The Latest

 My family was invited by my sister and her husband at their home for an afternoon "picnic/barbecue" at their backyard, last July 8th. We brought a bowl of fresh vegetable salad with dill dressing + hot lasagna. I'm glad that their yard is cooler in the afternoon and the shade of trees from the forest brought cooler breeze and greeneries plus their backyard is blooming with floral of all kinds from lilies, blue aliums, daisies, dahlias, hydrangeas, clematis, foxgloves, peonies, and their vegetable garden is well taken care of. Almost like a pretty park. Wow! The Oregon green beans seeds  we gave them are now 6 ft. tall and its tendrils climbing up their clothes lines. Oh my, so many dragonflies and butterflies. I want to take pictures. I want to photograph each one of those creatures then I control myself. I'd better not use my digital camera nor mind about those flying creatures. I am thwarting and trying to avoid anything that will cause an allergy or allergic reaction.  The pumpkins branching out, crawling on the ground, the garlic plants in orderly alignment from each other in several rows in the garden bed. The cherry tree has only few cherry fruits for they picked them up from the branches before the raccoons viciously had eaten most of the fruits. The grape vines are so much healthier but no grape fruit yet. Their apple trees already have fruits, too small and too young for picking. I noticed that the Japanese maple tree towers over any other trees in their backyard beside it because it was freshly pruned. The blueberry shrub has many fruits already. Her collection of succulents are over hundreds in mini-potted containers. I asked my sister if she will sell those succulents and she said, "no." Okay, that's her collection, forgot to take that in mind. But you know how many potted succulents or how many mini-cactus you need in your garden? My sister and I have that certain likes and dislikes on particular things that "complete us." LOL. It's not what you think it is but perhaps our differences of collection is somewhat different or what you call it weird. I have a collection of wooden nutcrackers until I told myself have to stop from collecting such weird stuff. Or collecting angels and elephants (ceramic, plastic, marble, pewter) not the large elephant from the zoo. duh! Well, only if somebody will give me the real elephant that walks!🙌

Hey, not my business. After one year and half, this is the first time we had a group conversation because of the pandemic. hah! We are law-abiding humans and nothing's wrong with that. Besides, who the hell is 100% perfectly healthy in our generation?

We're seated on a blue painted picnic table made of hardwood. It's hot out there but because of the shades from the tall forest trees mostly evergreens, douglas fir trees and spruce, there is cooler breeze once in a while. Brother-in-law was busy in the far corner of the backyard grilling hotdogs (regular sized hotdogs and big sized hotdogs with cheese inside). There's that pitcher of water and ice cubes and Coke soft drinks. A platter of tortilla chips with chicken dressing or dip for chips. I had pork barbecue in a skewer, hotdog in a bun, small portion of lasagna and cold soft drink. Everyone chooses what pleases or it's a choice. My daughter likes the foods on the table and so as everybody who enjoyed the picnic meals intended for supper.

My niece arrived and joined us at the picnic table. It was good to her. She's a nurse at the hospital and there are news and stories that we talked about and for whatever reason there are things, ideas and opinions that I coincide with her but there are things I cannot reveal nor argue about. The bad news and the pandemic had already affected billions of people around the world and heated argument for the sake of who wins the conversation is just foul and will ruin relationship among families & relatives. 

Hours passed by, my niece's husband arrived with their two dearly adorable pets: Charlie & Patrick. It was good to see them as they run around the picnic table, on the yard and their tails wagging non-stop. Charlie's fractured leg has healed. It was last year when he injured his leg when he jumped out from the car of his master, too excited to see us.

Suddenly, hubby felt terribly in pain. His gas pain has returned to bother him, indigestion?  We hurriedly returned  home. Stomach cramps and maybe the hernia is the cause. We were talking about it before about his cancelled appointment for hernia operation. He cancelled it twice already in the past because of the pandemic.

Let it be. It's really up to him when he wants to go for the surgery. My niece knew the surgeon and said she's really skilled so my husband got nothing to worry about.

Restriction about the pandemic is over! You can wear face masks or no face masks it's up to you. If you have allergy and pollution is nuisance to your health, wear face masks. If you are paranoid about catching colds and your sense of smell is sharp and you don't like the smell of your surrounding face mask is your option. If you are a health care workers, definitely you are to wear face masks. No ifs no buts. It is for your protection as medical aides and protection from your patients. 

There, it's optional to wear face masks while outside, in public premises, everywhere. It's already a fashionable fad, carry on.