Friday photos

A look back at the week, Monday through Friday, thru photos-

This was our first Monday through Friday without Alyssa being at home. It was strange to not have her here and of course we missed her. Her classes started on Tuesday and so far, so good. She has already made friends and her classes don’t seem too hard (though it’s the first week- they are bound to get harder though I did not point that out to her (I am sure she knows that!)).

Abby didn't leave for her college until Tuesday afternoon. She had lunch with her work colleagues on Monday. Her internship ended up being a good experience for her. She really enjoyed working with the city employees whom she worked with and for and she couldn’t have had a better experience. Monday evening, the three of us were on the couch talking and Abby saw something online about it being soft serve ice cream day. I replied that we should go and get ice cream. And by, “go” I mean walk to the ice cream place that’s almost a mile from our house. This was at about 8:30 and the place closes at 9:00 so we had to make tracks…One problem is that I am not as fast a walker as I used to be but I got some good practice in! We made it in time, got our ice cream, and saw people we knew there. If you don’t see someone you know at a small town’s ice cream place on an August summer night, were you even there? I  can’t think of a time that I have been to the ice cream place and not seen anyone whom I didn’t at least recognize, if not am friends or friendly acquaintances with. 

The new school hours sign kinda made me sad... summer still has a month on the calendar but when school starts, it is the beginning of the end.

Abby’s move in was as easy as could be- she is living in the same apartment as she did last year with the same roommates. Easy Peasy, though I did miss (a little...) the annual move in process, replete with its stressors, last minute trips to stores, sweaty stops in restaurants for food, etc. This year, I watched her drive away from home to school. 

I bought this license plate frame for Abby’s car at the BMV when I was just there. The old frame bore the name of the place where we bought the car. Borrrring- so I bought this one and replaced it on her car. 

It’s zucchini szn!

Had to do a little photo shoot with these guys...I have found good homes for them, lol. There will be more where these came from. In retrospect, two zucchini plants was probably one too many!!

With the prices of groceries rising and with us having a Sam’s Club membership, I have been buying more in bulk at Sam’s. At Kroger, the normal size bag of Nestle chocolate chips is $4.49. I price compared at Sam’s and Sam’s ended up being right about half of the cost per ounce. Of course, to get the Sam’s price, you’re buying much more... Had never purchased such a big bag of chips but needs must to get the chips at a much more reasonable price. 

I opened the bag and then realized that the bag has its own ziploc feature... I was irritated with myself for not noticing that. Plan B- put those chips in their own container. They’re kinda pretty sitting out on the counter…

I guess I will know for next time...

Speaking of high grocery problems, Kamela Harris has a plan to deal with the prices: have the government set price controls on groceries to deter what she calls price gouging by grocery stores. Dear goodness, no! Ask Venezuelans how that is working out for them. Curb inflation by stopping reckless and out of control spending. That won’t solve every problem but it is a step in the right direction. 

My brother John moved to Ohio a couple of weeks ago and I got to go and see him this week. He's still two and a half hours away so not exactly close. But, much closer than seven hours so there is that! The place where he lives used to be the building where a secret society met- this is according to my brother. But, the building has the name of the society etched on it so I am not sure about how secret it was... Nonetheless, it's a very pretty building with loads of character. 

This is part of the common area when you first walk in the doors.

I counted about five fireplaces just in the downstairs common areas. 

John has only lived in Indiana and Illinois prior to this move. All day that I was with him this week, I kept thinking that I was in Illinois since that is the state where he's lived for over ten years. (I had never been to the town before so it was not a town that I associate with Ohio.) By the end of the visit, I pretty much recalled that I was in Ohio. 

Speaking of brothers and various states, soon it will be my other brother's baby's birthday. Mary Gracia is turning one! Such a fun decision to make: which bow to use on her gift. The one on the left or the right? There were pros and cons to each. I chose the one on the left. If but all decisions were this enjoyable :)