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Hello, hello, hello folks!

I know, I know!

I'm late. Please forgive me. Life has been busy as all get out. Seriously.

Before I divulge the details of what I've been doing these past two months, let me first offer prayers for comfort and healing for everyone in the Bahamas (and other locales) who have been affected by the devastation of Hurricane Dorian.

My prayers as well for those who are in Dorian's path. Ideally he will head back to sea and die there.

The destructive power of these weather events seems to be increasing with each episode. God only knows what's coming next. 😩

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So what have you been up to?

I have been quite the socialite lately. 💄💅👠💃

In the past week, I've been to three birthday celebrations. 🎂 🎈🎁🍹

One was a dinner party for a neighbor's daughter. The other was a girls' night out/birthday celebration for the founder of a group I'm a member of. The third celebration was for my birthday.

🍴The dinner party was at a nearby restaurant. We were a boisterous group of (maybe) 10. Most folks ordered lobster. (Which I wanted also but decided not to order.) I choose three delicious sides for my meal: a baked sweet potato, mac and cheese, and steamed asparagus.

The birthday girl got a free sundae from the restaurant and her mom had a beautiful cake for her. The cake was good but not as good as it looked like it would be. (They said it was "homemade" but you couldn't tell by looking at it. It was as professionally ornate as any cake I've seen in a bakery showcase. And it was tasty. Just not as spectacular-tasting as I expected based on a similarly gorgeous cake I ate in a previous life. So I take nothing from the baker. It was just me reminiscing.)

👯 Our girls' night out birthday party was at the home of a group member. She was a fantastic hostess and the evening was so much fun that we were there for six hours eating, drinking, laughing, dancing, talking...

We're supposed to make it a regular thing for monthly birthdays, much like the other group I belonged to when I was friends with Miz A.

🍔 My birthday celebration was a belated one. My friend L told me a while ago that she wanted to treat me to a meal for my birthday. I'd forgotten but she remembered. 😊 We met for a long lunch last Friday. I love hanging out with her and we just don't do it often enough. We met through our children (my daughter and her granddaughter have been friends since grade school) and L and her family have become family over time.💗

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Today a neighbor invited me to lunch. He's a nice gentleman. Older. Like, my dad's age. We have interesting visits when we run into each other in the neighborhood.

We usually sit out in the community rocking chairs and chat. Sometimes it's just us. Sometimes there are other neighbors too.

His lunch invite was impromptu but I suspect he's been holding it for a while. We ate at a restaurant in the area, one I'd been wanting to try after hearing so many good reviews. The food was so-so. Not what I expected based on the reviews. *shrug*

Perhaps a different menu item will be better on my next visit. Or a different chef or a different time of day. I'm willing to give it another shot. 😋

My neighbor mentioned several times how glad he was to be out and about today because home was boring. He once lived in one of the Biggest Big Cities on the east coast and he misses it. I think it got too expensive up there. He has family in this area and he was born and raised in a city about two hours away.

I felt a little sad when he began telling me how his family comes to visit sparingly, to take him to appointments and run errands, dropping him off and leaving right after. I really want his family to pay more attention because I noticed that he's showing signs of cognitive decline and his vision is off as well.

He asked me the same questions several times, he asked me to read the menu to him, and he had a time managing his food and drink. 😩

These kinds of situations give me anxiety. I don't know his family and I'm not sure how they might react to this kind of information coming from a stranger. 😕 My prayer is that my neighbor's situation is resolved with the best outcome for all involved. Amen.

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In other news, Baby Bliss has enrolled in college. Physics. I'm awed. She is exceptionally bright, that one. Apparently to a degree I didn't understand.

Before she started class (and a new job), she took a cross-country trip 🚘 to the Rocky Mountains 🌄⛰with some friends. They had an amazing time, so said Baby Bliss. She kept in touch the whole way, texting photos and tidbits about everything fantastic on their journey.

Can I tell y'all how thankful I am for the wondrous technology that allows us to keep in (almost) constant contact with our babies even when they're on the other side of the country? 💕

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Several weeks ago, the aunties and I converged upon grandma's house, to see to some electrical work that needed doing. We didn't do it, just watched and waited. The electrician was a family friend, and yes, a real electrician. He and his wife came to do the job. She was cool.

After the work was done, grandma and the aunties got into my car and I drove around the corner to Baby Auntie's community pool for the annual community yard sale/shindig. We grabbed vittles from a couple of food trucks and noshed at a picnic table under a shade tree.

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On August 7, like folks nationwide, I attended National Night Out. Ours was at the park up the street. Seemed like the whole town turned out to meet and greet with our law enforcement and other first responders.

There was all kinds of food, drinks, treats, raffle prizes, and more. Many of my neighbors were there. We had a rip-roaring time of it. I even won a prize. 🎉🎉🎉

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The first Saturday in August found a neighbor and I at a huge rummage sale at a church several exits north of us. We literally shopped until we dropped. And I only dropped because some of my things were heavy. (Books.)

I found some incredible deals, the most notable being a large soft-sided piece of luggage for $1. My favorite purchase was a laptop bag for $1. It's light blue and black, with short handles and a long strap, padded, and it has an outside pocket. It also looks brand new and is much nicer than a similar bag I bought at a store for $10 in June. 😭

Some things I bought were for grandma: a scarf that reminded me of a blouse she used to have; a white sleeveless cotton button-front blouse that reminded me of blouses she wore when I was young; a lace-covered ivory camisole in a nicely-weighted fabric that feels like butter.

I also bought a few purses ($1 each) and more (exquisite!) scarves for 50 cents each. There was a lovely set of burgundy pillowcases as well. (Along with a set of sheets, the pillowcases went to a neighbor who was settling into a new space with no time to do laundry.)

Thank God for the giant blue IKEA bag stashed in my trunk. It came in handy for dragging my haul inside.

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Looks like this post has gotten long enough, yes? Well then, July shall have its own dispatch.

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