Quiet times at the Woods Edge

We're having quiet times here at the Woods Edge, which is fine with me.  I like both - quiet and busy.  Soon enough it'll start up again and then we'll have enough to do. 

Paul is finishing up the room down stairs.  He's so happy when he has a project to do - and soon he'll have to think of another. (Did I tell you how lucky I am?)  He's busy putting up lighting in the drop ceiling.  He went to Walmart this morning, and other places to find what he was looking for. 

We're beginning to have some hot days here and I'm beginning to empathize with my Florida friends and relatives.  This is a good afternoon to be inside.  This morning I went to Curves, got the car washed, filled it up.   Hoping Bob can come up for a while this summer.  However, he's busy working on selling his house so he can move to Alpharetta, GA to be with his son and his family. 

Being a retired NYS teacher and having relatives all over the United States, it's amazing how different each state's school year is.  Nicole, Jon's wife, in Alpharetta, is back at school doing a course to teach reading next year.  Already. 

Brenda, out in California, will be starting school the second week in August.  She and Eric are on a two-week car trip to Washington State.  They have a planned itinerary that may have to be changed due to the forest fires.  Actually, it did change slightly.  We talked with them last night. 

 Emma is back at Humboldt.  NeeNee begins her senior year in high school in Gainesville soon.  Lee leaves soon for college.  As does Brenan.  It's hard to keep track of everyone.  Each year is so very different.

  Alaina is in Uganda in the Peace Corp.  God Bless Her.  She's doing a wonderful job - One of her projects is  organizing the science lab and creating a science fair for her students.  She's working with all ages.    I understand there may be another Peace Corp volunteer coming in to help her.  She has a blog and a Facebook page.  Lain-Way.

To me, NYS schools always started after Labor Day.  Sometimes we'd have a teachers' week of courses, like Nicole does, but the classes would start the Wednesday after Labor Day - every year.  Now, some states are done before Memorial Day.  It's hard to understand why, but I guess they have their reasons.  Some old reasons:  It used to be crops needed to be planted, picked.  Who knows. 

It's good to see the family time our families are up to - traveling, seeing other family members.  That's what summers are for.  Nancy and Dan - to Michigan, and Bill and Epril - traveling around Florida visiting friends.  I keep forgetting they're only a couple of hours from Miami - across the state.  They've sent pictures on Facebook of that. 

BTW - I am taking some powerful medication for my PMR and it appears to be working well.  I have to be careful of side effects, but so far- (one week) all seems okay.  I couldn't be more pleased or cautiously optimistic. For ex: without realizing it,  I'm jumping up and down from my chair, climbing stairs easier.  Things I haven't done easily for quite some time.  I am keeping a close watch, however.

  One can never be too careful. As they say - Growing old is not for the faint of heart.  Which reminds me, I'm taking medication to slow my heart down.  LOL. It makes me sleepy.   I can't get a break - teehee - one of the side effects of my PMR medication is bone loss. So I'm taking something for that now, too.   All in all - a different kind of week.  Keeping track of my side effects. Boring.  After a while I think some of them could be exaggerated or  imagined.

I have a Bible Study group that I go to here at our church in Horseheads on Thursday mornings.  Have I told you that?  Not sure.  Anyway - we have a leader who is going through all the books of the bible - page by page.  Book by book.  We have a "Newbee" (sp?) that joined the group.  He knew nothing about the bible - and is learning a lot, as we are reviewing each book..   He's a stay at home dad.   A lot of the information I knew before, but I am enjoying starting at Genesis and going through.

 It's interesting that each place I've had Bible Study its been different.  Some use a separate book to work through a book in the Old or New Testament.  Others use books to follow a theme, with a video included.  Some use questions and answer sheets.  This Bible Study is completely different.  I like it.  And I like the others too.  We're through Judges in the Old Testament.

Gracie is enjoying going downstairs to see how Paul's doing.  He says she just kind of stands there for a while and then turns around and leaves after she finds out what's going on. It's like she wants to say hello - and what are you doing?  Is everything okay?  I guess I'll leave now. 

 She does like Ping-Pong balls.  She likes to chase them, and watch them bounce as she tries to grab them in her mouth.  It amazes me that she "flies" around down there - with all the obstacles put in her way. Ping pong table, chairs, desk, etc,.   She never collides with anything.

 Paul said when she was a puppy and she'd run down there, she'd slide half way across the floor before she'd stop.  Now she knows better.  She's got "more direction."   We've got to get some of the small tennis balls they have at the pet stores so we can throw them outside for her.  When it's not so hot.

Brenda got us a "Papillon on Board" sign to put in our car window.  I took it -  with my red car, it's something else I can use to find my car in parking lots.   I never realized how many red cars there are in the world.  When I look for my red car, I have to generalize about where it might be, and then use the Papillon on Board sign, and the "shark" sign on top.  Yes. - there's a little shark fin on top - which is really the Siriius-XM radio signal.  That plus my orange and black license plate.  Little things mean a lot.