Time with friends...while boosting the local economy

It was a fun morning. For the young-uns who do not get to follow their elder siblings to school each day, it is nice to be able to arrange a little something special for them while benefitting the Mommies who depend so much on each other for sanity, laughter, girl time--and to remind us of our original identities.

The morning's events began at Buckies...the new one! We got the comfy corner seats--as there were six of us total, we did not feel guilty one bit. It was hopefully the beginning of a schoolyear full of such once-a-week (at least!) encounters--some perhaps shorter than others but all important in their own ways.

As one mother-child pair of the group had to split ways, the rest of us decided to Go Shopping. After all, I had a list-a-zón of items to purchase and shopping is always wonderful therapy. Accompanied by a friend with a similar-aged child to keep mine occupied, I can get a lot done, search out the bargains and still end up spending $100. Ugh.

Then to Whole Paycheck, where went about $80 more on our family nourishment. And chocolate. No wine this time. But soy-free chocolate, so I consider that survival food in the light of all my sacrifices. Plus, I'm still losing weight, even though I am trying hard not to, so time to up those calories. Unfortunately, the chocolate is a lot less expensive than the, say, delicious avocados that are a whopping $3.69 each. Ouch. But those are the fats I would rather be intaking.

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Business seems to be going well for now, a few new students as of this week, and I hope to be able to make this all work.

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It is a rainy day, and there is what appears to be a parakeet on the loose in town. I called Animal Control, a local vet office and a bird hospital here in town. Nobody has had report of a missing pet bird, although another call has been made about what is presumibly the same little tweeter. It is a beautiful yellow bird, and has come within two feet of me on my porch. I have some raw sunflower seeds scattered on the front stoop now; perhaps I can coax this creature inside (locking my lug-of-a-cat up, of course!) and get it rescued.

The rain has been good for washing a host of allergens and pollutants out of the air. We have needed this rain, and my garden seems to be reaching to the Heavens in thanksgiving for the gift of water. It is an Oregon day, and I feel right at home.

At peace.