What Else Has Been Going On in July

I am almost finished posting my Oregon photos--today I will download the ones from my phone and post those. I have been doing other things this month, really I have!

Most of what I've been doing is storytelling. July is always a big month for me with library Summer Reading programs. I hit the ground running when we returned with three programs as soon as I got home, and then followed up with six performances the following week. The gardens have managed pretty well while I've been gone so much, thanks to lots of rain (LOTS!). A small tornado passed through while we were away one weekend but fortunately missed our place by a couple miles.

Last week, though, we had a really wild time.

You see, while I was gone overnight on a storytelling trip, Larry managed to roll the riding mower and cut his fingers pretty badly. He also broke two of them. This was just before three of my sisters were coming to visit, and I still had another day of storytelling to do. His hand was a real mess--and he did it at 3:00 in the afternoon and was still cutting grass with that bloody mangled hand when I got home at 6:00! He said, "Just wrap it up and tape it, it will be fine." I about fainted looking at it, it was so bad. After some persuasion ("I'm going to call an ambulance if you don't go with me now!") he agreed to go. He slipped in the shower and blood went flying everywhere. It looked like a murder scene in there by the time I got him cleaned up and dressed.

So about 40 stitches and much bandaging later, we got home around midnight. I was up and out early the next morning for my last summer reading programs and our son Derek took Larry to the VA Clinic for follow-up. The next morning I did not like the look of his swelled-up hand, called the VA and we were off to the VA hospital a couple hours away to have it looked at again. Meantime, my sisters were on their way here. I called them, told them to make themselves at home until we could get back. Derek (who wins Best Son Prize this month!) offered to cook dinner at his house that evening. His barbecued chicken is the best I've ever eaten, and his grilled bread and veggies are excellent too. So that wild day ended on his patio with a nice fire in the firepit, good conversation and time to finally relax.

Liz looking like a movie star--
and Theresa caught in the act of dishing up some salsa!
Judy got lucky and missed out on getting snapped.

The next morning my sisters and I took off junking. We hit a good sale in town, visited my booth at the Ravenswood mall, then drove over to Pomeroy for lunch at the Wild horse. Who knew it was Blues & Brews week in Pomeroy? Lots of traffic, music and people but the Wild Horse, with its outside covered deck overlooking the river, was a perfect place to eat--and their food is awesome.

We wound up that day with a fire in our own firepit, lots of laughter and conversation. Next morning was blueberry pancakes, sausage, and breakfast on the deck, and then my sisters left for home, and my house was quiet once more.

Larry's hand is healing nicely. I've had a little time to do some cleaning of this house which has been neglected for weeks, and even got started on organizing the workshop in the new room--the room is nowhere near finished but I don't care. I desperately need a place to work besides all over the house. One day maybe we'll get it done but my need for space to paint and repair has taken priority. It's covered, it's heated, it's lighted and it will do.

I've also been working on my upcoming performances for the Inland Waterways Festival this weekend in Marietta, starting August off right with storytelling. I have found so many intriguing facts, legends and stories about the Ohio River and the areas surrounding it I will have a hard time deciding what to tell. Today I'll be whittling and honing the list, a fun task with such a wealth to work with.

That's a little bit of a catch-up. There's more of course, but that can be a later post!

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