Sunday, June 2nd, 2019

The sounds she mimics are completely her choosing. She makes me laugh and she makes me tired. She just left. She has meowed like a cat for quite some time. Psycho rooster has snuck up me twice today. DW listed him on Facebook today. Hooting would be really funny.

Cupcakes you didn't have to make ALWAYS taste better than cupcakes you slave over. I blame olfactory overload...

I have been in absentia for several days for several reasons. Last night I went back over the last few days of posts to read. Needless to say, I was gobsmacked by Shel's news.

Shel, I have no words, but have plenty of love and strength to send you. I am also reveling in your positivity and outlook. You inspire me. I also wanted to share with you that your story reminded me immediately of my coworker of 25 years. She went in for a scan for her post treatment thyroid cancer. The scan revealed a mass in her lung. (Turned out the mass was not thyroid cancer as suspected, but an unrelated isolated cancer.) Like you, her finding was because of something else and she had had no symptoms. They took the mass out over a spring break, and she has been well ever since. I am hoping the exact same for you!

I have had a whirlwind of a last three days: family meeting, grooming, end of year field trip, end of year testing and data entry (for which I did not meet the "deadline"), 8th grade commencement and party, and MIL's return to the USA and viewing yesterday.

Viewing went well. Thomas the mortician did a good job prettying up MIL. The three of us who went (Ron, his sister Monica who was in Mexico with MIL, & I) felt a great sense of closure afterwards. For me, it made MIL's death real and I can move on, as people say. I knew yesterday after leaving the mortuary, I had just been to my version of the funeral. Since Ron's sisters have told me that they are fine with me not attending the formal service, I have decided I will not attend the funeral mass, but will stay with my students on the last day of school. After school is dismissed at 11:30 am, I will high tail it up to Sonoma for the reception and Celebration of Life.

With all the festivities and stress I am up 2 pounds. I can live with that.

The weather is gorgeous this morning. We had early morning fog that has cleared, leaving deep blue, cloudless skies as a back drop for the black walnut and creek willow and blue oaks. The contrast of the different greens against the blue is stunning.

I have one more dog to trim today and have chores a plenty to keep me occupied for the rest of the day. I think I will try to fit in a massage while Ron is doing the Sunday evening mass at church.

Love to all. Let's send Shel oodles of healing energy.

Peps after looking over the tiered serving dishes you linked I feel the need to have a gathering so I can buy some of them. They are festive!

Since talking about grad parties, I'm curious about customs in other regions. In Minnesota, grad parties are usually open houses, as opposed to say a Confirmation Party or 1st Communion Party or Bridal Shower, where specific invites are issued. A graduation party day is chosen, announcements printed, mailed out to relatives etc, pinned on bulletin boards at work, copied into messenger invites... what you can expect as the host is that your friends and family will come and eat, and your kid's friends and teachers will stop by and snack, but only stay for a bit, because they are off to other parties. And since it is open house, someone connected more closely to you may be doing open houses with friends who are not so much, but they are of course welcome to stop by. So at my daughter's party, a good deal of the high school choir and drama groups filtered through our house, and at my son's party, we had a lot of marching band kids. All told, you could have 200or more people filter through your house, but not all of them are going to eat much, because they are going to multiple parties. I just made a ton of food that would freeze well, if needed. If your party is very traditional, you will make a variety of "bars". I overheard some boys at my son's party say, this party has bars made by a grandma, we'd better have some. :) Open house season is thick in June, and spills over into July.

In my small hometown (population 2,000), we had an even more interesting tradition. Every graduate had their open house party after the graduation ceremony on Friday night. You were either hosting, or out driving around, attending parties. It was like the whole town was out doing a progressive dinner. Of course, you knew people at every party you went to. My friends and I managed to hit 12 our junior year, no small feat since some were out in the country, and the party window was about 7pm to midnight. Even after I grew up and moved away, I used to go home for Graduation night, to parties for friends younger siblings, or kids I babysat, etc.

So how is it done in your region?

I grew up in Iowa and remember graduation parties just as you describe traveling all over the country to hit them up unless you were actually hosting one. Since I had large extended families on both sides, ours were always well attended.

Here in the Seattle area, many families just go out for a celebratory meal and that is it.

Still I was stunned, when my sister had only a very small family gathering after my niece's graduation. So, her small family, my small family and the the niece's boyfriend's parents. No decorations but certainly good food and company. I still found myself wondering "where are all the people?" Old habits die hard.

Some people here do the open house thing, including many in DD's friend groups. So, I wasn't surprised when she requested one. I hope lots of young people come. I like those youngsters!

Maybe people do them in CA, but I've never been invited to one and didn't have one when I graduated. We went out for a nice dinner instead. I drove past a huge one here in MI yesterday complete with a bouncy house (for the teens? Who knows).

Greetings Good People

No weight today. Dinner last night was 3 strips bacon (pre cooked kind) heated to a crisp and a half ear of corn. Fabulous summer dinner even though is does not seem like summer here. Cool and overcast. Out here, the only difference between summer and winter clothes is tee shirt vs sweat shirt. At least for me. I am on the 10 most wanted list of the fashion police. A friend gave me a really cool jacket she ordered which didn't fit her. I will get a picture of it if I can.

Hope you get your nap DD. And enjoy Ireland in August. What a treat.

Hey Shel, you amaze me. Running around getting cupcakes! Am I dreaming or didn't you just get out of the hospital? But good for you for carrying on with good stuff. And I totally second the visit to Michaels for a cupcake stand. Yep, store cupcakes are better anyway. You can get multiple flavors and fancy decorations. For DH birthday I got us each a single cupcake from the fancy cupcake store in arcata. Better than baking a whole cake. Anyway I hope the party is a smashing success. Sounds like you have it covered. Smores. yay.

Peps, glad you are released from the funeral mass so you can tend to your students. You are there when it counts and thats the main thing. Glad Ron has siblings for support. I think of my niece who is now an only child and both her parents are failing. Its going to be tough on her someday.

As usual there is nothing I HAVE to do today but much that I should do. Studio time needed. I don't have enough work for my July show and bunged up hands have set me back.

This weekend is open studios so I need to get around and look at some art. Also have to do artist checks and the laundry is endless. Groceries needed.

Have a great day all. Permission to eat a cupcake granted. Diane S

I think the PE is beginning to break up. (A walk later will tell me if I am right). I haven't taken a nap yet and not coughing as much. Plus, normal grazing appetite is back. I have eating pretty normally since MSH but mostly out of habit rather that joy or appetite.

My appetite was normal before MSH and absent afterward. My cough started about 4:30pm on my descent. Too bad my dot wasn't monitoring my lungs.

Hmm, I wondered if the PE had any connection to MSH. Glad its breaking up. Yeah, dang dot. Should have been doing more. D