New Non Skid Carpet in Hallway

close up of new carpet. quite fancy.

New carpet in the upstairs hallway, courtesy of Ted, Rawlings Carpet Store, and the rented electric staple gun from Liberty Rental. Installation time - 120 minutes. Looks Great. Click on image and notice matching green storage boxes on bookcase.

Award Winning Pizza

I am entering a pizza recipe contest and winning a trip to Disneyworld!!!

Two Visitors

Together

photo by Debbie

End of a Ride

Book Club

What other book group meets on such a gorgeous spot? The tome we discussed (and read) was Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. A real heavy! Photo by Ted.

One Hour of Serenity

John and I arrived at Narragansett Town Beach at 5:40. Mild, no wind, no jellyfish, no seaweed, no rips, few people and the water refreshing at 68 degrees. Perfection. To top it off the waves were clean and straight. Ample time between sets. I caught four and heard a man next to me babbling to his buddy as they waited to catch a wave. "I live in California," he said, "and we have to wear wet suits to go in the ocean. This is great." Five weeks of recuperation wiped out by sixty minutes of bliss.

A Hint of Pink

My peachy hydrangea, planted 11 years ago as a spindly stick, is thriving, filled with white puffs that are slowly turning pink. Years ago I was told that this flower always turned pink the week school began. Local schools begin again in two days!!

A Reminder

A member of the hibiscus family, this flower is along our rock wall on George St, and blooms for a month. Given to me by a good friend, I can't help but think of her whenever it blooms. Heavy pruning in the fall brings it back year after year. Another friend referws to it as a "marshmallow flower."

Almost September Garden

Thought all you folks who never make it to RI would like to see the two gardens I've worked on this year. The bottom one is taken from George St, and shows flowers on one side of the rock wall and vegetables on the other. Prolific string beans, climbing up a net wall, are bombarding us daily with fresh beans, You can't see the tomatoe plants, but the top photo should tell it all. We fill the container every day. Middle photo is of flower garden right off new deck. The Zebra grass is my newest addition and one of my favorites. The flamingo is for Evelyn...

Together, for now!!

photo by John

Cousins

Summer Essentials

Finally, Back in the Water

Went to Roger Wheeler State Beach, where I met our neighbor and her kids. Not much wind, warm..... could not resist. Went in twice, both times over my head. Swam back and forth with a couple of other gray heads. Water was wonderful, except for the three foot fish I saw cruising underneath me, twenty feet from shore. Now it feels like summer. By 5:30 I was snoring on the couch. My first time back in the ocean after 5 weeks.

No Dinner on the Deck

Took Ted to airport at 4:30 am with John. House is quieter and dinner on our new deck, with a view of green and sky, held none of its usual appeal. I'll be waiting, Waterspout!!

Congrats to Waterspout!!!

Check out my sidebar for blogs. Notice anything new???? Way to go, Dad.

On Track

Still sorting, filling trash bags, recycling and taking furniture to local consignment shops. Massive cleanup. Ted is unstoppable and since my foot is somewhat better I am his reluctant assistant. It is liberating to clear out so much junk.

Running

Running the 100 meter dash with 10 meters to go. Teddie, Josh, and Theo will be moving in with us in three weeks. She and I are attacking her closet at the moment, throwing out math, spanish and biology folders/notes from 1998. This is good. Of course there will be plenty to fill up the space... Josh has been offered a job in Groton, Ct, an hour closer to us, so he will commute. Will be great as I leave in 4 weeks for CA. Foot does not like the stairs.... still recovering. Doctor said it will be a while.... No more crutches are big black shoes. House is mighty quiet with Evelyn gone. No more dancing on the coffee table or drinking toof acid. We miss her and the two adults who take such good care of her. Thanks for visiting us.

First Day Back

The Past 21 Days

Boring. Prone, Sleeping on John's mattress, next to the bathroom door. Finally today a break in the recuperative routine. (Read, read, read) A trip to Salty Brine State Beach in Galilee. Yes, I went to the beach, hobbling over the sand to land 5 feet from the edge of the water. Finally, some semblance of what a summer day should be. Sun, water and sand. I paid for it when I got home, but it was worth it. Could not have survived the past three weeks without help. Jesse's a great cook, Ted a very enthusiastic shopper, and Evelyn is the best entertainment ever. Tonight is the first time I've gone upstairs to check the blog. Seems like I'm finally on the road back to where I was. Looking forward to Kevin's arrival tomorrow morning.

Summer Foot Surgery

Lying flat, my ice cold foot rests on a pillow,

higher than my heart.

"Keep it elevated," Doctor Buchbaum said.

So I do.

Through the stretchy bandage

and layers of white gauze,

it throbs.

The grimace shaped cut is no joke.

Ten black stitches, each hand tied,

look like dead spiders in a

swollen ravine.

Recovery is tedious and

contemplative and

not much fun.

For weeks I only see the beach on

cell phones.

better and better

Lalee has been hobbling around without her crutches for a few days now. She still can't go far and she still needs to rest her foot often. Maybe we'll try to take her to see the beach tomorrow...even if she can't walk on the sand. --Jesse