You know it’s hot when I can’t walk to A’s, garden, water, or even take photos.  We’ve been under an extreme sauna setting for days.  No rain.  I’m afraid I might boil to death if I make it to the pool.  If a ride comes along, I take it.  How did Missourians survive before AC?  I worry about all the people still homeless or utility-less from the tornado.

Anyway, I thought I should at least check in.  I’ve been cooking and cleaning for the Avdi’s when I can.  He got himself a co-working space away from the house so he can focus on his work.  E has been busy moving to his new room.  It’s just a matter of time until Y’s stuff refills every available vacated inch, like water.  I just try to stay out of the way.

The squirrels are home, and other than a typical antisocial surly huff by Y, things seemed to be readjusting to “normal”.  E was actually quite friendly.  He’s anxious to start setting up his new furnishings in S’s old room.  I think it’s going to make a huge difference.

K invited his friend A over for Shabbat dinner and a “challah swap”–she had made her own, and we all enjoyed trying them out, and talking.  Except for Y, who stomped off to his room.  K had completed his excellent fresh blueberry cheesecake for dessert.  It tasted as good as it looks.

We’re in an extreme heat wave–heat indices in the 100s, nothing new here–so I have to curtail some of my exercise.

I told Avdi I intend to live long enough to see trump and co. utterly destroyed.  In that spirit, I braved the heat and savagely attacked stubborn weeds in the veg garden as if they were racist fascists.  The “squirrels” come home tomorrow, and I want them to see flowers and cucumbers, not defeat.  This monarch on the milkweeds cheered me on.

Occasionally I took a break to help K with his latest baking project, blueberry cheesecake.  He was also busy doing chores, and reorganizing his living space, while he still has peace and quiet.

I realize cis/white people are just starting to catch up to the horrors that have been the daily reality for hundreds of years, as if this is something new.  Yet each day brings another level of stunning hateful assaults on constitutional rights and hope.  I know it has to get worse before it gets better, but I hate that our kids will have to try to survive in a world like this, with all this damage done.  Something has to give, and soon, and I’m sticking around for that victory.

Just can’t really speak right now, so have some pretty pictures.

It was so hot and humid yesterday, I couldn’t work outside much, except water and admire the flowers.  I don’t get how people run and hike and work out on days like that, when they don’t have to, but that’s just me!  I used to do it for a living.  I’m thankful for AC.  Some days it’s like Florida, only without an ocean.  Why would people retire to that?

I made dinner for us–chili, and all the fixin’s.  Avdi and I watched more old TNG.  I’m enjoying the lull while I can.

We discovered by accident that if you plug in the mysterious black box on the back porch, built-in lights in the patio walls come on!  Only, they keep blinking like strobes!  Another challenge for K to get to the bottom of.

F-Day was quiet; in the evening Avdi and I went over to J&E’s for authentic STL BBQ on their back porch.  R joined us.  Pixie was so incensed at being left in the house (not that she likes the outdoors) that J put on her harness and let her eat some grass.  Odin has no interest in going out, after one unfortunate experience once.

Yesterday I planted some new flower seeds in pots outside, to supplement what didn’t come up this year.  The thousands of jewelweed are just starting to bloom.  It will look like lemon/lime world.  Lots of red poppies so far.  My cucs are going bananas!  So exciting.

For dinner at A’s I made Cajun andouille with mirepoix and rice, plus cucs and carrots with dill dip.

We’re living in historic, momentous times, lots to be stressed about, so I’m just soaking up the daily peace and quiet while I can.

Erev was quiet and peaceful.  I made challah, coconut lime chicken with jasmine rice, and salad from the garden.  Later K made a beautiful raspberry cheese cake to take to a friends’ event Saturday.  Avdi and I watched old Star Trek NG episodes.

Yesterday was our [No Kings] B&B.  I helped set up as usual.  It started out slow, but then Jess recruited R and all their friends to come over, and things got more B&B-like.  Avdi got to relax in the pool.  One young guy surprised me by coming over and engaging me all evening on a wide variety of esoteric and personal subjects, which was fine and worthwhile!

This little bunny was on our front step.  I saw my first monarch of summer on the milkweed!  The whole time, the little bird couple with their big fluffy babies were scolding us for disturbing their peace.  Lots of poppies were blooming and cukes were hanging.

I should mention, we had unintentionally prescheduled this B&B for No Kings Day, or we probably would have been at a local protest rally.  But I know that there were huge turnouts of peaceful protesters all over the area and city, as well as the country.

Yesterday was a little different, because Jess came up with a plan to make sure Avdi eats (he often forgets), and get him out of the silent solitude of working at home without the level of chaos he’s used to.  All of which is to say, I made him a nice lunch and dinner, and in between he and Jess co-worked elsewhere.

That’s the short form of the story; suffice it to say, some crises may not be completely fixable, being the human condition, but can be made more endurable by having extended family with strategies to reduce the damage going forward.  Sort of like, you can’t control a tornado disaster, or depend on the gov to come through, but your “village” can organize relief strategies to mitigate some of the devastation and despair.  (You know me and my metaphors.)

I try to avoid going all foodie on you, but I made parmesan polenta with homemade herby pasta sauce, a salad mostly from the garden, shelled peas from same, guacamole from scratch, baked rolls, and even crafted bloody maries with garden “shrubbery”.  Like a salad in a glass. K joined us briefly for dinner.

It was starting to (gasp) rain outside, so I didn’t have to water.  This little chipster kept popping in and out of their vast network of tunnels throughout the garden, then just basked near me while I harvested.  The little bird couple with the babies over the back door continually scold me whenever I get too close.  I noticed the babies seem to know to shut up when a human is nearby.

I was forced by circumstances to retire early, which I resented at the time, but there are definite perks, if you’re resourceful with the little you’ve got, and determined to keep living and learning.

It doesn’t take much to get me excited and feel accomplished.  You may laugh at my simpleness, but I finally grew cucumbers!!  Look at these fat beauties.  I almost wish Y were here to admire them.  (They can’t have their phones at camp, for good reasons.)

Next case in point: the prickly pears are starting to bloom!  Most of the family wouldn’t miss them if they were gone, but I’ve worked at cleaning their bed up so they could thrive.  I haven’t attempted eating them yet (ouch), just love their flowers and desert appearance.

Look at all the snap peas from just one harvesting!  I have plans for them, too.  With most of the kids away, I don’t have to worry about who will dislike what, and can start preparing foods Avdi likes and doesn’t have time to fix or eat.

Just a quickie, because I had to take time out to catch up on business at home.

Yesterday was another perfect spring day for gardening, so I started extreme weeding and cultivating in the veg garden (peppers), weeded and reseeded the under-germinated melons in their raised bed, cleaned up E’s “secret” outer area a little, finished mulching the lilacs, and prepped for K mowing.  (BTW, when I say “mulching”, I mean with our own composted soil/organic material from the big mountain I cleaned up.)  I’m earthy as well as watery air.  Occasionally I dunk my head in the pool to keep cool!

Speaking of K, he baked croissants, and a beautiful key lime pie from scratch, which was excellent.  And mowed.  With everyone else not monopolizing the kitchen and whole house, K has been venturing out of the cave into the kitchen and trying new skills.  He’s really good at it.  He even gets some quality time with Dad.