We had a nest of baby birds in the tree right outside the staircase landing up until about a week ago. They have flown away now. However another tree in our front yard is full to drooping with red berries and has attracted just about every bird for a 5 mile radius. One pooped on me or got spooked and dropped its berry snack on my shoulder this week. So there are all these unused berries on the sidewalk. I tried to sweep them up. Now it looks like red berry pie has been smeared all over the front walk. Oops. I have also done some weeding this morning. I am hot now.

Have a had a few busy weekends lately, thank goodness. Martin's aunt and uncle came for a visit as well as our friends Jason and Robin. We had a party when the latter were here. Unfortunately there was no swimming b/c of crazy Illinois summer weather. Mainly it was airline folks and my buddy Karin from the library.

We joined the synagogue in Elgin and now the rabbi is leaving and moving to Houston to get married or somesuch. Kind of weird, but at least we will be sort of old timers when the new rabbi makes an appearance.

I did something really creepy and put a link to a whole bunch of names of people that I have lost contact with over the years in hopes that they google themselves as much as other people I know. We'll see if it works. I'm not too hopeful. Maybe I should scan some old pictures of them on there. I think I have a picture of every one of them.
This is an offshoot of my personal problems of not keeping in touch as much as I should have. So everyone who thinks I don't keep in touch now, it's nothing new and nothing personal toward you. I've been doing it since about 3rd grade. And for some of you reading this that haven't talked to me in about 5 years , I bet that synagogue comment above was a little shocking!

I am also aware that the Sydney pictures are still not large size. I am working on that. Please forgive me for being lazy.