6-29-2020 Monday-2:15pm

Good afternoon!

I hadn't seen the mourning doves much this summer, but they are here once in a while.  Sometimes you can just hear them.  Lovely sound.

I forgot to say that my mom went back to her apartment the Friday before.  Or "back to prison" as she lamented to me on the phone.  She really hates being isolated, as we all know.  They may allow so visits through glass in July?  We'll hear more about it when my brother and SIL pass through Fargo this coming Friday.  They're dropping off my folks' old golf clubs for Dagan (family golf history, Dagabn said) on their way to a 90th birthday party for Kathy's uncle.  We will (yes, I am hoping to make it over) be outside and social distancing--in the backyard or the garage depending on the weather.  :)
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 I had my video call with Leah on Tuesday night and a birthday video call with McFamily for Ian's actual birthday on Wednesday...complete with singing and blowing out candles.
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I decided to get out ink and dip pens to write a letter...just for a change. 

Ended up mostly using my old favorite feather pen. 

Filled my tiny vials in the wooden holder (bought so long ago I don't remember what it was called) with shimmer inks (that tend to clog up my fountain pens). 

I love this brass holder on the feather.  I use a brause 05 calligraphy nib with a reservoir on the top of it so that I can write for quite a while before I need to re-dip. 

I scribbled the names of the inks on a post-it note so I'd remember which inks were which. 

I also worked on Ian's book.  You may remember me filling the handmade paper cover with new paper...

...well, I wrote in the story: Magic Wings and Super Powers. 

I had taken notes from the dream Ian told me about in great detail when we were on a video call a while back. 

I am not good at drawing people, earthquakes, etc...so I made up for it with using metallic markers here and there...mostly in his current favorite color--gold!  I told him it was an imagination book without pictures.  I think he liked it.
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I remembered to take pictures of the patio this weekend.

The baby marigolds in the round pots are starting to take off finally.  I lost a few of them, but there are plenty that survived. 

All the plants seem to be doing well. 

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The big excitement for my week was yesterday!!  On Sunday I got to become a member of a bubble or covid pod with McFamily.  Never know for how long--so I was there for like 10 hours!  :)
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I had sent Ian's presents in the mail to their house so Leah had wrapped them for me.

Liam was watching the proceedings. 

Leah took pictures and a video. 

So you can see he got an "I Love You, Grandma" book (we read later) and some grownup art supplies. 

And afterwards he painted in his new watercolor journal art book.

Was an absolutely wonderful day!!  At Leah's suggestion, I even brought with some ingredients and Leah made me some foods to take home, too!  Dagan, Leah, and I sat around and discussed the state of the country into the night.  I think I got home about 11:30pm?  Anyways, I am really sore and exhausted today--but feeling thoroughly contented.
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Dagan had to go into the clinic today for his blood thinner testing AND they called him in to work to fix something--during the day--that needed fixing now.  So, exposure.  Have to see about deciding whether to go over this week or not.  The clinics are really picky here and careful, but not sure how the few people who are at the office are, you know?  He'll let me know later tonight how much he felt exposed.  He'll get his clothes washed and take a shower as soon as he gets home.  Yup--we are still that cautious.
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Regardless--it was fantastic yesterday.  Was a fabulous day.  It will take me a couple days to recover, I think--LOL!  But one happy lady here in Fargo.  Till next time...too shot to look up a quote...bye bye for now.  :)