5 thing Friday - a desk, The Girl, suffering fig, letters, guilt

It's been a rather hot and tiring end of the summer.  My knee is still bothering me and I have so much on my To Do list that needs attending to.  I did manage to get my laptop ordered.  Next on the list is a car, as Scout will need transportation to school and work so he's inheriting my old one.

Several weeks ago I built an IKEA desk for Bubbie.  With school starting Monday, I expect him to make good use of it.  I took my time putting it together and did a good job.  It's good to reflect on that - some things I will miss the mark on, but with others I can proudly say "I DID THAT".

Go, me.

 The Girl went back to Waco yesterday.  It was her first morning of the summer to sleep in.  She layed on the floor and petted the cat, then promptly got up to go get her car inspected and cleaned.  Today is orientation for her intramural job on campus.  That girl is more on the ball than I ever was at that age.  No way would I have worked two jobs all summer and given up my social life at 22.

 My landscape is suffering.

 The fig has all but given up and I water it several times a week.  We need a good soaking rain or two or three.

 Dead leaves everywhere.  

I am plowing through the Saudi letters a few per day.  It's a slow process.  My mother wrote in small script so she could use most of the paper.  Looong letters.  And sometimes she repeats things.  And  there are things I need to ask her about now, as so much time has passed that she's more likely to elaborate.  It is interesting to me that by the first month there, she had gone from signing "Love, Mama" to "I love and miss you terribly".  It makes me feel a little guilty.

When I visited her recently, I picked up fallen needles in her sewing room with a magnetic pick-up tool that was broken.  So, I sent Hubby to Harbor Freight and mailed her a new one.  She also mentioned that she really likes sardines, but they are too expensive, and enjoys making beans in her crock pot.  I thought, why not get her some of both?  I am going to see her next week to take these and a few other things and spend time with her.  Amazing how guilt sometimes gets you back on track...