We are getting ready for Smallsteps' family birthday tomorrow afternoon, and my wife spent the whole day baking - while Smallsteps licked spoons and scraped bowls. And I stayed out of the kitchen. That is not completely true, because I had to go and buy a new mixer, because the ancient one we have died. But other than that (and getting a coffee), I stayed away.
I can only make a Pavlova anyway.
And that was not on the menu.
However, what I did do (other than getting a haircut) is take Smallsteps into the city to a "Little Italy" faire, which really was very little. We still managed to waste an hour there though, and while we didn't sample the food (what a waste - but Smallsteps couldn't eat most due to her diet restrictions, so I didn't try either), we did find a stall that had very good vegan sorbet - so no dairy. Smallsteps had strawberry and I went with a Venezia Cappuccino (which did have milk in it).
Perhaps I have said before, but one of the things I like about Finland is that an event doesn't have to be very special for people to enjoy it. There were a lot of people walking about the maybe hundred meters in total of stalls and mostly free space in the boulevard, enjoying the unusually warm (for August) weather, having some Italian wines, gelati, and plenty of pizza and cannoli. It was a good, relaxed, healthy atmosphere.
We didn't stay long because there wasn't much to do other than eat and listen to accordion music, so we started heading back home, talking about the best parts of the day, the worst parts, the funniest parts, and the silliest parts. It is something Smallsteps likes to do in order to reflect on what has happened in the day - which is pretty cool.
Of course, once home my work for tomorrow's prep started, which was to clean the house from top to bottom, but I went bottom to top. And then after that was done, I looked outside at one of our cherry trees and decided it was time to try and save it with a prune. It isn't the ideal time afaik to prune, but I have fears that it is getting diseased and there needs more space between the branches for air and light. We don't know how long the tree has been there, but I have read that they will last from 15 to maybe forty years only.
I'd be dead by now, if I were a cherry tree.
I am looking forward to having people here tomorrow, because if we are really fortunate, the rain will hold off a few hours more and we can sit outside in the garden. It would be the first proper usage of it this summer, and hopefully there will be more to come in the years to follow. And I am hoping that the weather will be good on Wednesday also - because that will be the "friends" birthday party, and I'd rather have the group of nine year old girls running outside instead of inside.
I just cleaned...
Taraz
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Good luck with the weather, hopefully no rain for the guests tomorrow and party on Wednesday. What is nice about Seattle weather is that between middle June and end of August we might not have a day of rain here. So summers are great, the downside is that it rains every day between October and May :)
That is awesome! Here we might not have a day of sun. Though this year was warmer than usual. I loved this in the tropics dry season, where my car would stay clean for weeks and weeks without a wash :)
Does Seattle get snow?
𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗻𝗼𝘄.
𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄.
𝗔𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗿𝗮'𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹.
𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲.
𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲.
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲.
𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲.
𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲.
𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁ⵑ
Smallsteps: A happy birthday filled with gifts, happy moments, and many blessings.
I will read this to her :)
Please explain to her that it is an acrostic.
9 YEARS! Holy Moly. Have a Happy birthday @smallsteps and great parties!
It is getting on. It is an easy way to know how long I have been on the blockchain too - since I started 6 months after she was born :)
I do remember the early years! Time goes by too quickly. Can you believe that it has been 6 years since @wolfhart died? I remember both of us trying to find our way around here and always depending on you to have the explanations we were looking for.
It is great that you're showing Smallsteps how to reflect on experiences. I think it is a crucial skill ;)
I hope she gets into it more, but not "too much". Some people get lost in reflection, and forget to live.
Happy Birthday to her! I hope it is a fantastic day for her. Speaking of Finland, I just saw a graphic the other day and for as small as it is, the number of disc golf courses in the country is quite impressive!
Is real memory trigger, a sign of a perfect childhood. When my mum baked, I'd loiter around waiting to do the same. Amazing how I preferred her baking uncooked and in a bowl to the end product!
Listening to accordian music...enough to drive any sane human being away!
Sounds like you had a fantastic family day. Shame about the weather. My friends in Finland, who are right up North were telling me they had some ridiculous temperatures up in 30s earlier in the year.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, happy birthday to the bairn and hope your health is holding up.
Best wishes
A family and friends time on a weekend to celebrate the special ocassion is always fantastic... as it says in here "The girl grows up fast".... so enjoying every moment with her is must. I do it too as well and it is always enjoyable.... Happy B'day 🎂🎂 to her...loads of ❤️
Hey @tarazkp!
Here is a !PIZZA for you 🍕
$PIZZA slices delivered:
@sagarkothari88(4/20) tipped @tarazkp
Come get MOONed!
My son also loves cleaning. Cleaning activity is very engaging. He uses water sprinkler / sprayer the most & you should see joy in his eyes when he uses it. What tool do you like the most when you are cleaning? Don't say chainsaw 🤣
One of our neighbors yard had been flooded recently. Also a nearby street was flooded as well. I think our house is a bit in a higher place. So our yard was not flooded.
Happy birthday to Smallsteps.
This isn't the ideal time to prune cherry trees. Pruning in spring, before the buds form on the branches, is ideal. Cherry trees don't live very long. Because they grow quickly, they're not resistant to disease.
I hope Wednesday is a nice day. Outside, you can shelter from the rain with a few tarps. Of course, if it's going to rain heavily, you'll have no choice but to celebrate indoors.
Small moments, like reflecting on the day or enjoying a local fair, create lasting memories. Wishing you all a wonderful birthday celebration and sunny days too, my favorite season, sunny days
Smallsteps growing up so quickly, hope the party went off well under sunshine to save cleaning home again.
Send birthday wishes and hugs from South Africa to Smallsteps and the family.