It was predicted to be a loser, but the weather so far as been good this unofficial start of the summer.
Memorial day brings garden pests and the start of bitching season, a high-pitched whine ending around Labor Day about the “hordes” of tourists, most of whom, truth be told, are a good deal nicer than the natives.
It’s been a fine weekend for outdoor work, except for the damnable gypsy and winter months dangling or crawling in hordes, everywhere. These leaf-eating pests dote on the ubiquitous oak trees, so venturing forth anywhere but the beach requires peeling them off your clothes and brushing their tiny black dots of * out of your hair thereafter.
Be that as it may, I got in 2 1/2 days of quality time at #11, finishing up the mulching, mowing the lawn and weeding.
Emme and I went through her piles of clothes, sorting out spring/summer from fall/winter. For a bribe of 10 cents an item, she identified 23 articles of clothing she’s outgrown. The result was that we were able to fit all of her seasonals into her limited bureau drawers.
As a bonus, Emme and I found two precious possessions that had been among the missing for weeks or even months. I tried, probably unsuccessfully, to drive home the point that keeping their toys even semi-organized pays off.
Peter and Bonnie spent the weekend in Boston, so he’d stocked us up generously with many good things to eat: steak, kielbasa, hamburgers, hotdogs, produce, coldcuts. I hardly touched the stove, relying on the outdoor grill for supper prep.
Bob had a social day on Sunday, visiting one friend and hosting another. The second friend really enjoys the outside, and he was a wizard at getting all three kids to ride their bikes and/or scooters, then play a little wiffle ball after supper.
Seeing my grandkids, their tummies full with cookout fare, mingling in a group of youngsters down the street on a picture-perfect Memorial Day evening was a moment.
Yesterday evening, I was home earlier enough to see the annual Memorial Day salute to veterans and their families from Washington, DC. Much to the credit of our local cable station, they broadcast a thoughtful, low-budget anti-Iraq War seminar following. Both reinforced the somber nature of this holiday, made even more poignant by the news this morning that a former neighbor’s son has just been assigned to Iraq for his fourth tour of duty.