the stuff for our Loud Thunder camp meeting.  Then Friday they unloaded and set up camp.  At home we were cooking and getting ready for the event in our 'womanly' way.  Saturday night was breaking camp and unloading back at the school and church.  Sunday a good group of us went to Aledo (twenty-some miles into Illinois) and moved the belongings of a church couple to their new apartment in Muscatine.  That was the a.m.  In the afternoon - we headed to Bennett (twenty-some miles north of Muscatine) to move the Pastor and his wife to their home in Muscatine.  It was in the nineties.  Everyone was pooped at the end of the day.  Monday and Tuesday both I was feeling it in my joints and bones.  Boy I am OLD!  And I didn't work as hard as some.  The GUYS lifted and hauled stuff upstairs and down ... HEAVY stuff.  Glad that is done.

STAMPING TIME Next weekend is our all day stamping event at the church school.  We only do this 3 or 4 times a year and the last time was in JULY.  So there is another way to see how much time has elapsed.  I look forward to this day.  I hope everyone who comes brings a project they are going to work on.  I think that makes it more fun for everyone!  I know that I like having time just to myself to think and create without a lot of distraction.  My creativity works better then!  Thursday night is our monthly stamping night (which is different than our all day event) ... so I better think about what project to work on for that night!  Fortunately I have a three day weekend to think about it.

I think it is time for me to let you get back to your life.  I am sorry to go on and on.  Take care - let us hear from YOU!  Abbie and Jill ... I haven't forgotten that I said I'd send that bag.  I still will!  PROMISE!

Love to all!  And especially welcome home to Mark and Bellie who arrived home to Muscatine from their other home clear over there in the Philipines.  They'd been there for 3 weeks and got home today.