This is Laurie.
Paula is a faithful blog follower and life-long friend who lives 3000 miles away. She knows all my friends by sight and name although she’s never met them. Laurie and I met for lunch today and made plans for a last-minute bike riding adventure. Later in the afternoon, all reservations were made. Fun ahead.
A friend purchased a jacket made from an old quilt and asked me to “shzuzh” it up (not sure how to spell that sound). She gave me no direction, anything I wanted to do. Make it better, whatever I wanted. A challenge.
After I got back from Ireland, I started researching ribbon and design possibilities. I made a decision and ordered 4 different organic cotton ribbons the same week that I had an appointment with a dermatologist to look at and biopsy a spot on my scalp. The ribbon arrived the same day the results came in – basal cell carcinoma.
Two days later, I was back in the dermatologist’s office for a more extensive procedure. I came home with instructions for wound care plus 2 weeks of downtime. After a few days of staying home and doing absolutely nothing, I got started on the jacket: hand stitching, tunneling between the layers, 3/8 inch at a time.
Blanket stitch around the patch.
Today I met Deb, hoping she would like the design I came up with. She liked it!
This was a good project for the first days of recovery. Soon the stitches will be removed and the next phase of adjustment will begin. And I’ll be able to ride a bike again.
The first Friday in August. We met at Frends. Lots of bicycle talk.
Congratulations Lorge, our most recently trained League Cycling Instructor.
On Monday. Artichoke dip and Gorgonzola grape and pine nut crostini.
Sophia and Lily played in a beach volleyball tournament at Sierra College on Sunday.
Carson wanted to play a few games before we went to lunch at Zócalo. I held my own with Spot It – each person flips over a card, the first person to name the same item on both cards wins both cards – Carson won but only by a few. He tried to find the Frozen memory game but couldn’t find it – thank you to whoever passed that game on to its next owners!
After lunch, the dentist.
Deb invited me to the Outride Expo in Morgan Hill at the headquarters for Specialized bicycles. An all-day event plus a 2.5-hour drive each way. Thanks Deb for driving. We talked all the way – both directions!
We had an information table in the auditorium.
Also part of the day: meeting some of the middle school PE teachers who are the latest recipients to receive a grant for Ride 4 Focus – a turnkey middle school cycling program active in over 400 sites across the US and Canada. Schools receive a fleet of bikes, helmets, curriculum and teacher training to integrate cycling into the middle school.
Our monthly class was Saturday from 9-11 at Miller Park. Kathy and Barbara prepping the rental bikes.
A very successful class.
Kathy giving some individualized information on fixing a flat tire.
I think this is the final final Little League playoff game for River Park and Carson – the Pacific Southwest Regional Tournament. Teams came from as far away as Arizona and Hawaii.
Goodbye Harrington Hall in Dublin. The 23-hour journey home began.
After an 8-hour flight, I had a 4-hour layover in Charlotte NC. I found the World Cup semi-final game being televised at a restaurant, hung out at the edge for a while, then managed to sit down by asking to join a table with two women .. but I really wanted to sit at the bar.
An opportunity presented itself which led to the highlight of the trip home. I sat at the bar next to Reagan. She recently graduated from Clemson with a degree in elementary education and was soon to begin the path to her first job. OMG – we are about 55 years apart in where we are in life. She is just beginning a career teaching elementary grades. I am retired 23 years + 31 years of teaching grades 2-8. We had a delightful conversation.
Thank you Justin for picking me up. Home, happy and tired. Spain beat France! I’m a fan of Lamine Yamal.
arletelouise 