Happy August!  I'm so very, very glad to be here!  It was my full intention to write yesterday, but life wasn't nearly as interested in me doing so as I was.  I suppose it just goes like that sometimes. 

The weekend was absolutely magnificent!  Friday night, we passed on Hamburger Night because Eric was wanting to just chill after getting home.  It's understandable since he commutes over an hour to and from work.  It was an hour and forty minutes, but he was given a project that is actually on the near edge of Sacramento, which makes his drive much shorter (hurray!).  Still, that's a lot of driving for a week!  So we relaxed and didn't do much.

On Saturday, I made the journey down the hill to Wal-mart. Delena and I had a GREAT lunch together at the Diamond Springs Hotel, not only a registered haunted joint, but also the absolute best place to get food in the world. 

Then it was on to Wal-Mart for shopping and back up the hill again, only a half hour before our friends were due to arrive.  Eric had finalized the cleaning while we were gone and I continued with the set up.  One of my friends from a long while back attended (she was the High Priestess of the first circle I attended in the US) and it was a joy to see her again. 

After the awesome Harvest ritual (a giant hawk circled overhead the entire time, which was a wonderful blessing), we piled into cars and went to "the bowls," which is a naturally formed series of huge granite pits from shallow to 6 to 10 feet deep.  What Eric neglected to tell us is that the half mile or so trek from the drivable distance to actual bowls is a fairly treacherous descent down the side of a mountain on tiny little shifting paths of deep, soft dirt.  Normally, I would have declined and relaxed in the safer part of nature nearer the top, but Diva rose up and said, "Are you kidding??  MOVE YOUR ASS!"   So I did.  April (my friend from way back, who is a few years older than I am) even mentioned that she has gotten more daring as she's gotten older.  I guess Diva insists that we move forward and experience new things to keep us vibrant and alive.  When we finally got to the bowls (the lower part of the descent was so steep that I ended up sitting on my ass and sliding down), it was lovely, but the water was about 40 degrees.  Delena would dive off of the log right into the 10' bowl and swim.  Eric did one time, deemed it way too cold and didn't go in again.  The rest of us sat on the edges and courted the more shallow pools, which were still far too cold to be in for very long without going numb.  The amazing thing about this place is that it's in the heart of the El Dorado National Forest and there are NO power lines, No structures, not even any planes flying over.  You could be in absolutely any century of time.  Of course, I forgot to bring my camera, but had I remembered, I would have likely dropped it on the descent to the bowls area.  The walk back up was easier.

Once we got home, we relaxed for a bit, ate some salad and fruit to keep it light, then went out to the ritual area again to celebrate the Blue Moon.  Blue Moon at Harvest is particularly fortuitous and it was great fun.  After that, Eric grilled BBQ chicken, I made strawberry pie (of course) and we dined again.  Everyone ended up leaving a little before midnight.

Sunday was one of the laziest days I've ever known.  Mostly, I played with the kids and rested, still processing the day before.  Wrote my spoiler commentary columns and then yesterday, I dealt with a few site issues that didn't involve me writing, mostly posting the work of others and doing some admin stuff.  I have decided that I am taking Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays off, doing only maintenance cleaning and upkeep, then on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, I'll do that, plus whatever major work needs to be done.  I'm a Virgo, therefore, I must plan.  Of course, Monday is slipping over into Tuesday, in this lazy case, but I do my best work after noon, so I'm not worried.

Today's major project is to rework the boys' room in a big way.  I purchased several power strips (Less than $3 each at Walmart!!)  to sort out the cords on all of their game systems and such.  I need to try and turn their bunk beds around (it's dicey because our house is constructed in such a way that the top story bedrooms have a slope to the ceiling that dips down to about 4' on one side.  The bed may or may not fit turned around.  Our wrought iron headboard is against the short side and is about 5' tall, so there's a good sized gap between the headboard and the wall behind it.  When my head eases between the wrought iron spindles in the bed, it goes into air instead of against the wall.  >:< 

I also want to move Eric's desk from the laundry room, where it has been relegated to "stuff holder" and put the kids' computer on it. I told him that his "account has been suspended due to gross inactivity," meaning he's had the desk in there for 4 months now and has done absolutely nothing with it, so the kids win. He was happy with that.  Our laundry room is quite big, so I'm going to turn it into an exercise room with the bike and treadmill set up (more places to hang the laundry). 

The two will be a long job and with any luck, Eric will come in right when the heavy lifting commences. 

Eric is still very happy with his job, which is a joy.  The day is cool here on the mountain.  Nights are getting into the 50's, which is lovely and it extends into the mornings for a longer time every day.  For the past two days, we haven't even used our AC.  There's a gentle, cool breeze that comes through the windows, leaving everything the perfect temperature. 

I am very blessed and life is wonderful.  Thanks to all of you for being a part of that.

Love,
Katrina