28 July, 2020 - Hot Days & Stamps from Korea

Dear, Mom -

How are you today? It is going to be another very hot day. I am glad you are inside where it stays nice and cool. Our house stays fairly cool if we make sure to keep the curtains closed after noon and keep the fans on circulating the air. We do have a small air conditioner for the really hot days so that we can actually sleep and so that Elsa the dog doesn’t roast. She gets hot easily and tries to lay where ever there is not carpet. Last night, she actually slept next to the bed for the first time since the beginning of the month. We had the air conditioner on and the fans going, so she couldn’t hear any of the car racing or fire works that went off. It was nice for her not to be in the bathroom. Unfortunately, she is in there tonight again. I partially think it may be cool in there on the floor and fairly sound proof because we never keep that window open at night. It’s on the opposite side of the house that gets the noise.

Elsa excited for breakfast this morning. Who said a dog can’t smile?!

I have been working on some cards as a present for a gal in Ontario, Oregon. I told you about her a week or so ago. She sent me something for free in the mail and I told her in return I would so some art and send it to her. I painted the picture of a single card from the Korean card game “Stop Go”, but I dropped the brush on it and thought I’d ruined it. I salvaged it by finding some older Korean stamps online that someone was selling for $1 and am going to put it over the paint. I matched the color and theme. When I finish it, I will take a picture so you can visualize what the heck I am talking about. It probably just sounds like a bunch of mixed up nonsense.

I just think this is funny. It looks like my good friend Ian who actually has lived in Korea for the last couple of years teaching English AND is afraid of dogs. I sent him this picture and said they made a stamp in his honor. Hahaha.

I love that Korea loves its food enough to make stamps featuring it. That’s my kind of stamp!

I got about 1,000 stamps in total (guessing) and will have fun making art out of them. I have other stamps in my art supplies, so I think I will make some collages with them and put them on cards for people to mail. Not many people send homemade cards in the mail anymore. It’s becoming a lost art. I love doing mixed media collages, so this has inspired me and will be lots of fun!

Guess what I did today? Nope. I didn’t macrame a plant hanger, nor did I purchase a small island of the coast of Maine. No, I gave Bob a haircut! His hair was getting so long since he cannot go out to see a barber. I told his son Philippe that I would study up on hair cutting and attempt to cut Bob’s hair. I got the courage up after watching some barbers cut hair in videos online to go ahead and jump in feet first and do it. His hair had really been bothering him being so long, so here’s a picture of how it turned out. I cut about 2 inches off. That was quite a bit! I think he looks very nice. I was a little conservative with the top bit, but I told him if he wants more cut off, I can do it on Thursday. What do you think? How did I do?

Bob posing for a photo for you with his new haircut!

Well, it is just after 10:30 and I need to get to bed. I have to assist Birgit with a test today that will last 3 hours. Basically, ever 30 minutes, I have to have her breath into a bag and take a sample of her breath to test it for bacteria that may be causing upset to her stomach and intestinal tract. It is a bit involved, but I’m sure once we have done the first run, it will come together and go quickly. It will be the waiting in-between that takes the longest.

Here is a picture of the lovely nasturtium growing along our fence. It has a mixture of both red and yellow flowers. I never thought of growing a flowering plant that would train along the fence, but these sure look nice and add some class to our ugly chain link.

Lovely in the light of the sunset!

Keeping my eye on the ripening blackberries at a neighbor’s house. They don’t usually get picked. I can remedy that problem :)

Have a lovely day, Mom. I will talk to you later on and tell you how much

I love you and miss you over the video chat. I can tell you now, too, though. 

I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!! HUGS AND KISSES!!!!

       Your Youngest Child, —- Sally Ann