Frog and Goat

The better-half and I are enjoying cocktails and cheese and crackers. I jumped up and declared that I made a typo on the website. Sure enough, to my horror, I flubbed the last entry’s title. My apologies.

I thought I should give an update on my family situation. My parents got home from their 15 day trip (to many places in Florida, on a cruise, to one place in North Carolina) on Saturday and on Sunday we got a phone call asking us to come over to see pictures and to pick up a t-shirt. I’ll be honest and say that when I heard the message I felt a bit panicked. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and I was kind of in a bad mood since we had just been to Home Depot and their self-checkout lane was totally fugged and I can’t stand incompetence. I decided that if we didn’t go then I would be the one who wasn’t trying so we went.

I’m not saying that things are back to the way they were but I didn’t get the hostility vibe that I’ve gotten the past several times I’ve seen my father. I consider that progress. We didn’t have any heart-felt conversations but we didn’t avoid each other and we both participated in conversation about their trip and he actually was in greet mode at the door–of course he was hiding behind a palm leaf–the Niece was on her way over too.

We all thought the palm leaf would be a little scary but she marched right in and disarmed my father and made that palm leaf her own. It was nice to see her wrap my father back around her finger.

I finally finished painting the walls and touched up the tile paint. I’ve posted some pictures for you to see the finished product. I’m still not sure what we’ll do with the floor but that toliet will eventually get replaced and the tub will get refinished…we’re thinking blue to match the trim but I don’t know.

Shot of wall over toliet
Close up of shower curtain area–it doesn’t look that ragged in real life
Hopefully you can tell how vibrant the blue is

When I checked on Yahoo this morning to get the low-down on the news I saw the headline “First Woman to Swim English Channel Dies“. The first thing I said was Gertrude!

I remember reading her story when I was in elementary school and being fascinated by it–she put grease on her skin to help combat the sea water–that’s so cool! She also swam faster than some of the men who had made the crossing-whoohoo. I thought she was as interesting as Annie Oakley–and Annie Oakley was pretty awesome.

So long Gertrude and thanks.