Finally

And on the 23rd day it rained. I knew it had been incredibly long since there was rain, but not the actual day count. While having a pedicure last Friday afternoon I had no choice but to hear the television blaring in front of me; I see I'm not missing much by not turning it on. On the other hand I did learn the handy fact about the no rain days. That statistic went by the wayside yesterday afternoon in the heart of Orlando. I heard from Lisa in Longwood and they had so little it wasn't enough to measure in their fancy rain gauge. Bruce's afternoon flight was delayed a bit because of rain and lightening, yet somehow he got to Connecticut in record time. We got a much needed soaking at our house. My mini garden has required constant watering this last week because of the severe heat. As I type this it is 14 degrees cooler than on Sunday which I am very thankful for.

That said I have only been outside this morning. I took Baxter for a run in the park, did a bunch of errands, and have been working in the house ever since. Obviously I've quit now because I am blogging!

Speaking of outside on Saturday morning I went out back and found this beautiful monarch on the patio.

Lately I've been encountering things I've never experienced before like the centipede on our vacation. I can't ever remember finding a butterfly before. Aren't the pattern and colors magnificent? In a radio interview with a butterfly expert I learned that monarchs can fly 200 miles in a day. Now I don't know about you, but that really astonishes me. My friend Nancy makes necklaces with butterfly wings, so next time I see her I'll share this with her. Do you suppose there is some superstition about finding a butterfly? Seems possible.

You're probably wondering what I could have been working on now that Mr. Roger has the massive order I prepared on Monday. Well, I was working on our home. Although our home is generally neat, clean it is not. If you've read this blog for any length of time you know that cleaning, aside from basic vacuuming and occasional dusting, is not a large part of my routine. Of course the pool is an exception; dirt and leaves stand out like a sore thumb, as our late Mother would say. Dust on the other hand is a sneaky little problem. At a glance things look good, on closer inspection, not so much. What has brought this cleaning frenzy on you ask...

The boss is coming to dinner. Friday night to be exact. That sounds sorta old-fashioned I imagine, however, in lots of ways I'm an old-fashioned girl. I wonder when I'll quit calling myself a girl? I read this op-ed piece in the Times about gender being fluid, so if that be the case I suppose the girl/woman thing can also be fluid.

The kitchen floor is clean, the guest bathroom sparkling, old magazines are in the recycling bin, and the table is set (taking a page out of Lisa's book). I should seriously have dinner guests more often ensuring the house would be spiffy all the time.

I'm preparing a recession dinner of sorts. Fried chicken, mac and cheese, sliced tomatoes, green beans and biscuits, along with a yet to be determined dessert. I'm going to resist the urge to gourmet it up a bit. Just plain, tasty food is my plan. I've learned lately that comfort food seems to put people in a congenial/relaxed mood.

The only bummer about this is that Mr. Bill and his band "Exit the Ride" are part of the Florida Music Festival performing on the main stage on Wall Street during the dinner party. Even though he is 30, I still like to attend when I can. Did I just write he was 30? Seems impossible. I remember buying his first guitar from a newspaper classified ad. That really dates things doesn't it? For better or worse, classified ads are almost a thing of the past what with Craig's List and all. The second guitar came from a pawn shop. It shows you what perseverance and hard work accomplish when you think that Dean Guitars now gives Bill custom made guitars.

I'm taking Angela to the hospital tomorrow for a procedure about which she is blase. After all she's been through, this is nothing, but it will necessitate an overnight stay. I will be with her for several hours in the middle of the day so that is one of the reasons I forced myself to clean rather than take pictures!
----------------
Listening to: The Bees - Stand
via FoxyTunes