Books, Bugs and Birthdays (late June/early July)

Time to catch up on the busy time of late June and early July . . . 

Before S left for a convention in Phoenix, Arizona, he had a book launch.  It seems strange to say, as launch feels like such an aggressive kind of word.  It definitely wouldn't suit the quiet gathering of S's co-workers and others who gathered to celebrate the arrival of the book from the publisher.  Nor would it suit S's quiet style when it comes to advertising "Buffalo Shout" and trying to get it noticed, as requested by a publisher.  He's rather hushed about it, really.  So it was kind of his colleagues to organize the morning event and impressive they got his book design on the cake. :)

Glad I could take part with just Iz while the others were at school.  I could actually hear what was said!

On a tangent, one thing I've enjoyed from the sidelines throughout this book project has been watching a transformation.  My husband, the introvert and lover of books has investments not really in bank accounts as in stocking book shelves.  I have long considered some of the publications encasing our rooms to be S's friends.  He's made me delicately handle them as such, too!  They've mentored, challenged, supported and stretched S in many ways over the years.  As he's approached various authors to contribute to "Buffalo Shout" or to critique it, offer suggestions and such, he suddenly has changed some of those sort-of book friendships into real ones to varying degrees (some quite shallow of course).  It's fun to see the author names that enter our inbox from time to time.

One quote I still remember from my crazy door-to-door book sale days - while attending sale school training indoctrination in Nashville - is from Charlie "Fabulous" Jones:  "You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read."  Seems that S managed to do the latter first and it's helped him do more of the former - both of which have definitely shaped him into who he is now.

One of those book-then-friend connections is Ched Myers and Elaine Enns.  I have heard S say Ched's "Binding the Strongman" - a commentary on the Book of Mark - was one of the most life changing books he's ever read.  Years later, it's pretty great to have Ched & Elaine stop over while visiting Winnipeg from California.  We all loved it.

I've been working my way through S's book, not having spent much time reading this summer!  I've had lots to think about already and look forward to perhaps a more quiet autumn so that I can really concentrate.

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The end of June rapidly approached with fun activities at school.  Soon the kids were out and S was away to Phoenix for nine days (where he endured temperatures of 43 C!).  The kids and I quietly celebrated Canada Day at Chantal & Dave's, which was rather relaxing, although the kids were a little nuts at times.

Next day, I suddenly found myself anything but relaxed.  Having a backyard of just concrete and a now outdoor cat, I hadn't really thought of fleas as a problem.  I'd been troubled when I started to get linear bites in the night the previous week.  Especially when I thought how S's suitcase had been beside our bed since it's three week stay in Toronto.  I happen to know that the community house he was in had had bedbugs two years ago and it started to bother me.  Didn't help that we had new 'old' carpet in the basement - a Kijiji freebie to help cover the concrete and keep the kids safe as they swing from rafters.  Maybe it had bed bugs?  S put little bug traps down there and while vacuuming that Tuesday, I noticed things stuck in them.  There were five little beetles (and some larvae!) in the trap under our guest bed that looked like this (magnified immensely):

I walked upstairs, looked up bed bugs on the computer and saw the same basic size and body shape:

I called the local exterminators to ask about next steps.  Overwhelmed, I couldn't think whether the $1000 estimate or the bagging up of everything was worse!  I hung up, sat down and cried . . . only to hear A pick up the now ringing phone.

A:  "Hi.  My Mom can't talk right now.  She's crying."
?:  ?
A:  "Well, she's found bedbugs downstairs."
?:  ?

I stopped crying and grabbed the phone, relieved to hear Chantal on the other end.  Within twenty minutes, she was over, as was another neighbour friend who'd had a horrible battle with bedbugs last summer/fall.  Her look at my bug brought some hope:  "They have bedbug bodies, except they're a bit too chubby."  After a search through the beds, more hope when nothing suspicious turned up.  To make sure, we visited an entomologist to have the bug looked at.  She was out, but the admin staff confirmed it looked "too plump."  So a mystery bug (I think they were spider beetles), but I was so relieved we went to a local water park to celebrate and ended up having a fun day.

As for the bites in my room, they stopped happening that night and it must have been a flea or a mosquito (as we had a rougher time with them in late June/July . . . but nowhere near like in Granisle!).  Nothing like a bit of drama.  S felt awful when he happened to phone in those twenty minutes before my friends had showed up, me crying about possible bed bugs.  Poor guy, since I couldn't get back to him until late that night.

Didn't help that the next time he called was the day Ai and Iz had gone outside to play on the swing set and had gotten distracted by the mud formed after I'd washed some things outside.  They came in covered in it, giggling about what they'd done.  I should have taken pictures of them and the damage.  They'd put their dirty hands around the porch, along the fences, on - and in! - the van.  I was not super happy.  A returned from a friend's to hear the two giggling in the bathtub and, once again,  find Mommy crying.  Next thing I know, she'd gathered the buckets and hose and was out there "washing" the van.  That was worth a picture, sweet girl that she is.

What I should have taken was a picture of the van after the wash.  When I took it out over the next days, I had a few pedestrians point and laugh.  It was pretty bad. :)  S returned on A's birthday, knowing there was a van to really wash and a Mom who felt rather fragile and didn't need him to go away anytime soon!

Here they are, my two buddy-schemers:

I keep thinking this photo deserves some kind of caption.  I just can't think of one yet . . .

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All that bug stress meant I'd postponed A's schoolfriend birthday party, just in case.  We got to enjoy one of Ai's schoolfriend's instead at the local YMCA.

Was nice for me to have them all of out of the house and the heat - a nice distraction to mingle with other parents.  And thankfully, the next morning, S was home, in time to celebrate A's 8th birthday.  We made it a mellow family day and enjoyed some gift opening

before we left for A's favourite restaurant:  Subway.  We made for quite the motley crew, as Ai tromped about in his boots and tie-dye shirt and Iz had chosen this to be (another) day where she used goggles as an accessory.   A's next wish was Central Park's splash pad/wading pool, which would have been super if it hadn't gotten so chilly.

Not my picture - it wasn't this sunny for us!

It didn't last super long, but fortunately, there were fun new toys to play with at home.

The day was topped off with an ice cream outing.

I think S could have done without this, as he was pretty tired by then.  I think we all were!  Birthday festivities continued throughout the week as A opened a few more presents and then enjoyed having some friends over.

Thanks, Auntie Erin!

Such an easy going girl, A has some really nice friends still good at playing imaginatively.  True to me, it was a low-key event but the kids still had a fun time.  Phew.  I was relieved to do my parental duties, but my mind was looking ahead a day to when I had more special company arriving from Vancouver.  Summer vacation was well on its way already!