We're Back!

OVERWHELMED: The last two weeks have been the busiest 14 days of any stretch I can recall in my long and really pretty-much-always-busy life. 

Last week, Annabelle had three play performances, and we (and some other volunteers) had to do dinner for 45 or so two of those three nights. And on the third performance, we had to move all the props and sets to a different venue. It was hard work, and long days. 

Once that was over with, our attentions turned toward a first annual party with an auction to benefit their learning center. So. Much. Work. Selling admission tickets, selling raffle tickets, picking up prizes, designing marketing materials, making 'barn dance' themed decorations. It was a 'first annual' event, which means having to invent many wheels and educate many people regarding what it was all about.

At the auction, and barn dance party, Kennedy helped me served about 85 hot dogs and 60 some root beer floats, Annabelle and Abby cranked out about 35 pool noodle ponies. CJ and Christian headed up the cattle ropin' activity (with an authentic lasso and fake steer head from a tack shop). It was big fun and an enormous amount of work.

We started setting up for the 3-5:30 auction at 1 on Saturday, and got home about 7:30. At that point, I set about starting a custom cookie project. Roses, boats, cameras, school buses, initials and more for Christian's dad's 80th birthday party. I finished the cookies about 1 a.m., and we were up at 5:30 to head to Portland for a birthday brunch and cookie delivery. 

Are we a little tired? Yes. Are we a LOT tired? YES.

Oh, have I mentioned during all of this, we are trying to sell our house? It went on the market just last Friday, and so we were working like dogs to get it photo ready, and have had to have the place picture perfect ever since (no easy task when you're making dinner for dozens and dozens of cookies). 

Oh, and have I mentioned that during the midst of all of this, my Nikon camera apparently is toast? 

It's been failing for a long while now. All of its lenses gave up the ghost within the last year, and then I went out and bought a non-Nikon lens for the body that was less in price than a Nikon lens, and is WAY WAY WAY less in quality than a Nikon lens. And now, the Nikon body appears to be toast. So, for the first time since like the early 1980s, I am without a decent camera and I feel kind of lost. :(

LOVELY LUNCHTIME: Early afternoon, we had to vamoose from our house for a showing, so we went down to the waterfront. It was so gorgeous down there! Sunny skies, calm breeze, and perfect temperatures.

 The mountain was out (as you can barely see beyond the masts of the sailboats).

TRAILING DRAGON: Last night, a bit after 10, we were fortunate to have an International Space Station fly over. It's always fun to see the ISS, but I was super hoping we'd be able to see the SpaceX Dragon capsule chasing the ISS.

Dragon launched on Saturday, June 3 (when we were a little busy with the barn dance/auction). Here's a photo from my Facebook friend Ben Cooper. Isn't it lovely?!

It's so cool that we got to see the capsule atop this stack trailing the ISS last night! 

Oh, and by the way, SpaceX stuck the landing again! This amazing, time-lapse photo from Ben Cooper shows the first stage of the rocket returning to Earth.