In San Diego, it usually doesn’t rain all summer. It also isn’t humid here at all although this summer was the most humid it has been in a while. I was discussing this at our favorite hydroponics/beer supply store called Home brews and Gardens. I hadn’t noticed the humidity was way off i here until the guy, Greg, showed me all of their hops and the mildew on them. It made me think of my cucumbers, squashes, and melons and the poor success I had fighting off mildew on them this year. I just thought I had sprayed too much water on the leaves but now it made complete sense.
A few weeks ago it was super-humid, hot and also rained that day. Yucky. I felt SO sorry for all of the kids who were having their first day of school in such discomfort. I was thankful, that day, I could take my kids out to enjoy the rain for 15 minutes and then return them to a place of comfort for optimal learning. I like that if Miss F is excited about a change in the weather or a bird, we can run out and see it. I enjoy being able to break for the day if it is too hot to continue. I LOVE being able to apply what was happening that day with the weather to what we were learning in school. It seems to be the way it should be. It makes me think of the Outback slogan:
“No Rules. Just Right”
They are getting so big. They love to break out their rain gear even on days when there is not a cloud in sight.
Oh yes.
I guess it was as good a time as any for a salad snack.
We also had some unannounced guests last week. This is the 9th swarm of bees to come into our yard but only the first to land and huddle for a bit. I was hoping they would stay and make honey but alas, they apparently found better rent elsewhere. I asked my brother, the resident insect expert of the West Coast, why they left. He said bees will sometimes stop at a place for a short time, while they send scouts out to find a more ideal location. Bummer. We enjoyed the backyard education while we had it though.
We also had a blackout here in SoCal last week. It was a not such a big deal event turned into a big event. It showed me that most people are not capable of adapting to change well. True, I had already known this from experience, but stuff like this brings it out in people.
My man and I were heading out on a date that night to the Green Flash tasting/food truck combo event. The power went out and I was still intent on going, figuring it would just come back on in a few hours. No biggie. I handed our babysitter the camping lantern and said, “Just in case you need it.” She didn’t look as sure as I did but she’s awesome, so I knew she could handle it. We would have made it if not for the whole of San Diego freaking out and heading to the freeways and their local Home Depot. The news accidentally got turned on by my husband and talk was made of it lasting days, how will people get gas, what will people do, how will we get to work, how can we buy food if the registers don’t work and the stores are closed. Seriously, everyone would survive. This is not a situation where people could be harmed easily, as opposed to an earthquake. Hospitals have generators for this kind of thing as do most other entities who would need to provide a service in times of need.
Bottom line, many people have lost the ability to truly connect with other human beings and when faced with the idea that they might actually have to form these connections, let alone help people you don’t know, it isn’t comfortable. The internet, iphones, and other electronics have made this so. I was praying that night that neighbors would actually talk, husbands and wives would connect with no electronic devices anywhere in sight, kids would have no ipod power source and maybe tell their parents what’s happening in their lives. I would say, “maybe its just me”, but I’ve had numerous conversations to confirm that I’m not the only one who thinks we are in a tough place right now with our relationships.
Let me paint a picture from some things I couldn’t help but notice:
- I am in a restaurant and a couple across from me are both on their phones the entire hour and a half. Occasionally, they look up to share something interesting but not a ton is said. They probably called that a date. For me, I would be hurt if those people called me a friend because I knew I would always be 2nd to their phone.
- People rush home from church, in some kind of a hurry with little time to talk, then hop on facebook to “connect”
- A couple actually tags their way through their honeymoon. Wha? It may sound fun to follow along but that’s not what it’s all about. That is time taken away from the other to be on your cell phone…on your honeymoon!!
- cell phones used to be for emergency calls, now they are portable video game consoles which annoy me to no end in places where they are not appropriate. To me, it’s ALWAYS rude to play a video game with sound in a public place, as is talking on a cell in a waiting room full of people. I have been in many difficult situations where a phone game might have helped my kiddos, but my job is to teach not avoid.
- people have less time to get together and share a meal, but facebook can happen all day. Is this the connecting people really want? hmmm.
- women post status updates while in labor. Maybe it’s just that I could never do this because I was only ever in pain while giving birth, but I’m a little weird-ed out by it. I can only picture the special moment being lost between 2 people and a baby, for the purposes of keeping everyone up to date.
- almost strangers find out engagements and pregnancies before family and friends. Tactless, no?
I KNOW I do things that are irritating, but I try to be as courteous as I can be with what I know of myself and my tendencies.
Can we all try a little harder? Please? For the sake of the next generation, if not for yourself?
This is a picture that Green Flash posted from that night…must have been fun.
My sweet girl was so excited about living like Laura (we’ve been reading the “Little House on the Prairie” series for over a year). I didn’t point out that her candle was battery operated. I did let her keep a jar with a candle in her room which she was thrilled about. I tend to handle emergency related things pretty calmly. My kids seem to do the same. As long as I act cool, they do.
What a better time to snuggle than by candlelight, right?
All I have to say is, there’s gonna be a lot of babies born 10 months from that night…
Love your thoughts!