Jolie's Visit

Jolie came for a very brief visit and we spent some time with Grandma.  She was in her glory, of course! 

Masks down for pictures.

Jessie and Paul

This is such a great picture of Jessie and Paul! 

Hank's Birthday

Shelly brought ice cream cake for Hank's birthday, and we had it outside at the picnic table.  He is always so thrilled to see his kids and grandkids.

My 2020 in 20

Osher is the lifelong learning program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and the members were given the assignment of writing in 20 words what changes the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic has created for us.  The year 2020 in 20 words.  Here's mine.

Fourth of July

During the Pandemic we were very careful to only be with members of our immediate households.  So no Easter dinner, and no birthday parties.  But when Fourth of July came and we were able to be outside, socially distanced, with masks and lots of hand sanitizer, we had a cookout and fireworks in the yard.

  
The kids had sparklers and poppers, but the adults had bigger ones.  It's hard to tell from this picture, but Louie and Hank would light one of the fireworks and then RUN back!

We were really all a bunch of young boys blowing stuff up!

There were an unusual number of fireworks displays going on all around us in the neighborhoods (probably because there wasn't a city-wide display).

The moon was full, but my camera couldn't figure out what to focus on.  Still very pretty.

Brick Garden Edging

I am using our old antique paving bricks we got years ago when they redid Barker Street (Louie) and College Avenue (me).  They each weigh 8-10 pounds apiece, and the sod has to be removed, so it's a lot of work.  But Louie will be able to mow the grass cleanly without running a trimmer afterward, and I love the tidy look.

Helping Mom

Many times over the years Mom told a story of coming home from college for Christmas, and her mom asking her to help wrap presents.  So she gave her the gifts, with notes about who they were for, and the wrapping paper and supplies.  One of the gifts was for Mom, so she had to wrap her own present with instructions NOT TO PEEK!  

Today I helped Mom (now 92 and almost blind) prepare some birthday cards for all her July friends and ME!  So I had to help with my own card.  History repeated itself, and she enjoyed reminiscing about that other day 70-some years ago.

(Shirley's is already in the mail.)

Mom is still living at home alone, but she's needing some help from me.  Recently she confided that her breakfast was too putzy to make, and she was forgetting parts of it, so I started setting it out the night before, and that helps.  It reminds me of those desperate days when I had very young children and not enough sleep, so I set out their cereal for them the night before. 

My Flower Bed

I have not been able to get a Coreopsis to grow here in the 4-5 years I have had this garden bed, so this year I am trying a Blanket Flower to get a yellow, medium-height plant right here.  Hope it survives!

And in this one you can see how my Ajuga (Bugle Weed ground cover that Sandi recommended) really took off.

The house looks so good when the front flower bed is at its peak!

And the hydrangeas on the north side came so late this year.

I often see a little yellow finch at the bird bath, but today it was a robin.  Wish I could filter out the window screen.

Mom's Haircut

During the Coronavirus Pandemic, we couldn't go to our salon for a haircut, so I started cutting Mom's hair at home.  It wasn't too difficult, and it usually turned out okay.  Here we are with our "cape" (dish towels) and our masks.  She actually enjoyed it.