cookies

Tomorrow morning I need to deliver four dozen cookies that I baked for a Missionary Society fund raiser. I used the "Toll House" recipe on the back of the chocolate chip package. According to Martha Stewart, cookies are always better when the unbaked dough sets over night. So that what I did.

Look at the black snake that decided to visit right outside my door as I stepped out to get my mail this afternoon.

Please disregard the weeds, I can blame it on the very hot temperatures that we are still having!

hyperparathyroidism

I spent most of the day at the swimming pool. What can you do when it's 105 degrees outside and no chance of cooler weather till the end of the week. We are setting new records here in Missouri for the most consecutive days of triple digit temperatures. I blame the Republicans. Yeah, it's all their fault! Tomorrow I go back to the lab for my third round of blood tests. I have hyperparathyroidism, a long word for too much calcium in my blood. Most people don't have enough calcium, I have too much. I know this is a symtom of something. It could be something simple. It could be a tumor on my parathyroid. I thank Jesus that I have insurance. If I need an operation, it will be covered.

high temps, etc...

We are back up to triple digit temperatures and will be for awhile. I can never ever remember it being this hot. When I was still a "regular" teacher and teaching summer school, at recess the kids would end up crawling underneath the picnic tables on the playground to get out of the hot sun. Even then, it was never this hot. I've been reading another book about the Titanic. 101 Things You Thought You Knew About The Titanic by Tim Maltin. Actually since this is the fourth book I've read about the subject, I do know quite a few of the facts already. I am also reading The People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry. This is a true crime story which takes place in Tokyo, Japan. It's an excellent read so far. Oh, we are planning on painting the dining room this weekend. I'm going with light grey walls and lemon yellow carpeting. I'm planning on using doggy doors on all the doorways so Sammy isn't tempted to mark his place. This will be the third time we've replaced the carpeting due to "you know who!"

a month from now

I can't believe that the first day of school is actually August 16th. That is so early. I'm sure that the teachers will be in their classrooms soon organizing and putting up bulletin boards. It's always so fun to go through the boxes of the new school stuff that you ordered in the spring. Our principal was very lenient and we were told to "order what you need; just make sure you use it." With the beginning of school my phone will start ringing again and I will begin another year of subbing. I truly love what I do and I know that good subs are a valuable part of the school system. Unlike last year, I'm not going to buy a bunch of new clothes to start out. I'll wait til Fall. 

jewelry

So this summer so far I have purchased two new Brighton bracelets (not counting the broken one they replaced for me at no charge) and a pair of dangle pearl Brighton earrings. I have my eye on a Fossil necklace which I plan to get as a "Going back to school" gift to myself. I also plan to order a "pricier" necklace from the Sundance Catalog which I will talk myself into getting. It will be a "Too bad you didn't get to go on vacation this summer" treat. I walked a total of eleven miles today and yesterday.

i'm fired up

The Republicans are voting today to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. For the thirty third time. Really, what planet are they from? Here's what I think about it: may they all get a letter from their insurance provider stating that they have lost their coverage. I got mine due to a simple eye surgery.

three things

1. Now that we are back to "normal" July temperature here in Missouri I've started my morning walk routine again. This was a great morning. I walked 5.19 miles on the Greenway.
2. After three (Yes, three) books about the Titanic, I was anxious to read something new. Yesterday at the library I picked up Restless Souls the Sharon Tate Family's Account of Stardom, the Manson Murders, and a Crusade for Justice by Alisa Statman and Brie Tate. It's a very interesting and easy read for those of you who are into "true crime."
3. Like Anderson Cooper, When I eat something I like, I find myself eating it all the time. When we didn't have a kitchen due to remodeling, I started eating Healthy Choice Top Chef Cafe Steamers. My all time favorite is Ravioli & Chicken Marinara. I'm hooked. I have to have it at least once a day, either for lunch or dinner. I usually doctor it up with parm cheese on top. Yum!

rain

We were at a pool party at the Lake of the Ozarks yesterday. When we left our house the temp was 107. I was wearing a tank top and a short skirt that I wear for walking. I topped it off with a big straw hat; not what I would normally wear to a party but in triple digit temperature one must get creative. Many of the invited guests had called and canceled due to the heat but we decided to brave it. We were there not ten minutes when the sky grew very dark and thunder started rumbling. The kids were rushed out of the pool and into the "toy room" to watch a movie. The grown-ups huddled underneath the covered deck and enjoyed the thunderstorm. The temperature dropped drastically to mid seventies. It lasted maybe an hour. The kids were able to get back into the pool and later everyone feasted on the fresh fried crappie, a local delicacy.

heat wave

We are beginning our second week of triple digit temperatures here. Needless to say I have cut my outside activity to a bare minimum. Doing lots of reading during the day and watching reality TV at night. My book list consists of:

• Voices from the Titanic by Geoff Tibballs ( 813 pages, I'm halfway)
• Shadow of the Titanic by Andrew Wilson
• If Walls Could Talk An Intimate History of the Home by Lucy Worsley
• Easy Algebra Step by Step by Sandra McClure and William Clark

 I am saying special little prayers for all the animals here in the Midwest who are suffering through the hot weather. Hopefully for them there's a creek nearby.