Time Flies By Whether I am Busy or Not

Saturday already. Just got back from volunteering in the Children's Garden where the last of the spring produce was harvested and taken to the Food Pantry.  It was not much to bring, sadly.  We are in that time between seasonal crops, but lots of herbs.

The installation team came for two whole days to install our new HVAC system which does run much more quietly and has all those bells and whistles, like being able to control it from your phone while you are lounging by the pool in that distant hotel!  The screen even controls the humidity very closely and tells me the temp and humidity outside.  It also came with the price tag of a used car in excellent condition!

On the same day, our young electrician friend (Who made some major error as a supervisor with our local electrical company and is now again unemployed!) came and helped us fix the hanging ceiling in the basement and restore the shorted wire.  It looks almost new once again.  I think hubby paid him $25 an hour which will probably not provide food for the week!  The ceiling above was not damp and the wood not wet, so odd that the tiles absorbed it all.

I managed to squeeze in time to get my haircut, but I am growing tired of the style and thinking of letting it grow out...maybe wait until fall.

The luncheon with our 96-year-old friend was delightful.  She is still very sharp although slowing down physically and unable to do stairs.  We are going to try to make this luncheon a regular thing because her daughters took away her car on her birthday.  She has not had an accident, but they felt it was time.  One of the daughters is a psychotherapist...Ahem.  All three daughters live an hour or more from her.  She lives in a retirement community where there is lots of assistance and easy transport, but she said not having a car makes her feel isolated.

My daughter and the two grandchildren arrive tomorrow night for an overnight and morning visit the next day for Father's Day.  I have no idea what to cook and am thinking of ordering out.  I will make a ricotta cheesecake this afternoon.

I have a high school friend arriving next week with her husband from the midwest.  They will be staying elsewhere with relatives but want to meet up for one day during the week.  When we made this plan my week was pretty open.  Now I only have Tuesday really free.

I also have to drive up on Wednesday to the city to babysit my new grandchild and then stay overnight and come back on Thursday.  There is a farewell dinner for a friend that we are going to that Thursday early evening!  I am going to bring a fruit platter as I have no time for a potluck casserole!

Thus far I have nothing on the Friday and Saturday that is to come, but with my luck, my gregarious husband will book something!

(Oh, the biopsies were both benign, but they want to squeeze my mammary glands more often in the future!  I laughed at the Doctor's notes..." procedure was tolerated well by the patient."  That is a matter of opinion as I screamed bloody murder at least twice during the hour. )

For those of you missing your fathers, you are lucky to have had such love, and for those who still have fathers, take them their favorite food or make a date to share time in the future.

Bees Are Not This Busy

My last post was on May 31st, a little over two weeks ago. I am getting lazier or busier. Which is it? 

Let me see, looking at my calendar: I have had a "personal interview" to renew and update my TSA number for traveling. TSA stands for Transportation Security Administration. That is a 40-minute drive from my house to the Vehicle Administration Building.  I am still waiting for the number as it will take 10 or more days to get the number to be able to move into the "faster" line at the airport. No removing of shoes, etc. This luxury costs about $100 and lasts about(?) five years. 

I helped with the crowds of visitors at the Master Gardener Booth at the Children's garden. That was at least five hours of talking and taking promo photos and transplanting free native plants to give away. 

My granddaughter got a new job so we had to postpone our trip to later on that Saturday.

So, on the same day later in the afternoon, I went up to the city and took my granddaughter on a clothes shopping trip for a belated birthday.  After a few hours of enlightenment on what teenagers are wearing these days---not much (I really could not tell the difference between bras and "outer" tops!) .  I also learned that my daughter and granddaughter's favorite perfume is $300 a bottle!  Not buying that for her birthday.  I did learn that all of the most popular items at the make-up store were not available.  We are continuing to suffer from transportation issues due to the WAR and COVID.

Long lines to try on clothes.  Yes, this is an upper-middle-class mall.

Using the screens to scroll through hundreds of stores.

The very next afternoon, I helped with another Master Gardener booth at a nearby museum and historic mansion.  Over 800 visitors!  That evening I was wiped or whipped like fine cream and really wanted a reprieve, but....

The VERY NEXT day I headed up to the local radiology center (another 30-minute drive) and had not one but two breast biopsies.  This time I asked for some Xanax as my biopsy over two decades ago was pretty traumatic.  It was still extremely painful.  Hubby drove me up and back.  I learn later today the results.  This time she nicked an artery and my left boob looks like ...well never mind...it is not pleasant.

I relaxed last week after all the above.  This week I have the repair people coming to replace the HVAC system which will take two full days, maybe lots of noise, and a large closing payment.  Living without AC is no longer possible in this climate-changing world.  The rest of the basement ceiling tiles that had absorbed water finally gave way this week and now, I need an electrician and a handyman.

On Thursday I got up my energy (remember I am an introvert) to call a 96-year-old friend I have not seen since before COVID and am taking her out to lunch at a local restaurant.  She is a little hard of hearing and I can tell by talking to her on the phone that she is slowing down, so I am gearing down.  She is a brilliant nutritionist, so it is hard for me to see this.

Then on Friday my daughter and maybe some of the grands are coming down for a Father's Day visit.  Only the evening and perhaps a bit of the morning on Saturday.  They are SO VERY BUSY.  They really are.  Just following their few posts on FB makes me exhausted.

Well, that gets me through this next week.  At least I have an excuse for failing to update my blog.  I hope those of you that celebrate real Father's Day and Volunteer Father's Day have it full of hugs and gentle memories.  

And aren't you jealous at how busy I am...EGAD.