A Big Day: School Ends, House Closes

Marisa And Me, May 27th, 2022

May 27th, 2025

Kayak Morning, 2025

It’s 8:20, and I’ve been up for an hour with Beth. We must have gotten quite a bit of rain last night because the outdoor furniture is drenched. At the moment, it’s 69°, and we’re expecting more rain over the next couple of hours.

It’s a big day for Beth. She attends the graduation ceremony for her sixth-grade class, then goes to her realtor to sign the closing papers on her previous house. And then summer vacation begins.

The photo from May 2022 was taken when Marisa spent a week with us while her parents were in Africa, touring Kenya and visiting the gorillas.

Yesterday was uneventful as we spent much of the day hanging out with Marisa and Beth. After finishing the blog and eating breakfast, the dogs were getting antsy, so I took them for a walk down to White Rock Lake and back—an easy 20-minute walk, depending on how long they spend sniffing the grass.

Cormorant On White Rock Lake

Once Marisa and Beth got busy sorting through old papers, Evie and I made a grocery list and drove to Tom Thumb, about 10 minutes away. The store was surprisingly empty at 10:30. Unfortunately, we had gone there for eggplant to make pasta, but the eggplant looked awful. We picked up what we needed for last night’s dinner and will get some eggplant today for tonight’s meal.

It’s strange sitting around much of the day without a TV, since Beth doesn’t have the usual channels like CBS, NBC, or CNN—just streaming services. So we all get our news from our phones or computers.

Around 1:00, Evie made me a toasted ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich for lunch. Yum. As usual, I started getting sleepy, so I began a new book, Mecca, which is set in California, and then took a nap. Evie wasn’t feeling well, so she tried to nap too.

The afternoon went quickly, and it was too warm to take the dogs for another walk. Marisa stayed until 4:30, then packed up her cats and headed back to Austin. She’ll be at medical school for another week, and then she has a couple of weeks off. It’s about a three-and-a-half-hour drive, mostly on highways.

Beth and Evie started prepping dinner around 5:00: sweet potatoes topped with taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, and sweet corn. We ate at 6:15, and it was a healthy, great-tasting meal. We even had enough left over for lunches. Evie still wasn’t feeling well, so she skipped dinner and went to bed for the night.

Beth and I watched three episodes of the second season of Landman, after having watched the first season when we were here in early May. I also watched the Thunder defeat the Spurs to go up 3–2 in the series. We went to bed around 10:15.

Our Week Begins

Memorial Day

It's almost 8:00, and Beth and I have been up since 7:00, with Marisa waking at 7:30. We planned our day, and Beth just left to supervise the moving of the last of their household items from their previous house, which closes tomorrow. Marisa will join her, and both should be back with the movers in an hour or two.

Morning With Evie

Monday was a low-key Memorial Day, with little celebration beyond the flags in Beth's neighbor's yard. We had no real plans, so we mostly hung out. Beth and I were up early, of course, though both Evie and Marisa slept in. I decided to make the usual breakfast — yogurt with granola and blueberries. Once everyone was up and fed, Beth, Marisa, and I took the dogs for a walk along the White Rock Pathway. Because of the holiday, the path was busy with bikers, skateboarders, scooters, runners, walkers, and strollers. It was warm, close to 80º when we left around 11:00, but it didn't seem to bother the runners. We were out a little over half an hour, worked up a sweat, and the dogs were happy to get home.

White Rock Lake Trail

Beth, Marisa, And The Dogs

When we got back, I went to work outside cleaning Beth's grill, inside and out — a dirty job given all the grease. I scrubbed with a wire brush, hit it with degreaser and paper towels, and got it ready to be put up for sale. It's a Weber Genesis gas grill, so I hope someone wants it. For lunch, I had the leftover lemon chicken, then decided to take a nap around 1:30. Tin Tin joined me, so I read for a bit and drifted off for about an hour. The afternoon went quickly. Beth and Marisa got some work done, while Evie and I watched Stephen Colbert's final show — another blow to free speech — and before we knew it, it was time to figure out dinner. 

In The Pantry, Hiding From Thunder

We went back and forth between eggs and home fries or burgers, fries, and onion rings from Rodeo Goat, a place about ten minutes away. Rodeo Goat won. Beth ordered around 5:30 and drove off to pick it up at 5:50. While she was gone, I took the dogs for a walk, and for the first time, they seemed reluctant, wanting to turn back — probably worn out from the morning. By 6:15, we were devouring our burgers and fries and watching another episode of Malcolm in the Middle. We followed that with the final three episodes of 1923 before going to bed around 10:15. Tin Tin joined me for the night, snuggled in a blanket at the foot of my bed.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday: occasionally, a photo pops up on Facebook of a young man — just out of high school, sometime in the 1960s — and when you look beneath the photograph, you realize he died in Vietnam. It always shocks and saddens me how young they were and what a waste of life. 

REMEMBER

Chautauqua, 2014

It's 8:20 on Memorial Day morning, and both Beth and I have been up since 7:00. It looks like a sunny, warm day here in Dallas. Tyler left for Atlanta yesterday, so it's just the four of us now. We're not quite sure what the day holds — most likely some well-earned rest and mapping out a to-do list for the week ahead. Since I didn't take any photos yesterday, I went back and pulled a few favorites from the past to share.

My Parents 50th Anniversary

Yesterday we were all up early since Tyler's flight departed from Love Field, about half an hour from their house. Everyone was out of bed by 7:00, and Beth and Marisa drove him to the airport at 8:20. Evie and I were left behind in a quiet house until around 10:00 — Beth had made stops at the dog park and Trader Joe's on her way home. I had planned on taking the dogs for a walk, but since they'd already been to the park and the heat was already building, I decided to put the time to better use. Beth needed Rami's grill cleaned up so she could sell it, so I spent a good forty-five minutes scrubbing and spraying it down with degreaser, hoping to make it presentable. It wasn't a particularly demanding job, but the heat and humidity made sure I earned a good sweat anyway.

Istanbul, 1974

While I was outside, Beth and Evie got Tyler's bedroom set up and worked through a good deal of laundry. After a light lunch of leftovers, I took a brief nap and started a new book — This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman. None of us did much for the rest of the afternoon; it was simply too hot to venture outside, and it felt good to just settle in and let go of anything that needed doing. Tomorrow is the big day — the last day of Beth's school year, which she's planning to attend.

Ohio, Summer, 1975

We celebrated the end of the week with a little spread of good cheeses, crackers, and a classic Texas favorite — pimento cheese dip with corn chips. Dinner was the leftover schnitzel; I made a couple of sandwiches, mayo included of course, along with French fries. In the evening, we watched a few episodes of Malcolm in the Middle and a couple of 1923 before bed. And as has become something of a nightly ritual, I stayed up to catch the NBA game as well.

July, 2024

Dalmatian Coast, 1974

An Interesring Day:Oleksandr Defeats Rico On DAZN TV

Kaia

Tin Tin

It's 8:30, and Beth and Marisa left to take Tyler to the airport. He flies back to Atlanta at 10:30. Beth and I have been up since 7:00, and it looks like a quiet Sunday without Tyler to spice up our day. We have clear skies and plenty of sun ahead, with a high of 87°.

Yesterday was another busy day for Beth and Tyler, as they worked through many of her accounts. I was up early, as usual, and waited until 8:00 for everyone else to stir. Breakfast for me was a scone and a couple of cups of coffee — and that was it until dinner, since my stomach was bothering me. Once everyone was up and fed, I took the dogs for a walk. We passed another couple with their dog, and of course, Tin Tin, the smallest of ours, tried to go after it. It's seems like the little ones are the most aggressive.

Live Oak: A Typical Dallas Shade Tree

Back home, everyone was busy — on the phone, or cleaning, vacuuming, and organizing to help Beth out. I skipped lunch, settled into my novel, The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. I've read all of her books, and this one follows a high school history teacher who begins reflecting hard on his life choices and the question of free will. I highly recommend it. While the others had lunch and kept working, I slipped in a brief nap.

Beth Relaxing With Tin Tin

Around 2:00, a family stopped by and bought a speaker that Tyler and Beth had listed on Facebook Marketplace. Later in the afternoon, another buyer came and picked up a pair of five-foot speakers, also listed on Facebook. Most of the afternoon, however, was spent watching boxing on DAZN TV.  Tyler has a subscription and is a devoted WBC fan. The event was spectacular — staged in front of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. After a few preliminary bouts, we got to the heavyweight main event: reigning champion Oleksandr Usyk of Ukraine versus kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven of the Netherlands. We watched Usyk defeat Verhoeven in a violent and controversial stoppage in the 11th round. It took me back to my childhood, watching Friday Night Fights at my grandfather Camplejohn's house in the 1950s — I can still recall names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, and Carmen Basilio.

Neighbors Signs

While we were watching the fights, Beth and Evie got dinner going, pounding tenderloin into schnitzel-sized cutlets and frying them up. We made far too much, so the leftovers will serve as tonight's dinner as well. We feasted on the schnitzel with baked potatoes and applesauce, then watched an episode of Malcolm in the Middle before returning to 1923, which held us until 10:00. And I, of course, caught the Cavs drop their third straight game to the Knicks — a sad day for Cleveland fans.

Grocery Shopping Hell

Chautauqua Morning: One Year Ago

It's 7:43, and I've been up for an hour. I looked for Kaia, but apparently, we had a bad storm last night, so Beth, who just got up, let him into her bathroom. Today — Saturday, I think — will be much like yesterday: a chance of rain, highs in the 80s, and humid. And since I forgot to take many photos yesterday, I decided to put on a couple from a year ago. 

One Year Ago: Daughters And Granddaughters In Italy

Yesterday followed the same pattern as the days before it. I was up early, then Beth, then Tyler, Marisa, and finally Evie. I got the blog written before Beth woke, and we talked for a good while until everyone stirred and started wondering about breakfast. I had a scone, but Beth offered to make fried eggs, so I had a couple of those as well while we planned out the day. The chimney guy arrived around 11:30, worked until 2:30, and will be back in a couple of weeks with the chimney cap to finish the job.

Meanwhile, Beth and Evie put together a grocery list — one for Tom Thumb, which is cheaper, and one for Central Market, which is not. While they worked on that, I took the dogs for a walk down to the lake. It was already hot and humid, and all three of us were happy to get back.

View Of Dallas From White Rock Lake

Evie volunteered that we'd handle the shopping, so off we went, following the GPS along busy, mostly three-lane roads through strip malls and neighborhoods. Driving in Dallas is no fun, especially when I thought Tom Thumb was on one side of the road and it turned out to be on the other. I had to turn around in a residential neighborhood and double back — the beginning of a minor ordeal, since we're unfamiliar with Tom Thumb and had no idea which aisle might carry gluten-free bread crumbs, etc, or whether they carried them at all. We searched the entire store for various items, which ate up a good half hour.

We then drove across the street to Central Market, which was packed — it was Saturday, after all — and parked as far from the entrance as possible because of the crowd. We know Central Market a bit better, but we still wound our way through crowded aisles hunting for things. We checked out quickly, and the bill at Central Market is always a pleasant surprise. I pulled the car around to the end of the parking lot, where Evie was waiting with a dozen Krispy Kremes, and that was that for the shopping spree. We found an easier, quicker way home and wondered why the GPS hadn't sent us that way in the first place.

We got back around 1:00 and were never so happy to be home.  Beth and Tyler were on the phone, so Evie and I put things away and thought about lunch — but neither of us was hungry. I was worn out from walking the aisles and decided to skip lunch and nap instead. I was up around 2:00, just as the chimney guy was leaving and explaining to Beth what he'd accomplished. Lunch for me was chicken soup with rice; Evie had another Krispy Kreme. We didn't do much the rest of the afternoon — hung out, helped where we could, and Evie started prepping dinner: salmon, rice, asparagus, and a salad. Happy hour ran from 5:00 to 6:15, with talk of what we'd gotten done and what was still on the list. Beth is selling a lot of items, so they've been advertising and scheduling times for people to come take a look.

Dinner was great — teriyaki salmon, rice, and salad, with Krispy Kremes or gluten-free brownies for dessert, the brownies courtesy of Beth earlier in the afternoon. We watched a couple of episodes of 1923, then Malcolm in the Middle after Evie went to bed. As with the previous evenings, I had the NBA game going on my computer alongside the TV. The four of us called it a night around 10:15, having had our fill of television.

Thank You Stephen Colbert: The End Of An Era

At 'El Come Taco'

 It's 8:45, and I have been up since 7:00. Beth joined me at 7:30, and we have been talking until now, when both Tyler and Marisa woke up. Evie's still sleeping in, lucky lady. It's now 9:15, and everyone is up, enjoying coffee, the dogs, and planning our meals. 

Like yesterday, I was the first one up, greeted by Kaia who was sitting in the downstairs bathroom, his secure place when it storms. I let him out and waited for the gang to wake as I wrote the blog. 

Kiai Hunkering Down

I had a scone with my coffee and when everyone was up, Beth made waffles, and we all enjoyed them, me included. Once we were finished, Evie cleaned up the kitchen while Beth and Tyler got busy on the phone, tying up loose ends with various entities, banks, insurance, social security, etc. That's how the morning went, with Evie and I helping whenever needed. Around 11:30, I took the dogs out for the first walk of the day and they loved it, of course. All I have to do is say 'Walk," and they run to the door. Since we were going out to dinner, we either skipped lunch or ate at different times. I had a bowl of Beth's soup with rice and that was enough for me. Others nibbled on scones or rolls or had soup. 

Walk To The Lake

Walking The Dogs

Around 2:00, I took a brief nap and then woke and started helping Evie clean the cushions on Beth's outdoor porch, quite a job. For some reason, a wasp had nested in the cushions and left behind what looked like mud. So we had to take the cushions off, wash them, and sweep debris from the couches and chairs before putting the cushions back once they were dry. Beth and Tyler finished up, or at least were finished for the day by 4:30, and I took the dogs out for a second walk, as we both needed the exercise.

Great Front Yard Trees

We left at 6:00 for Rami's favorite taco restaurant, El Come, about a 20-minute drive in Greenhurst. It's rarely busy when we get there, so we easily found a table and ordered our tacos and Margaritas or soft drinks. It has quite a menu, much of it in Spanish, but the kids have been here so many times, as have we, that they made recommendations. 

Happy To Be At El Come Taco

We shared delicious guacamole and chips, roasted green onions, and sweet corn before the tacos arrived.  Tyler ordered four tacos, I three, and the gals two. We left stuffed and were home by 7:30 in time to watch an episode or two of 1923, then Malcolm in the Middle until we went to bed. I watched both the TV and the Cavs lose to the Knicks, as on the previous evenings. 

A Quiet Early Morning In Old Lake Highlands

Coffee With Kaia And Tin Tin

It's 7:40, and I've been up for an hour — the only one awake except for Kaia. We're both sitting outside on the back porch, waiting for the rain to begin on a 69º, overcast morning. I'm glad Beth is sleeping in. When she was teaching, she was usually up at 5:00. Just after 8:00, Tyler woke, but the rest were still sleeping. It's 9:20 as I finish writing — everyone is up now, waiting for Beth to make Belgian waffles. Yum.

Tuesday was a busy day for Beth and Tyler, less so for Evie, and hardly at all for me. Beth was up early, and I joined her around 7:00. Evie and the boys slept in, getting up just before 9:00. Breakfast for me was a scone from Central Market and yogurt with blueberries. Our morning revolved around Mitch's flight back to LA. Beth and Tyler drove him to the Fort Worth airport, leaving around 10:30, so Evie and I were home alone. We did some cleaning — vacuuming, dishes — and I got the blog written and published.

Around 11:30, Marisa drove in from Austin with her two cats, Muffin and Bugs, skipping a day of school to be with Beth. The house inspector had flagged a couple of problems with the fireplace, so Beth called Luke to come over and assess things. Evie and I sat through a 20-minute lecture on fireplaces, flues, and dampers after he'd climbed up on the roof — and when Beth got home, he repeated the whole thing. Let's hope his estimate is shorter than his talk. Beth and Tyler didn't get back until 12:30, having stopped to pick up Rami's death certificates, which they need for nearly everything — banks, insurance companies, credit cards, and Social Security.

Bikers On White Rock Lake Trail

I was the only one who had a proper lunch: my favorite, potato pancakes with a couple of eggs, courtesy of Evie. Everyone else made do with leftovers, sandwiches, or just skipped it. By 1:30, I was on my bed reading and trying to nap, without success. I got up to help, but Beth and Tyler spent most of the afternoon on the phone with various institutions, straightening out accounts and sending digital copies of the death certificate. By 3:30, I needed to move, so I took both dogs for a walk down to White Rock Lake.

Dallas In The Distance

White Rock Lake

Around 4:00, Evie started prepping dinner — lemon chicken, a family favorite — and slid it into the oven around 5:00, just as Beth finished up and joined us for wine. Both she and Tyler were in good spirits; they'd gotten quite a bit done. Dinner was at 6:30: lemon chicken, rice, and salad, with a couple more episodes of 1923. I kept one eye on the series and the other on the NBA game, won by the Thunder. Everyone was in bed around 10:15 — Marisa and Beth with the cats, Tyler with Tin Tin, and me with Evie.

We've decided to stay two more weeks, to celebrate Beth's 60th birthday on June 2nd and fly home on the 3rd. By then, Beth should be settled into her new house, the loose ends tied up, and the kids will drop in now and then to keep her company. We have a house rented on Top Sail's beach for the last week of July, when we hope all of our family (including seven grandchildren and two great-grandsons) will come for at least a couple of days.