Quiet on the Circle

We have had a spate of visitors in the last week. Don't get me wrong, I love having people at the house, and try to be a good hostess, but yesterday we sent off the last of a week's straight worth of houseguests!

TBO's brother and daughter were in for one night last week. It was wonderful to have them here, especially since I had not seen our niece for about 5 years (they live in Phoenix). Our niece has just finished a term as a Senate Page in Washington, D.C. Although I hadn't seen her in several years, I imagine that this experience will be much like our middle son's Philmont Scout Ranch experience - we sent a boy to New Mexico, and an amazingly mature young man returned. Our niece will be a senior in high school this year, but I would lay odds that she is the most mature young woman in Phoenix. She is bright, funny, aware, reads the NEWSPAPER (!), and an all around lovely child. I know her Mom and Dad are incredibly proud of her, as are her aunt and uncle.

Janie from Sounding Forth and her husband came in late Thursday and spent the weekend with us. We ALWAYS have a great time with them. They had to go home on Monday, but we were still trying to get them to stay...we were figuring out ways to fix beds for them and our next guests...but they felt they should get home to the ZZ crew.

Monday afternoon, TBO's brother and daughter came back...our niece had been visiting a fellow page in Dallas along with several other pages, and BIL had been to OKC. He and his sister rode the train to Fort Worth, and his daughter rode the TRE to Fort Worth. I sent TBO to the train station while I did a quick tidy up job, washed towels and ran to the grocery store. We had a great dinner and played a "bookshelf" game called Acquire. Lots of fun was had by all.

Tuesday, we went to Grapevine and picked up our oldest grandson for the day. He also had not seen our niece for about 5 years. We went to the Dallas World Aquarium which was awesome. I am not really that into fish, but there were many more species there! We then went to the Sixth Floor Museum. I had been several years ago when my oldest son was in high school, but the exhibit has changed and expanded since then. Even the 10 year old was totally engaged.

Driving in Dallas makes me crazy. I do much better in the insanity that is Fort Worth! Adventures in Dallas driving included: almost being run off the road by an 18 wheeler, 2 near misses of small cars in the next lane as I tried to make my exit to the aquarium, missing the turn to 635W and having to retrace our route, (but only once), nearly missing the 360S exit. Not too bad, I guess. I should say that my BIL drove home from Dallas and that all mistakes in navigation were MY fault, but to my defense, I WAS sitting in the back seat! Bless BIL's heart, he traversed the streets of Dallas to pick up our vehicle and pick us all up at the Sixth Floor. SIL and I probably would not have made the trek back to the aquarium with our bad knees and hips.

Yesterday, SIL had to be at the train station in Fort Worth at 5:00 pm, and BIL and daughter had to be at DFW at 6:30. Fun time to be leaving anywhere! We got SIL to the train as it was boarding, then got to DFW right on time! Wahoo! Success!

So, now what to do? SIL got the sheets washed and put back on the beds for me before she left. The towels are done. I guess I'll go clean the bathroom, run the vacuum and dust before the next crew arrives. Give me a day or two, okay?

Weekend Guests

We have had the joy to have Janie from Soundingforth and TMSL with us this weekend. It is always a fun time when they are here.

Friday Janie and I spent the day at the salon getting her hair colored and cut. I am always amazed at the process of coloring hair. I have had low lights put in a couple of times, but since I was having a red shade put in, which I hear is the hardest to keep in, I soon abandoned that idea and just let the hair go gray. There is enough red left that the gray looks strawberry blondish, in fact, when I got my passport several years ago, I took a poll at the application center as to what color I should put down as my hair color. They said blonde, to my delight, and not white! Yet, to this day, I consider myself a redhead. Kind of like the Marines, I guess, once a redhead, always a redhead.

Yesterday Janie, TMSL, and TBO went downtown and other places in search of computer parts. I opted for vacuuming and returning things to Target. Later we went to dinner at Del Friscos in Fort Worth-YUMMY is the only adjective I can think of to describe everything I had to eat or drink. Next we went to the Jubilee Theatre's production of Sam Shade the Musical. If you have a chance, go see this. Great voices, clever dialog and plot, good dancers, super time.

Today we went to brunch, then came home to more computer stuff. I don't understand much of what is going on, and frankly, don't want to know! That's why I have TBO around - much to his chagrin at times - to be my resident computer guru.

We are planning on watching a great old movie as soon as TBO and TMSL get back from buying yet more computer parts!

The End of Festivities

Yesterday three of my friends and I had a receptions for our middle son and his new bride. Many of his friends and ours were unable to make the wedding last month, so this was a chance for some of them to meet our new DIL.

One of my friends' nephews has a wonderful facility at his home that they use for family gatherings. She was able to gfor us to have the reception there. It was absolutely perfect. I am so grateful for such wonderful friends.

Now, on to baby watch...our newest grandson is due on August 12...I wonder if he will be on time? He's a first baby, so who knows?

Hot and Tired

I am officially tired of hot weather and it's only the middle of July. I probably should just build a bridge and get over it since I live in Texas and we are likely to have at least two more months of HOT weather.

It is actually supposed to be much cooler this weekend...maybe as low, LOW??as 90 tomorrow and Sunday.

I knew it was hot on Tuesday when I could get out on the lawn tractor at 9:00 in the morning without worrying about the grass being too wet to cut. It was only about 89 degrees that morning, but had climbed up to the mid to upper 90s by the time I finished. But it's a dry heat as they say in Arizona. Ha. Heat is heat is heat.

I shall quit for today as I am only capable of whining! Thinking thoughts of cool autumn days and nights.