Rainy Monday

Time has slipped away again without a post. No exciting news perhaps is part of the reason. Summer winding down and trying to take advantage of all the nice weather is another reason.

So an update. Jessica loves Milan and school. She is picking up the Italian language and we are anxious to see her. We leave for Italy October 12 and I have only started planning the agenda of activities. Everyone we speak with has a favorite city to visit. I think I am reluctant to start planning because I will see that we will run out of time before we run out of things to see and do.

Mike is doing fine in Bowling Green. I am not sure if I have mentioned his involvement with the aKtion Club. The AKtion club is a group associated with the Kiwanis organization, where disabled individuals are able to support their local community doing service projects. Two BG Kiwanis members helped start the BG AKtion club. They meet every other week and have helped out at a pancake breakfast and the recent Black Swamp Festival. It has been a great social community involvement for Mike. Oh he was elected as the president too, but does not like it when we call him Mr. President.

AJ started kindergarten this month and so far seems to like it. He is attending Glendale Feilbach School because they have a full time nurse at the school. Jesi says there have been a few issues with the diabetes but nothing major. Having the insulin pump makes life easier. The school has already sent home the first fundraiser, so AJ was excited to sell me an Entertainment Book. Just what I need but I am sure it is only the first of many things I will buy from him. Anyone else needing a Toledo Entertainment Book let me know.

Monday Morning Update posted Tuesday

A pre script as opposed to a post script (P.S.)
It is Tuesday morning and Jessica is on the final leg of her journey to Milan. Yesterday got a little hectic but everything finished smoothly. Jessica ended up getting a flight from Detroit to Chicago where she caught her overseas flight. Saved Steve and I the trip to Chicago and ended up being cheaper than driving.
More summer pictures will tell the story of the weekend. Jessica arrived from Boston on Thursday night with a car full of her belongings. She has spent the weekend unpacking and repacking for her trip to Italy. She leaves for Milan today. We spent Saturday visiting with friends and relatives. My Mom and Dad came down from Kalamazoo, Mike drove up from BG<, Jesi and AJ spent the day with us, Amanda came over, and Kathy and Enos brought Riley. It was a busy day. It is a week before AJ turns 5 and so we also celebrated his birthday. Jessica and Amanda baked cupcakes and surprised AJ. There were a few presents and now AJ thinks he should get a new present everyday this week to celebrate his birthday "week". Not a bad idea.

Survived the Divorce Open

Just an update that indeed Steve and I survived the husband wife club championship. We actually finished second with a gross score of 85. (par 72) The winners were 11 shots ahead of us but there were plenty of teams with higher scores. Everyone seemed to have a good time this year so maybe the golf gods were kind.

Cooler Temperatures

I love summer! I will not complain about hot days! I will celebrate that today the high is going to be 79, not 90.

Busy weekend with Mike and I competing in the Special Olympics Area golf meet. We did not have our best round and finished third with a bronze metal. Mike was happy with that and since I think we will be able to compete at the State level in September we should be in a good bracket. Then on Sunday Mike and I travelled to Kalamazoo for the family reunion which is always the first Sunday in August. It was good to see the cousins, aunts and uncles, as well as to spend some time with my family. For those that have been following, my dad looks great, although we need to send him something fattening. Not sure what he lost beside a kidney but I felt lots of ribs when hugging him. Mom also looks good. Dad and Mom celebrated their 63th wedding anniversary on Monday. Guess that makes sense, my brother turns 62 this year. Where does the time go.

While Mike and I were out and about this weekend Steve was holding down the fort and playing golf in the Country Club championships. He is playing well and finished 1st net in his age group on Saturday (senior championships) and 2nd net overall for the 2 days of tournament. He has entered us in the husband/wife championship this Sunday. He promises me this is just to support the golf program and we will have fun. This tournament is also dubbed "the divorce open", of which we have in the past experienced. Look for results next week.

I played with AJ Monday and we visited my friend Kathy. We went  to throw the ball with their dog Riley, but Kathy is generous with her gardening expertise and let AJ help with harvesting. He really enjoyed learning about how vegetables grow. Not too interested in eating them but it was fun to see the exchange of information. Thanks Kathy!

Kathy also has a beautiful yard with lots of native plants that attract all kinds of wildlife. The moose is not native.

With the weather a bit cooler I am off for a run outside now. I haven't been logging as many miles this summer because of golf and the heat but I am looking forward to participating in a few more races this fall.

The cicadas singing all day long are said to be telling us there are only 6 more weeks of summer. Get out there and enjoy it.

Pictures of Summer

This morning Steve is golfing and I am sitting on my back deck with coffee, phone, camera and laptop. I am looking forward to quiet time with words and pictures. First order on the agenda is to update some of the summer activites through pictures.

My friend Kathy has peaked an interest in birds. My Christmas present birdhouse now houses a pair of tree swallows. We have enjoyed sitting on the deck watching the parents preparing the nest and now feeding the new babies. Steve loves the fact that swallows consume 1000's of insects daily.

What started last year as a foursome of friends making a regular Saturday golf game became known as the fantasy foursome. It seems one of the original four was always missing and replaced with a sub. Late in the year another regular foursome joined in and they became known as the elite eight. An outing was planned with wives this year and one sharp wife came up with the shirts. The front reads "Fantasy Golf Team".

Turned around it reads"What about Enos". The inside joke being which foursome takes Enos. The reason being that some of the guys think the Enos shirt should read "It's All About Enos". Of course this is all in good fun and Enos will be the first to admit it.

Steve's birthday was celebrated with Jesi and AJ and Mike this past weekend. AJ's favorite activity with grampa is driving the golf cart and playing in the sand. Playing golf may come too but for now having fun on the course is what it is all about.

Last year in Kiawah with the High School friends we had fun planning meals and making Sandra Lee's tablescapes. When a quick trip to Toledo by the Smith's became a dinner party on the deck I called upon my girls to help. Everyone chipped in with the food and while I made the final preparations the tablescapers went to work. The result just begs for a spot in Better Homes and Gardens. Thanks Girls!!!

AND.... not quite sure what is going on in this picture. When we looked at the pictures on Sunday morning Bob, Bev, Steve and I laughed and decided maybe we will keep the negative on this one for future blackmailing. Any comment Tom?

And yes I have played some golf this summer. This is a picture of  my friend Sue and I taken during the annual Belmont Cup Tournament.

Last picture this morning was taken on Monday when a storm rolled into Perrysburg. I have never seen a shelf cloud quite like this one. It was much more awesome than the photo makes it appear.

So Much to do in such a Little Amount of Time

Why does it seem like the summer months are so busy. Golf, holidays, barbeques, birthdays, tennis...the list goes on. It seems we must take advantage of the nice weather and the social calendar just fills up so quickly. It is fun!! 

Lots of golf last week. I played in the 2 day Belmont France Cup tournament. This is a ringer tournament with only your best score of the 2 days being recorded. I played well scoring a net 9 under par. My friend Trina won with a 12 under par. Great play. Then on Friday I played in a district match play tournament qualifier. Based on the Friday scores we play individual matches next week. If you win you keep  playing. Lose and you are finished. Lets hope for lots of golf next week too.

Steve has a birthday this week so we are celebrating with Mike, Jesi and AJ tonight. Not the usual lobster dinner but that will come later this month. Probably a good thing based on todays weather. It is 95 right now and that is too hot to be outside. The air conditioned kitchen will be tonights venue.

Hope everyone else is enjoying a busy summer.