A friend returns

I couldn't back up to get my friends Susan and Karin in the photo, too, but our friend Tom treated us to Thai food for lunch today. My fortune was particularly fitting since I had friends around me.

Allie

This is my friend Maria's beagle, Allie. I went to visit Maria today bc she had a bike accident and broke her elbow. We ate Thai food and then gave the soup to Allie. She seemed to like it. : )

Lunch

I went to my favorite lunch spot today in the park. Read my book (The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold). I wanted to sit there all day and read under the trees.

Picnic lunch

After Anna's 5-year check-up (during which she screamed bloody murder like never before), we had a picnic lunch and some Abbott's frozen custard while we fed some ducks along the canal. (This is a cell phone photo!)

Nighttime

The light was really pretty tonight, casting sort of a blueish tone. This is the view of our sunroom from the outside.

Mommy's rashy, too

It took 24 hours, but I did have an allergic reaction to the Silpada earrings I tried on at a party Monday night. :( Good thing I didn't buy them even though she said they were nickel-free.

Stone

This pile of stone in front of our house gets bigger and smaller every day... and they start messing with it at 6 a.m.

Bandana boy

I got this bandana for Yoshi at the swap on Saturday. Doesn't he look handsome? I think the yellow brings out the beige in his coat. : )

Rashy

Tomato sauce gives Anna a rash around her mouth. It's hard to see here (not the pimple-like bump), but it's around her mouth. And it might explain some ongoing GI issues she's been having. We're going to see a specialist next month.

After the rain

I had a migraine and slept for four hours straight. While I was sleeping a bad thunderstorm blew through. Toaster said Yoshi was scared, hanging out in the bathroom through part of the storm.

Happy birthday to me!

Joe found this great desk on Craiglist for me because he knew the folding table I was using as a sewing table just wasn't cutting it -- especially with the Bernina machine my dad got me early this year. I can't wait to start organizing!

Our favorite breakfast place

Alex's House is this tiny diner we go to. Best breakfast in town. They make the best pancakes. I think Anna would love them. : )

Swap meet

Everyone got lots of goodies at the swap. We had so much stuff! I meant to only post one photo but then I posted two and then I couldn't figure out how to delete it. : )

Cousin Twins

The cousin twins are having tons of fun together this weekend.

Construction

The city was supposed to start replacing our curbs and sidewalks in May, but they only started this week. Maybe it's because of the rainy summer (note the sky).

Swap

I'm having a swap at my house tomorrow. I've been stashing everything in this room. Now I have to sort through it. Some of the stuff in this photo we're not getting rid of, just pulled it out of the closet to get to other stuff.

Because you're not on FB

I thought I'd share this here. It's not my photo today, especially since it wasn't shot by me nor was it shot today. ;)

Corn on the cob

It hasn't felt much like summer this year, so we hadn't thought to be PeeDee corn on the cob yet. She didn't get much farther, but she had fun trying it.

Dinner date

I had dinner tonight with my friend Woodie. She's awesome. I had such a nice time with her. She's one of those friends that you can have real conversations with. I appreciate that about her.

Chuck E. Cheese

Anna insisted on Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday. Grandpa Hare came, and Edie brought Owen, Jordan and Carson. "This was the best birthday EVER."

Blast from the past

This is me and my childhood best friend Kendra. I think we were in the 10th grade going to our first semi-formal. I wrote about her for my column which publishes tomorrow.

Yellow flower

There's nothing like a pretty yellow flower to brighten your day.

Flash flood

The view off our front porch this evening.

I take it back -- I want this to be my photo today

I pinned the skirt to the shirt, just so I could hang it. The shirt may be about an inch too skinny (in an effort to make it thin enough for my thin kid). We'll see when she tries it on blindfolded tomorrow. ;)

Cereal bowl

I've had this cereal bowl since I was a little kid. I used it today for the first time in probably years. Toaster never touches it. He's always afraid he's going to break it.

Asthma van

Our community-wide asthma program bought a hybrid. My job today was to find it and get a photo. It was too close to other cars to get anything good, but I got the best part of it.

Sunbathing and margaritas!

For a little while this afternoon, Toaster and I sunbathed while sipping margaritas on our back porch. It was one of those lazy days and in the low 80s! That's cool (and bearable) for here.

BDay Sewing Project #2

A pillow sham. (#1 is the bedspread it's on; #3 is an identical sham; and #4 is an outfit I'm designing, if I can get it to work.) (Psst. Don't tell Anna.)

Saturday night

It's Saturday night and I'm doing laundry. (Don't worry -- I don't leave the house in those crocs.)

The girls

We went to a cookout tonight at my boss Susan's house (L to R: Me, Tina, Susan, Katie). She is seriously the best boss ever. And like a second mom to me. She's awesome.

Evening sky

The sky looked so pretty on our walk this evening.

Clar's

There's this cool-looking repair shop on the way to work. I snapped this while we drove past.

Country Girl

A friend has a box at CMAC and Tim McGraw played tonight, so he brought his wife and I brought my friend Lori (Joe refused -- he doesn't like country like as much as I do). I don't think I'll ever want to see another concert where I don't get VIP treatment.

Tina and Thelma

Tina came over tonight to eat Thai takeout and watch Thelma & Louise, her favorite movie. I had never seen it, and once she found out she was determined to make me watch it. I LOVED it. Next time we watch it, we're going to drink Wild Turkey like they do in the movie and drink from airplane bottles of liquor. : )

Let me see that sushi roll

I made sushi for Toaster and me tonight. Supper club gave me confidence. : )

Ridiculous

I took a bunch of pictures of her in this outfit (It was so cute on the hangar!) so you could see how ridiculous all the ruffles are, but I just loved the way this one turned out. Something about the dimple in her elbow, the shine of her hair and the depth of the background.

(Here's the outfit in all its ruffle-laid glory:
She actually screamed at me when I put the shirt on her... I took her to day care in it anyway!)

Waiting for a walk

As soon as I open the pantry where we keep Yoshi's leash, he gets so excited. He knows the signal. : )

Before there was Elmo

A current family favorite. (Check out the price. It was a yard sale find a few years back.)

Monday night ritual

I watch the Bachelorette in bed every Monday night. I'm addicted.

MYYYYY

When Parker's done with dinner, Joe often entertains her by trying to take her napkin or fork or bowl. She leans as far away as possible and says "MYYYYY."

Zombie pre-K

Our friends, the Flanigans don't think zombies are off-limits for their preschooler either. This is her zombie walk. Cute!

Our house

This was the little cottage we stayed at in Asheville. Toaster took this Sunday morning before we left to go home.

Cake with Nana and Grandpa

Anna and PeeDee spent all day with their grandparents while we got rained on at the festival. Then Anna got to have cake for her birthday since she won't see them later this month.

Hair and make-up

I spent a few hours with Katie getting her hair and make-up trial for the wedding. Doesn't she look gorgeous? This was the moment when the hairstylist let her see the whole hairdo.

My desk

Wanted to give you an idea of my work cubby. : ) I have lots of photos of Yoshi and Aiden tacked on my walls.

Almost ready

The festival where Joe got his start is tomorrow and Sunday. We're ready to go! (Cross your fingers for good weather!) (Oh and check out Joe in insider)

My crap

This is all the crap that I lug to work every day. My hands are always so full, sometimes it's even hard to get out the door, literally.

Filming

I spent a big chunk of the day with a crew doing a documentary on one of the inventors of the hib vaccine.

Center piece

Supper club was at Woodie's tonight. She always has the prettiest center pieces.