New thing.

My new camera arrived today. It is excellent:

Among its clever tricks: it can take high speed burst pictures. Tonight, I took a series of high speed pictures of singing son eating that are so hilarious I don't know what to do with myself, or these pictures. They would make an awesome flipbook. Perhaps I will get on that right away. Okay, you've talked me into it. Note: this flipbook will be available for only a limited time. [UPDATE: flipbook availability now over. Woe.]

In other news: after aiding college daughter by taking her car to get it inspected whilst she was laboring away at managing sandwich artists, I came home, let Final Cut Express teach me important life lessons, did the laundry, cooked some elegant and delightful white beans for dinner, read a story by Jonathan Franzen, and packed stuff for a trip to Sonoma County, where my oldest darling friend lives. Me and my camera are going to have a great time on our visit.

The visits.

This summer has been nonstop fun, I've been saying, which means that

(1) I have barely written a word;
(2) I have made no little films;
(3) I have posted no podcasts.

On the other hand, I have had the chance to

(a) visit with the historian's daughter and partner in Seattle;
(b) hang with my brother's family;
(c) drive across part of this great nation with my niece;
(d) see my wonderful friend in Sonoma County;
(e) go to Idaho with the historian, and then with my auntie and niece;
(f) have lunch with my mom and sister;
(g) have lunch and/or tea with friend after friend;
(h) hang with soccer coach son when he came for a visit;
(i) go to Idaho with singing son and his wife, as well as college daughter, who came home for a whirlwind tour;
(j) go shopping and to dinner with make-up artist daughter and darling grandson, as well as to a movie;
(k) visit the new little baby of the historian's son and his wife;
(l) and other social and family engagements almost too numerous to mention.














I only wish the Scotlands were here or we were there--but then, we're meeting them in Ireland in September.

Summer will soon be over, and everyone, including me, will have to get to work. But while it lasts, life feels full, good, very rich, happy. And why not just enjoy it? What else is there to do, right?