Slowing Down

 Raindrops on roses.

Yes, it got cold and damp here, but we made it through all of the celebrating and Jill was still able carry out most of her Saturday Grad Party Plans. 

Now Jill and Irene and the Colorado/Nebraska relatives are spending time at the Rockaway Beach cabin on the Oregon Coast. 

Jake was here for dinner for Father's Day and now he will be spending the week at the Whidbey Island cabin. 

We are here watching it rain, running a few errands, and making plans for the next round of celebrations. 

And eating cherries.

The local cherries from east of the mountains are in the stores now, a treat not to be missed. 

I have an appointment with my primary care doc on Thursday and then I will go in search of local strawberries, if they are available. This cold rain isn't helpful in that regard. 

We have a wedding to attend on Saturday and by then we should be enjoying 77 degree weather at the outdoor ceremony. 

On Sunday we'll do household chores and prep for hosting a cousins lunch on Monday. Then it will be our turn for a little getaway at the Whidbey cabin.

 Then June will be over, too fast!

Graduation

Thursday morning I had a Physical Therapy session where I sort of took over the direction of the session and finally just laid out why I was unhappy with my progress. Peter asked me what I most wanted as an outcome, and I responded that I just wanted to be able to walk freely. Maybe that will happen and maybe it won't, but we have a few new things to try and  I can hope. The new exercises were hard but I had to hurry off after setting up two more appointments. No time to recover. I had a graduation ceremony to get to. 

Irene was gone and on her way to the HS to be taken by bus to the hockey arena where the commencement ceremony was to be held.  We met up with the rest of her crew at Jill's house. Some of our team had gone on ahead to save seats.

These things don't happen quickly, especially with 475 seniors graduating. The faculty all marched in first in their robes - very impressive -  and stood and applauded throughout the "Pomp and Circumstance", played very well by the high school orchestra. Jill and I teared up a bit. 

As a senior class officer Irene had a front row seat, and we had a great view too.

Front row: Mom Jill, Gma and Gpa Linda and Tom, Aunt Jan. Second row: Gpa and Gma John and Andrea, Dad Corey, Cousin Allie. That second row are all from out of state: Colorado, Nebraska, South Carolina. Irene's brother Isaac took the photo.

There were short and good speeches by the principal, a school board member, and a student. The students represented many different cultures and ethnicities, and many had very colorful additions to their robes and mortar boards. Irene had sparkles on hers, and she sparkled too. 

There was a lot of very loud cheering during the awarding of the diplomas, but the name readers were prepared and the sound system was turned up very loud too. We heard them all over the very rambunctious noise. 
 

The senior class officers led the turning of the tassels and the throwing of the hats. It was all a very joyous celebration. This photo is off the big arena screen, and these are all Jill's photos. Afterwards we met up outside where Jill decked us out in shades and beads, Irene's crew. 

And then we eventually all met up back at their house for lots of eating and talking and gift opening. It was a wonderful time. 

There will be a party tomorrow, Saturday, for more extended family and friends. These are good times. 

Glowing

 We finally had a little rain over the last two days, not a lot, but steady dripping, allowing the greenness around us to refresh and set the garden to glowing. 

I didn't venture out very far, just standing under the dripping cedar tree to take these photos from the patio. 

Some of you wanted me to be sure to tell you what award Irene got, and that is another case of "glowing". 

Irene earned the Scholar Athlete Award, just one of 21 in her class of 500 to receive this medal for a GPA of 3.75+ and a varsity letter her senior year. 

Her name is engraved on the back. 

Then Friday she was off to her last day of high school. They had a catered breakfast, did a walk through in their caps and gowns of the adjacent elementary and middle schools, where the little kids had made posters for them, and then  a final assembly, followed by graduation practice and hangout time. In the evening she attended a pool party. 

I know all of this because I called her up this morning about 11:00 and found her still in bed. She talked to me anyway. I have a hunch she will do quire a bit of sleeping until her graduation ceremony on Thursday. Gotta' keep that glow!

One of my readers wanted to know about the blood pressure med I have been prescribed. It is metoprolol and its purpose is to slow my heart rate a bit. I have mild/moderate mitral valve stenosis now and slowing the heart rate will allow time for the left ventricle to fill more before pumping out. (diastolic filling) That ventricle has been decreasing in size due to lower blood volume with each pump. So, while I am long past my glowing stage, I do want to keep in ticking. 

June Is Ticking Off Her Days

 I'm having a hard time remembering what I do with my days, but they seem to disappear pretty quickly.

Sunday we did a big yard project, which left me not wanting to do much on Monday. I did get the laundry done and a little tidying up. Tuesday we Zoomed and I got my PT done before we had to leave for my echocardiogram and then follow up appointment in the city, which took all afternoon. I passed, but will now need to take a low dose blood pressure med, not for my blood pressure, which is fine, but because my resting pulse rate is higher than my cardiologist would like. 

On Wednesday I decided I had to break down and go clothes shopping. We have a wedding to attend in a couple of weeks, and I have no dress up clothes. Being less mobile and more depressed means I gained weight, enough that I need a size larger pants. I hate clothes shopping, but after a morning at the mall, I managed to find something comfortable to wear that will be presentable enough. 

This morning we got another job done in the yard. Now after lunch Tom is off to an eye appointment and I have a haircut appointment. This evening we will attend a senior awards ceremony at Irene's high school. We hear she is getting something, but we don't know what. Next week she graduates!

It's time for more garden pics.

The clock is ticking. Time to get moving. See you later.

June is Beautiful, and So Is Irene

 We had a wakeful night so we slept late this Saturday morning. When I finally got going, I completed me PT exercise routine and then went outside to do a little snipping and grooming around the front porch. 

That done, I went o my padded chair at the patio table and just sat. It was such a beautiful morning, the sky so blue, warmth from the sun, coolness in the air.

Facing this scene, I watched a humming bird work over the blue delphinium and the foxglove, and the chickadee pair fly in and out of the birdhouse.

I think this must be a second brood for them. They were busy like this a month or so again, and there has been a lot of "chick-a-dee-deeing in the garden lately.

So much is blooming now in the garden. Roses are beginning their June show. There are foxglove and a few poppies.

But early June belongs to columbine.

June is also Prom month, and my granddaughter is right now finishing out her senior year in style with her beau Ryan. We got a few email photos before they set off to join their friends and make moments to remember.

We are promised more photos in a day or two. 

Ah, to be young and beautiful.

But I'll settle for sitting in the beauty of my garden now.