Well, summer is back with a vengeance here in the Midwest. High today of 95º an tomorrow of 100º with humidity in the upper 70% to 85%. We could just as easily be in Washington D.C. with this climate; however that would mean being with Voldemort and his cronies. We are safer in the Midwest.
This week was marked by a lot of physical labor each day. We spent every day over at Abigail and Darcy’s home, finishing up their new 130 square foot raised bed gardens. This will be a joint use vegetable and herb garden. To the existing tomato and chives, we have planted watermelon, zucchini, potatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers and herbs: rosemary, oregano, lavender, thyme. We added fencing around the whole to enclose each of the four separate beds with a walkway between the beds.
The patio we finished last week is now covered by Darcy’s 12 foot circular pool, two and one-half feet deep. If that weight doesn’t settle the concrete pavers, nothing will. Deb and Abigail are plotting to spend some time floating in the pool during tomorrow’s 100º heat to give it a test. Although a few of the Omaha City public pools have opened for a short season, the coronavirus situation keeps us away from crowds. We have been searching our memory banks for someone we know with a swimming pool we could renew friendship with. Little did we know that our daughter had an inflatable right in her back yard.
We enjoyed a social distance dinner on our patio with our friends Howie and Lee Needelman this past Saturday, once again dining on pizza and a salad that Lee brought. Deb made one of her most delicious peach pies for dessert and all ended the evening well sated. The weather that evening was utterly perfect, making the coming weekend look even more daunting in comparison. There was even some leftover pizza for snacks on Sunday. Sunday morning marked a return of the ever popular and in-demand Eggs Benedict for brunch. We perused the local paper, and tried to assimilate as much of the New York Times as possible, this is always a week long project as there is only so much news that one can assimilate.
We enjoyed our biweekly family Zoom on Saturday but only one grandchild checked in, and then just for a minute to announce his break-up with his girlfriend.Tuesday morning Glenda drove up from Lincoln to see her brother and dropped by our house to chat for a bit. Later, the Tuesday cocktail zoom went off well with only one member missing. Wednesday, the cocktail girls, minus Glenda from Lincoln, met at Deb Duggan's patio to celebrate Jan’s birthday. They snacked on hors d’oevres and birthday cupcakes. It is rumoured that adult beverages were also consumed.
Also on Wednesday, Mark went in for another COVID 19 testing, his second. Deb also has one scheduled for next Monday. We undertake these as a precaution; neither of us feels out of sorts, but it gives us some peace of mind that, at a certain point in time, we are clear. Although the nasal swabbing is not pleasant, it is bearable and much preferable to the alternative.
Mark heard this morning from his second cousin, Sara Chaves Beam. Sara is Marcia Covert Chaves’ eldest daughter. Sara is an instructor at the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School for Marine and Envrionmental Science in Virginia. If you are interested she also has a blog, designed mainly for her students, but interesting reading nonetheless. The address is sbeamcbgs.blogspot.com. Her work and teaching on behalf of the environment and hence we the citizen’s of this country is very commendable. Keep up the good work Sara.
As always, stay safe, wear your masks, and keep washing your hands.
We enjoyed our biweekly family Zoom on Saturday but only one grandchild checked in, and then just for a minute to announce his break-up with his girlfriend.Tuesday morning Glenda drove up from Lincoln to see her brother and dropped by our house to chat for a bit. Later, the Tuesday cocktail zoom went off well with only one member missing. Wednesday, the cocktail girls, minus Glenda from Lincoln, met at Deb Duggan's patio to celebrate Jan’s birthday. They snacked on hors d’oevres and birthday cupcakes. It is rumoured that adult beverages were also consumed.
Also on Wednesday, Mark went in for another COVID 19 testing, his second. Deb also has one scheduled for next Monday. We undertake these as a precaution; neither of us feels out of sorts, but it gives us some peace of mind that, at a certain point in time, we are clear. Although the nasal swabbing is not pleasant, it is bearable and much preferable to the alternative.
Mark heard this morning from his second cousin, Sara Chaves Beam. Sara is Marcia Covert Chaves’ eldest daughter. Sara is an instructor at the Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School for Marine and Envrionmental Science in Virginia. If you are interested she also has a blog, designed mainly for her students, but interesting reading nonetheless. The address is sbeamcbgs.blogspot.com. Her work and teaching on behalf of the environment and hence we the citizen’s of this country is very commendable. Keep up the good work Sara.
As always, stay safe, wear your masks, and keep washing your hands.
