Arrivals, Clear the calendar, Cooler

1. Two packages on the doorstep and one in the mailbox!
2. It was supposed to be a very hectic day with appointments from morning to evening. But Tess came home early with a cold, so we canceled everything. I'm not pleased that she is sick, just glad to have the flexibility to scrap everything.
3. This evening's walk with Henri was extra pleasant. The wind rustled the leaves all along the way.

An old friend, A new friend, Riding with friends

1. We have a table that we found in the basement of an old house we bought in 1989 in Saratoga Springs, NY. It's an ancient farmhouse style table that we've carted with us wherever we have lived. Today I'm getting it ready for a new spot in our bedroom. I love it the same as always.
2. It is a functional thing of beauty, this 18 quart, white enameled, electric roaster. It exudes presence as it sits on the table, confident that it can feed a crowd.
3. The kids ride in the back of the pick-up as we head home over back roads.

Favorite wake-up, Show and tell, Tunnels

1. Biscotti dunked in coffee; my favorite breakfast.
2. Steve and I attended parent night at the high school. The teachers review the syllabus for each class and I realize our kids are being given a huge amount of knowledge and information to absorb. I admire the young, sharp mind and realize how fuzzy my old one is.
3. We tunnel home through the dark. Trees grow like a bower over country roads and our headlights help us worm our way through.

Ivory, Variety, Censored

1. I unwrap a bar of Ivory Soap and place it on the shelf in the linen closet. The big old house we rented in Maine was stocked with Ivory Soap and I want to experience that smell again.
2. The kind of perfect weather where you can sit in the sun or the shade and still be comfortable.
3. We've been watching The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour on DVD. Hysterically funny, I remember watching this with my family back in the late 60's.

Cosmos, Funny bone, Promise

1. Orange and yellow Cosmos light up the garden. You can see the artist's brushstrokes on each petal.
2. Talking with my mom on the phone, I make a comment that sends her into giggles and laughter.
3. "O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to Thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be." From the song, O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" by George Mattheson

The Lost Episodes

1. I've lost a few days here! Busy mornings, busy afternoons. It's all good.
2. Toasted coconut, crunchy and sweet. If I keep nibbling, there won't be enough left for the coconut cream tart.
3. It has been months since we've had weather this gorgeous. Sunny, breezy, cool and invigorating.
4. I think Tess actually likes school.

Nothing new, Shower, Crisp and clean, Zero

1. An errand takes me to the other side of town where I have a chance to browse some second hand shops and the Habitat Re-Store. I like the chippy old doors and beautiful fixtures from old, torn down places.
2. The temperatures are still running in the 90's. I drag the garden hose through the kitchen and out to the screen porch where I give the walls and floor a wash down. The icy spray is refreshing around my bare feet.
3. Fresh tablecloths and clean floors make me very happy.
4. She would like to ignore the zeros in math equations. We discuss why this might not be a good idea and we examine the huge difference it makes when they are ignored. I understand her reasoning- zeros are big, fat nothings so why bother with them.