The Mundane

There is a family the next street down whose back yard is visible through mine. They either have a lot of young children or run a day care. Every time I go out to the patio, I watch their comings and goings, and I like what I see! During the heat of the summer, they had a pool going. There is a jungle gym. Last fall, they put up a sheet or a wall or a screen or something, and used a computer projector to display a Colts game. Last week, they had a party after dark. They were throwing "corn hole" bean bags and having a great time. Often, in cooler weather, they have a bonfire going in a pit. I would love to be a part of that!

Outside tonight, there are the katydids in the trees and the crickets in the grass. Thankfully, in all my years here, I have never had a cricket in the house...but it does remind me of the farm when I was a kid. Crickets would find their way into the house. They would chirp loudly until we got close to them...then they'd be silent, making it harder to find them. I loved that old farm, but (as a kid) I always hated the notion that the bugs were part of our existence. In later years, there weren't so many crickets, but there were some kind of little beatles that crawled across the floor. Yuck! In my little house-on-a-slab, I've had spiders and ants and ugly little earwigs...and a rare centipede....but I haven't had a cricket or a beatle. God is good!

I took a run to the local grocery store after dark tonight. There were no lights on in the parking lot. I mean, this IS Plainfield, so it is probably still safe...but it seemed a little spooky to me. When I was in the checkout lane, the cashier mentioned that the people normally in the office were out trying to figure out what was up with the lights.

My daughter is dealing with having her Russian in-laws with her. There are challenges. This is the first time she has met Sergey (father-in-law). I guess he is a character! I will be going up later in the month to meet them and visit....

My house payment has gone down! For a long time, it was affordable, then shot up (due to escrow taxes and insurance, I'm sure)...it was killing me. But now it's a little more affordable. Whew!

The temp was up to at least 90 today. I guess the bottom will fall out later in the week. Megan reports that they are experiencing smoke and a burning smell from a wildfire in Minnesota 400 miles away. Isn't weather a wonderful thing??

I'm still restocking the refigerator with staples after the big cleanout back in July. I'm up to ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, spray butter, and Parmesan cheese now. I get it as I need it...

Time for bed. Life in the slow lane!!