my cat (a kindergarten book)

My cat likes to go in a bag.



My cat likes to go in a rag.



My cat likes to go in a box.



I like my cat!

The End

art camp

First week of summer vacation, I sent Little P. off to an Art Camp strategically located near the gym. Here you can see some of her creations. I do think she has some natural talent.

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Last week she started swim lesson, her fifth year. She is now officially a "shark" and is learning to flip turn.

On Sunday, I ran the Jungle Run 10k and redeemed my crummy Skyland Race time. The course was flat and fast, I felt terrific and I did it in 1:00:01, which I think is a pretty cool number. The end.

Don't you just love her self portrait!?



We shall now return to our regularly scheduled program of camps, gym, swim lessons, water polo and endless driving, punctuated by the occasional horseback ride. Thank you.

satchel

Here is that stray cat I mentioned awhile back. Little P. and I found her a couple weeks before school was out. I saw her out of the corner of my eye on Ormbsy while driving home. She was crouched by the side of the road and looked terrible. When we picked her up she was skin and bones.

She was so weak but even so just soaked up all the love LP gave her and of course she begged me to bring her home. Oh well why not.



She took to my room and relaxed right in, with her own dishes of food and water. She seems pretty old but after eating and drinking regularly she perked up and her tummy got nice and round and she gained some heft. She said her name was Satchel but Nice Dad calls her Mama. She is very very loving and loves her pets.

After a couple weeks one day she just walked out the door into the forest and we didn't see her for awhile. I think the dogs kept her at bay for a time until she finally got hungry enough (after evading our attempts to catch her) and ventured onto the deck. Then I scooped her up and put her back on my bed where she keeps me very good company.

She wheezes a lot and seems to have congestion but otherwise she eats like my horse and sometimes I catch her slinking around and venturing into other rooms and onto the deck. This week she disappeared again for a couple days but last night she landed back on my bed with a thump in the middle of the night. I was glad to see her too.



"Wow that's a good story, Grandma."

will run for pancakes

Saturday was the Skyland Mountain Run, sponsored by a local church. We start from an old historic ranch and run up Highland Road, the same one I do most of my long training runs on.

I love my Gap running skirt, so you can make fun of me all you want but I think it's pretty cute. Especially with those compression socks that I wish I never had to take off ever.



It was a hot day and I started out a little fast so I will not confess my time to you here. Let's just say I did some amazing comeback miles after walking partway due to shortness of breath and tightness in my chest and lungs. Not sure what was happening but I suspect the prolific Scotch broom that grows thickly on each side of the road may have had something to do with it.



Little P. ran the Kid's 1k and came in third, so proud! Then we had pancakes, eggs, sausage, bagels, fruit and way too much coffee (OK that was just me). Oh and lemonade. I love this event!

home grown

My garden is confused. We got a late start with planting, popping things into the ground two weeks after Mother's Day. Then it rained. Then it was ninety degrees. Then forty. Then more rain... now it's in the eighties again and the tomatoes are shaking their heads in disbelief.

I have peas (on the curly stakes), collards, tomatoes, pumpkins, zucchini, crookneck and chard.
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This is my flower "bed" that re - seeds itself every year. Hidden under all the bachelor buttons are some cool flowers I got for free at the feed store last year. No ideal what they are.

I am actually a pretty terrible gardener because after planting everything, I'd rather just forget it until it's time to pick stuff. Consequently everything is smothered in weeds. Thankfully the rain solved the whole watering problem (the problem being I am too lazy to do it).



Therein lies the brilliance of the CSA. This week: baby turnips and beets, parsley and cilantro, cucumbers (so. good.), carrots, teeny tiny baby squash still wearing their flowers, napa cabbage, green onions, scallions, garlic, red chard, butter lettuce, romaine, arugula, dandelion greens AND let us not forget the most gorgeous and mouth watering strawberries that never lasted the car ride home.

Amen.