This little girl and her brothers and their mama came over today for a back-yard visit. As you can see from Magnolia June's face, it was hot but at least the bugs weren't too bad. When I took that picture she was trying to talk me into helping her find the pig and the pig's house which of course I did. She was wearing a dress I got her in Cozumel when we were there last. It finally fits her. I have absolutely no sense of how big or small anyone is. Either I get things that are ginormous on the intended recipient or just skin-tight. I remember buying that dress. The store owner and I ended up having a long conversation about Trump and politics in general and he was no fan of Trump's. I doubt there are many fans of Trump in Mexico. Well, maybe some of the American ex-pats are. Plenty of them seem to be right-wingers but not all. Not all.
I miss Cozumel bad.
It was mighty good to see the Hartmann's. Maggie brought several dolls and stuffed animals and a book and wanted me to get the little wicker stroller for her to play with and I did. One of the first things she said to me was, "Do you like my hair? I cut it myself."
I assured her I did.
Lily and Owen and Gibson and I sat around the old table in the backyard. I passed out ice water and fans.
We discussed fan flirtations as well as other ways to get someone's attention. Gibson pointed out that you could leave your fan and walk away so that the person you were interested in would pick it up and return it to you.
Gibson is a smart boy.
Before they came here they had gone to the kids' school to get the desktop computers that they are distributing to all of the distance learning kids. They're going to get laptops but they aren't ready. Lily is stressing out over all of this so much and I don't blame her one bit. Three kids on three different computers in three different situations. They obviously can't all be in the same room and Maggie's class will probably be doing a lot of hands-on stuff and how can anyone expect to help three kids at the same time? I keep telling her that she can only do the best she can do and that will be fine but it's a stressful situation no matter how you look at it.
Aside from their visit, the day has been a sad one. I found out that a woman who at one time was a very close friend of mine died two days ago. All day I've been thinking about her and wondering if I should have tried harder to maintain our friendship. These things can be so heartbreaking. Let me just say right here that I am a vastly imperfect person.
Also, I can't stop thinking about Jacob Blake and the seventeen-year old self-proclaimed militia kid who somehow managed to shoot two protesters before fleeing. The police had seen him- this KID, with a gun, and thanked him for being there, helping them, and got him some water. This is so wrong on so many levels that I can't even begin to take it all in.
To add to my list of sorrows, Hurricane Laura is going to cause mass destruction when it lands. "Unsurvivable storm surge" they are saying. It's already a category four storm. Everyone is not going to be all right.
But a few minutes ago, another old friend of mine, a dear, dear man, stopped by and surprised me and it was just lovely to see him and his wife and their friend. I got to meet their two dogs whom I'd only ever seen on Facebook. So that was a beautiful break in this day of sadness and horror and grief.
It's raining and I'm making my favorite hippie meal of soybeans and brown rice with the sauce that I call "goop" which is made of mayonnaise, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder. Don't turn up your nose until you've tried it. It's delicious.
Another day in Lloyd. Maggie and I found four eggs in the hen house and she got to take them home along with eight others to make up a nice dozen. Tomorrow August and Levon are coming over for a little while so that Jessie can do some shopping. Mr. Moon and I are looking forward to that.
Here we are. Life goes on until it doesn't. Meanwhile, we love and we mourn and we do what we can do.
Sometimes that is not very much and not nearly enough.
Love...Ms. Moon
Just this week I tried to reconnect with with an old friend. The falling apart was both our fault. So I put a note in a bag, and a couple of towels to go with towels she already has. And they came back to me, unopened. So I guess that's that and some things just don't get fixed. Sad. At least we're all alive, but it's her turn next time.
ReplyDeleteI hear you.
DeleteThere is a lot of sadness in me attached to both the way the friendship ended and in her death.
And then I think of my mother...
none of us are perfect friends, I don't think. And hindsight hits us in the gut at times. I'm sorry to hear about your friends passing, never easy to lose a friend. I don't envy Lily.....work, family and home schooling for 3..... she must have an endless store of energy and then just *drop* at some point. That's when it's time for a Mer and Boppy sleepover! The news, the impending weather.....lordy- I try not to watch but I fear for the people in the storms path. Glad that it does not seem you will be one of them
ReplyDeleteSusan M
Lily's kids can't really stay here yet because of the virus. Lily and two other adults that the kids are exposed to all the time work in the public. It sucks all the way around. And yes, Lily does get exhausted.
DeleteI'm glad we didn't get the storm either but I feel so bad for those who did.
I feel as if life is swirling at us from so many different directions, some of them sweet, some of them deadly, some of them surreal and some just heartbreaking. I’m so tired lately, just plain exhausted by it all. Is this real life? But those beautiful grand babies of yours, they’re real and true. I cannot imagine how Lily is managing. I sometimes think the schools should just let kids unschool for a year, do their own investigations, because how on earth is this remote schooling going to work? I think the kids who have siblings at least won’t be as lonely. I feel lost lately and that’s the truth. My hat is off to Lily and my heart goes out to her too. The man and I say all the time how lucky we are not to be homeschooling while trying to hold down jobs. As for Jacob Blake and the 17 year old shooter. Well. You know.
ReplyDeleteThe exhaustion is real. So very, very real.
DeleteYou know- there was an opinion piece in the Tallahassee paper today that said exactly the same thing about taking a year off of school. I think this might become something that more and more people consider. The stress of the way it's being done is far worse than kids missing a year of school.
And yes- I do know re: Jacob Blake and that little shit ass kid AND the police who just let him on his merry way. Dear god. We are so fucked.
Today is horrifying. Between looting and riots that are only giving excuses for more horror and the RNC I'm maxed out on it all.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Jill. Me too.
DeleteThat terribly misguided kid thinks he is a boogaloo, helping "the cause". I can not even think about Jacob without wanting to magic curse the police all of them, a curse that would last until the day they depart this earth. It all comes form the top, we realize and damn, if he gets reelected, that is the final curtain.
ReplyDeleteSorry your friend died.
The children are wonderful. - Rosemarie is right, Lily should unschool for a year, it will not hurt the kids. John Holt's books are the best for unschooling . A rich environment is all the child needs.
Amazing how over two-hundred years of democracy can be devastated in one four-year term. I'm afraid you're right about the final curtain if he gets reelected.
DeleteI agree with you and Rosemarie. Let's unschool these kids.
You might say that the seventeen year old vigilante is also one of Trump's victims. Walking down the street with an automatic weapon, seeing angry protesters as some kind of enemy - that's the kind of wicked behaviour that Trump's leadership has engendered. Typically, Trump still hasn't said a thing about the attempted assassination of Jacob Blake in front of his children by a wild police officer. In contrast, he has plenty to say about protesters.
ReplyDeleteOne of Trump's victims or one of his spawn? Both. You're right. His mother appears to have supported him in his beliefs and actions. Trump doesn't care a thing about the victims of police violence, especially Black Americans. He knows they aren't going to vote for him anyway. But oh, how he loves to give his base reason to hate more. Reason to support him. It's sick and it's sickening.
Deletemy district is making rooms/areas in school for the virtual kids to come in and hook up to our wifi. my building is 50/50 for parents that selected virtual vs parents that selected face to face. still no word on the big action.
ReplyDeletexxalainaxx
It's all such a mess. As I read somewhere the other day- teachers are having to fly the plane as they are building it. You guys really ARE the heroes and don't forget it.
DeleteMagnolia June's face perfectly reflects your post and the way many of us feel these days in light of all that has occurred. Too hot, confused, sad. Angry. Just like the stuffing has been knocked out of us. Again and again.
ReplyDeleteAs for schooling here--all virtual until at least January 2021--four days a week with classes broken into am or pm pods. DS3 and DiL got an exemption for their just turned five year old to start kindergarten next year. They also have a three yr old and 16 month old and DiL didn't know how she could manage to keep the five year old on task--signing her in and out of virtual classes every 45 minutes for four hours a day. And, it is looking more and more likely that I will be managing the virtual schooling for my DGS--a first grader--as DD isn't sure the daycare setup for schooling will work. Should know by next Friday. If so, he will be dropped at my house four days a week (he is assigned to a.m. virtual classes, with the afternoon for independent work). Setting up his desk and school area for him in my home office. Parents have bought him his own laptop. I will take him home in the afternoon. Have to do what you can. Feel for parents like Lily with multiple children to oversee--and her a working parent. No easy answers for anyone.
You're such a good grandma to take over your grandson's schooling. I don't know if I could do it.
DeleteHow many times can we survive getting the stuffing knocked out of us? I guess we're going to find out.
there are no words for what happened in Kenosha. the police are complicit in the deaths of those two protesters and the wounding of another. they thanked him for helping them? a 17 yr old kid with an assault rifle! just exactly what kind of help could he provide? threatening and intimidating? if the police can shoot and kill unarmed black people in broad daylight then surely it must be fine for anyone with a gun to shoot and kill anyone they don't like. that's the message.
ReplyDeleteI can really see Lily in Maggie's face in that picture. I am so glad I don't have school age kids.
That is the message. AS LONG AS THE PERSON YOU DON'T LIKE IS EITHER BLACK OR A SUPPORTER OF THE PROTESTORS!
DeleteYeah. No words.
Maggie is Lily's mini-me, just with curls.
I'm glad you got to visit with the Hartmanns. Love the fans! Very flirtatious! Dave and I were just talking about that outrageous case of the 17-year-old shooting the protesters in Kenosha. What the heck was a kid that age doing on the street with an automatic weapon, apparently with his mother's permission?!
ReplyDeleteObviously his mother is a POS. And that's all I need to say about THAT!
Delete