MAY 29 UPDATE: A little at a time

I was able to get out to work a little bit more on the house yesterday — I got in a couple of hours of taping and mudding. I wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of a local girl I hired to help watch the kids. She seems to be having a good time with them. And I am really appreciating the help. I don't know why every mother doesn't have a helper like this! It's really saving my sanity to be able to get out and do a little work.

Of course, there's still tons of taping and mudding to do. And there's a lot of drywall yet to hang, too. At least I'm seeing some progress, even if it is snail-speed.

... Sofia, Erik and I went out for a lilac appreciation walk this afternoon. They are in peak bloom! That's later than they have been for a few years -- they were in peak bloom in 2001, for example, right for our wedding, on May 19. This year it was right on for my birthday, May 28. (I feel honored in any case.)

We went out for a birthday supper last night, and we were planning for a round of mini-golf to follow (a birthday tradition -- it's a sport I don't at all mind being bad at) but that was rained out. We'll have to try again some other day. We did enjoy a plate of chocolates from the new restaurant/chocolate shop in town ... wow, were they good! Absolutely divine.

... The latest plague is in full rage: Mosquitoes. Last night as we were driving home, it was as if we were driving through snow, as the headlights lit up the bugs as we drove through a mosquito cloud. Stepping outside in the evening I could hear the high-pitched whine of a million blood-thirsty mosquitoes, buzzing from all sides. I haven't been out enough to get too bit up, and they weren't bad this afternoon when the kids and I were out, as long as we stayed away from the long grass.

We are in the top West Nile Virus county in South Dakota, which is the biggest worry. We didn't worry about such things when I was a kid, when I'd be peppered with mosquito bites all summer long. They looked horrible -- I couldn't help scratching them -- but I didn't worry about getting sick from them! Well, the really bad mosquito time here doesn't last too long. Sometime in June they'll calm down a bit -- though that's when the West Nile cases start showing up.

There is one reason we're all happy when winter comes -- the mosquitoes freeze!

... We are all celebrating: Dave's uncle Walt is coming to help for a few days again! We told Walt he is welcome ANY time. He'll be here on Sunday ... not sure what we'll have him help with. Drywalling and taping and mudding are what we'd be working on otherwise, but we should put his talents to better use. Never fear, we'll come up with something!