Please, may I have more... summertime?

I have regressed to wintertime blues. We had rain (not counting sprinkly showers) on 20 of the 30 days of June. One week of gloriously hot, sunny days- and not even all in a row.  Just, yuck!

I put my head down on my arms at my computer, and Ameranth asked sympathetically, " Did you lose?"

Me: Yes, but I lose (spider solitaire) all the time, I have won 6 out of , oh a thousand or so games, but that's not the problem. I am right back to where I was in February. blah blah, blah. I want sunshine and warmth.

A: Well, you know what the solution to that is!  (she had just taken both dogs off leash for a run in the soaking wet, unmown part of the hayfield and is all filled with righteous satisfaction)

Me: Don't say it!

A: Vacation- long weekend coming up!

Me: Oh, I thought you were going to say something obnoxiously uplifting.

A: Or move *laughs* I was going to say you could be one of those people who travel to Florida for the sun, but that's supposed to be in the winter.

I can't take too much more rain. I slipped on the way to get the paper this morning- our gravel driveway has a layer of green slime growing on it. Our neighbors and we are all out at the same time frantically mowing the grass, if we have a few hours of weak light and a breeze to semi-dry the grass.  I know other parts of the country/world are dealing with wildfires and heatwaves, but I'm entitled to whine about my problems on my page here.

I looked at the window in the living room that still has the storm window down and contemplated moving the table in front to get to it to put down the screen. I decided that it just wasn't worth it when I'd have to just put the storm down again in two months. And that's a pitiful summer. 

There are bright spots, fortunately, and here are pictures of them:

 Teva is one now

 Venus turned 8 in June, and Mars was 6 in March.

And Ladyslipper was 3 in March (with her half-brother here)

And if all of them lived in Maine, it would be paradise.

The List

Ameranth is coughing her way through the end of a cold, and semi-stoicly doing the dishes. I know- health code, right? We don't do that here- anyone who feels the yen to wash dishes (because we do them by hand) gets the greenlight. I think she feels the way I do too- that in order to relax guiltfree when you don't feel well, the place needs to be neat(er). Oddly enough, if I feel fine, I have no problem with letting the dishes go, because I can always feel like doing them later.

Anyway.  She walks in and announces, "Mom, this is my list of needs for a life partner. He needs to want to travel, like to play Guild Wars, and not eat spaghetti sauce. Or do his own damn dishes!"

Power-up

Finally. Finally, I think it's safe to say the winter is over, at least outside. Although it snowed in higher elevations two days ago, it is on the way to 80 degrees today. If I may be dramatic, (and why not, this is my long-neglected space) the winter in my soul is melting away too.

Several years of a deepening depression culminated this past February when my father died. It was sudden, unexpected, and very peaceful- for him anyway! He was tired and went to bed early. My mother went to check on him, he sighed and went- I think he waited for her.

So, it was a tougher winter than usual all around. Ms M has declared that she cannot deal with another New England winter of gray and gloom, and is making plans to move to Virginia. Sectaurs is contemplating a move as well. Thank goodness my doctor upped my anti-depressants and checked my vitamin D levels. Getting that back to normal has helped a lot.

Anyway J and I visited Ms M and Mr C in Massachusetts last weekend to help with a few jobs to get their house ready for the market.  Ms M is the handyperson in their relationship, so Mr C and I stayed out of their way, although Mr C did a fine job with the spackeling, I hear.  A leaky faucet had to be replaced, and I saw J headed off to the car for a different wrench for a difficult nut.When he got back upstairs, Ms M informed him that she had gotten it off and said, "Dad, I'm the Luigi to your Mario".

I don't know if J got the reference, but it warmed the cockles of my heart.

Remember, you asked for something to read!

The recent dramatic drop in temperatures brought J into the kitchen rubbing his hands and saying:
"Come warm me up- that front room is too cold to sit in!"

"You should sit in the living room"

"There's no computer in the living room"

"I guess you need a laptop"

"Are you talking about a dance?!"

*crickets chirping*