 |
Barbara
Fritchman Thompson Diary
Week
of 21 April 2008
Latest Update: Sunday, 27 April 2008 2:00 p.m.
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Monday, 21
April 2008
Yes,
well, Monday again and a rainy one at that. We missed all the storms
that came through yesterday. They went either north or south of us. We
had a lot of wind and off and on clouds but that's about it.
Be sure to read Bob's page
for today. I remember when Kim's parents moved in down the street. He
was terrified of Kerry and Duncan so whenever he was out front working
in the yard I made sure to keep the dogs well on the other side of the
street when I walked them. If I did not have the dogs we would chat for
a few minutes. Kim's dad passed away after a short illness. Before Kim
moved in I would check on Mary after we had bad weather or an ice storm
to make sure she was okay. As you can see from the picture Jas and
her mom are both very small especially standing next to Bob. It's
fun to help a bright, well mannered young lady along who has a great
deal of potential with a little extra support. If we stop to talk
with Kim and/or Jas if they are out I always back away after a few minutes
and let Bob and Jas talk. I think she enjoys having an adult conversation
with a grown up male who listens to her and treats her like an adult.
Jas's father died when Jas was only 2. Living in a house with your mom
and your grandmother I am sure can be trying at times as a young
teenage girl trying to grow up.
This morning we woke up to cloudy skies and drizzle. I did not go
out at lunch choosing instead to rest and read during my 45 minutes.
Next time I looked out one of the attorney windows when I walked by an
office it was pouring down but by the time I left work it was just
drizzling. About ten minutes after I got to the gym it started raining
pretty good. We had enough rain to at least give the stuff I planted
over the weekend a good drink and wash some of the pollen out of the
air.
And of course it has turned cool enough for Bob to have to turn the heat back on. Spring weather in the Triad. Gotta love it.
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Another busy day at work. I started reading
the next Craig mystery, Vineyard Prey, during lunch before taking a
quick 20 minute walk to get some fresh air.
It's off season on the Vineyard, the first of December. Craig includes
all his usual cast of characters, Zee, the kids, etc. J.W. finds
himself helping his Nam buddy, an American Indian who lives on the
other side of the island, Joe Begay. Begay finds himself on the run
when three of a group of five agents from a long ago mission wind up
dead in the same year. As Begay fears he is the next target J. W. steps
in to track down the killer, known as the Easter Bunny, while
trying to keep his family from harm. Now the island is overrun with
deer hunters and human hunters as well as FBI, secret agents, and men
in suits.
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Wednesday, 23 April 2008
I can't belief I read the whole thing! Yep, I
stayed up until 11:30 last night, way past my bedtime to finish the
Vineyard. Once I got over midway through the book at my bedtime I just
had to keep going to see how it would end. Even though I guessed who
the killer was it did not ruin the ending for me at all.
Tonight I had to come home and mow the grass, again. With all the rain,
warm weather, and Scott's feeding it just grows and grows. I had just
enough room in the yard cart to hold the second cutting. I will have
Bob switch to my mulching blade this weekend.
We have another robin family move in over the top s curve of the gutter
downspout. Last year one built in the back. Fortunately the babies
hatched and flew the nest before we had the gutters replaced. This year
they chose the front gutter by our bedroom window. I imagine we will be
hearing the chirps of little babies while lying in bed before too long.
I should be able to get good pictures from the front porch once the
hatch.
It was another busy day at work. I have several projects going at one
time which is good. I like to stay busy. Time to pick out another book
from the library reserve pile.
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Thursday, 24 April 2008
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No update.
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Friday, 25 April 2008
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Gosh it's been a long, busy week. Last night
I met a friend for dinner at the nearby Italian restaurant. It's
nothing fancy but a nice, inexpensive place to meet for a chat.
Afterwards I popped in next door in the Harris Teeter to pick up the
few things we needed from the grocery store for the week.
I am reading the latest Anne Perry, Buckingham Palace Gardens. As you
can tell from the title Pitt finds himself investigating a murder at
the Royal residence. The victim is a prostitute hired for a night of
entertainment at the Palace while hosting four men and their wives for
a week while the Queen is not in residence. The men are there to
investigate the building of a major railway to run from Africa to
Egypt. Pitt enlists the aid of Gracie, their household maid to go
undercover in the Palace to try and learn more about what happened the
night of the murder. Charlotte plays a very minor role in the book but
Perry brings in the formidable Aunt Vespasia and Charlotte's sister
Emily. Once again Pitt must solve a very delicate matter on the quiet
to prevent British government scandal and social embarrassment.
It was such a beautiful day today I took my lunch and book outside to
enjoy the warm temperatures and sunshine. As usual more rain and cooler
weather is forecast for the weekend. Blah!
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Saturday, 26 April 2008
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I've spent a busy morning doing yard
activities. Frances and Al stopped by around 8:45 this morning with a
very nice nandina bush Al dug up from the flower bed in their front
yard. I got up a little after 8 and was reading the paper when she
called to let me know they were on their way. I quickly threw on some
shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed my load of work clothes to put in the
washer when I went down to meet them out back. We chatted for a few
minutes before they took off and I came back in for a bite of
breakfast and to strip the bed linens to take them when I went back
down. I had Bob let Duncan out the front and took Malcolm down with me
to let them run around while I started in the yard.
Bob came down to change the blade on the mower to mulching from
catching and helped me carry the tub with the bush down to the backyard
near the property line in the natural area. After I planted the bush I
fertilized the azaleas along the house on both sides. My next door
neighbor came over for a chat. I showed her the plants I transplanted
from Marcie's last week. They have a bluebird box at the end of their
driveway. She took me over to show me the baby bluebirds. You can open
the front of the box and see them in the nest. The parents nor the
birds mind of you look in on them. My robin has been sitting on her
nest all morning which must mean she has laid her eggs. The little
bluebirds, four of them, were all curled up together to stay warm.
After I did a few more odds and ends I cranked up the mower. It was not
all that high but I wanted to raise the mower to summer mowing height
and make the first mulching cut of the season, about a quarter or so
inch of grass. The forecast is to be rain tomorrow and Monday which
would have made it way too high by Tuesday if I had not cut it down
today. They had called for thunderstorms to get here by noon but other
than some thick clouds that moved in and blew over the sun has been out
all morning. When I finished mowing I put down some black ant killer
along the curb and the crack in the back driveway then watered all the
newly planted stuff. With the forecast of rain/thunder showers it is
always a hit and miss as to how much rain we will actually get. It's
very warm today, high 70's to low 80's but is to be cooler tomorrow.
I was hauling the front yard hose reel to the front on my little
rolling cart when Bob came out the front door. He unloaded and hooked
it up to faucet for me. I was shocked when I came in to get the broom
to sweep off the walkway that is was 1 pm. The maple seeds are falling.
We call them helicopters because they look like copter blades when the
twirl to the ground. I front yard, walkway, and porch are covered in
them. Something else to track in the house on dog paws and our shoes.
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Sunday, 27 April 2008
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We finally got a thunderstorm last night
about the time for the dogs last time out. We made it back in just as
the rains came. Earlier in the afternoon the storms stayed north of us.
This morning I did the weekly house cleaning finishing up around 10. I
called dad to let him know I would pick him up around 11 to go to the
driving range and hit some golf balls. On the way out I loaded the car
up with cardboard to make a deposit at the recycling bins.
I have not picked up a golf club in about four months. Every time dad
goes to the golf course for his golf association meeting the owner,
George, asks dad when we are coming out even to just ride around and
hit some balls. Well, before I did that I knew I had to at least get in
some practice. I was not sure how either knee was going to behave let
alone how I would hit the ball.
The right knee I had surgery on did pretty well. For right handed
golfers the pivot motion and weight load is not as severe as it for the
left knee. That is one I was worried about since I know I have a tear
which needs to be fixed as some point and is the one giving me the most
trouble since the surgery. For the first dozen shots I was a little
tentative, reluctant to try to follow through with full weight. It
twinged a bit but nothing I can't live with. Dad did okay with his bad
knee and being 85 years old. We spent about half an hour hitting
through all the clubs in our. Toward the end I had most of my swing
rhythm back. If we can a get a nice, clear weekend perhaps we might
give it try on the course.
Today is cloudy and cool though no rain has fallen. More of chance late
this afternoon and tonight. When I got home I helped Bob unload the
astronomy stuff from the white truck for him to drive over to the
airport. While we were doing that the guys had a chance to run around
and play.
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Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
by
Barbara
Fritchman
Thompson. All Rights Reserved.