Beautiful outside...and you can feel the Summer starting to slip away. And what an amazing Summer it has been!
The Grands headed back to school today in still stiff recently bought outfits and newly shod.
Emma and Brenden off to 1st and 4th Grade.
(...and Nicole spending that first almost child-free day running with shears and drinking milk straight from the carton...I remember those first-day-of-school...OMG, the kids are gone for hours...)
Emma having recently had her first growth spurt...and looking every day more like her Mom.
(...by the time the three oldest girls are dating, James is going to be The Dad on the front porch cleaning his gun when boys show up...I know this...)
Already busily drying small batches of herbs from the garden and my outside herb baskets.
Enjoying BLT's built from our home grown tomatoes, and loving the dwarf sunflowers which are finally bloomed.
Picked up a new canvas to start another al fresco painting tomorrow afternoon.
Probably something beachy.
A Perfect Almost-End of Summer Day!
Spent our Summer Visit together...my old friend/lover and I (we catch up seasonally now) with Almost Home: Chicken Panini, Bottled Cokes, Salad and hours of discussing our kids, grandkids, life and (of course) the up-and-coming election in November. To put this in perspective, he has always been a Staunch Republican and I have always been a Left Leaning Independent. Needless to say, we used to have some amazing political debates through the years!
So it was more than entertaining to see him rationalize why I MUST vote for Hillary this November.
And explain why he is going to as well.
(...who the hell are you, and what have you done with my buddy???)
I explained that while I will be up-voting to attempt to secure a progressive Senate and House I just...couldn't...do...it. (vote for her) and we both agreed that there was no way in hell that Trump was getting either of our votes. I think I feel good about that.
Common political ground, and it only took 30 years.
There's hope!
Parted with hugs and kisses and
"I Shall Be Back in The Fall"
(...our very favourite season...)
Chris and Tina & James and Nicole have been working outrageously long hours recently.
They work hard and play even harder.
Now that the kids are back to school...planning a mid-week Mall-Ratting with Sharon and Loretta. As well as a "Spoil Aiden Day" with Nicki soon (and maybe a "Spoil Us Day" soon as well, probably involving something decadently chocolate and dessert wine.)
Only
And about
or so until we have our Mini-DS Gathering here (after the DS Nashville Gathering ) with Dave flying in from Across The Pond...and catching a ride up here with Jane and Betsy...and Marti (and maybe Lee, too) who are driving down from Oregon.
It is shaping up to be an Outstanding Fall!
But for now...just enjoying the slow winding down of Summer...the cicadas drone...the twinkling blink of the fireflies at night and sweet tea on the patio watching the sunset.
Life is good.
Tomorrow:
Continuing with Virtual Scotland, and a closer look at Glasgow
