Scaffolding

Just this word is empowering to me now that I’ve been climbing around on this stuff for just a few hours at a recent Habitat Blitz Build. I want to know why we didn’t learn more about construction from our fathers when we were at a young age. While I was walking around on the second story I thought of Gayle walking on bridge girders high across the Columbia River. Really I guess any hands-on work gives a feeling of accomplishment as we also hauled gravel and that was fun too.

Maybe the best part of construction now is the fact that no man steps in to help or treats women like we need to step aside for the real workers. The foremen consider all workers equally when assigning jobs and let the workers select their preference.

So you have been going to outdoor summer concerts and picnics! I think summer has finally arrived here too. Yesterday the kids went swimming though first I had to give a drowning lecture using the squirrel I fished out of the pool as a main character in the story. It went kind of like this, “This squirrel could not swim now he is so dead that he will never wake up and is in a sack in the garbage.” They ask often to see the squirrel again and again but soon the garbage man will take the squirrel away. Miles needs the story and it has made its impact I think as he is asking for his life jacket regularly.

Saturday was the annual Manito Plant Sale and the crowds flocked in to get the early jump on the big flowers we had been transplanting, grooming, counting, and tagging each Wednesday for the past few months. Gas prices may be high but money is no object when gardening fanatics think they need more plants. It is good for our park as all the proceeds go for more improvements.

My mom has outgrown some clothes so I offered them to the staff to share with other residents. The other day she remarked that I should close her door as some people take her things. She said she sees others wearing her clothes! And she’s right about that.

Lucas and Miles love their hand made MD shirts. They wear them often and sometimes beg to keep them on for bed. I hope they turn into MD affectionatos so they’ll keep the family reunion going. Mostly I’m waiting for our group photo so they can look over the group and name a few. Miles was carrying around Willie’s photo so maybe he’s working on names and faces. I wonder when the photographer will send the digital photos or do we need to order them from Patrick?