Good morning!

I woke up this morning with more than the usual amount of ambition. I showered, then did some yoga type stretches. I have a little group of stretches I got from a book called Pain Free. They take about 10 minutes and I think they're a good quick stretch. I took a 2 mile walk on the trail last evening and was feeling a little stiff, so this was just the ticket. I've been scanning YouTube for yoga workouts, but most of them are so long I know that I probably won't do them regularly, so back to my basic little set of stretches.

Then I made myself a smoothie and decided to sit on my deck and enjoy the morning. By the way, I thought this smoothie was particularly good, so I'll have to remember what I put in it so I can do it again! Raspberries, blueberries (both frozen), orange juice, fresh spinach and half of a large banana. I know...it looks yucky. That's what happens when you put raspberries and spinach in the same smoothie, lol.

The last couple of days have been very hot. Day before yesterday I got back home after being gone for several hours and it was 92 degrees in my house! I quickly turned on the A/C (for the first time ever) and closed my windows. It eventually got down in the 80's and was about 76 by bedtime. That's unusual for these parts. I've gotten by without A/C for decades. Oh well. Do what you gotta do!

Here are a few shots of my view as I lounged on my deck this morning. It's going to be very pleasant today. In the mid-70's.

 I stopped off at a flea market a few days ago and this is my haul! I bought earrings galore!

 Most of the earrings I soaked in hot soapy water (flea market things can be a little gross), but this pair I didn't because they have leather on the backs of the large green stones. Aren't they wild? These are my favorites. :)

 I took a different route for my walk several days ago. I walked a loop around town. At one end of the loop it passes by the marshy end of our lake and I saw a blue flag similar to this one. Of course, I didn't have my camera! I'll have to take it next time. So much lush, beautiful vegetation. Wild grapevines climbed over thick grass and cattails and the view of the lake in the distance was gorgeous.

My oldest step-son, Bob, and his wife, Tiffany, sent me this movie. They were excited about it since they live in the area where it was filmed. They recognized a lot of buildings and places in the movie. They live in Longmont, CO and parts of the movie were filmed in Longmont and nearby Hygiene, where I lived between the ages of 10-13. I lived in the Longmont area for 14 years, but it was a LOOOONG time ago, so I'm not sure I'll recognize much. But it sounds like a fun movie, so I'll probably watch it tonight.

I told Micah yesterday that I'm volunteering to be her "mother's-helper" for the next year or so, while Adam's building their house. He and his dad are just beginning, and since he'll be tired in the evenings after a full day's work and then working all evening on the house, he won't have much energy for helping Micah with household things. She has her hands so full with her four kiddos, especially since Sully is nursing. Anyway, I told her I'd help her to keep on top of laundry and dishes to free her up to spend more time just taking care of kids. Now, I've been helping with this in the past on a more informal basis, I just mean to step up the helping for this season in their lives. She's getting a little overwhelmed and it's hard sometimes to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's good for me, too. I need to feel needed instead of just entertaining myself! Micah took a bunch of cute pictures over the 4th of July weekend.

Watching the fireworks!

Sully's first fireworks!

At the parade. Waiting to grab candy!

Last day of gymnastics. Della wanted to be in the picture, too!

Audrey on the bars.

Hazel on the bars.

Well, Blogger is acting up and won't put my photos where I want it to, so I'll quit fighting it and post this thus far. Micah did a little photo shoot of the kids. It's an annual 4th of July thing, so I  will include those in a later post. 

Y'all have a great day! I'm on my way to help with some laundry while Micah takes the kids grocery shopping. :)

Shalom!