Once A Month Blog Post: July

I am totally in awe of all of you that post weekly or even daily. 

Arm Update: Last evaluation was 80% mobility. That was enough for me. I am over it. I thought I was resigning from Physical Therapy. My doctor had written orders for my newest complication, tennis elbow from too much therapy, so I thought they would throw in some exercises. Instead, I am now doing a few weeks of electric current therapy at acupuncture points. Or in others words, shocking the nerves in my arm and elbow with electric current.  I don't want to speak too loudly, but I have had two sessions and I think my pain level is much better. I have two more weeks to go.

Meanwhile, we celebrated my youngest grandson's first birthday with a small, 
socially distanced minimal family outdoor picnic. 

Socially appropriate individually servings of picnic food. 

I usually take ALL TEN of my grandchildren (well, nine up to now) for a week in the summer for Gramma Mimi's Cousin Camp. Between a global pandemic and a broken humerous, plans for this year have changed. My out-of-town grandchildren are remaining safely out-of-town. I do childcare for 2 of my local grandchildren, part time childcare for 2 more local grandchildren and 3 more grandchildren's mom is taking an online class. So all seven of the youngest came for a day camp the first of July. We are calling it Gramma Mimi's America Camp. 

Some of the campers. Usually I go all out, matching t-shirts, themed activities, themed food. Lots of field trips. Well, that can't happen. 

I think the humidity and 100 degree temperatures got this one. I had bought what I thought were bubble wands for camp last year. I got them out this year and they were water shooters. 
This kept the sunscreened campers busy for hours. 

And lots of time in the shade or on the porch with popsicles.

After two weeks to recuperate, we tried it again with

 Gramma Mimi's Cooking School!

The Chefs!  Too hot to be outside, we started with frosting cupcakes that I baked the night before.  Each chef had their own frosting in a cup and their own utensils. I think you can see why. 

Next we made yeast bread dough in ziplock bags and formed them into loaves.  
You mix the dough by squeezing.

While the dough rose, we baked some cut out cookies

 (that I had in the freezer). 

They cooled while we ate lunch, then we frosted the cookies and ate them while we put our loaves of bread in the oven.  While the bread was baking, we colored some spaghetti noodles I had cooked the day before. 

It worked pretty slick! Just add 1 tablespoon of water and a few drops of food coloring, 
seal and shake! 

Everyone got to pick a color! We made rainbow pasta!

We put together spaghetti pies with tomato sauce and meatballs, covered with cheese and baked so they could take dinner home to their parents. 

Junior Chefs eating lunch because they can't cook while I have a camera in my hand. 

So- what else have I been doing?

Well, I edit our local genealogy group's newsletter and wrote a 12 page issue about the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic in our county.  I only covered from October 1, 1918 to November 1, 1918 so I know what the fall issue will be. . .  Thank goodness (a) that I have use of two arms for much easier typing than the spring issue (b) access to two different newspaper archives on line so I don't have to leave my house for research. 

We have also been participating in Virtual Vacation Bible School. 

It is a whole new world, folks. 

It seems like I retired to become a home school teacher.  

Luckily it means I get to keep them with me a little longer. 

 And we practiced wearing masks for class on Thursday in case we get to attend school this year. 

Well, I guess that is it for July.  Maybe I will come up with something else from my living room for another post this month or maybe I will have to wait until August.