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Taking a break from finally reading the paper to post from the porch. Maybe that can be the name of my blog (do people do that anymore?): Postings from the porch.

Liz, I hope your trip to Martha's Vineyard is lovely, and that you and your DSD find some comfort in taking time to honor deceased DH. The Jewish blessing, may his memory be a blessing, seems true for your family.

Peps, you articulated my thoughts about how this summer is different than other summers. Yes, the approach of August brings no sense of omg, summer is slipping away. I like the term school summer. I'm going to use it when people ask. DH keeps saying, your life is a weekend now. Truth.

Paula also sending good thoughts that no bad sushi got you or any of your family.

Diane you are so wise to avoid unnecessary meetings at the studio. Not my circus, not my monkeys, such a useful attitude.

CC, Kirby in Michigan looks like such a happy guy.

Today started cold and rainy. Felt very Irish when we went for coffee. I have a lightweight sweater that says summer on it, that is suitable to wear only a few certain days. Today was one of them. Now the sun is out, and the sky is a lovely shade of blur. After coffee we ran a few errands, whi*****luded buying a new set of pans from Costco. Our current non stick are flaking, so we're probably poisoning ourselves. These are ceramic insides. Hopefully they will last longer. If not, I've saved the receipt, because Costco is very generous about returns if you are not satisfied.

The paper had a very intriguing and troubling article about organ donations If someone is brain dead, they are removed from life support and stop breathing quickly. No controversy. But something called circulatory death happens when there is not clear brain death, but someone is in a coma and deemed not going to recover. Families do make decisions ethically, to remove their loved one from life support, and then they do pass away. They were not going to recover, they can't live without the machines. If they pass within about an hour, they can be organ donors. There are numerous reports where the transplant team may have jumped the gun. One doctor testified a supposed corpse was brought to the surgical room, and when he started the organ harvest, he discovered a beating heart. Other medical people worried that patients weren't left on life support long enough to truly determine if they could recover. Others reported families being asked about organ donation before they independently made the decision to remove life support. Very unethical, and could interfere with true consent. I am absolutely in favor of organ donation, and I've told my family if at the time of my death if there are any viable organs to donate, they'd better do it! But I thought organ transplants involved the highest level of ethical practices. Another thing to be concerned about in these troubling times. Now you can all be concerned with me, as I share this cheery news story!

Even with my heavier than normal reading, it is sublime here on the porch. A friend will be stopping by in a it for a little visit. DH is off on a bro date with his BFF. My BFF is bringing home a frozen lasagna to cook for dinner. I have a couple more sections of the paper to entertain me. It is a Monday of many small delights.

I know! He really wanted to lay out there this morning but he'd be barking at the fence guys constantly.

When we were planning this years trips (small and large) I did an Excel spreadsheet where I listed the tasks to be accomplished for each trip, who was responsible, and assigned priorities (1,2 or 3), A tool from my project planning days but it really helped in focusing on getting stuff done. Here is an image of a piece of it:

I still have work dreams 2 years after retiring. They are less frequent but I noticed an uptick after meeting with my work colleague last week! We didn't even talk about work much and she had a totally different job working at home reviewing medical charts!

117.4 - down 1.4 after a day when I had the hungry horrors and fed them. Weird!

So my 2 younger children left by late morning yesterday to avoid the Cape bridge traffic (DS was successful at that but DD not so much since he left 2 hours earlier than them). I had forgotten that DSD was coming to stay for part of this week too! She arrived at 5. Luckily the deck had been swabbed and clean sheets etc. were back on the beds.

Today DSD will work here, then we are going to take SIL out for dinner. She isn't eating much but it is meatloaf Monday which usually goes down easily for her and will provide some good leftovers. Right now her biggest problems are her persistent back pain and lack of appetite. They want her to go back on Keytruda which early on worked dramatically in fighting the cancer essentially putting her in remission but with her weight so low all that is scary.

Today the fence construction continues so hopefully we can have a free range Justice in a couple of days. Tomorrow will be an early day for me so I may or may not post beforehand. DSD and I are going on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard for the day to scatter deceased DH's remaining ashes off of a sailboat. Most of his ashes are buried next to our eldest DD, some were scattered in Ireland by DS, and this is where he would want the rest to go.

Have a munificent Monday!

What an emotional family day you had! That can wring you out, though not necessarily in a bad way. I like the sound of DD's BF - sounds like a really good person who cares very much for DD.

The kids were less than thrilled with the loud bar too. It really was for post-college age folks talking loud and drinking with no shirts on the guys and the young girls in their bikini tops. My kids are 34 and 37, so a bit past all that. They liked the place with the band (not too loud) on the patio better.