dreams and pollen alert

 I had one of those dreams where you cannot stop its "direction"... Even after a bathroom break, the dream started up again at the same spot. It wasn't a bad dream... Bob and I took a bus downtown from Blue Springs to "the city"... not Kansas City. After a day of sight seeing we wanted to go home. But couldn't find the bus stop.. totally lost... Even the taxi stand  guy told me they didn't go to Blue Springs. In the last  part , Bob and I got separated. I decided that was enough and got up!!

We have had two pollen alerts! Everyone's noses are running and sinuses are plugged but it is not going to be super hot

Carolyn's kids had outdoor recess today... hot as it was. She sunburns so had found a shady spot she can stand in and supervise the kids. Today when it was time to go in, she found she was surrounded by kids wanting to be in that shady spot!!

Little bit cooler

 As my daughter drives home from teaching I get to hear the things that happened that day. She calls me on her car phone,,, all hands free.

 Hickman Mills School district is having some sort of printer problem .. district -wise .. so she can't print out all the papers she needs... This has been going on for days...botheration! She may use our printer for some stuff if they don't get it fixed by next week.

Her school building had it a/c fail...luckily her classroom tends to be cool. But it has been hot enough for outdoor recess to be cancelled.

The kids got to watch an actual live interview with Dolly Parton... the kids knew about the free books etc. but weren't aware of her music. So after the interview Carolyn played  "Jolene" and "9 to 5"  which they ( 1st graders) loved. BTW she was actually in KC today!!

I also hear about some of the kids... One kid when being told how to behave told her he didn't have to  do what she said... then he said he was the smartest kid in the class ( gifted class). She told him he wasn't ( true)... Boy was he shocked.!! Guess he'd been told many times he was the smartest!!

By the time she gets home,,, she is "de-stressed"

 

another hot one

 It's been hot again! So we spent the day house cleaning. Not much fun but it needed it and we didn't need to go out anyway!

Even going to the mailbox  was too much!

Lili stopped on her way home from work...DMV license bureau  For the first time someone was unpleasant to her. ... more than unpleasant nasty. He was not happy that he didn't have a receipt from Jackson County saying he paid his personal property tax. Without it she couldn't do what he wanted...that's the rules.  he said he didn't have a printer and so he couldn't print out the receipt... wasn't happy when she suggested he go to the library and print it out!

Funnily enough she wanted to print something  from one of her text books on our printer!! She's really happy with her classes this semester!! Great news!!

Tomorrow is not going to be much better... YUCK!

more branches ... and 100 degrees

 Our teacher daughter texted us last night that branches had come down at her house... one on the roof, from the oak beside her deck. The other from the red bud which has been loosing branches at each storm. The red bud may have to come down... not sure about the other. So Bob will go yo her house and check things out...

Then to Laurel's for the postponed dinner...

well.. this afternoon turned out to be really different than we expected. When we arrived at our daughter's we found her internet etc. was totally out. And she had lots of work that she was planning on completing on the computer.. especially important was a grant application due tomorrow.

Surprisingly the Infinity person showed up at the front door with all his test equipment. Before he could start we had to take the dogs outside! Our temps had reached 100 degrees so no one, dogs included , were happy outside.

The  Infinity guy checked all the inside stuff and then has to go outside  over the fence to see the junction boxes. A neighbor came out, a little upset about a stranger back there, but it turns out his internet was out too! His Infinity guy shows up too. Not the neighbor's internet.... but down the line.

Our daughter was told... maybe Tuesday it would be repaired... Not good news!

In the meantime the dogs, the dog handlers ( me and my daughter and Bob) were very uncomfortable. I was sweating like mad... way past the "glow" stage.

Back inside when the Infinity guys left... lots of liquids for all of us. And then home for us. Felt awful.

Two hours later Laurel's internet was back on... not sure for how long so she's back to work on the grant application

thunder rumblings

 I woke this morning to the sounds of thunder... just rumblings... but a forecast for more and rain. Today there are quite a few farmers' markets and road side stands hoping to open. Hope they have some sort of "roofs"!!

We are supposed to have dinner out on our daughter's deck this evening. Fingers crossed, it will be nice enough!! If not... maybe she'll postpone things to tomorrow.....well that's what happened. The weather forecast for tomorrow is ok so we'll do it then.

So instead I decided to get things ready for my quilting/craft group on Wednesday. I "unloaded" the dining room table where I had been making gingerbread boy ornaments, fabric boxes  and a bear.  The bear is for a November online bear show. The boxes are for this group's Christmas exchange.They will be filled with Christmas candy. The gingerbread boy ornaments are for Bob's ham radio fest. I thought maybe they would be something of interest for wives that had been dragged along! 

Since we didn't go anywhere... today became laundry day. All washed, folded and put away. Bob does most of it!!

 

 

All Gone??

I went grocery shopping this morning. Our Price Chopper was having a special one-day sale event and there some things I wanted plus things I needed. Didn't think it was anything special... picked out my stuff and then started seeing people loading up on all sorts of things... like a grocery cart filled with nothing but paper towels. I had my one... but not a cart full!

My daughter did her shopping after school... hitting all of the stores and ending up at Price Chopper. Again she saw someone with a cart load of paper towels. The shelf was then empty.... and just about everything on the sale was gone!! Even the boxes and boxes of honey crisp  apples I had seen the produce people putting in bins! Guess the $.69/lb was really good. Glad I got mine!!

Maybe that will convince Price Chopper that people really want lower prices and willing to pay for them.

Stump

 Bob decided yesterday to get to work on an old tree stump in our backyard. The tree was taken down years ago but the stump machine  could get through our two gates so it was just left. It was one of those trees that has super prickly balls. Over the years we have cut down the volunteer growth. But I think Bob had just had enough. Turns out the stump is now pretty rotten and he was about get quite a lot dug up and into the "green" bin. Hooray!

I watched a U-Tube where someone made a little fabric box. Wrote down all his directions and made a paper pattern. The pattern looked  like it would make a box bigger than I wanted... so figured out some smaller dimensions... plus I didn't have scrap fabric big enough but did have enough for a smaller version. One is done...

 

 I found some larger scraps so will try a bigger one next... ... made it, but I am not sure which size I prefer.. Time to ponder I guess.

I need to send a package so Bob and I went on the USPS "click and chip" site . A newer version showed up and we decided to sign up for it. I use "Click and Ship" to mail my bears and friends... sold from the online bear shows. The newer version seems to work ok. After paying for the postage, I printed out the label. The box is too big to fit in our mailbox so I will leave a note in it for our mailperson and she will come to the front steps to pick it up!! Nice isn't she??

So a "do nothing day" turned out to be busier than I expected

Sunday

Early yesterday morning we headed to out Bates City to its antique mall. Bates City is about  8 miles East of Blue Springs... just off I-70.  They were having an outdoor flea market. It turned to to be very small... we did a look around and did the same inside at the mall. Did find something... on sale! Success!!

We joined our elder daughter and her two dogs for dinner on her deck last night! Lots of talking... catching up and Bob grilled hot dogs  (on brat rolls) which we served with salad . Good!  The dogs were enticed by the smell but we were careful not to give them any hot dog.  Harper has a tender stomach and gets sick with too much fat and it's not fair to give one a piece and not the other!!

Wal-Mart is Laurel's delivery food thingy... this week two of her ordered items were not available and Wal-Mart made substitutions.... much bigger than she wanted /needed so we went home with them!! 

Today was supposed to be cooler and I guess you might say 83 degrees is cooler than 90's . So I am working on some hand sewn Christmas items ... and reading.

Then my grand daughter Lili called... long chit chat. She talks about everything and anything and her husband in the background chimes in ! Just about when I thought she was done... it was Grandpa's turn and she talked about different things with him!!

Tomorrow Bob is off to the garage overhead door replacement place with Laurel. She wants to replace her garage door. She has been looking online with Home Depot but wants a comparison with a local place.... surprisingly Blue Springs has two!

Back to school

Here's what Phoenix Family posted on Facebook about its "back to school" event..

 

At Phoenix Family, our Back-to-School events are a cherished tradition and a true community celebration. Every year, our generous donors, volunteers, and community partners come together to fill backpacks and host the Back-to-school events. Together, we ensure that every child, regardless of their family's financial situation, has a new backpack filled with school supplies to start the year off right. It’s a celebration of community and a way to help families who need a little extra support.

This year, across 12 housing communities, more than 1,140 kids will start the school year with the tools they need to succeed and feel confident alongside their peers.

So happy that Bob and I  ( and our development director daughter) are part of this every year!!

cooler weather gone..

The cooler weather has disappeared... It went up to 91 this afternoon! The Weatherbug has been showing rain daily and though we have gotten some sprinkles I do not call that rain!

My daughter and her family moved Dominic into his dorm room today. UMKC had the drop off well organized... appointments, closed street and so on. So he is in! Everything was unpacked...my daughter made the bed ( really...). My son-in-law hung the pictures...and so. His room mate didn't show... maybe tomorrow? The two suite mates did ... btw, they are female. The bathroom separates the two areas.

Picked up Dominic's books at the bookstore and ordered the ones they didn't have.

So that's that. My daughter says the house is empty... good she and her husband have to go back to work tomorrow!

My day was grocery shopping, making a blueberry crostata. some crafty stuff and reading . Not exactly busy was I?

BTW... my job as far as the move goes was to be available on the phone for anything my daughter wanted to talk about...

haircut and lunch

 Bob drove me to my haircut appointment today ( down in the KC Plaza area)... The trip went trough lots of road construction...resurfacing of 47th Street to the building of the KC "trolley" extension.... But we made it on time!

Mark and I had a great time talking while he snipped away at my hair. I left a big pile of hair!! He was adopted from the Philippians at 10.... flew into Chicago with a bunch of kids and a social worker... didn't speak English and  hadn't met his parents to be! I won't tell anymore of his story but he is an immigrant success... loves his parents and siblings... and they love him!!

We decided to have lunch at Ophelia's on the Square in Independence. The square is back to normal.. all the Christmas decorations Hallmark put up for its filming of  a Christmas film are gone.

Our server said it was a hectic time and while Hallmark didn't film in the restaurant lots of workers ate there. She made loads of money ( tips).

Lunch was great... new lunch menu ... enough leftovers for dinner tonight!!

Dominic moves into his dorm tomorrow...

still cooler...

 Yesterday was another cooler day... I could get to think maybe the summer heat is over. But I don't want to jinx things!! LOL

We had dinner yesterday with our older daughter and her two dogs... out on the deck. Bob grilled steak for her and she made baby potatoes in her air fryer and zucchini slices fried in butter and garlic... great dinner. Scout and Harper ( the dogs) were so excited by the smell of grilled steaks that we had to give them some tiny table scraps!!

Our daughter's part of Phoenix Family Housing's back to school back pack and school supplies is done. The backpacks etc have been sent to the various PFH sites and will be given to the kids... just in time school starts shortly.

Our teacher daughter is back at school already... kids show up  shortly ( teachers first). She is in a new classroom so will be organizing things tomorrow. Our grandson Dominic is going to help.

Thunder has started... rain soon? More rain tomorrow according to the weather maps.

Cooler ... hurrah

Yesterday was cooler and today is even cooler. Doors and windows open!!  2pm - 71 degrees

Tigger is even more interested in getting outside so we have to watch him!!  

My early morning trip ( 8 am) to the grocery store was a little bit different. I was just about the only female there. Single senior males were all over. Rushing around like mad... blocking the aisles... filling their carts. Definitely a different vibe!

Stopped at the veggie stand on the way home... purchased lots of wonderful tomatoes!!

It's now 9.52 and 62 degrees!! Love the cooler temps!!

wrong ballot

 Tried to talk my grand daughter into telling the Jackson County election board about her ballot snafu... but wasn't successful. This was her first primary with lots of stuff and she felt a little edgy... but luckily she realized the error and was brave enough to get it fixed.

My older daughter's Phoenix Family Housing is having its backpack and supplies extravaganza today. It has been hard work getting things ready for the over 1200 registered kids. I think she will be ready to collapse tonight!!

Younger daughter's school year starts tomorrow for teachers...

Our grandson will be moving into his dorm room next Thursday.. Our grand daughter has been scoping out deals on Amazon for her books..

Looks like summer is coming to an end... remember when it lasted through Labor Day weekend??

Voting

 Bob and I headed out early to vote... not that we thought that the polling place would be busy but to go during the cooler part of the morning. There were voters.. workers and one person handing out cards.

Chit chatted with the worker overseeing the ballot counting machine... she's not sure she wants to do it in November. I'm sure I wouldn't want to! I worked one presidential election and it was a madhouse. I'm sure this November will too!

We told all the workers "thank you" for their work!

Our younger daughter stopped by ... we had an errand. Stopped at LaMar's donuts on the way home... donuts and apple fritters... yum.
She and Bob talked politics afterwards!! Luckily we think the same way.

 Our grandson votes for the first time. He is excited. He and his parents will vote when his Dad gets home from work!

LATER

When my grand daughter went to vote she was given the wrong party ballot... she was confused because all the names were unfamiliar until one !  The poll worker was not happy when she took the ballot back and asked for the right party one!! The wrong one was shredded and she was given the right one!!

We have to tell the poll worker which party ballot we want.. Lili did , but was still given the wrong one!!

Primary Day...Tuesday

 Tuesday is Primary Day here in Missouri. We have done our best to choose which candidates we want.... and changes to the constitution.Luckily the whole family is on the same track.

I don't know how families cope when they aren't... or even friends.

We are currently at 96 degrees.... drinking lots of liquids... fans and a/c...not doing much. Even the cats are taking it more easy than usual BUT Tigger is back to peeing on the scatter rugs in the bathrooms . Bob is going to call the vet (again) tomorrow. Another $100 and no real answer I expect.

at 10 pm its 78 and getting cooler ....Hooray !

Feeling lousy

Days and days of hot and muggy weather has left me feeling lousy. Did manage a trip to the grocery store -Neighborhood Walmart - this morning so we should be ok!

Bob dropped me off so I could get groceries and he headed off to the library to pick up books he had on hold. Finished my list, checked out and waited for my ride home.... waited and waited. Turns out Bob went to our Price Chopper to pick me up... even wandered around looking for me. Then he had an epiphany moment and remembered I would be waiting at Walmart!! Somewhat apologetic ...

Wonderful lunch... toasted Pepperidge Farm bread with ripe veggie stand tomatoes, deli sliced turkey and Hellman's mayo... open face so I could have another if I wanted .  Summertime ripe tomatoes are a delight!!