Our city had their Fourth of July fireworks celebration last week, and we joined in by watching it from our front porch. I’m always down for a reason to porch sit and this was perfect. My folks, my brother and sister-in-law, and my neighbors Joe, Greg, and Linda were all coming over for it. My mom made brownies and veggie pizza, I made a fruit salad, Joe brought chips, Greg and Linda brought wine, and my bro brought fixin’s to make mint juleps. What more could you ask for to celebrate the fireworks?
I woke up cranky Saturday morning. I was expecting a weekend of crappy weather and was feeling cooped up inside. But when I got a message from a friend saying she was going to be in our town for an event, I was a little surprised. She’s never down this way. Nobody we know ends up coming this way unless we invite them. She volunteers for the Jaycees and was going to be in town for the Easter egg hunt. She said the weather was supposed to be nice, too. Huh? I checked the weather online and it said high of 71 degrees. What? I noticed it was sunny outside and walked out on the porch, and it felt warm! Aya, Julie’s going to be in town, we are taking Ellie to the Easter egg hunt, get ready.
Aya has a girls only Valentine’s Day Party every year.  Pardon me, it’s not a party, it’s a soiree. She’s very particular on the title.  Not only is it not a party, it’s not on Valentine’s Day either.  And with soiree in the title, you’d think it would be in the evening, but it’s right smack in the middle of the day. So it’s more of a Spring Lady Brunch.  She invites all her close girlfriends over and they sit around, eat, and talk about their feelings.  Which is pretty much what I do here, so I’m surprised I don’t get invited.
When Aya and I first moved into our house seven years ago, my next door neighbor Joe and I would exchange polite pleasantries over the fence. We wouldn’t say much other than “hello” or “how are you” here and there. I rarely saw him outside but based on our brief encounters, I developed an image of what I thought he and his wife, Bev, were like. Just a nice quiet older retired couple that lived next door. Boy, can first impressions be deceiving.
I had ordered my new wheels and I couldn’t wait for them to come in. No, I wasn’t getting a new car. Something more practical. Something I’d actually use more than a new car. A new stroller! The current stroller was just a frame that the car seat clips into. It was perfect for us while Ellie was small, and we didn’t want to deal with the big, bulky travel system stroller. But she was getting bigger and we wanted her to start sitting in a forward facing stroller. After researching, we found the one that was going to work for us. The City Mini by Baby Jogger. It had “patented quick-fold technology that allows you to fold your stroller in one simple step.” Also, “eight-inch quick-release EVA wheels with sealed ball bearings.” Not to mention the “swivel front wheel for quick and agile maneuverability.” Jealous? I don’t blame you. I picked the purple color with grey trim because it seemed unique and dynamic. Needless to say, I was excited for it to arrive. And even more excited to take that bad boy out for a spin.
