9.30.2007

Before watering restrictions, there were lovely blooming things at my house...
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Grandpa's Wheelbarrow...now a flower garden
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Before the Drought Hit...our yard

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Jerod taking care of everything pond

Getting it all set up early Summer...
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Our bathtub "pond"
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R.I.P. Fishys

This is Davey Jones and Haley the Comet.
We'll miss you.
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Fish we Miss and Writing Too

Where have I been? As though Easter came and went without the merest whisper from my keyboard about our life and times...we race through each day, checking items off a never-ending list of "to do" without making enough time for "to be." There are still closets to be cleaned, address books to be filled, and honeymoon pictures to be scrapbooked...but I need some time to be, and for me that involves a bit of spilling my thoughts onto this virtual paper.
Sorry for the voiceless absence. I can barely seem to find time to make phone calls between workdinnerclasseschurchhubbydogsandstuff. But...there must be time to reflect and recharge. I'm back.

In a short recap...we were both exceedingly thankful to greet June, as Jerod finished the school year and I did too. I thought we'd have mad loads of time to do all manner of interesting and fun things...but the summer seemed to slip right out of our fingers...too fast to catch. We attended six weddings between the end of May and the first of September...and one of those I was in. So, that was many of our Saturdays...great times of catching up with old friends and even making some new ones and exploring new places. Congratulations Theresa/Jason, Eddie/Tonya, Grant/Tiffany, Phyllis/Mike, and Annie/Johnny. Did I leave someone out? We were invited to a few more, but couldn't make them all. It must have been a summer of love!

Vacation was a great (hot!!!) get-away with my family near Beaufort, SC. I think it was 900 degrees with 1000000 percent humidity each day, but we still managed a plantation tour, a jaunt to Savannah, and a kayak at Hunting Island. I became one with my sweat...perhaps I was cleared of all body toxins! Really, I haven't experienced heat like that in many years. Perhaps next year's vacation will include a snowy mountaintop.

Speaking of heat...it has been hot and dry here in SC like nothing I've ever seen. It has rained one day since July...and even that was spotty and sprinkly. We are struggling to keep our proudly planted green things alive. The entire month of August was over 90 degrees, and most of that over 95 degrees. And even September has brought us 15 days over 90 degrees. Needless to say, I am tired of the heat, the summer clothes are fading, and I am craving the cool breezes of Fall. Come on, Fall!!!!! And rain. Lord, we need rain!!!

In a strange twist, I opted to opt OUT of free Winthrop U. classes and PAY for classes at York Technical College down the street. Bizarre. I know. To make a long notsointeresting story short, York Tech had the classes I needed when I had time to take them, and I'm starting on a certificate in graphic design. I've long wanted to know how to create art and fantastic graphic communications, and am loving these classes. It has me in class every night, Mon- Thurs, but it's been a workable schedule thus far. I'm even taking a whole class in Typography--letterforms, fonts, use of words in design--it's been AWESOME since I'm a self-professed font-nerd.

Jerod is working away at Woodlawn with fourth and fifth graders this year...math, science, and art. It's too much, he'll tell you quickly, to plan six classes each week...so I hope and pray he continues to have the strength and wisdom to drive each day, teach, and keep himself up. I don't know how he keeps patience with all those kids! He makes me smile daily. :)

And...we had to say our goodbyes to our fishes this week. We set up a clawfoot bathtub pond over the Summer in the backyard, and Jerod has been busy keeping the water levels right, the plants healthy, and the fishes fed. It's his hobby. We had five fish that have been our swimmy companions since May. But this week, two of them went belly-up...Haley and Barry Fanilow (he was a fantail) both passed away. Jerod feverishly checked the water levels...perfect. What could it be? We scanned the Petsmart aisle for anti-parasite food. But we still weren't sure what might cause our previously apparently happy fishys to pass away. Today, when we got home, Jerod went out to feed the fishys...and two of them were GONE. GONE!!!!! Now, just so you know, fish don't usually run away. They were absolutely no where. We lost Davey Jones and Lucy (my favorite). I am very sad about our fish loss. We were attached to them. And it's just awful not knowing what happened to them. The only thing we can figure is that a bird or raccoon got them...???? So, we have one left...Skeeter...and I hope that he's not too freaked out about losing his pond-mates. At this point in the season, it's best for us wait until next Spring to get some new fishes with the coming cooler weather. So, a moment of silence for the fishes...
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Thank you for joining me for that. And in related news, a personal hero, Marcel Marceau the famed French Mime passed away last week. It's not been a good week for me and loss.

But I'm back, and glad to be typing and healthy and blessed. I will be back. There is more to say. More to think. And more being to do.

shells