Fashion

[Bird mama]

Good Afternoon or morning depending on your location 

It's overcast here and mild enough for me to have windows open since early this morning.  I usually have any and all yard work completed by this time of day however we got rain last night and it took a while for the front yard to dry out.

I just cut the grass in the front yard and pruned the weeping mulberry and some other leafy shrub that I don't know the name of 

I hardly had any grass growth in the front yard considering it's been 2 weeks since I mowed.  Guess it was all that heat that we had.

[2blonde]

@Bird mama   Good Afternoon, Bernie!  Yes, it rained and thundered here last night too.  As a matter of fact, just as I was arriving at work this morning (7:30am) it started coming down again.  There's no way I can park close to a building here, so I'll just say it wasn't a great way to start the week!  The sun is trying to come out now, though, and it looks like we're going to have a very nice, sunny and comfortable week.

The grass may no be growing a lot, but the bushes on my back patio haven't gotten the message.  It gets really hot back there in the morning, but with all the rain, those suckers are growing so fast, I'm literally trimming them every other day!  For two cents I may take a saw to all of them (I've done that before, and they grew back)!  

[twinny70]

Bird Mama, its a beautiful mid 70's day with the same for several more days and then !ow  80's & no rain.  My DH mowed yesterday.

Laura, sorry that you had a wet start to your day.  Our few bushes don't seem to grow no matter what we do to them.

I walked this morning at 6:15 & it was 66°.  Just wonderful!

The news here is that the taekwondo instructor that our dd, youngest dgs & dgd go to will be in a movie.  It's called "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. "  The studio are  all going on Saturday night to see it.  Our dd said that he is out in Hollywood for the Red Carpet.  She said that he is the nicest & hard working guy that you could ever meet & so deserving.  His wife is a model & they have  2 or 3 little children.  

It was a good laundry day.  

Hugs to all of you.

[LindaLatte]

Good Afternoon and thanks for getting us started, Bernie.  Glad you got some yard work done, and were able to have the windows open.

Sorry you had to deal with the rain on your way to work, Laura.   It is funny how some bushes and trees seem to be able to regenerate themselves even when you cut them down.  That happened with a mesquite tree we had.  I finally had to pay to have the roots taken out.

That is exciting about the instructor, twinny.  I have heard of that movie.  Glad you had such nice weather for your morning walk.  It was in the upper 70's when I started my walk (about the same time as you started yours).  Fortunately, it was cloudy, so it didn't seem as hot.  They are predicting thunderstorms for later this afternoon or evening, but so far, nothing.  We could use the rain for sure.

I had a very busy morning with strong bones class, going to the Post Office, the card store, and then talking to my broker.  I had three college funds for my grands (the older guy already graduated), and I had to call to get money for the Fall semester.  This is quite a process -- involves three different offices at the broker, and took quite a while due to delays in the "delivery" department.  But, I should get the money by the end of the week.  I actually closed out the oldest guys (second grandson's) account since he should graduate in December.  Not enough to pay for both terms unless a scholarship or military discount comes through, but I'm really pleased that he has not had to take out any student loans (like both of his brothers.)  

I have grief group this afternoon, and then I'll be going out for coffee and/or a treat with my friend Jo Ann who is also planning to attend the meeting.  

Waves to all of our posters and readers.  Hope everyone sleeps well.

Hugs,

Linda

ETA -- hope you have a great trip, Charlene.  

[Bird mama]

Laura @2blonde   That weeping mulberry and the other shrub I don't know the name of looked horrible so I just went at them with hand pruners.

My backyard grass grew more than the front and at least now my property looks like someone lives here and cares about the place.  It was a pleasure to be outside without wanting to pass out in the heat.

[Bird mama]

That's exciting about the taekwondo instructor @twinny70 

Speaking of taekwondo, I have to brag about another prayer answered.  I'm pretty sure that I mentioned that my eldest great niece (turned 8 in March) has been going to karate since she was like 4.  I know I mentioned that I cannot stand that instructor and that any time I went to belt ceremonies or anything it was all I could do to not send death rays outta my eyes at him.

Well, great news.  I guess he finally managed to tick my niece off one too many times and when she asked her daughter do you want to go back (had never been asked of the little girl before), my great niece said, no I don't want to go back.

She's in taekwondo now with a totally different instructor and dojo (?) and loves it.

[Bird mama]

You are most certainly a generous grandma @LindaLatte   It's lovely that the children can pursue higher education without incurring crushing debt.

[twinny70]

Linda L, it's so generous of you to help your dgc with their college expenses.  Yes, it's exciting about Mike Moh being in a movie.  Our dd & youngest dgs love teaching at  the studio & Emily can't wait to get a job there when she turns 15 next March.  

Bird Mama, I am glad that your gn said no to going back and is doing something different in martial arts.  We have been to a couple of their important events.  It makes me nervous because it is a rough sport.  Probably as rough as ⚽⚽.  I am glad that Christopher has graduated from HS &  Drew quit soccer last year.  

[Bird mama]

Twinny @twinny70   The jacka** karate 'instructor' was interested in keeping the families hooked into constant re-enrollment of classes.  He was progressing the kids through the various belt steps at warp speed and I was there - I saw what was supposed to be black belt level children who had lousy technique.  I'm going on 57 and I could have taken one of the teenagers out without a breaking a sweat that's how bad their karate skills were.

What you ended up with was children at a belt level that exceeded their emotional maturity (I saw it with my great niece).  They were too young, with lousy skills at belt levels that required more training.

A couple of belt testings/competitions ago I was sitting there and the black belts were doing hand to hand.  It was a boy who had studied longer and was also getting extra training outside of the jacka**es studio up against a young girl who was slight of build.

Now, I think with the same training a girl would have no problem taking down a guy.  I'm not gender funny like that.

They were not a good match and the young guy got caught up in the 'fight' and he dropped kicked the girl and she landed up on the floor and was winded really bad.

I looked at my niece and then I looked at my great niece who is tiny and built like a little china doll and said, she's not gonna have to do that is she?  At the time my niece said, if she wants her black belt she will.  This was the first time in all of these years that I opened my mouth.

I talked about the 'instructor' all of the time with my middle sister but never my niece.

I told my niece - I have a problem with that.  Your daughter is being sped through every iteration of belt testing whether or not she has the skills to earn the belt.  If  I'm here for it and someone knocks her down like that young girl was just knocked down, I assure you, there will be an incident.

I am not going to sit on my fanny in a chair and watch my great niece gasp for breath the way that little girl's mother is watching her own daughter gasp for breath on that mat.

[twinny70]

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@Bird mama wrote:

Twinny @twinny70   The jacka** karate 'instructor' was interested in keeping the families hooked into constant re-enrollment of classes.  He was progressing the kids through the various belt steps at warp speed and I was there - I saw what was supposed to be black belt level children who had lousy technique.  I'm going on 57 and I could have taken one of the teenagers out without a breaking a sweat that's how bad their karate skills were.

What you ended up with was children at a belt level that exceeded their emotional maturity (I saw it with my great niece).  They were too young, with lousy skills at belt levels that required more training.

A couple of belt testings/competitions ago I was sitting there and the black belts were doing hand to hand.  It was a boy who had studied longer and was also getting extra training outside of the jacka**es studio up against a young girl who was slight of build.

Now, I think with the same training a girl would have no problem taking down a guy.  I'm not gender funny like that.

They were not a good match and the young guy got caught up in the 'fight' and he dropped kicked the girl and she landed up on the floor and was winded really bad.

I looked at my niece and then I looked at my great niece who is tiny and built like a little china doll and said, she's not gonna have to do that is she?  At the time my niece said, if she wants her black belt she will.  This was the first time in all of these years that I opened my mouth.

I talked about the 'instructor' all of the time with my middle sister but never my niece.

I told my niece - I have a problem with that.  Your daughter is being sped through every iteration of belt testing whether or not she has the skills to earn the belt.  If  I'm here for it and someone knocks her down like that young girl was just knocked down, I assure you, there will be an incident.

I am not going to sit on my fanny in a chair and watch my great niece gasp for breath the way that little girl's mother is watching her own daughter gasp for breath on that mat.

---

Bird Mama, that is just awful at how things were taught to your gn.  My dd's studio is a state of the art studio and they are very strict at what goes on.  Getting the first black belt degree takes a lot of practicing and then the black belt testing for 2nd degree had to be at least a year later.  They all got that one last year & I don't know if they will be trying to get their 3rd  black belt.  Our DD is 46 old.