I've been In South Pas during the day the last two days. A baby-sitting emergency. Michele is in Texas. A short walk to the girl's school to walk them home. The air was better than yesterday. But it was thick and heavy. The sun was red. I had to remind the girls not to stare at it.
There are hordes of kids in their neighborhood now, and Zoe was eager to run with them. It reminded me of the way it was here when the boys were little. We had a swing set in the backyard. Our house was usually the neighborhood playground. I liked it that way.
We are situated on a quiet cul-de-sac. Perfect for bike riding and ball playing in the wide streets. We had a basketball hoop attached to the garage and a nifty garage door for handball. Snacks were available. At least those I considered healthy. Apples. Oranges. Celery with Peanut Butter and Carrot Sticks. Milk, Lemonaide, and sometimes Kool-aide. But I was suspicious of sugar, so not a lot of candy, and the peanut butter was just peanuts and salt.
On rainy days, I usually made cookies. Somehow that always made the day more fun.
But, back to today. While Zoe was running with the pack under the watchful eye of one of the neighborhood Moms, Mira came back to the house to wrap packages. She made presents for Daddy. Soon, a friend came to play. The two girls played "Let's Pretend" in the Living Room until this little girl's Dad came to bring her home for dinner.
Pizza and Hot Wings for dinner. I was lazy, and had no way to get to the market without a car, anyway. I guess that's OK.
Oh. Did you know that seven year old Zoe has her own e-mail address? I just found out this afternoon. In another year or two, I will have two more people to advise me on computer.
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News Flash: Solar Flare. "The Sun hurled a huge cloud of charged particles at Earth on Tuesday, with an intensity that could affect satellites, power grids and pipelines when it reaches our planet, possibly as soon as Wednesday."
What does this mean, exactly?
Do I have to turn off my computers?
Will we be able to see a spectacular site through the smoke?
Is the world as we know it coming to an end?
I guess we'll know at about 3:00 PM tomorrow.
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Unrelated Note to Self: SNAP OUT OF IT!
There are thousands in shelters now. Lives have been lost. Homes gone. Firefighters are giving it their all.