It took three weeks, but we are beginning to get back to normal after our renovation projects.
Yesterday Jill and her family came over in the afternoon to watch football and help move the rest of the heavy furniture back into the house. Then Jan and Ann joined us for the first dinner in the "new" dining room.
So now the floors are done and we are very happy with them.
Eventually we'll look for an area rug for the living room.
The shelving/cabinets for the fireplace wall are scheduled to be delivered Sept. 25th.
The furniture is back in place, and the cars are back in the garage. Today I unpacked some boxes and began placing things back in the dining room and living room.
Also today we spent hours cleaning upstairs. Today we tackled our bedroom. There was an appalling amount of dust under the bed and behind the furniture and in the corners. Ugh! Two more rooms to go, plus some closet cleaning.
Meanwhile, we have been approaching a record dry spell here in the Seattle area. The record is 51 days. On Saturday afternoon we sat in the hot sun to watch a Sounders victory. By Sunday the temperature had dropped and clouds were moving in.
Overnight we got just enough rain, .02 inches, to officially break the drought short of the record, but with too little rain to make a difference.
You might be able to see a bit of moisture on the patio.
We're kept the lawn and garden going with our watering system.
With the cooler temps, we haven't been eating lunch outside and spending time on the patio the last two days. Josy wants us to come out and play like we usually do. She spent a lot of time the last three weeks hiding out, trying to avoid all of the noise and the intruders in our house. She's glad things are getting back to normal.
Now our computer is slowly dying. Our tech guy, Tad has advised us to replace the CPU and selected one that would work for us at a decent price. We have to order it online from Costco, which we did today. It will take 10-15 days for delivery. So we'll see if our not-so-old desktop hangs in there until then. At least I still have my laptop.
We're getting there.
I only watched the President's speech tonight. It was enough. The message came through loud and clear. This is our country, and it is we, the people who can and must make any changes that are required. We as citizens have a mutual obligation toward each other. We have duties and responsibilities.
Here are my running notes as the President spoke:
They (my opponents) want your vote but they don't want to tell you their plan.
We have been there, we're not going back. We're moving forward, America.
We are making things again. (Manufacturing jobs)
Not because our workers make less pay, but because we make better products.
Energy standards - cut oil imports, raised fuel efficiency, doubled renewable energy
Addressing climate change
Education - the gateway to a middle class life, schools raising standards, increased student aid, recruit 100,000 math and science teachers
Ended war in Iraq, routed terrorists
Tribute to military
Foreign affairs - advanced the rights and dignity of all human beings
My opponent and his running mate are new to foreign policy. Think Russia is the enemy???
Will spend money from ending war to pay down our debt and create jobs, nation building right here at home
Still ready to reach an agreement on my bipartisan debt commission
Never turn medicare into a voucher
Will not turn Social Security over to Wall Street
Will not eliminate tax deductions so the rich can have a tax break
We believe in something called citizenship = this country only works when we recognize responsibility to one another
America, we understand that this democracy is OURS. As citizens we recognize it's not what can be done FOR us, but BY us
These last four years were not about me, but about you. You are the reason. You did that. You are the change. Only you have the power to move us forward.
I am the president, I have shared pain, I have been driven to my knees many times because of the overwhelming conviction that I had no place else to go. ( Abraham Lincoln quote)
The people who have overcome give me hope
Your voice must be heard in this election
We need a country where everyone has a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, everyone plays by the same rules
There was so much more that I couldn't begin to keep up with. President Obama responded to his opponents and he rallied his supporters. He shared his vision for the future, a future we must work together and cooperate to achieve.
If you missed tonight's prime time, there is no way I can fill you in.
It was Bill Clinton night. Do I need to say more?
Bill was preceded by Sandra Fluk, the young woman who spoke out on women's health and was attacked by the right. Of President Obama, she said when he heard of a young woman being attacked for speaking out, he thought of his daughters, not his delegates or his donors.
Jim Sinegal. CEO of Costco, said job creation requires businesses that plant and grow, not executives who reap and run.
Elizabeth Warren, who created the Consumer Protection Agency to hold Wall Street responsible, and is now running for the senate, was great. I love that woman.
But Bill! He demolished the complete Republican campaign, pointing out fact after fact that proved their claims false. He delineated the accomplishments of Obama's first four years. He underscored that NO ONE could have fixed the mess that was left by Bush II in four years. He said it's as if the Republicans are saying, "We left him a total mess. He didn't clean it up fast enough. So put us back in."
I can't begin to cover what Bill Clinton said, because he addressed everything. He went way long, and yet we hung on his every word.
If you didn't hear this speech, try to read the script, which should be on line, even though Bill of course left the script frequently. Some of those side trips were the best parts.
Bubba is still bigger than life, still smarter than anyone, and still the master of politics.
If I gave the Republicans their due last week, you know am going to be watching the Democrats this week.
I just finished watching Michelle Obama speak. WOW! If Ann Romney was good, and she was, Michelle was magnificent!!!
I'll get back to that. The Keynote Speech was delivered by the young Latino mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro. He was wonderful. As signs were waved proclaiming FORWARD and NOT BACK, he said "No matter where you came from, the path is always forward."
The theme of this speech was Opportunity. Castro said," Yes, we know, freedom isn't free. Neither is opportunity. We must invest in it." We do that through education. "You can't be pro-business unless you are also pro-education."
Castro talked about his roots, of how he was raised by his Grandmother and his mother, who worked hard to make life better for their children. He said, "The American Dream is not a sprint, or even a marathon. It is a relay." Each generation builds on the hard work of the ones that came before.
And then there was Michelle. She was introduced my Elaine Brye, who is a military mom, with a child in each of four branches of military service. She honored Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden for their work for military families.
Mrs. Obama was pretty in pink, and her beaming smile lit up the auditorium. She talked about the extraordinary people she has met as First Lady, people who inspire her. In this very personal speech, Michelle revealed her great concern four years ago that her life would change too much. She loved the life she and Barack had created for their family. She feared that would change. She talked about the values she and Barack were raised with and the strength of their parents. She talked about the great love she has for her husband. She has found that she needn't have worried. "Being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are." She said issues that come across the President's desk are the hard ones. Barack is guided by his values and vision and life experiences.
On health care, he didn't worry that it was the politically hard thing to do, it was the right thing to do.
She made points about women being capable to make decisions about their own bodies, that people can chose who they love, and that truth matters.
When she and Barack were just starting out, they were " so young, so in love, and so in debt'' with student loans. That's why education support is so important. He knows. And when you make it, when you go through that door to success, you don't slam it behind you. You reach back and help others. "Success isn't how much money you make, it's the difference you make in people's lives."
That's why I'm a Democrat.
Oh, there was so much more. Michelle Obama was amazing, and her speech was so well crafted, mostly by her I think, and so well delivered. It made me very sure that I'm supporting the right team.
It was Sunday of Labor Day Weekend, and time for the annual clan gathering we call the Phosie-Gertie Picnic. Always held at the family compound on Whidbey Island, it honors the two sisters, Phosie and Gertie, who were grandmothers to a very large group of cousins who have for many years summered and vacationed at these two cabins.
There being many teachers in the group, we try to be organized, as much as we can be, surrounded by free range kids who make the whole beach their own and hook up with other peoples kids wherever they may roam.
Here is our agenda. Times are approximate and to be determined.
The Foster/Reeder side of the clan, Gertie's Kids, use the morning time for our annual cabin owners and users meeting.
Various preparations go on during the early part of the day.
For some, it may be just waking up that is the chore. Right, Jake?
Over on the back porch of The Vintage, Sharon and grandson Carson are making a blackberry pie, using berries picked minutes earlier on the dike.
The family tree has been updated an posted.
Kids collect where snacks are available.
Quiet conversations are carried on. Here Tom and Jake catch up.
Phosie's bunch was just two this year, sisters Marilyn and Martha, as their kids and grand kids are scattered on this end of summer weekend. As the official Opening Ceremonies draw near, we all begin to gather.
It's time for the Phosie-Gertie song and the flag raising.
Listen up, everyone. Jill is activities director.
It's time for real beach volleyball on the tide flats.
Some of us olders sat on the beach and watched, and reminisced on younger days. These youngsters just love playing on the beach.
What's next? The sand castle contest, with teams of three generations working together. The theme this year was Sea Creatures.
Along with photography duties, Tom and I were the judges. The two teams who chose to work out on the tide flats had a urgent need for quick judging, as their creatures were about to return to the sea.
Isaac explains his team's octopus.
At least the giant sea star group had made a protective wall to hold out the tide long enough to show off their work.
We all waded back to the dry beach to check out the work of the other two teams.
It was the shark's feeding time and a live shore crab was provided.
That's a mean looking shark from such a friendly looking team.
Irene told us about their rays, who were sharing a crab, just as we will later share our picnic.
Jill rushed off to scatter candy around the two cabins while the kids lingered on the beach. Then at the word "candy" they were easily collected for the candy hunt.
We were all in the water balloon toss which was up next. Since I was in for quite a while with my young partner Carson, I have photos of only the finishers.
That tough balloon rolled into the lagoon and still survived. Lucky Tom.
The winners, Jake and Paul. Still dry, but not for long. The kids went after them with the extra balloons.
Group Photo time.
Those earlier preparations were leading to this, the time to honor the Direct Descendants, the Elders of the Clan. They can remember when they used to make their parents do this.
There was a lot of eating next. I was too busy participating to take photos of the food this year, but I can testify that it was abundant and delicious.
As the kids scattered, the two older generations stayed to listen to Tom show and tell some family history.
His act included talking to a box. At least it wasn't a chair and it wasn't empty. :)
The box is the Civil War foot locker belonging to Seneca Eugene Reeder.
Late in the afternoon the lagoon filled on the high tide, the breeze calmed, and the sky mirror of the lagoon attracted watchers for quiet conversation.
Jill and Jake went for a canoe ride. The little kids were free ranging again.
Day is done, gone the sun.
Some of us gathered around the fire.
As Tom and I collected our gear and prepared to head home, the kids were being rounded up and the moon rose over the hill.
And another great Phosie-Gertie goes down in family history.
