Motif

Digital manipulation . . .

There are times when a sunset can remind me how great it is to be alive! Mom announced at dinner that "we have to go for a walk tonight. We haven't walked in age." We've missed two nights due to extreme heat! A gentle breeze made tonight's walk tolerable. I did a little bin-diving on the way home for some scrap wood. More new houses are being framed in just around the corner from us. I was carrying a board about 8 feet long when wouldn't you know it we came face-to-face with a couple out on their walk. The sky had just burst into a magnificent red streaked glow so I said, "Did you see it?" The couple was walking toward us. "Oh my yes. Are you carrying wood because of the big black dog up the street?"

"You caught us in the act of digging around the bin for scraps. We didn't see the dog tonight."

Once back home I got mom settled into her room with ice water and the shades shut. A few minutes later she burst into the front door. "I need ice water and I can't get the air conditioner on! I'm so hot . . ." We filled up another glass and went back to the casita. On her night stand was the first glass of water. "I got frantic in the heat and thought I was going to pass out, so I didn't see the water."

Just another case of not remembering something that she did five minutes before. Today we've gone over and over the details about the gate we ordered for the front entrance yesterday. It hasn't sunk in yet, nor has the date of delivery for trees, fountain, gravel, and flagstone for the backyard. The gate, very expensive, is something that we hope helps her to feel safe in the casita. Locking her door is driving us both nuts! I have the best SIL in the world! The gate isn't in the budget but he knows how important it is for mom to have it. We chose a sun motif that is being designed. Adam, the artist creating the gate, was the first one to create a sun motif for a gate in this complex and now there are lots of copies. The one he's designing for us is will be quite a bit different than the suns he's done before. I was teasing when I said, "We need sharp points like stakes at the top," but he took that to heart and drew a design that isn't straight at the top. Can't wait to see what he does! I love metal.

Just to lighten the on-going saga about the gate my SIL and I talk about the moat we need to dig around the house and the draw-bridge for the garage. It must be awful to be so paranoid about strangers entering one's room! Mom doesn't have anything of value but she's convinced she's been watched by the house builders. Tonight she didn't want to open her front windows for air because someone might come in. "They wait for hot nights when windows are open." The windows are fairly safe as they only open a few inches . . .