It's been a pensive week.  My close friend's mother passed and we attended her funeral yesterday.  Much like my mother, she had her ailments but was relatively well. It wasn't 100% abrupt, but her illness was brief (a blessing).

After returning from that funeral I learned another friend's husband passed away last night.  She had just retired earlier this year.  They weren't old enough to be leaving one another yet.

My heart hurts for them all so much.  My own birthday came and went without too much gnashing of teeth, but I would be lying if I didn't reflect and simply say momento mori.

Last week's swim meet updates!  Avery's 100 free relay came in 6th out of 14 with 1:32.84, again no individual splits were available.  Her 100 medley relay also came in 6th out of 9 with 1:51.65.  She snagged 4th in the 25 fly out of 6 girls with 26.31 (the week prior was 26.74, so she bettered herself which is huge).  They also had her swim 25 breast, which she wasn't thrilled about but she again took 4th out of 6 and we got a seed time for next go round of 33.57.  She seemed pleased with the results and was happy to get ribbons for places she hasn't won previously.

Today is finals and our mini-season is over.  They have her in one relay and swimming 25 free.  With finals since they can only sign up 3 swimmers for each event she barely got edged out on seed time on butterfly.

This week we are free from another activity, which is good, I'm getting tired of running.  We're back to it next week.

Other news, it looks like our two foster babies are coming back after it having been announced that the adoption was finalized - I'm bummed for them but this also complicates things here.  Saying a prayer that we might have another foster step up even if just temporarily.

Tomatoes are starting to ripen and they're beautiful this year!  I also have several peppers growing well out back.  I've pulled onions - while they're not huge they're bigger than I've managed to harvest in the past.  I also have more beans coming in.  The beets are looking like my nothing-burger this year.  Two of the potato pots have died off and I should check them - but I don't anticipate much there; the other couple pots are still growing strong.  I also have some beautiful lettuce happening which I'm pleased with since last year I couldn't get it to start to save my life.

The CSA started up last Friday so I have kale, lettuce, beans, and cukes from them to use up.  I only did a quarter basket this year, I think it was the right move.  I'm bummed we didn't get scapes this year in the first week.  With the kale I made a batch of tuscan chicken - yum.  I never thought I'd find a way to make kale an enjoyable part of a meal, but all three of us give this dish good ratings.

Another one of those "everyone thinks I'm mean but I'm really soft" moments, actually, two of them.

First, it was a month on the 6th since I ordered my fridge and stove.  The stove isn't here yet.  I'm not in a rush, but you're holding a significant amount of money, so I'd like an idea of when it will come -- and your 4th of July sale has it $200 cheaper.  Well, I reached out via the chat feature on their website and immediately got them to say they'd update the price and reinvoice.  Could I have called and asked for that?  I should have, but I felt awkward about it.  They also initiated steps to check on status, so I wait to hear on delivery timeframe.

Second, kiddo's first communion was at the beginning of May, that's 2 months ago.  I still don't have photos back.  I also didn't spend time taking my own photos because we paid to get them from the professional photographer.  I reached out to her at the very end of May concerned that it could have been an email that landed in spam (I ordered digital copy), which wasn't straightforward as their business phone wasn't functioning (sigh) - but I found her on FB.  To my surprise she replied to me and gave me her cell number.  She said she'd call when my order is completely ready.  There isn't a group for the 1st communion class to reach out and say "hey, did anyone get their photos", so I'm sitting here awkward about it.  I'd think at this point I am within reason to say "hey, I need these post haste" but again, I'm soft.  I put something in my calendar for later this month to force me to confront if I don't hear anything by then.

After missing the first two swim meets due to vacation, we were finally able to attend the home meet last night.  Girl's relays didn't kick a lot of butt but it was obvious her times were going to improve greatly over last year.  In her individual events, between last July and this event she went from 33.00s to 26.74 in her 25 butterfly and from 36.99 to 22.25 in her 25 free.  This, and the ribbons that come with these times, is the encouragement she needs to keep practicing and working on her starts on the blocks and coming into the wall hard.  I can't believe my kid swims butterfly and hates breaststroke.