What I did last summer

Here in South Carolina, summer typically begins some time around Easter and ends some time around Thanksgiving.

Almost. Usually. All you really need to know is, it's hot and humid much of the year.

And since it still feels like summer here (sort of; no, the temps aren't in the sweltering nineties but neither is there any reason to wear long sleeves), I thought I'd share with you some pictures and videos summing up our season.

We'll start with some footage I took during the Memorial Day weekend:

That's Dagny, sporting inflatable water wings, swinging. Cousin Allissa, in town for the holiday weekend, gave her the friendly shove. 

In June and July, mainly we had hot weather. And hummingbirds. 

Notice our old front door out back at the corner of the fence. That was my idea.

Because we got a new (and frankly fabulous) front door last year. The person who installed our new door wanted our old door, to put on a shed at his church.

Mmmmmm, no, said I. I am keeping my door, to put in the back yard. As a decoration.

The door installer sulked for awhile, perhaps judging me. I can handle that. The door is original to our house.

Fun Fact: The shiny brass numbers 119 sat on the desk in our kitchen for years. Periodically I would beseech nag TG to affix the numbers to our front door, which he had sweetly painted black at my behest, because our house number is nowhere on our actual house (it is stenciled at the curb where I hope EMS will notice when and if there is a medical emergency).

But TG was disinclined to acquiesce to my request for all of those years, until the door was installed at the corner of the fence in back. I put the numbers, still in their packaging, on the counter one last time and next thing I knew, they were on the door.

Feel free to link to Pinterest. For the amazingness of either door.

Now let's fast forward to August, when TG and I took a trip. (You already know about our visit to Vent Haven and how I stupidly deleted pictures from my data card.)

On our way to visit with TG's sister in Northwest Ohio, we stopped for the night with Cherdecor -- whose blog I have followed for years -- and her family, in Greenville, Ohio.

The next day, after lunch and before we left, Cheryl and her husband, Alan, took us to a park with a vintage bridge over some merrily bubbling water.

Here is a look at the bridge, whose cables squeak when you walk over it:

We arrived later that day at the home of my sister-in-law, who had to work until the wee hours due to an emergency at the office. We didn't even see her, but we ate pizza with her husband. The next morning, we left for Chicago.

You know what we did there: We went to a Cubs game. TG ruffled the feathers of a Chicago policeman (short story) and we feared he'd get a ticket, but it has not so far materialized. The Cubs lost. It was still a great time, though. The weather was perfect; neither hot nor cold, and no pesky high humidity.

Here's video/audio of Gary Pressy, the Cubs' organist for thirty years (he's never missed a game) playing Sweet Georgia Brown as the Cincinnati Reds have their batting practice and fans file into the second-oldest stadium in major league baseball:

The next morning, from our hotel room window in Wrigleyville, TG noticed the demolition of an old apartment building between the hotel and the El tracks. It would have been hard not to notice:

It is what it is.

After taking that video, we walked across Belmont Avenue to have breakfast at Clarke's Diner. Here's a view from our booth, to the front of the building which is being demolished:

I had a waffle. It was good. Later that day, I almost met Theo Epstein.

Next up, we went back to Ohio, stopping along the way to visit some very dear friends from when we used to live in the Chicagoland area. I didn't take pictures; we were too busy catching up.

Once back at my sister-in-law's house, we found her at home, having resolved her issues at work, where she is in management. The next morning, TG played golf with an old classmate. I tagged along and drove the cart.

I got pretty bossy; and oh how I hate my voice on tape. Are you that way? I should learn to keep my mouth shut and just take the pictures. And the videos. I should also learn, when taking said videos, to re-orient my camera phone to landscape. Andrew makes fun of me but you know: Old dog, new tricks.

That night, we ate supper at The Spaghetti Warehouse in Toledo, with more of TG's old classmates from Rossford High School where he's a member of the Class of '70.

Spaghetti Warehouse sits down Superior Street from Fifth Third Stadium, where the Toledo Mud Hens play. Also there's Packo's at the Park, a Hungarian hot dog joint. I love neon signage -- doesn't everybody? -- so here you go:

Next thing you know, it's Friday, and time to go up into Michigan to visit Mari and Bob, and also with Judy.

I had looked forward to this for a long time, having been blog buddies with Mari of My Little Corner of the World for AGES and with Judy for not as long a time, but still blog buddies.

So we drove northwest toward Lansing while Mari and Bob tacked mostly east, slightly south, from Allendale. We met at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen in Lansing for a wonderful meal. This was probably one of the three highlights of my summer.

I'm so fortunate that this lovely lady is my friend. I handed TG my phone and told him to take a picture. It wasn't his fault that it was set on video, and he doesn't have an iPhone so he didn't know he took a four-second movie instead of a photo.

Mari's Bob -- the talented artist who carved my beloved Jenny the Pirate statue, was taking actual photos. Mari wanted an "up and down one" and I bet she got it.

Reluctantly leaving Bob and Mari, we drove back south and stopped in Brighton for a visit with Judy of Onward and Upward -- Ever Forward. What a darling lady.

Once in Judy's 'hood and cruising toward her house, I was transfixed by these two massive bird statues. Or at least, I thought they were statues. They stood stock-still!

Those almost look real, I remarked to TG.

They are real, he said. And backed the car up.

Well shut my mouth. They started moving. I nearly dropped my phone.

Judy laughed when we told her, a few minutes later. The sand cranes! They look like pterodactyls when they fly overhead to and from the marshland, she said, amazed as we were at the sand cranes' size.

We had a lovely visit with Judy. It was a beautiful late-summer day and her wide windows were open to let in the breeze.

TG took one of me with Judy, and I took one of Judy saying farewell to him.

Later that same day, in the evening, TG and I visited his parents' graves for the first time since my mother-in-law's funeral. TG's brother and sister, Ron and Ruth, plus my brother-in-law John and sister-in-law Marcia, were there too. Then we went to Cracker Barrel.

The next day we headed home, just in time for the eclipse. We stopped in Urbana, Ohio, to see TG's aged aunt and uncle, who live in an assisted-living facility there. We also saw Chelsey, the wife of our nephew. They moved back to Urbana just a few months ago. Our nephew, Dan, was at work. They used to live in Darlington, South Carolina, where he was a pastor.

Not long after we got back home, Brittany came to visit us for a weekend. Andrew was still deployed. They weren't ring-engaged yet. We goofed around with some videos and I captured Audrey and Brittany being lovely:

Shortly after that, on a Saturday TG and I took Rizzo to the mobile vet to renew his prescription of flea-and-tick meds. His hackles went up because other dogs dared to be present:

A few weeks later, Andrew was home. We all met in Rock Hill to celebrate our Stephanie's birthday. Dagny got a lot of mileage out of her piece of Aunt Steph's cake:

That was on September 8th. Hurricane Irma was barreling toward the coast where she'd make landfall on September 10th. Folks were anxious to get away from her. On our way back south that night, here's how the traffic looked on I-77:

We experienced Irma's outermost bands in Columbia on Monday, September 11th. Here's how it looked that day, outside my fabulous front door:

And here was the view from my kitchen window, where a hungry hummingbird was determined to get some fast food from the fly-thru:

A few weeks later, TG and I went with now-ring-engaged Brittandrew and not-yet-ring-engaged Cherica, to Atlanta for the next-to-last Braves home game of the season.

I told you all about that in this recent post but what I didn't show you is the way Braves fans do the tomahawk chop with their phone flashlights lit. It's nutty:

Andrew got into the spirit of things, happy guy that he was to be back in the USA and engaged to his girl.

A few weeks later, I got up on a Sunday morning and was about to make coffee when I spotted something funny-looking lurking in the folds of my dishcloth, which sat on the edge of the sink.

It was this creature -- some kind of frog or toad -- who had somehow gotten inside and found my damp dishcloth, and was snuggled in there like he owned it.

I took him outside. Where I hope he will stay.

Later that same day (I think), I took some footage of Dagny exclaiming -- as she does every week -- about what all she got in her Sunday School Sack. That's what the teachers call it. Dag begins with a show-and-tell of her paper that she colored:

Later on, she sulked and pouted when we wanted her to stand on the air conditioning vent, which is also something she does every week. Andrew teased her mercilessly:

Later still, her mood was much improved with the consumption of a sucker enjoyed in the church lobby just before leaving for home:

A few days on, the Cubs clinched the division title at Wrigley Field. They "flew the dubya" that night but were later defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the championship series, for the National League Pennant. Their season is over. I'm rooting for the Dodgers to win the World Series.

Meanwhile, Dagny was hanging out with me not long ago and I was eating salad. She had already had her lunch but expressed a keen desire to share my salad. Naturally I gave her some and we decided to film it for her mother, who was out for a few hours:

OK the way she pronounces the word salad ... I can't even.

Later I built Dagny a LEGO house for her pig characters. She always wants me to get down in the floor with her and "build" and she even gets the blankets and pillows for me to sit on becuase she knows I'm old and decrepit. Be careful! she admonishes me. Don't hurt yourself! Concerned citizen that she is.

Then, next thing we knew, Erica and Chad got engaged. Here she is on the following Sunday, showing off her ring to lots of ladies while Chad hangs around in the background:

The very next weekend -- only a few days ago -- Brittany was with us to celebrate her birthday. We had homemade barbecue and a store-bought cake, and naturally we sang. That's Audrey, not me, going up high at the end:

Here's a better look at that cake, which we decorated with a paper poodle left over from Dagny's Paris-themed third birthday party in June:

And here's a look at some of Brittany's presents, before they were opened:

That same day at church, Dagny was in high spirits as she once again stood on the vent. Maybe it's because Brittany stood with her and Andrew was nearby too:

Then only yesterday, Dagny and I built an even bigger, better LEGO castle for the pigs:

That brings you current.

Stay tuned for further shenanigans.

And that is all for now.

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Happy Wednesday

Comments

[Cheryl]

You certainly had a great summer. I really enjoyed all videos. I especially liked all the videos of family and hearing their voices. Hope you have more videos of your fall season. Thank you so much for sharing.

[Mari]

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this! I watched every clip, I laughed, I smiled, I remembered our lunch! I love that you "beseeched" TG to put up those numbers and that he finally did it. :) Dagny made me laugh in the vent clip and it was so fun hearing her talk. I thought you sounded just fine, but I must admit that I hate to hear myself too, and for that matter I wasn't real fond of that little video of the two of us either. Couldn't you stretch it and make me look taller and thinner? :)
It was good to se Brittany too, she seems very sweet and I liked the birthday song. And the video of Erica and the ring is so cute!
It was a good summer!

[Judy]

Well, you had a wonderful summer and glad I am to have been part of it.
Now--you have all winter to plan for weddings. How much fun is that going to be?
XX OO Judy

[Jennifer]

@Cheryl ... Thank YOU for sharing your lovely home and such good meals. We will never forget. xoxo

@Mari ... You look perfectly lovely just the way you are. And your voice is nice, unlike mine which is annoying. Yes we had some adventures! Here's to more. xoxo

@Judy ... You said it. We will make some pretty great memories just making plans for more memories. xoxo

[Sydney]

A wonderful summer!! I'm so glad Jeff and I got to share in some of the fun with you and TG at the Braves/Cubs game! Please come again and do dinner so we can better catch up! My fav video outside of seeing your people, who are always precious to see, is the poor little hummingbird trying with all his might to grab some sustenance in the midst of the storm. Love it!
Happy times ahead with the weddings upcoming!

[Jennifer]

@Sydney ... We'd love to have dinner and catch up. And it was also one of the three highlights of my summer, to see you! It's always a special treat. Love to Jeff and especially baby Henry. xoxo

[Sally]

Oh, Jenny! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this post! And, I can't believe Dagny is THREE already. She's so adorable!

Loved the video's and photo's. So happy for your Erica, and Andrew! Exciting to say the least, two weddings to look forward to. I pray the young couples will be as blessed as you and TG..

You have a beautiful, wonderful family, Jenny. Thank you for sharing these memories, from my heart to yours.

[Luna Crone]

Mercy me! You had a busy, busy, busy summer!!!!!!!! :-))))))

Happy Haunting!
Luna Crone

[Jennifer]

@Sally ... Thank you for your kind words. They mean even more, knowing as I do how much you cherish family ties. We are excited and grateful for what God has done for our children. xoxo

@Luna ...You got that right. I even left some stuff out. Now I hate to see October go. I think that's a song ... xoxo

[Barb]

Meeting blog friends is always fun. We often feel like old pals before/or if we even meet face to face. You had a busy summer with family and friends. Can't believe your summer lasts forever. Mine is so short. I've got white on the ground! Dagny has beautiful pronunciation! I'm still having to decipher some of Sam's conversations.

[Jennifer]

@Barb ... SNOW already? Wow. We will be back up in the eighties for highs at the end of this week, after a cold snap of exactly one day, haaaahahaha. It's cray cray. Yes Dagny's pronunciation of words keeps us all in stitches. xoxo