A Sunny Day at Home

It is gorgeous and sunny outside. Why am I inside, using the computer, you may ask. Because on Sunday, after taking two walks in the sun, I got dehydrated and faint, and am avoiding the sun for a few days...but I still LOVE it! The sky is blue, the water is blue, boats are sailing by, the trees and shrubs are 1000 shades of green, and I LOVE SUMMER. I am sewing quilts, so that I can take another batch to the hospital tomorrow; Julie said that they were down to 5 remaining, and I don't want them to run out! Taking a break from sewing to post this.

Gregg is back at work. He had a good trip; he even went to a bullfight with one of his colleagues, who lives in Spain, and who explained the pageantry and history of the sport to him. Gregg learned that Ernest Hemingway wrote about that very arena in Seville. I don't think I would enjoy watching that particular spectacle, but Gregg loves to travel, and enjoys learning local customs, history, going to museums, trying the foods, etc. (I love all of that too, but I could skip the bloody customs).

David spent the morning kayaking with a friend, and after they had lunch, she went home (yes, I said "she," but I cannot say anymore. He is 15 and a half, after all). He and my dad are now out geo-caching again. I mentioned this when they did it before; it is a fun new hobby for people who love to use their GPS and go on scavenger-hunt-type outings. David and Kappa are quite a pair. Tonight, the plan is for David and Gregg to play tennis, and I will keep sewing. (It's a rest day on the Tour de France, or I'd be watching that tonight. They are in the Pyrenees now, so the action is very grueling and exciting...pushing up the mountains and flying down. If you have missed any it, no need to worry; you can watch the recap of the first 10 stages tonight!)

We have finally decided what to do for a little vacation this summer. It is very hard to plan anything right now. I don't know why; it just is one of those side-effects from the past year. It's also so beautiful here in summer that it is hard to leave, to be honest.

We all finally agreed to go back to the place that we love on Vancouver Island, called Tofino. It's way up the west coast, and is a wild, pristine area with surfing, hiking, fishing and gorgeous beaches. We know of a few good places to stay, and were fortunate to find some days free (they are usually booked by now). I am working on ferry reservations, and a couple of other details.

David is going to start his piano lessons, and has been very taken with Mozart & Beethoven this summer. (We just watched "Amadeus," and if you haven't seen it, please consider renting it. It's full of glorious music and the acting, costumes and sets are beautiful.) Anyway, now he wants to hear the Seattle Symphony playing some of the music he likes, so I am also on the web getting the symphony's schedule for the 2008-9 season...and we hope to take him to hear Linda sing when she performs in L.A. next year (you can find her on the L.A. Opera's website in their information on the upcoming production of Die Walkure).