dropped dog off at 7am for spay and to remove double back dew claws. dog feeling expensive.
reading, writing, 'rithmatic. girls worked quietly on projects while I processed 7 dozen red peppers I got for four dollars.
took el to archery class. nice to see friends. started offering art classes for homeschoolers.
caught end of unschoolers' 'not back to school party.' I love those guys.

went to dad's tonight to clean out knick knacks. I hadn't shed a tear at the wake or funeral but seeing the house dismantled made it all feel real and I let it out. got a crying headache. picked some stuff out. girls came home with a box of junk they picked out on each of their laps. the house felt so lonely with the presence of gram and pa being moved out. the death of a place - the place that felt most like home. I brought some table linens home and they smell exactly like the house - the linen closet. I wrapped a tablecloth around my face, closed my eyes, and breathed in their smell as much as I could. It was summer again and Gram was there and I was 8. I sealed them in a bag in hopes they'll smell that way for a while.

had a party for violet last night. got pretty big and rowdy. fun. made red velvet cake with pink cream cheese frosting. house is getting very clean. clean and organized enough that I'm confident enough to hold art lessons here.