Some of you may recognize the location where I took this picture. It's a canopy of oak trees lining the road on the way to the Wacissa and I always feel like I'm in a cathedral when I pass through it. There has to have been a road there for a long, long time which isn't that unusual but that was a pretty wide road for the days when those oaks were young. They may not be the oldest trees in the forest, but they weren't born yesterday, either. 

I took the picture yesterday and just wanted to give it to you today and also- to tell the truth- I didn't take any pictures today. Not a one. 

It's been a bit of a strange day today in that I've had some stomach issues and I'm not sure why. Of course my main fear is that somehow after almost three weeks of no side-effects at all from the Zepbound, it is now attacking me and I'll have to quit taking it and I don't think I could handle that. I simply could not. I never in my life want to have to fight with my own self about food again. That's about the only way I can put it. 
But I really do not think it's the Zepbound. I feel a little spacey (really? how can I tell?) today too, almost woozy so I could have a lite version of some virus. Or, and this is quite possible, I have simply eaten too many salads in the last week. 
I just kept wanting salads. Salads, salads, and more salads. Salads with beans, salads with pine nuts, salads with sesame seeds, salad with cabbage and onions and lettuces and tofu and tomatoes and cucumbers and avocados and so on and so forth. 
Almost all with homemade miso dressing. 

I'm pretty sure I'll live to eat more salads. 

I had soaked black beans last night for one of my favorite recipes, which is "Best Black Bean Soup" from the NYT's so I made my soup this morning with the swollen beans and then I turned the soup off and went to town to meet Lily, Lauren, all the kiddos, Jessie, and Boppy for lunch at a Mexican restaurant. I ordered some soup and ate a little bit but not much. Mostly I just wanted to see everyone. 

I swear, every time I see Owen he is taller than the last time I saw him. Noticeably taller. Like, he's getting into the 6'4" range for sure. And Gibson? He's been saying he's taller than me for awhile and I didn't really believe it but Lily took a picture of us standing side-by-side and yep. He definitely is. Hell, Maggie's going to be taller than me before I know it. August is going through a growth spurt too. He's sprouting up and having growing pains, the way kids do. Levon? He's not there yet but baby, count on it- he will be. 

So we had our lunch and everyone was in a jolly mood and Jessie's kids went home with Lily so that the cousins could have one last afternoon together before they leave for the mountains. Everyone was pretty excited about that. 

I went to Publix for more pineapple for me and Temptations for Maurice and honey for the house. Had to go by Costco to get gas because I was down to a little less than a quarter of a tank and I NEVER let my car get that close to empty. Ever. I drive a Prius so I am aware that with a quarter of a tank I could probably drive to Alabama but I just can't chance it. I'm that kind of person. But all is well now, and I can probably make another twenty trips to town without getting gas again. 

Mr. Moon has spent all day trying to hang the doors he has built for Owen's room that he's been working on for a very long time. As he has said, those doors are the bane of his existence. They have not turned out the way he envisioned and he is not a man who takes kindly to not being able to achieve what he set out to achieve. Owen has been helping him this afternoon and I can't imagine the chaos that's been going on with five children and a construction project. Lily can handle it. She is a mama bear if there ever was one. 

I have decided that I am not up for spicy black bean soup tonight and I think I'll just make some clam spaghetti instead which is one of Glen's favorites. The soup will taste better tomorrow anyway as these things do. Give those flavors more time to get all cozy and relaxed and familiar with each other. 

We got some more rain. I suppose we're settling into our summer pattern of getting at least a little rain almost daily. Except for the years we don't and those are miserable years. And oh- it is now hurricane season which was a big surprise to the new head of FEMA who was not aware that there IS a hurricane season. 

We are so fucked. 

So let me ask you a question- what do you think about Elon going batshit ballistic on Trump's Big Beautiful Bill? I mean, he ain't lying about how it's going to raise the deficit and cut a lot of services that people really need but, uh? When did Elon get woke? Wasn't he just chainsawing and Nazi saluting on stage? What caused this quick turn-around and do we trust it? Does it matter? 
Also: how many drugs can one man do? 
It's just weird. One day he's Enemy #2 and the next he's spouting some truth and calling out Enemy #1. Why is he doing this? Is it all because his Tesla business has tanked because people obviously weren't happy about his hard right turn? Or has he always been that hard right and just never advertised it? 

Well, these and many other things are questions to which I have no answers. As I always say, "I don't know shit." 

I do know this. 
This picture of young Maggie and August is about the cutest cousin picture ever taken in the world. 

Except for all the other adorable cousins pictures we took of them. 

Early days at the Wacissa for those babies. Remember those golden curls they both had? 

Sigh. I mean, they're still adorable but just in a different way. 

As are we all, right? 

Love...Ms. Moon