Hello Summer!!

Beautiful roses! Glad to hear you're enjoying your weekend. Me too.

Friday night J was still in Eastern Washington so I had the evening to myself. JJ and C were headed off to their 5th grade graduation dance (hello?!?!) which was a riot getting them ready. We had gone shopping and debated the whole tie-no-tie issue until I finally just bought him cool shorts and a nice shirt. S and T and I got the two of them all decked out, hair straighted (JJ) and spiked up (C) - deodorant (JJ) and cologne (C) - then took a bunch of pictures in the front yard. S and I dropped them off at the school and stayed for a bit, cracking up at the scene and dropping our jaws at some of the dresses and professional up-dos on the girls. Fifth grade. C'mon people. Are they going home in a limo, too??

When we got home I wandered over to K&R's for dinner. TN, K's son who is temporarily living with them and is a killer cook, had bought a smoker that afternoon and wanted to try it out on us. We had smoked chicken and grilled shrimp with fresh mixed greens (including arugula!), sitting in her new Adirondack chairs admiring (and listening to) the new water feature TN built for her. The guys were inside watching the game until T&S came over after having picked up JJ & C from their "funnest night ever". God, they were wound up so tight on so much sugar and adrenalin, dripping in sweat from dancing (they actually danced!) and chasing girls around the gym popping balloons in their faces. See, there's the thing. Some mom went out and spent a fortune on a totally age-inappropriate dress and a two-hour session at the salon so that little Susie could flounce around the school gym with some moronic 11-year old smacking her in the back of the head with a helium balloon.

Saturday, we went to JJ's second playoff game and THEY WON!!! They will now go to the championship game Monday night, which is a long shot against the Giants, who have a rep for being better than the highschool teams. But, if we win it, we'll go to district. Wouldn't that be something! J got home in time for the game and K&R joined us to sit in the gorgeous 78 degree sun for a couple of hours.

Later, T&S, Kim and Josh, K&R and TN, and all the kids, came over to christen our deck. TN smoked a brisket for us all (OMG! is all I have to say about that) and Kim brought Mojitos. Lots of laughing and catching up with our little famous author friend, who's been holed up writing all winter. There was this silly little moment at the beginning of the evening, after Kim had poured our mojitos into brightly colored acrylic cups, when the four of us - K, S, Kim and I - toasted each other with "Here's to summer, girls!" and I had an overwhelming - veklempt? - thought: my life rocks. Can't wait for you to share in a toast like that in August!

Today I'm cleaning out JJ's room for Craig's Listers to come over and see his bunk beds. I got a bunch of calls on them the first day I put the ad in, so hopefully I'll get a sale today. I think I underpriced them, but oh well. Then I've got more plants to plant and maybe a walk in with K later on. I got on the scale this morning (why?) and about had a heart attack. I knew I'd been gaining weight again, but had no idea I was that far out of control. At least the number slammed me into a Get Ahold Of Yourself! mode, which I honored with fresh strawberries for breakfast. It's a start.

I hope your Sunday with W is wonderful...and that the weather's cooperating! Talk to you later,

Love, A

PS: sent pics on email :)