Tuesday, March 30, 2021

 Tuesday, March 30, 2021

            

            A light rain fell during yoga today. I felt like I was in the vegetable aisle. Toward the end of class, the rain came down stronger. Yvette cut the class short by a few minutes. 

       My friend Melissa called. I had called her before I made my presentation of my reading method for Step Up Tutoring for her feedback. Then I decided I didn’t want it yet. I knew she would have wonderful suggestions, but I didn’t want to make any changes at that point. It was well-rehearsed. Today, she wanted to know how my presentation went. I had just emailed her the video that morning. I told her I had delayed sending it until I had Judy’s assurance that I didn’t need to feel ashamed.

I sent out Sam’s birthday card today. I wanted to make one all from scratch with a Goldilocks theme. I found an image of Goldilocks holding a bowl with a spoon. I printed it out on card stock and colored it in. Then I faced the challenge of drawing the three chairs. I finally realized that I had set myself a goal way over my head. I hopped in the car, headed to Target to buy a card for a two-year-old.  

The Target parking lot was packed. When I went to Costco yesterday, the flats were set in anticipation of a long, long line. I figured they were getting ready for the end-of-the-month dole checks and food stamps. I guess those checks came in yesterday, therefore the overflow of cars. After Target, I went to the bank to cash checks. I changed my mind quickly. Every parking space was taken. I left, planning to come back some other day.

When I got home, I made confetti with the special hole punches that make hearts and stars Yvette lent me. I glued the Goldilocks image I colored onto a backdrop and wrote, “It’s too hot!’ in a corner. No two-year-old is going to understand the image and the words. These are references to something he shares with his grandmother, my sister Dorothy. She started telling him the Goldilocks story during their Facetime calls. He loves the part where she says, “It’s too hot!” He asks her to tell the “oldiocks” story. I got the card in the mailbox. His birthday is tomorrow. I didn’t think he would be distressed by getting it late.

I included a check in the card with the ‘oliocks’ images and the confetti. I needed a new book of checks. At some point, I realized the ‘new’ book was for some closed accounts, Mike’s and my joint account, and an individual account I had when he was alive. I couldn’t open the envelope. Sam’s card couldn’t be easily fit into just any envelope. I warned Karin not to cash the check. I took a picture of my new checks and texted that to her.

            Scott came over, and we unpacked the window. It doesn’t open ‘completely,” the top window doesn’t come down, so it’s in line with the top of the bottom one. Scott talked about removing the panels that block that from happening. Doing so will cancel the lifetime warranty. There must be a reason for them being there. I suggested Scott call Milgard and find out its function. Yvette was disappointed in the window. She had nothing positive to say about it. 

            I had a session with Aiden. We continued with the Using Context exercises. He continues to show improvement. He read the words; I guided his decoding when he got stuck. I read the sentence with the blank space and the multiple-choice words. He answers more quickly and with greater confidence. 

I texted Scott and asked him to check the solar attic fan he installed. I could hear the old one on the north side of the house whirling away. It made a racket. When I went to the south side of the house, I didn’t hear a peep from that attic fan. He texted me that he checked, and it’s working just fine. It is so much quieter than the old one.