6/26/09

Seven Quick Takes

-1-
Remember last week when I mentioned that Claire and I were immersed in re-watching the PBS series Frontier House? Well, my fascination with all things pioneer has inspired me to use nature's dryer

I swear the whites really DO come out whiter! Luckily I have a large deck and a deeply wooded backyard so I am able to escape the HOA police.

-2-

I have also been inspired to garden.
Wait, I know you are saying, "Kathleen??" the Queen of the black thumb? You are looking at BOTH of my beautiful basil plants, purchased at my local grocers, and still in the planter pots. But you gotta start somewhere. Let's hope I can keep these alive.

-3-

My children have discovered that kindness begets kindness.
Last Sunday, Father's Day, we were driving home after trying to see Poppy. It was a hot Sunday afternoon. The temperature has been hovering around 95 with a heat index of 100+. Just before we got to our driveway I noticed a man sitting on the curb. I, OF COURSE, immediately stopped the car to ask if he was OK. [At this point I just ask that you insert your own interpretation of the groans that were coming from the backseat. You see, I have a habit of talking to strangers.] He was profusely sweating and said he was really tired. I offered him a ride home --about 7 houses down the street --which he happily took advantage of. He seemed to me to be a little "off" -even if I had never met the man. At first, I rationalized it as embarrassment or tiredness but it worried me-nothing new for me. So, OF COURSE, I decided to call (thank you whitepages.com) to check on him. OF COURSE, there was no answer. After much fretting, I decided I had to go and check on him. Overkill I know. Rhett suggested that I take Claire with me in case something had happened. I guess she could run screaming into the street for me.... Being the loving, devoted daughter that she is, she came but giggling to herself about her irrational mother. I knocked and OF COURSE there was no answer. I rang the doorbell, no answer... I pressed my face up against the door to see if I could see anything.
And, I did.
My neighbor coming down the stairs in his boxers after a shower.
Apparently that's what normal people do after sweating profusely on a 90 + day.
The next day I received thesewith a lovely note thanking me for going out of my way. I refuse to even entertain the notion that the flowers had ANYTHING to do with the boxers as "the college girls" might have suggested...
-4-
We celebrated my hubbie's intelligence and determination this week. He is now LEED certified!.. That means a lot today in the architectural world. Green design is the new thing. Way to go honey!
-5-
I finished #1 on my list of things to do. This is the list of things that I used to do when I was home all day and my kids were at school. What pray tell was #1? It involved spackling the ceiling, sanding, caulking and painting the ceiling in the foyer. I guess #2 and 3 were stripping the river rock floor and painting the banisters in my front foyer. Wanna see? Oh, yeah, I might have included the flowers too. Didn't know where else to put them.
-6-
I am slowly de-cluttering the house and it feels good.
-7-
I still ask for your prayers for my sister-in-law and my husband's cousin who are battling cancer. My sister-in-law thought she had qualified for a new drug trial out of Vanderbilt University Med School but learned Monday that she had not. She started chemo again on Tuesday. The good thing that this chemo drug has a great track record--
There is no nice way to put it other than
CANCER SUCKS.

2 comments:

This Heavenly Life said...

Haha! Loved your sweaty neighbor story...I'd probably have worried myself over it too. Now you'll just have to worry about seeing him again face to boxers - I mean, face. :D

Prayers are headed your way for number 7. Cancer does suck. Big ones. I hate it and fear it. Someday though, all sickness and death will melt away and there will be no more tears. I'm hoping that - as far as cancer is concerned - it's long before we see heaven.

Sara said...

Wow, that live traffic feed on the sidebar is like Big Brother! Creepy.
:-)

If I'm gonna collapse from heat exhaustion, it should be in front of your house!

Lots of prayers here, too.