Busy Monday Morning

Loved this this morning.

It was 87 degrees outside at 5:45 a.m today.  Yesterday our area broke a record:  105 degrees.  Our thermometer is currently reading 99 and it's only 2:30, so we could get over 100 again today.  I've always maintained August is my least favorite month and that's because of the long dreary hot days.

Those are the days I'm happy to be at home where it's air conditioned.

We did go for a walk this morning, even though it wasn't remotely cool.  And we ran into w-a-y more people than I like.  I'm not the only one that wants to get out before the heat sets in.  And since I knew it was going to be hot and I needed a few things from the grocery that are meant to be chilled (like milk and yogurt), as soon as we got home from our walk off I headed.  Finally had a bite of breakfast around 9:30, showered and got dressed for the day about eleven and in the middle of all that worked on the laundry. I've been going non-stop since 5:30 this morning so I'm ready to sit here at the computer for a few minutes.

Spotted at the grocery. 

Years ago we were at dinner with some friends and somehow the subject of employed women vs. stay-at-home came up.  The (gainfully employed) woman said something to the effect that she was grateful for women who stayed at home because they did all kinds of good service that she wasn't able to because of her job.  I know her intention was to be encouraging and kind.  But it smacked of smugness, that she was more valuable because she received a paycheck than someone like me who just stayed home (apparently doing nothing more than sitting around eating bon-bons (have I ever had one of those?) waiting for someone to need something before I got up off the couch.  I definitely felt condescended to - enough that the comment has stuck in my mind all these years.  I don't have any thoughts of employed / not employed being any different or one elevated above the other.  It's not always a personal choice, but often a demand of circumstances.  And IMO, no one should be casting any kind of aspersions on anyone's situation. Ever.

But:  this week I happened to be available at the right time to lend a helping hand.  I love when someone feels comfortable enough with me that they call when there's a need.  And truly - nothing I did was hard or terribly inconvenient.  In fact I remarked when thanked that if all the service in life was that easy we'd all be set for the hereafter.  I think I learned to want to help from The Husband, don't really remember seeing my Mom do stuff for others that much, though I'm certain she must have.

All of this is to explain why I received some flowers today.  They are leftover from the wedding on Saturday.  My part was so very small.  And a bit of it was serendipitous - I happened to be standing at the church with the very thing in my hand that was needed at the moment it was needed.  Didn't cost me anything but two minutes to drop off at her house. How lovely, now, to have some fresh flowers on my countertop.

Our tomato plants are happy.  The season started off...not well.  The first few tomatoes we brought in weren't great.  Some even went straight to the garbage.  But it's now a different story.  We've enough to share.  And how much I love that!!

Yikes!!

Our morning walks are still yielding pictures.  I loved the rows of marigolds alongside the corn.  And the skies this morning were so lovely - it made walking in the heat worth the view.  It makes me sad that twice in the last week we've had to walk around the homeless person sleeping on the sidewalk over in front of the library.  Didn't take a picture of that.  I did take a picture of the label on the hamburger (that I didn't buy) at the grocery store.  Never thought I'd see the day that hamburger (albeit premium meat) was $11.00 a pound.  Not using that for taco salad.

So pretty.

So today, amidst my ruminations, I'm grateful for the luxury I've been gifted by The Husband to be at home these many years.  To be a stay-at-home woman has been my blessing.  I'm grateful that I have this forum to sort of journal my thoughts / days / life.  Today this feels long, apparently I haven't actually spoken to enough people today.  I'm even grateful today that there's someone at the grocery that I've seen often enough that she calls me by name.  It's nice to be acknowledged.