“If I ever leave you it will be for the washing machine.” That was my answer to Carl’s question on Thursday evening about how I liked our Speed Queen that was delivered that afternoon. After almost two weeks without a washer, we were still ok but the piles were getting high, and I was thrilled to be able to do some loads. Our new washer is fast so my loads get done more quickly than before, and the spin is way more effective so everything dries faster after being put on the drying rack or in the dryer.
In preparation for my being away visiting my mom, Carl’s parents, aka Grandma and Grandpa, are in town. Grandma rode the bus with Sarah and me in the afternoons so that she is ready for this coming week when I won’t be there, and the teachers all know who to look for at dismissal. Grandpa waited at our house on Thursday to facilitate the washer delivery since the window of time was precisely when I wasn’t around. Thank goodness for Grandma and Grandpa!
Sarah had a good week overall with only a minor hiccup in our flow one morning when I suggested she get fresh socks, but the socks she wanted were at the bottom of a dirty laundry pile. She was very upset, and none of her fifty alternate pairs would suffice. I was tense because we needed to leave for the bus, so I didn’t handle my half of things calmly. Lessons learned. But we made it to the bus on time! Sarah’s other slightly stressed moments were the times when we needed to wait longer than usual for a bus. That is a good reminder that sometimes we have to wait, but we can trust the bus will come.
I had a beautiful drive across Pennyslvania on Friday to get to my mom’s house. We will be celebrating her birthday, which is the first since my stepfather died. The plan was to go to Long Beach Island in New Jersey, but a big storm came through that area and everything is flooded. We are delaying our plan and hoping we will get at least a few days there once the waters recede. Many years ago, my mom and stepfather and I went to Martha’s Vineyard for a week. It was the precise week that Hurricane Bob hit, and luckily we were in time to enjoy the drama. I had one of my best friends with me, and it was one of the most exciting trips she and I had ever been on. As kids, we didn’t have the responsibility of finding food or dealing with the power outage and lack of water in the rental house. After the storm passed, we had the best time walking on the beach and throwing mussels back into the ocean, thinking we were saving them. Despite it kind of being our thing to be at a beach during a big storm, I’m glad my mom and I are currently snug and dry at her house.
Sarah had a weekend retreat at the place that runs her sleep-away summer camp, and she was very excited to go and talking about it all week. Carl will pick her up this morning and then she can have a nap before going to her first Best Buddies event at Duquesne. Carl and Amy completely filled their Saturday with eating delicious food, seeing friends, and realizing small-world connections with new acquaintances. The original plan for the day had included a Higgy Friends event at Jeni’s ice cream. Unfortunately, despite my surveying the group before setting a date and time to make sure that at least some people could come, no one came. At least there was still ice cream. The new Jeni’s flavor is Opaque and looks so exquisite that I had Carl buy a pint for me in case it isn’t in stores long enough for me to get back and try it.
One of Amy’s classes this trimester is a sculpture class. For her first assignment, Amy needed to make a large sculpture out of cardboard that depicted something that is normally small. Amy created a giant bottle of nail polish.
In book news, I practiced with Julie Ryan McGue for the webinar we will be doing October 7 and 27 through the Author Learning Center. The webinar will be from 1:30-2:30 US eastern time. We will be talking about memoir and fiction and how writers decide which genre best serves their story.
Speaking more of books, if you are part of a book club and would like to read my book as your book club pick, I’m happy to join your book club for the discussion! If you are in Pittsburgh, I can come in person. If you are not in Pittsburgh, I can join virtually. If you are interested, or know anyone who might be, let me know!
Wishing you the contented joy of finally being able to do a backlog of laundry.
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