The last weeks of freedom...

Awaiting retirement (for real... we would love it), Kate and I are sadly hanging on to every spare moment of relaxation the summer provides. I finally think I have given up on fixing the washing machine, though I'm pretty sure I have located all of the parts that come apart... only to find that the two parts that I need to come apart don't seem to. Maybe I'll fix my broken garbage disposal or leaky faucet instead... (are you catching my theme... my very not funny, why does everything have to break during "project time" theme... that I HATE!)




Anyway, we left the depressing, breaking-down, house and left for a canoe trip in WI at my parents for a "last hurrah" before we send Todd & Brittany on their way to South Africa... forever :-( We had a fantastically relaxing time!

















However, when we returned... not quite home yet, we weathered a huge storm at Brian & Melissa's, a few miles north of our neighborhood of historic trees (note: we usually expect a few branches down on a "normal" windy day). Judging by these pictures, you should not be surprised that it took us a half hour to get a few blocks to our house... downed trees everywhere! The last turn onto our street was a nerve-wracking one. We were very lucky... none of our 3 huge oaks were down, just a large branch in the side-yard.
















HOWEVER I must report that we did lose and "old friend"--a moment of silence, please for the dear Riviera, aka. "train car" that served our family well until a few years ago. It was a sad moment as we saw it's familiar back end sticking out from under a tree in one of our many futile attempts to reach the house.



We continued our communal living with gracious friends and spent a few nights at Brian & Melissa's (though waking the next morning to another tornado warning at 6am!) as we were without power for 2 days.

The projects around the house fall far below the desired level of accomplishment for the summer, but we are blessed to have been spared (unlike most of our neighbors) in that our trees stayed outside of our homes and cars!