Deck, Step Two

The keeper decided that before she left for vacation she would stain and seal the deck. It sounded easy enough. She had done it down at the beach. Yesterday she picked out the stain, bought the supplies, cleaned the poor, faded, worn wood. Today after work and after the sun was off of that area, she started in, but realized that this wood is parched and it is sucking up the stain faster than she can put it on. so, she got 1/3 of it done, and decided she will have to be at Home Depot early tomorrow to get two more gallons. It's bright redwood. A little 50's retro redwood. But it will fade. And it looks better than what was there. We have a feeling we will have to stay inside tomorrow while she finishes it.

Explosions in the Climbing Maple

After the keeper got home from church, we all sat out on the deck with the papers and she suddenly stood up and crept over to the climbing maple at the west wall of the deck. She told us to listen. We had already listened to the sound of popcorn pop, pop, popping, inside the branches. She thought it was mice or birds. We knew, but we kept quiet. She kept her nose and her face really close to one of the vines and one of the little seeds popped on her face! Little seed pods, thousand of them, were popping open. They were depositing their seeds on the faces of the maple leaves, waiting for them to catch the wind and fly, or be eaten by birds and insects. Very cool! She was amazed that she had never in ten years, noticed this. Of course, she really hasn't been spending much time putting her nose in the plants those last ten years until lately.

The institute Ended Well

The Institute ended and the keeper came back to us. She ended driving people to the airport and took another new friend to Frye's so he could take a new laptop back to Nicaragua. She said she hadn't been stretched like that since her doctoral studies. She seems to be speaking better Spanish these days. They all got certificates and she is happy for all the new friends she did actually make there.

Wide Load

OK, the keeper helped teach the class on culture today so missed the morning portion of the institute. But she almost missed the class because she followed a portable house moving project --2 separate trucks each pulling 1/2 of the house. They snarled all the traffic on Bothell Way and then slowed 405 too. But what was most disgusting was that one of the halves was spewing styrofoam pellets and pebbles, along with pieces of plastic all the way. Gross.

She said the Institute group did a very funny skit on faith and youth with Sister Olga playing Dr. Olga...Dr. Laura like. She cheered them on. It seems that the group is struggling to keep its energy. And others, like the keeper, are choosing not to be at things. A lot of peer pressure to follow the program lockstep.

This afternoon they got out early so all the visitors could tour Seattle, and since she felt she toured Seattle all day--from Kirkland to Bothell to Ballard to Capital Hill, First Hill, U District. Enough. But, she is very happy with two companies: DA Burns rug cleaners and Pottery Barn. The keeper took the rug which was already smelling badly that we like to use for activities which mar, stain, etc., and the DA Burns people told her that we didn't really make the smell, that the latex used to glue the back was the cause, and that Pottery Barn would replace it! After 10 years! We felt good because it was not our fault. And Pottery Barn traded our old rug for a new beautiful one that doesn't smell. We will respect it. We are happy because PB respected us.

Institute Day 4

The keeper came home looking very happy to see us. She says she is becoming a hermit in old age. She was supposed to be in a talent show tonight but just couldn't dance on a stage to We Are the World. (We would love to have seen that on You-Tube!) She says that it is agonizing to be with that many people all day, to be herded around all day, and then have to be there at night too. She found another participant who shares her sentiments. They had a good talk. But it's almost 1/2 over now. Meanwhile we had a good day indoors. We dragged out all of the toys and deposited them at each doorsill. Why? We have no idea. We thought they looked nice. A toy mouse and a bird toy laying dead at each door, perhaps they were prizes for the keeper when she returned to us. She noticed a few and then patted us on the head and put them back in their storage places. One other note: we are growing even more disgusted by the uncivil behavior that has exploded at these town hall meetings all over the country and in our state too. Such meanness. We also note Eunice Shriver's passing. What a fine woman she was. A transformer for the common good. The town hall spoilers should take note.

A is for Aubergine

"Look what the rains brought us," said the keeper as she studied the eggplant in its pot. We always wondered how eggplants come to be and it looks like we have two flowers. Now we need to coddle them and study how to care for them. The keeper came home a little less exhausted today, no collages, only a newsprint exercise, adoration, and an informercial. Much better.
She said she did run down to the cathedral to pray with the marchers for immigration reform this afternoon and was happy to see them. She got to meet baby Larkin and her parents Shannon and Sean. She also saw her mystical friend Stephen who was going to march with the group. He is always appears at important times.

Moisture

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We recently heard on NPR that one of the most disliked words in the English language is "moist". The speakers were suggesting that the oi sound is aggravating. We don't think these plants found that to be the case tonight. We don't think they give a hoot about what people think about the word "moist." They seemed pretty content and the lavender is throwing off great perfume. The keeper came home from her Institute exhausted. Too much sitting, and not enough depth yet...but she told us she made 2 collages today, not only a personal collage, but a group collage. We hope she can last the whole week. She thinks "collage" is a way more aggravating word than "moist".