My Exciting Week

I still haven't had my first Pilates class. It was supposed to be Tuesday; they emailed me and asked if I could switch to Thursday. I was going to go on Thursday, but my sister called and asked me to pick up my niece. My 14-year old niece has been deciding where to attend high school next year. She and her younger sisters have been attending a Montessori school, but their school doesn't offer high school. They live about two miles from the local public school, but she wants to go to a private school called Villa Madonna. Villa Madonna has an excellent reputation. Last year 100% of the graduating class went on to college.

Sarah was spending the day "shadowing" a student at Villa Madonna so she could experience what it would be like to attend. When she walked into the office to meet me, it struck me how grown up she looks. She has her hair cut in a little bob, and she was wearing the khaki pants and white shirt outfit that fits the school's dress code, with her little blue and white backpack and a navy cardigan. She looked so cute! She loved the school and decided that's where she wants to go next year. My nieces are growing up!

Friday my sister and I drove an hour up to visit my mom and stepdad, David. They are both in their 80s and are beginning to have a hard time maintaining their home. David has macular degeneration, which impairs his vision. He doesn't drive anymore, and my mom doesn't like to drive after dark or in bad weather. They still go to church every Sunday and my mom goes to art class on Wednesday. We have tried to convince them to move closer to us, but they don't want to leave their home or their community. We helped my mom get a refund for a desk she had ordered from a catalog then returned. I called the catalog company and my sister called the credit card company. We got it resolved and my mom was very happy.

Last night my husband and I went to see "Cowboys and Aliens". I thought it was pretty stupid. I like science fiction, but this wasn't very well thought out.

That's been my exciting life the last couple of days. Today we are taking our next door neighbors to the "yacht club"; it's a floating bar and restaurant on the Ohio river that is a lot of fun. (Someone called it a "dive bar on a pontoon".) It has fake palm trees, and real boats moored to it, and a "come as you are" ambience. When boats pass on the river, it rolls and creaks. It isn't really a club; just a funky place to have drinks and pretty good food. Our neighbors haven't been there before, so we are excited to take them. Last week they took us to a nice restaurant up in Cincinnati where their brother/uncle plays drums in a really great band that plays 60s and 70s music (Beatles, Eagles, Crosby Still and Nash, Neil Young, CCR). They were good! Lots of people dancing, good food, and single malt scotch. It was a fun evening.

At the Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club