When the heat gets to ya!

 

A normal weekday at Black Mountain pool.

But on July 25, there were no kids enjoying the pool. It was already for a weekend of swim meets.

Last week or so, we went to Filo's Bakery.

Filo's bakery offers delicacies. I tried their very expensive carrot cake. (There are better ones much cheaper in Black Mountain, IMHO)

I should have tried to figure out who owned this car, since we noticed it (and photographed it) on our way into Filo bakery. It was gone when we left. Lots of young people were there with toddlers.

The Tennessee Mule stopped at the stop sign, after running the red light from Broadway onto Sutton to get to this spot.

And he proceeded to run the red light again turning from Doughtery onto State St. He was thus a half mile ahead of me going west on US 70 by the time I got home. Must wonder where he was in such a hurry to get to. Can't get home that way...well, maybe eventually.

Some of the residents and Peggy Brewer (seated landlady in turquoise) at Blue Ridge Apartments, waiting for a hot dog luncheon to start. Our maintenance man brings his grill over and cooks up the dogs, while everyone contributes sides and deserts. Lots of good food!

Most of my mornings start at dawn when I open up the apartment to the cooler morning air (which is also humid.) I water everything on the balcony and am so grateful for the huge maples which provide shade on my windows most of the day. The windows are closed sometime when the temperature outside hits mid 70s usually. Then I enjoy the drier air of the air conditioners until the next day...when I again admit I live in a rain-forest environment.

Today's quote:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

MARGARET MEAd

An old photo:

My mom at Epcot around 1982-3. She was blind in one eye  (undiagnosed cataracts). Later when she had been hospitalized with a stroke, the cataracts were removed. She was a devout Christian Scientist. Here she was about 65. She lived alone after dad died in 1985 and then in assisted living or nursing care after she had dementia until she died in 2003 at 86.

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Y'all know  I have various medical issues. I keep trying to convince myself (and maybe you too) that my brain isn't too bad off, considering all the stuff I'm dealing with.

So today, as I was on line and about to place an order, huge thunder strike within a mile of me. Rain too, though I couldn't see much of it since I've got the blinds lowered to keep more heat outside.

I had already picked up my lunch at the Lakeview Center, and eaten it watching old Endeavor episodes. When I got back from driving the 1/2 mile over and back, I put down some of the windows in the car so it wouldn't be so hot when I went out again. I'm not sure where I thought I'd be going, maybe groceries?

Anyway, I closed computer and even turned off the surge protector before the second big crash of thunder. Then later turned it all back on again and read blogs, emails etc. Placed that order too.

Watched another episode of Endeavor, since I'm now on season 5 of my binge watching.

Ate dinner. I've done some dishes and walked all over my apartment, looking at the wet sidewalks through the windows.

And finally at 8 pm I looked at the car through one of my windows. Oh oh. Barbara's done it again!

But somehow I must have known that lowered windows in the car might let in some rain - and it was forecast lower than 40% chance today. But I did do one thing right. I didn't lower the drivers window at all.

So I'm leaving it like this to perhaps dry out a bit before I need to go get my lunch tomorrow.

Signs and summer flowers

 The hostas are at their peak for this summer, a week ago. Now they have all faded away for another year!

 I was a bit surprised by the signs on this resident's van doors...

They are still hard to read...
"Prophecy supporting message from God - Tsunami in Pacific and Chukchi Sea, thus say the Lord of Hosts."
"Test of faith message USA-
1. Clear ?? pertaining to all ___??
2. Begin to lift up the poor and needy among us in the USA
3. Vision - Star ______?"

I was a bit surprised that the Tsunami and some Sea I'd never heard of, the Chukchi Sea, were indications of the message from God. I wonder what that message might have been. And I was only able to understand and agree with the second listed test of faith...lift up the poor and needy. That's certainly needed more than ever these days.

I'm happy to sit here each morning, watching for mama hummingbird to come snack a bit, and see the sun rise behind the lush foliage of the trees. And my living room window looks out on the sidewalks to the entrances to 8 other apartments. Several times a week I see people carrying bags of groceries or meals (probably) to a few of these apartments. I'm glad that my neighbors (all seniors with food insufficiency) haven't been forgotten and there are still services to make sure they get enough to eat.

I'm very fortunate in that I have the car to drive to a store, and wear a mask while choosing to shop at less popular hours, and can afford plenty of food myself. I have been known to purchase some groceries for a few friends at times.The only trick is cooking food and then cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.

Yesterday I made banana bread, and looked up a recipe which used molasses...why? Because I had some molasses and wanted to try it.  I like this bread...not too much molasses taste, nor too much banana taste...and I cut back the sugar so it isn't as sweet as originally.

If I had a sign on my car (I tend to do bumper stickers) to reflect my faith, it would be "To Question is the Answer." I actually did drive a van with that bumper sticker for 12 years in the 70's. It's a Unitarian Universalist message.

Many people have stopped putting bumper stickers on their cars...but I don't tend to want to trade my car in until it's served me for at least 10 years...and I think I've only had this one about 4 years so far. But bumper stickers aren't made as well, and I've already lost a couple that I put on...I know the Hillary sticker.   I've still got a yoga one from the previous owner, and I've added one for Blue Ridge Recreation and one from the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. "Earth without art is just Eh." Can't say I remember the others...probably a bear from Mt. Mitchell.

Today's quote:

The surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean.
Some part of our being knows this is where we came from.
We long to return, and we can because the cosmos is
also within us.

We are made of star stuff.

Carl Sagan, Cosmos