peacefulMom and I had Thai that night and watched some of Pride and Prejudice, which was nice because it was just the two of us (Dad and Jason being down at the ocean with Jason's friend Michael, and my Dad's brother, Uncle Tim). It was my original intention to take mom and join them there before returning to Moscow (school starts Monday), but I rapidly realized that this would take a huge amount of time for very little return. If I left Thursday, I'd spend the whole day driving to the ocean, I could spend one full day there, and then make a 9-hr drive to Moscow on Saturday, leaving me one free day before school starts. As it is, I intend to leave tomorrow afternoon (only a 6-hr drive from my house), and then have the whole weekend in Moscow to get ready. I'll pick up Tyler from his sister's friends' house tomorrow and we'll drive together...he flew in today, since neither of his parents could drive him from New Mexico.
Yesterday mom and I talked to an arborist who had come over to see our wild plum tree out front. It has a double trunk at ground level, and one trunk had split, bringing the crown of the tree to rest on the ground. This crown is beautiful...it's umbrella shaped and the branches all make hard 90 degree zigzags, forming a thick netting of canopy. My friends tried to TP it once and lost about 8 rolls of paper in that tree before they gave up (I got them out with an apple picker and used them all). Sadly, the arborist can't save the canopy (although it's still alive because it wasn't a clean break). Mom and I plan to cover the split with tarpaper and leave the trunk there as long as it survives. It makes kind of a pretty arch. Dad won't be happy.
FINALLY got my hair cut, so I feel much better. I also took mom to the mall and we got her some new socks and jeans, so she feels better too (especially when she discovered she's still a size 6). We both looked for new bedsheets, but didn't find anything good. Then we came back and I spent the evening hanging at
bluemoonshark's house, with her folks and sister, sand3. It was great to see old friends (and Blue's family always makes the nicest vegetarian meals when I visit). Stayed up too late reading, as usual.
Ran errands with mom this morning (attempted to nick apples off Nana and Papa's tree, but too late). Came back and picked blackberries on the corner as I have every year since I was little, and mom baked them into a pie while I mowed the lawn for dad.
It's good to be home.
