Weather report: Wet Wet Wet

Water is condensing on the outside of the toilet tank and dripping on the floor. Ha. And I thought we had toilet malfunction. It is hard to express how happy I am that it is not a malfunction.

The early bedtime is hard to establish for Aidan. He is so used to late bedtimes all summer. Wendy and John went to Keoni's school for the parent's night; then, to someplace for supper. The boys and I ate here--volcanoes (hamburger hash in mashed potatoe helpings), fresh from somebody's garden green beans, and sliced tomatoes.

While I did all the laundry we could round up today, Wendy got rid of the piles and boxes in the "music room". Really was the original house's living room. I was able to set up my piano! Yea!!! Boys were home from school by that time so practice time for me will have to be when they are not here playing violin or cello. Aidan does an hour of cello daily; Keoni does three hours of violin. Rhapsody Ridge is starting to live up to its name.

The house is taking on a livable look.

Toby wanted in the house this morning when it was pouring rain and machinery out by the septic ditch was roaring away. Alas, a vacuum cleaner time was necessary for him and Karma. (Vacuums are a sure antidote to a cat fight.) This time he made a mess on the stairs so I put him back on the porch. He was happy to live in his cat tree then. I am satisfied now with him living on the porch or outside as he pleases. He won't be happy in here with constant wrangles with the other kitties. He really loves outdoors and the three dogs.

One for the Stitch Witches... I crocheted a muffler for Aidan.

I hope we get more settled by the time it is cold weather so we can be a little creative with our time. I can imagine the house will grow small.

Keoni and Aidan have two whole days of Pennsylvania school under their belt. Both are in new school buildings at their respective sites. Keoni is outside ready for his bus at 7 a.m. in front of our place. Neighbor Joe brings his great-granddaughter in his small tractor to Aidan's stop next door by his driveway that really is a road leading back to some houses hidden in the woods adjoining our property. 

Aidan said there are some soccer players at school, too, which makes him extremely happy. And, he played some football at recesses. Go Aidan. He hates the school bus.

Keoni has a heap of homework tonight and is still working on it as I write. He got in his violin practice, too. He is adjusting back to early rising. After 6:30 a.m. mandatory runs at Interlochen for seven weeks, he was mighty pleased to sleep in late; now it's back to early rising. 

Toby has learned to get out the screen porch to FREEDOM. (Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington.) Hard to figure how to remedy the situation without nailing the screen door shut. Wendy let him in the house this morning and right after that he went up to Aidan's room and there was Karma kitty and she CARED about the intrusion. Yowling cat fight next which I ended when I quickly switched on the vacuum cleaner and chased them both out of Aidan's room. They had a very vocal stand-off all morning about 10 feet from each other by the stair well. At last, I put him back on the porch with the screen door latched and bolstered with stuff piled there. Later, in the afternoon he was gone again. He spent most of the time under the porch where the chickens like to hang out and fluff their feathers in the dust. Wendy brought him back on the porch late afternoon. I fed and watered him. Guess he'll turn into an outdoor cat. He is really happy outdoors. There is the barn too, so he'll probably do OK. He is scared of machinery; maybe he'll stay away from the road. I like sitting on the porch with him. He is good company. 

Yesterday, was gathering groceries day. Not easy since we don't have Sprouts and Trader Joe's nearby. Found some local milk we will be trying out by tomorrow morning. Homogenized, from one of the dairy farms not too far away. Deposit on the bottles, so wash and return for no further deposit on next purchase. No hormone treatments. Just pasture and hay in the winter. Today, was clean up all I can and make some corn soup with dumplings. John added watermelon and sliced cheese and beef.

It's hot and my feet hurt.

The weather report is: It has been a gorgeous day!

The household is normalizing a bit. Wonderful what fried chicken can do. Those two little chickens from the roadside farmer's market went down really well along with the potato salad, slaw, fresh squeezed limeade and brownies. There is nothing like a Sunday, sit-down, fried chicken dinner to nourish in a special way.

Early in the day I carved up the enormous Frankenfield cantaloupe for breakfast, made some biscuits to go with Wendy's blueberry honey find and added the leftover pineapple to the table, as well. 

You are wondering: Frankenfield? Yes that is the farm family's name--not what you were thinking.

Wendy's fears that Austen, the younger mare still with us, would have a panic attack without her old pal are now abated. Austen knows what is what and was happily running around with the goats this morning, delighting in a nice roll in the grass, too.

I tried out another UCC church this morning. Another small and very old church in the area. There are many small, old churches of various denominations. Many UCC, Lutheran and Methodist. I think there is one more I want to go to next Sunday. I still like the one two weeks ago--Trinity--in Telford. Funny, it is easier to remember its name since all the other ones have saints names.

Toby likes his cat harness well enough now and doesn't mind me putting it on him since he knows he gets to go down the stairs from the porch to the grass which he happily eats. I tightened up the screen door spring to make it harder to push open. He eats more than he ever did at the condo. I think it is because he is growing a dense coat; plus, the nights are chilly. At night he crawls into his cat tree hidey-hole up out of the reach of the three dogs sharing the porch with him. His food is up there on one of the trays, too.

Some grass got mowed, John worked on some of their old business, Aidan had a cello lesson, Keoni played violin off and on all day, Aidan found some great tricks online to try out.

Tomorrow is the boys' first day of school in Pennsylvania.

I am glad for the day. 

Whoohoo!!! A normal bed.

God was willing and the crick didn't rise, so my bed arrived this afternoon and was put together by two very professional men who made following directions and using tools into a ballet of expertise. And, quiet! Wendy and John didn't waken from afternoon naps. All my folding type clothes went into the two bunk drawers underneath.

I didn't take a picture of the other end of the room you will notice. Now for a desk top on the file cabinets, and some sort of chifforobe/armoire/wardrobe to hang up a few items and store the remaining stuff now decorating the floor.

John received four tickets to the Phillies/Diamondback game in Philly tonight. We all insisted Wendy go. She was reluctant and saying I should be the one since I like baseball, but we all insisted she go along. Phillies are losing, but the game got more interesting with Phillies scoring three runs Keoni texted to me, but I don't know what inning it is. Couldn't master the TV to watch the game.

The television here is great if you can figure out how to turn it on. Remotes are the truly sorry end of the electronic world. At any rate, I would have an internal struggle to honestly root for the Phillies after a lifetime commitment to the Cardinals. Maybe if the Cards come here I'll go to a game. Keoni texts that Aidan is secretly rooting for the D'backs. while he, himself, is enjoying conflict and food.

I enjoyed helping John make the breakfast (actually brunch) today. We had lots of food and topped it off with remains of the peach cobbler I made yesterday.

No one has found the box with the kitchen cutlery in it so we do everything with two paring knives. I did bring along Grandma Steinbach's bread knife, still excellent after generations of use. It will be interesting using a paring knife to make slaw out of the 10 inch diameter head of cabbage from Lancaster County tomorrow. That is to go with the fried chicken planned for the evening meal. I will slice up juicy tomatoes as well. Maybe even go so far as to make some potato salad. Definitely making limeade. Oh, yes, I used lime zest in the peach cobbler. I haven't figured out tomorrow's dessert, but Aidan is such a fan, I must come up with a Sunday dessert, for sure.

Yes, today was Celis' last day. Miss Rebecca who taught both boys violin and cello at different times in Tucson, and whom they loved, was added to the list of sad passings for the family here today, as well. Keoni read of Miss Rebecca's death online at AZStarnet. That news was a shock on the heels of the veterinary visit on Celis' account in the afternoon.

No pictures. Sadness, today. One of the old kitties, Charlene, reached the end of her ninth life. She was in renal failure for a long time and only surviving on the daily special ministrations from Wendy. She was worsening the last several days and had vet trips that ended for her this afternoon.

Additionally, Celis, the BLM mare that crossed the country with Wendy and John and all the rest of the animals, has not been doing well at all for several weeks now. Something to do with her digestive system, but not colic. She is much worse as I write and tomorrow may be another day of decision for Wendy.

All here in the household are affected as the animals are woven into the fabric of lives here at Rhapsody Ridge. We need the music right now.

The boys had their signup days this week for their respective schools. Both have come home with good impressions. It'll be school buses, but both schools are near--2 and 5 miles away. Aidan especially likes that the school had enough grass to have "at least four soccer fields". And, he reported one room in the school has a place to make and fire tiles; a fact that he elaborated on having seen and done enough with Phil to appreciate and look forward to having a go at it here. His bowl he made with Phil sits in the one extant dining room glass cabinet.

The delivery of my bed frame is again put off--this time due Saturday afternoon. The fine mattress I enjoy is, of course, on the floor where I am sitting on it right now. I don't really mind except for the getting up part which is a challenge since getting on my bionic knees isn't so hot. So, I roll onto my stomach, put my feet out onto the floor, then, hoist my derrierre up into the air while I push myself up by walking my hands backward. It has worked every time and sometimes I can be for a moment on my knees on the mattress. That, and the stairs are keeping me in shape.

Good things: the best corn I've eaten since we raised our own in the 1950s garden at the old farm house on the hill; include tomatoes, watermelon and cantaloupe on the list, too. Today, I found dressed fresh chickens at one of the roadside farm markets. They are scheduled for Saturday's main meal. Not organic, but weren't fed weird stuff either.

The fair I looked forward to was a bust. Pima County Fair is waaaayyy better. There probably are better ones and we just have to find out about them.

Your know, an awful lot has happened in a very short time, but I was surprised today to find it just is not a big deal. Sort of nice to remember there really are no big deals. Just interesting.

Life.

I am smiling.

Here we are sitting in the Pennsylvania landscape with various piles of endeavor all about us with cats to investigate all the boxes and sleep on the contents when no one is looking, dogs to watch the proceedings, horses to graze the fast growing grass, goats to make us smile and John to bring home gleanings from the gastronomic bounty his workplace showers upon its workers all day until 4 p.m. when foil containers appear to carry away what is left. Waste not, want not was this evening's repast.

Each evening Wendy settles herself before bedtime in a comfortable chair and gives Charlene kitty her intravenous hydration. Charlene lives on, kidney failure, or not.

Wendy and Charlene, plus, Bonnie who loves laps.

 Over the weekend, guests from Tucson were here. There was a highlight during their stay when we caravanned to Chanticleer Garden; an estate garden with a mile of winding, hilly walkways nestled into Philadelphia. Lots of flowers still though summer hasn't long to go. There are more of these hidden garden treasures throughout the city we were told.

John's work paid homage to their employees with their annual outing Wednesday evening. This time they shuttled everyone and their families by busses to the Philadelphia Zoo. The second of my looks at Philadelphia. I don't know when I have seen so many young families in one place as this occasion.  And, their employer was generous with food, dessert, child-oriented activity, plenty of libation; thus, happy parents.

John leading us off at the zoo.

Animals or food first?

Chatting with other families...

Keoni and Aidan go by in a swan boat...

Shuttling back to the cars.

The processes of moving are amazing. How very complicated are our lives. Where shall I get a haircut?Is it REALLY 30 minutes to the closest Trader Joe's? Where do I get a license for the car? for me? Can I really throw away this file? that file? Delete Antigone Book Store's e-newsletter? AZ Daily Star? Today, I did some more address-changing. Installed a new shower head in the bathroom, cleaned that area a bit, ordered a new camera battery charger from Amazon since the old one is lost or still in Tucson somewhere, reconnoitered with the two grandsons on post-shower treatment of our shared bath area; which towels were theirs, respectively; which are mine. But ah, the sweet reward of being read to by a grandson. Such an arresting role reversal.

Aidan's wardrobe is done! Doors and all. What a beast the parts were for Wendy and John to get up the stairs the day it came home from IKEA. The efforts of it all have made me very cautious about what I add to my room. Boxes with DIY put-togethers make me shudder now.

The Subaru got its first, 3000 mile oil change approximately 2780 miles from where I bought it.  The mechanic says the usb port works fine, but you have to have the radio on auxiliary. The iPhone is synced with the car phone system, but the phone GPS is not behaving as it did before.  Or, maybe it is. Hmmm. I have two grandsons who have the answers, I believe.

Keoni has transformed his room of boxes into a semblance of order; I could even say it looks good in there, but I might have lowered expectations looking at the general chaos of moving boxes and the struggles to extract harmony from the sweaty efforts each day in one part of the house or another.

Yes, it is, indeed, humid. Still, the temp is not enough to need much more than a fan here and there. Often there are breezes outside that bring a sweet relief. The back, screened porch is a mecca for all of us at times throughout the day.

Toby will be the porch cat, I think. I will find him the sort of cat tree he needs to keep him from doing his claws on porch furniture. And, I'll see he has a snug corner for the cold months. Attempts to introduce him to the elderly Charlene and Bonnie have failed miserably. Karma kitty pays no attention to him. The Petsmart had the cat tree I wanted but I refuse to buy it at full retail pricing. What are they thinking?

Time to close for the day. No new pictures this time, but maybe more tomorrow when Aidan is out of solitary (his bedroom). He committed a transgression that banished him for the evening.

My, I have fallen behind.

There seem to be few moments that something isn't going on or filled with the labors of shaping this residence into the home all here want. Tomorrow the contractor will be back to continue replacing the septic system per the agreements made. Nothing like a well-functioning septic to make you sleep well at night. Nearly everything else on the list can take place only after the septic is complete.

The floor can now be seen in Aidan's room. His IKEA wardrobe is nearly complete; I can hear John and Wendy installing its doors as I write. Keoni's room is next on the list to make storage space happen. I await the bed frame as mentioned last week; then, I can see for sure how many inches are available for other installations. I am opting for the simplest since IKEA constructions are not how I want to do this. 

The former owners left their five chickens here. The two Americanas are laying and we are ahead on eggs. The leghorns are starting to lay, but finding them will be the challenge. 

Tonight was a local eatery family celebration of Keoni's return yesterday night from Interlochen. And, the first time he's seen his Pennsylvania home. Aidan got ready yesterday morning...

It was such a great moment to have Keoni back again. We all missed him lots. Yes, violin practice is echoing again to join Aidan's cello. 

Aidan and I took Wendy to the train station in Lansdale to meet John after work and go to the airport to meet Keoni and fetch him home. It was her first ride on the train system.

While I was catching up on some reading on the porch this afternoon, the boys had a go at hide-and-seek. No, I don't think they visited Narnia, but Aidan came back covered with black dust from the attic, and had to shower.

Sunday morning was especially beautiful and cool which we note here with great appreciation. A bush in front of the house is a butterfly mecca. Here are a couple quick snaps of a couple of the many covering the bush.

I tried out one of the several UCC churches this Sunday. It was pleasant enough, but found I miss Casas Adobes UCC very much. 

Wendy and John's friends, Mary and Jonathan, are due here for the weekend from Tucson via a place they visit in New York State. We are nowhere near unpacked so it will be interesting to see how eating and sleeping will take place.

Rain. Nearly all day. Smells and sounds so good.

Today was the day I ordered my bed frame with an attachable night stand and bunk drawers underneath. Delivery and set up scheduled. Yea! A local store at that so we don't have to drive to "The Dump" tomorrow; mega furniture store-only two on the entire planet. I'm rather glad to miss it. Delivery the 19th. In the meantime, my precious mattress serves well with a floor platform.

I am thinking of Cousin Marilyn and her love of beautiful trees and evergreens. A few are sorely needed to diminish the sounds from the road. The sounds are not bad, but still, it's vehicles.

Most of my earthly possessions are now in this bedroom where I sit next to my mattress. It has lovely sheets on it. The rest is in the attic and sorted, or in three boxes still at the foot of the stairs. The air right now is cool enough for sleeping comfort with a fan blowing.

Over the past two evenings, Aidan and John just about completed the mowing. Yes, Aidan now runs the riding mower.

Aidan mowing with a little coaching from John.

Going it alone...

Deer gathered on the far side of the pasture. 

Aidan by himself now.

Ace.

Much time is taken up moving Arizona paperwork stuff of life to this address. For all of us. There are so many details calling out for attention. Medicare hasn't finished the paperwork for my medical, but it is in the works.

I am in a rapid learning curve with my new iPhone 5. Very helpful on local trips where twists and turns of small roadways make navigation anything but accurate.

May your first day of August be the best one ever...