It’s been really cool and still in the evenings this past week, with clearly defined clouds in the sky and amazing sunsets, regardless of the temperature or weather during the day. Swallows are flying high above the village, darting like maniacs in loop-de-loops and I’m already seeing geese and hearing swans winging by overhead on their migratory airpaths. Even though it is the middle of summer, it feels like the arc is descending, partly, I’m sure, because I’m back at work.
For the first time in the 12 years of existence of the AWC Malmö, we had to cancel the annual Independence Day party on the 4th of July this year. So many members were out of town (including me) and so few consequently signed up, that it wasn’t worth it for the 1 poor activity coordinator to try and schlep everything by bus, with her kid in tow, out to the beach park grill place, so she reluctantly decided it had to be cancelled. A few days after she had sent the email, both she and I had people asking us why we had to cancel since they were going to sign up. This is the biggest event of the year, barring Halloween, and a week before only SIX were signed up. Out of ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SEVEN MEMBERS. Argh, I say. Do people really think they can sign up for a major party 2 days beforehand? Do they not realize such events require planning and purchasing?? Anyway, to sort of make up for it, I’m planning to host an AWC Summer Party in August, so we’ll see what kind of turn out we get for it. Our average at the 4th of July parties is 80 people, including kids, and that’s how many I had in my backyard last year. It’d be nice to have as many, though last year’s party was on the hottest day of the year so a cool breeze would be a bonus.
My good friend Camilla came over on Friday and had dinner with us and stayed all evening to talk. She teaches in Poland and has been there for 3 years, going on her fourth now, and usually when she’s here I see her for a hour or so for lunch. I miss her a lot, we always have so much to talk about and her perspective on things is so similar to mine, that I always get a lift from our discussions. She’ll be back for the month of August, though, so I’m hoping to pin her down for another couple of times to meet. One can never get enough of seeing good friends, don’t you think??
Speaking of good friends, I got the loveliest little card in the mail today from Christina. It has one of her beautiful collage paintings on the front: a moose! I’m delighted with it and it will have a place of honor with the rest of the moose gang. Christina—chapters at a time is probably easier, but definitely the whole thing!
I think it’s so nice to have made such good friends through this blog, this journal, this online obiter dictuming. It gives me SO much. It gives me the world and the nicest people in it, to boot.
Yesterday, something Karin said made me google an old game my brother and I used to play obsessively on my dad’s old Commodore 64. Yes, I really am that old. We LOVED it and I was always kind of bummed that it never made the transition to a PC version. I even googled it once years ago, but there was nothing out there then. But now! Holy Dimension Spiders and Ceiling traps: Sword of Fargoal is available online for download!
Last week, I bit the bullet and started WW again. It was way past due; I’ve been such a damn slacker all year and now I have to start all over again. But I’m motivated and that’s half the battle. I’ve been walking every day again, and now I’m starting the change to healthier eating and most importantly, healthier portions. It’s such a struggle and I hate it, but there you are: I only have myself to blame and only have myself to make it change. I have thought about getting some low-impact aerobic DVDs to supplement my walking, like the good old Jane Fonda my college roommate and I used to do back in the 80s but I don’t know what’s good anymore…any suggestions or recommendations would be most welcome. Maybe I should just stick with Jane?
Bubble-blowing, Sweetly Growing Birthday Wishes to Bethany and a Bundle of Belated Ones to sandykins!