A week's end

Whenever I think of the "weekend" I always remember Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess in Downton saying, "What is a week end?" Don't you sometimes wish you lived in a world where one day was just as good as another? All equal in their loveliness? I sort of do, I must say, but weekends still hold that charm, even though they often require a lot more work than week days. I live in an opposites world!

Happy Friday!

Today is officially the last day of school for the "school year," except for the CAT tests Faith needs to take week after next. Next week is dance camp and after that it will be July! I hope to take about six weeks off. I think the school kids around here go back mid-August now, which means the pool closes and no one rings our door bell at 10 am asking for Faith.

Ever since we started dance three years ago, I feel like my summer gets a really late start -- recital is end of May. I don't even have flowers in pots yet. I'm not sure there will be much left at the garden store. My perennial garden is full of weeds and it's already too hot to get out there. I have so little energy right now, I feel like I can barely make it through the minimum around the house. I find it's so hard to know what I should be able to do because I feel like I don't do enough. Some people, like my friend Jennie, down on the farm, could run circles around me all day long. Yet other people, who sit at a desk all day, come home and sit on a sofa and watch TV all evening. I'm somewhere in the middle but I feel like I get worn out pretty early in the day lately.

Yesterday I went to physical therapy and I thought it would be my last visit, but after the PT pushed and pushed on massaged my IT band, she moved my leg and my hip made this loud "pop." She said it was the loudest blah blah blah pop she had ever heard in her 30 years as a physical therapist (she called it something but I didn't catch it). It didn't sound that remarkable to me. In fact, I'm pretty sure my joints pop quite a bit all the time. But now she wants me back next week to see if there was some sort of miraculous recovery. Not. After seeing her, and really thinking about this "condition," I truly believe that my hysterectomy et al. six years ago caused most of these problems, or not really "caused" as in something was done incorrectly, but that they resulted from the surgery. I know I have a lot of scar tissue, and I really think that is causing the back problems and leg problems. But I don't think there is much to do about scar tissue. Further surgeries would just cause more. My primary care doctor (too many cooks in the kitchen?) is referring me to a physical medicine doctor who can "supposedly" ablate the nerve that causes the pain. I think it's a long shot, but here's to hoping. "clink"

Ok, on to fun. Next week is a big birthday weekend. My father, brother, both grandmothers, and "moi" all have birthdays within three days of each other. When I was little, I loved sharing my birthday with every one else. We just added more candles and lit them again...very practical but a lot more spit on the cake. This year, after the loss of my beloved grandma, there are now only two of us to celebrate on earth. But, I will certainly remember all the years we had to celebrate together. Next Saturday, our family is having a reunion, which we don't traditionally do with any regularity. Since my grandma died in February I think we all realized how very little we see each other, and we should make more of an effort. The farthest one to come is from Florida, and most are within a couple hours' drive. I hope to see a lot of family and I think my younger cousin is awesome for hosting and pulling it all together.

In the middle of the week, on my birthday, I am sponsoring lunch at dance camp. I love these "tween" girls with their abundant energy, and constant chatter and love for each other, and am taking them walking tacos, fruit salad, and snickerdoodle bars. I am hopeful that my husband will take me out to dinner so I can use all my energy before lunch and then relax. I am planning my dessert however, and I think I will just have to bake my own cake again. Not because I HAVE to do it, like no one else will (though no one else will), but restaurant dessert just doesn't equal homemade cake and ice cream. I think it's Buttermilk cake and caramel icing again. Wanna come?

This weekend we have absolutely nothing on the calendar. Happy sigh. I hope the heat breaks a little so I can get the rest of the garden weeded and mulched, and some flowers put in my pots. I actually think I will plant all coleus this year. I love those beautifully-vibrant leaves. 

And in between the items on my to-do list, I'll be parked right here.

I have been working on my quilt quite a bit, as you can see. I'd like it to be at least square, which would be 18 squares by 18. Right now it's 18 by 7, so I have a a lot of stitching to do. I'd really like it to be longer than it is wide, so I'm thinking 18 x 24, but we'll see how it progresses. Next week I'll post some tips, so if you want to start your own hand-stitched quilt, you can see how easy it really is. I am kind of working on both ends right now. When it's finished, I'd like the top and the bottom to be all blue, with the opposite corners shades of blue and the gradient of colors in between. It's sort of random, I guess you could say. Random with intention. There ya go.

And I'll share a little secret -- I watch Luther while I'm quilting. It's a BBC modern-day detective show. Definitely not for the kids because it is a police show, ya know -- murder mysteries -- but it's good. As good as Sherlock, I'd say, without the wonderful quirkiness of Benedict Cumberbatch. The third season just came up on Netflix a week or so ago. I watched it and then decided to start over again. Shhh...don't tell my husband I am loafing during the day.

And here's a little bonus for you. I took one of the photos I posted in Monday's post and placed it as my computer's wallpaper. It's so cheery. I challenge you to put one of these photos on your computer's wallpaper and not smile. {wink}

Have a happy weekend.