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Well, actually it is National Aviation Day and National Soft Ice Cream Day, but neither of those sounds very exciting, especially since I really don't like soft ice cream. Friday is National Poet's Day, however, so I might start that one.

Basically, I am just sitting around watching TV and getting my fall class ready to go in a couple of weeks. If I don't make changes to the master quickly, they will clone it, and then I will have to make changes in BOTH the master and my fall class. I am tweaking some assignments that don't work--student misunderstand them or they take too long to grade, etc. All this is to be a better teacher and make my life easier next semester!

Called my son in Napa last night, and he said it was smoky, but they were several miles from the fire, which is in Napa County, not Napa City. (He lives on the eastern edge of the city.) Last big fires, his house was less than 3/4 mile from the fire and he could see the flames. They evacuated twice, but he stayed home the second time because of the cats. They will keep the cats indoors (close cat doors) a few hours before they have to evacuate to make sure they can catch and crate them in time. News says it is even smokier today, but they will stay inside and the mother-in-law is coming today to help. Online school is supposed to start tomorrow--teachers go to schools, kids stay home.

Equally exciting around here but not so productive. Lark and I took advantage of temperatures in the 70's to go on a grown up hike (without a puppy). We found woods, water and a creek to walk. I am scheduled to kayak with a friend tomorrow in equally nice weather . Jane has now sent her entries in to not one but two dog shows. My rig (with no name) is sitting out of the repair bay at last and is waiting for a real good test drive by the shop owner tomorrow sometime to be sure brakes aren't heating up and the completed work has improved functioning and drivability appropriately. And the sewing machine is scheduled to be delivered on Friday..... I ordered some cbd products (Thanks to Janice in Utah) and the jury is still out as to any improvement to my sciatica and discomfort walking. Lark is so hoping for improvement and a future of longer walks. The product/s do seem to improve my ability to stay asleep. So I will take that as a win. The gentleman that did my acupuncture is ancient but talented. It has been over a year since I called and had an appointment. I am afraid to call now. One, his health never did appear too strong and he shouldn't be seeing patients. Two, is he still able to see patients? It is good that I have Lark to keep me at least trying to move......

Not an exciting day here either. Left early to get an oil change and got right in. They started with the upselling but I told em NO because I was a gal on a budget. LOL A neighbor called today to see if I could get his wireless printer to work..........well number ONE he has a MAC, I dont do mac's. But I struggled a bit but needed to download a driver and couldnt do that without entering his Apple ID or iCloud ID...................neither one worked. Ran out of options so gave yup and came home.

Tina, I feel for you having sciatica. Mine lasted 2 months and left as suddenly as it came. It's strange that something that hurts that much could just go away. Temperatures in the 70's sounds nice. Yesterday was another 103 day and today was 99. I want to go mow but it's still 96. I can't wait much longer or it will get dark before I finish. The guy that has the cows let them in-front of the barn so that will help.

Judy, I would like to celebrate Soft Ice Cream Day. I forgot about the Watermelon Sherbet at the gas station near the dentist office. Everyday I think of something I would like to go to Lafayette for but just stay home. I am ordering the things I think I can't live without online. I ordered some more flavored coffee K-cups. I would like to tell that company that their order site is a PIA. It kept going to what I ordered last time and I wanted something different. I'm sure they want you to select scheduled orders but I'll order when I want to, thank you very much.

Off to mow.

Martha

Good evening friends!

I too, suffered for years with sciatica pain. I used to take yoga classes but could do very little because I hurt so bad. There were many days I skipped going, knowing there wouldn't be anything I could do. I know my remedy isn't for any of you but I had terrible gum disease and had major oral surgery and haven't had any, as in nada, sciatica pain since. I wouldn't wish sciatica pain on anyone because it hurts & I feel for those of you that suffer with it.

my truck went on a road trip but I stayed home... it will return tomorrow I think... sil needed to get some stuff that they were going to get a couple of weeks ago but didn't... my grandson has to have his wisdom teeth extracted not sure why but they are going to Utah to have it done...so they took the truck and went down to where the farm is and my daughter meet up with them after she got off work...then they will go on down to Utah...
we thought that my granddaughter would get out of the hospital today but she needs to stay another day...hope she will be home tomorrow.... it's always scary being in the hospital I think more so now.
Irmi which afghan do you want to see? doing two right now one is a Swedish Weave the other is a Navajo afghan... I don't know how many of those I've made... many that is for sure
pretty much a wasted day I started reading this series of books and the writer really draws you in captures your interest so they are hard to put down...
you all have a good day
sheila

Sheila, I would love to see anything you make. I know nothing about crocheting and wish I had asked my Mom to teach me. But I did learn to knit. How about a picture of the Spanish Weave? But I'll be thrilled to see anything you've made.

I’d like to see the Navajo afghan.
Sandi

HI all,

Sheila, I'd like to see both of them too. Someday, I hope to get back into crocheting.
Tina, Hope your sciatica pain eases up or better yet vanishes since I know you love your walks.
Lyn, I'm sure its hard to let your trailer & truck go. Hang in there - once this covid thing is under control we'll all get out more often & be able to come & visit.
Soft ice cream day sounds wonderful! Maybe I'll celebrate it tomorrow.

We're working out how to handle Olivia attending kindergarten via distance learning & my DIL resuming work. I never realized how hard it would be to keep a 5-year old on task via internet classes. This week they've had 40 minutes of live instruction & then 7-9 assignments to complete with their parents. Between learning how to mute/unmute themselves & trying to sit still enough to stay in view of the camera, its really, really hard. Starting next week they'll have 3 sessions of live class time spead across the day with independent assignments to complete in between them. Not sure how working parents (who don't have a close-by grandparent) will be able to handle this.

Today I brought 8-month old Jordi here so my DIL could work 1-on-1 with Olivia. Monday & Tuesday I went over there & we traded back & forth tending the baby or working with Olivia. My DIL resumes working in Sept, working remotely 4 days a week & in the office the other day. Our current plan is I'll bring the baby here when she's working at home & have both of them the day she goes to the office. Looks like I retired just in time.

Stay safe out there,
Catherine

Tina, glad you are able to get out for some short walks at least. I had sciatica when I was pregnant for awhile and then I got it when I was stuck in West Yellowstone with my Jeep in the shop. I had nothing to do but walk around town each day and I was pretty much in tears doing that, trying to find places to sit down for awhile. There was a horseback riding stable next door to the campground I was at that offered trail rides in the area. I really wanted to do that but with the pain I was in, I just couldn't take a chance. Shortly after leaving Yellowstone, it went away and I haven't had it since.

I love soft serve ice cream! Especially chocolate from DQ.

I keep hearing a helicopter flying around, which only means one thing. They are looking for someone. EIther someone is lost or someone is in trouble with the law. Or maybe a hiker that didn't return from the trails at the Badlands down the road. Now I hear sirens. We are pretty safe in our gated community here. Between us and the casino, there are many acres of open land which belongs to the Indian tribe out here. I just heard that a new housing development is being built on some of that land soon. The land gets leased from the Indians.

Nothing much exciting today other than paying bills. Watched the convention on TV. Gunsmoke episodes have all been reruns lately. You would think with being on TV for 20 years, that there would be enough episodes that they wouldn't need to show the same one twice for another 20 years!

Lola and I are ready for bed. Good night!

Was only 105 today because of heavy smoke with ash falling from the Napa, Lake Berryessa, Solano fire (LNC lighning fire) Blew up over night Mnday into Tuesday, with people fleeing for their lives. Wednesday afternoon it jumped the 8 lane interstate(80) and began buning hills on the east side. Winds overnight were fierce at 30mph. Scary conditions. Also big fire in Nevada County. The map of fires in CA is shocking
we chose to stay in without even Opening the front door today. Did not want that junk in my lungs. It got more yellowish and dim through the day and by 5:30, I had to turn on lights to see in living room! My decks and cars have a layer of ash!
Hope they are right and soon we will drop back into 90's. Otherwise all ok here.
Velda

Barbie, my most poignant memories of my later years visiting my mother at our cottage on Lake Huron were watching the lights of the helicopters in the middle of the night searching for people. They had big search lights and we had no drapes on our big front windows, so I could see the lights going back and forth.

We were almost next door to a state park with several other parks and tons of cottages along the shore, so there were always dumb people who went out into this huge lake thinking it was a tiny inland lake of some sort. Lots of people went out in boats that were overloaded and just too small. The scary ones were the jet boats with almost no sideboards. My dad's big old wooden Chris Craft was heavy and much more stable, but people literally went out in rowboats with motors.

Hope they find whoever they were looking for. I got to bed at 2, have been up for a couple of hours, and am now going back to sleep.

Irmi wrote:Sheila, I would love to see anything you make. I know nothing about crocheting and wish I had asked my Mom to teach me. But I did learn to knit. How about a picture of the Spanish Weave? But I'll be thrilled to see anything you've made.

As a child, I was not taught to either to knit or to crochet. My Mom was excellent at the sewing machine - she often made clothes (and wonderful and amazing costumes for a play I was in once!) but she wasn't into needlework.

As an adult, I worked in an office where there was a young Hispanic woman who would come in to do the cleaning. On her breaks, she would sit for a few minutes and crochet something.

I complimented her on this skill, and after gathering my courage I asked her if she would teach me how to do it (it looked VERY complicated, and she was VERY fast at it).

At first, she seemed to think I wasn't serious, that I was "having her on", or was putting her down in some way - she seemed a bit offended by my request. However, I persisted, and (after a few months!) she told me what to purchase in the way of crochet hooks and rug yarn - she invited me to her house for some "lessons" and it was off to the races!!

I found that I loved crocheting, and I have spent countless happy hours making afgans, socks, rugs, whatever, over the years. She and I became close friends after that. I found that I couldn't follow pattern explanations too well - but somehow figured out how to crochet sweaters and such without using a pattern. I made my mother a beautiful fuchsia sweater once, and she loved it.

I still crochet now and again, but my (ex!) husband didn't like it when I would crochet, because he felt that I wanted to ignore him when I picked up my crocheting!! (LOL - I did say "ex" husband). During the years we were married (way too many!) I mostly stopped crocheting (because he would have a fit!), but I can still do it, and I will pick up the hooks and yarn again from time to time.

I never did learn how to knit!

For those "in the know" is it easier to "do your own thing" with crocheting, than with knitting? It has always seemed to me that crocheting was a lot simpler than knitting is.

Anne

I took knitting lessons at Sears, of all places, about 50 years ago. I made a few throws and started a sweater that never got finished. All of that got thrown away when the house flooded. Someone taught my mother-in-law to crochet when she was in her 80's. I had some of the things she did but don't think any of that survived either. My cats can really mess up something that is knitted so I don't have any incentive to knit again.

Martha

I was taught to knit by my grandmother. During my high school days, knitting socks was the fad. I made many, many pair. I am sorry that I never learned tatting. Hankies with tatting are very expensive now.
Sorry to hear of sciatic pain. I know it can be very, very painful. The pain I used to have (prior to water jogging) wasn’t sciatic But similar. It was so painful I laid on the couch in agony.
The fires burning now are horrible. Feel bad about those who lost their homes.
We can now take books back to the library! I can only get books from a distant library, so have to drive, not go on my scooter. Some of these rules make no sense.
If I read something that I think others would enjoy I put in on the Forum. So, check out the Books section.
Our pool has been lovely. Too hot to sit on the deck sunning, so people have been standing, reading their books which are placed on the side.
As our pool is only 4 feet deep, that is possible. Kinda funny to see.
My life is very quiet....Lyn